The New Guard (Crossroads Book 1)

by Matthew M. Johns

  “This is the only chance the Dark One has given anyone to slay these pests. Personally, I’d like to kill as many as possible before the day is done.”

  The Riders all agreed. Ferreter took a moment to ride next to Vex and burn his wound with Hell Fire to finish cauterizing it. He then moved to the head of the group and started picking out the children’s path. As they thundered out of the gate, Ferreter swung his horse around in circles. It took him a moment to find the trail, which proved easy to follow as the wounded Koen was dripping blood.

  The path led away from the castle and down a slope to a rocky stream. Across the stream was a small thicket of trees and large boulders. Caliban spat and jumped off his horse. The children went to ground where the horses could not easily follow. He started shouting orders.

  “Gall, circle around this mess and keep an eye out for the whelps. Vex, stay here and watch for their return. Ferreter, Maraud, come with me and let’s flush them out.”

  The three Riders entered the rocky stand of trees and found a great deal of hiding places. Ferreter became frustrated as he realized the children had been all over the place in their flight through here. Getting angrier by the moment, the Riders began to quickly scout each one for any sign of the children.

  Deeper into the maze of trees and rocks, Nic leaned over Jeremiah while Eve and Silas guarded both ways into the crevasse in which they were hiding. Nic saw that the arrow had almost punched all the way through the younger boy’s shoulder and decided to push it all the way, snap the arrow, and remove the two halves. Jeremiah was somewhat conscious and was protesting.

  “Stop Jeremy,” Nis said in a hushed shout. “Trust me, I don’t think we should keep that thing in you.”

  “No,” Jeremiah said breathlessly, pain pulsing with every beat of his heart. “I think just the opposite. We should bandage it and stabilize it.”

  “Stop with your book knowledge; this is a real battle.”

  Nic put his hand over Jeremiah’s mouth and and pushed at the arrow with his other hand. Jeremiah bit Nic’s hand, but the older boy didn’t remove it until he was sure Jeremiah wouldn’t scream.

  “Where does your vaunted knowledge come from?” Jeremiah asked, sobbing.

  Nic broke the arrow and swiftly removed the pieces. Jeremiah whimpered, but resisted screaming. Nic then pressed his hands on either side of the wound. He leaned close to Jeremiah’s face and whispered matter of factly, “I saw it in a movie.”

  Esther came over with a small bundle of cloth she had ripped from the hems of each of the girl’s dresses, having followed Nic’s earlier order. Before Nic could tell her what he needed her to do, Jeremiah cried out in pain.

  “Nic, it burns!”

  Nic suddenly felt faint and pulled his hands away. Esther, tears welling up in her eyes looked down at Jeremiah and gasped. There on his exposed shoulder, was Nic’s handprint, but no wound. Esther wiped away her unshed tears and looked closer. The handprint began to fade and fresh skin was left in its wake.

  “Nic,” Esther breathed frightened, but got no further as Eve ran over hissing for everybody to shut up. In the silence that followed, the children heard somebody approaching fast.

  Chapter 29

  General Kolk sat upon a massive war horse, surveying the battle taking place within the encampments. At first, the combined divisions of the Third, Fourth, Seventh, and Ninth Kingdoms had easily made headway. Many tents were trampled or burned, and the soldiers within the immediate area were killed. However, surprise can only last so long, and the more skilled forces in the employ of the councilors began to rally. The battle was now lasting longer than Kolk had wanted it to.

  Yero, his temper nowhere near in check, came storming up the hill. He stopped a sword’s swipe away from the general and his small attachment of visiting commanders.

  “General, sir!” Yero hollered over the tumult of battle. “My company has secured part of the western flank. I’ve ordered my men to stand ready, but we have prisoners and I ask your leave to secure them at a location further from the battle.”

  General Kolk looked down at Captain Yero, aristocratic disdain evident in his face and his tone. “Captain Yero, I clearly ordered you to dispatch any enemy combatants. This is also a direct order of the king.”

  “Sir, with all due respect, my troops have in custody registered men of the Seventh Kingdom militia who surrendered upon recognizing myself and members of my long patrol. Would you have me kill unarmed men who were under the impression they were helping maintain peace within the Seventh Kingdom?”

  “Captain Yero, those men serve a traitor to the crown and will be brought to swift justice as ordered by your king.”

  “Justice? When did their trial take place? General, I serve here to help maintain the peace of this kingdom and will not order the death of unarmed soldiers who have dutifully surrendered.”

  “You will put swords back in their hands then and do the job you’ve been ordered to do!”

  Yero growled at this suggestion. For a moment the growl grew savage with a genuine animal sound within it. Yero’s eyes shown yellow and his skin darkened. General Kolk balked, as did his horse in spite of its battle training. The visiting commanders paled and moved their equally skittish mounts back. Before Yero spoke again his body resumed its normal appearance. His voice, however, was charged and rumbled with an animalistic sound.

  “That will not be happening. My men will make a holding place for prisoners, unless you care to come down here and make them a different order. I will pass this news along to the others so they can act in good conscience.”

  General Kolk steadied himself and peered down at Yero with contempt. “You treacherous dog,” he spat, panic and rage pulsing in his words. “Do you think the Truth Blade will rescue you from the ire of Lord Avrant or my own sword? There will be no new order, as those brats of his are being seen to as we speak.”

  Yero, alarmed by the realization that David’s fears were grounded, turned to the north. There, just visible, was the castle; a column of smoke was rising from the general area where the Way House would be. Yero turned back to Kolk, a look of disgust on his face.

  “So, you cast your lot with the Void’s will and seek to disrupt the Way of the Word.”

  Yero drew his sword, but went no further. Another captain ran up to the commanding party and fell to his knees. Blood covered a great deal of his face and uniform.

  “General,” he gasped, his words gurgling with the blood pooling up in his mouth. “It is Illdwar, the Misfit; he leads the sell swords.”

  Having spoken, the captain fell forward unmoving. No one, not even Yero, checked on the prone man. It was evident he was dead. Yero, malice in his eyes, looked up at Kolk.

  “Illdwar will have an eye out for you once he weaves together those men down there. You’d better hope no other Misfits are with him.”

  At this, Yero turned and left. He made his way to his troops and ordered them to take the prisoners well away from the fighting. He further ordered all save two to stay and guard them. The remaining two he sent to spread the news of Illdwar and the new prisoner camp that was being set up. This done, he headed toward the castle and Way House.

  *

  When Yero arrived at Way House, he found Rock leaning heavily on his thick bow staff, many cuts upon his exposed skin. The Beagle was sniffing around a pile of bodies, and turned when it heard Yero approaching.

  “What has happened?” Yero asked looking over to the still burning Way House.

  “Thralls attacked from the front and sought to push us into the waiting Dark Riders in the back,” answered the Beagle. “A force originating from one of the children opened a way through the front where we met the thralls in battle.”

  Yero focused intently on the angel and asked, “Was it Nicodemus?”

  “No, Nic was in the kitchen. The power emanated from one of the children on the stairs. It was unfocused and probably prompted by fear. We can talk later of our observations of the children's budd
ing powers at a later time. Rock’s brothers split off from this fight when they saw the Riders going after the fleeing Koens. We should try to catch up with them.”

  No sooner did the Beagle say this than he raced off, following the trail of the children. Rock took a deep breath and began to jog after the angel. Yero surveyed the devastation of Way House and the bodies lying around it before he followed his two allies.

  Chapter 30

  “There are three Riders,” whispered Silas. “They are headed right for us.”

  Nic was propping Jeremiah up, still examining the healed wound. He frowned as he looked at Silas and asked, “Only three?”

  Silas nodded. Nic looked around the enclosure and then over to where Eve was. “Eve,” he spoke quietly, yet urgently, “Is that way clear?”

  Without turning she answered, “Yes, though the trees start thinning out. I don’t think they’ll offer us enough coverage for an escape.”

  “Nic,” Mary scrambled over, covered in dirt. “Dinah found a hole under the big rock over there.”

  Mary started scooting off and Nic scrambled after her. Ruth and Hannah were there, half under the rock. They moved aside when he tapped their backs. Once they moved he saw a crevice, barely visible, in the shadow of the large boulder. As he shimmied down, he saw that the crevice opened up into a sizable hole. Hannah grabbed Nic’s arm desperately.

  “Dinah won’t come out,” she reported in near panic. “We can hear her, but it is too dark to see her.”

  Nic tried to wedge himself further in the hole before he called out, “Dinah, can you hear me?”

  Dinah’s voice came back small and distant, “Yes.”

  “Are you okay? Can you get out of there?”

  “It’s dark and I can’t see. You’re blocking the light from above.”

  Nic pulled back and brushed against a fist size stone. Hannah was whispering frantically, asking about Dinah. Silas was warning that the Riders were nearly here. Nic barely registered anything except the rock. He picked it up and concentrated on it and the strange vision he had several days ago. Time slowed and Nic felt the light within him. He looked at the rock in his hand and saw the light move from his fingers to the rock. The rock began to glow and everybody stopped talking. When Silas heard the gasps, he turned his head to see what was going on.

  Nic called out to his sister, “Look out, Dinah; I’m dropping a light down.”

  He let the rock go, then heard a delighted gasp from Dinah, “Ooh, a glowing rock,” she said in wonder.

  Nic looked back into the hole and was able to just make out Dinah at the bottom of the hole. A slope from the entrance led down, but a small drop off prevented someone of Dinah’s size from getting back out. He called down the hole.

  “Dinah, honey, can you look around now? What does the hole look like?”

  Silas had turned back around and was quietly muttering, “Come on guys, they’re getting closer. They have swords out. Come on!”

  “Nic,” Dinah’s voice came drifting up. “This place, it’s a cave. There are tunnels too.”

  “Okay, just wait,” Nic said then stood.

  Silas was becoming more agitated, “Nic, the Riders are on the other side of the boulders, they are about to enter.”

  Nic looked at his brothers and sisters and knew they had to run. He also knew he could not get down the hole to rescue Dinah. He could hear the Riders upon them. Suddenly, Nic grabbed Mary and slid her into the opening. Before Hannah could react Nic was pushing her down the hole. Esther needed no prompting and slid down the hole, concern for her sisters already down there. Ruth started backing up, shaking her head. He ignored her protests and shoved her in the cave.

  When Nic got to Jeremiah the other boy innocently asked, “How’d you make the glowing rock?”

  Nic grabbed another nearby rock and his brother. As he wordlessly jammed Jeremiah into the crevice, he pulsed light into the second stone. Just as Jeremiah was sliding out of sight, Nic rolled the new lit rock after him.

  “You’re so smart, Jeremy; you tell me.”

  Nic moved over to Eve; she pushed at him, shaking her head violently. “No,” she started to say.

  Nic took her hands quickly, but gently. “Eve,” he spoke softly, “I won’t fit down the hole. Silas may, only barely. You, however, will.”

  Eve continued to shake her head fiercely, tears springing into her eyes. “They’ll kill you,” her voice broke.

  “You have to protect our siblings, Eve. Find a way out, get Dad, bring help.”

  Eve reluctantly nodded and wiggled down the hole. Nic then turned to Silas, but just behind him Caliban came into view. Nic pulled Silas close to him. Both boys drew their swords and faced the Dark Rider. Ferreter came into view and Maraud thereafter. Each held a sword at the ready.

  Caliban was disappointed to find only two of the children, but was pleased at the opportunity nonetheless. He recognized the bigger boy as the surprisingly skilled warrior from earlier. The other boy looked fresh into puberty and not very confident of the blade in his hand.

  “Maraud,” Caliban spoke with a sneer in his voice. “Circle around the boulders and come up behind them. We’ll take these two out and find the others.”

  Maraud wordlessly obeyed, disappearing quickly.

  “Watch behind, Silas,” Nic muttered, gripping his sword firmly. “The way I see it,” he said to Caliban, “you’re a bit broad in the shoulders for both of you to fit in here and fight easily. You may have years of experience on us, but two to one should even that out.”

  Caliban laughed darkly and moved forward, drawing a second yet shorter sword. “We shall see, boy.”

  Caliban took another step forward. Suddenly a black blade dropped from out of nowhere and landed in between the two. Nic took an instinctive step back and both he and Caliban looked around trying to access where it had come from. Suspicion tugged at Caliban and he stepped back.

  Ferreter, however, crept forward and put himself just in front of Caliban. Similarly, Silas was staring at the ebony weapon and took a small step toward it. Caliban sheathed one sword and placed a restraining hand on Ferreter’s shoulder. Nic whispered warily to Silas.

  “Si, stop; this doesn’t feel right.”

  Silas didn't hear him. The younger boy looked at the sword and a dream of glory crept into his imaginings. A hunger to prove himself growled deep inside. A desire to destroy all those in his way gripped him. His hand itched and he licked his lips. Suddenly, the sword was in his hand.

  “Si,” Nic hissed.

  Caliban pulled on Ferreter who turned to look at his leader questioningly. Silas swung the blade and sliced into Ferreter’s exposed arm. Ferreter roared and turned to Silas raising his hand and shooting forth a blast of Hellfire. Silas raised the dark blade to block and the fire was absorbed into the shadowiness of the metal. A ribbon of obsidian laced into the Hellfire and slithered through to make contact with Ferreter. The Dark Rider screamed in raging pain and Silas laughed giddily.

  Caliban threw Ferreter against the massive boulder to his right and the Hellfire stopped. Silas slumped and the blade struck the ground. Nic turned, alerted by a sound behind him. Maraud came into view. Then behind him came Yero.

  Maraud did not hear Yero and did not register that he was in danger until a sword punched through his stomach. He tried to turn, but the sword cut into him and brought waves of pain. Maraud blinked and inky blackness clouded his vision. He fell to his knees and the sword slipped out of him. Warm wetness washed down his body. Then the pain stopped and the man registered that he was on the ground. Cold swept over his body and he heard his father, long dead, whispering, “Deals made, in time paid.”

  Caliban pulled Ferreter back out of the rocky hall and shook him. Ferreter, glassy eyed, looked at his leader. Caliban asked, “Can you move with me?”

  Ferreter gripped Caliban and stood straighter and answered weakly, “Barely.”

  “We have to go,” Caliban said with urgency. “The tide has changed; a
Hungry One is now in play. I believe our pardon to kill these brats just got revoked.”

  Ferreter looked at Caliban, confused, though he did not have time to question him as his leader rapidly pushed him forward.

  Silas twitched and hastily sheathed the ebony sword, feeling a compulsion to hide it. Yero and now the Beagle came into view. Upon seeing the angel, Nic breathed a sigh of relief. He pointed out the hole and told the Beagle about the other children. Without a word the Beagle scrambled down the hole and disappeared.

  Yero stayed with the boys. After a cursory examination of the surroundings he looked over the boys. “Is everything alright with you two?” he asked.

  Nic shook his head. “No; I mean that was way too close. I’m really getting tired of all this weirdness. Jeremiah was shot with an arrow. Then they were on top of us back at the castle. I was able to hold them off, I don’t know how. . .”

  “Nicodemus,” Yero broke in, resting his hands on Nic’s shoulders. “Stop; I meant, are you injured?”

  Nic shook his head and looked over at Silas. Silas also shook his head. Not totally convinced, Nic asked verbally, “Are you sure you’re not injured? That fire, the sword. . .”

  Silas snapped back at Nic,” Look, the only one hurt was Jeremiah and you apparently healed him.”

  Nic stared at his brother for a moment, but before he could respond Yero took hold of him and began questioning him. “What does Silas mean you healed your brother? You said Jeremiah was shot; tell me what happened, slowly.”

  Nic nodded, took a deep breath, let it out, and then began. “The Riders came around from behind Way House. They shot Jeremy with an arrow; it hit him in the shoulder. Once we got here I pushed, pulled it out. I was pressing on his wound to stop the bleeding when he screamed about burning. When we looked, his shoulder was healed. I don’t know what happened.”

  Yero studied Nic closely; however, before he could ask or say anything further Rock came lumbering into the alleyway. At the sound of his arrival, Yero had raised his sword, as did Nic. Silas’ hand rested on the sheathed ebony blade now buckled to his side. When they saw Rock they all relaxed slightly. Between breaths, Rock spoke.