Kingdom's Quest (18 page)

“No!” cried Pliubus. “I will be killed, and so will you!”

Gavinaugh looked straight at him. “Your father may still be alive.”

Pliubus sat back in his chair and his shoulders fell. “I will take you,” he said softly.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Dante asked Gavinaugh.

“I am called to it.”

“Very well. One of my men will accompany you. I will wait to hear from him what has become of you.” Dante exited quickly and assigned a man to go with Gavinaugh and Pliubus.

Gavinaugh, Pliubus, and the shipmate journeyed farther into the island until they came to the Valley of Shadows, which was surrounded by hills that rose high above them. Deep in the valley stood a massive dark castle. Pliubus became stricken with fear—so much so that Gavinaugh had to encourage him to continue. As they descended into the trees of the valley, Gavinaugh could feel the oppression all around him. He reached for the hilt of his sword, and it brought him great comfort.

“We are close,” Pliubus whispered.

They proceeded cautiously and then stopped at the edge of the forest, which gave way to the castle grounds. The towers of the great castle loomed large, and the walls looked massive.

Gavinaugh started toward the castle.

Pliubus grabbed his arm. “He will kill you, Gavinaugh.” His eyes were wide, and his hand was shaking.

Gavinaugh looked at him and smiled. “The Prince is greater than any dark warrior,” Gavinaugh said as he drew his sword. “
He
is the sword.”

Gavinaugh held the brilliant silver sword before him, and it seemed to reverberate within his grip. He walked into the open and up to the massive gates, leaving Pliubus and his escort in the cover of the trees.

“Malthos!” he shouted. “Release your slaves!”

A moment of silence followed, and then the gates of the castle began to open. Deep, ugly laughter echoed out into the forest from behind the doors. The opening widened until the monstrous form of a dark warrior appeared. He drew his sword and came toward Gavinaugh.

The laughter turned to loathing. “Who dares enter my domain?” With each step, the form of the warrior grew, until he stood but a few paces away, towering over Gavinaugh like the castle behind him. His hair was black and hung to his shoulders. His face bore the deep scar of his master and revealed the utter hatred that emanated from his soul. He flexed the large muscles in his chest and arms, which seemed to expand his size. He was not a man—he was a giant. The sword he wielded was a picture of evil. The blade was long and contained engravings that were dark and unidentifiable. The hilt had short, wicked bladelike protrusions similar to the ones that had impaled Gavinaugh many years earlier in the forest on the road to Denrith.

Gavinaugh stayed silent as he beheld the warrior. He felt the apprehension rising within him until he remembered the Prince.

“I will cut out your heart and feed it to my dogs, fool!” the beast of a man said with disgust. He began to draw back his sword. “I am Gavinaugh, servant of the Prince!”

The warrior hesitated, and Gavinaugh saw a fleeting glimpse of concern cross his face at the mention of the Prince.

“Your dominion over these people will come to an end, for by the power of the Prince and by His name I command you to release your captives!” Gavinaugh spoke the words with great authority.

Malthos seemed paralyzed. It was a strange picture to behold, for the simple and powerful words of a faithful servant of the Prince had caused the heart of a monster to tremble.

The warrior shook himself and roared in defiance. He attacked Gavinaugh ferociously. Gavinaugh defended himself against the beast's massive blows. The strength of his sword matched the image of his power, and Gavinaugh found himself retreating against the onslaught. Yet he also felt the strength of the Prince rising within him as he bore the fury of the warrior. The grisly sword came streaking toward Gavinaugh, and he brought an upward deflecting blow to meet it. As he did so, he ducked beneath the colliding blades and executed a counter slice that tore through Malthos's left side. The warrior screamed in agony.

Malthos stepped back and looked at Gavinaugh incredulously. His disbelief turned quickly to fierce anger, and he came at Gavinaugh with more fury than before. His sword came perilously close to Gavinaugh's neck, but Gavinaugh did not retreat this time. He stood his ground and the fight raged on. Gavinaugh was tiring, but the warrior was growing weak from his wound as well. In one quick and explosive maneuver, Gavinaugh de-flected and thrust so quickly that the warrior could not recover. His blade pierced Malthos's chest. He dropped to his knees as his dark weapon loosened from his grip and fell harmlessly to the ground.

“The power of the Prince overcomes all evil—even that of the Dark Knight and his Shadow Warriors!” Gavinaugh proclaimed.

“No!” Malthos gasped with his last breath. He collapsed to the ground and died.

Pliubus and the escort slowly crept toward Gavinaugh with their eyes fixed on the hulking mass that lay at his feet. They looked as though he might rise up and slay them at any moment, but their fear was for naught.

They walked through the gates of the castle and entered a world of despair and death. They opened the cells and released all those Malthos had held captive. Pliubus found his father, and their reunion was joyful. Many villagers of years past were freed that day, and Pliubus wept for the freedom that Gavinaugh had brought his people by the sword of the Prince.

Gavinaugh embraced his new friend and then departed later that day with his escort to join Dante and the rest of the crew of the
Raven
. The escort described to Captain Dante all that had happened, and he marveled at Gavinaugh's skill. Dante allowed Gavinaugh to retain his sword, for he had proven his word and his integrity to the captain. Never before had Dante encountered such a man as Gavinaugh, and he came to realize that the man's call to the Prince bound his heart more than any fetters of iron ever could.

There was no sign of the Tempests on their departure, and their journey to Namor continued uneventfully. Upon their arrival, Captain Dante vouched for Gavinaugh and was given charge over him. Dante brought him into his home and allowed him great freedom until the time that he should appear before the Duke of Namor. During that time, Gavinaugh formed a new haven of Followers, for many longed to hear the words of the Prince and the hope that He brought. Through it all, Gavinaugh and Dante became close friends.

On the appointed day, Gavinaugh stood before the Duke of Namor and declared the Prince before him and before the council that had been convened to hear his testimony. Because of the duke's association with Lord Kifus, Gavinaugh was not set free, but it was declared
that he should remain under Dante's custody. Dante granted all freedom to Gavinaugh—with the exception of traveling to Chessington, since such an act would cause severe turmoil between the two great cities and their leaders.

Gavinaugh missed his friends, especially Keanna, for his mind had never wandered far from the affectionate thoughts he had for her. One morning, Dante called Gavinaugh to the parlor of his estate. As Gavinaugh entered the parlor, great joy filled his heart, for Weston, Sandon, and Keanna stood before him with smiles that reflected his own delight.

“My dear friends!” he exclaimed and embraced Weston and Sandon.

“Gavinaugh, you look well!” Weston said, smiling.

“And you.”

He turned to Keanna and drank in the smile on her lips. He embraced her as one would a friend, but his heart embraced her as much more. His stomach flipped within him at her touch.

“It is good to see you,” he said and stepped back to look at them all. “I never expected to see you in Namor.”

“Captain Dante sent for us when you arrived. It's taken us many days to reach you,” Sandon said. “As usual, we hear you have already caused quite a stir in the city.”

Gavinaugh smiled. “There are Knights of the Prince everywhere … they just don't know it yet.”

“We brought Triumph with us,” Keanna said.

“Did he miss me too?”

“Who said we missed you?” Sandon quipped. “We're here to try and keep you under control this time,” he said, and they all laughed heartily.

Dante invited the friends to remain at his estate as long as they desired, and they used the time to build up the Knights of the Prince in Namor. Their work made knights of many people, and eventually there was no small stirring among the leadership.

Gavinaugh, Weston, Sandon, and Keanna departed Namor to seek the hearts of others for the Prince. They journeyed north along the base of the Boundary Mountains. With each day that passed, Gavinaugh came to long for the time when he would see the Prince again. It was a hope that propelled him forward and brought passion to his work.

A PRINCESS YET TO BE

Gavinaugh and his comrades traveled along the mountains toward the northern country, making camp in the evenings in the Black Woods. Gavinaugh was grateful for the companionship of his friends. They were true friends who had endured much with him and because of him. Weston had sacrificed his life of comfort and his family's security because of his love for the Prince. Sandon had abandoned all for the same. Gavinaugh's zeal to fulfill the mission given him by the Prince had brought great adversity and at times heartache to them and those they loved.

Keanna, however, had chosen to stay by his side for reasons he had yet to fully discover. He knew that at first it was because she wanted to kill him. Then he believed it was because she had nowhere to go. But now he was not sure.

It was almost too hard to have her near now, for he had come to love her so deeply that he was continually preoccupied with thoughts of her. He'd never really had the opportunity to tell her about his feelings, or at least that was what he told himself. In truth, his silence was in part because of the possibility that she might not reciprocate his love. He marveled at the difference between his courage in battle and his cowardice in love.

At Thecia he had confirmed in his heart that she was much more to him than a friend, and every day that had passed his feelings for her had grown deeper. However, there was an unresolved matter that disquieted his mind and brought war to his heart. It was why he now hesitated to discuss a relationship with her, for she had never fully expressed her belief in the Prince. It was a matter that he knew he must resolve, for the condition of his heart and the energy within his being were undeniably tied to her.

The Black Woods was a place of beauty and charm. It beckoned to the heart. One evening, Gavinaugh came to sit beside Keanna during their evening meal. The conversation between the four of them consisted of tales of past adventures and eventually turned to laughter as they recounted the incident at Penwell and the governor's response to the Silent Warriors.

Although the woods were full of shadows, the midsummer's light was far from ending. After the meal, Gavinaugh found an occasion to speak with Keanna alone.