by Aaron Thomas
Chit nodded his head in acceptance.
“Good. After all that is why I invited Gortus. He’s going to train you just like he did Kilen,” Atmos said.
The Kapal in the corner didn’t stand, but simply spoke over the king, “No.”
The king stopped and turned to look at the face still covered by shadow. “You deny me?”
Gortus had finished picking the meat off of a bone with pointed teeth and tossed it onto the plate he was eating from. “I will train no one. I have already trained a human against Kapal customs and look at what it has caused.”
Atmos spat as he yelled, “You will do as you are told!”
Chit was surprised at how suddenly everything unfolded. Gortus slowly stood from his chair and Lorusk drew his sword and stepped between the Kapal and the king. Chit, being slow to react, drew his sword and stood beside the captain.
Gortus didn’t draw his sword but just laughed, “You forget why I am here. You pay me to eliminate magical threats. Not to train your men.” The pale eyes of the Kapal looked at Chit and the Captian, “I would have your men stand down unless you want their entrails on your throne.” The dark skinned man flashed white pointed teeth, stained red from his rare meal, at an attempt to smile.
Lorusk whispered to Chit, “Do no let him get his sword free.”
Gortus laughed at the Captain's instructions to Chit.
The king ignored Gortus’ threat to his men with swords out. “Why do you refuse to train my men?”
The Captain looked at Chit for only a moment but it was long enough. Gortus grabbed hold of Lorusk’s sword and twisted it while yanking it to the side. Lorusk went rolling to the side. Gortus, now holding Lorusk’s sword by the blade, blocked Chit’s swing and, with his free hand, punched Chit in the throat. With both men disarmed, he threw the sword to the side and grabbed a new piece of meat off the plate.
“I refuse to train them because they are human. You see, Kilen was untrained and not used to holding a blade. He was like a baby and I trained him as one. Those that already know the blade cannot be trained in the way I teach. They think they already know how to fight, and yet they know nothing. Your men cannot be trained so, yes, I refuse. Besides, training is not my job. My job is to kill those who others cannot touch.” He sat back down, showing his confidence in power over the men. The king could not use magic while Gortus was near. “When I trained Kilen, it was because I thought he was the human that was prophesied about. The one that would bring peace and restoration to my people. I was wrong and now I must live apart from them for my failures. I will not make the same mistake twice.”
The king looked at his two soldiers lying on the ground, one still clutching his throat. “Fine, then your new mission is to kill Kilen.”
Gortus grunted and finished chewing the meat in his mouth. “You know I cannot. He is a weapon bearer of the Elder Wizards. By the law of my people he is untouchable. The Elder Wizards saved the Kapal from the Dark Army. The Elder Wizards and their weapon bearers are out of my reach. I should kill you for even suggesting it.”
Gortus got up and took a step closer to the king. Atmos took a step back and flexed his muscles, ready to fight empty handed. Gortus continued to close in on the king and when he was close enough, the king fell to a knee unable to support even his own weight. The rings and power he had continuously used over the years had taken their toll. He was unable to stand in his armor with his weakened body. He breathed hard just trying to stay in a kneeling position.
“My time with you is over.” Gortus left the tent and the king’s magic was restored and allowed him to return to his upright position. Chit was still choking for air on the ground. After retrieving his sword, Lorusk pulled Chit to his feet.
“How do you want us to proceed, sire?” Lorusk asked the king.
Without looking back at the soldiers, now standing, in his tent he spoke at the tent door Gortus had disappeared through, “Train the Champion to kill the weapon bearer.”
Lorusk grabbed Chit by the back of the neck and drug him from the king’s tent.
Chapter 11 - Weapon Bearer
The camp was usually quiet when the sun came up, but this morning was different. Auburn fell asleep in the saddle and Bowie had to hold her up. Bowie and Auburn arrived back at camp late in the night when he handed her off the to watchmen to put to bed. It was nearly daylight by the time his head hit the pillow.
Bowie awoke to the sounds of shouting from within the camp. Prying his eyes open he made himself get out from underneath the wool blanket. The day was already hot and humid, he was sure if he could see the sky there would not be a cloud in it. He hadn’t taken off his pants or linen shirt the day before, so he splashed a bit of water on his face to wake up. He rubbed the sporadic stubble on his face and knew he would need to shave soon. Pulling on his jacket, he went out into the camp to see what the commotion was. He hoped it was not another fight between Ria and Auburn.
The first soldier that saw him looked surprised. He wondered if the watchmen forgot to report that he had returned. He walked through the camp trying to find the source of the commotion. Bowie cleared the crust from his eyes as he wandered in and out of the sea of green tents. When he came upon the source of the shouts, he found John pushing others away from a man on the ground. A hunting party had returned and still had fresh game on their horses. Bowie caught a couple glimpses before he figured out what was going on. A man in a leather strapped outfit laid on the ground with an arrow sticking from his shoulder and another sticking from his leg.
“Get back!” Bowie shouted.
Everyone turned to see Bowie standing beside the crowd. John stood straighter as he was trying to keep everyone away from the injured man. When Bowie got closer he recognized the arrows sticking out of the man, they were made by his company.
He knelt next to the man, seeing fear in his eyes, “I am sorry for the injuries. We will get those arrows out of you and get you fixed up as soon as we can.” Bowie turned to John, “How did this happen?”
John looked between the man and Bowie, a little hesitant to answer, “Our men found him when returning from the hunt. He was watching the camp so they were able to surprise him.”
Bowie looked at John, “Send someone to get bandages and fresh water and send another to get Wizard Ria.”
John didn’t move but instead cleared his throat and motioned Bowie to follow. When they were out of hearing distance John whispered to Bowie.
“You know who that is, right?”
Bowie looked back at the man still in pain, unsure who he was supposed to be.
“I don’t recognize him. He’s dressed in the same clothes as a fire wizard. Well, he’s dressed similarly to Mary, the fire council for the king.”
John put his hand on Bowie’s shoulder, “All soldiers from the Fire Realm dress this way.”
It took Bowie a moment, but he remembered the man from the inn in town. He now knew why the town was acting so strangely. Enemy soldiers were in town. John recognized the look on Bowie’s face as one of understanding.
“He’s seen our camp and our numbers. More scouts may be out there watching us right now. We have come so far, we are within the Fire Realm’s vision.” John said as he tried to keep the rest of the soldiers at bay.
“There was another in the town. I met him at the inn and he said he was loyal to the king. I told him the king would arrive in the next couple weeks.”
John took the hat from his head in order to run his hands through his hair.
“We need to find a way to stop the scouts from gaining too much information.” He pointed at the man with the arrows sticking from his body, “We need to figure out what to do with him. Most of the men are wanting him killed. I am trying to convince them he needs to be questioned.”
Bowie rubbed the bit of hair he had on his face, watching the man bleed from the arrows his men had managed to stick in him.
“Clear out one of the tents and put him in it. Set a guard outside the tent and
one inside. I do not want him to know what is going on here.”
John nodded and started to send men scrambling to complete the tasks.
Bowie walked back to the wounded man and knelt down next to him.
“What is your name?”
The man said nothing in response.
“I was hoping to get to know you a little, but if you won’t talk to me that’s fine. I will wait until the scouts return and they will certainly get to know you.”
Bowie walked away as John ordered men to take him to the tent. Bowie saw Tyler keeping fletchers on task so he turned to talk to him.
“Tyler, I need you to do two things. First, double the hunting parties. Tell them to keep an eye out for any more Fire Realm scouts. Second, get a range built for training two or three fletchers at a time. I want every person in this camp to learn to wield a bow as soon as they can. We may have to go to battle sooner than we thought.”
Tyler nodded his head and ran to get the hunting parties organized. Bowie headed back to the scout tents.
John exited the small tent with a few men carrying the enemy toward the entrance. Bowie opened the tent flap and got halfway inside before turning back to John.
“Show the wizard in when she arrives.”
Bowie stepped inside and sat on a stool in the corner. The guard inside looked at Bowie, unsure what to do. Bowie motioned him outside with his head. When the tent closed Bowie removed his hat and scratched his head.
“Sorry about the arrows. My men can get a little excited when they catch the enemy near their camp. I am glad that it’s not one of my barbed arrow tips. They have small hooks on them making the head sink in further the more you move.” Bowie reached out and tapped the tip of the broken arrow sticking out of the man’s leg, “This one is definitely not barbed.”
The man winced in pain and Bowie fought back the urge to wince as well. Bowie had seen creatures with arrows stuck in them. He had gutted them. He had watched as his father stripped them of their skin and cut up their meat. He, however, had never let one suffer long after putting an arrow in them. He didn’t know if he had the stomach for it.
Bowie steeled himself to make an effort at getting answers from the injured man that he now tried to picture as an animal.
“If you won’t talk, then I will at least tell you who I am. My name is Sergeant Crescent. Only a year ago I was a businessman. You see, I make arrows. Not just any arrows but the best in the Water and Earth realm. I was put in charge of a section of recruits during training and formed them into this group. We are soldiers in the Earth Realm’s army that specialize in hunting down our enemies. Whomever they might be.”
Bowie pulled an arrow from his quiver and began spinning the arrow, watching the arrowhead’s sharp edges flicker.
“It’s no surprise that you have not heard of us before; we end up killing most of our prey. Sometimes they end up killing themselves.”
Bowie had never seen anyone torchered, especially with an arrow sticking from them, so he tried to picture the man as a deer. He knew that was only way to get through this.
“Getting answers from our enemies is similar to dressing a deer. Their body parts are much like a man’s. When I use to kill a deer for my father, I would start by removing the gut. The first thing to do is to make a slit down the middle of the chest and abdomen, all the way to the tail. Not too deep, mind you. Just deep enough to get through the skin. There are two cavities you have to worry about. The one where the lungs and heart are and the one with the guts and other organs. A skillful hunter will be able to remove all the organs in the lower cavity while the animal still breaths. They will be able to keep the meat from getting tainted by the contents of the bowls. Only the best can do it without making it bleed to death.”
Bowie paused and tried to picture what it would be like for the deer.
“After those organs are removed, it gets more dangerous. The deer is probably fighting for its life or realizes it’s close to death. So it’s time to put it down. You spread open the cut you’ve made on the upper cavity and have to get through the bone.”
Bowie stopped talking when Ria and Auburn opened the tent flap.
Auburn had dark circles under her eyes, but she wore a different dress and her hair was up in a bun, much like the one Ria had. The two women stepped through the door and Ria wasted no time examining the man. She pulled a small seed from her pocket and dropped it on the ground. She looked at Bowie and then at the seed. He knew what he was supposed to do. Pulling the water skin from his belt, he poured some water on the seed. It burst open with small green tendrils reaching into the dirt and sky. The small plant made a sparse amount of leaves and Ria waved Auburn into the tent.
“I suppose you have been threatening him?” Ria asked.
“We were just having a conversation. Well, I was talking and he was listening,” Bowie said.
Auburn poured a small tea cup full of steaming water and Ria picked a couple leaves from the plant and put them in the water. Auburn said nothing and waited for Ria’s cue’s.
Ria put the cup to the man’s lips. “Drink this, it will help.”
The man watched Bowie and then looked back at the two women offering him the drink. He took the cup with his good arm and drank the contents. The man let out a sigh as the hot drink went down his throat.
“If you will leave us be a little while, I will get the answers you need Master Crescent.” Ria did not look up from the wound on the man’s leg while he drank.
Bowie looked confused, “I don’t think that is good idea. What if he attacks you?”
Ria looked at Bowie as if he had food on his face, “I am a wielder of earth magic and this man has two arrows in him. I think I can care for the two of us. Besides, the tea I just had him drink is a rare herb, it clouds the mind and numbs the body, and as I told him it will help. It will definitely help us. The tea also loosens the tongue.” Ria arched an eyebrow while looking at the injured man. “I am sure he is already feeling the effects of the tea. Besides, if the tea does not work…” Ria grabbed the arrow sticking from the man’s leg and yanked it free. The man let out a scream that Bowie was sure would wake everyone in camp and maybe alert some outside of camp. She held the arrow in her hand and inspected the bloody tip. “I have other methods of persuasion.”
She turned her back to Bowie. “Leave us.”
Auburn gave Bowie a look that said she was scared about what would happen in the tent. Bowie started to back out of the tent hesitantly.
Ria began soothing the man, “Come now, the arrow had to come out one way or another.”
John was already standing at the tent’s exit when Bowie came out. “What is going on in there?”
Bowie ushered him away from the group that was staring at the tent.
“Ria is questioning the man.”
John looked back over Bowie’s shoulder to look at the tent.
“John, she is a wizard. She can handle herself with an injured man.”
John nodded and Bowie continued on to his own tent with the corporal in tow. Once inside Bowie took off his hat and tossed it on his cot. “I don’t know if I can continue to lead these men, John. You are more fit for the job.”
“Fit or not, they follow you. We all follow you now.” John sat down next to Bowie, “I have been in the army for a few years. I have seen men in charge, and I have seen leaders. Leaders get respect from their men because of their actions. Men in charge only get respect by laws, money, and position. Those men follow you because you have something that makes you different. You need to find whatever it is that they follow and use it to lead them safely through this battle.” John stopped talking for a moment and just looked at Bowie, “What did that man say to you?”
“Nothing. He said nothing. John, I didn’t even know he was a threat until you told me. I saw a man in town yesterday and gave him information not knowing he was an enemy. He could have killed me right there while I ordered a bowl of stew.”
“He didn’t.
I will do my best to help you lead these men, but they won’t follow me into battle.” John was turning his hat by the brim in his hands as he talked.
Bowie took a moment to think over what John said. He knew that the only two things he had done were bring his archery skill and business talent with him. Doubting himself, he hoped he could continue to lead the men with those two talents.
“I think it is time I get my hands dirty then. Some things will change here. I need you to keep this troop moving and make sure Auburn keeps those fletchers making arrows.”
John put his hat on his head and nodded in agreement.
Just as John stood to leave, Ria’s voice came carrying through the tent flaps with the guard outside stopping Ria and Auburn from entering.
Bowie called out, “Let them in.”
He stood, offering Ria his stool as she entered. Auburn went past and settled in on the cot next to John.
“How did the herbs work?” Bowie asked.
Ria smoothed her dress covered in vine-like stitching, “They worked fine. They are taking his body out of camp now.”
Bowie and John both jumped up in shock from where they sat. Auburn sat with her head down and Ria acted as if nothing had happened.
Bowie didn’t know what to say, so John spoke in his silence, “How did he die?”
“He died from the poison I gave him. Neither of you were able to finish him and we won’t be able to cart along an enemy without him dying from the hands of one of the soldiers. I did what you two could not bring yourself to.” The words rolled off Ria’s tongue as if she had done them a favor.
John was furious, “We were trying to question him!”
Bowie put a hand on John’s shoulder to try and calm him down.
Auburn spoke while still looking down, “He answered all of her questions. He said he was a scout for the Fire Realm. He said he was to report the sighting of our army to his troops. They were supposed to attack us in small groups, killing as many of us as they could.” Auburn looked up at Bowie, “He was informed of our position by one of his troops in town.”
