B T Narro [Narro - A Bridge of Realms

bridge of realms

By B.T. Narro

Book 2

The Stalwart Link Series

Copyright 2019 by B.T. Narro

Cover and Map by Beatriz Rare

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is coincidental. All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express written permission of the copyright holder.

CHAPTER ONE

Leo had no idea where his father could be, but in his heart, he knew his father was still alive. After his fathers disappearance, Leo had gone through the day with strength and courage, arriving at the Bookbinding Guild at sunrise, ready to work. By sunset however, he had no strength left.

On the way back to his home, two realizations came that scared him so much they halted his steps. One was that he might never see his father again. But that did not scare him as much as the other. His small abode, where he had lived all ten years of his life with his brother, might not be their home any longer.

Their neighbor Rygen worked beside Leo at the Bookbinding Guild. Leo had not seen courage in her eyes that day, only a sadness that seemed so strong that Leo worried he would never see Rygen smile again. She had watched her mother die last night when the soldiers came. It had been a terrible, bloody death.

She would stay with Leo and his older brother from now on. The three of them would have to take care of one another.

Andar was home when Leo and Rygen arrived. Leo hugged his brother, clinging to Andar as Leos legs threatened to collapse.

Its all right, Andar soothed. You made it through the hardest day.

That was true. They just had to prepare supper, then they could finally rest and put this day behind them.

The three of them combined what they had acquired from the market, making a stew that didnt taste very good. No one complained, however. They had purchased only what theyd deemed to be sold at a good price, except for Andar, who had stolen a large potato from someone who didnt need it as much as the three of them did.

It was mostly a quiet meal until the door to their home banged open and a soldier stumbled into the kitchen. Leo had recently learned what he could about the kings army. A soldiers rank was always obvious upon first gaze from what he wore; the fancier the uniform or armor, the higher the rank. This mans uniform was in the simple style of all the low-ranking footmen, with no buttons or stars, only the sigil of the king sewn into its front.

Leo had already grown to hate that sigil, especially because the design itself was beautiful. It was complicated, reminding Leo of a diamond. The scene it seemed to depict was a cloaked figure with an oversized crown above his head. A shield representing the army outlined the figure. It seemed to say that the crown and army were designed to protect him. But this cloaked figure no longer resembled the common man to Leo, not after soldiers had come and destroyed much of the city without showing a hint of regard for the peoples lives theyd ruined. The cloaked figure could only be the king now. He and his royal family were the only ones protected.

A soldier barging in could mean that the army had found out finally that Leo and Andars father, who had gone by the name of Darren Litxer, was someone far more important than the brothers had claimed yesterday during questioning. But instead of speaking, the soldier glared at them as if he owned this house and they should be the ones to leave.

Andar was the first to stand. Youre drunk. This isnt your home.

Leo noticed him swaying then. What was he here for?

The drunken soldier ignored Andar as he walked around the table and grabbed Rygen by the collar of her shirt. He lifted her up. There was something in his eyes that Leo had never seen before. He was about to jump on the soldiers back, but he knew doing so could mean not only his death but everyones here. Leo froze instead, like his brother had.

Rygen looked so small in the mans grasp, like a terrified mouse. The man seemed large for a grown adult, with a bulky body and massive arms. Leo didnt know exactly what the soldier was looking for as his gaze traveled up and down Rygens body, but Leo knew enough to tell that it was something heinous.

Shes only ten, Andar said, his hands up as if ready to use them.

Leo couldnt stand around any longer. He ran outside through the open door. There were soldiers all around Jatn now, so it should be easy to find another one. Tens of thousands of them had entered the city yesterday to drive out the rebels, Leos father probably among them. Leo might never know that for sure, though. Its not as if a rebel would come back to tell them that Darren Litxer had joined Erisena and the others and that he was still alive. Leo was surprised the worry was potent enough to pierce his fear for Rygen, even as he ran his fastest to look for help.

He found a soldier quickly, this one leaving a neighboring house while rolling up a scroll. He didnt appear to be drunk, thankfully. In fact, the way he glanced over at Leo with a spark in his eyes made him seem keenly aware of a problem that he might need to solve.

A drunk soldier just entered our home and grabbed my sister! Leo hadnt planned to lie about his relation to Rygen. It just seemed easier, or perhaps faster. Thats all that mattered now.

Lead me. The man spoke with a voice that told Leo he would resolve this matter.

Leos heart lifted with hope as he ran with the older man. They returned to the kitchen to a scene that filled Leo with horror. His brother was entangled with the guard of the kings army. It did not matter the reason. Everyone knew it was treason to fight a soldier. That meant a hanging. Leo was on the verge of weeping as he imagined his brother swinging.

Andar was merely thirteen. He still had years of growth left. Not only did he lack height, but he most certainly lacked the girth and strength needed to have any hope of overpowering the larger man. But then he surprised Leo as Andar squirmed out of the soldiers hold and shoved the man back hard enough to separate them by a few steps.

You need to leave! Andar yelled, neither aware of Leo nor the other man in uniform.

The drunken soldier drew his sword. Andar started toward the counter where they kept a long knife, but the other man finally spoke.

Halt! he yelled.

Commander, the drunk soldier muttered, the redness draining from his face. He tried to put his sword back in its sheath as quickly as he could, as if hoping his leader hadnt seen it yet. But the sword dropped to the wooden floor with a loud clank. Rather than pick it up, the soldier stood straight as if awaiting orders. But his drunkenness seemed to pull him backward by his shoulders, forcing him to stumble quicker with each thumping step until he hit a wall. He grumbled a curse Leo knew to be one of the worst ones as the soldier fell to his knees and crawled toward his sword.

The commander waited with his arms folded as he watched the man finally get his hands around the hilt of his sword. He stood with a wobble, then sloppily put the weapon back in its sheath.

Having seen this drunken intruder take out the deadly weapon in preparation to stab Andar, Leo felt an onset of rage that ground his teeth together. Why were men like this allowed such power? Someone had not only put a sword in this mans hand, they had put him in a uniform with a symbol on it that said no one could stop him no matter what he did.

No one but his commanding officer, at least.

Now that his panic had dissolved, Leo noticed the difference between the two. While the rank-and-file soldier had on a gray coat of long sleeves with buttons down its center, the commander wore a chest plate. It was made of leather, not steel, though it was certainly fancy. There was an extra layer of padding across the chest and stomach that was bolted to its under layer with bright silver pins of some kind. It made the commander appear like a true swordsman, not just some drunkard who had managed to fit his fat arms through some armor.