Dragonvein: Book One Part 18

He sat up and held out his hands. "You have no idea what I have done with these. Do you know why they call me Specter?"

At first Ethan thought the question was rhetorical, but soon realized that Markus was waiting for a response. "I a.s.sumed it was because you're good at hiding...or something like that."

"It's because I have no soul. Or at least, that's what they say about me."

"That's ridiculous. Why would anyone say that?"

"I've done things...terrible things. Things I never thought I was capable of."

"Like what?"

Markus closed his fingers to make fists, clenching them tight. "These hands...sometimes I wish I could just chop them off. Maybe then I could be forgiven."

Ethan touched him on the shoulder. "Whatever you've done, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think."

He let out a disdainful laugh. "Really? I've killed people. Hundreds of them. And not just men. I've killed women...and..."

He swallowed hard. "And children. I've tortured entire families until they begged for death. I've skinned men alive while their enemies drank and laughed at their pain. I've done things that would make even the n.a.z.i's sick to their stomachs."

Ethan was unsure how to react. "Why?" was all he could think to ask.

"To survive. At least, that's what I tell myself. The first time was hard. I didn't think I could live with myself afterward. I was hired by a merchant to kill his rival's young son. I had just joined the Hareesh and was trying to make a name for myself. No one else would take the job, so I did."

He looked up at Ethan, tears welling in his eyes. "He was only nine years old."

Markus wiped his face and shook his head. "I can barely remember doing it. All I see clearly is the frightened look on his poor little face." He paused to clear his throat. "After that, the Hareesh feared me. And the sad thing is, I liked it that way. I enjoyed how they would step aside when I walked by. It was the first time since I got here that I didn't feel powerless. From then on, I was the one who took the jobs the others didn't have the stomach for. And that's why they call me Specter."

After he finished, a lengthy silence developed. Eventually, Ethan said: "I'm so sorry that all this happened to you. But in spite of what you might think, you do have a soul. Whatever you've done, it doesn't matter anymore. Not to me. You're not Specter. You're Markus."

"You're wrong," he said. "I'm not Markus. I haven't been Markus for a long time. But I'd like to be him again. When I first saw you in Miltino it reminded me of who I was before I became a murderer. And it was that, more than anything that made me so angry. Not because I'm here, but because I'm Specter."

Ethan got to his feet and held out his hand. "Then let me help you find yourself again."

Slowly Markus cracked a twisted smile and chuckled softly. "A boy scout 'til the end."

He took Ethan's hand and allowed himself to be pulled up. "Jonas was right. Better to die trying. So let's go see the b.l.o.o.d.y dwarves."

Chapter Eleven.

Markus and Ethan talked until dawn. Ethan thought it best to avoid any further questions about his friend's past, so he instead focused on discussing practical matters.

He discovered that the travel papers Markus had provided were only necessary when entering a city with a nearby garrison. Local rulers mostly didn't care who came and went, so long as they spent coin while they were there.

He also learned that the former Five Kingdoms were coming under ever increasing hards.h.i.+p, with famine and disease spreading at an alarming speed. The desert that separated the Imperial palace from the rest of the continent was expanding, and had already consumed thousands of acres of rich farmland.

"I started hearing rumors about s.h.i.+nzan almost from the moment I arrived," Markus told him. "They say he is more than a thousand years old and can never die."

"Do they say anything about how he came to power?" Ethan asked.

"Not much. Only that he defeated the mages and the dragons single-handedly."

This mention of the dragons made Ethan recall his own vivid dreams about them. He decided to keep details of these to himself for now, but he did tell Markus about the tiny dragon he had seen at the farm.

His friend sat up straight and raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure that's what you saw?"

Ethan nodded. "And I keep getting this strange feeling. It's like they're watching me."

Markus thought for a moment. "I've heard stories. Legends really. They say that five children will come to challenge the Emperor for the soul of the world. They will be led by the last champion of the dragons, who will burn the Emperor's palace to cinders."

"And?"

"And nothing. I only heard it a few times from some of the Hareesh wives. It was just a bedtime story they told their children."

Jonas began to stir.

"We'll talk more later," Markus said, getting to his feet.

On spotting him, Jonas scowled and shook his head. "So you changed your mind, did you? Well, at least Ethan is happy about it."

"You should be too, old man," he shot back. "You know nothing of Lumnia. The world you left behind has been gone for a long time. It's amazing you even made it as far as Miltino without getting killed."

Jonas began gathering his things. "Then let us hope your decision to come with us isn't just a pa.s.sing fancy."

Ignoring the insult, Markus walked over to the still sleeping Kat. He gently shook her awake. "It's time to go."

Her eyes popped wide when she saw him. She scrambled for her dagger which had fallen from her hand while she slept and was now on the ground beside her blanket.

"Easy girl," he said, holding up his palms. "I just want to say that I'm sorry if I hurt you last night."

Gradually Kat calmed down, though she continued firmly gripping the dagger and eyeing him with suspicion. "I'm not hurt," she said, touching the bruises on her wrist.

He gave her a curt nod, then moved quickly away to gather up his things.

The pace Markus set for them was at times almost a run. He said that if they were to stay ahead of the Grendil they would need to rest as infrequently as possible and sleep for no more than a few hours at a time. Though he didn't complain openly, it was easy to see that Jonas was less than enthusiastic about what was in store.

"It's not likely he'll try to follow us into the mountains," Markus told them. "The dwarves may trade with the Empire, but they sure as h.e.l.l don't like strangers."

"The dwarves do business with the Empire?" asked Jonas, clearly disgusted by the idea.

"Of course," he replied. "Otherwise s.h.i.+nzan would send an army to wipe them out. The only reason he tolerates them at all is that they can make magical items."

"What do they sell?" asked Ethan.

"Weapons mostly."

He recalled Jonas asking him if his rifle was a dwarf weapon. "What kind of weapons?"

"All kinds. Mostly fire blowers and lightning wands. Things like that. Though I've seen some that can make a man's blood boil inside his veins. But we don't need to worry about that."

Jonas gave an understanding nod, but Ethan was confused.

"Why?" he asked.

"Common soldiers aren't given those kind of weapons. Only the high ranking officers. And this far south you don't see too many of them. They prefer the comfort of the larger cities up north."

"The dwarves were always well known for their magic craft," Jonas added. "They were rumored to have constructed weapons that could level a building."

"That's more than just a rumor," Markus said. "The Empire has at least six of them - though I've only ever seen one."

"What did it look like?" asked Ethan.

"It's a long green crystal tube about three feet long and a foot in diameter. They have it mounted on a wooden frame. Looks kind of like an old cannon." Now it was Jonas' turn to look confused. Only Ethan understood the reference.

"Have you seen one being used?" Jonas asked.

Markus shook his head. "All but two are at the Emperor's palace. The others are used more for intimidation than anything else. There's one that sits at the gates of Kytain. The other gets moved around from city to city. Scares the h.e.l.l out of the locals whenever it shows up."

"To rule by terror is a sign of weakness," Jonas remarked.

Markus chuckled. "It works though. Only those fools in Ralmaria are stupid enough to defy s.h.i.+nzan. And all they do is raid Imperial caravans, then run away into the hills."

"At least there is some resistance," said Jonas.

"From time to time you'll see bands of rebels springing up, especially lately with the drought. But the Empire is quick to crush them. If you're thinking about looking for help, I wouldn't be looking there."

"I don't know what or who we'll be looking for," Jonas responded. "But it is good to know that someone might be willing to fight with us if needed."

Markus gave a hollow laugh. "If you go up against s.h.i.+nzan, you'd better hope they're willing to get slaughtered. In the years I've been here I only know of one time the Emperor ventured out of The Eternal Palace. The King of Traxis was having difficulty putting down a rebellion and finally had to ask the Emperor for aid. By the time s.h.i.+nzan arrived the rebels had grown to an army of almost twenty thousand men. Not that their numbers counted for much. From what I hear, he didn't take a single soldier with him when he went to fight them."

His expression darkened. "That was twenty years ago. I was in Traxis last summer. The field where s.h.i.+nzan destroyed the rebellion is still in ruins. The ground is just soot and ash. Nothing grows for miles around. And incidentally, he also killed the king and his entire family for their failure."

"How can one man take on an entire army?" mused Ethan.

"The Emperor is powerful," said Jonas. "Though such a feat is more than I would have thought possible. It would have taken the entire Council of Volnar to manage such a thing."

"But didn't the Emperor destroy the Council?" asked Kat.

Jonas c.o.c.ked his head. "So you've heard the story."

She nodded. "When I was a little girl. They say the whole of Lumnia trembled during the battle. All the mages of the world aligned themselves against the Emperor. But he was too strong for them and sent all of their souls into oblivion."

"The world did shake," agreed Jonas. "I remember the day it happened very well." Kat looked at him in wonder. "And I remember when word came of the Council's defeat." He turned to Ethan. "That was the day I fled with you and your mother."

"If he's so powerful, how do we fight him?" Ethan asked.

"Who says we will?" Jonas replied. "I have no idea what we will do after we reach the dwarves. We'll figure that out when the time comes."

Ethan tried to imagine what could kill so many men. He had seen what bombs and artillery could do. But that was the concerted efforts of soldiers, tanks, and aircraft. What s.h.i.+nzan had achieved alone was almost impossible to comprehend. The only magic he had witnessed up until now was Jonas lighting small fires, and even that tiny feat had hugely impressed him.

Markus had said that Masi was only a few days away. Once there, they would be able to purchase supplies and mounts though it was unclear how long they would be able to stay mounted once reaching north of Tulia. From there they would need to leave the roads completely, and the rocky terrain was not suited for riding.

Each night before bed, Ethan asked Kat to show him how she managed to vanish. Unfortunately, she was not fully aware of how she achieved it herself. And there were times when she was completely unable to do it at all.

"It helps when I'm excited or afraid," she told him. "But if someone is in direct contact with me, I can't do it."

Nonetheless, she did her best to show him. But he had no better luck than when Jonas tried to teach him fire starting.

"Magic is something you feel," Jonas explained after yet another frustrating failure. Kat had been patient, but with no frame of reference, she was unable to communicate what it felt like.

"I don't feel anything," he grumbled. "Maybe I just don't have the ability."

"Then you would be the first person in history with two mage parents not to have it," Jonas stated emphatically. He thought for a moment. "Perhaps your time on Earth has affected you somehow." He waved his hand. "Little matter. You'll get it eventually."

"It might be better if he doesn't," said Markus from his bedroll. "Then s.h.i.+nzan wouldn't be after him."

Jonas shook his head. "He'll kill him anyway. Just to be certain the Dragonvein line is dead and buried. The Emperor would never allow any potential challenge to his power. That was true even in my time."

"You see, Ethan," Markus said, giving a lopsided smile. "Even if you don't learn magic, there's no need to worry. You're dead no matter what."

Jonas was not amused by his remark, but Ethan shook his head and gave a soft chuckle. Markus had always possessed a dark sense of humor and it was good to hear him use it again.

By the time they reached Masi, Ethan had all but given up hope that he would ever be able to use magic. Jonas, on the other hand, had easily been able to teach Kat how to light a fire.

They entered the small village from the south, choosing to appear as if they had taken the road from Santfaliso. Without the shade of the forest, the morning sun was more oppressive than ever. The heat baked the dung strewn streets, filling the air with its stench. The few townsfolk who were about took little notice of the newcomers. Markus explained that Masi was simply a stopping-off point for travelers to resupply, and of little interest to the Empire. The nearest garrison was several hundred miles to the south.

The unpaved main street was riddled with holes and ruts from countless wagons pa.s.sing through. A narrow sidewalk in front of the single story wooden buildings was in equally poor repair, and much care was needed not to step into the gaps where the wood had rotted away.

They made their way down a side road to a small tavern.

Just before they entered, Markus handed Jonas a sc.r.a.p of parchment. "Here's a list of what we'll need. You and Kat see to it. Ethan and I will wait here. Try not to be too long."

Jonas stiffened, clearly not liking the way that Markus was giving him orders. But Markus paid him no mind and led Ethan on through the door.

Inside was much as Ethan expected. It was similar to the tavern in Jaobin, though far less crowded. A lone bartender was serving tables. He looked at Markus and Ethan with displeasure before waving a hand to indicate that they should sit wherever they wanted.

Markus chose a table at the far corner of the room, sitting with his back to the wall. Ethan took the chair opposite and ordered a pitcher of ale.

He told Markus about his encounter with Durst, and the subsequent beating he had received.

"No wonder Kat feels like she owes you," he remarked. He leaned back, scrutinizing Ethan for a long moment. "I can't get over seeing you like this. You're so...young."

"It's been only a few days for me," Ethan said. "I can still hear the Kraut tanks rolling up the streets of Carentan when I sleep at night." He pulled open his s.h.i.+rt collar to reveal a two-inch wound that had only recently scabbed over. "I got this when that mortar sh.e.l.l hit the building, just before you..." His voice trailed off.