by Aya Knight
Kale scurried through the darkness, still disoriented by the abrupt awakening. He quietly approached the far wall where his weapon was leaning; secured within the steel sheath.
“H-here.” Kale mumbled while squinting his eyes in an attempt to regain focus of his surroundings.
Elanya quickly took the sword from his grip as she led him into the circular common room. She wasted no time with her actions as she lifted the unsheathed sword horizontally atop her palms.
“Shek ton morey istu kokanae rebooshtan.” As Elanya spoke, the sword began to reflect a blinding golden light which surrounded the blade.
“Take thy weapon.” Elanya handed it back to Kale as the golden light faded. “This shalt aid thou in battle. When thy powers grow strong and thy blade burns with warmth, thine spell shalt help protect it from breaking. However, thou must remember—thine spell cannot withstand intense heat. Should thou infuse thy weapon with full power, it shalt still shatter. Be wary, dragon child.” She gave Kale a gentle shove. “Many shalt die if you do not make haste. Go now, and take heed, for Malakhar will be present with ye arriving army; however, ye one called General Jedah shalt not. Malakhar comes for ye one who hath betrayed Jedah—and he cometh for thee, Kale Firehart.”
Chapter 23: They Come For Blood
Kale emerged into the crisp night’s air as he secured his sword and approached the others who were already dressed, armed, and prepared for battle. A red-headed dryad woman followed, carrying a bundle of sharpened arrows.
“For thee, madam.” The dryad handed them to Neelan, as she humbly bowed.
“Many thanks.” Neelan placed them into her quiver which was now stocked full.
“May thee be safe upon ye journey, and may thee return balance to ye world.” The dryad woman smiled as she turned to leave into the forest.
Kale nodded. He knew it was on this night, he would need to rise and prove himself a warrior. There was no further time to prepare; he must fight in order to protect the lives of innocent victims. He needed no second opinion on his decision; he would give it his all or die trying. The people of Braxle were the first to take him in and give him a renewed look at life. Kale would not allow Malakhar and the royal army of Mirion to slaughter them just to get at he, and Illadar. This time Kale was prepared to stand and fight. Never again would he remain in seclusion while those he cared for died.
“Thomas, do you have the strength to teleport and still stand to fight?”
“Yes, Kale, I believe so. Though transporting so many at once is draining, I should still have the reserves to conjure attacks upon the intruders. I do feel quite rested, despite the minimal amount of sleep. Besides, if need be I have this.” He placed a hand over the polished steel scabbard of his dagger as he winked at Illadar.
They made their way cautiously outside the protected grounds. Each glanced around in hopes they would not face another encounter by Rees’Lok and the red beasts.
“I think the ugly green mongrel is sleepin’… Let’s get movin’. I refuse to let innocent citizens die at the cost of my own actions.” Illadar wiped tiny beads of sweat from his upper lip as he spoke.
“I agree.” Kale took in a deep breath of cool air. “We need to leave now; it is the only way I foresee making it to Braxle with enough time to move the townsfolk to safety.” He glanced toward Neelan. “You don’t need to come with us, you know. This is not your battle. Go live a real life away from all this chaos.”
“Away from the chaos means away from you, as well, and that is not something I am willing to accept. I’m standing by your side, no matter what should happen.” She gripped onto Thomas’ arm. “I am ready to go.”
Thomas chuckled before he rolled his neck, closing his eyes to prepare for the teleportation spell. In an instant—they were gone.
Kale gripped his forehead. “Ugh, at least it is easier to handle each time we travel this way.” He staggered upon wobbly legs, fighting the feeling that at any moment his knees would give out. As he glanced toward the pointed wood wall, it seemed miniscule in comparison to Tyrione’s massive stone barrier. “We have got to move with haste. Without knowing the location of the oncoming army, we haven’t a clue of when they’ll arrive.”
“Indeed, Kale, every passing minute is extremely valuable. We must warn the others.” Thomas breathed heavily, but began to walk toward the town entrance.
Illadar was on his heels and Neelan remained close to Kale at all times. The gentle night breeze sifted through her hair as she moved forth with determination.
At that moment, despite the fear which gnawed at Kale’s gut, he realized for the first time how ravishing Neelan truly was.
“Neelan,” Kale spoke softly as they briskly made way through the town, “please be cautious tonight. You are my friend, and I don’t want anything to happen to you. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You worry too much, I shall be fine. My bow has never let me down.” She flashed a confident smile.
“Where are you takin’ us, kid? Do we even have a plan?” Illadar kept his eyes peeled in all directions in case any sudden, abnormal movements should take place within the shadows.
“I do not think any of us were prepared for this to happen. I’m going to take us to Lord Zalimond’s home. I figure if anyone knows the fastest way to alert the townsfolk of evacuation, it’ll be him.”
“This is going to be an interestin’ night. Let’s hope it all works out in the end.” Sweat began to form on Illadar’s dark, muscular arms. He was definitely feeling the tension of their situation.
Kale tried to focus on getting them to their destination as quickly as possible. He thought back to the tour of Braxle Theresa had given him, remembering each turn to take. A surge of disappointment weighed in the back of his mind. He secretly wished General Jedah would have had the nerve to rear his ugly, bald head within Braxle. Kale thought of how sweet slicing his neck in two would be. However, he knew, realistically, there would be no chance only the four of them would rise victorious over the full force of Jedah’s massive army.
Although freeing Judith of her curse would result in the general’s execution, Kale would not be satisfied. Kale longed to avenge the innocent and dragon-kind. He desired to stare deep into the general’s eyes as he forced the nefarious monstrosity into an eternal slumber. Kale laughed aloud at his own thoughts as he unknowingly bared his teeth in an animalistic snarl.
“Is this the place?” Neelan questioned Kale.
Kale had been so deeply wrapped in his own thoughts he failed to realize they were standing directly in front of the Lord’s home.
“Yes, this is it.” Kale glanced toward the house. “All lights appear to be off. He is about to receive one devil of an awakening.”
“What had you expected? Most normal individuals are resting well by this time.” Thomas rested a hand on Kale’s shoulder. “Shall we proceed now?”
Kale nodded. His throat felt dry and his stomach twisted in knots as he approached Lord Zalimond’s door. There is no turning back now. Kale’s knuckles firmly rapped against the wood, creating a repetitive rhythm until they saw the flickering light of an oil lamp through an oversized window.
“Who is it? Are you aware of the time?!” a disoriented sounding male voice called out after several moments of silence. “This better be of the utmost importance.”
The door creaked open to reveal a stout, middle-aged man with a plump, round face and thick black mustache. His receding black hair stood out in all directions and his attire consisted of a long blue nightshirt.
Lord Zalimond held the lamp toward Kale’s face. “Who are you?” Thick-ridged wrinkles formed upon his forehead.
“My name is Kale, and we have come with urgent news. There is an army of men en route to Braxle prepared to attack. They are ruthless and will surely claim the lives of anyone they cross.”
&n
bsp; The Lord’s small beady eyes narrowed as he silently stared toward Kale—attempting to read his expression. Suddenly, he burst into a fit of laughter. “You expect me to believe this?” The skin between his eyes wrinkled as he insisted, “Be gone! Braxle is a peaceful town; we have neither guards nor trained soldiers. Why would anyone possibly dispatch an army to attack? It makes little sense. We have nothing of value anyone could possibly desire so badly.”
Lord Zalimond had a natural way of coming off as irritating. This made Kale grateful that throughout his time within Braxle, he went unnoticed by the self-absorbed Lord. It was a rare sight for Zalimond to be seen roaming the streets.
“Lord, I assure you what this kid says is true.” Illadar stepped forward to Kale’s side.
“Galin! You’ve returned already?” He paused. “How can you be so sure of what this young man says? And why did you abandon your job at the blacksmith forge?” His beady eyes now glanced across the four as if to ensure there were no others present whom he would recognize. “Are these your friends?”
Neelan tugged upon the hood of her cloak to ensure it safely concealed her pointed ears.
“Yes, they’re all with me and we haven’t much time to spare,” Illadar quickly replied.
“Ah, I do believe I have seen the old fellow in town before.” Lord Zalimond glanced toward Thomas.
Thomas grunted, trying not to take much offense to the Lord’s ill-mannered words.
“We don’t have the time for a reunion,” Kale interrupted their conversation. “They could attack at any moment and we must evacuate the citizens.”
“From which direction will this attack strike?” Lord Zalimond seemed to believe his warning by this point as his tone grew serious.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have any information on their location.” Kale knew that time was far too short to engage in an explanation about Malakhar, or even Elanya who informed them of the attack.
“Evacuating the people of this town is an unwise decision which I will not endorse. You could very well be leading the citizens directly toward the army—straight to their deaths.”
They knew he made a solid point and did not further argue. Kale also knew that by the time they evacuated such a large group to safety, Malakhar and the army would have most likely burnt Braxle down to ash. Kale tugged at his black hair and groaned in frustration. He knew they could not prevent casualties, unless the people were each removed from their homes.
“Is there anywhere we could hide them?” Illadar suggested. “If we can’t get ’em out of here, then we should try to find a means to hide them safely within the town.”
“Not possible. There is nowhere large enough to accommodate such a number of individuals.” Zalimond shook his head.
Kale could feel his temper rising when it dawned on him—the secret location Theresa spoke of, beneath the Lord’s grand home. “There is somewhere!” Kale exclaimed with enthusiasm.
“Pardon?” Zalimond raised a black bushy brow.
“I am aware of the room beneath your home, hidden away from the townsfolk, and unknown by most. From what I have heard, it should be adequate for the accommodations we need. The people could hide there until this is all over.”
“N-no,” the Lord stammered. “You have heard wrong. There is no such place.”
“Don’t lie to us, you greedy cur! What riches do you possibly think will remain if the town is demolished?” Kale’s arm shot out as he gripped the Lord’s nightshirt, pulling him so close he could feel Zalimond’s breath against his face. “Listen,” Kale growled, “there are many innocent people sleeping within their beds as we speak—women, children, and infants. Now, we will try this one last time and, so help me, you’d better tell the truth or I’ll rip you apart.” His upper lip curled, baring his teeth in anger. The scent of burning cloth filled Kale’s nostrils. He quickly released his grip before any harmful damage had been done.
Lord Zalimond’s face paled and tiny beads of sweat formed above his lip. “All right, yes, I have a treasury. It was built to secure my wealth, and could probably fit each citizen inside. B-but, how did you do that…?” He glanced toward the browned area of cloth on his nightshirt where Kale had touched.
“This is no time for such questions!” Illadar came to Kale’s aid.
Lord Zalimond’s eyes glanced to the ground in defeat. “Right… I shall dress and inform my wife of the situation, and then we will begin our alert.”
“We must go now; do not worry about your appearance and your wife will be fine for the moment.” Thomas gestured toward the petite, middle-aged woman who now stood behind Zalimond. “What part of the enemy may arrive at any moment do you not comprehend? We need you to join our party for the time being so the citizens are confident we speak the truth.” Thomas’ temper had been pressed and he too was quite agitated by the Lord’s careless behavior.
“All right,” Zalimond replied as he turned to face his wife. He gave her a firm nod as if to tell her everything would be fine before stepping into his home. The Lord retrieved a hand bell located near his front door. “Let us go, then.”
The Lord’s method of alarming the citizens seemed inadequate, but there was no further time to come up with alternate ideas. They made their way briskly down the streets of town as Zalimond frantically clanged the bell. It seemed as though the seriousness of the situation had finally sunk into his thick skull.
Kale and the others began to run from door to door, banging their fists upon the wood to wake each family.
“You must leave for the Lord’s home immediately; there is an attack en route now! Please wait outside his door. More information will be forthcoming shortly!” Thomas repeatedly called these words, reinforcing it to the more stubborn or confused individuals.
Mothers and fathers rushed to grab their children, while others rummaged through their belongings to retrieve valuables or family heirlooms before leaving. The town was now in a state of panic.
“We will take care of things from here on,” Kale told Lord Zalimond. “You should return to your home and ensure everyone gets safely inside.” As the Lord turned to leave, Kale firmly gripped his arm, “And do not even think of attempting anything foolish.” His voice was low and threatening.
“I am the Lord of this town; I will make certain they are safe within the underground chamber.” He yanked his arm free and left for his home.
They continued down each street, double checking many of the homes to ensure each was empty. Kale even scouted the tavern to ensure no townsfolk were still indulging in a late night drink. As he confidently made his way back toward his comrades, he heard a man’s voice calling to him. Kale spun around to see a group of nine men standing in a close-gathered group.
“I told you it was him!” One of the men exclaimed. “You’re the young man from the tavern that night, when the odd fellow in black came in.”
The foggy memory of Kale’s night out with Theresa raced through his mind as he began to vaguely recall a few of the men’s faces. “Yes, it is me. I do appreciate the aid you provided that night, but I assure you it is in your best interest to follow the others to Lord Zalimond’s home. You’ll find sanctuary there from the oncoming attackers,” Kale urged the men to make haste.
“Not happenin’.” The heavy set man who had assisted him and Illadar that night crossed his arms. “We’ve all decided we aren’t gonna’ run and hide. We will stand and fight—Braxle is our home and no one is gonna’ take it from us.”
“You have no idea what you’re up against! Do not be fools—the army that will soon arrive consists of well-trained warriors who will show no mercy under command.”
“Let them come. Braxle will soon enough be their grave,” another man spoke up, and the others supported his words with cheers. His massive arms bulged from a sleeveless tunic as he pounded a fist into his palm.<
br />
“Besides,” the first man dove back into the conversation, “Lord Zalimond is already in the process of sealing them into some secret room of which he spoke. There is no turning back now.” He ran a hand over his tightly, pulled-back, brown hair. “We might not be well-trained warriors—but we are strong and able. By the looks of your numbers, you could use additional support.”
The last thing Kale needed was to look after a band of commoners who had no prior sword fighting experience. It was a death sentence for them. Despite his disagreement with the circumstances, Kale knew they were right to assume there would be no turning back at this point. He would need to make the best of the situation and begin preparations with the unknown time remaining before the attack. In the back of Kale’s mind, he couldn’t comprehend why Jedah did not choose to come for the battle. It was he, after all, who had sworn to slaughter the final dragon. The thought made Kale uneasy.
“Fine,” he finally graced the men with a response, “if you are willing to risk your life for this town, then follow me.” He quickly led the group toward the blacksmithing forge which he had grown to know very well. They rummaged through the entire workshop, taking anything they could find that was ready for battle.
Kale watched in dismay as only a couple of the men handled their weaponry appropriately. The others clumsily swung their steel around as though it were a toy. Kale’s mood was lifted when he took notice of the neatly organized piles of armor. It was obvious that a new blacksmith had taken over the shop.
“Men, come here and find something that fits properly. This should assist greatly while in combat.” Kale commanded. He was proud of himself for his ability to lead the group.
