Forever Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 3) (27 page)

Conner had jumped forward the moment Glaerion started screaming.  A red glow was coming from the stone between the elf’s fingers, as if it were one fire.  Glaerion’s hand clenched it tightly, even as he lay prone on the ground.  Risking the pain that had overcame the elf, Conner pulled Glaerion’s fingers off the stone, picked it up and tossed it across the room.

He looked at his fingers.  He had felt nothing, even though he had touched the black stone.  It had felt cool to the touch, but other than that it had felt like any other stone.

“What was that?” Conner asked, still looking at this fingers, wondering why he did not feel what the elf felt.

“I don’t know.  I’ve touched it before and it healed me and made me feel younger and healthier.”  Arpwin walked over to the black stone and picked it up.  Nothing outward happened to him, either.  But he could feel the old aches and pains drain away.  Reluctantly, he set it back in its box and closed the top.  He held it out to Conner.  “I think this was meant for you, not him.”

Glaerion let out a groan and tried to sit up.

“Maybe that’s why the elves weren’t given it,” Conner said.  “We must go.  And quickly before Tarcious comes with his army.”

“Tarcious?” Arpwin asked.  “Prince Tarcious of Taran is here with an army?”

“Emperor Tarcious, now,” Conner said.  “And he is coming with his army to take the Ark of Life.  I need to get it out of the city and as far away from here as possible.”

“The elves must have it,” Glaerion said with a weak voice.  He had sat up and rubbed his fingers.  He looked them over, expecting them to be grotesquely disfigured from the heat that had come from the stone.  But there were no marks or signs that he had been burned.

“It almost killed you,” Conner said.

“We do not have to touch it to protect it.  Our homeland is across the sea.  He would not be able to follow us with a large enough army.  We will be fine, but we have to get to my boat and get sailing.”

Conner offered a hand to Glaerion to help him to his feet.  “Are you okay?”

The elf took Conner’s hand gratefully, which partially surprised Conner.  “I will be, soon enough.  It took a lot out of me, to protect myself.  It almost killed me.”

“Why?” Conner asked.  “Why can’t you touch it, but Arpwin and I can?”

“You touched it?  What did it feel like?”

Conner shrugged his shoulders.  “It was cold.  It felt like any old rock.”

“I can feel its power and it is very strong.  If Tarcious were to get ahold of it, he surely could conquer the world.  We have wasted enough time in this god-forsaken castle.  Which way is out?”

“The masquerade ball is in full swing.  Maybe you can sneak out disguised as one of the guests?” Aprwin suggested.

“No,” Conner said. “I know another way.  The royal apartments are close by and we can get out through them.”

“Where you escaped once without a trace?” Arpwin asked with a wry smile.

“Yes.”

“It would do the queen well to see you one last time.  You may say that she should be left in the dark for her own protection, but I assure you, she is very fond of you.  If she were to find out that you were here…”

“We have no time.  We must get out of here as soon as possible.”

“It would only take a moment,” Arpwin argued.  “It would at least ease her pain to know that you are not dead.”

“No!” Conner said sharply.  “She is not to know I was here or that I am even alive.  Our time has come and gone.  I have another path.”

“Very well,” Arpwin said, feeling sadness for Conner.  He knew the pain of sacrificing love for duty and did not wish it upon anyone.  “Take care, Conner.”

Conner gave him a squeeze on the shoulder and quick nod of the head.  He could see the young man had tears in his eyes and felt for him and his sorrow.  Then as quickly as they had come, Conner and the elf turned and started up the stairs.

Arpwin waited while they climbed the stairs, feeling an odd sense of relief.  For so many years he had carried the burden of being the Ark’s guardian.  Although no one ever came to try and take the Ark before this moment, he had always been prepared to fight to protect it.  He had no fighting skills and certainly no magic abilities, so his ability to defend the Ark was truly limited.  In reality, he had simply been its caretaker.  And that was okay with him as it had given him purpose to a life that was much longer than that of a normal man.  He thought he would feel a sense of loss of purpose knowing that he was no longer to be the guardian, but he did not feel that way.  He felt a completion to his life and felt a peace with knowing that soon he would be co-existing with the Creator in the afterlife.

If the Taran army was truly on the march towards the city, the queen would need help and support from people that could give her good advice and comfort.  There would be many people trying to give her counsel and direction and surely she would be overwhelmed.  His last act of this life would be to help her get through the next day.  But after that, his time would be up.

That last touch of the Ark gave him the renewed strength to climb the stairs, but it would not be long before the power of the Ark would drain from his muscles and he would become weak and useless.  He would have to make the most of the next hours of his life to wrap the bow on what he hoped was a life worthy of serving the Creator.

Chapter Seventeen

Marik strode across the Great Hall fully armed, his longsword swinging at this side and a dagger tucked in his belt.  He was not yet in his battle armor, but that would come soon.  He wore a thick leather vest, the one that he wore out in the forests.  It was heavily stained and came with a well-worn stench.  His trousers matched in both appearance and smell, but he didn’t care.  The clothes had a purpose, and it wasn’t for show.

He needed to be really sure before he sounded the alarm.  The last thing that he wanted to do was to induce panic in the citizens of the city, but he also needed to be sure that he didn’t leave them unprotected.  With the disbandment of the Karmon Knights, a void was left which had not been filled.  There was no formal, organized ability to defend the city other than the city guard, which were currently being led by the former Royal Guard leader, Percy.  He did a fine job of ensuring law and order within the city, but he was not a military leader.  The one person that should be here, leading the defense of the city, Sir Brace Hawkden, had met his demise in Lord Neffenmark’s castle.  There were other competent military minds still around, but many of them had left the service of the kingdom when the queen had made her decree to disband the knights.  His first step had been to pull the pages away from the masquerade ball and use them to find those men.  If it had been summer, they would be scattered about the kingdom, but since it was winter, many of them were still around the city.  It would just be a matter of finding them in time.  Messengers had also left for Tyre.  The men and boys that could take up the sword in Tyre were but a tenth of what was available in South Karmon, but they would help.  If they could arrive in time.

The echoes of his long strides were overshadowed by the music, laughter, and boisterous chatter from the queen’s guests.  But his serious demeanor in the middle of a joyous event caught the attention of the revelers and heads turned to watch him.  Marik’s path was aimed directly at the queen, who was in the middle of another dance.

“Marik,” the queen said as he approached, ending her dance gracefully.  As soon as she stopped dancing, everyone else did as well.  The musicians stopped playing their instruments mid-note.  A foreboding silence fell across the festivities.

“Your Majesty,” Marik said.  He did not bow or even dip his head in greeting.  It did not occur to him at this moment that he was breaking protocol or that he might be insulting the queen.  His duty, as it has always been, was to the kingdom.  And right now, he believed the kingdom was in dire danger.  “An army approaches from the north.  We must call our army together immediately to defend our kingdom.”

His words hung in the air for a long time before anyone moved.  The queen stood before him, a blank look on her face as if she had not heard the words.  A larger figured moved in from behind her and pulled off his mask.  Everyone already knew who he was, as his size and flowing curly head of hair was easily recognizable.  Lord Kirwal was one of the most respected men in the kingdom, having served as governor of Tyre for many years.  He had been one of the first lords of the kingdom to declare his allegiance to the queen and spoke with much authority.

His booming voice filled the stunned room.  “Marik, what are you saying?”

“There is an army in the forest to the north.  I have seen the light of their torches as they work through the night.  I can only guess that they are building engines of war, and their assault will come quickly.  We must prepare the walls for attack.”

In seconds, they were surrounded by men tossing out questions and comments so quickly he could not listen or respond to them all.  The ladies of the room could only stand in hushed fear, holding their hands over their mouths, wondering how quickly they could escape out of the city.

Another voice joined the conversation.  King Toknon pulled off his mask and said, “A Taran army?  That is impossible!  I just came from Thell and there was no army out there.”

Marik gave the king of Thell a long look.  Although an army could surely have marched around the borders of Thell without notice, he knew that Thellian soldiers were constantly patrolling the mountains.  He had been personally assured by King Toknon and his father that there would be peace between their kingdoms, but he could not stop a nagging feeling of distrust that had been instilled in him for his entire life.

Toknon could sense suspicion from the look Marik’s gave him.  Although he knew the army was out there, he did his best to show surprise in his tone and words.  “Marik, I do not know anything of this.  If it is true, what can I do to help?”

“If you truly are with us, then your sword will be of service.”

“Of course,” Toknon said.  “The queen will need an armed escort.  It would be my honor to provide that.”

Marik glanced from Toknon to Elissa and could sense that there was something more than just friendliness between them.  She had genuine fear in her eyes, and she was looking up at the Thellian king, as if he were the answer to her fear.

“Before the sun rises, we will send out a patrol to test their size,” Marik said.

“Or to see if they are really there,” Toknon added.  He knew that they were there, but he needed to make sure that the Karmons knew he was really on their side.  As long as it didn’t interfere with his ability to defend his kingdom.  He was assured by Commander Roland that their army was only passing through Thell.  But his words were also clear about the threat of centurions marching upon Thellia.  In the end, if Taran did conquer Karmon, he would take Queen Elissa back to Thell.  It would surely be the option to save her life.

Lord Kirwal took up a position next to King Toknon.  Accidental or not, it appeared that they were standing together in both a literal and figurative way.  In his deep, booming voice, he said, “If there is an army out there, it will be a suicide mission.”

“We have to know who and what we are facing,” Marik countered.  “Our horses are fast and we will only go out far enough to see who is out there and how strong they are.  We will not engage.  We won’t have to in order to expose them.”

“They will be ready for us.  They will expect it.  Centurions with crossbows are very deadly.”

“I am not going to argue military tactics with you,” Marik replied sharply.  “We can discuss them at length after we’ve set up our defenses.”  He turned to Elissa.  “Queen Elissa, we must call together the army and put our soldiers in position to defend the city.”

“Marik, I don’t know,” the queen said, her eyes glancing up to King Toknon.

Lord Kirwal responded with a hushed voice, “If you are wrong, you will have induced panic and the queen will lose standing among the other lords.  Her reign already teeters on the edge.  She has done admirably well, but there are many that are expecting her to fail.  One bad decision could cause her to be the last Thorndale to lead Karmon.”

“And if I’m right, we just might save our kingdom and then she will be revered as the one who saved the kingdom from the Tarans.”

Lord Kirwal shook his head, still not convinced that there was a threat in the forest.  “Taran has no reason to attack us.  We are at peace with them.  And besides, Emperor Hargon has too many other problems to even think about us.”

“Hargon is no longer emperor,” King Toknon said.  “He was killed and his brother is now emperor.  Emperor Tarcious is widely known for his hot temper and irrational behavior.  Lord Kirwal, it may not be out of the question.  Can you afford to not be prudent?”

Marik added, “Even their delegation of diplomats that arrived some time ago did not know Tarcious is now emperor.  The empire is in turmoil and anything can happen.”

Lord Kirwal gave a long, thoughtful look to Marik and then to Toknon before finally giving a nod.  “But we can be prudent without inducing panic.  We can call all the city guard and put them at work preparing the defenses.  Once we confirm that it is indeed an army out in the forest, then we can put swords in our citizen’s hands.”

“Do I not have any say in this?” Elissa asked.  “You are talking as if I am not here.”

Marik glanced around the room to see the horrified faces of the guests who overheard their conversation.  They would not be able to avoid panic and fear.  It would not take long for the rumor of an army marching to their gates to spread through the city.  The only thing that they could do to stem the panic would be to make sure the people of the city knew that they were protected. 

Lord Kirwal tucked his upper lip under his teeth and then let out a long sigh.  “It is indeed your kingdom, Queen Elissa.  You have counsel from myself and from Lord Marik.  It is up to you to decide what to do.”

Elissa knew that she could not take long to decide as any hesitation would further cement the belief that she was unfit for leading the kingdom.  “If Marik believes that there is an army out there preparing to attack us, then I believe it as well.  Lord Kirwal, you will be in charge of putting together the army to defend the city, which includes getting a sword or bow in the hands of anyone that can wield one.  Marik, do whatever you need to do to defend our walls.”

Lord Kirwal cleared his throat.  “Your Majesty, you might consider leaving the city.  If it is indeed Taran…”

Elissa cut him short.  “No!  I will not run away.  If I’m going to ask the people of my kingdom to stand and defend it, then I will do so as well!”

“I will be at her side,” King Toknon said.  “I will protect her.  And I will add my counsel as well, if you so desire.”

“You have your own kingdom to protect,” Marik said.  Maybe he had been wrong about the Thellian.  He had expected Toknon to make a quick exit and race as fast he could back to Thell.

“The fates of Karmon and Thell are now intertwined,” Toknon said.  “If Taran can attack South Karmon without provocation, then surely she can also attack Thell.”

Although he said the words, he did not fully believe everything he just said.  Sure enough, if Taran could attack Karmon, there would be no stopping the Tarans.  But he was in position to keep the Taran army out of Thell because of his past history with both Commander Roland and Hibold.  He would leverage those relationships to ensure that the Taran army stayed away.  Diplomacy had kept his kingdom safe for many years and hopefully he could continue to do that into the future.

The wildcard in his plan was the reason for the attack.  Taran had to want something that Karmon had.  There would be no other reason for the attack.  Karmon had done nothing, as far as he knew, that would have angered Emperor Tarcious.  The emperor could just as easily decide to invade Thell for no good reason.  And if he did, there would be no walls to stop the invasion.

Marik was right in that he had his own kingdom to protect, and he really couldn’t do it from inside their castle.  Over the next several hours there would be mass confusion along with mass panic.  It might be the perfect time to sneak the queen out of the city for her own protection.  There really could only be one military reason why Commander Roland was here, and that would be to disrupt the leadership of the kingdom.  And that meant assassination.  Staying close to Elissa should ensure that he wouldn’t succeed.

For now, he would have to stay by her side.  But in the coming hours, he would have to find a way to get her out of the city.

***

Berrien let himself be led through the dimly lit halls of the lower levels of the castle.  He was still a foreign dignitary, so he was given the courtesy of not being bound.  But he offered no real threat to the two guards who walked next to him.  Each had a firm, but not crushing, grip on his upper arm, allowing them to both direct him and remind him that he was their prisoner.  He was sure it would not be long before that soldier Marik or some other hot-headed soldier would come and take their vengeance out on him.

His mind was running through ideas on how to get out of his predicament.  Maybe the guards would relax just enough for him to overpower them and take their weapons.  Although he was unafraid to use a dagger to kill, he had actually never done it.  And swinging one of their swords was pretty much out of the question.  He had held one once, but he never had swung one in a fight.  Maybe he would come across something heavy that he could use to crush their skulls.

It really came down to the fact that they were trained to fight and he wasn’t.  His chances of surviving a fight were small, at best.  But he could at least put his fate in his own hands.  If he allowed himself to be tossed into a locked room or worse, a dungeon cell, he would be putting his fate in someone else’s hands.  Knowing his only option of survival was to attempt to escape, he decided it was going to be now or never.

They were approaching an intersection with another hallway and he figured now was going to be as good a time as any.  As soon as they crossed the threshold of the other hallway, he would make his move.

“Right,” one of the guards said as they approached the next hallway.

Even better, Berrien thought.  Making a turn might just make them distracted enough that he could break free.  He intentionally offered no resistance during the entire walk, hoping that would make them relax. 

As they made the turn, their hands gripped his arms just a bit tighter, but Berrien still felt he could break their grasp.  Just as he was about to make his move, they turned into the corridor and they all stopped.