Kelan: Talonian Warriors

by Celeste Raye

  Chapter: 21

  ***Destiney***

  Destiney's hysteria had lasted for hours. She could not understand how Rowl had deceived her. She had believed that he understood her feelings and was falling in love with her. All along he had only been using her. She wanted to die every time she remembered his taunting words. He truly wanted King Siefer to suffer from the knowledge that his wife had betrayed him, not with just anyone, but with his own brother. How could she have known that Rowl was the king's brother? It did not really matter who he was. Destiney had betrayed her husband. She was to blame.

  King Siefer kept a knife in a cabinet by the bed. Destiney grabbed it and tried to plunge it into her chest. Alexis was stronger. She twisted Destiney's wrist, and the knife fell to the floor. Alexis commanded, "Stop this nonsense. Killing yourself will not solve anything. You are the queen, and Milisaria needs you to be strong."

  Destiney sobbed, "I am not a queen. I never was. I am too weak and easily swayed to be a queen. I betrayed my husband and turned my back on Milisaria, all for the attention of a man. I let his smooth lies and sweet words undermine my beliefs. I allowed his ideas to become mine without question. It was a treasonous act, and I must die."

  Alexis replied, "Yes, you made a big mistake. You cheated on your husband, but that is not punishable by death. You did not spread Rowl's lies. You continued to run Milisaria as King Siefer instructed. You have not committed treason. Now you must stand up and use your power as queen to ensure that Milisaria is not taken from the king. We must make preparations to defend this world from Rowl if necessary. I have spoken to King Siefer. He is on his way here."

  Destiney was surprised. She begged, "Tell me what he said. Does he know of my infidelity? Does he hate me? How soon will he arrive?"

  Alexis described her conversation with the king. She began, "King Siefer is worried for you and Scyon. He is well aware of his brother's arrogant and violent ways. He is the one who gave Rowl the scar. They battled when Rowl robbed a shopkeeper and almost killed him. Rowl was banished for life. That is not even his real name. He changed it so he could sneak back to Milisaria. The king does not know that you slept with his brother. That is for you to disclose. He only knows that Rowl was trying to influence your judgment."

  "Why did he not call me? Is he still angry? I miss him so much." Destiney began sobbing once again.

  Alexis had reached her limit. She got in Destiney's face and shouted, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself! If you expect me to pity you, then you better think again. I am angry that you did not listen when I warned you! I am angry that you are only concerned with yourself at this moment. You are stronger than that. I expect you to wipe your tears, get dressed, and make plans to save this kingdom for your husband and son."

  Destiney took a deep breath, squared her shoulders, and nodded. She showered and dressed. She left the king's quarters with her head held high. Whispers followed her as she went to the council room. She stared the whisperers into silence. She would not allow the rumors to build momentum. King Siefer deserved better. She addressed the council, "Milisaria is being threatened. We must keep it safe. King Siefer is on the way home. There is a traitor in our midst. He will seek to turn as many villagers as he can against the king. We must find him and stop his plans. The knights must be warned and put on watch."

  The council spokesman asked, "Who is this traitor? Where did you get this information?”

  Destiney replied, "He is King Siefer's brother. He goes by the name Rowl. He seeks to incite a rebellion and destroy all authority in Milisaria and in the colonies. He says the people should rule themselves and the king only craves power. He is very persuasive. I am ashamed to say that I listened to his lies and allowed him to make me believe in his ideas for a short time. I got the information straight from the traitor himself. He has run from the city. I am sure he is going to the villages to spread his propaganda."

  The council knew Rowl's past well. Many had been on the council when he was banished. They believed Destiney and asked her to join them in planning a resistance. They sent a guard for Nabvan. The Milisarian Knights would be key to saving the planet.

  Destiney and Alexis were locked in the king's quarters with their children. Nabvan had ordered them to remain there. There were loyal Milisarian Knights guarding the entrance to the chamber. They would willingly give their lives for the queen and their commander's mate. Destiney was not happy with the current situation. She wanted to be outside to greet her husband. She needed to say she was sorry and that she loved him before the battle started. Destiney feared for King Siefer. Though she had done everything she could to ensure his safety, there was always a chance that Rowl or one of his followers would find a way to kill him and he would never know how she felt. She knew the guards on board the spaceship would protect the king with their own lives, but he had not taken a large number with him.

  Chapter: 22

  ***Nabvan***

  Nabvan had stationed himself at the forefront of the landing zone. He would be there to protect the king when the door to the spaceship opened. As the ship hovered overhead, he glanced up at the window to the king's quarters and caught a glimpse of Alexis and Destiney. He prayed that they stayed safely tucked away until the battle ended.

  The spaceship lowered toward the ground, stirring up powerful gusts of wind. The crowd was pushed back several feet, yet Nabvan held his ground. His huge body did not give an inch. He knew that King Siefer held his place inside the ship as well, ready for war.

  Nabvan scanned the crowd. He searched for any clues to the traitors' identities. Not knowing which men were traitors would be a problem. The villagers wore no armor to proclaim where their loyalty lay. Until they attacked the guards, Nabvan would have to stay his hand. Alexis and Destiney were no longer at the window.

  The spaceship settled into place, and Nabvan's body tensed. He sensed the apprehension rising among the knights. The crowd drew closer to the ship. The huge door began to rise. The knights lifted their swords into attack position. Nabvan saw the glint of metal and realized the villagers closest to the ship were armed. Before the ship doors were fully opened, he shouted a warning to the king.

  Rowl and his army of villagers attacked. The clash of swords and knives filled the air. King Siefer emerged from the center of his guards and challenged the nearest attacker. Blood sprayed his armor when he severed the man's sword arm. The air was soon filled with the scent of blood as the king's loyal villagers joined the battle.

  Confusion and chaos ensued. At times, it was difficult to tell which side a villager was fighting for. Nabvan signaled the knights to his side. He shouted over the clang of the swords, "We need to gather the loyal villagers and have them fight behind us, or we will kill the wrong ones!" The knights spread out among the crowd. The villagers caught on quickly. They fought with the knights, bringing order to the chaos.

  Rowl used his army as cover. Nabvan spied him occasionally. The traitor was fast but unskilled. His lack of practice was coming back to haunt him. He used a knife for hand to hand combat and managed to strike a few blows. A guard underestimated Rowl's reach and lost his life when Rowl slit his throat.

  Nabvan cursed as one of the Milisarian guards turned on the king's men. As Nabvan ran forward, the guard slashed King Siefer's side, and the king fell out of sight. Nabvan beheaded the guard. He had no time to search for his king. He was instantly surrounded by villagers and had to defend himself.

  Chapter: 23

  ***Destiney***

  Destiney watched the spaceship door rise. She had a clear view when the villagers attacked. She searched the chaos for a glimpse of her husband. When she saw him step from the center of his guards and be attacked, Destiney turned from the window. She grabbed the huge knife that she had attempted to use on herself and ran for the locked door. She could not stay hidden while King Siefer and the Milisarians fought for the planet. Alexis blocked her way.

  Destiney yelled, "Move out of my way! I need to be down there. I can fight.
They need as many hands as possible."

  Alexis refused to budge. She stated, "You would get in the way. Nabvan, King Siefer, or one of the guards would have to stop and protect you. You would be a distraction."

  "I do not want or need protection," Destiney replied. "King Siefer taught me well. I can defend myself. I am the only one that can deceive Rowl and get close enough to kill him. Let me pass."

  Alexis argued, "What about Scyon? If you join the battle, he could lose both parents today. Milisaria could lose their king and their queen."

  "If we lose this fight, there will be no Milisaria to rule. A king or queen would be useless. Rowl would either imprison the survivor or execute them. As for Scyon, you and Nabvan swore to protect and care for him if we could not. I trust you to raise him. Move, please!"

  Alexis allowed her to pass. Surely, the guards would be able to stop her.

  Once in the outer chamber, Destiney headed for the hidden passageway out of the king's quarters. The guards would never allow her to leave the chambers if she tried to go out the main door. She could sneak out through this passage and find Nabvan. She intended to send him to protect Alexis and the children. Then she would go after Rowl. It would bring her great pleasure to shove the knife into his traitorous heart.

  The closer Destiney got to the outside, the louder the clashing became. The strong smell of blood permeated the air, making her gag. The sounds of pain and screams of death caused her to pause. She briefly wondered if she was making a mistake. No, she had to go on. Rowl was out there destroying her world. She was partially to blame. She was determined to kill him or die trying. Destiney gathered her courage and slipped around the corner into the war zone.

  Chapter: 24

  ***Siefer***

  King Siefer felt the sword slice into his side between his upper and lower armor. His body spun, and his eyes met those of a Milisarian guard as he began to fall. One of his own men had betrayed him. It hurt the king down to his soul. He fell beneath dozens of feet, sliding in the blood of their opponents. The king watched as Nabvan's sword took the head of his betrayer. Then he rolled out of the way. He was bleeding profusely from his wound, but that did not stop him. King Siefer pulled a knife and slashed at the legs of those fighting to kill his knights. As they fell, he ended their lives with a thrust to the heart.

  Covered in blood from his wound and those he had conquered, King Siefer crawled beneath the spaceship. He was growing weaker and expected to die soon. His thoughts and heart were with Destiney and Scyon. He regretted not being able to tell them how much he loved them just one more time. His arms, useless at his side, longed to hold his wife and son. Scyon would never know his father as he had been before he became king. He had never seen the kind and gentle giant behind the arrogant mask. King Siefer let his tears fall as he realized he had not heard Destiney's sweet voice in weeks and might never hear it again. He had made far too many mistakes as a husband and a king. He felt that he deserved to die alone, without the Milisarian blessing to send him on his way in peace. King Siefer struggled to remain awake. It was a losing battle. He whispered, "Nabvan, take good care of my family." The king lost consciousness.

  Chapter: 25

  ***Destiney***

  Destiney kept her back against the wall of the capitol building. She squeezed past dueling villagers. If she was attacked, she would fight. But for now, she cared only about finding Nabvan. The battle had entered the capitol building, and she needed Nabvan to flee with Alexis and the babies. A severed arm hit her chest and sprayed blood in her eyes. She screamed out and wiped it from her eyes.

  Nabvan heard a woman's scream. His head spun toward the sound. To his horror, Destiney stood pinned to the capitol's wall. She was covered in blood. He did not know whether it was hers or not, but it did not matter. She had to be protected. Nabvan fought his way to her side, jerked her over his shoulder, and disappeared into a niche in the wall. Momentarily hidden from the fight, he stood her on the ground and demanded, "Get back to the king's chambers! You can not be here."

  Destiney stared up into his angry face and growled, "Do not give me orders. I am your queen. For once, see me as such and not a helpless female. I must be here. You know it as well. I am the only one who can get close to Rowl without raising his suspicions. He is just crazy enough to believe that I am loyal to him. The best way to stop this bloodbath is to let me kill him."

  Nabvan saw the truth in her words. He replied, "I will get you as close to him as I can without him seeing me."

  Destiney shook her head. "You cannot. The war has invaded the capitol building. You must go to Alexis and save her and the children. I will find my husband, and he can get me close."

  Nabvan declared, “The king fell. I can not find him. I will not leave my knights without a leader."

  Destiney held back a sob. Her husband had fallen and might be dead. She would not let him die in vain. She ordered, "Go to my son. You took a vow to protect him with your life if we could not. Honor it. There is a hidden tunnel behind the monitor. Hide there with them. If we lose this war, take them to safety using the tunnel. Scyon and Nexxa represent the future of Milisaria. You must save them."

  Nabvan replied, "You have found the only thing that could make me leave this war. I will honor my vow. May your aim be true." Nabvan stormed past the battle to save the future.

  Destiney used the niche as cover while she scanned the faces of the fighters. Within moments, she caught sight of Rowl. He too was hiding. A statue of a Milisarian Knight stood at the entrance to the capitol building. The cowardly traitor hid behind its base. Destiney inched her way closer and shouted, "Rowl, where are you? Let me help you."

  Rowl peeked out from his hiding place. His clothes were in tatters. He was bleeding from shallow cuts all over his body. His eyes were crazed with pain and rage. The knights were winning. His followers were in pieces on the ground. Destiney's shout was a lifeline. He could use her to get to King Siefer. In Rowl's twisted brain, she was his faithful companion. He answered her shout, "I am here. Come to me."

  Destiney slipped on the bloody ground. A sword sliced her left shoulder. The pain was intense, yet she kept moving forward. Her anger and determination gave her the strength to ignore the pain and focus on her target. She shut her ears to the sounds of battle. She blocked the fear of death from her mind. She took the final step into Rowl's hiding place.

  Rowl wrapped his bloody arms around her and said, "Help me get to the king. I must kill him, or we will lose this war."

  Destiney sneered, "I would never help you kill King Siefer. He is my true mate and my king. You are nothing!"

  Rowl's face contorted in anger. He shook Destiney and said, "You dare lie to me? You said you wished to help me!"

  Destiney smiled and replied, "I did not lie. I am here to help you." She shoved the knife into his heart and twisted it for good measure. "To help you die!" She let his body fall and then collapsed behind the statue. It was done. The rest was up to the knights. She begged, "Please, Nabvan, save my son."

  Silence filled the air. The clash of swords could no longer be heard. The villagers had seen Rowl's body and dropped their weapons in surrender. It did them no good. They had committed treason against their king. The penalty for treason was death. The Milisarian Knights showed no mercy as they slit the throats of the betrayers.

  The dead and wounded covered the ground. The faithful found alive were bandaged and taken into the capitol building. They sat amid the bloody corpses of the men who had dared enter the sanctuary. Many had been slain by Nabvan on his way to the king's quarters. Any traitor found still breathing was slaughtered where they lay.

  A cry rang out from a faithful village leader when he discovered the injured queen. She was carried by her knights to the king's chamber. Nabvan heard his men and brought out Alexis and the babies. Alexis settled the little ones in a crib and began cleaning Destiney's wound.

  Nabvan turned to leave with his men. He told Alexis, "I am going in search of the king. If I fin
d him alive, I will bring him to you. He will trust you above all others to care for him."

  A knight spoke up, "Take excellent care of our queen. She was braver than us all. It was by her hand that Rowl died."

  The Milisarian Knights waded through the dead seeking their king. He was nowhere to be found. The longer it took to find him, the less chance he would be alive. Nabvan had the knights separate the villagers into groups. One group stacked the identified enemies' bodies for burning, and another took the faithful for burial. Nabvan and two others continued to search for King Siefer.

  The king's sword was discovered beneath a dead body. He had to be close by. A hand was spied jutting out from under the spaceship. It was adorned with a ring bearing the king's seal. Nabvan quickly crawled beneath the ship, and there he found his friend, barely alive. He carefully pulled the king out, and the mighty knights carried King Siefer upon their shoulders to his quarters.

  Alexis had summoned the nurse and several of her students to bring all the medical supplies they could carry to the king's chambers. She had no idea how badly the king would be hurt when he was found. She hoped she had enough knowledge to save him.

  Destiney was awake and bandaged when the knights brought her husband in. She kissed his still body and begged him to come back to her. Nabvan had to force her from King Siefer's side and hold her back so Alexis could do an examination.