Deliverance

by Brittany Comeaux

  The blast had knocked everyone off of their feet, but Bogdan managed to regain his footing faster. He stumbled around looking for the Eye, but discovered it was gone.

  “That damned mage did it! The Eye is GONE!” he yelled. He then saw the pillar, “Saitar! Get over here and transport me and the pillar out of here!”

  Saitar then rose and ran to Bogdan’s side. Thaddeus attempted to stop him, but grew dizzy when he tried to stand. Saitar put on hand on the pillar and the other on Bogdan, and with a flash, they both disappeared in a cloud of smoke with the stone prison.

  CHAPTER 5

  The battle outside in the city ended not long after Bogdan and Saitar escaped. Some of the mages along the city wall saw the king and Saitar appear outside of the city and order the surviving troops to retreat back to Cartigo, and then he and Saitar disappeared again. The death toll was fairly high, but in the end, it still seemed that the mages and the rebels held their own very well.

  “The damage outside is massive!” Elder Leldor told the rebels, “It will take months to rebuild everything!”

  The elders met Crystal as she and Gavril emerged from the chamber where the Eye of Gaull had been. The seal of the chamber had been broken after the Eye had burst through the ceiling, so the sealed door now stayed open. Crystal delivered the good news that Bogdan failed to acquire the Eye to the elders, but she regretfully informed them of Malcolm’s death, Saitar’s betrayal, and finally how the Eye was separated into five shards and how Malcolm spread them across Cierith.

  “How terrible! The high elder was such a good man!” cried Bredewig.

  “He will indeed be missed. He was as kind as he was wise, and not many men can have that said of them. And may Saitar be cursed for the rest of his life!” Halmez said.

  “Of course, if it had not been for Elder Bredewig, there would have been many more deaths,” Leldor pointed out.

  Bredewig looked over his thick glasses and with a stutter, replied, “W-what? B-but I—”

  “He’s right, Elder Bredewig.” agreed Ydon, “If you had not told us of the threat, things would have ended much worse. You may very well have saved hundreds, if not thousands of lives today.”

  The plump little elder then smiled nervously and adjusted his glasses.

  “I am confused about something else the high elder said before he died, though,” said Crystal.

  “What is that?” asked Orwynn.

  “Well, he told me that I needed to obtain the powers of a holy mage. He said that it was the only way to destroy the Eye of Gaull after fusing the shards back together,” Crystal told them.

  “But, how can you become a holy mage?” asked Orwynn, “You weren’t born one, and there are none left.”

  “I . . .” Crystal paused, and everyone stared at her waiting for her response. She finally ended with, “Let’s just say I have it in my blood. Some of my ancestors were holy mages, and maybe Malcolm believed I had the potential to use holy magic.”

  “Well, to our knowledge, no mage has become a holy mage later in life, but perhaps the High Elder knew something we did not,” stated Halmez.

  Suddenly, the group heard Taryn yell from inside the chamber, “Crystal! Gavril! Come QUICK!”

  Crystal and Gavril, followed by the remaining elders, dashed into the chamber. Upon entering, they all looked at the two halflings, who then pointed to a pillar on the side of the room. The blast the high elder caused had knocked Prince Blaze out cold off to the side of the room and the other rebels had just pulled a pile of debris off of him. The prince still lay on the floor abandoned and out cold.

  “Who in the world is that?” asked Ydon.

  “I can’t believe his father just abandoned him!” said Crystal, ignoring the elders’ questions. She rushed over to him, knelt beside him, and felt for a pulse on his neck.

  “He’s still alive,” she confirmed.

  “Then allow me to dispose of him! The elders can have his head!” Sigurd growled.

  “No,” replied Crystal.

  “What do you mean, ‘no’?” Sigurd retorted, “He has caused nothing but trouble for Cierith for years! He's more valuable dead”

  “Killing isn't always the answer, Sigurd! Bogdan raised Blaze to fight for him and worship him and then, at the drop of a hat, abandoned him! I can’t imagine the torment the prince felt when his father said those horrible things. I say we take him to our hideout and persuade him to join us,” Crystal announced.

  “WHAT?!” exclaimed all of Crystal’s friends at once. She did not stir or look offended by their protests, but expected this reaction.

  “Think about it. He knows the Daldussan army’s battle tactics and the rest of Bogdan’s secrets! He could be very helpful to our cause! If we can convince him how much his father could lose by it, maybe he will agree to join us,” explained Crystal.

  Everyone paused momentarily, but the silence was suddenly broken by a moaning sound. Crystal quickly turned toward Blaze and realized that he was waking up. When he saw her, he suddenly became alert and attempted to grab his sword and strike, but with a quick flick of her hand, Crystal flashed a fog in Blaze’s face that instantly knocked him out again.

  “Whoa! What did you do?” asked Maryn.

  “Don’t worry. It was just a simple sleeping spell. He’ll be out for a few more hours, but he won’t have any more damage than a headache when he wakes,” Crystal explained. She then stood and faced the other rebels.

  “Crystal, if you feel it is the right thing to do, I will stand behind your decision to bring him to the hideout.” Gavril stated, “However, what will you do if the prince refuses to join us? We can’t let him see the way to our hideout and then reveal where to find it.”

  “I will keep casting the sleep spell on him until we get there. If he refuses to join us, then I will cast the spell again and we can bring him to a village where he can start a new life. After all, I doubt he will return to his father after what happened today,” Crystal stated.

  “Then if you are sure it’s the right thing to do, we will honor your decision,” Gavril humbly replied.

  “Thank you,” she replied.

  Halmez then stepped forward and spoke, “Well then, I would personally like to thank you and the rebels for coming to our aid. If you had not arrived, I believe that we would have fallen to the king’s army.”

  “As would I, and I am certain that the other elders agree. As promised by the High Elder, you have the allegiance of the City of Magi,” said Orwynn.

  Crystal smiled. “I thank you, elders, for your kindness. Should Bogdan threaten you again, send a message and Deliverance will be there.”

  “And should you and the rebels need our assistance, call for us and we will help,” reply Leldor.

  The elders and rebels then exchanged handshakes and the rebels began preparations for the journey home.

  ****

  “How could this have happened?!” yelled Bogdan. As soon as he told the troops to retreat from the City of Magi, Saitar transported Bogdan as well as the stone pillar into his throne room in Cartigo. No sooner than stepping out of the smoke after arriving, however, did the king begin to angrily vent out to everyone who could hear.

  “All we have to do is find the shards, my king.” said Saitar, trying to calm the king down, “We can track them down easily! If the rebels go after them, which they most likely will, we can trap them as well!”

  “Will you hush for a moment!? It’s your fault that Blaze was left behind!” Bogdan countered.

  “M-me?! But . . . but,” Saitar stuttered.

  “You should have teleported him too! Now he’s been left with the rebels!” the king yelled, “What’s more, he knows all of our secrets! So if the rebels coax it out of him, they will gain a major advantage over me! I must have Blaze brought back. I’ll keep him in the dungeon for the rest of his life if I have to!”

  “Shall we put a bounty on him? I have heard stories of many legendary hunters who could track him down without breaking a swea
t,” asked Saitar.

  “No,” replied Bogdan, “I do not want the public to know of this; I will send my best warriors to find him privately. You and my generals can lead the search.”

  “Yes my King,” replied Saitar.

  “And as for the rebel leader . . .” Bogdan said, trailing off.

  “My Lord?” asked Saitar.

  Bogdan brushed his dark hair behind his head nervously and said, “I can’t put my finger on it, but I KNOW I have seen that woman’s face before.”

  “I doubt she is anyone important,” replied Saitar.

  “Maybe, but something is still not right about her.” replied Bogdan, “Anyway, begin your search for Blaze immediately. I will round up my best soldiers to accompany you, and as soon as my generals arrive with their troops, I will order them to do the same.”

  “Yes, sir,” replied Saitar, who then bowed and left the room.

  Bogdan then walked to the throne and sat down, exhausted. He rested his forehead in his palm, trying desperately to remember who the woman was, if indeed his suspicions were true. The girl was young, so she could very well have been a child when he took the land. Could she have been a citizen in Cartigo? Maybe she had been the child of a servant, or even . . .

  No, it was not possible. The girl that came to his mind had indeed escaped the night he killed her parents, but a soldier who claimed responsibility for killing her brought her blood covered doll to him, and he was rewarded handsomely. She couldn’t possibly be alive. The young princess of Cierith was dead, as was the rest of the royal family.

  Bogdan was sure of it.

  ****

  Blaze awoke in a small, shabby room. He groggily scanned his surroundings, trying to figure out where he was. His head started to spin as he sat up and tried to remember what happened before he blacked out. Slowly but surely, it all started coming back to him.

  Blaze remembered being led through a dirty tunnel and finding the Eye of Gaull with his father. He remembered the rebels ambushing them, a big fight, the High Elder showing up, and then . . .

  Blaze was abruptly overcome with a sense of anger and confusion when he remembered his father’s words, “I don’t need him anymore,” and “he is useless.” Even though his blood boiled with anger, he calmed down enough to remember a bright flash of light, which is where his memory seemed to end.

  Where was he now, then? His head throbbed with pain, so he figured that he couldn’t be dead. This wasn’t his bedroom, nor was it the dungeon in the castle. The room was indeed old and run-down, but this would pass as a first class inn compared to the castle dungeon.

  Still angry and confused, Blaze emerged from the bed he lay on to discover that his armor and weapons were gone. The only clothing he wore was his long-sleeved gray tunic, his dark red vest, and his gray trousers and black boots. Even angrier now, he marched straight to the door of the bedroom and turned the knob, but it was locked. He shook it violently and eventually started pounding on the door.

  “Hey! What’s going on here?! WHERE AM I?!” he yelled. He banged on the door repeatedly and eventually backed up and attempted to kick the door down.

  After the third kick, Blaze heard a stern voice on the other side of the door say, “If you will stop making such a fuss, I will open the door!”

  Blaze then backed off and snapped, “Fine, I’ve stopped, now what the HELL is going on here?!”

  The door opened slowly. Even if Blaze tried to make a break for it, he wouldn’t have gotten past the three rebels who held out their swords to him, blocking the doorway. The prince then recognized the middle one as the old man he fought in the chamber.

  “Rebels? What is this? I’m your prisoner now?” Blaze barked resentfully.

  “Not a prisoner, yet.” the old man remarked, “My name is Gavril Fletcher. You are here on our leader’s orders.”

  Blaze then remembered the woman who fought his father and asked rudely, “And what the hell does she want with me?”

  “I will let her explain that,” replied Gavril. He then turned to the other two rebels and ordered, “Find Crystal and tell her that the prince has awakened. I can handle him from here.”

  “Yes sir!” the rebels replied and then obediently turned and exited the room and closing the door behind them.

  Blaze rolled his eyes, and muttered, “So what, I’m her pet now?”

  “Don’t trifle with me, Prince.” replied Gavril, pointing his sword at him, “All Crystal has to do is give the word and within a second I can decapitate you and never have to deal with you again.”

  “I’m petrified,” Blaze growled with gritted teeth.

  “Sit down,” ordered Gavril, gesturing to the wooden chair in the corner of the room. When Blaze didn’t budge, he raised his voice, “SIT DOWN!” He held his sword against Blaze’s neck.

  Blaze then put his hands up and did what he was told, never breaking his glaring gaze from Gavril’s. Once he sat down, Gavril continued to point his sword at him. After a few minutes of silence, the door opened once again. Crystal then entered the room, along with the two rebels from before, and then they shut the door again.

  “All right, Miss Priss,” Blaze remarked, “What do you want?”

  “My name is Crystal,” Crystal corrected.

  “Well pardon me, then,” Blaze muttered.

  Crystal approached him cautiously, but confidently. She looked at Gavril and said, “You can put your sword away, Gavril; he won’t be any trouble.”

  Gavril nodded and did as he was told. He replaced his sword into its sheath on his belt.

  “Anyway,” said Crystal, now talking to Blaze, “I have brought you here because I believe you can be a valuable asset to our cause. I would like to ask you, Prince Blaze, to join Deliverance.”

  To everyone’s surprise, Blaze burst into laughter. Crystal remained straight-faced, amusing Blaze further.

  “You’re serious? I am the son of your mortal enemy and you want to be friends?” he blurted out and the laughed again.

  “If you value your tongue, you will stop ridiculing our leader this instant,” Gavril growled.

  “It’s all right, Gavril,” replied Crystal. She then spoke to Blaze again, “I know you find the idea of joining us ridiculous, and I figured you would.” She then moved closer and continued, “However, I have seen what this man you call ‘father’ has done, and I saw the look of betrayal on your face when he said those things in the City of Magi. You can say it didn’t upset you, but you and I both know you’d be lying. Believe me, the best thing you can do to make him pay for that would be to join us.”

  By this point, Blaze had stopped laughing and just stared at Crystal with his icy stare. He finally muttered with a sly smile, “I don’t know. After all, how can you trust me to keep your secrets? And another thing, what’s in it for me?”

  “Showing your father that you are not ‘useless,’ contrary to what he believes. Imagine his reaction when he realizes that you, the son he tossed aside, helped in bring forth his demise. He will be alone and powerless, and he will have us, aided by you of course, to thank for it,” Crystal countered.

  There was a long pause. Blaze was not smirking anymore and was looking up at the ceiling and leaning back casually in the chair, deep in thought.

  “So, I can get revenge on my bastard of a father by either becoming your lackey or throwing caution to the wind and going on a dangerous and perhaps impossible mission to kill him myself. Either take orders or go on a suicide mission. Choices, choices,” he muttered to himself.

  “If you are going to be reckless, forget it.” Gavril retorted, “The last thing we need is you endangering our fighters to protect your pride.”

  Blaze glared at him and remarked, “I don’t need your lectures about honor and all that crap, old man.”

  Gavril gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and resisted the urge to draw it. Blaze then looked at Crystal.

  “Even I know where the limit is. I know that storming that castle on my own will just get
me killed, and the last thing I want is for my father to look down at my bleeding body and laugh and gloat about always winning,” he stated.

  Crystal straightened up and asked, “So you’ll join us, then?”

  Blaze sighed and answered, “I suppose I’ll tag along with you people for now, but I don’t want to be held back. The second I get my shot, I will kill my father. After that, I want nothing more to do with you or anyone else in this place. I will take the throne in Daldussa and you rebels can have Cierith back. Although, I don’t know how you will manage without the royal family.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Crystal.

  “They’re all dead, aren’t they? Who will take the throne of Cierith once you get the kingdom back? Did you even think of that?” Blaze asked.

  Crystal let out a little laugh and replied, “Of course we did.”

  “Here is your first lesson, Prince.” said Gavril, “The king and queen are indeed dead. However, that night, their daughter, Princess Amelia Atteberry, escaped.”

  “And she was killed in a small village three days later. My father’s troops tracked her and the general of the Cierith army to the village and burned the place to the ground. A soldier came forward, claimed responsibility for her death, and presented her bloody doll to my father and claimed to have killed her,” replied Blaze.

  Gavril chuckled and replied, “I’m afraid that story is not completely true, Prince.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “It’s true that Amelia was in the village when it was attacked, but she was not killed. You see, some of the villagers served their kingdom well and hid her in their cellar and covered the door with a rug. Most of the villagers were killed, but the general and some of the escaping soldiers of Cierith killed the invaders. During the battle outside, the princess sustained a cut on her arm from debris falling on her which bled onto her doll. One of the soldiers then disguised himself in a dead Daldussan soldier’s armor and when Bogdan arrived with his troops, the imposter soldier then claimed that he killed the princess and then presented the doll to the king. It was all a trick to make Bogdan believe that she was dead so that he would stop looking for her. The princess, you see, is still alive and well to this day, and she is using a new name and waiting for the time she can take the throne in her father’s place,” explained Gavril.