The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher (17 page)

              This last chamber was almost pitch black dark.  He saw more shapes including, what looked like his shadow standing over a large, rectangular shape.  It was different, though.  He could feel nothing coming from it, like he did his shadow.  It had no feeling of life. 

              Feeling along the entrance, he felt the shape of another torch.  When he lit this other one with the torch in his hand, it partially illuminated the room.  He saw more statues, but these were different.  They didn’t just look larger; they gave off an impression of being larger, more important.  They were all kneeling around the rectangular shape, appearing to rest on weapons.  His hands felt another torch on the other side of the entrance and he lit it as well.  Now the statues came almost in to full view.  They were in the image of three men and one woman and when he saw the weapons they were holding, he knew who and what they were.  They were the three kings and one queen of legend.  In their stone hands were the axe, the spear, the bow and the hammer.

              The rectangular shape came into better view as well.  Looking at it, he saw that it was a sarcophagus.  He realized that this more than a cave or a hide.  It was a tomb; and by the looks of things, the tomb of someone very important.  Looking at the sarcophagus, he saw the same ancient writing carved on the slab and inlaid with gold.   Could this be the tomb of…?  He shook his head as if to stop himself from even thinking the thought in his mind.

“Can’t be.” He told himself. 

Then he looked at the statue standing directly behind the sarcophagus.

              It was like marble; only black.  Unlike nearly everything else he’d seen in these inner chambers, it was not covered in dust or dirt.  It was perfectly clean as if it had just been made.  It was a cloaked and hooded figure, like he’d seen in his dreams and what his shadow was increasingly starting to look like.  And it was holding something.

              Its arms were outstretched, as if offering something to the grave.  He stepped closer to examine the face on the statue.  In the flickering light, it looked like the face of a young and beautiful woman.  Her eyes looked sad, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.  But what was she holding, Kenner asked?  What was in her hands?

              Kenner passed his torch over her arms and hands.  It looked like a sword in its scabbard.  More than that, this sword didn’t look like it was part of the statue.  It was resting in her hands, but Kenner saw that, if he wanted to, he could take the weapon from her outstretched arms.  The sheath, the hilt and grip were all black with a pummel that looked like a crown.  And there was another feeling flooding through Kenner.  Although he consciously reminded himself that it was impossible, he felt as if the statue wanted him to take it.

              Kenner passed his hand over the apparent weapon, but did not yet touch it.  Like the statue, it was untouched by dust or dirt.              There was a feeling of warmth coming from it; almost as if it were alive.  He touched the scabbard and felt an odd sensation in his finger.  It was warm, but not hot.  It was almost like a breath that went into his finger and began to flow into the rest of his hand.  It felt stronger, more powerful.

              He placed the torch on the sarcophagus and then turned quickly to take the sword; but something stopped him.  It was another strong feeling.  This one seemed to tell him; “from this point, there is no turning back.”

              His heart pounded in his chest for reasons he was not sure.  Something about this weapon seemed almost mystical and holy.  It didn’t give the impression of a weapon made by men.  Slowly his hands closed around the scabbard and the energy he’d felt in his finger and his hands then coursed through his entire body.  It was exhilarating and exciting.  His whole body now felt larger and more powerful.  With his heart beating faster, he closed his right hand over the handle and then slowly drew the blade from its sheath.

              It made a ringing sound, like a tiny bell; only the sound lasted past the blade being fully drawn and Kenner gasped at the sight of it.  It was solid black, but didn’t look like metal.  It appeared more like glass.  Despite its having the length and width of a broad sword, it was incredibly light and perfectly balanced.  Still feeling thrilled, he swung the blade in a slashing motion.  In doing so, he accidently hit the stone slab of the grave and it passed through the solid stone with almost no sensation of hitting anything at all.

              Looking down at the grave, he saw that he’d taken a large chunk out of the stone.  It wasn’t like he’d broken the stone.  It was a clean slice and it frightened him.

              This was too much for him to believe.  Could this really be the tomb of Farraday?  Was he really holding the Black Sword in his hands?  He slid the sword back into its sheath and started to place it back in the statues hands when he heard a voice say, “No!”  He looked at the face of the statue and no longer were the eyes looking down sadly.  They were looking directly at him and even though stone, appeared clearly focused on him.  He tried again to replace the sword, but again heard, “No!”  Then he heard what sounded like large rocks moving.  He turned around and in the dim light saw the four statues now all facing him.  Their heads were bowed and they were still on their knees.  It was if they were kneeling before him as if her were a king.  A thousand feelings rushed through him at once. 

              And then he fainted.

The First Causton War

             
After being released from prison, Causton led his followers across the Great Plain and along the Serpent River.  At Mobrey, the thousands of followers gave all their money to Causton’s supporting priests and they began purchasing weapons and military equipment.  When the King heard of this, he sent an emissary to visit with Causton.  This emissary was assured by Causton’s leaders that the weapons were merely being purchased so that the “pilgrims” could defend themselves if they needed to.  The new King feared the popularity of Causton’s movement so much that he ordered no action taken against the followers or Causton himself.

              The priest and his followers camped outside Mobrey for several months
and reports began getting back to the King of military training and even more weapons and equipment being purchased.  One of his Generals warned the King that something had to be done to disperse the immense crowd; but still the King did nothing as he feared that even more would rally to Causton and his followers would grow.  In late spring, Causton and his followers left Mobrey and moved south.  The King feared that they may be moving on Kallesh and moved one thousand troops to outside the city walls.  However, Causton and his followers merely bypassed the city and continued moving south without incident.

              Two days later, a deserter from Causton’s followers came to the King with a horrifying revelation: Causton was moving on the City of Kasabbah.  His intention was to “punish” the city for its “sins” by killing its inhabitants and burning the city to the ground.  This time, the King did not hesitate.  He mobilized his forces to intercept Causton’s army and to stop them.

              Just outside Kasabbah, the King’s army caught up with Causton and his followers.   Emissaries from Causton met with General Throd, Commander of the King’s army and convinced him that it was only a peaceful procession to the city.  However, one night as most of Throd’s army slept, Causton’s army attacked and slaughtered most of Throd’s forces.  Throd, himself was captured and beheaded.

              Several cavalry soldiers escaped the massacre and rode south to Kasabbah.  They warned the city leaders and the city was evacuated before Causton’s army arrived.  The priest still had the city burned to the ground and began to pursue the evacuated citizens further to the south.  But the King had anticipated the possibility of Throd’s army being defeated and had planned for it.  He secretly had another force put on over one hundred ships and taken south by the river.  He had also struck a deal with Sheyron’s “Admiral” allowing this fleet of ships to pass into their borders and to allow the refugees from Kasabbah to do the same.

              When Causton’s army reached the border of Sheyron, he found a Walechian army of over ten thousand waiting for him.  The Walechian Army overwhelmed Causton and his followers, decimating their army.  Causton and many of his strongest supporters survived and escaped, though.

              However, while one catastrophe had happened, another had been averted.  Kasabbah had been destroyed and hundreds of men slaughtered in a surprise attack.  However, the citizens of Kasabbah had been spared and Causton’s army apparently defeated.  Little did anyone know that this was only the first in what would become a much larger and more tragic conflict.

Chapter Twenty One

              Kenner awoke with the sun on his face.  Looking around him, he could tell he was in the first chamber of the cave and began to think that the entire experience with the Black Sword was just a dream.  It seemed real enough, he thought; but he’d had stranger dreams that also seemed real.  It had to be a dream, he concluded.  It couldn’t possibly have been real.  As he rubbed his, still sleepy eyes, he noticed black armor on his arms.  He looked over himself and saw that his entire body was covered in the black plate male.

“What the hell?” He almost shouted.  He then heard a woman’s voice say, “Good morning.”

He felt paralyzed for a moment, but then slowly turned his head to face where the voice had come from.  Standing in the shadows of the cave was his familiar shadow; but now it looked closer and more real than ever before.  She stepped forward into the sunlight and he saw her.

She was still wearing a black, hooded cloak; but now the hood was drawn back.  She was beautiful.  She had a round face and almond shaped eyes.  He could see that they were brown.  She had straight black hair and was smiling sweetly.

He sat for a moment and staring at her.

“Hi.” He finally said nervously.

Her hands were hidden inside the cloak with her arms folded in front of her.  She stepped closer, still smiling.

“You’ve been asleep for two days.” She said to him.

              He was still stunned, but wanted to say something; anything.  He could only stare at her in confusion.

“Who are you?” He finally stammered.

She smiled slightly more.

“A friend.” She said in a sweet voice.  It was as clear as any voice; but having tenderness and strength at the same time.

             
He still searched desperately for words, wanting to ask a thousand questions at once.

“Are you…” He started to ask.

“Yes.” She answered simply.

“Am I…?”

“Dreaming?” She added.  “No.”

“Did I…?”

“Find the Black Sword?”

He slowly nodded.

“Yes you did.”

              He felt like fainting again, but rubbing his face with his hands again helped him recover.

“This can’t be happening.” He muttered to himself.

“Oh yes it can.” She told him. 

              His eyes fixated on her, he saw her pick up his pack and place it close it to him.

“I’ve packed your bag with enough food to last you the rest of your journey, if you’re careful.  And while I know you’re still in a state of shock, you have lingered here long enough.  It’s time for you to go.”

“Go?” He asked.  Then he remembered and scrambled to his feet.  “Holy crap!  You say I’ve been asleep for two days?”

“Two days.”

“I gotta get going.”

“Yes you do.”

             
He looked around the cave for his fur, but couldn’t find it.

“You won’t need it.” She said to him.  “The armor will keep you warm enough.  It will even keep your face warm, though you wouldn’t understand how.”

“Ok…um…”He stuttered.

“The sword is over there.” She said pointing.

             
He saw it leaning against the wall of the chamber and again, he found himself in disbelief.  The Black Sword; the weapon that Farraday used to conquer the four kingdoms and bring peace that lasted five hundred years; there it was just leaning against a wall like a normal weapon.  He still couldn’t believe that any of this was real.