Spear of Destiny James Baldwin (free romance novels .TXT) 📖

“Nooooo.” Karalti broadcast her thoughts to all of us. The muscles of her arms strained as she fought to keep it at the proper height. “UGH. This is the WORST.”

“Oh, come on, girl. It’s barely thirty pounds!” He folded his hands behind his back and swaggered around the pair of them as they stayed in position. Karalti’s face was turning purple as her blue-tinted blood rose into her cheeks. “You carry that impotent sack of lard and all his gear on your back day in, day out. Surely you can-”

“Ahem.” I coughed as Suri and I drew up to join them. “That’s LORD Impotent Fat Sack of Lard to you, Dorha.”

“Oh, there he is!” Vash flashed us a gap-toothed grin over his shoulder. “I must say, you are looking both exceptionally flaccid and rotund today, my lord. Did you have a nice talk with Jacob?”

“Wouldn’t call it ‘nice’,” Suri grunted. “He was informative.”

“Vaaaash!” Karalti’s telepathic voice broadcast over the three of us, high with strain and irritation. “When can we drop our arrrms!? This hurts!”

“Hmm?” Vash glanced back at them. “Oh, you. No, no... carry on. Keep those arms up.”

“ARRRGH! I hate you!” Karalti snapped her teeth and hissed, drawing a look of alarm from Kitti.

“Good, good. Let Burna’s power flow through you.” Satisfied, Vash turned back to us. “Jacob has started to experience feelings of guilt. That’s a good sign. Next comes regret, and then madness. The good kind of madness: the kind that purges evil.”

“Glad you feel so positively about him.” Suri scowled.

“Positive? Na-tsho schrodna.” He made a sound of disgust. “I want to break the self-absorbed little milksap’s neck. But he is Starborn, like you and His Grace, and we must share this world together for a very long time. Reform is the only option we have, unless you feel like entombing him like the Drachan.”

“Yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck, glancing at the sky. “And look how well that turned out.”

“Indeed.” Vash held up a finger. “Excuse me a moment.”

He strode back to Karalti, shuddering against the pain of holding her arm out, and took the sack off. She let out a sigh of relief.

“Alright, turn around! Baga tsool!” He barked the word for ‘low block’ in Tuun, pacing around the pair of them.

“Nuuuuu!” Karalti nearly sobbed, but obeyed: bringing her foot in, turning, and then blocking an imaginary strike from underneath. “Hector! He’s crazy! Save me!”

“Hell no. This is great.” I planted my hands on my hips. “If I had peanuts, I’d throw them at you.”

“If you had peanuts, I’d jam them up your keister!” She made a face at me as Vash called out “Neyhg!” and the pair of them began the same drill in the other direction, leading with the left arm instead of the right.

“Come now, Karalti. Whining does not become royalty.” Vash scolded her for real, this time, his voice sharpening. “Do you want to be a Baru or not? If you want to give up, then cry for mercy like a child.”

“No! I’ll become a better Baru than you, and then I’ll kick your butt in front of everyone!” Karalti’s brows furrowed. I felt her determination surge through the bond, and when he called out the next number, she threw her strength into the punch.

[Karalti has gained +1 Wis, +1 Will, +1 Sta.]

“Well, I’ve gotta go do my training as well,” Suri said. “Bit different to what’s going on here. You want to keep learning to be a monk, Kitti? Or want to join me for some good old-fashioned Berserker training?”

Kitti’s pale blue eyes flicked between Vash and Suri. She bit her lip. “Master Vash... may I...?”

“Yes, yes. I know you train for a different discipline than her holiness here,” he said. “Bow out as I taught you, and you may leave. You’ve had a good warm up. Suri can continue your education in the art of chopping people in half with improbably large swords.”

“Thank you! And thanks for letting me join in!” Kitti straightened up, giving the stiff Tuun martial artists’ bow. Karalti glowered enviously at her as she trotted over to Suri. As her attention on her form wavered, Vash winked at me, then hung the sacks over her outstretched left arm.

I was about to quip something at my sputtering dragon when a flash of movement from the southern gate caught my eye. Three Royal Dragoons, still in their flight harnesses, and a trio of wiry Yanik Rangers were limping from the direction of the skydock toward us. All six of them looked windblown and exhausted.

“Our scouts are back,” I said, already moving toward the Great Hall. “Sorry, Suri, but this takes precedence over training. We need to get Rin, Kitti, Istvan, Commander Taethawn, Captain Vilmos, and Wing Commander Vasoly in the Dining Room for the briefing.”

“Yeah! You heard him!” Karalti perked up. “I have to go! This is important!”

“Not you.” I stuck my tongue out at her. “You and Vash can keep going.”

Karalti gritted her teeth. “I INSIST.”

“You heard the man, my lady. Your training takes precedence over your attendance at a briefing, as it does for me. We are Baru first and foremost.” He patted Karalti on the arm—the weighted one—and she groaned.

[Karalti has gained +1 Will!]

“Urrgh, FINE.” She snorted furiously, straining against the weight. “I’ll show you!”

“Good! Show me, don’t tell me.” Vash nodded.

The six scouts slowed to a limping jog as they closed in on us. One of the quazi riders bent down, puffing from exertion.

“My lord. My lady. Corporal Bognar, reporting from Bas.” The woman in the lead saluted smartly, despite her visible exhaustion. “We have news of Solonovka and the movements of Bas’s militia.”

“Great. Head to the dining room and take a seat. You’ll have a