By the Sword

chapter Eight



Jalarn stood in front of the pool inside the warlock’s cave. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply in an attempt to clear his mind, just like Aterun had told him to do. He relaxed as best he could and started a chant that he had learned from two days ago.

He opened his eyes and, to his pleasure, a foggy vision appeared before him. It showed the army of Sanctus preparing for battle. Thousands upon thousands of knights trained alongside their general.

The general that should have been torn apart by that tornado.

It was all futile. Their large number of skilled men would never stand up to what he and his uncle had planned.

The image faded, and in its place was a striking, dark-haired woman riding a white mare in a field of long grass. Her soft lips moved in what was probably a prayer to her God.

Queen Roselyn.

She was very far from home. Far from safety.

“I see you’re embracing your new powers.”

It was Ittonifer. Jalarn wondered how long his uncle has been lurking in the darkness watching him.

“I trust that you will delay our departure until I am finished here,” said Jalarn, without turning around.

“That is Queen Roselyn,” said Ittonifer.

The tone in his voice was strange. Jalarn had never heard his uncle speak like that before.

“Yes. I am going to send a pack of wolves after her. Sanctus will soon be without a queen. The general will have more than a battle to think about.”

“Aterun has failed to tell you that a spell is more effective when you go after the mind or body of a human. Manipulating animals and the weather takes years of dedication and experience. Trust me.”

“Well, I am confident that it is going to work this time. I have meditated on this one for days. Attacking the person directly doesn’t entice as much fear as sending ravenous animals to tear her apart.”

“You have learned very much in such a short time, but if you act like a foolish child with this magic, I will force you to focus your attention elsewhere, understand?”

Jalarn clenched his fists, doing his best to maintain control of his temper.

“Yes, my lord.”

Thick silence filled the air.

“Do you not want me to cast the spell on the queen?”

“Of course I do!”

Why is he acting like this?

Ittonifer stood there quietly as Jalarn began his chant. Every single wolf in Sanctus’ countryside would go after her. Another influential rebel would die that day.


Queen Roselyn’s horse slowed to a walk and began to tilt her ears nervously. Roselyn frowned and scanned the meadow, gently patting her mount’s smooth neck. Everything around them seemed fine. It was not like her horse to be so easily spooked.

The mare snorted and let out a nervous whinny.

“Opal, what is wrong with you today?”

Then Roselyn saw them. A small army of black wolves was crouching in the long grass ahead. Their deep, red eyes bore hungrily into hers.

Heart pounding, the queen redirected her mount and kicked her into a run. She glanced over her shoulder and, sure enough, the vicious predators were now in hot pursuit. There were no fewer than fifteen wolves chasing them.

Roselyn and her mare entered into a dark forest. Panic surged through her at the realization that the carnivorous beasts would have a greater advantage navigating through the woods than a horse.

Lord, forgive me for ever doubting Your love for me and my people. If I am worthy, please spare me this day. I have many things that I want to make up for in this life, but if today is the day that You need me, then so be it.

The mare’s long, sturdy legs leaped over fallen tree trunks and bushes and they went deeper into the forest.

A small, stone house caught Roselyn’s attention when Opal suddenly reared up on her hind legs.

Roselyn screamed as she flipped backward and landed on the damp forest floor. The wolves had already surrounded them.

“Lord, save us!” Roselyn cried.

Roselyn searched frantically for a branch, a rock – anything. She found a thick stick and picked it up. She spun around, ready to swing it at an approaching animal, but Opal had moved in front of her.

Dear God, she is protecting me. Please spare her life!

The snarling carnivores latched onto the beautiful horse’s legs and neck. Crimson blood already splattered her snowy coat.

Roselyn screamed.

Opal reared and kicked, but the muscular predators overpowered her and brought her to the ground.

Roselyn stood there, trembling in horror. There was nothing she could do.

“Opal! Oh, God, make them stop!”

Roselyn sank to her knees, tears blurring her vision. She looked away, but the sickening sound of ravenous mouths filled her ears.

“I’m so sorry, Opal,” she wept.

Soon they would devour Roselyn, too.

“Stop!” shouted a man.

Roselyn shot her head up.

A grey-haired man with a walking stick stood there.

“I am a servant of the Lord, Roselyn. Do not fear.”

How does he know my name? What is he doing here?

“Lord, save us!” she cried.

The feasting wolves barely paid him any mind as they ate their fresh kill.

Roselyn gagged, weeping in the dirt.

My dear, sweet mare.

The older man shouted, drowning out the horrific noises of the ravenous animals.

“Demons, I cast you out of these creatures, in the name of Jesus. Beasts of the earth, go away from here! This spell has no power over us.”

Spell?

The wolves froze and stared at the man for a moment. Then, they left the bloodied corpse and trotted away.

Roselyn realized that she had been holding her breath. She exhaled, still in shock, and stood shakily. She couldn’t stop crying.

“Are you all right, my lady?” asked the man.

“I – I think so. Well, no. Not at all. Thank you so much, but my horse. My poor, dear mare,” she said.

He smiled warmly, resting a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“I know the pain of losing a good animal friend. Come, child. I will make you a fresh cup of tea. My home is close by. We are safe now.”

Roselyn nodded, unable to speak from the uncontrollable sobs. She followed him.


Jalarn rode alongside his uncle toward the Valley of Dururn, where the beasts of the deep would be summoned. Despite the cool breeze whistling over the grasslands, Ittonifer seemed to be in high spirits, which was a very unusual occurrence.

There must be some new information that he has learned of, but he is keeping it from me.

Jalarn would never fully trust the man.

You can never trust anyone.

Aterun rode slightly behind Jalarn and Ittonifer. Following the three of them was one legion of soldiers. There was no telling if a band of knights from Sanctus would meet them. One always had to be prepared.

“Do you know why Waltez is not here, my lord?” asked Jalarn.

“He has another task that I need him to complete.”

Interesting that I know nothing of this.

As Jalarn fought to control his annoyance, a small tent city caught his attention. Jalarn had never seen one before, but he had heard many stories about the men that lived in them.

“Apathetic men,” said Ittonifer.

“And apathy has no place in this world,” said Jalarn.

“Indeed.”

Usually, tent dwellers had no allegiance to anyone and chose to live away from any major civilization. Jalarn despised people like that. They offered nothing at all to the world, which meant that they did not deserve to live. Besides, it was not unheard of that they could grow large enough to form a resistance army.

As they rode closer, several people emerged from their cloth dwellings. Some men carried primitive-looking spears.

Jalarn caught Ittonifer’s gaze. They nodded at one another. It was not worth their time to try and recruit such a useless class of humans, and it wouldn’t be right to leave them there to multiply like pests.

Besides, I am craving a little bloodshed.

Jalarn clenched his scythe and charged ahead on his horse, with Ittonifer at his side. Their men followed. Most of the people tried to run away, but none of them escaped.


Looking through his spyglass, General Edandir scanned the perimeter of the palace grounds from the central watchtower. Ever since sundown, he had sensed that there was someone lurking around the castle. So far he had seen no one.

He turned to leave when a bird’s piercing screech echoed through the still, evening air. It sounded like the call of a blue falcon. Blue falcons never hunted at night.

Edandir’s pulse quickened.

The bird of prey’s cry broke the silence once again.

The general climbed down from his post and slowly made his way to where the noise had come from. It sounded like it was in or around the royal gardens.

With a hand on the hilt of his sword, Edandir listened intently. The slightest movement to his right caught his attention.

“Who is there?” he called.

No answer.

“Show your face.”

A caped man stepped out from behind a rose bush. His blue falcon sat on his shoulder.

“Waltez.”

No one else could have made it past the watchful eyes of the border guards.

“Edandir. It has been too long.”

“Yes.”

They stared at one another for a moment.

“I came here to tell you that you don’t have to fight against the empire. This is all about your pride. You never have liked change, have you? Just accept that the world is changing. You could be a part of a successful empire and avoid the needless death of your people.”

“You know that I won’t.”

“Ittonifer will make you the second ranking general of his army, and he will reward you for all that you do for him. It would be like old times.”

Edandir’s heart raced.

“Oh, how kind of him. No, thank you.”

“Then you are a fool.”

With a hand still on his weapon, Edandir moved closer to the man that had once been his friend.

“If Ittonifer is so confident that he will be victorious, why would he send you all the way here to recruit me?”

“You always were too cocky for your own good. It will get you killed one day. One day very soon.”

“Have you even once asked yourself how you do it? You serve a country – a man – that kills the innocent only to gain more wealth and power.”

“We are no different from any other prosperous nation in history.”

“You killed your own people, Waltez.”

“It was never my intention for Anstalla to die. I thought that she was with you in Sanctus that night. You know that.”

Edandir tried to ignore the pain that crept from the deepest parts of his soul. His wife was dead because of the Malinorians. Waltez had become so power hungry by the time that the Holy Wars began that he wouldn’t have hesitated to kill – anyone.

“Get out of here. Now.”

“I’m not leaving until I have either your allegiance or your head.”

“You will not gain either, but you can try.”

Waltez took a run at Edandir as his falcon flew to a safer perch in the bushes. Their swords collided and sent a shrill clang that sliced through the quiet, still air.

Edandir kicked Waltez’s left shin, but the Malinorian swung around and slashed his sword against Edandir’s right torso.

“I’m killing your queen once I’m through with you,” said Waltez.

Ignoring the sharp pain in his side, Edandir executed a diagonal arc at his enemy’s midsection and then slammed his free hand into his face.

Waltez stumbled backward.

Edandir stood over him and placed the tip of his sword at his neck.

“Hand me your sword,” ordered Edandir.

Waltez complied.

“Now, get out of here. Tell your ruler that he is going to have a real battle to prepare for.”

Waltez stood, stared at Edandir for a moment, and then disappeared into the shadows.

“What is going on?”

It was Talya. Tasar and Atalsa were with her.

“I was just speaking with someone. You three should get ready for the banquet.”

“That is what we were about to do. Was that a Malinorian you were speaking to?” asked Talya.

“That is not your concern.”

Tasar and Atalsa looked at one another.

“We will see you at the palace, Talya,” said Atalsa.

“Sure,” she said.

When the two other knights were gone, Talya stepped closer to Edandir.

“I saw that Malinorian commander. Why would you let him go?” she asked.

“He used to be my friend.”

“Exactly. He would kill you in a heartbeat now.”

Edandir shook his head.

“He did try to slay you, didn’t he?”

“I am not discussing this with you.”

Talya exhaled loudly and turned to leave. Then, she stopped and faced Edandir again.

“Wait a minute. If you knew him well once, then that means he was one of the men that turned their backs on Sanctus during the Holy Wars.”

“Talya, don’t get yourself worked up over this. You need to focus on the large task of conquering the empire in a few days.”

“You allowed a man that had a part in burning down my mother’s village to go free. How could you?”

“He never meant to kill her. He thought she was with me.”

“I can’t believe this!” she cried.

“What happened to forgiveness? Do you not recall the Scriptures? The ones that you could very well die for. This war is not about revenge. It is about justice and freedom.”

“Tell that to the ones that are dead.”

“Those that have passed on are with the Lord now. They are happy and at peace now.”

“But they were not supposed to die yet. General Landine would have never let an enemy go like you just did. You are a traitor!”

Talya spun around and left him.


Threatening, black storm clouds loomed above as turbulent winds roared over the darkening plains. The Valley of Dururn was below them now. It was everything that Ittonifer had imagined since his youth.

In the middle of the valley was a small lake of deep, navy waters. It was home to the ancient sea creatures that had once been thought by everyone to be extinct.

The stealthy, Malinorian-bred horses stepped carefully down the steep, rocky slope that led them to the dark body of water.

When they reached the bottom, Aterun shakily got down from his horse and limped over to the lake’s edge. Ittonifer jumped from his saddle and stared at the lake.

“At last,” Ittonifer breathed.

Jalarn got down from his horse and stood at Ittonifer’s side. He was as expectant as everyone else to see the strange, age-old monsters. Soon, the young general would become powerful in the dark arts. When he got to that point, there would no longer be a need for a group of magicians.

Aterun began a chant, stealing Ittonifer away from his thoughts. In moments, he would behold the beasts that would help defeat his final enemy. His worst enemy.

The water’s surface began to bubble. Everyone froze in place as they watched Aterun’s spell unfold. A great roar echoed throughout the valley. Goosebumps covered Ittonifer’s flesh. The growing darkness made the process seem even more surreal.

A terrible beast emerged from the water. He writhed and snarled, shooting fire from his nostrils. Everyone but Aterun instinctively drew back. It was a stunning animal at roughly five times the size of a regular firedrake.

Aterun transformed its fins into powerful long legs. Large, strong wings emerged from its back. By the creature’s reaction, it was quite an unpleasant process to go through. It screamed and thrashed its head about until the metamorphosis was complete.

Next, a giant sea serpent emerged from the deep. Its rigid fangs were lengthened into fatally sharp weapons.

Jalarn watched in fascination. The lad had inherited Ittonifer’s love of watching a living thing suffer. Today, his enjoyment would be short lived.

“Jalarn, I need you take two hundred of our men with you and ride for Hunter Forest now. I will leave up to you how you win over the giants’ allegiance.”

“Of course, my lord. I will depart after Aterun is finished with this.”

“Are you now first in command?”

Jalarn glared at him, but then he averted his gaze and shook his head. He mounted his black stallion and put on his battle mask. Two hundred of his men followed him toward Hunter Forest.


Tanel had just finished sharpening his arrowheads when he heard General Edandir’s sharp voice outside. He stepped out of the shed and saw the general standing close to the royal gardens. A tall, slender female form was walking quickly away from him.

Talya.

She broke into a run and disappeared.

General Edandir walked briskly back toward the castle without a word.

The way Talya was acting angered Tanel. She always thought that she was better than everyone else. After nearly getting all of them killed on the mission, her behavior toward the general – her own father – was inexcusable. She was acting like a spoiled child rather than a skilled knight that had pledged her life to the military.

Talya cared more about fulfilling her own goals than obeying her general. Any other knight would have been horsewhipped for such constant insubordination to his leader. She was his friend, but he wished that she would grow up.

Tanel placed the freshly sharpened arrows into his quiver, strapped it on, and then started to walk toward the barracks. An idea formed in his mind and he stopped. He knew Talya too well.


Talya could barely see the Malinorian commander in the misty darkness, but his rapid footsteps gave him away.

He’s not moving fast enough to get away from me.

She leaped through the thickening fog like a doe, clenching the dagger in her right hand. He would hear her coming soon. She had to be quick.

He turned around sooner than she had hoped.

Talya threw her knife at him. It was a clumsy throw, hitting him just above his left lung. He went to yank it out.

With an angry shout, Talya grabbed her sword from its sheath and drove it through his stomach before he had a chance to react. Instead of retrieving her weapon, she drove it deeper into his midsection. He moaned and wrapped his weakened hands around her neck. She punched him as hard as she could and then pulled her blade out of him.

As he fell backward, she relished in the agonized expression on his face.

“This is for my mother,” she said.

“You’re Edandir’s daughter, aren’t you?” he whispered.

“Yes. The girl you almost killed.”

“Jalarn is going to kill you for this,” he wheezed.

“He won’t find out that I did this. Besides, you should know that Malinorians only care about themselves. You really think that he will avenge you?”

Waltez breathed his last breath and then lay still.

Talya took her dagger out of his chest and then wiped both of her weapons on the dewy grass.

She stood over her dead enemy. At last, he had gotten what he deserved. All of those innocent lives that had been lost in the fire could now have a small ounce of justice. It made her sick to think that the man had once been her father’s friend.

But this still will never bring my mother back.

Somehow, staring down at her fallen enemy made her feel even more empty. Talya turned to leave and was startled to see a tall, lean figure just a few paces away from her.

It was Tanel. She could not see his face, but she imagined his judgmental glare.

“Your father did not give you orders to kill him,” he said.

“So, you were eavesdropping.”

“I was working nearby. I told myself that you wouldn’t do it, but I should have known better.”

“Waltez killed my mother. You have never had to know what it is like to lose yours.”

“That does not excuse what you just did.”

Talya did not wait to hear another self-righteous sentence come from his mouth.

“I thought you were my friend,”she said.

She brushed past him and then walked back to the barracks.


The sun’s first rays kissed the tree-lined horizon as Queen Roselyn urged the sturdy mule into a swift gallop toward Sanctus City. The pain of losing Opal was still too fresh. It was difficult riding another mount back home. She was going to miss her gentle, brave mare until the day she passed on.

The man that had come to her aid in the forest sat behind her on the saddle, singing an old hymn. He was a prophet named Uittan. Not only was he the kindest person Roselyn had ever met, he also possessed wisdom and peace that could have only come from God.

Roselyn had spent the last night on a soft couch in his comfortable cabin. Over a soothing cup of tea that morning, he had settled many of her fears about going to war with Malinor.

Uittan had assured her that God wanted them to fight for the freedom of Sanctus. She was not going to back down and let the Malinorian Empire take Sanctus’ land. Even though she still prayed that something would happen to prevent the battle, she believed that God would bless her army if war was unavoidable.

After over an hour of riding, they reached the outskirts of Sanctus City.

General Edandir rode up to greet them, bringing a second horse with him. He had probably been watching for her since daybreak and saw her approach on an unfamiliar mount with a second rider. It was good to see him.

“Good day, General,” said Roselyn.

Uittan jumped down off the mule right away.

“I am pleased to have you back safe and well, Ma’am,” Edandir said.

He met her gaze.

“I am happy to be back, General.”

“What happened to your mare?” he asked, concern softening his gaze.

Roselyn clenched her teeth and looked away. She couldn’t talk about it. Not yet.

“I am sorry,” said Edandir.

Roselyn blinked and cleared her throat.

“General Edandir, I would like you to meet Uittan. He is a prophet of the Lord.”

The general smiled and got down from his horse to shake his hand.

“I have heard great things about you from the city pastors. It is an honor to finally meet you,” he said.

“He saved me from a pack of wolves just before it was too late,” said Roselyn.

“No, child. God did,” corrected Uittan with a soft smile.

“Yes. God most certainly did,” Roselyn agreed.

Edandir’s smile faded.

“I knew that I should have gone with you, or at least secured an escort.”

I wish I had brought a full quiver and a bow with me. Opal would still be alive. What a fool I had been to be so unprepared.

The prophet cleared his throat, and they both gave him their attention.

“There is much for Sanctus to do in preparation for this battle. I will leave you two to discuss what needs to be done,” said Uittan.

“I must speak with a young knight of yours, General.”

“Of course. Thank you, Uittan. For everything,” said Edandir.

They watched him walk toward the training field for a moment.

Roselyn felt Edandir staring at her as she mounted the horse he had brought with him.

“I have a feeling that your friends will like what I have decided,” she said, lightly kicking her horse’s sides.

They rode side by side.

“I knew that you would choose the right thing for Sanctus. You are a good ruler,” he replied.

“If it weren’t for God leading me to the prophet, I’m sorry to say that I would have had everyone boarding on ships right now. I was so afraid.”

Edandir looked deep into her eyes.

“You must remember that I vowed to protect you with my life. I would never suggest war against the empire without being confident that we would win.”

“Yes, of course I remember. How could I forget?”

“I found something out about you I didn’t know.”

“What is that?”

“While you are very elegant, you do also have some adventure in you.”

Edandir smiled at her.

Roselyn never really knew what to say to him when the conversation strayed from business.

“I must return to the barracks,” he said.

She studied him as he redirected his horse.

“Thank you, General,” she said.

“Good day, my queen.”


The loud cheers of Sanctus’ soldiers, knights, and commanders echoed throughout the great ballroom. Queen Roselyn had just announced that they were going to war against the Malinorian Empire in three days. General Edandir came to her side as she held up a hand to silence the crowd.

Almost instantly, the room quieted.

“We will march far out of the way of our former ally nations toward Malinor and then bring Ittonifer’s empire to an end!” he shouted.

The hollering crowd jumped up and down. Talya leaned against the wall, enjoying the energy in the room. She decided to save her energy for battle practice. With the fight at Cardamon under her belt and several hours of training besides, she would be an even better fighter this time.

The noise went down a level when servants entered the room carrying platters of delicacies. Everyone returned to their seats.

“Sit with us, Talya,” called Atalsa.

Talya smiled and nodded. The dark-haired girl wore an extravagant bell-sleeved gown. Most of the female soldiers and knights had dressed up for the occasion, while the majority of the men wore freshly shined armor. Talya just wore a slightly fancier tunic, with her hair tied back into a ponytail. She never wore gowns for any reason, and she thought it was ridiculous to wear battle attire to a banquet.

Talya sat down across from Atalsa and Tasar. The two knights had grown on her a lot since their first meeting. She considered them friends.

“I am anxious to get some more training done before the war,” said Atalsa.

“You have nothing to worry about. You’re the finest archer here,” grinned Tasar.

“And we all know who the superior swordsman is now,” said Talya with a grin.

The three of them laughed.

Tanel, Timlin, and Pori joined them at their table then. Talya nodded at the twins and looked at Tanel, but he ignored her. She bit her lip and tried to ignore how much it hurt to have him be so angry at her.

Timlin and Pori got into a debate about who was better at counter attacks on the field, while Tanel sat in silence, deliberately looking away from her.

Atalsa giggled as Tasar whispered something in her ear. They looked like two pathetic lovebirds.

What a great celebration dinner this has turned out to be.

Talya huffed and focused her attention on the decorated room, but her mind kept wandering back to Tanel. She had never known him to hold a grudge like that before. He used to be a friend that she could count on no matter what.

A delicious meal was placed at their table by a couple of servants. Talya’s stomach growled as she inhaled the aroma of marinated meat, buttery potatoes, and seasoned vegetables.

Timlin reached for a slab of pork, but Pori slapped his hand away.

“The ladies will be served first,” he said.

The strapping knight passed the plate to Talya with a wink.

“Thank you,” she smiled, “but I really don’t mind who takes the first piece of meat. We’re all knights.”

“Yet very few are as lovely as Talya and little Atalsa here,” smiled Pori.

“Watch what you’re saying about her,” snapped Tasar.

“Easy now,” said Pori.

“My brother likes to think of himself as a lady’s man,” laughed Timlin.

He dodged another smack from Pori.

Talya ignored them and passed the plate to Tanel, who said nothing. She rolled her eyes. It was up to him to make things right between them.

She concentrated her attention on the savory food, but she wasn’t very hungry. It was the best cuisine that she had ever tasted, but she couldn’t really enjoy it.

Thanks a lot, Tanel.

After picking at her baked apple dessert with her fork, Talya slipped away from the table and made her way out of the palace. If Tanel despised her that much, she didn’t want to be around him. No one else seemed to pay her much attention at the table other than the occasional flirtatious comment from the twins, which she had no use for. She didn’t appreciate that they only valued the women there for their beauty. She just needed some fresh air.

A guard stopped her before she went out to the courtyard.

“You’re not going to stay and enjoy the rest of the evening, my lady?” he asked.

“I am very grateful for the queen’s kindness, but…”

“No need to explain. Fare thee well.”

“Thank you.”

Talya sighed as a soft evening breeze welcomed her outside of the castle. It was well into the evening, but the sun had not fully set yet. That was one of the things that she loved about summer. The days were so much longer.

Talya could see the training field from where she stood. She felt an immediate urge to practice for the battle. Over two hours of sitting down had been a little too much for her.

She had sparred with Endil all day, but she had neglected her archery as of late. It would not hurt to brush up on her skills. One could never be too sure what tactic she would end up using on the battlefield, especially the one that she would soon be in the middle of.

Talya started in the direction of the archery field.

“Talya!” called an unfamiliar voice.

Talya was amazed to see that the prophet from the forest was approaching her. Her father had mentioned him briefly to her before the dinner. He must have told him about her.

She smiled and walked over to Uittan.

He suddenly plopped down on the ground.

Talya had heard that prophets were often very odd people. She supposed that living alone in the woods would have something to do with his interesting mannerisms.

“Are you also retiring for the night, prophet Uittan?” she asked.

“I have come to speak with you. In fact, you are the very reason that I came here with Queen Roselyn.”

“Really?”

Talya found that hard to believe. Maybe prophets were also good at telling jokes.

The older man smiled warmly.

“I think it would be best if you sat down.”

Talya complied.

“I have come to tell you what God wills for you to do.”

“Oh?”

Talya was surprised to hear that God had been giving her any thought at all.

“You are not to march with Sanctus into battle,” said Uittan.