“I thought there were only human wielders,” he said. “There aren’t elven wielders, are there?”
“No,” Darian replied. “All elves have a small portion of the power of the ambience within them, but none are truly wielders. I’ve never heard of a galdak being a wielder, but I suppose it is possible if this misshapen creature before us is in fact a wielder.”
Traven turned back to the dish and recoiled with surprise. The ancient galdak’s eyes were wide open and a fiendish grin split his furrowed face. The image then disappeared and was replaced by a haze. Traven released his hold on the ambience, and the water returned to only reflecting the ceiling above.
“At least we got a look at our enemy and his army,” Blaize said gruffly. “We’ll need to prepare our troops immediately. The horde is close enough to attack during the night if they choose to. Will the ancient wielder be a problem?”
“I don’t think so,” Traven replied confidently. “His aura wasn’t nearly as bright as Kadrak’s was.”
“What are you talking about?” Blaize interjected. “You keep talking about an aura, but I have no idea what that means.”
“Wielders have a glow around them,” Darian explained before Traven had a chance to reply. “Only other wielders can see it. It allows them to judge other wielders’ strength in the ambience.”
“Hmm,” Blaize said with a thoughtful look. “So you know that you are more powerful in the ambience than the galdak wielder?”
“No,” Traven replied. “I can’t see my own aura, so I can’t really say that. However, since the galdak wielder is much weaker in the ambience than Kadrak was, I don’t think he will be too much of a problem.”
“Understood,” Blaize stated. “Let’s go find Gavin and report what we know. Regardless of the strength of the galdak wielder, the horde he is with is almost innumerable. I fear we’ll be hard pressed to defend the city even with the large army we currently have here.”
Traven followed Blaize out the door as Darian deftly donned his hooded cloak and hurried to join them. Blaize led them to the other side of the palace. Traven had never been in this part of the palace before. It appeared much the same as where his rooms were located, but there were more people and servants in the halls. It was apparent that more occurred in this section of the palace than near the guest chambers.
As he followed Blaize, Traven noticed that many of the people he passed would stop what they were doing and stare at him. He wondered if it was unusual for them to have visitors in this section of the palace or if they recognized him specifically. It still made him uncomfortable, but he was slowly becoming more accustomed to the attention. They finally left the halls and were directed to a large waiting room. A clerk informed them that Gavin and the baroness would join them shortly.
“Are you ready?” Blaize asked.
“Ready for what?” Traven responded.
“Our meeting.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” he asked. “Besides, you’re the commander general. You’ll be doing all of the reporting.”
“I’m not talking about that,” Blaize said with a mischievous smile. “If Gavin and the baroness will both be here, you know who else will be with them.”
Traven’s stomach did a somersault. The Princess Kalista would soon be in the same room as him. Their previous meeting had been on his mind often. He supposed he didn’t have to worry. They wouldn’t be interacting at all. Yet, he still wondered what the princess thought of the moment they had shared yesterday morning. Perhaps she had already forgotten about it.
“That’s what I mean,” Blaize said as he started laughing. “You’re speechless at the very thought of it.”
Darian joined in chuckling as Traven turned a bright shade of red. The city was on the brink of a large scale invasion, and Blaize was making fun of him. He shook his head. He supposed in difficult times it was good to be able to maintain a sense of humor.
“I’ll be just fine,” he replied, composing himself.
* * * * *
“I am worried,” Gavin stated as they walked through the hall towards the room where Commander General Blaize was waiting with a full report of the approaching force. “When the Balthans invaded, we clearly had superior numbers. We were faced with the unknown of a wielder, but at least we were facing other humans.”
Kalista looked up at Gavin’s concerned face as she held tightly to his arm. The baroness walked tiredly on the other side of him. No one had received much sleep the night before. They had been awakened in the middle of the night with reports that the army was under attack. Despite her pleadings and those of Gavin’s mother, he had quickly gotten ready and headed to the battle. Both she and the baroness had waited anxiously until he returned to the palace safely.
Fortunately, Gavin had not been injured. He had fought bravely and helped to turn the tide in favor of the Kalian Army. She could hardly believe her fiancé had led the cavalry in a charge straight into the middle of an army of fiendish beasts. From what she had heard, the galdaks had been ferocious and unyielding. Eventually, the bravery of men like Gavin had overcome the vicious attackers.
She understood why Gavin was so worried. Rumors were spreading that an innumerable host of the red creatures was marching for the city. The Kalians had won the battle the previous night but had sustained enormous casualties. He was greatly concerned for the safety of his city and its inhabitants.
They reached the doors to the waiting room and strode inside. Kalista realized with surprise that the meeting would not only be with Commander General Blaize but also with Traven and his cloaked servant. Traven lowered his eyes when her gaze swept over him. She was both glad and unsettled at the sight of him. She had not thought of him at all today while occupied with everything else that had been happening. Now, the memories of their encounter the previous morning came rushing back.
“Commander General,” Gavin said in greeting. He glanced at the other two but didn’t say anything to them. “Please proceed with your report.”
“There have been multiple reports received this morning that the galdak horde numbers in the hundreds of thousands and that they are heading towards the city,” the commander general stated. “With Traven’s assistance, I have seen the size of the horde with my own eyes and can confirm that the reports are accurate.”
A small gasp escaped from the baroness, and Gavin stepped to his mother’s side to offer his support. It appeared the rumors were true. Hundreds of thousands of galdaks? Where had they all come from?
“We also discovered that there is a galdak wielder with the horde,” Commander General Blaize continued. “He is old and weaker in the ambience than the Wielder Kadrak was but is still a potential threat. Traven should be able to eliminate him if it becomes necessary.”
Kalista glanced at Traven. The young wielder stood confidently with his eyes no longer averted. Their eyes locked for a moment, and a small smile played across his lips. She was glad to have him on their side.
“The horde is close enough to strike as early as tonight. It would be wise to begin mobilizing the entire army as soon as possible,” the commander general advised as he finished his report.
All was silent for several moments as the reality of the situation settled in. Gavin finally cleared his throat to speak.
“How many soldiers do we have left?” he asked.
“A little under seventy thousand,” Commander General Blaize responded. “We lost around ten thousand last night.”
Gavin reached up and raked his hand through his hair in frustration. Kalista felt the same way. They were greatly outnumbered. She was surprised to hear that the casualties suffered the night before had been so high. The Kalian Army had been taken by surprise, but it was nonetheless frightening to think that a relatively small group of galdaks had worked so much destruction. At least they now knew what to expect and had the advantage of the city wall to protect them.
“Begin mobilizing your soldiers,” Gavin stated. “We will send messages to gather
in the rest of the villagers living in the nearby communities. We will also send a proclamation through the city announcing the coming siege and requesting additional recruits for the army.” He paused and then continued. “Traven, you will refrain from hand to hand combat. Your ambience wielding skills will be of more value to the army than your sword skills. You will not foolishly place yourself in danger as you did last night.”
Kalista was somewhat taken aback by Gavin’s command. She wondered what Traven had done the night before. She glanced at the young wielder and found him standing rigidly as he stared back at Gavin. A look passed between the two of them before Traven nodded his head in acceptance.
“You would be wise to heed your own advice.”
Gavin’s eyes flashed with anger as his attention turned to Traven’s cloaked companion. The man still stood with his head down and his face in shadow, but it was obvious it was he who had spoken. It was the first time she had heard him speak, and she was surprised by the tone with which he had countered Gavin’s command. It was definitely not the tone of a submissive servant. The cloaked man’s voice had been dripping with contempt.
“He has no right to speak in this setting,” Gavin said angrily to Traven. “If you cannot control your servant, he will need to leave this audience.”
“I believe gratitude is an important quality for a future king to possess,” the cloaked servant said as he raised his head and spoke defiantly.
“That is enough,” Gavin stated. “I will not stand for such insubordination.”
Traven’s servant took a threatening step towards Gavin but was immediately stopped by his master’s outstretched arm. Traven whispered something to him, and the man stepped back and dropped his head. Kalista could not believe the audacity of Traven’s servant. Surprisingly, Traven did not appear upset or embarrassed by the man’s outburst. She glanced at Commander General Blaize and was startled to find a slight smile on his face. Gavin was fuming at her side. Obviously, something had happened the night before that she was not aware of.
“What is going on?” she asked.
She could see that the baroness was curious as well, but all of the men remained silent. She looked up at Gavin and saw that his jaw was firmly set. It appeared he was not going to tell her at the moment
“Fine,” she stated. “Let us forget about it and move on with the important work of protecting our land.”
She quit talking and listened as Gavin and the commander general began discussing the movement of the soldiers and the manning of the walls. Traven excused himself, saying he needed to get some more rest if he wanted to be at full strength when the attack came. Their eyes met for a second as he passed her, and then he and his cloaked servant were gone. Traven did look tired, but there was a burning in his eyes as well.
Kalista waited patiently while the rest of the initial details were discussed. She was very curious about what had happened. It was apparent something had upset Gavin and he did not want to talk about it. However, Commander General Blaize had seemed to find the situation amusing. She hoped she might be able to get some information from him once the meeting was over.
The baroness eventually excused herself, and Kalista left with her. Instead of returning to her quarters, Kalista walked a little ways down the hall and waited around a corner. The commander general would have to pass by her before he left the palace. Thankfully, she did not have to wait very long.
“Commander General Blaize,” she said as he strode quickly down the hall past her.
The large general stopped and turned to her. She decided she might as well be direct.
“What happened last night?” she asked. “What did Traven do to make Gavin so upset?”
The commander general wrinkled his brow in thought for several moments before answering.
“Traven was essential in our victory last night,” he said. “He single handedly slew several hundred galdaks with his sword. Perhaps Gavin felt that Traven took too many risks.”
“There is more than that,” Kalista pressed. “What else happened?”
“Traven also saved Gavin’s life,” the commander general stated. “When the vice baron was knocked from his horse and lost consciousness, Traven leapt to his aid. He cleared the area of danger and healed Gavin. That’s all of it in a nutshell. May I continue on?”
“Yes,” she said. “Thank you.”
She watched as the large general hurried on his way. She stood in stunned silence for several moments. No wonder Traven’s servant had been so upset. Not only had Gavin not thanked the young wielder for saving his life, he had slighted him. She wondered what had gotten into her fiancé. He normally did not act that way.
Kalista began wondering what all of the details were surrounding what had happened the previous night. She had been under the impression that Gavin and his charge with the cavalry had been key in turning the tide of the battle, but he had not mentioned being knocked from his horse and almost killed. The commander general’s comments led her to believe the battle may have played out much differently than she had been told by Gavin. Had Traven really saved his life? She would have to get a full report of the battle. She wanted to know the truth.
10
Traven sat up and stretched. He rubbed his eyes and got out of bed for the second time that day. He felt much better than he had earlier. After the morning’s meeting, he had returned to his room to eat breakfast and sleep. Traven walked over to the window and looked outside. The sun appeared to be directly overhead. He had only slept a couple of hours but was thankful for the added rest. If the galdaks did attack that night, he would be in better shape to defend the city.
“Lunch is here,” Darian said as he poked his head into the bedroom.
Traven turned from the window and followed Darian over to the small table in the antechamber that was covered with food. They were both enjoying the continual supply of delicious fare while staying in the palace. They sat down and began eating the assortment of breads, cheeses, meat pastries, and fruits.
“I still can’t believe you said what you did to Gavin,” Traven stated.
“What is so unbelievable about it?” Darian asked. “The man needed to be reprimanded for his disrespect towards you.”
“He’s the future king of Kalia.”
“What do I care for a future human king? I would have said the same thing even if he was the High King. I am an elf and feel no loyalty to any human but you. I will not stand idly by and watch my master be slighted.”
“Gavin was being rude, but it wasn’t such a big deal,” Traven replied.
“It was a big deal,” Darian continued. “When someone saves your life, you show them gratitude and treat them with respect. You do not try to publicly embarrass them. If not for you, Gavin would be dead. Maybe you should have let him die?”
Traven rolled his eyes and continued eating. Darian had a point, but it would have been best to ignore the slight. He wondered how long they would continue to be welcome within the walls of the palace. It was obvious that Gavin’s temperament had changed since he had initially invited them into his home. With all that was going on, Traven really couldn’t blame the man.
“Thank you for standing up for me,” he said to his devoted servant. Even though he thought it would have been best to stay quiet, he was grateful for Darian’s loyalty.
“Any time,” the elf replied with a smile. “And so you know, I was not planning on doing anything rash. I just wanted to see if Gavin would stand his ground.” Darian took another bite before his eyes took on a mischievous gleam. “I said what I did for more than one reason.”
“Really?” Traven asked, not sure what Darian was getting at.
“Yes,” the elf continued. “I said what I did for the benefit of your lovely princess.”
“How did it benefit her?”
“You saw her. She was very curious as to what the exchange was all about. By now, I am sure she has discovered the truth that you were the hero of the battle last night.”
“What is the point?” Traven asked. “It doesn’t matter if she knows.”
“It will help her in her decision,” the elf replied.
“What decision?”
“The decision between you and Gavin. Normally, I would stay out of such things, but since you like her, I suppose it is part of my duty to help you win her.”
“I can’t win her,” Traven responded, slightly frustrated. “She’s the princess. The decision of her marriage has already been made.”
“Does she know that?” Darian asked.
“What do you mean?”
“I have seen the way she looks at you,” the elf continued. “If she were in love with the vice baron, she would not look at you the way she does.”
Traven stared into the face of his elven companion. Darian was being completely serious. Was it possible the elf’s observation was correct? Was it possible the princess was interested in him? He shook his head. He shouldn’t even entertain the thought.
Darian shrugged his shoulders and finished his lunch. Traven sat back, forgetting about the food for a moment. His feelings for the princess surged within him. She had held onto his hand the previous morning. Maybe she really did have feelings for him. Then again, did it really matter? She was already engaged. He shook his head once more in frustration. He needed to focus on the looming battle, not on Kalista.
He joined Darian in finishing the food. Afterwards, he practiced wielding the ambience, being careful not to waste too much energy. He also discussed with Darian various strategies he might use to help the Royal Army in battling the galdaks. The afternoon passed slowly. He finally decided that he would visit Blaize at the eastern gate and get an update on the current situation. He left his quarters and made his way towards the front of the palace. It would be easier for him to plan his own strategy if he knew how Blaize was planning to defend the city.
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