dead too.
His chest was pounding when Nemenese caught movement in the corner of his eye. He turned his head ever so slightly to discern what it was. Memlatec was racing across the lawn toward him, robes flapping, Fedra soaring overhead.
“Don’t move!” Memlatec shouted. His pinched face pointed his lined features to his brilliant, violet eyes. His right arm held out his crystal tipped staff in Nemenese’s direction.
Another movement caught the king’s eye. He glanced up to see the primitive, elemental vapor excited; its jerky probing vibrated the limb.
Like a dog, it senses the elevated energy from my stress, he thought. The thing will strike me any second. Surely Memlatec is within striking distance. Hurry!
Nemenese held a deep breath in unnerving suspense as the lethal assassin hovered over him. Its sensory probe was jerking back and forth then turned down. It locked on the king as if staring him in the face. Nemenese shuddered, flashing hot and cold.
“Destroy it, now!” the king yelled.
The vapor jolted. It recognized its intended victim and dropped off the branch writhing, falling toward Nemenese. In a flash, Memlatec shot wizard fire. The slithering energy creature exploded in sparks and a puff of smoke just above the king’s head.
Nemenese had crouched down, his eyes pinched in anticipation of imminent death. It should have struck me by now, he thought. A faint odor of smoke singed his nose. He opened his eyes as fine ash floated down on his clothes amid the stench of sulfur. Goose bumps mingled with tiny sweat beads on his forearm. He was trembling as he rose with difficulty to meet his approaching savior.
“That thing was sent to kill me!”
“Yes, I’ve sensed something evil moving in the city of late, Memlatec said. I’ve been trying to locate it. When I passed nearby, Fedra discovered it. I didn’t know what it was or whom it was seeking.”
“How dare the emperor attempt to kill his own grandfather-in-law?” Nemenese brushed ash from his cloak. His confidence returned with the heat of rage in his face. “I’m leaving at once.”
“Saxthor would most certainly not have tried to kill you, Majesty.”
“I’m in the imperial capital. Who else would attempt to kill me here? I should have anticipated such treachery. With me dead, he could claim Velstorbokkin without even a war by right of inheritance through Tottiana once he eliminates my son. That’s also in the works, I suspect. I must return to Velstorbokkin at once.”
“Whoever attempted to kill you, it wasn’t Saxthor.”
“You may know magic, high wizard, but you under estimate greed and ambition among men.”
King and wizard hurried back toward Ossenkosk. The king’s guards appeared suddenly, escorting Nemenese through the great gate.
* * *
“Saxthor, there is an assassin in the city,” Memlatec exclaimed on entering the emperor’s private reception room. “He’s just attempted to kill King Nemenese with an energy vapor like the one Witch Earwig sent to kill you on the River Nhy when you were escaping the mainland through Olnak.”
Saxthor looked up at the wizard, staring for an instant. He put his finger to his lips and moved quietly to close the door to his suite. “What are you talking about?”
“An energy vapor, woven on King Nemenese’s hair, almost killed the king by the grand canal.”
“Impossible, the city is an armed camp, and you’re here. You must have sensed it before it could do harm. Who would attempt such a thing?”
“Nemenese thinks it was you.”
Saxthor slumped back a step. “I would not kill my own grandfather-in-law. You know that.”
“Yes, but Nemenese doesn’t. He thinks, now that you’re married to Tottiana, you will eliminate first him then his son and claim the Velstorbokkin throne in the name of the empress.”
“Why would I want another kingdom? I didn’t want to rule Neuyokkasin in the first place, certainly not to be emperor. I’ve more than enough to rule as it
His chest was pounding when Nemenese caught movement in the corner of his eye. He turned his head ever so slightly to discern what it was. Memlatec was racing across the lawn toward him, robes flapping, Fedra soaring overhead.
“Don’t move!” Memlatec shouted. His pinched face pointed his lined features to his brilliant, violet eyes. His right arm held out his crystal tipped staff in Nemenese’s direction.
Another movement caught the king’s eye. He glanced up to see the primitive, elemental vapor excited; its jerky probing vibrated the limb.
Like a dog, it senses the elevated energy from my stress, he thought. The thing will strike me any second. Surely Memlatec is within striking distance. Hurry!
Nemenese held a deep breath in unnerving suspense as the lethal assassin hovered over him. Its sensory probe was jerking back and forth then turned down. It locked on the king as if staring him in the face. Nemenese shuddered, flashing hot and cold.
“Destroy it, now!” the king yelled.
The vapor jolted. It recognized its intended victim and dropped off the branch writhing, falling toward Nemenese. In a flash, Memlatec shot wizard fire. The slithering energy creature exploded in sparks and a puff of smoke just above the king’s head.
Nemenese had crouched down, his eyes pinched in anticipation of imminent death. It should have struck me by now, he thought. A faint odor of smoke singed his nose. He opened his eyes as fine ash floated down on his clothes amid the stench of sulfur. Goose bumps mingled with tiny sweat beads on his forearm. He was trembling as he rose with difficulty to meet his approaching savior.
“That thing was sent to kill me!”
“Yes, I’ve sensed something evil moving in the city of late, Memlatec said. I’ve been trying to locate it. When I passed nearby, Fedra discovered it. I didn’t know what it was or whom it was seeking.”
“How dare the emperor attempt to kill his own grandfather-in-law?” Nemenese brushed ash from his cloak. His confidence returned with the heat of rage in his face. “I’m leaving at once.”
“Saxthor would most certainly not have tried to kill you, Majesty.”
“I’m in the imperial capital. Who else would attempt to kill me here? I should have anticipated such treachery. With me dead, he could claim Velstorbokkin without even a war by right of inheritance through Tottiana once he eliminates my son. That’s also in the works, I suspect. I must return to Velstorbokkin at once.”
“Whoever attempted to kill you, it wasn’t Saxthor.”
“You may know magic, high wizard, but you under estimate greed and ambition among men.”
King and wizard hurried back toward Ossenkosk. The king’s guards appeared suddenly, escorting Nemenese through the great gate.
* * *
“Saxthor, there is an assassin in the city,” Memlatec exclaimed on entering the emperor’s private reception room. “He’s just attempted to kill King Nemenese with an energy vapor like the one Witch Earwig sent to kill you on the River Nhy when you were escaping the mainland through Olnak.”
Saxthor looked up at the wizard, staring for an instant. He put his finger to his lips and moved quietly to close the door to his suite. “What are you talking about?”
“An energy vapor, woven on King Nemenese’s hair, almost killed the king by the grand canal.”
“Impossible, the city is an armed camp, and you’re here. You must have sensed it before it could do harm. Who would attempt such a thing?”
“Nemenese thinks it was you.”
Saxthor slumped back a step. “I would not kill my own grandfather-in-law. You know that.”
“Yes, but Nemenese doesn’t. He thinks, now that you’re married to Tottiana, you will eliminate first him then his son and claim the Velstorbokkin throne in the name of the empress.”
“Why would I want another kingdom? I didn’t want to rule Neuyokkasin in the first place, certainly not to be emperor. I’ve more than enough to rule as it
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