by J. B. Jenn
Trester
As his feet traversed the sand outside of the palace, his thoughts kept wandering back to Rosha. He’d had no idea she was Queen De’Nae. Not once had she seemed surprised he had defected to rescue her. It’s what worried him. Why hadn’t she cared he had abandoned the very thing he had sworn to her and her husband to carry through? He hated to think it, but Urian had definitely been a distraction. The only problem was he had no idea what the demon was distracting them from. Was it so King Barend could finish building the demon army? Something much worse?
It bothered him she had wanted him dead, but had waited so long. She’d had plenty of time to kill him before then. His guard had been down. If she had done away with him before they had reached the Desert, his sister would have never died. Queen De’Nae would have never come to the palace and would have never seen Janessa.
Trester shook his head, stopping the line of thought. It didn’t matter what could have happened. What mattered was what had happened.
He made his way back inside the walls of the palace. The people who had survived the destruction of Kenokel lived in the southeast corner. He approached them. They looked to him expectantly.
“Your Majesty?” one of the surviving soldiers asked, coming to his side.
Trester looked toward everyone for a moment longer. “I’m returning to Kenokel. Those of you who can, will lend a hand against King Barend’s army at the border. Kenokel doesn’t need soldiers at the moment. If the Desert falls, Kenokel will only be destroyed again. We can’t allow it to happen a second time.
“Those of you who cannot fight, will return with me to Kenokel. I’ll gather our soldiers and meet the rest of you at the border. It’s where Hartland needs the most help. There are still people in Cascade who can fight. I must rally them as their king.” He looked to the soldier who had addressed him. “Please make certain everyone is ready to leave in the morning. We will not delay any longer than that.”
“Of course, your Majesty.”
There weren’t many soldiers. Maybe a few hundred. He stared at them for several moments. All the generations of Stones had helped shape the people here into the brave men and women he saw. These people would fight to save others. As he stared at them, he hoped he wouldn’t fail them.
He returned to his room where he gathered his belongings. By the time he finished, the sun was setting on the horizon. The last rays cast the glorious feathered clouds in oranges and pinks. He sat down, knowing the servants would inform him of dinner. It was then he would tell King Maik of his plans.
As he sat down, he opened one of the few books he had taken from the library. If King Maik knew he had taken them and he planned to bring them with him, he would be furious. The Desert’s library was a source of pride for the man. Trester didn’t blame him. Books and history were important. It seemed so many over the years had forgotten the lesson. There were so many uninformed and uneducated people out there.
Trester looked down at the simple covering and read the title: The Demon Within. He flipped through several pages until he found where he had left off a few nights ago.
The test for wytches is quite simple. All one must do is use their blood on metal. If it eats a hole in it over a course of a day, even a small one, they have the blood of a demon. Wytches share some of the same characteristics as their demon parentage. More powerful wytches will take less time to identify.
Less than a hundred years ago, they used to test every newborn for wytches’ blood in such a way. When it was verified they were a wytch, they were taken away and locked away from the rest of Hartland. Some were even killed, depending on how powerful they were.
The fear of power has always been the downfall of Hartland. Instead of using wytches for the good of all, they view them as evil beings. Beings who are willing to hurt anyone they lay eyes on. Of course, this is nonsense. Wytches are no different than anyone else. The only aspect I will agree with is they can be highly dangerous. However, a man who knows how to use a sword, or a bow and arrow, can kill just as many. Maybe not as quickly. What we should be fearing is what lies in the heart of people.
They locked up these wytches in brick, windowless houses, keeping them away from everyone. It wasn’t until recently, some kings viewed them as instrumental tools in their army. Whereas, I do not agree to make wytches fight, I feel it is a better fate than the one they had. I find myself wondering how long this will last before they start killing wytches at birth again.
The knock came at the door. Trester glanced at it, closing the old book, He placed the two-hundred-year old book back in the leather bag. The knock came again.
“I know,” Trester said, opening the door.
He followed the servant to the dining hall where he would eat with King Maik. Later, in private, he would tell him what he planned. He hoped the man was capable of leading the Desert on his own. King Maik hadn’t been the same since they had discovered Janessa dead.
Zavad
A young man, bearing several scars across his arms and a few on his face, sat before him, terrified. His eyes were wide and his entire body shook. Whatever he had seen at the border had made him speechless. As Zavad stared at him, he knew it was much the same of what Casman had seen, only Casman had put words to it.
For the last several minutes, both he and Lord Osrin had tried to gather information from him. They were failing. The man kept speaking in circles about demons and wytches. It didn’t make sense. Zavad sighed and glanced at Lord Osrin. The moment he saw the man’s perpetual glare he shook his head.
“I think it’s time you leave, Lord Osrin. If you see Casman, please send him my way.”
Lord Osrin started to protest. Whatever look Balla had given him, made him stop before he started. The old man gave a stiff bow and left. Zavad looked over at his wife, grateful for the woman she was. She placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile, telling him she wanted to try. Zavad nodded.
He watched as Balla sat down in front of the soldier and leaned forward, taking both of his hands into hers. The young man looked at the queen, shocked she was touching him.
“Perhaps we should start simple.” The young man swallowed. “What’s your name?”
“Elseph,” the man whispered. He swallowed again. “My name is Elseph.” He fell silent for a moment before he looked to the queen and king. “It was horrible! We won, but… I can’t even express how horrible they looked or how brutal they fought. We lost a few of our men. One of them…” His eyes grew distant. “One of them was ripped into pieces,” he whispered.
Balla managed to smile gently. Zavad had no idea where she had gained the strength to do so. “Demons?” she asked. The young man nodded. “They were at the border?” Again, Elseph nodded. “Elseph, we don’t understand what you were talking about with the wytches. Were there wytches there fighting with the demons?”
“No! Nothing like that! That would have…” Elseph swallowed again. “That would have slaughtered us. We would have stood no chance. I don’t think… Wytches wouldn’t willing join the ranks of demons, would they?”
“I hope not,” Zavad answered. “Was Gray requesting wytches to be sent to the border to help defend us against demons?” Elseph nodded eagerly. “I’ll send more men to the border, along with wytches and weapons. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to this, but it has, and I will not forsake the people of Yul in anyway.” Zavad fell silent. He hadn’t expected King Barend to attack so soon. “You’ll find one of my guards outside. He’ll see to it you’re taken care of.”
“I’d like to return to the border as soon as possible.”
Zavad nodded at the man, surprised by his determination. “Of course.”
He watched Elseph leave the room before turning a serious gaze toward his wife. She was his everything. She was the one who grounded him; who made him the man he was.
Balla stared at the closed door for several moments before taking in a deep breath and sighing it out. She came to sit beside him. Her fingers laced w
ith his. She was silent for a long time. Troubled.
“I know this isn’t the best time to tell you, but I’m pregnant,” she whispered.
Zavad stopped breathing. Despite everything happening around them, immense joy filled him. He couldn’t keep the yell of excitement from escaping. He stood and pulled his wife close to him. They had been trying to conceive for almost a decade now. He held her close for several moments before kissing her passionately.
“We’ll find a way through this, Balla. I won’t have our child growing up in a world filled with demons. I would gladly give my life to make it so.”
She reached up and stroked his cheek. “I pray it never comes to that.”
Relyck
He wasn’t certain what to make of the wytch who had joined him. Most nights, he sat with them in silence. Arem shifted uncomfortably under his stare. Relyck wondered why the man was with them. He had already saved most of them here. Whatever the reason, he was grateful.
During the last few days, he kept pondering if Korick had made it back to King Maik. If he did, were soldiers on their way? It was impossible to keep all the demons out. He wondered where the ones who made it through were going. Where were they gathering? If they were gathering at all, how long would it be before they reached the North Gardens Palace? It wasn’t like he could abandon his post and discover any of this. He had a duty here. If he abandoned it, more demons would come through.
He looked toward his men, lying about the sand. They appeared as tired as he felt. From the encounter which had burned his face, his skin felt tight, more so when he moved.
“Try to rest. You know we’ll wake you if there’s an attack. None of us wants to fight those things alone. I don’t think any of us would survive if we tried,” he said to them.
“The wytch would,” one of them replied sourly. He looked toward Arem with distaste. “I still don’t know why he’s here. Our luck, he’s working with those monsters and just waiting for the right moment.”
Relyck chuckled. “I doubt it. He’s had the chance several times. Besides, it doesn’t matter why he’s here. I know for a fact he’s saved your ass a few times now. Would you rather send him away?” The man sighed, but his brow was still furrowed. “I didn’t think so. Now, lay down and shut up. I’ll take first watch.”
“You should rest, too,” Arem said. “I haven’t been at this as long as the rest of you. Let me take watch.”
Relyck noticed the uneasiness of the men. He looked toward Arem again, studying him. “Okay,” he said, after a time.
“WHAT?” the same man shouted. He was on his feet. “You can’t be serious! You’re going to trust a wytch to look after us. There’s no way, Relyck.”
“Again, he’s saved your ass a few times. If you can trust him to do that, surely you can trust him to watch over us while we sleep. He needs us as much as we need him. Without us, the demons would overwhelm him.”
“I don’t like this. This is foolish,” the man stated. He met Relyck’s eyes. “What if he’s working for one of them? What if this is the chance he’s been waiting for? We know nothing about this wytch.”
Relyck shook his head. “He’s had plenty of chances to betray us. Now, once again, lay down, shut up, and go to sleep. If you can’t do this, then leave. I won’t have you arguing over every order I make. Is that understood?”
The man said nothing further. He lay on his bed roll and turned his back to them. Relyck looked toward Arem, hoping the man wouldn’t prove him wrong. Arem nodded. Relyck studied Arem for a few more moments, thinking it odd he hadn’t tried to defend himself. Perhaps it was something as simple as him having grown accustomed to men fearing him because he was a wytch.
The thoughts were fleeting as sleep claimed him.
Casman
Casman stood in front of Hethera’s doorstep again. The king wanted to see her, but he couldn’t bring himself to knock. He knew what the king wanted, and he knew Hethera would accept. This wasn’t what Ogden had made him promise before leaving. He had wanted Casman to protect her and Acen in case the worst should happen. Sending her to another kingdom was not doing that. He shook his head, wondering if he should go against his king or the man he considered a brother. This was his fault for telling King Zavad about Ogden being alive and about Hethera’s gifts.
“Come in, Casman,” Hethera said opening the door. He looked into her warm eyes and smiled. “Would you like any-thing to drink?”
“No,” he said hastily. “I only came to take you to King Zavad. He wanted someone you personally knew to come and ask you to see him.”
She frowned. “What’s this about, Casman?”
“I can’t say.”
She tilted her head to the side, sending her long blonde hair down the side of her shoulder. “You can’t say, or you don’t want to?”
Casman sighed. “Please, Hethera, don’t make this more difficult for me than it has to be. I don’t want to do this, but I have a duty to this kingdom, and King Zavad is asking to speak with you. It’s the only reason I’m here. Trust me, I don’t want to be. If Ogden knew what was happening, he’d kill me.”
“Just tell me, Casman. Please.”
He met her eyes. “King Zavad wants to send you to Fairvale, so you can speak with the King of Drakal about sending aid. He thinks you’re the best person to do so, as you want to help Ogden and protect him. I don’t want you to go. I promised Ogden to protect you. Sending you to a foreign kingdom is not doing so.”
Hethera didn’t say anything for several moments. Casman sat in one of the chairs in the living room and waited. Maybe it was better he had told her, so the king couldn’t blindside her. At least this way, she wouldn’t feel obligated to say yes immediately.
She sat down across from him and took in a deep breath. “I’m going, Casman.” He started to argue with her, but she held up one of her hands. “Please. Let me do this for Ogden and for Acen, if not for everyone else in Yul. We need help. King Barend has a massive army. I’ve seen it in nightmares. I’ve seen too much lately to ignore it. I will get the help we need, no matter what. Please, show me to the king.”
Casman sighed. “Okay,” he said meekly.
Ogden
All the way to Lansade, the golden grass followed them, swaying as they passed it. He hardly dared to believe there was such a beautiful horse out there for him. He knew it was his, as much as he was Purity’s. There was a connection there; a deep connection he couldn’t explain. All he knew was they belonged together. It was why he also had a feeling Purity hadn’t shown him his true form yet.
They had crested a hill to find the vast city stretched out across a valley. As he scanned the buildings, his eyes landed on the palace in the center of the city. From where he stood, the palace seemed to be made from gold. He didn’t think it was, but the fire shaped spires of its towers glistened in the sun. If it was gold, it made him wonder how wealthy Golden Valley was.
“Take me to King Sabin,” he whispered, leaning down and patting Purity’s neck.
Her muscles tightened before she galloped through the city. She rushed past people pushing carts, children playing, and people trying to sell their goods. It passed in a blur. He barely heard the screams of some people he surprised.
The gates were closed to the palace. Ogden hadn’t considered it as a possibility and cursed. He should have known or at least given thought to it. Not everywhere was Lovic. King Zavad didn’t believe in shutting the gates to his palace. He didn’t want to shut the people out. Apparently, not all monarchs felt the same. King Maik didn’t even live in the city as most kings did.
The gates were growing closer. Before he knew it, they were gliding over the gate. He gazed down at the courtyard, openmouthed, heart thundering. Then, they landed grace-fully. Guards hurried in from all directions. Women dressed in full dresses screamed and scurried out of the way, their hands to their hearts.
As Purity settled, soldiers drew their weapons. Ogden remained mounted, staring down at them. He was certa
in he could force his way through these men and make his way to the king if he had to. It wasn’t what he wanted to do. He wanted to approach this in a civil manner. He wanted to request Golden Valley to help the Desert against the current crisis. All he had wanted to do was gain their attention.
“I must speak with King Sabin,” Ogden demanded.
“You can’t just barge in here and demand to speak with the king. It’s not how it’s done,” a soldier said, pointing the tip of his sword at him.
Ogden smirked. “You might think I can’t do that, but it’s precisely what I’m doing. Now, I suggest you take me to the king before I force my way in.”
The soldiers looked between each other. Doubt sat in their eyes. Ogden reached down to his sword.
“Wait!” someone from the steps of the palace called out.
Ogden looked to the young, overweight woman who wore a delicate crown over her long, black hair. When everyone bowed low to her, he assumed she was the queen and gave her a respectful nod of his own as he dismounted. She met his eyes.
“Come with me.”
As Ogden stepped away from Purity, the horse vanished from sight. Several gasps sounded behind him.
“What kind of sorcery is this?” someone whispered.
The woman turned toward the double doors. Her steps were hurried. Without much of a delay, he waltzed up the stone steps behind her.
She led him straight through the grand entry hall and into a hallway. At the end of the hallway, she opened a door and motioned for him to enter. She sat down in one of the chairs and let out a sob. Ogden watched her cover her face as she wept.
“Please, forgive me,” she whispered. She sucked in a deep breath, wiped the tears from her eyes, and greeted him with a short smile. “I’ve prayed help would come. I just… I just never thought it would show up the way it did.”
