by Sharon Gibbs
Kovak stood near Arnak and watched as their men passed out through the glimmer of the shield. The front of the battle was quite a distance away and Kovak set forward to fight this battle and win. He watched as a horse and rider galloped towards the force field and wondered what would happen if they failed to stop before they reached the protective wall. The rider hurtled forward and showed no sign of slowing and as Kovak watched the man drew his sword and held it aloft.
This is it! Kovak thought as the rider approached. Kovak’s jaw opened in shock as the soldiers before the man were cast aside and the rider passed unhindered through Athena’s barrier. The soldiers that marched towards the fray were flung aside; it was as if the rider had parted the sea. Christopher was angry. This army under Athena’s evil spell had all but destroyed the people and the land of Solencia and as much as it pained him to take another’s life he knew the evil in them would never stop. They couldn’t.
Kovak realised who the rider was and he ran towards him.
Christopher would be his.
Christopher saw Kovak approach and his essence roared. The way he’d found Elle last night, battered, bruised and tethered had sickened him. Kovak was pure evil and Christopher would make him pay for the way he’d abused her.
Through the mud Christopher reined his horse towards the Captain and as he closed in he slowed his mount and jumped from her back. Landing upon his feet with his sword in his hands he stormed forward.
As Christopher closed the distance between them, Kovak saw a strange glow emit from his foe’s eyes and he faltered as Christopher rampaged towards him. Christopher’s anger roared through the sword and with a flick of his wrist the soldiers between Kovak and himself were flung aside. No longer was he the youth Kovak had first met in the marketplace. Gone was the young man who Kovak could rile whenever he chose. Now before him was a rampaging beast which sent a shiver of fear slithering up Kovak’s spine.
As Christopher strode forward Kovak raised his sword and attacked. Christopher slammed his weapon into Kovak’s to block its path and the steel of the inferior sword crumbled with the force of the impact. Then Christopher retaliated in earnest. He swung his talisman around and as it cut through the air Christopher felt the instant the sword touched Kovak’s flesh and sliced its way through the taut muscle.
A faint sound emitted as the steel sliced through Kovak’s windpipe and crunched through the bones of his neck. Christopher withdrew his sword before he decapitated the man. Kovak’s eyes were wide with shock as his head slowly toppled backwards and his heart pumped his life’s blood from his body. Blood gushed from his aorta and sprayed forth as his legs buckled beneath his body. Kovak collapsed to the ground, twitching as the messages sent from his brain to move reached their destination too late. Christopher stepped over his body and moved on.
Athena was caught up in the battle that raged. She sent pulses of her dark magic towards the Wizards and their forces while at the same time she held on to what remained of the shield. But because she did both things simultaneously it weakened her gift and she couldn’t commit her entire power to either. The Wizards cast their own protective shields to rebuff her attacks but as they’d never used their magic in battle before, it took all their efforts to deflect the onslaught that Athena conjured. The men of the fold were strong and they continued to fight their bewitched foe and pushed forward through the shield. Even though Arnak’s men had been bound to him through magic, they were still mortal and they fell under the blade.
Arnak had witnessed Christopher’s advance upon Kovak and saw how easily he’d dispatched him. Kovak’s soul rose up and as it tried to move on to the next world, the Lord of the Underlands called it to his realm. His essence was sucked down as were all the fallen bewitched by Athena’s magic, and so with each soul Zute collected, his army in the Underlands grew.
Arnak roared as he approached Christopher. ‘You’re mine! Today you will die.’ He strode towards Christopher, his broadaxe in his hands ready to attack.
Christopher heard Arnak and looked up. Although Arnak was still as large as Christopher remembered, he’d aged. His once athletic frame had now thickened, and the years that had passed had turned this youthful Lord into a burly tyrant.
With Henry and Clarence’s guidance, Christopher had practised with his power and he now used what he’d learnt to cast forth his Wizard’s essence. He aimed his power at Arnak’s chest, but as the force he released connected with Arnak’s armour, it sizzled and was absorbed. Christopher tried again. This time he sent a ball of magic forth, a blast that would knock his foe down. Christopher cast his orb. It hurtled through the air towards Arnak.
Arnak laughed as he held his broadaxe up and took the impact. ‘You fool! You can’t match the magic of the Dark Lord. His axe protects me.’ Arnak then released Zute’s power from the axe. Bolts of blue lightning shot forth. Christopher instinctively raised his arms to defend himself and his essence created a protective shield to reflect Arnak’s attack.
Christopher moved forward and returned Arnak’s powerful blasts. As he drew near, he met his foe in a clash of wills, but the sword and the axe were too good a match for each other. The heavy bulk of the axe and the nimble swiftness of the sword were both just as deadly. This battle would come down to the one who wielded their weapon best, and so the two began their own dance—to the death.
Arnak swung his axe but Christopher moved back and then counter-attacked with his sword. Arnak wore a shield of thick metal across his forearm which he used to help deflect Christopher’s advances. The only time the two weapons met was when the sword cut into the handle of the broadaxe. Christopher used his essence to help block the axe’s path as it swung towards his flesh. He kept his wits about him and was able to defend and then attack on his own terms. Both men looked for any weakness, any mistake, so they could inflict the final blow.
The souls of the army moved past Arnak and Christopher, on towards their goal. The men of Solencia ploughed through the gap in the shield and their attack had expanded now they were inside.
Jack and Peter led the fold and directed their attack. The bewitched army moved on past their Lord and his opponent as the two wielded their weapons in battle. Arnak’s axe swung through the air and missed its target, but impaled anything it touched. Time and time again Christopher rebuffed Arnak’s attacks, and when he saw his opportunities he took them only to be deflected by the broadaxe or Arnak’s heavy arm shield.
Arnak used his strength, while Christopher was nimble and able to dodge. The two battled on. Arnak saw his chance as Christopher slipped. Christopher had stepped back to find a secure foothold but the ground he stood upon was slippery and for a split second he’d lost his balance. Arnak seized the moment, and using both hands, he swung his mighty axe, aiming it at Christopher’s side. Arnak intended to drive his axe deep into Christopher’s flesh and inflict a wound that would cripple him, enabling him to deal his final blow.
As Christopher’s foot slid in the mud he knew Arnak would take his opportunity. He saw Arnak swing the broadaxe as his foot continued to slide and then his foot found something solid. A rock lay beneath the slush and as his foot caught hold, it gave him traction. Christopher balanced himself for Arnak’s blow. He used the rock for leverage as he twisted and ducked below the head of the broadaxe. The rock supported his weight as he lowered his body to avert the bite of the steel that hungered for his flesh, and he felt the breath of the axe as it swung over him. Arnak had used such force as he’d swung his weapon that he couldn’t stop the momentum and the axe continued on its trajectory and spun him around.
Christopher pushed off from the stone. He whipped around and swung his own weapon and his sword rang as it cleaved the air. The side of Arnak’s neck was exposed and Christopher aimed to sink his sword into the exposed flesh.
Athena had moved forward and now watched as Arnak fought with Christopher. Her fight with the Wizards had slowed as her bewitched army fought on. She moved closer to watch her brother as he swung th
e fatal blow and saw how Christopher eluded the force of his axe. Arnak was vulnerable and as Christopher found his foothold and began his own retaliation, Athena saw the realisation of the move he was about to make. In that moment she recalled all her power. The shield fell and in one swift movement she thrust her power towards Christopher. Athena intended to kill him.
Her ball of power shot forth and headed for the One as he made his final turn. His sword was aimed and it sang as it ripped through the air; his intent was to take the head of the snake. As Christopher’s sword rounded and sailed towards Arnak, Athena’s power ball flew forward. Christopher was its intended victim, but as the sword swung it was intercepted by Athena’s orb of light and the weapon’s course was altered and, deflected, the orb slid up the steel. The swords path had changed and only the steel’s razor sharp tip slid along the side of Arnak’s neck. The blade was so sharp that Arnak didn’t feel its bite. Athena’s power struck Christopher and lifted him from the ground. It thrust him back into the sodden earth and he landed among the bodies of the fallen, his talisman falling from his grasp.
When the shield fell, Henry and Clarence rushed forward as did the fold. No longer did Athena’s magic hold them back and the entire army ran into the fight. United, this group fought together to battle their foe. Some of their men fell, but they knew the price of freedom wouldn’t come without cost and they protected each other as best they could.
Henry saw Athena approach Arnak. Arnak stood before his sister but Christopher’s sword had already done the damage it needed to. The slit in the side of Arnak’s neck spurted with blood and he fell to his knees. Athena rushed forward and caught Arnak as he fell to the ground. She cradled him in her arms as his heart beat for the last time. She called to him and shook him, but he was gone.
As the fold fought on, the army around them began to fall. The soldiers had been bound by magic to their Lord and with his death they, too, perished. The battle was over and the bodies of their enemies lay upon the sodden earth and the Lord Zute claimed the souls, which were rightfully his.
Athena screamed when she saw Arnak’s soul rise from his body and watched in horror as he was sucked into the Underlands. Zute had claimed him to fulfil his bargain.
Henry and Clarence aimed their magic towards Athena. In her weakened state they would be able to overpower her.
Athena saw the Wizards draw their power and so she did what she had to. She summoned her gift and recalled herself to where she was bound, her safe haven, the inner chamber of The Sorcerer’s Dome.
Peter and James helped Christopher to his feet. He was muddy, bloody, battered and bruised but he was alive.
Solencia was again a free land but this freedom had come at a great cost.
Peter looked around, the sound of the battle had ceased and now the only sounds he heard came from the men of the fold, as they helped those who’d been injured.
Everyone worked together to move the injured back to camp. Once there, they were placed in tents to rest and wait while the Wizards healed them. Elle helped where she could but she wasn’t yet fully recovered.
The three Wizards worked through the night to make sure their men were comfortable. Those with minor injuries had to wait the longest, but they didn’t complain and were grateful to be alive.
Early the next morning, riders were sent back to each town and village to collect supplies and return with more men. Not only were there graves to dig but also Arnak’s army littered the land.
As for the men who’d died for their freedom, they were loaded into wagons and taken from the battleground to a nearby hill and there each man was laid to rest in his own grave with his name marked upon a stone.
Christopher looked around at the lifeless vessels that lay upon the ground, and what he saw saddened his heart. It was such a pointless waste of life.
The men of the fold set to work and salvaged what the army had left behind. What could be re-used was loaded into the wagons and taken back to the fold’s camp. Everything else they used to build pyres and the corpses of Arnak’s army were piled on top.
Meanwhile, the Wizards’ task was to blast the mounds so their fire engulfed all and the flames cleansed the earth. The smell of burnt flesh seared their senses as they worked tirelessly.
Elle helped around the camp and prepared meals for the men when they returned to rest from their horrendous work. Each man ate his fill and then took his rest before he returned to the battleground to continue on with the task of clearing the land.
Finally, weeks after they’d begun, their labour came to an end and all returned to camp. Exhausted they rested around their fires. They were physically and emotionally spent.
Chapter Forty-three
The sun’s rays shone upon the earth and a light breeze blew across the land as Christopher asked for all in the fold to gather. Today they’d leave and return home to their families. They stood by the edge of the camp and looked over the area where the battle had taken place. Piles of ash littered the landscape as far as the eye could see.
Henry and Clarence stood on each side of Christopher. They’d together decided they wouldn’t ease each man’s horrific experience; to do so would take away what they’d fought for. Instead they would wipe the land clean and give each man hope and a new vision for the future.
Christopher addressed those gathered. ‘Such a waste of life we’ve seen. But the price of freedom isn’t without cost. Our losses have been many and for their sacrifices we’re humbled. The families of those departed who are left behind, will be taken under our wings and there will be a place for them in our lives and in our hearts. They shall not want. You’ve shown great strength in your fight for freedom and I, too, feel saddened as we all have suffered from this devastation.’ They all knew how many lives Christopher had taken when he’d entered the shield and enabled the fold to swarm inside.
‘Freedom is yours. Cherish it as it shouldn’t be taken for granted. We must guard it always. Return home with your heads held high and begin your lives anew. Let all you’ve seen guide you,’ Christopher said.
Then the Wizards called to the winds. They held their arms out towards the land and called their spell across the valley. At first the breeze was light, it ruffled the leaves on the trees and sent ripples through the grassland. As they continued on, the wind gathered speed until it became a raging gale. The currents swirled and lifted the ash from the mounds to darken the sky and spread it far across the land.
As the roar died down, what ash remained settled back upon the earth and as it did the haze in sky began to clear. The landscape before them had changed. Although it was still scarred by the thousands who’d trampled upon its surface, it was no longer pockmarked with the ashes of the dead. As they scanned the plains they all knew, in time, nature would reclaim what was hers and life would begin anew. This filled them with hope and the desire to return home.
‘You’re all welcome if you choose to come to Canistar and make your homes there. There’ll be work for many as the village and Keep are to be restored. There’s a place there for you and your families if you so choose. Tell others if they need, there will be a place for them in the north,’ Christopher said.
Christopher, Elle, Henry and Clarence had decided they’d rebuild the Keep.
‘If you choose to come, you must make the journey soon. The first snow has already fallen and soon the trek up the mountain to the Keep will be impassable. Otherwise you’ll have to wait until the spring rains clear the snow,’ Henry said.
After the men of the fold had left, Christopher’s small party remained.
‘What now?’ Jack asked the group as they gathered around the fire. Soon they’d leave as well. Christopher sat next to Elle. She took his hand and he looked at her and nodded.
‘I’ll return with Christopher to his home in The Dale,’ Elle said.
Jack looked at Christopher.
‘Elle wishes to travel with me to take Rose and Albert back home. We’ll see them settled and well before we t
ravel to the Keep in Canistar. It was once my family home, and I’d like to return there and learn how to use my magic to benefit the people.’
Henry nodded. He saw that Christopher had accepted his gift and the responsibility that went along with it. ‘Good,’ Henry said. ‘We shall rebuild the Keep together. Hopefully there will be others that return and wish to do the same.’
‘Father, Jack, would you consider making your home in Canistar?’ Elle wanted her father and brother to be near her. Jack had only just returned to them and she’d missed him.
‘Yes, Atlas, we need a man with your knowledge,’ Clarence said. ‘Elle has told me of your skill as a stonemason. You’d be a great asset to us.’ Clarence knew a lot about Elle and her family. She’d been the only real source of contact for him over the past decade.
‘I don’t know if I still have it in me. I haven’t had to cut stone for nearly two decades.’
‘That’s not true, father. You’ve helped many people repair the damage done in Canameer.’
‘Well, Atlas, come to the Keep and stay a while, see how you feel. Once you’ve rested and you see your daughter safe, you may feel differently,’ Clarence said.
‘Oh please, father, say you’ll come.’
He smiled at his daughter. He’d go to be near her and make a new life for himself.
‘Jack, will you come?’
‘You know I will, Elle, but I can’t say for how long. I think domestic life would bore me to tears,’ he said and then laughed at Elle as she wrinkled up her nose.
‘Jack, I might have a plan to solve all your boredom,’ Christopher said.
‘I think you’re the man I need.’
‘To do what exactly?’
‘Train and lead an army. Solencia will never be without an armed force again.’
Jack felt this could be a plan for him as the army had been his life for such a long time and he’d be near his family. ‘Sounds interesting. I think I may have a few ideas,’ he said.
