The Willbreaker (Book 1) (24 page)

Large ruts dug deep into the road and made the walk dangerous. The road wound around the mountain for miles. The three travelers were alert, even though Edward could not sense any danger. The road stretched on without end. A half hour passed, and it seemed they were still at the base of the mountain. Another long and tiring hour later, still the same. After two hours, the sun started its journey towards the mountains, and the light faded.

              The road leveled out. The deep ruts that plagued the hillside smoothed out. The top of the road ended in an unusually flat terrace. It did not seem that it formed naturally. At the end of the flat terrain, the mountainside rose upwards, like a tombstone. Layers of rock slanted diagonally across it, as if cut by a huge blade, and continued up to the mountaintop.

              Donald gripped his mace with both hands and walked confidently out onto the terrace. Edward and Jasmine stood by the road, crouching and trying to remain unseen. Edward watched Donald walk, and smiled at the intense man before him.

Donald commanded the Legion of the Red Lion for many years, and after his service, he retired and turned his position over to Janga Blackhand. Donald always lead his armies into the battle with his men. They compared the way he fought, and the way he killed, to a great white shark, earning him the nickname, "Great White." Normal men could not stand against the power of Donald Granitefist. Edward thought that is why he walked on the terrace with confidence; Donald Granitefist held no fear of the Bauth'Dok.

              Donald looked attentive and ready to act as he approached the flat wall. All of a sudden, a thunderous knock rang out from within the mountain, shaking the ground and reverberating through the air. The solid face of the mountain shimmered and faded away to nothing, revealing a monstrous cave.

              From the fading light of the sun, the caved cloaked everything within in darkness. Donald gripped his mace tightly, eyes opened wide, anxious of what came out of the mountain. Two dim, red-glowing bars appeared from the blackness.

              "Blademaster!" Great White yelled, as if his solid confidence now staggered. The swords moved as if held by the creature that wielded them. The Bauth'Dok Blademaster, still cloaked in the darkness of the cave, walked calmly and slowly through the darkness to face the oncoming intruders. Donald took a step back, unsure of what to expect; fighting Bauth'Dok seemed possible, but the Blademaster changed the game entirely.

              It was not a Bauth'Dok, but a man, that slowly walked out into the fading light of the terrace, the two red-glowing trexalite swords held in his hands. His clothes were torn and soaked in blood.

              Edward screamed. "It's Brandon!"

              The sun fell and rose again before Reinhold allowed his army to slow. He pushed a madman’s pace, realizing Aurora’s soldiers would be in pursuit. Janga and Arkam doubled back towards Orlimay to defend against the pursuing Blade Maidens, twice.

              Lord Reinhold remained quiet as he lead only half his original army back towards the border. They retrieved the Boatman and the Beacon, but they suffered huge losses; losses that his empire could not afford. Cedric questioned the value of his losses.

Empress Aurora single handedly accounted for the majority of death of Reinhold’s men, including his Voice of the Gifted on the Council of the Red Lion, Charlotte Firefist, and sixty of her element benders. Charlotte and her gifted fought on the bridge when Aurora raised one of the fallen towers and dropped it on them with a force only a Class Five Gifted could command.  She swept through the armored battalions of knights like a hurricane. Only twenty of her element benders remained.

Reinhold’s heart wept for the loss of his friend. His solid and unwavering face showed nothing, but deep inside he ached a pain that made every muscle in his body hurt. They had been close since his eleventh birthday.  At one point, Reinhold even asked her to their Hall Formal, and they danced the night away until only the stars watched their graceful steps. Once he joined the Council at the age of eighteen underneath his father, Lionel Reinhold, he persuaded them to intern Charlotte under Jellaneen Earthmover, the current Voice of the Gifted. Charlotte shined in her work, focused and determined, and since Jellaneen talked about her retirement from the position, they needed someone to take her place.

Lionel passed away during winter on Cedric’s twentieth birthday, passing on his kingdom and his throne to his only son. This incident fell hard on the Council with a new king and Jellaneen absent from her seat. Cedric and Charlotte became the focus of attention on the Council. Although the council’s loyalties stayed with the throne holder, much could change now that two of the seven total seats had been replaced. Cedric and Charlotte sought each other’s help and guidance as they tried to earn the respect of the council; it did not take long. Everything about them clicked, from their odd sense of humor to their desire to help and educate the people of the kingdom. She became one of his closest and most dear friends. They turned the Council into a tool of greatness. There would be emptiness in his heart forever.

              Cedric still envisioned Aurora’s eyes, cold and focused, as she looked at him from across the bridge. They screamed with hatred, a hatred only bred from a lifetime of loathing and contempt. Her stare burned into his mind like a deep painful scar.

              Janga and Arkam rode their stallions up beside the King. Arkam said nothing, his face and hair shielded by the light blue and black cloth that covered it, only revealing a hint of his light yellow hair and his blazing blue eyes. He kept his eyes forward as he watched the road.

              Janga hesitated, but then spoke. “Sire, there is a steady flow of Blade Maidens trailing us. They dispatch in small units and attack at random. We are suffering losses. What is your command?”

              Lord Reinhold continued forward, as if he rode alone. He did not respond, and looked straight ahead.

              “Sire?”

              Cedric’s mind wondered in thought, as he questioned everything.

Is this war worth it? I am the King, but I am only a man. I have made decisions that cost people their lives. Poor Charlotte, I am so sorry. I am sorry for all of the lives that are now gone because of me. This is a war that is paid in blood, but why couldn’t it have been mine . . . or Aurora’s?
He remembered her face as she slammed that tower into his men.
She is so powerful. Why do the Gods challenge me so? Why am I not capable of evening the odds? At every turn, she is there with a counter to all my actions. At every turn, she spills the blood of innocents, as if spitting directly in my face. She lives to cast shadow in the light. She lives to bring darkness into the world of children. She is the deliverer of fear and nightmares. No. This is why I fight. I am a warrior of the light. I am a bringer of peace. I will walk through hell and beyond to defeat this tyrant. I will pay the price for freedom and peace with my blood. I am Cedric Reinhold, Lord and King of Karpathos Kingdom. I cannot give up this fight, for if I do, then who will fight it?

             
“Sire, everything alright?” Janga tilted his head towards Cedric to better look at his face. 

              Cedric reared back on the reigns of his armored stallion. The stallion gave a grunt and a neigh, pranced a few steps and then stopped. Janga stopped as well, as did Arkam, who now watched the King.

              “How many Maidens are behind us? Total.” Cedric demanded.

              Janga glanced at Arkam, whose voice blew like frost on the edge of a breeze.

              “My Ice Lancers count their main force at around five hundred, Milord.”

              Cedric looked at Janga with set determination.

              “Get our army across the border. Do no stop, and do not fail. Get them to Castle Belkin as quickly and as safely as possible. Go.”

              Janga bore a questioning look.

              “Now.” Cedric ordered. As the word left his mouth, Cedric flipped his stallion towards Orlimay, and dug his feet into the rear haunches. “Yah!” he barked, and raced back through his army.

              As he rode, he shouted to his men.

              “Follow Janga, that’s an order! Head to Castle Belkin to restock and recoup! May the Gods bless and follow you! You have all done so well! You fight for what is right, you fight the battle for the greater good! We will succeed! We will win this! Janga will lead you to the Castle, your home; make haste, and God speed!”

              The army cheered as he rode through. “All hail the King! Praise to Lord Reinhold!”

              Cedric raced with renewed energy to the rear of the army.
I have to do this.

He cleared the tail end of the army and kept riding. They watched as he rode out of view into the woods.

              Cedric pulled on the reigns, slowing his horse, and hopped down to the ground. With his left hand, he brushed the neck of his horse. “You’ve been a good friend, but now you have to go.” He rested his forehead up against the neck of the massive stallion, eyes closed. “Go.” Cedric stepped back, turned the stallion around back towards his army, and smacked his rear flank. With a startled leap, the horse erupted into a sprint.

              Reinhold turned to face the Maidens that he knew would be coming, dropped the face shield on his helmet, and withdrew the Heart of the King. Ringing steel echoed through the trees like a massive bell, crystal clear and razor sharp. A ring of air burst outward from Cedric’s feet as the sword broke from the confinement of the sheath. Power pulsed through him; wisdom flooded his mind, from ages past, and ages yet to come. The Sword of Kings, crafted with forgotten magic in the Time of Creation. It held the knowledge of all those before him, and will hold it for all the Kings yet to rule. Strength flooded his muscles, clarity swept over his mind, and energy pulsed within his veins. His vision became crystal clear, as if he had always been looking through a piece of dirty glass, and now the glass withdrew. He heard every creak and snap in the woods, and the wind as it moved and whistled sweeping around the trees. He tuned into every sense, and all of his senses worked in perfect harmony with each other, creating a sixth sense. He had a strange awareness about him, and he could tell the women neared the horizon.

              Cedric took a deep breath. The air felt cool and refreshing. He could smell the fresh grass, the moisture within the bark of the trees, and freshly trodden earth. He started walking down the road.

              Before he could see them, Cedric heard the trained steps of the Maidens coming around the bend. They moved deliberately quiet, and considering the size of the group, they were surprisingly effective at hiding their numbers.

              Armored rows of Blade Maidens turned the bend, neatly lined up in rows of five, five deep.  Their quick jog slowed to a halt as they stared at Reinhold. They turned to each other as if questioning the truth in it, then back at Reinhold. One of the Maidens smiled.

              “Are you serious? Well, what a surprise. The King handed to us on a silver platter. Empress will be very pleased with this.”

              “I’m sorry, dear; I will not be going with you today. I will offer you sanctuary from the oppression and tyranny from Empress Aurora. You will be taken care of, and treated as equals if you surrender now. You…”

              “Shut that filthy mouth of yours, Reinhold. No one wants to hear it. You spew filth and evil from every pore. We are not your toys to be played with. Surrender yourself now and we will let the rest of your nasty dogs live.”

              “Well, it seems we are up for a fight then.”

              The Blade Maiden smiled. “I was hoping you would say that.”

              The Maidens all laughed to themselves and took wide berth around the King, who gripped the Heart of the King within both hands. The women readied for action.

              Reinhold spoke to the army of women. “Your move, Maidens.”

With that, as if igniting a flash fuse, the Blade Maidens whirled into action, swinging their long bladed staves towards the sole man in the center of them.

              Cedric swung his blade from the ground upward, connecting with the bladed end of the Maiden’s staff. The long blade exploded in a shower of metal vapor as the Heart of the King ripped through its wielder like a razor through paper. The Maiden’s head, partial torso, and left arm split from her body as she split in two. The power of the sword magnified the force of the blow, throwing a dozen Blade Maidens backwards as if swept away by a heavy ocean wave. Reinhold turned, releasing his dual grip on the weapon, holding it tight in his left hand as he arced it behind him. The wet, shining blade rang aloud as it sliced through four more women, metal and flesh giving way instantly to the magnificent power of the sword. He reached out his right hand, grabbing the face of an incoming Maiden, and slammed her head into the ground. Her head cracked as it smashed into the large rock beneath him, spilling her blood and brain matter across the ground. He stepped on her head as he leaped into a group of Maidens, sword overhead in a downward sweep.

              The Maiden immediately in front of him raised her staff upward with both hands to block the incoming blow, but it gave no shield as it snapped like a dry noodle. The Heart blazed through her head and body, tearing her apart in a single clean stroke as it  continued to the ground. When the sword connected the earth, its power once again released, unleashing a violent and spectacular shockwave that emanated outward, driving into the women around him. The wave tore flesh from bone and armor shredded to pieces, turning it into deadly shrapnel. The ground lifted upward, creating ever-growing ripples of churning earth and rock. Trees exploded, making the air a deadly mix of spikes, debris, and flying metal. Blood sprayed outward in a heavy mist as the Blade Maidens ripped apart from the shower of flying shrapnel. As the wind died down and the earth settled, Reinhold rested on a knee, sword buried in the ground, with his head down. Slowly, he straightened and rose to his feet, the Heart of the King hanging in his right hand as it shined like a diamond under brilliant light.

              Cedric stood in a crater eight feet beneath ground level, which stretched out from him fifty feet in every direction. He looked around and walked up to the edge. The weapon’s power vaporized the women closest to him when it released. Armor piercing debris showered those who stood farther away; holes riddled their mangled and shredded bodies. As Reinhold looked around, a few dozen Blade Maidens revealed themselves from behind the distant trees. Reinhold, still energized, straightened his composure and raised the Heart of the King.

              The remaining women looked at Cedric with surrender. They tossed their long bladed staves on the ground and raised their arms to the sky.

              “Tell your Empress that we will never stop fighting for what is right. We will not forgive her trespasses. She will be held accountable for everything she has ever done, and we will not bow before an oppressor and a murderer. Tell her that. Tell her Lord Cedric Reinhold is here for the long fight. Go. Now.”

              He stood and watched as the remaining women fled into the woods. After the last woman vanished from sight, Cedric turned and headed north. He slid the Heart of the King into its scabbard and started walking.

              He did not make it a hundred feet when he stopped and stared at the man holding two horses in front of him. Janga held two battle-armored stallions, smiling.

              “Hello, old friend.” Janga tilted his head, looking past the King at the massive clearing centered around the deep crater.

              Although he smiled, Cedric gave Janga a sidelong glance.

              “Janga, you disobeyed my direct order. I told you to take the rest of the army safely to Castle Belkin.”

              “I know, I know. I am sorry. You know I couldn’t leave you to your own good,” he said chuckling, as he gently hit Cedric in the shoulder. “Arkam has everything under control. He is moving the army as we speak. You know, I just couldn’t…”  The words trailed off into nothing.