Forever Knight (The Champion Chronicles Book 3) (41 page)

From a sitting position, it twisted its body and swung its right hand, aiming directly at Conner as he was just steps away.  He was prepared for the worst.  He had already died once, why not a second time?  But the fist did not reach him.  The creature’s fist hit an invisible wall, which stopped its strike in mid-air.  Also caught in mid-twist, the stone ogre lost its balance and toppled over, chest to the ground, legs splayed out behind it.  It let loose with a shriek of anger.  Or was it pain?

Conner jumped at its head, which was just at ground level.  The creature responded by baring its teeth.  With its right arm now caught underneath him, its left arm was free and started on a trajectory straight for Conner.  But because its lower body was twisted from falling off balance, it had no leverage and no force to strike as quickly as it needed to.  With a precise strike, Conner plunged the sword directly into the creature’s eye, and it dropped dead instantly.

Once the stone ogre’s head hit the ground in a thud, cheering erupted once again from the city.  Conner, who landed on the creature’s back after it dropped dead, did not want to move.  But he also did not want to be laying on top of the thing.  He rolled off and was met by a celebration of knights and soldiers.

Marik brought him into a big embrace, but Conner winced and said to him, “I am hurt.  Bad.  Let me sit down.”

“What hurts?” Marik asked, helping him to the ground.

“Side,” Conner replied with a painful gasp.  “Head.  Leg.  Arm.  It hit me hard.”

“It almost hit you again, I don’t know what stopped it.”

The sound of soft feet landing on the ground startled them.  Glaerion kneeled next to Conner.

“You?” Conner asked.

The elf gave Conner a rare smile.  “I don’t know why I keep saving you humans.  I know I will regret it someday.”

“You came back.  I thought you were taking the Ark?”

For the first time, Conner saw something strange in Glaerion’s eyes.  It might have been fear.

“I have bad news, and I have worse news.”

“What?”

“The Ark.  I cannot find it.  Captain Janari’s boat is at the bottom of the river and none of his sailors can be found alive.  I saw some bodies in the river.  Some elven, some centurion.  But no sign of the captain or Hargon.”

“Maybe Hargon got away.”

“We can only hope so.  But he will be pursued by his brother and he will be shown no mercy.  It will only be a matter of time before the Ark of Life falls in the hands of Tarcious.  And if Tarcious has it, then the Deceiver will have it.”

“There’s more bad news?” Conner asked.

They all felt and then heard the sound of thunderous running on the ground.  It was as if a thousand horses were running right next to them.  They could feel it getting stronger by the second.

When the gate was struck, the entire city went silent.  It was a crash so loud, even the soldiers manning the inside of the castle could hear it.  The timbers of the gate cracked, but held.  No one moved, waiting for the next sound.  Even the stone ogre that had been knocking down the wall had stopped its work.

Then there was more running, and the incredible force struck the gate once more.  The old oak timbers that made up the door held, but only barely.  Whatever struck their seemingly impervious gate would likely only need to strike the gate one more time before it fell.

“That’s the bad news,” Glaerion said, looking at the gate.  He grabbed Conner under the armpits and helped him to his feet.  “We need to get out of the city.”

“The queen,” Conner said.

“If we don’t get out of the city now, we may never make it out alive,” Glaerion said.  “The city is lost.  There is no hope for it.  We can’t be trapped inside.  The centurions march upon the city and will soon ring it with soldiers ten deep and we will have no way of getting out.”

Mark looked around, seeing his knights mustering for one last battle.  “I need to get the knights ready for whatever is coming through that gate.  We will defend the city to our last breath.”

“You can stay and die,” Glaerion said.  “But I need to get Conner out of the city and we need to find the Ark before it falls into Tarcious’ hands.  He is no good for you anyway.  His body is broken and he needs to heal.”

“The queen,” Conner croaked out again.

“Toknon vowed to protect her,” Marik said.  “I am sure he has taken her someplace safe.”

“I won’t leave without Elissa!” Conner said.

Glaerion grabbed the front of Conner’s tunic and pulled him close.  “There are things more important than friendship and love!  The survival of the people of the world is more important, don’t you think!  You cannot risk everyone else’s life just because you think you love someone.”

Conner glared back at the elf.  “Have you not ever loved anyone?”

Glaerion started to respond, but he caught himself.  “Love is an emotion that is no longer necessary to me.”

Conner caught the change in his voice.  It had lost its force and intensity.  He did not believe the elf was telling the truth, but he did not challenge him.

“Toknon will keep her safe,” Marik said.

“He better,” Conner replied angrily.

“We will need a horse,” Glaerion said.  “He will not make it far on his feet.”

Marik motioned for one of the knights to relinquish his mount.  With some effort, they were able to get Conner up onto the back of the horse, even though it caused excruciating pain.

For the third time, thunderous running came from outside the gate.  Then the gate exploded into shards of wood.  Five stone ogres, nearly twice the size of the original two, stumbled through the opening.  They stopped just inside the gate, crouched low and did not move, as if they were waiting to be told what to do next.  Behind them, the Taran army was marching towards the gate.  The remaining smaller ogre appeared behind the five, looking like a child among adults.

Their heads moved as they scanned the city, as if they were looking for something.  The knights remained still in silent fear, knowing that there was little chance of defeating the creatures.  But they had a duty to serve their kingdom and protect it.

A silence fell over the city.

Glaerion climbed atop the horse in front of Conner.  The clip-clop of the horse’s hooves was the only sound that could be heard.  The eyes of the stone ogres locked onto them, but they did not move.  Glaerion casually directed the horse down the street, seemingly away from the gate.  The only way they could get out of the city would be before the centurions arrived.  It would be only a few more minutes until that happened.  If the stone ogres continued to stand guard at the gate, they would have no opportunity to escape.

Without warning, the stone ogres all let out a roar in unison and charged into the city.  Glaerion kicked his horse into a full run, sneaking out the gate behind the ogres and before the centurions arrived.  He kept the horse tight to the wall, heading south for the river.

Conner glanced up to see a flight of crossbow bolts coming at them.  But then he felt the familiar tingling of magic and the bolts simply bounced away from them.  He tried to turn and look behind him to see what was happening in the city, but the gate was far behind them.  There was no knowing what was truly happening, but it was clear that the knights would have no chance of surviving the day.

The pounding of the horse running across the open field towards the river jarred every broken bone in his body.  He clenched his teeth, trying to be strong and unafraid.  But he was scared.  Marik was likely facing his last battle.  The queen was somewhere in the city, hopefully safe.  But with six stone ogres wreaking havoc, there was likely no safe place in the city.  And Hargon and the Ark were missing.

For a fleeting moment, he wished that he had not survived the battle.  The thought of living in a world controlled by Tarcious was a world that he would not want to live in.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“You are hurting me!” Elissa cried out.  She tried to wiggle her way out Toknon’s grasp, but he was too strong.

Toknon held her upper arm firmly and he wasn’t going to loosen it.  “If you would stop fighting, then it wouldn’t hurt.  The castle is going to be the safest place for you.  The walls of the castle are much stronger than those that protect the city.  We will be able to concentrate the defenses on a much smaller area.  Trust me, you will be much safer there.”

“I am the queen,” she snapped back at him.  “You cannot treat me like this!”

“It is for your own good.”

While being led down the street, she turned back to see the heads of three of the large stone ogres above the tops of the buildings.  They had no expression on their faces and they continued their demolition of the city’s buildings.

Finally, she lost the strength to fight back.  She fell into step with him, but she continued to argue, “Conner was right, we should get out of the city.  The castle will not stop them.”

Toknon let out a low growl of annoyance.  When he had first seen Conner, he was certainly not what he expected.  He had pictured him to be a big, strong, burly knight-looking man.  Not a lithe boy with barely any hair on his face.  “The only safe place is the castle.  There is an army outside the city, just waiting for us to leave.”

Although she had stopped resisting, he did not release his grasp of her arm.  But he did relax it enough for blood to flow back into her arm.

They were not alone in their escape from the walls.  Many others were with them, running away from the walls and towards any place they thought was safe.  For most, it was the castle.  So the street leading up to the castle was full and the closer they got to the castle, the more packed it was.  In the panic and chaos of the moment, no one recognized Elissa as being the queen.  She no longer looked the part as both her tunic and outer cloak were covered in blood.  Her hair and face was dirty and matted as well.  A close friend or one of the lords would have recognized her, but a regular person from the street did not.  Not being recognized did have its downfall, though.  As they pushed through the crowd, those around her gave them dirty looks or even dared to push them back.  Fortunately, Toknon stood taller than most everyone and his size kept anyone from acting further.

A block from the castle, the packed crowd forced them to a standstill.

“What now?” Elissa asked.

Toknon took the lead and pushed his way through the crowd, but ensuring one hand was still firmly grasping Elissa’s upper arm.  But even he could not push all the way through.  With the high castle walls in sight, they could absolutely go no further.

Bowmen patrolled the top of the outer walls, their bows strung and arrows knocked and ready to fire.  Their eyes, however, were staring down at the crowd below.  There was some shouting and muttering about not being let into the castle, but for now, they were peaceful.

Finally, Toknon pushed the man in front of him, which knocked two men to the ground.  With as loud of a voice as he could muster, he shouted, “Make way for the queen!”

Some reacted and tried to step aside, but others, fueled by fear and anger, did not budge.

“Where is the queen?” one called out.

“That is not the queen!” another shouted.

Others began to yell and shout as patience ran thin.

The guards atop the castle’s outer wall noticed the sudden change in the crowd and focused their attention on the activity around Toknon and Elissa.  It had started there and was slowly spreading out.

There was a sudden push as the crowd surged towards the castle.  Toknon almost lost his grip on Elissa.  He had to squeeze hard to keep her close.

She grabbed his hand and tried to pull it away.  There were tears in her eyes.  “You are hurting me!”

“Your soldiers have suffered much more than a sore arm, and they do not complain,” Toknon said sharply.

She bit her lip to keep from saying more.  Any softness that she had seen in him was now completely gone.  The man that he was rumored to be was now the man that was next to her.  Whoever it was that had treated her kindly and with compassion was now gone.  She could not understand what was happening to him.

“Stand aside for the queen!” Toknon shouted.

Someone nearby turned to him and yelled, “The queen is already safe in the castle!”

“Look!” Elissa said, pointing up at the castle walls.  “Lord Martin!”

Toknon lifted a hand to get his attention.  As he was taller than most, he was easily spotted in the crowd.  Lord Martin touched the guard next to him and pointed at them.  Toknon moved forward, but the men in front of him pushed back.

“Stand aside!” Toknon shouted.

One of the men started to take a swing at Toknon, but the twang of an arrow filled the air as the man lurched forward.  The man stumbled to the ground, an arrow embedded deep into his back.  It had struck him right in the center of the back and pierced his heart, killing him instantly.  A second arrow struck the ground where the crowd had suddenly parted.

The guards shouted from atop the wall, “Stand aside!  Let the queen through or we’ll fire again!”
The crowd, on the verge of stampeding, reluctantly made a lane from them.  Elissa was pulled towards the castle gate, but her head was turned to the back, her eyes on the man who lay dead in the middle of the street.  She thought she would be angry, but instead, she could only feel sadness.  She had desperately tried to protect her people from the army that was marching on her city, but a sudden realization came over her.  There was no way that she could protect them all.  The city was going to be lost and soon, all these people, like the man who had been slain, would be dead.

Surprisingly, there were no tears, only an emptiness in the pit of her stomach.  She stopped resisting Toknon and let herself be pulled through the open portcullis.

Two rows of guards armed with long halberds stood directly in front of the open gate, keeping anyone from charging through the opening.  The crowd moved back as they did not want anything to do with the long, sharp weapons.  Any energy from the crowd left when one of their own had been slain by a bowman atop the tower.

“There is room for all of us!” someone shouted.

Elissa turned back to see who it was, but it seemed as if everyone was yelling and pleading their case, eyes full fear.  She watched with further sadness as the guards returned to the castle and the portcullis was lowered.  The crowd rushed forward, terrified faces pressed up against the vertical iron bars.  She could never forget those faces, each one knowing that they were soon to die.  The thick doors of the gate, large oak tree trunks banded together by thick strips of steel, swung closed with a bang.

Lord Martin rushed forward, taking the queen’s hand.  Toknon finally released his grip on her arm.  “It is so good you are safe!” Lord Martin said.

Elissa could still hear the crowed, but all the voices were muffled.   She said, “We cannot stay here.  We need to get out of the city!”

Lord Martin looked at Toknon, who shook his head.

“What?” she exclaimed.  “You’re listening to him, and not to me?”

Lord Martin smiled.  “You must understand, my dear, King Toknon is a veteran soldier who has fought in many battles.”

“Against us!” Elissa exclaimed.

“That may be so, but the point is that he knows what he is doing.”

“But I am the queen!”

“Your city is falling around you,” Toknon said.  “There will be but one way to save it and your kingdom, and that is to save you.”

“But all those people out there!” she cried out.  “The Taran army is marching into my city, there are huge creatures tearing down buildings, and you leave my people out there to die?  Let them in!”

“There is not enough room for everyone,” Lord Martin said.  “We have already discussed it.  The city is large, with many places to hide.  Some will die, and that is unfortunate, but the most important thing is to save you.  For without you, there is no kingdom!”

Elissa shook her head, “No, without my people there is no kingdom.”

“You’re certainly noble and honorable,” Toknon said.  “But your naivety is unbecoming.  I actually expected more from you.”

Elissa spun and turned on Toknon.  “What happened to you?  You used to be nice!”

Toknon shook his head.  “I am not sure what you mean.  I have not changed.”

“Then you’re being nice to me was just an act?”

“No, dear Elissa, not all.  In fact, I have become very fond of you, but my kingdom, for which I am duty-bound to take care if, is more important.  I must do all I can to save it.”

Elissa’s eyes narrowed and her heart became heavy.  “What do you mean by that?”

Toknon placed a hand on her back and nudged her forward.  “We should retire to the Great Hall and prepare our strategy to defend the castle and ultimately to escape the city.”

“Of course,” Lord Martin said with a tip of his head and a wave of his hand towards the main part of the castle.  “The Great Hall awaits us.”

***

Commander Farrus watched from the edge of the trees.  He could see all the way into the city and watched as the six large creatures went from building to building destroying anything and everything in their path.  The Taran army had marched in formation to the city gates.  There were some heroic bowmen atop the city walls that fought back, but the overwhelming force of crossbowmen quickly stopped them.  He expected the Karmon army to march out and meet the centurions before they reached the gate, but none came.  Either they were waiting inside the city gates, or the creatures had done their work in terrorizing the people of the city into submission.

The small wooden box had been discarded and he now kept the gem in a small leather pouch that hung from his neck.  Even through the thickness of the pouch, he could feel its warmth.  But whatever it did to him, he had to be holding it when it happened.  He still wasn’t quite sure what it was, or what it was doing to him, but it was the most incredible feeling that he had ever felt.  Energy and strength flowed through his muscles.  He felt so strong and powerful that he knew he could do anything he wanted.  If he were so inclined, he knew that he could just walk up to the walls and punch a hole through the stone.

“Commander!”

Farrus spun around to see Tarcious striding towards him.  Behind him, five centurions were leading seven horses.  One of them held Hargon.  His hands were bound behind his back and a gag had been placed over his mouth.  His eyes stared at the ground and his shoulders were hunched over in defeat.

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty!” Farrus said with more enthusiasm than he expected, but he could not contain the energy that was in him.  It took all of his military bearing and discipline to not go running naked through the forest, singing and yelling at the top of his longs.

Tarcious gave him a curious look.  “Ensure that the perimeter stays secure.  There is a company of infantry and two companies of crossbowmen held in reserve in the forest.  If any army comes marching from the north or from the east, send messengers into the city, but do not engage.”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty,” Farrus replied.  “You are going into the city?”

Tarcious did not reply.  One of his escorts handed him the reigns of his horse and he gracefully mounted it.  The rest of the centurions mounted their horses as well.

“General Mace is leading the army into the city.  You will protect our advance from any forces that might come from Thell or Tyre.  Failure will mean death.”

Farrus gave the emperor a slight bow of his head.  “Of course, Your Imperial Majesty.”

With a swift kick, his horse took off at a run towards the city.  The rest followed, struggling to keep up with the emperor’s fast horse.

Once the emperor was some distance away, Farrus could not resist any longer and he pulled the leather pouch out from under his cloak.  He slipped the large gem out and squeezed it tightly.

Just as he did so, Tarcious suddenly pulled back on the reigns of his horse, bringing it to a sliding stop.  He looked around, as if he had seen something out of the corner of his eye.  After a moment, he turned to look right back at Farrus.  Commander Farrus had not moved, other than to pull the gem out from its pouch.  He held it firmly in the palm of his hand, at his side, out of view of the emperor.  He didn’t know why, but he just knew that he could not let the emperor see the gem.  It was his prize, his treasure, and he was not going to share it with anyone.

Tarcious kicked his horse back into a run across the battlefield towards the broken city gates.

Farrus, fearing that he would be discovered, quickly replaced the gem back in its pouch.  He glanced around to be sure that no one saw him before he walked back into the forest to ensure that perimeter patrols were properly manned.

***

Glaerion looked back at the forest.

He and Conner had just arrived at the river.  The docks were silent and empty.  All those that had made the initial dash for the river had already swum across or found a boat to take them up river to Tyre.  They had spent some time looking for any signs of Hargon, but there were no signs of him or any of the elves.