Abbey tapped herself on the chest and jumped. “Me!”
The knight of the sword ran in, grabbed the magical sword and made off with it, surprising both Stone and Alexa.
Stone looked at Alexa. “What the hell?”
“Hell!” said Abbey and again she jumped.
It was then that Alexa noticed something fiery flying by the window. Were those damn wizards attacking the kingdom again? And with so many people in the courtyard it might be disastrous. She looked out the window and saw a dragon that looked like it was made of fire, launching a firestorm into the courtyard.
“What the hell?” said Stone as he looked out the window.
“Hell!” said Abbey and she again jumped for emphasis.
“Abbey you stay here! Stone come on!”
As Stone and Alexa ran out to the courtyard they were faced with a terrible sight, more than a dozen people had been burned to death; even the king was face down and badly burnt. Alexa screamed as she rushed to her father. A volley of arrows did nothing to the beast; its fire destroyed the bolts instantly on contact. The knight with the magical sword was trying hard to divert the dragon’s attention toward him, and for his efforts received a full blast of its fire, but being a creature of magic himself it had no effect on him. Stone grabbed a battle axe and threw it at the dragon however it also caused no damage to the fiery beast.
“What kind of dragon is that?” Stone shouted.
“I’ve never seen such a thing,” said Merrill. He put several more bolts into its head but to no avail.
The dragon took a deep breath as it prepared to blast Stone and just in time Pierce, the protector of the magical sword tossed a rock at it, taking its attention it turned its head as it hurled the fiery blast, allowing stone just enough time to summersault out of its way. Pierce didn’t want to throw the enchanted sword at the beast but realized that he had no choice, the sword entered the dragon’s neck and abruptly its flame was extinguished, the monster dissipated into nothingness. But so did Pierce and Knightshade.
King Darius lay unconscious in the courtyard on a slab of sandstone, barely alive from his encounter with the dragon, his breathing shallow and his heartbeat erratic; it was expected that he would pass soon. People were gathering to have one last look at the king, and many knights were standing guard as a sign of respect.
Marcus flew down on Ash’s back, and although no one was happy to see another dragon they were happy to see the wizard. Alexa rushed to her brother as he got off Ash, hugging him as Daganth touched down behind them.
Marcus couldn’t believe the terrible sight that awaited him, charred bodies and several of his golden knights half melted to the ground. “Alexa what happened?”
“A dragon that was made of fire did this! Can you do anything?”
“I have a powerful healing spell that might help,” said Ash.
“Let him through!” Marcus commanded. His wand vibrated. I am searching for a spell of healing but he is so near death that the door begins to open from the other side.
Ash was blinking as he went through different spells that might help, knowing that the king was slipping away, found one that might work and cast it, engulfing the king in a yellow flame. After the curative fire vanished one of the king’s servant’s place his ear on Darius chest and listened for a heartbeat but there wasn’t one to be heard.
“The king is dead!”
CHAPTER SEVENTY
RAINA STRUGGLED TO FREE HERSELF as Cyrus smiled envisioning her naked, a beauty if there ever was one. She screamed furiously at him and that did give him pause; he didn’t think she had it in her to kill him but what if she did? He might be a wizard but a sorcerer that had no idea how to cast even the simplest spell wasn’t much of a sorcerer. It could take him years to get the hang of it if ever.
“I need to make water,” said Raina. “Or would you have me do it here!”
He hadn’t considered that he might need to untie her so soon. “The garderobe is in that small chamber and be quick about it.” He untied her, prepared for her to attack him, but she quickly made her way into the chamber that contained a hole in the floor that was leagues deep, a portal that led to the middle of the Great Sandy Desert, where one certain location would not be a great place to stand.
Raina searched for a way out of the small chamber but instantly could see that there wasn’t any, a single sconce for illumination was on the wall and that was it. Being out in the middle of nowhere she quickly came to the conclusion that she might have to save herself, unless Marcus could create a spell to locate her, she had no way of knowing if he could or not. It certainly would be more satisfying to save herself.
“Hurry up in there!” Cyrus shouted. He then considered that it was to his benefit to be nice to her, otherwise how would she ever warm up to him. “I apologize take the time that you need.”
Raina searched the walls looking for a way out, after all he had pushed her in through a hole that he had opened up in the outer wall, but it all appeared to be too solid to get through. She had imagined many paths that her life might take but never once had she envisioned this reality, but now that she was unbound she at least had a chance. And as Raina exited from the chamber she held her arms out so that Cyrus could bind her once again and he liked the fact that she was going to be more cooperative.
“It’s better for both of us if you make the best of a bad situation,” he said, showing her a pleasant smile.
Raina punched him so hard that she knocked out a tooth; she was on him as quick as a wildcat, pummelling the hell out of him. He kicked her off but then she kicked him in the side of the face, making him see spots before his eyes and as he fell to the floor she kicked him in the head again; he had not been prepared for her speed or strength. She ran to the wall where she had been brought in and pushed out the stone that weighed next to nothing, but as she did so he hit her in the back of the head with the hilt of his sword rendering her unconscious.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
ALEXA CRIED AND TEARS ALSO RAN DOWN STONE’S FACE and many in attendance were sobbing. The thought of Leeander without king Darius was more than some could bear; some women fainted and had to be attended to; it was turning out to be one of Leeander’s darkest days.
“The king is not dead he has been suspended!” Ash shouted.
The crowd was hushed. What foolishness was the dragon talking, no one lived without a heartbeat? Alexa looked puzzled as Obed wondered of the dragon’s veracity, after all it was a young dragon and like humans there was much that they didn’t know. This was definitely not the time to be making things up.
“What does that mean?”
A farmer was not amused. “The king is dead he has no heartbeat.”
Marcus was in shock, not knowing what to think. Alexa stared at him for answers but he had none to give as Stone lay his ear on Darius’s chest and it was disturbingly silent. “The king is dead.”
“He is not dead he is suspended!” Ash insisted.
Someone shouted to “Kill the dragons!”
Marcus held his wand above his head. “Any that launches an attack towards these dragons will get a lightning bolt in the arse!” Grief took many roads and most of them had serious obstacles to avoid; he wondered if the crowd might not go mad with grief.
Stone was becoming annoyed by the irrational dragon. “The king has no heartbeat therefore he is dead.”
Ash was looking for a way to explain it, running through several scenarios that they might understand. He was born with a certain amount of knowledge, unlike people who couldn’t even walk when they came into the world. “It is like ice and water, when water turns to ice it is still water, and when it melts it flows again. The king will heal as he sleeps and when he is able to survive his wounds his heartbeat will start and he will awaken.”
Many eyebrows furrowed at what the dragon was blathering. Alexa so wanted to believe the dragon. “Stone this is maddening.”
Someone shouted from the edge of the crowd. �
��The king is dead!”
Ash turned his attention to a particular human that was shouting the loudest. “Now listen you stop saying that.” He was beginning to learn about the irrationality of humans.
“Who will be king?”
“He looks dead to me,” said Daganth.
Ash directed his attention to Marcus. “All of his garments must be removed and as his wounds heal you will know that he is not dead. Someone that is dead does not heal.”
“Bring my father to his chamber and remove all his clothes,” Marcus commanded. “He must be watched at all times for signs of improvement.”
“The king must be buried!”
Ash was not impressed. “My father taught me how humans use catapults. Whoever said that should be placed in a catapult and flung over the wall.”
Both Alexa and Stone were impressed at how Marcus was taking charge in such a difficult time; Stone thought that he might actually have the wherewithal to be king, which would take that burden off of his shoulders, though it would be difficult to deny Darius’s wishes. Might he be the first wizard king ever?
Hours later Marcus realized that he had not seen Raina and as he asked around others hadn’t seen her in a while either.
Staring down at one’s own naked and partially charred body was unsettling as was the grief that was going through the kingdom; he certainly wasn’t as handsome as he used to be in his younger days he thought. Darius’s ghost commenced to wander the castle which was very strange indeed; he tried but couldn’t get anyone’s attention. He felt an itch that he couldn’t scratch, on his left leg that was badly burnt. Might the dragon have been correct and he had already started to heal?
The king felt as light as a feather as he entered Marcus’s chamber, difficult to watch him crying all alone in there, sitting in a dark corner with his wand next to him. Darius walked through the walls until he ended up near the pond and sat, watching from a distance as the crowd lamented his passing.
“Darius can you hear me?”
The king looked around puzzled, but was happy to be able to communicate with someone. “Adorok is that you?”
“Yes I am in purgatory, but there’s a bit of a door here and we can talk for a brief time. Has Marcus destroyed the Staff of Herding?”
The king’s mind was not as clear as it would be normally. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”
Adorok’s voice sounded far away. “Tell Marcus that he must destroy that Staff.”
The voice trailed off and he thought he heard the faint sound of a door closing.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO
THE STARS WERE BEGINNING TO FADE as morning sky lightened; the sun wasn’t far from making its way over the horizon, the forest birds had already started to sing their morning song in appreciation of a new day.
Kapano yawned as he opened the hut’s red door, smelling the freshness of a new morn, glad to see that the sky had cleared and the storm had passed. He turned and thanked Jiao-Long for his hospitality, wasn’t a bad place to live; Jiao-Long was already at the table working on some sort of wooden contraption. Kapano had enjoyed a restful night’s sleep for the first time in a while; one mattress on top of another was actually quite comfortable. He stepped out and stretched, cracking his own back. What’s this? Kapano could see a bright glow beneath the covers and was immediately excited at the possibility that the staff had been brought to life, some of those lightning strikes had seemed very close. Had a bolt of lightning struck it? As he pulled the Staff of Herding out its small spheres commenced to spin so rapidly that it hummed, a silver rope that only Kapano could see floated out of the end of it and around Jiao-Long.
Jiao-Long nodded to Kapano, a rather expressionless look on his face. “What is it that you would have me do?”
Kapano smiled broadly as if he had just been crowned king of the world because he now had control of the staff. “Smash your head against that door.” If he did it he knew the Staff of Herding was ready to take his commands.
Jiao-Long hit his head so hard against the door that it brought blood.
Kapano’s face lit up like a thousand candles, the realization was exciting on so many levels, if he played the game properly might he not end up being king of the world? His mind was going through scenario after scenario, and what of Asher and Aewyn? He wondered if he should keep his alliance with them? Of course it might be lonely taking over the world by himself with no one to share it with. “Jiao-Long, you will remove all your incantations from the dwelling and then you will run through the woods until you find a bear to fight, and you will continue to do so until you are dead! You will not use any magic to defend yourself.”
The rope released itself from Jiao-Long and Kapano observed as he ran into the hut and soon off into the forest in search of a bear, watched until he was out of sight. He stepped back into the hut and both Aewyn and Asher couldn’t believe their eyes.
“The staff has come to life!” said Asher.
“Let me try it!” shouted Aewyn.
Kapano shook his head. “Keep your distance lest I use it on you two whilst I determine a proper path to take.” He watched closely as their faces changed from enthusiastic to unhappy.
Both gave Kapano stern looks but they had considered the possibility that this would happen, that one might want the weapon for themselves. He took the staff to the table and sat with a faraway look in his eyes, now able to take over any kingdom and control the king like a puppet on a string. He then envisioned having a mighty dragon at his command. The morn had taken a wonderful turn, at least for Kapano.
“Where is Jiao-Long?” asked Aewyn.
“I sent him off into the forest in search of a bear to attack and he must do so until he dies. We can stay here as long as we want he won’t be back.”
Asher laughed and then clapped. “And because of the staff he has to do it.”
Kapano nodded. He knew he would have to sleep eventually and the staff would be up for grabs but he could use it on them so that they wouldn’t want to take it. They also knew that they staff could be enhanced to control thousands but for that they would need to seek out an ancient tree that grew from a diider seed and use its bark. And so for now he would have to use it on them separately otherwise there could be a fight. It was interesting how friends could become enemies under the proper circumstances and rather quickly.
Aewyn and Asher sat across the table from Kapano with their arms crossed, one staring at the staff, the other at the wizard.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE
KING DARIUS’S SPIRIT WANDERED throughout the kingdom and it was interesting to see how others lived, to observe what they were up to on this beautiful sunny morn, but their grief was difficult to watch. Two little girls were crying and repeatedly asking their parents why the king had died but no answer was sufficient to their little ears.
A three-year-old little brown-haired girl approached the king and stared up at him curiously; she had seen Darius once before but now wondered why she could see through him. “What cha doing?” She watched as the king’s lips were moving but couldn’t hear a word that he was saying. “I can’t hear you!”
The king headed for a house where it seemed that a dog in the front yard could see him and he barked a short woof at Darius and then another, but as the king approached the black dog commenced ki-yiking and so he moved back, not wanting to frighten the animal any further. And then suddenly he felt himself being pulled, into the air and across the sky, and it frightened him until he realized that he was back into his body in his chamber.
King Darius, prone and naked on his bed, gasped as he suddenly jerked to life, his heart beating rapidly before returning to its normal rhythm, knocking Stone off his chair from the sudden movement. Stone had been dozing off when the king had returned to life.
“Your majesty!” said Stone. “You are alive!”
The king blinked several times. “It’s good to be back among the living.”
The knight went to the window and shouted. “The
king is alive and well. Pass the word! The king is alive. Someone fetch Marcus and Alexa!”
The king’s terrible burns were healing before Stone’s eyes, not yet completely healed but not the bloody raw mess that they had been and seemingly he would be cured within hours. The news spread quickly throughout the kingdom, that they had escaped yet another fate that had seemed sealed, what would have become of them had not Marcus befriended that dragon on the cliff.
That evening after all the excitement had ebbed down somewhat, Darius summoned his son to his chamber for a private conversation. “Marcus I am glad to hear that you have dealt with a tough situation with such strength and courage. Stone thinks that you would make an admirable king once I am gone should you desire to do so.”
Marcus shook his head. “Stone is smart father and only says that because he doesn’t want to be king. Most would kill to be king but not Stone.” He didn’t want to argue with his father but had to choose his words carefully.
“Yes I understand that but someone damn well better be king when my time comes.”
Marcus smiled. “I have it father. If Alexa can be a knight then why can’t she be king?”
Darius sighed. “Marcus, she would be queen.”
“I know that father but she would be happier if she thought that she could be king.”
Darius smiled at the thought. “Sounds like both you and Stone are too smart for your own good.”
Marcus suddenly looked troubled. “You know father I am starting to despise being a wizard. I feel like I’m a head with my chicken cut off, I mean a chicken with my head cut off. I just saved the world apparently, well with Ash the wizard dragon. Save this one, destroy that. And those stupid wizards got away with the staff.”
That jogged the king’s memory. “Oh that’s right I have a message for you from Adorok; he said to tell you that the staff must be destroyed. And that it is most urgent.”
Knight of the Sword (of Knights and Wizards Book 3) Page 21
