The Blood of Kings (Book 4)

by Robert E. Keller

  "I agree," said Shennen. "They don't expect to survive this. We're going to have a vicious fight on our hands. If we can finish off Omharal, the rest of the Legion might simply surrender or retreat."

  "Even weakened," said Taris, "the High Wizard of Bellis will be difficult to kill or even get close to. He will expend all of his energy on destruction. A suicidal Wizard is a very dangerous foe."

  "Our archers can do the job," said Shennen.

  "He will shield himself from the arrows," said Taris. "Omharal is more powerful than you realize, Shennen. The fact that he still lives after such a brutal attack by the Black Flamestone is proof of that. He has undoubtedly called upon the dark sorcery of Tharnin and surrendered to it completely. When a Birlote sorcerer does that, he becomes an abomination."

  "Leave him to me," said Prince Vannas. "I'm not Timlin Woodmaster. He won't survive my Flamestone!"

  "No," said Taris, gazing sternly at the prince. "You will not engage Omharal. Leave the High Wizard to me or Trenton--whichever one of us can get to him first. Is that understood?"

  The prince sighed. "It is foolish, Master Taris! I can blast the Wizard right off his horse and be done with him. What's the issue?"

  "The issue," said Taris, "is that Omharal is cunning. He will likely anticipate such a move. Therefore, unless I give the order, you are to focus your attacks only on Legion fighters."

  "Very well," Vannas muttered. "I respect your wisdom, but I just don't understand it." He shrugged. "Regardless, I will do as you command. Besides, I'm sure Trenton will get to the Wizard before any of us."

  "I don't have the energy to...transform," said Trenton, looking unhappy. "I'm still exhausted from the battle against Bellis. In fact, my sorcery is too weak right now even to bother with. I expect to use my sword in combat."

  "That could be a problem," said Taris, frowning. "Without your ability to transform, we lose a huge advantage. So be it. I will deal with Omharal alone--though I will need some help getting to him. Jace, can you clear me a path?"

  The towering sorcerer nodded. "Of course. But if I get to Omharal first, I will be compelled to strike. I have...a personal issue with him."

  "Feel free," said Taris. "Just make sure he is finished this time. That vile wretch has inflicted too much misery upon this land. This will be the end of his reign of terror. He knows it will come to pass."

  "Yes," said Jace, a fanatical glint in his eye. "Omharal will murder no more innocents after today. When a man inflicts that much carnage on the people, the world itself turns against him. He will pay a grim price."

  "What about Ethella?" asked Trenton. "She is nearly as dangerous as Omharal, and the Blood Legion will fight on as long as she orders them to. Perhaps we should focus on bringing her down as well."

  "Ethella is indeed quite powerful," said Taris. "Yet I believe she wants no part of this suicide mission. If Omharal falls, she will likely retreat."

  "Perhaps I should attack Ethella," said Vannas.

  "No, you shall ignore her," said Taris. "She will be riding close to Omharal. As I said, you will focus only on the Legion fighters."

  Prince Vannas' face darkened, and he seemed about to say something. Then, with a sigh and a bow, he turned away with a sullen expression.

  ***

  At some point along the way, Taris, Trenton, and Shennen rode off into the forest and did not return for a few hours. No one besides them knew what their mission was, but the others suspected they were hiding the Hand of Tharnin and the Black Flamestone somewhere. After all, they dared not let those items fall into the hands of their enemies, and Dremlock could not use the evil relics.

  When the Divine Knights rode into a large stretch of open land, they decided to take a stand there against the Legion. They set up camp and feasted, resting their bodies in preparation for battle. A storm began to rage before the meal was finished, with fierce wind and rain, and lightning flashing dangerously across the sky. Caught out in the open, they had no protection against the storm.

  The young Knights sat in their tent, drying themselves and hoping the lightning wouldn't find them, when Taris entered--leading Vorden Flameblade. The young Knights exchanged startled glances. In return, Vorden gazed at them with his yellow eyes, and then bowed his head. He wasn't shackled, and his strange spider-rune sword had been returned to him, sheathed at his hip. He also wore his mighty black-and-gold armor, holding his helm in one hand. The only thing missing was the Hand of Tharnin. Otherwise, Vorden looked like the leader of the Blood Legion once again, and the others were shocked. Aldreya wondered what Taris was thinking in letting Vorden not only walk free--but arm himself with powerful gear.

  "As you know," Taris explained, "I expect the coming battle with the Blood Legion to be very fierce. This will be a fight to the death. We all must do what we can to protect ourselves. Vorden has shown immense improvement, and I believe he is ready to walk free amongst us. To leave him shackled in a wagon is not only unnecessary at this point, but wrong. And foolish too. He is a formidable warrior and should be allowed into battle."

  Aldreya forced a smile. "Welcome back, Vorden." The image of him in that armor, with the dark sword at his hip, flooded her with grim memories. Nevertheless, she extended her hand. Vorden accepted it briefly. His cold touch made her flinch. Clearly, Taris had great faith in Vorden--but Vorden certainly wasn't the Squire of old. He seemed surrounded by darkness and gloom, leftover traces of the Deep Shadow that Aldreya found quite unsettling.

  The others greeted Vorden as well, but harbored somber expressions. Prince Vannas rose, looking upset.

  "Don't worry about me," said Vorden, obviously noticing their grim expressions. "I promise I won't be a bother to anyone. I'm just grateful to have a chance to defend myself against the Blood Legion." His eyes narrowed. "Actually, I must admit I harbor a grudge against them."

  "This is nothing personal," said Prince Vannas, gazing at Taris, "but this tent is reserved for members of the Divine Shield. And we're all Knights now. Vorden is a mere Squire, and not one of us."

  "Vorden is a Grey Keeper," said Taris. "And this tent is also reserved for Grey Keepers."

  "Since when is a Vorden a Grey Keeper?" asked Vannas, raising his eyebrows. "I don't recall any mention of that."

  "Since now," said Taris. "I appointed him to the group only moments ago. He is ranked below Aldreya, you, and Lannon--on the level of Jerret, Galvia, and Lothrin. Do you have an issue with that?"

  Vannas bowed. "I'm sorry, Master Taris, but it is my duty to question things, especially when they concern my safety. Vorden was, until recently, under the influence of a demon and in the clutches of the Deep Shadow. He was the leader of the Blood Legion and a servant of Tenneth Bard! Now I find him standing in my tent, wearing his invincible armor and with a mighty sword at his side. I am quite alarmed by this. I fear for the safety of the White Flamestone."

  "Your concerns are noted," said Taris. "But I assure you Vorden is safe enough and firmly on our side. He has been carefully evaluated and found to have honorable intent. You will treat him with respect."

  "Like Thrake Wolfaxe was evaluated?" asked Vannas.

  Taris' face darkened under his hood. "Thrake was not evaluated. We had no idea Thrake was contaminated by the Deep Shadow, and thus we never felt the need to test him. Get your facts in order, Prince Vannas. Vorden has been subjected to several tests. He is ready to fight for Dremlock."

  "I understand," said Vannas, but he looked unhappy.

  "I can go elsewhere," said Vorden, a touch of hurt in his voice. "I don't want to be a bother. Just give me a small tent and I'll make do on my own. I understand if no one trusts me yet. In time, I will earn trust and respect."

  "Nonsense," said Taris. "There will be no further discussion of this topic. You will remain here and receive your orders from Aldreya. I'm sure she has a detailed battle plan for you. We must focus entirely on the Blood Legion until the fight is over." With that, Taris turned and strode from the tent.

  Aldreya ga
zed after him, annoyed with herself. She hadn't even considered making a battle plan. In fact, she'd assumed Jace and the High Council members would take care of that. She realized that as the leader of the Grey Keepers, she needed to get more involved in things. With Lannon missing, her leadership role had faded to the back of her mind, but Taris obviously wanted things to proceed as if Lannon were still present.

  "Sit down and relax," she said to Vorden. "Dry yourself off. You are a Grey Keeper now and will be treated accordingly."

  Vorden sat down, apart from the others. "So what's the plan?" Steam rose from his clothes, while the others looked on with surprised expressions. Even his black hair became completely dry in an instant. The temperature in the tent had increased enough that Jerret wiped sweat from his brow.

  "The plan..." said Aldreya, scratching her head. "Of course." She tried to think quickly but could come up with nothing. Finally she said, "Well, my plan isn't complete, actually, so I'm looking for some input."

  Jerret smirked. "Okay, here's my input. We crush some skulls."

  "Good plan!" said Galvia, grinning. The Grey Dwarf slapped hands with Jerret. "I'm just going to swing at any foe that comes near me."

  "We need a better strategy than that," Vorden said quietly.

  "I think we should hold a specific formation," said Lothrin, "and protect Prince Vannas at all costs. We will be his closest defenders."

  "I don't like it," said Vannas, sitting back down but still looking restless. "I don't want people so close to me. It makes it harder to wield the Flamestone. In fact, the biggest drawback to my weapon is that I never seem to have a good vantage point from which to use it. There is always someone in my way."

  "What you mean," said Lothrin, glaring, "is that you don't want me close to you. I get it. Fine, I'll stay back. But let the others protect you."

  "Let's not bring up that topic," Aldreya said quickly. "We have no time to fight amongst ourselves. The Blood Legion is on its way!"

  "It's not that, cousin," said Vannas, ignoring Aldreya. "I just prefer some space so I don't accidentally blast anyone with white fire. One of my greatest fears is that I will kill one of our Knights--maybe even one of you. It could happen easily, especially when things get chaotic."

  "We can leave a bubble around the prince," said Vorden. "Let Jerret and I guard his flanks. Galvia can fight at the front, smashing anyone who gets close. Lothrin and Aldreya have ranged attacks and can stand behind."

  Aldreya nodded. "That sounds reasonable enough." She was pleased that Vorden was acting like his old self--the Squire she knew before the disaster with the Hand of Tharnin--and quickly showing his leadership skills. She'd always known Vorden was brilliant, and his presence--as startling as it was--helped shore up her confidence in her own ability to lead the Grey Keepers.

  "If only Lannon were here," Vorden muttered. For an instant a look of deep frustration appeared on his face. "At last I have been set free, but my best friend is lost to us. I wish I could have searched for him myself."

  "He'll return," said Aldreya, showing confidence she didn't feel. "Taris and Uncle Jace believe it, and who would know better than them?"

  "I don't know," said Vorden, with a sigh. "But I fear greatly for his safety. The beast that stalks him is a terrible foe. I know how it thinks, what it can do." He seemed lost in a fog of memories for a moment; then he shrugged. "Regardless, we're still here and soon to fight for our lives. Let's make it a good battle."

  "Oh, it will be," said Jerret. "I can't wait."

  Vorden frowned at him. "I hate to bring this up, but you've become quite a warrior, Jerret--maybe too much of one. It worries me. I think I prefer the old, lazy Jerret Dragonsbane who hated combat."

  Jerret groaned. "Back for a few minutes, and already lecturing me. And I never hated combat. I just hated training for it."

  Vorden shook his head. "No, it's just that I suffered so much in the clutches of the Deep Shadow. And Timlin's death haunts me...the fact that I was unable to save him. I don't want to see anyone else lose their way."

  Aldreya considered halting the conversation before tempers flared, but Vorden spoke true and she felt Jerret needed to hear it.

  "I won't lose my way," said Jerret, rolling his eyes. "Or my head. Dremlock wants Knights who aren't afraid of pain and bloodshed, not weaklings who shy away from brutal combat. I have simply become what they wanted me to be. My honor is intact, Vorden. I've never broken the Sacred Laws...well, at least not recently. I fight in defense of my kingdom and the people of this land. So what if I enjoy it? Why shouldn't we enjoy what we do in life?"

  "To take pleasure in combat," said Vorden, "is a dangerous path. Trust me, Jerret. I know the Deep Shadow as well as anyone. It seeks out such character flaws and exploits them. Treat warfare as a necessary evil, my friend, and leave it at that. Otherwise, you allow dark doorways to open."

  "Whatever," said Jerret, with a chuckle. "I'm not a Squire anymore who needs to be lectured. Thanks for the advice, and I'll consider it. I'm glad you're free now and getting back to being who you were, but I don't need you to watch over me. I'm a Knight now, and you're still a Squire. Bear that in mind. Now can we get back to making this battle plan?"

  "I think the plan is made," said Aldreya. "We'll try to hold that formation. What else can we do? Truthfully, I'm not sure what Taris was talking about. I've never been asked to make a battle plan before. I hope this qualifies."

  "A good plan need not be complex," said Lothrin. "I think we have a simple yet sound combat formation in mind."

  "It's too simple," said Vannas. "How can I launch attacks when I won't even be able to see my enemies? I'll have a crowd of Divine Knights around me. I need to stand on something, like that platform in the battle against Bellis."

  "A height advantage," said Vorden, "also makes you an easy, stationary target. As I recall, you were almost killed atop that platform, correct?"

  Vannas looked away. "I was hit by an arrow, yes."

  "Well, I have a better idea," said Vorden. "I suggest a mobile position and a temporary height adjustment. I can lift you for a moment, until you've launched an attack. Then I'll lower you again. Simple and easy."

  Vannas hesitated, looking uncertain. "You could lift me up? I'll be wearing heavy armor, mind you, and you'll be vulnerable while you do it."

  "It won't be a problem," said Vorden. "You will be head and shoulders above everyone but Jace. As far as myself, I'm not worried about taking damage. My armor is stout, and the others can watch over both of us."

  "With all due respect," said Vannas, "I'm not comfortable with you putting your hands on me, Vorden. I'm not convinced you're back to normal." He glanced at Aldreya and added, "I'm not bringing up the forbidden topic again, as this is different. My top priority is protecting the White Flamestone."

  Vorden shrugged. "It's your choice. I simply offered to assist you in combat. Take it or leave it, good prince. I assure you I'm not interested in the Flamestone. I have my sword, my armor, and quite a bit of powerful sorcery. The Flamestone would be useless in my hands. It would probably burn me."

  "I doubt it would burn you," said Aldreya. "You're not a monster." Truthfully, she wondered if it would in fact burn him. It was a sacred part of the Divine Essence and Vorden still harbored traces of the Deep Shadow.

  Vannas drummed his fingers on the tent floor and sighed. "Well, Taris probably won't permit me to stand in the saddle or on a wagon. That being the case...I suppose we could give it a try. Are you sure you're strong enough? It may get very tiring to keep lifting me into the air."

  Vorden nodded. "I'm stronger than you would believe, and you're not exactly a large person. It should be quite easy."

  "I think it's a great idea," said Aldreya, pleased that they had something to work with. Lifting Vannas into the air was such a simple strategy, yet only Vorden had come up with it. Somehow, he could see things that others missed. "We have a good plan in mind, and we'll fight in Lannon's name!"

  "Indeed," said Vor
den, smiling. "As Taris explained to me earlier, as Grey Keepers our duty is to assist Lannon. Well, since he's gone all we can do is fight on in his name and do what he would expect us to do."

  After that, the Grey Keepers fell into a sullen silence. They were a group without a purpose--until (and if) Lannon returned. All they could do now was listen to the pounding rain and thunder, and watch the deadly lightning flash outside, as they waited for the bloodshed to begin.

  ***

  They waited as long as they could, focusing on shielding themselves from the weather--until the Blood Legion was almost upon them. Then they gathered on horseback in formation--row upon row of Knights, with the Divine Shield near the middle. Archers crouched atop wagons and saddles, not yet daring to stand tall beneath the storm. The wind and rain hammered at them, but that was of minor concern compared to the lightning that split the darkened sky. They watched the forest in the distance, waiting for the Legion army to burst forth into open land. There were no ambushes planned or complex strategies. The two armies simply intended to clash face to face and brutalize each other until victory was achieved.

  The Grey Keepers stood in their planned formation--with Prince Vannas and Vorden at the middle. No one questioned them, for the other Knights were focused on their own strategies. The Grey Keepers were guarded by Trenton, Shennen, and Daledus on horseback. Taris and Jace, however, were gathered at the forefront of the army alongside the Red and Brown Knights--where they would have a better chance of getting to Omharal. Because the Grey Keepers were on foot, surrounded by Knights on huge Greywind horses, Vannas was skeptical he could gain a height advantage even with Vorden lifting him. However, Vorden demonstrated his intentions by seizing Vannas' ankles and lifting him easily high into the air. After that, the prince seemed confident enough and eager for battle.

  The first foes to emerge into the open battlefield were a pair of enormous, heavily-muscled Trolls. Their snarling, pig-snout faces were revealed in the lightning. Their grey, bumpy skin was almost as hard as stone. As they charged forward, spiked clubs in hand, Dremlock's archers rose and fired a volley of arrows. Dozens of shafts rained down on the trolls--but deflected away from the armor-like skin. Behind the Trolls came more Goblins (Ogres, Jackals, and Wolves) bounding along with wild eyes and drooling mouths. The arrows felled some of these lesser creatures. Last but not least came the Blood Legion warriors on horseback--bearded barbarians in heavy armor in a berserk state of rage.