by Travis Pond
“I think that’s a great idea,” said Seth. “Maybe we can intercept them earlier and give us more time to prepare for what’s coming.” Seth walked up to Eammon and placed a hand on his shoulder, “Be careful.”
Eammon turned to prepare his horse to leave. Tureis approached Eammon with his hand out, holding the gold coin. “Take this,” he said. “We don’t know who has another one. But if there’s more than just the two, someone may try to contact Braon and you can intercept the information.”
Eammon took the coin and looked at both sides. “How does this thing work exactly?” he asked with a chuckle. Tureis explained where the messages appear and how to write on the coin to send a message, should the need arise.
They all came together one last time and shared a hug. Over the short journey, they had grown close and become the best of friends. Having Eammon leave their group and go out on his own, in hopes of finding King Hamish and his army, in order to help King Seathan gain an advantage in the battle, caused them worry and concern for their friend. They all wished each other well and hoped they could be reunited soon. As Eammon made his final preparations to leave, the three of them mounted their horses and left for the castle.
Their journey to the castle was short. Because of Seth’s anxiety over the impending battle, he would not slow down, and insisted on pushing his horse as fast as possible the entire way. When they arrived at the castle they were immediately escorted to the King’s private chambers. The doors opened and King Seathan was standing in the corner of the room in front of a large window overlooking the drawbridge and shops on the other side of the river. Seth ran straight to his father. “Welcome home, Seth,” said King Seathan, and he gave Seth a long embrace.
Emmett and Elis both arrived a short time later and together they all sat around a large table in the middle of the room. King Seathan removed his sword and placed it on the table in front of him. Tureis looked at the sword in awe; even from this distance he could feel the power and energy it contained.
Tureis had never seen this sword up close before, as King Seathan always wore it whenever he was in public. Whenever Tureis had seen the sword it was covered by the robes the King wore. Now that it lay on the table right in front of him, Tureis couldn’t stop staring at it. The silver metal scabbard was inlaid with gold in beautiful designs, with rubies and other precious stones adorned down it’s length. Tureis truly was in awe, not just of the beauty of the sword but the energy it contained. The Matya in this sword was stronger than anything he’d ever felt. Tureis let his Matya reach out to the energy of the sword and he could sense the Matya it contained.
Tureis finally broke his fascination with the sword and focused on the conversation. Seth had been explaining in great detail the information they had gathered along their journey and in Zummot.
When Seth finished his recounting of their journey, King Seathan sat back with his elbows resting on his sides, his hands folded flat in a prayer like position with his fingertips resting under his chin, pondering all the information he’d just learned. “The information you’ve passed on to us has been very valuable,” said King Seathan. “We’ve had our soldiers and the Guard preparing for battle since you sent the information.”
Tureis interrupted and changed the subject, “Your Highness, may I ask a question?” The King nodded. “Why does King Hamish want to kill you so badly?”
The King inhaled sharply and looked around the room. He looked at Elis, who nodded his approval to continue with the answer. King Seathan looked directly at Tureis and placed a hand on his sword as he answered. “As you have learned he wants this sword. This sword is not just an ordinary sword. It contains a great deal of Matya and is very powerful,” said King Seathan.
“Is it true that the sword can only have one master at a time?” asked Tureis.
King Seathan nodded, “That is right. The sword has created a bond with my Matya and only I can wield it. If anyone else tries to wield this sword it would likely kill them.”
“So if King Hamish wants the sword he must kill you to break the bond?” asked Tureis.
“Correct,” said King Seathan. “If I were to die and the bond is broken, the sword would seek out a new master. Normally, the Oracle reclaims the sword and assigns it to the new King. But if someone were to pick up the sword before the Oracle could reclaim it, the sword will bond to that person.” The King paused for a moment before he continued, “The power of the sword would not be as strong for that person as it would be for the rightful possessor. However, the swords power would still be very impressive.”
“Why does King Hamish want the sword?” asked Ailish.
“This sword maintains balance in the realm,” said King Seathan. “Whoever wields the sword has the power to conquer virtually any kingdom he desires.”
“As long as the sword is held by King Seathan, Zummot knows they don’t have the power to conquer other kingdoms,” Elis added. “Thaven could intervene and stop them at every attempt.”
“So if King Hamish were to get this sword…,” Tureis trailed off as he thought about those implications.
“Then King Hamish would have the power to conquer any kingdom in the realm and no one would be able to stop him,” finished Elis. Tureis nodded his understanding. The room became quiet as everyone sat back from the table, truly recognizing the importance of keeping the sword out of the hands of King Hamish.
Just then the door burst open and two members of the King’s Guard ran into the room followed by Eammon. They stopped and gave a short bow then turned to Eammon. “Sorry to burst in Your Highness,” Eammon said out of breath.
“What is it Eammon?” King Seathan asked as he stood and took his sword from the table.
“I made it to the border and passed into Zummot,” said Eammon. “King Hamish is leading five hundred soldiers and is on his way here. He’s moving faster and is closer than we originally thought. By now he’s likely crossed the border, riding along the Adamantine Wall, and is less than a half days ride to Darish.”
Along the eastern border of the Kingdom of Thaven, was a large open valley, which continued east for many miles into the kingdom of Zummot. Along the northern border of the valley were the Cossack Mountains. In this area of the mountains there were two hundred foot tall sheer cliffs of solid rock that extend for twenty miles. These cliffs formed what was called the Adamantine Wall.
Emmett stood. “Your Highness, I will dispatch one thousand men to intercept King Hamish. If he surrenders he will be allowed to leave peacefully, if not we will fight.”
The King nodded. Before Emmett left the room, he turned to Eammon. “I could really use another trustworthy person to help me as I coordinate the soldiers, would you assist me?”
“It would be an honor,” said Eammon with a bow.
Elis stood and bowed to the king, “I will go ensure the sacred texts and artifacts of the kingdom are secured in the underground vaults.” Elis turned and quickly departed.
Ailish looked at King Seathan, seeing obvious worry on his face, “Your Highness, what shall we do to help?”
The King looked up at Ailish and shook his head, clearing his thoughts. “If you three will go and ensure all the entrances to the castle are secure with guards stationed at each, that would be helpful.” The three of them stood, bowed to King Seathan and left the room.
They had just barely descended the stairs to the main level of the castle when they heard a shouting coming from the direction of the kitchen. Just then a short elderly woman with a very dirty apron ran into the main corridor waving her arms in the air and shouting, “He’s been attacked! Attacked! Attacked!” The woman was hysterical and just kept shouting , “Attacked,” over and over again while running up and down the corridor.
Tureis, Ailish and Seth ran over to where the woman was shouting and entered the doorway. Sitting on the ground, wincing in
pain, was an older man in servants attire. He held a red stained towel pressed to his shoulder. Ailish left and ran back to the woman, attempting to calm her. “Who did this? What happened?”
Between shouts and sobs the woman said, “It was one of the cooks. I don’t know which one, but it was the cook! He just ran past and stabbed him in the shoulder!”
That didn’t make any sense to Ailish. Why would a cook attack an older servant for no reason? “Who was he?” she asked.
“I… I… I don’t know who he was,” the woman said as she attempted to calm herself. “He’s only been working here about a month and he keeps to himself. You know… never really talks to anyone.”
As Ailish made her way back to where Tureis and Seth were helping the injured man, shouting erupted from the main gate. They left the man with others to care for him, and ran down the hall toward the shouting. They ran out of the main entrance and right into the middle of a fight. The guards at the main gate were being attacked by a group of commoners from the town. As they briefly watched the battle, Tureis could tell these commoners didn’t fight like normal town’s people. They fought as if they’d been trained, and they appeared to be holding their own well against the guards. Two of the guards were injured with the remaining three guards fighting nearly a dozen armed men.
Seth withdrew Faithkeeper and, without any hesitation, entered the fight, taking on three men at once. His sword was moving fast, anticipating the strikes from the men. As the fight continued one of the men got behind Seth and raised a dagger, preparing to stab Seth in the back. As the man was about to strike, he was hit with a perfectly placed crossbow bolt straight through the hand. The man dropped his sword, screaming in pain and fell to his knees.
Tureis entered the fight sword drawn, ready assist Seth with the attacking men. The attackers had now grown to nearly twenty, with with more men running towards the gate. “There’s more coming!” screamed Ailish. “There’s too many! We need to do something quick!”
Hearing this gave Tureis an idea. He replaced his sword into the scabbard and took several steps back. Reaching into his pocket, Tureis removed the Oracle Sphere and held it firmly in one hand. He then raised his other hand, took a deep breath and pushed. A giant burst of Matya in the form of light came from his hand. The light began to form into a wall spreading out the entire width of the drawbridge. Slowly the light wall moved toward the group of men, pushing them back across the drawbridge. The wall stopped at the edge of the drawbridge, leaving the men on the other side of the river, preventing them from crossing back to the castle.
Tureis kept his hand up holding the men back, “Raise the bridge! I don’t know how long I can hold this!” Three of the remaining guards ran to the winch that operated the bridge and began turning. As the drawbridge was raised Tureis lowered his hand and sat down out of breath, placing his head into his hands. “I need a minute to rest,” he said.
“No problem,” said Seth. “We’ll go check the other entrances. Ailish, let’s split up and meet back here when we’re done.” Ailish nodded and the two of them ran off in opposite directions.
Emmett gathered his men and prepared to leave. All the horses had been saddled and the weapons were distributed. They were all mounted and preparing to leave when the King entered. “Emmett,” said King Seathan. “I know you would like to lead these men into battle, but would you consider sending another to be in charge and staying here with Eammon to help defend the castle?”
Emmett dismounted his horse and bowed, “As you wish my King. Emron will lead the charge in my stead.”
Emron bowed to King Seathan, mounted his horse and led the men out of the stables. They traveled toward Darish, following the river to the east. Two hours east of Darish, they came to the valley at the base of the Adamantine Wall. In the far distance they could see King Hamish and his five hundred men advancing fast.
Emron led his men directly at King Hamish, hoping to intercept him as far from Thaven as possible. As Emron approached the soldiers, he slowed and brought his men to a stop. They fanned out to form a wall a thousand horses wide hoping to deter King Hamish from advancing.
King Hamish slowed and eventually stopped about a hundred yards from Emron and his soldiers. Slowly the men with King Hamish fanned out into a single file line five hundred wide. Then without any warning King Hamish raised his sword high into the air. The group of five hundred men advanced slowly, perfectly in sync, toward Emron and his one thousand soldiers.
Emron shouted down the lines, “Hold your line men!”
King Hamish continued to advance. When they were within fifty yards they stopped. From this distance Emron could see the hate on their faces as they drew their swords.
Emron squinted and shielded his eyes from the sun as he stared at King Hamish. “Something’s off,” he said to himself. “Wait a minute...that’s not the King.” Then he understood and he yelled down the lines. “It’s an imposter! It’s a trap! It’s a trap!”
Emron raised his sword and the sound of a thousand swords leaving their scabbards echoed through the valley. Emron stared at this fake King and waited for him to make the first move. If he departed in peace, Emron would let him go; if he wanted to fight, Emron would defend his ground.
Before either of them advanced the sound of a bugle came from the forest at one end of Emron’s line. Emron looked towards the forest shocked at what he saw. Exiting the forest at the edge of the valley were a thousand men under the flag of Zummot. The army raced to intercept the army of Thaven with swords drawn.
Emron shouted orders down the lines and gave the command to advance. The army split into two parts and began charging at both groups of soldiers. The cry of the soldiers was deafening as they met in open battle.
Standing back in the forest, under the cover of trees, was the real King Hamish. He watched his soldiers as they fought his enemy and smiled. After several minutes, he gathered the two hundred men surrounding him and quietly rode through the forest to Thaven and onto the castle.
Chapter 30
- Attack -
Ailish and Seth returned to Tureis several minutes later, after securing the entrances to the castle. Tureis was sitting up and had fully recovered from the events at the drawbridge.
“All the entrances secured?” Seth asked Ailish.
“Yes. And there are two to three guards stationed at each entrance,” said Ailish.
“Good,” said Seth. “How are you feeling, Tureis?”
Tureis smiled. “Much better,” he said as he stood and placed his sword back into its scabbard.
“Let’s go check on King Seathan,” said Ailish. Together they turned and went down the corridor towards the staircase leading to the Kings private chamber. As they approached the staircase, commotion could be heard coming from somewhere down the other side of the corridor. Seth took off running towards the sound. It appeared to be coming from the kitchen again.
As he approached the kitchen, several men burst out through the entrance, knocking Seth to the ground, and ran down the corridor towards the staircase. Tureis drew his sword and yelled, “Stop!” They ignored this command and continued running towards the stairs.
Ailish aimed her crossbow and fired several times. With each pull of the trigger a man fell, unable to continue the attack. Three men still advanced, unphased by the others falling around them, determination on their faces. Tureis raised both hands and pushed with all his might. A wave of Matya burst from his hands sending the three men flying backwards down the corridor and landing hard on the floor unconscious.
Seth had regained his feet after being literally run over and joined Ailish and Tureis as they slid the men together and bound their hands and legs. While Seth and Tureis finished securing the knots, Ailish again removed her crossbow, loaded the single bolt from her quiver and walked towards the men, making sure they didn’t want to
continue the fight. Upon seeing Ailish walking towards them with a loaded crossbow, the men held up their hands in surrender. Seth moved them all together and secured them to each other as well, preventing them from wandering off.
Ailish walked around all the men bound and sitting on the floor, wondering who they were. As she examined the faces of each man, she realized she had never seen any of them before.
“Seth?” Ailish asked. “Do you know any of these men?”
Seth walked around the men examining them. He looked at their faces and their clothes. Some of them wore the clothes of servants in the castle, others were dressed as commoners or shopkeepers. After looking over all the men sitting in the hall he shook his head. “I don’t recognize any of them.”
“Are you sure?” asked Ailish. “Several of these men are dressed as servants in the castle. Surely you should recognize them.”
Seth looked again at the men and again shook his head, “I wish I did, but none of them look familiar to me.”
“Do you recognize any of them, Tureis?” Tureis had been examining them as well and just shook his head.
“That’s strange,” said Ailish. “We have commoners fighting guards at the drawbridge, a cook attacking a servant, and now a group of men invading the castle dressed as common people from Thaven.”
Seth raised a finger as he finally understood, “This has to do with Braon.”
“What do you mean?” asked Ailish.
“Remember in the forest, he said he had people in place ready to attack when the sign was given,” continued Seth. “These men must be from Zummot. Braon placed them in Thaven as his secret army, ready to invade when the signal was given.”