The Path Of Peace (The Cremelino Prophecy Book 3) (21 page)

“Oh no!” the young man said. “Why
did you do that?”

“You grabbed me,” she said as
they continued to run.

“How do you run like this?” The
man glanced down to his illusioned belly, which was now protruding from him.
“You’re pregnant.” He spoke in the language of the Realm but with a Gildan
accent.

Christine just smiled. The man
had mentioned Mezar, so she assumed she could trust him. At this point, she
would go with anyone that was taking her away from her captivity. She knew from
sounds in the estate that she couldn’t go back there.

Running for a few minutes, they
encountered a back fence. They didn’t know who should help who over the fence,
so they managed on their own.

Dogs barking and people yelling
could be seen and heard gathering throughout the compound. Christine imagined
the wrath they feared from General Alrishitar if she escaped. Through some
bushes, she saw a flash of white. A Cremelino came riding into view. It wasn’t
Lightning, but she could feel this Cremelino’s presence in the air and as a
trickle in her mind.

Mezar sat on top of the horse and
seemed confused at first. He reached for the man that looked like her and
offered a hand up.

“That’s her.” He frowned and
pointed toward Christine.

Mezar broke in to a loud
laughter. “Lowell?”

“That’s enough, Mezar. It’s not
funny.” Lowell grinned.

“We have to hurry,” Mezar said,
reaching out his hand for the real Christine. As he did so, she changed back.
“That’s better. Welcome back, my lady. My noble steed and I are here to take
you away.”

Tears blurred Christine’s eyes.
She had never beheld such a beautiful sight. The young prince pulled her up to
sit behind him on the Cremelino. “Star said it’s fine for you to ride. You are
one of the bonded.”

“You have a Cremelino, too?”
Christine’s voice rose in excitement.

Embracing the full force of the
Cremelino’s speed, Mezar took off through some backcountry. The trees and
bushes blurred by as they rode toward a cover of thicker trees, putting as much
distance between them and her captors
as possible.

The whisper of the wind against
her face made Christine feel alive again. Memories of times when she rode
Lightning flashed through her mind. She held her stomach with one hand, trying
to cushion the baby.

Suddenly, Star skidded to a stop
and went up on his hind legs. Christine grabbed both hands around Mezar, who
hung onto his horse’s neck.

A loud wail screeched through the
bond.
We will prevail!

It was as if for a moment they
both felt the combined weight, power, and intelligence of all the Cremelinos.
Many voices ran through her mind at the same time. In that mix, Christine felt
Lightning for the first time in almost two months.

“Lightning!”
The joy
almost overwhelmed her. Tears came unbidden to her eyes and slid down her
cheeks.

Christine! It is good to hear
you again.

Then before she could figure out
why the bond worked again, Mezar’s Cremelino came back down on all fours, the
voices dissipated, and the bond with her Cremelino was once again gone.

Now she had to find Darius and
inform him of the general’s plans.

PREPARING FOR BATTLE

D
anijela stood next to her Cremelino,
Spring. The horse’s quick step and bright personality reminded the young earth
wizard of springtime. Thinking of springtime, she shivered and wrapped a dark
cloak tighter around her. Snow had fallen up in the mountains the previous day,
and now thick clouds rolled in, engulfing the area around Denir. Winter was a
horrible time to have a battle. She missed the warm deserts of Arc.

The young girl stared wide-eyed
at the troops that had been amassing on both sides over the past few days. At
the request that was more of a demand from the High Wizard, she had ridden her
Cremelino from Sur to join with Darius and the others. The ride had been
exhilarating, and it allowed her some time to get used to the incredible bond
without others being around.

The wind gusted, and she brushed
her blonde bangs out of her eyes. It was hard to imagine that fifteen months
ago she was taken under the tutelage of the High Wizard. They traveled to the
Wizard’s Conclave in the Kingdom of Arc, where she’d began her studies. Then
upon news of problems on the border, she had traveled there to witness those
horrifying events in which her brother had died.

Now she stood to the side of not
only the High Wizard, but the King of the Realm also. The sixteen-year-old girl
felt a little out of place in such esteemed company, however, the gifts of
comfort and the Cremelino from Darius would forever hold him in her heart. She
pouted momentarily wondering if she would ever grow taller and slender. She
felt self-conscious next to these great men.

Danijela looked up at the King
standing next to her. He was talking with Roland and giving him instructions.
He seemed so confident. His firm jaw, brown hair, and gray eyes made her heart
flutter. He wore the red and purple of the Realm well. She envied his wife and
the deep love that he had for her. She hoped that someday someone would care
for her as much, and not just think of her as their little sister, which seemed
to be the relationship she had with most men.

Darius must have sensed her
looking. He turned toward her, smiled, and waved her over to join him. She
hoped her reddening cheeks were covered by the cold.

“The High Wizard would like to
speak to us.” Darius motioned toward his tent. “I think he has a plan, now that
you are here.”

Their two Cremelinos walked
beside them on their way to the command tent. She could see Jakob off to one
side with Lightning and the other two horses, feeding and caring for them. The
young boy took pride in his work and was a very serious young man.

Without warning, a scream sounded
in her mind. It was like the screeching and whining of hundreds of horses. She
covered her ears, but the sound was internal to her. Spring and Thunder rose up
on their hind legs and made an awful, loud sound. Off to the side, Jakob tried
to grab the other Cremelinos he was watching, but they too reared up on their
hind legs.

Soldiers and servants stopped and
backed away.

Then as if in one solid chorus,
she heard,
We will prevail!
echo through her mind. A powerful magical
force seemed to rip through her body, giving her clarity of thought, vision,
and hearing beyond a normal person. She could hear the sounds of the camp
magnified around her.

Then it stopped.

Lightning raced to Darius, almost
sliding into Thunder.            

“She is free!” Darius yelled.
“The queen has escaped!” A large smile engulfed his entire face, and tears
filled his eyes.

Followers around the field
clapped and yelled in delight. They had mourned with their young King. He had
tried to hide the sorrow from them at first, but it was too much for them not
to notice how it affected him.

Turning to Danijela, he said.
“Now it is time to end this battle here before it even gets started.” The two
walked into his tent, where High Wizard Sallir was already seated.

“What was all that noise?” the
Wizard asked.

“The Cremelinos. It seems to have
been brought on by a fight with the Preacher,” Darius informed him, “and my
wife has escaped with Mezar. They ride his Cremelino to us now.” Darius didn’t
stop smiling as he practically bounced on the balls of his feet.

The High Wizard looked slightly
forlorn.

Darius looked concerned. “What is
the matter, master wizard?”

“Oh, nothing.” Olan tried to
brush it off.

“Tell me.”

“It actually seems kind of silly.
I am, what, three times your age or more, been High Wizard for many kings in
Arc, and am one of the most knowledgeable practitioners of magic in the western
lands, yet you two have been given this amazing opportunity to communicate with
your Cremelinos.”

Danijela reached her hand over
and patted the High Wizard’s knee. “Oppa, you know so much more than we do.”
She glanced at Darius to make sure she wasn’t overstepping her bounds. “We may
have the opportunity, but we don’t have the knowledge to do what we must do. We
need your guidance. We always will.”

The High Wizard smiled. “Thank
you for your words, young one. And I do believe their sincerity. But alas, I
have seen your magic. You won’t have need of me for long and will surely
surpass all of us soon.”

“Danijela is right in one thing,
High Wizard. We are untrained in our power.” Darius stopped for a moment as if
listening. “I am sorry. Thunder has just told me that the situation in Mar has
been handled. The Preacher is indeed dead.” Darius paused as if to gather his
thoughts. “It’s just been so long it is hard to imagine the Preacher being
dead. Sean San Ghant and Ambassador Kelln, along with another young wizard,
defeated him. There does however seem to be some eastern kingdom wizards on a
ship in the harbor.”

“My Lord. This means of
communicating will change warfare, politics, and trade in our kingdoms
forever.” The High Wizard spoke in awe. “It really is amazing.”

A servant brought some meat,
cheese, and biscuits in for the three of them. Danijela was too nervous to eat
anything, but High Wizard Sallir motioned for her to eat. She would need her
energy later.

After the servant left, Darius
continued. “It may be amazing, and we may have potential power, but we really
do need your guidance, High Wizard. I do not know why you were not chosen to
have a Cremelino, but I do know
I cannot stop this war
myself.”

High Wizard Sallir took a deep
drink from a glass of wine he was holding and then, with a twinkle in his eye,
said, “I do have a plan.”

Darius motioned for him to
continue.

“There are instructions I have
read before about constructing a large magical barrier. It takes great power
and energy. But the thing it takes the most is balance and representation from
all the wizard power disciples. An earth wizard, a mind wizard, and a heart
wizard it seems is needed to make it work.”

“Luck would have it, we have
those here.” Darius smiled. “How do we form this barrier?”

The High Wizard sat deep in
thought for a moment. “That is the problem. I think I can remember it, but
there seems to be something missing that I can’t quite remember.”

“We could try it”—Danijela
motioned, always anxious to try new things with her earth power—“on a small
scale.”

“That is a great idea, young
apprentice.”

The three got up and exited the
tent. They walked together to the edge of the camp. Danijela could see soldiers
training and getting ready for a battle they were sure would come soon. There
had been reports of thousands of foot and cavalry soldiers from Gildan camped
within a short distance. Danijela was already sick of war, and she had only seen
one battle.

Pointing to some trees not far
away, the High Wizard instructed her and Darius to calm their minds, pull on
their powers, and think about each other. Danijela closed her eyes so not to be
distracted by what was going on around them. She felt the familiar stirrings of
her power of the earth. She felt the power from the dirt, the trees, the wind
around her, the rocks beneath her and brought it forth.

Soon she felt the light touch of
her mentor and his power of the mind. It seemed more firm and thoughtful than
hers, then she felt the almost wild and volatile power of the heart come from
Darius. The three powers circled each other in her mind, trying to come
together. But they wouldn’t quite mesh. It was as if there was nothing to bind
them together.

You are missing a piece,
her
Cremelino said. She opened her eyes and saw the King and High Wizard looking at
her.

She told them what her Cremelino
had said.

Tell the King and wizard to
open their minds. It is time for them to know the final piece of what is
missing.

Her Cremelino then spoke to all
three of them. She watched a broad smile spread across her mentor’s face as he
was granted the ability to hear the magical horse like she had.

The power of the mind, heart,
and earth are only three parts of the powers of a wizard.

“That is all we have been
taught,”
the High Wizard said into all their minds.

There is one more, one that
has been hidden since the persecution of our kind, one power that held the
wizards of old together and brought them to such great heights, one other
discipline of magic.

The three wizards stood in
anticipation. Spring continued teaching.

You have been missing the
power of the spirit. A wizard of the spirit is one that binds and bonds all
others together into one great whole.

“Who?”
The High Wizard was
the voice of their question
. “Where do we find a wizard of the spirit?”

Collectively, the Cremelinos in
the camp answered.
You have already found us. The Cremelinos are the wizards
of the spirit—the power to bond, the power to bind, the power to guide the
other powers.

Danijela laughed in delight. She
watched Darius gasp and Olan smile with tears in his eyes.

Now concentrate your powers
again, wizards,
came the command from Thunder,
and we will guide you.

Danijela closed her eyes again,
felt the power of the earth, mind, and heart circle each other again, but now a
fourth power came forth. Magnifying itself in a brilliant white, it engulfed
the others, bound them to each other and became not four powers, but one.

The youngest wizard opened her
eyes. All three of them looked out at the trees and saw a shimmering barrier of
light. It began to grow until it covered their side of the camp. Darius ordered
Roland to walk toward it and tell him about it. It was semi-transparent to look
at, but when touched, it was as solid as a wall. Sight and sound permeated its
barrier, though muffled, but nothing physical could push through.

“Looks like we have a way to stop
that army now.” Darius smiled. “I do not want to fight or kill our southern
neighbors. I don’t want any more innocent people to die because of someone’s
thirst for power. We will stop them with the barrier and then try to negotiate
with their general when he arrives.”

The King called his commanders to
his tent to plan the final defensive strike to diffuse the war with Gildan.

* * *

Mezar stood with Christine,
Leandra, and his friends in a copse of trees just behind and to the east of the
main Gildanian army. He estimated that General Alrishitar had amassed over
three thousand troops. He could see the flag of his father’s house along with
that of Gildan flying high over the command tent in the middle of the camp. A
mist still hung in the air, and the ground was wet from a soggy night.

By sending William and Allon into
the camp disguised as soldiers, Mezar had learned most of what he needed. It
seemed that today would be the day to march over the border and attack the
Realm armies. The general had not yet received word of Christine’s escape. His
plan to invade the Realm and then hold the land hostage over Darius for the
exchange of the queen was still in play.

One disturbing piece of news that
was rumored around the camp was of a stranger in their midst. A shorter, darker
man with large tattoos accompanied the general everywhere and seemed to have
great influence with the Mezar’s father.

Commanders began forming ranks of
the soldiers, a company of sharp bowmen accompanying them. They would march
first, with horsemen in the rear and the side. The army was disciplined and
formed straight lines. Soldiers began marching to the cadence of the drummers,
blindly obeying their senior officers.

Through his Cremelino, Mezar
learned that Darius had a plan and hoped it would stop any bloodshed, for the
force of the Gildan army was fierce and strong. These were career soldiers who
trained each day. Their strength, agility, and skills were the best in the
empire. The general had spared nothing in his mad plans to annex the Realm.

The troops began their march
north as the winter sun burned away some of the night’s fog. Visibility
returned, and Mezar could see a few miles further. A mass of dark signaled the
armies of the Realm at the border. There was a strange silence with only foot
and horse steps marching in unison, occasionally being squawked at by large crows.
Anticipation filled the air. The two nations had had a few skirmishes but no
full-scale battles in over two hundred years.

As the soldiers moved out, they
left behind their camp servants and followers. This would make it easier for
Mezar and his group. They were still intending on getting Christine across the
border. They had hoped to do so before the battle began but had been slowed
down trying to stay hidden from the main army and it’s outriders.

Mezar tried to keep his Cremelino
hidden by once again putting on a large brown blanket on him. The brilliant
white coat of the horse would be too easy to spot. They made their way down a
small hill. Each of them had a horse they kept quiet. Skirting to the east of
the main army, they would try to reach the border with the Realm in the next
hour or so. They rode east of Denir, where the ground was mostly grass
plains—unlike the west, which rose in quick, rocky heights to become the
Superstition Mountains—and with the full attention of the army facing north, they
hoped to remain unspotted.