“No, it’s not! You’re only a boy! Those are trained killers preparing to attack! If you’re killed, your destiny is moot! Now, you will come with me even if I have to carry you kicking and screaming!” Michael Spencer growled, lifting him into a bear hug and carrying him across the stage. “Mr. Underwood, organize the other children.”
“NO! Uncle Mike! You’ve got to let me go!” Xavier struggled in vain against Spencer’s clutches. There was no way he could get free through physical means. Closing his eyes so he could concentrate on keeping the ability under control and restrain it from surging, he summoned his electro force so that it radiated from his body and in turn gave his uncle a sharp electric shock. Michael dropped him and shouted a string of curses before glaring down at the prince.
“If I must, I will knock you unconscious, but one way or another, you are coming with me!”
“Uncle Mike, please just listen to me…”
“No, you listen to me, young man…”
“I’m the Chosen!” Xavier shouted in desperation and the entire auditorium stilled.
Quickly glancing around at the shocked faces of those around him, Xavier cleared his throat and repeated more calmly. “You know that I’m the Chosen, Uncle. You can’t hide me away from this! If I don’t fight, if I don’t fulfill my destiny, there’s no place on earth I can hide from the darkness that will infect every inch of the globe. I can’t let the Dark King win.”
The students erupted in low murmurs, but Xavier’s eyes never left his uncle’s.
“I have to fight!” he said barely above a whisper. “I’m the only one who can stop him! I must fight Fox. If I don’t fight, we’ll lose, and we’ll lose a hell of a lot more than this kingdom. Please! Let me go! Please.”
As Spencer looked down at him in anguish, Sir Blaire uttered the words that everyone in the auditorium thought. “You… you’re the… Chosen?”
Xavier looked at the shocked face of his anima-lingua instructor and nodded. “Yes, I am.” He turned back to his uncle. “I’ve got to go,” he begged. “Please, Mike. I have to. Follow your orders and save the rest of the kids, but you’ve got to let me go.”
Spencer and Xavier stood staring at one another. Finally, Spencer broke the silence that had spread throughout the auditorium.
“For God’s sake be careful, Xavier! Your father will not survive if something were to happen to you.”
With a nod, Xavier ran off the stage and into the crowd of children, who parted like the red sea, many bowing to him. Others whispered words of encouragement.
“Xavier! Xavier, wait!” Robbie’s desperate voice stopped him in his tracks. He turned just as Robbie threw herself into his arms. He caught her and squeezed her tight, suddenly very afraid of what he had to do, but he could do it, he would do it, if only to keep her safe.
“Robbie, you’ve got to go with them. I can’t…” his voice broke, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. “I can’t do what I’ve got to do if I have to worry about you. You… you are my weakness, and my feelings for you are too strong to hide. Fox would use you against me.”
Robbie pulled away to look at him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I… I know. I’ll go with them. You just have to promise me that you’ll come and get me when this is all done.”
“Robbie…”
“Promise me. Promise me you’ll be here after the smoke clears!”
He stared down at the tear-soaked face of the girl he loved. He couldn’t deny her of this comfort. He smiled down at her and kissed her firmly as the crowd of children around them looked on in eerie silence. Finally, he looked down at her and grinned broadly. “If I can get a kiss like that when I see you again, I’d promise you anything!”
Robbie burst into laughter, and the couple clung to each other desperately.
“I have to go now,” he whispered. “I love you!”
Xavier kissed her quickly on the lips and turned to leave.
“Hey, X!” Beck’s voice called, and he turned to look at all his friends crowding in behind Robbie. “Kick some ass for us, okay?”
Xavier’s smile couldn’t be denied as the auditorium of children erupted into cheers. With a nod, he raced from the auditorium and out of the academy, where he immediately teleported away to find his father.
Chapter 23
Xavier appeared at the teleport location near the palace on a run. Dozens of Warwood guards were standing at attention as the king addressed the group from the palace steps with Loren at his side.
“The time is now, men! We’ve been preparing for this attack for months! We are ready! There will be no retreat this time! We are the last line between freedom and oppression for all mankind! We cannot fail! We cannot give in! We cannot surrender! This is the moment to show what we’re made of: are we lesser men or greater men? This is war for the light and goodness in the world! We will not be defeated for we are on the side of righteousness. We must fight through this night of hell, so that the morning will be a glorious day in the light! We will not go gently into the dark! Rage against the dark so that light may prevail! The time is now, my brethren! Who will fight with wild abandon for our kingdom?”
The soldiers let out a loud chorus, “I, my king!”
“Who will stand in the way of evil and fight?”
Again the crowd shouted, louder this time, “I, my king!”
“Who will fight by my side to protect what is right and honorable?”
“I, my king,” they shouted even louder.
“The time is now, brothers! War is here! Today we make war, so that tomorrow we will have everlasting peace!”
The crowd of guards erupted in cheers and began to clang their sword sheaths against the stone drive.
“Dad!” Xavier blurted, shuffling through the crowded drive towards his father.
“Let the prince through!” his father barked savagely and the men parted. The king clapped Xavier affectionately on the shoulder before addressing the guard again.
“Gentlemen! There’s no need to fear. As I said, we fight so that light will prevail! A piece of that light is among us! He is indeed the most powerful empowered I’ve ever known. He’s worked tirelessly to prepare himself to tip the balance of justice. We will succeed, for the Chosen is among us!”
The men suddenly burst into murmurs and feverous whispers, many reaching Xavier’s ears.
“The Chosen exists!”
“Who is he?”
“The prince! It’s the prince! Have you not seen that boy fight? He took out a dozen royal guard members on his own!”
“You’re kidding! But how? He’s just a boy!”
“The king has been training him since he went to the mountain nine months ago. The boy is wickedly fast with his empowerments. They say he can kill a man without ever touching him!”
“Gentlemen! Please! I will lay to rest the rumors of the Chosen’s identity now.” After a quick nod to Loren, the men suddenly hoisted Xavier into the air and onto their shoulders so that he could easily be seen by the guard. “May I present to you, Prince Xavier Wells V, your future king and the Chosen One.”
The guards stared up at Xavier in awe, and Xavier could feel the heat of embarrassment rush up his neck and over his face.
Then a group of men to the left began to chant his name. Xavier stared at the men in shock. It was one thing for his friends to chant his name and cheer him on, but members of the guard? He recognized several of the men as guardsmen who had assisted him in his combat training. The guard who had hit him in the privates led the chant, grinning broadly. It wasn’t long before the entire guard joined in. He didn’t know what to say or do, but pride and humility swelled up inside him. He waved to the men, who simply burst into cheers and shouts of encouragement!
Slowly, Loren and the king lowered him to his feet. Jeremiah grinned down at him before rubbing his head affectionately. Then he turned to the cheering men.
“Okay, men! It’s time! It’s time to kick some ass! Report to your stations. Dismi
ssed!”
The soldiers gave a final shout, “Yes, my king!” before racing off in formation out of the palace gates, leaving a fraction of the group behind to guard the palace.
“Come, Xavier. I had Ephraim organize our combat gear in the atrium. Let’s suit up,” his father announced and led him into the palace.
Ephraim was standing in the atrium waiting on them, already fully clothed in combat gear.
“Young, sire,” he greeted with a quick nod before turning to the king. “Sire, the blacksmith was able to complete the armor for the boy based on his school uniform measurements. It should fit like a glove.”
Jeremiah gave him a satisfied smile as he looked down at the shiny metal armor. “It will do perfectly. What do you think, son?”
Xavier stepped forward and looked at the breastplate and arm and leg shields. It was beautiful! Next to the armor lay a beautiful sword with his initial engraved in the hilt. Kneeling, he ran his hand along the blade.
“Careful, the edge is razor sharp!” his father warned.
Xavier looked up at the men. “It’s fantastic!”
The three men smiled down at him. “Well suit up, gentlemen,” Ephraim suggested.
Within minutes, they were adorned with shiny, polished armor.
“Okay, Xavier, I must ask you to stay behind us when we attack the Dark Army…”
“No, Dad! I won’t. I want to fight by your side. I’m not hiding behind you like a little boy!”
“Xavier, please. We don’t have time for this! You will not be hiding, son. You’ll be in the thick of battle! I’m asking you to stay behind us because we have worked together in battle before. We have trained together and have fighting method and rhythm. Please, son, let us initiate the battle.”
Xavier looked from man to man before sighing. “Okay. I get it. I don’t want to throw a monkey wrench in your attack plan. I’ll stay behind you, but if one of you is hit, I’m going in!”
“Deal,” the men answered together.
“Let’s just hope they don’t mess with this pretty face,” Loren teased, gesturing at the king’s face.
Jeremiah frowned. “Me? I’m not pretty!” he responded indignant.
Both Loren and Xavier snorted, “Yeah, you are.”
Jeremiah looked at Ephraim.
“Don’t look at me to dispel the claim, sire. It’s no secret that most women in the kingdom have their eyes on you. I doubt it was just about the money.”
“You’re kidding me!”
“No, Dad. My first few days here I was attacked by a group of women hoping to get a glimpse of you.”
“No, they attacked you because you’re their prince and they were excited to see you.”
“No, Dad,” Xavier laughed, shaking his head. “They were spying on the castle with binoculars, hoping to see you! They were stalking you!”
The king’s face went crimson as the group attempted a not so subtle snicker. The king huffed indignantly before barking, “Let’s go.” Then he spun and led them out of the palace.
As they exited, a loud blast from the kingdom’s gatehouse shook the ground.
“Damn it! We’re too late!” Loren hissed.
“Let’s go!” the king announced, grabbing Loren and teleporting away.
“Give them a second, laddie,” Ephraim responded. “We should teleport together. Do you want to do the honors or shall I?”
“I will,” Xavier answered, grabbing hold of the general and teleporting them to Center Square.
His father and Loren were already racing toward the swarm of dark soldiers fighting their way through the guards, who fought to keep the invading army at bay.
“Ephraim! Now!” Jeremiah shouted over his shoulder.
“Watch your back, boy, and stay behind us,” Ephraim told Xavier before sprinting towards the men.
Xavier followed, or at least started to follow, but a scream to his left drew his attention to a small group of vendors huddled in fear and surrounded by dark soldiers. How they had gotten past the line of battle Xavier didn’t know, but the merchants didn’t stand a chance. Without a second thought, he raced toward the soldiers closing in, menacingly, on the civilians.
“Mercy!” cried an old woman, holding up a hand in defense of the large man towering over her.
He drew back his sword with a smirk. “There is no mercy in war!”
He wasn’t going to make it in time, and he couldn’t use an empowerment, as the group of innocents was too close. He might strike one of them! He did the only thing he could do.
“Hey, numb nuts! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” he shouted, never breaking stride to reach them.
The furious soldier turned toward him, ready to fight, but when his eyes fell on Xavier, he saw only a boy, and he grinned cheekily. “It would take three of you to be my size, boy.”
Xavier stopped within feet of the dark soldier. A subordinate soldier took a step toward Xavier but stopped when the large man held up his hand.
“Yeah, I guess it would,” Xavier commented, looking the man over. “Maybe you should eat less pork rinds, dude. You’re starting to resemble a rhino.”
The soldier straightened with anger, his hands clenching at his sides. Xavier studied the man closely, waiting for the move he knew was coming. The moment the man’s hand twitched into action, Xavier threw a shield around the civilians before sweeping his hand in a wide arc towards the group of soldiers, who didn’t have the common sense not to huddle together like a herd of cattle.
An electro force buzzed past Xavier’s face, barely missing him, just as the soldiers flew into the kingdom’s security wall. The group fell to the ground in a tangled heap of moaning injured and silent dead. Xavier slowly approached the large man, who whimpered in pain. The blast of the force had hit him with such intensity that it had torn his left arm completely off. He would bleed out in minutes.
“I’m the Chosen, asshole, and you’re dead!” he hissed before turning his back on the man and approaching the huddling people. “You need to get to safety!”
“How?” a frail-looking woman questioned, motioning to the commotion around them. The Dark Army had completely infiltrated the kingdom and dark soldiers and guardsmen were fighting viciously around them. There was no way the group would make it through to safety. He looked back at the dozen or so civilians. He would have to teleport them out of here. But doing so would take too much time, time that he didn’t have. Sighing, an outrageous idea came to mind. It was dangerous, but he really didn’t have much of a choice. He could leave the group to fend for themselves or take them one at a time, essentially taking him out of the battle. With his mind made up, he stepped toward the group in urgency.
“Look, I’ll get you to safety, but you have to get close to one another, like a group hug. I can teleport you if everyone is close and touching each other.”
“What? You can do that?” an older man asked, amazement evident on his face.
Feeling unsure, but not wanting to portray that to the frightened people, Xavier smiled sweetly. “Of course, sir. I’m the Chosen. I’m a very strong empowered.”
The group’s frightened looks disappeared and were replaced with hope and awe.
“You? Our future king is… you’re the Chosen?” someone from the group blurted.
“Yes, I am. Now, please! I must help my father fight and defeat the Dark Army. We have no time to waste, so gather close!”
The group quickly formed a group hug, and Xavier inspected them to make sure they were closely assembled before placing his hands on the man’s shoulders in front of him. He closed his eyes in concentration. If he could teleport an entire car, surely he would be able to do this. Suddenly, he felt the familiar pull, and someone in the group gasped aloud in surprised. Seconds later, they stood at the palace entrance. Rows of guards stood at attention in front of the gated entrance, and at their sudden appearance, the first row lunged toward them.
“No! Stop!” Xavier ordered firmly, stepping towa
rd the men with his hands up in surrender.
“Prince Wells?” a guard questioned in surprise. “Wh… What…”
Shaking off the guard’s confused stuttering, Xavier pointed to the huddled group of civilians behind him. “Get them to safety within the palace walls. The Dark Army has invaded! Be at the ready!”
Immediately, several guards jumped into action, ushering the group within the palace walls. The old man who had spoken to Xavier earlier stopped in front of him.
“Thank you, young sire. Be safe, be quick, be victorious!”
“Thank you, sir. I will.” Then Xavier teleported back to the battlefield.
The war was at full force when Xavier returned. The Dark Army and the royal guard were at close quarters, many engaged in hand-to-hand combat. His father’s white hair stood out, and he found him among Loren and Ephraim engaged in a vicious fight. Xavier hoped that the blood smeared on their bodies was not their own. If he had just gotten here earlier, before the clash of the armies, he might have been able to stop the war before it ever begun. There was no sense in wishing he could turn back time, as he didn’t have that ability. He must deal with the present and help in any way he could.
He raced toward the battle and was immediately engaged in a fight for his life. A smaller man with a quick hand hit him with an electro force that knocked him off his feet. Xavier hit the ground, and his breath was forced from his lungs. Gasping for air, he looked up at the dark soldier’s sneering face.
“Well, looky here! Isn’t it the great Prince Wells, the Chosen One,” he jeered. “Too bad you’re the best that Warwood has to offer because you’ll be dead in seconds.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure!” Xavier managed to wheeze out, but the soldier didn’t have the common sense to look concerned.
Before the man could complete his next force, Xavier jutted his hand out toward the man and gave a slight twist. The man’s shocked face was quickly replaced with one void of life as he dropped to the ground where he stood.
The Prince of Warwood and The War of Kings Page 22
