“It is strange,” Kenda admitted. “I wonder what our families are thinking right now? Surely, we have been missed by now. Will they worry that we might be lost in the fog?”
“I figured that they would see us climbing the Wall of Mermidion,” confessed Jackle. “I suppose they will be worried if they can’t find us. I hope this fog lifts soon so that someone knows where we have gone.”
Suddenly, a tremendous force of wind blew up the face of the cliffs. Both boys instinctively leaned backwards to press their bodies against the wall of the cliff. Within seconds the fog was blown upward and the sun shone brightly in their faces.
“What was that?” Jackle asked with alarm. “I thought we were going to be blown off the cliffs.”
“Look out towards the harbor,” Kenda said excitedly. “Those ships are huge.”
The boys gazed at the sea just beyond the harbor wall. Half a dozen monstrous ships were heading towards the city.
“What are they?” asked Jackle. “I have never seen ships so large. Look how small our ships look in comparison.”
“Those are warships,” Kenda said haltingly. “I don’t like the looks of this.”
Suddenly, huge balls of fire sprang from the decks of the monstrous ships. The fiery projectiles slammed into the buildings of Duran, and fires sprang up throughout the city. The boys watched the citizens of Duran scurrying around in confusion. People ran in every direction. Distant shouts of alarm drifted lightly on the air at the citizens of Duran were roused from their homes. The Imperial Guards gathered in front of the Mayor’s building and formed ranks, but there was no one for them to fight. As the huge fireballs continued to soar into the city, the invading ships began lowering smaller ships to ferry the soldiers ashore.
“Even their small ships dwarf most of our fishing vessels,” Jackle said softly. “I can’t imagine how many soldiers those ships must hold.”
“Probably more men than the number of citizens in Duran,” frowned Kenda. “Our people will not stand a chance.”
“We have to start down,” Jackle declared as he moved to the edge of the cliff.
“Don’t be a fool,” snapped Kenda as he reached out and grabbed his friend. “We have been climbing for hours. By the time we reach the bottom, the battle will be over.”
Jackle slowly nodded and eased his back against the cliff. “I don’t like being up here,” he stated. “We should be down there helping the defenders.”
“We would be no help to anyone down there,” sighed Kenda. “I am sure that the mayor will surrender promptly. The citizens cannot hope to defend Duran against such a force. Look at the number of small boats that are streaming towards the shore.”
The fires in the city multiplied as more fiery projectiles flew from the decks of the large ships. The boys watched the destruction, unable to distinguish individuals from their height, but with a good enough view to read the hopelessness of the citizens. A figure stood before the Imperial Guards and led them down to the waterfront, a large white flag clearly visible to the boys.
“You were right,” conceded Jackle. “The mayor is surrendering. This has to be the quickest battle ever. I thought the Imperial Guards would at least kill some of the invaders before surrendering. Their first ships are just reaching the shore now.”
“The mayor is wise,” countered Kenda. “We are a farming and fishing city. Even our Imperial Guards are not true warriors. We have no business being involved in battle. Surrender is the appropriate course of action. The mayor understands our limits and sees no shame in admitting defeat. He is saving the lives of the citizens.”
The first of the invaders’ boats ran up on the beach, and soldiers in red uniforms jumped out. Boat after boat landed unopposed and soon hundreds of foreign soldiers were marching through the city. One large group of foreigners marched towards the mayor and the Imperial Guards. The Imperial Guards were easily outnumbered, yet hundreds of more boats were still streaming towards the shore.
“The Imperial Guards are throwing down their swords,” scowled Jackle. “Why have an army if they just give up so easily?”
“Why should they throw their lives away?” retorted Kenda. “There are thousands of invaders. Look, they are still coming ashore. There is no end to them.”
The boys watched the drama unfolding before their eyes. The Imperial Guards tossed their swords and knives into a large pile on the ground as the foreign invaders surrounded them. As soon as the last of the weapons were discarded, the foreign soldiers attacked the Imperial Guards.
“Treachery!” shouted Jackle. “They are killing unarmed men. What a despicable act! The Imperial Guards should have fought them.”
Kenda’s jaw dropped in disbelief as he stared in horror at the massacre below. Within seconds, the entire group of Imperial Guards was dead. The mayor, still holding his white flag was the last to die. Kenda shook his head and tears welled up in his eyes. His mouth opened to speak, but no words came out.
Jackle excitedly grabbed Kenda’s arm and pointed to a spot deeper into the city. His fingers dug into his friend’s arm as he cried. Kenda pried his gaze away from the Imperial Guards and looked to where Jackle was pointing. The red-clad soldiers where killing everyone they came across, man, woman, and child.
“No!” shouted Kenda, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. “Why?”
“It’s a massacre,” sobbed Jackle. “They are killing everyone.”
Kenda wanted to turn his eyes away from the destruction, but he could not. He watched as red soldiers invaded every part of the city. They instantly killed every person they came across. Some of the citizens tried to resist. Small groups of men raced down alleyways with old swords, shovels, and knives. They carried anything that could be used to kill a fellow human being, but it did not even slow down the invaders. The red-clad soldiers were trained warriors prepared for battle. The citizens were no match for them.
When the streets of the city were empty of the living, the foreign soldiers began to enter the houses. Kenda did not have to guess what was happening inside the homes. He watched as some citizens tried to escape the slaughter by running out the back doors of the houses, but the foreign soldiers were waiting for them. After each house was searched for citizens, a foreigner tossed a torch inside. Soon the entire city was burning.
“I think that is my father,” Jackle shouted hysterically as he pointed towards his house. “Run, Pa.”
Kenda winced as he watched the foreign soldier strike the man down. He looked across the street and saw his own house burning. He closed his eyes and let the tears flow down his cheeks. When he opened his eyes again, he saw more boats landing on the beach. Men jumped out of the boats, but they did not wear the red uniforms of the others. The new arrivals wore dark hooded cloaks. A chill ran down Kenda’s spine as he watched the hooded men enter the city.
“We have to hide,” Kenda said softly.
“What?” blubbered Jackle. “What are you talking about?”
“Those are mages,” replied Kenda. “Look along the beach. The hooded men are mages.”
“As if they can cause more damage than the soldiers,” snapped Jackle. “Who cares about the mages?”
“We do,” Kenda replied, forcefully calming himself. “They did not need to bring mages ashore to kill the citizens. We need to hide.”
“Why?” asked Jackle. “What do you know that I don’t?”
“The only reason to bring the mages ashore is to find the citizens that the soldiers missed,” explained Kenda as he moved to the nearest crevice and squeezed his body into it. “They do not plan to leave a single person alive. We have to hide before they find us.”
“What does it matter to them if someone survives?” asked Jackle, who refused to leave the ledge.
“I am not sure,” admitted Kenda, “but it does matter to them. Maybe they don’t want anyone left alive to describe their attack? I do not know, but I am positive that we are in danger. Hide in a crevice.”
“They can’t ge
t us up here,” countered Jackle. “Just let those foreigners try to scale the Wall of Mermidion. They will never make it to the top.”
“Neither will we,” retorted Kenda. “I never thought we could make it all the way up, but I didn’t want to spoil your fun. These crevices disappear near the top of the wall. We will have to go back down eventually, but not until the foreigners are gone.”
“I am never going back down there,” declared Jackle. “There is nothing left for me in Duran. I will not return.”
“We will discuss this later,” sighed Kenda. “Get yourself into a crevice before someone looks up here and sees you.”
“I would rather that they saw me,” protested Jackle. “Maybe some of them will die trying to capture me. They cannot climb the Wall of Mermidion, and we can.”
“Jackle,” pleaded Kenda. “Just hide.”
Suddenly, a brilliant flash seared Kenda’s eyes. He heard Jackle emit a ghastly scream that faded to nothing as his friend’s body tumbled down to the base of the Wall of Mermidion. Kenda closed his eyes tightly and cried.
For hours, Kenda remained hidden in the crevice, listening to the distant sounds from below. First came the sounds of warfare, screams, shouts, the clashing of steel. An eerie silence followed after a while, broken only occasionally by the crash of a collapsing building. Kenda turned his head and peered out of the crevice. Tall columns of smoke billowed upward from the burning city. Kenda wondered if anything would be left of the city when he descended.
Eventually, new sounds drifted up to his perch on the Wall of Mermidion. Kenda eased his body downward and crawled out of the crevice, keenly aware of the need to keep his head low. He crawled to the edge of the cliff and stared downward. Duran was utterly destroyed. Wooden buildings had become heaps of ashes and smoldering debris. Where stone buildings had stood, piles of broken rock littered the ground. Thousands of men in red uniforms swarmed through the city, poking into the piles of rubble as they passed by.
Kenda’s eyes were drawn to the city well. Around it stood over a hundred dark-hooded men. Kenda tried to make sense of the needless slaughter, but he could not comprehend it. He thought about the local farmers, and how they became obsessed with ridding their farms of moles. It was the only thought about complete annihilation that he could come up with, but he failed to see how the citizens of Duran could be considered a threat to anyone. It made no sense to the Sakovan boy.
As Kenda was watching the men around the well, he saw one of them point upward towards the Wall of Mermidion. A chill shivered through Kenda’s body as he watched the large group of mages turn their eyes towards him. He dared not move, his eyes frozen on the well and the men around it. Eventually, the mages stopped looking in his direction, and Kenda sighed with relief. The respite from fear was brief.
One of the mages called to a group of red-clad soldiers and pointed to the cliffs. Kenda could see the soldier nod exaggeratedly before turning and shouting to some of the other soldiers. Soon six soldiers were running towards the base of the Wall of Mermidion. When the soldiers came close to the base of the cliff, Kenda was no longer able to see them. He backed slowly away from the edge and retreated into his crevice.
“I said that we couldn’t reach the top,” Kenda said aloud as if Jackle were still there to hear him, “but I hope that I was wrong. Those soldiers are coming up to check the crevices.”
Kenda sat for a few moments trying to figure out what to do. He gazed up at the high sun and knew that the face of the cliffs would soon be in the shadows when the sun passed over the crest. Realizing that he had no other option, Kenda started climbing the nearest crevice. He tried to keep his body as deep into the crevice as possible and hoped that none of the mages would send a fiery projectile to whisk him off the wall.
He climbed swiftly until he came to the next small ledge. He hurriedly chose another crevice and darted into it without taking the time to look down at the foreigners. Soon the crevices grew very dark. Kenda looked up and could no longer see the sun.
Kenda froze when he heard a distant scream. He knew without looking that one of his pursuers had fallen off the wall. He listened intently to the length of the scream as if it would give him an idea of how far up the cliffs the soldiers had gotten, but it was a futile exercise. The scream just faded into the sounds of the wind.
Kenda continued up the Wall of Mermidion in a mindless exercise of endurance and stamina. As each crevice ended, the boy immediately sought the safety of the next dark crevice and continued upward. He minimized the amount of time that he was exposed to those below him. Eventually, he reached a point where there were no more crevices. He gritted his teeth and sighed heavily as he looked out over the ocean and saw the bright pink clouds heralding the sunset. Soon it would be completely dark, and the real climbing had just begun. Kenda gazed upward and studied the face of the cliff. It looked like a sheer vertical stone face. He shook his head and cried.
Suddenly, another scream came from below, but not as far away as the first one. Kenda did not need to count the length of the scream to realize that the soldiers were climbing faster than he was. He looked again at the face of the cliff and gritted his teeth in determination. The climb to the top of the Wall of Mermidion might well kill him, but Kenda knew that death surely awaited him if he did not move swiftly. He took the rope out of his pack and coiled it. He put one arm through the coil and draped the rope over his chest. With the sigh of a decision made, Kenda reached up and grabbed the first handhold that he could see. He pulled himself upward, moving his free hand over the surface of the dark rock in search of the next handhold.
Chapter 2
Pain Killers
Aakuta tripped and fell to the ground near the rear of the temple on the Island of Darkness. He cursed under his breath as he heard a bone crack as his body hit the ground. The added pain of a new cracked rib was not even noticed by the dark mage. His body was continually wracked with pain every moment of the day, a result of the curse put upon him by Dobuk, the Fallen One.
Aakuta closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on peaceful and serene thoughts. He had found that if he concentrated hard enough, the pain dulled somewhat, although it was never bearable. He had almost succeeded in transporting his mind elsewhere when someone brutally kicked him in the head. Aakuta’s hands instinctively rose to protect his face as he rolled over to gaze upon his torturer. Aakuta snarled when he recognized Xavo, a young mage in the service of Vand.
Xavo was an egotistical fool. Although he was handsome and had mastered a great deal of magic, the young mage lacked common sense and consistently overrated his own power. Aakuta hated him.
Xavo never passed up a chance to humiliate Aakuta, especially if there were others around to enjoy the demonstration. On this particular day, a dozen red-clad soldiers stood behind the young mage, laughing hard as the old mage’s plight.
“The great Aakuta,” sneered Xavo as his foot swung to deliver another blow to Aakuta’s head. “You aren’t so great any more, are you? Nobody goes against Vand and survives.”
Aakuta’s arm moved swiftly, blocking the kick aimed at his head. Xavo snarled and immediately tried once more to kick Aakuta’s face.
“Stop it!” shouted a woman near a building on the other side of the street. “Stop it immediately,” she added as she strode across the street.
“This is of no concern to you,” snapped Xavo. “You no longer have any standing in the court of Vand.”
“I may not have standing in the court,” glared Lady Mystic as she halted between Xavo and the old mage sprawled on the ground, “but I am telling you to stop it right now.”
“Or what?” sneered Xavo. “You can’t even enter the temple to complain, besides, abusing one who has been stricken by Vand’s curse is not prohibited. In fact, it is encouraged. Be gone.”
“You are a fool, Xavo,” scowled Lady Mystic. “I have no need to complain about your actions. I will just match my power against yours, right here, right now. Are you prepared to d
ie?”
“My power is a match for yours,” Xavo quickly shot back, but the nervous reactions of his body told a different story.
Lady Mystic smiled menacingly as she watched the younger mage’s body tick spasmodically. She stepped close to the young mage and stared into his face.
“I have nothing to lose by continuing this confrontation,” she declared softly. “Is your stubborn pride truly worth your life this day?”
Xavo was acutely aware of the soldiers behind him and knew that they were waiting anxiously for a confrontation. He would look foolish walking away from the fight, but he had no desire to match skills against the Emperor’s daughter.
“You were thrown out of the temple for catering to this old fool,” Xavo said loudly. “Perhaps the best punishment for your actions is to let you continue to associate with such refuse.”
Xavo swiftly spun around and strode off, brusquely pushing his way through the gathered soldiers. Lady Mystic shook her head and then glared at the soldiers. The group fidgeted only briefly before turning away and dispersing. Lady Mystic watched the soldiers leave before turning and squatting next to Aakuta.
“You should not endanger yourself on my account,” Aakuta groaned weakly.
Tears welled up in Lady Mystic’s eyes as she cast a healing spell on the dark mage.
“You still care about me after what I did to you?” sniffed the Emperor’s daughter. “Why?”
“You did what you had to do,” replied Aakuta. “Should I stop loving you because of that?”
Lady Mystic smiled tightly, but tears continued to cascade down her cheeks. Suddenly, her eyes grew large and she stared incomprehensibly at Aakuta.
“You are lucid,” Lady Mystic remarked. “How is that possible? No one has ever emerged from that chamber without being insane.”
”Dobuk has never met the likes of me,” Aakuta grinned before grunting in pain. “At times I can concentrate on other things, but not for long. The pain distracts me.”
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