A Warrior's Legacy (10 page)

I shrugged his statement to the side not
wanting to give myself that much credit. The truth was we had been
incredibly blessed to walk away as free as we had.

“What is your name warrior?” I asked

“Lohan.”

“Do you have a safe way of getting back to
your people?”

Lohan’s eyes flickered to the injured girl
and then back to mine. “The way was never safe, but now it will be
more difficult.”

“Let’s change that. We have a safe way back
to your city come with us.”

I turned away not really giving him a choice
to even argue it. I was pretty sure that if they went back his way
it would be akin to committing suicide. Even now more of the
creatures could be congregating themselves for an ambush out of the
moss.

Heading out of the little cul-de-sac I saw
Holon had picked up the girl with the broken leg. His expression
and bearing were that of a man who had found something extremely
special and didn’t want to let go of it. If the possessive way her
arm lay around the back of his neck and the content way she lay in
his arms was any indication he didn’t have to worry about losing
the burden in his arms. He was a goner.

All of my friends were falling like flies
these days to the fairer sex. I wished them well. I winked at Holon
as I walked past and his face flushed. He’d found someone to build
his legacy with and I couldn’t help but be a little envious and
happy for him all the same time.

We made good time back to the boats. Having
a mob of cannibalistic brutes on the prowl had a way of lengthening
one’s stride. It was late morning when we arrived back on the ship.
We had brought back no water, but Lohan said his people were but a
two days journey by boat up the coast.

Later that afternoon we passed by what must
have once been a great city, even greater than the Western city had
been in its prime. Now it was nothing but ruins of shattered
greatness. The destroyed city had a desolate quality of atmosphere
to it.

“What happened here Lohan?” I asked
softly.

He gazed bitterly at the city passing by us.
“It started over one hundred years ago during the sorcerer’s war.
One day the people were fine and happy. And then we heard a great
explosion, but found no evidence of destruction. We did not hear
from the people of Lancosa for several days and when we came to
investigate it was to discover the city empty except for dead
people. The only mark on the people was that they had bled out of
their ears, noses and eyes. At least a third of the population were
missing. We thought they had been taken captive by the sorcerer, as
so many others had been, but to our eventual horror we found them
hiding in this forest, the crazed brutes that you saw before you
yesterday. Over time we noticed other effects that we lay at the
Sorcerer’s doorstep. A painful shaking of the body that if left
untreated can result in an individual’s death or turn one into
these foul brutes.”

“That’s what the roots are for?”

“Yes they reverse the effects, but they are
rare and as you can see are very hard to come by. They grow fewer
and fewer every year and are harder to find. Soon my people will
not have any chance to avoid the fate of our brothers unless the
Creator of heaven that the high priestess has spoken to us of will
intervene on our part. Have you come to teach us of His ways as she
has said you will?”

“Yes, we have and with your people’s help
Lohan, I intend to destroy the Sorcerer!”

Lohan put a hand to his sword and said, “You
have my sword and support even if such a quest leads us to death’s
door!”

I watched the desolate city disappear behind
us, “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.”

We arrived at the lands of the Easterners
two days later. The last vestige of the once second most powerful
of the three kingdoms of Assoria. The land was flat and virtually
devoid of trees. Endless fields and pastures full of livestock were
noticeable for as far as the eye could see.

Gavin asked the question that I was
pondering on, “Why so much agriculture?”

Lohan replied simply, “We have many mouths
to feed and in addition to our own we try to send any extra food we
have to feed the remnants of the Northern Kingdom.”

A small dock came into view as we passed the
acres upon acres devoted to agriculture. I gave Captain Sargas
orders to pull alongside the dock not concerned of any danger from
these people. Lohan and his people landed first and comforted the
scared villagers that weren’t sure what was taking place.

There fear soon gave way to cries of elation
as they heard the news that the priestesses’ prophecy had come
true. I saw messenger riders streak out of the village as fast as
their horses could carry them. The whole kingdom would know of our
presence soon.

Lohan came back briefly to tell us that if
we took the main road it would lead us straight to the capital. He
then left informing us that he had to report the news of our
arrival to the priestess.

Captain Sargas saw to the direction of a
sturdy gangplank for cargo and a suitable bridge for conveying our
horses across to the dock. I made my way below to the cargo
area.

Relentless pawed at that the floor of his
stall aggressively. He had not taken to life at sea well at all. He
had been in a foul mood ever since setting sail. The boards of his
stall had been replaced several times because of his tantrums. Now
however he seemed to sense that his captivity was nearly over and
was being remarkably well behaved.

He hadn’t rattled his stall once in the last
day. He was a warhorse in spirit and body. He would like this new
land, as an all out war seemed to be just over the horizon.

I opened his marked up door and he came to
press up against me reassuringly, as if he sensed the mood I was
in. I patted his neck and massive chest.

“It seems a lot of people out there old boy
are depending on us to work a miracle. Don’t they know I’m just a
man? Father said we should find our destiny here. What do you
think?”

Relentless nodded his head vigorously and I
had to chuckle.

“Well when do you want to start this new
quest?”

Relentless started moving forward.

“Okay I get it, but I’m not starting this
quest without a saddle.

Me, Gavin and twenty others made our way
through the packed masses of the villagers who thronged all around
us. It was as if they saw hope for the future reflected in our eyes
as they strained to reach out and touch us as we made our way by
them.

These people were desperate for hope and the
words of prophecy coming true, which the high priestess had spoken
had lit a fire in their tired and weary hearts. After we were clear
of the village we increased our pace to a gallop as we rode over
the miles of cultivated land.

Field workers were grouped all along the
road cheering us as we rode past and all I could think to myself
was ‘Please God don’t allow us to let these people down.’

Zalisha looked up at the sudden commotion of
Lohan’s abrupt appearance in the council chamber. The guards seized
him, but she waved them away beckoning for Lohan to come forward.
He quickly pushed past council members to come kneel before the
throne she sat on.

“What is the meaning of this my son?”
General Lasho asked in an alarmed tone from beside Zalisha.

Lohan looked up with an excited smiled on
his face. Zalisha had never seen him so exuberant.

“I bring good news! The men from across the
great sea have come! Even as you have said they would your
highness! And they have brought with them the words of the Creator
encased in a book for all to read and they have many books of the
Creator with them! The Creator of heaven has smiled down upon our
people and you your highness!”

Zalisha felt thrills coursing through her at
the hearing of the completion of what she had so desperately hoped
and prayed for.

“Thank you Commander Lohan! You have indeed
brought me very good news!”

Turning to General Lasho beside her she
said, “General see to it that the preparations we talked about are
put into full effect immediately!”

The old general looked hesitant, “Your
highness you’re sure that this is what you want to do?”

Zalisha took one of his aged scarred hands
in hers, “General this is what must be done! Even as my Creator
commands it, even so will I be faithful to do it!”

The old general nodded his head abruptly, “I
will see to it that it is done your highness.”

Zalisha went to pull her hand free and
turned back to the room of counselors, but the general held on for
a moment and she looked at him in question.

Gruffly he said, “Your father would have
been proud of you even as I am!”

He dropped her hand and briskly left the
room accompanied by his son Lohan.

Zalisha addressed the room of wildly
chattering counselors, “You may all leave now! If there is need of
you again you will be summoned.”

Their chattering stopped and they all bowed
respectfully and left. As the doors closed shut Zalisha sank to her
knees and let her head fall forward onto her hands on the floor in
front of the throne. The golden crown fell off her head to the
floor as she sobbed into the worn stones of the floor.

“Thank you Creator! Thank you for saving my
people! Oh Creator help me make the right choices! Help me
please!”

She was alone in the room except for twenty
bodyguards, who had not left her side ever since the whole royal
family had been massacred.

They stood at their posts around the room.
Their stoic demeanor however was betrayed by the silent tears
coursing down some of their cheeks, as they listened to their
beloved princess, that they would die to protect continue to pray
and intercede for herself and her people before the Creator. If
they could have told the people of how much their princess loved
them they would have, but they were sworn to keep her privacy.

The city gradually came into view and with
it a wall, a gigantic wall. I didn’t know the geography of the area
well, but if I had to say I think the wall spanned from seashore to
seashore as the sea was faintly visible on both sides of the
city.

The Eastern Kingdom’s last stand, as they
were literally backed up to the sea on three sides. They really
were a people living on the edge. The city wasn’t spectacular
looking like the other ruined cities that we had seen along the
coast, at least not from a distance. The original city would’ve
probably been smaller, but now it sprawled out onto the plain, no
doubt to make room for refugees from the rest of the kingdom.

We were nearing the outskirts of the city
and already I could see packed crowds lining the main street. We
were in for another crowded welcome it would seem. Riding through
the main street of the city that didn’t boast even an outer wall or
gate we were among the crowd instantly.

Times were rough here. One could tell from
the poor dress and haggard appearances of many, but of one accord
they were crying out jubilantly at the sight of us. The rough
outlying buildings began to give way to finer buildings.

One thing was extremely remarkable
throughout the journey through the city; the people were devoid of
any ornamentation of charms that we had seen prevalent with the
Western Kingdom.

Otherwise perfectly fine buildings had areas
where I was certain there had been sculptures that were smashed
beyond recognition now. On corners where there must’ve been shrines
and temples there were only recent charred looking ruins.

These people had repented of their evil ways
and were clinging on to hope that there their world was about to
change for the better. Towards the inner city a large open square
appeared.

It was not packed with cheering civilians,
but instead soldiers. Thousands of them standing in perfect rank
formation. Another unique characteristic of these people in
comparison to their neighbors of the West were that there were
women everywhere, including a heavy concentration of them in the
ranks of the soldiers.

The ranks of soldiers stretch on before us.
They saluted like an undulating wave in accordance with us passing
by. These were a people made hard by the constant struggle to
survive. They lacked the finer culturing that higher societies
often possess at the cost of going soft militarily speaking such as
was apparent with the Western Kingdom.

Finer culturing was often a sign of too long
of a period of peace. A period of peace no doubt brought on by a
strong military, which was forgotten or even ignored in the latter
days of a self absorbed nation.

Often such peace loving nations focused on
prosperity fell prey to smaller hungrier nations, which were
stronger militarily and did not limit their passions or their quest
for greatness. These people were such a people. They were hungry
for freedom and if I read them right they would gladly die to
achieve it for their children and their children’s children after
them.

The flag of their nation was proudly
displayed everywhere, as they were proud of who they were and what
they had come through as a nation. The flag was colored by a
backdrop of light sky blue with artful scrollwork of sea green
calligraphy illustrated across it, artfully trimmed in silver.

We made our way up an elevation in the
otherwise flat city. A citadel loomed close and we passed into its
enclosure. More soldiers and what must be court officials were in
attendance in this inner area. It was clear that this was where the
journey on horseback ended.

I dismounted followed by the others. Finely
dressed warriors stepped forward and took the reins of our horses,
their manner both respectful and disciplined. It would be an honor
to lead such fighters into the battle, even as it had been ever
since I had been tasked with leading my own people that were of a
similar character in reserve into battle.