by M J Webb
“Freedom.”
Even Verastus seemed stirred by his words. “Yes, all very good. It does not excuse your actions though, and how were you captured with the stone in your possession? The wizard never removes it. Tell us, for I am certain that it does not leave his sight?”
“I was not captured!” snapped Nytig. “…I was taken by the dragon when I was running away, on the fields outside the city wall. I had stolen it.”
“What? You took it off King Vantrax?” asked Harry.
“No,” replied Nytig, quickly. “It fell off, and I picked it up without him knowing. I do not know why, but when he killed King Artrex, the chain suddenly snapped. It was as if he had angered those in the afterlife, and they were showing their displeasure?”
“Nittrii-Hebul!” stated Jake, speaking his thoughts out loud without realising it. Everyone turned to look at him, waiting for an explanation. “Err… It does not matter now. There will be time later, with any luck. We have a battle to win. Right now, you need to restore this box!” he said, looking straight at Tien and pointing at his bag. He took out the box of stones and handed the bag and the rest of its contents to the wizard. “How long will it take?”
“Yeah, a little hustle if you please, Tien? We’re kinda on a clock, you know?” added Ben, smiling.
The wizard took no notice of Ben’s comment as he took the box from Jake. “That depends. The Eratian stone still needs to be cut to size,” he replied.
“Right, well… Hold up, time out. It’s indestructible, isn’t it? You said it could not be cut, that many had tried and failed?” said Jake.
“Yes, I did. It is. But, now that I have a reolite stone of sufficient size to work with, anything is possible. I will begin immediately, and I will contact you when I am finished. Srr… I will need help? Jean, Graham, Harry, come with me.”
Tien led them in the direction of the empty building. At the entrance, he stopped and turned to the others. “…In the meantime, while I am busy at work, you lot have a battle to wage. Keep those warriors away from me for as long as you can.”
Jake suddenly felt another surge of confidence swelling his breast. “Okay then, you heard him,” he declared boldly as he drew his sword, “let’s kick some ass!”
Everyone drew their weapons and prepared to fight. “What… What of me? What shall I do?” yelled Nytig.
“You?” replied Jake. “You are a free man now. You do as you please.”
Nytig rapidly became choked with emotion. His wounds ached and he felt completely exhausted, but he was exhilarated at the same time to be given his freedom. His first instinct was to run. But to where? He could hide, but they would find him eventually, wouldn’t they?
He glanced around him as he searched his soul for answers, deciding what to do. A discarded sword lay on the ground not far away. After a moment or two, he walked over to it and picked it up, just as Queen Bressial came running into the centre of the group. She looked at Jake with astonishment when she saw the servant of the evil King who had held her captive for years amongst their number.
“No time to explain now, your majesty. We need to hold them back, use every warrior we have. Nytig here has just volunteered to serve you, of his own free will. He will fight by your side and lay down his life for you if needs be, until the battle is won.”
* * *
Princess Zephany was completely shattered. After an initial period of success where a monumental effort from her warriors had actually managed to push the enemy back towards the wall, they were now once again on the back foot. They were all retreating slowly towards the main square, heading for a reunion with the soldiers fighting alongside Jake. Lord Caro and the knights of the Estian Alliance had been immense so far, but the streets of Te’oull were now crammed with enemy soldiers who had broken through on all sides. The large force of Estian’s now falling back on the square were surrounded.
“From what I can tell we are trapped, Princess,” shouted Caro, as he killed yet another Sevitrian.
“Yes, it would appear that way,” agreed Zephany. Her sword was now drenched in the blood of the many enemy warriors she had killed. She swung it once again to remove the head of a Falorian who was attacking her, before bringing it around and slicing off a Pralon’s arm. Then, she thrust it into his chest to finish him and stepped back, ready to engage her next opponent. None came, and she found she had a brief respite from attack. “We will continue to make for the square. It is the only option and the only defensible area of ground. If we can establish a perimeter there, we can hold out for some time.”
“Hold out? Yes, but to what end?” asked Caro.
“Simple, Caro; deliverance. We fight for as long as we have to. To give Jake the time he needs to save our people. Hopefully, our commanders on all sides will think the same, and our forces will meet there in large enough numbers to hold the lines.”
Lord Caro launched yet another attack upon an approaching enemy warrior. The Falorian sustained several nasty wounds before he fell. Once he was finally dead, Caro replied to his leader. “As you command, Princess. Your unshakeable faith in this Keeper is inspiring, if you do not mind me saying so? I do not know from where you draw your strength. Tell me, is it the legends, or the boy?”
Princess Zephany cast a quick glance in his direction and smiled slightly. “It is a little of both, I think. The legends stated only that a Keeper would come. Beyond that, they were pretty vague if truth be told. Jake arrived here just as written, but he was still only a boy to me and my people, nothing more. He was unproven, and like myself he was so very young. How were we to pin all our hopes on him? Times have changed so rapidly that all such doubts have now been cast aside. It is not the writings we were brought up to have faith in, but his actions right now, that are giving us hope and making him a legend.”
* * *
King Vantrax stood with Notorold on the fields outside Te’oull, surveying with mixed emotions the great battle being fought before him. The evil spirit though, was looking eagerly in the opposite direction, staring expectantly at the eastern sky. Vantrax could not discern much from the confused scene in and around the city. All he knew for certain was that his forces were advancing far too slowly. Given their superiority in numbers and ability, the battle should have been over by now, and he was growing increasingly impatient. “Graar! How long is this going to take?! Where is your army? The battle will be over before they arrive!” shouted the wizard in a fit of temper.
Almost immediately, he was shocked to find that his throat was being squeezed violently by an invisible force. His windpipe constricted so rapidly that he could not breathe and he clutched his hand to it instinctively, in an effort to tear an imaginary pair of hands away and save his life, as his whole body rose upwards and he was turned to face his former master. At the very point of losing consciousness, the vice-like grip was suddenly released, and he fell to his knees.
“Do not forget who it is that you address, Vantrax! I alone have made you what you are today. It was I who gave you the chances you squandered to rule this world… I who allowed you to raid zsorcraum for your creatures. You owe everything to me, for I risked everything and more to aid you!” raged Notorold, his jaw extending outwards menacingly as he roared in the wizard’s face.
“No… No, I do not. I remember it all and I am grateful to you, I swear! I know what would have happened if you were discovered. I am fully aware what was at stake. But, you were not discovered, were you? I apologise for my foolish outburst… I am merely anxious to see this war won. I have waited so long for this day. I have come so close to victory before, only to see it snatched away from me at the last moment.”
Notorold withdrew slightly and his jaw retracted. “We need not fear. It was not I who was deemed to have broken our laws. Cast your eyes to the horizon. What do you see?” he asked, his voice menacing and ominous.
King Vantrax gazed towards the east. The sky was a perfect blue and nothing seemed untoward. “I do not see anything,” he replied, di
sappointed.
“Then look harder!”
The wizard looked again at the sky as instructed, staring intently at it for a good few seconds. Suddenly, the pale blue colour began to change. It turned gradually to grey, before growing slowly darker and darker, until finally it became jet black.
“Raar!” roared the wizard, excited at the thought of finally fulfilling all of his ambitions. “At last! It is them, is it not? They are here! It is the army from zsorcraum. You have done it, you have raised the legions of death!”
Notorold gave a wicked smile. His eyes suddenly became brighter as he felt his powers growing inside of him. “It is as it should be. Everything is now as we always planned. Soon, I will be strong enough to lead this fight. The power from the fires is rising to aid us, Vantrax. It is entering this world and it cannot be contained. This army of spirits I have raised will not be defeated. The mortals are finished. We will destroy everything put before us, before our enemies from the afterlife can respond. And once they are gone, it will be too late. This world is ours!”
Chapter 22
3rd September - The City of Te’oull - Siatol
The dark and sinister clouds growing on the far horizon went completely unnoticed at first by the warriors of the Estian Alliance fighting in Te’oull. Most were too busy desperately trying to stem the enemy’s relentless advance to notice. The battle was now one for survival, it had their full attention and everything beyond the city walls was forgotten for the time being, as they clung on to their positions and their lives, by the very tips of their fingernails. Brraall was at the head of his tribesmen leading from the front as usual. They were involved in a fierce fight against hoards of Thargws, Falorians and Taskans, but the situation deteriorated further when they were soon joined by warriors from almost every other species in King Vantrax’ armies. Though his force was considerably outnumbered, the great tribal leader was using his substantial and muscular frame to bowl over any attacking beasts, before relying on his astonishing speed and reflexes to avoid being hit by their weapons, and then using his sword to deadly effect. He had sent many warriors to the afterlife this way and his followers took great heart from having him at their side.
Then, in all the confusion, Brraall had a sudden moment of extreme clarity. His eyes fell directly upon Sawdon, the beast of King Vantrax, whose legendary skills and ferocity had the entire continent shaking in fear. The Thargw Gerada had just killed two of his own tribal warriors. Brraall had witnessed the deeds and he was enraged, infuriated. He fought his way towards the Thargw as quickly as he was able, determined to take revenge upon him for the loss of his friends. As he approached, Sawdon saw him coming and waited patiently for him to make his way through the crowd, smiling broadly as he eagerly anticipated yet another duel, relishing the opportunity to test himself once again against a warrior of almost equal standing.
“Kah… Strength comes straight from the heart of a warrior. We do not tire from the fight; we grow stronger with each kill… And this day surpasses all others. Ay raas, but I must have pleased someone in another life? I must have done something to earn such favour? Step forward and join me in battle, let us finish what we began at Dassilliak. You were fortunate to survive the last time we met, but you will have no such luck this time. There is no place for both of us in the new world we will create.”
Brraall said absolutely nothing in reply as he finally reached his opponent. He was a man of few words, a man of action. He swung his huge sword down upon the Thargw and immediately began a determined and ferocious attack, the likes of which had scarcely been seen on an Estian battlefield.
Meanwhile, Jake and the others had reached a different section of the front lines, not far from where Brraall was fighting. Their position was slightly elevated and as they looked out over the city, across a sea of fighting warriors, they saw the clash between Brraall and Sawdon. Something inside of Jake snapped. All of a sudden he knew exactly what he had to do, and he reacted without thinking. “Wait here with Verastus!” he shouted to Ben. “…Keep your head down Brooksy, and try not to get involved in the fight unless you really have to, unless you’re attacked. You hear me?”
Ben nodded vigorously. He had no intention of taking any unnecessary risks and he hardly needed to be told, though he was certain that he could do more to help. “Yeah, of course I hear ya. You’re screaming at me from like two yards away! But, I can…”
“Ben!” snapped Jake, turning on his friend for once with an urgent, almost hostile tone of voice that was completely out of character. “For Pete’s sake! For once in your life, just do as you’re told! This ain’t the school playground now mate, it’s a real war! …Look, you’re as hard as any boy I know when it comes to a fight, the hardest. To be fair, I wouldn’t stand a chance against you in a scrap if I wasn’t… Well, a Keeper. But, these guys are trained killers! They’re in a different league altogether! Just do as I say, please?”
Ben nodded once more. “Alright, alright. I’ll hide myself away if that’s the way you want it, keep out of trouble. I’ll only fight if there’s no other option, okay? What are you gonna do?”
Jake gave a huge smile of relief. “Thanks pal, that’s a weight off my mind. I know that was hard for you, given your stupid pride an’ all that. But, it makes me feel much better about things knowing you’re as safe as you can be, given the circumstances. I still think we’re gonna survive this day, so don’t give up just yet. I’m gonna kill me a Thargw!”
Before Ben could say anything else, or try to stop him, Jake turned and sprinted away. He started to work his way towards Sawdon, battling through the crowds of warriors and the packed streets to get to the fight as fast as he could, hopefully in time to help Brraall and defeat the Thargw warrior most regarded as invincible, to kill a legend.
Sawdon’s battlesword easily parried Brraall’s opening attack. Despite the ferocity and speed of the skilled swordsman’s efforts, the mighty Thargw was equal to everything thrown at him. Several minutes into the fight, he began to gain the upper hand. The clashes of jintan metal upon jintan metal were so loud and frequent that all those who could actually do so, stopped fighting to watch the remarkable tussle reach its conclusion.
Brraall grimaced in pain as one of Sawdon’s many sword thrusts met with success and cut into his side. He tried hard not to let the wound affect him and went straight back onto the offensive, launching two more vicious attacks upon his opponent in quick succession. To his dismay however, Sawdon was actually smiling as he easily fended off both attacks. Locked in a bitter fight to the death which could easily go either way, the Thargw beast seemed to be having the time of his life.
“Raar! Yes! Come on! More!” he roared, as he pressed home another attack of his own. “…This is what life is all about. Do you not feel it? We are blessed to live in such times as these. This is war!”
Jake could not break through the crowds fast enough, no matter how hard he tried. There were simply too many bodies in the way and he had too far to go. Every warrior he faced seemed to want to engage him, and they were all competent swordsman who delayed his progress. He used his sword like a man possessed, swiping, thrusting and eventually cutting them all down, but as fast as he killed them, others seemed to come from out of nowhere to take their place. He was only metres away when he saw the end of the fight.
Sawdon dropped his shield in a surprise move which fooled his opponent and he stepped inside Brraall’s intended overhead strike. It was a totally unexpected tactic, a move bordering on insanity because it was so dangerous. However, supremely confident in his own abilities, the Thargw moved so swiftly that he managed to grab the wrist of Brraall’s sword arm as it hurtled down towards him. His giant hand halted the tribal warrior’s arm instantly, in mid flight. At the same time, his own sword swiped downwards onto Brraall’s thigh. The great Thargw battlesword cut straight through Brraall’s leg, severing it in two. The tribal warrior fell to the ground and a second strike to his midriff killed him outright.
; Sawdon roared again in ecstasy, his teeth drenched in saliva as he celebrated the kill. He was breathing hard, but he felt unstoppable, indestructible. Jake witnessed the whole thing from not too far away. He screamed out loud as Brraall’s body hit the floor, alerting Sawdon to his presence.
“No!!!”
The young Keeper from Lichfield felt an immense rage course through his body. He had never felt anything like it before. It was much more than a feeling; it was controlling him somehow and it invaded every fibre of his being. It was much more than fury, and way beyond wrath. He was exploding from within. Before he knew it, the usually mild mannered teenager was suddenly awash with an insatiable need to kill!
The speed and venom in his attacks intensified to an unbelievable, astonishing level. Every single warrior barring his path to Sawdon fell within a few short minutes, until at last he found himself standing before the mighty Thargw. But, Sawdon was by now fully recovered. The great Thargw warrior was grinning, waiting for him.
* * *
Princess Zephany and Caro had by now fought their way to the main square. Zephany surveyed the large empty patch of open ground with extreme relief, grateful for the fact that the enemy had not yet beaten them to it, and prevented her army from regrouping. The solitary statue in the centre of the square would serve as her command post. From there she would direct the very last stand of the Estian Alliance. Zephany was under no illusions; she knew that on the outcome of this fight rested the entire future of her world.
