My sincerest apologies for the excessive level of secrecy during this difficult time. I’m certain that you’ve traveled with deep grievances and mistrust of my actions. Yet, you were able to cast aside that doubt, and have now been led to safety.
By now, you are aware that our kingdom has fallen, and I have disbanded our troops. But despite the current state of the Realm, I must implore you to continue supporting one another, and to continue persevering as a plan for victory continues to unfold. The container that, hopefully, you have carried from Centre Pointe will play a significant role. So please care for it. Kelm and I have headed to the Northern Lands, but will be with you soon. And together in one unified force, we will reclaim our kingdom and be rid of the Warlord Damian once and for all!
Sincerely, King Maebus.
Upon finishing, Elva held the letter closer to her face and scanned it silently.
“So, that’s it? We just wait?” asked Councilman Jawn.
“Sounds like it,” Landi replied.
Elva folded the letter back up and placed it on a nearby table. “We better get comfortable,” she said, without turning to face the group. “We’re going to be here for a while.”
Chapter Nineteen
A man was dragged across the floor of the castle’s main corridor, screaming at the top of his lungs. Behind him, several others were pulled by their hands, their feet, their hair—kicking wildly, scratching, and fighting for their lives.
Seku watched as they lashed at their Legionarie captors. He knew that they would be the first of many civilians to be thrown into the dungeon, under a sentence of death. Seku recalled his conversation with the Warlord only a few days prior. To force King Maebus out of hiding, Damian spoke of unleashing the full fury of his Legion upon the Centre Pointe. And Damian was a man of his word.
As a soldier, Seku understood Damian’s tactics to flush out the King. Yet still, the brutality seemed a bit excessive even for him. “But is this not what I wanted?” Seku asked himself. Did he not want to seek revenge? To see the admonishment of the Magicals who tormented him and his people, and of the Laymen in the kingdom who allowed other Laymen like himself to suffer? Seku walked past the dragged prisoners as if they didn’t exist.
As afternoon approached, he had walked from the castle to one of the neighboring communities within Centre Pointe. These were but a few of the homes and markets belonging to the residents of the capital city.
Waves of Legionaries ran through the avenues of the community, smashing windows, setting fires, and looting. They lusted for the spoils of war, which they were entitled to—perhaps deserved. The citizens, being no strangers to conflict, fought back to the best of their abilities. Children threw rocks, while adults struck with their weapons and fists. Those who could use magic, did so. But most who fought back were immediately killed, and those ones who were captured were taken back to the castle and would never be seen again.
Like an unseen apparition, Seku assayed the frenzy, roaming quietly through the misery. He feared little for his own safety. In his time, he’d survived many skirmishes as a stealth warrior—a silent killer—and his age had not dulled his covert abilities. Debris littered the walkways, and the heavy aroma of burning rubble penetrated the air. Blood painted his shoes like a canvas as faint screams echoed in his ears. Seku paused at the edge of an intersection in what he assumed used to be a marketplace. Across the avenue from where he stood, the severed arms of citizens who had physically assaulted Legionaries hung by the dozen within merchant stands. Back in Amden, before the kingdom fell, Damian said he would do just that. Seku’s neck stiffened as the shock of the promised deed hit him.
Seku believed in the Warlord. He believed in his cause. But at which point did the aggrieved become the aggressor? Seku immediately shook the conflicted feeling out of his head. Who was he to say what was or wasn’t necessary to obtain one’s goal? Perhaps that was what separated the Warlord from other men—possessing the conviction to do what others could not, having the ability to push beyond limitation, to strike indiscriminately against all who would oppose. Not knowing how to truly respond to the slaughter surrounding him, Seku simply continued to observe, hoping that clarity would eventually come.
• • • • •
General Thane traveled swiftly through the woods. Since obtaining the reflector device, he moved through the forest entanglement with renewed urgency. Following the hidden Realmsic symbols, he and his men were led to a small stone cottage outside the Hellish South Plains. Dismounting their horses about a quarter mile out, the five of them stealthily approached the haven, squatting low in the underbrush.
“Stay alert, you lugs,” Thane hissed.
Remaining as still as possible, he monitored the structure’s single window, looking for any movement. He listened carefully for voices, some indication as to who might be inside. In his heart, he believed it to be the hiding location of Maebus, the Grand Wizard, and their council. It was well masked in a secluded, untraveled area of the Realm. He himself couldn’t have picked a better location. Had it not been for their chance encounter with the bandits, perhaps it would have remained undiscovered.
Although he could only see one entrance from the front, he was certain that there would be another in the back. Thane silently signaled to a couple of distant Legionaries. With two fingers, he indicated for them to travel around the other side of the structure. He and his remaining men would proceed through the front, hopefully trapping whomever they encountered inside.
Thane’s breath quickened as he gripped the hilt of his sword. He slowly slid it from the metal scabbard. His two remaining men also prepared. With two fingers and the slightest nod of his head, his men fell into attack formation, mimicking countless hours of situational drills.
Mindful of his every movement, Thane took a single step forward, as balanced as an acrobat, as light as a ballerina. Not even the shivering leaves betrayed his position. One by one, his men followed in single file, aligning with one another’s profile, to give the appearance of a single person if spotted head-on. Each stepped with the same mindfulness—as stealth killers.
Closer they crept. As they approached, voices could be heard inside the cottage. Thane’s mind was as clear as the crystal he hoped to obtain. Now standing only inches away from the steel door, the General quickly assessed its integrity. Nothing he couldn’t handle. One kick from his massive boot broke the lock.
Chapter Twenty
Just as Thane had expected, the inhabitants of the cottage were caught off guard as its steel door nearly flew off the hinges. It took only seconds for Thane to assess the structure’s interior. These people were indeed the Realmsic Council, he could tell by their clothing. Along with them were two random kids. But where was his target? Thane’s eyes were enraged as he repeatedly scanned from one side of the room to the other.
“Where’s Maebus?” he shouted, reaching for the closest person to him. His chest heaved violently from the adrenaline flooding his body.
The council members fled from his grasp as he stormed across the room after them.
“Grab them!” Thane ordered through clenched teeth and tensed neck.
A soldier tried to corral the smallest child, but he was too fast. The child slipped from beneath the soldier’s arm, knocking him off balance and forcing him to fall on his face.
“Nice!” the older child cheered, shoving who must have been his brother away from further harm.
“Quickly, everyone out! I’ll hold them back,” ordered a young Councilwoman. Thane noticed she was dressed differently than the others, wearing a white sundress instead of the burgundy uniforms worn by the other council members.
“Landi, look out!” her colleague warned as Thane’s second man lunged towards her. As Landi side-stepped, the Legionarie missed her completely and landed on the ground atop the first soldier who’d yet to recover from the child’s maneuver.
But now, she was only a few inches from Thane. He raised his sword high into the air, prep
ared to strike her down. But with a repetitive circular motion of her arm, Landi heated the air in front of her, producing a solid white bubble within seconds. Flicking her fingers forward, the bubble popped with a bright flash, blinding Thane.
“Agh!” he shouted, dropping his sword, stumbling forward. While rubbing his throbbing eyes, he tripped over his other two soldiers and tumbled to the ground. Rolling upon his back, he opened his eyes wide. Spots floated within his vision. He couldn’t even see the ceiling above him.
“Go now!” he heard Landi shouting to the council members.
Thane forced himself on to all fours, but his eyes had yet to recover. From the ground, he could barely make out the silhouettes of the council as they escaped through the cottage’s rear door.
• • • • •
“Nice work Landi!” Greeve said as he and the others rushed through the cottage’s rear exit. But waiting for them were two other Legionaries. Without thinking, Mert ran from behind and launched his entire body into one of the men, tackling him to the ground. Simultaneously, Councilman Greeve grabbed a rock from the ground and smashed it into the helmet of the other.
Greeve smiled as Mert slowly rose from atop the soldier he’d knocked out. High-fiving his fellow administer of military, Greeve shouted “Good job!” He then drew a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his wrinkled forehead. Despite his age, he’d always been a wilder, rowdier member of the council, and this fight further invigorated him. He felt like a young soldier again. With both Legionaries on the ground, the group ran full speed towards the Hellish South Plains.
“Come on!” Heegan yelled, skipping as fast as his small legs would carry him and waving the others forward. “Follow me! I know a safe place in the Plains.”
“Wait!” Greeve bellowed, stopping the entire group. “What about the box? We left it behind!”
“Leave it!” Jawn yelled.
“No,” Greeve protested. “We were told to protect it—that it was essential to the plan. We can’t just leave it there for them to find.” His speech was slow but clear.
“But Councilman, we are not warriors,” Ferst interjected. “Yes, you were an experienced solder in your day, but we can’t defend against fully trained combat soldiers now!”
“We just did!” Greeve retorted.
“They’d kill us and take the box!” Ferst quickly rebutted.
“We can take them.”
“No!” Elva flatly stated, grabbing his tightly flexed arm. “No, we can’t.”
“Yes, we can!” Greeve insisted.
“Fine, then you go! I’ll not stop you. But I’ll also not jeopardize the lives of the others and these two children.”
Greeve glanced at Heegan and Hom, noting their frailness perhaps for the first time. Elva’s gaze portrayed more than her words ever could. He said nothing as she turned away from him, directing Heegan to lead them onward.
As the others followed, Mert proceeded to follow them. Greeve tugged at his elbow. “You too?” he asked.
“What choice do we have?” Mert sighed.
“But what if they take the box?” Greeve asked.
“Greeve, how are they even going to know what that box is? We don’t even know what that box is!”
Windym agreed, approaching them. “Please, Councilman. Come with us. We can always come back for it when things are clear.”
Greeve considered it for a moment, wiping the sweat from his forehead once again. His breathing slowed as calm returned to his body. He then conceded with a nod. Together, he, Mert and Wyndam hurried to catch up with the other council members.
• • • • •
General Thane staggered out the cottage’s rear exit, still rubbing his eyes. They ached from the flash they’d received only moments ago. Seeing his two soldiers on the ground, he quickly assailed them, kicking them repeatedly.
“Get up!!!” he barked. He stepped over them to peer deep into the forest, but could see no signs of the council members.
“Sir, permission to pursue?” a Legionarie stepping out the cottage asked.
“No. Maebus was not with them,” he replied. “So don’t waste your time. We’d be better off searching the cottage for clues.”
Thane strode back in and surveyed his surroundings. His men filed in after him.
“I want this place turned upside down. Bring me anything that looks important!”
Without hesitation, the Legionaries began knocking over furniture and pulling items out of their place. Thane stood in the middle of their scavenge, unsure of what his next move would be. He was positive Maebus would be here. He’d told the Warlord that he would soon have the King, but now he had no idea where he was.
Perspiration soaked the inside of his armor. What would he tell Damian? Failure was not an option. The Warlord had told him those exact words often enough.
A scroll on the table caught his attention. He moved to the table where it lay. Immediately, Thane noticed the cracked Realmsic seal. Spreading the parchment open, he found nothing written on the paper.
What? It didn’t make sense. Why would anyone officially seal a blank letter? Unless the message was hidden, like the symbols in the woods!
He removed the reflector from his pocket and shone its light upon the page. Inked words magically appeared. It was a letter from Maebus himself! Thane couldn’t believe his eyes. Excitement filled him as his eyes raced back and forth, scanning the page.
“The King went north!” Thane exclaimed, just as he’d first expected.
But how?
He then remembered originally tracking Maebus’ footprints, and how they abruptly ended at an empty field.
But there’s no place they could have gone, unless—
“They went underground,” he sighed. “There must have been a hidden passageway or something.”
Thane could have kicked himself for not trusting his instincts. He crumpled the letter in his hands and tossed it into the fire pit, which still burned. He rationalized that if he and his men rode double-time, perhaps they could still pick up Maebus’ trail and catch him. But wait! Thane’s head snapped upwards. If he remembered correctly, from Centre Pointe, there were no roads that led to the north. He’d either have to travel back through the Western Nations to cross into the Northern Lands, or he’d have to traverse the uncharted wilderness.
Thane’s shoulders rounded as he groaned long and tiresome. Nothing was ever easy. So be it. Traverse the uncharted wilderness!
“Lets get out of here.” he commanded. “I found what I was looking for.”
“Sir,” a Legionarie said. “What about this?” He presented Thane with a box filled with rocks.
Thane looked at the man in bewilderment. “What about it?” He took them from the soldier.
“Sir, these rocks were sealed inside. So, I thought they might be important.”
The General carefully examined the container and its contents, not wanting to make another mistake. But from what he could tell, there was nothing special about the rocks or the box they came in.
“Forget them,” he said, dropping them all to the ground.
“Let’s go!” he huffed to the rest of his men. “Maebus went north.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The Northern Lands had thus far proven to be brutal terrain to navigate. Its mountainous base consisted mostly of solid rock which, over the course of miles, rose steeply through a misty atmosphere. Kelm and Maebus found themselves climbing more than walking most of the time.
The air was noticeably thinner at this altitude, amplifying Maebus’ headache as he constantly strained for breath. However, he was unsure if it was due to the low oxygen level, or the fatigue settling within his chest and body. He’d scolded himself for not eating much during the trip. But he’d had no appetite for a number of days. Even the thought of eating sickened him almost as much as not eating.
“You’ve got to keep up!” Kelm yelled back towards him.
Maebus hadn’t noticed that he’d fallen seve
ral yards behind Kelm, whose pace was annoyingly brisk. Since leaving their first encampment, they’d made significant progress traveling northeast. However, Kelm disappointedly stated earlier that it would take them significantly longer to reach the Ancient Lands than he initially anticipated.
Maebus tried to remained stoic at hearing the news of a longer journey. He simply didn’t have the energy to refute it. The northern wilderness had certainly taken a physical toll upon him. For most of the hike, he remained silent: at times, scanning their surroundings for bandits; at other times, walking while lost in his own head.
In the early afternoon, they arrived at a high region of the northern mountains known as the Gatel. This area proved to be extremely steep. Maebus’ legs wobbled as he and Kelm struggled against its incline, carefully finding their footing while rising higher upon the rock ledges, which became steeper still.
Both men were forced upon their hands and knees, pulling themselves across the jagged surface. At the topmost portion of the plateau, the ground leveled. Kelm reached the pinnacle first. Then Maebus extended his hand for assistance. With a long groan, Maebus was pulled up. He could barely catch his breath as Kelm walked to the edge of the overlook.
“Amazing!” Kelm declared, gazing upon the horizon. He seemed stunned by the miles they’d traveled. “Maebus, look at this,” he said.
Begrudgingly, Maebus walked over. His legs felt like rubber, and he just wanted to sit for a moment. Yet together, they stood several thousand feet above the valley, impressed by the view.
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