Deliverance

by Brittany Comeaux

  Taryn and Maryn dashed to the chairs and took each a one before anyone could blink. They sank in and nearly fell asleep on the spot.

  “They’re more comfortable than they look!” said Maryn in a dreamy voice.

  “And they look like heaven covered in rich, velvety clouds!” added Taryn.

  “Stop that right now!” shouted Sigurd. “You two are a disgrace! Have some respect for the High Elder’s property!”

  “Oh it’s not a problem.” said Malcolm, chuckling, “I know they must be exhausted, so I have no problem with the two of them resting while we elders discuss the situation with the rest of you.” Malcolm then shut the door behind him.

  “Now, let me start by expressing my gratitude once again.” said Malcolm, “I would especially like to thank you for coming to our aid on such short notice. It is lucky that Elder Bredewig heard of the attack when he did.” He then turned to the plump elder and said, “I will let you explain it from here, Elder.”

  Bredewig timidly stepped before the rebels. He adjusted his glasses and in a shaky voice began to speak.

  “W-well, I am the lead scholar here in the Elder’s Hall, and I often travel to other kingdoms to visit scroll and book dealers and bring the materials back to the library here,” he said, “On my way back from a collector in Ordale, I stopped in a tavern in a mining village east of Cartigo. While there, I happened to overhear a conversation between several Daldussan soldiers. They were quite drunk and loud, so the whole tavern, myself included, overheard them. They were bragging about their next mission, which was an invasion of the City of Magi.”

  “Go figure,” said Gavril, “those pig soldiers get away with everything and think the whole world has to hear about it.”

  “Good thing they’re all morons,” said Sigurd, “Those obnoxious soldiers hurt Bogdan’s cause more than they benefit it.”

  “Yes, but he trains them well and they are not to be underestimated in battle,” said Crystal.

  “You must never underestimate any enemy, or else you will dig your own grave,” said Kerali.

  “You’re absolutely right,” said Crystal. She then turned to Bredewig, “Elder, did you have any idea why they would attack the city? What do you think Bogdan has to gain?”

  Bredewig adjusted his glasses again and cleared his throat. “Actually,” he said, “I heard them say something else, and I may have figured out what they want.”

  “What is that?” asked Crystal.

  “They mentioned that their king wanted ‘the big red gem’ that is hidden in the Elder’s Hall,” he replied.

  “There are many artifacts here in the city that we all protect, but there is one that very few know about, and it fits the description,” added Malcolm. “Unfortunately, it is also the most dangerous of the artifacts. If Bogdan gets his hands on it, it could mean the complete and utter destruction of life as we know it. The world we live in will cease to exist.”

  Crystal’s heart sunk as she remembered the nightmare that had been haunting her mind. She then stammered, “Wh . . . What on earth is this gem? How can it cause such destruction?”

  “It is a large, blood red gem known as the Eye of Gaull;” explained Orwynn, “it sits in the heart of the Elder’s Hall sealed away in a secret chamber. Only the seven of us know about it.”

  “I have heard stories of a dark entity known as Gaull,” said Thaddeus. “Might this be the same Gaull?”

  “Yes, my brother,” said Malcolm, “Gaull was a destructive and demonic being. Even the holy mages of Caris could not defeat him. They could only seal him away into a stone pillar. Gaull’s followers managed to get his power in the form of a gem out of the stone.”

  “It is said that when a human host comes forward and places the stone into the pillar, Gaull’s power will enter the host and all hell will break loose,” added Halmez.

  “So in other words, Bogdan will become extremely powerful and destroy everything, correct?” asked Crystal.

  “And he will gain immortality, so there will be no stopping him if he succeeds,” replied Ydon.

  “Immortality does not mean invulnerability,” Crystal pointed out.

  “But with that power, you will not be able to touch him anyway,” said Leldor.

  “Well then, I will have to do my best to prevent Bogdan from getting the Eye of Gaull,” said Crystal.

  “And we will help,” replied Gavril.

  “Once again, thank you for your help, all of you,” said Malcolm.

  “When can we expect the invasion?” asked Crystal.

  “The soldier said that the attack will happen within a fortnight, and that was seven days ago,” replied Bredewig.

  “So we have another week to prepare,” said Gavril, “That should give plenty of time for the others to arrive.”

  “You have more coming?” asked Saitar.

  “Well of course,” Gavril replied, amused, “You can’t expect us to fight off an entire army with only the seven of us helping, can you? Though we believe every little bit helps, we intend to be fully prepared.”

  Saitar stuttered, embarrassed, “Of course not . . . I apologize.”

  Gavril said, “Not a problem, Elder,” and then he turned to Malcolm and added, “We have given the other rebels a secret phrase to give to the gatekeeper so that they may enter. They will arrive in several groups, and so can you deliver the message to the men at the gate?”

  “Of course, I will see to it that the other rebels enter the city without a problem,” replied the high elder. “In the meantime, I am sure that you are all tired, so I will have your rooms set up right away. In the morning, we will discuss further plans for defense.” He then turned to Ydon, “Please tell the housekeepers to set up bedrooms down the hall.”

  “Yes, High Elder,” replied Ydon, who then left the room.

  “Thank you for your hospitality, High Elder Malcolm,” said Crystal. She then reached out her hand to shake his, which he accepted.

  “You are welcome, my dear,” he replied.

  The rest of the rebels then shook the hands of the other elders. Crystal turned to find Maryn and Taryn fast asleep in the chairs they had claimed. She smiled and shook her head in amusement; meanwhile, Sigurd shook his head in shame of the twins. Crystal nudged their shoulders in an attempt to wake the twins.

  “Wake up, you two,” she said, “You’ll be able to sleep in a nice warm bed soon.”

  Taryn shot up. “If the beds are any better than these chairs, I won’t be waking up in the morning!”

  Maryn, in a half-yawning voice, said, “They had better be that good for me to get up and make the effort to walk to one.”

  Malcolm laughed. “Much better, young ones. You will rest well tonight. I guarantee it.”

  The twins then forced themselves to leave their haven of comfort and walk groggily toward the door.

  The other elders left to return to their quarters while the housekeepers led the rebels one by one to the rooms that were waiting for them. The twins bolted into their rooms to find two small beds waiting for them. They jumped into bed without even removing their shoes or pulling off the blankets and fell instantly asleep.

  Crystal’s room was at the end of the corridor past the stairs. It was a fairly large room, much bigger than her one at the hideout. It was not too gaudy but decorated for her taste, so she found the atmosphere comforting and welcoming. The bed was covered in the softest cotton sheets she had ever felt, and it wasn’t long after she rested her head on her pillow that sleep found her.

  CHAPTER 2

  The grand castle in Cartigo, the capital city of Cierith, stood high against the full moon and cast a heavy shadow across the city. The forest surrounding the city whispered eerily throughout the night, and the townspeople bolted their doors shut in fear of the soldiers who patrolled the streets looking for an excuse to arrest someone. The man responsible for this tyranny, on the other hand, sat comfortably on his stolen throne and ruled the land with an iron fist.

  His hair was
as black as his heart, as was his right eye; his left eye was whitened from blindness. The long scar that stretched from his forehead, across the left eye, and down his cheek, was the very reason for his blindness. No one knew for sure how he received the scar, but then again, few people wanted to know. His sharp facial features gave him a fierce and threatening look that even the toughest and bravest warriors feared.

  Bogdan Dracnov was his name, and on that night, he sat on the throne and gazed proudly down upon the young man who knelt before him. He was a fine, well-armored warrior whose skills in battle were second to no one but the king himself. The young man bowed his head with respect and pride, and Bogdan couldn’t help but grin with triumph as he finally spoke.

  “You have done well, my son,” Bogdan said to the young man who continued to kneel before him. He then asked, “Was there any further resistance?”

  “None, Father. The soldiers who revealed your plans were dealt with and the villagers who heard the plans were exterminated.” replied the young man, “I oversaw everything and can guarantee you that not a single person who heard the soldiers boasting in the village is alive. The soldiers I brought with me took care of that.”

  “That is very good, indeed. That will teach those incompetent fools to blabber secret matters.” replied the king, “You may stand now, Prince Blaze.”

  The young man did as he was told. His long, straight, jet black hair no longer covered his face and he looked at his father with ice blue eyes. His face was regal and stern, but he envied the sharp features of his father’s face, for he was always told that he mostly resembled his late mother.

  “Thank you, Father,” he replied.

  The king then turned to his two generals standing a little way behind the prince and said to them, “Perun, Orodan, I would like to congratulate the two of you as well.”

  Perun, a dark elf, stepped forward and bowed. “I speak on behalf of all my people in Dwyp, allies of Daldussa, when I say that it is an honor to work with you, King Bogdan,” he said. He then looked up to the king with his gold eyes. (Gold was the most common eye color for a dark elf, but two features every one of them had was dark gray skin and white hair, and General Perun was no exception.) The general also wore light, black armor and a dark purple cape. His weaponry consisted of a sword and several hidden blades.

  Orodan then stepped forward. Being well over seven and a half feet tall, the enormous general easily towered over the others. His size was only outmatched by his strength. It was because of that strength that Bogdan chose Orodan as a general. His body was covered in multiple scars, or “trophies,” as he liked to call them, and he was completely bald with dark eyes.

  “I easily outnumbered those weak little peasants,” he bellowed in a deep, loud voice, “I am the strongest there is!”

  “Yes, Orodan, your brute strength is second to none, and with Perun’s cunning and swiftness, the two of you combine the best qualities of battle, and with my son learning my strategy skills, my army will be unstoppable,” said Bogdan.

  Blaze smirked, “I learned from the best mind in Daldussa, possibly the world.”

  “I will not be possibly the best for long, my son,” said Bogdan, “For you see, I am planning an invasion of the City of Magi to claim an artifact that will give me the utmost power. I will be a god!”

  “You mean that city full of mages? Father, how do you intend to fight masters of the magic arts?” asked Blaze.

  “Do you doubt your father’s skills, Blaze?” Bogdan asked.

  “Not at all, Father, I already stated that I think of you as the best mind in the world. I only wanted to know your strategy,” Blaze replied.

  “Well, if you must know, I have recruited help from within the city,” replied the king.

  “So this is going to be an inside job?” asked Perun.

  “Not just any inside job,” said Bogdan. He took a pause and then said, “I have enlisted the help of one of the city’s Elders.”

  “You mean you convinced one of the city’s leaders to help you?” asked Blaze.

  “Actually, he came to me out of the blue and told me about the artifact,” explained Bogdan. “He came to the castle and offered to tell me how to get unimaginable power and only asked for control of the city after I claimed it.”

  “So who is he?” asked Blaze.

  Suddenly, a cloud of black smoke and ashes appeared and then faded as the shape of a man began to form. Once he took complete shape, the man walked forward and approached the throne.

  “Ah, speak of the devil, here he is now,” said Bogdan. He then stood from the throne and said, “Welcome, Saitar.”

  Saitar bowed before Bogdan. “Good evening, my king.”

  “You may stand.” replied Bogdan, “So how are things in the city?”

  “I am afraid there is a problem,” replied Saitar as he stood up.

  Bogdan’s grin faded quickly into a frown. He slowly walked down the steps beneath his throne, never taking his eyes off of the elder. In a low, eerily steady voice, the king said, “What kind of problem? You know how much I despise for a plan to go astray.”

  “I-I . . .” Saitar stammered, “W-well, I hear that some of your soldiers have revealed your plans.”

  “Yes, Saitar, I am quite aware of that. However, it has been taken care of. The village was burned to the ground and the villagers killed,” said Bogdan. He then stopped smirking when a thought crossed his mind. “Wait a minute, how did you know about that?”

  Saitar gulped. “There was someone from the City of Magi who was traveling in the village at the time your soldiers were there. He overheard what the soldiers said and left before he was discovered to warn the city,” replied Saitar.

  “Well who the hell was it?” Bogdan asked.

  “It was one of the other elders, my king; Elder Bredewig, to be exact,” said Saitar.

  Bogdan stood as still as a statue for some time. After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly approached a small table and, without warning, grabbed it and threw it through a nearby window. The window shattered and the table flew to the ground below and smashed into pieces.

  “You mean to tell me that the mages know of my attack? The whole mission could be compromised now! Surely now they will build their defenses before the invasion!” Bogdan bellowed.

  “I-I am afraid there is more, my king,” said Saitar in a weak voice.

  “What else could possibly be wrong?” Bogdan asked angrily. When Saitar began to speak again, his voice became weak and frightened.

  “The high elder has contacted the rebel group, Deliverance, and they have agreed to protect the city,” said Saitar.

  To everyone’s surprise, Bogdan did not become angrier; rather it seemed as though he became calmer. He even managed a weak grin.

  “Yes . . .” he muttered.

  “Father, what do you have in mind?” asked Blaze.

  Bogdan paced and stroked the sides of his face. He kept muttering to himself, but eventually spoke. “Perhaps this is not a bad thing,” he said.

  “I beg your pardon?” asked Saitar.

  “If I can plan the perfect strategy, perhaps I can eliminate the leader of the rebels. Without their leader, the rebels will surely fall. They have been a thorn in my side for three years, so perhaps I can now make an example of those who try to stand in my way,” explained Bogdan. He then asked Saitar, “Have you met the leader?”

  “Yes I have, my king,” replied the elder, “It is a young woman who goes by the name, ‘Crystal.’”

  Bogdan stopped in his tracks. “A woman?”

  “Yes, my king,” said Saitar.

  “You mean to tell me that a woman has caused me this much trouble? I should have known! Women always cause trouble when doing a man’s task. I have always had distaste for women who try to be equal to a man. Can you imagine that? It’s preposterous!” said the king.

  “Well, I am afraid I do not know much more about her; she only gave that name. I do know that she is also a mage, but I d
o not recall her ever training in the city. I also couldn’t help but notice how oddly mature she was for her age; she’s barely out of her teen years!” explained Saitar.

  “Well, Saitar, you will have to introduce me to this woman so that I may make an example of her. Maybe I won’t kill her. How would you like a lovely wife, Blaze? You are twenty-three, after all, and that is a good age to find a wife,” said the king.

  “Maybe I could if she is appealing enough,” replied Blaze, “But by the sound of it, she won’t take orders from a prince.”

  “Well, we shall see how things turn out.” said the king, “For the time being, I want you to bring plans to the City of Magi, Saitar. Inform the other elders that you interrogated one of my commanders and found out the attack strategy. However, I will not give you the real one. Give me the night to make a plan and return here to get them from me. We will fool the mages, sneak to the Eye of Gaull, and I will claim it. Understood?”

  “Yes, my king,” replied Saitar, “I must return now before they find my bed chamber empty.”

  “Very well,” replied Bogdan, “remember, you must return here in the morning, perhaps around sunrise before they notice you are gone.”

  “Yes, of course,” replied the elder. He then disappeared in a flash of smoke and ember.

  “Are you sure we can trust him, Father?” asked Blaze.

  “What do you mean, Blaze?” asked Bogdan.

  “I mean, it seems odd that he is going to help you gain ultimate power and all he asks in return is for control of the city. Why just the city? And why didn’t he just take the Eye of Gaull for himself rather than tell you about it?” asked Blaze.

  “Perhaps he only wants the city because he knows he cannot handle that kind of power. Perhaps his body and mind are too weak to handle the immense power and so he offered it to me in exchange for something he can control,” replied the king.

  “Very well, I trust your judgment, Father,” replied Blaze. He was still skeptical of the elder, but he didn’t dare accuse his father of poor judgment; only a fool with a death wish would.