The Destiny of Amalah (65 page)

‘They are both going to die,’ Rufus shouted in alarm.

‘No they are not,’ Waldon replied calmly.

Waldon and Kenaz ran to where Bryce was and both of them placed their swords on Bryce’s body in a place that would fatally wound him.

‘Release him,’ Kenaz ordered Bryce.

Bryce looked at Kenaz and then at Waldon with contempt. ‘No,’ he said in a strained whisper.

‘Release him or die,’ Kenaz said again, as he pressed his sword even harder into Bryce.

Bryce hesitated for a moment, there was a look of defiance in his eyes, but in the end, he did yield to Kenaz and stopped his flow of energy that was hurting Rakan so badly. When the energy stopped coursing through Rakan’s body, he too stopped attacking Bryce and the two men lay on the floor in agony; neither one of them a winner and neither one of them a loser.

Waldon went to Rakan’s side and Kenaz kept an eye on Bryce as his two friends tended to Rakan; Waldon helped Rakan into a sitting up position and then Waldon and Rufus knelt down by his side.

‘Are you alright?’ Waldon asked.

‘No – but I will be,’ Rakan said breathing heavily. He ran his hands through his thick black hair and thought quickly. ‘That was quite a fight,’ Rakan said to no one in particular.

‘Yes it was,’ Rufus agreed, somewhat bemused by Rakan’s words.

‘How many people could fight us one on one and live?’

‘Not many,’ Rufus conceded; ‘and he should not,’ Rufus finished as he nodded his head in Bryce’s direction

‘Bryce, you fight like an equal,’ Rakan said, ignoring Rufus’ last remark; ‘you can join us as an equal – if the other three agree,’ Rakan said, looking at him.

Rufus shook his head and laughed softly: ‘I agree with Rakan,’ he said shaking his head in mock despair.

‘As do I,’ said Waldon.

‘It’s always good to see Rakan meeting his match,’ Kenaz said, smiling down at the man on the ground.

Kenaz held his arm out for Bryce and Bryce took it and was helped to his feet. Kenaz and Bryce walked over to where Rakan, Rufus and Waldon were stood. The five of them stood in a circle and were silent for a moment as they stared at each other, then Rakan extended his hand to Bryce and Bryce took it and shook it and the two men introduced themselves. Rufus, Waldon and then Kenaz also extended their hands and introduced themselves. When they were done with the introductions, Rakan turned to the soldiers and introduced Bryce to them, giving him the same standing as himself and his three friends.

‘He is one of us now,’ Rakan told them. ‘But tonight, he will return to the city and prepare us for our entry and finally our victory.’

Rakan said, raising his voice with each word.

The soldiers cheered and Rakan, Rufus, Waldon, Kenaz and Bryce looked on with a mixture of pride and pleasure.

‘Only he or she, not blessed with any magic may remove the talismans that protect the city. Anyone with the power of magic will be killed if they touch it,’ Bryce said, to his new found allies, as he explained how the talisman that protected the city worked.

‘Then I and Waldon will remove them,’ said Kenaz.

‘It is not that simple, they are heavily protected.’

‘Can magic hurt that which protects them?’ asked Rakan.

‘Yes.’

‘Then we will remove the talismans tomorrow before first light.’

‘And we shall take the city before the sunsets,’ added Waldon.

‘How many talismans are there and where are they?’ Rakan asked.

‘There are seven in total. They are shaped like the night stars; six are on the outskirts of the city and one – is in the very heart.’

‘How do we get to the one in the centre?’

‘Do not worry about the one in the centre. If you begin to remove the talismans, the whole city will know and I will ensure that the heart is removed.’

‘If the heart is not removed can we still enter?’ Kenaz asked.

‘Yes but not all the way.’

‘We will remove the talisman,’ Rakan said confidently. ‘Ensure you remove the centre.’

‘Indeed,’ Bryce said. ‘Until tomorrow,’ he said, as he turned and walked away back to the city.

‘If the talisman turns away those who are evil or those with magical powers how will you get back into the city?’ Rufus asked thoughtfully.

Bryce turned and looked at Rufus. ‘I have a way,’ he said simply, before he smiled curtly and then carried on walking.

When Bryce was out of sight, Rakan sent two of his soldiers to follow him.

‘See where he goes and how he gets back into the city and then report back to me,’ Rakan ordered them.

Waldon and Kenaz organised the men and few women into groups and set them to work; some made arrows, others sharpened weapons and others practised their fighting and swordsmanship skills. Waldon and Kenaz taught and supervised the army for a while before they returned and did their own work through the night, and a few hours before sunrise, they all went to bed – with the exception of those on guard.

Just after sunrise, they rose and organised themselves and departed from where they had camped. They retreated a fair way back and when the dynasty soldiers came to their area, they were surprised to see that they had gone; they scanned the area for a few miles but found nothing and so returned back to the city. They reported to the general commander and that same night, he reduced the guard on the perimeter.

The guard had told the general commander that there was no sign of the army, that they had scanned for miles around and for them to return, would take them at least a day and a night. The dynasty guard had looked all around, but they had not looked up or down; had they, they would have known that Rakan’s army had not gone, they were simply hiding and waiting.

They had dug themselves in underground and climbed the highest trees with covers of leaved blankets that made it nearly impossible for them to be seen, and when late night came; they crept out from where they were positioned and made their way to the city. In the twilight hours they positioned themselves and when Rakan gave the sign, they began their attack – and what an attack it was.

Rakan and Kenaz had positioned themselves near the northern most talisman and Waldon and Rufus positioned themselves at the Southern most talisman. When the time came Rakan and Rufus both ran towards the guards who were guarding the talisman and threw fireballs at them. The guard went up in flames and Waldon and Kenaz ran to the talisman; they dug them out as quickly as they could and destroyed them when they had them in their grasp. The four men ran in a clockwise direction to do the same thing to the next guard and talisman that they came to.

When they ran to the next set of talisman, the guard had already been alerted and those who were on duty, rushed to the entry gates as the city began to alight with flares and whistles due to the talismans being destroyed.

The four friends ignored the guard, who were now coming out of the city for their soldiers had been prepared for that. The archers surrounded the city from a distance and when the dynasty guard came out, they fired upon them and the guard in the high towers. By now the sleeping guard were waking and hurriedly dressing and arming themselves and rushing out of their dorms to join the fight and protect the city.

Rakan and his army were outnumbered by far but once Waldon and Kenaz removed the third talisman each; they advanced into the city with great haste, destroying whatever they could in their wake. Rakan and Rufus revelled in being able to throw their fireballs once again to great effect and anyone trying to stop them was literally cut down.

Waldon and Kenaz fought by hand, by sword and by arrow, and they fought their way around the city together. Some of the dynasty guard fought them and some took off their uniforms and joined them, as the once beautiful and magnificent city turned to rubble and ruin, as it had done in the east.

Bryce was true to his word that he had given to the four friends and with the help of two dynasty guards, the seventh talisman was taken out and destroyed but as they had been removed, they were caught by the high chancellor and his guard and they were now being held in the city streets as all hell broke loose around them.

‘You!’ the High Chancellor said, horrified and equally infuriated.

‘Yes me,’ Bryce said simply.

‘But why? You were one of my most trusted and favoured, and did I not reward you well?’

‘To gain your trust so that I could have this moment in time,’ Bryce replied. ‘So I could see the destruction of the city – and see the destruction of you.’

‘You will not live to see my destruction,’ the emperor roared, not caring or bothering to ask why one of his most trusted had betrayed him.

‘Kill him,’ he ordered.

The Chancellors guard rushed forward to seize Bryce and the two guards who had helped him, but Bryce released a surge of energy that sent the four of them flying. The two guards by his side drew their swords and charged at the remaining four guards who were desperate to get to the High Chancellor and save him from Bryce – but they could not. Bryce walked towards the High Chancellor and the High Chancellor backed away in equal paces and speed, afraid that this fierce protector had now turned on him. Bryce was not bothered by the High Chancellor’s retreat, he knew he would catch him in the end, so he continued towards the High Chancellor at the same pace.

‘Stay away from me,’ the High Chancellor screamed.

‘Why should I?’ Bryce asked in a menacing tone.

‘Because you will regret this. Do you know who I am?’

‘A vicious killer.’

‘What does that make you if you kill me?’

‘It doesn’t make me anything I am not already – thanks to you,’

Bryce said, pulling out his sword.

‘No wait,’ the High Chancellor begged. ‘I can give you anything you want,’ he said, as he reached into his pockets.

‘I don’t want anything, especially, not from you.’

‘Lei Hin,’ the High Chancellor pleaded.

‘I’ve changed my mind; I do want something from you.’

‘Name it.’

‘My mother, father, two brothers and sister.’

‘Lee Hin …’

‘My name is not Lee Hin – it is Lee Ang,’ Bryce said angrily.

‘Ang?’ the High chancellor asked slowly.

‘Yes Ang,’ Bryce answered.

‘But I….’ the High chancellor faltered.

‘Yes, you killed them,’ Bryce said.

The High Chancellor remembered all those years ago, when he had decided to take over parts of Tschin by force. Many resisted and those that did were executed, many by his own hand. He remembered killing the Ang family by his own hand and it flashed through his brain so vividly as though it were yesterday.

‘I saw you,’ Bryce said slowly, as he looked straight at the High Chancellor.

The High Chancellor looked into Bryce’s eyes and he knew in that moment that Bryce was going to kill him, no matter what he said or did. Thoughts of death terrified the High Chancellor so he turned and ran but ran straight into Rakan. Rakan looked down at the High Chancellor and a sinister smile crossed his lips.

‘Were you going somewhere?’ Rakan asked facetiously.

‘Please,’ the Chancellor begged.

‘That’s not an answer,’ Rakan said wryly.

‘Please, help me he is going to kill me,’ the High Chancellor said.

‘Yes he probably is,’ Rakan said rather amused.

‘Please, I will give you anything.’

‘That’s very kind of you,’ Rakan said laconically. ‘But really, no thank you.’

‘Everyone wants something?’

‘Old man, for a person about to die – and terribly, might I add – you do talk rather a lot, and I have to say, it is a rather pointless conversation.’

‘No…I beg you.’

‘Well that’s very flattering, but really – you are begging the wrong person.’

‘Please, protect me,’ the Chancellor begged.

The High Chancellor looked into Rakan’s eyes and pleaded with him but deep down, he knew it was of no use. He turned to face Bryce who was surprisingly close and he was about to speak when Bryce spoke first.

‘This is for the Ang family,’ he said, as he brought his hands around the High Chancellor’s neck and then suddenly let go. Bryce stepped back and walked past the High Chancellor.

Rakan and Rufus followed him, somewhat surprised.

‘I thought you were going to kill him?’ Rakan asked.

‘I did,’ said Bryce, as he carried on walking.

‘He looks quite alive to me,’ said Rufus, looking back at the High Chancellor.

‘Yes he does, but he won’t be for long. He will die an agonising death over the next day and he will soon realise that. Rakan and Rufus turned to watch the High Chancellor who in turn stared back at them. They stayed that way for a minute or so until the High Chancellor brought his hand to the back of his neck quite sharply and when he felt the needle embedded there, his eyes widened with fear and Rakan and Rufus looked on with curiosity. Bryce turned around to stand with Rakan and Rufus and watched as the High Chancellor fell to his knees and then writhed in agony.