It would take a while to find the young man, but Wraith was a patient man and would find him in due time. He would keep an eye on his seeker stone and have fun with the unsuspecting inhabitants of Calyn while he waited for it to change from black to red. He grinned as he thought of it. While he waited for the stone to turn from black to red, he would turn the black of the night into the rich red of blood. Wraith let out a soft but malevolent laugh as he poked his horse with his boots and headed down the road toward Calyn.
* * * * *
Kadrak glanced up from his desk as the flap to his tent opened, letting in the cold air from outside. One of his servants set a plate of food down next to him and then left. Kadrak pushed the plate of steaming food off to the side. It brought to mind yet another problem facing the camp. Kadrak’s army had grown much larger than he had expected and the food supply was almost all the way gone. He never imagined the amount of men that would flock to him. With such a great number, they were becoming a big problem. Fights were breaking out every day in the camp, and many were complaining for want of more food. Kadrak hadn’t planned to move the army into action until a few weeks later but knew that if he didn’t act now, the army would begin to fall apart. Besides, it looked as though winter might make an early entrance this year, and he wanted to be in Beking when it did.
It wasn’t like there was anything else to wait around for anyway. Shadow had returned last night, earlier than Kadrak had expected him, but then Shadow always took care of his tasks quickly. Kadrak smiled as he thought of the four poles that were driven into the hard ground in front of his tent. Atop each sat the head of one who used to be a wielder. Shadow had accomplished his tasks precisely, bringing back all four heads of those who had the unfortunate blessing of being able to manipulate the ambiance. He knew they disturbed some of the men in his camp, but they served to show that Kadrak was ruthless and ever victorious. His smile grew larger as he thought of the time when Shaman Azulk’s head would also be displayed on a pole. Almost everything was going as he had planned.
The only thing that concerned him was the disturbance in Kalia. The concentrated haze in Kalia had moved from the east of Kalia to the west. Every time Kadrak had screed into Kalia over the last few weeks the haze had been further west. Apparently whatever was stopping him from looking upon certain areas was in the hands of someone. However, he was not worried about it. It was probably just a merchant or traveler who had stumbled upon a rare looking stone or piece of jewelry and had decided to take it with them. Wraith would take care of the problem and bring him back another artifact to add to his collection. Whoever had it was now either in Calyn or one of the communities around the large city. Hopefully Wraith would take care of it quickly and return with the artifact while Kadrak’s army was still in Beking. His thoughts were interrupted as the door to the tent suddenly burst open and Gilrod came rushing into the room.
“Forgive me, master,” Gilrod said as he bowed deeply in front of Kadrak’s desk, “but there is trouble in the camp. Kulfor the Great is making a speech against your leadership. With the shortage of food and the coming cold, many are actually listening to the foolish oaf.”
Kadrak stood up from his desk while shaking his head.
“Take me to him, Gilrod,” Kadrak commanded with a scowl. “Kulfor has pushed me to my limit and is now going to pay for it.”
Gilrod rushed to open the tent flap for Kadrak. As soon as they were out of the tent, the short, bony man led Kadrak through the jumbled maze of tents and cook fires that characterized the massive, disorderly camp. Kadrak shook his head in disgust as he thought of Kulfor. He should have gotten rid of the man a long time ago. Kulfor had been a legend among many of the bandits, and Kadrak had made him one of the generals of his army. Kulfor was a natural leader, and Kadrak had known he would be helpful in leading the army to battle. Kulfor also, unfortunately, didn’t like to take orders from anyone but himself. Kulfor had questioned his commands before, and Kadrak had heard rumors that he was secretly trying to gain control of the whole army. Not until now, however, had the mighty man been so open in his treason. Now he would learn what happened to those who crossed the mighty Wielder Kadrak.
Gilrod kept up a steady pace in front of Kadrak as they made their way to the east end of the camp. Gilrod was Kadrak’s other general. The man was only middle aged but already was almost devoid of hair. He was devious and ambitious, but he was loyal. He also headed a small spy network that he had offered up to Kadrak. Gilrod suddenly pulled up as they emerged just outside the eastern edge of the camp. A massive crowd of people stood outside the camp in a large clearing, listening intently to Kulfor. Kulfor stood atop a huge boulder that appeared out of place in the clearing. On either side of Kulfor stood several of his elite bandits that had pillaged with him before they had come to join the army. They were all large, grizzly men, but they looked small standing next to Kulfor. The man was a giant! He stood a head taller than any man Kadrak had ever seen and was as wide as several men put together. Beneath all of his extra fat were muscles of steel. No one had noticed their arrival, so Kadrak pulled Gilrod back into the shadow of a tent and listened to what the huge man was spouting off to the roiled crowd.
“. . . not how I want to live. Why do we sit here starving? Is it because there isn’t enough food?” Kulfor asked the crowd. “No! It’s because that weakling Kadrak doesn’t care about you and is hoarding it up for himself. Why are we just sitting around doing nothing when we could be ravaging towns and cities? Is it because we are too weak? No! It is because our leader Kadrak is too weak. I am not too weak. I am strong. We will dispose of Kadrak, and I will lead you. We will sweep across the land taking everything we want, satisfying our pleasures, and destroying everything else. Why wait for Kadrak to be ready? We’re ready. Let’s do it now!”
As Kulfor finished his speech, the crowd erupted with cheers as men shook their fists in the air in support of him. Kadrak could not believe the man’s audacity. He couldn’t believe the man would spout off such words right outside the camp. He must have known that Kadrak would find out about it. Kulfor was too smug for his own good. The pompous idiot would know of his mistake soon enough. Kadrak cracked his knuckles, calmed himself, and stepped out from the shadows. The crowd was so involved with their shouting and cheering for Kulfor that they did not even notice as Kadrak and Gilrod made their way to the back of the crowd. Kadrak was tired of this stupidity and was going to put an end to it. He glanced up at the cloudless sky above the crowd, and suddenly there was an earsplitting boom. The crowd grew quiet as they looked around startled.
“Kulfor!” Kadrak said loud enough for the large man to hear from across the massive crowd.
All heads turned to find the source of the name. As recognition filled their eyes, many of the bandits began to slip away from the crowd. The rest of them split away to leave a clear space between Kadrak and Kulfor.
“What do you think you are doing?”
“Your cheap magic tricks aren’t going to scare me,” Kulfor announced from his perch atop the massive boulder. “Your reign as the leader of this army is over. You don’t deserve your position, and I’m taking it away.”
Kadrak stood in amazement at Kulfor’s words. He had never thought that the man was stupid enough to actually confront him in person. Kadrak was not sure if Kulfor was bluffing or if he seriously thought that he could do something to stop him from staying in command. Behind Kadrak, the edge of the camp was quickly filling up as other bandits swarmed to see the showdown. The men between Kulfor and Kadrak backed away even more, leaving a huge open space. Kulfor’s elite stayed at his side as he stood defiantly on the boulder. Gilrod pulled his bony form up to its fullest height as he stood with Kadrak.
“Kulfor, I had no idea you wanted to die so soon,” Kadrak began. “I had always thought that you, most of all, valued your own life, but now I see-”
“It’s you who has met his end,” Kulfor threw in with a sneer as he interrupted Kadrak.
Kadr
ak immediately spun around with his arms stretched forth as two men came flying out of the crowd with curved daggers raised. Lightning leapt from Kadrak’s hands, searing the two would be killers before they even got near him. Kadrak smiled as the two daggers hit the ground well short of him after flying from the two burnt corpses. He turned back away from the stunned crowd to glare at the wide eyed Kulfor.
“Kulfor, you gutless scum! You ooze villainy and deserve a slow and painful death. Unfortunately, I’m going to have to dispose of you quickly.”
Kulfor and his elite bandits paused with their swords only half bared as a huge ball of spinning fire began to grow over their heads. Kadrak smiled as his ball of molten fire grew larger and larger. As Kulfor’s men began scrambling away from him, trying to get off the boulder, Kadrak let the ball drop. A huge explosion reverberated through the silent camp as flames splashed out in every direction in a blinding flash of light. The crowd shielded their eyes and bodies, many dropping to the ground as a shockwave of heat blasted outward. Kadrak merely leaned down and whispered orders to Gilrod. With that taken care of, he turned around and sauntered back towards his tent.
* * * * *
Gilrod watched Kadrak as he made his way past the stunned masses at the edge of the camp and disappeared from sight. Gilrod then turned to fully take in what Kadrak had done. He stared in amazement at the large, blackened crater that now gaped from the area where the huge boulder had been. No trace of the boulder or Kulfor and his elite bandits was left. Gilrod had heard of Kadrak’s magnificent power but had never seen it displayed until now. He had never really believed in the massive power of the ambience. He had first thought that the ambience was merely the imaginings of a storyteller. Upon meeting Kadrak he had learned that it was actually real but had only assumed it was a tool for making small bangs and lighting candles from far away. Now he knew first hand of the power that Kadrak actually possessed. Gilrod was pleased with his decision to follow Kadrak. With Kadrak as its leader, there was no way that the army would fall.
After staring at the crater for several moments, Gilrod hastened to fulfill Kadrak’s wishes. He walked toward the blackened crater and turned to face the mass of bandits upon reaching its lip. He smiled as the hushed crowd turned their widened eyes from the crater to him in anticipation. He loved being the center of attention but knew when to hide behind someone greater. That was where Kulfor had failed and he had succeeded. When Kadrak became emperor over all the land, Gilrod would be given a position of great power for his loyalty and would have many more chances to shine. After dragging out the silence for a little while, Gilrod cleared his throat and delivered his master’s message.
“Our great leader Kadrak knows of our wants and wishes. For a wise purpose he has held us back this long. But he is now ready to move into action as he has displayed so openly and dramatically this evening.” Gilrod paused to let what he had said sink in. The crowd began to buzz with excitement as they realized what he was saying. Gilrod began anew with the crowd hanging on his every word. “Kadrak has asked me to announce that we will sweep down upon Beking as we start our massive campaign to bring the world to its knees. Our waiting is over. We move at dawn!”
A deafening roar rose from the bandit army at the long awaited announcement. He beamed as the sound of cheering and yelling grew louder and louder. The men were ready and anxious to fight; just the way Kadrak and Gilrod wanted them.
* * * * *
Kadrak smiled from inside his tent as the silent camp suddenly came alive with cheering and yelling from its eastern side. He felt the excitement from the army wash into him as he fell back onto his bed exhausted. Gilrod must have taken his time as usual in delivering the speech or the cheers would have started before Kadrak had even made it to his tent. Gilrod did have a way with words. Kadrak was glad for the man’s loyalty and the intelligence he brought with him for Kadrak’s using. He wished he had been able to give the announcement himself, but his day had been long, and he was too weak after his display of power. He had not wanted his spectacular diplay to be ruined if he appeared shaky and weak while delivering the speech. Oh well, he was sure Gilrod had delivered it nicely. He closed his eyes and let his breathing slow to match his heartbeat.
It was just beginning to get dark, but he was tired. Forming the flaming ball of molten fire had taken a lot of his strength. He could have finished Kulfor and his elite bandits off much easier but had used the molten fireball to make a statement. Hopefully no one else in the camp would so much as think of crossing him after the mighty display of power. Kadrak began to drift off to sleep in satisfaction. He no longer needed to worry about rebellion and the diminishing food supply. In the morning his massive army would be on the move at last. All of the waiting and anticipation was finally over. In just over a week his army would bring Beking to its knees and plunder it. They would then set up camp in the city and have plenty of food and shelter for the cold winter that was fast approaching.
He finally fell asleep. He dreamed once again of himself sitting on the throne of Calyn with the High King’s crown pulsating atop his head. The crown would once again be worn by a wielder. Beking would fall first as the whole world trembled in fear of what was to come. The pulsating crown disappeared, and Kadrak was filled with dreams of spending the long and cold winter living luxuriously in the Beking Palace.
* * * * *
Shaman Azulk shielded his eyes from the harsh light of the morning sun with his bony hand as he glanced down from the mountains at the massive human army. The giant camp had been packed up earlier in the morning. Kadrak had at last mobilized the army full of pathetic humans. The shaman grinned, showing his crooked yellow teeth as he watched the army begin its journey south towards where the human city of Beking rested. The first part of his plan was finally beginning. It would still be a while before the human army accomplished its goal, but Shaman Azulk had been waiting for this moment all of his life and could easily wait another year or two for the army to wreak its destruction. Shaman Azulk took one last look at the human army and walked back into the cave and darkness that he had emerged from earlier in the morning. He let out a low pleasure rumble in his throat. When the human army was finally defeated, he and his galdak army would be ready to sweep out of the mountains and end the pitiful existence of all the rest of the humans in the world; every single one. He would then rule the galdaks from atop the thrown of Calyn. His dreams were most conclusive. The crown of the High King would soon rest on his head.
Part Two: Learning
16
Traven slowed Pennon down when they reached the main highway and waited for Blaize to catch up. The sun was barely clear of the horizon, but already the highway was teeming with people heading west towards Calyn. Many looked to be farmers taking their produce to sell in the markets of the large city. Most were pulling carts laden with vegetables while some had full wagons of produce. Blaize was soon back by Traven’s side, and they rode out onto the highway and joined with the flow of people headed towards Calyn. Most of the people were on foot, and Traven could easily see down the road over their heads. He kept his eyes glued to where the highway met the horizon, eager for the first glimpse of the legendary city. It had supposedly stood from even before Kalia came into existence. It had withstood sieges and attacks several times and had never fallen. He couldn’t wait to finally see the city.
“If you keep staring at the road ahead like that your eyes are going to be sore long before we reach Calyn,” Blaize said with a chuckle. “We still have another hour or two before we reach it.”
Traven colored slightly and leaned back upright in his saddle. He needed to remember to stay alert of what was going on around him instead of getting lost in his day dreams. Blaize had taught him that a wary man stays alive. When they arrived at Calyn, he would have more than enough time to stare at it. He and Blaize talked on and off as they made their way towards the city, but Traven mostly just looked around at the different people traversing the highway and at all of the far
ms they passed. As the sun continued to rise into the morning sky, a breeze blew in from the west, and he noticed a difference in the air. It was fresh but seemed to smell salty. He was confused and glanced over at Blaize who was taking in a deep breath of the salty smelling air.
“Doesn’t that smell good, Traven?”
“Yes it does, but what is it?” he asked as he took a deep breath to match Blaize’s.
“It’s the ocean,” Blaize replied with a smile. “We’ll be able to see Calyn soon.”
Traven glanced excitedly up the road with eagerness. Several minutes later the road began to slope slightly upward, but there was still no sign of Calyn. The air, however, began to smell more and more of what Blaize said was the ocean. Traven was almost as eager to see such a massive body of water as he was the city. The sun was warm on his back as he continued along the highway. After a while, he noticed that the people in front of him were beginning to disappear down the other side of the rise in the land. He glanced anxiously over to Blaize who smiled back at him with a nod of his head. He then booted Pennon and quickly made his way past the people who were on foot to the top of the rise. The view that met him when he reached the top of the rise took his breath away.
The land sloped slowly away before Traven allowing him to see the majestic city of Calyn all at once. The vast ocean stretched out endlessly at its back. The view stunned him. He didn’t know whether to stare at the giant city or at the seemingly endless expanse of water. He was still dumbfounded when Blaize arrived at his side. Traven’s gaze finally focused on the ocean. Behind the city the ocean seemed to go on forever. He stared at it in awe. Never before had he seen so much water at once. He had thought the Adrinavelle River was huge, but it seemed reduced to almost nothing as it fanned out and emptied into the mighty ocean. Traven’s gaze was quickly drawn back to the sprawling city that seemed to be crawling out of the water. The city extended back from the very edge of the ocean far out onto the grasslands of Kalia. What he noticed first were the towers that reached up far above the city walls, stretching into the early morning sky. Next he noticed the walls that the towers seemed to dwarf. They were made of pristine white stones and rose at least five stories into the air themselves.
Wielder's Awakening Page 18