by Aaron Thomas
Kilen snatched the nearest soldier wearing a black hat, “I need to get to my tent. Do you know where my things were taken?”
He spoke no word, only lead the way through the sea of tents. Kilen gave a half wave to Bowie as he followed after the boy. He looked inside his tent and found his belongings and one of the king’s wielders getting ready to make himself at home on his cot.
“I will just gather my things and be out of your way,” Kilen said, picking up this shield and packs.
The man said nothing. He looked Kilen up and down as he ripped a chunk of meat from the stick he held in his hand.
Kilen gathered his pack, shield, and helmet. He turned to leave and nearly ran into Brent and Mary.
Brent smiled, “I thought that was you.” Holding Kilen at arms length he examined him, “I was skeptical that they actually raised you to be a True Weapon Bearer, but here you are.” He leaned in close, “You will have to tell me what a True Weapon Bearer is. Later.”
Kilen let out a little laugh, “I’ll tell you all about it if I have time. There are some things I need to inform King Atmos about.”
“Of course. We do not want to hold you up. Let us be off to see if we can council with the king. He seemed very urgent to get here.” Brent said.
Brent smiled even as small sparks crackled off Mary’s arms. The water wizard paid no attention to fire councilmen, but immediately turned as an ice man with wings approached. Brent pointed at Joahna, “Yours?”
Before Kilen could answer, Max-looking almost identical-stepped up behind Joahna.
“They both are,” Kilen said in a steady voice.
Mary seemed to stop sparking for a moment, for what he thought was shock judging by the stunned look on her face. Kilen did not want to hear, yet again, about how controlling two elementals was rare, so he stepped between them and made for the noisiest part of the camp, where the king would be.
“Mica said you were using different elementals, but I thought he meant at different times. Are you able to fight with them effectively?” Brent asked.
Brent and Mary followed behind Kilen weaving in and out of the tents. Max and Joahna trailed in behind remaining silent.
“I have been practicing. The Elder Wizards were able to teach me a lot. They were also able to inform me that a soul wizard roams the elemental lands. We need to prepare for a dark army.”
Brent reached for Kilen’s shoulder to stop him, “Kilen, this is not information you just give out. You need to be careful who you speak to.” He stepped closer and talked in a whisper, “The minions of a soul wizard can be used to spy on the ranks of their enemies. If there is one in camp, they would know that we know about them. You could be killed in your sleep to keep information like this from getting out.”
Mary was not sparking at all now, instead she was glancing from side to side as if the shadows in the falling light would spring to attack her. She reached her hand up and lit it aflame. In the yellow light Brent’s face looked very serious.
“I will try and do better to where I speak words like these,” Kilen said still not caring who heard him.
Brent nodded, “See that you do. This is why I would not let you see the book I was reading when we traveled. King Atmos has been receiving reports of the dead walking. As far as I can gather from the old books, this is how the first war started.”
Kilen took a moment to look around checking to see if anyone was listening in, then continued on towards where a large tent was going up.
In the clearing between the innermost row of tents and the supplies in the center of Bowie’s camp, the king was watching his tent being lifted into the air. Horses were pulling in every direction to get the tent to its full height.
Atmos noticed him and turned, “Greetings, Weapon Bearer. Ria has just told me that you were providing a bit of training to the men here.”
Kilen went to one knee and clasped his fist to his chest.
“Rise, Kilen. As soon as my tent is up we will speak in a more private setting,” Atmos said passing Kilen.
Atmos walked away from the tent and Kilen trailed behind to see Chit and Captain Lorusk pulling a wagon into camp. Behind the wagon were men, bloodied and bruised, being tugged along by ropes around their wrists. Kilen took a moment to look at the men behind the wagon and he recognized a couple of their faces. These men had been in the Fire Realm’s camp constructing walls.
“Kilen, tell me, do you know these men?” Atmos asked.
Kilen swallowed hard, he was afraid that King Atmos would find out his own people were helping the construction of the Fire Realm’s defenses. “I have seen them before.”
The king smiled. He was looking for something in Kilen. “Yes, I should say you have. They have confessed they aided the Fire Realm. They have even stated they offered to fight against us in this war. These men are traitors.”
“I told King Rekkan to banish these men from his camp,” Kilen tried to gain a little respect.
“Yes, so they told me. They also said that you spent time there fighting against the Crimson.”
Kilen nodded.
“I thank you for delivering these traitorous men to me. I think that I will not punish them.”
Kilen raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“I even think that I will allow them to fight against us. I cannot force them to thank me for traveling all this way to defend their home from the invading army. So if they want to fight beside the Fire Realm, then why not let them?”
Kilen could not understand where Atmos was trying to lead him, but he sensed a trap in any response he would give. He could not condone the men of the Earth Realm helping the enemy. But it was almost honorable of King Atmos to let the men choose their own side to fight on, so Kilen nodded in agreement.
King Atmos slapped Kilen on his armored shoulder, “I am glad you see it my way.” He shouted to the front of the wagon, “Champion, come here.”
Chit slowly climbed out of the wagon seat, spitting the dust from his mouth. Lorusk untied a cloth from his face as he followed with a more lively step.
“Chit, we need to find a weapon and some armor for these men. They wish to fight against us and it would not be fair to send them into battle without something to protect them,” Atmos commanded.
Chit slowly nodded and sauntered off to follow the king’s order.
“Captain, I need you to gather the men of this camp. I’m sure they will want to be a part of what I have to say,” Atmos said.
The captain’s fist banged on his armor and he went to talk to Bowie who started shouting orders for his men to assemble.
Bowie brought in all the men and reported to the captain, “All but the sentries standing watch are here.”
Wielders in gleaming armor and a sea of the thousand archers wearing assorted black hats stood silently as the king paced, gathering his words.
“Men,” He paused, almost if waiting for an answer that did not come. “I am truly sorry for the opposition that you faced in getting here. I would not have allowed your sargeant to press forward if I had known he would have to kill the people of this great land.” Atmos turned to Bowie to see his face red with anger, “You had traitors in your grasp and you let them go. You let them back out into this land so they could kill more people of this realm. You are lucky that you are not joining these men fighting as our adversary. Bowie Crescent, you are demoted to the rank of soldier. Sergeant Curtain will take your place and will be your superior. Sgt Curtain?”
John moved through the crowd and put his fist to his chest.
“You are now in charge of the archers here. You should know them well enough. See to it that your former superior is punished for his acts, and I want those hats burned by morning.”
John gave a bow and moved back to take Bowie’s place in the front. Bowie slowly walked back, giving Kilen a look. Kilen knew this is usually where Bowie would give some words to whoever was berating him. Kilen was happy Bowie held his tongue for once.
Chit emerged wi
th a set of rusty armor and a weapon and started helping one of the men leashed to the back of the wagon put the armor on. The man was not a large one, and had a hard time standing with the armor. The ropes were cut free but left hanging around his wrists. Chit finally handed him a short sword and closely watched him tie it on his waist.
Once the man was dressed and looking about awkwardly, the king spoke, “Great. Sir, you will not fight against the Fire Realm. You will be granted your wish and fight against the Earth Realm.” The King paused waiting for a reaction from the crowd. “You will face us one man at a time until we are all defeated. Come forward.”
The man finally started begging, “This is not what I wanted. Please let me go home to my family. I will not fight with the Fire Realm.”
The entire camp watched as the man begged for his life in the campfire light that found its way between the soldiers. Nearly a thousand men and only one spoke, crying out into the night. Kilen felt bad for the man, but he could not turn back time to help stop him from making the traitorous choice.
Finally the king approached and Chit took a step to the side, “This is exactly what you wanted. You wanted to stop these men from cleaving our lands of the Fire Realm. You built defenses that were designed to kill these men.”
Kilen watched the face’s of the knights that stood around the king. Some were nodding in agreement but most were dreading what would happen next.
“You wanted to fight against us, so stand and fight.” He nodded to Chit who nodded back.
Pulling the mule-headed sword from his back, Chit retreated two steps. He flourished the unpolished blade around his body then held it in one hand, waiting for the other man. The man still begged as tears ran down his face and the more he did, the more Chit smiled.
“Stand up and fight,” Chit chided.
The man was either very tired or very distraught, his legs were bent and his entire body sagged as he cried for mercy. The man slowly pulled his rusty blade from the sheath. Kilen couldn’t believe that Chit had been able to find armor and weapons so poorly taken care of. The tip of the blade went directly to the dirt as soon as it left the sheath. The man’s wrists were almost totally limp, and mucus seeped from his nose and mouth as he cried. Chit took a step forward and the man’s eyes went wide with fear. Chit with his bastard sword in his right hand. His strength being bolstered by the imbued armband he wore made the two handed sword easy to lift. The man raised his sword above his head to block Chit’s blade. At the last moment, Chit altered his strike and went wide.
Expecting the blades to collide, the man’s small sword pointed straight to the sky, leaving him open and vulnerable. Chit easily corrected his stroke with the blade hewing the man’s hand from his arm, with fingers still gripping the hilt. The rusty sword almost hit the onlookers. Blood sprayed Chits armor and the man let out a scream that raised the hair on the back of Kilen’s neck. Gripping his stump of a wrist, he fell to his knees screaming out in either pain or terror, no one could be sure.
Chit looked around the camp and found no one cheering. Kilen knew that even when the commoner did not stand a chance, Chit would think that he deserved praise. The lack of cheers enraged him, forcing his face to turn red. In Chit’s eyes the fight had just lost its amusement. He grabbed the man by the neck and pushed his blade into the top of his shoulder through his chest until it exited the ribcage and into the ground.
The man’s screaming stopped and Kilen presumed it was due to the pain in breathing. Kilen closed his eyes and prepared for the impact. The familiar concussion reverberated inside his head. The world spun but Kilen was able to stay on his feet. He felt a breeze straightening him where he stood. Inside his head the hysterics blossomed once again. He could barely think over the man’s voice resonating where no one else could hear. He pushed at the voice with anguish, just as he had with Joahna and Max. The voice shriveled but he could still hear the man crying. Inside, a knot of emotions was threatening to overwhelm him. He concentrated on his own emotions and tried to ignore the man's pain and fear.
When he opened his eyes the king was staring at him.
“If you are to be a weapon bearer, you will need to exact the same kind of justice yourself some day. If you cannot stomach the job, perhaps you should go back to the Elder Wizards and retire your blade,” Atmos said mocking him.
“It’s not that I can’t stomach it,” Kilen said defiantly.
The king laughed and as if on cue, so did the rest of his wielders. “Then why is it you look as if you will sick up?”
Kilen took as step forward and spoke with authority so others could hear him or perhaps so he could hear over the dead man screaming in his head. “Sometimes it’s a bit hard to hold three elementals at once. Perhaps when you can do it, you will be able to tell me not to sick up. Besides, I see no pleasure in seeing a man die, even if he is a traitor.”
Max emphasized the words by unleashing his stone wings. Joahna did the same and Jace stirred up a dirt devil stretching to the sky. Kilen marched to the king’s newly erected tent and found stools already around the table inside. He took a seat and waited for the others to join him.
The council entered first and found plates of food already sitting around the room, a pitcher of water and bottles of wine sat on trays with cheese and bread. Kilen had seen nothing but meat since arriving and wondered where everything had come from. Then he remembered the wagon the men were pulled into camp on. He figured the king had all but pillaged a village on the way.
Brent found his way over, “I may have heard you wrong. Did you say three elementals?”
Killen nodded his head, “You heard right.” He pulled out the dagger tucked into his beltline hidden by the cape he wore. The sight of the dagger caused the man inside him to scream again until Kilen pushed at him. The effort to silence the man was taking its toll. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve.
“The Elder Wizards gave me this when I became a True Weapon Bearer.”
Brent looked at the knife and nodded his head.
All of the council was there except for Mica. Kilen saw him in the crowd but he knew Mica would not leave the king’s side.
Brent held a hand out to his side, “Kilen, I would like to introduce you to the new Earth Council Seat, Sasha Tarkey, born in the Wind Realm.”
Kilen stood and shook her hand.
“Tell me Weapon Bearer, what is a True Weapon Bearer?” She cooed her words smugly as she spoke over a cup of wine. Her hair was a light brown color, pulled back in a bun. The few strands that had gotten loose were tight curls that seemed to bounce as she moved. Her cheeks were fat, but the rest of her body slender in a way that made her look like she could have fit in with any village.
“As it was told to me,” Kilen began. “A True Weapon Bearer is what every weapon bearer should have been. They travel the world seeking justice for those that cannot get it themselves. They answer to no king nor to a wizard, not even the Elder Wizards.”
They stared at him seeking a more thorough answer, so he continued.
“They asked me to stop this war because of the soul wizard. I know they’ve sent out other weapon bearers to stop the threat and could spare no one else to come here.”
Kilen hadn’t noticed King Atmos standing at the tent flap and was almost startled when he spoke.
“So I am just to back away from the invading army?” The king moved around the small table in the center and pulled up a stool to begin eating.
“I have spoken to King Rekkan. He has agreed to meet with you to seek out and destroy this wizard. I came here as soon as I found out the camp’s location so I could await your arrival,” Kilen said.
“Again, am I just supposed to forget that King Rekkan invaded the Earth Realm?”
“Justice for the invasion will have to be set aside for another day. The fates of the elemental realms are in danger of a potential dark army rising.” Kilen retorted, trying not to sound like he was giving an order.
“Council?” Atmos
said as he popped a piece of cheese in his mouth.
Mica stepped forward, “My lord, I have been thinking about this since I learned about the soul wizard.”
“And your conclusion?” The king asked.
“I do believe that a negotiation would be suitable for our two realms. I believe that it will be hard to trust one another, but with the traitors in our realm it would once again unify your land to see you working with the Fire Realm. Perhaps after we take care of this soul wizard we can negotiate a settlement for their destruction here,” Mica said looking to the other council members trying to sway their judgment.
King Atmos waved his hand to continue while he was eating.
Ria stepped forward clearing her throat. “If I may, your highness?”
He nodded.
“I have been with the troops here. I know that the fighting is yet some time off because our main portion of troops having not yet arrived. Right now we face close to forty thousand Fire Realm troops to our own one thousand. I dare say that a discussion of truce would benefit and speed the demise of this soul wizard. If we act quickly by having messages flown ahead, we could turn the main portion of your army and perhaps corner this soul wizard,” She said stepping in front of Mica.
“How do we corner a soul wizard? Where is it that a soul wizard cannot go and not rip people souls from their bodies,” Atmos snapped.
“Kapal, my lord,” She answered.
The room went quiet.
“I have done some research from my time with the Elder Wizards and this is a soul wizard’s undoing,” She explained.
“Yes!” Brent exclaimed. “I believe there is some speculation in the library at the Earth Realm.” Brent was speaking in a hurry, clearly excited with new knowledge to add to his research. “I do believe that the Kapal race is a result of one of the soul wizard’s husks being impregnated by another living person.”
Ria nodded, “Yes, this is the truth. One of the soul wizards own “husks,” as Councilman Parker calls them, gave birth to the first Kapal. When he first entered the world, the mother’s body finally disintegrated without the soul wizard’s magic to keep it together. We need to get this soul wizard close to the Kapal so they can stifle the ranks of their dark army.”