The Changing (17 page)

Borrik thrust his crude spear into the now empty eye socket driving it down with the weight of his own body and felt as the spear began to drive into the soft tissues behind the eye. It was then the giant destroyed all chances of success of Borrik’s plan. As the crude spear, driven beneath Borrik’s body weight met with the soft flesh beyond the eye socket, the giant again thrashed his head causing the side of the spear to lodge against the rim of the eye socket. With Borrik’s weight behind the force of the blow, the wrenching motion to one side caused the malformed wood of the spear to shatter, sending small splinters exploding out in all directions as Borrik clawed and scratched for purchase upon the giant's face.

Lodging one of his clawed feet in the giant's singular nostril upon its beak, Borrik clung with his hands to the eye socket as the giant writhed violently in an attempt to shake him from his face. As the giant shook Borrik could see the broken end of the shaft protruding from the back of the eye socket but knew the spear was now too short to do any real damage. However, Borrik realized he still had one option remaining to him.

Gruesome as it was, with blood mingled with eye jelly and other foul liquids sloshing this way and that, Borrik timed his next move with the shaking of the giant's head. Using gravity to his advantage, he released the monster's nostril with his clawed foot and swung himself into the now vacant eye socket amongst the putrid liquids. Standing within the socket, still violently swinging to one side and then the other, Borrik, waist deep in the giant's head, clung to the rim of bone surrounding the socket and raised one of his large muscled legs as far as he was able, bringing his knee to his chest. Driving his raised foot down with all of his might, while at the same time bending his other knee to lower his entire body, Borrik drove his foot, atop the broken shaft of the spear, several feet down within the skull of the giant where hot flesh surrounded Borrik’s armored leg and fluids began to fill the cavities between his own flesh and his armor. Though Borrik had hoped for a quick end, the giant began to thrash about even more wildly allowing Borrik to do nothing but hold on for his life. Although as the giant thrashed, Borrik’s body shifted this way and that enlarging the hole in its brain causing more and more damage. As if in a final attempt to rid itself of the invader in its head the giant screamed a booming, eardrum-tearing scream and with a final jerk and a shudder, ceased its endless thrashing.

* * * * *

Garret strode into the war room looking a wreck. One arm hung limply at his side, his clothes were torn and bloodied, and dark circles surrounded his eyes from both lack of sleep and the tears he had shed in Linaya’s company. As he strode into the room, straight-backed with his head held high, all eyes turned to look upon him. Many a mouth fell open that moment and several gasps of disbelief escaped unchecked lips, though Garret did not notice. Garret was focused. He was a man on a mission. He had, along with co-conspirators, come up with a plan to set the kingdom up for success and he intended to do just that. Though circumstance dictated that once again his plans wait at least a bit longer.

"What has befallen you, Lord Garret?" Karishtala asked rushing to his side to assess his wounds.

"They are self-inflicted," Garret said simply.

"Aha, you see his judgment is cloudy, and you would have him elevated to lead the Knights of Valdadore!" Vladmere hissed from across the room before continuing his tirade. "He cannot even control his own actions in a manner befitting a common soldier let alone a knight of the..."

"Shut your hole, Vladmere!" Garret boomed using the might of his blessing to add strength to the words. "I sustained my injuries in an attempt to save the life of Sirus' widow, Mistress Sasha. However the attempt was for naught, as healers are sparse in the castle at present," Garret concluded.

"Sasha is gone?" Karishtala asked already knowing the answer. "She was a dear friend, I've known her since we were children," she added. "Let me tend your injuries, Lord Garret, before we continue our meeting."

Without so much as awaiting a response, Karishtala began a slow sweet chant as she grasped Garret’s arm at the shoulder and wrist. Near instantly her hands began to shed a light of their own as Garret’s arm heaved upward back into the socket and his collar bone and arm snapped back into place fully mended. Bruises, scrapes and cuts seemed to vanish as all pain subsided and once again Garret stood a whole man, free of discomfort, having been healed both physically and mentally at least for the time being.

Feeling renewed Garret expressed his gratitude to the head of the order of healers. Walking at her side around the great table at the center of the room, Garret nodded to those he passed in greeting as he and Karishtala found themselves seats to begin the meeting anew. No sooner had Garret’s backside made contact with the chair than chaos erupted from all sides of the table with people yelling over the top of one another in an attempt to be heard. This type of politics Garret had no patience for and he once again drew upon his blessing to enhance his voice.

"That is enough!" Garret’s voice boomed, causing the furniture in the room to vibrate and everyone to fall instantly silent once again. "We will accomplish nothing in this manner. King Valdadore has yet to be laid to rest and you all act as a pack of dogs fighting over what part of the kingdom to devour. Treat each other with some dignity, and for all the gods' sakes, let’s do this in an orderly fashion. At least strive to act with the demeanor befitting your stations." Garret received looks from those around him as if they were all whipped dogs.

"What would you suggest, Lord Garret?" Sulvis, the old army general, asked.

"I would suggest we begin at the lowest position that needs to be filled and work our way up in an orderly manner," Garret replied.

Heads nodded around the table in agreement and before long a system was worked out where a vacant position was announced, members of the council would present names to fill those positions and a vote would be taken for each person. Their plan already in place, the men and women of the council who wanted better for the kingdom and not for themselves, began using their votes to fill posts with men and women worthy of new titles. As those were filled, that newly-titled person was called from the chamber beyond to take his or her seat at the war table to be included in the next vote. Many a new member was added to the king's council, including the infamous Dillon Storm, a man of many wives and many more children. He had taken the position of royal grain clerk. It was a lowly position in the overall scheme of things, but who better than a man with thirty-one children to ration out the kingdom's grain stores.

Garret sat patiently as the hours passed, casting his vote time and again, memorizing each new face and name that came to the table. All the lower positions of the council had been filled by early morning, and now it was time to fill stations of higher regard. These came with titles and land. These were the positions that the greedy and power hungry would strive for. Just as predicted, Vladmere and his cronies began offering up themselves into positions greater than their current ones. But also as planned, Garret and all of his original kingdom-minded allies, along with many of their newly appointed honorable men and women, dashed all their hopes of gaining further power. Garret was highly impressed with the outcome and for the first time in days he felt that things were actually going the way they should. At least that is what he thought until they announced the last position to be filled by the council.

Garret sat quietly, often mimicking Sulvis's or Karishtala's votes as they had much more knowledge of the people being recommended, as well as the positions being filled. It wasn’t until nearly every council seat was filled that Garret found himself caught off guard in a situation unlike any other he had been in before.

"Next on the list is Knight Captain to the Knights of Valdadore," Sulvis stated, eyeing his list pragmatically before he continued. "I would like to suggest Lord Garret for the position."

Garret nearly choked on his own breath, his stomach immediately clenching into a million knots and all blood draining from his face. Before he could even respond or react, a vote went around the table and it was near unanimously decided that Garret be awarded the position, apart from Vladmere and a few of his purchased allies. After a moment of silence all eyes turned to Garret, who still needed to cast his vote, though by majority the decision was already made. Seeing the eyes upon him, Garret did the only thing a man of honor could do at that point.

"I am honored by the gesture and the title you would bestow me. However I cast my vote a ‘nay’, though by majority it matters little. As such I then relinquish the title as there are more deserving men than I for the position," Garret stated honestly. "I would then recommend Jordin Mason for the title as he has been with the Knights of Valdadore longer, has more experience and has earned the loyalty of not only myself, but the rest of the knights as well,” Garret concluded.

"Well done, Lord Garret!" Sulvis shouted. "You see, that is what we need in this kingdom, honorable, honest men who want what is best for everyone, not just themselves. You are an inspiration to an old codger like myself, Lord Garret," Sulvis stated a grin spreading across his face. "Let us put it to vote then shall we?"

Many a man and woman in the room looked at Garret for a long moment before beginning the vote. Most of them looked at him in reverence, as if the old veteran's words had rung true within them, that Garret was a decent man like they should strive to be. Many of them nodded their approval to him then before that final vote. Not all, of course. Vladmere simply sneered and raised his nose thinking himself better, but most in the room now held the highest respect for Garret, and he felt he had done what he could to rightfully earn it.

The vote to put Lord Jordin Mason as the new head of the order of the Knights of Valdadore went quickly as all cast their votes in his favor, and finally the council was again full. One last deed needed to be accomplished, and all were hesitant to even bring attention to the matter, all but one at least.

"All the seats are filled, Sulvis. Will you not announce the next matter we need to attend to?" Vladmere asked impatiently.

Garret sat silently watching the wheels turning in Sulvis' head. Earlier in the day none of them had thought to mention who they would put forward for this particular position, but Garret already knew that he would back Sulvis if the man stood to take the role he deserved. Everyone in the room observed silently as the grizzled old veteran looked around the room at them, his wise eyes falling upon each person surrounding the table as if he weighed them against the sole duty remaining. After a long uncomfortable silence, the aged man once again pushed his chair back from the table and stood to announce the position to be filled.

"The matter at hand is the gravest of decisions. This vote alone could mark the beginning of a bright new future for Valdadore, or it could mark the beginning of its demise. It takes a singular person to hold a kingdom together, a person of untold strength to bear the burdens of rule. It takes a person of honor to rule in a way that gives a chance at happiness to even the poorest of our charges. This title alone belongs to a unique person who is willing to sacrifice everything that they are or would hope to be for the betterment of the kingdom as a whole. As the throne stands empty, it is with a heavy heart that I bring to the table the position of king, or queen, for each and every one of us to serve willingly and to the best of our ability," Sulvis concluded, taking a seat once again.

Garret watched as Vladmere nodded across the table and Klythen, the head of the blacksmiths, who in response rose.

"I would like to present Lord Vladmere for the position of king," Klythen stated simply.

"Nay," Garret said before Sulvis could even start the vote.

Springing up from his seat, Vladmere glared across the room, a wicked, menacing sneer spreading across his face. Pointing a crooked, boney finger in Garret’s direction he began to shout, "Who are you to cast the first vote, you sniveling whelp?" Vladmere yelled. "You are the pathetic spawn of an urchin and don't even deserve the title you already hold!" he added as his face began to redden.

Garret kept his cool as best as he was able, but he simply could not allow such talk of his family.

"Who am I?" Garret asked. "Who are you to think yourself deserving such an honor of a position that requires ten times your mental capacity? You are an evil, conniving, power-hungry, pathetic man with nothing but his blessing to hide behind. If it wasn't for your abilities you would not even remain on this council, for without your power you are nothing but intolerable at best."

"Says the son of a barmaid and the brother of a murderer!" Vladmere roared back. "I have served this kingdom for near a century. I have been the head of the order of battle mages for longer than you have been alive. Again I ask, what gives you the right to a vote against me?"

"Indeed you speak the truth. I am new in service to the kingdom. A kingdom that I love, and a kingdom that has shown me love. Indeed I am the son of an innkeeper and a barmaid, parents who taught me the difference between earning my keep and demanding that which I wanted. Yes, you are correct that you have served as the head of the battle mages since before I was even born, but only because you were the most powerful mage in the kingdom, not because you were well thought of." Garret  waited for a response.

"What do you imply by were boy, I am the most powerful magician in the kingdom and don't you forget it!" Vladmere said in an accusing tone.

"Sorry to have to remind you, Vladmere, but before my brother came along, you were the most powerful magician in the kingdom. Now in comparison you are but a child's plaything," Garret replied coolly.

"Oh yes, your all powerful brother...and where is he now?" Vladmere asked, grinning wickedly. "That’s right, the pathetic novice killed himself by accident when he murdered the king!" He shouted again.