by R A Oakes
“Maybe because you lie all the time,” Chen said.
“That’s another thing that’s going to change,” Crystal replied. “From now on, it’s the straight and narrow path for me.”
“If I were you, I’d make claims that are more believable,” Chen said.
“You’re hurting my feelings.”
“If you double-cross me, I can hurt you a whole lot more than that,” Chen warned.
“Such as?”
“You’re not made totally of megentum like Baelfire,” Chen reminded the dark sword.
“Oh, great, why don’t you rub salt into the wound?” Crystal said sighing in frustration.
“What I could do is melt you down to a puddle of liquid metal.”
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“And all it’d take is a conventional forge. You’re beautiful, Crystal, but you’re mostly made of conventional precious metals,” Chen pointed out.
“My half-sister would never allow that. Would you, sis?”
“I might,” Baelfire said. “In fact, we could do it right now.”
“That wouldn’t be wise,” Crystal cautioned them.
“Why not?” Chen asked.
“To intimidate most people in this castle, all you’d have to do is walk around wearing me. You wouldn’t even need to take me out of my scabbard. So, there’s little risk but a lot of benefit.”
Hearing that, Marcheto spoke up saying, “It could be safe. Being incarcerated has drained Crystal and cut her power by three-fourths. At least that’s what Eldwyn told me recently.”
“Our wizard apprentice has a point,” Corson said. “With Crystal’s strength cut so dramatically, it might not hurt to display the dark sword and let people see the little monster.”
“Just remember, none of us can say anything important around Crystal,” Andrina warned them.
“I find your lack of trust to be appalling,” Crystal said.
“If you jeopardize Dylancia, you’ll answer to me. I know my way around a blacksmith’s shop, and I wouldn’t melt you down quickly. I’d let you watch ourself dissolve,” Andrina threatened, viewing her self as the baby’s grandmother.
“A woman after my own heart,” Crystal said.
“I’m serious,” Andrina warned her.
“So am I,” Crystal said. “But like I told Chen, a mother, or a grandmother, must think first of the well-being of the children. So, you’d be wise to keep me healthy.”
“I think we can handle a bunch of ambitious politicians and would-be military dictators on our own,” Andrina said smugly. Then she thought, At least I hope so.
“You and I aren’t the only people in this castle with truly devious minds,” Crystal said. “There are others who plot and scheme for pleasure.”
“You’re not a person, you’re a sword,” Andrina pointed out.
“Don’t get hung up on a technicality,” Crystal said. “Anyway, I think you have to be just as concerned about Lord Ridgewood and Firecrest Castle.”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure, but while I was hidden in the hall closet, I think I heard someone say he has ties to Dominion Castle. Firecrest Castle would be a remote outpost for Swarenth, but it could indicate he has a renewed interest in this entire region.”
“But Dominion Castle has been his base of operations since he conquered it. Swarenth knows to stay well away from here,” Andrina said firmly.
“Maybe and maybe not.”
“Why would he have a renewed interest? How have things changed?”
“Look who’s standing next to you.”
Andrina turned and looked at Aerylln.
“Swarenth knows about her,” Crystal said.
“But she’s young, lacks training and is untested,” Andrina protested.
“That won’t matter, at least not to Swarenth, because I’ll tell you something else.”
“What?”
“Swarenth fears Aerylln. The warlord remembers her grandmother, Lyssa. If it weren’t for Lyssa, he’d already own Skybrook Castle and a whole lot more. Plus, there’s one awful thing about fear.”
“What?” Andrina asked, already knowing the answer.
“It causes people to do stupid things.”
“Coming after Aerylln would be stupid.”
“Exactly!”
Chapter 5
Dominion Castle. Thirty years earlier.
“Long live the king!” Captain Polaris and his warriors shouted charging from the cavern in a desperate attempt to save Tarlen, the last of the Kardimont line.
A thundering herd of determined horsemen galloped across an open plain near the base of a mountain Dominion Castle had dominated for centuries. Wind whipped their cloaks and seared their faces as a powerful storm pounded them with torrential rains. Sheets of water cut through a darkening sky soaking both the riders and their horses in a matter of seconds. With visibility near zero, over 100 warriors began struggling to keep their mounts from stumbling, the animals barely able to see the ground beneath their hooves.
Strangely enough, Captain Polaris and his men were encouraged by this weather and saw it as a good omen. For although the warriors were blinded by the rain and couldn’t see a thing, neither could the enemy. For all practical purposes, the riders and their horses were invisible. Adding to this fortunate downpour was another major advantage. These crack horsemen knew their terrain. In all sorts of weather, they’d spent countless hours riding at full gallop across every inch of land below Dominion Castle. Had they needed to, the warriors could have raced at breakneck speed under a moonless sky in total darkness.
So, even though their eyes could see little, in their mind’s eye their vision was clear. Captain Polaris and his men knew where they were going, which was as far away from Swarenth’s gargoyles as possible. However, the exact direction they were headed in didn’t matter. Having practiced relentlessly for years, they were familiar with every avenue of escape, and each was designed with identical support systems in place.
They’d need them, and need them badly.
As the warriors rounded a bend and charged down a hill, they encountered their first resistance. Blocking a bridge directly in front of them were a dozen drenched gargoyles wearing sleeveless, gray tunics emblazoned with Swarenth’s emblem, black claw marks, across the front. Neither men nor gargoyles had seen the other until the very last moment, and they collided without warning. But once again, Captain Polaris and his men had the advantage. The gargoyles had dropped their guard having assumed the battle was over since Dominion Castle was being overrun by their fellow creatures. In a minute, the battle was definitely over, at least for them. The gargoyles were lying in a pool of their own brackish blood, which was more like slimy ooze.
But as brief as the fighting was, it had been overheard by other gargoyles nearby. The foul creatures raced after the humans following the sound of the men’s warhorses pounding their way over rocks and packed earth. Soon a sharp blast from a horn pierced the rain-soaked sky as a gargoyle sounded the alarm. Serving as a rallying cry for all within earshot, hundreds of the vile creatures responded.
Worse than that, however, was the rapidly-changing weather. The downpour had proven to be brief, and the sky was beginning to clear. Heavy rain was still falling, but it no longer completely obscured one’s view, and the advantage of knowing the terrain began to dissipate as well. Captain Polaris and his men had been prepared to ride the roads near Dominion Castle with the same reckless abandon they’d shown when traveling through the fields. The warriors knew every bend, dip and low- hanging branch on every road within an hour of Dominion Castle. Whether blinded by rain or darkness, they could have ridden along the roads at full gallop. But now all that was irrelevant.
Craning his neck around and looking behind him, Captain Polaris wasn’t encouraged by what he saw. At least 200 gargoyles were in hot pursuit riding animals nearly as ugly as themselves. Undaunted, the captain of the king’s royal guards did what he was trained to do. Holding tight
ly onto Tarlen, he set his jaw, gritted his teeth and rode forward in the relentless pursuit of victory. He would save his king. If not the father, he would save the son. But deep in his soul, in his heart of hearts, Captain Polaris knew he and his warriors were in danger of failing King Kardimont once more. And what really scared him was the knowledge that he would kill the boy rather than hand him over to the enemy, given Swarenth’s taste for subjecting prisoners to hideous, sadistic forms of torture.
At that moment, another piercing sound spiked through the gloomy sky, but this one filled the captain’s heart with renewed determination. It was the welcome sound of a lookout’s horn informing the village up ahead that the king’s men were approaching and of their precarious situation.
After a minute, a small village surrounded by a chest- high, stone wall came into view. The road Captain Polaris and his men were following cut directly though the middle of it, between wooden gates that were wide open. Swarenth’s warriors should have taken that as a warning. Why would the gates be so open and welcoming? But what they saw fell on deaf eyes. The gargoyles saw the open gates but didn’t bother to listen to what their eyes were telling them. Serving now as bait, Captain Polaris and his warriors rode through the entrance heading farther down the dirt road. Following right behind them were Carplorthian, Glenitant and Crystal, who were desperately trying to keep up.
Enjoying the chase, the gargoyles approached the village with reckless abandon. They rode their animals hard, whipping and yelling at them, demanding that the gruesome beasts go faster. When the creatures were within a few feet of the open gates, men dressed like peasants sprang up from behind the stone wall and began firing arrows. Animals and riders went sprawling onto the ground forming a flailing, kicking, screaming pile of flesh, which barricaded the gates.
Undaunted, a horde of gargoyles headed off the road towards a section of wall that was farther away from the gate. The creatures shifted in their saddles preparing to leap over the obstacle in a headlong pursuit of their prey. But as they neared the wall, more peasants sprang up and began cutting down the enemy with ruthless efficiency. Arrows flew at some gargoyles knocking them from their animals before the beasts could even leap into the air. Others were caught in midair and fell with a soggy smush onto the rain-soaked earth. But other gargoyles survived the assault and continued the chase.
As for the villagers, they’d been living their lives as farmers but were actually members of King Kardimont’s army and were trained to defend this escape route. It was the same for every village near Dominion Castle. Each one was comprised of warriors and their families who’d pledged to defend the road leading through their area. Now the warriors at this particular village did their sworn duty. Fighting with bows until they ran out of arrows, they then unsheathed their swords and resisted the enemy with every ounce of strength until finally dying a warrior’s death.
The race continued with over 150 gargoyles still chasing Captain Polaris and his men. And now the hideous creatures had a personal motive for going after the humans ahead of them. The gargoyles sought to avenge the death of their comrades.
Not to be outdone, however, the village warriors had prepared another trick, one that was simple but effective. As Swarenth’s gargoyles and their mounts entered a forest, they found themselves being tripped up by a heavy rope that had been strung across the road. The villagers set this trap after Captain Polaris and his men had ridden past, and the gargoyles’ mounts made loud, guttural protests as they crashed to the ground sending their riders sprawling. Once again, some of the hideous creatures towards the rear left the road to outflank the trap only to find ropes strewn the length of the woods on either side. And the ropes continued sporadically on or near the road throughout the length of the forest. This tactic gained Captain Polaris and his men more valuable time.
As Tarlen’s protectors charged out of the woods and up a small rise in a surrounding field, the captain turned in his saddle to assess the situation behind him and allowed himself a grim smile. But it quickly evaporated as he saw almost a thousand enemy troops gathered in a major encampment out beyond the defended escape route. This was Swarenth’s field command office. Captain Polaris and his men had inadvertently stumbled upon the lair of the enemy. When the men were spotted, several gargoyles sounded the alarm and almost the entire encampment of gruesome creatures ran to their animals and gave chase.
Captain Polaris and his men rode hard and headed towards a grove of trees. After passing through it, the riders pressed their warhorses further making them race up a steep hill. However, by now the horses were nearing exhaustion.
Riding up alongside Captain Polaris and Tarlen, Glenitant said, “I’m going back to the grove of trees and make a stand there with the dark sword, Crystal. You ride on ahead.”
“That’s suicide,” Captain Polaris said.
“It’s the only way.”
“What can Crystal do to help?” Polaris asked.
“She says she can buy you enough time to get away if I give her free rein.”
“What if you can’t regain control of her later?”
“I don’t know, but there’s nothing else to be done.”
Captain Polaris remained silent. He knew that all was lost if something didn’t reverse their fortunes and quickly.
“I do this for you, Tarlen! I do this for my king!” Glenitant shouted as she pulled on her horse’s reins and headed back down toward the grove.
A great host of gargoyles advanced and converged on that area. There were hills on either side of the trees, and the grove made a natural sort of opening in the funnel. Suddenly, just around the grove, it was as if all of the light had fallen from the sky. It was an overcast day, to be sure, but what was beginning to cover the grove of trees was a darkness unlike anything Captain Polaris and his men had ever seen. Tarlen and Carplorthian realized it was like the darkness that had attacked them back in the cavern.
Suddenly, an explosion erupted in the center of the darkness radiating outward and knocking Swarenth’s gargoyles from their horses. Then something even more fearsome happened. The shock wave had an undertow, a powerful one. Captain Polaris and his men watched in amazement as hundreds and hu- reds of gargoyles were drawn inexorably into a dark vortex. The creatures and their animals were being sucked into oblivion, and Tarlen and his defenders heard their high-pitched screams all the way up on top of the hill.
As the entire landscape was cleared of Swarenth’s troops, a wisp of black cloud floated up towards Captain Polaris and his men. When it reached them, Crystal’s voice came out of it, and a chill went down everyone’s spine.
“I did this for you, Tarlen. But now you owe me, and I collect on my debts,” the dark sword said in a voice filled with malignant evil.
When the wisp of cloud drifted back down into the grove of trees, the all-pervasive darkness surrounding the vortex became filled with bolts of lightning and crashing thunder. Finally, there was another enormous explosion, the darkness disappeared and stillness blanketed the area.
“What do you think happened to Glenitant?” Tarlen asked.
“I don’t know, but wherever she is, she’s not in very good company,” Captain Polaris said.
Carplorthian rode up next to the boy king and said, “Tarlen, you must disregard what Crystal told you. You are under no obligation to her.”
“But she saved our lives. Doesn’t that obligate us?”
“No it doesn’t,” Carplorthian said. “She chose to defend you, but that gives her no right to try to control your choices.”
“But we needed her help.”
“Not necessarily. Captain Polaris and his men would have gained you enough time to get away.”
“But with Crystal’s help, they didn’t have to die defending me.”
“Crystal had no right to make that choice for them,” Carplorthian said.
“Yes, King Tarlen, she took away our freedom of choice and is now trying to dictate our actions. What right does she have to do that?”
Captain Polaris asked.
“None, I suppose,” Tarlen agreed. “But Crystal seems to be hurting really bad inside.”
“That, quite simply, is not your problem,” Carplorthian said firmly. “A lot of people think their suffering gives them the right to use and manipulate others. It doesn’t.”
Tarlen remained silent.
“What we need to do now is focus on getting to Hawthorn Village,” Captain Polaris reminded them. “I hope the blacksmith and his wife are as receptive as we think they’ll be.”
“I hope they’ll be willing to take me in,” Tarlen said.
“A sweet boy like you? Who could resist?” Carplorthian said as he smiled.
“Hawthorn Village is about 40 miles north, so you still have time to perfect that nice smile of yours,” Captain Polaris said.
Tarlen beamed at the captain.
“Oh, my! It’s perfected already!” Captain Polaris exclaimed.
“I learn quickly!” Tarlen said.
“Yes you do, my boy. Yes you do,” Carplorthian said.
◆◆◆
A week after the fall of Dominion Castle, Eldwyn, the wizard, had no idea Tarlen was even alive. The mystic had been traveling west and was almost 200 miles from the castle. Feeling despondent, he’d dismounted to take a short rest, but it did nothing to ease his confusion and inner pain.
With King Kardimont dead, Eldwyn was fighting chronic depression. In his 45 years, the wizard hadn’t experienced anything quite like the way he felt now. It was as if he’d walked out to the end of a dock, so he could be detached and away from everyone, and silently slipped into the water. For him, entering depression was similar to the sensation of dropping below the waterline. In his mind’s eye, Eldwyn could see light sparkling on the surface but found himself trapped within deep, dark, brackish water. The wizard felt cut off and unaware of what was happening in the world above him. Eldwyn knew that somehow he should be able to think through his problems and come up with a rational course of action, but his mind refused to do so. It was blank and filled with darkness.