Wielder's Fate

by T. B. Christensen

  “Nothing inappropriate happened,” Traven responded. “She was asking me about my visions, and then I gave her a demonstration of screeing. We were looking at the reflection in a small pool of water under the tree. I had just helped her to her feet when you arrived.”

  “That’s a good explanation, but it doesn’t account for the guilty look on your face when I rounded that tree,” Blaize continued. “The princess was completely composed, but you looked like a kid whose hand had been caught in a candy dish.”

  Traven paused before responding. Blaize’s analogy was surprisingly accurate. He had almost been caught with his hand holding a forbidden sweet. He grinned in the darkness, certain that Blaize couldn’t see his expression.

  “Blaize may not be able to see that incredibly large grin splitting your face,” Darian stated, “but I sure can.”

  The smile disappeared immediately but then returned as he started laughing. Darian joined in almost instantly. It took Blaize a little longer, but he finally joined in as well. Traven realized he had nothing to hide from them. They were his two closest friends. He might as well be completely honest with them and get their advice.

  “Fine,” Traven said as he created a flame in the air in the center of the room. “I’ll tell you two what happened.”

  He quickly explained that what he had said was true but went into more detail about his discussion with the princess. Everyone got another laugh out of Kalista’s delayed reaction to being screed. He then explained that when he had pulled her to her feet, she had kept a hold of his hand instead of letting go. It was at that moment Blaize had called for him and then found the two of them standing near one another.

  “And that’s all that happened,” Traven said as he shrugged.

  “I might not understand the ways of humans,” Darian said with a grin, “but I cannot help but wonder what might have transpired if we had not interrupted the two of you.”

  “Oh, stop,” Blaize cut in with a chuckle. “There’s no need to fill the young man’s head with any more ideas.” The large warrior grew serious. “You need to be very careful, Traven. In my experience, no good comes when royals and commoners cross paths.”

  Traven remembered all too well Blaize’s past experience and nodded his understanding.

  “Besides,” Blaize continued, “it might have just been your imagination. You’ve been smitten with the princess ever since the first time you almost ran her over in the halls of the barracks. You were the only one who looked guilty when I walked around that tree and found the two of you together.”

  “Wait a moment,” Traven responded. “I know the princess has often been on my mind since I first rescued her, but I wouldn’t say I am smitten by her.” Having defended himself against the false accusation, he moved on. “And I didn’t imagine it. She did hold on longer than was necessary.”

  “If you say so,” Blaize responded with a shrug.

  “I think Traven is correct,” Darian cut in. “You were in front on the way to the gate, so you did not notice the looks the princess kept giving him on the way here. Apparently, she is feeling something towards him.”

  Traven was thankful for Darian’s support. However, he almost wished the keen elf hadn’t noticed. It was one more confirmation that the princess might feel a little for him of what he felt for her.

  “Regardless,” Blaize said, “the princess is engaged to Gavin. I believe him to be a good person, but there is no telling how a jealous man will react if he gets wind of this. It would be unwise for you to be alone with the princess again.”

  “I know,” Traven replied with a sigh. “I was planning on leaving tomorrow to avoid any problems.”

  “You won’t be going anywhere now,” Blaize stated. “At least not until this issue of attacking creatures is resolved. Just be careful when you’re around her, okay?”

  “I’ll be careful,” he responded. “Now, let’s get on with the real reason why we’re here.”

  He let the flame disappear, bathing the guardroom once again in dark shadows. His recent show for the princess had left him somewhat drained and tired. He took a deep breath before stepping up to the still surface of water and screeing an image of the city. Blaize and Darian stepped to his side as the surface of the water lit up with the image. Blaize let out a low whistle at the sight but other than that remained silent.

  Traven moved the image to the east of the city where the first of the group of refugees were nearing the gate. He then moved the image further east, following the highway. He reached the closest village and moved on, not seeing anything of interest.

  “Stop,” Blaize and Darian said simultaneously.

  Traven stopped moving the image. Obviously the two of them had noticed something he hadn’t.

  “What?” he asked. “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary.”

  “Can you enlarge the areas immediately east and west of the village?” Blaize asked.

  “Sure,” he replied.

  He did as Blaize requested and joined in studying first the east side of the village and then the west.

  “The ground is more disturbed on the east side of the village than it is on the west,” Blaize said. Darian nodded in agreement. “It should be the other way around.”

  Traven suddenly realized what they meant. If the group of refugees grew each time a new village was passed, logically, the path leading away from the village towards Candus would have had more people traversing it. After taking a closer look, it was obvious there had been much more traffic east of the village. It appeared the creatures were taking shelter in the homes of the village. He focused in on the village and watched carefully.

  “There,” Darian said while pointing.

  Traven nodded. He had seen the flash of movement as well. They watched for awhile longer until they had seen three different glimpses of the creatures.

  “Galdaks?” Traven questioned as he looked towards Darian.

  “Yes,” the elf confirmed. “I have never seen one with my own eyes, but I have spoken with those who have.”

  “Galdaks?” Blaize asked with surprise as he shook his head and crossed his arms. “I suppose if there are elves, there might as well be galdaks too. Would you tell me what you know of them, Darian?”

  Traven half listened as Darian shared his knowledge of the galdaks with Blaize. He stared at the image of the village one more time before continuing to move down the highway to the east. If all the galdaks were hidden in the small village, there weren’t that many of them. The report from the messenger had made it sound like there were quite a few more.

  Before he reached the next village, the screeing dish suddenly grew fuzzy. He glanced at it with surprise and checked his conduit and reflector sheet. Both were perfectly smooth. He let the image get further away and soon could see the line where the image changed from clear to clouded. He let out a groan as he realized what was going on. Blaize and Darian paused in their discussion and looked at him.

  “What’s wrong?” Blaize asked.

  “This,” he replied as he pointed at the fuzzy image. “You said the messenger mentioned there might be a wielder. It looks like he was right. I think only a wielder would be able to block my screeing.”

  “So there might be a lot more galdaks than we think?” Blaize asked.

  “I believe so,” Traven replied. “The only reason to block my screeing is if they are hiding something.”

  “Can you expand the field of vision to see how large of an area is being hidden?”

  “Sure,” he replied as he pulled back until the entire blurred area was visible.

  All three stared. The area that was hidden stretched quite far. There was no telling how many were hidden, but it was obvious there could be an incredibly large number of galdaks.

  “It looks like we’ll need to scout the old fashioned way,” Blaize observed. “We might as well prepare for a large scale attack in the meantime. Better to be safe than sorry.”

  Traven agreed. If the main force w
as being hidden and led by a wielder, it would be dangerous not to prepare for the worst. It didn’t appear that too large of a threat would exist until the main group arrived, and it seemed like it would be at least two days before they would reach the city. That should leave plenty of time to fully prepare. The advance group hidden in the village could strike as early as the next day, but he supposed they would wait to be joined by the main force.

  “It seems there are suddenly wielders everywhere,” Blaize stated dryly. “I’m just glad we have one on our side. I will begin making the necessary preparations. I suggest you rest,” he said as he clapped Traven on the back.

  Traven wished him luck and let the image in the shield disappear. He squinted as Blaize opened the door and left. The bright light hurt his eyes, and he could feel the twinge of a headache beginning to form. His sleep had been fitful the night before, and his displays for the princess had left him drained. Darian laid a hand on his shoulder.

  “Blaize’s advice is wise,” the elf said. “You have been wielding the ambience for much of the morning. I would suggest you rest and store up your strength. If there is a wielder leading the galdaks, you will need as much of your strength as possible.”

  Traven nodded in agreement. Darian was right. He needed to rest in order to be ready to face the opposing wielder. What type of a person would lead a horde of monsters out of the mountains and into Kalia? It seemed strange that another wielder had risen up so soon after Kadrak had been defeated. He wondered how strong in the ambience this new wielder was and how much knowledge of the ambience he had.

  His recent battle with Kadrak didn’t make him excited for another magical fight. He had almost died and had been left drained of almost all strength. He wondered if he would have even been able to defeat the Balthan wielder if the man hadn’t been using up his energy all morning in battle. Regardless, Traven had won, and he hoped the experience would help to give him the upper hand if another duel occurred.

  * * * * *

  Kalista glanced over her shoulder, taking one last look at Traven before he disappeared down the stairs. She then returned to looking at the approaching villagers. She needed to focus on the task at hand, but her mind kept returning to the unsettling moment she had shared with Traven back in the palace gardens.

  In the past, she had never thought of Traven as anything more than a loyal soldier and friend. She had to admit that she had always found him boyishly attractive, but she had never allowed the observation to go beyond being anything other than an observation. She had respected his skill with the sword and his bravery, but she had still only seen him as a soldier in the Royal Army. Her views had obviously changed in the last week since he had arrived at the battle as a wielder. She had begun to see him as a powerful ally to her kingdom.

  Ever since the first time he saved her life, she had felt an immense amount of gratitude towards him. Not until he had taken her by the hand this morning and locked eyes with her had a much deeper feeling stirred within her. The memory caused her to feel uneasy. She needed to forget about the whole thing. She was a princess and engaged to be married.

  “What is wrong?” Gavin inquired, interrupting her thoughts.

  “Nothing,” she replied.

  “You seem very distracted,” he continued.

  “Sorry, it has been an eventful morning. One minute I was watching fascinating magical demonstrations and the next I was being told my kingdom is being invaded by monsters.”

  “I suppose it is a lot to take in,” Gavin said. He looked out over the large group that fast approaching the city. “It appears the villagers will arrive soon. We should return to the palace and discuss the situation with my mother. We can help her in coordinating the details of taking care of the refugees.”

  Kalista agreed with Gavin and took his arm as he led her to the base of the wall and through the city to the palace. They passed numerous soldiers who were hurrying to set up camp outside the city. The soldiers had barely had a week to recover from the fierce battle at the pass, and she felt sorry that they might have to fight again so soon. It was difficult to believe that the city might be attacked by a horde of unknown creatures. However, after the recent events involving the ambience, she believed almost anything was possible. She took comfort in the fact that there were so many troops in the city and that Traven was now with the army.

  Gavin was silent as they walked, and she could tell by the look on his face that he was frustrated about something. She knew he was concerned for his city and its citizens but knew it was more than that. Once they were within the palace gates, he stopped and turned to her.

  “Do you think it proper that you spend so much time with a commoner?” he suddenly asked.

  “What?” Kalista said, slightly taken aback. She knew that Gavin was referring to Traven, but she definitely didn’t view the young wielder as a commoner. “Traven is not a commoner,” she explained. “He is a master wielder and a recently crowned hero of Kalia.”

  “That may be so,” Gavin continued, “but he is still technically a peasant.”

  “I suppose you are correct,” Kalista conceded. “However, I doubt anyone will see him as a commoner anymore. Many of the royal ladies who frequent the palace have been asking after him.”

  Gavin stiffened at her side. Apparently, that had been the wrong thing to say. Kalista didn’t understand why Gavin would be stuck on the fact that Traven was a peasant. From the talk in the palace, it seemed that any one of the nobles would be more than happy to associate with Traven. In fact, many of the women had seemed eager for Kalista to arrange a meeting for them. She smiled to herself. She now understood why more than ever.

  “Why are you smiling?” Gavin stated.

  Kalista quickly straightened her face. She was glad Gavin had regained some of his intensity back. She preferred it to his recent apathetic attitude but did not want him to be upset.

  “Sorry,” she replied sincerely. “I was just thinking of some of the ladies’ comments over the past couple of days.”

  “Perhaps you are right,” Gavin said. “Maybe he really is not a commoner anymore, but I still do not think it is proper for an engaged royal of your standing to be alone with him.”

  “Don’t you trust me?” she asked defensively.

  “It is not whether I trust you or not,” he replied. “It is merely what is considered prudent and acceptable.”

  Kalista stared back at her fiancé. He was jealous. She had seen the look on his face when he had found Traven and her alone in the garden. She wondered if the suggestion was more a result of his jealousy or of what was deemed proper. Regardless, she knew he was right. It would be unwise for her to be alone with the young wielder.

  “I agree,” Kalista replied with a smile.

  From the slight look of surprise and then the look of relief, she could tell that Gavin had not expected her to agree so readily. She took his arm and led him through the front doors of the palace. They needed to forget about the morning’s incident and take care of the more important issues that were fast approaching.

  8

  Traven bolted upright in bed with a gasp. His damp clothes clung to him tightly. He took several deep breaths as he tried to calm his racing heart. His nightmares had been gaining in intensity. He kicked off the blankets and lay back down, trying to cool off. Every night his visions ended the same way with a bolt of red lightning searing into him. However, his most recent vision had also been full of fighting and death. As he lay in the silent room staring up in the darkness, he could still faintly hear the screams and cries of war.

  He sat back up quickly. It wasn’t just his memory. His ears were actually picking up the faint noises. Something was happening in the distance. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the almost imperceptible sounds. They were indeed the sounds of battle.

  Traven got out of bed and called to Darian as he hurriedly dressed. He then grabbed his sword and left his room. Darian was already awake and appeared ready to go.

 
“I hear it too,” Darian stated, his eyes glowing slightly in the dim light. “I think the galdaks have arrived earlier than expected.”

  “Then we better hurry.”

  Traven left the antechamber and rushed towards the front of the palace with Darian at his side. All was still and silent in the palace. It appeared word of the attack had not reached the guards yet. Traven and Darian were soon outside under the surprisingly dark night sky. Thick clouds covered the heavens, blotting out the moon and stars.

  It wasn’t long before they were passed by several messengers rushing towards the palace. As they grew closer to the city’s walls, the noise of battle intensified. The normal sounds of battle were interspersed with shrill screams and yells that were definitely not human. The tops of the walls of the city were ablaze with torches. When they reached the gate, Traven noticed Blaize atop the wall and hurriedly made his way up the stairs to his friend’s side. Blaize stood at the edge of the wall, staring out into the darkness.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” the commander general said. “I can barely make out anything in this blasted darkness. What do you see?”

  Traven stared towards the battle, allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness. A fairly large group of galdaks was attacking the center of the army’s encampment. Despite outnumbering their attackers, the Kalian soldiers were being easily pushed back.

  “The army is being overrun,” he stated.

  “How many attackers are there?” Blaize asked.

  “About a fourth of our soldiers,” he replied.

  “I would guess about five thousand,” Darian added in agreement.

  “And yet they are overrunning our twenty thousand soldiers?” Blaize asked.

  “It appears they have the advantage of surprise,” Traven said. “I also think the darkness is playing in their favor, as well as their size.”

  A messenger hurried up the stairs and joined them. He was out of breath, and his face was white.

  “They’re demons. They can’t be killed,” the messenger spluttered. “The soldiers are beginning to retreat to the city.”