Wielder's Fate

by T. B. Christensen

  “You don’t understand,” Darian continued. “I am not even sure they would allow you to be in the presence of the elf king. You are a wielder, so perhaps you would have special privileges that other humans could never hope for. You might be lucky enough to gain an audience with the king. However, the armband of endurance is sacred to the elves. I have a hard time imagining them agreeing to let anyone other than the king of the elves wear it.”

  “Could we steal it?” he asked with a cringe. If the elves wouldn’t loan it to him, he could try to take it anyway.

  “Good luck with that,” Darian said with a sardonic laugh. “The elf king never removes the band from his arm. You would have to kill him in order to take it.”

  Traven let out a frustrated groan. Was it really impossible to obtain the armband? He reflected again on his vision. As he thought of the symbol of the armband of endurance, it seemed to pull at him more strongly than the other symbols, just as the image of the princess had felt more prominent before. The more he thought about it, the more certain he felt that he needed the armband.

  “Are you sure there is no way to get it?”

  “I didn’t say it was impossible,” Darian responded. “I merely meant it would be incredibly difficult. Are you sure it is essential that you obtain it?”

  “Yes,” Traven replied with newfound conviction.

  “Then we will try,” the elf said with a mix of determination and fear in his eyes. “I can lead you to the elf king, but that is all I can promise. I will do everything in my power to help you, but I have no authority among the elves anymore. When I devoted myself to you, I relinquished what authority I might once have had. I will do my best.”

  “Thank you,” Traven replied with sincere gratitude. “That’s all I’m asking for. How long will it take to reach the elf king?”

  “He lives at the base of Mount Morian. If we travel swiftly, we could be there in three days. Whether or not we receive an audience is another question, but I have a few ideas that might work.”

  “We should leave as soon as possible,” Traven stated, thinking out loud. “Maybe we could leave in the morning after tonight’s attack.”

  “Why not leave now?” Darian suggested. “If the armband is essential to our victory, there is no time to waste.”

  “I would feel like I was abandoning the army.”

  “You are not abandoning them if you are leaving on a mission that has the ability to ultimately save them,” the elf countered.

  “I guess you’re right,” Traven conceded. “Nevertheless, I need to provide as much information to Blaize as I can before going.”

  “I suggest we get moving,” the elf said. “The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return, with or without the armband.”

  “I agree. Go back to the palace and prepare for the trip. Get the horses saddled and meet me here. I’ll tell Blaize our plans and give what help I can until you return.”

  Darian nodded his acceptance and sprinted off into the night in the direction of the palace. Traven shook his head as his devoted servant disappeared. Once again he would be rushing off into the unknown because of a dream. His visions hadn’t failed him yet, and he hoped this time would be no different. Still, he couldn’t help feeling apprehensive and wondering whether he was making the correct choice.

  He shook off his worry and gazed back into the smooth surface of water in the shield. An image of the galdak horde instantly appeared. They hadn’t begun advancing towards the city yet, but the flow of galdak warriors lining up had slowed to a trickle. It seemed that the horde was almost in position to begin their attack.

  Traven watched as the galdak wielder and his small group of warriors reached the main body. The old wielder stopped in front of the horde and straightened to his full height. He began energetically gesturing with his arms. It appeared that he was giving an impassioned speech to the on looking warriors. When he finished, all of the galdaks lifted their arms into the air and shouted as one. Traven’s ears easily picked up the far distant sound, and he felt the vibrations in the ground as the horde surged forward. The invasion had now truly begun.

  He was about to let the image disappear but stopped as he noticed something he hadn’t expected. The galdak wielder didn’t appear to be joining the rest of the horde. As the endless multitude of galdak warriors streamed past, the old wielder slowly made his way in the opposite direction towards the encampment.

  Traven let out a sigh of relief. He wondered whether the old wielder was tired and needed to rest or was merely choosing not to fight at the moment. In any case, the Kalian Army would have a much better chance of defending the city without the galdak wielder joining in the attack. He took one last look at the surging horde and let go of his hold on the ambience.

  He left the shield behind and quickly made his way to Blaize’s command center at the top of the wall. Blaize was talking casually with several of his generals. It was apparent they had no idea the horde had just begun advancing. Traven stared out into the darkness. Even he couldn’t spot the horde’s advance in the almost complete blackness of night.

  “They’ve begun to advance,” he stated loudly.

  Blaize and his generals fell silent as they glanced out into the darkness. Traven could hear the rumbling of the advancing horde in the distance.

  “How long ago?” Blaize asked.

  “Only a few moments,” Traven replied. “They’re moving towards the city at a quick pace, but it will still take them a while to reach the wall.”

  “Will you be able to shield our archers from the galdak wielder?” Blaize asked.

  “It won’t be necessary,” he responded. “At least not in the initial attack tonight. The wielder returned to his camp.”

  “Will he remain there?”

  “I don’t know, but at least for the moment he won’t be a problem.”

  “Prepare the soldiers,” Blaize commanded. “Make sure the archers are ready, the cavalry are mounted, and the footmen are in position. At the first sign of the monsters, we’ll light the fires. The galdaks will be stopped. We will not wilt. We will not budge. We will be immovable.”

  The generals saluted and hurried to their respective assignments. Traven watched them go and looked towards the palace at the center of the city. He wondered how long it would take Darian to get everything ready. Hopefully, they could be gone before the battle began.

  “Blaize, I’m leaving,” Traven blurted out.

  “What?” Blaize exclaimed. “You can’t be serious.”

  “I am,” he replied.

  “You can’t abandon the army,” Blaize said sternly. “Just because the galdak wielder is stronger than you doesn’t mean you aren’t desperately needed.”

  “It’s not like that,” Traven explained. “I’m leaving to retrieve an object that will give me a chance to defeat the galdak wielder.”

  “Are you sure such an object exists?”

  “Yes,” he said confidently. “I dreamed about it, and Darian confirmed that he’s seen it and knows where it is.”

  “And you think this object will allow you to defeat the galdak wielder?”

  Traven nodded in the affirmative.

  “Can’t you send someone else to get it?” Blaize asked.

  “No,” he replied. “I don’t even know if they’ll let me have it.”

  “Who has it?”

  “The elf king.”

  “Oh,” Blaize said thoughtfully. “Do you know him?”

  “No,” Traven answered. “I’ve only met the four elves who were the guardians of Faldor’s Keep. I’m not even sure exactly where the elves live, but Darian knows and can lead me to the elf king.”

  “How long will you be gone?”

  “Darian says we can reach the elf king within three days.”

  “That close,” Blaize remarked with surprise. He paused in thought. “So, at the minimum, it will be six days before you return. Hopefully, we can hold until then.”

  “I’ll return as quickly as possi
ble,” Traven assured his friend. “I wouldn’t leave if I didn’t think it was essential to our victory.”

  “I trust you,” Blaize responded as he clasped hands with him. “We’ll do our best until you return.”

  Blaize stared firmly at him before releasing his hand and staring back out into the darkness. Traven peered into the gloom but still couldn’t make out any sign of the galdak horde. It wouldn’t be long before they came into view. He turned and walked away.

  “Good luck,” Traven said over his shoulder as he started down the stone steps. “I’ll keep an eye on the battle and send you messages on the wind with updates of my progress.”

  “Thank you,” Blaize responded. “Be safe.”

  “You, too.”

  Blaize nodded as Traven hurried down the steps and made his way back to the ruined guardroom. Darian hadn’t returned yet, so he started down the main avenue towards the palace. It wasn’t long before the cloaked elf appeared in the distance. He was riding his horse with Pennon trailing close behind. Traven hurried forward to meet them and swung up onto Pennon.

  “Everything is packed and ready,” Darian stated.

  “Thank you,” he responded. “I suppose there’s no reason to wait any longer. Let’s go!”

  They rode speedily down the avenue, back towards the palace. They would pass it on their way to the western gate of the city. Traven glanced back over his shoulder in the direction of Blaize. He was worried for his friend and mentor. The coming battle would be unlike any Blaize or the rest of the soldiers had faced. He didn’t know how long the greatly outnumbered Kalian Army could hold off the invading galdaks. A part of him felt like a coward for rushing away from the battlefront, but he knew that what he was doing was more important than staying and fighting.

  He turned forward and looked at the palace looming ahead. What would happen to the beautiful structure if the army wasn’t able to stop the horde? What would happen to the citizens of Candus? He suddenly felt an urge to search out the princess and take her with him, but he knew he couldn’t take her where he was going. He would have to trust that there was a plan in place to evacuate the city if necessary and that she would be safe.

  Traven resisted the urge to veer to the side and ride into the palace grounds. Soon, the palace was behind him. He stared forward, refusing to look back in the direction of Kalista. The last time he had rushed off it had been towards her. This time, it was away from her. He shook his head, trying to get the princess out of his mind. His focus should be solely on his current mission. He had failed to defeat the galdak wielder, but he would not fail again.

  “She’ll be fine,” Darian said with a chuckle.

  “Who?” Traven asked nonchalantly, pretending that he wasn’t thinking about the princess.

  “You know who.”

  “I don’t know what you mean.”

  “Fine,” Darian said. “Then I guess you don’t care that she left a letter for you in your room.”

  “Kalista wrote me a letter?” Traven burst out excitedly.

  Darian exploded with laughter. Traven didn’t care that he had slipped up. He wanted to know what the letter said.

  “Let me see it,” he demanded.

  “I will retrieve it when we stop for the night,” Darian responded. “It is buried in my bags.”

  The elf urged his horse faster and zoomed off towards the eastern gate. Traven narrowed his eyes and gave chase.

  13

  Blaize looked down from the wall and watched Traven walk away. It was frustrating to see someone with so much power and ability to help the army leaving in such a great time of need. However, he really did trust his young friend. If Traven said he had to leave, it meant he truly had to leave. Others might think differently after the young wielder’s recent failure, but Blaize believed him. He hoped Traven would be able to return quickly with whatever powerful object he was attempting to acquire. If Traven could then defeat the galdak wielder and help the army, his current absence would be worth it.

  Looking out over the city, Blaize was worried for its citizens. There was a good possibility that the Kalian Army could hold off the galdaks for a few days, but he wasn’t sure how much longer. Without Traven, they would be at the mercy of the galdak wielder if he approached the city again. The army would be hard pressed to keep the numberless galdaks at bay without even considering the attacks of a wielder. Blaize hoped he could at least keep the citizens of Candus protected and evacuate them safely when it became necessary.

  He glanced up and down the walls of the city. They were strong, solid walls. They would help to stop the invading creatures as long as the wielder didn’t destroy any more sections of them. There were only three entry points on the eastern side of the city. It would be harder to defend all three than it would have been to defend only one, but it was still doable. The galdak’s advantage of numbers would be somewhat negated by the limited entry points. All three were manned heavily and fortified.

  The walls were lined with archers, and a constant rain of arrows would slow down the monsters. In addition, there were numerous piles of flammable materials set up along the outside of the wall. When the battle commenced, he would have them all lit. The galdaks would have to face a wall of blazing light. He hoped the fires would erase any advantage the creatures expected to have by attacking in the dark.

  The defenses were in place. The army was prepared. Now there was nothing to do but wait. Blaize stared out into the darkness, straining his eyes to make out any sign of the invading horde. All he saw was blackness. He wished he had Traven, or even Darian for that matter, by his side. Either one’s eyes could pierce the darkness better than any of his current men.

  In the silence that always befalls soldiers before the commencement of a great battle, Blaize began to notice a low rumbling sound. It slowly grew louder and louder. He still couldn’t see the invaders, but he could hear them. It wouldn’t be long. Several whistles pierced the air. The galdaks had been spotted. Blaize strained his eyes and began to see the first signs of the creatures. At the moment, they were still no more than moving shadows at the edge of his vision. As they continued rushing forward, the shadows solidified into the forms of numerous monsters.

  Blaize’s heart began thumping faster and his hands twitched. It was about to begin. He quickly calculated how long it would take for them to reach the wall. The creatures were racing forward at nearly an all out run. He waited several more seconds and gave the signal. Bonfires sprang to life all along the wall. The darkness immediately surrounding the city was suddenly pushed back as it was illuminated by the bright flames.

  The galdak warriors, temporarily blinded by the light of the fires, tried to skid to a halt, but the momentum of the horde was too great. Their progress was slowed but only slightly. As the illuminated monsters continued pushing forward, well within range of the archers, three sharp whistles pierced the air. Immediately, the Kalian archers began to rain death down upon their attackers. Volley after volley was sent into the galdak horde. Hundreds of the creatures fell to the ground, but the horde continued forward, right over the top of their fallen comrades.

  The first ranks of galdak warriors closed the final open space to the walls and launched themselves into the stone. It was as if a mighty wave was crashing against a large boulder. The wall shivered with the impact but remained firm. Blaize was once again taken aback by the ferocity of the galdaks. The archers continued to pick off the creatures, but each time one fell, another would instantly take its place.

  Blaize checked the three entry points into the city. None had been breached yet. His soldiers were standing firm in the face of the hellish onslaught. He glanced out over the invaders. Their red bodies and glowing yellow eyes covered the entire visible part of the plain. It truly appeared to be a nightmare coming to life.

  The screams and yells of battle began to be interspersed with a growing number of dull clanking sounds. Blaize watched with narrowed eyes as a grappling hook came clanking down almost on top of
him. The metal hooks scraped against the top of the stones and came to rest at the edge of the wall. The galdaks were beginning to climb.

  Blaize whipped out one of his swords and brought it down on the hook’s rope. The sword bit into the stone with a shower of sparks. Blaize groaned as he realized that the rope was in reality a metal chain. He hacked at it several more times before a link snapped and the chain fell. It appeared the galdaks were better prepared than they had anticipated.

  Three more grappling hooks clanked down near him and scraped the stones before sticking firmly at the edge. It would be impossible to cut through all of the chains quickly enough. He looked back and forth along the wall and saw that several galdaks were already beginning to reach the top. He quickly sent an order for more soldiers to man the walls. It looked as though there would be as much fighting on top of the walls as there would be on the ground.

  Blaize had expected to remain removed from any sword fighting tonight, but it looked as though part of the battle would be coming to him. He silently unsheathed his other blade. No galdak would gain access to the top of the wall anywhere near him.

  * * * * *

  Kalista stared out of the palace window at the dark, silent city. A messenger had arrived earlier informing them that the galdaks were about to attack. She supposed that the eastern edge of Candus was bustling with troops, but all was quiet near the palace. The citizens were in their homes, wondering whether or not they would be sleeping there the following night.

  Everyone was aware of the immense size of the invading army. Some thought the Kalian soldiers could hold the monsters at bay indefinitely, but others believed an evacuation of the city was inevitable. Kalista was with the latter group. She had heard of the galdaks’ ferocity in the previous night’s attack. She had also heard reports that Traven had not been able to defeat the powerful galdak wielder. If Traven could not stop the wielder, she doubted regular soldiers would be able to contain him.