by Andrew Wood
Strange he thought, at how much easier it was to summon a flame, when the target was not another human being. With the merest flick of his wrist, he manifested and launched a ball of fire at the nearest creature. This had been the first time he had ever seen the true destructive force he was capable of. He was not only announcing to the world what he could achieve, he was also showing himself. The gigantic creature immediately burst into flames as the ball of fire smashed in to it. The cries of agony it emitted were like none he had ever heard before. The noise was thankfully short lived, as the burning beast dropped to the ground.
Luca did not fire a second ball of fire at the other creatures. With his confidence building, he summoned a whole wall of flame. Even his own men were clearly astounded as to the power he could wield, as they struggled to calm their horses. The wall of flame moved forward at pace, and despite the Giganton trying to move out of its path they were quickly engulfed in fire. Once more, the cries filled the air, along with plumes of black smoke.
Luca pushed the wall of flame further. He could feel the power flowing through every inch of his body. He wanted to release more and more. The wall of fire grew larger still, as it neared the Zulani front lines. The soldiers broke from their defensive lines, in an attempt to escape the tidal wave of burning hot flames. The Zulani camped behind the front lines starting dispersing, the robed figure of the priest amongst them.
Luca felt a hand on his shoulder, and the faint sound of words in his ear. He knew it was Oliver talking, and finally lowered his hand to turn to look at his friend. He felt his own hands shaking and the sudden feeling of weakness and fatigue take over his body. He was thankful for Oliver who steadied him, stopping him from falling from his horse. After taking a few moments to regain some element of composure, he looked up. Before him was a vast area of scorched earth. Black smoke from bodies still burning drifted up into the morning sky.
His eyes followed the destruction. There was hundreds of burning blackened shapes on the ground. Off in the distance he could see the Zulani fleeing off past the ruined city of Hamalin. He was going to suggest they pursue them, until fatigue finally got the better of him.
Dane stood in disbelief at what he had just witnessed. His men stood about him cheering as they watched the enemy before them retreat away in to the distance. Many had run across the dusty ruins of the city causing clouds of dust to fly up as they went. From the small group of reinforcements that had made an appearance, a massive wall of flame had completely engulfed the enemy camp. Dane had only seen such a thing once before. The man that had wielded power like that was known to have died years ago. Questions started running through his mind. He turned to look at his friend Camden, to see the look on his face was a similar one of disbelief.
Chapter 16.
Fabian and the soldiers who had made their escape from Onay moved northwards. Jamal had spent the previous day near the back of the group away from the young royal. He had thought that finally being rid of Fabian would be a good thing. However, he was quite surprised by how much he missed having him continually at his side. He had thought about moving up to the front for a little while, just to check Fabian was okay. After a little soul searching, he had decided to leave him be, after all if Fabian needed him he would surely come seek him out.
With their supplies very limited, the Captain had ordered all men to strict rationing. This had meant breakfast had been nothing more than a little bread and water. As a result Jamal, could feel his stomach complaining about the lack of decent food. Walking so many miles as they had done, required energy and stamina, both of which he felt he had little left.
By midmorning, the terrain they travelled had become a little hillier. Jamal thought they must reach some sort of town soon. Up until now, they appeared to have bypassed any kind of civilization. He had tried to make conversation with a few of the younger soldiers in the group. Although none had been rude to him in any way, he felt a bit like an outsider. These were young men that had all been stationed at the garrison in Onay; he of course had come from Ari. As a result, he found himself being excluded from many of the little groups that chatted as they walked.
Jamal was eventually relieved when they crossed the brow of a hill. Down in the shallow incline below was a small town. Not knowing their location, he had no idea what the name of the town was. The only thing he was sure of, it was somewhere he had never been before. Judging by the size of it, he doubted they would have sufficient supplies to keep a small army in food for too long. There was no outer wall, and from what he could tell by the number of buildings, he doubted more than a few hundred people lived there.
As he was now situated near the back of the group, he could not see what was taking place near the front. He thought he could see the Captain and Fabian talking to a small group of men, but he could not be certain. The group stopped, and word was sent back for them to make camp. Jamal was glad. He felt tired and weak, and for the first time since leaving Ari, he felt alone. Since that time, he had barely had time to think about the friends and colleagues he had lost. Feeling in rather a pensive mood, he found himself a quieter spot, near the edge of the stream that supplied the town's water.
The bulk of the soldiers set camp in their small groups around the outskirts of the town. Fabian, with his Captain at his side was led to the small town hall. As he walked between the simple houses, it was soon apparent their appearance was causing the locals some concern. He could hear them talking loudly, many asking why the army was here? Was an attack imminent? He thought as he walked, that they probably did not know who he was. He supposed many of them would probably not even have known what the king looked like either.
Fabian was shown into a building. The Captain remained at his side, as he was led into a small office. A rather aged looking man, wearing a rather worn looking shirt, stood up from behind his desk as they entered. The man who had led them there introduced them. "Hector, this is his Royal highness Prince Fabian of Onay. Your highness, this is Hector, the town's mayor." Fabian almost laughed as he watched the elderly man get himself into a fluster at the introduction. Instead, he decided a friendly smile would suffice.
Once the mayor had regained some composure, which ultimately meant him having a rather large glass of brandy, before retaking his seat, they explained their predicament. It was soon clear the mayor was shocked by their story. That shock turned to horror when they described the beasts that had attacked the city, and ultimately the loss of Fabian's father.
Fabian could feel his emotions getting the better of him, and excused himself from the office. He decided to let his Captain do the talking on his behalf. He after all, was not yet quite sixteen years old. He was uncertain as to what people would expect from him. Would they be looking for a leader? If so, he was not sure he was ready for that. Thanks to Jamal, he had only just started realising that life was more than one of just a luxurious lifestyle.
As he left the town hall, two soldiers who had waited outside the door, fell in behind him. He looked around at the people as he passed them by. He was not sure which direction to travel, and so just walked aimlessly about. Wherever he went, the two guards shadowed him. He looked around at the homes in the small town. Most were simply built half-stone, half-timber with shingle roofing. There were a few exceptions, as he noticed several much larger stone built houses with gardens, to the northern side of the town. These he assumed were probably home to the few of the wealthier members of the local populace.
From what he tell, most of the surrounding area was used for farm animals, as well as quite a large area of fruit trees. The initial shock of his and his soldier's arrival, seemed to be wearing off, as people went back to their everyday chores. A few still stood and pointed as he and his small escort wandered slowly along the dirt track streets. The sun was rising and it was already feeling like a hot day. Fabian was glad they at least could have a break from the relentless hours of walking they had endured for the past few days.
Jamal took a drink of water
from his canteen, freshly filled from the brisk running stream before him. He removed his sword belt and placed it down on the grass bank. He leaned back, putting his hands behind his head and relaxed, feeling the comforting warmth of the sun on his skin. His stomach still rumbled, complaining of its lack of food, but he no longer worried about it. The fact they had found a town should at least ensure a few decent meals.
Fabian wandered out of the town, and walked amongst the men that had followed him from Onay. As he passed by, many of them stood and bowed their heads in recognition of his status. He stopped walking, and thought he ought to make his way back to the town hall to hear the outcome of the mayor's meeting with his Captain. As he turned he caught sight of a lonely figure lying beside the stream. He immediately knew it was Jamal. His first thought, was to run over and ask why he had been ignoring him the past few days. He thought better of it, thinking perhaps the young soldier he had presumed to be his friend, was only being so under duress from his father. With the need for Jamal to no longer keep an eye on him, it was now clear to Fabian that he wanted nothing more to do with him. With that thought, he proceeded back to the town hall.
He arrived back just as the Captain was leaving the building. "Are we all sorted," Fabian enquired. The man nodded and explained, as he suggested a direction for them to walk. The soldiers were welcome for as long as they needed, and the town would try to feed them best it could. Fabian nodded, thinking that was a good thing; though how long they should stay, he was not sure. How long would it be before the invaders decided to make their next move? With most of the south under their control, he knew it was only a matter of time before they headed for Ulreta, the home of his uncle and King of Murati.
The town had no garrison of soldiers to protect it, and Fabian thought the mayor was probably glad they had turned up, once he had been told what was happening. Although, quite what a couple of hundred men could do to stop the overwhelming force the invaders had at their disposal he was not sure. For now, he was just glad to be resting, and if possible get something substantial to eat.
The Captain led him toward one of the bigger houses he had passed just a little earlier. One of them apparently belonged to the rather scruffy looking mayor of the town. Fabian was to stay there as an honoured guest. Not wanting to be ungrateful, he accepted the invitation. As they approached the main door, he was shown inside by an elderly lady.
The hallway within was quite dim, but felt cool away from the sun outside. The lady shuffled slowly along, down the hallway and up a set of stairs. Along a rather narrow landing, with white washed walls, she stopped outside a door. "Here you go," she said bowing her head just little clumsily, clearly not used to doing so. Fabian thanked her and after telling him, she would bring some lunch up in about an hour, she left him alone.
The room was quite a simply decorated one. It had a good-sized bed, which thankfully looked clean. A wardrobe, some drawers, a table and two chairs, and a washstand alongside one wall. The first thing he wanted to do was have a decent wash, so after checking there was water in the jug on the stand, he started stripping his clothes off. He tipped some of the tepid water into the washbowl, and wet a cloth. Using a block of soap, he scrubbed the cloth firmly over his skin in a bid to remove the days of grime. He would have liked a change of clothes, but knew that was out of the question, unless he could find someone in the town who would possibly have some to sell. He remembered the purse of gold his father had left in the bag for Jamal and he to escape. The only problem was the bag was still with Jamal.
After feeling sufficiently cleaned, and after washing and combing his hair, he felt a little more like himself. He checked in the mirror that his hair was neat, and heard a knock at the door behind him. He shouted for them to enter, and he turned to see a younger lady walk in carrying a tray of food. "Some lunch for you," she said placing the tray down on the table. "Thank you," Fabian replied as he watched her back away and out of the door.
The meal was just a few cuts of cold meat with buttered bread, followed by a bowl of fruit slices covered in some kind sweet syrup. All of which he lapped up, and swilled it all down with a very refreshing glass of freshly squeezed juice. Feeling suitably refreshed and fed, he decided to go find Jamal and get the bag off him. After all, he was the royal and therefore it was only right he had the gold from his father.
Once he left the house, his two guards fell in behind him once more. With a newfound purpose to his walk, he quickly headed over to where he had seen Jamal earlier. Thankfully, the young soldier was still lying on the bank of the stream. Fabian thought about marching over there and ordering him to hand the bag over, but decided to at least treat the person, he had thought his friend, with some courtesy.
Jamal heard someone approach behind, and quickly opened his eyes. The brightness of the sun made him squint and he placed his hand over them so he could see. He sat up when he realised who it was that was standing before him. "Oh Fabian it's you," was all he could think of saying. The young royal however had much more to say. "I am disappointed Jamal you no longer want anything to do with me. I thought you were my friend...," he said, his voice rising as he spoke. Jamal jumped up to his feet, a little taken aback by the tirade being launched at him.
Jamal stuttered his words, "Fabian...I...thought..." The royal looked down searching for the bag the two had escaped with. Noticing it was not there he asked, "Where is the bag with the gold in Jamal? I hope you have not lost it," he snapped. Jamal had actually decided he no longer needed the bag, being as they had already eaten what little food was within it. The coin purse however he had attached to his belt. He removed it and held it out in the palm of his hand. "Why are you being like this Fabian, I thought we were friends?" He asked trying to reason why the young royal was behaving this way.
Fabian scoffed at the mention of the word friend. "I thought so to Jamal. Why is it then you have not so much as bothered to even speak with me," he snapped. Jamal let his shoulders drop, "I did not think you needed me anymore Fabian, so I just stayed out of your way." The young royal sighed, his anger quickly waned when he realised how wrong he had been. "And I thought you were staying away from me because you no longer wanted to have anything to do with me," he said.
Jamal cast a smile, and Fabian grinned back at him. "Sorry," he said. Jamal apologised back and handed the coin purse over to him. Now the two had cleared up the reasons for staying apart, Fabian suggested they walk into the town. "I would like to try and find somebody who can either sell me or make me some clean clothes," he said bouncing the purse of coins in his hand. Jamal suggested they buy something to eat. Once Fabian had heard this, he was shocked. He had eaten and just assumed the soldiers with him had also been catered for. He explained this to Jamal, and insisted he go back to the house in which he was staying.
Once there, Fabian showed him up to the room he had been allocated. "Why don't you stay here with me Jamal? Rather than camp out. I am sure the Mayor can find another room, or perhaps you could share this room with me," he asked. Jamal just shrugged, "That would be nice," he replied, although not entirely sure it would be.
After insisting Jamal stay put for a moment, Fabian darted out of the door. Jamal could hear him running down the wooden stairs, but for what reason he did not know. Whilst left alone, he decided to make use of the wash facilities in Fabian's room. Quickly washing his hands and face, as well as his hair, he used one of the towels to dry himself. He was still in the process of doing so when Fabian returned. "I hope you don't mind," Jamal said rubbing his hair with the towel. Fabian shook his head, "No, of course not. Come with me when you are done."
After Jamal was happy his hair was as dry as he was going to get it, he gestured for Fabian to lead the way. The young royal led the way out of the room and to the room next along the narrow landing. "I am told you can have this room," Fabian said opening the door. "The lady downstairs says she will make the bed up for you, ready for tonight. Isn't that wonderful, you will be next door to me," he added, clearly g
lad they were friends again.
Jamal peered into the room. It was not quite as big as the one Fabian had been given, and the bed within was only a single size, but he was happy with it nonetheless. Fabian then grabbed his arm, "Come on. I asked the lady in the kitchen to have some food made for you." The mention of food was music to Jamal's ears, and he followed his friend down the stairs. In the kitchen, there were three people working. One was beside a stove, one seemed to be preparing vegetables and the other was cleaning pots in a large sink. A table in the middle of the room had a plate of meat and cheese, and a little bread. On seeing them enter, the lady by the stove gestured for them to sit.
Fabian was quite content to watch Jamal while he ate, something Jamal thought was a little weird, but let it pass. After thanking the kitchen staff, the two friends walked out of the house together. "Now let us see if we can find somewhere to get some more clothes," Fabian said with a spring in his step. After leaving the house, Fabian's two guards fell in behind him once more. Jamal glanced back at the two burly looking soldiers. "The Captain tells me I have to have them," Fabian said noticing him looking. "Well you have me now," Jamal replied feeling a little disappointed he was not deemed good enough. Fabian shrugged, before patting him on the back, "Anyway Jamal, you are with me as my friend not my guard." Jamal felt that was a good enough answer, and even felt a touch of importance as people looked at them as they passed.
Fabian stopped one of the people and enquired where he might be able to acquire some clothes. Apparently, the town only had a small store, which only sold general goods. There was however, a skilled tailor who lived in one of the houses on the main street. This appeared to please Fabian, and he set off at a quick pace to find it.
Finding the right house was not too difficult, and after knocking the door, it was opened by a middle-aged man. After Fabian explained who he was, the man got into a total flap bowing his head every time he spoke. Rumours of his presence in the town were obviously common knowledge. The tailor however had not expected a visit from the royal guest. The guards remained outside as both Fabian and Jamal followed the tailor through the door. Once inside they were shown into the main room.
