Bertan`s quest - Michelle Tarynne (best beach reads of all time txt) 📗

thought of having to carry both of the bodies out now.
"You know, it could only mean what's below the mines on the Axe’ territory." The one holding invisible sword at the ready said after a long pause they all took to ponder crippled message.
"It's the place the war is heading to anyway. Can't we just wait till we take it over?" The female that was still holding Genes hand crouched on the floor to be near his body.
"We might not survive that war," the first male to speak said grimly, “We are not the first, not even the middle generations.” He looked at the Unnamed with envy.
"Does anybody know the way into the mines?" The youngest of all voices asked with a spark of excitement only a very young soul can hold and spread around.
"Nearly all of them were destroyed by us when the Axes got control over that land." The Unnamed answered, knowing the younglings never learn of the past and the events that had played out before their arrival.
Another long moment of silence followed. Everyone stood still as if in waiting for the Fates to strike them down one more time.
"I have a map," the Unnamed finally said, overwhelmed with a sudden revelation of where the things were proceeding all along.
"We all have maps," the smallest one scoffed at him indignantly.
"I doubt, you would have that one." The Unnamed moved cautiously to get closer to the group.
"What is so special about it?" the one holding the invisible sword asked the nearing Unnamed, pointing it at him.
"It's the oldest map that has survived until now. It was created before the City of Naam was built. Though, I'm not sure it can be called map anymore." He took a small roll of parchment out of his side pocket and spread it into a thin strip. He looked at the elaborate painting once again.
"Then it's of no use for us, how can it be, if it doesn't show the ways out of here because here hadn't been around yet," a soft female voice interjected.
"This is the part of the inception myths that describe the supposed Sword origins," The Unnamed ignored her, "It shows something very interesting, though. The first underground route to and from the mines that were abandoned by the time City of Naam had risen. Those first routes went directly below the mountains of the eastern city blocks." All of the Swords leaned towards the minuscule painting, depicting threads of mountains and a cave system within them.
"That's got to be the Fools Tunnels!" One of the males exclaimed in amazement that made him jump excitedly, "I'm of the Second Line. We live in the area surrounding that mountain. There is a maze, real maze of tunnels. We used to play hide and seek there as kids. We could literally spend weeks there without any risk to be found, as the farther you go, the smaller the tunnels get. No Older Generation Swords could ever squeeze through to find us."
"Are we still small enough to get through?" One of the females asked worriedly.
"I'm not sure. Some of them were really tight for us, even then. Certainly, he would not fit in," the young male said, nodding at the Unnamed, "I'm not even sure how we are going to approach that place, with that war starting out and Ash regrouping his troops now, just to be ready."
"We are going to find a burial place for my Mother, Bertan of the Third Line." Genes took everyone by surprise yet again, being up and apparently back into his fully aware self again.
"That could actually work out," the Unnamed said slowly after giving that idea a second and a third thought, "We need to go now, before the real war preparations begin, all everyone is doing now is thinking, regrouping and talking."
The Unnamed took Her body out of the nearby chest. She was still warm to his touch, and her scent was still as intoxicating to him as ever, he marveled in his mind. He wrapped her tightly in the shroud made of black sheets the chest was filled with.
"Let's go!" He walked quickly through the carnage on the floor, followed closely by the six young Swords.
The Tower of the Second Line was a spiral-shaped dome, full of soft beauty. Intertwined arcs seemed to flow like water, in and out of the line of sight, metal, and a glowing inner light dominated the blue stone.
The Unnamed was closely accompanied by the young male that had revealed himself to be of the Second Line. They walked up to the star-like Sword engravement. It was a place where the unseen doors guarded the way into the surrounding walls. No guards were present, and nothing stated they have been noticed, until Ash, accompanied by his six guards, emerged from the passage, hidden below their feet.
"What brings you here at the dawn of the long-awaited war, the Unnamed of the Third Line?" Ash of the Second Line asked tightly. His whole body tensed, unnaturally still, when he spoke the customary welcoming words.
"You will not manage to insult me with your words, Ash of the Second Line, but our New King might see things differently once he is aware of those words," the Unnamed answered. The venom and rage were overflowing his reasoning mind.
"My mistake, the Unnamed of the Royal House. Are you coming here on King's Orders perhaps?" Ash' rigid body and tone of his voice remained unchanged.
"No. I come here in Bertan's name, along with some of her close companions."
Ash visibly relaxed when his mind fully registered Her name and the purpose of this unexpected visit. All of the tension and the air he had been holding up inside left him in that quick and precious moment.
"Hopefully, they have never had a chance to get as close to her as you have," Ash said with great sadness, giving the shrouded body a long look filled with a shattered longing.
"The Royal games hold no prisoners here and you know it well." The Unnamed said testily. He wasn't ready to take any criticism from a member of another Line House, yet.
"I hoped, she could be spared," Ash almost sniffed, "I hoped, I could be the one to save her," he whispered.
"She brought it all upon herself with her own actions," the Unnamed said impatiently.
"It's admirable you think so, even now. Though, she did use to react in the most unexpected ways," Ash mused absently.
"What do you mean, Ash?" The Unnamed did not like that irritating warning in his opponent tone.
"Nothing,” Ash said quickly, “ What is the reason for your visit then?"
"We would like to ask for the permission to walk through your House Line lands to reach the foothills of the mountain that belong to your Line. We seek nothing but a quiet burial place for Bertan," the Unnamed answered emotionlessly.
"Why on our lands and mountains?" Ash frowned, "The third line has a lot of its own water traditions."
"She did not hold it closer than yours." A silent and meaningful communication between the two males took place, changing the flow of the events the Fates pre-planned.
"Safe passage will be granted then, under the condition of a temporal blindness for everyone but my son," Ash finally said. His eyes bore deep into the male that recognized the Tunnels. There was an invisible fight between the two of them. "I did not realize, you got close to her crowd too," he said to his son without any threat in his voice.
"I did not realize, you got there too, father," the young male replied with a seething menace in his voice, walking right into the uprooted gates and quickly disappeared within.
"We will mount the platform on the tracks for you, so the time could be spared. After the gates check your Status, of course," Ash quickly added. "No slave would ever be allowed into the Second Line Stronghold." He looked pointedly at Genes. “Second Line to the Throne has no use for slaves.”
"Your gracious help would also make us leave earlier," the Unnamed snorted knowingly, following Ash’ son into the gates.
The rest of young Swords did the same. Genes walked in as the last one, amazed how that stronghold differed from the others he had visited. No slaves meant those Swords did everything for themselves, even cleaned, and yet everything was sparkling with light. The home of the Second Line wan not of the Royal kind, not relaxed like the House of the Third. A military precision of everyone’s duty and usefulness was visible in the way they walked, talked and moved.
 
Every of the visitors to the House of the Second Line, let their eyes to be covered once they boarded the opened platform that followed the three-tracks up to the mountain range. Surrounded by twenty-one guards, they were unable to assess the real speed the platform reached, no turns were made, not the slightest bump along the ride occurred. The deceleration was subtle enough too, so it was almost unnoticeable, but the Unnamed and his senses had been honed for centuries, he knew exactly where they arrived even before the platform came to a full stop. By the time everyone uncovered their eyes, the platform and the guards were long gone already.
They arrived to the foothill of a massive blue-grey rock-mountain. Everyone looked expectantly at the young male of the Second Line to guide them ahead. He took his time to breathe deeply instead.
"I don't know where the Fools Tunnels will take us, but I think it's the time to uncover myself in front of your eyes and share my name," he said. He took off all of his hoods and untied his facemask. "My name is Ashte. I'm the son of Ash of the former Second Line. Though, I think we might stay the second in line as before." A clean shaved bronzed man with a scarred face and skull said slowly. His scars added a certain kind of inner strength and beauty to his otherwise handsome face.
There was a silence, undisturbed and heavy. The winds didn’t howl. The Royal City didn’t growl. One by one, the young and still nameless Swords, took their hoods off and removed their facemasks.
"My name is Dawn, and I'm of the former Fifth Line," a sharp, raven-haired, wild, and a visibly untamed fierce lady said briskly. Her black eyes invited everyone to fight her claim. She looked like she was always at the ready for any kind of confrontation.
"I'm Pat. I'm of the former Sixth Line, a son of a slave,” a man of a red fire said, unapologetic in his manner. Obviously, he was used to being ridiculed, but here he encountered only a raw curiosity, which made him relax his stern features. His eyes unleashed a playful fire at everyone. A prolonged silence emerged as the next Sword fully unmasked her face, five of them unintentionally gasped.
"I can see, you know me already," she smiled wickedly, "I'm Evan the Destroyer, of the former Ruling house." The beauty of her features was in contrast to the hoarseness of her deep voice. It was the most feared female of the Sword kind, packed in the smallest possible size. Her foreign beauty mesmerized everyone and was a weapon greatest than anything a man could think of. The spell her eyes seemed to spread around made all the men burn with a great need to surrender to her. The foothills of the Naam mountain Range was no exception, every of the men present there looked at her greedily, only the Unnamed didn’t seem to notice her at all.
"I am Seven, and I'm of the former Seventh Line. I am the youngest Sword of the Naam territories." The female seemed shy enough to flee at any moment, wasn't it for the fact that they were in a place where the stone wall met quite a few hard bodies, probably ready to kill her for just that one sign of weakness.
"I'm Genes. This is Unnamed, and we