Ekhaas and nodded to her. She nodded in return, her ears standing high, then Dagii turned and stepped away.
Warlord and lhesh faced each other. They raised their swords, touching them together almost as if swearing an oath in the goblin fashion. Tariic sneered at Dagii. “You never understood power,” he said.
Dagii’s eyes narrowed, and his ears flicked back In that instant, Tariic dropped his sword and snatched at the shaari’mal held in Dagii’s left hand. “Resist me without this!” he screamed.
Dagii’s fingers tightened on the disk. His right arm raised Wrath and he struck.
At Tariic’s left hand. At the Rod of Kings.
Geth knew what would happen. He’d felt it in that moment when Dagii had gripped the third shaari’mal and completed the Shield of Nobles. The artifacts of Khaar Vanon were connected. The destiny of one lay within the others.
Within the Shield of Nobles, the Sword of Heroes struck the Rod of Kings. Muut, Aram, Guulen.
The rod rang with a sound like a cracked bell and shattered. Shards of byeshk fell out of Tariic’s hand. The lhesh gasped, let go of the shaari’mal, and staggered away. Dagii drew back Wrath.
“You never understood duty,” he said-and swung.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
28 Vult
The death of Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat’kor had been followed by a mourning period of ten days during which no fires burned in Rhukaan Draal, the streets were empty between dawn and dusk, and no one entered or left the city.
The death of Lhesh Tariic Kurar’taarn was followed by no mourning period at all.
It wasn’t a case of spite. When Razu asked how Tariic’s passing should be treated, Dagii had been willing to allow for a remembrance of tradition, but there was too much to be done too quickly. Messengers were dispatched into the north of Darguun with orders that the troops Tariic had put in place be demobilized. More messages were rushed to King Boranel of Breland advising him of the change in power in Darguun and of the nation’s good will toward its neighbors. In addition, not everyone was convinced of Tariic’s villainy. The power of the Rod of Kings had swayed many Darguuls, but many more had needed no greater persuasion than Tariic’s promises of war and glory.
“His memory will haunt you,” Chetiin had advised Dagii.
“It already does.”
Geth stayed close to the young former warlord-the young lhesh. Someone had the idea that because he’d held the throne for two weeks after Haruuc’s death, Geth was best suited to steer Dagii through his first days.
“The best advice I can give you is to keep your head down,” the shifter told Dagii. “If it all gets to be too much, find a friend and duel for a while.” He patted Wrath at his side. “That works for me.”
Munta the Gray was summoned to Rhukaan Draal and installed as Dagii’s chief advisor, which relieved Geth. The old warlord knew more about political maneuvering than Geth ever would.
When it came time to try and appease the dragonmarked houses, though, Ashi was Dagii’s biggest help. The viceroys of the houses-and many of the ambassadors from the Five Nations-had a new respect for her. After the events at the arena, Dannel d’Cannith had personally seen to the removal of the icy cuffs Tariic had forced on her and promised an investigation into who in House Cannith had created such a device. If relations with the houses and nations beyond Darguun would take time to repair, the viceroys and ambassadors within Darguun were at least cordial. Most of them admitted to Ashi-sentiments she passed along quietly to Geth and the others-that they were embarrassed at having been manipulated by Tariic and suddenly faced a certain amount of suspicion from their monarchs and patriarchs.
The Kech Shaarat appeared to find themselves in a similar situation. When Riila Dhakaan appeared before Dagii to tell him formally that her clan’s warriors would withdraw, she hinted that she would not have the warmest of welcomes from the warlord of her clan. Ruus Dhakaan seemed to feel that she’d fallen too much under Tariic’s influence, the power of the Rod of Kings not withstanding. Dagii offered apologies for the death of Taak, but she shrugged them off. “He died with honor,” she said. “Remember him as a strong opponent.”
Messages of apology for the treatment of Senen Dhakaan were also sent to Volaar Draal, but there was no immediate response. Ekhaas admitted that she wasn’t surprised. “The Kech Volaar are not a forgiving clan. It comes of having long memories.”
She hid her own sadness well. Geth, Tenquis, and Chetiin told the story of her exile from the Kech Volaar to Ashi, while Ekhaas told Dagii herself. Afterward, they’d come together and Ashi had tried to console Ekhaas. The duur’kala wouldn’t allow her. “It makes it easier,” she said.
“Easier?” Ashi looked ready to ride to Volaar Draal and threaten Tuura Dhakaan until she took Ekhaas back.
“Easier,” said Dagii. “Normally marriage between a lord of the Ghaal’dar and a woman of a Dhakaani clan would force some kind of political alliance, but since Ekhaas is exiled-”
They hadn’t let him finish before they were offering their congratulations. Ekhaas had shushed them all down. “There are still complications,” she said. “Haruuc never married, so there was no need to figure out a female equivalent of lhesh.”
“Lhesh’nu,” said Dagii.
“Really?” asked Tenquis. “It sounds like you just made that up.”
“I’m the lhesh. If I can’t make up words, what can I do?”
There was one additional complication to the coronation-or rather, the wedding and double-coronation. On the third day after Tariic’s death, shortly after the date of the coronation was announced, three hobgoblin priests of Dol Arrah, Dol Dorn, and Balinor, the gods of the Sovereign Host that Haruuc had revered, sought an audience with Dagii. They entered the throne room-where Tariic’s crest had been removed and the crests of the clan were being restored-almost tentatively.
The priest of Dol Arrah took the lead. “We are concerned that you have chosen the day of 28 Vult for your coronation, lhesh.”
“It’s the day that Tariic would have attacked Breland,” Dagii said. “It seems an appropriate day to begin a new reign.”
Geth watched the priest search for the right words to respond. “We have heard that the servant of the Dark Six, Pradoor, was killed along with Tariic, so we hope that you do not intend to follow his support for her religion. Nonetheless, we should point out that 28 Vult is the third Night of Long Shadows and sacred to followers of the Dark Six.”
“I’m aware of that,” said Dagii bluntly. “Are you trying to ask if I intend to include the rites of the Sovereign Host in my coronation?”
The priest looked relieved. “Yes, lhesh.”
“No.” He rose. “I respect the Host, but Tariic included one aspect in his reign that I will keep. The emperors of Dhakaan did not submit to religion and neither will I. I serve my people, not the gods.” He nodded to the priests. “You are welcome in Darguun and in my court if you wish, but not beside my throne. Saa’atcha, Vassals of the Host.”
“That was nicely done,” said Geth as the priests retreated in some consternation.
“I’m beginning to get a feel for it,” Dagii said, then turned to look at him. “Do you want to duel for a while?”
On the night of 28 Vult, the newly crowned lhesh and lhesh’nu of Darguun swept into the small chamber where Haruuc had once spoken in secret of finding an artifact called the Rod of Kings and where Geth and the others had once spoken of how to defeat it. Geth gave them the best bow that he could as he, Tenquis, Chetiin, and Ashi rose in greeting. “Your majesties,” he said.
“Sit,” said Ekhaas. “Khaavolaar, I wish I could.” She poked at the stiff robes stitched with silver plates, a fanciful approximation of armor, that she wore. “I’d rather wear my real armor than this.”
“Razu may not have been certain how to dress a lhesh’nu, but she knew no one would wear leather to a
