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  “All is not lost,” Myllia said. “The Deceiver is not omniscient. He does not know what is going on throughout the world. He does not know that an army is coming.”

  All ears perked up.

  “An army of Sak’Hurai?” Conner asked. “We could use more like them.”

  “No. A larger army of men.”

  “Tarans?” Hargon asked hopefully.

  “No. Taran is no more. These are warriors from lands to the north and west.”

  “The Bargoroth?” Hargon asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Yes. That is the name of one of their tribes.”

  “They are backward barbarians,” Hargon said with contempt. “They would be of little help.”

  Myllia’a ears perked up, and if she could have smiled, she would have. “And yet, they defeated Taran Centurions rather handily.

  “We need fighters,” Conner said. “Do we care where they come from? How far away are they?”

  “They are at least a week’s march away,” Myllia replied. “Maybe two. You Humans do not move very fast.”

  Everyone seemed to let out a sigh of defeat.

  “Then they will march to a defeated castle,” King Illichian said.

  Myllia took several steps forward and lowered her head towards the ground so that her eyes were level with the King’s. “There is another way.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “Get up!” Rufus growled angrily.

  Lord Martin was huddled in a dark corner of the castle’s kitchen. All of the food supplies and most of the food preparation pots, pans, and utensils had been moved to the large cavern under the mountain. Meals were being prepared there by the women and elderly who were not capable of fighting. This left a quiet place for him to hide.

  At first, he had tried to find a way to the cavern, but the courtyard was being overrun by goblins, and there was no chance that he would risk his life attempting to cross it. As he turned back from the courtyard and into the castle, he ran from the screams of the dying. Panic ruled his actions, and he did not think about finding a safe place to hide, only a quiet one. There were no torches in the kitchen, which allowed him to hide in the darkness, but that did not keep Rufus from finding him. He kept his head buried in his hands, hoping that Rufus would just let him be. Instead, a sharp pain erupted in his leg.

  “Ow!” Lord Martin shouted. Rufus had kicked him hard. “That hurt!”

  “It was supposed to. Now get up.”

  “How dare you!” Lord Martin replied, his face turning bright red from the anger that was building up from inside.

  Rufus laughed, which made Lord Martin angrier.

  “I will have you flogged!”

  “By who?” Rufus asked, continuing to laugh. “By you? By your precious Karmon Knights, who are about to be slaughtered by the Deceiver’s army?”

  The anger inside of Lord Martin quickly subsided, but it remained simmering just underneath his skin.

  “I have need of you,” Rufus said, putting his hands on his hips and standing over Lord Martin. “Get up.”

  “I’ll stay here.”

  Rufus leaned down and grabbed the front of Lord Martin’s tunic and pulled back sharply with surprising strength. For a brief moment, Lord Martin fought back, but Rufus was too strong, and he just let himself be pulled forward onto his hands and knees. Before he could protest again, a sharp dagger was placed under his chin.

  “Now listen to me, you fat oaf. You will do as I say, exactly as I say it, or I will slice your double chin in two so that you have four of them.”

  All anger that Lord Martin had felt was gone, and in its place was a cold fear. His hands shook, even though they were firmly planted on the ground. He tried not to breathe, lest movement of his chin would cause the sharp edge of the dagger to slice his skin. Rufus pulled the dagger away, and Lord Martin struggled to his feet. When he finally was fully standing up, his chest heaved with the exertion of standing up.

  Rufus tucked the dagger into his belt.

  “What do you want?” Lord Martin asked, eyeing the dagger that was no longer a threat. His voice was just a little bit stronger, but his hands still shook.

  “We are going to meet someone. You and I are both well-known in the castle, but you most of all. No one asks questions as you come and go, which allows you to run off and hide when there is trouble. This time, though, you will escort our guest and me directly towards the trouble.”

  “Guest?” Lord Martin’s voice cracked.

  Rufus turned to look at the far end of the kitchen where a man stood in the shadows. He had a dark gray cloak pulled about his shoulders, which allowed him to melt into the dark shadows of the kitchen. At being mentioned, the man started walking forward. Halfway across the kitchen, the light that seeped in from the corridors allowed Lord Martin to see that he had dark, curly hair that was common with Tarans. He had a firm jaw, but hallow cheeks and his eyes seemed to be sunken into his head more than what might be normal.

  “Hello, Lord Martin,” the man said. His voice was not overly powerful, but there was a hint of a tone of nobility.

  “Who are you?” Lord Martin asked. His entire body suddenly was cold, and he shivered. It took effort to not chatter his teeth.

  The man smiled. “I go by many names. I even had a Human name, but I do not remember what it was. My followers call me the Adversary. My enemies call me…”

  “The Deceiver?” Lord Martin said, his entire body shaking.

  Yellow-stained teeth showed through the Deceiver’s smile. “Yes.”

  Lord Martin looked from the Deceiver to Rufus, and his mouth hung open. Too many thoughts swam through his head, and he couldn’t put them together to make a coherent sentence, so he remained silent.

  “We need to move quickly,” the Deceiver said. “Once my army arrives, this castle will be quickly overwhelmed, and I can’t have anyone try and escape. We have to find the necklace before that happens, else they might jump onto the back of a Dragon and ride to the other side of the world. I have no more patience for finding the missing piece of the Ark.”

  It was Rufus’ turn to be surprised. “But your army has already arrived. I saw them fighting in the courtyard.”

  “The creatures that are now being slaughtered by your defenses are just expendable fodder. They are easily made from the elements of this world, but that also makes them easy to kill. I would not waste my best soldiers on the task of softening the defenses. No, Rufus, the main elements of my army are now marching from the north, and they will soon be at the gates of this castle.” The Deceiver stepped forward until he was inches from Lord Martin. “I have allowed your people to have hope, but I will now pull all hope away. I will not only crush your bodies, but I will crush your spirit and your will. The fight that you have put up so far has been admirable, but in the end, it has been to no avail. You will lose this battle. You will lose this war. And, you will lose this world. I will let some of you survive and be my slaves. This world is not devoid of resources that I can use in my fight against the Creator. I will need slaves to harvest these resources, and I will also need leaders to help manage these slaves.”

  Lord Martin’s mind spun as he took in all that the Deceiver said. Despite being completely overwhelmed with fright, he understood what the Deceiver was offering. It would be his only chance to survive, and he needed to take the opportunity as soon as possible.

  “I can do that,” Lord Martin said softly, his voice still shaking.

  “Be a slave? Of course, you can.”

  “No, I mean, be someone to lead the slaves. I am a Lord in this realm, and I know how to be a leader. I can help you.”

  The Deceiver leaned back and smiled, rubbing his smooth chin. “You think you can? Rufus, what do you think?”

  Rufus tried not to let his smirk show, but it did. “Lord Martin is a feeble coward who will do whatever it takes to survive, even if it means sacrificing those around him.”

  “Is that true?” the Deceiver asked.

  Lo
rd Martin looked from Rufus to the Deceiver and opened his mouth to protest, but the words did not come out. Instead of saying what he wanted to say to defend himself, the words that came out seemed foreign, but also seemed wholly true. “I am a coward,” Lord Martin said. “I am just what Rufus said. I care nothing for those around me, only for myself.”

  The Deceiver laughed.

  Once the words came out, Lord Martin put a hand to his mouth to keep from saying any more. He could not believe that he said what he said, even though he knew that it was true.

  “Your mind is as weak as your body,” the Deceiver said with a laugh. “You will be worthless as a slave, but if you follow my every command, I will find a place for you after I have retrieved the necklace and have conquered your world.”

  “I will do as you command.”

  “Of course, you will, for to do otherwise will lead to a very long, and painful death. Now, tell me about the Human named Hargon, and where can I find him?”

  ***

  Conner burst through the double doors that opened into the cavern where his people were hiding. The doors were not locked, for if the enemy got this far, no lock or bar would stop them. Torches lined the cavern walls providing plenty of light to see, but there was no sign of anyone. There were still remnants of living spaces cast about, and clear evidence that the cavern was once occupied, but only an eerie silence greeted him.

  Cautiously, he walked forward, wondering if he should call out. A metallic rattle echoed off the walls, followed by the soft sound of pattering feet.

  “Hello?” Conner called out. His voice echoed as well, reverberating back to him for several heartbeats. Conner moved further into the cavern, allowing those behind him to enter as well. Glaerion and Marik held Hargon between them. He had regained enough strength to stand on his own, but he still needed help to walk. King Illichian stood behind them surrounded by a guard force of four Elves. Hemli also joined them. His large battle ax rested comfortably on his shoulder. His face and beard were caked with blood and grime. Conner hardly recognized him anymore as he had completed the transition to an accomplished warrior. Even though only a few weeks had passed since they conquered the Dark Elf that had cast a spell on the Dwarves, it seemed like a lifetime ago. No more were they timid and subservient. Their years of pent-up anger had been released in this battle, which had made them as effective as the Sak’Hurai. He was the only one who was actually sad that the battle had ended. He itched for more.

  Muffled sounds came from the shadows, and then came the sound of running feet. Conner smiled as he saw Ellisa sprinting towards him, her arms pumping uncomfortably around her pregnant belly. She crashed into him, embracing him with a firm hug.

  “You should not be running!” Conner said, squeezing her back.

  “I could not help it,” she said between sobs.

  They held each other for several moment as they were joined by many others. Soon they were surrounded. Hugs and tears were shared.

  “Is it over?” Elissa finally asked.

  Conner gently pulled away so that he could look into her eyes. He slowly shook his head. Seeing his wife was more overwhelming than he expected, and his reply got caught in his throat. He knew that if he tried to talk, only blubbering and incomprehensible words would come out.

  “There is another army coming,” Glaerion said from his side. “The goblins and Stone Ogres were just a first wave. Myllia saw them marching towards us. They will arrive soon. Maybe even by nightfall.”

  “They are already building siege engines,” Hargon added. “They have been building them for some time. The goblins and Stone Ogres were just a diversion and an attempt to soften our defenses.”

  “We can defend the castle, right?” Elissa asked.

  Everyone looked at one another. They had all been asking themselves that question, and each had come up with the same answer. No one wanted to say it, though.

  Finally, Hargon croaked out an answer, “No. No, we cannot. Not against what comes against us now.”

  “But you? You have the necklace. And your spells. And the Elves? The Elves have spells and their arrows. Sir Marik! You have your Knights, right? We are still strong!”

  King Illichian cleared his throat and stepped forward. He gripped the Spear of Salvation with his right hand, using it to help him walk. He had been doing his best to hide his weakness, but it was catching up to him. “We have all fought hard. There are but a handful of arrows left. We are fletching more, but we are out of time. The Sak’Hurai came from the west, and they have made a tremendous difference, but too many good men have fallen. Even with their numbers added to our defenses, we just will not be able to defend the walls against a large army. We will hold for some time. Days, maybe. But not long.”

  “But Hargon? His magic? He was supposed to save us all!”

  “He did. He used a mighty spell that killed all the goblins and the rest of the Stone Ogres, but as you can see, it has taken a toll on his body. He overextended himself. I could feel the power that he drew from the Web of Magic, and if he did not have the necklace to help him, he would have died. But since he doesn’t have the full power of the Ark of Life, he cannot recover his strength quickly. It will take some time for him to recover. A day or two, but then it will be too late. This new army of the Deceiver’s will already be at our walls, and we simply do not have the men to defeat it.”

  Elissa’s demeanor changed. Everyone thought she was going to break down in despair, but instead, she grew angry.

  She stepped back from Conner and looked around. “Then we all pick up swords to fight! Every woman, child, old and young. All of us! There are hundreds of us huddled down in the cavern hiding. We can fight!”

  Conner gently touched her arm and said, “Elissa, calm down.”

  She snapped her head around and glared at him. “Don’t tell me to calm down! You all have given up! We’re going to fight!”

  “Elissa!” Conner said sharply, trying not to shout. “We have a plan. We are not giving up.”

  “Oh,” she replied. Her tone no longer had the sharp edge, but her eyes were still full of fire, and she stood defiantly with her hands on her hips.

  “The Dragon’s egg. We need it.”

  “Myllia’s egg? Immerallis said to protect it with our lives. He said it was the most important thing in all the world. If it were to fall into the Deceiver’s hands, the world would surely be lost.”

  “Yes, and now we need it to save it.”

  “How?”

  King Illichian spoke for several minutes, explaining what Myllia had told them.

  When he was done speaking, more of his strength had slipped away, and he could barely stand. The Elves that stood behind him noticed him about to fall, and they moved forward to keep him from falling down. Glaerion darted over as well.

  “Your Majesty?” Glaerion said, concern clearly in his voice.

  King Illichian smiled. “I am okay. Just getting old.”

  Glaerion looked at the Elves that were holding him up and commanded, “Let him sit. He needs to rest.”

  “No!” the King snapped. “Do not treat me as some feeble old man! I am still king and still strong enough to stand on my own!”

  “But you are not!” Glaerion snapped back. “Your pride will kill us all. You do not have the strength to stand, much less use your magic. If you try, not only will you kill yourself, but the spell will fail. I will stand in your place. I can cast this spell that we need.”

  King Illichian let out a long sigh. Conner set a stool behind him. There were many household items left by the Karmons before they had moved farther into the caverns. It did not take much time to find a stool. The king lowered himself onto the seat and gave Conner a smile and a nod of thanks.

  “Glaerion,” King Illichian said softly. “You do not have the strength that is needed. You are a fine Elven warrior, but we need someone that can draw deeply from the Web.”

  “Who, then?” Glaerion asked.

  “Hallendrielle.
She is the only one.”

  “Hallendrielle?” Glaerion questioned.

  King Illichian looked at Glaerion for several heartbeats. “I have been teaching and training her for a long time, now. Did you not know?”

  “No, I did not know. But that should not be surprising because we drifted apart for many years.”

  “Mmm. That is a shame, for she is an incredible Elf. Her abilities are even stronger than mine.” He held up the Spear of Salvation. “It was she that embued the power of the magic back into this. I helped, but it was mostly her.”

  “I had no idea,” Glaerion said solemnly. “I’ve always known she was special, but I was too busy to notice.”

  “We were all too busy to notice many things,” King Illichian said. “Now is not the time to wallow in what could have been. Now is the time for action. Where is she?”

  “She is on the wall,” Glaerion said. “I will find her.”

  The King held out a hand to keep Glaerion from sprinting away. “Laennik can do it. You stay with me.”

  King Illichian motioned for one of his Elven guards to find Hallendrielle and sprinted off.

  “This will work?” Elissa asked.

  “It will,” King Illichian replied. “We have no other choice.”

  “But the Dragons?”

  “Remember, it was Myllia’s idea. She also knows it is the only way.” The King pushed himself to his feet and looked around. “This is as good a place as any. Fetch the Dragon’s Egg so we can begin.”

  ***

  “You were smart to tell the Deceiver everything,” Rufus said, leading Lord Martin down an empty corridor. Rufus walked straight and tall, with his chest puffed out. There was a slight curl to his lips as he looked down at the shorter man. For several minutes, they walked with only the sound of their footfalls filling the air. The castle had completely emptied out, with everyone outside defending the castle against the invaders from the Deceiver’s realm.