Knights End Read online

  “I am more than capable of lifting a blade to defend the kingdom,” Lord Martin said with a lift of his chin. “We all have our roles in this battle, and I believe mine is to protect the people of the kingdom so that when the battle is over, regardless of the outcome, there is a kingdom to continue to fight for.”

  “How noble of you,” Marik replied dryly.

  “You doubt my loyalty?”

  “No, I doubt your courage.”

  Lord Martin’s plump cheeks turned red. “You would be surprised what people can do when backed into a corner.”

  Marik glared back, and with slow, deliberate words, he said, “I know exactly what people can do. I have seen courage from the young, from the weak, from the old, from the infirm. I have seen leaders give their lives for the kingdom. I have seen brave, strong men fall and fail. And I have seen them rise up and redeem themselves. You, however, I have only seen you run from battle.”

  Lord Martin pounded a fist on the table. “I have never been so insulted in my life!”

  “Calm down, you two!” Elissa cried out. “We are all Karmon. We all fight for the same thing. Lord Martin, what are you asking of me?”

  Lord Martin glanced down the table at Marik and then looked at the queen. “Your Majesty, before the army of the Deceiver arrives, we must take our people to safety.”

  “There is no safer place than this castle,” Marik growled with restraint.

  “If the castle is laid siege to, then what will our people do for food?”

  “There are streams that run through the caverns to give us an unlimited supply of water,” Marik replied. “We have stores of food that will get us through many months of a siege. There are secret exits from the caverns that will allow hunting parties to go out into the mountains.”

  “You underestimate the needs of the people,” Lord Martin replied.

  “It is my job to know this. It has been discussed among the military leaders, and we are all in agreement.”

  “Military leaders?” Lord Martin asked. “Just who are these leaders?”

  Before Marik could interject an insulting comment, Elissa quickly answered, “Me, Sir Marik, Sir Gosmire, Hallendrielle, and King Illichian.”

  Lord Martin let out a huff and rolled his eyes. “The Elves.”

  “The Elves have been an invaluable asset to us,” Elissa said. “Without them, we might not have the means to survive. They are excellent hunters, and since they arrived, they have allowed us to double our store of fresh meat. Once spring comes, the entire courtyard can be tilled up and planted with vegetables and wheat.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “The Elves have a knowledge of agriculture that surpasses ours. King Illichian has assured me that we have space and soil to provide a continual supply of food.”

  “Continual? Starting when? In the fall? Many will have starved by then.” Lord Martin leaned forward and lowered his voice. “I am no soldier or army commander, but I know there can only be three outcomes to a battle with the Deceiver’s army. If we lose the battle, then we will all be dead, and we will have no need for Elven agriculture. The kingdom will no longer exist, and the world as we know it will end.”

  “That is not an outcome we expect,” Marik growled.

  “But, it is a possible outcome. At least admit that.”

  “Fine. For the purpose of this conversation.”

  “Secondly, we are victorious. We defeat the Deceiver’s army, and our kingdom is restored. However, those two are actually the least likely outcomes, even to a non-military person like myself.”

  “You have no confidence in our Knights?”

  “I have all the confidence in your Knights. I do believe that we have a better chance of winning than of losing this battle, but there is a third, more likely option.”

  “Which is?”

  “The most obvious option for the outcome of this battle will be a stalemate. We do not know the strength of the army, for we have not seen it. We do not know what siege engines they might bring against us, for our scouts have yet to see the army. We have limited resources, theirs might be unlimited. So, the most likely option is that we will fight to a stalemate and we will retreat to the castle, and they will begin a siege. And with the strength and resolve of our soldiers and the castle walls, it will be a long siege.”

  “There will be no siege,” Hargon said from the end of the table. “I will ensure that.”

  “You hold but half this Ark of Life, right? Does the Deceiver not hold the other half? You two cancel each other out. The armies cancel each other out. That only leaves one thing. A stalemate.”

  “What you are saying is not new to us,” Elissa said. “We have talked about this among ourselves and with the Elves. We know it is a possibility.”

  “Then you must know there is only one thing that we must do to save the kingdom. We must get our people out. Sneak them out in the middle of the night and go north to the Great Mountains. We can go through Thell and scavenge any food and supplies they left behind. We hide out in the mountains until the war is over, and then return to the kingdom.”

  Elissa leaned back. It was an idea that had not been broached, and it did have some appeal to it.

  Marik, however, let out a snort. “You are not seriously considering this idea?”

  “Sir Marik,” Elissa said softly. “We must consider all ideas. I am not saying it is a good idea or a bad idea, but one that we should consider.”

  Marila listened to the back and forth quietly, taking in their words and thinking about what they were saying. She knew the power of the Deceiver as well as the pure evil that he was, and it scared her. Even when she had been a devoted follower of the Deceiver, she had been afraid of the Deceiver’s relentless might. She knew without a doubt that he would continue the fight until the last soldier was alive, whether it was his or theirs. There would be no stalemate. There would be no siege. That was not how the Deceiver worked, and none of them really understood that. If they continued to think of the Deceiver as just another king leading an army to war, they would all be decimated regardless of their strength.

  “Hargon?” The queen asked. “What do you think?”

  Hargon lifted his eyes from his book. “As it is, our army has two objectives. One is to defend the people of the kingdom and secondly to fight the battle. If we didn’t have to worry about defending those who cannot fight, then it would allow more resources to be put towards fighting the battle. We could be a little riskier in our tactics.”

  They all began talking at once, each trying to out-argue the other. Marila shook her head in disgust. She could not believe that they were actually considering taking the people of the kingdom out into the open and exposing them to the wrath of the Deceiver’s army. They were all safely tucked away in caverns, protected by walls and an army. There was nowhere else they could be any safer.

  Before Marila realized what she was doing, she blurted out, “They will be slaughtered!”

  The table became silent, and all eyes turned towards her. When she realized what she had done, she crouched low to try and disappear.

  “There is that possibility,” Hargon said after a moment. “But the idea would be to sneak them out in the middle of the night under cover of darkness. We wouldn’t just leave in a single mass, but slowly over several nights. With Elven magic, maybe we could completely hide the escape.”

  Marila clamped her lips shut, even though she wanted to say more. She knew the depravity of the Deceiver and his generals. They would inflict not only death but slow torture on any Human that they found out in the open. Goblins would be an easy death for them, for it would be quick. The Deceiver would do his best to make sure their deaths were as slow and painful as possible. Yet, if she told them what she knew, they would know who she was, and they would undoubtedly imprison her. More likely, though, her head would fall as Roddan had tried to do to her.

  “Marila may not be a soldier, but she knows what she’s talking about,” Marik said. “How can we k
now that they are not watching us now and will pounce on us the moment we start to try and escape.”

  “The Elven scouts have been out for days searching for the army,” Hargon said. “They have found no trace of the main army or forward scouts. It could be days before they make an appearance and then it will be too late to get the people out of the castle. If we are going to do this, it needs to be soon. Maybe even as soon as tonight.”

  Marila bit her lip. They were placing too much trust in the Elves’ ability to find the Deceiver’s scouts. They had no idea how powerful the Deceiver was and what he could do to protect the scouts and keep them from being discovered.

  “What will we need to do to get started?” Elissa said.

  Marik let out a long, slow breath and put both palms on the table in front of him. “Your Majesty,” he said, not caring that his frustration was clear in his voice. “We cannot make this decision now. This is such an important one that it must be brought to the other military leaders.”

  “I will inform King Illichian of our decision,” Elissa said. “The safety of the people of Karmon is my responsibility and anything I can do to keep them safe, I will do.”

  “The king should…” Marik started.

  “I am still Queen of Karmon,” Elissa exclaimed. She didn’t yell or even raise her voice that loudly, but the force of her tone was clear. “The Elves are our friend and ally, but when it comes to my people, I will make the final decision. Is that clear?”

  “Then you have made your decision?” Marik asked.

  Elissa looked directly at Marik, giving him the same look her father had given many times when he had been alive and ruled Karmon. Marik got his answer through that look.

  Marila could not contain herself any longer, and the words blurted past her lips before she could contain them. “You cannot do this! They will all die!”

  All conversation instantly ceased, and all eyes focused on her.

  Despite a pounding heart, her voice was cold and steady as she continued, “They will be killed. Each and every one of them. You may not think you are being watched, but I assure you, you are.” She could not believe what she was doing, but there was no stopping now. True tears fell down her cheeks, and she could feel them tickle her skin. She wanted to wipe them away, but her illusion had not picked them up, so her instincts kept her from acting on tears that the others could not see. Her steady voice left, leaving it cracking and shaking with emotion as she continued, “If they tried to leave, the moment they are clear of the defenses of the castle, the goblins will attack. Some would be ripped to shreds right away, but many would be left to die a slow and horrible death.”

  She could not contain her new-found emotions. She didn’t know how the Humans could handle all the conflicting feelings and thoughts that were swimming through her head. Even though she knew that she was not one of them, she could not just let them get slaughtered. They had to be saved, and if she had said nothing, they would all die a horrible death. They will surely know who she is, and she was now prepared for the consequences. It was worth sacrificing herself to save these innocent people.

  Everyone at the table was still and silent. The sounds of nearby diners suddenly became loud and oppressive.

  It took several moments before Queen Elissa broke the silence. “Marila, you speak like you know something more than the rest of us.”

  Marila sniffled. Part of her wanted to completely drop the illusion to show them who she really was. These were compassionate people. Maybe they would have mercy on her.

  “I have seen them. Out there. When I was alone.” She had not meant to lie or try and deceive, but it seemed to come naturally to her. Tension seemed to be lifted, and everyone at the table took a breath at once.

  “Oh, my dear!” Elissa exclaimed, quickly moving to her side. She put an arm around Marila’s shoulders. “You saw them? Out there, when you were alone in the mountains?”

  Marila let her tears flow into her illusion, and they streamed down her cheeks. She bit her lower lip and nodded her head. With a gentle pull, Elissa pulled Marila’s head down onto her shoulders.

  “Maybe Marila is right,” Elissa said with tenderness. “We have all seen what those creatures can do, and if they are close enough, they would surely pounce on any who would try and get away.”

  Marik cautiously countered. “None of the Elven scouts or our scouts have detected any sign of the Deceiver’s army. If they were close, then we would surely know.”

  Hargon looked long and hard at Marila and said, “We know little about their capabilities. They are beings from another realm and could be able to hide their advance.”

  Lord Martin cleared his throat. “I, for one, do not believe this! Sir Marik admits that our scouts and our superior-sighted friends have seen neither hide nor hair of our enemy.” He glanced around the table and saw a flash of indecisiveness in Marik and Hargon’s eyes. “If she were truly this distraught at seeing the goblin army, why tell us now?” He leaned forward and put both hands on the table. With a low, dramatic voice, he repeated, “Why now? Why not when she was first found? We all have been looking for signs of the Deceiver’s army. The best Elven scouts could not find it, but a young, innocent woman could?”

  Elissa glared back at Lord Martin and snapped, “How dare you! She is distraught and in tears, and this is how you treat her?”

  Lord Martin stiffened and let out a haughty snort. “Tears? Tears can be faked. She was found wandering out alone in the forest. Alone. A lady such as her could never survive but a night alone and she claims to have been out there for days? And now she is trying to convince us to stay in the castle?” He looked down at her and sneered. “She is a liar at best. At worst, she is a spy for the Deceiver!”

  Queen Elissa slowly stood up and faced Lord Martin. Her face was full of rage, and she clenched her hands into tight fists to keep from letting her hanger explode. “I’ve heard quite enough from you.”

  “I am only concerned with the safety of our people,” Lord Martin. “We have an opportunity to save most of the rest of our kingdom, and you are now going to take counsel from someone that you hardly even know?”

  With an even and controlled tone, Elissa replied, “It is my duty as the leader of this kingdom to take advice from all sources and come up with decisions that are in the best interest of the kingdom. We know the Deceiver’s army is out there, but we don’t know where it is. If Marila has seen it, then it is close, closer than would be safe for us to leave.”

  Lord Martin leaned back and crossed his arms. “Two heartbeats ago you were willing to let our people escape to safety.”

  Queen Elissa straightened up. “This is the dinner table, not a council table. I was making no formal decision.”

  “But,” Lord Martin continued to press the issue.

  Elissa’s calm, even tone rose an octave as she cut off his words. “I changed my mind! Hearing Marila reminded me that we cannot take risks that will jeopardize the kingdom.”

  Marik quickly spoke up before the argument could continue. “Martin, this was supposed to be a peaceful dinner and not a place where you can step in and make trouble. If you have anything more to say, then request an audience with the military leaders.”

  Lord Martin’s face turned red mostly because of Marik’s insult at not addressing him as a lord. “I have tried many times and have yet to be called into the meetings.”

  The arguing and childish name calling continued while Hargon watched with rapt attention, but mostly he kept his eyes on Marila. From the moment that he laid eyes on her, she had seemed familiar. As he watched her and tried to figure out where he remembered her, he realized that there was something just slightly off with her. Just like her familiarity, he couldn’t quite place what it was.

  He reached out with his mind and touched the Web of Magic, as he had been practicing for many days now. He could feel the Elves around him, and he could feel a sense of dark dread that he assumed was the Deceiver, but nothing was coming from Marila
. If she were somehow a spy of the Deceiver, then certainly she would touch the Web of Magic just like the Deceiver, and his generals did. However, there was still much more to her story of being out in the mountains than what she had told. He had spent decades living among the greatest liars, and he could see through a lie the moment it was spoken. His instincts were telling him that she was not who she said she was, but without any sort of proof, he would keep his mouth shut. Given enough time, all lies would eventually be revealed.

  A slight smile crossed his lips as he figured that a personal visit to her chambers would help to reveal the truth. Then his heart skipped a beat, and his right hand subconsciously gripped the empty pendant that housed the other half of the Ark of Life. The shock of electricity that had exploded through him several days ago came back to him with searing pain. He cringed at the memory of the pain that he had endured when the woman had attacked him and touched the necklace half of the Ark of Life. His last fuzzy memory of that evening was of a face that he now recognized.

  He sprang to his feet to expose her as she truly was. All eyes went to him as their arguing instantly ceased. Just as the words of revelation were about to come out, he clamped his mouth shut. He closed his eyes, still touching the empty pendant and reached out to try and find the black gem that would one day fit perfectly in its spot and around his neck. The feeling of the Ark of Life eluded him, but the thought of having the full power of the Ark of Life did not. He knew he was at a crossroads, and the wrong decision could change the course of the world.

  “Hargon?” Marik asked. “You were going to say something?”

  Hargon looked around at the table, his eyes quickly scanning past Marila. He could not give her a reason to fear him, at least until he was able to get her alone.

  “We are at a point in history where the world’s greatest warriors have gathered in one spot. The Karmon Knights. Elves. Dwarves. The One God has put magic back into our hands not to make war, but to defend and protect our world from a great evil. We cannot run. We cannot hide. We must bring the fight to them. My power has grown greatly from the moment I started studying the power of my book. I am ready for this fight, but I cannot go it alone. It will take all of us standing together as one to defeat the Deceiver. If we run, he will chase us down, dividing our forces in two. No army could survive such circumstances. We must stay here and fight as one.”