light enough to see that the ground was littered with arrows and patches of burned grass; some of which still smoldered slightly.
“Why’d they stop?” He whispered.
Cerise, who had been sitting on the floor a little way down the hall, came over and looked out the window. “They just wanted to get our attention.”
People started waking up at this point. In order to keep calm a few nobles went around telling everyone to hurry up and go to the ballroom for another important message. Within twenty minutes everyone was there and awaiting the king. The news had traveled fast and hushed conversations sounded alarmed and defeated.
Chellias made his appearance and stood before everyone, even he looked saddened by the turn of events. Unlike Yinnib and Kenton who had tried to unify the audience with optimism, the king did just the opposite.
“Our worst fears have been realized.” He began, nodding gravely. “The invaders are at our gates and want nothing more than to murder us all.” Several people shouted. Someone in the front fainted. While a few nearby fell to their knees to help, Chellias continued. “I have spent the last few years dealing with these beasts and I know perfectly well what they are capable of. I experienced true horror, as some of you did as well, in the manor region a few days back. Now they are here, our last great holdout. It is important for us to stay together and brave this storm. I am a firm believer that this castle is much better equipped to handle their terror than the manor region. However, I ask several things from you. Firstly, do not go near any of the windows facing the front. Secondly, if they should get in I want you all to head to the basement where we can wait out their attack. We have secured the door to the basement and believe we can hide there without them finding us. And thirdly, I want all of you to pray to the Great Spirit to get us through this hard time. My commander Kenton and I will come up with a plan and we will see to it that those horrible things leave here.”
Almost everyone went straight to the basement thinking this was the end. The army that was to head out stayed in the ballroom to await further instructions. The king and Kenton went to the fourth floor to make up a plan. Ackerley went to the library, where he sat and looked at the books while wondering if this truly was the end.
The castle sat silent and still the whole day. No one dared move too fast and some resigned to sobbing in corners awaiting death. It was eerie.
After sitting alone for a few hours Jarn and Cerise joined Ackerley in the library.
“I wish I could just sit and transcribe.” Jarn said sadly. “I guess there’s nothing left now. They’ll get in and end us.”
“We don’t know that.” Cerise whispered.
Ackerley looked through a book about plants, absent mindedly staring at the drawings. “I wonder.” He said slowly. “I wonder what the king decided.”
“Who cares.” Cerise exclaimed. “He hasn't been any good to us. The only way to survive is to leave.”
Jarn took a book off the shelf and started to flip through it. “My dad is going to be hard to move.”
“I don’t understand why your brother said they didn’t want to kill.” Cerise said. “Sure they do.”
An idea hit Ackerley. He finally understood something his brother said. “I think they’re only after the king. That’s why Kenton wanted him to leave. He is Chell. As long as he’s alive the Welgos can’t fully take over the kingdom. He’s the only one they’re after now. And I think they’ll kill anyone they need to to get to him.”
Cerise jumped out of her seat excitedly. “That’s it! We can just throw him to the Welgos and they’ll leave the rest of us alone. I don’t care what becomes of this kingdom, I’m going to leave anyway.”
“No,” Ackerley breathed, thinking it over, “They only want him because the Chells all know that he has the kingship. If one of us sends him over, then the Chells may come after us. It has to be his decision. We need to convince the king to step down for the good of the kingdom. Until then this is still Chell, and will be as long as he’s king. It’s a legitimacy thing, right? Remember what Mrs. Rapsire said?”
Jarn looked thoroughly appalled by this line of thought. “You want the king dead?” He chocked. “You sound like one of them?”
“Get off your Chell horse.” Ackerley pleaded. “You need to see that he’s the problem here. Now remember what Mrs. Rapsire said about that emperor before the first King Chell?”
He shook his head, still looking taken aback.
“Chell couldn’t ever be king because of the emperor. He had the legitimacy and those who mattered would always think the emperor was the rightful ruler. The only way for Chell to become king was for the emperor to give up his throne or die. The emperor committed suicide and Chell became the great king we know of today.”
“Wow, I’m surprised you pay attention in history.” Cerise chuckled.
“Just that day, really.” Ackerley admitted. “But that’s what the Welgos are doing. They aren’t so much destroying the kingdom for nothing. They’re trying to the king to surrender. They want us to hopelessly run after them as they are seen as stronger. And they can’t take this place over entirely until the king is gone. They’ve been following him. They’ve been trying to get at him.”
Jarn stood up and paced the room. “You don’t sound like a Chell at all. No real Chell would say such a horrid thing.”
“We’ve talked about this.” Ackerley said gently. “I’m not a Chell, not a real one.”
“Well then!” Jarn growled. “I can see why all those nobles left. Some of you commoners aren’t to be trusted.”
Ackerley was sad to see Jarn reverting back to the angry and stubborn boy he first met there. “You’re not seeing the big picture.”
“Big picture?” He shouted. “I see that you want to destroy this kingdom. I know that the king’s all that’s left. I see that. Everyone does. But to want him dead. To want Chell dead. . . I—I can’t believe it.”
“Don’t you want to survive?” Ackerley barked, growing heated. “Do you see another way out of this?”
“The king will come up with something. He’s done it before.” Jarn said, clearly stretching his own belief.
“When?! Give me one time that man ever did something good for us? All I see is a man who is too steeped in his own greatness to realize he’s hurting everyone around him.”
Jarn kicked a bookcase and half the books spilled to the floor. “I’m going to go tell the king right now what you’re planning. I really don’t believe you, Aches. And your own brother a commander.”
“Jarn.” Cerise whispered.
“You shut up! Your kingdom’s already dead and you want the same thing here.”
Jarn stormed out of the room, slamming the door so hard that more books tumbled off the shelves.
Ackerley had a hard time calming himself down. He sat awkwardly in the library for a few more minutes. Cerise’s look of understanding and pity grew very annoying and he went off to wander. He wandered all over the place and at times almost forgot what waited just beyond the gates. It always came back with a jolt as he saw a family huddled together somewhere whispering calming thoughts to each other. Finally, after a few hours he was able to think clearly. He looked around for Jarn, but he didn’t seem to be anywhere. He did, however, find his brother as he went back to his room.
Kenton stood with his back against the door to their room. He frowned at the floor and grumbled to himself. Upon seeing his little brother, he bounced off the door and took Ackerley down the hall. Kenton opened the secret door that hid the stairs to the fourth floor. They stood on the stairs and Kenton closed the door, leaving them in utter darkness.
“I’m going out there.” Kenton blurted out.
“Where?” Ackerley inquired, feeling quite positive he didn’t mean beyond the gates.
“I’m going to talk to the leader of the Welgos. He’s out there. I went up to the roof today and
saw them all. They’re just sitting there.”
“Why you?” Ackerley said, growing panicked.
“I was held prisoner in a town they built for a couple weeks. I know their leader and maybe I can talk something out with him.”
“Send the king out. Let him deal with them.”
“Ackerley!” Kenton shouted, grabbing his brother’s shoulders. “I’m doing this. I didn’t bring you in here to debate it. I brought you in here to tell you that if I should fail—If I don’t make it back in—I need you to go straight to that garden and leave in the middle of the night. If you want to bring Cerise and Jarn that’s alright, but no more.”
Ackerley shook. He wished his brother wasn’t holding on to him. “Just Cerise.” He said sorrowfully.
“Whatever. Just make sure you’re there. If I come back and can’t work anything out, then I’ll go with you tonight. One way or another we’re out of here tonight, alright?” He shook him again.
“Yes, I get it.”
“I’m going to go now. I want you to go to the roof so you can see. If you see me go down, or you don’t see me again by evening just go. I wish you could take Sidestep, but I don’t see any way of getting him out secretly.”
Ackerley nodded, realized his brother couldn’t see him, and audibly agreed.
Kenton led the way up to the fourth floor and then through yet another secret door, this one leading to a hatch with daylight pouring in. Ackerley came
The Chellion Days Page 42
