Kingdom's Quest

by Chuck Black

  ANCIENT ENEMIES

  Keanna’s mind ran wild with fear. She could not think of any horror worse than falling once again into the steely grip of these brutish warriors. In the solace of the forest, she had come to the precipice of yielding her heart to the Prince and thus to Gavinaugh, but now her past loomed as large as a mountain, and it pressed her deep into the caverns of despair and terror. She saw Gavinaugh running toward her, but hope had already nearly abandoned her.

  “You are no princess, wench.” The warrior’s dark voice spoke closely in her ear, and she shuddered at the sound of it. His large hand encircled her neck and squeezed so she could not scream anymore. The royal robe fell from her shoulders and was trampled beneath his boots. He handled her harshly and dragged her to his horse.

  “You are a peasant and a slave, and now you will serve me in my stronghold forever!” He laughed a deep, guttural laugh that seemed to shake the forest.

  She reached for Gavinaugh in desperation but was swallowed by the beast—the beast that preyed upon the blood of innocents, the beast that was never satisfied. Her will collapsed, and she became a prisoner of darkness once again.

  The wicked laughter echoed through the forest and pierced Gavinaugh’s heart like poisoned arrows. He reached into the depths of his soul and found the strength of a hundred men and brought it all to bear on the two warriors who stood between him and Keanna. He recognized them—these were the same ones who had come to kill him on the road to Denrith. The brute that held Keanna was the one named Devinoux.

  Gavinaugh unleashed his weapon on both men with such fury that the warriors’ arrogance vanished in an instant. His sword flew so swiftly that one of the warriors hesitated in amazement. Gavinaugh’s blade did not tarry at the opportunity. His sword entered and exited the warrior so quickly that the brute was dead before he hit the ground. The second warrior stepped back and took a defensive posture.

  Gavinaugh looked beyond him and saw the leader struggling to place Keanna on his horse. He had but a moment before he lost Keanna to the nightmare of her past. He pounced upon the second warrior with a relentless assault of cuts and slices like no man in Arrethtrae had ever endured.

  “Devinoux!” the warrior shouted in a voice that manifested his fear.

  Gavinaugh showed no mercy as his love was forced onto the warrior’s horse. In one powerful blow, Gavinaugh’s blade slammed against his foe’s sword and moved it from its protective position. Gavinaugh spun and sliced through the warrior. The man fell, silenced by the sword of justice.

  By now the leader had mounted, and Gavinaugh tried to reach them, but he was too late. Keanna screamed through the leader’s tightened grip and fought against him, but he was too powerful to overcome. The black steed launched away from Gavinaugh, and his heart screamed in the agony of the moment.

  He whistled for Triumph and heard the pounding of more horses approaching.

  “Gavinaugh! What has happened?” Weston said urgently as he brought Triumph and Keanna’s horse in tow. Sandon followed close behind.

  “A Shadow Warrior has taken Keanna!” he said as he jumped up on Triumph.

  Gavinaugh led the pursuit through the forest. He couldn’t see his precious Keanna, and he urged Triumph to run faster.

  “Take me to her, Triumph,” he said to his faithful friend and let the animal chart the course to his love. The trees blurred past them as they pressed deeper into the forest, desperately chasing the heels of evil. The mist of the evening slowed Weston and Sandon’s horses, but they continued in the reckless race with courage. Triumph seemed to know the heart of his master and the peril to his friend, for he charged forward mightily, without caution. Gavinaugh occasionally caught glimpses of the fleeing warrior and dared to let his hope return. He was gaining on them, and each stride of his powerful steed brought one more thread of hope.

  Before long, he had gained enough ground to keep Keanna and the warrior in constant view, but something loomed before them like a massive dragon of the sea. As the waning light of dusk revealed the horror of the forest to Gavinaugh, his heart sank to new depths of despair. Before them stood a dozen mounted Shadow Warriors. Side by side, they formed a wall that stretched into the murky horizons of the forest vegetation. The line of warriors opened like a curtain to let the fleeing warrior and Keanna through. Then it closed back together, and Gavinaugh brought Triumph to a halt. Weston and Sandon quickly came up behind him and were speechless.

  “Keanna is behind this barrier of evil, my friends. I will not abandon her to such a cruel fate, but I can’t ask you to sacrifice your lives against these brutes. Leave and save yourselves,” Gavinaugh said. With each passing moment, Devinoux stole Keanna farther from him, and he could hardly be still.

  Weston looked at Gavinaugh. “Never abandon a fellow knight in battle or in peril,” he said and drew his sword. Sandon did the same.

  “The Code is not an option, Sir Gavinaugh. It is our life!” Weston lifted his sword before him.

  “We outnumber them one to four,” Sandon added, with a wry smile crossing his face. “What’s to flee from?” He lifted his sword to join Weston’s.

  The three men crossed swords and shouted, “The King reigns … and His Son!”

  The three gallant knights charged full speed into the wall of gruesome warriors and did not faint in their attack. It seemed a futile attempt, for these were massive men of war with no code to guide their wretched fight. The clash of armor and swords filled the forest amid the rising mist of the evening. Atop their steeds, the odds were slightly better since it was difficult for the Shadow Warriors to engage them more than one or two at a time. Triumph gave Gavinaugh a quick advantage over his first foe, and his sword felled that warrior quickly, but there were too many to overcome.

  Gavinaugh heard Sandon grunt and saw the sword of one warrior tear through his left shoulder. He recovered and defended, but it was only a matter of time before their wounds would become fatal. Weston brought his sword to bear on one that greatly challenged him, and he too found an opening, causing his opponent to hit the ground with a thud. The Shadow Warriors intensified their attack, and Gavinaugh wondered if all would end here in the Black Woods this dreadful night.

  Just then, fresh sounds of thundering steeds fell upon Gavinaugh’s ears, but he dared not look to see to whom they belonged. The leader of the Shadow Warriors yelled a command, and the warriors on the fringes of the fray disengaged to meet the approaching men. It was enough to bring Gavinaugh and his men hope, for they soon heard the clash of metal just off to their left. The two battles raged, and Gavinaugh glanced toward the new fracas to discover the identity of their help. Embroiled in a vicious battle of their own were his friend Porunth and six fellow Silent Warriors. Their mighty forms brought new strength to the battle as the brilliant swords of the Prince flew to vanquish these ancient enemies of the King. Porunth worked his way to Gavinaugh, and they spoke in the throes of the fight.

  “Gavinaugh, you must disengage and find Keanna!” he yelled above the battle sounds.

  “But you are outnumbered,” Gavinaugh called back.

  “I know of this Devinoux and his stronghold. You cannot spare a moment,” Porunth said and then thwarted the slice of a Shadow Warrior. Gavinaugh became preoccupied with his own battle until Porunth could speak again.

  “Where do I look?” Gavinaugh asked.

  “Follow the western edge of the forest to the swamplands. In the midst is his stronghold—a dragon known as the Tarmuwth guards the entrance. You must be ready!” Porunth shouted and deflected another blow. “Take my shield. You will need it to defeat the dragon.”

  Porunth executed a powerful blow that stunned his opponent long enough for him to engage the warrior Gavinaugh was against. Then Porunth threw his shield to Gavinaugh and drew his short blade with his left hand.

  Gavinaugh paused for a moment—he could hardly leave his comrades to such a battle, but the urgency of his interrupted pursuit once again overcame him.

  “Go!”
Porunth yelled, and Gavinaugh pressed Triumph into a full gallop away from the battle.

  Too much time had passed for him to hope to gain sight of Keanna and the Shadow Warrior, but Triumph did not hesitate in discovering their route. Gavinaugh rode for a good distance, and the evening turned to night. With daylight gone, Triumph slowed some. They followed the western edge of the Black Woods until they eventually came to the swamplands. Here the forest turned to moss and mud. Standing water generated a thick, low-lying fog that completely covered the ground, making navigation impossible for all except a Kasian horse like Triumph, able to guide where ordinary horses could not. The solid ground was impossible for Gavinaugh to see, and he was grateful for Triumph’s special abilities. He let the steed focus on the hidden terrain beneath the fog and trusted the course to the animal. His progress now was slow, and Gavinaugh forced himself to be still. He looked ahead across the swamp and saw the faint outline of an eerie abode.

  As Triumph brought him closer, Gavinaugh’s muscles began to tense. In the midst of the swamp, the marshy mud and water yielded to an island of hard, dark soil. Black spires of an unusual substance protruded up from the ground to form a ghostly castle of evil. Some of the spires towered high above. An occasional pool of a black substance was aflame and gave a flickering orange glow to the surroundings. The stronghold of Devinoux was a ghastly place.

  Just short of the embankment, Triumph stopped as a wicked raspy sound emanating from the stronghold rumbled across the swamp. That hideous sound must come from the Tarmuwth, Gavinaugh thought.

  He coaxed Triumph to take him the remaining distance to the embankment of the stronghold and dismounted. Gavinaugh saw faint tracks in the hard ground. He drew his sword and tightened his grip on Porunth’s shield. Though his right arm was weak, he was able to bear the shield adequately. Triumph was content to stay on the edge of the embankment as Gavinaugh proceeded into the stronghold and into the lair of the Tarmuwth. A wall of closely spaced black spires formed the boundary of the stronghold. Gavinaugh found an opening and cautiously entered.

  The dancing shadows caused by the flames and spires occasionally startled Gavinaugh into thinking he saw movement behind him. He proceeded farther into the heart of the stronghold, searching the eerie landscape for some sign of Keanna. The smell of rotting flesh became stronger with each step he took. He maneuvered around one large stone spire, and something white fluttered to his right. He drew back his sword to strike and then realized that a fragment of Keanna’s dress hung from the jagged tip of a smaller spire. He reached for the torn material, and it burst into flames. Gavinaugh instantly recoiled and held up his shield to deflect what he realized was an expulsion of flame from some hideous creature.

  He crouched behind the protection of his shield and a large spire. Without his full suit of armor, he was vulnerable. He was thankful that only the hairs on the back of his arm had been singed. The flame had only lasted a moment and was immediately followed by a screech from the throat of the dragon. The near-deafening sound reverberated throughout the lair. The high pitch hurt Gavinaugh’s ears, and he heard Triumph whinny in pain in the distance. He took the opportunity to see what monster he was facing. It was enough to shake his courage and test the mettle of his heart.

  The creature looked like something straight from the Isle of Sedah. Its head was triangular, with two long horns protruding above its eyes back toward its spine. A shorter horn rose from the crest of its nose and arched rearward as well. Long, sharp teeth protruded from its upper and lower jaws. Its neck was slightly longer than a horse’s, and its body was scaled like a snake’s. It walked on all four legs but stood on its hind two to strike at its prey and to breathe fire. The hind legs were powerful, with large talons that gripped the ground for leverage, and the forelimbs were nearly as strong, but the talons here were longer and sharper. A connecting skin ran from the forelimbs to partway down the body. When the beast rose up, it seemed to double in size as it spread its limbs apart. The tail ended in a spade with numerous sharp horns that flicked left and right as it walked and hunted.

  Gavinaugh retreated behind a spire and took a deep breath. The Tarmuwth stood taller than he and looked to weigh four times as much. It was an ominous sight. Only now did he realize that the ground around him was scattered with fragments of half-eaten bones. The thought of Keanna in this place gave him great anguish, and his only thought was to free her from such an evil prison … if she was still alive.

  Gavinaugh dodged behind different spires, hoping the creature would lose track of him. He began to circle about the beast and wondered at its capability to see and smell. He found a vantage point and watched as the creature licked at the air with its forked tongue, smelling for its prey. It screeched again, and Gavinaugh tried to cover his ears. He was breathing so hard that he took a moment to settle himself. He surveyed the area to plot his next course, and just as he was about to sprint to the next spire, he spotted a clearing in the distance. On the far side was a tattered figure in white held by thick ropes to a massive towering spire.

  Gavinaugh knew that Devinoux must be near. He silently maneuvered farther away from the Tarmuwth and slowly made his way behind the spire Keanna was tied to. After each movement he waited and listened. He cautiously crept to the front of the spire. When Keanna caught her first glimpse of him, she inhaled in quiet exclamation.

  “Gavinaugh!” she whispered. Her voice conveyed a sense of renewed hope, and the sound of it strengthened his heart. He sheathed his sword and drew his long-knife. Her arms were stretched wide and held in place by a rope tied to iron anchors high in the spire.

  “Where is he?” Gavinaugh asked as he cut one of the ropes holding her arms.

  “I’m not sure. He’s not far, though. He—Gavinaugh!” she yelled as a sword screamed toward his head. He dropped the knife, turned, and brought his strong arm to the shield to bear the force of Devinoux’s sword. Gavinaugh was off balance, and the blow sent him reeling to the ground. Devinoux covered him immediately and brought another cut on him from above. Gavinaugh deflected again with the shield and was able to draw his sword.

  With one arm free, Keanna reached up to untie her other arm, but the knot was too tight to loosen with only one hand. She reached for the knife that lay at her feet, but it was just beyond her reach. She strained at the rope that still held her arm and could barely touch the hilt of the knife with her free hand. A horrific screech filled the air as the Tarmuwth dragon became aware of the ruckus.

  Gavinaugh thwarted two more slices from Devinoux, and the warrior cursed as Gavinaugh regained his feet and took a defensive posture. The Shadow Warrior paused in his attack. He swung his sword from side to side as if to taunt Gavinaugh. Here in his stronghold, Devinoux looked even mightier than before. A mass of rippling muscles encased his frame from neck to feet. But it was the dark, steely eyes that unnerved Gavinaugh the most. They were windows into the soul of a monster. When he had faced Devinoux’s sword before, Gavinaugh was his plaything. He wondered if the training of the Prince had truly elevated his level of mastery enough to be able to contend with such a powerful and evil foe.

  “I knew you would play the fool and come for her. Here in my domain no one will come to save you. Now I will finish what I started years ago!” The Shadow Warrior’s voice was full of hatred and loathing. “The Prince thinks He has made a knight of you, but I see in your eyes that you are but a cowardly knave. And this wench you are trying to save is nothing more than a slave for me and meat for my dragon.” He laughed loudly and with such arrogance that Gavinaugh felt the anger rise within him.

  “By the name of the Prince I bear this sword! By His strength and His might, you will fall this day!” Gavinaugh proclaimed and attacked the Shadow Warrior with the might of the Prince. Their swords flew with the speed of lightning and exploded with the sound of thunder as each countered and attacked time after time. Gavinaugh saw alarm momentarily cross his adversary’s face.

  Another screech blasted through the air—muc
h closer this time.

  Devinoux was a formidable foe, one of Lucius’s top warriors. Gavinaugh did not underestimate his skill or his ruthlessness, for he had discerned what kind of warrior he was. The fight raged on and the dragon came closer. Gavinaugh felt the walls of defeat closing in upon him. The swords flashed again and Devinoux withdrew slightly. He lowered his sword and began to laugh. Gavinaugh wondered at his response until he heard the terrifying screech of the Tarmuwth just behind him.

  Gavinaugh was now caught between the deadly sword of a mighty Shadow Warrior and the ripping claws of a fire-breathing dragon. He looked back at Devinoux, whose laughter suddenly became a gasp. Devinoux’s eyes grew wide, and his face reddened in fury. As Devinoux turned to face a new foe, Gavinaugh saw that his own long-knife was protruding from the warrior’s back. Devinoux raised his sword to strike at his assailant, but Gavinaugh seized the moment and plunged his sword deep into the warrior’s chest. Devinoux fell to his knees, clutching at the knife that protruded from his back. Keanna stood behind him.

  “I will never be your slave again. I belong to the Prince!” she said, and the warrior fell to the ground dead.

  Gavinaugh turned to see the Tarmuwth rise up on its hind legs and spread its front limbs wide. In this position, the beast was a picture of absolute terror, and it took all Gavinaugh had not to collapse in fear. The stomach of the dragon convulsed, and Gavinaugh dove toward Keanna. He pulled her to the ground and sheltered her with the shield at the last instant before they were engulfed in a furnace of flames. The fringes of Keanna’s dress caught fire, but there was little time to tend to it until they found cover. As soon as the encompassing flame was gone, Gavinaugh grabbed Keanna’s hand, and they ran to a nearby spire, where they extinguished her dress. Gavinaugh looked back at the Tarmuwth and saw that the body of the Shadow Warrior was aflame. The smell of burning flesh began to permeate the area. The dragon was coming toward them.