Alexander shrugged. “Two changes of clothes, spare boots, food, water, and several hundred gold. It should be enough to get us to Avonshire. Probably enough to give us a good start in our new life.” Alexander looked around the room and sighed heavily. “I’ll miss our home.”
“Let’s leave quickly. Those things could come at any moment!”
“I agree.” Alexander opened the door to the hallway and looked outside. The corridor was empty in both directions. The two brothers tried to walk as quickly and with as much stealth as possible towards the western end of the castle.
The torches that lined the walls were starting to flicker and go out due to the lack of attention by the now deceased castle servants. The constant jumping of their shadows made David even more on edge, even causing an occasional startled scream. Alexander was also getting more visibly nervous, in spite of his assurance to David that he was not.
From about thirty legs up ahead, they heard sounds coming from around a corner. Alexander quickly tried one of the doors along the passageway, but it was locked. Six heavily-wounded soldiers, all carrying large, bloody halberds, rounded the corner. David's knees began to shake as the leader emitted an unholy cry, pointing in their direction. The undead guards started to charge.
David turned and ran, clutching his sword in one hand and the pack in the other. He quickly turned, seeing Alexander running behind him.
"Run! Don't wait for me! Run!" yelled his brother.
His attention returned to where he was going, just in time to miss tripping over a fallen bench that lay in his path. David skillfully hurtled over the bench without missing a stride. He fought down the urge to cough again and forced himself to breathe in steady, even intervals. Doors, tapestries, and other decorations flew past him in a blur as he ran. His heart started pounding harder in his chest and his breaths were becoming more shallow and quick. He heard Alexander's footfalls behind him and he could tell he was outpacing his older brother, who was weighed down by his armor and his greater body mass.
David felt a surge of energy, bred by fear, shimmer through his body as his pace quickened down the long hallway. He jumped over a body lying in his path as he passed the staircase they had entered through earlier. The world became distant to him. He could no longer hear the footsteps of his brother behind him. In his mind's eye, he could picture Alexander being overtaken and slaughtered. For all he knew, the hell spawns could be right behind him, reaching out for the hood of his cloak. His spine tingled in reaction to the imaginary hand his mind created, reaching only inches from his neck. He was forced to slow down as he reached a corner in the hallway. As he rounded, he could see the image of a man holding a staff, stepping out of the shadows in his path. His breath stopped as his legs tried to halt his forward momentum, causing him to lose his balance and almost tumble to the ground.
His panic turned to relief as Bishop Malachi called his name.
"David!" The Bishop started walking towards him.
"No! Run! They're right behind us!" he yelled.
David tried to run past the Bishop, but he caught him by the sleeve. "Wait, my boy. We shall face this evil."
Alexander rounded the corner. A look of relief came across his face as he strained for breath. He stopped running when he reached David and the Bishop. As he turned, the six undead soldiers came into view. Alexander stepped forward, raising his sword. The Bishop held his arm out and gently pushed Alexander behind him.
"Stay back, my sons." The Bishop stepped forward, gripping his staff with both hands and holding it in front of him. David and Alexander stepped back wearily as the undead creatures advanced.
Bishop Malachi closed his eyes for a second, offering up a silent prayer, and stepped forward. "By the power of God and the blood of Jesus Christ, be gone, unholy servants of Darkness!" The undead stopped, frozen in their tracks. "Father in Heaven, by the power of Your Holy Spirit, take these unclean, vile abominations from my sight!" he yelled.
There was an invisible explosion of energy. The Bishop and the two brothers were knocked back off their feet. David struck the ground hard and the wind left him. When he looked up, the six guards were lying on the ground, completely still. He and Alexander stood and walked over to the Bishop.
"Thank you, my sons," he said as they helped him to his feet. The Bishop was holding his side with a look of pain on his face. "Oh, I'm not as young as I used to be."
David looked at the six unmoving figures. "How did you…"
"Faith, my boy, faith. Whatever power comes to bear on you, the power of God will always be greater. Now, we've wasted enough time. Your father sent me to find you. We must join him in his study."
"Your Grace, where are the children?" asked Alexander.
"They are with your father and the other survivors."
"How many survivors are there?"
"Sadly few, I'm afraid."
They walked the rest of the distance to Lord Ki Kalendeen's study in silence.
* * * * * *
Bishop Malachi rapped on the study door three times. The door swung open and the men on the other side lowered their weapons, as they had been prepared to strike.
"The task at hand has been completed, Lord Ki Kalendeen!" said the Bishop.
David and Alexander followed the Bishop into the study. Of the hundreds of wedding guests that had filled the castle that morning, only twenty-seven people were in the room, including the Bishop and the two boys. Of the fifteen men, three were wounded, though none seriously. Four of the women, with swords in their hands, also stood ready. David recognized almost none of them, guessing they were from outside the castle. The only people he knew were his father, Lord Branvold and Liam.
Lord Branvold sat on a wooden bench next to his son. A look of contemplation adorned his face and he hardly glanced up at the three newcomers. Liam sat, leaning up against his father deep in shock. Lord Ki Kalendeen’s eyes widened at the sight of his two sons. He rushed from the table to the two boys and threw his good arm around David.
His voice was wracked with emotion. "Praise be to God you're alive!" he said, clutching David in a fatherly embrace. He released him and put his hand on Alexander's shoulder. "Excellent work." His gaze turned to the Bishop and David. "Both of you. Someone get them some water."
The study had been converted into a make-shift war room. Drawings of the castle and the surrounding areas were lying on his father's desk. From the door on the right that led to his father's private bath could be heard the sobs of children. David had expected everyone to look ragged and exhausted, but there was a blood lust in everyone's eyes. They seemed eager to turn the defensive battle of survival into an offensive war of attrition. His father must have given one of his rallying speeches.
One of the men handed David a water skin. He drank deeply, the soothing coolness relieving the majority of the pain in his throat. He felt his strength return to him.
"Let's get on with it, Mi'Lord!" said one of the men, wielding a large, bloodied halberd. "I be anxious for some revengin' as what them bastards done to my kin."
"Perhaps you should have saved the combat speech for after the planning, eh General?" said Lord Branvold.
Lord Ki Kalendeen chuckled dryly. "It does seem like old times, doesn't it? Only I don't remember a situation this desperate."
"You got us out of the Korval forest. You'll get us out of here."
"I recall you had as much to do with that as I, Zareth."
One of the other men stood up, irate with impatience. "I agree with Richard. Let's turn the tables on them and give them a taste of OUR steel!"
The others in the room stood up and voiced their agreement. Lord Ki Kalendeen held up his hand and quieted the angry group. In a loud voice, he spoke above the crowd. "The only thing hurrying strategy will do is speed us all to our graves! We will attack when I say we are ready, and not a moment befo
re! Our first priority MUST be to get the children to safety. Your Grace, you, Roderick, and Adam will see the children to Lystra. Since it is downstream from here, I suggest you use the river to your advantage. It will make a quick form of travel, and there are several small boats in the marina to the south of the castle."
The two men with bows in their hands nodded.
Lord Ki Kalendeen continued. "Zareth, you will take everyone else and create a diversion. Be as loud and as fast as you can. Keep to the shorter passageways so the undead can't use their bows. Carve a path across the castle several times. After a time, make for the front gate. There can't be many of them left. And by all means, if you come across that damn necromancer, kill him at all costs. With him gone, the enemy's number will quickly dwindle to nothing."
"As you command, General Ki Kalendeen," said Lord Branvold with a hint of nostalgia in his voice.
"Good. Alexander and I will quickly search the castle for survivors. Our lives will be in your hands, Zareth. I'm counting on you to draw them off of us. When we join you, we will accompany you to the front gate. If we don't show after your fifth trip around the castle, assume we are dead and leave without us."
David stepped forward. "What about me, father? Will I be joining Lord Branvold's group?"
"I think you know the answer to that already." Lord Ki Kalendeen continued. "Gentlemen, there has to be a reason for this strike, and I cannot fathom it at this time. Dark days may lie ahead. Your Grace, on second thought, it would probably be better for you and the children to make for Avonshire."
"Father, I want to come with you!" protested David.
"David, everyone must follow his or her orders for a mission to succeed. You will go with the Bishop and the other children. I will send for you as soon as I can."
David nodded reluctantly.
Lord Branvold gave Liam a fatherly embrace. He turned to David. "David, watch after him. With all that has happened, I fear he may never be the same again."
Without answering, David watched his friend curl up on the bench, drawing his knees to his chest. His hollow, emotionless eyes looked off into nothing.
"Zareth, whenever you are ready. We will give you a few minutes, then we shall be on our ways also." The group started talking amongst themselves. Lord Ki Kalendeen raised his hand once more. "Today, we show the forces of evil that light shall always pierce the darkness. May the grace of God shine upon you, protect you, and lead us to victory this day!"
The group cheered loudly and Lord Branvold's party charged out into the hallway screaming. Lord Ki Kalendeen closed the door behind them.
"Adam, get the children. Roderick, see if you can get Liam to walk on his own. You won't be able to afford to have anyone carrying him. David, you know the castle best, so find the quickest way to the south exit."
David nodded. "Yes, Father."
"Lord Ki Kalendeen, do you honestly believe God will grant us victory?" asked Roderick, as he lifted Liam to his feet. "There has to be a hundred of them walking dead left."
Lord Ki Kalendeen turned to face the short archer. "There can't be that many left. And as long as the young ones get to safety, no matter what else happens, I shall count this battle a victory."
The group waited silently for the shouts of Lord Branvold's party to grow more distant, interrupted only by the sobs of frightened children, as Adam brought them from the adjoining bath. After a time, Lord Ki Kalendeen gave a nod and the two bow men crept out of the study, followed by the children and the Bishop. David gave his father and brother a farewell hug and stepped into the hall after them.
The Bishop looked to David. "Which is the fastest way, lad?"
Alexander and Lord Ki Kalendeen left the study and ran to the right.
David pointed left down the hall. "Go to the end of the hall, down the stairs, make a left once you reach the ground floor, and you'll come to the south foyer."
"You sound as though you think you'll not be coming with us," remarked the Bishop.
"I'm not. I want to stay with my father and brother."
"You heard what he said, David. You come with us."
David backed away from the group. "You know the way out. That's all you needed me for."
In an instant, Adam dropped his bow and seized David by the arm. "I got him, your Grace. He'll be coming with us." David tried to wiggle away, but Adam wrapped his other arm around his neck. David continued to struggle.
The Bishop shook his staff at the two. "We don't have time for this. We have five minutes at best to get out of the castle."
David was determined to stay with his family. Almost simultaneously, he stomped on Adam's foot, bit his arm, and slammed his elbow into his groin. The bowman dropped like a stone with a yell. David took the opportunity and sprinted away after his father. As he ran, he heard them call his name, but he never looked back. He rounded the corner in the direction he had seen his father take. The hallway opened into another stairwell. He strained to listen for voices, but all he could hear was the distant cries of Lord Branvold's party.
The thought crossed David's mind that he could have made a fatal mistake. He chose to run down the stairs so as to return to the Bishop's group. As he reached the bottom of the stairs and rounded the corner into the hallway, he saw his father and brother duck into a small room on the south side of the hallway. David remembered that the room gave a view of the small docks the Bishop and children were heading to. He stayed put in the hallway after ducking into the shadow of an open door. He winced as the coins in the pack he still carried jingled, but they didn't seem to bring any attention to him. Squatting down against the wall, he waited.
A few minutes later, he heard his brother speak. "Well, they made it to the boats. Do you see David anywhere?"
"No, there is too much going on. We should have watched from the third floor."
David crept up to the doorway and peeked around the corner. His father and Alexander were watching the boat push off from the docks. Lord Ki Kalendeen put his good hand on his oldest son's shoulder. "They're away. They should be safe now. Praise God. Let's go, we've got a job to do."
They spun around and started walking out of the room, but stopped dead in their tracks. Alexander's jaw dropped and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Lord Ki Kalendeen made a fist as he closed his eyes, trying to suppress his anger.
"David! Why didn't you listen to me?!? Damn, boy! You are such a fool. You would be safe had you gone with the Bishop!"
"Father, you said it yourself. I know the castle. I can help you look for people. I know all the best hiding places."
Lord Ki Kalendeen sat down on a wooden bench. He placed his face in his hands, taking deep, controlled breaths. The only time David remembered seeing his father this angry was four years ago. He and Gabriel had been playing with a crossbow in the stables. They had made a target out of a piece of cloth and several bales of hay and were taking turns shooting, when an argument occurred as to whose turn it was next. They wrestled over it and the crossbow had fired. The bolt tore a hole through David's cloak and had struck one of his father's favorite stallions, which later had to be put down due to an infection. It was one of the few times their father had punished them physically. He was angry about the horse, but more so that one of them could have been killed.
After what seemed an eternity, Lord Ki Kalendeen stood up. "Very well. David, you will stay with us. At the next sign of disobedience, I will throw you into the river and let the current take you to safety. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Father."
Lord Ki Kalendeen walked past his youngest son into the hallway without saying another word, still obviously keeping his rage at bay. Alexander followed him, smacking David in the head as he passed. "Stupid little Pudd!"
"Alexander, enough. He has been appropriately chastised and we need to work together as a team."
"Yes, father."
Alexander
shot a quick, angry glance at David. The group continued to walk through the halls, checking all rooms and closets, but each time coming up empty. The distant screams of Lord Branvold's party had changed their tone. They were now definitely screams of terror. Several distant explosions could be heard and one by one, the voices stopped until an ominous silence fell over the entire castle.
David felt his stomach tie into a knot. "Father?"
Lord Ki Kalendeen sighed. "Damn. That Necromancer must be more powerful than I thought. And if they couldn't stop him, I don't see what chance we have."
"What are we going to do?" asked Alexander.
Lord Ki Kalendeen closed his eyes and stood motionless for several seconds. "We are going to leave the castle, cross the west fork of the river, go into Lystra, and return with an army as soon as possible. Alexander, how much gold do you have in your pack?"
"Unless David took some of it out, I have several hundred gold."
"I didn't touch it!" David protested.
"It will have to be enough," said Lord Ki Kalendeen, as they started walking towards the west end of the castle. "We shall head north after we cross the river, then take the King’s Road into Lystra. We should reach the city by evening. Our first task will be to contact the Holy Defenders. If they are truly men of God, they should be able to tell something is wrong up here, and will be debating sending a scouting party at first light. If we get separated, head for Lystra, and don't stop to wait for anyone. At least one of us must reach the city."
They passed several bodies, lying twisted on the ground. David took a short sword from one of the men dressed in guard livery, having left his other one in the study. The castle was still quiet. Thoughts of being the only survivors left in the castle began to assault his mind again. A well of emotion rippled through him as he remembered his mother, and how excited everyone had been about the events of today. As he awoke from his sleep this morning, David never would have thought that he would spend the day fighting and running for his life.
Suddenly, his father motioned for the group to stop and be silent. David gingerly set his pack down, making sure the coins didn't jingle again, thus betraying their presence to whatever it was his father had heard. Lord Ki Kalendeen motioned to the door that led to the servants’ quarters. It was open, and David could hear the faint sounds of rustling from inside. His father motioned for him to stand at one side of the door and Alexander on the other. David quickly darted to the left side of the door, and his father slowly stepped into the room. He and Alexander looked at one another. Had they finally found a survivor of the day's horrific events?
Blood Of The Righteous Page 10
