The Destiny of Amalah

by Thandi Ryan

  ‘You,’ she said hatefully. ‘You did this – to your own brother,’ she yelled. ‘How could you and how could you take him from me?’

  She looked down at Kalon once again and then she was filled with rage. She gently placed Kalon on the ground and stood up. She took out her sword and ran towards Rakan; he was quite surprised by her action but he was ready for her. Some of his army rushed towards her but Rakan sent them flying back with his magic as Ellora continued to rush at Rakan.

  ‘I know you want my head,’ she said hatefully. ‘So you can have it,’ she said, as she swung her sword at Rakan, which he parried with his own bloodied sword.

  The two of them engaged in a sword fight and once again, all of the army looked on. Ellora was a skilled swordswoman but she was not a warrior and she was no match for Rakan. Rakan moved swiftly and before long he was behind Ellora; he grabbed hold of her hand that was holding the sword and held it tight in his own so that she could not move and then he placed his other hand on her shoulder and she could not move from his grasp.

  ‘I know you want my head and with good reason but I could never let you do that to me nor will I take yours. I am sorry princess, truly sorry.’ He touched her hair and then placed his hand firmly over her forehead. ‘There has been enough death today,’ he whispered softly. ‘Sleep now,’ he said, as he pressed firmly against her forehead. The princess fell asleep and Rakan picked her up in his arms. ‘Luxor, Waldon, Kenaz come with me,’ Rakan said.

  The three men followed him and they made their way out of the forest and found Ellora’s horse; they tracked the guard and found that there were six remaining. Rakan handed Ellora to Luxor, who held onto her and he killed five of the guard with fireballs from his hands. The one surviving guardsman ran for his life but stumbled and in an instant, Rakan was hovering over him.

  ‘Get up,’ Rakan commanded him. The guardsman rose to his feet and looked up at Rakan, he was truly scared of him and he could not hold his gaze for long, so he dropped his head down again. ‘Kalon is dead,’ Rakan told the guardsman. ‘The princess is in a deep sleep and you live, only to return them to the palace in Amalah.’

  Waldon and Kenaz brought Ellora’s horse over to where Rakan and the guardsman were standing and remained there; they were joined by Luxor, who was carrying Ellora.

  ‘We will put you in Amalah and you will have safe passage all the way to the palace gates. Ensure she gets there guardsman or the life I give to you now will surely be revoked.’

  ‘Yes,’ the guardsman replied quietly.

  ‘Get on,’ Rakan said pulling the guardsman to the horse in a gruff manner.

  The guardsman climbed on the horse and Rakan took Ellora from Luxor and handed her up to the guardsman, who took her and gently placed her in front of him.

  ‘You will arrive in Amalah in a few minutes, wait exactly where you are and then Kalon will appear on horseback. Take him and the princess to the palace. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes.’

  Rakan and Luxor stood next to each other and both of them touched the horse. Rakan closed his eyes and began an incantation and after a few minutes; the horse, the guardsman and the princess disappeared. Rakan then took a horse that belonged to one of the dead guard and made his way back to the forest, with Waldon, Kenaz and Luxor at his side. Waldon and Kenaz were silent, for seeing Kalon die like that hurt them more than they could have imagined, and at the same time, they wondered what was going through Rakan’s mind, however he was silent on those thoughts and only he knew.

  When they arrived back at the clearing where the army was, Rakan took the horse to where Kalon was; he let go of the horse and knelt down beside Kalon, he took him in his arms and cradled him for a while, he stroked his hair and then kissed him on the forehead before he lifted his brother up and placed him on the horse. Rakan and Luxor performed the same ritual and sent Kalon and the horse to Amalah where the guard and Ellora were waiting.

  Some of the soldiers were not satisfied that Rakan had let Ellora live, or that he had sent Kalon away and a few of them voiced their discontent in low murmurs, but one soldier openly challenged him.

  ‘Are you becoming weak sir?’ one asked Rakan.

  ‘Weak?’ an irked Rakan asked.

  ‘Letting the princess live,’ the soldier replied.

  ‘It shows you have gone soft,’ said another.

  ‘Really,’ said Rakan, raising his eyebrows.

  He threw a fireball at the soldier who had called him weak and he disintegrated into thin air and then he pointed at the soldier who had called him soft.

  ‘You – come here,’ Rakan ordered.

  The soldier complied and walked to Rakan who was in the centre. Rakan threw him a sword and looked at him.

  ‘So you think I am soft? Well let us test your theory,’ Rakan said calmly.

  ‘Uh-oh,’ Luxor said to Waldon and Kenaz.

  ‘If you can beat me with that sword while I am unarmed, then you can take my place as leader – if not – well.’

  The man brandished the sword and went for Rakan, but he had not the skill or speed of Rakan and Rakan caught him by the arm that had the sword and delivered blows to the soldiers face and body before he removed the sword and threw the man to the floor with an expert move. The soldier landed on his back and could not get up. Rakan looked down at him and then plunged the sword into the body of the soldier until the hilt was touching his stomach and the blade was wedged in the ground.

  ‘Now, it will be a fair while before you die but in that time, I want you to think about the wisdom of you challenging me. Perhaps in your next life you won’t make the same mistake,’ Rakan said coldly.

  The man groaned in agony and Rakan ignored him, as he gave his soldiers the order to move out; they moved immediately and they left the impaled soldier dying on the ground. The soldiers walked ahead and Waldon, Kenaz, Bryce and Rufus walked behind them. Luxor joined Rakan, who was still stood at the soldier’s body. Luxor patted his friend on the back and then looked down at the pinned soldier.

  ‘Does that hurt?’ he asked facetiously. He did not wait for an answer before he smiled and went on: ‘You know I think that might be one of those rare occasions where it is actually worse than it looks.’ Luxor smiled at the soldier and then led Rakan away to join the others.

  Rakan’s army marched and the guardsman in Amalah waited for Kalon to appear. He did not have to wait long before a dead Kalon and the horse materialised before his very eyes. He dismounted from Ellora’s horse and ensured that she would remain on it before he went to the horse that was carrying Kalon. He steadied the horse before he joined it to Ellora’s and then he mounted again and rode the rest of the way to Amalah City with Ellora and Kalon. Sad thoughts raced through his mind as he rode and he thought of what he would say when he saw the guard commander and the Empress. He knew there were no words and he dreaded facing Garrick as he brought him the body of his youngest son.

  The guardsman arrived at the palace in the early afternoon and when he dismounted his horse, he ran to the doors and called on the staff to fetch Garrick and the Empress urgently. The staff looked outside and saw the lifeless Kalon slumped over a horse and a sleeping Ellora slumped over hers. They drew sharp breaths in, horrified at what they saw, and they ran to find Garrick and Amara.

  Minutes later Garrick came rushing out of the palace doors and when he did, the first thing he saw was his son Kalon, slumped over the horse. His eyes widened and he drew in his breath in shock and then he let out a pain filled scream.

  ‘Kalon!’ he said desperately, as he ran towards his son. ‘KALON!’ He shouted, as he reached him. ‘No, oh God no,’ he said his voice cracking with emotion. Garrick lifted up his son’s head and saw that Kalon was indeed dead. ‘No,’ he screamed, holding his son’s head. He lifted him from the horse and laid him on the ground and cradled his son in his arms and began to cry. ‘Kalon,’ he cried, holding tightly on to his son as he cried and felt a lump stick in his throat. ‘Why god? Why?’ Garric
k asked desperately. ‘Please not my son, please bring him back,’ Garrick begged, in between sobs, but Kalon was not to return and the broken hearted Garrick could only hold onto his son’s body and weep for him.

  The guardsman stood and watched over Garrick and Kalon, and wanted to weep himself, for he knew Kalon well but what was hard, was seeing Garrick suffer such a loss and openly grieve for his son and he pitied him so in those moments. He looked at princess Ellora who was still sleeping and he wondered when she would awake and just as he turned to look at Garrick and Kalon again Amara and Michael came hurrying out of the palace doors.

  Amara saw Ellora slumped over her horse and thought the worst. She wanted to run to her sister but suddenly she felt paralysed with fear, her legs would not move and so she just looked at her sister, as her heart filled with sheer dread. The guardsman walked towards her and nodded his head.

  ‘Empress, Fear not, she is in a deep sleep only – Rakan did this.’

  ‘Oh thank god,’ Amara said, suddenly rushing to where Ellora was.

  Amara urgently patted her sister and felt that she was still warm and breathing. She rested her head on her sister for a moment and then lifted it back up. Michael was at her side and he lifted the bloodstained princess off the horse and carried her in his arms. Both Michael and Amara were horrified to see that Ellora’s clothes were covered in blood.

  ‘Michael!’ Amara screamed.

  ‘It’s not hers,’ the guardsmen answered. ‘She is unhurt, Kalon…Kalon was not so lucky,’ the guardsman said to Amara and Michael.

  The two of them turned to look where Garrick was and saw him crying over his son.

  ‘Oh no,’ said Amara, who went from being happy that her sister was alive, to crestfallen at the news of Kalon.

  ‘Kalon,’ Michael said sadly. ‘Oh no, please no,’ he cried as he looked down on Garrick’s slain son.

  Michael handed Ellora to the guardsman and he ran to Garrick’s side, followed by Amara; the two of them tried to console him but he was inconsolable and so they stayed by his side for a while. Michael looked at Kalon and he felt an indescribable pain that ran deep, Kalon had been like a son to him and seeing his lifeless body before him, saddened him more than he could ever have imagined possible.

  Thaddeus came out of the palace doors, he too was devastated by the horrific sight before him. He went to Garrick’s side and tried to comfort him but like many in those situations, there were no words in that moment and he did the only thing he could do; he placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder to let him know he was at his side.

  ‘Thaddeus, please, fetch four of the guard and a stretcher,’ Michael said.

  Thaddeus nodded and went to find four guards. They were back in minutes and Michael spoke again.

  ‘Garrick please, let me help you. You have to come with me now,’ Michael said gently.

  ‘I don’t want to leave him,’ shouted Garrick, through his cries.

  ‘Garrick – you must,’ said Michael. ‘We will take care of Kalon.’

  ‘I will stay by his side until you ask me not to,’ Thaddeus said solemnly.

  Garrick turned to look at Thaddeus, he stared wild eyed and then nodded slowly before he turned back to his son.

  ‘Here, let me help you,’ Michael said again.

  He gently lifted Kalon from Garrick and placed him gently on the ground and then he took hold of Garrick and helped him to his feet. When Garrick rose and was on his feet, he looked down at his son and as he stared downwards, his heartbreak and pain intensified.

  ‘Come with me,’ Michael said softly, as he led his friend to the palace door.

  ‘I shall stay with him,’ Thaddeus said solemnly. ‘I promise I will stay with him.’

  Michael led Garrick to the palace doors and then he stopped and looked at Amara.

  ‘Amara please, the guard will take Ellora to her room, will you follow her there and wait with her?’

  ‘Of course,’ replied Amara.

  The guardsman led Amara and carried Ellora inside, while Michael helped Garrick. Garrick took one last look at his son and watched, as Thaddeus sat with him. He turned back and let Michael lead him; he stepped up the wide step and his legs buckled beneath him but Michael had a firm hold of him and helped him to stand upright, before he tried to help him inside again.

  As the guard stepped inside the palace, Rakan’s spell wore off and Ellora awoke and when she opened her eyes, Amara and the guard who was carrying her, stood still. She opened her eyes quickly and was startled to find that a guardsman was carrying her and that she was in the palace, and for a few seconds, she was confused; she looked around and saw Amara.

  ‘Amara, what…’ and then she saw the blood on her dress and then Garrick and it all came flooding back. ‘Kalon,’ she screamed. ‘Kalon, Kalon,’ she shouted. ‘Let me go,’ she ordered the guard, who put her down on the floor. She ran to Garrick and Michael and looked at them. ‘Oh Garrick!’ she said, crying as the memory of what happened came flooding back.

  Garrick used his free hand and hugged Ellora and she hugged him back as she began to sob on his chest.

  ‘He’s gone, he’s really gone,’ she said, wailing so hard that it was heart wrenching for all of those who watched.

  Garrick pulled back slightly and he bent his head to look at Ellora and when she looked back he spoke.

  ‘What happened to my son Ellora?’ Garrick asked, unable to hold back his tears.

  ‘He died by Rakan’s hand and his sword,’ she said slowly. ‘They fought and Rakan he ... he…’ And then she began to cry all over again.

  ‘Rakan!’ Garrick said aghast. ‘My son died at the hands of my...’ and then his legs buckled again as the shock and horror of learning that one son had killed another. Michael grabbed hold of Garrick before he hit the ground and helped him back up again.

  ‘Come Garrick; let me take you away from here. Ellora go with your sister please. Let her help you,’ Michael said to her.

  Michael took Garrick to his room and Amara and the guard took Ellora to hers. Michael tried to comfort Garrick but it was to no avail, Garrick simply lay on his bed and cried for his son and upstairs in the palace, when Amara tried to comfort her sister, it was to no avail either and Ellora lay on her bed and cried for Kalon; her lover, her love and her soul mate and Michael and Amara could only watch as the two who loved him most wept uncontrollably.

  The two stayed with them until they fell asleep and then they left the room and checked on them every so often. Thaddeus had stayed with Kalon throughout, he was there when the guard picked him up and carried him to his room and he was there when the maids came and cleaned him up, dressed him and combed his hair. When they had finished, the guard came and carried him to the chapel in the palace and laid him there and Thaddeus sat with Kalon, lost in his own thoughts and his own pain.

  Thaddeus looked at the young man who he had known all of his life and he thought of how cruel the world could for be taking one so young and who was so full of love and life, and one who was a good man in all ways.

  ‘Rest easy Kalon,’ Thaddeus said gently. ‘You will be missed my young friend,’ he said, as he patted him on the chest and sat besides him.

  Hours had passed when Garrick and Ellora finally awoke and when they did, everything came flooding back to them and with their memories came fresh tears. Amara and Michael were back by their side when they awoke and they both sat on the bed to comfort the other.

  Garrick and Ellora wanted to be with Kalon and Amara and Michael did as they requested and took them to the Chapel where he was resting. They met in the hallway leading to the chapel and Ellora ran to Garrick, who opened his arms and hugged Ellora. He let go and took hold of her hand and the two of them walked to the chapel hand in hand; holding onto each other and united in their grief.

  They walked into the chapel and saw Kalon lying on the stone plinth, still and silent and no longer with them. They let go of each others hands and walked towards him and Thaddeus came towards th
em.

  ‘Garrick…’ Thaddeus began but his voice cracked with emotion and he could say no more.

  ‘No need for words Thaddeus my friend,’ Garrick replied. ‘Thank you for staying with him.’

  ‘It was my honour,’ Thaddeus said, as he leaned forward and hugged his friend.

  Garrick hugged him back and then Thaddeus hugged Ellora and left them alone. Thaddeus walked out of the chapel and stood with Amara and Michael at the entrance.

  ‘Should we join them?’ Amara asked.

  ‘No I don’t think so,’ replied Michael. ‘I think they need to be with Kalon and each other.’

  Ellora and Garrick stood either side of Kalon’s body and looked at each other and then at him. Garrick placed his hand on Kalon’s forehead and was surprised at how cold and smooth it was. He stroked his forehead and then his hair and looked at his son’s face, whose expression was peaceful and that gave Garrick some peace. Ellora held onto Kalon’s arm and placed one hand on his chest and looked at him. Seeing him like this was killing her, yet she could not bring herself to leave him and so she remained; holding onto him, willing and wishing for him to come back to her and then in those moments, she knew how her mother had felt when she had lost her father.

  The two of them remained with Kalon for hours, they sat by his side staring at him and each other and at space and then they both rose and left Kalon to rest alone in the chapel. Ellora ran to her room and stayed there and Garrick – well Garrick roamed the palace until day break; he could not return home and he could not return to his room and so he paced and paced until daybreak and when he could not pace anymore he returned to his room where he lay on the bed and fell asleep. The sleep blotted out the anguish that consumed him, but when he awoke a few hours later the anguish returned.

  Those following days and nights were dark days indeed for Garrick and Ellora, and for everyone who was trying to stop Rakan and his army.

  ***

  By now Häkan and the guard were in Basimine and they marched towards war. Häkan was accompanied by: Callan Knight, Zach and the sorcerers who had agreed to come and fight. They marched and rode for two days on end and still there was still no sign of Rakan and his army.