by B T Litell
Michael looked at the guard once more, making sure nothing was behind him that would injure the man and placed some extra weight on the back of the leaning chair. The fact that the guard could sleep in a chair that was leaning without falling over was impressive, but not nearly as much as staying awake while on duty. The extra weight on the back of the chair was just enough to hurtle the chair toward the ground. Michael hoped that the fall startled the guard in the process. A little fright might teach him to stay awake during his shifts.
“Are you fucking mental!” the guard shouted, as he darted to his feet. “You could have killed me.”
“You were sleeping on duty and you have failed to log the last three hours of patrol notices. I should report you to the Lieutenant,” Michael stated. Let’s see what he thinks of that.
“You report me for sleeping and I will report you for almost killing me. You haven’t been promoted yet, Michael,” the guard protested.
“And how, exactly, did he almost kill you, Private?” a gruff voice called from the back room of the guardhouse.
Michael and the guard snapped their feet together and clapped their fists to their chests as the Captain of the Guard walked out from the back room. The Captain was a bull of a man who easily weighed over one hundred kilograms, most of which was muscle. Being a Captain, he warranted more protection than most guards, and as such wore iron plate armor instead of the leather and chainmail that most guards wore on patrol, at least those whose ranks was below Lieutenant.
“I’m waiting for an answer, Private,” the Captain snapped.
“Sir, I’m a Corporal. I don’t understand why you’re…” the guard replied, his voice creaking as he spoke, as if he were still maturing, too young to bee in the army. Michael chuckled to himself about that.
“No, you’re not. This is the third time you have been caught sleeping on duty in the past month, and I’ve had enough of this! If this were up to me, you would be out of the army. Turn over your watch to the Corporal and then come with me, Private,” the Captain snarled.
The door slammed behind the Captain as he stormed out, which left Michael alone with the guard. A heated glance shot from the guard before the realization that it wasn’t Michael’s fault set in. They quickly went through everything that had happened so far that day, excluding the three hours missing in the ledger, and Michael soon had assumed responsibility of the guardhouse.
Within fifteen minutes of the other guard leaving another pair of guards had come into the guardhouse and reported that everything was normal on the streets. This required a simple entry be made in the ledger. ‘Patrol seven reports a normal status.’ Michael suspected the next four hours would go exactly like this. Most days in Shemont were quiet, but Michael wouldn’t change that for anything. Especially knowing the abnormal day that would strike the city eventually. The city would hurt enough whenever the Shadow Knight attacked, if that were ever going to happen. Michael wanted to talk with Joshua about that today after the ceremony. Hopefully he can show up, Michael thought to himself as he continued to read through the guardhouse ledger.
***
“And by the authority vested in me by the King of Drendil, I hereby promote you to the rank of Sergeant,” the Captain of the Guard called out, his booming voice echoed through the courtyard. All the promotions were done in the castle’s courtyard. This allowed the King the opportunity to appear if he wished, though that was not a common occurrence. The King was quite busy, after all, and there were a lot of guards and promotions. It would be unrealistic for anyone to expect one man, let alone the ruler of a kingdom, to show up for thousands of promotion ceremonies.
The small group of guards that had assembled clapped at the end of the ceremony. Michael and Týr turned to each other and clasped their hands together with a brief, allowable embrace. The Captain called the group of soldiers to attention, and the men all snapped tall with their hands at their sides. He then dismissed the gathered soldiers who appeared more thankful to be done standing around the courtyard than anything else. Once the crowd started dispersing, the Captain turned to Michael and Týr and smiled and shook their hands individually. His hands were large enough he could have shaken both together, but he wanted his congratulations to be unique.
“You are both very deserving of this. Continue the way you have been, and you will surely be Lieutenants in no time,” the Captain said. “I haven’t seen anyone make Sergeant with a year in the army in quite some time. And the way you surprised that guard earlier was quite well-done. I am thankful that I used the back door of the guardhouse to see that happen.”
“Thank you, Captain. It’s not that hard to stay awake while on duty. I was just outraged that it happened, more than anything,” Michael said.
“What happened?” Týr asked, his curiosity piqued. Michael filled him in on what had happened in the guardhouse and Týr laughed raucously at the Private’s expense.
“I believe I heard the Master General say he wished to speak with both of you today. Stop by his office when you leave here.”
“Aye, sir,” Michael and Týr answered in unison as they clapped their fists to their chests.
The Captain turned and left the two Sergeants alone. A doorway opened in the air behind them and they turned, Týr with his hand on his knife, ready in case it was bad news coming through the door. Joshua stepped through the doorway, his Mage’s robes flowing in the air as he walked. He clasped their hands, Michael first, then Týr, congratulating both on their promotion.
“I know I haven’t spoken to you both much since we received our first assignments. I have some news that we need to discuss with the Master General,” Joshua said.
“We actually have to see the Master General anyway, so we should head there now,” Týr said.
“Yes, I spoke with him yesterday and told him I have findings that involve all three of us. We shouldn’t discuss more until we are in his office. Let’s go,” Joshua said, heading toward the gate of the castle.
***
Joshua knocked on the Master General’s door and opened it when prompted. The Master General sat at his desk, smoked rise pipe and read a small book. The cover of the book was dark leather with gold lettering and decorations. The lettering mentioned something about the tactics involved in war, but Michael wasn’t able to clearly read the cover fast enough. The Master General set the book and his pipe down as he leaned forward to give his guests his full attention.
“You wanted to speak with me, Mage?”
“Yes, sir. I have made a discovery about the Shadow Knight. He has been recruiting monsters into an army, though I don’t know where he is amassing this force. They aren’t in our world that I do know,” Joshua said.
“What kinds of monsters?”
“What I’ve seen includes goblins, minotaur, at least one manticore, and a few dozen werewolves. I saw other creatures, but their descriptions aren’t within the records that we maintain among the priesthood or the Battlemages. I do know they are dark creatures that have no purpose or reason for living beyond death and destruction,” Joshua replied.
“So, the Shadow Knight is amassing an army of monsters. What do you assume comes next? I would assume the only reason to gather an army is to attack,” the Master General said.
“That is my assumption as well. Since he is gathering his forces, I would say there are two options: draw him out and attempt to defeat him before he gets all of his beasts or wait for him to attack when he is ready, whenever that may actually end up taking place. Clearly waiting for him is not the best solution as he will be able to gather enough strength to level the city, or whatever action achieves his ultimate goal,” Joshua replied.
“How would you draw him out and bring his army with him? I don’t want to leave an army of monsters alive, even if they are in another world. Could we get our forces together and go after him before he has the chance to attack us?”
“Without knowing what world the monsters are in, it’s hard to tell whether we would even sur
vive in that realm,” Joshua replied.
“So, what do you suggest, Mage?” the Master General asked, taking a deep drag from his pipe and blowing the smoke toward the ceiling.
“There is something we can do to try to draw the Shadow Knight out of his hiding place, but those spells are dangerous and volatile. Do you remember hearing about the goblins attacking Erith about a year ago? We, well I, cast a spell where we could observe the Shadow Knight and that drew his attention to us, and he sent his goblins to attack Erith rather than doing whatever else they were supposed to be doing. I would hate to put Shemont under such risk.”
“It seems like we can’t do anything but let him amass more of an army while we do nothing,” the Master General countered, once again blowing wispy blue-grey clouds into the ceiling where they roiled and dissipated.
“I’m not suggesting we do nothing; I’m simply saying that we can’t do anything without Shemont being ready for an attack. How quickly can the army be readied?”
“The army should be ready and briefed on their assignments, if necessary, within a day. This time tomorrow the city would be able to withstand any assault that the Shadow Knight can throw our way,” the Master General replied.
“Sir, can you make that call?”
The Master General sat at his desk and thought while he continued to smoke his pipe for a few moments. He leaned back into his chair and puffed thoughtfully at his pipe. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, clearly thinking of alternatives to the situation Joshua had laid out for him. Something other than risking the whole city had to be possible. Something that wouldn’t put thousands of innocent people in danger. Erith had been bad, but being independent from either Drendil Kingdom, they didn’t have quite as strong an army. And Lord Dennison had been such a thorn in their sides that their soldiers had been worn thin. Unfortunately, the goblin attack had come too soon after Dennison was dispatched for Erith to recover their garrison.
“What are you going to do?” he asked finally.
“As I explained before, when we first came to the castle, the Shadow Knight is a Vor, and I wish to summon another of his clansmen, trap it and find out where our Knight has gone, and what his mission is,” Joshua replied.
“You want to do what? Have you gone mad?”
“I believe that getting another Vor to talk with us is going to give us enough insight to set traps for the Shadow Knight so we can control him, rather than being surprised by his assault and losing the city. We have to plan for what he will do rather than simply react to what he is already doing, when he attacks,” Joshua suggested.
“This doesn’t sound like something that I can approve. The King will have to make the final say on something this obtuse,” the Master General mocked, his face contorted.
“Sir, you have to believe that I wouldn’t have suggested this if there were any other option. But I have a plan that involves other Mages. We can trap the summoned Vor and ensure it can’t do anything while in our realm,” Joshua asserted.
“This still has to go before the King. This is his city, not mine. Who knows, perhaps the King will be more easily convinced that this isn’t a completely asinine idea. This would never be allowed, if I could make that decision. I don’t care how large of an army the Shadow Knight is putting together,” the Master General stated. “I will go see if the King has time to hear this ridiculous plan of yours, Mage.”
***
“Mage, what exactly is it you plan to do after summoning another Shadow Knight to our world? Do we not have enough problems with the one that you have to defeat? I have a hard time seeing how this plan is going to save the world,” the King articulated.
“From my understanding, not everyone in the Vor Clan is a Shadow Knight in the same sense as the ones who are chaotic in their missions. But to ensure that we don’t bring another chaotic knight into our world, without restrictions, I will cast a spell that turns the summoned Vor into a statue. Once I have done that, we can remove some of that effect and talk with our summoned Vor. This is the only solution I can think of to find further information for our quest,” Joshua appealed.
“How many Mages do you need to accomplish this? And how many soldiers do you need on standby?” the King inquired.
“I only need five other Mages, and perhaps a platoon of soldiers. Any more than that would be unnecessary for our purposes,” Joshua clarified.
The King was silent for several moments before deciding…
Chapter Sixteen
The next day a platoon of soldiers and six Mages had been gathered in the castle’s courtyard. Joshua spoke with the Mages. He had decided not to walk them through his plan until right before it happened. While Joshua did that, Michael and Týr briefed the soldiers of their role in the process. The soldiers would form a protective ring around the Mages, their pikes and lances pointed toward the center of the circle. The Mages would join their spells together and summon the Vor under Joshua’s direction. If anything went south, the soldiers would intervene while the Mages were busy with their casting.
Both the King and the Master General were present in the courtyard, the King surrounded by an entourage of guards between him and the ritual site. The Master General was lecturing the guards on strictly protecting the King at all costs. At least three times he reminded them that their lives hinged on the King not being harmed if anything went wrong with the spellcasters. Obviously, the King’s guard would protect the King with their lives, but it was still necessary to clarify that aspect. Heads would roll if anything happened to the King.
Joshua verified with the Mages that they were ready and next checked with Michael and Týr regarding the soldiers. With everyone ready, the ritual began. The Mages cast spells together, joining their casting with Joshua, who took control of the ritual. As he cast the spell, a dark doorway opened in the middle of the circle, the edges of the doorway were jagged and shimmering unlike the doorway Joshua had used the day before. The doorway shone like a mirror, the front, facing the group, showing nothing on the other side. A face appeared in the doorway. The face was beyond pleasant to gaze upon, gentle in its appearance.
“Why have you summoned me?” the face demanded, it’s voice booming as it spoke.
Joshua cast another spell and the face shrieked as a body was pulled from the doorway. The doorway closed immediately upon the body exiting, and the Vor’s body, removed from her realm, instantly started turning to stone. The transformation stopped at the back of her head and just below the jaw, leaving her face clear of the stone.
The Vor was tall and slender, almost willowy. Her face was no less gentle outside of the mirror-like doorway, though her hair was visible now, flowing freely. Her hair was long, reaching nearly to her thin waist. Despite her soft appearance, something about the Vor seemed lethal. Were she not encased in stone it would likely have been a disaster.
“Clearly, you are stronger than we anticipated, chaining your spells as you have. What do you seek from me? Do you wish for power you cannot begin to fathom? Perhaps it is riches you seek. I can satisfy all of your deepest desires. Release me from this prison you have created and whatever you desire is yours,” the Vor appealed. With her body outside of the doorway, her voice still boomed, but with less distortion. An echo emitted from somewhere, sounding like she spoke with two voices instead of just one.
“We actually only require information from you,” Joshua clarified.
“I will give you five questions. Ask carefully, as I am under no obligation to tell you anything, let alone the truth,” the Vor cautioned.
“There is a Shadow Knight in our realm who threatens to descend our world into chaos. What is his purpose here?”
“You have both asked and answered your question. You have four questions remaining.”
“What is his name?” Joshua inquired.
“Vor’Kath, though that information changes nothing of your mission to destroy him, I believe.”
“Where is he hiding the army that he has formed?”
“He is hiding them in our plane of existence, though again I believe that doesn’t help you,” the Vor replied. “You have two questions remaining.”
“When will he send his army against our plane?”
“It will be in the future, though I know not enough of his plans to say more specifically,” the Vor claimed. “There is one question left.”
“If we cannot kill him, is there a way to remove him from being a problem?” Joshua asked after a pause.
“What you are doing to me is effective. I would rather be dead than a statue, though I imagine you would rather not have a statue of Vor’Kath standing in the middle of your city. There is an island northwest of your city where dark rituals have taken place. That island is the source of what you call ‘Madness’ and would be a fitting prison for him. Beware, the island is overrun with beasts unnatural to this world. Study the book you received in Erith and you shall find the spell needed to snare him to that island, if you should so desire that outcome,” the Vor stated.
Joshua opened the doorway once again and began withdrawing the stone from the Vor’s body slowly. When the creature’s arms were freed from the stone Joshua put the Vor back in the doorway, returning her once more to her own world.
“I wish you well against Vor’Kath. He is a force of destruction, even within our clan. Please ensure he does not return to us,” the Vor pleaded; her voice boomed once again, being back in the mirrored doorway.
“Before you go, allow me one final question,” Joshua interceded.
“Since you returned me promptly, yes, you may ask one final question,” the Vor granted.
