Sara Douglass – The Serpent Bride – DarkGlass Mountain Book 1

Elcho Falling, commander of you and yours, of Isaiah of Isembaard and all his, and of this army

behind me. I am very much afraid, my friends, that the war has only just begun.”

He held their eyes a moment longer, then he wheeled his horse about and rode directly

back to the army.

He was pleased (and relieved) to see that Axis had positioned himself slightly to one side

and in front of the spot where Isaiah”s generals waited on their horses, their faces masks of

anger.

Maximilian met Axis” eyes briefly, and Axis gave a very slight nod.

Maximilian reined in his horse before the generals. He could feel the tension rippling

from not only them, but from the entire tens of thousands of men gathered behind them. He

could see, feel, intuit, the hands reaching for swords, the mouths readying themselves to shout

out the assassination order, the mayhem that gathered itself to leap.

He was moments away from death; Isaiah and Axis as well, Ishbel and StarDrifter and

Salome also. Everything, the entire world, was a heartbeat away from complete and total

disaster.

And Maximilian, for the very first time in his life, felt as if he was, finally, right where he

belonged. Purpose filled him. The Veins had not killed him, these generals did not stand a

chance against him, and even Kanubai would probably lie down and cower at the sight of

Maximilian atop his horse.

Maximilian laughed out loud, flinging out one arm in an extravagant gesture. “My

friends, my generals, is this not the most exquisite moment? I have surprised you, and for that

you have my humblest apologies…as also you have them for the fact that I now announce myself

your commander, Axis SunSoar and Isaiah of Isembaard my immediate captains, to whom you

shall answer and who shall speak with my voice.”

All humor vanished from Maximilian”s voice, and it became tight, ringing with

determination. One of the generals, Morfah, had opened his mouth to speak, but Maximilian

gave him no chance.

“I am the Lord of Elcho Falling. This”—as if it were one with Maximilian, his horse

stamped one of its front hooves on the snow—“is the land of Elcho Falling, arisen from ancient

memory. Know me as your lord, gentlemen.”

“Fuck you,” said Morfah, and he drew his sword.

Maximilian walked into the Twisted Tower. His steps were unhurried, his posture

relaxed. He moved through the ground level chamber and climbed into the second level. He

walked to a chest of drawers, opened the third drawer from the top, and withdrew a small block

of stone. He held it, and retrieved from it knowledge.

Morfah thrust his sword into the air, opening his mouth to shout the orders that would see

him finally take control of this army, and which would see both Isaiah and this pissant

Maximilian dead in the snow.

And then he turned to stone, and a moment later crumbled into dust, his horse shying to

one side at the unexpected relief from the weight of the man on its back.

Maximilian smiled, the expression grim, his eyes moving slowly over the four remaining

generals, now staring at him in complete shock.

“I am now your lord,” he said very quietly, and yet in a tone that still carried.

“Maximilian!” Axis shouted, now thrusting his sword into the sky. “Lord of Elcho

Falling!”

An instant”s hesitation, during which Axis looked pointedly at Ezekiel, who then thrust

his own sword skyward, shouting, “Maximilian! Lord of Elcho Falling!”

Another moment”s hesitation, then the shouting spread through the ranks.

Maximilian! Maximilian! Lord of Elcho Falling!

“How soon loyalties turn,” Isaiah said, chuckling. He, Maximilian, Axis, StarDrifter,

Ezekiel, Malat, and Georgdi were in his commodious command tent, having ridden there once

the shouting had died down and Maximilian had given Lamiah, Kezial, and Armat orders to

return the soldiers to camp and to ready themselves and the army for a march northeast within

the next week or two.

“I wish you”d told me that was going to happen beforehand,” Axis said. He was still a

little shaken by the events, and didn”t quite trust the three generals outside not to turn

immediately to plotting Maximilian”s destruction.

“I don”t think even Maximilian quite knew he was going to do that,” Isaiah said. “It was

well done, Maximilian. It was time for you to come into your own.”

“Will someone please explain what is happening?” Ezekiel said. “Isaiah?”

“Ah,” Isaiah said, “there is a long tale behind this day, Ezekiel.” He told the general, as

well as Malat and Georgdi, the ancient tale of Kanubai, and of the Lord of Elcho Falling, and of all the events that had brought them to this point.

“Today,” Isaiah said, concluding his tale, “Maximilian has stepped out from under the

shadow of Escator and into the light of Elcho Falling.”

“What the hell did you do to that general, Maxel?” Malat said. His voice was very quiet,

and he looked shaken by what he had heard.

Maximilian made a small gesture with his hand, but otherwise did not answer.

“Lamiah, Kezial, and Armat will have forgotten that small trick by the end of this week,”

Ezekiel said. “Maximilian, I am still bemused by this tale, and I do not know whether to believe

in it or not, or whether to believe in you or not. Suddenly my world, as everyone”s, is turned

upside down. Isaiah, you say that Isembaard is finished? That this…Kanubai…and his army of

Skraelings shall trample it into thralldom?”

“And worse,” Isaiah said.

Ezekiel gave a small movement of his head, as if to try and shake his thoughts into order.

“I cannot comprehend this, and I wager that every single Isembaardian outside this tent,

including the other three generals, will find difficulty in comprehending it. Maximilian, do not

think you have won a victory here today. Do not think that you have won hearts and loyalties.

Shock and sleight of hand has won you the initial skirmish…but…gods, man, how do you expect

to win the respect and loyalty of a million people who shall shortly learn that their homeland, and

all their relatives and friends left behind, their homes and memories, lie dying under the terror of

an appalling horror? What advantage you won today with surprise will be gone within a week,

maybe less.”

“We have a long journey ahead of us,” Maximilian said, “and we can all take it but one

step at a moment.”

Ezekiel made a small sound of disgust. He turned to Isaiah. “And you…no wonder you

changed after that month you vanished during your campaign against the Eastern

Independencies. Are you the true Isaiah, or did he die during that month, and you replace him?”

“He died that month,” Isaiah said. “No loss, surely.”

Ezekiel just gave another shake of his head, and turned away.

Axis exchanged a glance with Isaiah, then looked at Maximilian. “Now what, Maxel?”

“We wait here for Light—Lister—to join us,” said Maximilian, “and then we march

north to Serpent”s Nest, there to rebuild the Mountain at the Edge of the World, Elcho Falling.”

He paused, and a look of consternation came over his face. “Gods, Isaiah, the crown of Elcho

Falling! It remains in Escator!”

Isaiah gave a small shake of his head. “No, Maximilian. I think you will find that when

Lister arrives, he will have what you need with him.”

Maximilian grunted. “Vorstus, I suppose.” He shifted his gaze to Axis. “In the meantime,

my friend, while we wait for Lister, I try to win hearts and loyalties. As Ezekiel has so correctly

pointed out, my small trickery today will not impress for long. A title is a pretty thing, but it will not win me allegiance.”

He looked about the tent. “What loyalty do I command among those in this tent?” he said,

softly. “Tell me, that I might the better understand the task ahead.”

“Mine,” said Isaiah. “I am your servant.”

“And mine,” said Axis. “You know that.”

Maximilian gave both men a nod. “StarDrifter?”

“Mine as well,” said StarDrifter. “As all the Icarii. I spoke with Broad-Wing briefly

before I came to this tent, and I know how he feels about you. You have our hearts, Maxel.”

“But can I trust Salome?” Maximilian said, with a small smile.

“Ah,” said StarDrifter, returning the humor, “for her I cannot vouch.”

“Ezekiel not, I think,” Maximilian said, looking at the man.

“My loyalties cannot turn on a whim, Maximilian,” Ezekiel said. “I admire what you did

today, but the story Isaiah has told…it is too much. My heart remains reserved. Isaiah had my

respect and thus my loyalty. You have yet to earn either.”

Maximilian gave him a nod, accepting his words. Ezekiel would be a hard man to win,

but once he gave his word and his loyalty, he would be true. “Malat?” Maximilian said.

“Georgdi?”

Malat gave a great sigh. “Yes, you have my loyalty, Maxel,” he said. “This has all been