by Brad Clark
When Nikki finished talking, General Aeneas’s expression had softened, and he remained silent for a few minutes as he considered all that he had been told. He finally said, “Well, that might explain something.”
“Oh?”
“We have been stuck up here since last fall without any word from Tara City. It is not unusual for us to be camped the whole winter without so much as a messenger from the empire. But, once the weather starts to warm and the snows begin to melt, we usually get a caravan of supplies to get us through to summer. This year, though, we have not heard from the empire at all. Nothing. No riders, no caravan, and no supplies.”
“And that is unusual?”
“Very. General Lucius was not concerned. He has spent many more years out here than I have, so I trusted his words. But, if this army of goblins is a reality, then what if this army attacked Taran? Karmon is such a small kingdom that there would be no military advantage of conquering it, other than a place to launch attacks against our cities. Taran, though, has the largest army in the world. Any invading force would first want to take out our army, and that means conquering Tara City first.”
“If that is the case, we certainly cannot dally with this battle of yours. Let us go now.”
“We are surrounded without the ability to retreat. In previous years, we could fall back across the river and use that as a natural defense against them. But if we tried that now, our army would drown in freezing cold water. No, we must fight, and you must help us.”
Nikki could sense the sincerity in General Aeneas’ voice. She looked around, trying to think of a better option. Just past the marching Centurions were rows upon rows of tents, and just beyond the tents was the winding river. Even from this distance, she could see that it flowed quickly. It was wide, and the water was probably as cold as Aeneas described. Some might make it across, but not many. She was beginning to think that she should take the risk and march her army along the river and hopefully make it before being noticed by the Bargoroth when Kile stepped up to her and pointed toward the Taran army.
“Riders,” Kile said.
Two riders were racing towards them. Well before they arrived, she realized one of the riders was one of her Sak’Hurai. Two swords strapped to his back was a clear indication of who he was. The other rider was a Taran Centurion, who held onto the Sak’Hurai rider’s reins as they neared. The Hurai rider was named Jaitai and slid off the back of the horse and ran up to Nikki. He dropped to a knee.
“Jaitai! What is it! You were to be guarding the horses.”
He shook his head. “We were attacked in the middle of the night. They came at us from all sides and were looking to slaughter the horses as much as they were looking to kill us. We defended as long as we could, but when we realized that they were trying to kill the horses, those of us that were left rode after you as fast as we could.”
“Who did this?” Nikki growled, anger starting to boil inside her. Her eyes drifted over to General Aeneas, and her hands drifted to the leather handles of her swords.
Jaitai shook his head. “Large, hairy men. Dressed in furs and carrying clubs and maces.”
“Not Centurions?”
“Barbarians,” Jaitai said, spitting out the word with anger. “Five of us were able to escape from the initial attack, but there were more waiting for us along the way back here. Each time we came upon them, one of us would stop and fight to allow the others to escape. I was the last one. I only survived because the others sacrificed themselves so I could give you the message. I am sorry, your Highness. I have failed you.”
“No,” Nikki said, looking at General Aeneas. He had been telling the truth. The barbarians had attacked their small group that was taking care of the horses and had clearly closed off their only path of escape. “You have not failed. Stand and join your brethren. We will be fighting these barbarians before we head east.”
“Your swords will be most welcome,” General Aeneas said. “Like I said, the reputation of the Sak’Hurai is well-known.”
“These barbarians have spilled Hurai blood, and we will spill much more of theirs before this day has finished.”
Chapter Three
Lord Martin strolled through the castle’s main gate still covered in a heavy coating of mud. He walked with his head held high as if he had not clumsily taken a nose dive into a muddy hillside. As he walked passed the Karmon Knights who stoically stood guard, they did not give him a second glance. Their discipline and devotion to the kingdom were far more significant than any humor they might derive from Lord Martin’s appearance. Likewise, Lord Martin did not give them a second glance, barely acknowledging their presence or their sacrifice to standing watch to help protect the innocent civilians inside.
With bitter frustration, he stalked across the open courtyard towards the open doors that led into the inner caverns where the survivors had spent the winter. The words and tone of Conner’s Elven friend continued to echo in his mind, and it made him angrier and angrier with each step. He was not only a lord, but as far as he knew, the most senior surviving lord, which made him an invaluable asset to the queen, yet she continued to rebuff him. He knew it was her right as queen, and many lords over the years had been treated poorly by royalty, but the throne only maintained its power through support from the kingdom’s landowners and lords.
A small group of Elves were huddled near the entrance to the caverns, a stark reminder to him that it should be himself and the kingdom’s lords that were counseling the queen and not any foreigners. It made him sick to his stomach to even see the pointy-eared beings. He knew they could speak his language and other than their ears and generally taller and leaner in appearance, they could pass for Human. To him, though, it was clear that they were not Human and should not be treated the same. They were foreigners who, for all practical purposes, had invaded their land and their homes. More importantly, none of them treated him as the lord that he was, and if he had his way, the impetuous Elf would have been flogged for having talked to him as he did. He credited Conner for helping him, but Conner was no better than the Elves because he continued to maintain his friendship with them. If Conner ever wanted to become the Karmon Knight that Lord Martin knew he wanted to be, he would have to stay away from the Elves and surround himself with those like himself.
It also insulted him that he was not given a proper chamber to live in. He was relegated to the open caverns where the rest of the survivors were encamped. Fortunately, civility ruled, and space had been set aside for him. Ignoring the stray looks of those he passed, he marched directly towards his private area.
The caverns were originally all natural, having been carved out over eons by small streams that trickled through the inside of the mountain, carrying away soft rock and leaving hard limestone. The walls of the city and the outer buildings were made up of limestone quarried from the caverns. The quarrying of the large blocks of limestone had made the caverns larger, which until this winter, had merely been a waste of space. Now, all the extra space allowed for the survivors to be able to fit comfortably in the cavern. The resourcefulness of the Karmon people had turned the caverns into a small city complete with a tier of leadership to control and manage the population. Although the queen was ultimately in charge, there still needed to be local control of the people. That was where Lord Martin stepped in. He offered what he deemed was necessary leadership. He knew people craved such guidance and control, and he craved giving it.
Karmon Knights kept the peace when necessary, but they were not typically peacemakers. Before South Karmon had fallen, the Royal Guard had provided peacemaking to the city, while the Karmon Knights served as protection for the kingdom. Lord Martin had recruited some of the Royal Guard survivors to serve in a similar capacity in the caverns. Two of them stood guard in front of his makeshift chamber. Large blankets hung from a low section of the chamber to act as walls. Other entrepreneurs had constructed their own private spaces as well. Some of these areas were cordoned off by piles of stones sta
cked high, others were thrown together with whatever could be found. Old blankets, torn clothes, and anything else that could be used to separate the living spaces were used.
Lord Martin pushed through the blankets that acted as a doorway and came to a quick stop.
“What are you doing here?” he barked out loudly.
The man who stood in front of him was dressed in a grungy cloak that was frayed around the bottom and caked in mud. His face was also dirty, and it had been several days since he had bothered to put a razor to his cheeks. The thick stubble was almost ready to turn into a beard. The man had just ripped a chunk of bread from a loaf that had been sitting on a table and was noisily chewing. When Lord Martin appeared, the man smiled.
“You told me to come when I had news.” The man turned slightly, and his robe opened up. Hanging at his hip was a shiny and well-cared for longsword.
Lord Martin’s eyes stayed on the sword for a moment.
The man followed Lord Martin’s gaze and looked down at his sword. With swift precision, he drew it. “Do you like?”
“That is a Karmon Knight’s sword and not…”
“And not the weapon of the Royal Guard,” the man finished. “The age of Karmon Knights has passed. They could not defend our kingdom against our enemies, so it’s time for the true protectors of the throne to stand up and save this kingdom.”
“Rufus!” Lord Martin said sharply. The former Royal Guard would have continued to pontificate against the Knights with an intensity that bordered on the obsessive.
Rufus clamped his mouth shut and continued to chew the stale bread.
Lord Martin glanced down at the sword and said, “You did not have that when I saw you last.”
Smiling while chewing, Rufus shrugged. “I found it,” he replied.
“You did not…”
“Kill for it?” Rufus finished. He let out a boisterous laugh. “Of course not. I am not so reckless to kill, even if I would enjoy it. No, there are plenty of extra weapons lying about. You just have to know where to find them.”
Lord Martin warily accepted the answer. Before the war that tore the kingdom apart, there was much infighting between the Karmon Knights, who were sworn to protect the throne, and the Royal Guard, who were sworn to protect the king. Both groups were highly trained, but the biggest and strongest were always chosen for knighthood, while those who couldn’t make it as knights were relegated to the Royal Guard. It made the Karmon Knights arrogant, and the Royal Guard obsessively insecure and jealous.
Just before the war came, Queen Elissa had disbanded both the Karmon Knights and the Royal Guard. She had felt that the two groups of soldiers should ban together under unified and joint leadership. For a time, it worked, but after only a few months war came. Some blamed the loss of the two Karmon cities on the Knights having been disbanded, and Lord Martin did his best to keep people thinking those thoughts. However, to his dismay, the need for the might of the Karmon Knights became apparent, they were called back together. Many of the Royal Guard joined the battle to fight alongside the Karmon Knights. They did so willingly, and without a thought about past divisions. The cities still both fell to the might of the Deceiver’s army, but many innocent lives were saved by the heroic actions of all the Karmons who took up swords to defend the kingdom.
Even as Karmons joined forces to fight together, there still remained jealousy and competition between the two groups of soldiers. Although many put aside their pettiness and banded together, some could not get past their biases, anger, and bitterness. Lord Martin had seen these men from afar and slowly took them under his wing. With the disbanding of the knights, he could see his power rising to possibly gain the throne. When the Knights were brought back, he felt he lost his best chance at attaining more power, but it soon became apparent that he was not alone in his feelings of disdain towards the Knights and the queen. Years of being treated as second-class warriors had ingrained a bitterness and anger that was too deep for even a mutual enemy to overcome. That hatred of the Karmon Knights and the current leadership was useful to him, but what made them useful also made them dangerous. As such, they were generally impetuous and abrasive towards anyone who didn’t think along the same lines as themselves. They needed to be kept under tight control, else they would end up being a detriment to themselves and Lord Martin’s cause. Most importantly, though, they all needed to understand who was in charge, and that was Lord Martin.
With a puffed-out chest, Lord Martin attempted to assert his leadership power. “Are you going to tell me what you came here to tell me? Or are you just going to eat all my food?”
“I’m starving!” Rufus replied.
“We all will be if you continue to eat like that.” Lord Martin stepped up to Rufus and grabbed the remaining chunk of bread from his hands.
Rufus simply glared back while the plump lord stuffed the bread into his mouth.
With his mouth full, Lord Martin barked, “Speak!”
“We did like you said and followed one of the scouts out of the castle, but we soon lost him.”
Lord Martin’s face shows his displeasure.
“We’ve tried to follow those pointed-eared dogs before, but they are just too quick for us to keep up with.”
“They are called Elves,” Lord Martin corrected, still chewing his bread.
Rufus’ eyes narrowed.
“They are our allies in this war regardless of how we feel about them.”
Rufus turned and spat on the ground. “Since when did you become such a friend of theirs? They come marching in here like they are our saviors and act like we should be bowing at their feet. They took over the barracks, pushing our soldiers out and into these caves. And they’re eating all our food.”
“And yet, they are excellent soldiers who will provide support for the upcoming battle.”
Rufus let out a challenging grunt and took a step forward.
Lord Martin laughed and held up a hand. “Oh, don’t get so angry. Those are the words we must tell ourselves, whether we like, or believe them. The Elves and Queen Elissa have formed an alliance, and there is little we can do about it. We must figure out how to take advantage of the weakness of the alliance so that when the war is over, the leadership of the kingdom is where it belongs. I despise them as much as you do, but they serve a purpose, and we must accommodate them.”
“You talk too much.”
Lord Martin’s plump face grew wider as his lips spread into a wide smile. “Of course, as I am a politician. It is what I do. Now, you were telling me that you failed to follow the Elven scouts.”
“The…” Rufus took a deep breath instead of referring to the Elves with a disparaging word. “The Elves moved up the mountain too fast for us to keep up and stay hidden. We could have tried to stay with them, but then we would have let ourselves be seen.”
“And you are sure that you were not seen?”
Rufus crossed his arms and looked down at Lord Martin. “We are soldiers and learned real fast how to hide from those goblins. Besides, those Elves had their eyes ahead of them, not behind them.”
“So you came here to report that you saw nothing? You are wasting my time. Maybe I should find someone else who can do as he is told.”
Rufus was a trained soldier, so he held his anger in check. Lord Martin was still his superior, and it wouldn’t go over well with anyone if he took his sword and killed the man. His patience did have a limit. It just wasn’t met, yet.
“I certainly wouldn’t want to waste your time,” Rufus said calmly. “Or mine. We did see something odd.”
“Go on.”
“Once they got too far ahead, we hid high up the mountains in some really thick bushes. We thought we’d wait for some time to see if anyone or anything came by. Nothing could have seen us, but we could see out. All of a sudden, I see this woman come running below where we were hiding. She was running so fast, I could hardly see her. Then one of those Elves came running after, and even he couldn’t catch her. If I didn�
��t know any better, I’d say that this woman was an Elf too, but she didn’t look like one.”
“If she was running so fast that you could hardly see her, how could you know she wasn’t an Elf?”
“After they came running past, we left our hiding spot and started following them as best we could. The Elf did catch the woman, not too far from where we were hiding. That’s when we saw him, too.”
“Who?”
“That boy, Conner.”
“You saw Conner and his Elven friend out in the mountains?”
“Yes,” Rufus said. “Glaerion.”
“Glaerion? Who’s Glaerion?”
“The Elf!” Rufus said between clenched teeth. “The Elf was Glaerion. He and Conner are always together!”
“Whatever his name is, I don’t care. Go on.”
Rufus glared at Lord Martin for a moment before continuing. “Conner chased after them, and we chased after Conner. When Conner finally caught up with the Glaerion and the woman, we could clearly see that the woman wasn’t an Elf.”
“You got close enough?”
“The other two were paying attention to the woman and not to us.”
“Well, this is nothing new, for I saw them all come into the castle as well. Conner, the Elf, and a young woman. Presumably, the same woman that you saw.”
Rufus shrugged. “Could be. Did she shimmer for you, too?”
“Did she what?”
“Right after she was caught, she must have been out of breath because she was on the ground gasping for air when she shimmered. I thought it was my eyes, but all my men saw the same thing. It was like she became fuzzy for a second.”