by Chuck Black
The men faced each other across the table again. Kendrick was quite at odds as to what to do until his thoughts turned once again to Duncan. Regardless of Landor’s identity, he might still be Kendrick’s best and only hope for his young friend. Besides, Kendrick realized, Landor had tried to kill him because he thought he was a Vincero Knight. Remembering that helped settle Kendrick’s anxiety.
Kendrick released his grip on his sword and let it stay at rest within the scabbard. He lifted his hand and took a deep breath.
“Although I do not yet know your story, Landor, it seems to me that we have mutual enemies.” Kendrick slowly approached the table, lifted the urn of water, and filled both chalices. He lifted one with each hand and offered one to Landor. “Mutual enemies can create the most unusual of allies … or even friends.” Kendrick softened his countenance and waited for Landor’s reply.
The man hesitated and then took the chalice from Kendrick. They both drank and sat at the table again. The tension eased, and Kendrick knew the threat of battle was gone—at least for a time.
“Many years ago,” Kendrick said quietly, “I lost a wife and a son to the deeds of evil men.” Remembering it, he felt himself sliding back once more into grief, his voice nearly breaking as he pleaded with Landor, “Please do not force me to lose a brother to the same!”
Kendrick’s gaze fell to the uneaten bread on the table and then back to Landor, whose countenance had changed. His visage of critical discernment had transformed to one of wonder. Kendrick thought perhaps his plea had uncovered a corner of the man’s heart where compassion had not yet been fully purged by Lucius.
At least something seemed to have moved his heart. The man avoided Kendrick’s eyes, staring out through the walls of his cabin and beyond to the isolation of the mountains. When he spoke, it was in a voice so low Kendrick had to lean forward to hear it.
“I have been trying to escape from the order of the Vincero Knights for a long time. But there is no place in all the kingdom where I can go. This is my seventh refuge, and I have fought many knights for my survival.” Landor shook his head. “There is no hiding from Lord Ra.”
Kendrick reached across the table and grabbed Landor’s arm. “Your trainer was Lord Ra?”
“Yes.”
Kendrick’s eyes opened wide. “Bel Lione is the castle where my friend is imprisoned!”
Landor’s eyes seemed fearful and sad. “If your friend is truly a prisoner there, then he is probably already dead. If not, then he wishes for death, especially if Lord Ra suspects him to be more than just a foolish commoner.”
“I will do whatever it takes to save him, Landor. I have sworn it.”
“You swear in vain, Kendrick. Lord Ra is more powerful and cunning than anyone in the entire kingdom. You do not know him as I do.”
Kendrick gazed at Landor, thinking it strange for such a skilled man to be so defeated in his heart. He could not help the smile that formed on his lips, which obviously bewildered Landor. “There is One more powerful than Lord Ra, my friend,” Kendrick said. “Much more powerful.”
“That is quite impossible.” Landor leaned away from the table. “Lord Ra rules all—at least in this region of the kingdom. And even if there was someone more powerful, I would not want to meet him, for such power would make his evil all the more unbearable.”
“No, Landor. This One is just and fair and full of compassion and mercy.” Kendrick could not contain his enthusiasm at being able to share the truth with a man so full of fear and despair. “He is the Prince, the Son of the King. And I am His servant!”
Landor seemed skeptical. “I have heard of a King who once ruled Arrethtrae, but I have never heard of this … this Prince.” He raised one eyebrow. “Even if He exists, I can’t imagine His power to be greater than that of Lord Ra.”
“Landor, even Lord Ra has a lord greater than he, and the Prince could fell them both in an instant!”
“Now you speak once again of the mythical Dark Knight,” Landor said.
“He is as real as Lord Ra. And so is the Prince.”
Landor seemed perplexed and yet drawn to Kendrick’s tale. Kendrick reached for the bread on the table. He tore off a piece and offered it to Landor. “Let me tell you of the bread that brings hope and life to all who eat of it.”
Kendrick had an unusually strong feeling that the opportunity to tell this man about the Prince was inextricably tied to his ultimate purpose as a Knight of the Prince. So he told the story of the great King, Lucius’s rebellion, and the King’s audacious plan to save His people from the devastation wrought by Lucius.
“The King did not choose to send a great army to destroy Lucius and his Shadow Warriors, for the people of the kingdom would also have suffered greatly under such fierce battle. Instead, He chose to send His only Son, the Prince. The Prince came disguised as a pauper, looking for the good and faithful hearts of men and women who would be loyal to the King. He began to train a force of gallant men and women known as the Knights of the Prince, but His actions soon brought the attention of greedy and powerful men. They claimed He came to destroy the Code by which they lived, though in truth He was the only man ever to fulfill the Code perfectly. For this and His claim to be the King’s Son, they killed Him.”
“You’re saying your powerful Prince is dead?”
“He was killed. But He is not dead.”
“You talk in riddles, Kendrick!”
Kendrick gave Landor a look of compassion. “You were trained by Lord Ra, were you not?”
“Yes. But what does that have to do with your wild story of a Prince?”
“Would you agree that he is more powerful than any man you have ever seen?”
“Yes.”
“More evil than any man you have ever seen?”
At that, Landor paused, then answered slowly. “Yes.”
“Look into my eyes, Landor, and tell me that there isn’t something about Lord Ra that is beyond the power and evil of a mere man of Arrethtrae.” Kendrick held Landor’s gaze for a moment and did not receive a response. “You know in your heart that there is something about Lord Ra that transcends us mortal Arrethtraens. Something deeper and darker … more dangerous. You’ve looked into his eyes and seen it … felt it! That power comes from Ra’s master, for Ra has been a follower of the Dark Knight from the beginning.”
Kendrick saw Landor reflect back to those times and watched him cower at his own thoughts.
“Think of it this way. For every valley, there is a mountain. For every desert, there is an ocean. For every night, there is a day. Well, for ultimate evil, there is ultimate good. And that good is the Prince!” Kendrick sat up straight and spoke boldly. “The Prince did not stay dead, you see. The King brought Him back to life, and He is waiting for the day when He will return with His mighty army of knights and warriors to reclaim Arrethtrae for the King. On that day He will rule with great power, great wisdom, and great love!”
Landor seemed quite overwhelmed, wanting to deny what seemed like a fairy tale and yet finding it impossible to deny the truth Kendrick had revealed about Lord Ra.
There was a long period of silence as Kendrick let him digest the transforming story of the Prince. Finally, Landor looked up at Kendrick, and he seemed sadder than before.
Kendrick saw his pain and thought he knew its cause. “When my wife and infant son were murdered,” he said solemnly, “my whole purpose in life became to avenge their deaths. I left my home in Bremsfeld, and for many years I searched for the marauders. My quest consumed me and began to eat at my soul as a worm eats through rotten meat.”
Landor’s expression was unreadable. “Did you find them?”
“Some … but not all. I fought each duel with vengeance, looking to be satisfied, but it did not happen. Instead, I became a shell of a man—empty, finally just wanting to die. While wandering the streets of Penwell, I heard a man tell a strange story about a Prince. Just like you, I thought the man was mad for telling such a fairy tale as though he
believed it. But in my heart I knew there was truth in his words. I discovered that the Prince forgives us for the evil we have done and gives us a new life to live … one that I am living now.”
“As a Vincero Knight, my evil deeds are many and great,” Landor murmured, then gazed back at Kendrick defiantly. “You say you are different for hearing the words of this Prince. What would you do if you were to find one of these marauders now?”
Kendrick hesitated, for the question was one he had not dared ask himself. This realization pierced him, for it revealed his heart, and he suspected the ground there was not as solid as he wanted it to be.
“I don’t know, Landor. But I am not looking.”
Landor seemed satisfied enough with the answer. He took another bite from the nearly forgotten portion of bread in his hand and followed it with a swig of water.
Nothing more was said for some time, for Kendrick knew that for a man like Landor an abundance of words would only diminish the power of those previously spoken. Landor stood and crossed over to the one small window in his cabin, one that faced south.
“Bel Lione has only one weakness,” Landor said without turning around. “But Prince or no Prince, you would be a fool to try and take advantage of it.”
Kendrick smiled. “Then call me a fool!”
Landor turned, and he was actually smiling. “Where Lord Ra’s castle now stands, there was once a much smaller castle … with a single small chamber beneath it. On the mountain side of the castle, a secret passageway led to this lower chamber. I have been told it was an escape passage if the castle were ever to come under siege. Lord Ra destroyed the first castle and built his own in its place, expanding the small chamber underneath into a massive set of dungeons. Yet remarkably, the secret passageway was never discovered.”
Landor paused and seemed to stare backward in time. “He who told me of this is dead, and no one else knows of it—not even Lord Ra.”
“You’re saying there is a back entrance into the castle.” Kendrick struggled to keep down his excitement. “Can you show me?”
“I’ll not set foot within two days’ ride of that place,” Landor replied. “Lord Ra has been searching for me ever since I abandoned my mission. Each time I run, I must go farther and farther away.”
“Then draw a map for me,” Kendrick said.
Landor shook his head as he sat and finished the last of his bread. “You really are a madman, aren’t you? Your chances of even getting close to the castle are almost nil. Even if you manage to do that, you will still face Lord Ra’s blood wolves. If by some miracle you do gain entrance to the dungeons, there are hundreds of passageways and chambers to search, all guarded by warriors as vicious as Ra himself. And all to rescue a friend who is probably dead already.”
Kendrick just stared at Landor and would not be moved. Landor finally nodded. He found a piece of parchment and began to draw a map for Kendrick, then paused.
“It is the blood wolves that will end your rescue attempt before you begin,” he said soberly.
“What are blood wolves?” Kendrick asked. “Are there many?”
“No, but there only needs to be one. Lord Ra has bred them large and vicious. They are twice as heavy as a man and ten times as deadly. Once they kill, they roll in the blood of their prey, thus the name. They are frightful creatures. If you can kill or wound one, then.” Landor shook his head again. “This is absurd. No one can survive any of this, let alone rescue someone else.”
“Look at it this way, Landor. You won’t have to kill me to keep your mountaintop refuge a secret.”
Landor didn’t laugh, and neither did Kendrick.
“Tell me more about the blood wolves,” Kendrick said. “How do you know so much about them?”
“Before I was a Vincero Knight, it was my duty to help breed them.” Landor stood and placed his right leg on the chair. He lifted his trouser leg to reveal a long, jagged scar that started behind his knee and ran to his ankle.
“That is when they are at their worst, if there is such a thing as worse than a nightmare.” Landor ran his right hand down the scar, as if trying to soothe some residual ache, then he sat down. “Have you taken a torch into the woods and seen the glowing eyes of animals at night?”
“Yes.”
“That doesn’t happen with these beasts. They have no pupils.”
Kendrick was surprised. “How do they see?”
“They don’t. They smell, listen, and feel.”
“Feel?” Kendrick tilted his head.
“Since they are blind, which was one of the results of Lord Ra’s breeding, they have compensated by feeling the ground, almost like a spider feels its web. They lie in half burrows with their abdomens and four paws touching the earth, feeling for slight vibrations. I’ve seen them sense the steps of a man a hundred paces away. As they move closer to their prey, they use their sense of smell and hearing to finish the hunt. Once an animal—or a man—enters the domain of one of these creatures, it doesn’t come out.”
“Surely a swift sword or a lance could defeat one,” Kendrick said.
Landor frowned. “You have one and only one chance when it attacks. Its hide is thick and tough, and there are bony spikes that protrude from its neck and spine. Only its abdomen is soft enough to injure it quickly. The problem is that it stays low to the ground and will attack a man’s legs first. The jaws are powerful enough to crush a man’s bones. I am lucky to still have my leg.”
Kendrick thought for moment. “How many will I face?”
“Only one … at a time,” Landor said. “Each blood wolf marks its territory and will not venture beyond it. Two blood wolves in the same territory always fight to the death. While I was at the castle, ten wolves protected the boundaries. Lord Ra called them his pets.” Landor seemed lost in thought and shook his head.
“What is it?” Kendrick asked.
“It’s quite remarkable. Those beasts would devour any living creature, including each other … except Lord Ra. It was almost as if they knew he was even more vicious than they were. Lord Ra even named them.”
Kendrick sucked in a deep breath. Landor’s description of the blood wolves was helping him understand the mountain of evil he would soon face.
“When one beast would die or need to be replaced, the new beast would be given the name of the former. The beasts that protect the back of Lord Ra’s castle at Bel Lione are Hypoc, Deceptor, Toxica, Revel, Plezior, and Arrogoy. On the eastern and western land are Destroyer, Carnage, Chaos, and Tormentor.”
Kendrick thought for a long while. “How do I find the hidden entrance?”
Landor hesitated, then finally seemed to understand and yield to Kendrick’s determination. As the planning continued, he responded with more enthusiasm. Gradually, in the process, two knights from opposite ends of the kingdom talked and became friends. It was a peculiar friendship forged by forces beyond the shores of Arrethtrae. It was not without tension, however, for Kendrick was always aware he was wagering his life on the knowledge and experience of one of Lord Ra’s own knights.
The wager was great, but so was the stake—Duncan’s life, and the lives of the youth of Bel Lione. Kendrick had no choice but to pursue it, and he would not be averted by blood wolves, Shadow Warriors, or even Lucius himself, for the power of the Prince was within him.
It was this power that lifted the words of the Code from its parchment and etched them on the fleshy tablets of Kendrick’s heart—words that said, “Never abandon a fellow knight in battle or in peril!”
INTREPID ENDEAVOR
Kendrick stayed with Landor two full days, and although he felt there was much more to learn from him regarding Lord Ra and the Vincero Knights, he also knew that each passing moment diminished the likelihood of Duncan’s survival.
The parting with Landor stirred up a strange array of feelings in Kendrick—gratitude, for this former ally of Lord Ra had offered him hope for his fellow knight, and sadness, for he knew he would never see his new friend again
. Even if Landor trusted Kendrick never to reveal his whereabouts, the risk was too great for him to remain in his cabin. Landor would once again disappear into the vastness that the kingdom of Arrethtrae offered, whether in the uninhabited regions of the land or the anonymity of the crowded cities.
The two men stood face to face at the ledge they had climbed together just two days earlier. The silence between them told Kendrick that something about his visit had changed Landor.
“Landor, I am grateful that our parting is made with both hearts beating.” Kendrick offered his arm and a slight smile.
Landor responded with a nod and returned the gesture.
“Thank you for your help,” Kendrick said. “I am indebted to you … my friend.”
Landor met Kendrick’s eyes but did not speak. The firm grip of his hand on Kendrick’s forearm was enough.
Once they parted, Kendrick’s concern for Duncan quickly overwhelmed every other concern. He hurried down the mountain and returned to the small farm where he had quartered Pilgrim, then spurred the horse in the direction of Bel Lione. As he rode, he mentally reviewed every piece of information Landor had given him. He felt within his vest a second time, checking to make sure the two maps were there—one defining the location of the secret entrance into Lord Ra’s castle, and the other showing the labyrinth of tunnels and chambers within.
Kendrick arrived at Lionsgate by evening on his second day of travel. He considered initiating the rescue at once, but reason overruled desperation. The grounds surrounding Lord Ra’s castle were extensive, and navigating north around them in the dark would be nearly impossible. He was also exhausted from his journey back to Bel Lione. He ate the meal Lady Odette and Elise had prepared, then allowed the strong arms of slumber to pull him into his bed.
Morning beckoned Kendrick from his sleep. He rose quickly and dressed in dark clothing. Over a hurried breakfast, he conveyed his intentions to Lady Odette and her children, then excused himself to the stable to make preparations. He had just secured Pilgrim’s saddle when Ancel appeared in the doorway.