The Cleansing (Book One: The Folara Chronicles)

072: Jayce

Jayce ran along the hillside washed out by torrential runoff. He could hear Terryn's heavy breathing behind him.

They'd returned to camp hours ago, having witnessed the marriage of a Captain of the Quarso-- traitor Captain-- to an Aquarian princess.

Jayce stumbled again, righted himself and then stopped and looked out to sea as the rumble of thunder assailed his ears. It seemed to start in the sea and carried over the air. A huge cloud sprang from the waves, rising up like a watery version of the mountain that guarded the land passages.

"Jayce!" Terryn hissed, keeping his voice low.

"Sorry." Jayce flung his hair out of his eyes, and stared at the clouds that met over the ocean. To him, it looked as if Etrusia had just blown up.

He gazed out over the small encampments and then took off running once again. "Where are we going?"

"To find Crevan and Rion. The Quarso has never been disunified. Order must be restored. I sense only chaos."

"And when you find them who will you owe your loyalty to?"

"Whoever hates Quildor the most."

They ran for a mile and then stopped, seeing the remains of the castle, the army lined up and preparing to leave. They could see Quildor at the head shouting orders to Fontayne. Someone was tied to a post and being whipped.

"Kib said Rion contacted him in Zalez. Do you think he would have come here?"

"He wouldn't have set out for Valdemar alone. Kib was convinced that Rion intended to find his woman and go with them when they left."

"I know. And I believe that's what they were planning. I don't think he knew he would find her and marry her last night. He thought she might be being held by Quildor. Else why would he come here? I can sense him, the closer we get the more I sense him."

"He and Crevan... and someone else...."

Jayce turned and looked at Terryn curiously. "I sense it too... someone far away and very strong in Zalez. I feel as if it were my mother."

"Your mother's dead."

"I know, fluff head. But the signature of the Zalez reminds me of her. I can't quite pinpoint what it is I am sensing." He flung out a hand to ward off any more thoughts. "We must find Crevan."

They began descending into the valley, coming upon the lined up troops from behind. They were met with salutes, as they jogged ahead in the rising sunlight to the head of the Minions who were avidly engrossed in watching the whipping Quildor's executioner was administering to a man they had stripped down and tied to a post. Jayce was about to walk right up to Fontayne when Terryn pulled Jayce back and they both crouched behind a vacant tent.

"Quildor is having Rion beat!" Terryn stated, his eyes turned a deadly hue, Rion must have revealed his defection. "Where is Crevan?" They both searched the faces closest to the punishment area. It had been going on for awhile. It made them sick. They watched another few minutes and then Jayce stood, his hands clenched in furious fists.

"I can't stand watching this anymore. I demand an answer!" He started to rush up to confront Quildor, when suddenly the sign was given and the army began to march past the whipping post, the whippings stopped and Quildor could be seen taking them all ahead with Fontayne and Tyce at his side. Jayce and Terryn moved carefully down the hill toward the village, through the crowds of people gathered to watch them leave. Women and children and old men were watching solemnly, some wiping tears from their eyes. No one paid them the slightest attention, so they crept carefully through the throng to the remains of the castle and began scaling its heights.