Lighter Days, Darker Nights (Rune Breaker) Read online

  Taylin's breath caught in her throat and without thinking, her hand closed over the grip of the Eastern Brand. Her thumb found the tab protruding from the scabbard, up past the hilt and flicked it down. Internal clockwork turned and six miniature bolts slid open. One side of the scabbard was open to the air, save for the aforementioned bolts. Once they were withdrawn, springs on the other side moved a false internal wall against the blade, forcing it out of the scabbard by an eighth of an inch. All Taylin had to do was rotate her wrist and the sword would come free, fully drawn.

  At the same time, Ru was treated to a tide of anger and the vivid memory of grabbing a stumbling guard's wing as he passed and dislocating it. He gave her a pointed look to make clear to her that he'd seen that. She refused to meet his gaze, but didn't let go of the sword either. Very pointedly, he noted mentally to her that he didn't sense any shame there.

  The new hailene banked sharply into a shallow dive that he checked just before reaching the head of the caravan. He back-winged to start his landing, which had the side effect of extending his wings to their fullest. They were crisp, uniform white, as opposed to Taylin's red-to-orange gradient, but he had dyed blue circles at the joint, with blue arrow patterns radiating from them.

  He was dressed in leathers with a steel pectoral that still bore the orange circle with white fill in the center of the previous livery, steel gauntlets and boots of the same. In addition to the halberd he carried, there was a bandolier of throwing knives across his chest and three tin cylinders with complex looking metal mechanisms on top tucked in his belt. Two bore black stripes painted up the side, and one had red.

  “Grenades.” Kaiel explained in a quiet voice so that only those near him heard. “Pretty common closer to the capitol in Kinos, or the Historical Society's base in Rivenport.”

  “Weapons?” Taylin asked.

  He nodded. “The red ones are alchemy's answer to fireball type spells, only nastier because they're filled with slag metal that can punch holes in you even if the concussive force or flame don't get you. The black ones contain noxious smoke. What kind of smoke it is depends on who mixes it.”

  “This era simply hands mystic levels of offensive power to anyone, doesn't it?” Ru sneered. "An equilibrium of violence.”

  Neither Kaiel, nor Taylin replied because the hailene had landed. He folded his wings loosely to his back and straightened up to his full height, which was a few inches shy of Taylin. His black hair was tied back to stay out of his face in flight, but he took the time to release it now, all the while ignoring the caravan as if they were an audience waiting for him to perform.

  Posturing. Taylin knew it well from watching her former masters. The racial superiority complex of the hailene extended all the way down to the individual. When two hailene met, they made it clear that the other wasn't worth their time until the other earned their respect; and even then, all forms of hailene relationships were centered around establishing dominance.

  Ang'hailene weren't like that. Weren't even allowed to be like that. But Taylin needed to do something besides reflexively lash out and spit him on the end of her sword. That would probably be seen as untoward if he turned out to be an emissary from the city. So she straightened her spine and made a show of briefly flaring her own wings.

  His eye fell on her and his expression was unreadable. It wasn't the open contempt of the hailene she knew, but it wasn't particularly friendly either. As quickly as he gave her that look, he went back to ignoring her.

  “Who leads this caravan?” He asked in a rich, loud voice.

  Grandmother caught his eye. “I do. I am Tifarene mate-Callotian, Grandmother of the Clan of the Winter Willow, servant of Sylph Reborn. Who are you and what business have you with my people?”

  The hailene took a few steps forward and threw Grandmother an odd salute: right fist lifted to eye level, fingers facing toward her with the elbow standing straight out from his body. “My name is Percival Cloudherd. I am a Warden of the Daire-Solgrum forest, by order of King Solgrum I of Torm Dondaire. My task is to make you aware that you are now within the bounds of the Daire-Solgrum and inform you that His Majesty prohibits hunting here without his express permission. I am to order you to recall your hunters. There would be a fine if they have already taken game within the forest, but imprisonment awaits those who do so after the message is delivered.”

  Grandmother's lips tightened into a thin line. “The nir-lumos are not poachers. And we've always been welcomed in these lands before.” The hunters weren't even out looking for game at the moment. Instead they were gathering herbs and other reagents to replenish the stores of the healers and other magic users. But she felt no need to tell him this.

  “Things have changed, ma'am.” Percival said bluntly. “His Majesty has claimed the Daire-Solgrum as his property. You are still welcome to come and trade, just not to hunt without permission.”

  “Most leaders see wisdom in letting the nir-lumos have an exception.” Kaiel spoke up. His rifle was pointed at the ground and his finger was off the trigger. There was no need to back up his point with force.

  Common superstition said that Pandemos protected the halflings, not only against spirit beasts, but all aggressors. Part of it was racist propaganda left over from the Age of Tragedies to explain how 'obviously' superior fighting forces were repelled so disproportionately often by halflings in wagons. But in modern times, people actually believed it.

  Percival gave him a flat stare. “Most would, yes. His Majesty does not.”

  Kaiel's brow raised. Now that was interesting. He definitely saw insubordination in that tone and in the shift in the guard's position, but it was conflicted. “King Solgrum... I've only heard that surname once before in this part of the world. Is your liege related to Desminon Solgrum? The lumber baron?”

  “Lumber baron no longer.” said Percival. “His holdings have been folded into those of the Principality these past two years. Such is his confidence.” Again, the tone of disdain and bitterness was held in check by something else.

  Kaiel nodded. A great deal more information had been passed between them then was said with words. “Very well. I'm certain that the hunters won't mind being recalled; the Winter Willow is in times of plenty.” He glanced sideways to make sure Grandmother was in agreement. His way with words and politics were part of his job in the clan as long as he stayed with them, but such matters always came down to her and Grandfather.

  She didn't seem intent on stopping him, so he continued. “But we would want to discuss the matter directly with your liege. Have you the authority to make this so?”

  Percival snapped the same salute to Kaiel as he had Grandmother. “He will make you wait at least a day before seeing you. But I will convey the message.” He then exchanged formal goodbyes with Grandmother and left, bounding into the air and hauling himself aloft with powerful beats of his wings.

  Kaiel waited until he was out of hearing range before speaking.

  “It seems that the peaceful reign of the House of Rayneir is over in Torm Dondaire.” His words were tinged with his uneasiness with that turn of events. “Typical story in the Eastern Principalities though; always someone working behind the scenes to bring down the current Prince and take his place. Solgrum's been trying to politic Prince Rayneir II out of power for years and failing incredibly at it. He probably just wore her down.”

  “Her?” Ru asked, both eyes still fixed on the retreating back of Percival Cloudherd. “Wouldn't that be 'princess'? And if the previous ruler was a Prince, how can this new man be King?”

  Kaiel secured his rifle to his pommel once more. “Only the scion of the House of Nov is truly King of Novrom. But Nov gives the principalities a great deal of autonomy as long as the taxes come in and the roads stay passable. Anyone with enough contiguous land under their control can be a Prince of Novrom; whether they bought it, inherited it, or were elected to lead there, but each Prince chooses how he or she wishes to be addressed.

  "Rayneir's fathe
r was a simple man who wanted what was best for his people. He simply went by 'Prince'. Rayneir II followed in his footsteps. Solgrum is a pompous pile of wet ash wrapped in a man's skin and seems bent on everyone knowing it, so he calls himself a King.” He noticed that Taylin was still watching Percival; what little of him was still visible. “You can let go of your sword now, Taylin.”

  She blinked at him a moment before realizing what he was talking about. With a twist of her wrist, the Eastern Brand was pushed back into the scabbard, triggering more clockwork that reset the springs and slid the bolts home once more.

  “He wouldn't have been much of a bother to you anyway.” Kaiel explained.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “His accent, manner of speaking... they're eastern hailene, yes. But the way he didn't take time out to inform you that you're ang'hailene, and how he called Grandmother 'ma'am' say that he's grown up in a city and not a tribe. The tribes are really the only overtly antagonistic or xenophobic populations of hailene anymore. He would never ask you to court, but he wouldn't pick a fight with you over how you were born.”

  Taylin cringed at the idea of courtship, but overall, the news made her finally relax. Grandmother interrupted any further questions she might have had.

  “Do you believe the clan should have dealings in Daire with this man, Solgrum, in charge, Keese Kaiel?”

  “I can't advise against it on any grounds other than the fact that his soul is a midden.” Kaiel sighed. “His personality is that of one of the less charming varieties of slug, but he's no tyrant as far as I know. The issue with the forest is likely to conceal his own illegal logging operations outside of the House of Nov's permissions, not some slight against the nir-lumos.

  “Besides, Solgrum loves nothing more than money, but he has a certain lack of savvy. The clan can make trade with him to a significant advantage. And really, the people of Daire City don't deserve to be bypassed by the caravan because an utter back-birth now rules them.”

  Grandmother nodded. “Then get these wagons moving again. If we cut a bit north, the scouts tell me we'll reach the road. I leave that to you, Keese Kaiel. It would make me very happy to be outside the walls of Daire City by nightfall.”

  With that, they were dismissed. Kaiel struck off to ride down the line with their new direction while Ru wheeled Gaddigan around to follow Taylin back to her wagon at a more leisurely pace. It wasn't long before he broke the silence that formed between them.

  “You hate the hailene intensely.”

  She tucked her wings closer and folded her arms. “I do.” The link was surprisingly bereft of emotion.

  “Then why didn't you use me to annihilate them instead of merely wishing to escape them in the stream of time?”

  She stared at the ground and made sure to focus on putting one foot in front of the other. “Because there are good ones. Ones who don't deserve to die.”

  “Everyone deserves to die, Miss Taylin.” Ru replied coldly. “Some are exceptionally well versed in concealing why they deserve it, but every sapient mind holds darkness that is better left extinguished. I most of all. And yet because of that very fact, I am bound to a power that ensures that nothing can end me.” A malevolent smile spread across his face. “That is the fairness of the world.”

  Taylin still didn't look at him. “That's not true. Most people don't deserve to die. Most people aren't so evil that killing them is the only answer. I haven't met a single bad person among the clan. And Kaiel is very nice to me.” She avoided the subject of Ru and he noticed without highlighting it.

  “And among the hailene, what have you found? Percival? Who serves whoever pays him no matter how he clearly hates them? Who is so hateful and hypocritical that he rejects others of his race because of the color of their wings, even as he uses that ridiculous dye on his own?”

  She stopped and finally looked at him, disbelief in the link. “You think that's justification to murder someone?”

  “He probably has larger crimes to his name.” He said evasively. But the act of blocking his emotion in the link was enough to make her disbelief go away. Instead, she nodded once and started walking again.

  “Maybe. But there are better people than him among the hailene. Not to mention the children. Even in my time, I'm sure there were good ones. Evil is not in the blood.”

  “And how exactly do you know this?”

  She frowned. “Because mo... their blood is my blood. And I am not evil like the masters were. That's why I never would have let you kill them all.”

  “Heh. And yet, Miss Taylin, the patterns worn into your palm from gripping the Eastern Brand tell a different story.”

  Uncrossing her arms, she examined her palm. There was indeed a crease pressed into it from the sword's grip. “I... Yes, Ru. I wanted to kill him. It was like a reflex from all of my years planning my escape. I'll have to work on that. The important thing is that I didn't kill him. I just... wanted to. Because of everything that's happened to me at the hands of the hailene.”

  Ru was silent. Her anger was white-hot and roiled like a living thing in the link. But there was also something tempering it. Something he didn't understand.

  Taylin took a few cleansing breaths, then gave him a sidelong look. “I think it's the only logical reaction from a slave; hating the one that keeps them. Even though I seemed like the only one that did. Siding with them, learning to enjoy what's happened to you... it doesn't make sense.”

  Her eyes were on him. Boring into the side of his face. But Ru Brakar refused to meet them.

  “Do you hate me, Ru?”

  A lie, by what measure, she couldn't tell, but she knew it was a lie before he said it. “Of course not, Miss Taylin.”

  “I'm not lying, you know? About wanting to give you as much freedom as I possibly can. Or about wanting to be your friend.” She said and the honesty and earnestness were unmistakable in the link. “But for your sake, I hope you do. I hope you hate me and every other person that's made you do things against your will with this link.”

  Then she shocked him by completely blocking her end of the link. “I'm going to go check on Motsey and Rale before we get moving again.”

  His eyes widened in clear surprise as she started to walk away. Where had she learned that? The girl was a constant complication, and if she fully understood the implications of what she'd just said, had little regard for her own health. But if she was being genuine about it...

  No. Of course not. He'd seen her darkness as she stood there fully prepared to strike down that other hailene. Proof that even the creature of goodness and light that Arunsteadeles imagined was not flawless. Everyone eventually succumbed to their baser nature. Everyone. It didn't matter that some fought it. The fight was an impossible one to win.

  Wasn't it?

  He tried to clear his mind of so much useless philosophy. He spent too much time speaking with Arunsteadeles and it was showing. But the question remained: there might be darkness in everyone, and it might be impossible to defeat it completely; but what of those who simply endured, who never succumbed? Was that even possible?

  Chapter 3 – The Tenth

  Blocking the link, she quickly realized, only worked one way. And she had already learned that it was far from a complete cessation of the telepathy it created. It was more like muffling it. The emotional transference stopped, but if one concentrated, at least from the command side of the link, it was possible to still read surface thought processes, if not thoughts themselves.

  That was how she learned; concentrating exactly how Ru had in the past when doing the same, and then applying it to the cold, solid object in the back of her mind that represented the link. It was essentially the same method she used to stop the link from punishing him before. Idly, she wondered if Ru was aware that even when blocking, he wasn't achieving true privacy.

  Nevertheless, he hadn't thought to block the link in return, and Taylin was surprised at the emotions her actions elicited in him. Shock, annoyance, the dar
kness of cynicism, even a touch of smugness toward Kaiel all played through his head. But no hatred. Maybe she just didn't know what hate felt like when it was in the link, but it didn't seem like there was any.

  She wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. At the core of it, she didn't really want anyone to hate her. Who did? But on another level, what she told him was how she felt: it was the only sane and logical emotion a slave should feel for their master. Perhaps he believed her when she insisted that she didn't want to be her master.

  It didn't really matter all that much. She hated being linked to him, having a constant reminder of a sin committed unwittingly in the back of her head. Nor was she particularly fond of the man. If she had her way, there would be a powerful mage in Daire City who would dissolve the link and they would never have to cross one another's path again.

  No one could say she hadn't tried. As long as they were forced into the link, she wanted to make the best of it. But the Rune Breaker had other plans: trying to force her to make the situation worse. Even when he did manage to do some good by her, she wasn't sure if it was intentional, accidental, or part of some larger manipulation.

  He was winning, she thought as she crept silently into her wagon to look in on her adoptive niece and nephew. They snuggled together in a nest of her bedsheets, angelic faces the very image of contentment.

  On some level, Ru was winning, because he was making her wonder if he really was as irredeemable as he insisted. How that was winning, she had no idea, but they were playing by his rules. The more isolated, dehumanized, and reviled he was, the most satisfied he was. The only thing that was better in his eyes was drawing parallels between that grotesque caricature of himself and every other person in the world.

  And now, she knew, he felt smug at finding her darkness; the need for vengeance she felt against hailene and slavers in general.