Journey of a Betrayed Hero- Volume 2

by Brandon Varnell

  “Yes, we will.” Jacob held up two fingers. “On two conditions.”

  Kindness bit her lip. “I… cannot promise anything, but name those conditions, and I’ll do everything in my power to see them met.”

  As Jacob stated the terms for their help, Kindness’s eyes widened. He didn’t know if she would be able to help. He didn’t know if Queen Alice would even agree to these conditions. However, in this moment, Jacob took a chance.

  It was likely the only one he would ever get.

  INTERLUDE IV

  RED TIDINGS

  Alice stared out the window of Avant Heim. The war had taken its toll on both her and her kingdom. The once pristine buildings now lay in ruins; there were many gutted out buildings that barely stood and some that were demolished entirely. Large boulders lay scattered, remnants of the catapults that had destroyed the buildings. The walls surrounding Alyssium were, thankfully, still intact, but it would only be a matter of time before even that was breached.

  Her soldiers were exhausted and disheartened, her people were frightened, and the White Council, the most powerful magicians at her disposal, had been reduced to a single person—and Kindness had disappeared about three weeks ago. What’s more, they were short on supplies, their hospitals were filled with injured, and they didn’t have enough medicine to go around.

  It would take a miracle to win.

  Listy stood behind her. Silent. Strong. Without her support, Alice might have given up hope. Weighed down by everything that had happened, hurt because of the things she’d done for the good of her kingdom, and angry at herself because one of the only people who could’ve helped her was now gone, Alice no longer had the strength to do anything on her own.

  At the time, imprisoning Jacob had seemed like the right thing to do. He’d been aiding and abetting a criminal, and even if he hadn’t, his battle had destroyed a good portion of Tallus Caelum. As queen, she could not show mercy to anyone who committed a crime, not even to him. Those had been her thoughts at the time.

  She’d never regretted those thoughts more than she did now.

  “Do you think I did the right thing?” she asked.

  Listy shifted. “I think… you did the only thing you could at the time.”

  “Yes, and look at where that has gotten us.” She placed her gloved hand on the window. “My people are terrified, my soldiers are dying, and the White Council is no more. Even with Freya returning, we are hopelessly outmatched.”

  Freya, the greatest warrior of her kingdom, a former companion of Jacob during his quest to slay Alucard, had returned last week to assist her in this time of need. Alice did not know where the woman had disappeared to. Still, she’d come back, and Alice was grateful for her presence. Her skills in combat, her ability to single-handedly destroy an entire battalion of Dark Clansmen, had given her knights hope.

  It still wasn’t enough.

  One person could not hope to turn the tide of battle, save maybe Jacob. As the slayer of the Dark Lord, he wielded incredible power, not just physically, but morally, for both enemy and ally alike. His presence would have bolstered her soldiers and frightened her enemies.

  Even if he was but a single man, sometimes, the presence of a legendary figure was all anyone needed to feel emboldened.

  To her words, Listy could say nothing. She might not have gotten along with Jacob because of how Alice had always been sneaking off with him when they were younger, but she couldn’t deny the truth in Alice’s words.

  The doors opening with a low groan made Alice turn. Bayard rushed into the room, his harried face covered in sweat and his tired eyes containing bags underneath them.

  “Your majesty,” he said breathlessly. “The dark army has begun its siege again.”

  The dark army, led by a woman named Lust, had stationed their base several leagues away. Since their last battle two nights ago, there’d not been a peep from them. Alice had dared to hope that the army would retreat. It was a vain hope, she knew, but the disappointment that it had not happened remained like the bitter aftertaste of bad wine.

  “Prepare my armor,” Alice said with the strong and indomitable voice of a queen, commanding and stern.

  “At once, your majesty,” Listy said with a low bow.

  Alice marched to the armory, Listy and Bayard trailing after her. In this place, hundreds of weapons and armor suits sat, unused and gathering dust. They were the armor and weapons of previous rulers. Golden suits that normally gleamed were dull, weapons sat unused in racks, and chests remained unopened and worn. Among these many weapons and armored suits, three objects were pristine.

  “If it isn’t Alice,” Durandal said in a mocking voice. “It’s been two days since I last saw you. Are you here to try and wield me again?”

  “Not this time,” Alice said dryly. “I’ve learned my lesson.”

  The last time she had tried to wield Durandal, the sword had shocked her hand so badly it got burned. Then it had mocked her after the fact. Listy had actually tried to throw it out, but the sword had shocked her as well. No one was able to touch it. It was a wonder they had even managed to store it in here.

  “A good idea. I’m glad to see you’re so quick on the uptake,” Durandal said, its metallic voice mocking.

  Alice ignored the sword as Listy helped put her armor on. The chest plate that she wore was silver with gold edgings, though the metal was dented from the previous battle. They’d not had time to repair it. Shoulder pauldrons went on next, followed by knee high boots with metal shinguards and scratched vambraces that had once been cast in gold. The final touch was a sword. It was attached to her waist.

  “Hey, hey,” Durandal continued to talk as her armor was being put on. “I’ve got a good joke for you: What is the similarity between a woman and a laxative? They both irritate the crap out of you!”

  Durandal went ignored. This was not the first, second, or even fourteenth time that the sword had spewed vulgar and insulting jokes. Supposedly, its maker had loved dirty jokes. Alice just thought the sword was a creep.

  Tightening her vambraces, Alice and Listy exited the weapons vault, leaving behind Durandal, who continued spewing insulting jokes.

  Bayard was waiting for them outside. “Your Majesty, are you ready?”

  “Yes,” Alice said, turning to Listy. “Please tell the medics and healers to return to their stations. Remember, you’ll be in charge should I perish.”

  “Please don’t say things like that,” Listy said.

  Alice could only offer a smile.

  With Bayard at her side, she exited the castle and took a carriage to the main gate. Freya stood before an array of troops. Caslain was beside her. Unlike the nervous young paladin, the warrior famous for her skills with a spear wore a broad and somewhat frightening grin, as though she welcomed the opportunity to slay more enemies.

  “Alice, it’s a good day for battle,” she said.

  “You think every day is a good day for battle,” Alice replied, rolling her eyes.

  “Aye, but I have a feeling that today will be an especially good day,” Freya said with a twinkle in her eyes.

  Alice rolled her eyes again, but the words did her a wonder of good. The situation was dire. They were outnumbered, outmatched, and on the brink of defeat. Yet even so, Freya could smile and joke like it was just another day. Her courage and fearlessness gave Alice strength.

  At the top of the gate, where several hundred bowmen stood at the ready, Alice looked over the field, at the army that stood several kilometers away.

  The dark army consisted of more than just Dark Clansmen. Trolls and ogres stood within their ranks. Goblins had taken the front, acting as fodder for her bowmen’s arrows. Further behind that was an elephanté, a massive creature that was covered in armor designed for breaking down giant doors—a living battering ram.

  That’s new…

  Searching her out, Alice found the woman who was leading this army. She sat in the center, body languidly resting on a throne. Cha
stity was with the woman. Through her telescope, she could see the drool leaking from his mouth and the insane gleam in his eyes. Whatever remained of the once ambitious man was gone. He’d become nothing but a puppet.

  There was a moment’s pause. The entire world seemed to hold its breath. Then the army before her, a massive horde of monsters and Dark Clansmen, charged forward with vicious cries and raging bellows.

  Alice gave a grim smile.

  This would likely be her last battle.

  CHAPTER 6

  LUST FOR ENTERTAINMENT

  Since they were stressed for time, Jacob bought several horses off the money he and Enyo had earned from their last quest. If all went according to plan, he wouldn’t need it anyway.

  Alyssium was ten days by foot and three by horse. They first had to travel through the forests of the Njord Peninsula, after which they would reach Kaolin, a city about half the size of Alyssium.

  A sense of disparity hung over the city. People looked over their shoulders, mothers gripped their children’s hands, and several shops and homes were boarded up. The fear emitting from the people was an almost palpable thing, a physical sensation that made his skin crawl.

  “It’s because of the war,” Kindness had explained. “Everyone here knows that Alyssium is under attack. They know that if Alyssium falls, there will be no hope for them. The Dark Clan will wash over this community like a tidal wave. Everyone here will get swept up, either becoming slaves to their new masters or being killed off for amusement.”

  “Not all of us are like that, you know,” Fellis said.

  “Yes, you are correct.” Kindness amended with a nod. “However, the ones that are under Lust’s command are exactly as I described.”

  Fellis was forced to concede the woman’s point with a nod.

  They didn’t stay in Kaolin for long, barely a single night, as they woke up before the sun had risen and journeyed off again. While it was important to rest, they needed to reach Alyssium quickly. According to Kindness, Alice and her knights had been in bad shape when she left. There was no telling how bad things were now.

  Jacob may not have liked what Alice had done to him, but the last thing he wanted was for her and the kingdom to fall.

  The area around Kaolin consisted of rolling hills and grassy plains. There were a few errant monsters, but nothing that could slow them down. After several hours of travel, they reached the forests surrounding Alyssium. Sadly, their horses didn’t like the forest, wouldn’t even go in no matter how much they tried to push them onward, and so they had to go around.

  What they found upon taking the scenic route was a war-torn land and a city under siege. The roadside was trampled with footprints. They ranged from human-shaped prints to massive animal paws. The group traveled further, eventually reaching Alyssium.

  They were already late to the party. Ladders with hooks were latched onto the walls. The massive door that kept people from going in and out at night was gone, only a broken frame and the busted remains there to show what it had once been. Beyond the wall, Jacob could see the one responsible, a giant elephanté that was rampaging through the city.

  The city was engulfed in flames.

  “Oh, no!” Kindness stared in horror.

  “It’s not over yet,” Jacob said with a grim frown. “I can see people still fighting.”

  Enyo, sitting behind Jacob since she didn’t know how to ride, shifted in order to reach for her daggers. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get in there and help!”

  No one argued. As one, they whipped on their reigns and sent their steeds into battle. They were only riding two horses, so Enyo rode on the back of his while Kindness rode on Fellis’s.

  Most of the enemy army was already inside of the city. The few that remained were stragglers and easily dealt with by Kindness’s magic. The woman chanted as she held onto Fellis. Several spears appeared in the air, and those spears shot forward and impaled numerous enemies, who went down with squeals of pain or death gurgles.

  They rushed past the gates. Enyo buried her face into his neck, though he couldn’t blame her. Everywhere he looked, corpses lined the streets. Most of the dead were monsters, goblins and trolls, but there were also a few Dark Clansmen and humans. They lay with their bodies broken, their limbs twisted. Blood leaked from wounds. Pools of red spread from underneath them, while sightless eyes stared at the sky

  Some of the humans were civilians.

  The fighting had moved deeper into the city, and since it would no longer be safe to ride horseback, they dismounted and sent their steeds away with a swat to the rear.

  Pulling out his sword, Jacob lamented once again that he did not have Durandal with him. That sword was rude, lewd, and loud, but it was the only blade that could withstand his full power. It had been specifically made for channeling chi through it.

  He sighed before straightening himself out. “We’re traveling to the palace! However, we can’t leave these people to fend for themselves. Let’s split up into two groups to cover more ground. Fellis and Enyo, you two are going together. Kindness, you’re with me.”

  Everyone agreed. They broke off and went in separate directions. Jacob and Kindness took the left. A scream rang out somewhere up ahead. They took an alley, ran through it, and came out the other side to find two goblins attacking a young woman trying to protect her child.

  “Acer. Acutus. Acidus.”

  A spear formed in the air and flew forward. Blood splashed against the pavement as it went through the goblin on the left. In that time, Jacob had already sent a crescent attack that cut the other goblin in half.

  He went up to the mother. “Get inside of one of these buildings. Hide under a bed or in a closet and don’t come out until the guards come to get you!”

  Her eyes wide, the woman nodded several times, and pulled her crying son along behind her.

  Jacob only stuck around long enough to make sure the woman really did head inside of a building. Then he and Kindness ran off in search of the next person to help.

  “Question,” Kindness said as they ran.

  “Yes?”

  “Why did you have me come with you and not Enyo?”

  Jacob leapt over a fallen corpse. Up ahead, a troll appeared in their path, large and lumbering. He didn’t bother waiting for it to notice them and sliced it in half with a crescent blade. A crack suddenly appeared on his blade.

  This isn’t going to last much longer…

  “Because Enyo is stronger than you,” Jacob said bluntly. “You’re also more suited toward long range combat. Meanwhile, Fellis doesn’t have a strong combat magic and can only act as support. If I had gone with Enyo, then our parties would have been uneven.”

  “I see…”

  Jacob didn’t know what she was thinking, but he honestly didn’t care. A group of Dark Clansmen were up ahead. They were killing several people, innocent civilians, and he would be damned if he let them continue.

  Energy raced through his body. His muscles became stronger, sturdier, faster. He shot forward, the ground indenting underneath him. Appearing before the Dark Clansmen, Jacob sliced through the first enemy before they even realized he was among them. The scent of blood stung his nostrils, but he ignored it, attacking the next enemy instead. His blade cleaved them from left hip to right shoulder.

  It wasn’t until the second one fell by his hands that they realized they were in trouble, but it was already too late. Kindness had chanted a spell. Six spears appeared in the air, and all of them shot forward, piercing flesh with ease. Not all of them were killing hits, but Jacob dispatched those that hadn’t died.

  He turned to the four civilians who were left alive. “Get inside! Find a place to hide! Don’t come out until the guards come!”

  Not waiting to see if they would follow his orders, he leapt onto the roof. From there, he could see more of the fighting. It looked like much of the fighting in this district was done. All of the monster forces had congregated at the castle. Even as he watche
d, the doors to the castle were shattered and the monsters spilled in.

  “Damn it!” Looking down, Jacob shouted to Kindness. “Avant Heim has been breached! I’m going up ahead!”

  “You’re leaving me?!” Kindness shouted in shock.

  He grimaced. He couldn’t very well leave her. Powerful magician or not, she had no talent for close range combat. If she faced too many enemies, then she would fall.

  Leaping down, he gave the woman no time to protest as he scooped her into his arms and leapt back onto the roof.

  “What do you think you’re doing?!”

  “Sorry, but we’re in rush! Hang on tight!”

  “Hang on? What are you talking abooOOOUUUUTTTT!!!!”

  Air slammed into Jacob’s face as he leapt across the roof, his speed increasing by sending energy through his muscles. His eyes watered as the world around him blurred. He could actually feel his lips flapping as he moved, and screaming in his ear, Kindness drowned out everything. Despite this, he didn’t stop running until they’d reached Avant Heim.

  When they got there, the front gate was in shambles. Beyond that, the courtyard was covered in corpses.

  “Jacob!” Enyo shouted as she rushed up from the park. Her daggers were out and covered in blood. Behind her, Fellis was favoring her left leg.

  “Let’s get in there quickly! We need to make sure Alice and the others are okay!” Jacob said.

  Rushing up the stairs, Jacob ran past several corpses and into the hallway. The sound of blades clashing echoed all around them. Oil and steel tinged with blood invaded their noses.

  “We should split up again,” Fellis suggested.

  “Agreed,” Kindness said. “We need to find Queen Alice.”

  “Let’s all separate,” Enyo said. “We’ll be able to cover ground more quickly, and if one of us finds Alice, we can alert the others by causing a lot of noise… or something.”

  Everyone stared at her, eventually forcing Enyo to look away.

  “It was just a suggestion,” she muttered.