Destiny's Kingdom: Legend of the Chosen

by Daniel Huber

  The rising sound of the crowd that had gathered was growing closer as they walked along the high hedgerow-lined path that led from the stables to the entrance of the curtain wall of the entry yard. Quade felt his stomach begin to tighten with anticipation. He'd worn dark grey and black to help conceal his escape at the front of the audience, but actually seeing the people all around was making him nervous. The sounds of soft, lilting music carried on the air, gentle flute and harp, the preliminary song that was always played before the precession began. Before he knew it they had reached the blocked entry where the performers were already lined up, and Quade's nerves tightened even further. Trina jumped atop her horse and Quade did the same. There was still no sign of Clea.

  "I should probably take his bridle off," Trina said and sighed as she led Shadduk into position before her. "Seems silly for him to have it on with no one riding him." On Twilight Bloom they rode bareback so as not to distract from the elaborate painted hides of the horses, but their bridles were decorated to match their hair, so it didn't even really stand out.

  "I wouldn't worry about it," Quade said, his throat dry. Trina looked back at him, her face somewhat puzzled, and he smiled at her. No use making her fret about what was wrong. He moved his horse into position between her and Shadduk, lightening his voice. "What I would worry about is him staying on course and not taking off running in search of his lady."

  "She'll hear it from me later, rest assured." The sound of the announcing trumpets actually made Quade flinch on the back of his horse and he was glad that Trina wasn't looking when he did. She glanced over just then though, and smiled widely in excited anticipation. And for a moment, Quade forgot the weight on his shoulders, forgot about the lararium that was nestled in his pocket, forgot about the vision that had haunted him constantly since the other day. Tonight was Trina's night, her night to show off her beautiful horses, to listen to her father speak to the adorning masses, to be proud of her position and her title. For a moment he was angry at Clea for not simply being there for Trina, and for a moment, he remembered how much an honor it was to be a part of such a special occasion. The flag bearers began to march out onto the circular path of the courtyard and Quade grabbed Trina's hand, leaning over.

  "'Oh, jealous eve that wilts in the face of such splendor.'" Quade squeezed her hand, whispered the words of a favorite poem in her ear, which made her giggle. "You look beautiful."

  "So do you," she whispered back and laughed again, then they both looked up as the precession began to move.

  Fires blazed at the end of high torches that were scattered about the grounds, paper lanterns hung from the taller, more sturdy trees that would be less likely to displace them when the blooming started. The people of Bethel sang and cheered, a happy noise of this grand celebration as they watched the entertainment pass around the circle, threw handfuls of flower petals that rained down in a riot of shape and color. Magic performers delighted the crowd as they walked by, elegant dancers twirled out long paper streamers on ornamental sticks as they skipped and leapt between the whirling ribbons. A rising wave of "oo's" and "ahh's" sounded when the first painted horses appeared, and Trina watched from her position at the entry as Quade rode Dashus, made his first circle around the yard, and Shadduk trotted in the opposite direction, just as he would've if Clea had been there to ride him herself. She was relieved to see that he was behaving properly, even unattended. When their paths crossed at the back, it was Trina's turn to join them.

  A new sound of singing and cheering rose from the crowd as their most adored figurehead rode her beautiful mare in a circle around the entry yard. Trina made two passes, one while Quade and Clea's horse finished up their turns and one by herself, while Quade positioned his mount to wait for her at the head of the castle between the grand fountain and the castle's entry. Shadduk had obediently made his way over to his designated waiting area, and Trina was glad for that; glad that he'd remembered his manners and the routine, glad that he'd turned to wait for Dashus and Lunette. Trina relaxed and for her second turn around the circular path, took time to notice all that was around her. The smiling faces of the kingdom, the sound of a beaming woman who sang and played hauntingly beautiful music on her guitar, children who giggled hysterically at a swarm of trained fireflies that flew in decorative patterns against the night sky. Someone caught her eye as she passed across the outer edge of the circle; it was Lamont, who stood with the flower merchant from the Marketplace, grinning like he had the most fabulous secret in the world. There were tiny rosebuds weaved into his hair much like the ones that were in a band of fragrant garland around Lunette's sturdy neck. Trina smiled to herself, enjoyed the swell of excitement and the content that she felt, despite the absence of her best friend. Let her roam the stars for Ryder Deluka, Trina thought; she's the one who's missing out on this unabashed joy! As she arrived at the head of the crowd and dismounted, Lunette and Dashus trotted over to stand with Shadduk against the east corner of the castle's south facing wall, flawlessly trained and mannered. Quade bowed formally to his paramour, and the crowd bowed in genuflection as well. Trina smiled at Quade, turned to the masses and nodded her head in respect. She parted ways with Quade, went to stand on the petal-covered dais on the west beneath the balcony, and Quade took his spot opposite her, next to the horses at the east. Only forty or so paces separated them, and again Quade began to feel his nerves. He would have to plan his escape perfectly, duck into the shadows at a time he'd be least likely noticed so that hopefully she wouldn't miss him for very long. Suddenly, the music stopped and an absolute hush fell over the crowd.

  The moons were so high in the sky they bathed the castle in a gentle, even light, cast their glow across the people and the grounds. Timing for Twilight Bloom had always been impeccable, and this year was no exception. At the moment the moons were both perfectly full, the entire planet began to move.

  The sound started off like a strange slithering hiss; perhaps the noise that a slow traveling snake might make as it slid along the ground, or a lumbering marmant who dragged along a branch for its nest. But it was not the sound of animals or man, of beasts or of birds, but the sounds of the plants and the trees, the grapevines and the honeysuckle, the jasmine and the succulent underbrush. Their twigs and branches spouted forth, grew in visibly apparent spurts. The flowers curled and opened toward the moonlight, craning their blossomed heads toward the sky, millions upon millions of buds that transformed into clusters of color and fragrance. Ivy wound its way up the castle's wall, wisteria which had hung neatly trimmed from Trina's bedroom balcony on the south facing side bushed out and drooped lazily in full and lush bloom. It was a supernatural noise, the layering whisper of the millions of plants come to life, the celebration that the entire populous looked forward to each and every year. There was a particular hypnotic quality to the sound and Quade found himself caught up in the energy that erupted from the very planet, the miraculous site of the courtyard garden spreading their petals, the lily pads that floated on the fountain, shyly unfolding to reveal their scarlet stamens. The peaceful calm of the people around him was a momentary but welcome escape and he savored it for the brief time that he had.

  Aazrio stepped out from the darkened room and onto the castle's south balcony, surveying the transfixed crowd. He took his usual position to the right of the curved balustrade and by a motion of his finger the tiny candles that perched between the decorative columns lit, their flames small and dim at first, growing gradually to their full height. Most of the crowd was still too entranced by the blooming of the flowers and the creeping movement of the plants to have even noticed that the balcony was beginning to take center stage, and Aazrio glanced out of the corner of his eye, expecting to see the Keystone walking out to take his place. But all there was to see was shadows and darkness. The guard turned his head, glanced back into the study and sharpened his vision. There was no sign of the Keystone stepping out to the balcony, no sign of him anywhere. Aazrio shifted uneasily as he stood on the balcony al
one. This was not the usual practice. Aushlin should've been only steps behind him, should've been standing before the semi-circle of candles before they even reached their full light. The guard stared out into the crowd and noticed that Quade was looking up at the balcony, as was Kitrina, who seemed as perplexed as Aazrio himself felt. Just then he looked back to the study and the Keystone appeared, walked very slowly and rigidly onto the balcony. Relieved but still warily concerned, Aazrio made another motion with his hand and a circle of shimmering glow backlit the Keystone, a magical spotlight that persuaded the attention of the onlookers away from the Twilight Bloom. The Keystone's voice carried out over the land, sounded as clearly to those on the outskirts of the castle's grounds as it did to those closest to where he stood, carried out by Aushlin's magical power of speaking. He required no microphone, no amplified system to bring his voice to all of those who listened. And all of those who listened heard him at the same volume, the same tenor.

  "Here we gather, good people of Bethel, my kingdom far and wide and strong. I am proud and pleased to look out over the land tonight on this celebrated eve and see that we unite as we always have, as we ever shall. United in the strength of this planet, united as the heart of this galactic peace that we live among…"

  Quade held his breath. The nausea had crept in, but wasn't as bad as he expected it to be, being in such close proximity to the raging entity that encompassed the Keystone's body and soul. The sight overwhelmed him and Quade could hardly bear to keep his gaze focused on Aushlin as he stood there, addressing the people in what might have seemed to be a traditional manner, when in fact the SanFear was obliterating the man beneath its possession, the man that Quade knew he had to help.

  In an effort to steel his resolve, Quade thought about why he was there. He stared at the Keystone, the man who had always been so kind to him, had taken care of him as a child, had given him a chance when almost the entire kingdom was screaming for his removal, for the banishment that was the fate of his parents. The man who had allowed him to grow up into his own person, who had offered him employment and support, and had never kept him from his cherished daughter. He looked over to Trina. She watched her father serenely, pride showing on her every feature. She looked so exquisite to him; Trina didn't need her jewels or her ceremonial robes to look like royalty. It shone through in her stature, in her demeanor. Aazrio stood nearby on the balcony, intently listening to Aushlin speak, casting an occasional protective glance about the crowd. Quade's gaze fell upon the garden, on Trina's beautiful horse which had nearly disappeared into the flowers that bloomed behind her, was camouflaged in a background curtain of matching blossoms that were twining slowly along the trellis as he watched, life creeping forth as it always did every year at the Twilight Bloom. Beneath the commanding voice of the Keystone if one listened very closely, the sounds of blossoms opening and sprouting vines twisting along the ground could still be heard. The rich scent of nectar and perfume filled the air as the flowers continued to unfold over the whole of the land. Quade's eyes fell back to his own horse, who neighed and nuzzled at Trina's horse, shaking his long mane as he sought her attention. Trina had always said Dashus was such a flirt. He glanced about the garden, across the beauty of the land, over the people whom he lived among, some of which he knew, some he didn't, but that all knew him or at least, knew of him. His heart ached. He loved this planet, this kingdom. They had no idea of the danger they were in, the events that even now were unfolding. Quade knew the time was near for him to duck into the shadows, and wondered absently why he had a terrible sense that this would be the last time he would stand among his people for a very long time.

  He looked back at Trina, and she caught his glance, returning it with affection. If only he could tell her! She was his best friend, his love and his life. How could he bear not sharing this burden? But he knew he could not. He willed her to know how he felt by his stare.

  I'm sorry! Please trust me!

  But he hardly knew if he trusted himself.

  Surrounded by people, and all alone. If only Clea had been there, she would have been standing with him. If only Clea had been there to ride in the precession, perhaps he could have shown her how real this truly was. If only Clea hadn't run.

  Quade looked back to Aushlin. The Keystone who he loved and admired. The man who was father to his cherished Trina, who had been like a father to him over the years. A fluttering group of yellow glow-butterflies suddenly wove an erratic circle around the balcony and Quade was thrown back to his experience in the vision of the past, of the potential future, and as the iciness of dread cut through him he knew what he had to do. The Keystone didn't know it right now Quade thought, but this was his chance to return some of the kindness he'd been bestowed so generously over the years by hopefully saving Keystone Aushlin's life and very soul. He didn't know this now, but perhaps he would…someday. Quade made one last glance around the crowd to see that no one else was watching him and he bowed into the darkness behind the horses.

  The latch on the heavy tower door made a strange noise as it fell shut, and Quade turned to look back at it in the darkness. He squeezed the handhold and felt it catch, then not give way under his grip. The bolt had jammed, and the door was stuck. Quade sighed. Not a good sign.

  He turned to walk up the spiraling stairs, not dwelling on the minor setback. He would just have to walk the entire length of the wall walk, go to the southernmost bastion and exit through that tower, then somehow make his way back through the crowd without causing too much of a scene. It wouldn't matter by then, he thought. By then, the Keystone would be saved.

  Quade reached the top of the tower and bent low as he slipped out of the door and onto the wall walk. He ran, keeping his position beneath battlement and stopped when he reached the spot he'd designated earlier that day, then peeked over the crenellated wall. The Keystone spoke with emotion and urgency, his tone strangely frantic, though his words were ordinary and dull. To the crowd, it may have seemed that Aushlin was simply charged by this fine evening, but to Quade it showed that the effect of the SanFear was becoming more and more clear. He glanced over to Trina, who stared at her father, her expression slightly confused. She'd noticed the Keystone's unusual mannerisms as well but it didn't look like she'd noticed that Quade himself was missing, so he dropped to his knees on the shadowy walkway and pulled the lararium and its conduit from his cloak. He could still hear Aushlin speak, could still hear the slithering sound of ivy climbing the side of the curtain wall and then he heard something else just behind his ear.

  "Don't distract him now, Mimic. Just let him do what it is he came to do."

  Quade gasped and turned to look over his shoulder and both emissaries drifted nonchalantly to rest atop the fortification.

  "And that was no distraction, telling me not to distract him Echo, the infinitely more wise of we two!" Mimic leaned against the stone surface, keeping an aloof distance from her counterpart.

  "Just couldn't stay away, could you?" Quade shook his head, withdrew from his pants pocket the gemstone, from his cape, the ring. "Couldn't leave me to do anything without gracing me with your charming presence." He moved to lean into the wall, set the pouches down and steadied the crystal rod on the flat surface of the crenel.

  "We who document the events of this quest must be present for all that is significant," Mimic said shortly. "If we aren't witness to all the failures how can we carry them on into the next realm to set an example?"

  "Thanks for the overwhelming support," Quade said sarcastically, dropping the ring into the little alter on one side of the device. He balanced the gemstone within the opposite altar and grasped the crystal hilt, moving it toward the Keystone. Raising the conductor off the stone he held the lararium beneath its base, and squinted as he tried to get Aushlin in the center of the sights.

  "Now… line him up… line him up… okay." Quade held the device with both hands, wondering what to do next. "Okay… now what happens?"

  As if on cue, the handle of
the rod began to spin slowly within Quade's palm. The lararium lifted out of his hand and locked itself to the bottom of the device, held in place on its own accord as the crystal rod gained momentum. Quade didn't know how the two stolen objects kept from flying off their perches on the tiny altars, but somehow they stayed in place. And then the speed of the spinning shaft became too much for Quade to keep hold of and he was forced to let it go. It remained spinning in midair becoming a blur above the lararium, and suddenly, a tiny image of the Keystone appeared within the center of the sphere. Quade stood back, amazed.

  "What's it doing?" he muttered out loud, captivated by the power of this object, the fact that it was controlling itself, and that it continued to spin faster and faster. Then suddenly, a thing happened that he never could've predicted.

  A beam of white light shot hotly across the night sky, over the heads of the unsuspecting crowd, and directly into the Keystone's chest. Quade gasped in combined horror and disbelief; what was happening? And Aushlin stopped in mid-word, stopped speaking and stiffened, his body bending backward, his hands raising toward the sky. Then Quade saw a bubbling black smoke tumbling back toward him within the beam of light, tumbling back in the same direction the light had come, spilling darkly into the sphere. The most hideous sound ever imaginable issued from the Keystone then, a howling shriek that had no human quality, the bellow of some foreign entity, of some force unalive being extracted from its domain. The scream carried high and far, cut through silent crowd and the silent evening like a hot knife as the motionless people stood in disbelief. Quade heard one of the horses let out a frightened squeal and looked down to see Shadduk take off wildly across the garden, tearing through the crowd. All this had happened in the span of perhaps five seconds.