The Bad Seed

by Michael Lackey

  Nervously, Benzoete walked in and watched the lovely woman at the desk as she prepared a lesson. "Hello, my beautiful one."

  She looked up from her work and tears instantly flowed from her eyes. She leapt from her chair and ran to him. "How are you here? Is George all right?"

  Benzoete kissed her on her forehead chuckling, "I love you, too. I am just fine."

  She turned red and squeezed him even harder.

  "Yes, George is fine. Also, he and the others are waiting for us in Weelinn. We came here to ask the elven army to aid in the battle against Craotonus." he said.

  "We? Did Elos return with you?" she asked.

  "Yes, and another. One thought to be lost to us." Valindra looked confused. "When we opened the portal to bring Queen Natalia, the woman who carried the new Champion of Light and the others back to Amundiss, we discovered my mother, Aliz'Ra, was alive and living on Earth. She is here with us." Valindra could not find words, she stood there stunned. Benzoete laughed, "Come on, we need to go find her and Elos and prepare to meet up with George." He took her by the hand and walked her out of the school. "The entrance is open, you can come and go as you please," he told her.

  "It has been too long for to simply come and go. We must coexist with the humans and other races. We have been separated far too long." she said with a smile.

  Aliz'Ra was ready to address the elven nation, stepping out on the balcony of the reagents building. You could hear several people whispering about the great elder coming back from the dead. "Good people of Eska'Taurn, you have been led in deceit. The man you knew and trusted as Meno' is in fact named Relinquo, a known traitor,” anger stirred in the group, “I was stranded on another world, much like our own, since the last War of the Heavens. I am back now and here to ask you. . . to ask you to join me in battle to save our world once more. The humans and dwarves are not as you once knew them. They are honorable, trustworthy and are sacrificing themselves for the good of our world. I ask you today, rise and fight. RISE UP AND FIGHT!"

  Cheers from the crowd shook the very foundation of the city.

  "We must go now. Gabriel and the others will be waiting for us in Weelinn. The time is now, our time to take back Amundiss." Benzoete told Elos and Valindra.

  42

  The Light’s Crusades

  On the balcony at Benzoete's tower in Weelinn stood Gabriel, Kegan, George, and Antoine. They spoke of strategies and prepared for war. They knew this would be no ordinary war; more lives would be lost, and bloodshed would be everywhere. This world had not seen a full-scale War of the Gods in centuries.

  "How long do we wait for Benzoete and Aliz'Ra?" asked Antoine.

  "I have faith they will convince the elves to aid us, but we cannot wait for too long. I feel Craotonus is aware of our presence and the longer we wait, the better prepared they will be," said Gabriel.

  Kegan pounded his mighty war blade into the floor, "We go bustin' through tha front gates, with or without em. If your wizard is as good as ya think, they will na’ be far behin'."

  Tradan walked up to the group. "I know I am new to battle and war strategy, but I think we should do as Kegan says."

  Gabriel turned his head. "Were you listening in on us?"

  Tradan lowered his head. "I am an important part of this, and I just wanted to know what we were doing."

  Gabriel smiled. "You are absolutely correct, my son. We should have included you and Zachery. Do you know where he is at?"

  A burst of air blew from the nostrils of Barrok who was perched on the roof above the balcony. "My apologies, but we are closer than you think," voiced Zachery.

  "Well since we all are here, why not gather the men and get ready to end this," Antoine stated with a stern look upon his face.

  As the group was leaving, Antoine stopped Gabriel. "I have a request of you, Gabriel."

  "We have a request," said Andrea as she walked toward them.

  Antoine took her hand in his, "We wish to be married. We don't want to face this battle as two separate people. We have given our hearts to each other, and now we want to be a union in the sight of the Gods."

  Gabriel beamed with delight. "Wonderful! We will gather the people and have a grand ceremony!"

  "No, Gabriel. We wish to keep this simple. We were also hoping you could do it now," Andrea said with a nervous laugh.

  Gabriel nodded. "I understand. We need a witness and rings first."

  Suddenly, Justin walked in. "That's why I am here, my Lord." He held a small, wooden box Justin had become like a brother to Antoine. Once a squire to the King’s Guard, now witness to a blessed union. Besides Gabriel, Antoine could not ask for anyone more.

  Antoine took the box from him and opened it. "I had the blacksmith craft two rings from the blessed rock of Terra’Fayoak. I felt that I am blessed to have such a woman by my side, it was only fitting."

  Gabriel held his hand to accept the rings. "Let us begin then, shall we?"

  They walked out on the balcony, Antoine and Andrea stood side by side in front of Gabriel, with Justin to the side.

  "The Gods never intended for their people to walk alone in this life. They want us to take up a partner.; a partner who we can share all things with. You, Antoine, and you, Andrea, come before the Gods as two, but shall leave as one." Gabriel handed the rings to each of them. "Live life in the Light. Love each other truly and with passion. You are warriors in every sense, now be warriors for each other."

  Antoine slid a ring on her finger. "Wear this as a symbol of my love and devotion to you. You have saved my life more times than I can remember. Save it once more by accepting me as your husband."

  Andrea took the other ring and placed it on his finger. "I joined this war hoping to help spread peace to all the people of this world. I didn't realize I would find my peace and happiness amidst all the chaos. Forever, you will be in my heart."

  A tear slowly rolled down Gabriel's cheek. "As your king and ruler of these realms, I pronounce you to be husband and wife."

  Antoine took his battle-hardened hands and gently pushed back Andrea’s coarse curly hair. He placed a hand on each side of her face, cupping it, and gazed deeply into her warm, chestnut eyes. She smiled and they leaned toward each other for their first kiss as man and wife.

  "Natallia would be so proud," Gabriel said.

  Justin let out a chuckle. "Don't enjoy the marriage chambers too much. We still have a war to win tomorrow."

  The group shared a laugh and went to finish the day.

  The Refugee army combined with the Iron Army stood at three thousand strong warriors. They hailed from every corner of Amundiss but had one common goal: send Craotonus and his minions back to Hell for good.

  Zachery and Cassy patrolled the skies the next morning. Cassy loved being with Zachery and Barrok flying. "I will never get used to this," she said.

  "Once we end this war, we will fly everywhere, I have so much to show you. Amundiss is a beautiful world, much like Earth, just with magic." Barrok snorted, "Oh yes, and dragons!" said Zachery as he patted the great beast.

  "Do you really think we can defeat the demons?" asked Cassy.

  "We must have full faith in King Gabriel and the Light. If we do not, we have already lost." Zachery said with a smile.

  Cassy wrapped her arms tighter around him, "We just started our life together and hopefully working toward forever."

  Meanwhile, Gabriel stood with King Kegan who was dressed in his finest armor, ready for battle. They faced the armies who were awaiting orders. "Today we change history. Our world will be ours again, and the demons will be returned to Hell where they belong. It has been eighteen long years that we have been under the heel of Craotonus and his minions. Today, that ends! Today, we join forces and fight!" A loud cheer erupted from the crowd Kegan stretched out his hand and settled them down. "We dwarves have been outsiders long enough. King Gabriel and the others 'ave showed us there be humans worth fighting for. It is our time to crack some heads and show 'em why the Iron Ar
my be one of the mightiest on Amundiss!” The mass of people cheered once more.

  George and Antoine poured over a map of the castle, marking every possible place where they could enter and catch them off guard.

  "I did not live at Castle Whitehold for very long, but I made it my duty to know every nook and pebble of that place. We can enter at the eastern side, flanking Gabriel and leaving the others to divide their forces." Antoine said.

  "Good. We will need every advantage we can get. Does Andrea know what she is to do?" asked George.

  Antoine nodded. "She has her group headed for the south embankment; they are ready. They will be waiting for your signal." Antoine placed his hand on George's shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

  George tried to seem strong, but he just sat down, placing his face in his hands. "I am scared to death. Not for myself, but Launa. She has already lost her mother, what if I fall, or worse, what if I cannot protect her?"

  Antoine said, "I cannot make promises that I do not know if I can keep, but I will vow this to you, I will try with all my might to protect her. Have faith in the Light and the Gods, today, we will have our vengeance against the monsters who tore our families apart."

  George stood and wiped his eyes. "My entire life, I have had one true friend in Gabriel. Now, I am honored to call you a friend and family. Let's finish this." He took up a sword and placed his helmet on his head.

  Antoine smiled. "The honor is mine, elf farmer." They shared a laugh and walked out to meet with their soldiers.

  Launa came running up to her father. "Let me come with you father, please. If today is our last day, I want to spend it with you and Zachery, not hiding in a hole somewhere."

  George looked to Antoine, who simply shrugged his shoulders. "I need you to be safe."

  "Where else would I be safer than with you and Antoine?" she questioned.

  Antoine told George, "If she will stay to the side, but still in our sight, we could watch out for her." George gave Antoine a stern look. "Come on, George. She is an adult now."

  George felt his heart sink. "All right, but you stay clear of any trouble. If you see us fall, promise me you will run, run as fast as you can and hide. I need you to live. Promise me that." Launa hugged her father and promised. "Now can we get started? I hear we have some demons to kill." George retorted.

  AT CASTLE WHITEHOLD, preparations were also being made. Craotonus was at full power and filled with shadows. Malonox could not engage in the battle himself, but his will and thoughts would be carried out by The Remissum.

  "Give me the power, I pray thee, dark master. Show me the way to defeat the Light to bring you back to your rightful place as ruler of Amundiss." Craotonus knelt in his chambers.

  From the shadows stepped the Dark Lord, Malonox himself. "Rise, my dark Champion. Today, you will serve as my right hand. You will usher darkness into this world forever!"

  He laid a hand on the head of Craotonus, causing shadows to engulf him, weaving in and out of his skin, forming a living armor, surrounding him. Craotonus stood, holding out his hands as if receiving something. Malonox closed his eyes and started to whisper a demonic chant. As the words spilled from his lips, he pierced his own body with his hands, removing a bone from his chest. The bone was black, gnarled, and looked to be rotting.

  "The Shadow Bone will protect you against our enemies. It is the only defense against the Bloodblade, use it wisely."

  As Malonox handed the bone to Craotonus, it shifted from a rotting bone to a bone handled blade. The blade looked like it was made of pure shadow, evil resonated from the weapon. "I shall lay the heads of our enemies at your feet. Our path is clear, our mind is as one. We will be victorious."

  Malonox nodded his head in approval. "Gather the minions, the time has come. The mortals are stirring. Strike them hard, do not give them any openings to defeat you."

  Craotonus bowed his head. "Your will, my Lord, we will not disappoint."

  THE TIME HAD COME. The armies were ready and willing to follow King Gabriel and the Champion of Light into battle for the sake of Amundiss. Everything hung in the balance of this battle. The people of Amundiss had been slaves to the evil Craotonus and his minions for too long. If Tradan could not defeat the fallen God, all would be lost. Not just for Amundiss, but every world would be in danger.

  Akadius and the other Gods surely would not just sit by and let the innocent people fall to darkness. They had a vow to not interfere, but this was different, was it not?

  The balance of good and evil, Light and Dark, could not be weighed by mortals against Gods, Akadius would be there. The people prayed to the Gods for encouragement, they prayed for vision, but most of all they prayed for their king. King Gabriel of Whitehold had led them with courage and wisdom. Today, he would not fall; today, he would lead them to victory in the name of the Light.

  I had seen many things from the time the Demons entered my life. I had new friends, met new family, and met the love of my life from another world. If we failed to end this, we failed everyone. My newfound power of being a Dragon Rider was in no comparison to the burning need to protect Cassy and my family. Barrok and I acted as one, our souls are forever linked and we, alongside Tradan and the others, would try to rid our world of the demons and bring Light to the people. This I swore upon my life. This war ends here. This is our finale. The shattering of Amundiss and its' people will come to an end.

  43

  The Shattering

  The time had come. Kegan ordered the sounding of the war horn. A low, loud tone flooded the land. A second horn was heard, and then a third signifying they were in place and ready.

  Gabriel looked to his son. "Are you ready for what lies ahead? Are we ready to put an end to the pain and suffering of our world?"

  Tradan pulled the Bloodblade from its sheath, holding it high above his head as the blade ignited in flames. "I am ready, Father. We must end this once and for all!" With a shout, his wings arched downward, and he took to the skies. A rumble of cheers came from the armies as they moved forward. George, Zachery, and Cassy were with a company of the dwarves on the eastern side, with Antoine and Launa behind them.

  "That is our cue! In the name of our king, we take back what is ours! Ready yourselves!" Zachery called out. The mighty dwarves stood stoic and awaited their orders, watching Antoine step forward.

  "We wait for the signal to charge forward. We know that they await us and have a company of orcs defending the castle." As Antoine said this, one of the dwarves cursed orcs and spat to the ground.

  "We will show them the way back to Hell!"

  Another low tone rang out over the hills. "Iron Army! Move forward and await my command!"

  The mighty dwarves started to march forward to the highest point above Castle Whitehold.

  Zachery and Cassy climbed onto Barrok and took to the skies. "We are ready, Cassy. I feel it. We will see victory this day."

  Gabriel and Kegan mounted their horses and led the bulk of the refugees toward the front of the castle. Gabriel told Tradan to fly back and meet up with Andrea and her unit of soldiers since they were the surprise group. The Champion nodded to his father and soared through the skies. The sound of the men and horses was like thunder. What a glorious sight it was to watch the army set out for Whitehold.

  As they marched the long, dry road a loud, strange noise came from the trees. Gabriel held his right arm up signaling for the men to stop.

  "Did you hear that?" asked Gabriel.

  Kegan looked around. "Aye, but I don' know what it was."

  Suddenly the trees shook, and a roar was heard as the sea of green poured out of the forest.

  "Orcs! Take up yer blades!" shouted Kegan.

  It was an ambush. The demons wanted to end this early. The warriors clashed in a flurry of steel and blood. Gabriel leaped from his horse, kicking an orc to the ground. With one swipe of his sword, the orc's head departed from his body. Kegan ran toward a group of the green skins that had two of his men surrounded. In a flu
rry of controlled madness, the good king opened the stomach of the first orc, turned and found his dagger planted in the throat of a second. In a split second, the blade was retracted and thrown, finding its mark between the eyes of a third. The two dwarves stood in shock, watching their older king completely dismantle the orcs with little effort. The fourth orc turned and ran.

  "I don't think so, ya green bastard!" Kegan shouted. He launched his short sword through the air, striking the fleeing orc in the neck, slicing clean through with enough force behind it that it landed in the chest of another unsuspecting orc, dropping him to his knees. "Well, don' just stand there laddies! Get ta killing!" Kegan barked at the two astonished dwarves he saved. He looked down and observed a massive war hammer left behind by one of the departed orcs, "This will do nicely!" He picked the hammer up, it was a one-handed weapon for an average orc, but for Kegan, it made a deadly two-handed hammer of death.

  Gabriel found himself in awe watching the old dwarf king in action; he felt a deep connection to Kegan. They both wanted what was best for their people, no matter the cost. Gabriel made his way through the orcs, each one that encountered his blade intensified the hatred in his soul. He repeated the scene over and over in his head of when Malonox took Natallia from him, which allowed Gabriel to lose himself in the battle and unleash a power even he did not know he had.

  His eyes glowed a bright white, his senses heightened, allowing him to think two, maybe three steps ahead.

  "Come to me Malonox! Meet your end!" he shouted as a group of orcs rushed him at the same time.

  The green skins closed in, but Gabriel steadied his sword beside him, and his eyes got brighter as if they would burn out of his head.