Warriors of the Heynai

by M J Webb

  “What about you, Jake? Are you not coming with us?” Zephany enquired, almost pleading with him to join her.

  The teenager shook his head firmly. “No. I have the sphere, the only weapon we have which can keep those warriors at bay long enough for our archers to flee. I am the only one who can use it and their only hope of surviving this retreat. I will hold the enemy off for as long as I can, give you all the time you need to escape.”

  “No! Then I am staying with you!” stated the Princess.

  Lord Caro clutched her arm tightly and turned her to face him. “I am sorry, your majesty. As your champion, I can see that sometimes I am going to have to save you from yourself. Jake is right, he has to do this alone, without worrying about you and your safety. You have done more than enough for one day. Our people need you now more than ever, they are hurt, tired, confused... They will need a strong and just leader to guide them, someone to keep Eyatrav in line, and someone who knows what it is to be a fugitive on the run, but still keep the faith. They need you!”

  Princess Zephany nodded a begrudging acceptance and Caro let go of her arm. She kissed Jake on the cheek and they both began walking down the tunnel. Before she was out of earshot, she shouted to him one last time.

  “Be sure not to stay too long before you join us, Keeper. Remember Knesh’ words. We have many heroes within our midst now it would seem, but only one who carries with him the hopes of our entire world!”

  ***

  On the fields before Dassilliak, an almighty clash of sworn enemies had begun. The tribal warriors from Readal forest were swift and strong, they carried an assortment of swords, daggers, throwing knives, staves, staffs and slingshot, which they used to great effect. Some also carried bows and arrows and the full range of weaponry was now being employed against the hoards of Thargws and Sebantans ranged against them. There was no order at all to this battle, no control whatsoever. It was a melee, a free for all! Isolated groups were standing toe to toe with their adversaries, fighting their own individual, deadly duels. It was close quarter combat at its most brutal, and the Thargws in particular were having a field day.

  The Sebantan women also were proving to be a deadly foe. Their astonishing physical attributes seemed to allow them to perform extraordinary feats of gymnastics and dexterity, which really should not have been possible, and were rarely to be seen on a battlefield. They twisted and turned violently to avoid arrows and knives, reacted unbelievably fast to their enemy’s attacks, allowing them to strike their assailant down before he had chance to recover with swords, and launched throwing knives with deadly accuracy and skill, from phenomenal distances. Faced with such ferocity, ability and prowess, the gallant tribesmen began to lose ground. It wasn’t long before Brraall realised that his people were outmatched and outnumbered. They could not continue in such a vain for long and he knew it. He had to do something!

  Though fighting off attackers himself who had now surrounded him, battling against them with astonishing bravery and skill, he began looking frantically for options. The trouble was, there were none!

  “Ben! There are far too many of them for us. We cannot hold out against them for much longer. What are we going to do?” he bellowed at the teenager, who was fighting battles of his own just a few yards away.

  Ben Brooker’s heart was pounding furiously against his chest. He was absolutely shattered and sweat was pouring out of every conceivable pore on his body, streaming down his forehead and into his eyes. His clothes were completely drenched and every single muscle he possessed was throbbing.

  When the attack began, he had raced into battle with all the enthusiasm of a psyched up teenager, high on adrenalin and not really sure what he was going to do when he actually came face to face with his enemy. In fact, he had absolutely no idea what he would do! A minor point which had escaped his attention until it was far too late.

  As it was, when it came to it, everything happened so fast that his instincts took over. The initial exchanges were made as the two armies met and everything became a blur for Ben. The first and second Thargws he encountered adopted the same tactic against him, one which had always worked well for them in previous battles and against every adversary they had fought. They raised their swords above their heads to parry Ben’s opening attack, which was an overhead strike, intending to then launch a counter attack of their own, one which would be so swift that the youngster would be undone by it. Ben’s ‘special’ sword however, passed straight through the hard metal of their own battleswords and lodged itself deep within their heads, killing them outright. It shocked all those who witnessed the gruesome deeds. After that, his forward momentum had taken the youngster right into the heart of the battle, into the centre of a large group of tribesmen, who now closed ranks and stood shoulder to shoulder with Brraall and Verastus, encircling and protecting him to a certain degree from further attacks.

  Now though, the lines had been dispersed a little by constant attacks and everyone was far too busy fighting for their own lives to look after him. He was gamely trying to defend himself against a Sebantan warrior, whose absolutely absurd beauty would have had him drooling under different circumstances, if it were not for the fact that she was moving towards him with sword raised, murderous intent and a terrifying, ferocious look upon her face.

  “Eh? What you asking me for? I don’t know!” he cried out, answering Brraall’s plea as the female warrior advanced and sized him up for the kill. “Err... A little busy here! Could do with a little help!” he added in an increasingly loud voice, hoping desperately to draw some attention to his current predicament.

  The Sebantan warrior suddenly lunged forward with her sword. Ben managed to sidestep the point of it just in time and he brought his own weapon down upon it rapidly, slicing the blade in half. But, his relentless attacker was not done just yet. She immediately drew a dagger from her waist and made to thrust it deep into Ben’s stomach, before he had chance to react to her astonishingly quick repost.

  The next thing Ben heard was a high pitch scream. A throwing knife embedded itself deep into the Sebantan’s neck. She clutched at it instinctively, dropping her blade as she fell to the ground, her jugular pierced and blood pouring from her mortal wound. Ben turned to see who it was that had just saved his life, but Brraall had already returned to the fight ahead of him and now his back was turned to the youngster.

  Then, all of a sudden, a Thargw managed to break through the lines and he came running at Ben with such speed and aggression that the young boy had no time to react. He was dead; he could not defend himself and he knew it. His arms lifted automatically to protect his head. It was a futile, pathetic attempt, as he waited for the strike which he knew would end his life.

  This time, it was Verastus who came to his rescue, and once again it was a very close call. The Falorian giant hurled his staff at the charging Thargw as if he were throwing a spear. The perfectly balanced weapon flew straight and true. A blade appeared from one end and it hit the warrior squarely in the chest, killing him outright as the point pierced his heart. Verastus then came running over to retrieve his weapon.

  “This is becoming dangerous, Ben! I do not wish to seem like a coward, but I believe we ought to...”

  Verastus ceased talking, very abruptly. A sudden and palpable lull in the battle caught his attention. He was taken completely by surprise. It was almost as if the enemy warriors had stopped fighting for a second or two to admire something nearby. The sounds of clashing swords, the roars and cries, had stopped for a fleeting moment, before the warriors had all returned to the fight and doubled their efforts, fighting with renewed vigour.

  Brraall and Verastus gazed at each other. They were both at a loss to explain such an unusual occurrence. Neither had experienced anything like it before. But then, the reason became abundantly clear as the enemy before them parted and through their ranks marched the awesome figure of Sawdon, his entire body splattered with the blood of his victims and a huge grin upon his face. By his side, als
o smiling broadly and carrying a large, curved sword dripping with blood, was Melissa.

  “Kraar! Look Sawdon, there are more than enough of the King’s enemies here today for all of us to have our fill. Which one do you want to face?” asked the Sebantan Princess, overjoyed to have her enemy trapped and completely at their mercy.

  Sawdon growled furiously. “Raaarrr!!! All of them!”

  “Tut-tut. Now, now, no need to be greedy. I will take the Falorian, you can have the big one. A shame to kill such a fine specimen, but that is war. We can then decide who kills the boy, if he still lives.”

  The mighty Thargw grunted a begrudging acceptance and moved to face Brraall, the surrounding enemy warriors dispersing at his command to search for other tribesmen. For the next few minutes, Ben watched on in awe and dismay as two great swordfights took place right in front of his eyes. Unbelievably, the enemy left him alone, presumably unwilling to risk angering their leaders, who clearly had their own plans for dealing with ‘the boy.’

  Melissa threw herself upon Verastus with such speed and skill that the Falorian, who was an accomplished fighter in his own right, was completely outclassed. He tried valiantly to defend himself with his staff against her multiple blows. The weapon was thankfully proving incredibly resilient and seemingly unbreakable. He was on the back foot though and he was losing badly. It was only a matter of time before one of the strikes found its mark. Ben was becoming increasingly frustrated and concerned, he knew he had to help if he could, or his friend was going to die. He tightened his grip on his sword.

  However, Sawdon was also reigning down heavy blows onto Brraall’s weapon. The brave tribal leader looked as though he too was doomed! Despite his own awesome strength and fighting ability, he was clearly no match for the mighty Sawdon, the Thargw Gerada now proving why he was considered by many on Estia to be the greatest warrior of all time. Ben did not know which way to turn. He calculated that he had only about thirty seconds in which to make one of the hardest decisions of his life.

  ‘Holy sh...! Which one do I help? If I take out Sawdon, the whole of Estia may benefit from it and Vantrax would lose his greatest ally, his main source of terror. And Jake would no longer have to... But then, Verastus is my friend! I owe him my life. How can I abandon him?’

  ***

  At the entrance to the cave, Jake was bravely conducting a desperate rearguard action of his own. He was completely alone now, defending the opening to the best of his ability, throwing his sphere and launching it at any and every warrior who dared to show himself, or tried to rush him. He succeeded in keeping the enemy at bay. After a while though, his exhausted body began to give in to fatigue. His vision became blurred and he became a little wayward with his aim, only just about managing to kill the charging beasts with some last ditch strikes, as they almost managed to take his position. He had withstood many charges and attacks, but now their numbers were so great that he knew the next big attempt to oust him would be successful. They would nullify his weapon using weight of numbers, even though many of them would perish in the action.

  “Well, Jake me ol’ son, let’s get the hell out of here!” he said to himself, as he held his sphere in his right hand and retreated slowly backwards. “One or two throws at that roof should collapse this cave. Then they won’t be able to follow you.”

  He was just about to launch his weapon and seal the opening, when an icy cold chill suddenly descended onto the city, flowing in through the cave entrance and making the hairs on his body stand on end. He hesitated. It was only a few seconds at most, but it was enough for the Lords of Srenul and their giant stallions to appear at the opening, blocking out the light.

  Jake stared in horror and disbelief at the mighty knights who now faced him. Even with the increased confidence that came with the Keeper’s powers, he felt his knees go weak and had to stop himself from falling over.

  “Wow! Hey now, hang on just a minute there, will ya?” he said to them, backing off from them slightly as he tried to increase the distance while he worked out what he was going to do.

  The leader of King Vantrax’ assassins glanced slightly at his colleagues. Then, all five horses began walking steadily towards Jake, entering the darkness of the cave. A little way in, they had to stop and dismount due to the restricted height. They continued advancing menacingly on foot and drew their huge swords ready to strike the Keeper down.

  Then, without warning, Jake suddenly threw his sphere, hoping to strike them all down in turn beginning with the leader, who was now in front of the rest as the dark lords had moved into almost single file when the cave narrowed. It sped towards the fearsome knight travelling faster than it ever had before, heading straight for the warrior’s chest. But, when it was almost upon him, he reacted with extraordinary speed and lifted his sword to strike the flying projectile exactly in the middle, halting its momentum immediately when it was just inches away from killing him, in an astonishing display of skill. The razor sharp blade penetrated the bratiq ball’s armoured shield. The sphere was impaled upon the warrior’s weapon!

  Jake stood open mouthed, his eyes larger than ever. The awesome figure from the afterlife pulled the Heynai’ gift off his sword and flung it to the ground, as if it were a mere tennis ball.

  “Oh… Alright then, if that’s how you feel about it, swords it is!” said Jake, wearily.

  He drew his blade from its scabbard and prepared to do battle once more, though he was now so incredibly weak that he could hardly hold it aloft. He really did not give much for his own chances against such a beast, let alone five of them!

  But, as soon as his weapon was drawn, a voice he recognised instantly, that of Gerada Knesh Corian, sounded clearly within the confines of his mind.

  “Jake, wisdom and valour go hand in hand for a Keeper. One is no good without the other. Some mountains are just too high to climb my friend, some rivers too wide to cross. Just as some battles cannot be won at that precise moment in time. There is no shame in a tactical retreat. Now, for the sake of all of Estia, for the love of Nitrii-Hebul... Run !!!”

  Jake didn’t need telling twice! He responded immediately. He turned with lightning speed given his condition and sprinted for his life, heading into the darkness of the tunnel like a disappearing rabbit, chased closely by the five knights.

  He had no torch to light his way. He should have come to a very abrupt halt, unable to make his way through the pitch blackness ahead of him. But somehow, to his complete amazement, he could actually see in the darkness! It was as if he was wearing night vision goggles, only everything was a bright orange colour, like the flames of a roaring fire.

  He ran for all he was worth, but he was alarmed to find that the Lords of Srenul were actually keeping pace with him. In fact, they were gaining! He could hear their steps getting ever closer and he really began to fear the worst, though he did not dare to glance over his shoulder and just concentrated on trying to force every available ounce of speed from his tired legs.

  Just as he thought they were going to catch him and he was going to die, the whole mountain began to shudder. Rocks began falling everywhere around him and he began to think that he would be buried alive under the rubble. Then, he heard a resounding crash behind him, the unmistakeable sound of a massive cave in!

  Jake stopped running and turned around to see what had happened. The entire tunnel had been obliterated! All he could see was fallen debris. The passageway was now a mass of rock and stone. Tien’s magical route to safety had been collapsed in the most dramatic of circumstances, saving his life for certain and ensuring that no one would be able to follow!

  A sudden and violent rush of air swept over him, covering him from head to toe in dirt. He coughed and wheezed his way through the rest of the tunnel, dragging his exhausted frame out of the mountain step by step, as he headed for the exit. As he struggled through, Jake knew that he was extremely fortunate to be alive. He marvelled at yet another remarkable escape.

  ‘Nobody could have survived th
at fall,’ he thought. ‘Those black knights will bother me no more, thank heavens! And no one will be able to pursue us.’

  After an hour or so, a bright light up ahead signalled the way out and Jake saw a mightily relieved Tien standing at the opening, waiting for him. Princess Zephany, Lord Castrad and Caro were by his side.

  “Hey, wizard! Thanks for that!” said Jake, as he bent over to catch his breath and placed a grateful hand upon the old man’s shoulder. “You really saved my bacon back there, collapsing that roof when you did!”

  “Srr... It was not I, Keeper,” replied Tien, bemused. “I did not save you. I did not even know you were in trouble. We heard the fall and came back to see if we could do anything to help. The truth be told, I actually thought we had lost you, buried beneath the rock.”

  Jake looked up at all of them in turn. It was clear that they had all thought the same. “Oh. Well, thanks anyway. I suppose it had to be the...”

  “Whoever it was, Jake,” interrupted an emotional Princess Zephany, “it was a timely intervention! It would seem that they have further plans for you. Yes Keeper, it would appear that today was not your day to die.”

  Chapter 35

  28th August – The Fields Outside Dassilliak – Perosya

  Ben Brooker had an immediate decision to make. The violent struggles in front of him had escalated to new heights. The two warriors of King Vantrax were now searching for ways to kill his companions and end their fight. The youngster could choose to save his friend, the Falorian who had come to his rescue so many times since they had arrived on Rhuaddan and proven to be a trustworthy and noble ally. Or, he could opt to try and rescue Brraall by killing Sawdon, the mightiest warrior ever known and sworn enemy of his best friend, the Thargw who had killed Jake’s grandmother, almost killed his granddad, and had the entire population of Estia cowering in fear at the very mention of his name.