by Aaron Thomas
“The battle has begun, Majesty,” He said with his head down.
Twilix cleared her throat. She knew the battle began, but hearing the announcement had somehow made it sound more real. In the back of her mind she could see dozens of men being hewn down by fire, earth, and metal. The image was almost more than she could handle.
She opened her mouth but was only able to speak one word. “Report.”
Ray stood and looked about the room as if he was taking in the emotions, “The walls hold for now. I am having them reinforced by what magic we have left. There are battering rams crossing the battlefield that will be at the gates before I can return. We have men in protected positions until they can be used effectively. So far we’ve kept our deaths to just a handful, but are still outnumbered four to one.”
Twilix slumped in her throne and rested her head on her hand, “What will it take for us to win this battle, Commander?”
There was no hesitation in his answer, “A miracle or another earth wielder as strong as Calvin or Ria. Short of anything else would cause us to lose every life and imbuement that this city has in it to Atmos.”
Twilix perked up in her chair. The mention of imbuements reminded her that she hadn’t used them all. She still had one in her armory.
Twilix stood, and with a confident, commanding tone she spoke out so her voice rang in the throne room, “Commander, I need your sword.”
“Majesty?” He said, putting his hand on his hilt as if about to give it to her.
Twilix cleared her throat, “We have one more imbuement in the armory. It is one that will grant us the wielder you need.”
A loud thump startled Twilix as she spun to her right, Ria had dropped the book she was reading.
“You cannot. I told you it was too dangerous to use,” Ria said in almost a scream.
Twilix calmly turned to Ria, “It is not your choice to make. Besides, it has been wielded once before and will be again.”
“The commander knows the risks of wielding that weapon, I am sure he will refuse. If he doesn’t, I will convince him otherwise,” Ria said as if a child throwing a tantrum.
It was an odd feeling, seeing someone of Ria’s age and respectability losing their demeanor. She supposed that she would see that more often now that she was a Queen.
Twilix looked back at the commander, “I need your sword to open the armory. Once that’s done you are dismissed back to the battle. If we are able to bring you relief, we will. Otherwise when the walls break, get as many troops as you can back to the throne room for healing and strength. We will make our last stand here.”
The commander hesitated at the keyhole as Ria continued her protests, “Gortus can’t use it! He won’t be able to move the hammer, it is far too heavy.”
Ray stopped just before turning the blade in the magical lock, “Hammer? The hammer of Tilrick the Warlord?”
“The same, Commander. I will have the stablemaster take it near the wall so you can have your troops restored. I assume this will fill the role of the wielder you were speaking about?” Twilix said with an eyebrow raised.
“The stablemaster?” Ria shouted.
Jessica stepped in front of Daniel as if to keep him from the task, “Majesty?”
Twilix looked between the three people and walked to Jessica, “All I ask is that he does what he said he could do. Wield a hammer outside of battle to help us with this.”
She looked to the others in the room as Gortus was now on his feet. She walked to where Ray was standing and put her hand on the top of his hilt.
“We have been given the tools that we need to live if we only have the courage to use them,“ Twilix whispered.
Twilix looked directly into the commander’s eyes and felt the sword slowly rotate in her grasp. His eyes read of a renewed vigor and hope that caused her to smile. A shimmering water-covered portal opened where the throne was supposed to reside, revealing the armory below.
Twilix let go of Ray’s had and turned to face Ria, who was now standing with clenched fists.
“I refuse to let this happen. No good has ever come from that instrument of death and far too often has it meant the death of its wielder,” Ria said as the throne began to move and form vines, readying to leap at her command.
Before Twilix knew what happened a streak of black moved in front of her and Ria collapsed on the floor. Gortus had taken her magic by running past her so he wouldn’t keep it from her for long. Twilix took in a breath as she realized she had held it at the unexpected passing of the Kapal.
“She will live, Majesty. The longer you wait to get that hammer to the wall, the more of your soldiers die,” He said as he stared at the unconscious body of Ria.
Twilix walked towards her and put a hand on Ria’s chest. She felt the rise and fall of the Wizard’s lungs and took a swallow. She hated that it had come to this, but Twilix saw no other way to win.
She stood and led the others into the armories dark chamber. Ray held a hand aloft bathed in the flame from his imbuements giving them light. Just as Daniel had described, there was a large pile of chain in the far corner of the armory. Twilix walked to the pile, reluctantly followed by Daniel.
He took a deep breath, “What if I don’t want to do this?”
Twilix placed a hand on his arm, “Then we don’t stand a chance,Daniel. Either way, we will be beside you to help you handle the weapon as best we can. You have to know that if there were another way, I would not ask you to do this.”
“Surely the commander would be more suited for this?” Daniel said as if a question.
Twilix shook her head, “The commander has to do his duty in carrying out the strategy of battle. Besides, I believe that you are more suited for feats of strength, and that’s what this is. Your task is to get the hammer to where it can be used and strengthen those who fight. You have given me hope, Daniel. Please don’t take that away from me.”
She watched as a hand caressed Daniel’s shoulder and Jessica moved to stand beside him.
“I trust her, Daniel. If she says she will be with you, then she will be. Please do this for me,” Jessica pleaded.
Daniel took a deep breath reached into the pile of chains, giving one a tug. The chain pieces were as thick as the queen’s wrist and started clanging along the floor as they fell out of the precarious position. Attached at one end of the chain laid a wrist guard so it would fall inside the wearer’s forearm. The other end was attached to a thick metal handle that stood straight up from the floor to just above Daniels belly button.
Twilix took a deep breath and used water magic to touch the weapon’s handle. A faint green glow of earth magic ran down the length of the chain. The weight of the chains would have to be between five to ten pounds each. The entire chain itself was about thirty feet long.
Daniel reached down for the metal cuff.
“Wait!” Twilix let out at almost a yell. “I almost forgot the weapon’s detriment. It would be disastrous if we didn’t anticipate it.”
Jessica raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“If he would have touched the weapon, he could have been determined to protect you here or save us all by leaping into battle. When he touches it, we have to be ready to help him mentally stay focused on the job at hand, because the magic may not let him be who he wants to be,” Twilix said in a rush.
Jessica still looked confused, so Twilix squatted down beside Daniel.
“Do you remember when you first put on your imbuement?”
Daniel gave a nod and then removed the small ring from around his finger.
“I felt as if I would do anything to protect Jessica.I still feel this way only now I know how to go about it without killing myself. I know my limits.”
“She doesn’t understand the determinants. I will have to help her understand so she may help control you,” Twilix explained as she stood.
Twilix felt a hand grab her wrist and looked down to see Daniel holding on to her.
“Use this,” He said as
he handed Twilix his ring.
She smiled and took the ring, pulling Jessica a little to the side.
“I need you to help me control Daniel. When he touches the hammer, he will become obsessed with a task. The path he follows can be manipulated by a task given at the right moment. It will be a task we choose for him to focus on. Once his choice has been made there will be nothing that we can do to alter it,” Twilix said, feeling the earth energy renewing her as she squeezed the ring in her palm.
“Jessica, I need you to understand, so I am going to place an imbuement in your hand. When I do, you will feel the overwhelming urge to do something. I don’t know what that will be, only that I need you to fight it, and direct it,” Twilix said, doing her best to warn the woman.
Jessica gave a nod of her head, closed her eyes, and held out an open hand. Twilix placed the ring in her hand and took a step back.
“Jessica, I need you to help me direct your husband for the good of this city,” Twilix said in as a commanding tone as she could.
Ray cleared his throat, standing by the entrance to the armory, “We could have picked a better time to be doing this.”
Twilix gave him a glare which was echoed by Jessica’s own face. Twilix smiled at her handmaid, knowing that the woman’s determination had been set correctly.
“Are you willing to help me, Jessica?”
Jessica nodded, “Yes, I am. Although, I’m not sure what urge you're talking about. I don’t feel a thing but stronger and more energized.”
Twilix gave a chuckle, “Yes. Well, try not to move too fast.”
Jessica nodded and moved stiffly through the chamber. Twilix let her get use to the feeling of the imbuement before waving her over to a corner away from Daniel.
“When he touches the hammer’s chain, I need you to command him. I need you to say the exact words that I tell you so he won’t hurt himself or us. Can you do that?”
Jessica nodded her head, and Twilix put a finger to her lips to find the right words. She wished Bowie was there with her. Ria told her the man was brilliant at helping find the right commands for new wielders.
The deep thought of the moment seem to be taking much longer than she had intended. She looked up at the commander, who was not so patiently waiting for Daniel.
“Commander, we will find you on the front lines. Prepare your men to make the strongest defense,” She said dismissing him.
Ray saluted and just as he left, the words came to her mind. Twilix smiled and echoed the words in her head a few times, looking at the possible ways that Daniel could misconstrue the meaning of her orders.
“Jessica, you must speak this phrase exactly as I say it: “Take the hammer and assist the soldiers at the wall by restoring their energy.,”” Twilix said slowly, being careful to enunciate her words so she wouldn’t be misunderstood.
Her maid repeated the words back exactly as she said them four times before walking towards her husband. Twilix followed and waited for Jessica to give her a signal. Jessica took a deep breath and knelt down beside her husband who was looking at her intently. Twilix watched as Jessica gave her a quick glance and a nod.
“Put on the bracer, Daniel,” She commanded.
Daniel hesitantly lowered his forearm into the bracer and gave a physical jolt when the elemental power ran through his veins. Jessica leaned into him and whispered into his ear. It wasn’t but a moment before Daniel stood quickly and began wrestling the hammer from the ground.
Jessica and Twilix took a step back as her husband tried to pick up the weapon. Daniel’s feet slid across the ground trying to find purchase. Placing a foot on either side of the hammer, he lifted straight up with ease and slowly shuffled his way around the racks in the armory.
“Is it still heavy?” Jessica asked with a concerned tone to her voice.
Daniel shook his head from side to side as he held his jaw at an awkward angle. He then dropped the hammer so it slid a few inches before stopping. He scratched his chin as if trying to figure out a puzzle.
“Although I am stronger, I am finding it harder to balance myself. The hammer outweighs my body causing me to tilt. I can’t get enough traction to drag the thing either. How did Tilrick carry this thing?” He asked sounding frustrated.
Twilix shrugged her shoulders as a voice called out from the throne room.
“The legends never say how he carried it. All we know is that he was the only one to ever figure out how to use it. I told you it would not only be dangerous but difficult to wield but you youngsters always jump in up to your neck without looking first,” Ria said as she walked into the armory.
Twilix didn’t know if Daniel feared Ria or if it was the earth magic’s determination setting in, but Daniel picked up the hammer and threw it up the staircase. She watched as if the next couple of seconds went unnaturally slow. The chain attached to the hammer began disappearing until there was no slack in between links as they followed the hammer like the rope of an anchor. The links then pulled on the wrist guard attached to Daniel’s arm and pulled him off his feet and through the water barrier, leaving them in the armory.
Jessica let out a squeal as she ran up the stairs giving chase. Twilix, seeing the fear in Jessica’s eyes, followed as she brushed by Ria and back into the throne room. Gortus and the commander stood watching Daniel pick himself up as Jessica rushed to his side.
The front row of crystalline benches laid in melting rubble after having been crushed by Daniel and the hammer. The stablemaster’s wife was at his side only to be brushed away by Daniel as he again picked up the hammer and more carefully threw it up the throne room’s stairs. Ready to be pulled from his feet Daniel landed against the stairs with a strengthful grace.
The commander, watching Daniel throw himself out of the throne room, crossed his arms, “I hope for all of our sakes you instructed him well.”
Ray didn’t wait for an answer as he trudged up the stairs waving to Gortus.
“I think you better come along, Gortus. If he gets into trouble you may have to intercede. Better yet, if he starts doing what he is supposed to do, you may have some wielders to ward off our gates,” Ray said, motioning Gortus out the door while keeping his distance.
Gortus reluctantly went out the door. Ray gave a half bow before disappearing after him. The throne room was silent except for Jessica who now knelt on the ground, staring at the door where her husband had disappeared.
Twilix went to her and knelt beside her to cradle her head. Twilix, already regretting having to use Daniel, tried to shush her handmaid. As if by instinct she began rocking the woman back and forth as she now sobbed into Twilix’s dress.
Twilix tried to comfort her, “It’s going to be okay. If we set his determination correctly, he won’t need to get near the battle.”
Jessica’s sobs became louder at her words as she struggled to speak through them. Twilix slowly pushed her away to meet her face and gave her a concerned look.
Jessica swallowed her sobs and spoke in small sobbing blurts, “I didn’t. I didn’t say it all.”
Twilix eyes went wide in horror, “What did you say!?!”
“I started out fine, but he moved before I could finish,” Jessica said, looking back at the door.
Twilix put a hand on the woman’s face and turned it to look at her, “What did you say.”
“Just as you told me,” Jessica said, trying to hold back the sobs. “Take the hammer and assist the soldiers at the wall.”
Twilix stood but not before Ria gave an annoyed moan.
“I told you not to mess with that hammer. I warned you multiple times and yet you still did not take my advice. Now I have to go and save this poor child from himself,” Ria said as she leaped and cleared several rows of benches heading to the door.
Twilix helped Jessica off the floor and ushered her to the window just outside the throne room. She hoped to see Ria catching up, or perhaps Gortus stop Daniel from getting too far. What she saw was a stablemaster hefting a hammer on one sho
ulder and holding a length of chain on the other as he sprinted through the courtyard. Jessica’s sobs renewed as they both watched her husband bound out of sight towards the battle.
**********
Alexander sat for hours in the darkness looking at a pinhole light in the distance. As he stared, the light grew closer and stopped before he could make out the movement and change of colors inside the light. The light kept him company for what seemed like far too long to be stuck with your hands bound to your feet.
The dark glass-like tiles that were visible within the few feet of his body were neither cold nor warm. He sat comfortably with his knees on his chest and arms wrapped around his legs. The bindings did not dig as he would’ve expected; they seemed to be made out of an impassable magic smoke. He searched his memory for anything, or any place that had been described as the darkness. The knowledge evaded him, but being here he knew it must have been possible.
He thought perhaps it was all a dream that he would wake from and forget. Perhaps he was stuck in the living slumber that some suffered from by being struck in the head. He wondered if it would always be dark in the dream he was sure he was in.
Pulling again at his vaporous bindings he found no purchase and no relief. He should be uncomfortable but found no pain to remain in the position. He hadn’t eaten, yet he wasn’t hungry. The only thing he had to do was talk to himself or stare at the light. He talked to himself enough to know that no one would answer, so he laughed instead.
“Something funny?” A voice answered.
Alexander straightened his back and looked around but found no shape. He squinted his eyes as if it would help him see into the darkness that seemed to start just out of reach of his toes.
Finding no one, he answered the darkness, “I thought it funny that I had spent most of my life pretending to hear voices that weren’t really there. Now I have no one to speak to or pretend in front of but be forced to talk to myself. Which I realize I might already be doing.”
Silence answered him. He continued to look around but found no movement or evidence of another being. He let out a chuckle thinking that if this were to continue, he might actually go mad, an ironic and fitting way to come out of a coma.