The Castle

by Nikki Moyes

  “She’s not a player.” She nods her head and another woman wraps a blanket around my shoulders muttering soothing words. She leads me inside the fortified castle.

  “What is your name, child?” she asks gently.

  “Tarish, but everyone calls me Risha,” I say glancing around me as I take in every detail of the inside of the castle.

  Various children stare at me before someone ushers them away. The castle occupants that aren’t built like warriors tend to animals, carry supplies for the people up on the wall, or go about the general running of the community within the castle boundaries.

  “Why are there so many women and children here?”

  “Lord Waldn offers us sanctuary,” the woman says.

  “From men like Kllrarn?” I ask.

  “Yes, my dear, protection from Warlords, abusive husbands, forced marriages and such.”

  “But if they stay here, what happens to their bodies in the real world?” I ask.

  “They die, I suppose. It’s not like there is anyone in them anymore to keep them functioning. A physical body isn’t needed when you are here,” she replies.

  She leads me past sleeping quarters and then ushers me into an open bathing room. A young girl hurries away to fetch a clean outfit while I strip behind a screen and lower myself into the warm water of a bathtub. The woman picks up a bag beside a chair in the corner of the room and starts repairing a shirt.

  “Why was that woman dressed like the warriors?” I ask as I quickly wash the mud from my limbs and hair.

  “Lydia is one of our best fighters,” the woman says.

  I pause to stare at her. “Father believes females can never achieve the greatness of a male.”

  I wait for her answer with my pulse pounding in my wrists. My father has his company; my twin brother is destined to become the Keeper of the Dragon Temple. Am I destined to merely be a female related to them? Father’s disappointment over my gender twists my insides and confuses the logical part of my brain.

  “What a cart load of horse manure!” the woman exclaims. “We all have our strengths and weaknesses. They have more to do with our upbringing than genitalia.”

  If Father is wrong, are there other things he could be wrong about? If I can correct his flaws, I can be a better version of us instead of merely a continuation of his knowledge. I could take control of his genetic experiment and make it my own.

  I refasten my cleaned butterfly into my freshly washed hair. I pull on the offered leggings and slip the green shift dress over my head. A boom sounds as Kllrarn’s army begins their assault on Castle One. My body tenses.

  “Are we safe here?” My voice wobbles slightly. The woman laughs.

  “This city is impenetrable. Come, I’ll take you to see Lord Waldn.”

  “The creator of this world?”

  “Yes, he likes to meet all new arrivals to our castle.”

  She takes my arm, pulling me along behind her as we climb the spiral stair to the central tower. I catch glimpses of Kllrarn’s army and Castle One’s defenders as we pass narrow windows. The woman taps on the door at the top, bowing as she tugs me in behind her.

  “M’Lord Waldn, this is Risha,” the woman introduces me.

  I stare at the man before me. He has chosen to remain in his prime, perhaps around thirty years of age. He stands straight and tall, with a surprising kindness on his face for the most powerful Warlord to have ever lived.

  “Don’t stare, girl.” The woman gently slaps my arm.

  “I’ve never met anyone who died and still exists,” I say. Warlord Waldn laughs.

  “Only my body died. When I downloaded my consciousness into my program, I continued to live,” he explains. “You can leave us be, Anna-Lee.”

  “As you wish, M’Lord.”

  The woman backs out, closing the door behind her. I’m left alone with the man who created this virtual world. The science is fascinating, and I bite my tongue to prevent myself asking technical questions a twelve year old would fail to understand.

  “Who’s the woman?” I point to the painting of a smiling woman dressed in black pants and shirt similar to what Lydia wore. The belt around her waist contains a variety of knives and a faint scar marks the brown skin of her left arm.

  “My wife, Nadia,” Waldn says with a hint of sadness in his voice. “She died before I finished this world and so she is lost to me forever. She was the best warrior I have ever known.”

  “Father says that girls can never be as strong as males,” I say.

  My brother and I were born knowing everything Father does and one of those is that females are inherently weaker, less intelligent. I’ve existed for twelve years with this conflict in my head like an unbalanced equation.

  “Nadia was the strongest and smartest person I have ever known. Never let a man make you believe that you can’t achieve your goals,” Waldn assures me.

  “I could never take on someone like Kllrarn,” I say. Waldn’s words confirm Anna-Lee’s belief, but the mind can be stubborn when it comes to rejecting previous beliefs.

  Waldn looks me up and down for a moment and then waves me over to the window. I move over to his side and follow the direction his finger points.

  “What is Kllrarn’s strength?” Waldn asks.

  I look out over the castle and the army below. An archer hits one of Kllrarn’s men and the wounded man disappears from the game. The archer takes his time reloading. The muscles in Kllrarn’s bulky body ripple as he bellows at his men.

  “He is strong,” I reply.

  “What is his weakness?”

  I look again, but all I can think about is Father cowering before the Warlord. I shrug my shoulders.

  “The man is slow and lacks flexibility. He also lacks intelligence. A warrior who is fast and flexible could strike at him first. Their speed would allow them to avoid many of his hits. Always exploit the weakness of your enemy in a battle,” Waldn says.

  I consider his words for a moment. “Can the castle be taken?”

  “The castle learns from each attack and modifies itself accordingly; it cannot be invaded.”

  “They have explosives. Kllrarn has already destroyed Castle Two,” I say.

  Waldn’s face tightens briefly. “I have been made aware of his actions, and Castle One has modified its protective shields in response. His weapons will not be effective this time.”

  I frown slightly. I’m not familiar with the capacities of the game’s program, but I’m familiar with the specifications of the weapons Kllrarn’s men carry.

  “Why doesn’t he focus on capturing the flag instead of trying to bring down the walls?” I glance at Waldn’s flag flying proudly from a turret visible from our window, a bird with outstretched wings over the top of the elaborate swirling Warlord Circle, as my mind ponders designs for a flying drone to reach the flag undetected.

  “It’s probably never occurred to him, not that it would do him any good,” Waldn says.

  “Why?”

  “That one’s a decoy.” Waldn smirks, crinkles forming at the corners of his eyes.

  “Oh,” I say. I return to looking out the window at the assault below. After some time, I speak again. “Why did you put a sparrow on your flag?” I ask innocently.

  “It’s an eagle.” Waldn leans forward to look at his flag, fingers drumming agitatedly on the window sill.

  “Why does it have a worm in his claws then?”

  “It’s a snake,” Waldn growls.

  “Doesn’t look like it from here.” I lean against the window as if getting closer will reveal an eagle with a snake instead of a sparrow and worm. My fingers leave sweat marks where they rest on the sill.

  I flinch when the next explosion spreads across the castle wall. A slight vibration runs through the building but no damage appears to be done. I step away from the window, not wanting to see Kllrarn’s army any more.

  “The real flag comes out when someone new
arrives so they can swear fealty to Castle One and the protection of its people…” His voice trails off as I wander the room tracing my fingers over furniture and objects. “Why are you here?”

  I hesitate at the question and glance quickly at the window before resuming my study of the room.

  “I didn’t mean to come here,” I say. “I was hiding from Kllrarn.”

  “I doubt a man like that would notice a small girl like you,” Waldn tries to reassure me. I shake my head.

  “Father signed an agreement with Kllrarn…” I swallow and focus on taking deep breaths. “He promised me to Kllrarn as soon as I reach sixteen standard rotations.”

  A frown of confusion spreads across Waldn’s face. “Why?”

  “Kllrarn wants to control Father’s company. Suri Technology is the largest technology producer in the galaxy,” I reply.

  “You’d be safe from Kllrarn if you wish to remain in my castle.”

  Waldn moves over to a bare section of wall behind us. He pulls a key from a chain around his neck, makes several movements and a secret compartment slides open. He slides the key into the lock and pulls out a neatly folded flag.

  He walks over to me with Castle One’s flag in his hands. My fingers itch to touch it, but I snatch my hand back.

  “Go on. Open it up.”

  Waldn offers me the flag. I stare at him wide eyed before reaching out to take it from him. The white fabric is soft beneath my fingers. I carefully open it out, resting it on a nearby table to keep it from the ground and study the circular design representing Waldn and the rank of Class One Warlord. An eagle with a snake in its beak flies across the design.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whisper. “Aren’t you worried someone might try to sneak in and take it?”

  Waldn laughs. “No. It takes a certain type of person to become a Warlord. They’re easy to spot. My guards would never let them in.”

  “How do you pick them?”

  “Well, the majority are male. They can’t compete to capture a castle unless they hold a university degree, so it’s rare to see anyone younger than twenty-five. They carry weapons and most walk with an exaggerated arrogance.” He winks at me.

  “You don’t think Kllrarn can capture your castle?”

  Waldn laughs again. “He uses aggression to get what he wants. By the time a contender has conquered the other nine levels, Castle One has already adapted itself to protect from their fighting style. The harder he fights, the stronger my castle becomes.”

  “But they don’t have to conquer the castles in order, do they?” I hug the soft fabric of the flag to my body.

  “Well, no, but if they fail a level, there is a time penalty before they can make the next attempt. Most Warlords prefer to take each level in order rather than risking failure on a higher level.” Waldn turns his back to me, glancing out the window once more.

  I run a hand through my hair, my fingers catching on my butterfly clip, pulling it from my bun. In one swift move, I squeeze the butterfly’s wings together and a blade flicks out. I kick my right foot out catching Waldn in the back of the knee. He falls to his knees on the floor as my blade presses to his throat.

  “I capture your Castle,” I whisper in his ear, his flag clutched to my chest. The world around us flickers slightly like it did when I was at the gate and the castle updated its defences.

  “Why? I offered you protection,” he says.

  “If I stay here, who’s going to stop Kllrarn hurting people in the real world?” I ask. “I won’t let him take Suri Technology from me.”

  “How old are you?” Waldn remains still against my knife.

  “Twelve,” I reply.

  “How did you get around the qualification requirements?”

  I grin. “I was born with Father’s memories. He has many degrees so the process is familiar to me. I have Master’s in Weapons Technology and History of Weaponry.”

  I watch Class One Warlord Waldn’s face in the window’s reflection as it changes from confusion to something else entirely. He laughs and pushes my blade away from his neck. Then he stands and bows to me.

  “Congratulations Class One Warlord,” he splutters between fits of laughter. “What is your full name?”

  “Tarish Suri,” I say.

  “Then let it be known that Warlord Tarsh now controls Castle One. May you bring about Kllrarn’s destruction.”

  About the Author

  Nikki Moyes was born in Victoria and had moved around Australia amassing an eclectic range of occupations including tall- ship watch leader, apiarist, rose farm hand, and sandwich artist. In her spare time she learns tissu, static trapeze, and aerial hoop (she couldn’t decide on one) in case she needs to run off and join the circus.

  You can find her here:

  www.facebook.com/moyes.nikki/

  twitter: @NikkiNovelist

  www.goodreads.com/author/show/15606198.Nikki_Moyes

  If you enjoyed Risha’s story, please leave a review. Her story will continue in THE DESTROYER.

  Other books by Nikki Moyes

  Young Adult Fiction:

  If I Wake

  Will is sixteen year old Lucy’s best friend. Their lives intersect in dreams, where destiny pulls them together through different times in history. Even though their meetings are more real to Lucy than the present, Lucy is uncertain if Will exists outside her mind. Lucy’s mum thinks there is something wrong when Lucy sleeps for days at a time. She is so caught up with finding a cure she doesn’t see the real problem. Lucy is bullied at school and is thinking of ending her life. When the bullying goes too far and Lucy ends up in a coma, only Will can reach her. But how do you live when the only person who can save you doesn’t exist?

  Non-fiction:

  Kokoda Trek: 75th anniversary

  Known as one of the world’s most spectacular and challenging treks, the Kokoda Track in Papua New Guinea, offers the experience of a lifetime.

  On the 75th anniversary of the campaign between Australian and Japanese troops, author Nikki Moyes trekked the 96km of track where her grandfather acted as a translator.

  Known for its steep, rugged, and muddy mountain terrain, the track also offers stunning scenery, magnificent jungle plant life, and friendly locals. This is what it is like to hike the Kokoda Track.

  Includes photos and translated Japanese WWII documents.