Happy that Arach was safely up in the air and more than capable of defending himself if needed, Finley concentrated on helping keep the prince alive. Why the balgraf appeared to be singling the young royal out, he had no idea, but he would do anything he could to stop them. As he stood firm, he glanced back and noticed that one of the young men with the Prince was injured. Another balgraf came crashing down from above them, and Finley looked up to see Arach circling above knowing he was the one responsible for it. The creature was already dead as it smashed into the ground, its dark oil like blood oozing from its decapitated body as it twitched just ever so slightly.
“What’s that idiot doing?” Leonard shouted not understanding why Finley was just stood out in the open and asking to be attacked.
“Trust me he’ll be fine,” James replied, before looking down at the injured man to his left. Regan was conscious but bleeding from three wounds to his right shoulder where a balgraf claw had struck. The young prince was no fool and knew that if not for the man’s bravery, those injuries or perhaps even something worse would be his.
Although Finley carried the sword given to him by the Prince, he was not entirely sure what he was supposed to do with it. This had been something he had considered while on his long flight back from the town of Calness the previous day. With the weapon apparently not made for its intended use, as one might a proper sword, he had deduced, whether correctly or not, that it was similar to a magical staff. Hence, rather than use it for stabbing and slashing as anybody would think, it should be used for channelling his powers through; a theory he was just about to test.
The next balgraf to swoop down towards them did so from his left, but thanks to Arach keeping him informed of the imminent dangers, Finley knew it was coming. Turning sharply he held the sword up, before pointing the tip towards the approaching beast. Even Finley was somewhat surprised when a stream of lightning shot forth from the blade and up into the sky. The forks of light spread out before culminating into the balgraf, sending it crashing to the ground some fifty or so paces off across the palace yard.
Finley thought how exciting all this was, and could feel the power flowing through his body as he sent another creature crashing down from the sky. Holding his other arm aloft he laughed, the feeling of the magical energy inside him like a drug, and he wanted more. The Sword of Light was like nothing he had ever felt before as if the Gods themselves were feeding him the energy he needed, and for that brief moment, he felt invincible.
What had been one stream of light now spread out across the sky, the forks dividing, again and again, sending several more balgraf to their deaths. Finley laughed again as the energy felt so good as it poured through his entire body, a torrent of power so strong he knew he could destroy anything he wanted. However, he heard a stark warning appear at the back of his mind as if someone was telling him to calm. A few moments had passed before he realised it was Arach speaking to him, and Finley stopped abruptly.
Although somewhat regrettably, Finley lowered the Sword of Light, and suddenly the roaring surge of energy that had almost overcome him ceased. Suddenly his feeling of invulnerability appeared to be quite the opposite as he felt his legs wobble, as if almost unable to hold up his own weight. He felt someone grabbing him as the feeling of light-headedness overwhelmed him, and everything went dark.
Chapter 17.
Finley awoke to something wet and rough on his face. He lifted his hand up to wipe it away before opening his eyes to see a familiar face, “Sessi!” he said attempting to sit up a little. His body ached, every movement made him wince slightly, but he tried to put on a brave face, especially when he noticed a few others looking down at him.
Karesh was stood beside his mother, and at the end of the bed he was lying in, was Galdrac. “Mother!” he said rather weakly, “You’re better?” he asked.
She nodded and smiled his way before reaching down and lifting his hair from his eyes, gently pushing it to one side. “I am fine, but we need to get you sorted out,” she replied.
“Stupid thing you did!” came a somewhat grumpy sounding voice. “Nice to see you to Galdrac,” Finley answered turning his head slightly to look the old Mage’s direction.
Galdrac started wittering on about how he had warned Finley not to use his powers unless he had too. “I did have to, the city was under attack,” he replied not sure why he was getting a lecture.
“That is what Abalyon wants you to do my dear,” his mother added, seemingly backing up what Galdrac was moaning about. “The more you use, the more you will want, and he knows if that happens you will turn to him.”
“I will not,” Finley replied, feeling quite hurt by the remark, especially when it had come from his own mother.
Although in fairness, when holding the Sword of Light in his hand and feeling that torrent of raw energy flowing through his body he had felt like never before. Just the memory of that sensation made him want it again, and although the very thought of it scared him, he felt it pulling. Was this the what Galdrac was concerned about? How would the old fool know? He was just some pitiful Mage and no match for his own powers. The voices around him became almost superfluous. They were there, but he was not listening to them, and therefore they meant nothing.
He felt a sharp pain across his cheek as his mind quickly came back down to normal. “Finley! Don’t let it control you!” he heard his mother almost shouting at him. He looked at her as he lifted his hand to rub at his cheek where she had just slapped it. “Ouch!” he said, “What was that for?” His mother sat down on the bed beside him, explaining he had been rambling nonsense, a sign apparently he was not in control. “You must not let it control you. Use it sparingly, learn to command it,” she added.
Finley must have drifted back off to sleep after that, as when he opened his eyes again, everybody appeared to have left him. That was until he realised he was not actually awake, and this entire image was just what someone wanted him to see. “Abalyon, show yourself!” he shouted. The image flickered, and the room image around him turned to one of vast emptiness, an infinite darkness. “You have felt the power Zerus Maldhor. I can give you more, all you have to do is join with me,” came the now familiar voice of the fallen God.
Finley had felt that power, that much was true, and it was also correct that in those moments he had felt something. A feeling that everything else was insignificant, and that he was the most powerful being in the world, almost God-like. “Yes. I can give you those powers Zerus Maldhor. Feel the power of the Gods flowing through your veins, and rule this world for me.” For the first time, Finley actually appeared interested in what the dark swirling figure had to say as if those words were now making sense. Surely if he were all powerful, he could put an end to all the world's petty squabbles, there would be no need for Kings or Queens, as he could command the people.
A second figure appeared in the darkness and one that Finley had met just a short while back. A white light that almost dazzled him even in his dream world, and one he now knew to be Eldan, the God of the Humans. “Leave this place Abalyon. Why do you haunt this boy’s dreams?”
Abalyon was clearly not pleased with being interrupted, but let out a ghostly laugh, before his mist-like body swirled upwards and faded away.
The light figure of Eldan, looking little more than a boy in comparison to the dark face of Abalyon, approached Finley. “You have the Sword of Light. Use it only when the time is right to do so,” came the words. Finley felt a strange kind of comfort as a ghost-like hand lifted up towards his head. Although there was no feeling of physical contact, he felt as if something had passed between them when Eldan had touched him. A calming, serene feeling that made him feel at ease, a sense he no longer needed to feed the power that he had just a short time ago.
Finley sat up quickly, opening his eyes and pinching himself to make sure this was actually the real world he was seeing and not another of Abalyon’s tricks. His body no longer ached or yearned for power, nor did it feel weary as he had f
elt earlier. As a matter of fact, he felt fine, so much so he thought he no longer needed to be in bed. Deciding instead to get up, he threw back the sheets to see he was only in his underclothes, meaning somebody had even gone to the lengths of undressing him. Shaking his head not wanting to think about who that somebody might have been, he noticed his clothes draped across the back of a nearby chair, and his boots placed neatly beneath it.
No sooner had he dressed and was putting his foot into one his boots, when he heard someone enter through the door behind him. The fact that he could sense Sessi also entering made him guess it was probably Karesh and turned slightly to look over his shoulder to see he was indeed correct in his assumption. “How are you feeling?” the Orc asked, looking somehow different to how Finley remembered him. He wasn’t sure what it was about him, but he thought, Karesh appeared almost more grown-up. Perhaps he was. After all, the Orc had travelled across the barren wastelands and back all by himself, which was something he doubted he could have done had he been set the same task.
“I feel superb, completely refreshed,” Finley finally said, realising he had not answered his brother's question. Sessi strolled over, and Finley thought even the wolf looked bigger than he recalled, something he mentioned as he ruffled the fur behind Sessi’s ears. Finley turned around thinking he was missing something, although Karesh answered for him. “If you are looking for the Sword of Light, Mother has it. She says you can have it back when the time is right.” Although Finley felt somewhat annoyed the sword was not hers to take, the words just seemed to echo those that Eldan had spoken to him in his dream.
“Come on then brother,” he said getting to his feet and putting an arm on Karesh’s shoulder. “I am absolutely starving, now where do we have to go to get some decent food in this place? Where am I anyway?” he asked not even sure where he was, looking around the room. It was far to dingy and poorly decorated to be in the palace where he had been staying, which only confused him a little more.
“You are in the city infirmary. The King did not want you in the palace because he said you were a danger to everybody.”
Finley just shrugged, “Can’t please some people,” he said dryly as they exited through the door to his room and down a corridor with whitewashed walls. As they slowly strolled along, and out of the main doors, Karesh explained and updated his brother as to what had happened. Naturally, the King was grateful for the attack being repelled, but it appeared the people were now just as unsure of Finley as they were of the balgraf. “Some people think you are a God,” Karesh chuckled, thinking the whole idea quite preposterous.
“And what is wrong with them thinking that?” he asked a little hurt by his brother’s mocking tone.
Karesh left the question unanswered, instead, just chuckled a little more to himself as he walked over the infirmary yard towards a carriage. Finley was about to ask why they were travelling in such a thing when Karesh explained the King did not want him roaming the streets. People had witnessed Finley swooping down on a dragon before lighting up the sky and defeating the balgraf. Although unsure as to why the king did not want him seen on the streets, he climbed into the carriage nonetheless and waited for Sessi to follow before the driver got them underway.
Karesh explained that the King was feeling a little insignificant because of Finley. The man was struggling to keep his people motivated for war as it was, and now they had seen Finley make the Monarch almost superfluous. Why did the people need a King to rule them when they had a God? Finley actually felt somewhat bashful as his brother explained, and he could see things from the King’s point of view. “The young Prince though is a big fan of yours. He and the King have had quite the falling out over you.”
“Really?”
“The Prince wanted you honoured for saving his life and those of his men, as well as the city. He wanted you in the palace to recuperate, but alas the King had the final say.”
The last thing Finley had wanted was to cause trouble, although the thought of him being a God and replacing the king somehow played at the back of his mind. He shook his head, dispelling the foolish notion, deciding instead to peep through the small window in the carriage as it bounced through the city streets. Despite not being permitted in the palace to recover, it was apparently okay for him to visit, as Karesh explained that was where the others were.
The carriage was allowed to pass through the gates unchecked and pulled to a stop just outside the main entrance doors. Karesh clambered out first, squeezing his large frame out of the small doorway before Sessi went next. “After you,” he said sardonically to the wolf as it decided to push in front of him. “You and I need to have a chat,” he added as the wolf merely ignored the comment and continued on anyway.
The guards at the palace entrance seemed a little odd as he walked up the stone steps towards the doors. However, he heard a voice shouting from somewhere to his right and stopped to see who it was. “James,” he mumbled under his breath as he watched the young Prince running over towards him. Several others followed behind, although Finley was certain he did not know them.
Not sure he should be talking to the Prince he felt a little awkward as the young Royal finally neared. “Finley…Nice to see you’re up and about,” James said taking a deep breath mid-sentence. “I just wanted to say thank you, I’m sure my Father will come around to doing likewise, but we shall see.”
Finley smiled not sure what to say, so just nodded his head and hoped that was enough.
“Anyway, I’m not supposed to be talking to you,” James added lowering his voice a little, “So I best get back to training.” With those words, the young prince then turned about and ran off again, meaning those following were forced to do likewise.
Karesh led the way, although Finley was sure his brother was going around in circles half the time. “Do you know which way we are supposed to be going?” he asked realising they had passed the same painting three times since clambering up the grand staircase. The Orc pulled a face which indicated that he probably didn’t, “Mother said she and Galdrac were in one of the Royal Suites, but they all look the bloody same!” he cursed.
“Mother wouldn’t like it if she heard you talk like that Karesh,” he replied with a wicked grin on his face.
“Well, they do. Look they paint every door the same. How is anybody supposed to know which room is which?”
Finley grinned and spotted a young lady walking the corridor towards them. A guard ambled behind her, although he had no idea who she was. Wearing a silky dress that almost dragged on the plush carpeted floor, he thought she was probably some wealthy young Lady. Perhaps her mother was a friend of the queen, as he recalled Galdrac telling him how the Royal family had a close circle of rich friends, landowners and merchants. “Excuse me, Miss,” he said trying to sound polite. “Would you happen to know where the old Mage and an Elven woman are stopping?”
The girl, who had long, shiny brown hair, and big brown eyes to match, smiled at him. “It’s you!”
“What is?” he asked sounding a little unsure of who he was supposed to be.
“The one they are all talking about. The young man who saved my brother and defeated the Darkness,” she added speaking in a soft voice.
“Your brother?” he replied not catching on. For once it was Karesh who realised first just who the young lady was. “I think she means James,” he whispered, although not very quietly as it was evident the young girl heard as well.
“Oh! So you’re a princess?” he asked, quickly bowing his head and trying to think if that’s what he was supposed to do.
The girl chuckled, “My name is Imogen,” she said holding a hand out in greeting. Finley wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do with her hand so just shook it, after all, that’s what men did when they greeted each other, should it be any different when meeting a princess? He looked beyond Imogen to see the guard behind shaking his head, indicating that whatever he had done was probably not the correct thing to do. Imogen chuckled again, “Your m
other and Galdrac are back down that way, second door on the left,” she said not taking her eyes off him. In all fairness Finley was doing likewise, and only after he received a gentle shove from Karesh did he break eye contact. “Nice to meet you, Finley,” Imogen said with the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.
“Come on,” Karesh said giving him another push, “Stop gawping at her.”
“I was not gawping,” Finley replied.
“No of course not.”
“She is very pretty though do you think?” Finley asked holding the image of her smiling face in his mind.
“Not really. I find humans quite ugly creatures. Don’t get me wrong, I like them, but boy are they ugly.”
Finley turned to look at his brother, “You have the nerve…Oh, it doesn’t matter,” he said shaking his head.
After heading back the way they had already been, and through the door they had apparently passed by three times previously, they found where they needed to be. Finley spotted his mother sat beside a large window that overlooked the palace garden, while Galdrac was seemingly immersed in a book he was reading at the table. On seeing him enter his mother made a beeline for him, and before he had even had a chance to close the door, she had her arms already wrapped around him. “Are you okay Finley?” she asked.
“Finley fancies Princess Imogen,” Karesh blurted out before anybody else could say anything. Finley thought that perhaps his earlier assumption of his brother being grown up was not as accurate as he had first thought. “I do not. I have only just met her,” he said trying to plead his case, even though he didn’t really have to.
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