The Destiny of Amalah

by Thandi Ryan

  ‘No. I only know that they were heading north.’

  ‘North – are you sure?’ Häkan asked.

  ‘Yes I am. They marched north that day and I wondered why,’ Joaquin said. ‘There is only snow and ice in the north of Equer, well as far north as they were going anyway. I also remember some of the soldiers who had left to go north – I remember so well.’

  ‘When did they leave?’ Häkan asked.

  ‘Weeks ago now,’ Joaquin replied. ‘Even months, it was quite a while ago.’

  ‘Joaquin…’ Amara said interrupting him. ‘I think that there are other people in the palace who should here what you have to say,’ Amara told him. ‘Would you please wait while we fetch them and then we shall reconvene,’ she said.

  ‘I will wait,’ he told her and then a thought crossed his mind. ‘I noticed Amalah was deserted with the exception of the presence of the guard. I take it Equer was not the only nation to come under attack?’ he asked. ‘No – it was not,’ Amara replied evenly.

  ‘Where else?’ he asked.

  ‘First Santeb and then Aradene,’ Amara began; ‘next was Mantor, Filine, Basimine and now Equer.’

  ‘All of those,’ Joaquin said incredulously.

  ‘Yes.’ Amara replied grimly.

  ‘So you knew Equer would be next,’ Joaquin said, as the realisation dawned on him.

  ‘Yes,’ Amara said slowly as she held his gaze. She could see the anger alight in his eyes.

  ‘We knew.’

  ‘Yet you did nothing,’ he said through gritted teeth. ‘You knew and you did nothing?’

  ‘There was nothing we could do,’ Häkan said. ‘Equer was snowed in for months – inaccessible to us.’

  ‘What about the nations?’ Joaquin said, in an accusing tone.

  ‘We were cut off from them,’ Garrick replied.

  ‘Equer has fallen,’ Joaquin said bitterly. ‘All that remains is Parades and Lansten. Will you do nothing until Amalah is attacked?’

  ‘No, there are guards in Parades. We will be ready for them when they leave Equer.’

  ‘There will be people entering Amalah very soon,’ Joaquin said. ‘They fled to Parades mostly and some fled to Basimine but they will undoubtedly make their way here – those that survived anyway. Maddox!’ Joaquin said suddenly. ‘Oh dear god no, Maddox,’ he said again.

  ‘Who is Maddox?’ Garrick asked.

  ‘Maddox was like a father to me,’ Joaquin answered in a distant tone. ‘But he was even more of a father to…’ he said, before he stopped himself. ‘There are six young friends; they were travelling through the nations. They were Seth, Zach and…’

  ‘They are all here,’ Amara said hoping that she was reassuring the young man who stood before her.

  ‘Thank the gods,’ he said emotionally. ‘Maddox was like a father to Seth,’ said Joaquin.

  ‘Was?’ Häkan asked.

  ‘Was!’ Joaquin replied, before he bowed his head and remained silent. ‘I must speak with Seth,’ Joaquin said solemnly.

  ‘We will bring Seth here,’ Amara said. ‘Please Joaquin, wait here and we shall return shortly.’

  Amara looked at Häkan and Garrick and they stared back at her; their faces said everything that needed to be said and they looked at Joaquin and left the Great Hall. The two guards remained with Joaquin as the other three went about getting everyone to the meeting. They called on the guards and maids and got them to help find: Ellora, Michael, all of the council members, the six friends, Callan Knight, Hassan and Hemi. It took less than twenty minutes for them all to be gathered in the Empresses study and when they were, the Empress addressed them.

  ‘There is yet more disturbing news, this time it involves Equer. Please sit down and I will return shortly, Seth,’ Amara said, looking through the people until she saw him. ‘Please will you come with me?’ Amara said. ‘Yes of course. What is it?’ Seth asked.

  ‘I shall explain,’ Amara said gently.

  She walked towards him and took hold of his arm gently and the two of them made their way out of the room. As soon as they had left the room, Seth looked at Amara intensely before he spoke.

  ‘It’s Maddox,’ he said simply. ‘Is he alive?’ Seth asked, deeply worried. Amara did not reply, she looked at him sympathetically but did not reply. ‘Tell me,’ he said desperately.

  ‘Seth, I…’ she said hesitating.

  ‘Please tell me,’ he said emotionally. ‘Is Maddox alive?’

  ‘No, he is not,’ she said slowly and softly. ‘I am so sorry Seth,’ Amara said, genuinely sorry for the young man.

  ‘I knew, I just knew,’ he said tearfully and in a choked voice. ‘I knew when you mentioned Equer and told me to come with you that something had happened to Maddox.’

  ‘I know he meant a lot to you.’

  ‘He meant the world to me. When my parents died, Maddox took me into his home and raised me as his own son; he was a father to me. He loved me dearly – I know it and I…I loved him so dearly too,’ Seth said as his voice continued to crack with emotion and the tears ran down his face.

  ‘I am so sorry Seth,’ Amara said once again. ‘Truly I am and, if there is anything I can do, please do not hesitate to call on me,’ she told him as she held into his arm.

  ‘Thank you Empress, you are very kind,’ he said to her. He looked at her for a few moments and then spoke. ‘Shall we go back to the study now?’ he asked her.

  ‘No not yet,’ she replied. ‘There is someone who wishes to see you,’ she said as she led him to the Great Hall.

  The two of them arrived at the Great Hall and Seth saw Joaquin, he ran towards him and as Joaquin saw his friend he stood up; Joaquin wanted to run but he was still too weak.

  ‘Joaquin!’ Seth said emotionally, as he reached his friend and hugged him. Joaquin hugged him back and the two men separated.

  ‘I came because…’ Joaquin began.

  ‘I know – Maddox,’ Seth said.

  ‘When I reached his cave he was already dead,’ said Joaquin.

  ‘What about the others? Seth asked.

  ‘Many are dead,’ he said, clearly traumatised at the thought of the fallen. ‘Many escaped though and are on their way here as we speak.’

  ‘Joaquin, will you now come with us and tell the others of what you know? They await in the study,’ Amara said.

  ‘Yes,’ Joaquin replied.

  The three of them made their way to the study and when they entered, everyone looked on them but Joaquin was the main focus of their attention. They looked at him curiously and wondered what news of Equer he brought. Everyone in the room was sat, with the exception of Amara, Seth and Joaquin. Amara introduced Joaquin and she and Seth sat down while he remained standing.

  He looked around the room and stared at everyone for a few moments before he began to speak and then he started to tell them of what had happened on that fateful night. He told them of the soldiers’ arrival, the noise, the night time attack and of everything he had witnessed. Everyone in the room gave their undivided attention to Joaquin and remained silent while he spoke; they listened to his every word and horror filled their faces and minds as each word passed his lips. When he had finished, the room became silent and they looked at him as he looked at them.

  ‘How could they have taken Equer so quickly?’ one council member asked.

  ‘There are those that are known as the Azari. There are six of them – all men and all said to be powerful in their own right. That night I caught sight of them and what a frightening sight they were. Each one of them wore a black cloak when the hood of the cloak went over their heads their faces disappeared from sight.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Häkan asked.

  ‘I mean exactly that,’ Joaquin said, looking at Häkan. ‘I saw one of them put their hood on and as it went over his head, his face disappeared. There was nothing there, it was simply a black void; there was no face to be seen. They, they are the ones who brought Equer to its knees. They used dark magic or
possessed great strength and swordsmanship and everywhere they went became silent, as death was visited on the people. They have power but the cloaks give them even more so,’ Joaquin said unhappily.

  ‘The cloaks make them invincible,’ Seth said, shaking his head slowly. ‘How do you know that?’ Michael asked.

  ‘Maddox,’ Seth replied.

  ‘Maddox?’ Michael questioned.

  ‘Yes, Maddox, he was like a father to me and he lived in the mountains of Equer. He was, among other things, a sorcerer. I know he made a cloak, which was magical, and it made the wearer invincible. Their face disappears as Joaquin says. They can glide across the land and no sword or dagger can penetrate the cloak.’

  ‘Now there are six cloaks,’ Garrick said bitterly.

  ‘So it would seem,’ Seth said.

  ‘Six men we know of,’ Callan Knight said interjecting into the conversation.

  ‘And they all have one each,’ said Häkan in dejected tone.

  ‘How will we stop them?’ A panicking council member asked.

  ‘I don’t know yet,’ Amara said ‘But we will.’

  ‘How?’ another council member asked. ‘They have already brought half of the world into chaos and now they are invincible – we are doomed.’ ‘No, we are not,’ Amara said forcefully. ‘We still have a chance; you cannot give into your fear now,’ she told them.

  ‘I could never make the cloaks that Maddox made,’ Seth said. ‘But I could make a cloak,’ he said, thinking out loud. ‘I can give the cloak power and…’

  ‘Make it,’ Amara said instantly.

  ‘I will need certain materials and ingredients,’ Seth said.

  ‘You may have anything you require and if you need something that is not here the guard will fetch you whatever you need.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Seth replied.

  ‘How long will it take?’ Amara asked.

  ‘Two days, maybe more.’

  ‘You have two days, maybe less,’ she replied. Amara was about to speak when a guard knocked and entered the room and by his side was another guardsman who had been in Parades. ‘What is it?’ Amara asked, as she looked at the bloodied and muddied guard.

  ‘The dark army engage the guard in the north and the west of Parades Empress,’ the guardsman said.

  ‘I was told to ride here and ask for reinforcements.’

  ‘And you shall get them,’ Garrick said immediately as he rose to his feet.

  He looked at Amara who nodded in approval and Garrick and Häkan made their way out of the room to raise the guard.

  ‘How many shall we send?’ Häkan asked.

  ‘A thousand at least,’ Garrick replied.

  The soldier who had arrived to give the news had arrived late. He had taken over two days to reach Amalah but as he tried to avoid the fighting and as the hours passed, Parades was falling. The runner, who had been ordered to leave by the major, was now only minutes behind the guard who had asked for reinforcements. When he arrived at the palace, he ran as fast as he could and continued at speed as he ran into Garrick and Häkan, almost knocking them over.

  ‘Watch where you are going,’ Garrick said in a harsh tone.

  ‘Sorry sir, sorry,’ the runner replied, as he realised who he had run into.

  Garrick looked at the soldier and saw that he too must have come from Parades.

  ‘What makes you run so fast?’ Garrick asked.

  ‘I tried to find you sir – both of you and the Empress.’

  ‘Why?’ Häkan asked.

  ‘The major I was with, he sent me – Parades is falling. He sent me back to give this to you,’ the runner said as he reached inside his trouser pocket and pulled out the note that the major hade given to him. ‘He sent me back and any other soldiers that he could. He kept some there though and stayed himself, so he could give us enough time.’

  ‘Time for what?’ asked, Garrick.

  ‘Time to escape and get back here,’ the runner replied; ‘and judging how things looked when I left, I think Parades has probably fallen by now,’ he finished.

  ‘Then it is too late for reinforcements.’ Garrick said thinking out loud. ‘Yes, it is,’ agreed Häkan.

  ‘Then it is time,’ Garrick said.

  ‘For what sir?’ the runner asked.

  ‘War,’ Garrick answered.

  ‘Come with us,’ Häkan ordered the runner.

  The runner did as he was told and followed Häkan and Garrick, who headed back to the Empresses study. When they arrived back, everyone was quite surprised to see the two men return so quickly.

  ‘Garrick?’ Amara said.

  ‘More news,’ Garrick said, as he turned his head and looked at the runner. ‘What news?’ Amara asked.

  ‘Parades has fallen.’

  ‘No!’ someone said, in a loud and shocked voice.

  ‘Yes,’ Garrick said.

  ‘How could it have fallen so quickly?’ Ellora asked.

  ‘The guard in the north engaged Rakan’s soldiers in the north. The guard forced them south hoping that the guard in the west would help to defeat them – they did. The guard in the west had also engaged soldiers, but they were still even on the numbers.’

  ‘Why did it fall then?’ Callan Knight asked.

  ‘Because a soldier must have ridden west and alerted the rest of the soldiers! Before long, we were facing the whole of the dark army.’

  ‘How many?’ Häkan asked.

  ‘Ten thousand or more,’ said the runner.

  ‘Are you sure?’ said Garrick sharply.

  ‘Give or take a few hundred but sure enough and the major said so himself, sir.’

  ‘So what happened?’ Zach asked.

  ‘We went into battle. The archers look out a fair few but then there were sorcerers there see, and they were casting spells and protecting themselves and their army from the arrows. Then when it all started, we drew them into the forests; it made our lives easier and for a while, it was anyone’s battle. That went on for a day and night but then those men – six men – all with black cloaks, appeared and we were all losing.

  One of those cloaked men were taking on four or more of ours and winning. They were going through them quite quickly as well,’ the runner said as, he thought of the battle he had witnessed. ‘The major, he knew Parades was falling, he had to decide who would stay and who would go – he stayed. He gave me a letter to give to the commander and sent me on my way,’ the runner said and as the words left his lips, he thought of the major and a lump appeared in his throat. Not just because he had liked the major but because the major had chosen to die with his men and had chosen to let him live.

  ‘What now?’ someone asked.

  Amara looked at Garrick and Häkan and then at Ellora and Michael before she spoke.

  ‘Now we go to war,’ she said gravely.

  ‘Everyone knows what they have to do, Häkan and I will take the soldiers now,’ said Garrick.

  ‘And Hassan and I will assist,’ added Hemi.

  ‘Very well,’ Garrick replied.

  The four men rose and made their way out of the room.

  ‘Wait – what about me?’ Callan Knight asked.

  ‘You will leave at first light with the Empress, Michael, Ellora and John,’ Garrick told her.

  ‘But I will be needed…’ Callan began.

  ‘You are needed Callan Knight – believe me, you are needed and you will battle in the front line but you will leave at first light,’ Garrick told her.

  Callan hesitated for a while and held eye contact with Garrick.

  ‘Very well,’ she replied, conceding to him.

  Garrick, Häkan, Hemi and Hassan left the room and made their way to the guardroom. They woke the officers and assigned them their duties. From there, the officers began to gather the other guard and send riders to the camps where all of the soldiers had been living over the last few months. The guard quickly got ready and gathered their things together and made their way to the meeting place, which was to be a
t the foot of the temple of the Gods.

  Garrick and Häkan made their preparations and then prepared to leave the palace. As Garrick was about to leave, he saw Ellora walking towards him; he continued walking until he was standing close to her and greeted her warmly and she leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek and then stepped backwards.

  ‘Hello Garrick,’ she said.

  ‘Hello Ellora,’ he replied.

  ‘The time has come,’ she said looking at the fully armed guard commander.

  ‘Yes, it has,’ he said soberly.

  ‘I pray for your safe return.’

  ‘And I pray for yours,’ Garrick said, looking at Ellora.

  ‘I must go princess,’ he said, before he nodded slightly and began to walk past her.

  Ellora grabbed hold of Garrick’s arm and he stopped still and turned and looked at her.

  ‘I don’t know what you will do if you face him either,’ she said to him. ‘But I know you Garrick, I know you will do what is right. I feel your pain Garrick, I truly do. Do not torment yourself over what may or may not happen.’

  ‘Princess I…’ Garrick began but then the words could not come and he remained silent. ‘I will try,’ he said gently, as he patted her hand before he smiled slightly and then made his way to leave again.

  Ellora watched him go and when he was out of sight, she made her way to her own room. She found her bow and arrows and made sure they were all in order and then she found her sword, dagger and crossbow. She checked them all out and then laid them out next to her bow and arrows. She went to her bed and sat on the edge of it and looked at her weapons and numerous thoughts went through her mind. She thought of the last year and the years she had spent growing up in the palace with Amara and the boys and then she thought of Kalon. “Oh, how she had loved him.” She thought to herself. The pain was still unbearable for Ellora but whenever thoughts of Kalon entered her head he remained there for the longest time, even though it pained her so.

  Ellora thought of the future and what it held for her and for everyone. Never before had the future of the world been in doubt for her and now, their very existence was at stake. She thought of those who had brought the world to its knees and still could not believe that those who had, had been Rakan, Rufus, Waldon and Kenaz.