by Travis Pond
“Well I’ll bet this isn’t all of them,” said Tureis. “If the signal was given, then there are likely more attacks coming.”
“Right,” said Seth. “We need to tell my father.”
Within minutes, guards appeared and began moving the attackers out of the corridor. Tureis, Ailish and Seth walked through the corridor, listening for any further commotion as they set a course to the Kings chambers.
Seth opened the door and they entered to find the King sitting at the large table, his head in his hands. They approached quietly and sat down. They looked at each other unsure if they should disturb him. Patiently they waited. Within a minute King Seathan took a deep breath and looked up surprised to see them sitting there.
“Sorry father. We didn’t mean to startle you. Were you asleep?” asked Seth.
King Seathan shook his head, “No. When I was younger, I had a hard time focusing my Matya in times of great distress. I learned to achieve better focus by meditating on the problem at hand. It gives me clarity.” Seth nodded his understanding and thought he should remember this exercise as it may help him in the future.
Emmett ran into the room, “Is everyone alright? I heard all the commotion!”
Ailish smiled at her father, “We were able to take care of it.”
“Were you able to secure the entrances?” asked King Seathan.
Seth recounted the fights at the drawbridge and the seemingly random commoners from their own kingdom fighting against them. He then explained the conversation they had with Braon in the forest, and the secret army he’d planted as commoners in Thaven.
“They’ve been here for months just waiting for this day? What made them attack today?” Seth wondered.
“While the guards were gathering up the men and taking them to the dungeon, I overheard a man telling another man that he saw the King’s men leave the castle, dressed for battle and knew he had to attack,” said Ailish.
“That must’ve been the sign; the army leaving for battle,” said King Seathan.
“Did you happen to hear anyone say how many people were in the city waiting to attack?” asked Emmett.
Ailish thought for a moment and shook her head, “Sadly, no.”
“We have to assume there’s more,” said King Seathan.
Suddenly, a loud booming noise echoed from the first level. They ran to the balcony and looked over the edge. Standing across the river were at least twenty men throwing large rocks, trying to get the guards to lower the drawbridge. Random men were shouting, “Help! We’re being attacked! Let us in! Lower the bridge! Save us!”
“That must be more of them,” said Emmett. “They’re trying to deceive the guards to get into the castle.”
King Seathan looked at Emmett, “The drawbridge will only be lowered on my command.”
Emmett nodded, “I will place Eammon at the drawbridge to ensure your commands are met.”
“Well, I guess that confirms there’s more of them,” said Ailish. “How many more of them are there, I wonder?”
“We should go see if we can find any more within the walls of the castle,” said Tureis.
King Seathan nodded, “That’s a good idea.”
“I will get Eammon to the drawbridge and return here,” said Emmett. “Then I will stay here with King Seathan.”
The three of them left the King’s chamber, walking through the castle, checking entrances and looking for anything that didn’t appear to be right. Everything seemed to be in order and was quiet until the loud sound of clanging pans was heard through the corridors. “Is that the kitchen again?” asked Seth exasperated. Without waiting for a reply, Seth ran down the corridor followed by Ailish and Tueris.
Before they could get to the kitchen a group of twenty men came running down the corridor carrying swords. Seth had drawn Faithkeeper and immediately was engaged with several men in the corridor, fighting them back towards the kitchen. Several guards had joined in the fight as well and together they were successfully driving them back. Ailish and Tureis were guarding the rear with their swords, preventing anyone from getting through to the stairs.
Swords were clanging and men were falling. With each swipe, Faithkeeper took a man out of the fight. Ailish looked up and noticed that what started as twenty was now nearly fifty. Alarmed, she shouted, “There’s more of them! Where are they coming from?”
Seth continued to fight when he shouted in alarm, “They’ve got to be coming from the entrance under the kitchen! I never checked it!”
“How did they know about it?” Ailish asked.
Without stopping, Seth shouted, “Braon!” Immediately they understood. When they helped Braon escape, Seth had revealed his secret entrance, as well as the location of the hidden key. Surely Braon would’ve passed that information on to someone in preparation for this battle.
“What do we do?” shouted Ailish. She was now having to use her sword to fight off the attackers as the corridor had become too crowded for her to use her crossbow. “We need to stop the people from getting in!”
“She’s right we going to get overrun,” shouted Tureis as he battled two men. “We need to block the entrance.”
Now more guards had joined the fight, and together they were able to hold them off. Seth shouted, “You hold them off and I’ll get the door.” With his Matya at full intensity, Seth ran down the corridor, swinging his sword at every man he came to, disarming many and knocking others out of the fight for good. He made it through the entrance to the kitchen and disappeared.
Ailish and Tureis kept fighting. Their swords almost swinging themselves, as their Matya guided them. They allowed the power of the Matya to flow through them. Tureis’ blade glowed bright blue now as the Matya flowed through it.
Within minutes the fifty men were driven down the corridor and out of the castle. As they exited, more guards joined the fight and soon all the men were surrounded and disarmed. It seems the dungeon under the castle would be full after tonight.
Seth returned as the last of the men was taken to the dungeons, “I think I got the door secured. I even barricaded it after locking it. It will take some real effort to get in now.”
For the next hour they checked and double checked all the entrances, making sure no one could get through. More soldiers had also entered the castle and were guarding entrances and taking up posts in strategic locations.
After all precautions had been taken to prevent further attacks, Tureis, Ailish and Seth returned to visit with King Seathan. When they approached the door, Emmett was standing guard outside, sword drawn and a serious expression on his face. He lowered his sword as they entered the Kings private quarters. “That was some true leadership, Seth,” said Emmett. “I’ve not seen anyone fight as hard as you since last watching your father in battle.” Seth blushed a little, looked across the room at his father, who nodded his agreement.
Just then a booming knock came from the door. Emmett turned, sword in hand. Out of reflex, Ailish had her crossbow out, bolt loaded, her finger on the trigger and aimed at the door. The door opened and a very out of breath soldier entered the room. He bowed and said, “Your Highness. The battle was a trap.” He took several breaths and steadied himself. “The King was a decoy. They had a thousand men hidden in the forest and attacked our flank.”
“What of King Hamish?” asked King Seathan.
The soldier took several breaths and continued, “Some of the soldiers that entered the forest said they saw the real king leaving with about two hundred men through the forest. Emron thinks they may have gone through to Darish.”
“What time frame are we looking at?” asked Emmett.
The solder thought for a minute and replied, “I left nearly three hours ago, following the river all the way here. The remainder of the army is on their way back, but it will be hours before they retu
rn.”
Emmett paused for a moment. “If I had to guess, I would say that gives us about two or three hours before they’re here...if not less.”
“That means they would arrive before sunset,” said Ailish. “Do you think they will camp for the night or just attack?”
Emmett thought for a moment. “If it were me I’d attack at night while I still have the element of surprise on my side. King Hamish would also want to attack before our remaining soldiers get back here to aid us in the battle.”
King Seathan stood and moved toward the balcony and said very solemnly, “I feel we should prepare for King Hamish to attack tonight.”
Emmett stood and left the room to prepare his troops for the coming battle. The King Seathan removed his sword and placed it on the table in front of them. Without even looking at them, he took hold of the bottom of the hilt and began to move his finger across.
Tureis stared at what the King was doing, his eyes wide. Attached to the bottom of the sword was a round pure silver ball. At first Tureis thought it was there to help balance the weight of the sword, but now he understood. The silver ball was actually an Oracle sphere. “Who are you sending a message to?” asked Tureis.
The King looked up with a somber expression, “I am sending a message to the Oracle, informing her of the situation here.” The King looked at the sphere and said, “She says she’s on her way, but it will take her some time to get here.”
“Why is she coming?” asked Ailish.
“Just in case…,” said Tureis as he trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence.
“Just in case?” Ailish shook her head in confusion. “In case of what?”
Tureis started to speak but the King held up his hand. “Just in case King Hamish wins,” said King Seathan softly. “She needs to retrieve the sword before he can get it.”
Ailish nodded her understanding and they all fell silent.
Two hours later, Tureis sat on the balcony, looking over the town below. As he watched, people in the town square suddenly began moving quickly to the side of the road, staring at something coming from Darish.
Chapter 31
- Hamish -
Tureis stood and leaned over the balcony, taking in the sight. A parade of soldiers atop horses covered in battle armor entered the town square. Three men on large horses led the way. On the right was a man in black battle armor carrying the flag of Zummot. On the left, a man with sword drawn, in full armor and a gold captain’s feather displayed in his helmet. The man in the middle, sitting atop a black horse was King Hamish himself. He was a large man clad in black and gold armor and wore a black cape that was draped over the back of the horse.
Behind the King, two hundred men followed, all on horseback and in black armor. The three men in the lead stopped at the edge of the river and many of the men fanned out alongside with the remaining soldiers positioning themselves directly behind the others. King Hamish raised his sword and shouted in a loud deep voice, “Zummot!” A roar came from the soldiers followed by the metalic clanging of swords on shields as they repeated a low chant, “Zummot...Zummot...Zummott…”
Inside the castle, King Seathan was sitting at his table eyes closed and meditating, focusing his Matya, preparing for the battle ahead. King Seathan opened his eyes when Tureis entered the room. He approached the table and stopped. Before speaking, Tureis took a deep breath to calm himself. “Your Highness, King Hamish and his soldiers are outside the castle. What shall we do?”
King Seathan stood and removed his sword from its sheath. As he did so, Tureis saw that the sword glowed a bright blue; the Oracle Sphere attached to the bottom of the hilt glowed bright as well. King Seathan looked at Tureis, a very serious expression on his face and said, “It would appear that King Hamish is to force my hand. I do not wish to war with him, but if he chooses it, I must.” He looked at his sword, running his hands over the hilt and along the flat part of the blade. He took a deep breath and continued, “This sword is a powerful weapon, but it is a weapon for peace. The power it contains, placed directly into it by the Oracle who made it, is predicated on peacefulness. If it is used for peace it’s nearly impossible to be beat. But if used for war, wicked aspirations, or evil it truly is a disgrace to the sword, the Oracle who made it and the Matya itself.”
Tureis thought about what the King said for a minute and asked, “You said nearly impossible to be beat. How is it possible to beat a sword with so much power?”
King Seathan replied, “The sword is very powerful itself, but the wielder of the sword also has power. Together they become one and their power each magnified. Whoever wields the sword must be strong in the Matya, if not the power of the sword is weakened. Also this sword is so powerful that if the person wielding it is not strong enough, the sword could destroy him.” King Seathan paused and took a breath. He raised the sword, admiring the beauty and the power it contained. Softly he spoke, almost as if he was speaking to himself, hoping to give himself strength for the battle ahead. “The stronger the Matya in the person the more impossible it is to beat the sword.”
“I’ve heard from my father that the Matya you possess is very powerful,” said Tureis.
King Seathan did not smile, he just kept his eyes focused on the sword. “I will not lie, the Matya I possess is not weak.” He paused for a moment, breaking his focus on the sword, and looked at Tureis. “I fear that King Hamish also carries powerful Matya, even though it is used for wickedness and evil intentions.”
“Could he have strong enough Matya to beat this sword?” asked Tureis.
“The sword he carries is full of evil and is also very powerful,” said King Seathan. “Together with his Matya they become powerful. With all the wicked things he’s done, he’s never been beat, and he’s faced some very powerful warriors.”
Just then a loud booming noise sounded from outside the door. They both moved quickly and exited the door to find that the first floor had erupted into a full scale battle. Complete chaos was occuring with Seth shouting orders as his sword slashed back and forth. Ailish was also fighting alongside her father and a group of soldiers as they worked to defend the guards protecting the controls for the drawbridge. A group of what looked like farmers were attempting to get to the controls in hopes of lowering the drawbridge. Eammon and another group of soldiers stood around and atop the controls defending them with all their might.
Seth was fighting three men at once and was being driven back into the stairs. King Seathan did not hesitate as he ran down the stairs to join the fight. With every strike his sword disarmed men and permanently removed them from the fight. King Seathan finally reached Seth, and helped him defeat the men attacking him.
There were still at least twenty men between King Seathan and those defending the drawbridge controls. Emmett and Ailish were fighting, also working to get through the large crowd. The men fighting alongside Eammon were eventually pulled down leaving only Eammon to defend the position and guard the controls.
Suddenly a cheer went up as Eammon was finally pulled from the controls. The remaining men turned and faced Emmett, now defending their new position. Three men quickly jumped up on the stand and began lowering the drawbridge.
As the bridge lowered a cheer went up from the outside. Tureis stood back and raised his hand and pointed it in the direction of the lowering bridge. He closed his hand tight and threw it to the side causing the three men manning the controls to fly across the room landing on the hard floor. For a moment the bridge stopped lowering.
Emmett and Ailish, now joined by Seth continued to fight their way to the controls. King Seathan, and Tureis brought up the rear, preventing more men from attacking them from behind.
Anther cheer sounded and Tureis turned to see the bridge being lowered again as others had made it to the controls. As Tureis scanned the crowd briefly, Ailish and Emmett were n
owhere to be seen. Tureis backed up a few steps and put his sword away. He raised both hands and with all the Matya he possessed pushed twenty men across the entry hall slamming them into the wall behind them, knocking all of them unconscious.
The King lowered his sword and looked at Tureis, eyes wide and speechless. Together they turned just as the bridge had finally lowered and horse hooves could be heard coming across.
Zummot soldiers poured into the castle. Soidiers from Thaven rushed in as well and quickly worked to pull the Zummot soldiers from their horses. King Hamish stayed atop his mount, fighting off all attempts to be pulled down.
King Seathan joined his soldiers and continued fighting the Zummot soldiers, his sword glowing a deep blue. Tureis made his way over to the entrance and found Emmett near a wall, Ailish helping him to his feet. The Zummot soldiers continued swarming into the castle.
“We have to close the gate to prevent more from coming in!” exclaimed Emmett.
Tureis ran toward the controls, quickly dispatching all those coming against him. Arriving at the controls, he realized it required three men to operate the winch. One person was just not strong enough. He looked around, and seeing no one to help, focused on the controls. He closed his eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Opening his eyes, Tureis grabbed the winch, pulling with all his might. At first nothing happened, then it began to move, just an inch at first. He felt the strength from the Matya flow through him as he pulled harder and harder. Inch by inch the bridge began to slowly raise. Zummot soldiers on horseback raced to jump onto the bridge before it lifted too high. Tureis focused all his might on the controls as the bridge slowly and steadily raised. As Tureis worked harder to close the bridge a blue light surrounded him, which gave him even more strength, and he pulled the winch harder and faster.
Soon the bridge was closed. Tureis secured the winch and bent over breathing heavily. He took several large breaths and stood upright again. A thought entered his mind, that he had to lock the controls so no one else could lower the drawbridge. Tureis scanned the area around him and a metal rod laying up against the wall next to the controls. Tureis bent over and picked it up. During the battle the rod had likely broken from the controls; its purpose was to lock the winch in place. Tureis looked at the rod and again at the controls wondering how he would lock the winch and prevent anyone from lowering the bridge again. “I got it,” a voice said from behind him. Tureis turned and saw Eammon.
