by Jamie Gandy
“You better keep your claws and teeth off of him,” I return his warning.
“Look at you, such spirit,” he laughs. He comes to a stop a few feet in front of a large stone door covered in symbols and ancient gems. “This is the point where neither of us can guide you. That door will only open for the chosen.”
“The chosen? Why am I the chosen one?” to this he does not answer. Hector and I step up to the stone door. I lift my hand to the surface and press it to the cold stone. ‘I can feel it, the one that has been beckoning me is just beyond this door.’ I think to myself. I cannot help feeling an overwhelming excitement begin to bubble up inside of me. The gems begin to glow red, orange and black before the door starts to rattle and shake. It begins to open at the simple touch of my hand.
“Very interesting,” the Ifrits voice barely reaches my ears at the noise rattling above me. As soon as the smallest crack begins to form at the bottom of the door a dark haze seeps out from under it.
“Hector, take hold of my arm, and do not let go no matter what!” I command him. He hesitates only for a second before he obeys by wrapping his hand around my forearm. The haze spreads through the cavern, it should be completely terrifying, I should be paralyzed from it, but I am not. From the way Hector squeezes my arm I know it is taking everything inside of him not to turn around and run straight back to the bandits. I know also that the only reason he is still with me, is because of his faith in me. ‘As his Prince, or as his friend?’ I silently wonder to myself. I force the thought away and advance into the room as soon as the door has opened high enough for us to go inside. When we walk through the threshold the door instantly closes behind us. A flame spreads from the walls, circling around the entire room. The floor is mostly composed of lava, aside for a single stone walkway that leads to the center of the chamber, where a large sword rests along a mantel of fire. As my eyes catch sight of the weapon I notice that the darkness, the haze and overwhelming amount of evil is being emitted from it.
“Welcome, Prince of Kallai.” The voice that has been calling me since first awakening in the cave above is the same voice that speaks to me now. The voice coming from the sword.
“Release me,” I command Hector. He obeys, but with a look of complete and raw fear on his face. “Stay here.”
“Princ…” his words trail off once I step onto the stone walkway.
“Why have you summoned me here?” I question. I can feel my heart ramming against my chest with excitement.
“You have come such a long way to answer my call. I have a gift for you, if you are brave enough to take a hold of it.”
I continue walking until I am standing directly in front of the mantle of fire that perfectly wields the long black sword. At this close distance, I can see old ancient symbols engraved along the entire blade. Symbols that I do not understand.
“Do you crave power? Prince of Kallai?”
‘Do I crave power? Does not everyone crave to be strong and powerful?’ I carefully consider the words before confidently nodding. “Of course, I crave power. So, I can keep those I care about safe. I desire the power to always be able to protect my Kingdom,” I answer.
“Is there a price you would pay for such power?”
“What kind of price?” I demand.
“That is for you to decide. For a glimpse of the power I will offer you, take hold of the handle. Allow the surge of power to heighten your senses.”
I reach out my hand and slide my fingers around the black steel and grip the handle. I have to close my eyes as a shock of dark energy surges through my whole body. Images of creatures so massive and terrifying and gloriously powerful flash through my mind. Images of the Kingdom of Kallai ruled by me as its King. Power so unstoppable and marvelous consumes me from the inside out. My heart stops for a few seconds before exploding inside me. As my fingers instinctively release from around the handle, a laugh escapes from within me. “How glorious!”
“With such power an equally as great sacrifice must be paid. When that time arrives that you have decided what that price shall be, I will grant you more power than any man has ever wielded. Until then return to your Castle.”
I want to protest; I want to jerk the sword from the flames and become its new swordsman. However, I refrain myself and simply turn back around and walk over to Hector. I offer my arm to him and he silently takes it as I place my hand to the stone door. The door opens and we exit. My eyes lock with the Ifrits for only an instant before he too soundlessly turns around to guide the way. The Cerberus and Chimera cease with their growling and even leave Hector alone on the entire way they travel with us. Once we reach the gate the Ifrits pushes it open once again, allowing Hector and I to cross first before he alone follows, leaving the two other creatures behind. He guides us to the base of the staircase and waits for only a few heartbeats until the fiery Salamander appears.
“I will see you again, Prince of Kallai,” the Ifrits states before we follow the reptile up the staircase and through the tunnels. Eventually when we reach the back of the cave the Salamander disappears into the shadows.
“Hector.” I call his name before he walks any further. He turns to look at me, my eyes locking on his gemstone green gaze. “Do not tell anyone about this, keep everything just between the two of us, okay?” I phrase it like a question, but in reality, it is a command. “Not even Sebastian needs to know about it.”
“As you wish, Prince,” he pauses for a few moments before adding, “Why were you not scared at any point down there? Were you not terrified? Are you really that brave, or are you just stupid?”
“I cannot answer that honestly, because I do not know if it is because I am brave, or just a fool. No, I was afraid in there, somehow, I knew they meant me no harm. Regardless of how ugly those creatures are, I had this reassuring feeling that they were going to serve me, not kill me.” I shrug my shoulders sheepishly. “I do not understand it all.” I reach out my hand and rest it on his shoulder as a smile lifts the edges of my lips. “One day the two of us will be strong and powerful, nothing will stop us from protecting our Kingdom, and those we care about.”
“At what cost?” Hector questions me before he turns and looks out at the entrance of the cave. “The bandits are gone,” he states, as if trying to change the subject. “Maybe this is our chance to escape.”
“Let’s go for it.”
Chapter Eleven:
♞ Sebastian Ari: ♞
“Beyond this point, I have no idea which way they could have gone,” I inform the others as soon as we cross the Fox bridge.
“I have a pretty good idea where those bandits took them,” Adir comments as he reins his stallion in and glances over his group of loyal Knights. “Be on your guard,” he warns us before nudging his steed to trot onward.
“On our recent meeting with FoxGuard’s head Knight, Sir Alexander, he told Sir Adir that they caught word of bandits hiding out north of the Fox Forest, near the cave. If the men that took Prince Kage and Hector are indeed the same men, looking there will be our best bet,” Gideon explains.
I nod my head in understanding. By the time we reach the forest the light from the setting sun is fading from the sky. “Sir Adir, please allow me to scout up ahead before we advance any further,” I offer once he halts our party of men.
“You certainly are eager to step up, aren’t you?” his comment is quietly spoken, yet a hint of amusement is clear. “Can you really be stealthy enough to avoid being seen?” he questions me.
“Yes, Sir. My father made sure I received all the necessary training in case any unpleasant situation might present itself.”
“Why do I not find that hard to believe?” Gideon smirks. I glance over at him and send him a grin.
Adir’s hesitation seems to last for a long time before he releases a quiet sigh. “Very well, but if you are not back within half an hour glass we are coming to find you,” he remarks.
“Understood.” I dismount Ziv and gently pat her neck. “Stay here wi
th them, I will be back soon.” She snorts her protest, but she does not try to follow as I disappear into the undergrowth. I climb into the nearest tall tree and silently jump from branch to branch. ‘The lessons my father gave me are paying off now. Is this what it is like for him being a spy and assassin for the King?’ I land on a thick branch and glance around carefully. When the breeze picks up I can catch the faint sound of laughter carried on the wind. I follow the direction of the noise until I reach the center of the treeline. Here I crouch along the large branch and scan the clearing once before spotting a cave hidden along the outskirts of the forest. Through bushes and brush I can see the faint glow of firelight and the unmistakable sound of drunken laughter. I am just about to jump down to get a little closer look when I catch sight of movement at the entrance of the brambles hiding the cave. I press myself as close to the trunk to blend it.
“Do ye think that brat was serious when he said he was the Prince?” I hear one of the two men say as they appear in my line of sight.
“How else would he have possession of such valuable items? Even that horse is clearly of Royal blood. There is no way he could have stolen it himself,” the other man remarks.
‘Sir Adir was right, this is the bandit’s hideout and they definitely have the Prince,’ I think to myself. I watch as the two men wander into the bushes together to relieve themselves. “Prince, or no Prince, he should still fetch a handsome price.”
“What about the other boy? I doubt he will sell for much.”
“Who knows? He looks strong enough, and he definitely has spirit. At the very least someone might be willing to buy him to make him a slave. I don’t care what they do with them, as long as the buyer is willing to pay a good sum of money.”
“If James doesn’t keep the tall black stallion, I wanna keep him myself. Ye don’t see a beast quite like him often. I bet he rides really nice.”
“Ha, he wouldn’t let ya ride him. Ya see the way he bit James' arm and bucked him when he tried to mount him? I thought he was gonna kill the beast with his whip. If James can’t do it there ain’t no one who can. How a brat kid like that could ride him is beyond me.”
“True. Maybe it would be best to sell him too, to avoid the headache of breaking him.”
My head jerks up as a third man runs out from the hidden cave. “Guys, have ye seen the boys? They ain’t where they are supposed to be.”
“No way, they would have had to pass all of us for them to slip out. Did ye look in the very back of the cave?” A silence briefly surrounds the men, until one of them finally speaks up. “No way they would’ve gone much deeper into the cave. Even they should have felt the evil presence coming from inside there.”
“Everyone who has ever dared explore the tunnels never came back. Surely those brats aren’t that foolish.”
“Oh well, at least they won’t be our problem anymore.”
“Yeah, but I kinda feel sorry for them now. At least with us we weren’t gonna kill them, dumb kids.”
‘They lost the Prince and Hector? How is that even possible? Stupid lazy bandits,’ I think to myself. I wait until they make their way back into the cave before I turn around and leap to the closest tree and carefully leap onto its branches, and on to the next one, and the next one. Heading straight back to the group of Knights. I spot them from my cover in one of the tallest trees. I consider staying up here just to see how long it will take for one of them to detect me, but for obvious reasons I refrain from doing something so naive. I jump to a lower branch before finally pouncing to the ground a few feet from where Gideon and Adir sit mounted on their stallions. Both horses jerk back in fright at my sudden cat-like arrival.
“Sebastian, you idiot do not do that!” Gideon scolds me. Adir on the other hand has a rather intriguing grin on his face.
“What do you have to report?” Adir questions.
I straighten myself before answering. “You were right, the bandits are held up in a cave near the far side of the forest. I am not sure exactly how many there are, but I saw at least three of them. They were talking about the Prince and my brother. They do not sound convinced that he is the actual Prince, which I assume is a good thing?” I pause a couple of seconds as I consider the next part. “Oddly enough, it sounded like the Prince and my brother somehow escaped through the back of the cave. The men made it appear like something ominous lives deep inside the cave. Whatever it is they were pretty freaked out by it.” I look at Ziv as the Unicorn trots up to me and nudges my shoulder. I grab onto her mane and swing myself onto her bareback.
“Good job,” Adir praises before he turns his attention to his fellow Knights. “Looks like the fight is approaching, be ready.” He unsheaths his blade, and every one of us does the same, before he encourages his stallion to lead the way.
When we are a couple yards from the treeline that surrounds the cave, we dismount our horses and walk the rest of the way, as quietly as humanly possible. Adir holds up his hand and instantly we all halt, watching as he crouches down and places his hand along the ground. A single spark ignites one of the bushes and travels to the brush surrounding the cave, in a blink the tiny spark becomes a raging inferno. Screams and shouts echo in the night air seconds before men start rushing out of the cave and past the blazing wall of fire. “Now!” All at once Adir, along with every one of his Knights, charge out of the bushes straight at the unexpecting bandits.
‘That was amazing!’ I think to myself. I watch Adir clash swords with a tall man, who appears to be the leader of the bandits. ‘I hope one day I can become like him…’ the thought quickly gets interrupted as a bandit, not much taller than myself, runs at me with a sword held high above his head. It comes crashing down with an extremely strong swing. Strong, but not fast. I lift my new Tiger-Arched Sword swiftly up to defend against the attack. The metal easily reflects against my opponent's sword, sending him back a couple of steps. Taking this as my opportunity, I spring forward and knock the sword out of his hands. I focus on my elemental ability and cause an ember to spark to life, on the handle of his weapon, making it so unbearably hot to the touch. The ember leaps onto the man and constricts around his legs and feet, making him unable to move.
“Stop playing around!” Gideon scolds just as he blocks a sword from running me through. He locks into battle with the older man.
I notice an arrow fly through the air and barely miss striking Gideon in the leg. My eyes scan the battlefield until I spot the lone bandit with a longbow crouched near one of the larger trees. He is already stringing another arrow to his bow when I put my tree climbing skills to good use. I gracefully, and stealthy climb onto the most sturdy branch of the nearest tree and silently leap from one branch to the next until I am in the tree above the archer. He is so focused on his new target that he does not notice I am above him until I pounce on the ground directly behind him. He has no time to shoot before my blade cuts the string on the bow as I press my blade to his neck. “Why, hello there!”
“Where did you come from!” he gasps.
“From the Heavens,” I smirk. I glance up to see Adir knocking the bandits’ leader to the ground, the tip of his own Tiger-Arched Sword pressed to the man’s chest. “That must be your leader, huh?”
“Yes, he is…” the archer mutters under his breath. “Is he your leader?”
A smile lifts the edge of my lips as I slowly nod my head at his question. “Yes, he is.” Watching Adir and the way he leads his men to victory burns a living desire inside of me. “And I plan to become just like him one day.”
“Where is the Prince and the other boy with him?” Adir demands once all the bandits are confined together around their leader, with the Knights encircling them. I move my blade from the archer’s throat and allow him to stand up and usher him inside the circle. I wait until he is among his comrades before my eyes shift back to Adir.
“So that brat was actually the Prince of Kallai?” the burly man laughs aloud, despite his defeat. “I thought he was just full of it sayin
g that he was.”
“What did you do with him?” Adir once again challenges him.
“We did not do anything serious to him, I swear. However,” the smirk rising along his lips makes me want to lunge forward to smack his ugly face. “I actually no longer have him in my possession,” he confesses.
“You lost him?”
“You could say that, though I am fairly confident where he went.” He motions towards the wall of fire that still blocks our view from the cave. “I think they thought they could escape us by going deep into the cave. You will likely never see them again,” he laughs.
Adir presses the tip of his weapon even further into the throat of the bandit until blood begins to drip down his neck. “If the Prince is dead, you will not see the light of day again.”
“Ohh, the dungeon, I am so terrified,” the bandit leader mocks. To this Adir grabs the man by the hem of his tunic and removes his sword briefly to jerk him up off the ground to stand face to face with him.
“The dungeon would be a paradise to where I have planned for you.” The deadly look that shines in the Knight’s features is far more scary than any expression I have ever seen before. Even the bandit grows silent at the threat.
“What exactly is in that cave?” Adir asks.
“Some of my men have started to refer to it as the cave of the dead. There is an evil spirit, or something, that dwells inside it. I have had several men dumb enough to explore it, and I have never seen any of them since.” The man glances at his followers as they all absently nod their heads in agreement.
“If that is true, then why would you make your hideout based inside of the cave?”
“Because it keeps everyone away. As long as we keep away from the tunnels we are left alone, we can do whatever we please as long as we do not cross that line.” he answers. “I sometimes think the evil spirit, or whatever they are, actually like men like us in their cave.”
