Stardeep_ The Dungeons - Bruce R. Cordell [63]
He tightened his grip on his belt, a mete inch from Nis's beckoning pommel. Strange. He'd failed to don his protective gloves today. Such lapses wete not like him. The first chance he got, he'd retrieve them.
Despite evetything, his new turn of thoughts brought clarity. He was emboldened, heartened even, now that he had pieced together Brathtar's lies, failures, and misrepresentations. He'd found the flaw at the center of all his plans: Brathtar.
If only the Keeper, returning to the fold after these long years of her absence, would surrender and enter Stardeep peaceably…
As he watched Kiril fight, bloodied but unbowed, a fury growing in her eyes-if not her weapon-he recognized the possibility of parley with the swordswoman was past. If she survived the initial foray, she'd never give up Angul to him.
She must, Nis insisted. Telarian nodded, knowing his dark blade spoke truth.
He raised his right hand and waved the cavalry unit forward, down the Causeway. "Attack!"
The Knights failed to advance.
He looked behind him, "I ordered an attack!"
"Keeper Telarian," said Brathtar, "I tecognize that woman, and believe she is who she claims: Kiril Duskmourn, once a Keeper here, a Keeper of the Outer Bastion. She held the same position you now hold. She successfully defeated the Ttaitor's attempt to escape. Surely you don't mean for us to slay her?"
"What I mean…" said Telarian, then he paused. He paused because his ungloved hand had just unconsciously slipped along his belt loop and onto Nis's protruding hilt.
It occurred to him in that instant that convincing Brathtar to return to obedience was not something he had the time or patience to accomplish. Nor could he trust Brathtar not to return to his questioning ways with the very next order Telarian issued. Questioning the Keeper in front of the Knights he commanded-Brathtar knew such a breach of protocol could only seed discipline problems. Thus, he obviously questioned Telarian for just that purpose. A demonstration was required.
Telarian swiveled his head to regard the Commander. With an air that seemed like lazy curiosity to the onlooking Knights, he pulled Nis from his sheath and plunged it into Brathtar's stomach, burying the blade to the hilt.
"Keeper! What…" were Brathtar's last words. The slumping body of the Commander of the Empyrean Knights slid off Nis's bleak, life-ending edge and clattered to the stone.
Telarian turned to face the mounted Knights who yet queued up behind the gate, Nis free of its scabbard and idly clutched in his left hand. The blade seemed to pull the very light from the air, creating a zone of shadowless gloom, dim at the edges, but blackening to utter night around the sword blade.
"Congratulations, Dharvanum," said Telarian, addressing the closest Knight, who stared back at him with eyes wide. "I confer upon you the title and rank of Commander. Now-ride out and bring back that ex-Keeper's sword, or I'll gut you, too."
Telarian was surprised how the sight of Brathtar lying in his own entrails failed to faze him. He gave the body a tentative nudge with his toe. Yes, stone dead. With Nis in hand, cool logic bracketed him and defined him. Emotion served only to conceal the shortest paths to achieving desired ends. Brathtar had proved himself too much an obstacle. With the Commander now punished so utterly for discipline's lapse, the remaining Knights would fall in line. They were pledged to obey the Keeper first, and their Commander second.
' The Knight named Dharvanum lowered the face-plate on his helm and drew his sword. He spurred his mount towatd the Gate.
They have turned against you, warned Nis, an instant before Dharvanum turned back his mount, swinging his sword in a vicious arc at Telarian's neck.
The Keeper calmly parried with his drawn weapon. Where Nis met the lesset steel of the Knight's blade, black phantoms momentarily capered.
Dharvanum screamed at the temaining mounted Knights. "The Keeper's reason has deserted him. For Stardeep, cut him down. For Brathtar!"
Telarian backpedaled, holding Nis in