by Mike Shelton
After taking care of business, Darius went to the stables to make sure the Cremelinos were being taken care of. He grabbed a brush and reached his hand toward one of the white horses, asking permission to touch him as he helped Jakob groom them. Jakob, as one of the caretakers, was given permission to touch the horses without having to be a wizard or bonded.
As Darius brushed the horse, he thought of Christine and Lightning and about the many times that Lightning communicated with him and even let him ride her, but he knew the bond with Christine and the Cremelino was different. He wondered when he would be chosen to have one and how it would feel. Would it be similar to the wizard power he held inside of him?
When the time is right, young wizard, one of the horses spoke to him, then we will choose.
“You are all so beautiful and strong,” Darius said.
The horse seemed pleased with the comment, and he whinnied his pleasure.
Are there differences between the males and females?
The horse snorted, almost as if laughing at the King. Are there differences between human men and women?
Darius smiled, laughed, and spoke out loud. “Yes, there are. I get it.”
Loud yelling noises grabbed Darius’s attention. He ran out of the stable to see what was happening. A young boy was being dragged behind a horse by a rope. He was screaming for the rider to stop.
Darius jumped out and held up his hand to the rider. The man didn’t appear to recognize Darius, but he did stop. The boy picked himself up off the ground and stood in a defiant stance. The urchin was not more than ten years old. The little clothes he wore were dirty and threadbare. His skin was pale, and his light blue eyes sat squinted beneath a mop of brown hair.
Darius confronted the man. “What is the meaning of this?”
“This brat was caught stealing from our garden.”
“I was just getting food for my family,” the boy explained, holding himself up as tall as he could.
The man spit on the ground in front of the boy. “You’re a miner from the Gold Mountains by the look of you. You’re a long way from home to be getting food for your family.”
Roland stepped between the man and the King. “Sir. Please let the King ask the questions, and refrain from spitting in his presence.”
Darius tried not to smile at Roland’s way of defending him. His men were indeed protective of him.
“My Lord” The man bowed to the King. “I didn’t mean any offense. We don’t get royal visitors out this way very often. These urchins from the mines seem to be multiplying lately. They take our food and run off with it.”
“Untie the boy,” Darius ordered the man.
“Sire. He will run away. He is little but wiry and quick,” the man said.
“You heard the King.” Roland stepped up to the man with a scowl on his tanned face.
The man sighed and untied the rope off the boy’s wrists.
As they had feared, the boy began to run off. The man started after him, but Roland put an arm on his to restrain him.
Darius watched the boy for a moment, feeling sorry for his condition. He thought back to the farmlands outside of Anikari where Christine had grown up. They were hated and treated badly from the city nobles and merchants, sometimes not having much food for themselves. The boy was thin and hungry, but he couldn’t let him get away. The King had to serve justice.
With a flick of his wrist and power from his heart, he meant to thicken the air in front of the boy; however, instead he created a wind that came sideways and blew the boy off his feet, landing him hard on the ground. It wouldn’t have been so bad, but the wind continued swirling and headed toward some of the other townspeople. With a few screams and scrambling around, they escaped the brunt of it.
The wind dissipated, and Darius’s face burned red with embarrassment. He covered it up by walking toward the boy and stopping in front of him. The boy turned, looking up wide-eyed. Darius crooked his finger, asking the boy to stand. The boy shook his head. Darius clapped his hands in front of him, and the ground around the boy shook. The boy’s eyes now filled with terror; however, this time Darius’s power stayed contained. Again Darius motioned for the young boy to stand up. This time the boy acquiesced and walked slowly next to the King as they returned to the man who had caught him.
A large crowd from the small village had gathered. They watched him with wonder in their eyes and whispered among themselves that now the boy would get what he deserved. The King would not stand for a little brat defying him; however, Darius’s heart went out to the young boy.
“Tell me about your village in the mountains,” Darius said, ushering the boy to sit down next to him on a large log.
“I live in a small mining town just outside the eastern twin city. My papa and mama work deep in the copper mine. We didn’t get much rain early this year in the mountains, not like we usually do, so our crops didn’t grow. These people here”—he spread his hands around—“and villages like these don’t help us out. My papa said they raise their prices just to hurt us.”
The boy stopped talking, but Darius urged him forward in his story. “I’m not old enough to work in the mines, so they send others like me down to these villages to take food that we need to live on.”
Darius’s heart went out to this young man and his plight. The people in the Twin Cities were as much the King’s responsibility as those in Anikari. He could tell their troubles must have been neglected for years under King Edward.
“We work hard for our food, too,” the man the boy had stolen from said. “They have no right to steal from us.”
Remembering back to the difficulties of the farmers outside Anikari, Darius asked a question of the townspeople. “What would you good people do if you had a harsh spring and didn’t have food?”
“We wouldn’t steal it,” someone said from the back of the crowd. “We would work for it.”
“My papa and mama do work, but the mine masters work them too hard to meet their quotas, and they still don’t get paid much.” With pleading eyes, the young boy turned to the King and begged, “Help us.”
“What would you have me do?” Darius stood and addressed the crowd. “What should I do about this small boy only wanting some food?”
“Punish him.”
“Send him home.”
“Cut off his hand for stealing.”
The negative suggestions continued until a small girl, a year or two younger than the boy walked out with half a loaf of bread.
“Here,” was all she said. She sat the loaf at the feet of the boy. “I have enough.”
The crowd quieted, and Darius’s heart almost broke. It was clear to him what he must do.
“I am King of a vast realm of people. It is my job to protect them and care for them, especially those who aren’t able to care for themselves. We have suffered this past year in Anikari because of similar problems there.” He walked over to the girl who brought the bread. “Is your mother or father here?”
The young girl pointed at a man in the back. The man appeared nervous to be singled out.
“Come forward, sir.” Darius gestured to him. “What is your name?”
“Aral Flint,” the man said. He wiggled his fingers at his side in nervousness of talking to his King.
“Your daughter has impressed me with her charity. As of this moment, I give you a King’s charge. You are in charge of gathering food from this and nearby villages and delivering it to the communities of the Twin Cities. A portion of your bread, vegetables, fruits, and meats will rotate among the villages to provide those in need with food until they can provide for themselves again. My captain will draw up the requisite papers for you to enforce this charge.”
There were a few murmurs in the crowd; most were surprised at the King’s charge. Darius surveyed the townspeople, then brought his attention back to the young boy. He walked over and ruffled the boy’s hair.
“I will travel to the Twin Cities and see for myself what is going on the
re. This kingdom has enough resources for all men to live in comfort and not in fear or hunger.”
Roland moved over to the King and whispered in his ear. “We are on the way to Sur, remember, Sire? There are people there waiting for us.”
Darius smiled. “Thank you for the reminder, Captain. You can go on ahead if you would like.”
Roland blanched at the idea. “I don’t think that is a good idea, Sire. Who would watch after you then?”
Darius smiled. “Then we will first go to the Twin Cities. The dignitaries of Sur and the Kingdom of Arc can wait another week to see their King, whereas I daresay the people of the Twin Cities haven’t seen a King in a long time.”
Roland’s lips sat in a straight line, then he bowed his head.
“Have riders ready to go to Sur, Arc, and the Twin Cities. I will have letters ready in the next hour. And get Mr. Flint all he needs to accomplish his charge.” King Darius dispensed his orders to his guard. “And so there are no hard feelings, reimburse the man the young boy has stolen from for his loss.”
The man, still standing close by seemed, surprised by the King’s justice and mercy. The crowd began talking at once as Darius walked away to write his messages.
He penned a quick note to his wife first, expressing his love for her and his desire to not be separated for so long but stated that what he was doing was the right thing to do. He asked her to placate the officials in Sur and reach out to the delegation from Arc that would be there soon. Darius surely missed having Christine next to him. Her smiles gave him confidence.
Upon exiting the building, one of the Cremelinos came up to Darius. It was the same male he had once spoken with.
“We could communicate to your wife directly through the Cremelino link. Lightning could inform her what you need to tell her.”
Darius had not thought of that before. A thought occurred to him: A coordinated placement of Cremelinos around the Realm could be a great advantage in communicating the affairs of the kingdom. Each one would need a wizard with them. He voiced this thought to the horse.
“That is why we are here, young wizard. We foresaw this need.”
“Why do I sense that you always know more about things than you let on?”
The horse made a sound like a snicker. “Maybe we do, but most of the time we need you to make your own decisions. Destiny and prophecy work better that way.”
Darius decided to send a message along the Cremelinos line as well as send a rider, just to make sure there were not any misunderstandings.
The King, his captain, and Jakob spent the rest of the day preparing for the travels to the Twin Cities. It was decided that Jakob would stay in the village with the Cremelinos and Darius and Roland would travel north with the young boy thief and a few other hired guards from the city. It would be a two-day ride there. Once they left the main road, the path to the Twin Cities was steeper and more difficult. Jakob, the horses, and two other newly hired guards would meet Darius and Roland in six days’ time at another village just west of the western road to the Twin Cities. At that point, they would still be a full day’s ride away from Sur.
The next morning, after making sure that Aral Flint had his directions and orders clear to gather food and bring it to the mountain towns, the group made final preparations to leave.
Wizard. The Cremelino came up to Darius one final time before they left. I communicated your message for Christine to Lightning. The answer back was strange. It seems that Lightning has had a more difficult time communicating to the queen of late. They were finally able to get the understanding of the message when they touched, but it almost felt as if there was something blocking it.
Darius grew concerned for his wife and thought about what he should do. “It must be the distance, or maybe the queen is just tired. She wasn’t feeling well when I left her. That is why I also sent a messenger to Sur, to make sure that the message arrived.”
Darius relayed the concern to Roland.
“It could also be that you are all new at communicating this way,” Roland said pragmatically.
Darius agreed, and though he was still worried and anxious to see Christine again, he decided he had to move forward and be comforted with the thought he would see her soon enough, and they would figure it out together.
* * *
Christine rode through the upper section of Sur with guards on either side of her. The early morning autumn air smelled crisp, the sun already warming the cold ground above freezing. Three days ago she had received the message from Darius that he would be delayed. She had informed the city mayor and sent missives to the Kingdom of Arc dignitaries.
Not feeling well, she decided to get out in the fresh air for an early morning ride on Lightning. She kept the pace steady so as not to upset her stomach further. She and Lightning seemed able to still communicate with each other when they physically touched, but as she moved further away, it became more difficult. Lightning expressed her concern, but Christine wrote it off as being part of whatever was making her sick.
She loved this part of town. It was close to the mountains, and most of the buildings were made from wood. The pine had been smoothed and painted with a host of soft colors. Most of the homes and businesses were three levels, a shop on the first level and living quarters above. Yellows, greens, and blues in light shades made this section of town more cheery. Christine watched as people came in and out of the darker-colored doors.
Christine thought of Darius. Her heart ached to see him again. The first few months of being King had been busy for him. Their wedding was grand, although a little rushed. She smiled at the memory of the grand ballroom decorated in silks and flowers. Dignitaries from all over the Realm had attended. She loved Darius fiercely, but it was a little difficult to get used to being the queen. Their private time together dwindled as matters of state took precedence. This tour of the Realm allowed them more time to be together. Just riding side by side together, Christine relished in Darius’s strength of love for her. She knew that part of it was amplified by his power, but she always basked in the feeling.
The buildings thinned around her, and they passed through a narrow gate outside the city. Fields opened up in front of her, and she picked up the pace, her sickness forgotten for a moment. Christine breathed in, letting the cool air fill her lungs. She smiled at the sight of the browning grasses scattered around the farms north of the city. Brief tears came to her eyes as memories of the farmlands where she had grown up flooded through her. Being in a city like Anikari, Belor, or Sur was always astonishing to her since she had been raised in the farmlands. So many people bustling around, so many sounds and smells confronting her senses. Tears slowly slipped from her eyes.
“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” Tad, one of the guards, asked.
“Yes, I am fine. Just remembering the farmlands around my home. I miss them sometimes. Have you ever ridden out into the farms?” she asked.
Tad shook his head. Up until Darius had become King, a huge rift sat between the city and the farmers, unaffectionately called “outsiders” by those in the city. The term had originally been given to some minor wizards who were exiled outside of the city, but over time had been used to refer to anyone that lived in the lands surrounding Anikari. The farmers were looked upon as little more than slaves and definitely inferior to those in the city. Darius befriending Christine years earlier and his announcement of intent to marry her had caused quite a ruckus around the nobles. However, the new King’s compassion for all and his fairness already had an impact on the relations of all people in the Realm.
“I guess you wouldn’t have ventured outside the city much, given the circumstances,” Christine responded to the guard’s nod. “I love the smell of the fields and trees.”
“Danger!” The warning from her Cremelino horse came in a sudden blast that almost threw Christine from the horse.
Behind them rode a hasty and quick-moving group of men, kicking up a spray of dirt on the small road. The two guards with
Christine turned their horses around and stood their ground in front of their queen.
“They look to be from Arc,” Tad said.
“Dressing in black is their signature color. I wonder what the trouble is?” the other guard said.
Something felt wrong. Christine looked around for help, but only her guards were visible between the approaching men.
The strangers moved on their horses with a steady yet fast rhythm and soon were within earshot of Christine and her guards. Tad held up his hands to halt them. One of the men on horseback drew a bow and shot an arrow into Tad’s chest. He died in an instant, falling off the horse and onto the ground.
Christine screamed and turned Lightning around, not seeing what would become of her other guard. One of the men yelled at her to stop. What was happening?
She leaned lower on Lightning and, with spurts of thought, sent the horse faster than it had ever gone before. Trees blurred around her, their fall leaves forming a stream of color as she picked up speed. A few arrows narrowly missed her at first. Now they came less as she heard the pursuers fade back. No normal horse could keep up with the speed of her Cremelino.
Where to? Lightning asked.
“I don’t know this area. Just keep riding until we outdistance them, then we can find a place to hide and circle back into the city later.” Christine looked around frantically for a way out of the dangerous situation.
I will reach out to my brothers and sisters. Darius needs to know what is happening.
Without any warning, three other riders appeared in front of them, all dressed in black. She now saw the gold insignia on their left breast. It was the sign of the Kingdom of Arc. She yelled, and Lightning swerved around the men. With the abrupt movement, Christine lost her balance and fell from the horse. Lightning turned, but not before the three riders surrounded the queen. She noticed now that they wore a thin black mesh material across their face so she could not see their features. The lead marauder jumped from his horse.
Lightning once again tried to reach Christine. She rammed herself into one of the other horses. A man lifted a sword and swung it toward the Cremelino. Being faster was the only thing that helped Lightning. The arc of the sword missed her back by inches.