by Andrew Wood
The following few seconds seemed far longer as everyone looked around the room, expecting to find someone or something. "They must be able to blend in or become invisible as well," Ramon mumbled as much to himself as anybody else. The seer immediately thought of using his skill to negate any magic in the local vicinity, only thought better of it just in case he affected the Icenian protecting the king.
Ramon was glad he had not done so, as a dark clothed figure thumped to the floor just a pace or so away from the young king, his progress halted by an invisible shield. Shadow showed his wild instinct, as without any delay he pounced upon the dazed figure, clutching his powerful jaws around the throat of the intruder and ending his life. Mikel puffed out his cheeks thinking it was over until he sensed Shadow return immediately on the defensive. "There is more than one," he said quickly returning to his alert status.
The door burst open once more as two more Icenians quickly made their entrance. "Shut the door," Ramon shouted hoping it was not too late. If indeed there was a second intruder, he did not want it roaming around the keep causing havoc. The Icenians however seemed intent on leaving it open, and Ramon was just about to shout the order again as a second figure hit an invisible barrier right in the doorframe. This time Shadow did not have time to react, as the Icenian who had blocked the open door with a shield, quickly had the intruder hanging helplessly in the air.
Shadow slowly walked around the room sniffing at the air, using his heightened senses to search the local vicinity. "I think that's it," Mikel told the others all looking to him for guidance. Anden, clearly shaken by the events, comforted his young sister who had made the mistake of looking at the dead man on the floor of the room. "Go and see Mother," he told her gesturing for her to go to the other room. Mikel quickly walked over to the young monarch, "Are you okay Sire," he asked still keeping his eyes peeled for anything untoward, but Shadow seemed to be relaxing, meaning he at least thought the danger was indeed over.
Anden nodded, and although he put on a brave face, was clearly as frightened as any person would have been in the circumstances. He had barely been on the throne a week or more, and already somebody had just tried to kill him. After checking the young king's welfare, Ramon turned to the captured intruder still hanging helplessly in the air by the doorway. "Are you alright holding him there like that," he enquired to the Icenian guard, "Yes Sir, I can keep him like this for as long as you require it." Ramon looked up at the captured intruder, and thought how young he looked, "Now what are we going to do with you?" he asked thinking out aloud. "Kill him," Mikel snapped still feeling his heart racing from the adrenaline pumping around his body.
Ramon turned to look at him, and although that would be the man's ultimate fate, he wondered whether it would be worth trying to get information from him before they did. A dozen or so more guards piled into the room, making it suddenly look very overcrowded. Commander Porter was amongst them, and he immediately checked on the king before ordering the dead body be removed, "Do it discreetly," he told the two men tasked with the job, "Cover him up, I don't want every man, woman and child in Pitford seeing it," he added.
Mikel noticed the similarity between the man Shadow had killed and the one still alive, "Your brother?" he hissed, "Don't worry you'll be joining him soon enough." Ramon glared his direction, but let the matter lie; after all, if not for Mikel's quick thinking and alertness, the young king would likely be dead by now, a point not missed by Anden himself. "I would like to thank you," The young man said looking up at Mikel, "You are one of Zack and Max's friends aren't you," he said gesturing if it was okay if he patted Shadow. Mikel nodded on both accounts, and watched the king scratch Shadow behind the ears, "And thank you for your quick intervention," he said to the wolf.
The queen mother then decided to make an appearance from the other room, obviously having been updated by her young daughter. "What is going on in here...?" she shouted sounding confused and disorientated from the drugs given to sedate her. Anden told her there was nothing for her to worry about, and quickly escorted both her and his sister back where they had come from.
The prisoner was kept incapacitated inside a barrier of magical energy, and although he clearly wriggled and writhed, he could do nothing to escape it. "He is trying to teleport out of it," the Icenian said with a smile, "But he will not break through." Ramon enquired whether the prisoner would be able to answer questions through the barrier, and after a little adjustment, the Icenian gestured for him to do so.
Ramon circled around the man several times, asking who had sent him, where had he come from, did he have any other targets, were there others? Although able to reply if he wished, the prisoner remained silent, with the only response being, him spitting Ramon's direction. "You know you will be put to death?" he finally reminded the prisoner. "You will kill me if I talk or if I don't...So I will tell you nothing you Kothian scum," the prisoner eventually spat in reply.
Realising there was no point in continuing, he sent for Darion. He was going to ask the Icenian keeping him captive to do the killing, but had then realised just how unfair that would have been, and decided his old friend would have no qualms about doing such a thing.
Chapter 28.
Maxim was unsure as to why they needed to stay in Icenia any longer. He had gotten the decision he needed and was keen to return home with the news that his father's countrymen were indeed going to assist them in their plight. However, since having made the agreement with the other high lords, his father appeared to be making excuses as to why they could not return just yet, saying he had matters that needed resolving before he could leave again.
Although Maxim was slightly annoyed that the time of departure seemed to be put back day by day, he also understood that as a high lord, his father naturally would have issues to deal with. This was precisely one of the reasons he had figured he would never make a good leader; the thought of dealing with so many problems did not bare thinking about. Telling his father he was not keen on ever taking over from him had been a hard thing to do, but Maxim felt his father needed to know now, rather than ever give him the impression to the contrary.
Maxim sat out in the afternoon sunshine, letting his pale body soak up the warmth of the sun's rays. Despite wanting to be on his way, he had to admit that doing so was quite relaxing and enjoyable, and made a pleasant change from the cold Kothia winter weather. Although his father had made the effort to see him when possible, it was clear the man had much more important matters to attend. As a result, Maxim had largely been left to his own devices, and left to fend for himself against the mischief making twins, Kala and Willem.
As he lay back on a sun lounging chair, with his eyes closed and mind completely relaxed, he picked up the pair moving closer to him. He wasn't sure whether they were actually aware he could detect them coming or not, but afforded himself a smile as he could sense them creeping closer to his position. Although they were his cousins, and therefore members of the increasingly growing family line he had never known existed, the pair were certainly very annoying. So far, during his stay they had attempted to go out of their way to make his life miserable by playing childish pranks upon him. Fortunately, Maxim was not one to take things too seriously, and despite the twins having soaked him with water on two occasions and tripping him over once, he was ready for them this time.
The twins moved closer, and Maxim could sense the presence of water, meaning he thought, that they were once more trying to give him a soaking whilst he relaxed in the sun. He remained in his slumber like position, pretending to be unaware anything was about to happen, letting Kala and Willem get close enough to tip the water they were carrying over him. What they could not know was he was already prepared for them.
Knowing his timing needed to be precise, he concentrated, utilising some of his newfound skills. The twin's childish giggles turned to shock and horror as he sat up and waved his hand. The water meant for him, surged upwards, before pouring down over the pair of them. Maxim grinned, and
although he also got some of the water splashed over him, the best part of it went over the heads of the twins. Much to their disgust, the pair stormed off, each cursing the other that they must have been too loud and he had heard them.
He watched them round the corner, and stood himself up to go and dry off. He was about to turn and head to his room, when he noticed his father walking across the garden towards him, and decided instead to wait for him. "Max...I have some good news for you," the man said with a smile as he neared. "Has it been raining?" he added noticing his son was a little wet. Maxim smiled, "No, just the twins," he replied. His father just shook his head, "That pair will get their comeuppance," he said. Maxim grinned, "I think they just did."
Joren suggested his son walk with him whilst they talked, and the pair headed indoors. "We can leave tomorrow Max," he told his son, much to the young man's delight. "I just need to have some things moved to the ship later this evening, and by first light tomorrow we can be on our way."
"Are we just taking the one ship?" Maxim asked not sure how many men the other high lords had permitted them.
Maxim looked at his father awaiting an answer, "Eight," came the reply.
"Eight?" he asked to make sure he had heard correctly. His father nodded, "That's right. Taking into account the number of crew and those used to power the ships, we would look to be taking about five hundred ashore with us." Maxim stood there gobsmacked, "You don't think that is a little more than we need?" he asked.
"Well, one thing you need to know about Icenians Max, is that we do not do things in half measures. The high lords want this dealt with quickly and efficiently, and having so many will allow us to do just that."
With a spring in his step, Maxim returned to his room to pack the few items he had acquired whilst in Icenia, and although one day he thought he would like to return to explore the place a little further, he was keen to get back to his friends. Being with his father was nice, and considering the short time they had known each other, were getting on very well. Not having Mikel, Melia and especially Zack around had been much harder than he had thought when leaving, now if all went to plan, he should be reunited with them within a week.
Down by the docks, Joren was inspecting the ships, ensuring enough supplies were loaded on, and the crews knew exactly where it was they were going, and more importantly how quickly they needed to get there. The small army of magicians collated by the High Lords had certainly caused a stir in the city. Nothing like this had been seen in centuries, and after they had aided his son, hoped it would not be seen for many more. Joren had over all control of the task force being sent, and although those going could be briefed on route to Kothia, he needed to explain the plan of action to the officers on the various ships, to enable them to do so.
In a small but well lit office, Joren had earlier confirmed with Maxim, which Kothian towns and cities had been taken by the Bosarian invaders. Now with a large map placed out on a table, he explained to his officers where each force would go. With the main target being Berxsley, the nation's capital, he would oversee that part of the plan. The force would not be needed all in one place, and Joren was certain those going could deal with anything the enemy could throw at them. "Their magical powers have suffered though years of culling," he told them, "Hence, many of them are little more than conjurors."
He looked around at the men leading his forces, and forewarned them all, that just because they were magically superior did not mean the enemy would merely roll over. An Icenian who did not take care, could just as easily be killed by an arrow or blade as any other man could, he told them sternly hoping to get the message home. Ideally, he wanted the plan to go without any casualties on his side. "What about killing the enemy?" One of his men asked. Joren grimaced, this was going to be a sore point for many, and was unsure how to handle it.
Icenians were permitted to act in self-defence, and if they killed somebody in doing so then so be it. This however was something quite different, where they were to remove an invading force from a new ally territory. "I would prefer not to have to make our people killers, however if those we seek to remove resist, then they must do what is needed," he told them.
Once the enemy had been removed from Kothia, a small force was to remain in each town or city they retook, whilst the others were then to move to return back to the ships. Two ships would remain for those remaining, which would have to stay a little while longer to enable the Kothians to reorganise themselves. "We do not want to drive the enemy out, for them to return as soon as we turn our backs," Joren told them.
After his meeting was over, the High Lord wandered slowly back up the main street towards his home. The lights illuminating the street gave off a low glow as he stopped just briefly to look back up the road. He breathed in the mild night air turning his gaze up to the night sky, before continuing his short journey back towards the elegant palace he called home. He thought it was probably time he retired for the night, and to get some rest before a big day ahead tomorrow.
Davan was relaxing in one of the opulent living rooms in the east wing of the Palace in Berxsley. As he lay there, sipping from a crystal glass he wondered as to why one family would need so much space. His pondering however was disrupted by a knock at the door, and a guardsman breathing heavily with an important message. Despite being interrupted at such a late hour, Davan remained calm and listened, although the news was not particularly pleasing.
He stood and followed the man delivering the message down the corridor, before heading down the elegant staircase towards the front entrance. After pulling on a cloak and wrapping it tightly around him, he ventured outside. Several soldiers were stood around two shapes on the ground, and he could sense his anger rising as he approached. "Sir," one of the men said noticing him approach, "Two of our soldiers were found at their posts, both have had their throats slit," the man added.
Davan leaned down and lifted the cover that had been placed over one of the corpses just to have a quick look, more so for curiosity's sake than any other reason. Any thought that these Kothians were going to just accept that they had been beaten and continue as normal, was soon forgotten. Because of this, he would now have to punish the people, and to do it severely so such an incident would not happen again. "Double all patrols around the city," Davan ordered, "As from now any person found out after dark will be arrested and flogged."
The soldier was just about to run off and have Davan's orders relayed, before he was told to stay, "I have not finished yet," Davan snapped. The man apologised, and listened further, "At first light, you will select five homes at random. All those within will be taken to the market square and beheaded. Make sure the people know why we are doing it," He added before heading back inside.
This incident had certainly dampened Davan's mood, and he knew he had his hands full trying to keep the residents of Berxsley subdued. In time he thought, they would accept their new leaders, he just needed to crush any signs of resistance quickly, punishing those that questioned Bosarian rule so severely others would not be inclined to follow.
Chapter 29.
Maxim stared out into the distance, as the land he called home came into view. He felt a strange kind of nervousness about what they would soon be undertaking, and although he had fought in battles before, he was unsure as to what to expect this time. On previous occasions, he had been the one expected to make a difference in the outcome of any fighting, this time however, he was to held back. Despite wanting to be part of the force his father was commanding in retaking Berxsley, he had been told to the contrary. Maxim had naturally pleaded his case, stating he was Kothian and should at least be flying the flag on their behalf. Naturally, his father was having none of it, and reminded his son that it was perhaps left to those wielding the greater power.
It was still early morning, meaning they would be able to disembark and move to their targets today. He was permitted to follow a little later with the crates of supplies, and whatever else his father had deemed necessary fo
r their stay; whatever it was, there was certainly a lot of it. He watched as the ships neared the shoreline, unaffected by the turbulent waves that were crashing about them. He looked over to the other ships and noticed the men upon the decks preparing for their disembarkation; the time for battle would soon be upon them.
Still several hundred yards from the coastline all the ships came to sudden halt, as the first Icenians started lining up on the Kothian shore. Maxim, although capable of teleporting, was unsure whether he was yet good enough to make such a sizeable jump unaided, and had to wait patiently until his father was eventually ready to go. Once back on dry land, Maxim watched the Icenians making their base camp. A mountain of wooden crates, which he assumed contained all the supplies such a large force would need.
As the mass of red-robed figures lined up in ranks, Maxim could not fail to be impressed by the sight, so much so, he had even donned the same garment as them, when he had dressed that morning. After an hour of jumping back and forth from the land to their ships, eventually everything they needed was ready for them to begin. After another quick briefing with his officers, Joren returned to his son's side, "Please remain here with the supplies and reserves, I will come and get you as soon as Berxsley is under our control," he told him. Although Maxim was clearly not happy about being left behind with the luggage, he nodded his understanding, "Take care Father," he said, deciding it was one of those occasions that warranted giving him a hug.
