The Hero of Legend

by Demethius Jackson

  Damian had fully expected to win the battle, but how quickly Maebus would concede the kingdom had always been an unknown factor. Damian gazed upon the battle painting, admiring its detail, such incredible work. This kingdom was worth fighting for. Had he been King, relinquishing the legacy of the Realm wouldn’t have been an option. He’d have sacrificed all, to the very last man. Perhaps that was what truly separated him from other conquerors—his lack of mercy and his propensity for extremes.

  Doubt suddenly nagged him, for something failed to make sense about how the victory had transpired. Damian was now fully aware of King Maebus’ unpredictability. Therefore, he had to be very careful not to underestimate Maebus’ ability, as so many had underestimated his own.

  Damian turned at the sound of footfalls behind him, the shod feet of a soldier.

  “My Lordship…” The Legionarie officer spoke before being granted leave to do so.

  Damian glared at him.

  Realizing his error in speaking first, the officer waited silently until he was acknowledged.

  “Go on,” Damian growled, his voice reverberated through the empty corridor.

  “My apologies for breaking your concentration, great leader. We are scouring the castle, but not much of its staff remains. Should we kill the individuals we’ve found, or throw them in the dungeon?”

  “Neither.” Damian replied. “Release them, and let the denizens of the Realm see to them accordingly.”

  “Yes, my Lordship.”

  “Also, send word to my eastern fortress. Have our own staff sent here immediately,” Damian ordered.

  The officer bowed before departing.

  A few stragglers were not worth expending the effort it would take to eliminate them. If the entire Realmsic Army couldn’t stop him, neither would a few unskilled workers. Besides, he had larger issues to deal with. Namely, locating the Realmsic Crystal. Its acquisition was critical, as his victory could not be complete without it.

  Damian’s temples throbbed as he ground his teeth together. It was a habit he’d recently formed. Never could he display weakness in front of his men. Therefore, he adopted habits such as teeth grinding, and crunching his toes within his boots, to relieve stress.

  Damian continued through the ground level of the castle’s main structure. When he reached the T-intersection located at the end of the main corridor, he found General Thane waiting. His Commander’s brow was stormy, his fist clenched on his sword hilt as though he, too, was secretly coping with stress.

  “Let me guess,” Damian began. “You’ve searched the entire castle and have yet to find the Realmsic Crystal?”

  Thane grumbled a reply while nodding his bear-like head.

  Damian smirked and stepped past the man-beast into the left side of the T-intersection. Thane followed.

  “Your frustration is understandable since its location has been a safely guarded secret for millennia,” Damian explained. “Actually, in all my years of research, after analyzing countless records regarding the Realm, not one single reference of the crystal’s whereabouts has been mentioned.”

  Together, they swept from the corridor and stomped up a steep staircase to the castle’s upper levels. Damian’s steps were sure.

  “You walk these halls like a resident of its walls,” Thane said, his voice tinged with surprise.

  “I’ve planned for the day I would be a resident.”

  Months before initializing his military campaign, Damian had studied architectural plans for the castle and had memorized its layout. Thane quickened his pace to keep up with his long strides.

  “Traditionally,” Damian continued, “the Realmsic King and Advisor are the only two people who know the crystal’s location, and none throughout history has ever disclosed this information.”

  “Yet somehow, you know,” Thane said, his words sounding like a question.

  Damian paused on the stairwell and smiled. “But of course.”

  Once up on the top-most level, Damian led Thane into a wide area that was once used to store inventory. Approaching a giant door at the far end of the open room, he pressed his full weight against the door’s massive metal handle, and entered a dimly lit alcove. Upon entering, Damian suddenly stopped. Thane halted also, straining his eyes to see through the darkness. Surrounding them were dusty suits of armor that stood as sentries around the vacant area.

  “These are the armors of dead soldiers,” Damian explained. “It is believed the souls of the fallen assume these suits of armor, if called upon.”

  Hearing this, the General’s eyes widened. A hearty laugh shook Damian’s thin frame as he observed Thane setting his hand on the hilt of his sword as if expecting an attack.

  “Come, now,” Damian said, sauntering to the left side of the room. He placed his outstretched hand upon the wall’s jagged stone surface.

  He spoke as he moved his hands along the wall. “All that the Realmsic Kingdom has become—its policies, its protocols, even the establishment of its military—was largely due to one person … King Gregor, the first Realmsic King.”

  “Wasn’t he a Layman?” Thane asked.

  “All Realmsic Kings and Queens are Laymen. They are advised by Grand Wizards, and guided by a council consisting of both Laymen and Magicals,” Damian explained. He focused closer upon the wall and slowly moved his hand from side to side. “The power-share was the first attempt to end fighting between the two communities. And years after the Conference of Amity that established the Realmsic Kingdom, King Gregor commissioned the construction of this castle. But most interestingly … he kept a journal! For centuries, that journal was kept guarded here in the castle. But not long ago, it was smuggled out for me by a staff member.”

  “Really?” Thane hadn’t meant to sound accusatory.

  “Everyone has a price,” Damian sneered. He instantly halted his hand as it began vibrating with a tingling sensation upon the wall. His narrow lips tightened into a smile. He felt the sensation increase and decrease as he continued moved his hands from left to right.

  “It was an obscure, two-thousand-year-old comment within the journal that made me realize the crystal’s secret location. Gregor didn’t even mention the gem specifically. He simply wrote about a fire within the upper inventory of the castle, which is where we currently are.”

  Damian pressed his fingers against the stones, trying to better perceive the tingling. “In his journal, Gregor described the cause of the fire as strange, and proclaimed that the room would never be used again. Therein lies the giveaway.”

  Thane stood, stroking his straggly beard in contemplation. “I … I don’t understand.”

  “Think about it,” Damian snapped. “Every part of this castle performs a function. Every room serves a purpose. To have an entire section that would never be used again is preposterous. And to have it remain vacant for centuries is a clear indication that it must, in fact, be used for something … perhaps something secret.”

  Damian’s hand nearly vibrated off the stones. He’d found what he’d been searching for.

  “What better place to hide the Realm’s most precious gift but in plain sight, in a place so obvious, no one would ever think to look?” he continued.

  “Now it makes sense to me,” Thane proclaimed.

  “Yes. However, we must take this current King Maebus into consideration.”

  “In what respect?” Thane huffed, crossing his arms.

  “What would you do if you were entering into an unavoidable confrontation that you were certain to lose?”

  Thane thought for a second. “I’d mitigate my losses.”

  “How?” Damian asked.

  Thane stood silently, seeming uncertain of how to answer.

  With both hands upon the wall, Damian whispered the common spell, stillness departs. He then slipped through the stones into a hidden enclosure.

  “Quickly, before the spell ends!” Damian shouted through the wall. A moment later, Thane also appeared within the enclosure, his eyes were wi
de with surprise.

  “Again,” Damian said, “how would you mitigate your losses?”

  Looking around the empty space, Thane sighed. “I’d mitigate my losses … by hiding the Realmsic Crystal.”

  Damian laughed, satisfied that he’d discovered the crystal’s former location. Walking around the enclosure, he could still feel trace remnants of the gem’s distinct energy.

  “Indeed, the crystal was once here.” He pulled in a deep breath. It felt vibrant.

  “General, I’m tasking you with your most important mission to date.”

  Upon hearing the word mission, Thane snapped to attention, shoulders squared, straightening to his full height. “Anything, my Lordship.”

  Damian stepped toward Thane until they were toe-to-toe. Gazing upward into the expectant gray eyes of his General, Damian stated his demand flatly.

  “Locate King Maebus and the Realmsic Advisor. Bring me back the Realmsic Crystal. You have my authority to use whatever means you deem necessary.”

  Thane nodded his grizzly head. “Your will be done,” he said.

  Thane stretched a stiff hand towards the ceiling and slashed down in a quick chopping motion. Damian acknowledged the standard Legionarie salute, which symbolized striking down anything blocking triumph.

  “Stillness Departs,” Damian spoke towards the wall, exposing the exit. Thane pivoted and left the enclosure.

  Chapter Twelve

  Several long hours after the battle, Maebus and Kelm emerged from the tunnel into the mountainous Northern Lands. Maebus quickly analyzed his surroundings, as Kelm sealed the passageway with a wave of his hand. It was becoming evening. A strong breeze scattered dirt across the ground, as the setting sun stretched long shadows from the nearby boulders.

  Maebus’ feet were sore from the long walk underground. They’d traveled at least thirty miles from Centre Pointe.

  Maebus stretched his arms wide and inhaled a deep breath of mountain air. Instantly, he coughed uncontrollably. Hunching over, hacking, he grabbed his knees for support.

  “Are you okay?” Kelm asked, rushing to his assistance.

  Maebus nodded as best he could, reaching for his water canteen. Kelm watched him take several quick sips and reseal the lid.

  “I’m fine now,” he said, reattaching the canteen to his belt. “I must have breathed quite a lot of dust within that tunnel. It’s not very well ventilated, or well lit.”

  Kelm didn’t respond.

  Maebus watched his friend’s gaze drift towards the surrounding landscape. Together, they surveyed the land. Mountains dominated the area, which spanned from the Northwest River. Their high distant peaks were capped with snow, yet draped with dense forestation towards the base. Its rocky, untamed terrain seemed unaccommodating perhaps even to the most skilled travelers. Not many people lived in this part of the Realm anymore, so evading capture would be easy. Finding reasonable shelter however, would prove much more difficult.

  Peering at the sky, Maebus said, “It’ll be night soon.” His heart felt heavy in his chest as he gazed toward the southern sky, which would overlook the Realmsic Castle.

  What have I done? He thought, forcing back his tears.

  Kelm inspected the passageway enclosure a final time. It was sealed solid. Not a trace of it remained nor could be detected. Maebus sensed something was wrong with Kelm. He’d been unusually quiet throughout their trip.

  “Kelm, are you okay?”

  The Wizard’s shoulders rounded with a deep sigh. “I’m fine,” was his only response.

  It was apparent to Maebus that Kelm didn’t want to discuss whatever he was really thinking. So he let the subject go, realizing he too was not up for an in-depth discussion just yet.

  Kelm massaged the back of his aching neck while analyzing the rocky path before them. “With no roads leading north, it’s not likely the Legion has made it this far up. We’ll still need to be careful. Travel in this part of the region is uncommon and those travelers we do encounter could be dangerous.”

  “Of course.” Maebus shook his head resignedly. What harm could anyone possibly inflict upon him when part of his soul had already died earlier that day on the battlefield? For what he had allowed to happen, he felt deserving of whatever came his way.

  “Did you hear me?” Kelm asked.

  “What?” Maebus replied. “Sorry, I did not.” He had been lost in thought.

  “I said we need to move to those rock ledges.” Kelm pointed to a distant mound of stones that rested at the base of an even larger mountain. “It appears to be only a couple of miles away. I’m thinking we should be able to set up camp and find food there.”

  Without another word, Kelm walked away. Maebus followed.

  • • • • •

  Kelm did not speak a word to Maebus as they traversed the narrow natural ravine of the land, which steadily inclined upwards in the direction of the rock ledges he’d pointed out earlier.

  Part of Kelm was still very much in shock regarding the battle against Damian.

  My home is gone…. My home is gone!

  He kept repeating the words in his mind, obsessively replaying every scene, every action of the day. His mind raced with future scenarios—none of which ended well for the kingdom. His eyes began to tear.

  Walking ahead of Maebus, he swallowed his own grief. All he could do was concentrate on the rocky path ahead of them. He refused to look back at Maebus, for he was the Realmsic Advisor. At such a critical time, not an ounce of weakness could be displayed. No matter what, they had to keep going, keep pushing, and see this situation to the end.

  To maintain his visage, perhaps even to maintain his own sanity, Kelm decided he would occupy his mind solely with their current tasks and keep himself present.

  After an hour’s walk, the ravine they followed ended at the bottom of the rock ledges. Towering high into the sky, the ledges were nothing more than a collection of boulders that had fallen from the mountain above it. Kelm studied the structure’s integrity. He reasoned that it looked stable enough to climb, and instructed Maebus to scale towards the middle ledge that lie several meters up. Kelm followed.

  His muscles trembled from the strain of reaching upward. Yet, despite the pain, he gripped a protruding rock and pulled himself up. Grunting, he reached for the next one, and the next. The climb took every bit of effort he possessed. His legs burned, and his arms felt like rubber. Kelm could barely drag himself over the top of the cliff. Crawling a few paces, he laid flat upon his back next to Maebus, who also wheezed from the exertion of the climb. Kelm only gave himself a moment to rest and catch his breath. The sky above them darkened as the sun began its descent beyond the horizon.

  “We need shelter!” Kelm exclaimed. With renewed energy, he sprang to his feet with a snap and moved towards the rock ledge. He felt Maebus’ eye upon him as he pressed his hands against the rocky structure of the mountainside, analyzing its integrity.

  “This wall is solid,” he affirmed. “I think I can make a small cavern for us without causing a rock slide.”

  “That would be ideal,” Maebus replied with a half-hearted chuckle.

  Kelm closed his eyes and focused his mind inward. He concentrated the Realm’s magical energy into his fingertips and allowed it to flow down towards his wrist. With each slow, rhythmic breath, his hands pulsated bright yellow. With power surging from his palms, he smacked his hands upon the rock wall, easily cracking its surface. Small bits of stone chipped away as he hit it a second time. Sweeping his hands back and forth, he produced a fist-sized hole within the rock.

  After a minute, his hands began to hurt. Unsatisfied with his effort, he said to Maebus, “This is taking too long.”

  Kelm took several steps away from the chipped wall and cupped his hands together. Kelm focused energy within his outward stretched hands, producing a glowing orb. His face tightened and teeth chattered as if he were cold. The orb expanded between his palms, spiraling and increasing in size and illumination. Kelm thrust his ha
nds forward, accelerating the orb so that it slammed into the rock wall. Like a fire burning forest, the orb penetrated several inches into the wall.

  As the rock particles settled and the dusty air cleared, a man-sized crater appeared in the rock face. Kelm stood before it, chest heaving, desperate for air as he assessed his work. After a moment, his breathing normalized.

  Spawning the power a second time, Kelm produced an even larger power orb nearly the size of his own body. Again, with all his might, he smashed it against the rock wall. The entire cliff quaked as the orb tunneled deeper into the mountainside, this time by several yards. Coughing and waving the stone dust from his face, Kelm saw Maebus lying flat upon his stomach with his hands cupped over his head.

  “Are you okay?” Kelm huffed, nearly out of breath.

  Maebus rose wobbly to his feet, “Sometimes I forget how powerful you are.” He brushed the dust out of his hair, and patted it out of his clothing.

  “It’s going to be cold tonight. I’m going to make a fire for us inside. Can you grab our food bag and bring it in?”

  “Sure,” Maebus replied.

  Grabbing a few loose twigs and dried shrubbery laying nearby, Kelm brought them into the cave. Piling them on the ground, he admired the depth of the tunnel.

  Snapping his fingers, he produced a small flame within his palm. He held the flame over the brush pile, allowing it to catch. Crouching over the now smoldering pile, he gently blew on the kindling. Kelm found this oddly soothing, and the flame grew larger and brighter with each breath. Eventually, the cave achieved a suitable level of brightness just as, outside, the sun pulled its last rays of light below the horizon.

  Maebus entered the cave and plopped down next to the fire to stretch out his legs. Reaching over, he grabbed their food bag and emptied its contents on the ground between them. Kelm’s stomach grumbled with hunger as he stared at the collection of berries, nuts, and raw vegetables. He wanted more to eat, but they had intended to carry only a small amount from the castle and hunt the rest of their food.