The Destiny of Amalah (72 page)

Callan shook hands with them all and they welcomed her to Amalah. Amara, Michael and Häkan left the room shortly afterwards and Garrick and Kalon showed Callan Knight around.

‘Can you hunt and track?’ asked Garrick.

‘Yes, and I can use a sword and crossbow.

‘Good,’ said Garrick. ‘Then we don’t need to teach you, but we will help you to improve your fighting.’

‘Thank you,’ Callan said to Garrick and Kalon’s surprise.

‘You have no objection to us helping you improve your fighting?’ asked Kalon.

‘No, when it comes to fighting, you can never master it you can only ever improve it, practise and fight. That’s what my father taught me.’

‘Who was your father?’ Garrick asked.

‘Tundi Ajawa.’

‘That explains a lot,’ said Garrick, nodding his head and smiling.

‘You know of him?’ asked Callan.

‘I knew him,’ said Garrick. ‘So did many of the old guard. He was legendry once upon a time. How is he?’

‘He’s dead,’ Callan said sadly, trying to hold the tears back at the thought of her father.

‘I am so sorry,’ Garrick said. ‘He was a good man.’

‘Thank you, he was a good man and a great father.’

‘What about your mother?’ Kalon asked.

‘She died before my father,’ Callan said.

‘I am truly sorry.’ Kalon said.

‘Thank you,’

‘Where do you live now?’ Garrick said.

‘Before, I lived in Southern Mantor but after father died, I live everywhere. I never stay in one place, I just move from north to south and east to west.’

‘It must be lonely,’ said Garrick.

‘It can be, but I meet many good people along the way, apart from the time I was in the central part of Mantor.’

‘What happened?’ Garrick asked.

‘I came across two members of the army that were sweeping through Mantor. I was in an inn when two big men came in, one black and one white, Walton and Kenaz – or something like that.’

‘Waldon and Kenaz,’ said Kalon.

‘Yes that’s right,’ said Callan. ‘Anyway, they fought with everyone in the bar until they fled or were on the floor and then there was just me. I fought them for a while, but then I caught sight of the men outside. I knew they weren’t going to let me live if I didn’t join them – which I wouldn’t – so I bolted and ran out of the back door. I hid in the forest until they swept past me and then I made my way to Filine and then here. It wasn’t very brave I know – running away.’

‘It was incredibly brave Callan Knight,’ Garrick said grasping her shoulder to reassure her. ‘Listen to me, many people have fought Waldon and Kenaz and died doing so. You saw what they did and you fought them anyway. You survived Mantor, rode through Filine and found your way here. It was unbelievably brave.’

‘Indeed it was,’ Kalon agreed.

Callan looked up at Garrick and Kalon and smiled at them, they smiled back and the three of them carried on walking. Callan walked in between them and the two men towered over her by at least a foot.

‘Callan, I am sure the Empress would be agreeable to this; why don’t you stay here?’ Garrick asked.

‘Here, in the palace?’

‘Yes, in the palace, you can stay here, live among us and train.’

Callan looked at Garrick and then Kalon and then back to Garrick again before she answered. ‘Alright I will thank you,’ she said breaking into a smile.

Garrick and Kalon worked together all day and Callan Knight stayed with them, working by their side. As night fell, they settled Callan into the palace and she ate dinner with them. Kalon could not eat properly because he was too busy thinking of Ellora; where she was, what she was doing and whether or not she was alright. He had heard Dale this morning but still it did not stop him from worrying, but there was no need.

Ellora reached Filine in the dead of night, she rode slowly through the jungle and when the horse became agitated, she dismounted and led him the half mile to a small clearing. She tied him to a tree and stroked his head and nose to reassure him and shortly after the horse settled, Ellora turned from him; she moved into the clearing and waited, and a few minutes later, she sensed something.

‘Rakan, is that you?’ she called out. ‘I can sense you,’ she said.

‘Yes it is me,’ Rakan said, as he made his way to the clearing where she was.

‘Rakan,’ she said, going towards him; she hugged and kissed him and he was taken aback by her affection.

‘Ellora it is so good to see you,’ he said, hugging and kissing her back. The two of them looked at each other for a while and then Ellora spoke:

‘What happened Rakan?’

‘When?’

‘To you, Waldon, Kenaz and Rufus – what happened to you all?’

‘We were made an offer that we could not refuse.’

‘Which was?’

‘Absolute power.’

‘You could have refused,’ Ellora said, who was now moved almost to tears.

‘Yes we could, but we did not want to.’

‘But you can turn back,’ Ellora said hopefully.

‘No we could not.’

‘I do not believe that.’

‘You mean you do not want to believe it.’

‘Rakan, please, something has happened to you and the others – please let me help you.

‘Dear, sweet Ellora, always seeing the good in people…’

‘Rakan it is not too late,’ she said interrupting him. ‘Stop what you are doing. All this war and destruction – please, stop this – I beg of you.’

‘You were like the baby sister I never had,’ he said distantly.

‘And you the brother I never had.’

‘And that is why you had safe passage to here and why you will have safe passage back. My path is clear Ellora. I cannot come off it and I do not want to.’

‘What would happen if you were to come off it, forsake all what you have been offered and come back to us?’

‘We would be punished and punished dearly. I know that we would suffer great torment and pain if we were turn on the one who gave us this power.’

‘We can fight them.’

‘No, you cannot, they are more powerful than you could ever imagine.’

‘When did this begin?’

‘What?’

‘Your involvement with whoever or whatever offered you the power.’

‘When Rufus and I first went to Lansten.’

‘That was so many years ago,’ Ellora said in surprise.

‘I know.’

‘Why didn’t you come to any of us?’

‘Because at first, we were not to know what was in store for us, we simply enjoyed all the freedom and learning as much magic as we could, but after a few years, when we had walked a certain path things began to change. Things were being asked of us and after everything that we had been given, we did not want to be ungrateful and refuse. From there, our journey began and it is journey that still has a long way to go.’

‘Rakan, I beg you, whatever or whoever offered you this path, walk away from them. Remember all that you hold or held dear: your father and brother, me: all the people who love you and the man that you used to be.’

‘That man is dying Ellora…’

‘No!’

‘Yes, quickly and surely, the part of me that used to be good is dying with each passing day and with each evil act.’

‘Then turn your back on where you are now and come back to us.’

‘I can’t.’

‘Yes – you can.’

‘Even if I could, I would not – neither would the others.’

‘Rakan…’ Ellora began.

‘Return to Amalah Ellora, return now.’

‘I cannot,’ she said beginning to cry.

‘You must.’

‘Rakan, look at what you are doing. The world is in chaos and people are dying by your hand and by the hands of Waldon, Kenaz and Rufus. You must stop this now, for it will only end badly for all of us.’

‘Perhaps not all of us.’

‘Rakan stop please.’

‘Return to Amalah Ellora – we are done now,’ Rakan turned away from Ellora until his back was facing her. She stared at his back for a while and then she walked to her horse and began to untie her horse. ‘Ellora.’

‘Yes.’

‘Kalon is a lucky man.’

‘I am a lucky woman,’ she said. She turned around to see Rakan still with his back to her and she rushed to where he was. She swung around until she was facing him and she took hold of his arm. ‘Rakan come back to Amalah with me,’ she begged. ‘We can sort this out there – whatever it is.’

‘No we cannot. Do you know what I have done?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yet it does not matter to you.’

‘It does matter. Of course it matters but you do not have to keep doing it.’

‘You know I took five people and killed them, cut out their hearts too.’

‘Rakan stop.’

‘You know this Ellora, I know you know this and still, you ride for a night and a day to see me; the monster that I am – the monster that I have become.’

‘You can turn back,’ she said desperately.

‘Sweet Ellora, it means a lot that you came but I cannot return with you to Amalah.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because I know what my fate will be and you know what my fate will be; to suffer for eternity at the hands of the ones I betrayed, and if they do not find me, then I am to spend an eternity in a dungeon.’

‘No.’

‘Yes and deep down you know it.’

‘I can speak with Amara.’

‘Ellora, you don’t see it. I don’t know why you can’t see the monster that I have become, but I am glad,’ Rakan said, as he gently stroked her hair. ‘However, everyone else can and they will not treat me the way you would. Return to Amalah princess – please return.’

‘I don’t want to.’

‘You have to,’ he said softly.

‘I can’t give up on you – on any of you,’ she said desperately.

‘You have to.’

Ellora looked into Rakan’s eyes and held his gaze, she had seen that look in his eyes many times before and she knew that he could not be moved. She bit and chewed her lip from the inside nervously and smiled a thin smile, grasped his arm tightly and let go before she walked back past him and back to her horse.

‘Goodbye Rakan,’ she said sadly.

‘Goodbye,’ he said, still with his back to her.

Ellora mounted her horse and turned to speak to Rakan, but he had disappeared into the jungle without a sound and so she turned her horse and rode away and as she rode, the dark figure of Rakan watched her leave.

When Ellora was out of sight, he felt quite sad and empty and a few seconds later, he turned away and went back to Waldon, Kenaz, Rufus and Bryce. Rakan had been happy with his path but seeing Ellora leave like that, in that way, made him sad and he felt in low spirits for a while. The others tried to cheer him up but it was to no avail and so they left him to his own devices until he came around.

When day broke, the five men and their army went through Filine; they travelled slowly but surely through the dense jungle and unbeknown to them, they were being followed. They walked for a few miles and it was Kenaz who sensed that someone else was with them.

‘We are not alone,’ Kenaz whispered to his four friends.

‘Keep walking as normal,’ Waldon said.

They kept walking as normal and then after a mile or so, Waldon walked ahead. He listened to everything around him and continued to walk and then like a cheetah, pounding on its prey; he ran and leapt on a man who was standing behind the hanging vines and roots of the jungle. The man grabbed hold of Waldon as they were going down but they both ended up on the floor. While there, Waldon brought his fist down towards the man’s face but the man saw it and blocked it. Both of them looked at each other before they let go of each other and rolled outwards and got their feet.

The man who Waldon had jumped, was very tall but lean and he had long blond hair that flowed behind his broad shoulders. He was a young man of twenty-three and he wore a broad grin that showed his love of laughter and life and it also showed his sense of mischief and arrogance.

‘What do you want?’ Waldon asked, in a hostile manner.

‘To join you,’ Luxor replied.

‘I don’t think so,’ Rufus said. ‘Waldon kill him.’

‘Fine with me,’ Waldon replied.

Waldon drew his sword and Luxor simply smiled and then laughed.

‘And what pray do you intend to do with that?’ Luxor said irreverently.

‘Kill you with it.’

Luxor laughed some more and was now doubled over holding onto his stomach. Waldon looked at him puzzled and annoyed at the same time.

‘What’s funny?’

‘You – trying to kill me,’ Luxor said still laughing.

Rakan smiled slightly, clearly amused by the arrogant young man, but Waldon had known the man for two minutes and for him – it was two minutes too long. He swung his sword down hard and fast but Luxor was faster; he dodged the sword and moved a few feet away from Waldon and drew his own sword. The sword was the most magnificent sword the five had ever seen; it was gigantic, strong and heavily built but it suited Luxor perfectly and he handled it expertly.