When Raelin had envisioned Jandar\u2019s castle, she had not expected this. The room she now sat in was dark. There were no candles, no torches, and no fire in the cold hearth. The only light came from the door behind her, which was left slightly ajar for that very purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most of Jandar\u2019s castle was dark, for it was excavated beneath the topmost tip of a massive mountain. It was impracticable, but when your enemy can fly, strong ceilings are a necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The figure on the bed before Raelin stirred. She started, but the figure slept on, his face peaceful. Silence pervaded the room. The only sound was the occasional step of someone passing by in the hall outside. Raelin tried to calm herself, remembering what Jandar had said the day after they had arrived at the castle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey generally react better to their own species. It\u2019s understandable, of course. I was a bit shocked myself the first time I saw one. Imagine having no wings\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe ones we have right now are a bit rowdy, not very good at calming someone down at all. Kelda would be my obvious choice, but since she and Mallidon are with the garrison at Valgrind, I think you might be the best candidate we have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe main priority is to keep him calm. He\u2019s just been snatched from certain death, and I want to break things to him slowly. The last thing I want is to have him running about, seeing too much too fast. Tell him where he is, keep him oriented, but don\u2019t tell him about the war, not yet. You can tell him his services are required if you have to, but nothing more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019ve prepared a spell that will allow you to understand him. It works both ways, so he can understand you too, though he won\u2019t know how.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those had been the last words Raelin had heard for three hours. Jandar had showed her to the darkened room she now sat in. Guards were beyond the door, ready should there be a problem, but save for the figure on the bed, Raelin was alone in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The light from the door was but a sliver. It struck the opposite wall, wasting its light, but enough was reflected to see by, and Raelin knew that she would be illuminated from behind when the figure woke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She edged closer, curiosity driving her. As Jandar had said, the figure on the bed had no wings. He looked oddly short and stumpy without them, but she supposed he looked normal enough to his own kind, for he was no kyrie. Human, Jandar had called him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ignoring the absence of wings, the man actually looked quite handsome. He had short brown hair, and his face was peaceful in sleep. Raelin tilted her head, trying to see the man\u2019s face straight on. She could tell he was powerfully built, but his face showed only an inner peace. Just watching it made Raelin herself feel calmer. Somehow, she knew that this human was made to command, but to command with peace and kindness, not pain. She felt she could trust that face, no matter what happened about her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a sudden intake of breath, the human sat bolt upright.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin scrambled backwards, momentarily frightened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man glanced about him, light brown eyes flicking over Raelin and then on to the room, finally latching onto the door. Raelin knew what was about to happen a second before it did. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait!\u201d she cried as the man leapt for the door. He skidded to a halt at the sound of her voice, looking at her warily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not German?\u201d the man asked. \u201cYou speak English perfectly. Who are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin had been prepared for terms which made no sense, but the question still caught her somewhat off guard. She had spoken Kyrien, the tongue of Valhalla. It seemed that Jandar\u2019s enchantment worked better than she had anticipated. \u201cI\u2019m\u2026 I\u2019m not German,\u201d she faltered. \u201cI\u2019m a friend. Please, it\u2019s all right. There are things I must tell you. Just stay here, and I\u2019ll explain everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man remained where he was, ready to spring for the door in an instant. \u201cTalk,\u201d he said. His voice wasn\u2019t rough, but it still carried a command with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s the last thing you remember?\u201d Raelin asked, desperate to keep the man from opening the door. The shadows hid her wings, but if he saw the two guards outside now, she would have to do a lot more explaining than she wanted to all at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man watched her steadily. \u201cThe foxhole. A German was about to throw a grenade. My men were in the way. What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Raelin took a deep breath, remembering what Jandar had told her. \u201cThe German did<\/em> throw the grenade, and you leapt in front of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man looked at her blankly. \u201cThen\u2026 why am I not dead?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou were saved,\u201d said Raelin simply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy who? You?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d said Raelin, \u201cI\u2019m just here to explain the situation. Please, sit down. It will make everything a lot easier.\u201d Raelin had her own reasons for wanting the man to sit down, not the least of which was that it would be a lot easier to hide her wings from him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man slowly made his way back to the bed and sat down. \u201cExplain,\u201d he said shortly. He didn\u2019t raise his voice, and he wasn\u2019t threatening, but again Raelin detected the inherent command in the word. She sat down as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat happened to my injuries?\u201d the man asked, feeling the bandages about his leg and arm. \u201cI took several bullets in the assault, but the wounds feel like they\u2019ve been cleaned. Is this a field hospital?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo,\u201d said Raelin. \u201cOur healers were busy, so I cleaned and bandaged your injuries. They should be fine until they can be healed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you,\u201d said the man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin was caught off guard by the man\u2019s tone. He was sincere. This strange creature, this man, didn\u2019t know her in the least, but his thanks were heart-felt. She knew it. It took her a moment to recover what she had been saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome,\u201d she said. \u201cThis is no field hospital. It is a fortress.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man raised an eyebrow. \u201cA fortress? I suppose I\u2019m still in France then.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin smiled. There was something about the man that she found reassuring. She felt at ease when he spoke. \u201cNot exactly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhere then? Britain? How long was I out for?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re far from France, Britain, or anywhere else you\u2019ve ever been,\u201d said Raelin. \u201cYou\u2019re safe. I\u2019ll tell you more in time, but that will have to suffice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man held her gaze for a moment. \u201cAll right,\u201d he finally said. \u201cBut you will tell me how I got here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou were summoned an instant before you would have been slain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the grenade?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBy the grenade. You wouldn\u2019t understand how you were summoned, but you will be shown eventually. For now, you\u2019re safe and your injuries will be healed soon. Rest, and I\u2019ll tell you more when you wake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drake eyed her. \u201cAll right,\u201d he said, lying back down on the bed. \u201cI have one last question though, and I want you to answer it. What are you? I\u2019ve been trying to place you, but I can\u2019t. Are you\u2026 Swedish? Norwegian maybe?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin smiled. \u201cNo. I am of Valhalla.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cValhalla\u2026 the name sounds familiar\u2026 like an island in the Pacific\u2026 no, maybe the Atlantic\u2026 I\u2019m sure I\u2019ve heard that name before somewhere\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ll find out where you are soon enough. Sleep now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll sleep, but first tell me your name. That might give me a hint where you come from.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin told him her name. \u201cAnd what is yours?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man settled his head against the pillow. \u201cMine? My men call me Drake Alexander, but I prefer just Drake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin smiled. \u201cSleep, Drake. I\u2019ll tell you all when you wake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As it turned out, Drake was not told everything when he woke. He was not told how he had been summoned, though that knowledge would come soon enough. The largest truth that was kept from him, however, was the current situation. He was informed that he was needed, and that if he succeeded in the task that would be set him, he would be returned to his own land just after his death would have occurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin spent the better part of two days in the darkened room with Drake. A healer tended to his injuries while he slept, and the bandages were removed. The uniform he had been summoned in was returned to him, cleaned and bullet-hole-free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Not until the third day was a fire lit in the room. That was the day Drake saw Raelin\u2019s wings. She explained that she was a kyrie, and that Valhalla was in fact a different planet than Earth. She told him how he had been summoned through a wellspring, a pool of water that held incredible magical powers. It took him some time to register the truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was on the morning of the fourth day after he was summoned, that Drake was finally permitted out of his room. Raelin showed him Jandar\u2019s castle, though they were always accompanied by a guard. He took an interest in everything that she said, but she could tell he was keeping his opinions to himself. He wasn\u2019t learning. He was studying, the way a prisoner studies his cell for weaknesses. Only at the end of the day, when she had shown him everything, did she learn what he thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Their guard had been called on to perform some duty. Raelin had assured him she would be fine with Drake. No sooner had the guard turned the corner and vanished, however, than Raelin promptly realized two things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Firstly, the hall they were in was dark and entirely empty. Not a soul was in sight, and it was unlikely that any would venture this way for some time. The second thing Raelin noticed was Drake. He was leaning casually against the wall; but while his posture was relaxed, she realized that he was far closer than normal. Close enough to prevent her from escaping if he wanted to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She looked at him, momentarily frightened. However, his face was calm, reassuring. He meant her no harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRaelin,\u201d he said, \u201cwhat is going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d she asked, slowly edging away from him nonetheless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEveryone I see, all these kyrie, are outfitted for war. And the Vikings \u2013 they aren\u2019t exactly known as great peace-lovers. Everyone here is wearing armor, and all of the kyrie carry weapons. You told me I\u2019m in a fortress, and I believe you after what you\u2019ve shown me. You said you would tell me soon enough what is going on. Well, I\u2019ve waited. Now I want to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin looked at him. Jandar had ordered her not to tell him about the war yet, but she couldn\u2019t keep him in the dark forever. Drake could be very persuasive. His voice alone carried a command that was not easily ignored. He knew enough by now. Jandar would surely tell him soon anyway. She could do no harm by telling him the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re at war,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019ve been at war for years, far more years than I care to know of. Jandar\u2019s army is large, but our enemy\u2019s army is larger. Some say it is infinite. We can\u2019t prevail against such odds, so Jandar has summoned soldiers, like you, to fight for him. That\u2019s why you have been summoned, Drake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI see,\u201d Drake was silent for a moment as he contemplated the stone floor. He crossed his arms and looked at her. \u201cAnd did you or this Jandar give any thought to my<\/em> war? To my<\/em> life?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m needed on Earth, Raelin,\u201d Drake interrupted. \u201cI belong there, in my own time, defending my own country. That\u2019s what is important. I don\u2019t just fight for anyone who wants me to. I fight for what I believe in, for what I consider worth fighting for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo do I,\u201d said Raelin, some indignation at Drake\u2019s tone coloring her voice. \u201cThat\u2019s why I joined this war: to fight for what I believe in. The only reason I joined this war was to defend what I thought worth defending.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry, Raelin,\u201d said Drake quietly. \u201cI didn\u2019t mean to imply that\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin didn\u2019t let him finish. \u201cYou\u2019ve been lucky enough to get a chance to do some good in the world, Drake. Now you have a chance to do good in two.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRaelin,\u201d said Drake slowly, \u201cI must\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The walls shook. The floor trembled. Raelin lurched against the wall and felt Drake\u2019s steadying hand on her shoulder. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d asked Drake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before Raelin could reply, a terrible voice, louder than the pounding of a waterfall, reverberated throughout the hallway, seeming to come from the walls themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYour time has come! Jandar, I call on you to surrender to me! Meet upon your eastern-most tower to discuss your terms.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin grabbed Drake by the hand and ran down the hall. She had never heard that voice before, but she had a good idea who it was. Fortunately, the east tower was close by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They were joined quickly by other soldiers, and together they raced up tightly spiraling staircases until they emerged on one of the few towers that soared above the mountaintop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the fact that it was summer, the air was bitterly cold and clear, the stars shining brightly overhead. One of the reasons Jandar had built his castle so high up was because even the birds couldn\u2019t fly this high. Kyrie could, but they arrived exhausted, incapable of fighting without a rest. The air was thin, nearly too thin to support a kyrie, and snow often hid the castle from view when the forbidding banks of clouds did not. At the moment however, neither snow nor cloud impeded the view. Both were below the castle, the clouds rolling out from the lowest tower in an unbroken gray mass, billowing away for miles. The castle was isolated in the clear night sky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Arrayed below the tower was a small force of southern kyrie. Their red skin gleamed in the moonlight with frozen sweat, and they breathed heavily, desperately trying to catch their breath after the exhausting flight. Many of them were shivering. Raelin knew they were bloodthirsty warriors, but at the moment, they didn\u2019t look too threatening. The only one of them who did, she knew by reputation instantly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar was gigantic. He stood nearly eight feet tall, which was large even for a kyrie. He was massively built, and the gigantic furred cape that shrouded his figure only served to make him seem larger. The hilt of a massive axe jutted out from within the folds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSurrender, Jandar!\u201d he thundered up to the tower. His voice shattered the silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy?\u201d responded Jandar. Craning her neck, Raelin saw that he stood closest to the wall, gazing down at Utgar. \u201cWe\u2019ve been at war for decades, and if the reports are true, my forces just decimated yours at Varenheim. I\u2019m not about to surrender now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar laughed. It was a terrible sound. Raelin shuttered listening to it. \u201cYou overestimate your power, Jandar. You know you cannot win. Even now, a plan is in motion that will forever cripple your forces. Surrender now, and avoid the bloodshed. Surrender now, or I will kill every last man, woman, and child within your walls, until the land runs red with your blood.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Utgar spoke slowly, relishing each word. His gaze swept the wall as he spoke, and for a very brief moment, Raelin stared into his merciless eyes. Raelin found herself shaking as she watched him, not with cold she realized, but with anger. No, fury. This<\/em> was the kyrie that had killed her father. This<\/em> was the kyrie that had caused her mother to wither away before her. This <\/em>was the kyrie that had taken Kelda\u2019s father, and had caused Kelda herself so much pain. And yet he dared to stand there, defiant against the cold, and speak of blood and killing in such a soft voice. Such a loving<\/em> voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo!\u201d Jandar thundered back. \u201cYou deprive Valhalla of its life! You burn and bring chaos where once there was peace. You may have the advantage now, Utgar, but I will not let you pass simply because of that! You are evil, Utgar, and I will always<\/em> stand in your way!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo be it,\u201d Utgar shouted back. He uttered three words a harsh tongue. The wind picked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin expected something to happen. All that happened, however, was that Utgar and Jandar stood still, stubbornly staring into each other\u2019s eyes. And then Utgar began to grin. Raelin knew they were missing something, knew that Utgar had done something Jandar didn\u2019t know about. But she couldn\u2019t see what.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLook out!\u201d Drake yelled from beside Raelin. She jumped, whirling around, but Drake had already dived to the side, surging towards Jandar. He wrenched a sword from a surprised guard as he did so, and lifted it high above his head. It looked for all the world like he was about to cleave Jandar from head to foot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And then, quite suddenly, the sword seemed to draw a minion of Utgar from thin air. The red kyrie slumped on the sword, the tip bursting through his back, and Drake fell under the weight. Jandar looked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAbove you!\u201d he thundered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin looked up. At least ten red-skinned kyrie were diving towards them, most angling towards Jandar, but some towards other soldiers. One, seeing her, changed his trajectory and came falling right at her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin watched the minion approach blankly. She had no weapon. The Spear of Gerda was stowed safely in her quarters. She had not expected to use it here, in the castle. She could likely out-fly the minion, but her wings seemed frozen to her sides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAAHHH!\u201d Drake crashed into the minion just as the tip of his axe nicked Raelin\u2019s cheek. She fell back as Drake rolled dangerously close to the battlements, and for a moment she again saw Mallidon wrestling with the minion. And then her mind jolted into action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She leapt forwards and kicked the minion in the side. The kyrie curled up in pain briefly, and Drake drove his sword cleanly through him, quickly hurtling him off of the battlements and into the clouds below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rest of the minions were dealt with quickly. A few wounds were sustained, but only four looked serious. In the attack, Utgar and his remaining kyrie had fled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Jandar flew to Raelin\u2019s side. He had a cut in one arm, but it didn\u2019t look deep. \u201cRaelin,\u201d he said, a note of urgency in his voice, \u201cI need you to get these men down to the healers. Bandage up the ones that look serious, and then get them to the infirmary. If what Utgar said is true, he means to strike a blow against us. I have to put my men on the alert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Raelin barely had time to nod before Jandar was gone. She quickly herded the injured kyrie and Vikings into the tower. Drake slumped against the wall once he got inside. A deep cut ran the length of his shoulder, and he cradled his arm gingerly. A Viking had been stabbed cleanly through, and was losing a lot of blood. The other two injuries were too grisly to relate. With the help of the uninjured, Raelin bandaged those four, somehow ending up with Drake. He stared calmly at the wall while she tightened the bandage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you,\u201d Raelin said quietly while she worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Drake looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFor saving me,\u201d Raelin explained. \u201cI froze back there. I didn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s normal,\u201d said Drake. \u201cYou\u2019ll get past it after the first battle. And besides, I\u2019ll help you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019ll help me?\u201d repeated Raelin, temporarily pausing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re right, Raelin,\u201d Drake said. \u201cI\u2019ve been given a chance to do good in two worlds. I\u2019d be a fool not to take it. You can tell Jandar I\u2019ll join his war.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When Raelin had envisioned Jandar\u2019s castle, she had not expected this. The room she now sat in was dark. There were no candles, no torches, and no fire in the cold hearth. The only light came from the door behind her, which was left slightly ajar for that very purpose. Most of Jandar\u2019s castle was … Continue reading Chapter Five – Arrival of Friend and Foe<\/span>
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