The Destiny of Amalah (59 page)

He went for Rakan, punching him in the face before turning to lash out at Rufus but Rufus was prepared; he ducked when Raynor lashed out at him and froze him on the spot. Rakan, unruffled by the punch in the face that Raynor had delivered to him, strode over to where the frozen Raynor was and stood behind him. He grabbed hold of his clothing at the collar and the lower back and nodded to Rufus, indicating that he should unfreeze him; Rufus complied and as soon as he unfroze, Rakan pulled hard on Raynor’s clothing and threw him back onto the balcony.

Raynor landed hard on the floor and hit his side on the concrete balcony wall. He winced in pain and gasped for breath simultaneously and when he recovered slightly, he looked at the two men who were determined to kill him. Rakan strode to where he was and roughly picked him up off the floor and onto his feet. Raynor attempted to fight back but he was still no match for Rakan, who easily fended off Raynor’s blows and inflicted his own.

‘You are really not a worthy opponent Raynor,’ Rakan said, goading the older man.

‘And you are simply not worthy,’ Raynor croaked with contempt.

‘Despite your remarks your death will be quick,’ Rakan said, as he drove Häkan’s dagger into Raynor’s chest and as it penetrated his skin and muscle, Rakan let go of the older man and Raynor fell to the ground dying. Just as Raynor was slain, Waldon and Kenaz arrived with Häkan, who saw his friend fall to the ground; a horrified Häkan rushed to his friend’s side and tried to help his friend.

‘Raynor,’ he said urgently. ‘Raynor hold on, I will get help,’ Häkan said, as he knelt by his friend’s side.

‘Too late Häkan,’ Raynor said weakly. ‘I …’ but then Raynor was gone, his eyes became glazed and fixed and Häkan knew then, that his friend was dead.

He rolled his friend over and was aghast to see his very own dagger sticking out of his friend’s chest and then, it dawned on him what must have happened. He turned to the four men and looked at them with a mixture of anger and hatred.

‘What did you…?’ he asked angrily.

‘What I had to,’ Rakan replied, blowing a large amount of dust that was made up of crushed jet, agate and black diamond into Häkan’s face causing the Guard Commander to become rooted to the spot. A satisfied smile passed Rakan’s lips be he commenced his spell:

‘With the passing of this hour, you will yield to my power
forget that which happened this very night,
sleep now and when you awake,
wonder if you killed Raynor with your rage and your might.’

Häkan fell into a deep sleep next to Raynor’s dead body and Waldon stood over him; he paused for a few seconds and then he brought his heavy boot down on to Häkan’s body.

‘What are you doing?’ Rakan asked.

‘You do want it to look like they had a fight?’

‘Yes.’

‘Well Häkan does not have a single bruise or scratch on him.’

‘Very well.’

‘Waldon went about making Häkan look as though he had been in a fight by punching and kicking the unconscious Häkan.

‘That’s enough,’ Rakan ordered. ‘Raynor couldn’t fight
that
well,’ he said, with derision in his voice.

The four men left the room; Rakan teleported himself and Kenaz to behind a tent in the gardens, while Rufus made himself and Waldon invisible, so that they could make their way to a small room near the Great Hall and once again, the two pairs mingled among the crowds and made themselves seen and heard.

As time passed, some of the guard who were supposed to report to Häkan became alarmed when they could not find him anywhere. They looked inside and outside of the palace and when there was still no sign of him, they went to Garrick.

Garrick had not seen his friend lately and nor had he seen Raynor. He wondered where the two men were and he too joined the search, which again turned out to be futile. He gathered twenty of the guard and told them to wait in the guardroom and he then went in search of the Empress, Michael and Thaddeus and requested to meet them in the Empress’s study.

Garrick wondered whether or not he should ask Kalon to attend as well, he trusted Kalon but he could not afford for Kalon to confront Rakan, or for Rakan to know that they suspected him of anything. Garrick thought things through and in the end decided that Kalon should be in attendance and so he went in search of him and found him with Ellora.

‘Hello father.’

‘Hello Kalon, hello princess.’

‘Hello Garrick,’ Ellora said sweetly.

‘I’m sorry to interrupt the two of you but I need to borrow Kalon for a while.’

‘What is it father?’

‘Well …’ Garrick began.

‘Don’t worry Garrick, as long as you promise to return him,’ Ellora said diplomatically.

‘I promise princess and thank you.’

Ellora left the two men alone and made her way to the first floor while Kalon looked at his father questioningly; wanting to know what was troubling his father.

‘I will tell you soon, but come with me now,’ Garrick said, as he turned and walked towards the Empress’s study.

The two men walked quickly and within minutes they were knocking on the door of the Empress’s study and then being invited inside. Garrick and Kalon entered to find the Empress, Michael and Thaddeus already there.

‘Good evening Empress, good evening all,’ Garrick said, bowing his head and then acknowledging everyone else, they greeted him back and then Kalon did the same.

‘I am intrigued Garrick, why did you bring us here at this hour?’ the Empress asked.

‘And why without Häkan and Raynor?’ Michael asked.

‘I bring you here without Häkan and Raynor, because this meeting is about them.’

‘Oh?’ the Empress said, slightly alarmed. ‘What about them?’

‘They are missing Empress.’

‘Since when?’

‘At least an hour – Raynor more.’

‘Are you sure?’ Thaddeus asked.

‘Yes. The guard were assigned duties by Häkan, many were to report back to him and when they tried to do so, none of them have been able to find him.’

‘Strange indeed,’ Michael said.

‘What do you suggest?’ Amara said.

‘I have summoned twenty of the guard and they are waiting in the guard room as we speak. I suggest four teams of five to search the entire palace right now. I will lead one team, Kalon another, Michael and Thaddeus if you do not mind, you can lead a team too. We search north, east, south and west of the palace and all of the towers.’

‘Very well,’ Amara said, authorising Garrick’s plan. ‘The moment you find them let me know.’

‘Yes Empress,’ Garrick replied.

The four men left the Empress in the study and went to the twenty guards, who were still waiting in the room and when Garrick and the others entered the room all of the guard stood up and acknowledged them. Garrick and the other three men acknowledged them back and Garrick then set about organising teams and despatching them to various parts of the building.

They searched the palace high and low and it was Kalon’s search party who found the long dead Raynor and the barely conscious Häkan. Kalon rushed into the room to find his father’s oldest friend with Häkan’s dagger in his chest and Häkan’s battered and bruised body, lying beside him.

‘Oh dear God,’ Kalon said, deeply disturbed by the sight right before his very eyes. ‘Raynor, Häkan,’ he said, as the full horror of what happened slowly but surely began to sink into his consciousness. ‘Quickly, run and find the other teams. Sergeant,’ he said, pointing to the first soldier. ‘Run and tell my father. Sergeant, run and tell Michael, and corporal Jacobs,’ he said pointing at the third soldier; ‘run and tell Thaddeus. Get them all to meet me back here. In the meantime Corporal Smith, watch over the guard commander and Raynor and do not let anyone in here except the three I speak of and the guard.’

Kalon went and knelt down besides Raynor and shook his head sadly, he knew his father and his friends would be devastated. He touched Raynor’s shoulders for a few moments and then let go, before he gently placed his hands over his forehead and closed his lifeless and vacant staring eyes.

‘Rest peacefully Raynor,’ Kalon said sadly.

Kalon remained by Raynor’s side and watched him and the unconscious Häkan like a hawk. It was not long before Häkan began to stir and this time around, the stirring continued until Häkan half opened his eyes. He was having difficulty opening them fully and it took him another three attempts before he succeeded.

When his eyes fully opened he still could not see properly and he felt disorientated; he groped around and patted the floor until he came to Raynor. He felt around Raynor and as felt him, he hurried to see what the figure was doing on the floor. By the time he turned he could see a lot more clearly and he was aghast to see Raynor lying dead on the floor.

‘Raynor,’ he said hysterically. ‘Raynor, Raynor,’ he screamed but Raynor remained lifeless. Häkan looked up to see Kalon now standing over him. ‘You! What are you doing? What happened?’

‘That is what we wish to know Häkan,’ Kalon said, almost spitting his words out. ‘Why is Raynor lying dead with your dagger in his chest?’

‘What?’ Häkan choked, as he looked back at Raynor and to his utmost horror; he saw his dagger embedded in his friend’s chest right up to the hilt. ‘No – I did not, I could not,’ Häkan stammered.

‘Then what happened?’ Kalon asked, raising his voice.

‘I… I… I don’t know.’

‘How can you not know?’ Kalon said, his anger rising.

‘I do not know, I mean I do not remember,’ Häkan said clearly confused and becoming more distressed by the second. ‘But I did not do this, not to Raynor, not to my friend, not to anyone,’ Häkan said, as he began to weep openly over his friend’s death. ‘Raynor!’ he cried. ‘Raynor what happened to you? Why? Why? Why?’ he said, crying hysterically.

It was at that moment that Garrick, Michael and Thaddeus entered the room and they too saw the horrific sight of Raynor lying dead on the floor in a pool of blood and Häkan’s knife in his chest while Häkan was crying hysterically over Raynor’s body and covered in blood himself.

‘What on earth...’? Garrick said, as he watched the terrible scene before him. ‘Kalon what happened?’

‘I do not know father,’ Kalon said, as Garrick. Michael and Thaddeus all moved closer to where Raynor and Häkan were. ‘When we got here Raynor was already dead and Häkan was unconscious. He only came to, a few moments ago and he has been hysterical ever since.’

‘Did he say what happened?’ Thaddeus asked.

‘No, he said he could not remember what happened but I think I can guess.’

‘We don’t know anything yet,’ Michael said aggressively.

‘We know that Raynor is dead and that he died by Häkan’s knife and we know that Häkan was lying next to him, covered in his blood and yet, he doesn’t remember or doesn’t want to remember,’ Kalon said equally aggressively.

Thaddeus knelt down besides his slain friend and he too felt the devastation and pain rush over him as it did Häkan, and Thaddeus let the tears fall freely for the loss of his beloved friend. Garrick and Michael felt immense pain as they looked on their slain friend and it took all of their effort just to speak and not break down.

‘Guards, leave us and close the door behind you,’ Garrick commanded them.

The guards’ left and Garrick and Michael each held onto one of Thaddeus shoulders to try and comfort him. Häkan looked up at them but the two men could not look at him in that instant and Häkan knew that they were contemplating his guilt and that made him even more hysterical.

‘I don’t know what happened,’ Häkan cried. ‘But I do know that I could never have killed Raynor. I could not. Believe me please,’ he begged.

Garrick held his breath and bit down on his lower lip, he was on the verge of tears and Häkan’s tears and distress were causing him even more pain.

‘Garrick, please believe me, help me,’ Häkan begged from the floor.

‘What happened Häkan?’ Garrick asked, using all his strength to control his emotions.

‘Garrick, I do not know, I really do not,’ Häkan wailed. ‘The last thing I remember is talking to Waldon and Kenaz in the gardens and then Rufus in the palace and the next, I was waking up next to Raynor who was dead.’

Garrick, Michael and Kalon exchanged looks and Kalon nodded ever so slightly, for he was thinking the same thing and doubt of Häkan’s guilt set in.

‘Häkan get up,’ Garrick said gently, as he walked around Raynor’s body and went to help him. ‘Get up Häkan,’ he said again, as he took hold of Häkan by the arm and helped to lift him to his feet.

Garrick led Häkan out of the room and Kalon and Thaddeus followed. Garrick ordered the guard to remain with the body of Raynor and to not let anyone in the room and the four men then left the two guards to their duties.

They walked back to the main palace and Garrick sent Kalon to fetch two guards who he trusted and to have them meet him at the end of the corridor. Garrick and Thaddeus took Häkan to a palace suite and Garrick sat his friend down, who was now dazed, confused and bordering on comatose; he tried speaking to his friend but by now, Häkan was muttering gibberish and muddled sentences.