Zachania (40 page)

Pelkan smiled
before leaving the bushes and walking towards the soldiers who were
on guard duty

“WHO
APPROACHES!” shouted one of the soldiers pulling his sword.

“I must speak
to your commanders.” Pelkan replied strongly.

“Who are
you?”

“I am a
smuggler who escaped you this morning.”

“Be on your way
you drunk.” replied the guard starting to laugh.

“I don’t think
you heard me I wish to speak to your commanders!” said Pelkan only
this time more loudly.

The soldiers
stopped laughing and grabbed a hold of him.

“So you wish to
play games then do you.”

Pelkan was then
pushed to the floor where the second soldier grabbed him by the
throat and began marching him into the gate.

“You want to
mock the Imperial guard do you? I’m going to teach you a lesson in
manners you will never forget.”

Pelkan
surrendered himself without resistance as the guard marched him by
the collar into the castle.

“Where are you
taking me?” Pelkan asked.

The soldier
told his companion to return to his duties before turning to
Pelkan.

“You say you’re
a smuggler! Well you’ve smuggled yourself into a dungeon now!” The
soldier then led Pelkan across a courtyard to a door where another
soldier was standing

“What’s
this?”

“A drunk! He
wants to see our commanders.” replied the soldier leading Pelkan
who spoke with a sinister smile, the guard laughed as unlocked the
door knowing full well what was going to happen as he knew that the
soldier with Pelkan was a well-known bully who was excited at
teaching Pelkan a lesson and gaining some exercise at the same
time.

“You better gag
him, try not waking the whole castle up.” he added as he let them
in.

It then dawned
on Pelkan that they thought he was a drunk and that he was being
led for a beating as a form of entertainment so Pelkan went along
with it and began to act drunk.

“Be careful
with him.” the guard joked to the soldier.

For a short
moment Pelkan thought that maybe he could find his men and escape
but it was short lived as the door was bolted behind him.

“Get in!” the
soldier growled as he pushed him hard along the corridor looking in
the flaps in the cell doors to find an empty cell, as he lifted one
flap Pelkan saw that it contained some of his men.

“Here we are!”
the soldier said as opened an empty cell, the soldier then pushed
Pelkan up against the wall and Pelkan again made out that he was
drunk, it worked as the soldier took his eyes from him just for a
moment and that was all Pelkan needed to swiftly strike the soldier
and then grab him from behind and break his neck. The soldier let
out a loud scream before falling to the floor and knocking over a
table en route which alerted the other guards. Pelkan quickly ran
to the cell where he saw that his men were being held, as he
entered the cell he could smell the bodies of his dead companions,
Pelkan choked before running over to the survivors. Pelkan pulled
down there gags and placed a leaf into each man’s mouth.

“For Zachania.”
he whispered while doing so.

Pelkan could
now hear soldiers making their way to the cell so quickly placed a
leaf into his own mouth and pulled the men together.

“We make this
sacrifice in the name of Apollo and our Zachania.” he whispered
pulling the men close together, Pelkan then watched each man
swallow before swallowing himself.

“I will be with
you soon my Lord Apollo.” was Pelkan’s last thought as he passed
into death.

When morning
broke the castle of Zanlia was full of commotion, General Krustov
came to see General Sanda who had been questioning the prisoners
and the conversation was beginning to become very heated.

“Get the door!”
Krustov said angrily at Sanda.

“General there
is a wizard here to see you.” a soldier said to Sanda.

“Well don’t
just stand there man, bring him.” said Sanda before turning back to
Krustov.

“That’s quick I
only sent word yesterday.”

General
Krustov’s eyes opened wide as the door suddenly swung open and into
the room walked Grarlin the Imperial wizard Grand, Krustov raised
to his feet immediately.

“Your
highness!”

Grarlin looked
across at General Sanda who was also on his feet.

“Was it you who
sent for me.”

“Yes your
highness.”

“I have ridden
all night, take me to the prisoners.”

General Sanda
blushed as he thought of how he would break the news then
reluctantly he spoke.

“Your highness
I have bad news, I am sorry to inform you that the prisoners are no
longer with us.”

“What do you
mean no longer with us?” asked Grarlin now with his face in a
frown.

“They were
murdered last night.”

“By who?”

“By another
prisoner your highness” replied Sanda now feeling very
uncomfortable as

Grarlin’s face
then turned to a snarl.

“By another
prisoner! Take me to this prisoner.”

“He is dead
too!” Krustov snapped in a nonchalant tone as if throwing the blame
on Sanda.

Grarlin moved
his black eyes back at Sanda and with a swift move he grabbed him
and picked him forcefully up with one hand.

“I have
travelled all night for this! Stop wasting my time and tell me what
is going on!” as Grarlin finished his sentence he released Sanda
who fell to the ground and then told the wizard the whole
story.

“So a man broke
in the dungeon last night and killed all the prisoners, where were
the guards.”

“That’s what I
have been asking.” interrupted Krustov.

“Take me to the
cells.” demanded Grarlin.

Krustov and
Sanda led Grarlin down to the dungeons where Grarlin questioned the
man who had led Pelkan the previous night who was now himself under
arrest. The soldier was terrified when he saw Grarlin and he
apologised profoundly.

“I am so sorry,
I was just having some fun with the man, I never for one moment
thought something like this would happen, I am sorry.”

“So you were
just having some fun.” growled Grarlin looking at the man with
disgust

“Well!” snapped
Grarlin before raising his hand and thrusting it into the man’s
face, the soldier suddenly screamed a most terrifying scream until
he dropped to the floor still screaming in horror.

The soldier
desperately felt his face and when he looked up Krustov the General
winced at the sight of the man, his face was all distorted, his
ears now drooped down to his shoulders and his lips and nose were
fat and magically deformed, he looked like he was half man half
donkey.

“So you wanted
Fun!” Grarlin snapped.

“You were an
Imperial soldier, well fun is what you will have, now every day you
can live with fun, every day when someone looks upon your ugliness
they will make fun of you, now get out of my sight before I end
your pitiful life.” added Grarlin.

General Sanda
heaved at the sight of the man, the General was no stranger to the
cruelty of the wizards but the sight of the guard turned his
stomach.

“Does this
bother you General?” asked Grarlin noticing the look on his
face.

“No your
highness.”

“Good, let it
be known that this is what happens when Imperial soldiers neglect
their duties, now leave us I wish to be alone with Krustov.”

“Krustov,
something very strange happened here, men do not break into a
dungeon to kill and then kill themselves unless there is a very
strong reason, this man wanted something hidden, there is a secret
here more powerful than life itself.”

“What secret
could be so important your highness?”

“That is what
we will have to find out.”

“Some of my
soldiers noticed some strange tattoo’s on some of the dead men,
they have not seen nothing like it before.”

“Do all you can
Krustov, I will be returning to Death Valley but if you find
anything out send for me immediately.”

Lord Falkan
fearing that his friendship with Zachania had been discovered
thought it prudent to leave his home for a few days until he knew
for certain whether he was safe or not. He was taking refuge with
his good friend Osto, Perad and the two other Zachanian soldiers
were also with him.

“Do you miss
him Perad?” Falkan asked as the men sat down in the gardens of
osto’s home.

Perad looked up
to the sun and paused a while before he replied.

“General Pelkan
was a good man and good soldier, in all the years I have known him
he has only made one mistake and for that he gave his life for, I
miss him but I feel Zachania will miss him more, warriors like him
are not born everyday”

“I think he has
a good friend in you Perad, his death must be honoured and I am
sure you are the man to see that through.”

Osto then broke
in as he joined them.

“Falkan I have
the information you asked for.” he said handing Falkan some
documents which Falkan flicked through.

“It’s brand
new! There’s information on the Empires boats, army’s, outposts”
added Osto joining them by sitting on the ground.

“Osto have you
found a boat and crew to return Perad.” asked Falkan.

Osto scowled to
show it has been difficult.

“It’s too
dangerous at present, no one will set sail, the seas of Zanlia are
constantly patrolled and as you know yourself the smugglers have
all hidden their boats.”

“Osto this will
not do, it is imperative that we get these men home.”

“Falkan I would
go myself but I can’t ask my men to come, they have suffered enough
and I can’t ask them to risk their lives anymore, they are in no
mood to set sail at such troublesome times.”

“Then I will
give ten thousand Krasos to the crew who returns Perad to Zachania,
maybe this will encourage their moods.”

Perad and Osto
both looked at Falkan in surprise.

“I am sure the
Prince will reward you fully Lord Falkan.” Perad said.

“No Perad! I do
not want the money back, I promised Pelkan I would honour his
wishes” snapped Falkan before turning back to Osto.

“See what you
can do.” he said to Osto knowing full well with such an amount on
offer someone would take the bait.

“I will be back
in a few hours” Osto said getting up and walking away.

Perad watched
Osto walk away before turning to Falkan and asking him another
question

“Lord Falkan I
feel embarrassed at the trouble we have already caused you but I
must ask you for more information, my Prince has asked what
assistance you can give us once the attack begins.”

“Not much I am
afraid! I have spoken to my good friend Kasoon and most of what we
can offer your Prince is our friendship, as you know we have no
armies but we will try to disrupt the Empire as much as we
can.”

“In what
way?”

Falkan opened
his hands and shrugged before answering.

“Sabotage! we
can damage bridges, light fires, anything that will cause the
Empire disruption.”

The two men
threw ideas back and forth for a couple of hours until Osto
returned giving away his news by the large smile on his face.

“It’s done! The
boat will be ready by nightfall.”

Falkan leaned
over and patted Perad’s arm.

“You’re going
home my friend.”

When nightfall
came Perad said his farewells to Falkan and his men, and just as
Falkan promised, the boat set sail into the calm dark waters. Perad
sat on the boat looking back as the land disappeared and thought of
his friend Pelkan and all the other men who should have been on
this journey with him. Perad stood up and clenched his fists.

“Goodbye for
now Kratos…but be warned the next time I set foot on your soil I
will come to make war.”

Grarlin the
wizard Grand of the Imperial wizard guild once he returned to Death
Valley was looking over the Empires encampment checking the
Imperial soldiers. He walked amongst the soldiers just as he did
all those centuries ago looking for anything that was not to his
liking. He wandered up to the beginning of the valley and looked at
the narrow entrance and the vast mountains that was Zachania in the
distance.

Over the years
he had grown accustomed to the calm that had reigned across Kratos
but he felt alarm of certain things that had happened over the last
few months, his old and wise mind told him that something was at
foot, all there was to do now was to make sure he put everything
together and realise the signals.

He sat down in
the foothills and found himself thinking about a man he had
tortured and killed back in Tallasian some time ago, he thought
over and over about the man’s last dying words “I am a Zachanian, I
am a Zachanian.”

Grarlin began
to wonder and he realised that since that man’s death many strange
things had begun happening. There was Talon who escaped from the
guard, the loss of contact with the wizards of Zanlia and now the
prisoner’s deaths at the Zanlian castle. Grarlin seized on the
thought of Talon and remembered a prophecy known to the wizard
guild about a Zachanian who was reared outside of Zachania but
would one day return and lead a great army against the Empire.

Grarlin tried
to picture Talon and under his breath as he looked at the mountains
of Zachania in the distance he spoke to himself.

“Farewell
Kratos…but be warned the next time I set foot on your soil I will
come to make war.” When Grarlin returned to the camp and walked
amongst the thousands of Imperial soldiers he felt a slight ease.
He could see that the might of the Empire was an impressive beast
waiting to be unleashed, and then he returned to a tent where he
told the guard outside that he was not to be disturbed. Once inside
Grarlin sat down and placed a pyramid shaped crystal on the table
in front of him and before long the crystal began to glow. A
spinning gold object seemed to grow inside the crystal, the
spinning and light increased until the whole tent lit up from the
emanating light until as quick as it began the light and spinning
stopped and the crystal turned into a dull red glow and a strong
and powerful voice came from the rock