The Shadow of All Worlds

by Shane Porteous

  Chapter 23

  The sounds of marching could be heard from outside the tower, surrounding it like gallons of water uniting and heading for a drain. The problem was, the sounds were distant, every noise was in the King’s ear. His mind should have been focused, but it wasn’t, it was scattered like leaves in a high wind. The noises were his troops preparing for the upcoming battle, just like he had ordered. He was alone in the royal armory and was preparing to join them. He had been in enough battles that he didn’t need help in putting on a suit of armor. The familiarity allowed his body to prepare for battle, while his mind was elsewhere, travelling through the long lonely roads of his past.

  He had kept the phantoms at bay when he had given the order, but now with no one around they were in control of his thoughts. Even now with his very kingdom at stake all he could think about was his son and the day he lost him. Occasionally parts of his mind tried to fight it, tried to get him to focus on the situation at hand, but it was a hopeless endeavor.

  He had changed his armor, for he had many suits to chose from. Over it, he fastened the black cloak of his bloodline, a cloak that every king and most queens had worn into battle. His wife had once worn this cloak as well, a fact his mind made him horribly aware of. He found himself stroking the cloak under his nose, smelling its scent, hoping that his nostrils would be filled with the smell of her perfume. But it smelled only of age and dust. The lack of the desired scent did little to distance the memory, rather it strengthened it. There was a time when he had accepted that he would never see his wife again or his son. But the world had changed, except for its cruelty, everything else seemed to wither away but cruelty was immortal.

  As he placed the cloak on his shoulders he wasn’t filled with the strength of his ancestors, the bravery of his bloodline. It felt like a funeral cloak, a reminder that a part of him had died long ago. That was the problem with all of this. In place of thinking strategically about the moment at hand, the entire thing had felt very routine, like his body was simply going through the motions of preparations. This was bad, the enemy force would not be easily defeated, even if his army was had complete trust in him, which they didn’t, meaning he would need to be at his best. Though he was aware of this the mental phantoms took little notice. What he did notice was just how badly his hands were shaking, not from fear but from trepidation.

  His mind then played out a battle in his head, he had no problem killing whatever abominations that the Ulnath had summoned. But he couldn’t forget how they were summoned, because of his son. He was normally a thinking man, he often didn’t win battles because of his strength alone but rather a sharp mind. He almost always had solutions to any scenario he would face. But he didn’t know what would happen if on the battlefield he came face to face with his son. Would he even be able to recognize Viadi? Would his son have become a monster, what had the Ulnath made of him?

  The routine continued as he chose several knives to hang at his belt, leaving only a sword to be chosen. On memory his shaking hand reached for a golden sword but stopped half way. This sword had been the weapon of his father, the very weapon Yadi had used in almost every battle he had ever fought. Now it acted as another reminder to his failures, the whole reason why he had tried to take the Harrow mines was so he could live up to the legacy of his father. Because of his arrogance and over ambition he had lost his wife and son, which had led to this entire situation. This Red Army and all the other evils of the otherworlds could very well destroy the world he called home. The rational part of his mind won a small victory as he took the golden blade and placed it at his side. His troops were use to seeing him wield it on the battlefield. He had to lead by example, fighting on the frontline, landing the first blow. These were all practices he knew well.

  With his mind still divided by his own troubles and the realities of losing his kingdom he placed his crown back on his head. Even through the helmet he wore it felt very heavy, the weight of rule had felt lighter when the Orc Confederation had attacked this city. Because back then his mind was focused, he was only facing enemies. Today he might very well be facing his own flesh and blood.

  He focused as best he could and eventually his hand steadied, he allowed his body to complete the routine, checking one last time to make sure the armor and weapons were in their proper place. They were and that is when he realized the sounds of marching had come to an end, his troops were waiting for him. Not a shell of a broken man, but a powerful king who would lead them to victory and restore the glory that Ebulon once possessed, at the least that was a part of his past that he could reclaim. He took a long breath, though soft it seemed to echo throughout the room. At the least it didn’t sound so distant in his ear anymore, it was time to do what good kings do best. He made sure his head was raised high as he left the royal armory, grateful that he did so for outside its doors Regent Jenner was waiting for him.

  “My King,” he said his voice heavy yet courteous.

  “Regent Jenner,” the king replied. Already he could feel how thick the air was with trepidation, the weight of what would happen on this day seemed to be a burden to everyone, even the Regent seemed hunched over as if struggling with the weight of reality the kingdom now was in.

  As the two began walking through the tower Regent Jenner spoke. “Shadow mages are scouting the enemy my King, they are indeed marching on mass towards the city. If we are to cut them off at Sorn field we will have to march ourselves as soon as possible.”

  “What is the enemy number?” King Yadi asked, strength back in his voice.

  “Estimates vary my King…the shadow mages didn’t want to risk getting too close to the enemy and being discovered.”

  “I understand,” the king replied. “A lot of good men and women are going to die today, there is nothing that we can do to change that, except to ensure that we lose as few as possible and those that we lose didn’t die for nothing.”

  Regent Jenner heard his words well but got the feeling he was talking more to himself than the Regent. “The enemy number could be as high as 60,000 thousand.”

  This was enough to get the king to stop his step and look the regent in the eye. “60,000 thousand?” The King repeated, not liking the taste of the words in his mouth.

  The Regent nodded grimly. “The estimates are all over the place my King, the lowest puts them at out about 20,000.”

  Yadi understood why the numbers were all over the place, fear offer did that and the tower stank of it. The few maids and servants that were still on duty did nothing to hide their fears, they believed that there was a very good chance that Ebulon would fall today, even the few tower guards that remained did nothing to hide their concerns.

  “Our own forces number no more than 12,000,” Yadi stated in a matter of fact way.

  “That is true my King, but Kae did manage to convince the refugees to fight alongside us. They agreed to the terms we set forth, their children and elderly are being housed at the back of the city while every able bodied man and woman has been armed with orc weaponry. They are waiting outside the gate to march.” “

  What is their numbers?” the king asked.

  “About 9,000 according to Commander Alatearame.” King Yadi nodded, knowing that the Commander’s mind wouldn’t be clouded by fear and therefore the number was probably accurate.

  “How many of them are trained warriors?” Yadi asked.

  Regent Jenner hung his head, knowing the answer instantly but clearly not liking it. “I don’t know an exact number but Commander Alatearame oversaw the weapons being handed out, she believes at best no more than 500 have ever fought on a proper battlefield.”

  King Yadi nodded in acceptance but didn’t say anything for a long time, his mind studying each fact like an obsessed scholar. “What of the otherworld heroes, how many of them have answered the call?” Yadi asked.

  “There is a group called Heroes United that have come to aid the city, they helped in the defense of an entry point during the
battle of Ebulon.”

  King Yadi nodded, “I remember them, their aid will be much appreciated.”

  “That it will my King, however they have brought more than just aid they have brought information.”

  King Yadi didn’t like the weakness of his words but didn’t break his stride. “What information?” he asked.

  “The evils that are helping the Ulnath, one of them is a giant rodent called Atacir, he has stolen a very powerful harness from his own world. One that has given him the ability to ride a powerful dragon called Golden Flame, as well as the ability to gather and control other dragons.”

  These words brought the King to a stop, it seemed his first instinct was correct, Edo Volis hadn’t been hallucinating. “So in other words the enemy shall have dragons under their control during this battle?”

  “There have been no reports about them marching with the enemy army, but it seems so my King.”

  The King took another very long breath, this one might not have echoed but that didn’t comfort him much, knowing how powerful dragons could be. “All the better that we face them in open battle, the field melee will prevent the dragons from using flames unless they are willing to scorch their own troops.” The king replied as he began walking again.

  Regent Jenner nodded, even though that wasn’t out of the realm of possibilities.

  “They also mentioned a character called Sampson, he has stolen a powerful magical wand that could be quite dangerous in his hands.”

  King Yadi did his best to remain hard of expression, but it was beginning to worry him just how powerful the enemy was. “What of the other world heroes, have any others answered the call?”

  “I am afraid not my lord,” Regent Jenner said reluctantly. King Yadi stopped once again, looking at the Regent as if hoping he was joking. But the Regent didn’t smile, this wasn’t some dark lark. The King resumed walking his legs beginning to feel as if they were made of stone. “They have their own evils to face, we cannot expect them to drop everything to aid us.” King Yadi said, clearly more to himself than the regent. “It was the over reliance on otherworld others which made our own troops so disenfranchised in the first place,” he added.

  Though he knew this was true, he didn’t regret calling for aid during the battle of Ebulon. He knew that if the otherworld heroes hadn’t come then Ebulon would have been crushed like every other human kingdom. In some ways the burden of the battle was heavier now than at the battle of Ebulon. Because simple survival would not be enough today, he would need a decisive victory, to prove to his troops that he was still worthy of serving them. He was horribly aware of this as he continued down towards the ground floor of the Tower.

  “I see that you too are ready for the battle field Regent Jenner,” he stated glancing at the orc armor and sword that the Regent carried at his side.

  “Indeed I am, my King. I am not a fool, I understand the gravity of this situation. I cannot promise you great deeds on my part this day, I shall not be remembered in the history books as a great warrior, but you will know that I have done my part to keep this city safe.”

  “As you did during the battle of Ebulon?” The king asked, showing confidence in the regent.

  “Yes,” he replied. “Malik in his own very brutish way showed me that more than just words are needed when the enemy is at the gate, I understand that now.”

  “I am glad you do,” King Yadi said before stopping and turning to face the regent. “I am also glad that you have found your courage Jenner, but I need you to stay behind in the city. The refugees and the few guards that will stay behind will be trapped in a state of fear of the unknown. They will need a rational well spoken mind to ensure that chaos doesn’t consume the city.” He placed a strong hand on the regent’s shoulder as he said, “Today your words are needed more than your hands.” There was a part of the regent that was disappointed, but most of him was actually glad the king had said this, because in truth he wasn’t a warrior, something Captain Juruz had made him painfully aware of.

  “Do not get me wrong,” The king stated as he began walking again. “I have faith in Captain Torrin, we may only be able to spare a thousand soldiers to stay behind and guard the city, but I believe he will be able to make the best of it.”

  Now Regent Jenner stopped and the heaviness of his expression made the king worry greatly. Stopping his own step Yadi turned to face him.

  “That may be true my King, but Captain Torrin will not be staying behind, he will be fighting on the field.”

  “What?” The King asked in confusion.

  The Regent shook his head, clearly not liking what he was about to say. “Captain Juruz will be staying behind to guard the city.”

  “Under whose orders?” The king asked, an edge to his tone.

  “Apparently the two of them came to such a decision by themselves.”

  The King shook his head, this is the last thing he needed. “They do realize that isn’t a decision for either one of them to make?” Regent Jenner kept his eyes lowered, not wanting to feel the wrath of his king. He knew Yadi wasn’t a cruel man, but he was a powerful one, it was the reason why the Regent’s loyalty had never wavered, which couldn’t be said for many of the Ebulon soldiers. “Both of them will have to explain themselves to me!”

  “They know that my King,” Regent Jenner began struggling to keep up with the fast pace Yadi was now moving at. “They are waiting in the courtyard of the tower for you.”

  Anger was brewing within the king. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, not after the decisions he had recently made. He knew that Torrin was a good captain, a proven warrior but Juruz was an exceptional one. Chances were that today he would both be out manned and out powered. He would need his best troops fighting alongside him and there was none better than Juruz.

  He didn’t even have to order the entrance doors to be open, the guardsmen could see the power of his gaze, the purpose of his steps. Inside the courtyard a number of his advisors were waiting to be by his side but they remained speechless as he passed them heading towards the two captains he sought who stood side by side away from everyone else. He didn’t say anything at first, searching their gazes to see what was going through their minds. He could tell both were aware of what they had done, if this had been another time back when the kingdom was flourishing, both would be severely punished. But the kingdom was floundering, the respect that King Yadi had once earned was no longer enough to keep order, he knew this, they knew this, but the fact these two men would take advantage of it boiled his already hot blood.

  “I have been informed that the two of you have come to a decision about the upcoming battle. A decision made that I wasn’t even aware of.” He searched their gazes but both remained silent. “Your king asks for an explanation will you not speak?” Again the two captains stayed quiet, it was vague but he could see the doubt in their eyes. Stepping forward towards Juruz the King asked, “You of all people Juruz have openly criticized my decisions, you have constantly informed me that the soldiers of this city no longer want to hide and flee from the enemy. I make the decision that those same soldiers wanted me to make and now you will run and hide?”

  “I am doing no such thing,” Juruz replied in his powerful voice, clearly offended by the accusation. “I am not running or hiding from anything, I want to ensure that the city will not fall and it will not, not while I am here to defend it.” His words struck the king like a volley of arrows as a realization consumed him. Captain Juruz hadn’t just lost some faith in his command, he had lost all of it. The revelation shook the king to his very soul, because there had been a time when there was no one more loyal than this captain.

  “Did you order the 3500 troops to try and reclaim the mines?” King Yadi asked, needing to know the extent of Juruz’s doubt and remembering that when the orders of retreat had been given Juruz was quick to hurry off and slower to return to the tower.

  “No I did not,” Juruz replied. “But I do not
blame them for standing by the vows they took to protect this city.” Yadi found himself searching for the right words, demanding respect was a poor way to rule, especially now.

  Slowly the king’s eyes fell upon Torrin who could feel the weight of such a gaze.

  “Why did you agree to this Captain Torrin? You were promoted for the purpose of protecting this city.”

  “This I know my King,” Torrin began forcing himself to look Yadi in the eye.

  “And protect it I shall in the best possible way I know how. To make sure the enemy doesn’t get close enough to even see the city.” The air was heavy with tension, he could tell that both captains were choosing their words carefully. He may not have been sure who had issued the order to reclaim the mines but he was quite sure there were few who hadn’t lost faith in him, but not Juruz, even Commander Alatearame hadn’t lost faith in Captain Juruz. He was quite sure that Torrin was sticking to his old loyalty, that Juruz had told Torrin that he was going to guard the city and Torrin hadn’t even put up a protest.

  He too now had to choose his words carefully, he needed his army to follow him into battle. If he demanded that Juruz do as he was told it would leave many of his troops embittered and unwilling. That was something that he couldn’t risk.

  “So be it,” the king said sternly before looking Juruz directly in the eye. “I am no fool I know that you have lost faith in me.” When Juruz kept his silence, the king knew his words to be true. “But I haven’t lost faith in you, keep our city safe until I return.” Captain Juruz only gave the slightest nod of acknowledgement but remained silent. “As for you Captain Torrin,” The king said with short sharp tones, stepping towards him.

  “Because of this change of command without my blessing you will have to make it up to me, the troops under your command shall have to fight better on this day than they ever have before. I want them to be like demons today, I want them to make the enemy tremble in fear as they charge towards them. Do you understand captain?”

  “That I do my King,” Torrin said simply. “But the words would sound much better coming from you directly.”

  The king could see it now, a powerful calamity consumed the eyes of the captain. It was not the look of a scared insect but of a disappointed giant. There was far more to it than just his son, ever since the battle of Ebulon, he had become distant from his troops. The battle of Ebulon was the first battle, which he hadn’t led, in fact he hadn’t even really been involved. At the time he was simply doing what was necessary to keep his kingdom alive, but in focusing on that necessity he had forgotten a lot of why his troops had respected him in the first place. For three months he hadn’t bothered to continue instilling pride into his troops, he hadn’t walked and talked amongst them. He had spent most of his time barely overseeing the operations, giving orders from the distance of his tower. This wasn’t the king he was, it wasn’t what his troops had expected from the man they had once served so loyally. He still had much trepidation of his own but this was hardly new, the big difference now is that he hadn’t made an effort with his troops. In times of such desperation, when darkness seemingly consumes all the king needed to be a burning inferno of light, not a flickering candle hardly seen. He needed to change that and he needed to do it now, he needed his own flames to burn brighter than even the breath of a dragon.

  “So it shall be,” he said to Captain Torrin before turning and making his way towards the closest walkway. His escort of advisors began to follow him until he turned around and addressed them. “No,” he said powerfully, his tone slightly distant. “This is something that I must do on my own.” As he ascended the steps his legs felt heavier, becoming more like iron than stone.

  Once upon the walkways that bordered the city he could feel the eyes of thousands of his people boring into him. Their gazes were heavy, the burden of thousands of doubts, dreams and concerns. He didn’t look at any of them his mind simply focused on moving through the walkways and reaching the beginning of the city. He did glance down briefly to see that his hands were shaking slightly. As his mouth felt like it was full of dirt he still didn’t know what he would do if he came face to face with his son on the battlefield. But in that moment he knew what must be done right there and then.

  Before he knew it he reached the final walkway of the city, the one that was built above the gates of the first entry point. Because his city hadn’t been completely rebuilt and thus not every wall was as high as it once was, it was here that everyone in the city as well as outside of it could see him. His gaze descended upon the mass of refugees, thousands of men and women dressed in the armory of orcs, each with a weapon in their hand. He could see Kae upon their front line, looking up at the king he had done so much to help. Amongst the mass outside the gate Kae stood out, because he was the only one with trust in his eyes. The other eyes, the thousands of sets showed no love or trust for the king.

  His gaze felt as heavy as his legs and moved slowly as he looked upon his own soldiers, the men and women of Ebulon that had assembled inside the city waiting to march. He could see little trust amongst them as well, doubt was clear in their gazes. Forcing his own doubts out of his mind and steadying his hand.

  “Hear me!” Yadi bellowed ensuring the silence of the masses remained while he spoke. He ensured that his stance or gaze showed no favor to either army, standing so each could see his eyes and expression. “I know that you are all angry, you are all weary, you are all sick of hiding and running. I know this because I share your sickness.” There was no weakness in his words, they were stronger than steel, his gaze harder than stone. “I also know that there is an army of monstrosities and other such foul things marching upon us. They do not want our lands, they do not want these walls, they do not want food, water or shelter. They want our lives! They want to either destroy us or enslave us!” He paused to allow his words as much impact as possible. “I say never!” He bellowed. “Not while there is a weapon in my hand, strength in my arm and breath in my body! The enemy army dresses themselves in red! If they are so fond of such a colour I say we paint them in it! But we shan’t be bringing any paint!”

  With an iron hand he took out his sword, the speed of which caused a slicing sound to echo throughout the city and beyond. He held it high, wanting its light captured by the sun for all to see, he would be the inferno they needed in this time of darkness. “These shall be our brushes and their blood shall be the paint!” He didn’t notice it but several Ebulon soldiers and refugees began lifting their heads as if to listen more intently. “I know that some of you doubt me!” He bellowed looking at his own troops. “I know that few of you have any affection for me or my city!” He yelled looking at the refugees. Looking into the distance, ensuring that everyone could see his gaze he continued. “I am not asking any one of you to fight for me! I am asking you to fight for yourselves! This Red Army takes pleasure in making men into monsters and killing women. If they like monsters so much we shall become monsters ourselves! Not ones who serve the Red Army, but ones who will destroy it! It is time that this Red Army becomes afraid! That they shall fear you and I, the same way they want to be feared!”

  More heads rose as Yadi continued. “Let no man or woman who hear these words ever forget the horrors the orcs have caused to all of us! Is there a single man or woman here who hasn’t lost something because of them! A mother! A father! A daughter! A son! A brother! A sister!” Once again he waited, wanting his words to sink into each of their souls. By the raising of heads his words were successful. “Or a wife! Or a husband!” He ensured he looked specifically at the refugees when he added, “Or a home!” Looking back into the distance he continued, “Is there any man or woman here who can say they haven’t lost something dear because of the orcs!”

  The silence that resounded throughout both armies only strengthened his words. “For centuries upon centuries the orcs have stolen our lives and pillaged our lands! Because they are the most foul things in this world! And no orc is fouler than the Ulnat
h! The very creatures that brought this Red Army into our world along with other evils!” His words were working, both Ebulon soldier and refugee were remembering who had truly done them wrong. “I ask no one here to sing together! I don’t ask anyone to drink together.” He bellowed using his sword to point back and forth between the two armies. More heads raised, one in particular was the head of Juruz. Seeing the passion that his king spoke with, the strength of his stance, it made him remember all the reasons why he had served this king, why he had gladly gone into battle alongside Yadi countless times. Because he was a man who never demanded respect, he always earned it just like he was doing now.

  “All I ask from each and everyone of you is to slaughter the enemy! No that is too weak of a word! What I ask is that each of you fight and kill so viciously that the few survivors of our attack will scurry back to Za-xayek or whatever pitiful pit of a world they came from! Not with a song on their lips but a scream! A scream of terror so powerful that it shakes every world out there and let’s any and all foul things know that if they ever come to our world only death will await them!”

  Now there was not a single head that wasn’t raised, Yadi’s words booming through the two armies like divine thunder. “This is what I ask of each and everyone of you! What is your answer?”

  Instantly a huge roar ascended from both armies, as there was not a single weapon not raised in salute to his words. In that moment the two roars became one, a collective sound of power. It was the best answer Yadi had ever heard. Yadi listened to the collective roar, his own words causing adrenaline to rush through his body as he took heavy breaths. He didn’t know how long the roar went for, but it felt like an eternity, an eternity he was glad to live through. When it had only died down slightly he raised his sword higher and bellowed, “We march!” his words received another roar the loudest he had ever heard.