Forever Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 3)

by Brad Clark

  Some reacted and tried to step aside, but others, fueled by fear and anger, did not budge.

  “Where is the queen?” one called out.

  “That is not the queen!” another shouted.

  Others began to yell and shout as patience ran thin.

  The guards atop the castle’s outer wall noticed the sudden change in the crowd and focused their attention on the activity around Toknon and Elissa. It had started there and was slowly spreading out.

  There was a sudden push as the crowd surged towards the castle. Toknon almost lost his grip on Elissa. He had to squeeze hard to keep her close.

  She grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away. There were tears in her eyes. “You are hurting me!”

  “Your soldiers have suffered much more than a sore arm, and they do not complain,” Toknon said sharply.

  She bit her lip to keep from saying more. Any softness that she had seen in him was now completely gone. The man that he was rumored to be was now the man that was next to her. Whoever it was that had treated her kindly and with compassion was now gone. She could not understand what was happening to him.

  “Stand aside for the queen!” Toknon shouted.

  Someone nearby turned to him and yelled, “The queen is already safe in the castle!”

  “Look!” Elissa said, pointing up at the castle walls. “Lord Martin!”

  Toknon lifted a hand to get his attention. As he was taller than most, he was easily spotted in the crowd. Lord Martin touched the guard next to him and pointed at them. Toknon moved forward, but the men in front of him pushed back.

  “Stand aside!” Toknon shouted.

  One of the men started to take a swing at Toknon, but the twang of an arrow filled the air as the man lurched forward. The man stumbled to the ground, an arrow embedded deep into his back. It had struck him right in the center of the back and pierced his heart, killing him instantly. A second arrow struck the ground where the crowd had suddenly parted.

  The guards shouted from atop the wall, “Stand aside! Let the queen through or we’ll fire again!”

  The crowd, on the verge of stampeding, reluctantly made a lane from them. Elissa was pulled towards the castle gate, but her head was turned to the back, her eyes on the man who lay dead in the middle of the street. She thought she would be angry, but instead, she could only feel sadness. She had desperately tried to protect her people from the army that was marching on her city, but a sudden realization came over her. There was no way that she could protect them all. The city was going to be lost and soon, all these people, like the man who had been slain, would be dead.

  Surprisingly, there were no tears, only an emptiness in the pit of her stomach. She stopped resisting Toknon and let herself be pulled through the open portcullis.

  Two rows of guards armed with long halberds stood directly in front of the open gate, keeping anyone from charging through the opening. The crowd moved back as they did not want anything to do with the long, sharp weapons. Any energy from the crowd left when one of their own had been slain by a bowman atop the tower.

  “There is room for all of us!” someone shouted.

  Elissa turned back to see who it was, but it seemed as if everyone was yelling and pleading their case, eyes full fear. She watched with further sadness as the guards returned to the castle and the portcullis was lowered. The crowd rushed forward, terrified faces pressed up against the vertical iron bars. She could never forget those faces, each one knowing that they were soon to die. The thick doors of the gate, large oak tree trunks banded together by thick strips of steel, swung closed with a bang.

  Lord Martin rushed forward, taking the queen’s hand. Toknon finally released his grip on her arm. “It is so good you are safe!” Lord Martin said.

  Elissa could still hear the crowed, but all the voices were muffled. She said, “We cannot stay here. We need to get out of the city!”

  Lord Martin looked at Toknon, who shook his head.

  “What?” she exclaimed. “You’re listening to him, and not to me?”

  Lord Martin smiled. “You must understand, my dear, King Toknon is a veteran soldier who has fought in many battles.”

  “Against us!” Elissa exclaimed.

  “That may be so, but the point is that he knows what he is doing.”

  “But I am the queen!”

  “Your city is falling around you,” Toknon said. “There will be but one way to save it and your kingdom, and that is to save you.”

  “But all those people out there!” she cried out. “The Taran army is marching into my city, there are huge creatures tearing down buildings, and you leave my people out there to die? Let them in!”

  “There is not enough room for everyone,” Lord Martin said. “We have already discussed it. The city is large, with many places to hide. Some will die, and that is unfortunate, but the most important thing is to save you. For without you, there is no kingdom!”

  Elissa shook her head, “No, without my people there is no kingdom.”

  “You’re certainly noble and honorable,” Toknon said. “But your naivety is unbecoming. I actually expected more from you.”

  Elissa spun and turned on Toknon. “What happened to you? You used to be nice!”

  Toknon shook his head. “I am not sure what you mean. I have not changed.”

  “Then you’re being nice to me was just an act?”

  “No, dear Elissa, not all. In fact, I have become very fond of you, but my kingdom, for which I am duty-bound to take care if, is more important. I must do all I can to save it.”

  Elissa’s eyes narrowed and her heart became heavy. “What do you mean by that?”

  Toknon placed a hand on her back and nudged her forward. “We should retire to the Great Hall and prepare our strategy to defend the castle and ultimately to escape the city.”

  “Of course,” Lord Martin said with a tip of his head and a wave of his hand towards the main part of the castle. “The Great Hall awaits us.”

  ***

  Commander Farrus watched from the edge of the trees. He could see all the way into the city and watched as the six large creatures went from building to building destroying anything and everything in their path. The Taran army had marched in formation to the city gates. There were some heroic bowmen atop the city walls that fought back, but the overwhelming force of crossbowmen quickly stopped them. He expected the Karmon army to march out and meet the centurions before they reached the gate, but none came. Either they were waiting inside the city gates, or the creatures had done their work in terrorizing the people of the city into submission.

  The small wooden box had been discarded and he now kept the gem in a small leather pouch that hung from his neck. Even through the thickness of the pouch, he could feel its warmth. But whatever it did to him, he had to be holding it when it happened. He still wasn’t quite sure what it was, or what it was doing to him, but it was the most incredible feeling that he had ever felt. Energy and strength flowed through his muscles. He felt so strong and powerful that he knew he could do anything he wanted. If he were so inclined, he knew that he could just walk up to the walls and punch a hole through the stone.

  “Commander!”

  Farrus spun around to see Tarcious striding towards him. Behind him, five centurions were leading seven horses. One of them held Hargon. His hands were bound behind his back and a gag had been placed over his mouth. His eyes stared at the ground and his shoulders were hunched over in defeat.

  “Yes, Your Imperial Majesty!” Farrus said with more enthusiasm than he expected, but he could not contain the energy that was in him. It took all of his military bearing and discipline to not go running naked through the forest, singing and yelling at the top of his longs.

  Tarcious gave him a curious look. “Ensure that the perimeter stays secure. There is a company of infantry and two companies of crossbowmen held in reserve in the forest. If any army comes marching from the north or from the east, send messengers into the city, but do not e
ngage.”

  “Yes, Your Imperial Majesty,” Farrus replied. “You are going into the city?”

  Tarcious did not reply. One of his escorts handed him the reigns of his horse and he gracefully mounted it. The rest of the centurions mounted their horses as well.

  “General Mace is leading the army into the city. You will protect our advance from any forces that might come from Thell or Tyre. Failure will mean death.”

  Farrus gave the emperor a slight bow of his head. “Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.”

  With a swift kick, his horse took off at a run towards the city. The rest followed, struggling to keep up with the emperor’s fast horse.

  Once the emperor was some distance away, Farrus could not resist any longer and he pulled the leather pouch out from under his cloak. He slipped the large gem out and squeezed it tightly.

  Just as he did so, Tarcious suddenly pulled back on the reigns of his horse, bringing it to a sliding stop. He looked around, as if he had seen something out of the corner of his eye. After a moment, he turned to look right back at Farrus. Commander Farrus had not moved, other than to pull the gem out from its pouch. He held it firmly in the palm of his hand, at his side, out of view of the emperor. He didn’t know why, but he just knew that he could not let the emperor see the gem. It was his prize, his treasure, and he was not going to share it with anyone.

  Tarcious kicked his horse back into a run across the battlefield towards the broken city gates.

  Farrus, fearing that he would be discovered, quickly replaced the gem back in its pouch. He glanced around to be sure that no one saw him before he walked back into the forest to ensure that perimeter patrols were properly manned.

  ***

  Glaerion looked back at the forest.

  He and Conner had just arrived at the river. The docks were silent and empty. All those that had made the initial dash for the river had already swum across or found a boat to take them up river to Tyre. They had spent some time looking for any signs of Hargon, but there were no signs of him or any of the elves.

  “What is it?” Conner asked. He looked back at the forest as well, knowing full well that he could not see as far as the elf.

  “The Ark,” the elf said. “I can feel it.”

  “Now?” Conner asked. “All of a sudden? I thought you said you could only feel it when you were really close to it.”

  “Yes, about a hundred or so yards. From a bit farther out, I can feel its presence, but not direction or location. I can feel it now, and it is by the edge of the forest.”

  “That is a few miles away!”

  “I know. That is what concerns me. When the Ark is used, it creates a tunnel into the web of magic. Any user of magic can feel when the web is being touched. Some can feel it more strongly than others and those that are really in tune with magic can feel where it is coming from.” He looked away from the forest and at Conner. “I am not that strong. Someone is using the Ark.”

  “Are you sure? What does that mean? Tarcious has the Ark, and he is using it?” A feeling of dread came over him. “Does that mean we lost? The world is lost?”

  Glaerion let out a long sigh. “I do not know. But I fear the worst.”

  “What do we do?” Conner watched the elf carefully. For the first time he had some other emotion in him other than anger.

  “You are Hurai, it is now up to you.”

  “I am not Hurai!” Conner said. “I don’t know why you keep saying that!”

  “There is but one way to truly find out,” Glaerion said. “We go after the wizard. Right now.”

  “What?”

  “You cannot see, but I can. He rides from the forest to the city, clearly to claim his reward. He is protected by only a few guards and I am sure he feels overconfident because of his abilities. Now is the time.”

  “But if he has the Ark?”

  Glaerion smiled. “To you, it will not matter. The Hurai are the chosen people of the Creator. He made them special, immune to magic.”

  Conner shook his head, unsure that he heard the elf correctly. “Me? Immune?”

  “Hurai are immune to magic, which also means that they cannot use magic. The elven race was given magic, but we are also very susceptible to magic. Humans, however, were initially given neither ability.”

  “If humans weren’t given the ability to cast magic, then how is that Tarcious can?”

  “Elven offspring. Those humans that came from elven blood have the ability to cast magic. That is why the ability of magic is passed down through family. Elven blood is strong, and its power will pass down from one generation to the next.”

  “So the Taran empire is ruled by elves?”

  Glaerion let out one of his rare laughs. “No, of course not. One of their ancestors, however, was an elf. That is how they can cast magic. And if we can kill them, and any of their offspring, then we can stop any more emperors from being magic users.”

  “What if you’re wrong?” Conner asked.

  “Trust me, I know Hurai are immune.”

  “No, I mean that I am Hurai. What if you have to be all Hurai!”

  Glaerion shook his head. “I just know. It is like the human mages. The blood of elves gives them the power to cast spells. The blood of the Hurai gives humans the power to be immune from spells.”

  “But, wait, what about when you cast that bridge spell, so I could walk over water? Or when you allowed us to walk through the rocks!”

  Glaerion looked back at the battlefield, watching Tarcious make his way towards the city. He replied with an impatient tone, “It is complicated and I really don’t have time to explain all the details! If we don’t move now, we won’t catch them.”

  “Okay, but first answer my question.”

  Glaerion grabbed Conner by the sleeve and pulled him. “We run while I talk. First off, neither spell affected you. The bridge spell froze the water, which allowed you to walk on top of it, just as if you were walking on a frozen pond. The other spell was cast not upon us, but upon the door and the rocks behind it to make it so that we could walk through it.”

  “What about Hargon, when he healed me? If I am immune to magic, how could he have healed me?”

  “What Hargon does is not magic. It is a rare gift that doesn’t tap into the web of magic. It actually is kind of the reverse. It pulls energy and life force from around them and puts it back into people, or animals, or things. For the injured, it can heal them. For wizards, it can restore their power.”

  Glaerion suddenly slowed to a stop. “Hargon and Tarcious cannot be true brothers. Magic flows through the blood from parent to child. If the parent has the power, so shall the child, and so shall siblings. Hargon’s power is not magic. It is the gift of healing, a gift only granted by the Creator himself. If they were brothers, then they both would have the true power of magic.”

  “So how did Hargon become emperor, if he is not of the bloodline of his parents?”

  “Only one parent needs to carry the line of magic. For hundreds of generations, there has always been a male emperor to carry the bloodline. So Hargon must be a bastard son who has a different father than Tarcious.”

  “So Tarcious is really the true emperor, and he should have been all along?”

  Glaerion replied. “It matters not. They will reach the city long before we will.” He looked at the sun, which was well on its way down toward the horizon. “We will wait until darkness and then we will sneak in to the city.”

  “We can use the same secret tunnel we used to get out,” Conner said. “Can we trust that the old man is still in his house, and is willing to dig up the trap door?”

  Glaerion shook his head, looking at the demolished buildings just outside the main gate. When the five large stone ogres arrived, they leveled all the buildings, including the one that had the trap door leading to the underground tunnel. “Even if he is there, we have no way of getting into the tunnel. I don’t remember exactly where that house was, but it was certainly one of those that is now
smashed apart. We will find another way. Don’t worry, I have plenty of ideas.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The centurion army pushed into the city with orders to head directly for the castle. General Mace kept small companies of centurions to stay behind to cover their rear flank. The last thing that he wanted to do was to let his army get pinched and surrounded. Initially, the fighting was fierce and intense. Knights, soldiers, guards, men, and boys attacked the invaders from all sides. With his orders to march forward as quickly as he could, General Mace knew that casualties would be high. But he had so many more centurions, it did not matter how many fell in the assault.

  It didn’t take long to break the backs of the Karmons. After only a couple blocks of fighting, the resistance fell off and the attacks slowed down. They did not stop, especially bowman who took the opportunity to fire into the ranks of centurions whenever they could. But with their goal to capture the castle and not the entire city, the fighting did not last long.

  The stone ogres continued their assault as well. They moved slowly towards the castle, knocking down building after building. Two of them ended up drifting away from the path to the castle, but three of the large ones and the small one continued towards the castle.

  The centurions caught up to the stone ogres when they were almost at the castle. At first, General Mace kept his centurions back and out of sight, but it soon became clear that the stone ogres were ignoring the centurions. They only cared about smashing buildings or any Karmon that came in their path. The closeness of the stone ogres also kept the Karmon soldiers and knights away, as they feared the creatures much more than they feared the human centurions. By the time General Mace reached the castle, his army was no longer getting harassed.

  Shouting from the rear caused the general to look back into the city. His army had moved up to the castle and was taking positions around it. There had been Karmon bowmen atop the battlements, but they had been either killed or scared away by their crossbowmen.