by J. B. Jenn
“Send him in,” Balla stated. “I’m sure we’ll want to hear whatever it is.”
The young man nodded, hurrying out of the room. Within moments, an older man in his late sixties, entered. His wrinkled face was grim. From the deep wrinkles in it, Zavad guessed the man rarely smiled. It made him wonder how one could live a life finding little joy in it.
“Please, sit down.”
The old man sat across from them. Zavad met the man’s solemn eyes, curious as to what this was about. The three sat there in silence, waiting on one another.
“Perhaps you could begin by telling us why you’re here,” Balla suggested.
“I’m only here because Queen Janessa, the daughter of late King Delane Stone, thought it necessary to send me.” The old man shook his head, but met their eyes with respect. “My name is Lord Osrin Gorjin. I served King Delane Stone for decades as his personal advisor and general of his armies before the disaster ruined us.”
“We have no words to express our sorrow at the loss of a great man or a beautiful city and its people.” Zavad had met King Delane Stone three times. From their brief meetings, he could tell the man cared about his people. He had been leading them to a kingdom more like Yul.
Osrin gave a grim smile as if he didn’t believe him. “Queen Janessa thought to lend me to you, so I could train your men how to fight. With you bordering Carthoda, she was concerned for your safety.”
Zavad looked to Balla who nodded at him. “We understand Queen Janessa’s and your concern. However, what are normal people supposed to do against demons? Even if you train them in the short amount of time we have before an attack, it won’t be enough.”
Balla placed her hand on his arm. “Casman said they could be killed. Perhaps the two of them should talk and form a plan on how best to train our men. People will die, Zavad, but more people will die if we’re unable to protect ourselves.” She looked to Lord Osrin. “Queen Janessa must think highly of your skill.”
“Personally, I’d have sent another man. I’m an old man who should have never survived Kenokel. The attack should have claimed my life and not my king’s.”
“But it didn’t,” Balla stated. “King Delane is dead and you are alive. It is for a reason. Perhaps this is the reason you still live.”
Zavad hid his surprise at his wife’s abruptness. He looked to Lord Osrin, waiting for his answer. Osrin nodded toward her. “I’ll meet with Casman, my lady.”
Casman
Casman still couldn’t believe Ogden was dead. It didn’t seem possible. Over the last several days, Gray had avoided him. The man was a coward. He slammed his fist against the wall once more, ignoring the sting. Gray should have never been let in their pathetic excuse for an army. He couldn’t follow orders. These soldiers were people who collected information. Gray had always wanted more than that, and now, Ogden was dead because of it. Casman knew he and Ogden were fortunate to have sought out training from others. They had seen how valuable the knowledge could be. Gray had not.
He rubbed the sides of his head. All he wanted was to find his friend’s body and bring him back home. Hethera deserved to know her husband was at rest. When he had requested to do so, King Zavad had dismissed it, saying it was too dangerous. He knew the king was right, but it didn’t make him feel any better. It didn’t make him feel any more useful.
“Why?” he screamed, punching the wall again.
His hand hurt and would swell. He didn’t care. If he had to punch the wall a hundred more times to make the feeling of uselessness disappear he would. The only reason he didn’t was because he knew it wouldn’t work.
Casman sighed. He hadn’t had the courage to see Hethera yet. He had watched her every day from afar. She didn’t seem like a woman grieving for her husband. It made him both curious and angry. He closed his eyes. Soon, he told himself. He’d visit her soon, and he had questions for her.
“Sir?” a young boy called from behind.
“What?”
The boy shrunk away. Casman sighed again and waved for him to continue. “King Zavad is requesting your presence. May I lead you to him?”
Casman nodded, giving the boy an apologetic look. He followed him through the palace in silence, wondering what King Zavad wanted. More information? He didn’t have any more to give. He had told the king everything. Every single gruesome detail he could remember.
The boy opened the door. Both King Zavad and Queen Balla were sitting on the long sofa of their study. There was an additional person sitting in the single chair with his back toward him. At once, Casman was interested as to who the older man was. There was one thing for certain. He needed a comb to tame his wild, gray hair.
Casman approached them, bowing respectfully toward his king and queen. They acknowledged him with a polite nod.
“Have a seat, Casman. There are things we must discuss for the future of Yul.”
Casman sat next to the man, glancing at him. Grimness seemed to have a permanent residence on the old man’s face. He met the man’s dark gray eyes and gave a nod. The man wouldn’t be here if King Zavad didn’t think him important.
“We want you to work with Lord Osrin of Cascade in training men to fight. Hartland is heading for war. I refuse to allow Yul to become occupied by demons if there’s any way we can prevent it. The men trust you. If Ogden were here, you would be doing this together.”
King Zavad met his eyes. As much as Casman wanted to look away, he couldn’t. “Queen Janessa thought it pertinent our soldiers are trained for combat as we border Carthoda. As you said so yourself and have done so, demons can be killed. As you’re the only one who has survived such an encounter, you’re the only man for this position.”
Lord Osrin turned toward him. He appeared sad. Broken. It was what Casman thought he must look like after everything he’d gone through.
“Tomorrow morning I’d like you to gather the men who are already in the king’s service. I realize quite a few are out in Yul right now, but we’ll start with the people here. From my understanding, these men are few in number, so I’d like to recruit men for this as well. Tell them what we’re facing. You’ll be surprised how many will volunteer. As you stated, we are at war. We must prepare to fight. We need as many abled bodies as possible. If we don’t receive the numbers we need, we may have to consider a mandatory joining.”
Zavad glanced to Balla with concern. She thinned her lips. “We understand, Lord Osrin. However, keep in mind Yul is a kingdom of education first and foremost. It makes us hesitant about what must be done. Give it a few days first.”
Casman closed his eyes for a moment. He took in a deep breath. “Trust me when I say we need both education and know-how of defending ourselves. Ogden and I have said it before, but it went unheard.
“After what I’ve seen, there are things in this world we don’t understand. There are things out there we have to protect ourselves against. All the education in the world won’t do that.” He turned to Lord Osrin. “I will speak to some people in town, send out word to others, and we’ll see who arrives tomorrow. By the end of the week, we should have an army when the truth is out in the open.”
“Thank you,” Zavad responded.
Casman looked toward his king hearing the hollowness in his voice. “There’s no need to thank me. I’m doing this to protect everyone in Yul.”
Mercea
“You’re coming with me,” Mercea demanded of the man before her. She had to admit, although seemingly simple, he was a man who had done extraordinary things. He had survived Urian somehow. “We need to tell King Maik that Urian is just outside the city, maybe only a day or two. We must mobilize the soldiers. I also want my sword back.”
She watched the man look down before he gave her an apologetic look. She didn’t like how the sword seemed to fit him perfectly. She wondered if he was to be a Servant. She wondered if the Gods were testing him.
“Sorry,” Ogden said with a half-smile. “I should have handed it over right away. I tend to forge
t it’s there. It feels so natural sitting at my hip.”
Mercea strapped the sword to her belt, ignoring him. It felt good to be complete again. She left the room, listening to him follow her. Despite how tired he appeared, he matched her brisk pace.
“Why does the sword vibrate only when it’s close to… to that demon?”
She frowned. Only a Servant was supposed to feel the vibration. She looked back at him again, curious as to what was happening.
“It vibrates when it’s near any demon. It allows me to know of their presence before I can see them.”
They climbed another staircase. Mercea knew they were almost outside King Maik’s personal chambers.
“You’re probably going to need more help than the soldiers here to defeat the monster.”
“That may be, but it’s all we have.”
She approached the king’s door. The two guards looked at her and took a step back, placing their hands on their weapons. She looked to them with little patience.
“Please inform his Majesty I’m here with an urgent request.”
The guard on the left entered the room. It seemed to take forever for the man to return. When he did, he left the door open and swept his arm inside the room. Inside, Maik sat at his desk. He stared out the massive windows leading to his balcony that overlooked the distant city. This time, he was alone.
“King Maik,” Mercea said, giving him a respectful nod.
“What is it? Wait, who’s that? Is that the wytch you informed us of?”
“No. He played it off as if he was and for good reason. It’s the very reason I’m here and the reason we must act as swiftly as we can. You need to mobilize ALL of your soldiers. Now.”
Maik nodded to the guard outside who hurried away. “Explain.”
“Urian is practically here. Ogden wounded him and followed alongside him.” She glanced at him with approval. “He’s from Yul and somehow survived the encounter with Urian. He saw the demon heading north and knew he had to reach you to warn you about him. He didn’t know, however, he’d be pacing the demon the entire way. Somehow, by some miracle, he got ahead of him a few days ago. This is where Urian’s path must end, your Majesty.”
Maik was silent for several moments, annoying her. They needed to work quickly. Any moment now, the demon could appear, destroying the palace and the city. She wasn’t certain what the demon’s orders were, but she knew everything in its path would be destroyed. Lives would be lost.
“As my soldiers are gathering, I’ll send out scouts to see if they can locate where he is. Perhaps if we can fight him outside of Heltarn, there won’t be as many losses.”
Mercea’s face paled. Her hand clasped the hilt of her sword. “It looks as if we’re out of time.”
King Maik frowned. He started to say something but his voice was drowned out by the sounding of the horns.
Arem
“What do you mean I’ve already arrived?” Arem asked. “How could I have arrived if I’m here, right now?”
“The wytch we were told to expect already arrived,” the guard said stoically.
Arem heaved a sigh and ran a hand through his hair. None of this made sense. As he stared at the man, he thought about using his magic. Fire sprang to his fingertips, but died. He had planned to scare the man into letting him enter and prove he was a wytch, but the horns sounding all around him, reverberating off the stone walls, stopped him. Arem met the guard’s eyes.
“Let me inside. I can help with whatever is happening.”
The guard who had denied him entrance looked to him. “How can you help? There are soldiers everywhere. King Maik pulled them in weeks ago. We’ll be fine.”
“You have no idea what you’re facing. Please, let me in.” The guard started to deny him. Arem growled. Fire sprang to his fingertips and stayed there. The man backed away, wide-eyed. “This can help!”
The man swallowed. “Let him in.”
Arem grabbed one of the other soldiers inside. “Show me the way to the Servant. I must see her immediately.”
The guard nodded. They hurried through the courtyard as the horns continued to sound. Soldiers rushed to their positions. There were archers lined up on the ramparts. Soldiers gathered into rigid formations in the courtyard. Arem shook his head. They were all going to die unless Mercea succeeded.
The two raced through the halls, passing frightened people who had gathered. They stopped in front of a door where the soldier proceed to bang on the door. There was no answer. Arem shook his head. He was a fool to think she was in her chambers.
“Take me to the king.”
The soldier hesitated for only a moment. Arem rushed up the stairs after the man. As they entered a hallway, Mercea stepped into it. When their eyes connected, she scowled at him.
“He’s here,” she stated. “Stay close to me and keep the demons from flanking me. I need to have my concentration on Urian.”
Janessa
Janessa stepped out in the hall. She glanced toward Maik. There were two men with them she’d never met. “Is he here?”
“Yes.” Mercea met her eyes. “There’s a chance more people are going to die than we thought. I’m sorry. I’ll do my best to keep the fight away from the town and the palace, but I can’t guaranty anything. Once you see Urian and the demons he brings with him, you’ll understand.”
Janessa looked to Maik. When their eyes met, she saw sadness in his. Without asking further questions, she walked beside Maik to the courtyard. There were soldiers already formed into ranks. There were men lined up on the walkway above. Janessa shuddered. This was what Kenokel must have looked like before the city fell.
She looked toward the Servant. She hoped the woman could prevent what happened in Kenokel from happening here. She didn’t know much about the Old Gods or the Servants. She was a follower of the new faith, of one God. After meeting the woman and feeling the power radiating from her, she knew They existed. Even as Maik told her about Them, she had never truly believed. It wasn’t until she had seen Mercea did she believe. Even if They weren’t Gods, she believed in Their power.
Maik hurried up the rampart where he stood above most of his soldiers. As he stood there, men outfitted him in black armor with gold accents. There was a golden sun imprinted on his breastplate. Janessa watched him, praying he’d come through this. She knew she couldn’t talk him out of fighting. This was his kingdom. He was too noble for that. It was part of what made her love him.
“My fellow people, today we must fight. Not only must we fight for our homes and loved ones, we must fight for all of Hartland!” Maik called out.
His sea green eyes scanned the soldiers. Pride shined in his gaze.
“We must fight to preserve human life. This battle against this beast, this monster, is just the beginning. There is an army out there, waiting to kill the entirety of humans. That army is led by no other than King Barend. None of us know his reasons, but we do know he has used his own people to form the demon army. We cannot, will not allow it to happen to the Desert people! We are stronger than any demon out there! We are more determined than any other kingdom out there! We will fight. We will win, starting here and today!”
A unified yell filled the courtyard. Janessa scanned the soldiers’ faces. She saw determination, fear, pride, and much more. These people knew what they were up against and they were going to succeed no matter the cost.
“Open the gates!” Maik yelled.
As if from a distance, she watched the gates grind open. The soldiers marched out with Mercea at the lead. Janessa pulled Maik back from joining them and kissed him, afraid she wouldn’t be able to do so again.
“I love you,” she whispered, reaching up and stroking his cheek.
He drew her into a slow kiss. “I’ll come back to you, I promise,” he whispered before joining the soldiers.
As Janessa stood there, it felt surreal. It was as if she were watching a dream play out from a great distance. She couldn’t remain where it was safe, not w
ith so much at stake. Janessa started toward them, grabbing a sword from one of the nearby racks. Someone pulled her back. She turned, knowing it was Galtrand.
“You aren’t planning to fight alongside him, are you? You don’t even have armor.”
She met his eyes. “They need me out there.”
“No. Let me do this,” she heard her brother say behind her. When she turned, he was wearing armor that belonged to the Desert. “Please, stay. I know what we’re facing. I have a better chance at hurting the demons than you do. Cascade can’t afford to lose you. They don’t want me as king. They want you. I’m an outcast. A murderer. You’re the person who looks out for them.”
Janessa took in a deep breath, but she didn’t argue. “I’ll help from up there. I know how to use a bow and the walls will protect me.”
Trester looked toward Galtrand. Galtrand started to deny her even that, but Trester interrupted him. “That will work. Stay safe, sister.”
“As you.”
Rosha
Something was tugging at her conscious, trying to pull her from the nightmare she was in. Mercea was on top of a sand dune staring down at them. Her purple sword was in hand, gleaming in the sun. Urian was in front of her and behind him was a swarm of smaller demons.
She sat up in bed, gasping. Urian was here. How had she not known he was coming? Verite should have told her. Furthermore, she should have felt the demon.
Sweeping her legs over the edge of the bed, she pulled her clothes on, hoping it wasn’t too late. Everything hinged on this fight.
Mercea seemed to have escaped capture as well. She’d had no idea the woman was here in the palace. If she had known, she could have acted sooner. Rosha frowned, shaking her head. She had allowed herself to become distracted from what was necessary. She should have carried through with her plans. Instead, she had waited too long, curious how everything was going to play out. She hoped it wouldn’t become an issue.