White Angel

by R A Oakes

  “This is one frightening woman,” King Tarlen said feigning alarm.

  “That’s for sure,” Lord Pensgraft said only beginning to regain his balance.

  “Let’s go show Swarenth’s gargoyles what hell looks like,” Chen said gritting her teeth, her eyes becoming hard as steel.

  No one said a word. They just obeyed.

  Chapter 33

  Near a tower where hundreds of gargoyles are hold up.

  An arrow struck the ground directly in front of Chen making sparks on the stone pavement, with two other arrows quickly following as gargoyles high in the castle tower took aim at the woman leading King Tarlen’s army. On the roof above the uppermost floor, winged apes were shouting horrendous war cries, waving their swords in the air and giving every indication of a belligerent enemy prepared to fight to the death.

  It wasn’t an exhibition of bravery, however, but one of desperation. Peering through narrow windows on each floor, the gargoyles were watching as King Tarlen’s warriors, wearing green tunics with yellow tiger heads on their chests, sprinted along the walkway atop the outer walls. The gargoyles knew the castle was being sealed off, that there could be no escape.

  Yet, to an extent, the gargoyles were also trapped by their beliefs. Gargoyle cruelty was legendary, and they took great pride in their sadistic behavior having it serve as inspiration for folk songs filled with gruesome lyrics. If circumstances had been reversed, with Swarenth having hundreds of humans trapped in a tower, the gargoyles had no doubt how their warlord would handle it. First, they knew he’d launch an attack on the tower’s entrance with the simple objective of taking a few prisoners. Then, the warlord would provide the majority of humans still trapped in the tower with the opportunity to watch their friends being tortured to death.

  In fact, if circumstances had been reversed, Swarenth’s warriors knew their warlord would turn the entire assault on the tower into a gargoyle holiday allowing his troops to attack the entrance on a voluntary basis for fun striving only to take more prisoners.

  Swarenth might even have provided the humans in the tower with a little food and water to keep them alive, though in a weakened condition, until it was their turn to be captured. Seeing others writhing in agony and screaming for death was Swarenth’s favorite form of entertainment. On one occasion, his warriors had seen their warlord take sufficient prisoners to stretch a holiday into a festival lasting almost a month.

  But that was in the past. Now, it was gargoyles who were trapped. And being thoroughly indoctrinated with Swarenth’s penchant for using suffering as a form of personal amusement, the gargoyles were expecting all sorts of tricks from King Tarlen and his forces. If King Tarlen were magnanimous, offering clemency and promises of humane treatment, the winged apes wouldn’t have been surprised at all. In the past, they’d seen Swarenth use such promises to trick those who opposed him into dropping their guards. Afterwards, the sadistic cruelty in Swarenth had revealed itself in all its evil glory.

  So every gargoyle warrior trapped in the tower was of the firm belief that any offer coming from King Tarlen would be nothing but a pack of lies. Therefore, in their minds, only two alternatives were open to them. One, surrender and be tortured to death. Or, two, try to kill as many of King Tarlen’s warriors as possible before they themselves died.

  However, true to his Kardimont heritage, King Tarlen wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed if possible. But knowing the character and nature of his enemy, he was almost sure the gargoyles would reject any offer he might make. Still, he felt he had to try.

  Waving a white flag of truce, one of King Tarlen’s warriors who’d volunteered for the mission approached the tower entrance prepared to convey the king’s terms for accepting the winged apes’ surrender. However, this warrior was also nobody’s fool. He knew the gargoyles might try to kill him, but he didn’t care. In the fight up the mountain trail, he’d been mortally wounded. He was dying and had asked to be allowed to do this one last service for his king.

  Limping forward, clutching his side, the warrior got about twenty feet from the tower entrance and stopped. Even he would go no farther, not wanting to risk being captured. Should that happen, he was all too aware that his last hours in this world would be nightmarish.

  Taking a deep breath and trying to steady himself, the volunteer said, “King Tarlen says…”

  But before he could finish presenting the king’s offer, one huge gargoyle threw a spear from the tower entrance catching the king’s warrior directly in the center of his chest. Taking both hands, the human warrior gripped the shaft of the spear yanking it out of his body. Now, feeling the life draining out of him even more rapidly, he knew he was dying on his feet. So, with one last surge of effort, he tried running forward to strike a final blow against his enemy. Yet after taking only a few painful steps, the brave warrior found himself brushing u against death’s door. Bumping against it a little harder, the invisible door opened a crack.

  The light and warmth seeping through the opening were a welcome relief, easing his pain. Collapsing onto the ground, he was still undeterred in his desire to strike one final blow against evil. Crawling forward on his elbows as best he could, he felt the intimacy of death welcoming him, but before relinquishing his spirit, he managed with his last breath to shout a battle cry he revered with all his heart, “For the king!”

  With that, the brave warrior died with honor and arrived home. Feeling strong arms around him, he marveled knowing he was in the arms of the creator and thought, So, God is real? I knew She would be, somehow.

  Back in physical reality, Chen appreciated the valiant warrior’s desire to serve his king one last time, but while not meaning to be sarcastic, only stating a regrettable, but painfully obvious fact, the black leather panther shrugged and said, “So much for negotiations.”

  “Okay, now we’ll do it your way,” King Tarlen said quietly and with resignation.

  “Yes, sire, thank you.”

  Having stopped just out of range of the gargoyles’ bows, Chen now strode boldly and recklessly forward making herself a target, a kill that every gargoyle warrior in the tower would love to make.

  “Greystone, I need to see you,” Chen said directing her voice to the stone wall nearest her.

  As arrows came raining down at Chen, the stones in the pavement leapt up in front of her forming a protective shield, the arrows bouncing off them harmlessly. After the stones fell to the ground, Greystone stepped out of the rubble and stood in front of Chen, shielding her from more arrows that were heading her way. But they bounced off Greystone’s chest making little sparks as the arrowheads struck him.

  “I hope you’re all right,” Greystone said over one shoulder to the fearless black leather panther behind him. “You might want to be a bit more careful.”

  “Oh, my, but you’re brave,” Chen said leaning up against Greystone for support.

  “It’s nothing, I assure you. They can’t hurt me with swords, spears or arrows,” the old wizard said while quickly putting a protective arm around this accomplished actress.

  “You must be very strong.”

  “Not really. You see it’s all a matter of body density,” Greystone began to explain, being scientifically inclined. “And as far as strength, that’s possible, but it’s all a matter of body mass. The larger I am, the stronger I am.”

  “Oh, that’s all a bit hard for me to understand,” Chen sighed, playing her role to the hilt. “You must be very intelligent, in addition to being brave and strong.”

  “Well, I…” Greystone said trying to speak but unable to make his mind work. All he could feel was the aura of this powerfully sensuous woman leaning up against him.

  “I’m faced with a dilemma, but that’s none of your concern. I shouldn’t bother you with my troubles,” Chen said feigning a child-like innocent vulnerability, which was quite a stretch even for such an accomplished thespian as herself.

  “Oh, why not? What’s wrong?”

  “Oh, nothing. A
nyway, it’s my problem. I don’t like accepting help from anyone else,” Chen said, which was true.

  “I wouldn’t mind helping. Is there something I can do?”

  “No, no, you’ve done too much already. You’ve saved my life from the arrows that would have pierced my body all over,” Chen said as she began massaging her body in various sultry places and seeming to imagine how much being riddled with arrows would have hurt.

  “Please, if you allow me to help, I’ll consider it an enormous favor. I’d be truly grateful. And I won’t ask for anything in return. I promise,” Greystone begged falling heart and soul into the black leather panther’s trap.

  Pleased with her conquest, Chen smiled inwardly but continued playing the role of the distressed young maiden saying, “I’m in a terrible quandary. Out of eagerness to serve King Tarlen, my warrior women and I have volunteered to be the first to attack the tower. But the gargoyles are so entrenched in there that we’ll probably all be killed, and I don’t know what to do.”

  Greystone looked over at the tower teaming with gargoyles, his eyes filling with anger, and growled, “Well, I know exactly what needs to be done.”

  While striding away from Chen, he absentmindedly made a lifting motion with his hands directing it at the stone pavement. Instantly, dozens of rocks leapt from the ground creating a protective wall almost completely encircling the warrior woman.

  “Can you move all these stones around anytime you want?” Chen asked being a little surprised but pleased, thinking how useful such a talent would be when rebuilding the castle.

  “As easily as you wiggling your fingers and toes.”

  Then looking sternly at the tower before him, he strode towards it, arrows bouncing off of him, spears causing him to be knocked back half a step, while doggedly determined to reach the stronghold that was sheltering hundreds of winged apes.

  Putting both hands against one side of the tower, he began shaking his body violently. Instantly, cracks began forming at the base of the tower and quickly made their way up the walls.

  “Ahhh, uhhh!” Greystone said straining from the effort as he heaved his body as hard as he could against the tower buckling the walls, while rocks from the top of the stronghold started falling far below onto the courtyard floor. Soon, the entire tower was swaying back and forth as if all the mortar holding the stones together had turned to jelly. Giving another mighty shove, Greystone shifted the tower off its base, and the entire structure came crashing down spewing a cloud of dust in all directions.

  After a few moments, a gentle wind began blowing through the courtyard gradually dissipating the cloud and revealing a giant pile of debris. Not a single gargoyle was moving. There was only silence. Greystone had destroyed the last vestige of Swarenth’s power.

  Stepping out of the protective bunker, Chen walked up to King Tarlen and asked, “What’s next, sire?”

  “You know what’s next,” King Tarlen said smiling grimly. “Let’s hunt for Swarenth.”

  “My guess is Swarenth’s waiting for you in the throne room,” Greystone said stepping out of a nearby wall. “For the warlord’s entire sorry existence, this castle’s all he’s ever wanted. He’s hungered, craved, coveted and lusted after it. Swarenth would rather be dead than yield it. So, I don’t believe he’ll run nor will he hide.”

  However, before any action could be taken, everyone gasped and held their breath as White Angel 19 collapsed onto the courtyard floor. Lifting her head a little, and speaking with a very weak voice, she managed to say, “I’m sorry, but getting everyone across the bridge and through the flames has taken more out of me that I realized. My head’s aching, and I feel dizzy and sick.”

  Turning to King Tarlen, Lord Pensgraft said, “Sire, she’s done enough, don’t you think? She needs to rest.”

  The other White Angels gathered around their fallen leader, all looking tired and worn-out as well. The oldest member of the Council of Aeryllns, White Angel 29, said, “Maybe it’s time our youngest White Angel returned to human form, and the rest of us went back home to the future.”

  However, before that took place, an even more serious problem presented itself. All the White Angels, including the youngest one, began fading from view appearing almost ghost- like.

  “Are they in danger? Is there anything either of you can do?” King Tarlen asked looking at his two wizards, Eldwyn and Marcheto.

  “I think I can help,” Marcheto said hesitantly, looking at Lord Pensgraft apprehensively.

  “We’d be most grateful for anything you could do, Marcheto,” Chen said surprising everyone by the blatant emotional sincerity in her voice. Chen was rarely, if ever, so open with her feelings.

  “But Marcheto, we don’t have an incantation for this,” Eldwyn said.

  “It’s not an incantation she needs,” Marcheto said kneeling down next to his giant girlfriend, brushing her long, white-blond hair aside with one hand, then leaning over and kissing her cheek.

  “Ahh hemm,” Lord Pensgraft said clearing his throat.

  Quickly moving next to her husband, Chen took his sword hand in hers and held it tightly saying, “She has to grow up sometime.”

  Lord Pensgraft took a deep breath but said nothing.

  “I love you, Aerylln. Please come back,” Marcheto pleaded.

  The youngest White Angel took a deep breath and grasped Marcheto’s robe pulling his face close to hers and giving him a long, lingering, open-mouth kiss, their spirits and emotions intertwining and flowing together as one for the first time. Chen, a little surprised herself, thought Lord Pensgraft was going to faint from shock, but the kiss had the desired effect. All the White Angels, including their leader, rematerialized. They were once again whole.

  “We really should head back into our own time frame,” White Angel 29 said once more, though softly and with great warmth filling her voice this time.

  “I’ll miss you all if you leave,” the youngest White Angel said looking at the other ten versions of herself.

  “We’ll never be far away,” the oldest White Angel reassured her. “However, we’ve stayed as long as we can. It’s time for us to go home.”

  After the youngest White Angel got to her feet, all 11 angels embraced in a group hug, and then one by one they disappeared. When they were all gone, there was a bright flash of light and the youngest White Angel turned back into a 19- year-old young woman. But still suffering from extreme fatigue, she said, “I feel so weak.”

  “Put your arms around my neck,” Marcheto told her. After she’d done so, he picked her up and held her in his arms.

  Chen kept a very watchful eye on Lord Pensgraft’s face, the strain of seeing a young man holding his daughter for the first time being almost more than he could endure. Now Lord Pensgraft felt his wife tugging on his hand and bent down to hear her counsel on the matter.

  “I know you don’t want to drive her away. My advice is to let go of her just a little, so she’ll always keep you in her heart.”

  “Well, I suppose he can carry her, as long as they stay in sight,” Lord Pensgraft said quietly.

  “See, at times you can be reasonable,” Chen said smiling up at her husband.

  “Okay, okay, I’m all right,” Lord Pensgraft said. “Let’s get back to the business at hand. I think General Tark should take 1,000 warriors and split them up into search parties of 100 each and scour the castle for any gargoyles left alive. Is that acceptable to you, King Tarlen?”

  “Yes,” King Tarlen said only half hearing the giant warrior, his mind on another matter.

  Picking up on the king’s mood, Chen said, “I agree with Greystone. I don’t think you have to worry about Swarenth trying to escape from Dominion Castle.”

  “I want to find him now,” King Tarlen said firmly.

  “As you wish, sire,” Chen said. “Captain Jeriana, I want all 200 of our warrior women to join together to protect the king as we make our way through the castle.”

  “The king’s personal guards are comin
g as well,” Captain Polaris said being sure that was clearly understood.

  “Of course,” Chen said.

  “Lord Grenitar and Chaktar, I want you and your tigers to accompany us also,” Chen said.

  “With pleasure,” Lord Grenitar said.

  “Tenacity, I want you and your women to station yourselves at the castle entrance and keep it secure.”

  “Yes, master,” Tenacity said bowing to the black leather panther.

  “We’re coming, too,” Jewel and Flame said together at the same time.

  Chen looked up at Lord Pensgraft and rolled her eyes. Her giant warrior husband just smiled.

  “I don’t want any gargoyles sneaking up behind us,” Captain Polaris said. “We will open every door along the way to the throne room making sure that area’s secure before continuing on. And we’ll post guards at all hallway intersections and stairways leading to the throne room. We’ll secure each section of the castle along the way before King Tarlen and King Ulray enter it.”

  No one disputed the common-sense logic of the captain’s strategy.

  “If no one else has anything to say, I’m going hunting,” King Tarlen said.

  With that, the royal entourage headed back to the front entrance, where they would enter the highest tower in the castle, the one holding the throne room and, quite possibly, King Tarlen’s archenemy.

  Chapter 34

  On the way to the throne room, inside the castle’s main tower.

  Gwendylln, Andrina and Corson led the way, fearlessly approaching each new hallway, eager and ready to fight. Greystone and his falling ceiling tiles had done an excellent job dispatching gargoyles retreating into the castle, but the three warrior women weren’t taking any chances. As Captain Polaris had ordered, each door was opened, rooms were thoroughly searched, and nooks and crannies of every hallway were treated as potentially deadly hiding places for enemies.

  Chen, Lord Pensgraft, Captain Polaris, Greystone, Eldwyn, Jewel, Flame, Lord Grenitar, Prophet and Chaktar were serving as an “iron circle,” as Chen called it, surrounding King Tarlen and King Ulray. Directly behind them were Aerylln, Baelfire and Marcheto riding Zorya.