The Elf King (27 page)

O
n the day that brought the army of Cillitran heading away
from the city’s outer gate, four men were dragging an unconscious
Wilt Oan through the castle halls to claim their reward. The Queen
had sent word that his head would result in a large sum of money.
But dragging a dead man through the castle didn’t seem fit to the
men. He was just an old man, not really a threat to them at all.
Oan was shackled and gagged, and a large sack was placed over his
head to conceal his identity. With eyes gleaming of treasure, the
thieves glared away any onlookers who sought to question
them.

After a long walk through
the castle halls, the men reached the Queen’s chamber and were met
by two Red Knights. Neither of them were impressed, but knew of the
Queen’s threats against Oan, so they listened to the men, and
removed the hood long enough for the Red Knights to see that it was
Oan.

“
We want to meet with her.
We want her to see that it was us who got him.” a scratchy voice
demanded from one of the men holding Oan upright.

“
You’ll get your reward
upon the Queen’s return. You may leave—” a Red Knight began, but
was quickly cut short by the man’s temper.

“
He ain’t leaving our
sight!” To prove a point, he pulled Oan closer to him, the others
moved in tight as well. They would fight the Red Knights if the
issue was forced.

The Red Knights were not
scared. They saw the four men as nothing more than flies. “If you
wish to speak to the Queen, you may wait in the meeting chamber
with your captive. Otherwise, turn him loose and go about your
business.” The other Red Knight addressed flatly, unbothered by the
men’s cursing and stomping.

“
Fine!”

Together, the four men
lurched away, cursing and bickering at the Red Knights, moving down
the hall a short distance, turning into a large chamber. Once out
of sight, the Red Knights turned towards each other.

“
We need to tell the
captain,” they said in unison.

K
loe
Datris had been waiting
in the secret tunnel at the Queen’s chamber when
the war horn sounded out. Only the Queen could have given the order
to march, the Queen he was still waiting for to return. He quickly
turned to the Red Knight standing in question next to him and told
him to remain. Kloe then opened the door into Sienna’s room and
rushed in, finding the room as empty as it had been. The Queen had
not returned as he suspected; may not even be able to if she was
held captive.

He raced out of the room
through the main doors and told the two Red Knights on watch to
remain there as he set out looking for the Queen. His hope then was
that Ankar Rie had found her and that she was safe. But that was
merely hope and Kloe Datris needed more. He thought then that the
best thing would be to find the sorcerer and see if the Queen was
with him. If not, he would need Ankar’s help. A pit of turmoil
began to spin in Kloe’s stomach. Something was not
right.

He raced away through the
Queen’s chamber, exiting through the secret door into the hidden
passageway. As best of a tracker he was, the Head of the Red
Knights was having a difficult time tracing the steps of the
sorcerer. After nearly two hours, he just began wandering in hope
through the twisting maze of the secret corridors. After
frustration escalated enough that he screamed to himself, he
noticed a set of prints in the dusty floor. He followed them
intently. They had to be the sorcerer’s. No one else would be in
the passageways. Outside of the Red Knights, there were very few
alive now that even knew of their existence.

After what seemed like
hours, the footprints led him to a door. He opened it to find
himself outside the northeast corner of the castle at a small hill
overlooking a thicket of trees and bushes. The Caltar Mountains
were juggernauts stacked against the horizon. The sun was setting,
the air was cooling. He noticed right away a body slumped on the
ground. He raced to it. Dead. Cold. The man had died some time ago.
The Red Knight saw a clear set of tracks in the grass going down
the small hill into the bushes. He drew his sword. Seeing no one
else around, he made his way down the hill to the edge of the
thicket. He paused. Before he could hear the leaves and grass
moving, he felt the presence of another heading his way. But before
he could act, a set of hands was clearing the bushes, reaching out
to grasp him.

“
Friend,” Ankar Rie said
calmly, finger tips fading blue, “you could get killed out
here.”

Kloe Datris lowered his
sword. “What did you find, sorcerer?”

Ankar shook his head. “I
lost the demon. I’m sure it fled the castle, down into here. I’m
not sure what happened. I don’t feel its presence any longer. I’ve
searched everywhere.” Ankar could see the disappointment and
concern in the other’s eyes. “Did the Queen return?”

“
I had hoped to find her
with you.” Kloe Datris stepped back, allowing room for Ankar Rie to
exit the bushes. They stood close to one another, their eyes
wandering about. “The march for the Lyyn has started. Only the
Queen could give the command herself.”

Ankar sighed. “Let’s return
to the castle. We may be able to find her there.”

As they left, moving up the
slope, they slowed. “He’s dead.” Kloe said, as they approached the
dead body in the grass. Ankar’s face lit up with
recognition.

“
I saw him hours ago. He
fled from the bushes as if something was chasing him.”

“
The demon,
perhaps?”

Ankar knelt down and took a
good look at him. Eye sockets burnt, facial expression was cast in
fear. It was the same look as on the bodies in the chamber he had
found. Ankar Rie shivered as he realized what had happened, feeling
the cold sweep down his neck to his toes. He stood upright quickly.
“I need to show you something.”

I
t
was nearing midnight when the four
men holding Wilt Oan captive began to grow restless. They were
tired and hungry, and none of them could wait any
longer.

“
Let’s go! I’m tired of
this! I want my money!” they began shouting. Chairs were smashed
into the walls, the doors were punched ruthlessly. “Let’s go! Let’s
get our money!”

Wilt Oan was wide awake
when they drug him out of the chamber and into the hall, keeping
pace with the angry men as they rushed towards the Queen’s chamber.
Their voices filled the otherwise quiet hall with rude threats and
vicious demands, drowning out any cry for help that Oan tried. By
the time they made it to the Queen’s chamber, the Red Knights stood
ready for a fight.

“
Where’s our
money!”

“
Patience is a virtue,”
mocked the Red Knight.

But the men had had enough.
Oan was tossed to the ground as the men attacked the Red Knights.
Outnumbered as they were, the Royal family’s protectors held their
own and within a few minutes were the only two standing. The four
men struggled to their feet, bruised and sore, bleeding from cuts,
surprised and angered anew. But before they could act, two more men
showed up and the battle was lopsided.

“
Captain!”

Kloe Datris stood with
Ankar Rie as they rushed down the hall. The four men spit and
wanted to retreat, but wanted their reward even more-so. As the
Head of the Red Knights reached them, they all but back themselves
into the corridor wall and waited their punishment.

“
We just want our money,”
one man spit. “We’ve done nothing more than what was
asked.”

Kloe Datris looked at his
Knights in question. One of them replied, “Look for yourself.” Kloe
walked over to the man with the sack on his head and removed
it.
Oan!
Relief
was mirrored in both their eyes. Kloe removed the gag and began to
untie his old friend.

“
The Queen promised—” one
man began, but was silenced by a finger from Datris.

Kloe turned to his Red
Knights. “They have done a good thing. Pay them.”

One of the Red Knights
pulled a small pouch from his cloak and tossed it to the men, who
fought over it as they rushed away, spilling coins as they
fled.

“
My friend!” Wilt hugged
the other, who graciously returned the greeting.

“
Oan, you are a dead man
here,” Kloe said quietly, concerned. “You were to leave Cillitran.
When the Queen hears of this—”

“
Where is she?” Oan’s eyes
were wide, fearful. “We need to speak in private. I have something
important to share with you about the Queen.”

Ankar Rie stepped in to be
more a part of the conversation. “What do you know of the
Queen?”

Wilt said nothing, his eyes
carefully looking at Kloe to see if the other was trusted. Once
Datris nodded it was okay, Oan began to speak quietly. “We need to
leave here at once. I have something that you need to see.
Something that will change everything.”

“
Oan,” Kloe questioned,
“what did you find?”

“
Leave your men here. Come
quickly.”

Kloe Datris gave the order
for his Red Knights to remain, then hurried with Ankar Rie to
follow the old man. Into the secret passages once again Oan moved,
his body hurried along with the fear that at any moment he would be
caught, but relieved that this time he was not alone. He moved them
into the passage where he found the secret library, pushing along
the seams to the door, then beckoning them to follow him inside
once the door opened. He lit a lantern at the table and handed them
a book. He spoke quickly about what he found, and what he saw. The
proof was in the pages. Ankar Rie and Kloe Datris both read for
themselves, their faces turning pale. Once they were finished, the
three stood in disbelief.

“
We need to find where the
demon is,” gasped Datris. “And the sword.”

“
I can help. Stand back and
give me time. I need to focus.” Ankar Rie was moving the table off
to one side of the room, clearing space for himself to kneel and
concentrate. He closed his eyes and summoned his magic as the other
two looked on in wonder.

Ankar’s face began to
change with grimacing lines of intense concentration. Still, no one
moved. Nothing was said. After almost thirty minutes, Ankar opened
his eyes, blood-shot and teary, and collapsed to the floor. Oan and
Kloe Datris helped him into a sitting position. As his mind cleared
to the present, Ankar Rie sat up on his own and frowned.

“
I used my power to search
the castle and found nothing at first. I searched the surrounding
area in an arch, sweeping further out until I caught a trace of it.
I could feel its power, raw and angry.”

“
Where is it?” Wilt asked
hurriedly.

“
I found it within the army
heading across the Shyl Plains.”

Chapter 16

D
awn broke out of the east in a wondrous blend of reds mixed
with lavender clouds that swirled around the jagged peaks of the
Caltar Mountains, with the sun’s rays erasing all the shadows
across Shadox’s face as he rode his horse directly towards it.
Tane’s horse was a step or two behind. They had acquired the horses
before leaving Skadar Port and rode all night without pause,
without a word, leaving each to speculate on the journey without
intrusion. The night had gone by quickly for Tane, who was too busy
thinking of what might lay ahead to dwell on what had already
happened.