Wielder's Fate

by T. B. Christensen

  “Yes,” Giselle said quietly. “But that will not distract me from my devotion to you,” she added quickly. “I will love and serve you as I should.”

  “I don’t doubt your loyalty,” he stated with a smile. “If Darian loves you, you are someone I would put my trust in even if you had not sworn your devotion to me.”

  “I am not sure that he still loves me like he once did,” she replied sadly. “It was a long time ago that we were promised to one another.”

  “Darian still loves you as much as he always has,” Traven stated confidently.

  “You are certain?” Giselle asked with a look of hope.

  “Certain.”

  The beautiful elven maiden’s face lit up and her violet eyes almost seemed to shine in the darkness. She smiled at Traven.

  “Thank you for telling me,” she said gratefully. “It is enough for me to know that he loves me as much as I love him. I will be happy.”

  “No, it is not enough,” Traven continued. “If you two love one another, you should be joined in marriage. It is painful to be so near the one you love and not be able to commit to love one another forever. There is no reason why the two of you can’t continue your courtship and move forward with your plans to marry.”

  Giselle gasped at his words and stared back at him with a stunned look. The look of shock soon faded to one of excitement as Traven smiled and shook his head assuringly.

  “If you choose to resume your courtship,” he continued, “I will support your decision wholeheartedly.”

  Giselle could contain herself no longer and threw her arms around him in an excited hug. She pulled tight against him and buried her head on his neck. He hugged her back with a satisfied smile, thankful that his position had allowed him to encourage the union of two hearts and not deprive them of their deserved happiness.

  Wrapped in the arms of the lovely maiden and with the sweet fragrance of her hair assaulting his senses, Traven’s own heart groaned inside him. Despite the joy he felt for his two devoted friends, there was an opposing feeling of despair and jealousy. He feared he might never realize the joy of marrying the one he loved.

  He still dreamed of the princess. Whether it was a vision or merely an ordinary dream, Kalista was always present when he slumbered. The memory of their times spent together and the letter in his pocket often consumed his thoughts during the day. She had somewhat mentioned her feelings towards him in the letter, but as yet he had failed to make any of his own feelings known to her. He had never felt like it would be proper to since she was a princess and engaged. After she had confessed she had some feelings for him, he supposed it would now be okay to express his own.

  Giselle pulled back from Traven and wiped the tears of joy from her eyes. He looked back at her with a smile, which she readily returned. Seeing her smile made Traven more determined to share his own feelings with Kalista. It most likely would amount to nothing, but at least he would have no regrets.

  * * * * *

  Darian paced back and forth before directing another angry look out over the field. He could make out Traven and Giselle in the distance. They had been sitting next to one another, and now it looked like they were hugging. What was going on? He should not have offered up so much information earlier. Then again, it was his duty to answer his master truthfully. He shook his head and sat back down next to the fire. He trusted Traven but did not like the idea of any man alone with Giselle. Her beauty was beyond compare and could enchant the noblest of men.

  His head jerked back in the direction of the field as he heard them slowly approaching. Giselle was holding Traven’s arm as they returned through the tall grass. Why was she holding on to him? He tried to remain calm as they entered the camp next to Traven’s tent. Darian watched closely as Giselle looked at Traven with a smile. She then released his arm and walked towards the fire. He could see that her eyes were puffy, as if she had been crying. His muscles tensed as he fought to stay seated and in control. What had happened?

  He spared a glance for Traven who had a blank expression on his face as he watched Giselle walk towards him. Darian returned his attention to Giselle as she finished crossing the distance to him. She gave him a mischievous smile and sat down directly at his side. He started with surprise when she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. Traven’s blank face broke out in a grin. He winked at Darian and disappeared into his tent.

  “I still love you,” Giselle whispered.

  The words sounded like a symphony as they floated quietly into Darian’s ears. A thrill went through ever fiber of his being. He stared at the dazzling maiden, shocked at hearing her say those words so unexpectedly.

  “And I still love you,” he heard himself mumble in return.

  The words seemed to escape from his mouth of their own accord. He wondered belatedly if it was wise to express the true feelings of his heart. He was devoted to Traven and should control himself better. Giselle’s eyes lit up as she put one of her soft hands against his cheek.

  “Do not worry,” she said as if she could read the conflict in his eyes. “Our master has given us his permission to renew our courtship. In fact, he wholeheartedly approves of our union.”

  Darian’s eyes grew wide at the announcement. Was such happiness possible? Giselle giggled softly and pulled his face towards hers. He could not help thinking once again of how generous and great a master Traven was. Giselle’s lips met his, and all thoughts, except the pure joy of being so close to the one he loved, disappeared.

  30

  Blaize let out a sigh of relief as he crested the rise and saw the towering walls of Kavar in the distance. The bright red and blue roof tiles of the city sparkled in the sun. The citizens would at last be delivered to the safety of the city’s thick walls. A cheer rose up among the large number of citizens as they began cresting the hill and catching sight of Kavar as well. Their measured pace increased as the sight of the city so near gave them an added dose of energy.

  It was still early in the afternoon, and Blaize hoped to have the entire group inside the city before nightfall. He had pushed the citizens hard ever since the army had caught up with them, but the galdaks had slowly been gaining on them. It was possible the monsters would be in position to strike Kavar sometime late that very night, but he thought it more likely that no attack would come until the following evening. Regardless of when the galdaks ended up attacking, he wanted everyone behind the city’s walls as soon as possible.

  Blaize remained on the rise while the Princess Kalista, the Baroness of Candus, and the Vice Baron Gavin continued leading the citizens on towards the city. The soldiers of the Royal Army would be the last to pass through the gates. He looked on as the massive crowd of people slowly made their way across the final flat stretch to Kavar. The afternoon passed slowly in the hot sun as the citizens reached the eastern gate of the city and began to stream inside.

  By evening, it was finally time for the soldiers to enter the city as well. Blaize took up a position just to the north of the gate and watched with interest as his soldiers marched into Kavar. He paid particular attention to how fatigued they seemed and in what state the different divisions were in. The army would need to be ready tonight to repel an attack if it occurred, but he hoped the soldiers of the city would be ready to protect the walls if necessary and allow the majority of his troops to receive a good night’s rest.

  With the rising of the moon, the last of his soldiers passed through the eastern gate. Blaize covered a yawn with the back of one of his massive hands and entered the city as well. A portcullis was immediately lowered, and the gates swung shut with a loud clap. Waiting for him just inside the gate was the commander of the city guards. The commander was slightly older than he and had a look of hardness and seriousness about him. The two warriors promptly saluted to one another.

  “Welcome to our city, Commander General Blaize,” the commander of the city guards said. “My name is Commander Bentley. We’ve been expecting you.”

  “Thank
you, Commander Bentley,” Blaize replied. “I’m glad we arrived here before nightfall. The galdak horde is no doubt already on the march and could arrive before the night is over.”

  “Should we expect an attack tonight then?” the commander asked.

  “I don’t believe so. The galdaks have been marching hard since they left Candus. I assume they will rest at least one day before mounting a full scale attack.”

  “If they do attack tonight, we’re ready for them,” Commander Bentley stated confidently. “I have over five thousand rested soldiers ready to defend the walls and the gate, and new recruits are adding to our numbers daily.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Blaize replied. “We need more troops, and my soldiers could use a full night’s rest.”

  “You look like you could use a full night’s rest as well,” the commander observed.

  “I won’t deny it,” Blaize said with a chuckle. “If it’s okay with you, I will retire for the night.”

  “Go ahead and get some rest,” Commander Bentley said. “If the reports we’ve heard are accurate, the next few days will be difficult.”

  Blaize nodded to the commander of the guards and glanced up at the sky. The stars were beginning to disappear, one by one, as the dark clouds that had followed the army all the way from Candus began to blot out the sky. He shook his head with a grimace. It looked like the sun wouldn’t be greeting them in the morning.

  “What is it?” Commander Bentley asked as he followed Blaize’s gaze up to the sky. “It’s just a summer storm. It will do more to hamper our enemies than it will us.”

  “It’s anything but a summer storm,” he replied. “These dark clouds arrive with the coming of the galdak horde and remain above them. They won’t drop any rain. All they’ll do is deny us the pleasure of the sun, moon, and stars for as long as the battle lasts.”

  “Are you serious?” the commander asked skeptically. “Do these monsters truly have power over the weather itself?”

  “The galdaks don’t have any supernatural powers,” Blaize replied. “They are large, ferocious, and accustomed to the dark, but they are definitely mortal. If you stick a sword in them, they die as easily as any other beast. However, they do have a very powerful wielder traveling with them. I believe he creates the dark clouds to help provide an advantage for his warriors.”

  “So there truly is a wielder in their midst,” Commander Bentley said speculatively, more as a statement than as a question. “Did he really blast apart the wall of Candus with lightning bolts?”

  “He did,” Blaize confirmed. “I witnessed it personally.”

  “Will he try to do the same here?”

  “I assume so,” he replied. “The walls in your city are taller and thicker than those at Candus, so we can only hope they will offer more resistance. Nevertheless, the galdak wielder is incredibly powerful, and it is quite possible that he will create several breeches in the city wall. The galdaks are also good climbers and used grappling hooks with chains to scale the walls at Candus.”

  “That is good to know,” Commander Bentley replied. “Tomorrow, if you would, I would like to hear a full account of the monsters’ strategies and tendencies. For now, I think it best you get some rest. My sentries are vigilant, and my men are capable of keeping watch tonight.”

  “Thank you,” Blaize replied. “Feel free to wake me if necessary.”

  “Let’s hope it isn’t necessary.”

  “I agree.”

  Blaize took leave of the commander and made his way to the city barracks. There he found his own private room. It was nothing fancy, but it was nice to have an actual roof over his head. The majority of the soldiers were camped in tents in the training fields surrounding the barracks. The tents had been set up practically on top of one another in an effort to accommodate so many troops in such a small area.

  He knew there were going to be supply and space issues in the city. Kavar was a large city but not nearly as populous as Candus. With the influx of the troops and all of the refugees, Kavar would be filled to bursting. It would be difficult for any city to suddenly support more than double its own population. He shook his head as he lay down to sleep. He would have plenty of time to worry about everything in the morning. The long march and intense fighting prior to leaving Candus had left him exhausted, and it only took moments for him to drop off into a deep sleep.

  A knock at his door awoke him. He quickly got out of bed and threw open the door, wondering if the galdaks were attacking. A messenger stood calmly in the stone hallway. The soldier didn’t appear rushed or flustered, and Blaize allowed his quickly beating heart to slow down.

  “Proceed,” Blaize commanded calmly.

  “Commander General Blaize,” the soldier began, “the galdak horde has just been spotted to the north. It appears they are setting up camp. Commander Bentley requests your presence at the eastern gate.”

  Blaize nodded to the messenger and sent him on his way. He dressed and fitted on his weapons. Surprisingly, he felt well rested. He wondered what time it was as he made his way down the stone hallway. A sentry opened the outer door for him as he exited the barracks. He was happy to see that it was dawn and that he had managed to get a full night’s rest after all.

  He quickly made his way through the city to the eastern gate. In the dim morning light, he noticed even more than he had the night before how crowded the city had become. A disquieting thought crossed his mind. As the battle progressed and soldiers died, part of the overcrowding problem would be relieved. He grimaced at the thought and pulled up near the base of the gate. He located Commander Bentley at the top of the high wall nearby and ascended the stairs to join him.

  “Commander General Blaize,” the commander of the city guard said in welcome. “I trust you slept well.”

  “I did, thank you,” Blaize replied. “I hope you got some sleep as well.”

  “I got some,” Commander Bentley answered with a smile. “Our scouts arrived before dawn to announce the approaching galdak horde. Our sentries in the watch towers soon confirmed the position of the horde as the sky grew lighter. The beasts haven’t moved any closer since. It seems they are currently setting up their camp.”

  Blaize looked eastward and located the large camp in the distance. The distance to the camp seemed equal to the distance left by the galdak horde outside of Candus. He assumed their methods would be similar to those employed previously.

  “Should we expect an attack today?” Commander Bentley questioned.

  “Not during the day,” he answered. “They will rest today and attack when night falls.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “No one can know for sure, but I assume they will follow the same pattern as at Candus. They always attacked at nightfall and returned to their camp at dawn.”

  “So they are nocturnal beasts?”

  “Yes,” Blaize stated. “At least, that is how they have behaved so far.”

  Blaize commenced to explain in greater detail how the battles had played out at Candus. He began by explaining the frenzied attacks by the creatures and their tendencies to continue fighting to the death rather than retreating. Their strength and size were detailed. The galdaks’ method of scaling the walls and the formations in which they attacked were also explained. Blaize finished by relating what the galdak wielder had done after defeating Traven in a duel. Commander Bentley listened intently to everything. He thought for a moment and then posed a question.

  “But the galdak wielder never joined in the battle after?” the commander asked.

  “No,” Blaize replied. “I’m not sure why. I suppose he knew that the horde’s numbers would eventually overwhelm us. Regardless of the reason, I expect him to make an appearance tonight. If not, we’ll count ourselves lucky.”

  “What of the human wielder? Will he join in our defense?”

  “I’m not sure,” Blaize replied. “He left the battle at Candus to find an object that would allow him to better defend us. We haven’t hear
d anything from him since. Hopefully, he’s not far behind the galdaks and will join us soon.”

  “Do you really expect him to return?” the commander asked. “I heard rumors that he fled the battle in disgrace, having been nearly killed by the galdak wielder.”

  “The Wielder Traven will return,” he replied confidently. “Whether or not he was successful in his quest, I can’t say. It is true that he was defeated by the galdak wielder, but he is no coward. He is one of the most honorable and courageous men I know. He will rejoin us as soon as possible.”

  “I wish I had your conviction,” Commander Bentley stated. “I am confident we can defend these walls against hundreds of thousands of these monsters, but I am not sure what we can do to counter magic. It would be invaluable to have a wielder to stand with us and defend against the unknown powers of the galdak wielder.”

  “Traven will join us,” Blaize repeated. “I just hope he found what he was looking for and is traveling to us swiftly. In the meantime, we’ll have to defend the city as best we can without him.”

  “Agreed,” the commander responded. “My five thousand guards and I are at your service.”

  “Thank you. We have all day to prepare for the attack. We will be better prepared than we were for the initial attack on Candus. First of all, I would like you to have all of the blacksmiths in the city work earnestly at furnishing the guards on the walls with as many tools as possible for cutting the chains of the grappling hooks that the galdaks will use to scale the walls. The fewer that reach the top, the better.”

  Blaize was about to proceed with orders when a breeze hit him square in the face, and he distinctly heard his name. Commander Bentley looked around in confusion. Blaize glanced around as well and saw that no one else was near enough to have said it.

  “What was that?” the commander asked, still searching for the source of the voice. “You heard it too, didn’t you?”