Enaya: Solace of Time (7 page)

Chapter 11

The Prophecy

King Aidan peeled an Ard’Ol off his sword with his foot. He brought up his blade and staggered back, his red cape flowing in the wind. Dozens of Ard’Ols were forcing their way into the kingdom. He glanced around him; the knights were managing to fight the Ard’Ols off. He saw an arachnoid fall.

King Aidan lowered his sword and glanced back at the wall, but it was too late. An Ard’Ol was already there. It forced him onto his back and placed its black blade under the rim of his helmet. The blade drew a trickle of blood from his wrinkly flesh.

The king realized how quickly time went when he took the moment to notice his surroundings. He had not seen the Ard’Ol coming. All of a sudden, the Ard’Ol kicked off his helmet.

“Well, well,” it grumbled in disgust, “what do we have here?”

Another Ard’Ol quickly joined the other, falling to its knees, and smelling King Aidan’s neck. “Royal blood.”

King Aidan gulped. Their voices crackled with fire and brimstone, as if they were crafted within the gates of hell. The king could smell ash on their breath.

“Kill him,” the Ard’Ol said to the one holding the sword.

“With pleasure,” the other replied, licking its lips.

Then almost immediately, two figures lunged over King Aidan, knocking the two Ard’Ols back. The king rolled and grabbed his sword, standing up. Nile had pulled his sword from the Ard’Ol, and Leo killed the other with a knife that he must have picked up from a knight.

Suddenly, a blast of a mighty horn echoed through the kingdom. The Ard’Ols lowered their swords and stumbled into two straight and narrow lines. Three figures on black horses appeared one beside the other. They marched up to the king. The horses neighed demonically, their eyes covered with a black cloth. Blood from their nostrils matted their hair together.

“Who are you?” Aidan asked, staring at the one in the middle.

It was a female. Her armor was black. Her helmet was a snake’s head and her eyes pierced through two tiny holes with such passion that only Nile could imagine what she looked like. She struck fear into all the knights’ hearts, as if she knew all their secrets.

The soldier to her left was also wearing armor, and instead of a helmet, it was wearing black cloth, covering everything but its eyes. Its chest plate was dented. Nile assumed it was a male. The other soldier wore a helmet of a boar and the rest of its body was covered except for its hands. Nile also assumed it was male, since it was wearing the same armor as the one with the cloth mask.

“I’m Shebris,” the female said.

“The Snake Queen,” Roland said menacingly, staring at her as he stepped forward. He pulled off his helmet and stood beside King Aidan.

“You’ve heard of me?” she asked, her tone as dry and haunting as the smell of the kingdom.

“What are you doing here?” Roland asked.

“A warning,” she said.

The soldier’s horse to the left of Shebris neighed.

“We came across Tavera knights at a fork in the road. Nothing is left of them.”

“Wh-what?” King Aidan asked.

King Loren of Walsh stepped forward, ripped his helmet off, and threw it to the ground. “You slaughtered them?”

“I served with them,” Roland said, holding back tears.

“Pity,” Shebris said. “It’s time for the Lucian Empire to rise. The army is brewing and the great serpent Seraph has risen from the ashes of the dead. He has come to seek judgment on the world so prepare, for you all must make a choice.”

“Which is?” Roland asked.

“Join the Lucian Empire or die.”

“By my life and my honor, spare me the choice and kill me now, for I’d rather serve all my days bound in chains before I walk with the mark of the red
S
,” King Loren said.

“So may it be,” Shebris said and threw up her right hand, arching her fingers.

The armor tightened against King Loren, crushing him. He gasped for air, reaching toward Roland.

“Don’t . . . don’t do it,” King Loren muttered, his breath being drained from his body. Shebris swayed her hand and the king flew from the courtyard and into the ocean. King Aidan fell to his knees as he watched his friend plunge to his death.

Shebris stared over the army. “Anyone else wish to defy the Lucian Empire?”

No one answered. Shebris then stared at King Aidan.

“What makes you think we would join you?” Roland asked.

“Our army will grow. It will expand and all you will be able to do is run. You’ll hide, you’ll cower away, but we’ll find you. We’ll slaughter your children, your women, your brothers and sisters and fathers and mothers. The Lucian Empire knows all and will seek all. Watch out, prince of Woodlands, I can see your heart, I know your fears.”

“You don’t know me!” Roland screamed.

Shebris released her reins and lifted up both her hands. The bridges that stretched out into the ocean lifted upward. The stones cracked and broke apart. Shebris clashed her hands together and the bridges collided into each other. She pulled her hands closer to her torso and the bridges slung into the kingdom around the knights, bringing down the towers and the walls.

Shebris looked at the ships off at the harbor. She threw her right hand up in the air and the ships split in two. She then extended her hand and forced it downward. The ships quickly sank into the ocean.

Shebris turned on her horse and the other two soldiers followed. She left the kingdom and the Ard’Ols marched after her. What remained of the arachnoids crawled out of the kingdom.

All that remained were the knights and the families. The kingdom was destroyed. Nile looked around him and noticed knights huddled together crying. Some were sitting by themselves, some were lying lifeless on the ground, and some were moving debris.

Just like that, there was nothing. All the hopes and the dreams of this once ancient kingdom were gone. Nile fell to his knees and rested his head on the stone courtyard.

Leo knelt beside him. “What is it?”

“It’s like losing my family all over again,” Nile replied.

A knight was holding his dead wife in his arms. Nile’s heart sank.

“What do we do?” Nile asked, turning to Roland.

“We rebuild, but not today,” Roland replied, picking up his helmet.

“Then when?” Leo asked, turning to Roland.

“I don’t know,” Roland said. “But first we go home and we take everybody with us. We discuss it there.”

“How? Everything is destroyed,” Leo cried.

“With this,” Roland said, revealing Enaya

Chapter 12

The Fall of Hope

Four knights rode together down to the harbor. None of them were wearing their helmets or gloves. Barrels floated among the scraps of ragged wood, metal, and other supplies that boarded the ships. There was a Woodlands flag floating in the water. It was still beautiful.

The first knight that got off his horse was Sir Michael Creston, a blacksmith from the Kingdom of Mirialk. He had moved to Woodlands when he met Alexander Whitman and was drafted into service hood by a simple act of valor. He had dark skin, short black hair, and a goatee. He had spent his youth reading, and when he had his children, he again spent time reading. Michael was known to be one of the smartest men in Woodlands.

He walked to the edge of the terrace, bent down and reached for the flag. He pulled it from the water and into his arms. “I’ll carry the flag now.”

Christopher Harvest leaned forward on his horse, reaching for the flag. Michael gave it to him. Christopher rolled it up and cradled it like a newborn child. He wanted to cry—crying was in his nature. Christopher was soft spoken. He never knew hate, not even for his enemies, and was known to draw attention to the smaller problems, always saying, “Never let the little things go unnoticed.” Christopher was one of the few black males in service hood for Woodlands.

He hugged the flag. “It’s only a matter of time before we must fight for Woodlands.”

“We are fighting for Woodlands now,” Michael said, scavenging over the debris that floated in the ocean.

“Who will inform their families?” asked Robert Castollis. Robert had a wide nose, but he could pack a punch. Every time someone joked with him about his nose, he punched them in the arm and they winced in pain. Robert was the strongest of any man, but probably the dumbest. Robert had no clue how to read or write; his knowledge was gained through conversation.

“I will,” said Ransom Pennant, a man with such boyish features. His hair was as gold as the rays of the sun, and his teeth were as bright as the morning star. He took care of his body and spent a lot of time studying under Sir Michael. Ransom was considered one of the best archers around, but that was only because he’d gotten lucky and shot two Ard’Ols one day with the same arrow. Ransom was every bit as boastful as well, getting under everyone else’s skin because he was an overachiever.

“Please don’t sink in your own sorrows when you do,” remarked Robert.

“Talk to me when you know how to spell,” Ransom said, smiling.

Robert stared at him for a second before reaching for a rolled-up map in his satchel and throwing it at him. Ransom flinched. He started toward Robert, smiling from ear to ear, dirt covering his face. He brought up his fist and Robert laughed.

“Men!” Christopher said. “This is not the time to be joking; this is the time to be thankful.”

“Trust me,” Ransom said, “I’m just as scared as anybody here.”

“Did you hear what the Snake Queen said?” Michael said, staring off into the setting sun.

“What?” Robert asked.

“That the great serpent Seraph rises.”

“Yes, so?” Ransom asked. “We’ll just take him down. It’s not that difficult.”

Michael grew angry. “It is that difficult! He is more powerful than any of us . . . and immortal. He uses the magic of the planets. Seraph will rise again and we are at war with each other.”

“We’ve been in war with the Lucian Empire for a century now,” Ransom said.

Christopher folded the flag. “We have, but it’s too late. Their armies are expanding and the Lucian Empire will not stop until they have over taken the world. We know this.”

“Then believe that we can fight,” Roland said, riding down into the harbor.

“Roland,” Sir Michael said, bowing.

“You need not bow to me. It is me who should bow to you,” Roland said, loosening his reins. “I come to you four for a favor.”

“Yes, my liege,” Christopher said, tucking the flag into his satchel.

“Shebris said they came across the Tavera Kingdom. Nothing is left. I need you four to go scout ahead, confirm this, and then ride on into the Tavera Kingdom and let their women and children know.”

“Sir,” Ransom said. “That’s a couple of days’ worth riding.”

Roland sucked in his lips, already frustrated. “I know, and I hate to ask you, but please?”

“You can count on me,” Sir Michael said.

“And me,” Christopher replied.

“Very well then,” Roland said. “When you are done, ride back to Woodlands. I will see you are rewarded for your duty.”

“My prince,” Ransom said. “Is it true? Is it true what the Snake Queen said? Has Seraph risen?”

Roland took a deep breath. “I don’t know.”

The knights looked at each other as if they were hearing a ghost story.

“Depart when you’re ready. I will be taking the rest of the Walsh Kingdom back to Woodlands.”

Sir Michael and Christopher tilted their heads in acknowledgement. Roland rode off up the stone stairs and onto the terrace where all the remaining survivors were. He rode his horse into the middle of the crowd. The horse pulled and tugged with the reins, coming to a stop, and Roland hopped off, petting the horse as he did so. He handed the reins to a young soldier.

King Aidan was sitting on a crumpled pile of stone, staring off into the distance at the ocean and into the horizon. The sun was setting and offered very little hope after the events of that day. He was at a loss for words.

“Lord,” Roland said.

King Aidan snapped out of his gaze and looked at Roland. “Yes, son?”

“Are you fair?” Roland asked, sitting beside him.

King Aidan glanced down to the ground, covered by the beautiful stones that were placed by man. “Seraph has risen?”

“Indeed he has, but how?” Roland asked.

“He is immortal,” King Aidan replied. “Perhaps it is his time to reign.”

“Lord,” Roland said, “may we begin our departure?”

King Aidan nodded, and Roland got to his feet. He pulled off his glove, revealing Enaya. He walked to the center of the courtyard, staring at the torn kingdom. His purple cape fluttered in the gentle breeze. King Aidan approached him.

“May I have everyone’s attention?” Roland shouted, gathering at his horse.

The crowd gathered around him. Nile and Leo had taken part in moving stones off bodies, looking for survivors. Their faces were caked in gray dirt, their armor banged and scraped. Sweat smothered their bodies and their faces were burnt red from the August sun.

“Is everyone together?” Roland asked, getting up on his horse.

People nodded. They had spent the past two hours looking for survivors. Roland glanced over the crowd, his eyes fixed on a woman holding two children. They were crying, wiping their faces in the rags that the mother wore. Roland assumed that they had lost their father. His heart sank.

“I know that today was a great loss,” Roland said, “but I assure you we will have our revenge. Make sure you are touching the person next to you or in front of you, and everybody touch another until you are touching either me or my horse.”

There were a few awkward stares, but some of the Woodlands knights pushed in on the crowd, forcing them to come together and touch others.

Roland held up Enaya. “I’m going to use this, the element of time. This is going to take us to Woodlands. There, we will provide beds for you. You can stay there until your kingdom is rebuilt.”

Roland tossed the gem in the air and it began to spin. He reached over and grabbed the hands of two civilians, one a mother and the other a knight of Walsh. He closed his eyes. Enaya hovered near Roland’s face and spun clockwise until white light streaked out of the gem. Within a matter of seconds, the gem flashed, and a white light smothered the Walsh Kingdom and they were gone, like that, again.

The light flashed again and the crowd was now outside of Woodlands Kingdom. Castle towers stretched out over the great forest surrounding Woodlands and it looked peaceful . . . for now. This was going to be home to some.