Ascension (Blight Book 1) Read online

  "That was incredible," the prince whispered. "Did he use magic?"

  The doctor raised his eyebrow and shrugged. "See those armbands he wears?"

  "Yes."

  "Those bands are given to only one warrior in each generation. Ricin is a very special man."

  "In Krandar?"

  "In the world."

  "What do they signify?"

  "That he has been kissed by the god."

  "Which god?"

  "Death."

  37

  Ricin’s match was the last of the day. As the crowd began to file out, the prince turned to the doctor.

  "I would like to meet Ricin right now. Would you be so kind as to introduce him to me, Doctor?"

  "Of course, Your Grace."

  The prince nodded. "Leo, would you accompany us?"

  "Thank you, Your Grace, I would be happy to."

  The men collected their winnings and then followed the doctor as he led them to where Leo had met the warrior that morning. The room was empty this time, save for Ricin, who sat meditating on the ground in the middle of the practice ring. He opened his eyes and stood, bowing when the three men got close.

  "Ricin," the doctor said, "it is my honour to introduce you to His Royal Highness, Prince Adam Rethnal, heir to the kingdom.

  Ricin bowed low. "I am humbled by your presence, Your Royal Highness."

  "It is I who am humbled." The prince bowed in return. "I have never seen such a display of perfection in my life. You made history in the Pits today."

  "I was pleased with the outcome, Grace."

  The prince laughed. "As was I." He turned to Leo. "I placed a decent bet on you, as did Leo and the doctor. The odds were heavily against you."

  "Perhaps the odds were determined by men, Your Grace. To those with greater influence in the universe, I was always favoured to win."

  "So it would seem." The prince raised one hand with his palm facing up. One of his guards approached from the doorway and placed a small bag in his hand which the prince extended towards Ricin. "This is a portion of my winnings. I would like for you to have it."

  Ricin bowed and placed one hand over his heart. "I do not wish to offend you, Grace, but I must respectfully decline your generosity."

  "Why?"

  "It would be inappropriate."

  "To accept money from royalty?"

  The corner of Ricin’s mouth turned up. "No, Your Grace. I did not travel all this way to fight in your Pits with the intention of making money."

  The prince frowned. "You did not bet on yourself today?"

  "Nor any other day. I brought coin with me and have spent it on my food and lodgings."

  "You came here to test our warriors?"

  "In a manner. I mean no disrespect, but I came to this land in order to demonstrate my style and manner of fighting."

  "To what purpose?"

  "Learning serves its own purpose, Grace. There are many in your kingdom who have seen me fight. Many who now see what they thought impossible is possible. It is my belief that I can change the world through my actions."

  The prince nodded and smiled. "I have always had that same belief, Ricin. I commend you for travelling the path that you have chosen."

  Ricin bowed once more.

  "What are your plans? I doubt that anyone will fight you in the Pits after hearing about this battle today."

  "I agree that my time here is done. I will travel to another kingdom and continue to educate any who are clever enough to see the lessons I provide."

  "You’re leaving?" The doctor frowned and glanced at Leo. The prince watched their silent exchange and smiled. "When?" Doctor Johnston asked.

  "Tomorrow."

  "Would you consider postponing your departure by a week or so?" the prince asked. "I would like to speak more with you about your fighting style and philosophy. Be my guest for a week before you leave. I would be willing to donate to your cause if you were to agree to stay."

  Ricin laughed. "You are clever, Grace. Accepting a donation for my mission is acceptable to the tenants of my pilgrimage. I would be honoured to stay as your guest for one week."

  "I am pleased to hear that. Gather your things and, when you are ready, we can go to the palace."

  Ricin pointed at a bench on which rested a large bag. "Everything I own is in that bag, Your Grace. I am ready to accompany you at your leisure."

  "Excellent." The prince turned to face Leo and the doctor. "Leo, it was good to meet you. I look forward to seeing you again soon."

  "The honour was mine, Your Grace. Thank you for your hospitality today."

  The prince nodded. "Doctor. As always, I have learned much in your presence. Bring Leo with you to the palace tomorrow. We can dine together." He arched one eyebrow. "And you will have an opportunity to talk with Ricin in private. I sense you would speak with him about something delicate."

  "Your Grace knows me well."

  The prince laughed. "You were my tutor for years. I would be a poor student if I could not read your subtle cues."

  The doctor chuckled. "You were one of my best students."

  "Tomorrow then, gentlemen."

  Leo and the doctor bowed and took their leave. They exited the stadium and did not speak until they were outside on the street.

  "You were tutor to the prince?"

  "Yes. His father learned of me and made the request. I couldn’t say no, and there have been many times since that I am glad for the experience. The prince is an incredible young man. I expect that his reign will transform this small but prosperous kingdom into a powerful empire."

  "That’s a very lofty statement."

  "I am a student of history, among other things, and he has all the makings of a legend." The doctor sipped his coffee. "As do you, lad."

  Leo laughed and shook his head. "You are in a grand mood today, Doc. Overly optimistic because you won a large sum of money on the fight."

  "It has been a good day," the doctor admitted, "but my opinion is not based on a whim or single piece of positive emotion. Let us meet in a decade or two and see if I was not right on my predictions for both the prince and you."

  Leo smiled and raised his wine glass. "It’s a date."

  38

  Riley requested a meeting with his father two days earlier than scheduled.

  He entered the safe house and found Lord Argon sitting with a goblet of wine in his hand. "Grab yourself a drink and tell me why I’m here instead of in bed with Lissandra."

  Riley poured a drink and sat. "How much do you trust Leo?"

  Lord Argon raised one eyebrow and tilted his head. "More than most, but not more than a man in my position should trust anyone. Why? Does his new friendship with the prince trouble you?"

  "He’s friends with Prince Adam?"

  Argon chuckled. "It seems my sources are better informed than the Keepers."

  Riley shook his head and started to speak but Argon raised one hand. "I jest with you. Leo told me himself just yesterday."

  "I’m not talking about the prince, although I should like to hear more about that."

  "What is it, then?"

  "He is recruiting a Keeper to his side."

  "I see. That is news to me. Anyone we know?"

  Riley shook his head. "A young man by the name of Bartoq, a couple years younger than I am. Good kid, very keen and effective, one territory over from mine. It is larger and patrolled by a total of five Keepers."

  Argon chuckled. "How long has he been Leo’s man?"

  "They are still in the courting stage and the partnership can be stopped if you desire. Just say the word and I will speak with Bartoq."

  "Do you think the move threatens us?"

  Riley paused and then shook his head. "I am not certain, Father."

  "You have been in this territory for years now. What is your opinion of my young lion?"

  "He is different from you."

  Argon smiled. "In what ways?"

  "Many, but the most profound difference is ho
w he leads those around him. You use fear and strength to keep those who follow you in check. The mention of your name or a summons to audience inspires obedience, but it also causes trepidation."

  "Of course. Fear is the best way to establish peace and make certain that everyone stays in their place for as long as possible. It also ensures that only the strongest will attempt to rise and replace those who have become weaker."

  "I agree, but no one fears Leo."

  "Which keeps him where he is." Argon smiled and took a drink of wine. "It is something he must overcome if he would rise higher in this world."

  "I disagree."

  "Explain."

  "People are loyal to Leo. Those who owe him money pay him back on time or early. He fosters friendships easily, and when he walks the streets, people clamour to be noticed by him. When you do the same, everyone does their best to look busy and avoid your attention."

  "This is true." Argon frowned.

  "He is beloved."

  "Impossible. I know what that boy is capable of and so does everyone else. Behind that smile is a monster. There have been people who did not pay him back and, I assure you, their screams filled the night so that everyone listening knew the price of not paying one’s debts to Leo. There have been other incidents as well. Assassination attempts on the lives of both him and his girlfriend, and battles with other lieutenants in my court. Leo is feared, of that much I am certain."

  "Oak is feared," Riley explained. "Stick, Mouse, and their apprentices are feared. They enforce Leo’s will."

  "Which everyone knows. That is why they must fear Leo. That is why they fear me. I do not always dirty my hands, but everyone knows I am responsible. We operate the same and so the results must be the same."

  "Yet they are not."

  Lord Argon opened his mouth and then closed it, shaking his head before taking another drink of wine. "Perhaps you are right. The thought had occurred to me, but I was certain I was seeing things that were untrue."

  "The boy is powerful and time will make him more so."

  Argon leaned back in his chair and looked at the ceiling. He took a deep breath through his nose and released it through his mouth. "Leo has made my territories more prosperous than anyone else before or since. In truth, I often wish for a dozen more just like him. Let him recruit the Keeper."

  "As you wish."

  "Your expression tells me that you are not pleased. Are you suggesting that I eliminate him in order to protect my position?"

  Riley shook his head and laughed. "That’s the problem. He is so different from anyone that I have seen. A small part of me says to get rid of him, but my gut says that he is not a threat to you."

  "Then who does he threaten?"

  "When I consider individuals, the scope feels too small."

  "Are you suggesting he is a danger to the kingdom?"

  "My gut tells me it is even larger than that." Riley sighed. "I think that Leo may be a threat to the entire world."

  39

  It was early morning when Leo and Doc Johnston finally left the palace.

  The full moon shone high in the sky, casting a white light that made the torches along the stone path seem dim. The footman held open the door to the doctor’s coach and both men climbed inside, the doctor facing forward and Leo sitting across from him. Neither spoke until the coach had left the front gates of the palace behind them.

  "Well." The doctor yawned. "That couldn’t have gone any better if I had written the entire exchange out beforehand."

  "I am amazed at how likeable the prince is." Leo ran a hand through his hair and rubbed his eyes, stifling a yawn himself as he spoke. "I was pleasantly surprised at the Pits yesterday but thought that might be his way of making a good first impression."

  The doctor chuckled. "King Edward is no different. The queen died when Adam was very young, and the King was committed that he should raise the boy proper. He searched the kingdom for the best nannies, tutors, playmates, and interviewed candidates extensively before making his selections.‘A ruler must be loved by his people,’the king always says,‘and in order to be loved, he or she must be able to relate and communicate at every level of the class scale. Prince Adam is as comfortable on the wharf speaking to a beggar as he is entertaining nobility."

  "It is refreshing to see a powerful person that is so personable."

  "Yes, I have always thought that the two of you are kindred spirits in that way and others."

  "Me?" Leo put a hand on his chest and laughed. "I wasn’t talking about me."

  The doctor shrugged. "I am pleased that Ricin has agreed to help us acquire xai, although it is not in the manner that I expected."

  "He is a clever man. He agreed to introduce you to one of his countrymen and arrange for them to acquire and bring the beans back here."

  "And then show me how to grow, harvest, and refine it into the drink that we have fallen in love with. It should be much easier to smuggle stock seed than continually bring boatloads of it from Kandar all the time. When he suggested the idea, I did not see the possibilities. I am glad we were with Prince Adam at the time."

  Leo laughed. "The prince wanted in on the revenue after you gave him a taste of the product. No one outside of Kandar has ever tasted xai. If we are successful, we will introduce a brand new drink to our country."

  "Possibly the world."

  "You’re right. This will be a complex yet profitable venture for all of us. Repeat the steps involved for me once more, if you please. Just so that we are both clear."

  Leo held up one finger. "Ricin introduces you to a countryman and he smuggles the xai back to us here." He held up a second finger. "The beans need a special climate in which to grow. The king controls a large island which has been left unused for generations due to dense forest coverage, isolation, and a humid climate."

  "The exact weather conditions required for growing the xai beans, according to Ricin."

  "Just so."

  "Your offer to buy the land from the prince was amusing."

  Leo laughed. "We all knew it was a ridiculous suggestion, but it did lighten the mood and allow me to get what I actually desired."

  "Purchasing rights to the trees covering the land." The doctor shook his head. "I would never have expected him to grant you that, either. Well done, lad."

  "Thank you." Leo bowed in his seat. "He asked too much at first."

  "Your counter offer was also clever. You pay the prince half of his asking price and give the lumber from every fifth tree to him."

  "Plus we increased the tax we pay him on xai revenue by an additional one percent. That was a deciding factor, Doc."

  "And worth it. Now I am becoming confused."

  "You control the xai business with me as partner. I clear the land and use the wood I keep to build ships, with you as my partner. The prince gets his land cleared and it is put to use. He gets lumber and also tax income from the xai produced, plus he retains the land."

  "When the king learns you plan to build ships with the lumber, he may not allow it."

  Leo shrugged. "I will offer to build him one ship instead of giving him the trees. That should placate him, don’t you think?"

  "Definitely. His fleet is the biggest in the world, but he wants it to increase even more." The doctor removed a small flask from inside his jacket, unscrewed the lid, and raised it in toast. "To your clever mind." He took a swig and passed it to Leo.

  "If all goes as planned, Doc, we are on our way to becoming very wealthy."

  40

  Syntha looked up as the door to the coffeehouse opened and smiled when Leo entered. She strode over and gave him a kiss and hug, waving one hand as people at nearby tables made exaggerated kissing noises.

  "Good morning, beautiful."

  "Hello, handsome. Finley got here a few minutes ago. He’s over in the corner."

  "Is he eating?"

  "I offered to buy him breakfast, but he refused."

  "He always refuses. Can you send a couple of s
weet rolls over when you get a chance, please?"

  "Of course." She took a step towards the counter and grabbed a mug of fresh-poured coffee as it was set down by one of the employees. "Here." Syntha took a sip and then held it out to Leo. "It’s just how you like it."

  "Perfect?"

  She smiled. "Just like your girlfriend, yes."

  Leo saw Finley and made his way to the food vendor’s table. "Good morning, my friend. I hope I did not impose on your business by asking you to meet on such short notice."

  Finley smiled and shook hands with Leo as he sat down. "No imposition at all, Leo. My youngest son is old enough to do most of the work now and it is good for everyone when I leave the store for a few hours."

  "Business is good?"

  "Better than ever." Finley smiled. "Your patronage helps me to buy more volume and get better prices for the other customers. I am grateful that we happened to meet each other on that morning so many years ago."

  "As am I, Finley. We have both come a long way since then, have we not?"

  "I am the same man, only busier." Finley sipped his coffee. "And you’ve managed to make quite the name for yourself."

  "You say that as if it is a bad thing."

  "The profession you have chosen, moneylender, is not an honourable one."

  "I am not like the rest of the moneylenders out there."

  Finley shrugged. "Maybe, but the result is still the same."

  "Your tone does not sound judging, although the words certainly do."

  "None of us are noble men, Leo. I do not judge you, I’m simply stating a fact. Society does not look well on moneylenders."

  "Perhaps someday they will."

  A harsh bark of laughter escaped from Finley’s mouth. He caught himself and reached forward to tap Leo on the arm. "I did not mean to offend, but moneylending will never be an honourable profession."