Westhaven by Rowan Erlking (best sci fi novels of all time TXT) 📕

“My services,” Key said with a nod, bracing for that attack.

Breaking into an ironic laugh, Lesar attacked once more. They met sword to sword, face to face. “I don’t need a new sword, smithy.”

Key threw him off again, hopping back on one foot in crane position. “Not yet. But that sword has nearly seen the end of its day.”

Lesar jumped at him, striking hard.

Key parried and threw him off again, spinning with another cut that barely missed the Cordril. This time, Key gave a pert nod as he hopped back once more. “That, and I have other things that I can do for you. I know ways in and out of most of the cities in Westhaven that even the Sky Children don’t know.”

“What kind of proposal are you suggesting?” one of the unfamiliar Cordrils asked.

“Don’t trust him!” Lesar shouted, his fury now fully showing on his face. “His kind has betrayed us before!”

Key struck out again, this time with force against the Kitai blade. Lesar’s sword shattered. Key’s blade went through it and stopping right at Lesar’s neck.

But he did not cut.

Key stepped back. Panting hard he gave the Cordril a nod. “It wasn’t me. Like I said. It didn’t want your friend to die.”

Lesar stared at Key now, stroking his neck as he staggered back. His hot breath made clouds around him.

Turning to look at the others, especially casting Yadis a hard glare since he and that Cordril never liked each other, Key said, “I am not coming on behalf of anyone but myself. No one sent me. But I believe that an alliance between us would be mutually beneficial.”

“That was our line,” Donal said, walking up the hill. However he smiled at Key. “What changed your mind?”

Trying not to look weak, Key stumbled over to Lesar who was now touching the cut on his arm. He braced himself, took off his glove, and set his hand on Lesar’s bare hand. Almost immediately, the cut sealed itself up. However, Key practically went faint.

Lesar jumped forward and caught him. “What did you do that for? You knew I would automatically drain you.”

Nodding, Key leaned on Lesar’s shoulder. “I know. But we have to start trusting each other some time. Divided, the Sky Children will defeat us both. United, and we can end this war with less casualties on both our sides. I believe this is a risk worth taking.”

He then passed out of consciousness.

Key awoke surrounded by several glowing blue eyes. For a moment, he almost jumped off the ground with terror, thinking he had fallen back into the hands of General Winstrong. But when he saw their fair faces, he dropped his head back against the ground. “Oh, it’s only you.”

“Only us….” Lesar murmured with a small laugh. “To hear a human say that.”

“We have food for you,” Donal added.

Trying to sit up, Key rubbed his head.

“You have more white hair, I think,” Donal murmured as he passed over a slab of dry bread and a cooked chunk of meat that smelled somewhat like pork. “What happened? Something else scare you out of your mind.”

Key nodded and straightened up, taking it eagerly from him. “Thanks for the food.”

He then started to eat as the Cordrils watched him.

“You’re not afraid we poisoned it?” Yadis asked with a snort, shifting his legs from kneeling to crossed. “You used to be such a suspicious b—”

“Enough of that!” Lesar snapped, shaking his head at Yadis. He then turned to Key. “What are the details of this negotiation? You did say you came to negotiate an alliance. Now that you’re awake, we’re listening.”

Swallowing a large bite of food, Key nodded. “Yes, but uh, the problem is, I will also need to negotiate with the other side to arrange everything.”

Lesar laughed. “Negotiate with—?”

One of the other Cordrils cut in. “Are you saying you are the middleman?”

“Self-declared, I’m afraid.” Key then he took another bite of the meat, chewing hungrily.

The Cordrils that knew him broke into laughter. The others reached out and touched them to find out what was so funny. When they finished sharing their silent thoughts, all were looking a Key as if he were a strange creature that had crawled into their camp.

“Ok, I got an inkling of what you wanted when you grabbed my arm and passed out,” Lesar said shaking his head at Key. “But I think I need you to elaborate. What can you offer us, and what are we offering you in return?”

Key chewed quickly to clear his mouth to speak. Taking a breath, he said, “First off, I can get you into most of the cities without being detected. Since we last spoke, our group has expanded from the northern city of Kolden to the eastern coast and as far south as Ladis city to the western borders. We have associations in all of the cities and major towns, including in Sky Child factories and posts. We are still organizing the command structure of our army and the communication system, but I believe that if you could join us in each of our areas, helping us drive the Sky Children back to their island, clearing them out with the energy you all have, we can end this war a lot faster.”

They all stared at him.

“Boy, you have been busy,” Lesar murmured.

Shaking his head, Key rose. He was shaky on his feet. His eyes scanned over the landscape, scouting out his location. They weren’t in the cave, but they hadn’t moved him farther from where he had been fighting Lesar earlier. His backside was damp. “Not just me. There are very many of us. Northerners, Easterners, Southerners, and Westerners. It has been hard keeping up with the sword demand…as well as the demand for guns and training our spies.”

“Spies?” Donal murmured, peering at him. “You sent in spies among the Camuses?”

Key nodded. “Yes.”

“You found humans brave enough for that?” Donal drew in a breath of exasperation.

“Your wife is human,” Key said with some bite, dryly peering at him. “Or so you said. I’m surprised you would consider humans as not that brave. Our risk is greater than yours.”

“He remembered that?” Lesar murmured, looking to Donal. He then turned toward Key. “Then I guess those wanted posters are very serious. You have quite a memory for a human. Those Camuses really must be nervous in regards to you.”

Key cringed, watching the other Cordrils get passed the memory of Key’s identity. Even his fame as the human marauder had reached the ears of the enemy to the Sky Children.

“A hundred thousand in gold,” one of them murmured.

With a snort, Key glanced at him before speaking to Lesar. “A Cordril considering turning me in for the reward? What a day that would be! The Sky Children would more likely kill you than pay you.”

“He wasn’t considering it,” Lesar said with a laugh, knowing Key did not believe they would either. “Now back to business. You say you can get us into the cities. But you acted as if you can offer us more than that. What else can you offer us?”

Nodding, Key sat down. “I can offer my services as a negotiator, but also I can connect you with important people and let you know who is the most trustworthy and who isn’t. As I said, I know most of the leaders of the armies.”

“I don’t care about that,” Yadis said, waving it all away.

The brawny Cordril leaned nearer to Key, drawing out his sword. For a moment Key thought Yadis was going to attack him over an old spat, but the Cordril stabbed what was left of his broken Kitai blade into the wet ground. He shoved it at Key. Key watched it topple over.

“I want you to make me the best sword you can possibly make. One that will last for hundreds of years if necessary. The perfect sword.”

Key wrinkled his nose with a cringe. “There is no such thing. But if you want, I will make you a sword especially made for killing demons. I will even put my best effort into it.”

Returning the look with one of his surly smiles, Yadis said, “Then do it. You owe me for this sword.”

“It was only cracked last time.” And Key shoved the broken sword back at him. “If you broke it afterwards, it was not my fault.”

But Yadis picked the blade out of snow and stuck it back into his scabbard. “Oh yes it is. Your beloved general was mine for the killing, and he had one of your swords with him, albeit a crude one, and it broke my blade completely to pieces. I haven’t been able to find a good replacement since, and I had to let the bugger go.”

Stiffening, Key shook his head slowly. “No. That would have been my father’s sword. When did this happen? And why didn’t you kill him anyway?”

Yadis merely shrugged. “I’m not interested in brown-eyes. I only went after him because he had interfered in my hunt. This was years ago anyway, and you’re going to replace my sword.”

Rising with another sour look for that particular Cordril, Key exhaled.

“Fine. I said I would.” He then looked to the others. “Does anyone else want a sword?”

Nearly all the Cordrils raised their hands. Lesar sheepishly grinned, ducking his head as he also raised his. “You do make the best.”

*

“What are you saying? They massacred the entire post?” Gailert pounded on the table of the Kalsworth military office. “Not one telegraph man was left alive?”

The soldier shook his head. “And they burned it.”

“It’s starting again,” Gailert murmured, clenching his teeth as he thought about all those lives lost to the rampages of raiders. He rose from his seat to march over to the commander’s office to speak with him. “We need to counterattack. It is as simple as that. Counterattack and rid our land of insurgents once and for all.”

*

The snow on the ground was icy when Key attempted to reenter Tobi Town in the early morning with seven Cordrils. It had been several days since he had made contact with them. His breath puffed around him as he peered across the countryside near the township, thinking hard of how they were to get in. Tobi did not have tunnels like Wingsley did. They never got around to arranging any with Lanona. Though, with the beginning of open war, it was unlikely Lanona would be making any more new tunnels for a while.

However, as he peered at the gate, two of the Cordrils scurried off to the nearby snowy fields where some horses were grazing on tossed-out hay. They climbed the fence and called to the animals. And as they petted the animals, the strangest thing began to occur—and Key just stared in horror. The horses diminished as though they were suddenly starving to death, shrinking down to a bony frame, then into nothing at all. At the same time, the Cordrils expanded and stretched. Their clothes practically sucked into their skin to form coats of hair, until they were exact duplicates of the animals—except for their shining blue eyes which reflected over the snow.

“Uh…” Key whispered to Lesar to ask a question, but that Cordril had already jogged