The Chellion Days

by A.S. Morrison

the usual. I guess it was empty.”

  The gardens already looked different. The flowers wilted and the bushes were already growing out of their shapes. The fountain stood empty in the center of it all. They jumped in and began looking around for the entrance. Near the rounded back wall they saw grooves in the shape of a square. Cerise got down and tried to pry it up. It wouldn’t budge. Ackerley stepped carefully around the fountain’s head. A small stone looked oddly out of place. He stepped on it and heard Cerise let out a cry. The square flew open revealing a passage with stone steps.

  Cerise led the way down and they came to a large storeroom. It was hard to see with only a patch of light coming from the entrance, but it looked stocked with all kinds of gardening equipment. Ackerley felt around the back wall and found several crates full of dry pasta.

  “Better than nothing.” He said.

  “There’s some preserves over here.” Cerise said from the opposite wall. “This should last a little while, but we’re still going to run out fast.”

  Ackerley put the crate back and slouched against some kind of large gardening device. “We can’t just wait here until they show up.”

  Cerise grabbed as many jars of preserves as she could carry and started up the stairs. “One problem at a time. Let’s feed some people.”

  The two of them spent the morning carrying all the food from the storeroom into the kitchens with the help of a couple nobles. The head of the kitchens, whom Ackerley finally found out was named Rathsa, decided there was enough food to have one final fancy dinner. It wasn’t going to be terribly fancy, and everyone would only get two helpings of pasta, but it was dinner and everyone was as excited as they could dare to be for such a time. Yinnib decided that it would be best to wait until after dinner to break the news. Though it wasn’t hard for anyone to guess that it was bad as Yinnib spent the whole day gently sobbing as he paced the entire castle.

  Kenton got to work immediately with as many people as he could get to make a netting of everything metal and relatively flat to put on both sides of the wooden gates. Ackerley went out to help and was very surprised to see Lord Chellion himself watching over the progress. He wore a bright green tunic, as fancy as can be, with a long black jacket over it.

  “‘Bout time I came down from my perch to help.” He said upon seeing Ackerley. “I’ve been a very poor host, and I do apologize. Your brother came up and told me what happened. I can’t fully believe it.”

  Chellion found a bunch of old shields that were given away by the kings for service to the kingdom. They were mainly for decoration, but they were fire resistant and that’s all that mattered. The netting was finished by late evening, all the children helped. The shields and other metal odds and ends were lifted up over the gates with ropes. The gates could still close and Kenton was pleased that they would help protect the castle from the same fate as the manor region.

  Everyone came inside to see that the large table was filled with bowls of pasta, cups of milk, and loafs of bread. Everyone downstairs was invited up in groups to sit at the empty seats when the kids started to leave. It was the happiest anyone had been in weeks. The whole dining room was filled with joyous talk and the sound of bowls being emptied. Even Jarn cracked a smile, though he didn’t join in the conversations.

  But soon it was over and everyone was called into the ballroom. All the children and the nobles that remained crowded inside. Yinnib stood tall and strong before everyone and cleared his throat, he looked as though he had just stopped crying.

  “Thank you all for helping with the castle’s protection today. It fills my heart with hope for the future of this great land that we have such wonderful young people as yourselves.” His voice suddenly grew deep and detached. He stared at the floor. “However, things are not going well on the outside. Commander Morzha comes today with horrible news from the manor region. And—” His eyes began to well up again. “And I’ll have him tell you.” Yinnib ran out of the ballroom, his face in his hands.

  Kenton wrung his hands and attempted a weak smile as he looked out at everyone. Distressed murmurs broke out.

  “As Yinnib was saying,” he began, his face blanched, “the manor region fell a few days ago.”

  The murmurs were immediately replaced with loud chatter mixed with wails of anguish. Some fell to their knees and others grabbed friends for support.

  “I hope,” Kenton yelled above the noise, “that we will be joined by your families soon. Believe me when I say that the Welgos are not ones for genocide. While they have killed many, they want the land more than the lives. I assure you that—”

  “It’s over!” Someone shouted.

  “We’re doomed!” Came a high pitched cry.

  “No, we’re not doomed.” Kenton assured them. “Listen to me. We are safe here.”

  Ackerley knew it wasn’t true, but it didn’t matter what he knew, it only mattered what they believed.

  “And I promise you that your families will be arriving. They know how to get here and I’m sure they are on their way now.”

  Some of the crowd began to calm down while others couldn’t be consoled.

  “If we stick together as one. If we truly believe that we are one Chell, then the Great Spirit will come and protect us all. It will hide our location from the enemy and we can ride out the rest of their rampage and take back our kingdom for good.”

  Ackerley had never heard his brother talk like a Chell before. It sounded weird and he doubted that Kenton believed a word of what he was saying.

  It did the trick, though. A lot of the children and nobles nodded and dried their tears at the thought of the Great Spirit.

  “Now let’s all get to bed, and tomorrow I’m sure your families will start arriving.”

  He quickly left the room. Ackerley ran after him.

  “Do you really think their families are coming?” He asked his brother.

  Kenton didn’t slow down. “I’m sure someone survived. This is the only place for them to go now.” He gave his brother a troubled smile. “I told the truth about the Welgos. They really don’t want to murder everyone.”

  “How do you know?”

  “They told me.”

  They started up the stairs in the main entryway just as Chellion came rushing down, putting on his yellow cap.

  “Oh, oh, I hope you told them about their families.”

  Kenton bowed. “I did as you instructed.”

  “Great!” He shouted excitedly.

  Both Ackerley and Kenton gave him bewildered looks.

  “Great?” Kenton asked sharply, looking rather annoyed.

  “Certainly!” Said Chellion, patting Kenton on the head as if he were a dog. “Because they’re here.”

  “What?” Kenton cried out.

  “I saw them from my window. The king and everyone. It’s a little crowded, but we’ll manage. I’d better get those gates open.” He dashed past and out the doors.

  Kenton followed closely, as did Ackerley. Jarn and Cerise came into the entryway and ran out with them.

  “What’s going on?” Jarn asked, speaking for the first time since that morning.

  “Apparently a bunch of people are here.”

  Jarn’s mouth dropped open. He looked hopeful. “You were right, Ackerley’s brother.”

  “It’s Kenton.” Kenton shouted back.

  The five of them sprinted across the lawn and pulled the gates open. A large group of people stood in the dark. They were lit by a large torch held by a man on a horse. He was dressed very well and Ackerley took him to be the king. The man chuckled heartily when he saw Chellion.

  “Uncle, may we take refuge in your wondrous home?”

  Chellion laughed with relief at the sight of them all. “Get on in here, Chellias. Everyone, come on in and make yourselves at home.”

  The large group looked worn and tired, but they brightened up considerably upon enterin
g the gates.

  Back up at the front doors curious onlookers flooded out when they saw what was going on.

  It was a truly wonderful sight as parents and children reunited on the dark lawn. There was much merriment and surprise as more and more came out.

  King Chellias jumped down from his horse and gave his uncle a one armed hug, holding the torch away with his other arm. “It’s been far too long, uncle.”

  “It sure has, but you’ve been busy.”

  “Ah.” The king said proudly as he watched all the reunited families. “They were so worried that something happened to this place. It’s great to see it untouched.” The smile faded. “There’s nothing left back there. There’s nothing left anywhere.”

  Lord Chellion waved his arm carelessly. “The Great Spirit clearly found you all. It’s here now with us. We can’t be harmed.”

  Ackerley noticed Kenton looking troubled. At first he was as happy as anyone else at all the families, but now he looked at the king nervously. He waited for Lord Chellion to lead the way back into the castle and went up to the king.

  “There you are, Morzha. I thought you died back there.”

  “No sir, I came here to start the defensive enhancements.” He pointed to all the metal on the gates.

  “Great idea.” The king said loudly.

  Kenton lowered his voice. “But sir, you shouldn't be here.”

  “Nonsense.” The king gave Kenton a hearty slap on the back and walked away.

  Kenton went after him. Ackerley followed closely, trying not to be noticed.

  “You know you’re the one