Free The Starfall Knight by Ken Lim

to kill Tarius?”
    “Even if you did, Leonus would take over.  No, we have people loyal to us in your camp.  We will contact you.”
    Alessa squinted, the forms of her captors growing distinct as her eyes adjusted.  “Very well, Nasius.”  She turned to a smaller figure flanked by two bulky thrashers.  “And you, Dene.”
    The two faction leaders swore softly but did not enter the circle of illumination.
    Alessa continued, “If Tarius is destroyed, my father and I will take prime position.”
    “Agreed.”
    “Good.  Now, release me.”
     
    Serpens thrashers dumped Alessa at the edge of Tarian territory along with barrows full of refuse and garbage.  She hadn’t dared mention anything about Elina to Dene or Nasius – they didn’t need to know about her precarious position.  As Alessa picked herself out of the pile of filth, she knew that Elina had gotten the better of her this time.
    The fierce rain soon cleansed Alessa and she plodded to her original destination.  The narrow paths and trails remained empty as the storm continued to pummel Sirinis.  When she caught sight of Tarius’ smithy and cabin, a pair of guards trudged out of the smithy’s shelter and into the rain.  They grabbed Alessa’s arms and frog-marched her towards the cabin.
    “I’ve done nothing wrong!” Alessa said.
    “Don’t care,” one of the guards replied.  He seemed more annoyed with the rain soaking his leather jerkin.  “The Imperator wants to speak with you.”
    The guard shoved Alessa towards the cabin door.  She stumbled onto the covered porch, thankfully out of the rain.  Water dripped from her clothes.  Before she could knock, the door opened, revealing Tarius.  Behind him, Elina shot Alessa a smile, almost a snarl.
    “Enter,” Tarius said.
    Alessa bowed her head as she passed the threshold.  Despite Tarius’ age, his chest and arms still bristled with muscles wrought from years of smithing.  He closed the cabin door behind Alessa.
    As leader of the largest gang on Sirinis, and by default the Imperator, Tarius’ cabin was larger than most.  The entryway melded into a corridor that led to more rooms at the rear of the cabin.  To Alessa’s right lay a sitting room adorned with leather chairs, rugs and the spoils of war – blades, shields, flags and other paraphernalia looted from enemy aerocks.
    “You must be cold,” Tarius said.  He tossed a clean linen cloth to Alessa.  “Dry yourself and be seated.”
    “Imperator!” Elina said.  “Is this how you acknowledge treachery?”
    “What treachery?” Tarius replied.  He made himself comfortable on a leather chair and crossed an ankle over one knee.  He rested his forearms – marred with endless burn scars – on the bear-skin arm-rests.  “All I have is your word.  I will speak with Alessa.”
    “You are blind!  What would you do if you lost him?”
    Tarius’ eyes narrowed.  “No one is to disturb Vantanis when he is piloting the aerock, to say nothing of the storm.”
    Elina scowled but said nothing further.  She stalked out of the front door, slamming it shut.  The echoes reverberated through the sitting room as Alessa towelled off the worst of the rain and wrapped the cloth around her shoulders.
    “So,” Tarius said, “is it true?”
    “Is what true, Imperator?” Alessa asked.
    “The theft of food from my son.”
    “No, of course not.”  Alessa forced herself to relax as Tarius held her gaze.  She clasped her hands together loosely and leaned an elbow on an arm-rest.  “There must be a mistake.  Elina’s word is suspect – she is jealous.”
    Tarius nodded.  “I thought so too.”  He leaned back, massaging his forearms.  The old burns pulled and twisted in his pock-marked skin.  “But upon the word of Elina, I also have the sworn statement of Leonus, Pelio and Brunos.  Between the three of them, they knew the contents of the crate.  Pelio and Brunos aren’t the sharpest of blades but they can follow