As he rounded a corner, Traven stopped in mid-step. Half way down the hall, the princess was gazing out a window. He was surprised to see her in this part of the palace. He almost turned around but realized he was being foolish. There was no reason he couldn’t walk past her on his way out of the palace. He continued down the hall and had almost reached the princess before she turned and looked at him with a smile. Her hair shown like gold in the dim light streaming through the window, creating a muted halo that framed her face.
“I am glad you passed this way,” Kalista said as he came to a stop next to her. “I hope you were able to rest.”
“I was, thank you,” Traven responded politely.
“I would like to apologize for Gavin’s behavior earlier and thank you,” she said. “He was not acting appropriately. I heard how you saved his life.”
“It was nothing,” he stated as he gazed back into her deep blue eyes.
Darian had been right. The princess had searched out the truth of what had happened. The elf’s outburst had paved the way for this moment. Traven ripped his gaze away from Kalista with effort. Despite what Darian had said, Traven didn’t want to fuel the hope that there would ever be anything between the princess and him.
“From what I heard, you were amazing,” Kalista continued. “They say you not only saved Gavin’s life but also turned the tide of the battle by yourself.”
“Whoever said that was exaggerating.”
“I do not believe so,” the princess said as she took a step away from the window and towards him. “I heard it from several different sources. Will you deny that you single-handedly defeated several hundred galdaks?”
“Well, no. I mean, I don’t really remember killing that many, but I was told I did.”
“See,” she said with a large smile. “It was not an exaggeration. Once again, you protected my kingdom. I am running out of ideas of how to show my gratitude to you.”
Traven glanced at the warm smile playing on her lips and had an idea of how she could thank him. He realized what he was thinking and quickly averted his eyes. It would be best for him to hurry on to the city wall.
“I need to get to the eastern gate,” he said hastily, changing the subject.
“I’ll walk with you.”
“No,” Traven replied quickly. “I mean, it would be best if you stayed here, away from any fighting.”
“Believe me,” Kalista said with a laugh, “I have learned my lesson. I do not plan on being anywhere near the battle. I just thought I would accompany you as far as the palace doors.”
“Oh, sure,” he said.
Traven continued down the hall with the princess keeping pace at his side. He wondered why she wanted to walk with him. He definitely didn’t mind the attention, but he wasn’t sure what purpose it served. She had already apologized for what happened earlier.
“Did you dream last night?” she asked suddenly.
He thought for a second before answering. The events of the night were somewhat of a blur. However, he did remember waking up from a vision just as the galdaks began attacking. Thinking about the dream and the red lightning, he suddenly understood the meaning. His visions had been predicting the coming of the galdaks.
“Yes,” he answered.
“Did it have anything relating to the galdaks in it?”
“Yes. I didn’t realize it at the time, but looking back at my recent visions, I can see they foretold the coming of a great threat.”
“Was I in them?” the princess asked.
“Yes,” he replied carefully, hoping she wouldn’t ask any more details.
She didn’t. They soon covered the remaining distance to the front doors. Kalista remained quiet until the doors of the palace were opened for them.
“I must admit that I am curious as to the full contents of your visions, but I will not ask any more about them.”
Traven nodded his thanks with a smile and started down the steps. He hadn’t gotten off the first step before he felt the pressure of Kalista’s hand against his arm. He stopped and turned back to her. She stared into his eyes for several moments before speaking.
“Be careful,” she finally said with a worried smile.
“I will.”
Kalista then released her hold on his arm and waved as he continued down the steps. She had touched his arm and was worried for his safety. He didn’t know what all she felt for him, but he did know she would be thinking of him. His steps became slightly lighter, and a small smile made its way onto his face.
“Are you that excited to get to the eastern gate?” Darian asked, making Traven jump.
He had totally forgotten the elf was with him. He hadn’t noticed anyone but the princess after they started talking. Darian began laughing as he stepped up beside him.
“You two are pathetic,” the elf said with a shake of his head.
* * * * *
Kalista watched from the palace doors as Traven and his cloaked companion left the palace grounds. She was not sure why she had acted so impulsively. She had wanted to let Traven know she had heard the truth and that she was sorry. She had also wanted to thank him for saving Gavin and protecting the city. However, she had not planned on asking him about his dreams or touching his arm.
Kalista slowly made her way back towards her chambers. Her questions and actions had not been proper for an engaged princess. She probably should not have asked Traven about his dreams, and she absolutely should not have asked if she was in them. At least she had resisted the urge to pry into what her role was within the dreams.
Unfortunately, she had not resisted the urge to reach out and grab the young wielder’s arm. She had done it impulsively, without thinking. If some man had reached out and grabbed her arm, he could be thrown into prison. As an engaged princess, she should not have physical contact with any man other than Gavin.
When she had originally sought Traven out, it had been out of a desire to right a wrong. Once she was with him, she had wanted to spend more time in his presence. She felt safe, secure, and more alive in Traven’s presence and had wanted the feeling to last.
Kalista shook her head. She should not even be thinking her current thoughts. She should be going to Gavin to spend more time with him before the battle erupted. Instead, she was heading to her private chambers. She felt conflicted, guilty, and upset and did not want to see her fiancé at the moment. An audible sigh escaped her lips. When had life gotten so complicated?
11
In the dim, evening light, Traven looked out at the invading horde from the top of the city wall. They had finally stopped advancing towards the city and appeared to be digging into a defensive position. Black clouds covered the sky, making it feel like it was later than it actually was. The clouds had arrived with the galdaks the previous night and felt unnaturally dark and gloomy.
“What are they doing?” Blaize asked. “It doesn’t look like they’re getting any closer.”
“They’re setting up camp,” Traven responded. “They stopped advancing awhile ago.”
“We don’t all have your eyesight,” Blaize reminded him. “Let me know if anything changes in their position.”
Traven nodded. He often forgot that he could see farther than others. He continued watching the horde as Blaize walked away along the top of the wall. The massive army of galdaks stretched all the way across the eastern horizon. Regardless of where they had come from, they were here and their intent was evident.
He wondered if they would attack during the night or rest for a day. He assumed they wouldn’t wait long. An army of that size would require an enormous amount of food and wouldn’t want to waste any unnecessary time. The galdaks were digging in far enough away from the city that there would be ample warning before any forces reached the walls.
Not that the Kalian soldiers needed any more time to prepare. They were ready now. After the previous night’s surprise attack, they would not be caught unprepared again. The eastern portion of Candus had been evacuated of
its citizens and replaced with soldiers. The walls were lined with archers and swordsmen, and the cavalry was stationed near the eastern gate. The soldiers had been briefed on the previous night’s battle and understood what they would be facing.
Traven looked down at the thick, solid wall under his feet. The galdaks would have a hard time penetrating the city’s fortifications. As long as he could counter the galdak wielder’s power, the Kalian Army would have an initial advantage despite the horde’s vastly superior numbers. The defenses of Candus should be strong enough to hold the horde at bay for quite awhile.
As a wielder, Traven would need to neutralize the galdak wielder and use the ambience to protect the city. From the safety of the city wall, he could think of many ways in which he could disrupt the attacks of the galdaks and encourage them to return to wherever they had come from. Nevertheless, his fear was that they might not leave, even in the face of defeat. The night before, the galdaks had continued fighting until every last one had been killed. If the main horde of galdaks had the same mentality, the attack could last for many weeks.
Movement at the edge of the horde brought his attention back to his present task. It looked as though a small group of galdaks had broken away from the camp and were making their way towards the city. In the ever diminishing light, it was hard to tell exactly how many. He turned to Darian and saw that the elf had noticed the small group as well.
“What do you think they’re doing?” Traven asked.
“I do not know,” Darian replied slowly. “It looks like there are only about ten of them in the group.”
Traven stared at the small group and nodded in agreement. They weren’t moving very quickly, but they were walking directly towards the city gate. Perhaps it was a group of messengers. He called out for Blaize and motioned for him to join them. It only took a few moments for the commander general to reach his side.
“What is it?” Blaize asked as he squinted out over the plain. “Has something changed? I can’t see the galdak horde anymore in this blasted darkness.”
“The galdak horde is in the same position,” Traven answered. “They’re still digging in and setting up their camp, but a small group of the creatures is approaching the city.”
“How many?”
“Only about ten,” he replied.
“Any guess what they want?” Blaize asked. “Do they look like scouts or messengers?”
“They don’t look like scouts,” Traven replied. “They’re staying in one group and slowly walking straight towards the east gate. They aren’t close enough for me to make out many details. I suppose they could be bringing a message.”
“How far are they?” Blaize asked as he squinted out into the darkness, trying in vain to spot the approaching party.
“They’re still a ways away.”
Traven continued watching the small group. There was a faint light emanating from the center of the party. As the galdaks got closer, he realized there were actually eleven of them in total. There were ten large galdaks, heavily armed. In the center of the group walked a shorter, hunched over galdak. He was the source of the light. A faint glow surrounded him. It was the galdak wielder.
“The galdak wielder is among those in the group,” Traven said, updating Blaize.
“Is he close enough to strike?” Blaize asked.
“Probably,” Traven replied. “He isn’t as powerful as Kadrak was, but I know I could easily strike at him from here.”
He had cleared his mind and began to focus his senses the moment he had realized the galdak wielder was with the group. If necessary, he was ready to create a defensive shield in an instant.
“Do you think he’ll attack?” Blaize asked.
Traven shrugged in response, keeping his focus on the elderly galdak. The group abruptly stopped, still well short of the city walls and out of range of the archers. The galdak wielder looked around at the larger galdaks with him and then shuffled forward on his own, leaving the ten armed galdaks behind.
“I think I see something,” Blaize said.
There were several whistles along the top of the wall as the lookouts began to see the lone galdak approaching the city. The soldiers began tensing with anticipation and a murmur swept through the ranks.
“I only see one,” Blaize stated. “Where are the others?”
“They stopped a little ways back,” Darian answered. “The galdak wielder is the only one approaching.”
Blaize quickly relayed the information along the wall.
“What do you think he’s doing?” Traven asked, thinking out loud.
“I don’t know,” Darian replied. “But it looks like we’re about to find out.”
The galdak wielder had stopped well short of the wall and was raising his hands into the air. Traven tensed with anticipation, readying himself for whatever the old galdak might do. He didn’t sense any disturbance in the air nearby and watched with curiosity as the ancient wielder formed a small ball of fire above his head. The ball suddenly shot up into the air and made an arc directly towards Traven. He waited until it was nearly on top of him before quickly forming a shield to stop it.
The fireball burst apart and disappeared in a bright flash of light. Traven waited in silence for what would come next, but nothing happened. The galdak wielder just stood silently, staring up towards him as if waiting for something.
“I believe that was a challenge,” Darian said quietly, breaking the silence.
Traven regarded the elderly galdak for several moments. He then formed a fireball and sent it streaking towards his challenger. The fireball burst apart and disappeared before reaching its target. All was silent once again. He took another long look at the galdak wielder. He supposed he knew what he needed to do.
“I guess we’ll have a duel,” Traven announced to Blaize and Darian. “I better go down and meet him out on the plain.”
“Are you sure it isn’t some kind of trap?” Blaize asked.
“I don’t think so,” he replied. “There aren’t any other galdaks nearby except for the ten that escorted him here.”
“Should we send you with an escort?”
“No, I’ll be fine with Darian.”
“Be careful,” Blaize cautioned sincerely.
“I will,” Traven responded as he clasped hands with his old friend.
He turned from Blaize and confidently made his way down the stairs to the east gate. Darian followed nimbly behind him. Traven reached the gate and had the guards open it to let Darian and him out. The guards saluted him respectfully, and he nodded back with a self-assured smile. He was slightly nervous but mostly excited. It would be easy to dispatch the galdak wielder in a duel without any distractions. He was fully rested and sure that his strength in the ambience was vastly greater than his challenger’s. It was almost as if the galdak wielder were giving him a gift by challenging him right now. With the elderly wielder no longer a concern, the Kalian Army could focus all of their attention on fighting in a manner they understood.
“Wait here by the gate,” he said to Darian. “I don’t want you close enough to become a target.”
“As you wish,” the elf responded as he stopped. “Be careful.”
“I’m not too worried,” Traven said. “Kadrak’s power was much greater than this ancient galdak’s. The duel should be easy.”
“That is all the more reason to be careful,” Darian said with concern. “One of the most serious mistakes a warrior can make in battle is underestimating his opponent. The galdak wielder only challenged you because he believes he can defeat you.”
“That’s his mistake. He has probably never seen another wielder to compare my strength against.”
“Possibly,” the elf continued, “but that is still no reason for you to be reckless. My father taught me an important saying that has helped keep me alive. He said, ‘Always be confident that you will prevail against an enemy, but never believe that he is weaker than you.’ Remember that. Good luck, Master.”
Tr
aven clasped shoulders with his devoted servant and turned towards the galdak wielder who was waiting patiently in the distance. He walked towards the ancient creature, slowly and confidently. Darian’s advice had been wise, but it was hard not to think of his challenger as much weaker than himself.
As he closed the distance between them, Traven was able to more clearly see the ancient galdak. He was bent over with age and his red skin was marred by countless wrinkles and brown spots. Dangling from his neck were numerous skulls of strange beasts as well as precious stones that reflected the light from the flickering torches atop the city wall. The old wielder’s eyes shown yellow in the darkness. He looked like a monster straight out of a nightmare, but his shriveled frame was hardly imposing.
Traven decided he had gotten close enough and stopped a short distance from his challenger. He kept his mind clear and waited anxiously for his opponent to make the first move. They stared at one another for several moments before the ancient galdak’s face split into an evil smile. Traven frowned. He almost felt sorry to be the one to kill the weak ancient galdak. However, he knew that he was defending the city from the horde and that his actions were justified.
When nothing else happened, he decided that he might as well strike first. The air crackled as he formed three bolts of lightning and sent them crashing down on the old galdak. His opponent quickly formed a shield and blocked all three bolts without even flinching. Traven followed up with a large ball of fire. Just before it reached the ancient galdak, he took a swipe with his mind at the galdak’s shield in an effort to shred it. Surprisingly, the shield stayed completely firm and easily deflected the fireball. It appeared he had underestimated the ancient galdak.
Traven quickly formed a solid shield around himself as the elements began to swirl near his opponent. An incredibly thick bolt of lightning shot out from the galdak wielder’s gnarled hand and slammed into the front of Traven’s shield. It hit with such force that his shield was thrown back into him, knocking him from his feet. Dazed and bruised from the blow of his own shield, he pushed himself to his feet and concentrated all of his power on keeping the shield firm and immovable.
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