Legend of the Book Keeper (40 page)

With bound, swollen hands and his head hung low, several guards led the dwarf toward the platform. A hooded man followed behind him. Reaching the top, the man grabbed the noose and began pulling on it to inspect its strength. After the tremendous build-up to the execution, the sudden arrival of the actual event was surreal. A round of cheers broke the quiet comatose feeling as Kantan jumped up onto the stage. He motioned to the guards flanking Randilin to bring the prisoner forward toward the rope.

“Ladies and gentlemen. We are gathered here today to witness the carrying out of justice.” Kantan unwrapped a folded scroll in his hands. “The felonies committed by the convicted are long in nature, numerous in occurrence, and brutal in severity. Of these crimes committed against the crown, and against humanity, the most notable are as such: direct treason against the King, disclosure of secret information to our enemies during time of war, and a central role in numerous deaths of innocent civilians. As such, by the power and authority investing in the court, Sir Randilin Stormberger has been sentenced to hang by his neck until dead.”

The guards pushed Randilin forward. He didn’t resist or struggle. The hooded man placed the noose around Randilin’s neck, pulling it tight. Cody felt both his hands squeezed. Standing on both sides of him, Jade and Tiana’s fingers intertwined with his. He could sense their rapid pulses through his fingers. Time seemed suspended. Then with a simple clatter, the trapdoor fell, the noose tightened, and Randilin was hanged.

PART THREE –
AND SO IT BEGINS

The Truth

F
raymour!” Sparks exploded before the shocked crowd and Randilin’s limp body fell to the stage; the frayed end of the rope blackened from the fire. Bound by surprise, not a person moved a muscle as Cody leaped onto the stage. “
Bauciv
!” he yelled. Vines made completely of wood burst through the floor. The wooden tentacles shot out toward the guards and wrapped themselves around their ankles, paralyzing them. “
Gai di Gasme!
”

Cody jumped up onto the ledge of the stage. “People of Atlantis, you have all been deceived!” he shouted over the silent crowd.

Kantan stepped forward. “What is the meaning of this atrocity? You have aided a convicted criminal and assaulted the guards. This was not a wise decision, boy . . .” he threatened.

Cody’s eyes scanned the crowd. Jade’s head was in her hands; Tiana was beaming with pride. Finally his eyes found Cia, Foz, and Eva standing to the side. Foz was adamantly shaking his head, but Cody had come too far now to turn back.

“People of Atlantis, rumors have spread that your righteous King has been in hiding. Others say he is sick, and still others say he has abandoned his pe
ople. I wish to put these rumors to rest. Your good King has not abandoned his city—at least not by choice . . .” Cody risked another glance toward the royal family who were staring at him with pleading eyes. “It’s time you knew the truth. Your King . . . is dead.”

Cody braced himself for the outcry of rage and confusion—it never came. People continued to stare dumbly back at him, as though they had not heard his words. “You’re lying. As long as we live in the presence of the Orb, we cannot die!” called out an elderly lady. The crowd echoed her cry.

General Levenworth emerged. “Indeed, the boy is obviously delusional, brought on by the trauma of watching his friend be executed. It appears as though we are going to require a second noose. Guards . . .” He motioned toward two soldiers who pulled swords from their scabbards and approached.

Cody scanned the crowd again quickly.
Where are you?
The two guards stepped onto the platform. Cody’s eyes stopped, locking with Dace’s. The young captain’s face sunk as realization set in; but for Cody he was past the point of no return.
Please be a man of your word!

“People, hear me out! You are all buying into the assumption that your king died a natural death . . .” urged Cody.

“How else could he have died? You’re just a liar!” yelled another man from the crowd.

Cody cleared his throat, “Your King—has been murdered.” At his proclamation he finally received the reaction he had expected. Chaos erupted. Women began screaming and men began muttering incoherently.

Prince Kantan raised his hands to silence the outburst. “The King, murdered? And in your fabricated tale, who could have had the desire and the ability to have accomplished such an assassination?” There was something unusual about the Prince’s face that Cody couldn’t decipher. Almost as if the Prince was warning him to stop.
Not this time
.

“The King has been murdered . . .” Cody paused, “by his own son—Prince Kantan!” he exclaimed pointing his finger toward the Prince.

The crowd gasped, but Kantan merely laughed. “Oh, is that so? Prove it. Or do you
just know
again?” he snarled.

Cody reached into his pocket and pulled out a glass vial. “Contained in this vial is a small specimen of the highly poisonous plant Derugmansia, or
Soul Snatcher
as it is called. This is the same deadly substance that can be found ground against the surfaces of the King’s molars. This vial was taken from Prince Kantan’s office only yesterday, where several more samples can still be found.”

Kantan’s eyes bulged. “You don’t know what you’re doing boy. This proves nothing . . .”

Cody gave a smug smile, “Perhaps not . . . but
this
does.” Cody reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “This is a letter recently written in Kantan’s own handwriting, and contains a signature verifying it as indeed the product of Prince Kantan. Allow me to read it for you:

You must trust me, the deed has been completed as we had previously discussed. My father has been murdered. I must have your word that this deed is kept secret. Right now, no one has discovered the truth behind his murder. You must keep it this way. I feel deep remorse, for a father to be killed by his own flesh and blood is heartless. Meet me tomorrow. It is time to move to the next phase of our plan.

Sincerely, Prince Kantan.

Cody lowered the letter and sneered at the Prince, “How’s that for your proof?”

He turned to the crowd. “The correspondent of this letter is none other than General Gongore Levenworth. These are the men responsible for the murder of your innocent king! They would have us distracted by punishing the ancient crimes of Randilin while their sinister actions go unnoticed! I ask you, where is the justice?” Like a talented maestro, Cody stepped back to listen to the beauty of the symphony he had conducted. The crowd exploded in rage. “We want justice!” “Blood for blood!” “Send the Prince to the gallows!” Several of the mob begin rushing toward the stage.

Kantan screamed out, “You don’t know what you’re doing!” His face convulsed into a demented wraith. With a shriek he lunged forward, grabbing Cody around the neck. “You fool!”

Cody’s vision blurred. Suddenly he felt the pressure around his neck loosen.

Dace was standing with a knife held to the Prince’s back. “I pronounce both Prince Kantan and General Levenworth under arrest for the suspected murder of King Ishmael,” he proclaimed. His eyes found Cody. The perplexed look on Dace’s face expressed more than a thousand words could ever do:
You had better know what you are doing
.

Levenworth grunted, “As usual, Captain Ringstar,
your poor judgment disappoints me. This is way out of line. Don’t think I will forget this abomination. Mark my words. Your military career is finished . . .”

Cody stepped forward. “Gag their mouths! Let us hear no more of their deceitful lies!” Kantan fought to break free from the guard’s grasp, yelling, “Nothing is as it seems! I can explain! It’s not . . .” The rest of his words were muffled by the cloth stuffed into his mouth.

A legion of soldiers, with Dace at the head, escorted the Prince and the general away to the prison. Cody watched as Wolfrick and Hex removed Randilin from the noose and lifted him away. He tried to make eye contact with Randilin, but the dwarf’s head hung limply toward the ground. Lady Cia and Prince Foz stepped up onto the platform. Cody seized the opportunity to retreat from the spotlight. He rolled off the stage and fell onto the ground, surrounded by the still frenzied mob.

Immediately Jade’s face hung suspended over his. “Are you insane! What you just did was borderline psychotic. How
dare
you keep me in the dark! You could have been
killed
for a stunt like that!” she yelled, clutching his collar.

The smiling face of Tiana appeared next to hers. “That was amazing! You just stood up against royalty and won! I never knew you were such a rogue!” Each grabbing an arm, the two girls pulled Cody to his feet.

On the stage Prince Foz raised his hands and spoke, “People, what the boy says is true. The King, my father, is indeed dead.” Cries of panic rose from the crowd again, but Foz silenced them. “This is indeed a dark time in our city and for me personally. I have just learned that my own blood brother is responsible for this dark atrocity. But all is not lost. We will rise up again from the ashes. My father always loved his people and cared about them until the end. I think it’s time he received the honor and respect he earned through his many selfless years as reigning King. Two days from today, I propose that he is given a royal funeral, that we may give to him in death the way he gave to us in life. All hail the good King Ishmael!”

“All hail the good King Ishmael!” the crowd echoed, bursting into applause and cheering.

Lady Cia stepped onto the ledge, the light from the Orb shimmering off her white dress like the morning sun off fresh snow. “People of Atlantis. It is truly a dark day. Have my word; my brother’s treachery will not go unpunished! Although it is an honor that I hoped never to have to accept, I present myself to you as heir to my father’s vacant throne—Queen of Atlantis.”

“Hail, Queen Cia! Hail, Queen Cia!” the crowd chanted. Cody couldn’t help but smile, he felt relieved. For the time being at least, Randilin was safe and Kantan was behind bars. Things finally seemed to be falling into place. He felt a squeeze on his hand. He looked up to see Tiana smiling at him. She kissed the air softly with her ruby red lips. Cody felt a jolt of adrenaline pulse through him. He leaned forward . . .

. . . and felt another squeeze on his shoulder.
Jade, you really know how to ruin a moment!
He spun around, “What?” he spat in irritation. But it was not Jade who demanded his attention, it was Dace,

“Cody. I need you to meet in the war room immediately. We have just received another report from the borderlands. The news is not good.”

Preparations

T
he rumors are true:
The Impaler
has been sighted outside of Flore Gub.” The captain of the Mid-City guards, Eli Eagleton, paced before the crowded war-room, uncertainty and exhaustion evident in his every step. “El Dorado’s high general has not been sighted in the field since the Great War. His sudden appearance is troubling. I fear the worst.”

Dace stood from his seat. “I agree. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the borderland. The Golden King has his mind set on
The Code
; it is no longer a matter of
if
—but of
when
. It won’t be long until word reaches El Dorado of the good King’s death and our weakened state.”

Cia’s melodic voice cut through the conversation. “I agree. However, we cannot spare troops from the city to aid the borderlands. With my father’s royal funeral in two days, thousands of citizens will flock to Atlantis; our troops will be needed here to maintain order.”

The panther-faced Silkian scratched his long, boney fingers across the table as though petting a cat. When he spoke, his beady eyes remained focused on the table. “Cancel the funeral. The King has already died; our citizens on the borderlands
have not. When did the honor of one become more significant than the lives of many?”

At this, Prince Foz slammed his fist on the table. “This decision goes deeper than honor—the morale of the city has all but been demolished. In a single day they have learned that their beloved, immortal King has been assassinated by his own son. Moreover, that the treasonous Prince appears to have been in partnership with a well-respected general. Add this to an impending invasion—these people
need
the funeral. Preparations have already begun.”