Children of the Cursed

by A E Stanfill

  Gawain ran through the crowds of people with desperation, pushing them to the side, sweat was dripping from his brow and into his eyes. His legs were starting to give, he hadn't had any rest in days and it was showing. Just as it seemed he was about to have Ulrich and the last piece of the blade within his grasp, both Leon and Ulrich walked inside the castle, the doors slamming shut behind them. “Open the doors!”

  “Sorry, Master Gawain. We are not allowed to open the doors to anyone from the Academy.”

  “Why?” Gawain grumbled.

  “I do not know, but those were my orders from Caine.”

  “You gave access to my students.” Gawain replied. “So why not me?”

  “Always were a hothead,” a familiar voice said.

  Gawain turned around to see Caine standing before him with soldiers to his left and right, “Caine, I should have known this was your doing,” he snarled. “Tell the guard to let me inside the castle.”

  “I'm afraid I cannot allow that to happen,” Caine smirked. “Alistair has big plans, and I will not let you interfere. Soldiers, arrest this man.”

  “Arrest me for what?”

  “You will find out soon enough,” Caine answered. “Master Gawain!” he shouted, drawing the attention of the townspeople. “I hereby place you under arrest for working with the Academy to kill King Edward, and treason against the new King Alistair! Soldiers, do your duty and apprehend this man!” The soldiers that were with Caine acted, binding Gawain's wrist together, while Caine held a blade to his throat. “Stop struggling or I will slit your throat,” he warned.

  Gawain glared at Caine, hate boiling over in his heart, “What happened to you, Caine? I thought you were a man of honor, I never thought you would be the one to sell your soul.”

  Caine was so close to Gawain's face that he could smell the stench of his breath, “Honor means nothing to me, power is all I seek, nothing more.”

  “You're nothing more than Alistair's lackey.”

  “Think what you will,” Caine smirked. “I'm just using Alistair until I complete goals of my own, then I will no longer have a use for him either.”

  “And what of Leon and Ulrich?”

  “Ulrich will continue to serve me well, just as he has done before. That is until he is ready to accept his true fate,” Caine answered. “As for Leon, well, let's just say he will share in your fate, and the fate of the Academy.”

  “You cannot do this!”

  “I can do whatever I wish,” Caine laughed. “Take him to the dungeons,” he commanded, pulling the blade away from Gawain's throat. About that time a knife was hurled through the air, killing one of the soldiers that had Gawain's arms bound. The man screamed in pain, falling to the ground. Gawain, now released, took his own knife from his belt and stabbed the other soldier in the throat. Blood spurted from his neck as he lay on the ground dying.

  Gawain was now freed - he wanted to turn and kill Caine but he did not, instead, he gave Caine a warning that one day he would make him pay for his evil ways, and turned to flee out of sight. Caine stood there watching Gawain disappear from sight. Not once did he call out for help, nor give chase. ‘Gawain, old friend. If you do not survive then all of my plans will be for naught’. Caine turned and casually walked away.

  Ulrich moved through the castle halls with haste, while Leon did his best just to keep up with him. When they came to the King's throne room, two castle knights stood guard in front of the double doors. The knights were preparing to draw upon the two young youths, “Who goes there?” they both asked at the same time.

  “We are trying to find Lord Alistair.”

  “What business do you have with the new King?”

  “New king?” Ulrich looked perplexed. “Are you talking of Alistair?”

  “That is King Alistair to you, runt.”

  “I don't think King Alistair would appreciate the tone you have with me.”

  “Get out of here you smart mouthed punk.” He placed his hand back on the hilt of his blade, “Or you will not like what happens next.”

  The throne room doors behind the knights opened, and King Alistair made his way out to greet Leon and Ulrich. “My young friends you have returned,” he smiled. “Does this mean your quest has been completed?”

  Ulrich knelt before King Alistair, but Leon refused to do so. “We have conquered all of the trials, and have retrieved the final piece of the Reaper Blade, my lord. But your two guards here were refusing to let us speak to you, they even threatened our lives.”

  “Is that true?” Alistair asked the two men.

  “It is, King Alistair. We did not know who these kids were, Your Majesty.”

  Not a second later Alistair pulled a knife, slitting both of the men's throats, “It's hard to find good help nowadays.” Alistair laughed. “Now where were we? Oh yes, that's right.” He turned his attention back to Leon and Ulrich. “Please, come inside. The throne room is always open to you and your friend, Ulrich.” Alistair ushered the young boys inside. This was the first time that either of them had ever been inside such a glorious hall. The throne room stretched far, and walls made from Litrock surrounded them.

  The floor looked as though they were walking atop mirrors, and there at the far end of the room were two large chairs set on what seemed to be a small stage. Behind those chairs were paintings of King Edward’s most trusted of friends and family. Leon could have sworn that one of the paintings looked like his father. King Alistair walked up to the steps, taking a seat in the chair on the right. Leon wasn't much on the ways of royalty. But he had heard of thrones for Kings and Queens, “Tell me. Am I right to assume you have the last piece of the Reaper Blade?”

  “You are my Lord,” Ulrich smiled. “I have it right here.” He pulled out a ripped cloth tunic from within the saddle bag he took from Gawain and proceeded to unwrap it, revealing the last piece of the blade.

  “Where did you get that?” Leon whispered. “Master Gawain had that in his saddlebag if I remember correctly.”

  Ulrich ignored Leon's question, “I humbly offer this to you, my King. Proof we have completed the mission you asked of us.” He bowed his head.

  “Ulrich, don't give that to him!” Again he was ignored.

  “You have done Caine and myself proud, Sir Ulrich. Now take your first step in becoming a knight and bring me the item.”

  Leon grabbed Ulrich's shoulder, “You cannot do this, Ulrich. Please listen to me,” he pleaded. Ulrich pulled away from Leon's grasp when he rose to his feet. Leon went to grab for Ulrich again, but what he failed to realize was that Caine now stood behind him. Putting his arms around Leon, Caine had him in a bear hug. “Let me go! Let me go!” Leon demanded, trying to wiggle himself free.

  “Caine, would you please do something about that loud mouth of his,” Alistair grumbled.

  “What would you suggest?”

  “Slit his throat, or cut out his tongue.”

  “Wait!” Ulrich interrupted. “I have a better idea.”

  “Whatever you are going to do, be quick about it. His screaming is getting on my nerves.”

  “Thank you, my Lord,” Ulrich nodded, turning to face Leon.

  “Please don't do this,” Leon pleaded one last time.

  Ulrich shook his head, “This is the way it must be.” He punched Leon in the gut with as much force as he could muster. Leon gasped for air, but none flowed through his lungs. He tried to speak but could find no words; the whole room was starting to go dark. “Someday you will understand.” Were the last words he heard before everything went black.

  Later that evening Leon was awoken to the noises of a scuffle just a few feet from where he lay. His head was still ringing, his vision blurred. Still, he managed to pick himself up, and it took a little bit for the cobwebs to clear from his head. It only took a second to realize he had been thrown into the dungeons, as strong metal bars blocked his only exit. He wanted to scream, curse out loud, however, fear held him back. Then out of nowhere, he heard a loud moan,
followed by a thud, and now there was only one shadow instead of two.

  “W-Who's there?” Leon nervously asked.

  “Steady your nerves, Leon.” Gawain appeared in front of the bars with the keys to the cell in hand. “It's just me.”

  “Thank the gods.”

  “How did you end up down here?” Gawain asked as he fumbled with the keys. “And where is Ulrich?”

  “Ulrich is the reason I'm down here.”

  “What of the piece of the blade? Does Ulrich still have it?”

  “The last thing I remember is Caine grabbing hold of me, while Ulrich knocked me out cold.”

  “I was afraid of this,” Gawain frowned. “I am too late, Ulrich must have given Alistair the last piece of the Reaper Blade.” After a few tries he finally found the right key that unlocked the cell door.

  “Thank you, Master Gawain,” Leon said. “Just a quick question though. Where were you this whole time?”

  “Dealing with other matters.”

  “Such as?”

  “We can discuss that later. Right now we must hurry before Alistair has a chance to return the Reaper Blade to its former glory.” Gawain tossed Leon's belongings back to him, “Hurry and prepare yourself, it won't be easy.”

  “How can we stop him?” Leon sighed, strapping his sword back to his side.

  “I do not know, but we must try.”

  Leon took his bow and quiver of arrows from his cloth bag, tying the quiver to his back, and placed the bow over his shoulder. After tossing the bag to the side he looked at Gawain nervously, “I'm ready when you are.”

  Gawain and Leon made their way towards the King's throne room, taking down any unsuspecting soldiers that got in their way. When they stormed into the throne room it was empty, “Where have they gone?” He grumbled, punching the stone wall hard enough to split his knuckles wide open.

  “I think I may know where.”

  “Where?”

  “What is the one thing Alistair, Caine, and Ulrich all have in common?”

  “Their love for attention,” Gawain smirked. “Great thinking, Leon. Let's get to the town square, it's the only place that could feed their egos.”

  They took flight from the castle and ran towards the town square and fast. At times they would have to stick to the back alleys, just to stay out of sight of the soldiers that sought them. Their muscles ached, both were huffing and puffing, but still they did not stop for anything. It was their last chance to stop Alistair's dark plans. When they had made it to the town square, it was filled with people from all over the lands. In the very center of the crowd was a grand stage, and standing up on that stage were King Alistair and Caine, along with three other knights.

  “My people!” Alistair shouted to the masses. “Today you have been invited here to witness a grand event. Not only did you witness a new King being crowned, but you shall now witness a turning point, not only for the kingdom of Drasal but for the entire world.” The crowd roared in his favor. “Let the ceremony begin!”

  Four men in black robes came walking through the crowd of people, humming some unknown hymn, carrying foreign objects. It was the most outrageous thing Leon had ever witnessed in his whole life. The next man that came out behind the men in robes they both recognized right away.

  “That is the leader of the Mages,” Leon gasped. “What is he doing here?”

  “This changes things,” Gawain sighed.

  “Why? I'm not afraid of him.”

  “If we rush the stage innocent people will die.”

  The four men in the black robes carrying the foreign objects each walked over to a corner of the stage and stood there humming the unfamiliar hymn. Zerius walked up the steps, joining King Alistair and Caine on the stage. He raised his hand up in the air and the humming stopped. “Would the young lad known as Ulrich bring me the pieces of the Reaper Blade,” he called out.

  The humming started again as Ulrich walked through the crowd of townspeople, carrying a long thin wooden crate in his arms. Ulrich knelt down and placed the crate on the stage, “Open the box, young one.” Ulrich opened the crate, removing the hilt of the Reaper Blade first. “Hand that to me, and we shall begin the ceremony of ’The Calling Of Power’.” Zerius commanded. He took the hilt from the young man, holding it tight in his hands. “First Knight Caine, if you would open the scroll of power.”

  “That scroll, I recognize it,” Leon exclaimed.

  “How so?” Gawain inquired.

  “It was one of the three scrolls I gave to Zerius.”

  “In exchange for not killing us all,” Gawain added.

  “Exactly.”

  “Then the Mages were in on it from the very beginning.”

  “And Ulrich helped them.” Leon shook his head with disgust, “He must have known Alistair and Caine's true intentions this whole time. Ulrich used me to retrieve the scrolls, and he must have also told Zerius he wasn't allowed to touch any of us. That means they tricked us into believing harm would be done instead.”

  “They played us for fools.”

  “It's not your fault, Master Gawain. He played the part very well.”

  “Watch and witness a new era for all lands,” Zerius proclaimed, making Gawain and Leon turn their attention back onto the stage. Zerius began to read from the scroll that Caine held up, “Doth. Nein. Petrino. Monitinite.”

  The red jewel on the bottom of the hilt started to glow, it was almost hypnotic. “Hand me the second piece of the blade, child.” He held out his hand, and Ulrich nodded, giving him the second piece. Zerius placed the hilt and the broken piece of the blade together, reading the second verse from the scroll, “Necro. Mandat. Terone.” The broken blade glowed and the piece of the blade held together with the hilt.

  “That's not good,” Leon nervously swallowed.

  “It's rather unnerving.” Gawain gulped.

  Zerius held out his hand, and Ulrich handed over another piece of the Reaper Blade. Just like the time before he read from the scroll of power. Zerius repeated the process until all that was left was the final piece. King Alistair stood watching, and the anticipation of yielding such power made him smile with glee.

  “The Reaper Blade is almost complete,” Leon gasped. “Let's rush the stage.”

  “We wait.”

  Leon turned to face his teacher, and the look on his face said it all, “Are you mad? We cannot wait for the blade to be complete before we make a move.”

  “Settle down, Leon. Even if the blade is complete, they still need one last piece of the puzzle to give the sword back its powers. Alistair will have to call upon the power of the King’s Defender.”

  “But he has the King’s Defender,” Leon replied.

  “Still, it doesn't mean he can control the power it contains.”

  A bright red light formed on the stage. To Leon, it was as if the sun had fallen from the sky and landed in Drasal. They both watched on, and a feeling of dread filled the pit of their stomachs. Neither could explain the feeling, but both knew something bad was about to happen. “So it begins,” a voice whispered. He turned back to Gawain, “Did you say something?” However, when he caught a glimpse of Gawain's face boiling with rage, Leon knew that it wasn't him that had spoken those words.

  Zerius held the blade up in the air, “Behold, the Reaper Blade is once again whole.” He turned his attention towards Alistair, “King Alistair, kneel before the Reaper Blade and accept it as your own.”

  Alistair got down on one knee, holding up his hands, “I take the power of the Reaper Blade as my own. May its power flow through my veins and show me the one true path that I must take.”

  Zerius placed the completed Reaper Blade in Alistair's hands, “Arise, King Alistair. You know what you must do to complete the ceremony.”

  King Alistair arose to his feet and nodded to Zerius, “I know exactly what I must do.” He unsheathed the King’s Defender. “I must take the power of this blade as my own and transfer it over to the Reaper Blade to awaken its true
form.”

  “Can you accomplish such a feat?” Zerius asked.

  “I can, but not alone,” Alistair answered. “As a matter of fact, I need another whose heart is the same as mine. You know who I speak of, Zerius.”

  “That I do,” Zerius nodded. “Young man, would you please come here?” He motioned for Ulrich to stand beside him, “Would you be willing to aid us in reviving the true power of the Reaper Blade?”

  Ulrich looked surprised to be asked such a question, “I do not know what you expect from me, but I shall try my best for King Alistair, Caine, and the rest of Drasal.” He humbly bowed.

  “Those are noble words coming from such a brave boy,” Alistair smiled faintly, “Tell me Zerius, what would you have us do?”

  “Give the Reaper Blade to the young man here,” Zerius insisted.

  “My name is, Ulrich.”

  “Forgive me, Ulrich,” Zerius laughed. “Please, take the Reaper Blade from, King Alistair.”

  “May I ask why me and not Caine?”

  “Because it takes three to complete the transfer of power,” Zerius answered. “Caine is already feeding his strength into the scroll, which breathes life into this ceremony. And King Alistair cannot finish the transfer of power alone, or it could kill him. You should be honored that King Alistair trusts in you enough to help with such a task that will change the course of history.” Ulrich said not another word and reached out to take the Reaper Blade from his King.

  “Why has Ulrich taken the Reaper Blade?” Leon muttered.

  “I haven't the foggiest,” Gawain shrugged.

  “Thought you knew of this.”

  “This part is new even to me.”

  “Then we must stop whatever is about to happen.”

  “No,” Gawain barked.

  “Why do you keep stopping me?” Leon hissed.

  “Keeping you safe is more important,” Gawain snapped back.

  “Innocent people will die if we let them complete the ceremony. How is my life more important than theirs?!” Leon was angry and didn't like the fact that Gawain only protected him when others needed aid as well.

  “I made a promise to keep you safe above all else, that's all you need to know,” Gawain said. “Even though I want to run up there and kill Caine, I will not throw away our lives so foolishly. Especially yours!”