The Destiny of Amalah (4 page)

Elana screamed again as the guard yanked her hair even harder.

‘It would seem that Regent Galen has overstepped the mark once again. It’s hoped that the end of his bloodline will be the end of him and his legacy.’

Elana looked at the frightened boy, who she knew was now crying; not for himself but for her. She listened as the guard talked and dragged her along to a nearby tree. She winced as she felt her scalp being tugged but with steely resolve, she reached into her cloak and felt for the crystal ball that the strange seer had given her.

The seer had insisted that she would need the ball but Elana, who had no psychic ability, was equally adamant that she did not.

‘I only know that you need it, not what you need it for,’ the psychic had told her.

Elana raised a bemused eyebrow at the psychic’s words before being brought back to reality. She gripped the crystal ball firmly by its stem and when the guard eventually let her go, she didn’t hesitate and brought it crashing upwards in to the air until it landed under his chin and this time; it was the guards turn to go crashing to the ground as he clutched his broken jaw.

With her free hand, Elana drew that was in a hilt at her nape and she stood face to face with the remaining men of the Order, who were taken aback by her flooring the guard and then arming herself.

‘Ill er,’ the guard on the ground seemed to say as he clutched his jaw but his men looked on trying to fathom what he was saying. ‘Ill er,’ he said again but again to no avail. Through pain and exasperation, he brought his finger up to his throat and made a slitting motion. ‘Ill er,’ he said again.

‘Ohhh, kill her?’ said a member of the Order, at which the guard on the floor raised his eyebrows in exasperation and then nodded furiously.

‘Run!’ Elana shouted to Michael.

Michael and Elana turned and fled with the remaining Amalayan Order in tow. They had only gone a few paces when they heard a scream from one of the men. Elana and Michael turned around and Michael was surprised to see a giant smooth skinned ebony man, who stood at least six feet and four inches tall, with a broad muscular build fighting hand to hand with the Amalayan Order.

Michael watched in awe as he threw powerful punches and kicks in quick succession at the Order, as they ran towards him. He was clearly outnumbered by the Order but this did not seem to bother him, as he fought with two and then three and then four of the guard.

‘Stay here,’ Elana said to Michael, as she moved into help the man who had come to their rescue and was now fighting on their behalf but he ordered her to stay back and she acquiesced.

From nowhere, two of the Order were hit dead centre in the chest by flying axes and another was hit by a flying sword. Michael then saw a tall blond warrior run towards them and retrieve the sword that he had thrown with such deadly precision. He wasted no time in engaging the remaining Order, who were all trying to subdue the black man who had delivered the initial blow to their number.

Minutes later, only two of the Order remained standing. One fled, sounding his horn as he ran, while the other remained to fight to the death, knowing that he was no match for either man. The guard approached the blond man with his sword at the ready, but he was quickly and effortlessly disarmed and sent flying head first into a nearby tree, rendering him unconscious.

The black man approached Elana and Michael and she ran and hugged him.

‘Kai,’ she said as she kissed him. ‘Thank the gods that you both arrived when you did.

He hugged her back and then looked at her searchingly: ‘Are you alright?’

‘Yes,’ she said, nodding her head. ‘Somewhat shaken but I am alright. The crystal ball did indeed serve me well.’

The blonde man who had joined the fight with Kai, walked around the fallen men of the Order retrieving his weapons and taking any that he felt would be of use to him and then he walked to where Elana, Kai and Michael were stood.

‘Princess,’ he said bowing; ‘are you hurt in anyway?’

‘No Häkan, I am fine, thank you,’ Elana replied.

‘What happened?’ Kai asked, as he looked at her and then the boy.

‘I encountered the Order beating this boy and intervened. It appears that they were going to kill him.’

‘He is but a child,’ said Kai, not hiding his surprise. ‘Why?’

‘His father,’ said Elana. She turned to Michael and smiled at him. ‘Do not be afraid Michael. This is Kai, my husband and this is Häkan, my guard.’

‘Who is your father young man?’ Kai asked.

‘Galen – Regent of the Region of Halimaya in Amalah,’ Michael said tearfully and then he began crying.

Kai knelt down and grasped Michael’s shoulders: ‘Fear not young man, no one will harm you now I swear it.

‘But they killed my brothers. I saw it with my own eyes,’ he cried. ‘And then…’ he sobbed heavily; ‘and then they killed my mother because she helped me escape.’

The horrified adults looked at each other and then at Michael. Kai took Michael in his arms and comforted him as he sobbed uncontrollably. Elana shook her head and leaned against a tree to take in the news that the young boy had given them.

‘Where is your father?’ Häkan asked.

‘At the summit,’ Michael answered.

‘With your father,’ Elana whispered as she looked at Kai.

‘We need to warn them,’ said Häkan. ‘This is a dastardly step indeed but Adriel must have some other plan for the summit, because he must know that such a deed would not go unpunished. We also need to leave this place for the Order has been alerted,’ he said grimly.

Kai rose to his feet and looked at Elana and then Häkan: ‘I agree but the question is, what has Adriel planned this day? A day where he can murder two children and attempt to murder a third while he holds court to his father. His wickedness knows no bounds.’

The three adults made their way to their horses with Michael walking by Elana’s side. Elana mounted hers first and Häkan lifted Michael onto her horse.

‘You will ride with the princess,’ he told him. ‘We will make our way to the palace now and find your father.’

Michael nodded and Häkan and Kai then mounted their horses and they all headed in the direction of the palace to find Michael’s father and confront Adriel. Kai wondered how Galen would react to the loss of his sons. He’d known Adriel was brutal but he had never imagined that he would stoop so low and murder children. It troubled him that all of the leaders, his father included; had been invited to the summit, while Adriel was secretly indulging his bloodlust.

As they rode on, they soon encountered another group of the Amalayan Order who were at least twenty in number. Häkan immediately dismounted and the others quickly followed suit. Kai and Häkan stood side by side, whilst Elana and Michael stood behind them.

‘I sense trouble,’ said Kai.

‘As do I,’ said Häkan. ‘Princess, stay behind us and protect the boy. If we fight, take cover in the trees.’

Kai and Häkan continued to walk forward, slowly and calmly. They counted the number of men in the Order, twenty-two in total and they were all armed. As the two men drew closer, the leader of the Order stepped forward.

‘May I ask where you are going and who you all are?’ he said, as he put his hand out to stop them.

‘I am Prince Kai of Mantor. My father Tobiah is King and is attending the summit. My wife Princess Elana; my guard Häkan and we are looking after the boy.’

‘And who might the boy be?’ the guard asked.

‘The boy is of no concern to you,’ answered Kai.

‘The boy is the son of Galen,’ one of the Order said, as he stepped forward to stand by his leader and point at Michael.

‘Well, well,’ the leader said. ‘The Amalayan Order have been commanded to take Galen’s boy into custody.’

‘Well I have heard no such command,’ said Kai. ‘I am a royal visitor and I only take commands from Adriel or his Generals. As such, the boy stays with me.’

‘You are outnumbered,’ the leader said tersely, as he drew his sword. ‘Royal or not, the boy comes with us. Whether you wish to die or not, is entirely up to you.’

‘As I said guardsman,’ Kai began; ‘the boy stays with us until Adriel or a General tells us otherwise.’

‘Dying it is then,’ the guard said flippantly. ‘Men, take them! Spare no one.’

The guard drew their swords but Häkan had been quick off the mark; he let out a front kick to the guard that had identified Michael, sending him flying. He then delivered a devastating right cross and left hook to the face of the leader; giving him and Kai enough time to draw their weapons.

Kai drew two swords, whilst Häkan drew an axe and a sword, swinging it skilfully through the air and taking care of the first three members of the Order, while Kai’s two swords saw off the first two guards who ran at him.

Elana and Michael backed away as Häkan and Kai separated and ran forward, splitting the guard in half and drawing them towards them.

***

Garrick rode hard and fast to Galen’s house with Thaddeus and Raynor behind him. When he arrived, he ran into Galen’s house, not caring if any of the Order were lying in wait. Raynor and Thaddeus called out to him to wait but Garrick was already inside by the time the two men had dismounted.

As Garrick entered the kitchen he was unprepared for the sight of Galen’s slain wife and children and he screamed in shock and agony at the hideous vision before him. Garrick’s legs began to buckle and he leaned out to a nearby chair to steady himself. He gripped the chair tightly as he choked on his tears. Raynor and Thaddeus hurried in behind him and they froze when they saw the two boys on the floor.

‘By the grace of the gods, who could commit such evil deeds?’ Raynor asked.

‘Adriel,’ Garrick raged; ‘and when I find him, I will avenge the deaths of Galen and his slain family – of this I swear.’

‘Which one was Michael?’ Thaddeus asked.

Garrick looked at the two boys: ‘none, this is Tristan and Saul. Michael is their youngest,’ and then Garrick ran through the house calling Michael’s name.

‘He may have escaped,’ said Thaddeus.

Garrick ran outside and at the rear of the house, he found footprints that clearly belonged to a child.

‘They are fresh tracks,’ he said as he knelt down to inspect them more closely. ‘Michael lives,’ he said to himself. ‘But two lines of men’s boots tell me he was pursued.’

‘Did the boy survive?’ Raynor asked as he stepped outside of the house.

‘It would seem so,’ said Garrick; ‘but these tracks tell me he was pursued. I need to follow these prints.’

‘You will not get far in this darkness,’ Thaddeus warned.

‘I will not stop until the boy is found,’ Garrick said forcefully as he walked off into the direction of the tracks.

‘Wait!’ shouted Thaddeus. ‘There is another way; a magical way.’

Garrick stopped and turned, and Thaddeus nodded slowly. Let us help you.’ Garrick nodded. Thaddeus took a pouch from within his robe and unrolled it to reveal a number of cloth parcels and flagons. ‘Show me the boy’s prints.’

Garrick took Thaddeus to Michael’s footprints and they both knelt down before them.

‘Firstly, I place mandrake and parisela on the prints,’ he told Garrick, as he sprinkled the contents of two bags onto the imprints. ‘Then the balm of gilead.’ Thaddeus then closed his eyes and began his incantation:

‘The child who left his home at night;
who was pursued and runs in fright;
show to us his every step from where his journey has begun;
to where at last he did run.
Smoke of fire;
Mist of sight;
Show the path this very night.
Insipio! Insipio! Insipio!

Thaddeus poured some acacia oil on to the herbs and they began sizzling. A pink flame then flashed brightly and then exploded into glittering dust before turning into a pink mist that began curling upward and then moved forward.

‘The horses quickly,’ said Thaddeus.

‘Garrick and Raynor returned with the horse and when they arrived, the mist was now a thick pink smoke and was creeping forward.

‘I do not know if the boy will be alive,’ said Thaddeus. ‘The smoke should follow him until it reaches him though.’

‘When you find him, what if he is dead or captured?’ said Raynor.

‘Then I will deal with those people responsible. If he is alive, we can liberate him.

‘We?’ Raynor asked.

‘Our fight is the same, is it not?’ asked Garrick.

‘I have not entered any fight. I simply came to give news to Galen.’

‘Then why are you still with me?’

‘We will help you find the child,’ Thaddeus said.

‘And after that?’ asked Garrick.

‘As we speak, we cross uncharted territory. No one foresaw the slaying of the summit, nor the murdering of innocent children,’ Thaddeus said.

‘I simply say, we are three men. How do you envisage us taking on the Amalayan Order – An Order that has slain all the leaders of our world?’ Raynor asked.