“Daniel Farthing.” The dog then repeated, “The gate is only a brief walk that way. If you try to run or struggle, my guards will tear you to pieces and you will be tossed through the gate anyway.” This was its rehearsed line. It made Silas sick that something could be so callous about someone’s end.
Regardless, Silas had accepted it. This was the end. He was either going to be torn apart by a dog or walk boldly to his death with his chin held high. The line moved ahead one more person. Boo.
Boo could not stop his crying and Silas feared for his premature death. The dog looked down at him. “Name,” it said.
Boo couldn’t say anything through the sobs.
“Name!” the dog yelled. At that moment Boo flung his flabby arms up, throwing Dink and Silas to the floor and began running back to the cell area. The dog at the judge’s seat stood from behind its desk, pointed at Boo with a long finger and yelled, “Get him!”
In an instant, three dogs jumped Boo. Silas turned away from the attack, but could hear the screams and splattering of blood. Boo was dead moments before he should have been. When Silas dared another look he saw two dogs carrying the lifeless weight of flesh to the gate. Once there, they tossed him through, just as the judge had promised. His body disappeared instantly.
The judge looked down at Dink. “Name.”
“Dink Woodward,” he said without hesitation.
“Dink Woodward,” it repeated as it wrote his name. The dog pointed behind it with its thumb as if the whole Boo incident never happened. “The gate is only a brief walk that way. If you try to run or struggle, my guards will tear you to pieces and you will be tossed through the gate anyway.”
Dink braved a glance back at Silas as if to say Good luck.
“Name,” the dog said.
Silas watched as Dink made his way to the gate and disappeared through the glass. One by one they were meeting an inevitable, evil end.
“Name!” the judge snapped once more.
Silas brought his attention back to the judge, sitting high, scowling at what it was sure to think was some worthless individual.
“Silas Ainsley,” he declared.
The judge began to write, but stopped after just a second. “Excuse me, Silas what?”
“Silas Ainsley,” he repeated.
The judge’s eyes moved back and forth frantically as if searching the back of its mind for some lost information. After several moments of this, the judge closed the ancient book, tucked it under an arm and ordered two guards to take position next to Silas. What had he done?
The judge walked down the steps of the high seat and kept repeating Silas’ name over and over. It walked to a door that Silas had not previously noticed and shut it hard.
Silas looked to one of the guards beside him. “Did I do something?”
The guard dog just displayed its sharp teeth more, warning Silas not to open his mouth again. He looked down to his feet then to the gate. He wished he could figure out why he was there and what was going on. His memory was blank. He wished there was something for him to grasp a hold of. He wished there was something to give him hope before he met his sure demise.
After several minutes the judge returned, the massive book still under an arm. Slowly, it walked up the steps and back to the high seat.
“Silas Ainsley,” it said as it opened the book and finished writing his name. “The gate is only a brief walk that way. If you try to run or struggle, my guards will tear you to pieces and you will be tossed through the gate anyway.”
“Why did you hesitate with me?” Silas asked confused.
The judge looked up from under its tiny spectacles and seemed as if it wanted to say something, but thought better of it. “Don’t make the guards tear you apart, Silas Ainsley.”
Silas wanted an answer, but knew he would not get one. Fear moved through him, but he stepped towards the searing gate anyway. He held his head high, knowing death was about to overtake him.
The walk was like eternity and he felt as though everyone behind him, including the man-dogs had faded into a mist. He was alone and just inches away from the heatless fire. He raised his hand to the glass allowing his fingers to go through to the other side. He pulled it back as he felt his fingers go numb with cold as if someone had poured ice water over them. This must have been the cold of death waiting for him. He took one last breath and stepped into the glass. For a moment his entire body was drenched with the freezing cold, just as his hand had been. Then, darkness.
Chapter Eight
It was early morning and Julian Hobbes had a lot of work to do. By day's end he would be in the northern region of Marenon, a place called Farlaweer. It was the capital of Marenon and it housed the king and a large part of the king's army. Julian was not sure if he would ever be granted an audience with the king again, but he had to try. His Majesty was the only person with access to the medallion in that part of Marenon. One may have wondered why the council would have decided to send Julian to confront the king and somehow get close enough to the medallion to steal it. He was the least experienced when it came to council dealings and the youngest person of any of them. But the answer was simple. The king was Julian's older brother. King Morgan Hobbes.
Julian stepped out onto the balcony of his room letting the brisk morning wind wake him. The mountains in the distance were covered with green forests and a blanket of white haze covered the valley. The sun had barely peeked over the horizon, but it called out for all people and beasts of the light to begin their day and start their work. He was still not sure of his plan. He knew he had to request the king's presence and then he would wait. It all depended on how Morgan felt. Morgan disliked Julian greatly, especially since Julian was on the council of a group that had been technically outlawed. But there would be no punishment. Only Dunarians that hindered Marenon’s plans would be punished. It was an unwritten rule of Morgan's. He had detested his father and opposed him on just about every issue. Their father supported the Dunarians for everything they were. He had even given them money to help continue their cause. King Ruben Hobbes had been the best king for the Dunarians, but his sudden and mysterious death meant the rise of Morgan’s power. Julian, having been a close follower of Ruben's politics, had joined the Dunarian Order almost two years before Morgan sat on the throne. Julian was selected to be on the council about the same time their father died, and Morgan took the throne. It was a slap in the face and Julian was happy to provide it. He suspected his brother of being glad that their father was dead. He never thought that Morgan was directly involved in Ruben’s demise, but he wouldn't have put it past him. He never asked because it would have done no good.
Ruben had been out with some of his top generals on some sort of fortification evaluation when they were attacked by a group of rogue Stühocs. At least, that was how it was explained to Julian. No one remained alive to recount the attack, but everything pointed to an ambush. Before their father was even buried, Morgan took the throne. This made Julian hate Morgan all the more. Within a week, the Dunarians were named outlaws. Morgan had declared war.
The war was futile, however. Morgan's close advisors informed him that to fight the Dunarian people would be bad politics, especially since the Stühocs were so vicious and ready to strike at any given moment. They needed allies, not more enemies. The law stood, but nothing was ever done about it. The Dunarians were a free people, but they were played off as outcasts by the king. More and more people came to join them in their struggle, however, and they gained power each day as citizens began to see Morgan’s callousness.
When Julian joined the Dunarians, he had been noticed and selected by Kaden Osric. After rising in the ranks and becoming one of the best fighters and leaders in the Dunarian Order, he was asked to train for a possible membership on the Dunarian Council. After that, he underwent close, personal instruction from Kaden. They worked together for two years and finally, Julian was voted to become part of the Dunarian Council at the young age of twenty-one. This had been
three years before. Many others that were vying for the council position felt he was unworthy of it, and thought that the only reason he was chosen was because he was brother to the king and could therefore be used. This may have been the motivation for some of the council to vote him in, but it was not that of Kaden. Kaden believed in him, he saw true potential. Julian had heard the words come from Kaden many times.
Julian was still angry with Kaden, however. It had only been two weeks since they had a fight. The two of them were laying out the plans to carry out Operation Reckoning and discussing what their next steps should be in obtaining the medallions from the Anwyns in Timugo. Kaden thought the idea to use mercenaries was irresponsible and would only cause them trouble. His reaction had been similar to Teague’s at the council meeting when he found out that they finally did hire the mercenaries. Kaden called Julian lazy for even considering the approach and said that he did not teach him to think in such ways. Julian wouldn’t hear it. He knew his stubbornness would drive a wedge between them, but he also believed that there was no negotiating with the Anwyns of Timugo. The Dunarians had nothing to offer for the Anwyns to hand over such a powerful, priceless object. They shouted at each other for a while, but Julian won. He later left to recruit Alric and his company for the job. Once Julian returned the second time from Canor, the day before, he found Kaden had been sent away by Garland Ainsley to protect Silas. Garland’s presence had caught them all by surprise. Now he was ready to go to Farlaweer. Julian was unrelenting in his method, but he wished he had the chance to make things right with Kaden. He was sure there would be a chance whenever Kaden came back with Silas.
Julian was pulled from his thoughts by a light tapping on his chamber door. He wrapped his bed robe around him, moved toward the door and unlocked it. The door gently swung on its hinges and there stood Nalani holding two cups of a hot steaming liquid. Her green eyes bore into him and her smile was bright enough to make the most depressed person happy, if even for just a moment. Her red hair fell past her shoulders and down her back. She was already wearing her clothes for the day and the elegance she displayed in her lavender dress was unlike any woman he had ever seen.
“I thought you could use a warm drink to start your day,” she said handing him a mug.
He accepted it graciously and motioned her to the balcony where he had been standing. He sipped the hot liquid and let it melt his insides. It calmed his nerves, something he needed when Nalani was in the room. It was difficult for him to talk to her as any other. She wasn't normal. She was the love of his life.
“Today's the big day,” she said. Julian couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement.
“Yes,” he answered. “Today is the big day.”
She leaned her back against the ledge to meet his face as he stepped to it to look out over the horizon. He tried not to look at her for too long in case she started to sense his feelings of anxiety.
“Do you think Morgan will even see you?”
“Doubtful,” Julian said. “He'll probably send one of his advisors or someone useless to dismiss me.”
“What will you do then?”
Julian shrugged. “I haven't really thought that far.”
“Still thinking about yesterday?”
He sighed. “There is too much going on right now. The Stühocs are getting stronger. My brother is making the Humans weaker and the Erellens have not spoken to either group for seventeen years. Holden is under my skin and Barton Teague shouldn't even be here, not yet, at least. We’re not ready.”
“You took it kind of rough yesterday,” she said thoughtfully.
He looked down to her. It was difficult to be angry when she stood next to him so stunning. “Why didn't you contact me, Nalani?”
“We were called to a meeting of the council and I assumed you knew about it,” she answered simply. “When the meeting started, I figured you told Dublin you couldn’t make it because you were still out on the mission.”
Julian believed her. There was no reason not to. The two of them had formed a special bond over the past several years. She had been under training to be on the council about the same time he was. Her abilities matched no other. She could fight her way out of a den of Stühocs with her agility and swordplay. She was no one to pick a fight with. She was a year older than he, still making him the youngest of the council members. They had much in common. Both of them had died on Earth when they were only children. Nalani had no recollection of her death. Unfortunately Julian remembered his death in vivid detail.
He could remember only bits and pieces of his father's story and his rise to kingship. It had been a time of war and great turmoil when the Stühocs were terrorizing the whole land and the armies of Farlaweer and the Dunarians were still trying to grow after their own war some years before. Ruben had died a normal man on Earth and became a king within a few years in Marenon. It was difficult to believe, but true.
Nalani never knew her story. Her parents apparently never came to Marenon. She was raised in Marenon by a couple that had died in a plane crash many years before. They were now a part of the Dunarian people and lived in the city of Jekyll Rock. As her talents emerged while in the Order, Councilwoman Katherine Fallera recognized her abilities. Julian and Nalani were accepted to the council on the same day, two years before.
“What do you think of Teague?” Julian asked her, making sure not to stare too long.
She didn't speak for a long moment, gathering her thoughts, probably hoping she would say the right thing without making Julian angry.
“I think you should give him chance,” she said. “He is the founding member and I think his opinion is valuable.”
“He's trying to interfere with our mission, with The Reckoning.”
“Operation Reckoning was his idea, Julian,” she said setting her cup on the ledge. “If it were not for him you wouldn't be trying to get the medallions in the first place.”
“He didn't stay to finish!” Julian retorted.
“You know what situation he was in, Julian. Don't be naïve.”
He sighed then nodded. She was right, but it didn't change the fact that he didn't like this Barton Teague or Garland Ainsley, whatever he was now called. Even if he did set the plan in motion it was out of his hands now.
Nalani had always been fascinated by the story of Ainsley. The mystery of his sudden disappearance, then reappearance at the coming of the Meshulan, had always seemed too good to be true. Then when he showed up only days before, she became enthralled all the more. She wasn't going to change Julian's mind and he wouldn't change hers. He was done trying.
“Either way, he's not on the council anymore, so he had better not be giving orders,” Julian said. “He may have started the Dunarians, but he is not the leader.”
“I think you should give him a chance,” she repeated, taking another sip of tea.
“If he proves that he can stay out of my way and let the council do its work without hanging on every word of his, then I will be fine.”
Nalani seemed to accept this, but he knew she was not satisfied. Before she could think of anything else to say about the matter he changed the topic.
“Have you thought about it?”
Her smile turned to a stern seriousness that made Julian know what she was about to say.
“I have,” she said.
Julian looked at her intently. Why was she torturing him by making him wait for an answer?
“I'm not sure how the council will feel about it,” she said.
“Plenty of the council members have been married,” Julian said.
“But not to each other, Julian.” She again set her cup down and turned to Julian, staring deep into his blue eyes. “I want to marry you. I want to marry you more than anything in this world, but I am afraid.”
“There is no law saying we can't,” Julian said.
She nodded. “I know.”
He placed his hand near her chin and she rested her cheek against his palm. “So, what do
you say?”
“Come back from your brother’s with the medallion and I will give you an answer,” she said.
His heart was so light he thought it might lift him off his feet. He bent down to kiss her gently. She kissed back, softly yet passionately.
The answer would be yes, he just knew. It had to be yes. No two creatures were more meant for each other.
After a long goodbye, Nalani left reluctantly and Julian changed and gathered his weapons and gear for his trip to Farlaweer. He made his way up to the east tower and opened the large door where Eden waited for him. With the early morning sunrise shining through one of the large openings along the wall, Julian saw the silhouette of Ward Holden, petting Eden on the neck. Eden nipped at Holden's arm tenderly.
“Haha, steady girl,” Holden said.
“Hello, sir,” Julian said, announcing his presence to the interim council leader.
“I'm glad to have caught you before you took off, Julian.” The man stood in front of the sarian as Julian moved in to fill the saddlebags with everything he would need. Eden squawked in excitement at the thought of the coming journey.
“I wanted to talk to you about yesterday,” Holden said.
“My position hasn't changed,” said Julian. “I think we gave Teague too much power by letting him sit in on meetings. He has all the power of a council member except the ability to vote.”
“I believe he prefers Garland Ainsley now,” Holden said.
Julian shrugged.
“It should be good enough for you,” Holden said. “I've been in this since the beginning. Believe me, you want Garland Ainsley to be at the council meetings.”
“Do I want him to lead it?” Julian said.
“Well, Julian I am the interim council leader until Kaden gets back and I've been on this council for a long time. I think I know what I'm doing.”
The Marenon Chronicles Collection Page 8