The Key of Creation: Book 01 - Rise of the Destroyer

by M. D. Bushnell

  “He will,” Tiberius nodded. “If they can’t retrieve the artifact, they can at least discover where Jahann has gone. Did you find anything else?”

  “The list was with a very old, blank piece of parchment matching the one I discovered earlier. I’m taking it. Something tells me they are important.” Aldrick took one last look around the richly decorated room. “We’ll check the rest of the upstairs quickly, but I think we are done here. Then I should return. No doubt Jelénna is wondering what happened to me by now.”

  Tiberius peeked out the window at the lengthening shadows of the afternoon sun. “Let me give Paden some instructions, and I’ll go with you.”

  Chapter 18

  By the time they pushed their way back through the crowds to their seats, the final Joust was being prepared. Due to the tiered ranking system, the two men with the most points thus far had been paired for the final joust, and as chance would have it that was Brodan and the point leader Gilmoure.

  Aldrick hugged Jelénna and Adrias, and explained what had transpired. Once they were settled, his thoughts turned to the possible outcome of the final round of the Joust.

  Aldrick found he now had mixed feelings about this contest, and perhaps about the Tournament as a whole. Since they had been children, he had supported Brodan through a multitude of inane incidents. He had even agreed to be his Second in the Crown Run, the final contest of the Tournament of the King. Aldrick had not wanted that responsibility, but had not been able to deny the request of the regent, when he had asked.

  On the other hand, his friend had changed. He was exhibiting a heightened level of arrogance and conceit, much greater than Aldrick had seen in him before. Certainly, it could be at least partially attributed to his sudden rise in power; there had been little warning before the death of his father from that unknown and rather suspicious disease. Being the son of the king, Brodan had always leaned towards arrogance, but clearly he had been unprepared for the level of power that the position of regent provided him.

  For the first time, however, there was an unforeseen contender who could provide a serious challenge to the regent becoming king. Brodan still seemed quite confident of his impending victory, which Aldrick did not completely understand. There was a fine line between confidence in your abilities, and blind arrogance. While it was true the regent was a strong second thus far, Gilmoure was still the leader in points, and that was prior to the Joust.

  Brodan freely admitted that jousting was not one of his strengths, and while Aldrick knew he had been practicing, he was likely to struggle. Gilmoure’s skill at the sport was a complete unknown, but based solely on his physique and outstanding performance in the Tournament thus far, he was certain to give Brodan a serious challenge.

  Brodan and Gilmoure appeared then as if summoned, trotting out into the arena mounted on armored horses. They rode around in a circle, waving to the excited crowd before taking their respective places at opposite ends of the tilting fence. Their squires rushed out to make last moment adjustments to their armor and saddles, before the first tilt.

  Even disguised in their armor, Aldrick could easily tell which contender was which. Gilmoure sat atop his horse with his back straight and helmeted head held high, and with a strong grip on his lance, he exuded confidence. In contrast, Brodan looked uncomfortable. The regent slouched in the saddle and kept his gaze down, and the end of his lance kept dipping. The crowd was happily oblivious to these details, and they cheered and stamped their feet in excitement.

  A young man strolled out to the center of the field carrying two flags. With a flourish, he raised a yellow flag in his left hand, indicating the contestants should prepare for the charge. After a dramatic pause, the flag carrier dropped the yellow and raised a green flag, announcing the charge.

  Both horses reared as their riders dug in their heels, and then charged down their respective sides of the tilting fence. Gilmoure had a nearly perfect form, as he leaned forward and braced for impact. Aldrick prepared for the inevitable unhorsing of his friend, as the moment of collision neared.

  The great warhorses galloped towards each other trailing a cloud of dust and dirt. With a resounding blow, the two contestants struck with their lances. Surprisingly, the lance held by the regent struck true, if sloppy, and shattered in a blast of splinters. Gilmoure bent backward, nearly launched off his horse.

  Gilmoure’s lance oddly did not shatter at all, appearing to have missed Brodan altogether. Aldrick blinked, trying to make sense of what had happened. One moment Gilmoure charged with excellent form amidst a cloud of dust and flying pennons, and in the next he had simply missed.

  The riders came to a stop at the opposite end of the fence, and Brodan was clearly excited at his successful strike. While he had not unhorsed Gilmoure, he had landed a solid blow, unquestionably weakening his opponent. The regent sat up straighter on his horse and waved to the crowd, obviously receiving a much-needed boost to his confidence.

  On the opposite side, Gilmoure flexed his free hand, staring at his unbroken lance. The visor on his helmet hid his expression, but Aldrick imagined it was one of incredulity. The point leader could not have foreseen missing his opponent entirely.

  They rode back to their own side of the tilting fence, and their squires rushed out to check their gear and bring them new lances. Gilmoure tossed his unbroken lance to the ground in disgust, and took a new one from Warren. After a few moments both riders signaled their readiness, and the flag carrier strode back out onto the field.

  With the green flag, the second charge began. Gilmoure once again had perfect form, perhaps even better than the first time. He leaned forward and braced for impact with obvious concentration.

  Brodan was sloppy as he leaned forward again, but his form was passable. Just before impact, Brodan shifted the tip of his lance up slightly and struck Gilmoure on the side of the helmet, the tip of his lance shattering from the glancing blow. Once again, Gilmoure held an unbroken lance, jerking aside at the last moment and missing Brodan completely.

  The crowd half cheered, half gasped. Aldrick suspected that was due more to the regent intentionally striking the head of his opponent, rather than the second miss. While there was no rule to outright disqualify a man for striking above the shoulders, it was more than frowned upon, and considered extremely bad form. No respectable jouster would do such a thing on purpose, so it was practically unheard of, except in the case of extreme accidents.

  Contrary to the generally unobservant and uncaring crowd, Aldrick was more interested in the second miss by the challenger, Gilmoure. During this charge he had paid close attention, and although there was a small possibility the headshot by Brodan was an accident, Gilmoure had been in perfect form and should not have missed. To the untrained eye, it might have appeared Gilmoure had simply flinched or lost concentration at the last moment, but to Aldrick it did not appear that he had accidentally moved his lance, but rather as if the tip had been moved for him.

  Gilmoure leaned in the saddle, looking very unsteady as he reached the end of the fence. After a moment, he appeared to recover somewhat and threw his lance down in obvious anger and frustration. He clearly had to struggle to pull his dented helmet off.

  Brodan waved to the crowd, but the general excitement had cooled after the last round. It was unlikely anyone would have the temerity to jeer or catcall the regent, but it seemed not everyone felt like cheering for him either.

  Aldrick could not imagine what Brodan was thinking as the contestants trotted back to their side of the fence, but the look Gilmoure gave the regent as they passed spoke volumes. It was clear from the scowl on his face he was not happy with the outcome of the Joust thus far, and Aldrick thought he saw a glint of suspicion in those azure eyes.

  Brodan did not seem to care about Gilmoure, or the dimming of the enthusiasm coming from the crowd, as he lined up for the next charge. He waved to the crowd as if nothing untoward had occurred. Gilmoure, on the other hand, argued with Warren while another squire check
ed his equipment and retrieved yet another new lance.

  The flag carrier strolled out to the field, but apparently there was something Gilmoure and Warren could not agree upon, and the former called for more time. After a tense moment, Gilmoure unceremoniously tossed his ruined helmet to the ground, while Warren shouted and gestured wildly. Gilmoure ended the argument by grabbing the new lance and lining up for the next tilt as before, with one notable exception; he was now helmet-less.

  Cheering resumed as the yellow flag was raised, but many were baffled by the strange occurrence, and conversation buzzed all around the arena. Jelénna and Tiberius joined in the speculation, with the consensus being that Gilmoure was simply showing off by jousting without his helmet, as he had at the Melee Tourney. Most also agreed that no sane person would consider doing so, after having just taken a glancing blow to the head. Still others speculated it was that very blow to the head, which was the cause of his odd behavior.

  Aldrick had an idea there might be more to his show of valor, than simple bravado. From the look on his face, Aldrick was fairly certain that showing off was the furthest thing from his mind. The reason he had removed his helmet was more likely because wearing the helmet, while protective, restricted his vision. Although the protection was critical, Gilmoure must need something even more; he wanted to see why he was missing.

  The green flag was raised and both riders launched forward for their third tilt. Both men leaned forward and braced themselves for the impending impact. Brodan raised the tip of his lance slightly, threatening to strike Gilmoure in the face again—certain death without the protection of his helmet. Gilmoure had his lance well aimed and seemed certain to strike solidly, but at the last moment the tip veered to the right once more, as he quickly ducked to avoid taking a direct blow to the face.

  Trotting back to his side of the fence, Gilmoure’s face had changed from a fierce look of anger and glaring suspicion, to one of decision. He rubbed the side of his head and had a quick word with Warren. Waving off any additional questions, he lined up for a fourth tilt. By the rules of the Joust, points were not given until after one rider had unhorsed the other, therefore tilting would continue until one of them had done so.

  With the green flag, the riders launched forward once again, galloping towards each other with a blur of hooves and a cloud of dust trailing behind them. The overheated horses snorted in protest as they hurtled down the fence line. The men raised their lances in preparation, bracing for the inevitable collision. Gilmoure had an intense look of concentration that Aldrick had not seen before, and unconsciously he held his breath as the moment of impact arrived.

  Brodan lifted the tip of his lance as he had the previous two tilts, once more aiming for the helmet-less head. Rather than leaning forward and bracing for impact as usual, Gilmoure suddenly leaned hard to the left, swiveling his lance up and around. Just as the tip of Brodan’s lance entered the space where his head had been, Gilmoure dropped his lance down to the left, and in an amazing show of strength swung the entire shaft forward directly across the path of his opponent.

  The length of the lance struck the unprepared regent in his midsection, and like an unseen tree branch across the path of an inattentive rider, swept him backward off his horse. Brodan hung suspended in midair for a heartbeat until the lance abruptly broke in half and deposited him heavily onto the ground, knocking the wind out of him.

  After what seemed an eternal silence, the crowd burst to their feet in an explosion of conflicting emotions at the amazing finish to the Joust. Most cheered wildly though a few were jeering, while the rest talked in excitement. Aldrick was not certain how he felt about the outcome. He could not recall anyone before unhorsing their opponent with the length of the lance, rather than the tip. He could hear exclamations of “Is that legal?” and “Can he do that?” echoing around the stadium.

  The squires rushed out to help Brodan. Standing with their aid, he began throwing off pieces of heavy armor and stumbled over to the judges. The regent began cursing and shouting that Gilmoure had cheated and should be disqualified. He was joined by a few of his supporters in the crowd who shouted similar demands.

  The rest of the crowd were laughing and talking enthusiastically, just seeming happy that something had finally occurred. Large numbers of people were already leaving the stadium, undoubtedly trying to beat the rush of the crowd.

  The judges spent some time in intense consultation and reviewing several scrolls and a large leather-bound volume. Finally, an older judge stepped out to the center of the arena and waved for silence. A hush fell over the remaining crowd, most eager to hear the official decision. Gilmoure had dismounted, and Warren and another squire were assisting him in removing his remaining armor. When the crowd quieted, he turned to hear the decision.

  The judge announced in a booming voice, “The rules of the Joust are stated quite clearly. The winner of a match is the man who unhorses his opponent, by lance. Historically, this feat has always been accomplished with the tip of the lance, as I’m certain we are all aware. A number of judges argue that this tradition should hold precedent, as I’m sure will many of you.”

  The judge paused for breath, and there was a smattering of applause and cheers. The old man coughed, and then motioned for quiet. “As I stated, the Joust has always been done this way, and I’m certain we are all accustomed to that. But as I said, the rules are clear; the winner is the man who unhorses his opponent, by lance. Nowhere in the rules does it specify any particular part of the lance. Gilmoure was the first to unhorse his opponent by means of a lance, and since no rule was broken, we declare Gilmoure the victor!”

  There was a slight pause as the startling decision sunk in, and then the crowd erupted. There was some booing and jeering as Aldrick might have expected, but a surprising number of people were cheering. After a while the cacophony settled into excited conversation as everyone began to filter out of the stadium. Aldrick could see Brodan storm off the field in an obvious rage. Just before leaving the arena he struck one of his squires full in the face, before disappearing from view.

  Disappointed at the sight, Aldrick turned to see a crowd congratulating Gilmoure, and introducing themselves. Most of the seriousness was gone from his face, and he smiled as he shook hands, yet already there was a bruise forming on one side of his face, and he looked a bit dazed. Not surprisingly, a good portion of the adoring crowd consisted of women, yet a large number of men were also present, many of who were nobles.

  Brodan had thus far been favored to win the Tournament, but it was now clear Gilmoure was a major threat to the regent. There would certainly be many nobles who would ingratiate themselves with him, in the event he was victorious in the Crown Run. Politics among nobles was inevitable, and the prize of this Tournament was not some random colored ribbon, but the crown of Asturia itself. Needless to say, there was much at stake.

  He met Gilmoure’s gaze as he was walking out of the arena. Nodding in congratulations, Aldrick receiving a broad smile and wave in return. Yes, Aldrick decided, Brodan had some very serious competition for the throne.

  Chapter 19

  Following the amazing and controversial conclusion to the Joust, there was extensive celebration throughout the city. Perhaps a little too extensive, Aldrick thought. He was certainly no stranger to the occasional glass of wine, but the levels of drunkenness and debauchery he saw that evening were a bit extreme in his opinion. The Tournament was not yet over, yet you might have thought the city had seen the most exciting event in its history, based on the number of impromptu festivities and general intoxication.

  Aldrick was lost in thought as he strolled through the marketplace to clear his mind after extensive research in the library, yet he overheard several lively conversations on the streets. Discussions ranged from whether the victory in the Joust was truly legal, to what the odds were Gilmoure would be victorious in the Crown Run. Aldrick only heard one heated argument concerning what caused the point leader to repeatedly miss striking
Brodan with his lance, yet it was this very topic that had precipitated his trip to the library.

  Aldrick was amazed more people had not noticed that glaring incongruity. In his mind the mystery of the day was not whether Gilmoure had legally deserved to win, as the judges had already answered that question. The true mystery was why he had been forced to win in such a way in the first place.

  While he was no expert, Aldrick had trained in the forms of the joust and had tilted when he was younger. With the apparent skill in the sport Gilmoure displayed, and the mediocrity of his friend, the entire affair should have been over in the first run. Something had kept Gilmoure from striking true with his lance, and it was that mystery Aldrick wished to solve.

  Earlier, he had found Brodan and tried to surreptitiously pry the information out of him. The regent however, had been in a fury over the result of the Joust, and would not speak with him. After a dinner out with his family that did not feel all that celebratory, Aldrick had gone to the library. Unfortunately, an evening of research had brought him no closer to an answer.

  He had discovered a few theories in dusty old tomes about preventing damage and successful strikes in the joust, along with designs of contraptions and armor enhancements. All these schemes involved cheating and were, of course, completely illegal. Most of these ideas had therefore remained theories, or when applied, turned out to be categorical failures.