by Chuck Black
They passed countless captives in barred cells. Their faces were hollow, and their flesh hung from their frail bones like loose clothing. Some pleaded with them for help, but most just remained in a fetal position on the cold stone floor. Kendrick could hardly bear to look at them. His soul began to ache, and the discovery of this wretched place weighed heavy on his spirit.
They came to a corner, and Kendrick peered around it. He saw movement and heard heavy footsteps approach. He and Landor looked frantically for a place to hide, but there was none. They quickly backtracked a short distance and found a recessed area near a cell. They pressed their backs up against the stones near the cell’s steel bars and waited.
The footsteps grew louder. Kendrick gripped his sword tightly, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it just yet.
“Water …” came the plea of one of the captives. “Please … water …”
“Quiet, maggot!” came a hoarse shout. Kendrick peered from his hiding place to see a Shadow Warrior as large as those he had faced at the castle drawbridge about a week ago. The warrior kicked at the outstretched arms of the captive and cursed at him. He then turned toward another passageway, away from Kendrick and Landor. They waited a moment to be sure he was gone. Kendrick was just stepping back into the passageway when he felt five cold bony fingers grasp his arm. A rush of fear swept over his body.
“Please help me!” The plea was quiet but full of desperation. Kendrick turned to see the emaciated arm of a young woman reaching through the bars. Fear and pain filled her sunken eyes. Death was lurking near, and she knew it.
“I must go.” Kendrick put his hand over hers. “But I will come back for you.”
She just whimpered and clung to him more tightly.
“What is your name?” he asked.
She blinked. “I have not had a name for over six years, but I was once known as Teara.”
“Come, Kendrick,” Landor urged. “We must hurry!”
Kendrick gently squeezed her hand and then helped her release her grip. “I will come for you, Teara. I promise!” Kendrick looked once more into her eyes and vowed never to forget her image, for it was a picture of Lord Ra’s work in the souls of men and women.
Landor led them through the maze to another staircase and then down to the third level. They took one wrong turn, backtracked, then had to avoid another guard before they came to a larger chamber filled with instruments and devices designed for purposes that Kendrick did not want to consider. This chamber stood empty, but the screams from an adjoining one echoed through the passageways.
“He is alive!” Kendrick said to Landor. A rising fury drove him toward the sound. He hurtled through a doorway to see a bleeding body stretched about a bloodstained wooden column. A hulking Shadow Warrior wielded a multistranded whip studded with metal fragments. Another warrior lounged against the far wall, laughing at the pain his cohort inflicted.
The warrior with the whip unleashed another swipe of torture onto the bloody back of his victim. Duncan screamed in agony as the whip lacerated his skin with new wounds.
Kendrick rushed upon them. “No!”
The two warriors were momentarily stunned, and Kendrick leapt to take advantage. Sword out, he lunged at the man who held the whip. The warrior swiped the weapon at him, but Kendrick’s righteous sword cut through the strands and penetrated deep into the torso of the sadistic warrior. He fell to the stone floor, his blood mixing with the blood of previous victims.
The other warrior drew his sword and came toward Kendrick with loathing in his eyes. Kendrick balanced himself and prepared for the impact. The swords engaged, and the sound of crashing steel echoed off the walls of Lord Ra’s torture chambers.
“You will never make it out of here alive, fool!” snarled the massive Shadow Warrior.
“You are wrong, Guish,” Landor said from behind him.
The warrior’s head swiveled and he froze in confusion. Seconds later, his weapon clattered to the floor as Landor’s and Kendrick’s blades pierced his body. He fell to his knees with a look of astonishment across his scarred face.
“Landor … you.” The warrior grimaced, then fell to the floor dead.
Landor and Kendrick ran to release Duncan from his bonds. Kendrick caught him as he collapsed, lowering his friend gently to the floor and cradling his head and shoulders. Landor ran to the nearest passageway to look for more Shadow Warriors.
Duncan’s body was torn from head to foot. He looked up at Kendrick, struggling to focus. “Kendrick,” he whispered, “you came.”
Kendrick fought back tears. Had he come this far only to watch his young companion die in his arms?
“Yes, Duncan, I came.”
“I’m … so sorry … I …”
Kendrick stopped him. “There is nothing to be sorry for, Duncan. You risked your life to save Ancel. That kind of courage flows only from one who belongs to the Prince.”
Duncan tried to smile through swollen, bleeding lips and then grimaced. “They’ll be … coming soon,” he said with great effort. “You must … leave me …”
“I’m not leaving without you.” Kendrick shifted Duncan’s weight in an effort to lift him, but Duncan grabbed his shoulder weakly.
“Take care of … Elise …,” he whispered. Then his body went limp.
“Stay with me, Duncan!” Kendrick urged as Landor reappeared in the doorway.
“We have to get out of here fast!”
Kendrick nodded. “Help me carry him.”
The two men lifted Duncan between them and headed back through the passageways. As of yet, there were no pursuing footsteps, but their progress felt much too slow. Duncan’s weight was a challenge, especially when they came to the stairwell leading back up to the second level. Breathing hard, they made it back to the passageway near the secret exit before shouts of alarm began to echo down to them. They increased their pace, but the sound of boots running on stone floors grew louder with each passing second.
With every step, Kendrick felt exhaustion close in. Sweat poured down his face and the pain in his leg and shoulder triggered waves of nausea. Kendrick stole a glance at Landor and saw the older man was near the limit of his physical ability.
The entrance was just ahead. They half carried, half dragged Duncan toward it as the shouts and footsteps grew louder behind them. Neither of the men could talk, nor did they try. The commotion from the captives in the cells rose in volume. Chaos seemed to fill the dungeon, spreading throughout all three levels. Kendrick assumed their pursuers didn’t know exactly where to search. If they did, they surely would have found them by now.
They reached the alcove, and Landor slipped through the opening first. It took some maneuvering to get Duncan through, but Landor finally dragged him clear so Kendrick could pass through. They both grabbed the recess on the other side of the stone door and pulled to close it, but there was not enough area for them to get a firm grip and pull the massive door inward.
Kendrick looked about for some other way to pull the wall closed. He found a place on the wall to set his foot against for leverage, and the two men pulled on the wall with all of their might. Slowly it began to move, and the sliver of light streaming in narrowed. They worked the door two more times before the wall finally came to rest in its original position.
Kendrick and Landor slid down the walls opposite one another until they rested on the moist, cool ground, their energy spent. Even through their heavy breathing, they heard the faint sounds of a frenzied search being conducted just a few feet away.
After a few moments, Kendrick crawled over to Duncan, wondering if their rescue had been in vain. He laid his head on Duncan’s chest and detected a faint heartbeat, then rolled over on his back, weak with gratitude and relief.
Landor made his way to Kendrick in the dark. “We cannot linger long. Their search will expand, and soon they will discover the dead blood wolves. We must bury them and erase any evidence of our presence.”
“Yes, I agree.” Kendrick had to reac
h deep for the strength to stand.
They relit their torch, lifted Duncan once more, and began the slow, painful journey back from Lord Ra’s chambers of torture and death. Kendrick found himself haunted by what he had seen beneath the stronghold of that evil Shadow Warrior. In his mind he heard the moans of the captives and saw the dry-eyed despair on the face of an emaciated girl. The compassion of the Prince filled his heart and solidified his resolve.
He turned his gaze back to the castle before they mounted their steeds.
I’ll not forget, Teara, he vowed. I will come for you!
I WILL CONQUER
They journeyed far enough to be safely out of Lord Ra’s immediate searches, setting up camp in the northern foothills of Mount Quarnell. In spite of his exhaustion, Kendrick bandaged up Duncan as best he could and tended him throughout the night.
Duncan drifted in and out of consciousness as he fought for his very life. Kendrick watched him, wrestling with the decision of whether to travel or not. Lady Odette and Elise would be better equipped to nurse Duncan to health. But getting him there—a full day’s undertaking—could kill him.
By midmorning of the next day, Kendrick realized he had no choice. Duncan’s wounds needed fresh bandages, and fever would set in if he wasn’t properly cared for. Kendrick and Landor laid Duncan on his horse and secured him once more on the animal’s back. By late evening, they arrived at Lady Odette’s manor.
Elise was the first to meet them. “Duncan!” she screamed. Lady Odette and Ancel came running.
“We must get him to a bed and change his bandages quickly.” Kendrick dismounted and began to pull Duncan off his horse. Landor helped. Introductions could wait.
Elise wept when she saw Duncan’s swollen face and the hundreds of gashes across his body. She didn’t seem to know what to do with herself. She reached out to touch him, then pulled back her hand, her face reflecting the excruciating pain of his wounds. Ancel put an arm about her and walked beside her as Kendrick and Landor carried Duncan into the manor.
“Take him to his room,” Lady Odette began calling out orders with the confidence of a general commanding an army. Her confidence brought no small relief to Kendrick. He knew that if Duncan could be saved, Lady Odette would do it. Elise seemed to emerge from her shock as she applied herself to the nursing duties her mother had assigned to her.
Once Kendrick and Landor had exhausted their usefulness to Lady Odette, they each fell asleep in their beds. Kendrick awoke to find afternoon sun streaming through the window. His leg and shoulder ached, but he rose and hurried to Duncan’s bedside. Elise was there, looking as if she had never left. Her hand lay gently over Duncan’s.
Kendrick didn’t say a word. He walked to the opposite side of the bed, relieved to see Duncan’s chest rising and falling peacefully. Elise looked up at him, and he saw the weariness of angst upon her face. As she gazed into Kendrick’s eyes, her own filled with tears.
“Thank you for what you’ve done,” she said. “You are a brave knight.”
Kendrick nodded toward Duncan. “He would have done the same for me.”
“Yes,” she replied, her voice tender. “Yes, he would have.”
Kendrick left Elise to continue her care for Duncan. He stopped in the kitchen, where Lady Odette had left food for him, then went to seek out Landor.
He found him sitting beneath a large oak tree a fair distance from the manor, near a stone wall that bordered the estate. The late-autumn air was brisk but refreshing, the air filled with birdsong. Kendrick wondered if Landor was enjoying the reprieve from the icy world of his mountain refuge.
He walked over and leaned against the wall. “I wish I could find words to express my gratitude, Landor.”
Landor’s gaze seemed to be off to a distant world, or perhaps a distant past.
“He’s fortunate to be alive … as are we,” Landor said. “Lord Ra will be furious. I still don’t understand.” He shook his head.
“Understand what?”
“No one has ever escaped from Lord Ra. I truly didn’t think it was possible.”
“That’s because you have not known the Prince,” Kendrick said. “With Him, all things are possible.”
Landor flashed a smile. “Ah, yes … your Prince.” He pushed to his feet and went to join Kendrick at the stone wall. “Well, He certainly has power over you.”
Now it was Kendrick’s turn to smile. A moment of silence passed between them, and Kendrick’s thoughts turned to the dungeons of Ra’s castle and the prisoners there. “Tell me, Landor … what exactly did I see in those dungeons? Who are those prisoners?”
Landor looked to the ground for a moment and then back to Kendrick. “Lord Ra is here to bring chaos and ruin to the kingdom of Arrethtrae. The festivals of Bel Lione were created to lure the youth of this region into his realm of influence.”
“That much I know.”
“But what you don’t know is that everyone who participates is changed. A young person will typically respond in one of three ways to the pleasures and indulgences offered by Ra.”
He paused again. Kendrick waited. Landor finally went on, “The first response is to be caught up in the frivolous, carefree activities for a while. Young people who react this way may grow discontented with the world outside Lord Ra’s castle and resist the rules and counsel of their parents, and this sows seeds of discord in families that can last for many years. But eventually they do decide to leave the castle and go back into the world. They find a craft or trade to support themselves, get married, and start their families. But then they become feeders for Ra. They will actually encourage their children to enjoy the pleasures of youth for a season, not fully comprehending how closely they came to complete and utter destruction. This is the response of most people who attend the festivals.
Kendrick raised an eyebrow. “And the second?”
“The second response is for young people to be so completely taken with the activities at the castle that they can think of nothing else. They live for each weekly fete and monthly festival, thinking daily of the enticements Ra offers, especially the rich food, strong drink, and other pleasures. It may take weeks or months or even years, but eventually these young people reach the point where they abandon their life outside the castle walls and accept Ra’s offer to actually live in the castle. What they don’t realize is that once they make this decision, they can never leave, even if they want to.” Landor gave Kendrick a dark look. “Never!”
“The prisoners?” Kendrick asked.
“Yes. They grow weak from the indulgences. Then one day they are taken to the dungeons, where Lord Ra and his Shadow Warriors take great pleasure in their torment and hopelessness. There are fewer people who respond this way. But as you could see by the cells, many do eventually fall into the snare of death that Ra has set for them.”
Landor fell silent and seemed to forget Kendrick was even there.
“Landor?” Kendrick finally asked.
The other man turned slowly and stared at Kendrick. The glint of darkness in his eyes reminded Kendrick of what he had seen in the cabin, when Landor revealed himself as a Vincero Knight.
Kendrick’s brow furrowed. “And the third?”
Landor’s gaze softened slightly, and he took a deep breath. “The third response is one that only few people have. Ra closely watches all who enter into his festivals, looking for just the right ones.” Landor paused again and seemed to find it difficult to go on. “These young people enjoy the sensual pleasures Lord Ra offers. But instead of growing weaker from indulgence, they grow harder and more depraved. These are the youth who thrive on the violent sporting games, finding their pleasure in the violence of the games and the torment of the wild pigs used in the contests. This is what Lord Ra wants … for they are his recruits.”
“I’ve been told that parents want this too—to have their sons and daughters serve in Lord Ra’s castle.”
Landor curled a lip. “If only they knew what that means. Lord Ra takes
the very best—or perhaps more accurately the very worst—and trains them to master the sword. He equips them with an entire armory of evil plots and devices and sets them loose to wreak destruction and chaos upon the region. He promises them great power and prestige. He calls them conquerors.”
Landor’s tone grew ominous. “In reality, Lord Ra owns their souls and takes great pleasure in watching his reach expand through the death and destruction they cause. These men and women become—” Landor broke off and turned away from Kendrick.
Kendrick finished softly, “The Vincero Knights.”
Landor nodded.
Kendrick pondered what Landor had just told him and wondered how such a thing could happen. Surely there must be many who chose to be willfully ignorant of Lord Ra’s plots.
Landor turned back to face Kendrick. “In the mountains you said Ra and his warriors were more than mere Arrethtraen men. You called them Shadow Warriors. I can see that now. I’ve heard of other strongholds in the kingdom that train Vincero Knights too. If the Dark Knight truly controls all of them, then he must be powerful indeed!”
“Yes,” Kendrick replied. “But his days are numbered. One day he will face the Prince, and it will be his end.” Kendrick’s thoughts turned back to Teara. “Do all of Ra’s guards and knights know of the prisoners he keeps in the dungeons?”
Landor shook his head. “No. There are two guardhouses—one for Ra’s Shadow Warriors, where the access to the dungeon is, and one on the other side of the castle yard for his Arrethtraen guards and knights.”
“You’re saying the Arrethtraen recruits don’t know anything?”
“Some of them may suspect, but they learn quickly not to ask questions and not to go into the warrior guardhouse. When a youth is taken captive, it is done at such a time and in such a way that no one sees it.”