by M J Webb
“Ha! Wow! Hey, just look at all this stuff!” exclaimed Jake. “There must be thousands, no millions of pounds worth here.” Then he realised something. “Err… Hang on, it’s gonna take us ages to search through this lot, how on earth are we gonna find the Bloodstone in amongst all of this?”
Tien shook his head slowly at the youngster, a faint look of disappointment written upon his face. “Kuh… You are young, you have much to learn, Keeper.”
He lifted his left hand, his right still holding the fire, as he whispered another spell.
“Gnuussrialle frettureieste hechniarr creine.”
As soon as he finished speaking a small, closed chest in the centre of the room began to wobble. Slowly, it shook itself free of the surrounding boxes. Then it rose gently of its own accord until it was floating about four feet from the floor. Tien drew it closer with his hand, the chest glided through the air until it stopped suddenly before him. It descended gradually to end up lying at his feet. The wizard whispered again, this time he was so quiet that Jake did not hear the words. The lock flew open and the lid to the box was flung back on the hinge.
Hidden inside was a solitary stone, roughly about the size of a large grape, bright red in colour and extremely beautiful to behold.
“Yes! Is that it? Is that the Bloodstone, Tien?” asked Jake excitedly.
“Yes, that is it,” replied the wizard. “We can go now. We have what we came for.”
“Err… No, wait a minute. Can you search for the other stones we need like that, just in case there’s any more of ‘em in here? I mean, we’re here now and it can’t do any harm, can it? We may get lucky.”
Tien smiled. He performed the spell four more times, the final search looking for another reolite stone, but they found no more. “There, the stones we seek are not here, Jake. I am sorry, it was a good idea and worth a try, but can we go now?” asked Tien.
“”Yeah, let’s…” began Jake, but his reply was interrupted by the sounds of screaming soldiers.
“Guards!!! Guards!!! Call out the Guards! There are intruders in the palace!” bellowed a voice from the corridor outside the room. Tien and Jake looked anxiously at one another.
“Quick! Grab that stone and let’s get out of here!” rasped Jake. Tien did as he was instructed, but he also took the opportunity to fill his pockets with several other gems as they exited the room.
The corridors were surprisingly empty. The soldiers who had raised the alarm had already run out into the courtyard to challenge any intruders. Their comrades were still rising from their beds as quickly as they could to join them. The doors to their sleeping chambers were ajar, Jake and Tien could hear the soldiers stirring as they readied themselves quickly in order to make their way outside and meet the unknown threat. Then, the noise of the waking soldiers was suddenly drowned out by the unmistakeable sound of clashing swords. It was coming from the courtyard!
Jake and Tien scampered along the palace’s main corridor as quickly as they could, retracing their former steps. As they attempted to reach the courtyard and rejoin their friends, from behind every door they could hear the shouts and movements of enemy soldiers who were hurriedly putting on clothes and gathering their weapons. A worried Jake turned to look at Tien. The wizard was totally calm even though he was moving just as swiftly as his younger comrade, he had placed the Bloodstone within his robe and he was now using his free hands to cast more spells. As they passed by each of the doors, he reached out the nearest of his hands and placed his palm over the lock, one by one in rapid succession. He shouted out a solitary word before removing his hand and moving on to the next door.
“Kaltath.”
The wooden doors all slammed shut. At Tien’s command, the locks turned and froze in an instant, trapping the furious and frustrated soldiers inside. Jake smiled with relief at the old wizard but he kept on running, until finally they had passed the last of the doors and reached the exit. For a short while, the bulk of the palace guards would be unable to intervene in the fight, at least until they could break down the heavy wooden doors which had them trapped.
Jake and Tien stepped out into the courtyard and stopped to take a good look around. Bierenstell, Verastus and Ben were standing in front of the main gates, they were fighting with even more enemy soldiers. Jake just couldn’t believe it, they seemed to be appearing from all corners of the palace grounds!
He noticed with satisfaction that Verastus was doing his best to protect Ben. The Falorian was pulling the youngster close to him and trying to engage any palace guards who neared their position, but the weight of numbers opposing them was so great that it was impossible, and Ben was now having to fend for himself. The teenager began thrusting and swiping at the enemy guards. His new sword sliced through their weapons and armour with ease and the shocked warriors he faced hesitated for a second or two, before recovering themselves to continue the fight and doubling their efforts to get to the youngster. He was about to be overwhelmed by four of the enemy, who were approaching him fast!
Jake reacted immediately. He threw his arm in the air, shouting out ‘bratiq’ as loud as he could. The Heynai’s metallic ball shot up in front of him, it began to spin furiously, the spikes extended and, as soon as Jake extended his fingers to aim the strike, it sped off towards the four soldiers. When it neared them it veered violently away, searching for the best angle of attack, then it came hurtling back and passed straight through their bodies in line, killing all four instantly before returning to Jake’s side and covering his trousers with blood. The whole, gory incident had occurred in the blink of an eye.
A shocked and weary Ben looked up at his friend and gave him a big ‘thumbs up’. But more soldiers began to appear and he had to prepare himself again for even more fighting. Jake shifted his gaze to survey the rest of the grounds. He was alarmed to see that Lord Bierenstell was now surrounded by around fifteen enemy soldiers in the centre of the courtyard. It looked very much as though the Nadjan knight was doomed.
Little did he know it, but Jake West was about to witness one of the most amazing things he would ever see. The young Keeper stopped in his tracks and watched in awe for a few seconds as the remarkable spectacle unfolded. The mighty warrior, rejuvenated by the wizard’s magic and facing enemy all around him, suddenly and unbelievably knelt down on one knee! He held his sword in front of him as if praying to his Gods, with the blade touching the ground. His head was bowed down low and his eyes were tightly closed. But, even with his head lowered, Jake could plainly see that he was smiling broadly. He seemed to be having the time of his life!
As the first of the bewildered enemy warriors attacked him, the powerful knight raised himself up with astonishing speed and parried their blows, before using his unbelievable skills and balance to launch several attacks of his own, upon all of the surrounding soldiers!
This was unbelievable! Standing completely alone, surrounded by fifteen seasoned warriors, all of them armed and confident of victory, Bierenstell was actually winning! Jake just couldn’t believe his eyes.
‘I’ve seen a lot of weird and wonderful things since opening the box of stones, things I hardly believed possible at the time, but this is way out there!’ he thought.
More and more of the enemy began to appear and Jake knew for certain that they couldn’t defeat them all. ‘We have to leave, right now!’ he realised.
He whistled and shouted to Tien and Verastus, telling them to make for the gates as quickly as they could. The old wizard grabbed Ben and together they fought their way out of the courtyard until, moments later, the five friends reached the open gate. The enemy soldiers followed their every move closely. Jake and Bierenstell had to keep them at bay using their swords and the Heynai’s ball. Both were displaying such amazing speed and skill that it looked as though they could stay there for hours.
But suddenly, Jake heard the unmistakeable sound of two arrows speeding their way towards him. He swerved instinctively and he narrowly avoided being hit. The first embedde
d itself in the wooden door behind with a loud ‘thwack’. Jake breathed a huge sigh of relief, grateful for the powers and abilities the stones had given him and certain that they had just saved his life yet again.
Lord Bierenstell was not so fortunate however, the second arrow hit its target and thundered into his upper chest. The mighty warrior stumbled under the weight of the blow and he took a faltering step backwards, before looking up immediately to identify where the arrows had come from. Two archers were standing on the steps outside the main guardhouse, both were making ready their bows as they prepared to fire again.
Bierenstell ignored completely the excruciating pain from his wound, he grabbed two small throwing knives from beneath his belt and hurled them rapidly in the bowmen’s direction. The knives hit the archers with deadly accuracy in their chests and both of them fell to the floor. Bierenstell, refusing to let his wound hinder him, then stepped forward again to continue the fight with the remaining soldiers ahead of him.
“Come on! Let’s go! We can’t stay here all day!” Jake screamed, as he parried yet another blow from an enemy sword.
The others were already through the gates now and out of harm’s way, but Tien had remained outside the entrance as Ben and Verastus had ran across the street and disappeared into the shadows. Bierenstell killed another of the enemy before swiping with the blade of his sword at the arrow shaft that was protruding from his chest. It snapped in two and he winced a little with the pain of the blow. Blood was pouring out of the wound and his clothes were now stained deep red beneath the arrow tip.
“No Keeper, I am staying. Go now, take Tien and the others away from here and fulfil your destiny. Thank you, Jake! It has been an honour to fight by your side. I wish we could have known each other better. Shed no tears for me my friend, I knew this was my last battle and I would have it no other way. I will hold them off for you as long as I can, close the gate behind you. Go! And good luck.”
Jake said nothing in reply. He bowed his head in salute to the greatest warrior he had ever seen, whether in real life or in the action movies he watched at home, before turning rapidly and racing away through the gates.
Lord Bierenstell moved immediately to head off any of the enemy who tried to follow. He had the chance to make one last comment to Tien before the wizard closed the gate.
“Thank you,” he shouted, as he continued the fight. “Now this is a warrior’s death!”
Tien closed the gates and froze the lock. Then he and Jake ran away as swiftly as they could, escaping into the city.
They had done it, they had the Bloodstone! The first of the precious gems that were needed to begin the restoration was now in their possession. Despite the loss of an awesome ally, their quest to replace all five stones had begun well. But nobody celebrated their success as they made their way out of the great city. They all knew for certain that they would be pursued; the Marshall would never accept the loss of such a gem without doing all he could to retrieve it. He would surely send all of his soldiers in pursuit, just as soon as he could free the gates. Jake and the others had to put as much distance between them and Ilin-Seatt as they could. They were running for their lives!
Chapter 9
20th – 22nd August – Nadjan - Estia
As soon as they were ready to move, Princess Zephany, Onall and Arralf set out for the besieged city of Dassilliak. They rode throughout the night of the 20th August, moving through the landscape as silently and as quickly as they could. The hooves of their horses were covered in cloth in order to reduce the noise and any tracks they made, given the utmost secrecy and vital importance of their mission. Zephany led the way through the Nadjan countryside, deliberately choosing routes and paths she knew would avoid the more densely populated regions, hoping and planning to remain unseen. Many of the Nadjan population would be sympathetic to their cause, but the Princess was far more experienced in the art of warfare than any normal sixteen year old should be, and she knew that she could afford to take no risks on this journey; the stakes were too high. Anybody managing to alert her uncle’s forces to their presence and intent would almost certainly mean failure to complete their mission. It would also ensure their deaths and the final defeat of her father’s army, crushing the rebellion. She reminded herself of that fact over and over again.
‘Anyone I do not know or trust has to be treated as a potential enemy from here on.’
For a good distance they followed the meanderings of the river Ilan. This meant that they were able to give the vast city of Triess a wide berth and by morning on the 21st August they were camped in a field of tall Ahtleth grass, on the plains that lay south-west of the city. Zephany was confident that they could remain undetected in the tall grass, which grew typically to well over ten feet in height. The only creatures that could see them now were the birds flying high above in the sunlit sky, and they presented no immediate threat.
All day the three weary travellers slept soundly in the warm sunshine, shaded by the grass and taking it in turns to keep watch, whilst the others rested and recovered their strength for the journey that lay ahead. When they were all refreshed in late afternoon, they took it in turns to tell stories of their childhood and upbringing, passing the time happily away before they were able to move again at nightfall. Zephany’s two companions were enthralled by the adventures of the young Princess and rebel. Arralf in particular was finding it impossibly hard to believe the company he was in. He was a simple peasant boy from Soreen, a tiny village in the heart of the Rhuaddan countryside which had never even seen royalty before recent events and the return of the Keeper. And yet, here he was mixing with fabled warriors and a Princess who would surely one day be his Queen. He was so far out of his comfort zone, but he was enjoying every minute of the adventure.
Their luck held. They were not spotted that day and by nightfall they were moving again. They headed out of the grasslands and into the open countryside. In the middle of the night they passed the large village of Yast. For a brief moment, Zephany thought they had been spotted by one of the villagers who had appeared to point in their direction. Wishing to take no chances of an encounter of any kind, Zephany ordered the others to gallop away and as dawn approached they were still riding hard, completely exhausted but relieved and thankful that they had not been identified.
The tall, leafy trees of Sekanin forest suddenly loomed on the horizon and the young Princess’ spirits rose as she immediately thought of Erriard forest back home in Rhuaddan, and how it had protected her father’s rebel army for many years.
“Kahh! Come on!” she hissed, as she kicked her horse hard and galloped away, heading for the trees and hoping to reach them before daylight broke.
Onall and Arralf choked on the dust kicked up by her horse and followed after her as fast as they could. The Princess’ superior riding ability ensured that she reached the forest well before her companions. By the time they had joined her she had already found a suitable place to remain concealed.
“Here, this is perfect for our needs,” she stated, pointing at a huge tree which was surrounded by thick brambles and seemed to have a natural shelter at its base. “We shall be safe here for today. Rest while you can, we will continue our ride tonight.”
The horses were tethered by Arralf in amongst the thick bushes nearby. “Srrr… How much further do you think it is, Princess?” he asked, once he’d completed his task and they were all settled and relaxed.
“Not far,” replied Zephany, “we should reach the Southern Army’s position early tomorrow, hopefully in plenty of time to break through their lines and reach Dassilliak. I will need some time to address the Juyen. That is their great council chamber, I have heard my father tell of it, it is vast and it is where all of their leaders meet. Understand both of you that the Alliance is unlike our army. We all follow the decrees of our King, without question and with obedience. But they… Well, they do not have a single decision maker like us. No one person has that right in their army or society to decide suc
h things. They, debate every single issue. The leader of every faction within the alliance has a say in all things, and they abide by the majority vote. Even Crown Prince Laertral, the ruler of Perosya, accepts the decisions of the Juyen. He dare not oppose it, for it is central to everything they do, and it is extremely powerful. And I have to convince the nobles there to help us, if we are to be successful.”
“Ay raas! I do not think that sounds like it will be an easy task. Chaa, how do they ever get anything done, living under such a system? It must be very confusing?” asked Onall. “It has to be complete chaos?” he added.
Zephany laughed at the response of her most trusted warrior to the politics of government. “Ha ha… Yes quite, Onall, I agree with you and sometimes it is chaotic I suppose. But, there are those who would argue that point with you, many of them. There are plenty who would claim that it does work, and that it works well. For my part, I think we are fortunate in that we follow a wise and just King. My father has his faults, but he has always had the welfare of his people at the heart of everything he has done. If that were not the case, if things were different and he were not so righteous, would we feel differently about the way things are? Tell me this; would you follow a fool into battle? Would you obey the commands of a tyrant, no matter what you were asked to do, with no questions asked? Would you risk all that you have, and give your life for such a leader?”
Onall thought seriously on the point for a few seconds before reaching the obvious conclusion. “Kuh, if he were my King, I suppose I would have no choice but to follow him, no matter what the consequences.”
“Precisely,” snapped Zephany. “The honour and enormous responsibility of being Queen will one day fall to me, I hope. When that time comes I pray that I shall not ignore the wishes of my people, Onall. I promise you now that I will always try to find some way of hearing their concerns. I will not have a Juyen like the Alliance though, for where there are too many voices trying to speak, you may be certain that somebody will not be heard. No, I will select my advisers very carefully, they will be from all walks of life and all will bring something to the table, whether it be experience, knowledge, intelligence or some other virtue, for I have learned from Knesh that good soldiers, and loyal subjects, are more easily led than pushed.”
