Chapter 2
The town of Sparrenth was nearly vacant. News of Seth and Serina's travels from town to town, winning Eranithians to their side, preceded them.
“It seems the news of our work precedes us,” Serina said, riding along side him on a brown mare. Her long, curly, brown hair blowing in the winter wind.
“You think people have already left for Ashenland then?” Seth asked, looking over at her.
“If they weren't for us, they'd still be here.”
“Unless Arnath has taken them captive before they had a chance,” Seth suggested.
“Let's pray that's not true.”
They stopped at the largest house in the town. Two stories tall, with wraparound porches on both levels. Seth turned to the five guards traveling with them and nodded for them to wait while they approached the house. They nodded in return, stopping where they were. Seth and Serina then slid out of their saddles and approached the door together.
Seth knocked on the red painted door, admiring the bright white border of the doorway. Stepping back to his sister, he crossed his arms behind his back, waiting patiently.
A richly dressed man, with a big round belly, answered the door. An angry expression on his face, until he realized who was calling him.
“Seth, Serina.”
“Mandin,” Seth said, bowing his head in greeting.
“What brings you to my home and to Sparrenth?” Mandin asked.
Seth grinned, saying, “I think you already know, sir.”
“Ah, yes. News of your travels has reached my ears.”
Seth stared at him, waiting for an invitation into the house.
“Please, come in. Supper is being made now.”
Seth nodded, then let Serina walk in ahead of him. He searched every nook and cranny he could see as they entered the house. To their right and left was a rounded staircase to the second level. A walkway bridged the two stair cases at the top. At either end was a door to a room, and hallways heading back towards the front of the house. To either side of the foot of the staircases were archways into different rooms. To the right, a dinning room with a long wooden table, stained dark brown, with chairs to match. To the left was a sitting room with plush sofas and chairs.
“You have a very nice home,” Serina said sweetly.
“Thank you,” Mandin responded. He sounded annoyed by their arrival. Seth knew they wouldn't be winning Mandin to their side.
“Yes, your loyalty to Arnath has benefited you greatly,” Seth said.
He sensed Mandin's fear, even though he hid it well.
Stop it, Serina scolded him.
No, he's still loyal to Uncle. He'll probably try to kill us while we're here. Do you realize the reward Uncle will give him if he succeeds?
Then he mustn't succeed. Don't forget you have healing powers.
He sighed then said, Okay, I'll leave the coward alone.
“My loyalty isn't paying off as much as you might think,” he said, leading them into the sitting room.
At the far end of the room was a glossy grand piano stained brown like the rest of the furniture in the house.
“That is a beautiful piano,” Serina said, admiring the instrument.
“Thank you, my daughter plays as entertainment for guests. Unfortunately, she is no long here.”
“Where is she?” Serina asked sympathetically. Even Seth could hear the sadness in his voice.
“Her mother took her away a month ago.”
“And you didn't stop them?” Seth asked.
Mandin looked at him, anger like a fire in his eyes. They had betrayed him, joining Seth and Serina's cause.
“I tried everything, but somehow they still slipped away.”
“You tried to hold them captive?” Mark asked, sickened by how much Mandin was like his Uncle. Doing everything he could to have his way.
“Did you tell them you loved them?” Serina asked, changing the tone between the two men.
Mandin was at a loss for words. His mouth was caught open as if a fish hook had him around his lower jaw.
“Love is much stronger than people realize,” Serina said.
Seth admired his sister. Only she could be so warm towards someone most likely their enemy.
Mandin motioned towards the plush chairs, as he sat in his own, large, leather chair.
Changing the subject, he asked, “So what brings you to Sparrenth?”
Serina looked to Seth to explain.
“We come to offer you a chance to decide where your loyalties lie. As you know now, I did not kill Serina like our uncle had said. She had been imprisoned by him for ten years. I also did not kill my parents. All of these lies about me were committed by my uncle, whom you have been serving for almost twelve years now.”
“I know all this. I knew the lies.”
“Yet you still served my uncle?” Seth asked, tempted to pull his sword out and run it through Mandin's fat belly.
“Of course. Your uncle promised me this position. To govern Sparrenth and Trondil in any way that I please. How could I refuse such an offer?”
It was Seth's turn to be speechless.
“I know what you two are trying to do. You're dividing the kingdom. You think you can overthrow Arnath and take the kingdom for yourselves. Believe me when I say that nothing you attempt will succeed. His sorceress, Seilnai, is much more powerful than either of you can stand against.”
Serina spoke up this time, saying, “She may be powerful, but we know who she really is. We have not forgotten. We also have the key to unlock her mind. So don't think we are so powerless.”
A servant girl came in carrying a tray with a teapot and three cups and saucers. She poured each of them a cup of tea, asking each how many sugar cubes.
Seth, don't take any sugar for the tea, Serina warned him.
What? Why not?
Poison. It's in the sugar. I heard her thoughts. Her mother poisoned it in hopes of being able to escape Mandin.
“No sugar, thank you,” Seth said and Serina refused the sugar as well.
They both took sips from their cups as they continued their conversation with Mandin. The servant dropped three sugar cubes in Mandin's cup.
“Thank you, Rose,” he said, dismissing her.
The girl bowed then walked out of the room.
Mandin started to raise his cup to his lips but Serina stopped him with a question.
“What if we could offer you similar authority over Sparrenth and Trondil when we take our thrones?”
Mandin brought the tea cup back down to its saucer to think about the offer.
“You won't let me run the towns as I am now.”
“No, but you will still be in a position of power, but you will have the opportunity to be a loved Governor rather than feared and hated.”
Seth was again in admiration of his sister. She had a way with words that he doubted he could ever have himself. Had he had his own way, Seth would have left by now. The only question is, would Mandin be alive still or not?
“Do you think I care about being loved? A true leader is feared.”
“Feared and respected,” Seth corrected. “Not feared and hated. People serve a true leader with fear and trembling, but with love as well. They would do anything for him, or her, because they love him, or her.”
Mandin seemed to think about their words.
“Think about how much more you could have if your people loved you. You would get your family back, I can assure you that,” Serina said kindly.
Serina then slipped into Mandin's mind, hearing his thoughts.
Seilnai should be here any moment. Soon I will have my reward for handing over Seth and Serina to Arnath.
Serina connected to Seth, saying, Let him drink. He is lying. Seilnai is on her way here right now to capture us and take us back to Uncle.
Seth nodded slightly as he took a sip of his tea. Mandin did the same.
Seth and Serina sat watching Mandin for the next few seconds. Waiting for the poison to take affect.
“Now...” Mandin started to say. “I...” he coughed roughly, “...I...” sweat began to bead up on his forehead. Another cough, rougher than the first, sweat poured down his reddening face, his coughing became more and more violent. Standing up, his eyes rolled into the back of his head. As he fell forward, Seth and Serina stood, letting him fall to the floor.
The servants came running into the room. Looking from their dead master to them several times before speaking.
“Take us with you,” the girl who'd served the tea said.
“You meant to poison us as well. Why should we help you?” Seth asked. He didn't ask because he didn't want to help, but to test them.
“I know of you and your sister and the abilities you possess. That's why I thought about the poisoned sugar,” she said, fearful tears pooling her green eyes. Blinking, the tears fell over her heavily freckled face.
“And how did you know about our abilities?”
Rose looked at Seth terrified, too afraid to speak.
“Just tell me,” he said softer.
“S-Sol came to me in a dream last night. He knew Mandin's evil heart and said he would get in the way of your work. He said Mandin couldn't be swayed, that his mind was too poisoned with greed to join your side.”
“Sol had you do this?” Seth asked.
“Yes, He said Mandin was lost to Turmna.”
Serina grabbed his arm suddenly. Looking at her he saw the alarm in her eyes.
“What is it?”
“Seilnai is here,” she said in almost a whisper.
The servants looked at each other then back at them again.
“There is a way out. A secret tunnel built years ago by my father,” the girl said.
“Where does it lead?” Seth asked.
“A mile west of here, in the woods.”
“Lead the way.”
The girl took the lead to the foyer of the house. She and one other girl, who looked much like her only younger, pulled aside the large rug in the entry way. The first girl felt for something in the floor. Finding what she was looking for, she lifted a wooden ring out of the floor. Grabbing hold of the ring she pulled up and a section of the floor raised up revealing wooden stairs leading into blackness.
Serina cupped her hands together then separated them a few inches, forming a bright, blue orb of light. She sent the light floating down the steps.
“Lead the way,” Seth said smiling at the servant girl.
As she started down the stairs, a loud crash of glass breaking caught Seth's attention. In the Dinning Room was a bottle with a flame burning a piece of cloth.
“Move!” he shouted, running for the bottle.
Seth lifted the bottle and sent it right back out of the window, where it exploded. Then two more came crashing through the window in the Sitting Room. They lifted back into the air then went through the window again, exploding over the wraparound porch, blowing out the window completely and leaving a gaping hole in the wall, large enough for someone to walk through.
Four more flaming bottles entered the house, two in the Sitting Room, and two in the Dining Room.
“Let's go!” Seth shouted again.
Following his sister down the stairs, he flew forward into the ledge as the bottles exploded, one after another. Wood and glass cut the back of his neck and his hands and arms. The wind knocked out of him, he fell onto the stairs, then everything went black...
A sharp slap to his left cheek brought him out of the blackness. Looking around he came to his senses again. An orange glow shined through the floorboards above him, a blue orb bounced behind his sister's head.
“Let's go, Seth!” she said with urgency.
He forced himself to his feet, dizziness confusing his steps. His arm wrapped around Serina's shoulder, he realized she was helping him walk. After a few steps he regained his focus. Letting go of Serina, he led her through the dark tunnel thirty yards until it made a sharp turn to the right. Picking up the pace, the blue orb stayed just a few yards ahead, lighting their way. Serina was right on his heels as he continually picked up the pace. They were in a light jog when they finally caught up with the servants.
“Does this only go one way?” Seth asked.
“Yes,” the first servant girl said.
“Good,” he said. “Serina, try and contact our guard, make sure they're safe. I'm going to go ahead and make sure everything is safe when you come out.”
“Wait!” Serina said stopping him from running off.
“What?”
She created another blue orb for him.
“So you don't trip. It'll stay ahead of you no matter how fast you go.”
He grinned saying, “Thanks.”
“Be careful.”
“You know me,” he said turning away.
“You're right. I do,” he just barely heard her say as he ran away.
Speeding through the tunnel, the dirt walls were a blur. The light stayed ahead of him, over his head to light up the tunnel without blocking his view. Within a couple of minutes he'd run the mile it took to get to the end of the tunnel. At the end was an iron, spiral staircase. The blue orb led the way up the stairs, stopping at a wooden door, just like the one they'd entered the tunnel through in the house.
Pushing up slowly on the door, he peaked outside making sure no one was around when he exited the tunnel. The silence was thick in the woods. He could smell a fire in the distance. Mandin's house most likely.
Daring a better look, he pushed the door open the rest of the way. Ready with a single knife, he scanned for any living creature. Finding nothing more than a few nocturnal creatures, he put his knife away and made his way back towards Mandin's house. Cresting the hill, the flames from the house came into view. Sitting down because of his shaky legs, he watched as the house burned. Seilnai's troops danced wildly around the burning house. From the distance, it was difficult to see if they were even human.
Ten minutes later, Serina and the servants joined him on the hill. He heard gasps from the servants but Serina remained silent. Looking up at her, he found it just as difficult to read her expression as it was to make out the shapes of Seilnai's troops.
“Serina?” he asked standing up.
No answer.
“Serina, what is it?”
Still no answer.
Instead of prying farther, he just watched the house burn until, finally, it collapsed.
“Our guard is dead,” she whispered.
“What?” he asked, turning towards her.
“They were killed before we escaped the house,” she explained.
“Seilnai?” he asked looking back down at the burning house. Her troops were leaving.
Serina nodded, saying, “Her troops are evil. I can't read their thoughts.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, facing her again. The winter wind was picking up, blowing her hair wildly. Tears stained her lightly tanned cheeks. Her exposure to the sun the last year and a half had brought color back to her face.
“I mean, their minds are so full of Turmna, I can't get in. Even if I could, I don't know if I'd be able to get out again.”
“You mean they're from Underworld?” he asked.
She nodded again.
“It's a prophecy fulfilled. An army of Underworld will arise in the last days. Sol will wipe them out with one mighty roar.”
“Let's pray that comes soon,” Seth said, watching Seilnai's army as they began to head north for Trondil. “We have to tell Garandol what happened.”
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