other Followers were nowhere to be found. Si Kon tried to run into the blaze numerous times, shouting for his wife and daughters all the while, but was driven back by the searing heat. He finally fell to his knees close to the fire with his arms outstretched, crying his torment to the kingdom.
“Stay here, Akiyma,” Carliss ordered as she dismounted. She handed him her long knife and her bow and quiver, then ran to Si Kon.
“Come back, Si Kon,” she pleaded, worried that the structure of the home would collapse and engulf him in the flames. “Surely Takara and the girls are away and safe.”
Si Kon looked at her with tears streaming down his face. His family’s absence seemed to completely contradict her words of hope.
“Come,” she urged again.
Ganoaf appeared behind them and lifted Si Kon from behind. He half carried the knight away from the intense heat and flames that licked high into the evening sky.
Carliss heard another rider approaching quickly. She turned to see Salina leaping from her horse.
“What has happened?” she panted. “Where are Takara and the girls? Where are the other—”
Her question remained unfinished, for the thunder of a dozen horses’ hooves suddenly mixed with the roar of the fire. Within moments they were surrounded by a force of castle guardsmen. Eight of them dismounted with swords drawn and encircled Carliss, Si Kon, Salina, and Ganoaf. It was pointless to resist against such odds.
“Si Kon of the District of Intar,” one of the mounted guards shouted. “You are in violation of Lord Malco’s liege edict and are guilty of establishing an unlawful order within the city of Moorue. You are also guilty of harboring members of the illegal order and will be sentenced immediately. Take them all to Baron Karoshi.”
Carliss looked beyond the guards toward Akiyma, who still sat atop Rindy. Since he was neither a threat nor a target, the guards had completely ignored him. Carliss motioned with her head for him to leave. The boy carefully took Rindy’s reins and backed away, disappearing into the obscurity of the night. Carliss’s relief over his escape was pierced with a new stab of worry. If something had happened to the group of Followers, which included Akiyma’s family, then he would be on his own in a hostile city.
Carliss and her friends were disarmed and hustled through thestreets to the castle Intar. They were taken under heavy guard through the castle gate, across the courtyards, and into the echoing great hall. From the far end of the great hall, Carliss could see Baron Karoshi, a wiry figure almost dwarfed by a massive and ornate judgment seat.
Their footsteps clattered on the cold marble floor as they were brought before the lord of the castle. His lean face wore a huge, drooping mustache and a petulant expression. Around his neck hung a medallion bearing the dragon symbol of the Vincero knights. Carliss had never seen the medallion worn so boldly by a Vincero, a testimony to their power and influence in this region.
Karoshi gestured, and another knight came to stand beside him. Carliss’s stomach rose to her throat as she recognized the man. She looked at Salina, but Salina did not look at her.
“Salina,” she whispered desperately.
“Salina…yes indeed,” Sir Alston called out. “How wonderful to have you back!”
Salina stepped forward with a twisted smile and embraced her brother. She turned around and looked at Carliss.
“Baron Karoshi, I give you Lady Carliss, Knight of the Prince.” Salina joined Alston at Karoshi’s side.
“She betrayed us!” Si Kon shouted. He stepped forward as though he would tear her apart with his bare hands. One of the guards grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him backward.
Carliss stared at her presumed friend with her mouth open and her mind in a muddled state of confusion.
“Salina,” she exclaimed, “what have you done?”
“Only that which I was sent to do, Follower. And it would have ended much
“Stay here, Akiyma,” Carliss ordered as she dismounted. She handed him her long knife and her bow and quiver, then ran to Si Kon.
“Come back, Si Kon,” she pleaded, worried that the structure of the home would collapse and engulf him in the flames. “Surely Takara and the girls are away and safe.”
Si Kon looked at her with tears streaming down his face. His family’s absence seemed to completely contradict her words of hope.
“Come,” she urged again.
Ganoaf appeared behind them and lifted Si Kon from behind. He half carried the knight away from the intense heat and flames that licked high into the evening sky.
Carliss heard another rider approaching quickly. She turned to see Salina leaping from her horse.
“What has happened?” she panted. “Where are Takara and the girls? Where are the other—”
Her question remained unfinished, for the thunder of a dozen horses’ hooves suddenly mixed with the roar of the fire. Within moments they were surrounded by a force of castle guardsmen. Eight of them dismounted with swords drawn and encircled Carliss, Si Kon, Salina, and Ganoaf. It was pointless to resist against such odds.
“Si Kon of the District of Intar,” one of the mounted guards shouted. “You are in violation of Lord Malco’s liege edict and are guilty of establishing an unlawful order within the city of Moorue. You are also guilty of harboring members of the illegal order and will be sentenced immediately. Take them all to Baron Karoshi.”
Carliss looked beyond the guards toward Akiyma, who still sat atop Rindy. Since he was neither a threat nor a target, the guards had completely ignored him. Carliss motioned with her head for him to leave. The boy carefully took Rindy’s reins and backed away, disappearing into the obscurity of the night. Carliss’s relief over his escape was pierced with a new stab of worry. If something had happened to the group of Followers, which included Akiyma’s family, then he would be on his own in a hostile city.
Carliss and her friends were disarmed and hustled through thestreets to the castle Intar. They were taken under heavy guard through the castle gate, across the courtyards, and into the echoing great hall. From the far end of the great hall, Carliss could see Baron Karoshi, a wiry figure almost dwarfed by a massive and ornate judgment seat.
Their footsteps clattered on the cold marble floor as they were brought before the lord of the castle. His lean face wore a huge, drooping mustache and a petulant expression. Around his neck hung a medallion bearing the dragon symbol of the Vincero knights. Carliss had never seen the medallion worn so boldly by a Vincero, a testimony to their power and influence in this region.
Karoshi gestured, and another knight came to stand beside him. Carliss’s stomach rose to her throat as she recognized the man. She looked at Salina, but Salina did not look at her.
“Salina,” she whispered desperately.
“Salina…yes indeed,” Sir Alston called out. “How wonderful to have you back!”
Salina stepped forward with a twisted smile and embraced her brother. She turned around and looked at Carliss.
“Baron Karoshi, I give you Lady Carliss, Knight of the Prince.” Salina joined Alston at Karoshi’s side.
“She betrayed us!” Si Kon shouted. He stepped forward as though he would tear her apart with his bare hands. One of the guards grabbed the back of his collar and yanked him backward.
Carliss stared at her presumed friend with her mouth open and her mind in a muddled state of confusion.
“Salina,” she exclaimed, “what have you done?”
“Only that which I was sent to do, Follower. And it would have ended much
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