FARHAYVEN: VENGEANCE (82 page)

     “We stand at 9000 gold coins for one dead prince, so you owe me another 3000 pieces in down-payment,” answered Clanmaster Collart.

     “Fine, you will have your 9000 gold coins
!
But once you have killed the prince, and you had better get him killed, I am done with you
!
You take your 9000 pieces and you run as far away as possible from where I hold influence or authority, or I shall see you hang by the neck in public square
!
” consented Lord Destiny rather reluctantly as he backed away, took his torch and stormed out of the cave.

     The
3
rd
Evening of Fourth Month of Dry Season
saw Minvian Ray Iddell overseeing guard duties at Castle Greenbloom, located on a plateau in the central area of North-western Falls Province. Castle Greenbloom was near Fallsgreen Town, about a day and a half’s ride away. The operation to hunt for the assassins in Shadow Forest had been taken over by a pond from Fort Westguard. Ray was here at Castle Greenbloom with Clover, Rod and 1
st
, 2
nd
and 3
rd
Rivers of the Royal Elementhar Pond. He had left Serene and 4
th
and 5
th
Rivers back at Fallsgreen to tie up certain administrative loose ends. Spirit was sent back to Fallsene City with a stream from 5
th
River which was assigned to accompany Convian Sky Proest’s river and Queen Patrum.

     Ray was silent as he walked the perimeter of the outer courtyard with Clover from checkpoint to checkpoint to ensure that his subordinates had carried out their assigned duties properly and efficiently. She too, was silent. Both were saddened by the recent loss of their subordinates.

     “Attack _ the assassins’ of this was incredibly bold and exposed, do you not agree, master
?
” asked Clover, finally breaking the silence.

     “Yes,” answered Ray.

     “Tactics _ why were theirs of these different than from the other instances
?
” asked Clover.

     “Speculations _ I have only of these, whereby perhaps Prince Patrum was too well guarded for them to try their usual ways; or maybe Prince Patrum is too important of a target for them to be overly cautious; or possibly they became over-confident due to access to some inside information; or very likely, all three reasons altogether contributed to their decision on how they mounted the attack,” Ray replied as they both walked out of the main door to the courtyard.

     Inside information
?
Clover had never considered this before
!
But it made sense, she reasoned. Otherwise, how could the assassins have known that Prince Patrum was to be in Fallsgreen
?
But how could it be
?
The prince was well loved by the people and by the government
!
Who in the government wanted him dead
?
Who would be in the position of gain if the prince is killed
?
No one
!
The prince’s posts and titles were inherited, not earned or granted
!
If the prince was killed, no one in the government could take his place.

     “Possible _ do you think of this that they had received inside information, master
?
” said Clover.

     “Likely _ it is very much of this, seeing that they dug a tunnel that would have taken at least three or four months to dig whereas the prince’s attendance at the function was only declared to the public two weeks before the event,” said Ray.

     The evidence was overwhelming
!
There has got to be a traitor in the government
!

     “Traitor _ is the existence of him really possible, master
?
” asked Clover.

     “Traitor _ the existence of him is not only possible, but is most likely; so I have instructed Serene to form a team to investigate the matter. Traitor _ of him could be anyone who is close to us, or maybe is close to someone who is close to us. Traitor _ also, there could be more than one of him. Reasons _ of these there are a myriad, for example, financial troubles, political disagreements, emotional and mental manipulation by schemers and so on,” answered Ray.

     Half an hour later, Ray and Clover returned to the castle’s keep. Immediately, Ray noticed that something was wrong. The two guards whom he had posted there earlier were now missing. Clover drew her sword out instinctively.

     “Location _ Royal Guards, what is yours of this
!?
” Ray called out in a loud and firm manner.

     There was no reply.

     “Respond _ Royal Guards, you are to do of this now
!
” Clover called out in an equally loud and firm manner.

     Still, there was no reply.

     “Intruder
!
Intruder
!
Intruder
!
” shouted Ray at the top of his voice.

     Alarm bells at the four watchtowers started ringing rapidly and continuously. Convian Rod Sayson and two other Sollenthars, who were guarding Prince Patrum in the study room on the second floor, wasted no time in firmly escorting the prince out into the second floor hallway. There, Rod pulled a specific torch-holder and a secret panel in the wall opened, revealing a hidden chamber. Rod and his subordinates escorted Prince Patrum into the chamber and closed the secret panel behind them.

     Meanwhile, downstairs, a fat, clumsy minvian ran towards Ray and Clover from the throne room at the opposite end of the hallway.

     “Wha ... what is going on
?
” asked the fat minvian.

     “Intruder _ we have one of him,” answered Clover.

     Ray did not even bother to look at the fat minvian, let alone to answer him.

     “In… in… what
?
Intruder
?
But this cannot be. No one intrudes on Castle Greenbloom
!
I.. I mean, this is not Palace Liberty, this is just Castle Green… Are you sure, Minvian Genox
!?
” mumbled the fat minvian.

     Ray had had about enough of the ‘poor excuse for an officer’ minvian.

     “Up _ wake of this, Minvian Beufall
!
Commander _ you are of him for this facility, yet you are the most ignorant person here and the most undisciplined and ill-prepared
!
” shouted Ray disgustedly.

     “Well, it is just that I… erm… I... erm… am not a combat experienced officer. I... erm, have never been in a battle before. I have no idea what to do. What do I do
?
” confessed the fat minvian while looking from Ray to Clover and back to Ray again.

     “Subordinates _ get yours of these and break them into their rivers and get them to search the castle grounds and surrounding areas; and if you find any intruder, capture or kill that person
!
” instructed Clover.

     “Break to rivers, search grounds, capture or kill, all right, all right,” mumbled Minvian Beufall.

     “Keep _ we shall search of it, so make sure your subordinates do not enter unless they are commanded to do so by my subordinates or by me,” instructed Ray.

     “Understood, Minvian Iddell. I...erm...best be on my way, then,” said Minvian Beufall and dashed out into the courtyard as best as his over-sized body could.

     Clover did not question Ray’s decision. She knew that Ray had no confidence in Minvian Beufall and his subordinates and did not want them interfering with whatever plans that Ray had in mind. Two Sollenthar streams had then arrived at the hallway of the keep from their temporary barracks.

     “Plan _ master, what is yours of this
?
” asked Clover.

     “Search _ you shall take 5
th
Stream and do of this on the ground floor room by room and I shall take 3
rd
Stream and do the same on the first floor; thereafter we shall meet at the stairways landing on the second floor and search it together,” answered Ray.

     “Understand _ I do of this,” acknowledged Clover.

     Clover led 5
th
Stream in searching the ground floor while Ray brought the 3
rd
Stream to the first floor and began their search there.

     Prince Patrum sat in the dimly lit chamber in absolute boredom. Rod, on the other hand, could not be more anxious.

     “We should let them come. I am sick of running and hiding. I am an established warrior. I can handle myself. And my mother is safe and away from here. She should be arriving at Palace Liberty at any moment. It is an insult that I am hiding like this
!
” exclaimed Prince Patrum indignantly.

     “Respect _ with all due of this, Your Highness, you are the heir to the throne and the people would require your guidance and good governance one day, so it would be a great shame to deprive the good people of Free Falls of a great future leader such as your exalted self,” replied Rod.

     “That is just your polite way of saying that it is your job to keep me alive and that I should just shut up and co-operate, is it not
?
” challenged Prince Patrum.

     “Wisdom _ Your Highness is as gifted with this as with the battlefield skills,” responded Rod with great diplomacy.

     Prince Patrum slapped his hand down on the armrest in disgust. Contrary to what most Fallsians might have thought, royalties did not get to do whatever they liked. There were always procedures, protocols and ‘expected conducts’ to follow. Sometimes, the prince envied the ordinary Fallsian, who was free from this farce.

     “Why is it that it is acceptable for me to lead a pond, lake or ocean into battle but not to face personally these murderous cowards
?
” asked the prince rhetorically.

     “Respect _ with all due of this, Your Highness, when you lead a pond, lake or ocean into battle, you are fulfilling your duty and role as a combat leader, political leader and symbol of what Free Falls stands for; whereas here, if you go into battle, it serves nothing but to help these assassins accomplish their goals,” answered Rod, peeking out of hidden slats into the hallway.

     “Ahh
!
Once again, you have humbled me, Convian Sayson, with your diplomacy and reasoning. So I can fight
only if
I represent something, symbolise something;
but when
I am
not
, then my blood is too precious to be spilt; is that correct
?
” retorted Prince Patrum.

     “Wisdom _ your Highness is most well endowed with this. Armour _ besides, you are not wearing any of this except for your greaves and vambraces,” responded Rod.

     Prince Patrum opened his mouth to retort, but stopped suddenly. It was then did he realise that what Rod had said was true. The prince was not on duty when the alarm had sounded. He was in casual clothes. And except for the greaves and vambraces, the only other thing he had of military nature with him was his sword. It was at this point that he was glad that his ancestors had made it a rule that greaves, vambraces and swords were to be worn at all times while in casual wear. His ancestors must have had encounters with intruders before, he reasoned.

    
Boom!!!
A loud explosion echoes throughout the keep. The two ends of the hallway, to which the secret chamber was linked, collapses. A cloud of dust seeps into the chamber, causing everyone to cough violently. Suddenly from the dark opposite end of the chamber, the cold steel of a sharp blade penetrates one of the Sollenthars, and his body stiffens with the pain. His eyes are teary, not from the pain but rather from the dust; but his heart weeps for his soon to be widowed wife and his soon to be orphaned children and his now hollowed promises to them. But the greatest heartache of all, is in knowing that he has failed to be vigilant and now the prince’s life is in danger and there is nothing that he can do about it.

     The second Sollenthar clutches his throat. Precious crimson liquid spurts out of the wound in his throat, made by an Airblade. He crumbles to his knees. But his mind is at rest, though, for he knows he had served his country well and that all his affairs had been settled even before his entry into the military. He also intentionally calms his mind in the hopes of a less torturous death and a better afterlife. His wife and children will be greatly saddened, he thinks; however, he leaves happy knowing that they know full well that he loves them. And finally, before the darkness, cold and void consume him entirely, he smiles knowing the fact that Convian Rod Sayson, Minvian Ray Iddell, Minvian Clover Genox or even Prince Patrum himself will run their cold steel through his murderer’s body and avenge his death. And with this final relinquishment, he glides gently into death.