Rise of the Darekian's, The (11 page)

Chapter 11
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Tendrils of smoke still lifted themselves skywards from the smouldering embers that the previous day had been buildings in Forwich, like long thin fingers grasping upwards into the air. For
now, the group had decided to make it their camp, though the officers had already agreed staying in the town permanently was probably not the great idea they had once envisaged. Luken made sure Taylor was dressed and fed, and took him by the hand, "come on, I want to introduce you to a friend of mine" he said half dragging the poor child as he quickened his pace, looking forward to seeing the Lady Sarena once more. Levin once more followed, keeping himself a couple of paces to the left, glancing from left to right, staying alert just in case the prince should walk into a dangerous situation.

Luken had rather taken to the boy, who had been given the task of protecting him, and although deep down he knew, if it ever came to a fight he doubted Levin would make a great deal of difference. He was happy for him to do so, and much preferred his company to that of the elite guards that had been shadowing him. With Levin at his side, it meant these guards stood much further away, and though the
General had told him they were not there to protect him, he had noticed them, always lurking a short way off.

Lady Sarena had stayed in one of the remaining houses, the ones away from the fires that had survived the previous nights attack. He found her sitting on a cushioned chair, feeding the child in her arms
, while holding a strange looking cup to the suckling babe's mouth. "My lady, may I introduce you to Taylor, my son. Taylor this is a friend of mine, the Lady Sarena," Luken made the rather too formal introduction. Taylor though stepped up to the mark, and as if a true gentleman, bowed his head, "my lady" he said politely, "it is good to meet you." The babe in her arms contently drank the milk it was offered, "ooh your highness...", "err... please just call me Luken...I think as friends...well..." he flustered a little and blushed."Very well" she said her own cheeks reddening, "Luken" she said trying the word out for sounding. "He is the most adorable little boy," she added, remarking on Taylor. "I think so" Luken replied, feeling quite proud as he did.

Sarena glanced back up, noticing the teenage youth stood just behind the prince, "and who is your other friend?" she enquired. Luken stepped aside, "ah, sorry, may I introduce Levin, a friend of ours and our newest member of the Royal guard." Levin blushed, before bowing, "my Lady" he said. Levin felt quite
proud, the prince had just called him a friend, and he pushed his chest out, as he stood straight, as any good guard on duty would do. Placing the nursing cup down on the table top, Sarena placed her hand across the front of the baby, and gently with the other rubbed its back. Luken watched in awe as the young Lady appeared so at ease with the child, and it was quite clear she knew what she was doing. Sarena had been completely shocked when the previous evening, she had learned of the fate of Hamalin. There had been further tears all round as she and Luken comforted each other for their losses.

Father Dagon paced, agitated that he had not yet been given leave to speak to the prince and despite his
pleas; he was once more left cursing. Deciding to try a different method, finding a quiet corner of the camp area where he had been told to remain, he grasped his pendant in his fingers. Feeling its warmth and then hearing the voice of his master, 'You have made contact Dagon' it enquired. "No master, I am unable to get near him, so I thought maybe you could speak to the child and maybe get him to ask him to come to me." There was a short silence 'very well Dagon, keep trying and I will attempt to contact the child, I think I have strength enough for that at least,' and with that the stone cooled once more. Whilst he waited, Father Dagon did overhear a most interesting conversation. He listened as one of the elite guards who had survived the attack on Hamalin, sat chatting to one of the officers of the half cohort that had travelled with him.

He eavesdropped
, trying to creep as close as he dare without making it too obvious, to those talking he was listening in on their conversation. "I tell you" he heard one man say, "the prince glowed, like an angelic light around him, but that was not all," the voice continued. The other man gasped as he heard the next part, "but that wasn't the last of it, I swear the flames leapt around the Darekian as if they were being wrapped by someone. I have never seen fire behave in such a way..." Dagon moved away from the talking men nodding to himself, they had indeed found the right person, he himself had doubted his master, totally unconvinced by the young man he had been trailing for some time. Now it appeared there was hope, now he knew he had work to do, he just needed to get to see him.

Caldar stood atop the chapel, totally confused by the latest events. The Besemians besieging the two towns had not made any further aggressive moves towards him as of yet. More strangely was the arrival of thousands of mounted troops from the south. Expecting these to merge themselves with the men already camped they had stopped a mile short. Nothing
very wrong with that he thought, but then the newcomers had started setting up a defensive line, not facing him, but those he thought they were joining. So as matters stood there appeared a three way standoff. Not that Caldar was ungrateful, though the uncertainty of the identity of the newcomers worried him. It was puzzling, the previous evening the fading light had made it near impossible to identify the banners being flown. Now the morning sun made visibility and identification quite clear. The flags and banners were indeed those of Besemia, but why did they face off against their own side? Indeed at their arrival, the men camped outside his town had themselves moved a bulk of men in a defensive position to face the newcomers.

Belin, King of Besemia sat with his face buried into his hands. The latest reports had come in, and although it appeared his incursions into Corlan had seen some limited success, the latest news was most grave. Seven of the southern lords had grouped together and amassed an army. This host was marching in his direction with the sole purpose of relieving him of the throne. His latest batch of rounding up civilians and sending north to Darekia had proven most unpopular. His move of having several of the lords, removed and replaced had caused outrage amongst the nobility. The south of Besemia housed the majority of the wealthier of the nation's citizens. Being home to its rich and
fertile lands, it was sometimes called the 'Bread Basket' of the nation.

The Darekian priest entered the room, his dark cowl causing his face to look a mere shadow. "Your Majesty is troubled?" he asked in his hoarse creepy voice. Belin looked up, lowering his hands, "What have you had me do? My own people are marching against me. Most of my armies are in Corlan
," he stood, and paced first one way then the other. "I have good news your majesty", Belin stopped in his tracks, "and what is this news?" The priest tilted his head slightly, looking at the man before him, "Hamalin has fallen, it is little more than dust and rubble, now as agreed Darekia will have its payment." The king was not quite sure what to do, the payment for this service was to be territories on his northern borders, with the south revolting he realised his country was fast becoming smaller.

"What do you mean priest? You say Hamalin is
rubble," Belin asked thinking back on what he had just been told. A shadowed nod gave him his answer, "then enlighten me, how am I supposed to take the cities wealth if you have flattened it to rubble? It seems you have not carried out your part of the bargain correctly, therefore I shall not be giving you any more people or any territories." The priest clasped his bony hands together and paced over to the much shorter king, "Darekia will take payment as agreed. We said we would eliminate any threat from the city, and we have fulfilled that promise. We will take the lands and people as agreed with or without your say." Belin stood unsure what to say next, he was renowned for not having much of a backbone, but this once he stood tall. "Listen priest, I have been foolish enough to listen to you for too long. I think your services are over, Besemia will not be offering any more allegiance to your dirty stinking dung heap of a country." There he thought, pleased he had shown some sort of courage and resilience.

The priest however did not in any way look or sound flustered, "Darekia does not allow agreements to be broken. I think I will remain some time yet, moreover we shall take and do as we see fit. You seem to forget who has the power here, it is our armies that sweep across Corlan and soon it will be our armies that sweep across Besemia
." Belin felt an anger build within, one he had never felt before, "I have ordered my men to Hamalin, and they are wasting their time. I need to send out riders and order them back; I will have them remove you and your stinking lot from my lands." The Darekian laughed, a rasping noise, "you really are a fool, you think your men follow your orders. They do so only now because we allow it, they are under a compulsion spell, and they will do whatever Darekia wants of them."

Belin slumped, the colour of his face drained, he realised he had been taken for a fool. He had
, in a short time allowed a long time enemy of his people to worm its way into his court. Worse, even, the long time ally who had for many years helped keep the wolves of the north at bay was now at war with him. He knew he had been used and coerced into thinking he was going to be claiming the wealth of his neighbour. The Darekian had played and moved him like a game piece on a board, not only ending the allegiance with its ally Corlan, but also seeing to it that his own country was at war with itself. Darekia was now in such a strong position, not only was it now free to enter both countries at will, it had affectedly neutralised both as a competent fighting force by getting them to fight each other.

The Darekian pries
t moved towards the door, leaving Belin to wallow in his troubles but decided instead to turn back. Putting his hand inside his dark robe, "In fact I think Darekia has no need of King Belin any longer, you have served your purpose. One could even say you have played your part well," pulling a curved ornate dagger from the cover of his robe, lifting it high and striking it down. The blade buried itself into the side of Belin's neck, he wobbled then fell to his knees, and he exhaled a final expulsion of breath before slumping face down on the floor. "I have done you a favour, had I not ended your life, your own people would have probably seen to it. Consider your part in this over," he chuckled as he pulled out his knife causing a huge gush of blood to pool out on the white floor. He wiped the blade on the dead king's tunic before returning it to the cover of his robe, and leaving the room.

Luken spent the morning in the company of the young Lady Sarena. The pair sat in one of the houses with Taylor and the young baby she had rescued
, and Levin stood at the doorway on guard duty. "I think I will call her Hope," Sarena said, "I do not know what her name was, but I think she epitomises us all." Luken thought for a few moments "I think that is a most appropriate and lovely name. Tell me, what do you plan to do with her....I mean are you intending on bringing her up as your own...I mean..." he started getting flustered. She smiled warmly at him, "I cannot let her go your high...err Luken. I just cannot..." Luken looked at her, taking her hand in his, "I understand completely. When I found this young man here," he put his other hand around Taylor, "well I knew I could not let anything bad happen to him. Then I knew the only way of ensuring that was to look after him myself. I even legally adopted him by royal decree, just before...well you know."

Taylor tugged at his father's shirt, "Sandred has a message for you. He wants you to go and see Father Dagon. He came with
the other soldiers last night." Sarena looked very confused, "who is Sandred?" she asked, "ah! It is a long story. I doubt you would believe me if I told you" Luken replied. He knew all too well she would think him and Taylor totally barmy if he told her they heard voices and saw pictures of old men in their dreams. Standing and taking his sons hand, "If you will excuse me my Lady, I have someone to try and find." The young Lady stood as he was set to leave "Perhaps Luken we may speak again, over dinner perhaps...if that is alright with you of course, I mean if you want to that is." Luken nodded, blushing a little, "I would like that very much, until later then" he said.

As he left the house he squinted a little due to the brightness of the sunshine, "I do not suppose this Sandred told you what this man looked like?" he asked looking down. Taylor shook his head, "no I thought he wouldn't. I bet he never said why either, did he?" and once more his son shook his head. As they moved aw
ay from the house, Levin fell in behind him, and he noticed some twenty or more paces further back two of the elite guard, slowly and not very discreetly tagging along; instructions from General Skalton. After his heroics in saving the Lady Sarena, which of course had been almost disastrous. Had that Darekian soldier not suddenly burst into flames, Luken knew he would have most likely ended up skewered by the man's blade.  Since he had obviously upset the General by his antics, he thought it better not to complain when he was told he was going to be guarded at all times. He was glad Levin had been tasked with being the guard closest to him, and the proper guards did make an effort not to intrude to closely upon him.

Making their way down the street, passing what was left of the smouldering rows of buildings. He had decided to seek out Jak Corley, if
the man he sought had arrived with him, he may know of his where about. A great idea it was, but finding the Captain was in itself somewhat of an adventure, finally catching sight of him riding back into the town. After a quick sprint, he and Taylor had at last caught up with him, which meant Levin and the guards behind them having to run to keep pace. Jak greeted both the prince and his son, and nodding beyond them to Levin. He listened, as Luken started to tell him of the man they sought. "Yes I know where he is, something strange about him. He somehow speaks to some chap using some magical stone. I myself got to use it got to speak with some eccentric called..." "Sandred" Luken and Taylor both said simultaneously. "Oh you know of him," Jak said, sounding almost disappointed his exclusivity in knowing was not as limited as he had first thought. "Yes Jak, both Taylor and I are constantly bugged by the man, anyway apparently he wants me to seek this Father Dagon."