Curse of The Seventh Sword: The Gauntlet of Feona (23 page)

“I’m sure you’ve all heard the rumors then. 
The son of Rikard lives?  He wants to bring about an end to the threat of the dragol?  I’ve heard them too.  It is… my fault that I merely dismissed them as rumors soon to die out just as many before them have.”  He looked around at the soldiers, making sure he held their attention, as well as scanning their faces for any hint of treachery. 

“But it seems these rumors have a merit of truth to them.  There is a man, who believes himself to be the son of
Rikard.  He believes he is a savior for mankind but instead he has divided our ranks.  As I speak to you now, some of our brothers in the sword have turned against us.  They move to overthrow our beloved King Sidion and elevate this imposter to the throne of Angweleth.  Are we to stand by and let this happen?”

There were screams of no and never from the soldiers listening.

“Very well then.  As protectors of Angweleth, we are sworn to defend her against all enemies outside… and inside!  The great Nistam has discovered their movements and ploy.  They slither and crawl like accursed creatures beneath our very feet.  Shall we go then and make them regret their treachery?!”

The soldiers roared fiercely to which Trudor smiled.  A soldier came up to Trudor as he mounted his horse once more. 

“Divide the soldiers into three squadrons.  One to check the underground passages and the other two shall guard Alvo’s borders as well as check every corner and hole in this city.  The men we are searching for are under the command of Hagswet, Clanner, Bolr and Valimius.  Let everyone know: upon engaging the enemy, do not hesitate.”

“Yes my lord.”  The soldier bowed a
nd retreated from Trudor’s horse.

“You won’t tell them about Ergol?”

“As you said, these men were before our time, but the others still serve under King Sidion.  Ergol has been long gone and these men do not know his face.  Besides, he is a wraith to your barrier.  If we do find the others, we will find him.”

There was a buzz of activity in an underground storage room.  The air in the underground layers was filled with all sorts of foul stenches.  The concrete was battered and cracking and the ground was a culture of growing algae and fungi. 

“How much longer do we have?
”  Bolr asked. 

“No time.”  Ergol said as he walked in.  “Trudor has just declared us mutineers.  Every soldier in Alvo is looking for us and a squadron is coming here.”

“Then we fight.”  Valimius said.

“No.  We cannot.”  Ergol retorted.

“Why not?”

“He’s right.”  Clanner interjected.  “We need to get to
Davydd with as many men as possible.  A fight will leave us severely depleted or entirely decimated.  We need to run.”

H
agswet rolled out a map unto the floor of the storage room.  “If we keep pace down the passage westwards as planned, we will emerge at Croydon’s pass.  It’s narrow, yet big enough for us and our men to pass through without difficulty.”

“Yet it is too small
for Trudor’s squadrons.”  Ergol inferred.  “They’d have to go around or funnel through.”

“Knowing Trudor, he will do both.”  Clanner said.  “But if we make it there, the advantage is ours.  Funnel through and they will only come in batches small enough
for our men to engage.  If they go around the pass, we will make it to the other side and the ships before them.  However, one of us needs to hold the rear and stall their advance should the need arise.”  There was silence in the room for a time, before Bolr finally spoke.

“I and my men shall do so.”  The others nodded respectfully at him.

“Let us move then.”

The soldiers filed out and moved swiftly through the westward passage, constantly passing intersecting passages as they moved.  Their eyes darted this
way and that, watching for any signs of Trudor’s men.  It wasn’t long before they heard the voices of soldiers not belonging to their groups.

They move along the westward passages.  Hurry!

“We need to make haste now.”  Clanner said as the soldiers quickened their pace.

“How could they know?”  Valimius asked.  He looked at the others and then shook his head.  “The one person we forgot to take into account… Nistam.” 

“It is not that we forgot.”  Clanner interjected.  “There is nothing we can do about it without Matilom here to help.”

“Then we fight
… a little.”  Valimius smiled.  The soldiers laughed. 

“Always ready for a fight.”
Hagswet said.

The voices were getting closer. 

“Form defensive formations on both sides now!”  Clanner yelled.   

The soldiers
unsheathed their swords and reached over their backs, clasping their shields.  After that, the soldiers at the rear turned around and continued walking with the unit but facing backwards.  The squadron Trudor sent had flanked the men on both sides of the passage.  They could see them now ahead and behind them.  Trudor’s soldiers roared and broke into a run towards them. 

“Assume positions!”  Clanner yelled.  They were closing in on both sides.  The soldiers split into alternating files of two so that one s
oldier on the one side was sandwiched by two on the other.

“Shields up!”

Huaaaaahhh!!!

The shields came up in front of them.  Trudor’s soldiers closed in more so.

“Hold!”  Clanner yelled.

The soldiers were upon them now. 

“Break stance!” 

The two sides
clashed thunderously and fiercely.  The men of Clanner, Hagswet, and Valimius met Trudor’s soldiers’ swords with their shields, pushing them back and breaking their stance as they did.  As Trudor’s men fell backwards, the mutineers went on the attack.  Hagswet, whose men were holding the rear, yelled out.

“Clanner!  Push forward towards the end of the passage!”

Clanner cut down a soldier with his sword and then rotated his left hand, bringing down his shield to meet more soldiers swords.  The soldiers behind him leaped ahead and cut down Clanner’s assailants and then raised their shields while Clanner and the men with him leapt ahead on the attack.  The alternation between attack and defense was swift and deadly on both sides.

“Armadillo!”  Clanner yelled. 
The soldiers collapsed in on themselves with their shields facing up and sideways, forming a mega-shielded moving unit.  They moved forwards chanting as they did.  

Huaaah!  Huaahhh!! Huaaahh!!!

Within the shield, Clanner spoke to Ergol. 

“You my friend,
have free reign to take as many lives to Feona, as you wish.”

“And I would do so gladly.”  The armadillo unit broke on the side for a moment and Ergol dashed out with his shield and sword, cutting down as many soldiers as possible.  For every soldier who
gained the upper hand on him, swords from the armadillo unit emerged between shields and impaled them.  Ergol fell back and reassembled with the unit as they continued to move forward. 

Huaaaah!  Huaaaahhh!!

They could hear Trudor’s soldiers scream in fear.

They are demons!  Fall back!

Valimius laughed.  “These men would never have become soldiers under King Rikard’s rule.”

“Your sword arm must be itching Valimius.”  Clanner said. 

“It does.  Let me know when to move.”  There were roars coming from down the passage way. 

“Bolr and his men have arrived just in time.”  Clanner smiled.  “Valimius.  Satisfy your thirst.”

“Finally.  Break!!”

A part of the armadillo formation disengaged from the whole as Valimius’s soldiers viciously attacked the opposing so
ldiers at the front.  

Hagswet and his men stayed in the middle. 

“Alright men this is going to be tricky.  But do not be intimidated by Death class, undertakers or executioner.  You are warriors and infantry.  You are the base of the giant and the future of Angweleth’s military might.  Attack with pride, kill with pride and die with pride if you have to, anyone that breaks through those ranks.  We march!  For King Davydd and Feona!” 

The group moved on and soon they were at the edge of the passage.  Clanner and his men roared through first, followed by the rest. 
They had now over powered most of soldiers sent to check the underground passages.  The passage exit, led to a red rocky and sandy desert like area.  Up ahead, areas of the flat land rose up into two hills with part of the land between them remaining level.  It created a natural pass between the hilly terrains.  Ergol, Clanner and the rest made their way towards the pass as they overcame the rest of Trudor’s men.  In the distance, they could see dust particles swirling and rising around what seemed to be the silhouettes of horse riders.

“Trudor.”  Ergol said.

“We have to keep moving.”  Clanner responded.  “Into the pass!”

The gr
oup ran as fast as they could, towards the pass.  However, Trudor, Nistam and the rest of the soldiers of Alvo were gaining on them and fast.

“We won’t make it.”  Bolr said as he began slowing down and gesturing to his men to do so.

“Yes we will!”  Hagswet yelled.  “Just keep moving.”

“I volunteered to hold the rear.  It is time I fulfilled that duty.  Go ahead now.”

“Bolr!”  Hagswet yelled again.

“Hagswet!  The man has made his choice.” 
Clanner said.  He turned to Bolr.

“Send as many to Feona as possible
my brother.”

“I intend to.”  Bolr smiled.  “Now go!” 

The other commanders nodded and took off with their men, entering the pass.  Bolr and his men turned to face Trudor and his men who had caught up to them.  Trudor and his men stayed on their horses, swords and spears in hand. 

“Shields up!”  Bolr yelled.  His men raised their shields in perfect synchrony.  Their swords rested beside the edge of their circular shields, glis
tening in the sun along with their helmets and the rest of their armor. 

“Comman
der Bolr.”  Trudor said.  “What is the meaning of this?”

“You want to pretend that you mean to hold banter Trudor?”  Bolr retorted, not making any effort to hide his contempt.

“I want to know why you have decided to betray your own home before I send you and your men to the afterlife.”

“It is you who have betrayed your home!!  You and that wretched pretentious king of yours.  He holds you to his side like a bride while you feast yourself on the waste of his lies.  Why
don’t you come down from that high horse of yours and lecture me like a man instead.”

Trudor who was laughing as Bolr talked, sighed and readied his horse. 

“I see.”  Bolr said.  “You choose to remain a coward to the end.”

“There is no end for me traitor.  And this is strategy, not cowardice.
  Let that be a lesson to you as you meet Feona.”

Clanner and his men reached the sea shore where two ships awaited their arrival.  The ship had crew members who had brought food and other necessary item
s required for the long journey.  They urged the soldiers on as they began to board.  In the distance, Trudor and his men were in hot pursuit.  Clanner and the others boarded the ships quickly and the rowers began to maneuver the ships into the deeper waters of the river of visions.  Trudor and his men arrived at the shores just as the ships pulled away. 

“We go to ready some ships and give pursuit.”  Trudor said.

“No.  I will not help you do so.”  Nistam Retorted.

“King Sidion left you in my command, wizard.  You would be wise to remember that.”

“And I am loyal only to his highness.  You have lost four commanders of the Angwelethean army and a considerable number of soldiers.  Yet, you wish to give pursuit and sacrifice more.  Do you wish to leave Angweleth unguarded?”

Trudor kept silent for a while as he wa
tched the ships pull further away. 

“I see your reason Nistam.  You will do me this favor then.  Peer into the hearts of every soldier we have left.  I must make sure that this does not repeat itself again.”

On the ship, Clanner consoled a grieving Hagswet before turning to Ergol and the others.

“Let us pay our respects to the lives we lost today… on both sides.  We have been forced to kill our own.”  He looked at Ergol.  “We have been forced to abandon our own.  I hope it is for the right reason.”
 

Ergol
nodded his understanding of what Clanner had said.  A few of the soldiers brought up the two soldiers they had taken prisoner in Alvo. 

“What shall we do with these two?”
  Valimius said. 

Clanner looked at them for a while. 

“Welcome aboard our ship brothers.”  He said smiling.  “Misguided though you…”

“You are the misguided ones!  How could you betray king Sidion?!”
  One of the prisoner soldiers yelled.

“No… we didn’t betray him.”  Clanner calmly responded.  “He betrayed us.  You included.  Long before you were born you were already betrayed.  Now I have decided not to take your lives, but to show you the truth.  The choices you make are yours from there
on out.  However, be forewarned, if your choice puts you at odds with me or my men, then I will be sure to take your lives then.”  Clanner motioned to Ergol, who walked towards the bound prisoners with a leather skin bag.  He pulled out Balek’s head and dropped it in front of the two astonished prisoners.  They gagged and spat as the decaying smell from the head invaded their nostrils.