Traitor to the King: A Tale of the Benaga Sisters

by Clare SM Keating

  “So, who’s next?”

  All eyes fell upon the terrifying form of a massive figure bound in thick black and dark blue fabrics, a great sword in one hand and an axe in another – but worse he wore a metal helmet upon his head that caused all blood to thicken and hearts to stop. Shaped into the grimacing form of some hideous Mountain Ogre, the great black helmet sat as a mask over the face of this stranger with two great horns jutting out to the side as if to emphasise his bestial links. The figure’s voice was deep, slightly gravelly but his foreign tone was easy to distinguish and as Damara recognised it for a Light Elf or Amber City dweller, she noted the armour style and prodded her companions although their eyes were transfixed upon the seven-foot figure strolling into the centre of the market place.

  “He’s dressed like the Zhjati Warriors of Kougen… but it doesn’t make sense, they’re not even elves let alone on this side of the Giroff Mountains. How did he get here except…” Suddenly it felt as though all other eyes were upon Damara as the rest of her sentence was left to hang in the air. Droy and Martum let the name slip onto their lips but they could not bear themselves to put breath to it… Orcreich… no one came through there but demons! As the fact sunk in to the people they pressed closer into the enclave and silence reigned as the face-less beast before them shook his blood-smothered sword and looked amongst the crowd for his next victim. Despite the fear they were all feeling, Damara could not help but recall what she had been told by her father of the Zhjati and their loyalty unto death for one lord or king. A noble air seemed to surround this figure and Damara could not help herself but step past the two guards and out into the open, no one daring to stop her.

  Karani gave a shriek of realisation and tried to dart past her companions but they held her back, too afraid to make another step in case it might just become their last. Everyone who recognised Damara swallowed their tongues and their souls as they refused to step in to assist but regretted it immediately. Yet the stranger seemed to pause and watched the smaller figure of the female pad over to his side with a determined look on her face, as if she were carrying some vital message. When she stopped in front of him and then bowed low in respect, he gave a gentle chuckle of amusement before lowering his sword to tap her shoulders. The gesture made the crowds gasp in unison, as if the stranger might just decapitate the closest thing to a princess within their land, but it was soon obvious that the foreigner had no interest in fighting her.

  “Respect… something I’ve known so little in my existence. Speak Little One; you are not worthy enough to battle me, so you and the other weaklings of this city should not be afraid.” His voice was harsh and in many ways, it was difficult to understand him, but everyone clued into the fact he sought a proper fight and so the guard relaxed. As long as no one stepped forward to challenge him there would be no need for death and the figure might wander off. But the crowd knew from the sudden clanging of the bells and horns that echoed suddenly amongst the caverns, the rest of the Core were already on their way and units on patrol would be called back into the city to defend the king.

  The figure would get what he wanted; it would not be long before the King’s General, Higatso, would stroll down the great flight of stairs from the walled palace with all the swagger of a younger man and take up the challenge. Perhaps that had been the plan all along and the blood upon the sword and axe belonged only to those who had attempted to interrupt the stranger’s path. Damara assumed this herself, if only because it would prevent herself from being so completely terrified of this being and nervously she spoke to him, keeping herself in a bowed position of respect as she recalled women of the Zhjati were ought to.

  “Forgive me, but am I right in assuming that you wish to challenge General Higatso for his position? Only… I was informed that one of your warrior caste was considered nothing more than a wraith when he had no lord to command him.” She spoke anxiously but the words appeared to be understood and the being gave a grunt of acknowledgement that suddenly sent a ripple of excitement through the crowd. With Higatso being no more than a rambunctious drunk and womaniser, the removal of him might increase the discipline amongst the Core and the indication of someone strong enough to fight the general was exciting enough. Having witnessed the previous general’s defeat at Higatso’s blade, the public began to slip past the guards and out of the enclave, beckoning others out and to spread the word that a challenge had been issued. Damara though decided to find out the only thing that was missing from the situation… the figure’s name. “My name is Damara Benaga, daughter of the House of Benaga otherwise known as the Klangschwert – it would be an honour to introduce you to the general by your title, Sir.”

  The moment Damara introduced herself there was a sensation of electricity around the stranger and a notion that eyes were viewing her with an unusual hunger. Damara felt suddenly very afraid and though she remained as steady as a rock her soul was now trembling with fear that she might just be hacked in half for revealing her title. It was a well-known name and the Klangschwert were legend amongst all those in the north of Organthra that battled with the Orcreich. But the very dark presence of this warrior seemed to burn away Damara’s courage and she slowly straightened herself to look into the eye-holes of the grimacing helmet for a chance to see some aspect of the creature within.

  To Damara’s great fascination and perhaps even horror, a pair of citron coloured eyes twinkled back at her with an expression of affection. It was something she could not comprehend for the eyes seemed to sit surrounded by shadow and the figure’s voice in response to her question remained gruff and perhaps even bored. The eyes did not tell the truth of this figure, they seemed trapped as if they had been stolen from some helpless being and Damara stepped back with the growing anxiety that the being she was speaking to was definitely not human and possibly not even a human-type!

  “I have only one name, Karayan and it would be my honour to have a child of the Klangschwert, introduce me in a fight to the death with this general. Your assumptions are right Little One; I have come here solely for the purpose to serve the one place where a warrior’s limits can be tested. Now, bring me your general.” The being’s words were thrown out over the crowd and the excitement mounted as the answer to their fears was removed with something altogether more tantalising. But the Karayan suddenly dropped his voice to a near whisper and his words made Damara’s strength fade and her face grimace with terror. “It would seem you would be a worthy opponent to me Little One. Had I not known that the Klangschwert loyalty belongs to this King alone, I would have pledged my loyalty to your household.”

  That said, Damara swiftly bowed to him again and scuttled over to her friends who were now staring at her in awe and triumph. Her bravery was something they would make sure Anouk would hear of, but Damara feared something much worse. Higatso had never lost a challenge and apart from his predecessor, his earth magic mixed with his blade had felled every competitor since his triumph. Although Damara had every thought in her body telling her heart that Karayan would survive, she was almost regretful of introducing herself to him. After all, if he did not look to survive then she would have to rescue him for the sake of her pride and Anouk might just kill her for it!

  A lazy hour passed by with the stranger pacing the market floor in great circles and Damara slouched against a stone bench, waiting. The people remained excited but now there was an edge of fear buzzing amongst them as the agitation on the stranger became palpable as he dragged the tip of his sword along the stone for the sake of making sparks. His frustration mixed with the way he prowled the great open floor encouraged everyone to keep back and make prayers to the god Nabuto, the one true god of their people, in search of a break in the intensity of the room. Damara pressed her hands to her cheeks, her face scrunching up as she began to ponder to herself about what was about to happen. She recalled that the alarms would pull the scouts and patrols back toward the city and this would include Anouk. Damara could just imagine her sister appearing from now
here to slaughter the stranger and give her a beating for causing trouble. She blanched as she sat down in the shadows of the underground city, her face grim and her eyes dropping to the ground. Her actions were noted by her companions who remained standing nearby and they stepped to her side, eager to pat her back and tell her that everything was going to be fine. As they comforted her she felt her confidence grow but she also noticed the way the Karayan remained staring toward her, possibly even sneering at them.

  Before Damara could thank her friends for their comfort, she watched the great long legs covered in black cloth stride toward her. The sensation of the demon heading toward them encouraged the three beings to step behind the stone in preparation to gallop away from the advancing monster. Damara’s back stiffened and she stared upward at Karayan with a hideous gulp of terror as he stood over her and stared down. His strange eyes seemed almost to glitter at her with fascination and Damara lowered her head in shame.

  “I’m sorry Karayan… Higatso is a belligerent monster with no care or interest in fighting anyone now that he thinks he’s at the top of the ranks. I might as well just point you in the direction of his barracks, so you can cut his head off!” Damara groaned gently in frustration as she considered the situation. Desperate to try and encourage the monster to continue on his way and stop walking around like an agitated tiger in a cage, Damara pointed toward the great white staircase with eager long fingers. But the stranger stared out toward the staircase and shook his head gently before stretching out an arm toward Damara. She froze in terror as his great gloved hands dropped onto her head and practically clamped it. Her companions gasped and appeared ready to leap forward and attack to rescue their friend, but Damara was spewing cold sweat as she prepared to have her head popped. To their joint surprise Karayan simply patted her head and gave a throaty laugh.

  “There’s no honour in that… I want a fair fight to gain his position and protect this place. You shouldn’t be worried about it Little One, if he doesn’t turn up I’ll just insist on serving your father.” Karayan stated with a gentle grunt but Damara’s eyes softened, tears even seemed to brim at the corner of them for his words. Her companions also seemed to look depressed and the stranger stared at them in confusion for a moment before the bald Martum cleared his throat and explained.

  “I’m afraid Lord Benaga was killed in a terrible incident decades ago… the new Lord Klangschwert is his eldest daughter, Anouk. Damara here is the only other member of that family alive… except for the Head Healer.” Martum muttered nervously, rubbing at his neck in frustration though he held his spear close in case he had to protect his friend all the more. But all of them noticed the shift in the being’s form as he released Damara’s head and stared down at her, pityingly. His strange eyes seemed to weaken and there was also the slightest hint of interest in the state of the household. For a brief moment, Droy was worried that his best friend had just given away too much information; he could easily see this being forcing Damara to marry him, so he could take over the household and the second highest position to king in Virenheim!

  “He was an honourable warrior…” The Karayan stated but it was then a great horn bellowed around the cavern to cut him off. With a gentle grunt the being straightened himself and stared out at the top of the stairs where a surprising figure met his gaze. Damara had been startled by the Karayan’s words but had assumed he was just referring to the rumours, but she too was forced to look upward and grimace. Even her companions looked like they might have collapsed in terror as a throng of beings stepped toward the largest flat point amongst the stairs where they stopped, another figure following behind this arrangement.

  “The king is here…” Droy muttered as they looked at the situation with terror and hatred. They assumed it was the king as twenty black-robed figures, the King’s Watchers, stood surrounding some figure that tradition stated was the king himself. The council had also appeared at the top of the stairs and they were all aware that this would legitimise the stranger’s position if he was able to beat the general. Although none of these figures showed their faces or permitted anyone to look between them at the face of their king, the sensation of extreme power encouraged every member of Virenheim present to bow down and pull themselves out of the way of the central market platform. This Karayan stepped out into, clearing his throat to encourage Damara to get up and follow him. Damara was swift to follow him with a gentle smile upon her face as if she had just forgotten all her previous concerns, after-all she trusted nothing bad would happen to her with the King around!

  There was a surprising roar of amusement however as Higatso finally stepped down the flight of stairs. He was simply roaring and laughing, his stocky almost rotund form pinching within his thick brown armour as he padded down the stairs. His great large feet slapped against the bare white stone and he continued to chuckle with pleasure at the idea of a strange being, not even of their species, claiming to challenge him for his position. He even dared to spit in boredom, shocking everyone present who would have chided him had they not been so afraid of him. Higatso was soon half-way down the stairs, tugging gently at his neat black moustache with humour as he grinned with his slightly fanged teeth at the strange creature below.

  “So… a foreigner stinking like a fetid Swamp Beast thinks he can take my title from me? What’s this with you? Well, it doesn’t get any more amusing – behold my king the youngest of the famous Klangschwert has come out to introduce the pretender.” Higatso bellowed out to the crowd, knowing it would cause them some excitement to hear his threats. But they did not seem to appreciate his provocation regarding the heroic clan of their kingdom; instead they looked toward Damara with pride and affection. She felt this curious warm feeling from their attention but as Higatso stepped straight to her side and placed a firm, threatening gloved hand to her shoulder, she went pale and rigid with terror. “You’re dishonouring your late father and even your stupid sister would be pissed right now.”

  The phrasing hurt, and Damara felt something like a knife stab into her chest at the realisation that she might have backed the wrong side. She turned her baleful eyes toward the aggressive golden glint within Higatso’s as he strolled around her and his enemy in a wide circle. His robes of rich red and silk bought from trade with elves that had never been underground seemed to glimmer with his expression and Damara just looked at them in frustration. As much as such things were pretty and she had to admit she loved them, she agreed with her sister Anouk that Higatso was so stuck up his own backside regarding rank that he dared to dress more richly then the king no matter the occasion. Damara shook her head suddenly as she felt anger rise and her tongue start to wake before Karayan patted her shoulder in return and glowered from his shadowy robes down at Higatso.

  “The Klangschwert are known the world around for their loyalty to the king and this realm. Perhaps they sponsor me because they believe you are unfit for the role, Old Man.” The figure stated with a smile in his voice, gently pushing Damara behind him so that she could be protected from whatever harsh words this figure could come out with. However, Higatso simply breathed a sigh of boredom and walked away from them both, tapping his chin with thought over what to say next. He remained striding about in a circle around the pair to try and dominate the space but Karayan just remained motionless and only Damara twisted about to keep an eye on him.

  Higatso in truth was very unsure of this new challenger. It was true that he had beaten everyone imaginable since claiming his title, but the air just did not feel right around this psychopath. He could feel his body trying to tremble against the bravado he tried to display and the only way to stop it showing was to keep walking. What could he say to try and diffuse the challenge and then softly he gave a chuckle and froze in front of the figure. He strained backward a little, stretching like he was waking up before rocking about on his heels and grinning inanely as he looked at the terrifying shadowed monster.

  “Why so determined? I’m told you’re one of those warriors th
at need to have a master in order to have purpose. Why try and defeat me when you could easily step in as my apprentice and then move to a more appropriate position in time. Do you really need to kill me?” Higatso tried to make it sound like he was being benevolent and that he was the better figure involved, but no sooner had the words left his mouth then the eyes narrowed viciously. Higatso felt suddenly afraid of the Karayan and swiftly he dropped his grin and looked toward Damara. He tried to send her a scowl harsh enough to convey the message that she had really messed up in her sponsorship of this creature, but it was to no use. Damara had not really understood what she had been doing and she was already panicking about what her sister was going to say when she turned up.

  But the Karayan felt surprisingly irritated by the words of the figure in front of him, pompous and fat as he was. The elf that was being hailed as the king’s greatest protector was nothing more than a laughable fat figure that if the Karayan kicked down a hill would probably keep on rolling when he hit the bottom. The stranger was very sure that he was being insulted and that Higatso was trying to make him sound like a worthless puppy looking for a mother because he was so helpless! It made Karayan’s fists tighten around the handle of his axe and he straightened himself properly, his shadow smothering the form of his foe as he breathed a harsh raspy breath.

  “I came here because my former master wanted me to go where I would be useful, it was a promise I made on his deathbed and I honour all my promises. My loyalty and servitude are not to be passed onto a nameless figure that obviously cannot prevent himself from over-indulging. I have come to present my services to the Klangschwert… but I was informed their loyalty is only to their king. Therefore, my loyalty and service are to your king and no other creature in these tunnels.”

  Karayan’s determined growls rippled through the crowd as they felt the blood pumping with the oath of loyalty and with the rage it would bring from Higatso. In all the challenges that their captain had faced in his time, none had ever dared to speak so boldly or make a case that would make them favourable to the king. In fact, although none could see what the king was doing or thinking at that time, the sense of the crowd was pleasing as they each agreed to the statement and the nobility of the figure. Deep inside they could all recognise the devotion to their king and they all stepped back fully to form a proper arena for the pair to fight. The Karayan remained still with his thoughts but Higatso’s rage was showing as he curled his lips and tried hard not to let his tongue loose. He could feel the interest in the crowd and was about to throw out an insult when there was movement nearby.