Bladeborn

by Clayton Schonberger

  When dinner was concluded, King Lauren read another statement: “I can hardly wait until I am the right age to fight alongside you against the Rhinolon. As it is, forty warriors, strong men who have trained hard and are well equipped, will join you on your next campaign. They will wait for you here until you return from your visit to King Rosen’s Realm.”

  As they had in the Second Realm, Bladeborn inquired about Jonax and the caravan with items from the destruction of Onager. He received word that the forty horsemen had gone on to meet Lord Kaken in the Sixth realm via a winding surface road.

  “Staying on our underground path, I estimate we will arrive in the Sixth Realm slightly ahead of Jonax, Bladeborn,” Sir Drak Lomazi said.

  Bladeborn responded “I still can’t understand how he was diverted from my orders. I specifically told him to leave the treasure in the Dreadsta household until this winter.”

  “There is something wrong here,” Sir Rodon Thell stated.

  Sir Lomazi looked at him askew.

  “What do you mean by that, Nephew!” Sir Lomazi demanded. “Please explain, I would like to hear how you imagine this is more than a simple misunderstanding!”

  “Jonax is an extremely loyal man, Uncle,” Sir Thell declared. “It would have taken wild horses to get him to go against orders Bladeborn gave, especially with such an important cargo. I fear that Jonax may have been murdered.”

  Bladeborn looked to Rodon, shocked and worried.

  “Rodon,” Sir Lomazi looked at his Nephew confidently, “Don’t be such an alarmist! There are few men so greedy in the Realms that they would be a part of such a conspiracy as you are suggesting.”

  “I know the hearts of men better than you suspect, Uncle,” Rodon said. “Why do you suppose I never stayed in court in the First Realm. Do you truly think I liked sleeping in the open under the threat of Rhinolon attack and not in a bed in our family residence? Exposed to the rain and heat all those years like some outcast?”

  “I suppose I never thought about it too much, Rodon.” Sir Lomazi admitted.

  “I simply could not accept the dishonesty among so many of the senior Knights in the First Realm, Uncle.” Sir Rodon claimed. “And this all has come home to bite us where it hurts. The most despicable Knight of all was Sir Esket, a man whom I fought tooth and nails with when I was merely a squire. Somehow, he was promoted, and eventually, he gained the Queen’s trust and the title of ‘Lord.’ Now, he is going to become our King! I am telling you both, it is against what I know to be right.”

  “Why have you never mentioned this to me before, Rodon?” Bladeborn asked, completely surprised.

  Rodon responded, “Because I thought our Queen was above the influence of the man—as did you. However, it appears that Lord Esket has her wrapped around his finger.”

  Bladeborn felt the Heartring that he yet wore, and held it up before Sir Rodon.

  Bladeborn asked, “Is it too late to stop the wedding between Lord Esket and Queen Deocarla? Is there any way to do it?”

  Having heard all that his Nephew said, Sir Lomazi suggested, “If there is something like embezzlement or misdirection of funds going on, and we can prove that Lord Esket is behind it, then I am sure that the Queen will halt her wedding plans. It would be a huge scandal, but—”

  “The wedding is next year,” Bladeborn said. “I will get to the bottom of this and we shall see what evidence there is. If any harm has come to Jonax, I will see justice done!”

  “But Bladeborn,” Sir Rodon asked, “Would you still wish to marry Queen Deocarla? She has spurned you…”

  “I am not so sure if her decision to turn my affections away was entirely her own.” Bladeborn said, confiding in them. “She always seemed less than enthusiastic about the prospect of marrying Esket. I feel there is more to her turning away from me.”

  There was a pause as the three of them took all this into consideration.

  In Bladeborn’s mind, Nightslayer said, ~~Find the fate of Jonax. Without the coin from the fall of Onager, all this is idle discussion~~

  Other than a popular fanfare, no “official” welcome awaited them in the Fourth Realm. The leader of the Fourth Realm, King Blair, sent word that he was indisposed at the time of their arrival.

  However, many of the Fourth Valley’s people lined the Grande Tunnel into the Realm to see General Bladeborn and thank him for the prosperity and safety of their homes. A merchant Lord, whose nephew was a Knight in the Army of the Sun, warmly welcomed Bladeborn, Rodon, and Lomazi, asking them to stay in his guildhall.

  Later that day, after a leisurely conversation with the merchant Lord, they received a summons from King Blair. That evening in the palace wing of the underground city the King of the Fourth Realm planned a feast.

  But before Bladeborn and his two Knights left the merchant’s abode, the kindly man asked questions about his nephew, the Knight. As they conversed, it seemed to Bladeborn that the merchant was reluctant to see Bladeborn and the two Knights off to the palace. Their host was not among King Blair’s invited guests.

  “I am SO glad my nephew is in the Army of the Sun!” the gentle-hearted merchant lord said as they left. “Life in the Silver Legion is all too brief!”

  Bladeborn had heard rumors of the Silver Legion—it was Lord Kaken’s mercenary band.

  Nightslayer had been silent for days. As Bladeborn arrived at the feast the Sword said, ~~The Fourth Realm is ruled by a King who shall bring nothing but trouble to your life, Bladeborn~~

  “How could you know such things, Nightslayer?” Bladeborn asked the Sword.

  ~~King Blair is not to be trusted. He will bring trouble to you, Bladeborn~~

  In the ballroom of the Fourth Realm, Bladeborn and the two Knights could not help but notice the opulent finery that bedecked the hall. The meal was set, and King Blair said, “Bladeborn, there are few warriors like you in all the Realms…But there is one I can think of gaining similar favor in the Sixth Realm. He also is a great strategist like you.”

  Bladeborn was surprised, “I had the impression that all the notable warriors of the Six Realms were under my command. It may not be the wisest council to have two leaders; when that happens, the left fist often does not know where the right fist is intending to strike.”

  King Blair said: “Lord Kaken has had several victories on the trade routes between the Zelgron and the Rhinolon city of Ograt. He has struck deeper into Rhinolon territory than even you, I am told. But let us not dwell on this. This is your day, a celebration of your victories thus far.”

  Sir Rodon Thell leaned over to Bladeborn and whispered, “It sounds as if this Lord Kaken has been freely capitalizing on our struggles. I’m sure his battles were minor distractions to the overall war effort.”

  King Blair continued, “You need not be jealous of the victories which Lord Kaken has had leading the Silver Legion, General. There is plenty of glory to be shared by us all, especially one as talented a fighter as Lord Kaken. He is an expert at doing the unexpected, as you are. He does not have the ‘unusual’ magical advantages you have, so he has experienced ‘difficulties’ keeping the men in his unit alive. For example, he does not have a healing power as you do, among other things. Yet, he has made great strides and retaken territory from the Rhinolon in the name of the continuing war effort of the Six Realms.”

  “Retaken territory?” Bladeborn queried. “That is not why we fight, my King…”

  “Ah perhaps you are right,” King Blair suddenly looked disinterested in the whole conversation.

  Sir Rodon Thell asked, “King Blair, if I may, why have Lord Kaken’s forces not joined up with ours? With another hundred men, we would become that much stronger.”

  King Dale spoke: “Well, he claims the General’s victories are based on the strength of his magic, and he does not put much stock in it, so he says…No offense to you, or course.”

  “I am not offended,” said Bladeborn.

  “Well,” King Blair went on, “I can assure you he has the utmost r
espect for your officers and of course, the Knights you command. But to consort with the Drommu and Lizardmen! He indeed does find the practice… Distasteful…”

  Bladeborn swallowed a response and bowed his head. Each Drommu and Lizardmen had bled and fought hard in the war, aware that they would likely never be welcomed in the Six Valleys.

  King Blair went on, “Believe me, through correspondence, each of the Realm’s leaders know that however hard we try, our efforts are like a wormfish biting a plated mammoth. There are millions of Rhinolon in the lands to our south.”

  Bladeborn said, “We cannot hope to do any more than keep the Rhinolon from building their strength. One of our missions has been achieved—we have lifted the curse of infertility. Now we must do what we can to prepare for the Rhinolon Empire’s retribution.”

  Their dinner went on, and as King Dale continued to sing the praises of Lord Kaken, Bladeborn wondered again how King Rosen would receive him.

  Late that evening, as they left the dinner for the merchant lord’s residence, Sir Drak Lomazi said “That went well! The food was fine, and the setting was memorable!”

  Rodon said, “Did you not wonder how King Blair could afford to bedeck such a feast hall? I wonder of the rest of his palace is draped in such finery.”

  “Can you not see the good in things, Nephew? Must we live in the grass and dry hills, or stark, damp undergrounds, all of us?”

  As nephew and uncle argued, Bladeborn worried what Lord Kaken was doing south of the Zelgron, which was where King Blair had indicated the leader of the Silver Legion had gone. Waging a war on two fronts could stretch the resources of the Six Valleys to the limits.

  The next day the three of them set off for the last two Realms, which were ruled by King Rosen, leader of all the Kings of the Realms. Farther east, tales of Lord Kaken’s victories began to take precedence over what the Army of the Sun, Moon, and Dawn had done.

  Sir Rodon observed, “The adoration of the people has waned in this area of the Six Realms, Bladeborn.”

  To Bladeborn’s comrades, it appeared that this was because Lord Kaken was good at self-promotion. They learned that Lord Kaken had paid for the service of a troupe of minstrels to sing about his skirmishes. The songs of war relating to General Bladeborn had been written spontaneously by minstrels in other parts of the Kingdom, rather than as commissioned work.

  By the time they passed through the iron door linking the Fifth Realm with the Sixth, a kind of “victory procession” followed them, made of those who were planning to join the Army of the Sun after winter. They hounded Bladeborn with questions about everything from his time in Fortress City to the Sack of Onager. Bladeborn politely responded where he could, even though he was inwardly nervous about meeting with King Rosen. He was the leader of all the Realms and so much depended on their meeting.

  King Rosen stood at the cavernous entrance to the royal chambers with a band, incense, floral displays, and all the guild leaders in robes of honor behind him, ready to welcome Bladeborn as a hero.

  King Rosen began. “General Bladeborn, it is good that we finally meet. In the brief span of three years, you and the Army of the Sun, Moon, and Dawn have shut the Rhinolon out of the mountains and the caverns of the Realms. Now my people can walk in the sunlit valleys without being afraid. And your most glorious exploit was the sack of Onager. Humans sacked Onager! Unthinkable! Yet we did it! We of the Sixth Valley welcome you! I, King Rosen, ruler of all the Six Realms, welcome you!”

  The band played a popular celebration theme about the victory at Onager, which emphasized the freeing of the human prisoners, and the great strength of the Army.

  When they finished, King Rosen went on, “When news of the burned ships and docks, captured supplies, and freed people reached me, I thought there would be no greater victory. Then a minstrel sang of your defeat of Rhinolon leader Durg the Despicable. On the last Rhinolon foray into the Valleys, Durg had captured fifty-three of my people. Ten of them, still alive, came home after Onager was destroyed! You are a true warrior, General Bladeborn.”

  Then a tall, thin man in silver armor spoke, saying: “I agree…You are quite the hero, General, let me welcome you on behalf of my Army.” Several other tall knights whom Bladeborn had never met stepped out from the crowd to the front near King Rosen.

  “General Bladeborn,” King Rosen said, “it is my great pleasure to introduce you to Lord Kaken of the Silver Regiment.”

  “General,” Lord Kaken said, “I look forward to the coming days when we may discuss the finer points of strategy and armor craft… I understand that you have made some modifications…to your armor design that make you ‘invincible.’…Is that the key to your survival?”

  “Of course, Lord Kaken,” said Bladeborn. Sir Drak Lomazi looked questioningly at Bladeborn for a moment, and then realized Lord Kaken’s comment was a sort of ploy, or humorous jest. Sir Lomazi and his nephew exchanged glances, instantly realizing that Bladeborn may have competition at court in the one called Lord Kaken.

  Nightslayer said, ~~Now is not the time to ask about Jonax, Bladeborn. If this Lord Kaken has become involved it is likely the treasure has been ‘lost’~~

  Bladeborn was shocked at Nightslayer’s claim, yet he kept his composure and focus on the moment at hand.

  “I am too old to stand with you in battle, General Bladeborn,” King Rosen said. “But oh, how I wish to see you when you fight. Imagine! At the lead of our Army, a fifteen-foot-tall warrior in full armor swinging a ten-foot long razor-sharp sword, smashing fortress gates down and striking Rhinolon brutes on either hand! Just to see it! And to look at the fear upon the faces of those foul brutes when they realize they are battling ‘the invincible.’ It would be a reward in itself.”

  King Rosen smiled ear to ear, while exaggerating the truth of the battles the Bladeborn had fought. Rosen wore an ancient suit of ceremonial armor, and his bright eyes were placid and generous. He had a long white beard and a royal purple cloak, an artifact of an age long gone. “General Bladeborn, how many ogres have you killed? Have you ever seen a real Devil from the Hells?”

  Bladeborn stood stoically across from Rosen in the entrance to the cavern. A hush fell on the crowd as he spoke: “First, my King, I wish to say that you are far too kind in your words to me. You give me more credit than I deserve. Second, forgive me, for I may sound crude in my accent of the language of the Six Realms. I am a warrior, and Nightslayer does the talking for me. Now let me say: our armies have met several dozen ogre mercenaries in the employ of Durg the Despicable. They are fierce in groups but as soon as the tide of battle turns against them, they flee. As for the question regarding Devils, I should let Sir Rodon answer you about our strategy.”

  All eyes turned to Rodon, who said, “Good King Rosen: we have orders that no Rhinolon Temple is to be damaged and no Rhinolon Shaman is to be killed. When we burned the Rhinolon fields of the Zelgron, many of our bowmen were lost to these creatures…”

  “Lord Kaken interrupted, saying, “I have heard of this unusual policy…”

  Slightly perturbed, Rodon continued, “Sometimes it makes things more difficult for us, because their priests are hard to subdue. But, my good King Rosen, I credit our treatment of their Shaman with keeping the Lords of Hell from attacking us, or sending any more of their minions after us. From what I know of Devils and other hell spawn, this is what saves us.”

  Lord Kaken had been moving closer to Bladeborn and as Rodon finished he winked, took his arm, and whispered, “Yes, that is something I wish to discuss with you, at dinner, General.”

  Bladeborn had no idea what the man was going to do next.

  “Your words are fine and filled with wisdom beyond your years, Sir Rodon,” said King Rosen. “Now, several of our numbers wish to speak their pledges and tell of the contributions they are to make to the war effort.”

  Bladeborn found it difficult to disengage himself from Lord Kaken’s grasp but he managed to do so. He certainly did not feel as though Kaken was
a good enough friend to be so familiar with him.

  Guild masters and wealthy nobles of the Sixth Realm praised General Bladeborn, the Army of the Sun and Moon, as well as the lifting of the curse of infertility. They listed contributions from their personal fortunes, weaponry, supplies, and manpower from personal holdings. A trade organization announced plans to send a mission into Dwarven territory with what gold there was to procure Dwarven-made armor, which was known to be some of the finest in the world.

  Bladeborn spoke to them, “Your generous monetary sacrifices in the name of the war effort will save countless lives. I don’t know if you realize how important your honesty and compassion is to the men who fight and die each day in the battles that ensure that we can continue to live as free men. Any army is not only comprised of soldiers…it is made of their equipment, their food…and the support of each coin spent to keep them with such things. We owe you all a debt of gratitude.”

  As he spoke of his gratitude, Bladeborn swore he saw Lord Kaken stifle back a yawn.

  King Rosen addressed Bladeborn again, “For us to have a General in the Army of the Six Valleys as young as you helped push all our warriors to acts of bravery uncommon in many of the generations I can remember seeing. There have been outstanding Knights, such as Lord Kaken, heroes appearing over the ages who have risen through the ranks with startling speed, as he did. But you are a warrior of a different sort, holding a Sword of high magic, which only you can wield.”

  King Rosen paused for dramatic effect, and then continued, “I wish to invite you and your compatriots to a dinner in celebration of victories past and yet to be. I wish to hear more about the fantastic magic that has won us the day. Divine Saint Morth has brought you to us from your former home, Fortress City. I think my people, the other Kings of the Realms, and my soon-to-be-wedded sister expect our lives to improve dramatically with you leading us into battle.”