Hallond focused to maintain his calm, and then smiled at them. “I understand now why I’ve not received the appropriate reports. You’re afraid to execute my orders. Have you so little faith in the throne? Are you filled with such treason you cannot see what I do is for the good of everyone. Now, to show you I’m a reasonable leader, with only the best intentions for everyone under my reign, I’ll dismiss this incident and let you go home. But, I expect my orders to be delivered and executed with precision. Now, be gone.” He turned around and headed back to sit down.
“I’ve heard enough,” Norl said. “You are mistaken, sire. The orders were delivered, but not one outpost has reported yet that any child has been killed. No one in Gallenor is going to follow that order, sir. Even if we turn and leave, they will not listen to us if we attempt to enforce your will.”
“It tis not us who needs to be listened to,” the dwarf added. “We are to listen to our kin and represent em’ here. That ‘tis what we are here to do. An’ we are here to tell you that nea one dwarf, Rakki, Shlan or any o the races, will be killin’ their kin for the madness of a king.”
Hallond was irate. “MADNESS! HOW DARE YOU! Fine...” He calmed down enough to give the order. “Fine. To show more generosity, I give you this opportunity. Bow to me and show your submission. Any who do not bow will be killed, immediately.” He waited, looking around the room to see who bowed down to the ground. No one budged. “Then, your deaths are on your hands. Guard, execute the lot of them.”
The guards around the room and amongst the people all pulled their blades. But, instead of turning on the crowd, they looked only at their King.
“What is this?” Hallond was still not afraid.
Chief Alex shook his head. “Sir, we do not wish to harm you, but we will need to restrain you until doctors can look at you.”
Hallond snickered. “Fools…damned fools. You have no idea what’s at stake here.”
Chief Alex motioned to the other guards. “Get his arms first.”
Hallond surprised everyone, producing a knife from under his clothes and extending it. It was hardly big enough to cut the meat on his plate, but it did give the guards a moment of pause. With a deliciously evil smile he turned the knife on himself and pierced his own palm. The blackened blood trickled out from the wound and spilled to the floor.
“That doesn’t look like the blood of the living to me,” Chief Alex said.
Hallond ignored him and began to chant in the forbidden tongue. The blood turned into a fine, dark mist and shot forth to knock the nearest guards down.
Hallond jumped from Chief Alex’s line of sight and held his open hand to his face, just beneath his lips. He pursed his lips like a person about to blow a dandelion fluff and as he did, the blood mist came out again. But this time it spread as a giant flame to set several of the bystanding guards on fire. With that same wicked smile, he raised his hand above his head, unfazed by the angry green flames engulfing it.
The representatives fled the scene, scurrying away in panic. With horrible glee, Hallond blasted out a fireball and killed the dwarf representative in a single blast. The man, who served his people with dignity for over thirty years, was nothing but a smoldering body on the floor of the courtroom.
Hallond knew he had to escape quickly. This dark spell would only last as long as he could get old blood out of this body. Even in a state of death, the animation spell didn’t work well with a bloodless body. The old wizard barreled over the fallen corpses and headed for the large doors. Fireball after fireball hurled at pursuing guards, lifting them off the ground on impact.
When Hallond got outside, dozens of people gawked at him, wondering what was happening. They had gathered there when the representatives came, to witness the deposed King after that horrible order was issued. The mere idea of the people turning on him screamed in his mind, beckoning him to turn them all to ash. But he knew that would not be wise. He needed a way to get out of town and back to the cave so he could prepare his backup plan. Slipping a phial of potion out of his robes, he smashed it on the ground and a great green cloud swirled around him. People saw their worst nightmares coming after them. An illusion charm; the perfect effect, all he needed to get away in the mass confusion.
***
Chief Alex got to the doors with his sword drawn. Looking around frantically, all he found were civilians and military men running away from transparent hallucinations born of this strange fog. The fog itself was settling down and would soon be gone. Unfortunately, who Alex was looking for was not to be found.
Norl appeared, huffing and puffing. “Chief Alex, what just happened? How did he do that?”
Alex shook his head. “I don’t know, but I do know that King Anthony was no wizard. That…thing is not our King.”
Norl leaned on the door frame near Alex. “What do we do now?”
Alex turned and walked back into the Throne Room to see if anyone hit by the green fire was still alive. “Are there any survivors?”
“Some,” Norl replied. “What should we do?” he repeated.
Chief Alex sighed heavily. “I don’t know. We cannot be certain as to how long the King has been replaced.”
“What do you mean?” Norl followed behind, still very shaken.
Alex knelt down and checked one of his best friends in the guard for any signs of life. When he felt no pulse, fire burned behind his eyes. He wanted to scream. Answering Norl’s question was the only way to beat back the rage for the moment. “The whole Dragonwand situation might have been fabricated by…whatever that was. We have no proof that the statue is doing anything. Only the king and Hallond knew anything about it. Hallond is dead and the king is not the king. Who knows what truly has been going on.”
Norl realized the impact of that statement. “The imprisoning of the wizards, the deaths of the rogue wizards, everything could have been some kind of ploy. Oh dear.”
Alex stood and nodded. “Oh dear is right. We have to do something.”
“But what?”
Alex looked around to all the fallen people and the people trying to help. “I’m not a leader like we need. I cannot do this. But… I know who can. We need to find the Captain. He’ll know what to do.” Alex walked back out through the doors to address any representatives that needed to know what was happening.
Norl hurried to follow him. “But, Alex, we do not even know where Captain Morris is. Shouldn’t we try to free the wizards first? They could help us find him and put a stop to this threat.”
Alex turned and stared at the Rakki courtier. “The Labyrinth is sealed by magic and we do not have anything to open it. Morris is the only one with a key that can bypass the magic spell. Captain Morris is also the only man I know who has the knowledge and respect to lead the people during this time. We need to find him and figure this out.”
Norl bowed. “I’ll get a letter out through the couriers. If Morris is anywhere, someone should be able to get a message to him.”
Alex nodded in return. “Thank you. Now, hurry.”
Chapter 4: Adjusting Plans
Hallond made it all the way to the cave where the lost wizards awaited. He hastened inside and leaned up against a wall to catch his breath. This body was failing him faster than he expected.
“Hallond! What are you doing here now? Do you have the wand?” boomed a voice of the old male ghost who never seemed to be anything but unhappy.
Hallond tried to gather himself, but couldn’t seem to breathe comfortably. “No, you damned old fool. The wand is still out there and now we have a new problem. The people of Gallenor are turning on me.”
The bitter woman, off to the side, cursed at him in the ancient tongue and then pointed her ghostly finger at him, “You idiot! What did you think would happen if you took over the king’s body? The non-magic folk are not as stupid as you believe.”
“Shut up you old bat. They still believe me to be Anthony, but they are displeased with some of my orders I
issued in his name,” Hallond replied sharply, tired of listening to their condemnations.
“What now, Hallond? Do you still have control of any of the military or the government?” The old man asked, his arms folded and his face full of disappointment.
Hallond sneered at him. “No, but that’s not a problem. I have been exiled before. I’ll simply shift to another body and regain…”
“WE DON’T HAVE TIME! THE STATUE’S SEAL IS BREAKING. THE WAND MUST BE FOUND NOW!!!” the old man yelled at Hallond.
Hallond stood up and walked towards the old ghost. He had no fear of this specter. “I could just leave you all to live out eternity in this dank, old cave. What do you think of that?”
A younger apparition called out, “You cannot do that! We have waited too long.”
“Listen to us Hallond,” the old man chimed, “you will free us and give us new bodies or...”
“Or what!?” Hallond snapped, smirking at them. “Do not presume to command me, Trayos, I’m the only one who stands between you and complete damnation here in this forgotten tomb.”
Trayos pointed at Hallond’s arm. “The body shifting spell, it is already waning. You have very little time left. Even if you attempt another body jump, you will not survive long enough to do any good. You need us. You need to call upon the backup plan or you will face the same damnation here with us, only you will be hated among your own kin and will live in torture here.”
Hallond grinded his teeth; knowing full well this man was speaking the truth. The spell he used to jump between bodies over the last thousand years was beginning to break. It would probably dissolve not much longer after the seal broke, and then he would face eternity among these ghosts. Oh, how he wanted them to understand that once freed, they would all have to bow to him. His plans for their future were far more devious than anything they knew. But, he had to admit that they were right. They were the only force he had left in Gallenor. He had to call upon them with the secondary plan that was concocted eons ago to insure the success.
With a reluctant glare he agreed. “Fine, but you understand this is a one way trip. It is also very limited. Once you are infused into the golems, you cannot return to your graves and unless you are sent to the bodies of the wizards in the labyrinth, you will fade into obscurity in a matter of days.”
“We know this!” the bitter old woman barked at him.
Trayos nodded to Hallond. “Do it.”
Hallond looked back to a large green sphere in the corner of the room. It was carved all over with a form of highly forbidden magic. Where the script dug into the solid surface, it was filled in with a putrid ink, created through the draining of blood from children and then mixed with the venom of a basilisk. Once combined, an enchantment was cast over it and the embossed lettering filled in to craft the spell of creation. “Vega!” Hallond creid aloud as the stone lifted off the ground and came to the center of the room.
With an enormous thud, the stone landed on the ground, rolling slightly to the side. Hallond closed his eyes and began to chant the spell of animation. It was the use of this very spell that banished him from the Dragon Council and set him and his followers apart from the rest of the wizards. The notion of using such terrible, forbidden dark magic was unheard of. As he spoke the stone lifted and aligned perfectly on its axis. Hallond opened his eyes and began to read the script on the surface. His reading caused the stone to turn around. Once, twice, three times he read it as the stone turned, and on the third reading it begun to spin and glow a putrid green color.
Small stones and rocks around the cave gathered and then larger rocks broke free of the walls and joined them. Soon enough, the first stone golem was formed out of the loose material. It was hardly a human form, but with a head, legs, torso and arms, it was enough. Hallond grinned and gazed over to the nasty old woman and took a little pleasure in sending her first into the golem. Once infused into the stone, it took on life and started to move. Until the soul was moved into a real living body, the golem was not much more than an automaton that would follow his orders. To know she was silenced for a while gave him reason to smile. Then he turned to look at Trayos for the next golem that was forming.
Trayos held up his hand. “Wait, I sense something.”
Hallond looked around. “What? What is it? My magical senses are highly limited in this pathetic body.”
The old ghost pointed to a black mirror. “I sense your servant Morris and a wizard approaching Thendor.”
“The wand!” Hallond greedily announced.
“Perhaps, but we need time to get the army ready,” Trayos suggested. “He might be approached by one of those against you before you get to him. We don’t have time for him to fight with his conscious over right and wrong while holding the Dragonwand in his possession. Get to him first. If he still believes you to be the King, then you can get the wand from him.”
Hallond nodded. “Morris is wholly devoted to the Throne, he will certainly back me, as long as he understands what I wish him to understand.”
“Then go,” Trayos said. “The spell will work without you now. Once you have the wand, come, and we will march on Thendor and retrieve our living bodies.”
Hallond nodded and then left the cave to find his horse. He was ready for this to be over so he could assume his rightful place as the God of Gallenor and soon the rest of the world.
***
Morris rode through the night and into the next day to get back to Thendor. He pushed his horse to the point that she would likely die upon arrival, but that mattered little to Morris. He was determined to prove his loyalty by completing his mission. A part of him had considered the notion of killing all the sleeping people left back on the mountain side, but he took perverse pleasure in the idea of them wandering around for days until they died of starvation. In his logic, the only way they had evaded him and survived as long as they did in the Barren Mountains was due to the presence of a wizard with a powerful wand. Now that he had extracted the wand and wizard, they would be helpless. Somehow that eased his conscious a little, but, truly he had so little conscious it hardly mattered.
Riding on a solid white horse, Morris made his way across the countryside with poor Crystal bound, gagged, and tied to him. The potion had worked on her as well. She would not wake for some time and that was good for him.
“HAIL, CAPTAIN MORRIS!”A small band of Royal Guard made their way down the road in another direction, acknowledging his presence. The commander of the group signaled for the illustrious captain to approach.
Morris was concerned; it wasn’t common for his underlings to beckon him without reason. And that reason had better damned well be good. He pulled back on the horse and directed her toward them. He came to a stop just shy of the trio, positioning him over them to give him a formidable demeanor. “What is it?” he asked.
The young commander took off his helmet in respect, as did the other two, and then all bowed. “Sir, we are glad to have come across you at this time. Thendor is in dire need of your leadership right now. The council of the court has sent out a message for you to be found and brought back.”
“Council of the court? What of the King? Where is his order? I only follow the command of the King. I am not under the authority of those bureaucrats.”
The Commander was astonished as he looked at one of his subordinates and then the other. They all seemed to agree with a silent nod. He bowed again to the Captain. “Sir, the King has gone completely mad. He was deposed and has fled Thendor.”
Morris’s’ eyes widened in disbelief. “DEPOSED! WHAT TREASON IS THIS?”
“Uh…no…it wasn’t treason…exactly. You see, the King, he was using strange magic…at least that was the report. And, well, King Anthony was no wizard and so it wasn’t him.” The Commander did his best to explain the situation, obviously shaken.
Morris let out a huff. “Rumors are a dangerous thing. I cannot believe the level minded people of Thendor playing into the
scheme of some rumor monger. Who would start such rumors?” He was mostly talking to himself now. “Those Rakki, they never liked being under the human king, I bet this is their doing. After all, it is one of their own that is behind all of this.”
The commander frowned, still scared to death. “Um…what are you talking about?”
“The King is no traitor of Gallenor,” Morris said. “I caught the true traitor against the Throne, the one who will revive that dragon and bring back anarchy in place of our order. I bet the Rakki have done this as a last resort to destroy the orderly running of Gallenor now that their devious plans are thwarted.”
One of the two underlings spoke up. “But, sir, the King sent out an order to kill all male children under the age of eighteen. This is not the action of an orderly King.”
“Did King Anthony sign this order? His signet is on it?” Morris asked.
Gulping back fear, the man nodded. “Yes. It was officially signed and delivered.”
“But, it was ignored?” Morris leaned a little closer.
The youngest quickly answered. “Yes! It was a terrible order. No one is going to kill their own children, even if the king...” Suddenly, a metal boot collided with the boy’s face.
Without even as much as a flinch, Morris put his foot back in the stirrup and looked at the commander. “You, see to it that the Guard legions are rallied under the King and bring the people back in line. I’ll find the King and speak to him. Now that I have the traitor, I’m sure he will explain everything and this matter will be over.”
The poor boy that was kicked, fell to the ground in pain, cupping his bleeding jaw.
Morris rolled his eyes. “See to him first, and then go to the Capital.”
“Sir, where will you go?” The commander didn’t turn to help just yet, knowing the other man would help.
Legacy of Dragonwand- Book III Page 3