By the Sword (3 page)

“You mean you came for me even though everyone was leaving?”

“Of course I came for you!”

“Thank you, Tanel. I owe you my life,” she said.

Tanel squeezed her hand.

“You are going to be all right. I haven’t seen Hanten since the battle began. He must have retreated with the others,” he said.

Talya’s throat tightened. The pain in the pit of her stomach returned. A wave of nausea blurred her vision.

She closed her eyes and leaned against Tanel’s back.

Why can’t this all just be a nightmare we can wake up from?

“He’s gone, Tanel.”

Tanel’s back tensed.

“What are you talking about?”

“Hanten is dead.”

Tanel was quiet for several moments.

“It couldn’t have been him.”

“I – I saw his… face. They killed him. I’m so sorry.”

Tanel was silent.

Talya shuddered as she choked back a sob.

Slowly drifting into unconsciousness, all Talya could see was Hanten’s lifeless face. The vacant stare of his once vibrant eyes.

*****

Jalarn and his men chased down their retreating enemies. A few had managed to get away from the Malinorians, but several hundred more
were strewn
on the ground all around him. Cardamonian homes, schools, and churches
had
already burned down.

Ittonifer would be very pleased.
And it was only the beginning.

Jalarn was glad that he had ordered his knights to spare the lives of General Landine and the remaining Cardamonian commanders. They had all ten of them in their possession now. It would make things more entertaining
once they reached the castle
.

Jalarn raced up the hill that led to King Seraphim’s
palace
. As he and his men got closer, they were forced to jump over hundreds of fallen Malinorian soldiers.
A few
knights from Sanctus stood in front of the castle.

Jalarn recognized
General Edandir right away.
He had fought the man seven years ago in the Holy Wars. The
enemy
general had nearly killed Jalarn back then, but Jalarn had been no ordinary thirteen-year-old warrior. Ittonifer had trained him well.

It would not be too difficult to slay the aging general this time.
Jalarn raced for Edandir and their swords collided with a sharp clang.

A shout from Jalarn’s left made him look away from Edandir for a moment. He barely dodged a stab from an enemy knight on horseback. A Cardamonian knight must have snatched one of the
rider
less horses.

In one fluid motion, the rider helped the general onto his horse. They rode away before Jalarn could sink his blade into one of them.

“Cowards,” Jalarn said through clenched teeth.

Sanctus’ general might have escaped this time, but his time would soon come. All of the rebels would die. He would make sure of that.

Jalarn was ready to sink his sword into one of the
general’s stragglers
, but his men had already finished them off. Edandir would have quite the lonely trip back home.

Excellent.

Now it was time to break down the castle gates. He salivated at the mere thought of slaying one of the last opposing rulers.

 
“Forward! Take the castle in the name of Malinor!” Jalarn shouted.

At the castle gates, Jalarn and his men picked up the thick tree trunk. After two powerful swings, the doors flew open. The men let their commander through the entrance first.

Jalarn raced up the white marble stairway. He presumed that it would lead to the king’s wing.

An artfully crafted Nackimore wood door had been left wide open. Jalarn rushed through a grandly furnished room,
then
noticed another door that led outside.
Probably to a balcony.
Soft voices sounded from just outside.

Jalarn stepped through the door and found
King Seraphim and Queen Shelba standing on the balcony. They were holding one another. Their eyes widened when they saw him
coming toward them
. The king tightened his
hold
around his wife.

Jalarn scoffed at the sickening sight as his men
arrived
and quickly surrounded them.

The king trembled, but his queen stood rigid. She glared angrily at the men that had taken over her palace. The palace that now belonged to Ittonifer’s empire.

Which will one day
be
mine.

General Waltez, one of the other commanders of Malinor, stepped onto the
large
balcony.

“Good work, Jalarn,” he said.

Jalarn’s knights threw the seven Cardamonian commanders, along with General Landine, onto the hard floor. The Malinorians gathered around and kicked them repeatedly.

“Stop!” King Seraphim cried.

“I thought that it would be better to save your commanders for this moment,” said Jalarn. “It will make things more… interesting.”

The queen spat in Jalarn’s direction. It was an act that no respectable female in Malinor would do.

“Animals!” she shouted.

Jalarn nodded at his knights. They stopped beating their captives.

 
“Get up
,
” said Commander Waltez.

They forced their captives to line up side by side.

 
“On your knees!” shouted Waltez.

With one Malinorian knight behind each Cardamonian commander, the decapitations took place.

King Seraphim whimpered
like a child
as the blood of his men
splattered all over him
.
He stepped away.

Of all the kings that Jalarn had ever captured, Seraphim
was
by far the most cowardly. He was a man worthy of death. His squat wife showed more dignity than he did. She raised her chin as one of Jalarn’s knights approached her. He forced her to bend down on her knees.

“No!” cried King Seraphim.

Jalarn walked around the trembling king, towering over the older man. Sweat dripped down his round, sickly pale face. It always amused Jalarn to observe the range of emotions that his victims displayed before they were sentenced to death – terror, rage,
regret
.
Sometimes all three at once.

Commander Waltez held a sword to the stout king’s throat.

There was nothing but fear written on Seraphim’s face.

“Down on your knees beside your wife,” said Jalarn.

“Please, stop this. I’ll do anything
you ask
!”

“What could a pathetic, fat king like you do for me?” Jalarn spat.

“I – I know many of Edandir’s military secrets. I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“No one wants to associate with a traitor, Seraphim. Besides,
Ittonifer
isn’t interested in their plans. You don’t think we have spies?” said Jalarn.

“B-but I have valuable information. Please, at least
sp
-spare my wife!”

“Only servants of
my lord, what you would refer to as the devil,
deserve to live under Malinorian rule.”

“Tell him that we will serve
Ittonifer and
their
lord
!” cried Queen Shelba.

“My wife and I will serve
whoever you require us to
,” said King Seraphim. “Please, spare us!”

Jalarn exchanged knowing looks with Waltez. A few of the other men laughed.

This was one of the most intriguing things that always
seems
to happen
before
a killing. It never ceased to amaze Jalarn when people thought that switching allegiances would save their insignificant lives.

Jalarn stepped over to the queen. He pushed his knight out of the way and placed his sword over her head.

King Seraphim rushed over and fell at Jalarn’s feet, panting.

“Wait!” cried the king. “I – I’ll show you where my gold and silver mines are. I’ll give you half of our wealth as tribute.”

Well, well. This is a fortunate turn of events.

Jalarn sheathed his sword
and
encircled the king with his menacing walk. King Seraphim was turning out to be smarter than he appeared.

“Do you swear? I don’t want to discover
at a later date
that you are hiding anything from me.”

“I swear!”

“This will greatly please
Ittonifer
”

“I’ll show you where it is right now.”

“Good.”

*****

General Edandir searched for Talya among the wounded knights in Sanctus’ hospital
camp
. It didn’t matter how many years he had fought in battles, he would never get used to the unspeakable wounds that some soldiers endured. He had prayed all through the battle that his daughter would not be harmed. She had
charged
so quickly into the thick of the battle that he had not been able to catch up to her.

Then she had to
fight Jalarn, of all men.

Several refugees from Cardamon passed
by
. His heart went out to them. They would have to build new homes
as well as
rebuild their lives in
a new land
. They would be taken in as citizens, but it would never make up for what they had lost.

Edandir
spotted Tanel’s parents in the crowd
and
thought of the young archer. Tanel had been Talya’s
best
friend since childhood. He hoped that
the
boy had made it out of Cardamon in one piece.

Several parents, siblings, friends, and lovers looked frantically among the wounded for their knights.
Cries of despair pierced the air and a thick blanket of sadness covered the area, making Edandir feel guilty that he was still alive.
So many brave, young men and women had given their lives for their God and country that day.

There would be much weeping in Sanctus for weeks to come.

A feisty
young
female voice escaped from one of the white tents. Edandir poked his head through the entrance and sighed in relief. Talya’s gaping shoulder wound was being stitched up by one of the surgeons, but she barely paid it any mind. Instead, she glared at Tanel, who stood in front of her with his arms crossed. They both appeared beyond exhausted.

“How dare you suggest that I miss out on tonight’s gathering?” she protested.

“You heard the surgeon, Talya. You’ve lost a great deal of blood, and you need to rest. You’re not invincible.”

“Don’t forget that when you got here, you were passed out,” said the surgeon.

Talya scoffed, but she was not wearing her usual stubborn scowl. There was pain in her eyes.

Edandir knew that look all too well. She had lost someone close to her.

“I’m worried about you,” said Tanel.

Talya sighed and closed her eyes.

“We can’t even bury him,” she said.

“I know. But we will remember him always. The way he was before they came here. He would want that.”

“I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

Tanel placed a hand on Talya’s knee. She placed her hand over his, and they both hung their heads.

“He didn’t even want to join the army. Remember?” Talya said. “It’s all my fault. I convinced him to come with us. Oh, Tanel.”

“Talya, Hanten had never been happier than the day King Seraphim knighted him
along with us
.
The army gave him purpose.
”

“Several hours of rest
are
in order, Talya,” said the surgeon.

He wrapped her arm with a thick bandage.

General Edandir stepped into the tent.

“I second you staying in bed for the evening, young lady,” he said.

Talya’s wide brown eyes narrowed when she saw him. She
quickly
looked away.

Tanel shook his head.

“You are so stubborn. You could have died back there. Just listen to the surgeon
… and the general.
”

Talya exhaled loudly.

She had not lost any of her spunk, but anyone with eyes could see that she
could use an entire day’s sleep
.

“
Rest
will help your wound heal, among other things,” said the surgeon.

“Fine. I will return to the barracks then,” she said.

“I will inform you first thing in the morning of what we
determine
in our meeting tonight,” said Edandir.

“Sure you will.”

“Talya.”

“Yes?”

“I am sorry about your friend.”

She stared at
her feet
, crossing her arms.