Fallen Warrior (Fallen Trilogy book 3) Read online

  Fallen Warrior

  Fallen Trilogy Book 3

  Tess Williams

  Copyright 2013 Tess Williams

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  Table of Contents

  PART ONE

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  PART TWO

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  PART THREE

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  EPILOGUE

  If you haven't already...

  Check out the first two books in this series!

  Fallen Prince...

  She's the perfect princess,

  he's the resident bad boy,

  and they've always had each other.

  Their loyalty is about to be tested.

  Fallen Kingdom

  Best friends and near lovers, Ellia and Cyric, find

  themselves on opposing sides of a war.

  When loyalty and duty conflict with eachother,

  who will pay the price?

  PART ONE

  Shadows fill an empty heart, as love is fading

  From all the things that we are, but are not saying

  Can we see beyond the scars, and make it to the dawn

  Chapter One

  ELLIA:

  Fire, water, metal, stone,

  These creatures drawn

  From far

  Summer, winter, autumn, spring,

  Four strongest, bold

  From stars

  And star by star

  As a small bit of well-memorized myth ran through my mind, I looked up above me. There were stars there, hundreds, or thousands, too many to guess at. But each had its own vibrancy to set itself apart from the others. And some danced and shimmered while others stood constant. Some were clustered into constellations and some stood apart. Each as diverse as if it held its own soul. Star and star by star.

  "I suppose there's nothing we can do but keep waiting," complained Lucian. His voice came out in a huff; it echoed off the domed walls of the Echrian temple, escaping only a little through the small opening at the top of the chamber. At this time of day, the sky beyond it was vivid blue, but little of the sunlight came down. Instead the room was lit by the glow of the ember-wood, the same orange warmth that pulsed through the constellations in the temple's walls, in its floor, and in the rest of the city of Echren.

  I turned to Lucian with a smile, the rustle of my dress echoing almost as loudly as his voice had. "I wish I could say that I remembered how long it took last time. It seemed much quicker."

  "Oh, I wouldn't expect you to be able to. I can't imagine what it was like for you then." He set his mouth into a line, glancing over the walls as if he were trying hard to disappreciate them.

  It was difficult not to find this endearing. Though Lucian had yet to even meet the Echrian rulers, he already harbored dislike for them and he made it no secret that the reason was because the last time I'd been here, they'd done nothing to help me escape my captivity to Akadia. The fact that I was free now, or that the rulers had showed me things then that had prompted me to begin seeking out the great Constellation Animals, didn't seem to matter to him. He remained skeptical that the Echrians would even help us now.

  I walked to a wall, putting my hand against it, thinking of Lucian's words. "They knew I would be freed. I don't know how. But they knew. And I'm sure they realized I would come back one day."

  "One day, perhaps," a voice replied, "But certainly not so soon." It was similar to Lucian's, deep and full, but not so much so that I didn't recognize it belonged to another.

  I turned, just as Lucian did, to face the far side of the room.

  With a subtlety that couldn't have been more opposite to the previous entrance of the Echrian rulers, a man stepped forward from the shadows. His hair was long and golden, he wore full robes of orange, and on his arm was perched a bird of maroon feathers, a Vermillion Bird. "Well met, Daughter Solidor," he greeted.

  "Carceron," I replied automatically. For a moment I was mesmerized by the animal on his shoulder, hearing now in my mind all the legends which surrounded it. It was hard to believe, as small as it was (only twice the size of a regular bird of prey) that it could really be as powerful as its fellow Constellation Animals. The Dragons with thirty-foot wingspans; or the White Tigers, more massive even than the chimera. But this didn't take into consideration the Vermillion Birds' ability to teleport, to say nothing of their magic flames.

  I stepped forward past Lucian and bowed my head to Carceron. I saved my deepest respects for his fire-bird; only I hadn't been bowing very long before I felt a finger touch my chin, and Carceron raised my face to his. "You're the Princess of Shaundakul once again, aren't you? No need to bow to ones such as us." He nodded to my crown as he moved his hand away.

  Lucian had by now come up beside me, though he didn't introduce himself. He simply stopped at my side, arms crossed.

  "The Zuque know why you are here," Carceron said, stroking the bird.

  It held my gaze, dark and sharp; I didn't know how, but it felt as if I was forced to answer.

  "To request their help."

  "To fight against Akadia?" I didn't seem as if Carceron were speaking for himself either, rather that his words had come directly from his bird, and once again I answered under compulsion.

  "Yes."

  The bird watched me carefully. Carceron began to grow a grin behind it. "Don't worry," he laughed. "The Zuque take their time with every request, but I'm sure he'll agree." His tone had changed entirely. Even Lucian narrowed at it. Carceron noticed Lucian's reaction ( and him, seemingly, for the first time); he smirked at Lucian while the maroon Zuque continued to study me. "And who's this, but... Akadian Prince?" he tested, as if he'd snatched the title from the air.

  Lucian darkened further. "I'm a Cirali Warrior of the second-order." He tipped his head to me. "And the Princess's escort."

  Carceron hid a smile, looking between us. "I see Leddy will be happier than ever that she chose not to attend."

  Leddy, the second Echrian ruler. I had not forgotten her, but I hadn't quite missed her presence enough to say so.

  "She chose not to come?" I asked, nervous at what that might signify.

  Carceron shrugged. "Can you guess why?"

  I didn't answer; I didn't really think on it though. "I thought that both of your Zuque acted as monarchs to the others. Doesn't it matter that Leddy's Zuque hears our request?"

  "You've studied," Carceron noted.

  "You told me before I left the last time to remember all I'd heard. Everything I've learned since then was because of that."

  Carceron paused before he
spoke. "Both must decide. But the Zuque don't belong to anyone, Leddy is its guardian, nothing more." He said this, then nodded meaningfully to the wall behind me.

  I looked to see a bright golden Zuque, perched on a branch of ember-wood. It watched me just as the other did, perfectly still except for the tail swirling out behind it; rolling, as all of their tails did, in an endless movement that seemed impossible. Lucian spoke next.

  "Why didn't she come?" he asked.

  Carceron's expression reflected that he enjoyed the question, but he addressed me with the answer. "She wasn't happy about the absence of the Akadian Master. Leddy had a fancy that things would turn out differently, but I told her from the beginning..."

  "Akadian master?" Lucian repeated. "You mean then that she's loyal to Akadia? Is that the reason you left Ellia helpless before?" His anger was thinly veiled. I put a hand on his arm to calm him.

  "It wasn't our place to stop the Akadians," Carceron said, "our Zuque did not condone it; and we do not act outside of their will. Besides... Leddy was convinced that the princess did not wish to be freed, though I disagreed with her."

  Lucian spared a glance for me. I wasn't sure whether he were thinking of Cyric, or whether he'd realized that was who Carceron had been speaking of. Lucian had learned a little of Cyric after Gael had rescued me from Akadia, but only that he was a Lieutenant, that I'd saved his life, and that I considered him a friend. He did not even know his name, and if he'd guessed that I'd belonged to Cyric during my captivity, or that Cyric had been the one to bring me before the Echrian rulers, it had been on his own.

  "Of course I wanted to be freed," I said sincerely, sorry that I felt I had to for Lucian's benefit.

  Carceron gestured an open hand, as if to remind us that this was already his opinion. "Leddy's ideals serve her well, except in wartime. War leaves room for only justice, the deaths of men leave too great a shadow to be overlooked. Offense will call to punishment. Guilt will call to retribution. The granted ways allow for nothing else, and certainly those that serve the Constellations will allow for nothing else. It is already destined." He pointed at the walls of the chamber, the stars, which (as I knew well from Shaundakul) so often represented destiny.

  "You spoke of this before," I said, attempting to keep my expression straight.

  His eyes held mine with knowing; they were sapphire-blue, opposite to our surroundings. "I did," he responded simply.

  "What about mercy?" I retorted, hardly meaning to. It earned me a surprised look from Lucian, but I was almost just as surprised I'd said it. I only knew that I wasn't thinking of countries as a whole, or even armies as a whole, but rather individual mistakes. "You speak of stars," I went on, more ardent, "And the Constellation Animals are connected to them. Well, don't the stars shine on the good and bad alike?"

  "Just the same? Just as brightly?" Carceron followed. It didn't sound as if he were disagreeing with me; it also sounded once more as if his voice wasn't his own.

  I hesitated, then I nodded confirmation.

  Carceron's gaze slowly cleared. He smiled again, tipping his head casually. "The Zuque want to know if you've asked the others? And, if so, what was their response?"

  I glanced down blinking my mind clear, then at Lucian, but only long enough to see that he was frowning. "You mean the other Constellation Animals?" I asked.

  The fire-bird tipped its beak up. Carceron nodded.

  "We went to see the Byakoans. We thought you would have heard of it. It was some time ago. They agreed to join the Warriors against the Akadians, and they already helped us to take back Selket. It was the only one of eastern kingdoms still occupied by Akadians, and very near to Byako's borders. Now it's only Karatel that the Akadians hold. Well, and Akadia of course."

  "Was it the Baihu who agreed?" Carceron asked.

  "You mean the White Tigers? Yes. I met with them myself. Master Lucian was there with me, he can account for my words. They were not reluctant to help, though they'd heard very little of the Constellation Animals. For them it was just one of their many myths. But they had learned of Akadia, and the war of course."

  "The Baihu didn't know of us?" Carceron interrupted. His eyes were glazed again, while the red fire-bird had leaned in towards me.

  "They knew of Echren and the Vermillion Birds," I said, "Just not as fellow Constellation Animals."

  Carceron scoffed, perfectly reflecting the squawk of his fire-bird. Behind me there was a flush of wings. The golden bird had averted its gaze, its beak tipped in a manner that could only be described as indignant.

  "They responded to what I told them, though. They fully believed the myths. As a Shaundakulian I should say that the dragons didn't know of the Constellation Animals either. At least..."

  "At least as far as its young Princess knew. Certainly Savras Solidor had his secrets."

  This seemed to be Carceron speaking again, though I wasn't sure how he could speak of my father so knowingly. I thought of watching my father disappear into smoke, the ability that I now possessed. It was an ability of my heritage, of the rulers of Shaundakul, and yet I had never been told of it. And this wasn't the first time I'd considered it was possible that they'd known more than I'd ever been told. The truth of the Constellation Animals, for one.

  "It was possible that he knew of them," I admitted.

  Carceron smirked, as if he was certain of the answer himself.

  "I'm sure in any case that my father, and the dragons, the Qinglong, would have agreed to join against Akadia, and the White Tigers have done the same. The fact that they didn't know of the Constellation Animals before only gives more weight to their support. And as for the Black Tortoises..."

  "The Xuanwu."

  "The Xuanwu," I amended. "We haven't gone to them yet. The only reason I didn't return to Echren first was because of how near Byako was to Selket, where we were already fighting." And near to Yanartas, though I didn't mention this out of habit. At one point it had been a secret. Now, I supposed, that was no longer a consideration.

  Carceron cocked his head, as if listening to another voice. He smiled, lifting his brows. "You should have gone to the Xuanwu first," he said, "But perhaps you already know that?"

  Lucian and I shared a look. Carceron didn't wait for us to confirm his words.

  "The Zuque have reached their decision, then," he said, with a bit of an exhale. Both birds called at this, though Carceron went on naturally. "They will fight with you against Akadia."

  Despite Carceron's prior confidence, I could hardly contain the relief this made me feel. I went on breathing again, the uncertainty that was almost always present beneath my composure waning. All this, though, before Carceron went on.

  "But," he said, frowning a little.

  It made me frown worse, while Lucian crossed his arms. "Only once you receive the approval of the other Constellation Animals," Carceron finished.

  I looked from him to the fire-bird, my brow low.

  "By that, you mean the Black Tortoises," Lucian said for me. "Because the White Tigers have already joined us, and the dragons..."

  The fire-bird's eyes scanned me over, in a grim sort of way that made me want to tear up, though I could hardly tell well.

  "Yes," Carceron confirmed, "The Black Tortoises of Genbu. If, once, they agree—because I'm sure they will—the Zuque, and we Echrian's will fight with you. With the Chimera," he added, growing a smile that reminded me of his previous excitement at the thought of war. He'd seemed disappointed at the stipulation from the Zuque, but perhaps it was enough for him that battle would come one way or the other. Still, I wasn't very assured by his words, because hadn't he been so confident that the Zuque would agree? They had, but only in a round-a-bout way. Now, if the Black Tortoises wouldn't join us, that would mean the loss of two Constellation Animals. And that could be the difference of everything.

  "We didn't plan on any major attacks before we went to see the Black Tortoises anyways," Lucian said, obvious cheer in his voice, mingled with surprise.
We shared only a smile now.

  I looked back at Carceron. "We have your word then, to join us with the other animals. We can count on you to fight with us against Akadia?"

  Carceron's blue eyes lit brightly. "My word means little," he replied. "Allow the Zuque to show you the way in which they pledge themselves." He raised his hand above his head and the maroon bird took off into the air. The golden bird, likewise, flew from its perch. Carceron stepped back. I took Lucian's arm and pulled him with me, towards Carceron. Then the three of us stood by to watch the display of light and fire.

  #

  I emerged from one of the smaller Echrian Inns at the edge of the city dressed in Warrior's garb of tight leather and loose white linen. In my arms I held a satchel full of bright orange silk (the dress I'd worn to the Echrian Temple), also the gift I'd received from the Vermillion Birds. And on my belt rested my sword, bouncing too and fro as I descended the bright green hill.

  My feet, even in my sturdy riding boots, tried to slip and skid thanks to the grass's dampness. Winter was nearing, autumn was ending especially cold, and while it hadn't yet started to snow, the ice around Echren melted where it was closest to the warmth of the ember-city, causing the hills around it to turn into misleadingly-colorful slippery slopes.

  "Did they get something to eat?" I asked Lucian, who was a little ways down, next to Luffie and Arrin.

  He nodded, and as I got closer, I saw the chimera munching on bits of meat and fruit. The two matched well, both one solid color (wings, fur, and all); only, Arrin was a vibrant gold typical to many chimera, while Luffie was dusky gold, almost grey when light wasn't shining on her. "The way Arrin tells it," Lucian went on, "Luffie nearly ate a pair of Vermillion Birds while we were meeting in the temple."

  Luffie lifted her head, just long enough to snort her nose at Lucian, which made a puff of white in the cold air. After that, she sent me an image of herself chasing a handful of Echrian fire-birds above the city—what she deemed as perfectly reasonable behavior that they'd enjoyed as much as her.

  "I'm glad you could entertain yourself," I said, setting my hand between her ears, "We were certainly in there longer than expected."