Date: Thu, 20 Dec 2001 01:02:41 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: Sword of Kings - chapter 21 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. I wish to extend my thank you to Ed for his editorial assistance with this chapter. If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com. * * * * * * * * The Sword of Kings-by BW (Fantasy/Sci Fi). Copyright 2000 by billwstories Chapter 21 - Final clarifications. December 2001 Kieren and his companions stood dumbfounded. They were still not sure what they had just witnessed, let alone explain it. Some began to search the area for Madumda, thinking he had used his magic to hide or flee, though no one could explain why he would do that when he seemed to have the advantage the moment it happened. Others believed he had been destroyed, but just how that could have happened they had no explanation. Everyone was busily trying to discover some truth, when Kieren finally spoke up. "I have no idea about what just took place, but for some strange reason I feel that this struggle is now finally over." "But what was that flash?" asked a stunned Garreth. "At first I thought the Dark Lord had used his magic to destroy me, but I am still here, so that wasn't what caused it. Then I thought he used his powers to flee, but there would have been no reason for him to do that. He was ready to kill me and finally become ruler of this land, so why would he just run off? Seeing there are no other threats to him anywhere nearby, I presume he must no longer be alive. I cannot explain why I feel this way, but I now sense an inner peace that tells me he is gone forever." There was another lengthy period of silence before Rhys spoke up. "I have no explanation for what happened either, but I may be able to support Kieren's intuition. I think the Dark Lord must have been destroyed too, for why else would he leave his staff of power behind, yet there it lies on the floor." All heads jerked toward where Rhys was pointing and all eyes focused on his staff, which now rested beside the wall where the sorcerer had removed the sword. They also noticed the sword lying on the floor as well. Now even more questions raced through their minds. If the Dark Lord had been destroyed, how was he killed and who was he talking to just before he disappeared? Finally Kieren reached the conclusion that they would not be able to answer these questions on their own, and he turned to tell the others that he thought they should seek out Beraut's advice. Just as he turned around to make this comment, he came face to face with Jana. He had almost forgotten who she was or why she was there. "I thought he was going to kill you," she announced between sobs. She was trembling slightly, still seemingly bothered by all that had happened to them. Now she threw her arms around his neck and embraced him. "I'm so glad you are all right." At first Kieren didn't know what to do, but he eventually hugged her in return, trying to provide her with a little comfort. Although the embrace didn't last for very long, it seemed to mean a great deal to Jana. Now Kieren looked toward the others and spoke again. "I suggest we take this symbol of Madumda's power and immediately go to find Beraut. If the armies are still fighting, maybe we can end it before more blood is spilt, but Beraut is probably the only one who can explain all that has happened here." The others agreed with him and shortly after that they were ready to leave this place behind. Before she moved in front of the group to lead them out, Jana gave the prince one more loving stare. Kieren didn't seem to notice this, but it was something that Garreth immediately recognized. As she took her place at the front of the group, Turquinine and Hadwin moved up beside her before they made their way out of the hall. Just before they exited the foyer, Kieren ran over to retrieve Madumda's staff, which was still lying on the floor. He was a bit leery about touching it at first, but he knew this would be the proof Beraut would require of him, before he'd accept his story about what had transpired. Now that it was in his possession, he moved back to join the others. Carefully the warriors checked the hallway to see if anyone were there, though they suspected that if there had been anyone outside during the encounter, they would have entered when they heard the previous commotion. Preferring to err on the side of caution, however, they slowly peered through the doorway. They discovered nothing but an empty hallway beyond, so they passed through the large double doors that separated the two areas and scurried down the empty corridor that lay beyond. Each of the companions kept close to the person in front of them, as they all wanted to free themselves as quickly as they could from this inhospitable place. They exited the main building, but not before making sure it was safe, and then they slunk along the outer expanse of the compound, seeking their freedom. As they approached the main entrance to the fortress, they stopped to see how many guards protected the gates. Alaric slid forward alone, having volunteered to do so on his own, and used his elfin skills to move about undetected. He was gone only a few minutes before he returned and reported what he had discovered. "I counted seven guards," he informed the others. "There are two in the entranceway, two others just outside the gate, and three more about ten meters farther out." Suddenly the warriors in the party began to discuss the best way to handle this threat, temporarily leaving Kieren , Garreth, Jana, and Qaim out of the planning. Jana took this opportunity to move closer to the prince, so she could speak with him. "That was a very brave thing you did back there," she told him, her face radiating her admiration for his courageous stand. "I'm sure you destroyed that evil monster and I just want to thank you for avenging what he did to my parents." "I didn't do it just for you, I did it for my family as well," he replied, "because you must have heard how Madumda bragged about murdering so many of my ancestors. Anyway, I don't think you should thank me yet, at least until Beraut concurs that he is dead. Besides, we need to escape from here before any of us can feel safe to celebrate." "Although I would prefer to get out of here alive," she responded, "the most important thing is that he has now paid for the evil things he did to everyone else. I am convinced that you have seen to that." "Well, I won't be happy until we all escape with our skins still intact, and learn the details about what really happened from Beraut. I won't be satisfied until he tells me the Dark Lord is truly dead." "Don't worry about that, Kieren," interrupted a somewhat neglected Garreth. You could tell by his attitude that he seemed to resent the fact that Kieren was paying so much attention to Jana, especially since he thought the prince should have been seeking him out at this time. "The hardest part is now behind you and Beraut will confirm the fact that Madumda is gone forever. Our brave protectors will get us out of here and safely back to Beraut, and we shall soon be on our way back to our families." "I hope you're right about all of this," Kieren told him, while placing an arm around his friend's shoulder, "but I prefer to reserve my judgments about what took place until Beraut confirms our suspicions and we are safely back where we belong." "Qaim think." but the aignx's statement was cut short by Rhys. He had just returned from his discussion with the others and he was about to advise them on what would happen next. "Come quickly," the soldier told them, "for we now have a plan to escape from here. We want each of you to stay close behind us, but keep your weapons handy. We may still have to fight our way out of here, though I hope it doesn't come to that. Kieren, use your cloak to conceal yourself, for we don't want to lose you after all we've been through already. Now we need to get you back to Leander, so you can become the next king." Kieren had nearly forgotten about all of that, but it made another marked impression on Jana. Garreth had already come to grips with the fact that his friend would one day become king, but it saddened him to think that from here on out Kieren might not have very much time to spend with him. Now each of them put these thoughts in the back of their minds, once they saw the others begin to make their move. Those of them who had weapons grasped them more tightly, not knowing what they might be called upon to do next. They didn't want to be unprepared for any situation that suddenly arose, especially on hostile soil. Kieren fondled the handle of the Sword of Kings, which he had tried to keep a tight grip on since he had recovered it, but now he held the Dark Lord's staff in his other hand. Slowly he shifted the Sword into the same hand that was holding the staff, while he used his right hand to retrieve something else from his person. Once he retrieved it, he held the item out to Jana, urging her to take it. It was the dagger which he carried with him the entire trip, and he now offered it to her, hilt first. "Here, you use this to protect yourself, but please be very careful with it. The blade is very sharp." The servant girl smiled wryly as she accepted his gift, and she made sure to touch Kieren's hand as she took the blade from him. She held the dagger, point downward along her side, and then she glided gracefully behind the others, as they prepared to slink toward the gate and the freedom that lay beyond. Now they moved stealthily toward the main gate, until Alaric signaled them to halt. "Rhys and I shall move up behind the two guards on the inside of the gate and dispose of them. They are focusing their attention on the outside, so we should be able to do this easily. I want the dwarfs to have their crossbows ready, just in case someone else shows up or our deeds are witnessed by the other guards. You will need to dispose of any interlopers before they are able to interfere or cry out a warning." The dwarfs nodded and then the first pair slipped off to do their dirty work. Alaric slid up behind the first guard, placed his hand over the guard's mouth, and then drove his short sword through the victim's side, rupturing his vital organs. Soon the guard collapsed, and Alaric eased the dead soldier to the ground, before he looked over to see how Rhys was doing. The Akiktite had slipped up behind his own victim, grasped the guard's head with both of his hands, and then twisted it sharply, snapping his neck. He too helped the body fall noiselessly to the ground, and then the pair furtively returned to join the others. "Here's what we shall do next," Rhys told them. "Seeing Hadwin and I are the two closest in size and resemblance to the guards we just killed, we shall don their helmets and cloaks and go through the gate posing as them. Hopefully, if any of the other guards look up at all, they'll just think we are the two other sentries and will pay us little heed. If that is the case, we shall be able to eliminate them quickly and without any problems. After that is done, the three dwarfs shall fire through the gate at the three other guards, after they have decided who will fire at which target. Alaric will have to be ready to finish off any of them who isn't killed immediately, just to be prudent. Turquinine, you are to protect the others, in case we are unsuccessful or someone comes out of the fortress and moves toward the gate." They all acknowledged their assignments and everyone took up their position. Rhys and Hadwin donned the dead guards' helmets and capes, though Hadwin had to try to conceal the bloodstain that had formed on the garment after Alaric had stabbed that sentry. Now they set their plan into motion. Hadwin passed through the gate first, his falchion hidden under the cloak, and he made his way toward the guard he was to deal with. Slowly he approached him, even though the guard had glanced over his shoulder and saw him coming, but the sentry seemed unconcerned by his approach. The black clad warrior never turned around fully, and he never even attempted to defend himself, before Hadwin ran him through with his blade. Rhys had moved through the gate right behind the Nardian, with his broad sword at his side, and he ran his guard through from behind as well. That soldier had never even seen or heard him coming, and it didn't appear as if he knew anything was amiss. Just as those two guards were being felled, three quarrels were released almost simultaneously. All three found their marks, but only one of those guards fell dead upon impact. The other two staggered, the one less severely wounded than the other, until Alaric placed his arrow through that sentry's heart. The other guard managed to pick up a battle horn and blow a brief alarm, just before Hadwin rushed forward and slashed him across the abdomen, putting an end to him. Knowing someone must have heard this warning blast, they signaled the others to follow them quickly, so they could escape the fortress. They were on their own now, as Jana had never been outside the fortress and could not guide them from this point on, so Alaric raced ahead of them and selected the course they would follow. Now they were making their desperate flight from Treblanc, and they sped down the path, hoping to leave that ancient citadel behind them. While they kept alert for the emergence of enemy troops in front of them, they also glanced over their shoulders to see if anyone was pursuing them as well. Kieren did not choose to run as fast as he could, preferring to go a little slower, so he could remain by Jana's side and offer her at least a little personal protection from any dangers they might face. About that time, a commotion arose from behind them, and Kieren looked over his shoulder to see a party of warriors now closing in on them from that direction. They had obviously heard the signal and discovered their fallen comrades, and now they sought to kill those who had murdered their brethren. As he continued to run, the prince kept looking over his shoulder to see if the pursuit was getting any closer, and this caused him to stumble on the uneven pathway and fall. Jana screamed when he tripped, causing the others to stop and turn to see what was wrong. When they looked, they discovered the prince sprawled out on the ground, struggling to get back to his feet. They had no idea what had happened, for he could have been felled by an arrow for all they knew, so they moved back to defend and protect their future king. Just as his friends got near him, Kieren regained his footing and turned to face the onrushing enemy. Not knowing what else to do, he held Madumda's staff in front of him, where the attacking warriors could see it. Almost immediately the Dark Lord's troops recognized their master's symbol of power and ended their advance, beset with confusion. These soldiers had been in Madumda's service for a number of years and they knew that their master would not voluntarily relinquish his symbol of power. They were also pretty sure that the only way to get that from him would have been to destroy him. Now they eyed Kieren, wondering how a youth could have accomplished such a feat, but they knew that if he was powerful enough to do that, there was nothing they could do against him. While they stood and tried to evaluate their next move, the companions coaxed the young prince into continuing their escape, though they did not flee as quickly as they were previously traveling. Madumda's men stood transfixed and just watched them depart, afraid that Kieren controlled the Dark Lord's power by possessing his staff and he could destroy them all whenever he wished. Once the companions had placed some distance between themselves and their former pursuers, they stopped to discuss what had happened. Now they commented on how far they would have to travel to reach Beraut and what other dangers they might face along the way. They questioned whether Madumda's army would also recognize his symbol of authority and how they would handle things if they were in jeopardy. Kieren suggested he could use the Golden Medallion to give a show of his magical potential, if Madumda's army didn't give ground when he showed them the staff. He felt a show of his power might make the attackers think twice about trying anything against them and it would give them a taste of what he could do to them. Now they continued on, making their way through the mouth of the Devil's Horseshoe, and then they stopped briefly to discuss what route they should follow next. "We must go west," Doenilio suggested, "to avoid finding ourselves in the midst of the Dark Lord's army. Then we'll have to loop back to the east, to get to where our own forces are camped. I know it will be a much longer journey, but it will also be the safest." Everyone agreed with the dwarf's recommendation and they veered west, toward Tunstan. From there they would head south, keeping their eyes open for signs of the allies or the enemy forces, but they wanted to seek Beraut's counsel as quickly as they could. Now they relied on Alaric and Garreth's keen elfin eyesight to spot any movement along the horizon. It took them a few hours of brisk walking to get near enough to Tunstan to discover the city had been destroyed. They didn't have time to dwell on what had happened there or speculate about how many had been killed, but they noted that it was another of the Dark Lord's deeds that he would never be able to repeat again. For the next couple of hours they turned south, and the two elves continually reported that there were extensive troop movements in the distance, mostly to the north, toward Treblanc. The earliest sightings were of Madumda's warriors heading toward the fortress, and the companions wondered if they were going back to defend their master or if there was some other reason for this to happen. "Why do you suppose they are moving so quickly and why would the be leaving the battle so early in the day?" Sedain asked the others. "Could they be retreating after losing to our army?" Garreth continued. "I suppose that is possible," the dwarf replied, "but they may also just be regrouping and gaining time to get reorganized." "Do you think they could possibly know that their master has been destroyed?" Alaric asked. "That is also possible," Rhys informed him, "though I'm not sure how they could have learned about that so quickly." "Couldn't a messenger have reached them by now, and told them about what we did?" Garreth wanted to know now. "That would be a valid assumption, especially if we've made it this far already. A messenger would have been able to take a more direct route and not have to worry about being discovered, as we did. Yes, they could have learned that way." "Methinks, they are retreating, not regrouping," Turquinine suggested. "The chaos is too great to be an organized military tactic." "Yes," replied Alaric, "they do seem to be very disorganized. I have not seen anyone taking charge or giving orders, so your conclusion is quite plausible." "Well, the only way we'll find out for sure," Hadwin added, "is to get to our troops and ask them what they know." The others agreed and they continued to move toward the south. It wasn't all that much longer before they began to see the first signs of allied warriors moving in the same direction, but they decided to wait a little longer before turning eastward. As they made this change in direction, Jana began to tire and slow considerably, so Kieren did the same. Once some of the others noticed them lagging behind, they decided to take a break and give everyone a chance to catch their breath. Most of them had been running on adrenaline up to this point, especially when they realized how close they were from reuniting with the wizard, but they all agreed they could use a rest. They had nothing to eat, so they merely sat and relaxed, knowing they soon would be able to get supplies from the various fighting groups that made up the combined army. As they sat and rested, they talked about many things. Garreth managed to geet Kieren separated from Jana long enough to speak with him in private. "You like her, don't you?" Garreth asked his friend. "I guess so. She did help to save us back there." "I don't mean you like her for what she did. I mean that you REALLY like her. I can tell." Kieren blushed a bit after Garreth said this, but he knew he must be honest with his friend. "I guess I do, but I'm not sure how much. She is attractive, even though she's so dirty, and she is so easy to get along with." Garreth didn't respond right away, but thought for a short time before he spoke again. "I know that you'll be expected to marry and have children once you become king. Do you think you'll marry her?" This time it was Kieren who paused before he replied. "It's too early to tell, but so far she is the only girl I know that I might even consider anything like that with. Don't worry, I'll always have time for you and you will always be one of my closest advisers." Garreth smiled at Kieren and hugged him at this point, and then he called Jana over to join them. He did this to show that he understood what was expected of Kieren and that he approved of Jana as a possible selection. Soon they were told that they would have to be on their way again, and now they headed east once more. As they walked to join up with the allied army, Alaric announced that there was a rider heading rapidly in their direction. The warriors immediately drew their weapons, even though it was but a solitary figure, but soon Alaric announced that it appeared to be the wizard. They now waited expectantly as he and his mount sped toward them, and then they watched as he leapt from his horse before it had an opportunity to come to a complete halt. Without hesitating, he raced over and embraced Kieren. "You did it, my boy. You put an end to my evil brother." "Then he is dead? He's really dead?" "He most definitely is." "But how? He was ready to kill me by driving his sword through my chest when something distracted him. I mean, one second he had his sword poised above me, telling me to prepare to die, and the next he was talking crazily into the air. Was that any of your doing?" "No, I had absolutely nothing to do with that." "Then do you have any idea what annoyed him so? It was almost as if he went suddenly mad." "That's not quite the way it was, but he most certainly was shocked. Before I explain to you what happened, let me reassure you that I have been totally honest with you from the very beginning about the whole history of Madumda's rise to power, the creation of the Sword, and certain other aspects of Tarolian history. There was other information, however, that I had to withhold from you or mask slightly in deception, to prevent my evil brother from finding out the truth. I couldn't tell you until now of my duplicity, lest he discover our true intent and usurp your claim to power." Kieren was even more confused now, as the wizard seemed to be talking in riddles again. "You'll have to explain this to me. I'm not sure I understand what you're trying to tell me or even how I destroyed him. I mean, I didn't stab him or anything, so what happened to him?" "Okay, let's take this one step at a time and I will try to tell you all you want to know, but first I have to have to give you a little background information. Kieren, as you will learn as you mature, sometimes truth is just a variation of reality and it is possible to accomplish more by omitting certain facts than you can by giving alternative explanations. This was what the Council of Wizards decided to do when they met to decide how they could best deal with Madumda. They needed to find a way to negate his enormous potential and curb his avaricious lust for power. It was a very difficult task for them to devise a plan to neutralize him, but it was even more difficult to cloak the plan in complete secrecy, so he would never learn of their true intentions." "I'm still not sure what you're trying to tell me," Kieren informed him. "Be patient, my young friend, and all will be made clear to you. When the remaining Council members returned to discover what Madumda had done to their brothers and that he had declared himself head of their august group, they had to either find a way to neutralize or destroy him, or they would have to accept him as their new leader. While negotiating with him, they secretly searched the volumes of black magic that they had been able to sneak out of the library at Treblanc. These were the same volumes in which Madumda had discovered the secrets that now enabled him to wield such immense power. Over the course of several days, they uncovered several less significant entries that explained a way to counteract Madumda's combined magic. They argued for a few more days over which of these methods to use, and they agreed that the simplest solution was also the best. It was also the easiest to put into place and the least likely to fail, due to its simplicity. "The first step of this plan was to create a talisman, or a focal point for Madumda's concern. They did this by asking the dwarfs to create the Sword of Kings." At this point, Kieren remembered that he had been carrying the Sword, so he held it out for Beraut to see. Beraut smiled, patted him on the head, and then continued speaking. "Yes, the very same talisman that you so cleverly located and used to defend yourself with. Now, let me finish my explanation. The fact that the Sword contained the combined powers of the remaining members of the Council was just a ruse, a necessary deception to keep Madumda at bay." "You mean that Sword had no power or no magic to destroy him? You sent me to face him with just a plain old sword?" "No, I did not say that. All I said was it didn't contain the combined powers of the remaining wizards, but I didn't say that it was powerless or contained no magic." "Then what exactly do you mean? What was there about the Sword that prottected me? I mean he was far bigger and stronger than I am. It's just a miracle that I'm not dead right now." "Possibly there was some luck involved, but the Sword had something to do with that too. You see, the Sword did contain magic, but a very simple kind, one that would counter the cohesive spell Madumda had used to combine the powers of all the wizards he destroyed with his own." "You mean I faced the most powerful person in the kingdom with no more than a beginner's magic spell to protect me?" "Not exactly. You are overreacting again. Listen carefully and I'll try to explain this to you. When Madumda duped the other wizards and stole their magic, he bound this all together under his control by using a special spell. Without that spell, those various powers would pull him in various directions and literally tear him apart. The Council members learned that fact while doing their research, and then they uncovered a spell that would negate the one he had used. That was the real magic of the Sword. All it had to do was to come into contact with his body, no matter how slightly, and it would set free all the powers he had stolen. They would literally rip him apart. That's where you came into play. You were needed to make that happen." "Does that mean the prophecy was a hoax too?" "No, that was real and totally unexpected. There really was a seer who made that prediction and he had absolutely no input or urging from the Council to do so. That part was true and obviously the seer knew what he was talking about." "So, when I accidentally touched his ankle with the Sword, that's all it took?" "Precisely." "But what was the flash?" "That was the energy released as a result of all those powers breaking free of his control, exploding from his physical body, and leaving nothing to be found." "Wait. If it was simple, then why did the other wizards have to die? I thought they gave up their lives to produce the power that went into the Sword." "That was one of those necessary deceptions that I previously referred to. Madumda would not have feared the Sword unless he believed it contained as much or more power than he did. Had he found out the true nature of the Sword, he could simply cast a spell to prevent it from ever coming within a certain distance of his body. No, he had to believe it was more powerful than he was. "There was also another reason for that ruse, one that they hoped would one day prevent the necessity of war and all the bloodshed that would result from that. The Council hoped that if the Dark Lord ever captured the Sword, he would try to steal its alleged power and fuse it with his own. To do that, he would have to hold or touch the sword, which would take care of the problem for us. However, he was far too cautious or paranoid to do that, which left us to carry out our own attempt to destroy him." "Then what really happened to all the other wizards, the ones whose power was supposedly infused in the Sword?" "This is what really happened to them. One night I accompanied them on a trip to the Mystic Forest. When we got there, that is when they first informed me of their plan. It was in there, in the woods, where they gave up their mortal existence, by transferring the essence of their beings from those fragile shells that contained them and into other receptacles." "Wait, you've lost me again. What other receptacles?" "Okay, let me back up a little more for you. As you know from the years you spent in Wildoness, the forests of Tarolia have enchanted qualities. Some of these mystic properties help to protect the woods themselves, while other times they are used to protect those who inhabit the wood, such as the elves. It is even difficult for those of us with magical abilities to penetrate the truth of what they are concealing. That is why Madumda never learned the truth of what actually happened to his elder brothers or their continued existence. That is why Madumda also never learned about you or your family, or about how your relatives continued to survive in the elfin homeland. That is also what trapped our Northern Army in the Faerie Forest, though I'll have to fill you in about that at a later time. "The Mystic Forest originally got its name because of the magical properties it possessed. It was always a favorite place of escape for the members of the Council, a place they could go to meditate, find solitude, or seek refuge, so that is where they went in this time of crisis. It was the night after the dwarfs presented them with the Sword of Kings and when we got there they told me of their plan. They advised me they were going to infuse their spirits into the trees, but I was to spread the word that they had died by placing their powers in the Sword. I was to explain how they performed this ritual and then have their bodies collected for burial, so there would be no doubt in anyone's mind that they had done this deed. During the years following this act, I often went to the Mystic Forest for their companionship and counsel. In fact, they were the ones who helped to convince me that you were the one told of in the prophecy and they were the ones who intervened when your battle was going poorly with Madumda. They feared for your life and revealed their existence to him, just before he was able to deliver the final blow. That distraction saved your life." "Was that who Madumda was talking to when he said something about their being dead and this was impossible?" "Yes, that is precisely what happened. I felt them revealing themselves to him, and I was sure he'd be confused by their sudden reemergence." "Wow, I'm really glad they did that, but wasn't it pretty risky for them to reveal the truth like that? I mean, he could have killed me, cast a spell to protect himself from the Sword, and then gone to the Mystic Forest to destroy them." "It was a gamble they felt they had to take, though none of us believe he could have destroyed them. The forest would have continued to protect them, but you would have been lost, along with all hope the prophecy would ever be fulfilled." "But my mother is still of royal blood." "Yes, but she wouldn't be able to stand against Madumda, especially if he knew about the true nature of the Sword, and she is far beyond her childbearing years. The line of Ethelbert would have ended when she passed from this world." While Kieren mulled all this information over in his mind, Beraut was answering the questions the others posed to him. He stopped short at one point, when he finally spied Jana, and then he made a comment. "Hmmm, I see you have made another addition to your group." He motioned toward her as he spoke, but the mention of her presence brought Kieren back to the present. "Yes, this is Jana. She was a kitchen servant at Treblanc and she proved to be very helpful to us. We probably would never have found the Sword without her assistance." The others chimed in their agreement, as Beraut introduced himself and asked her a few questions about her family and how she came to be at Treblanc. After Beraut and Jana had had an opportunity to talk for a few minutes, Kieren began to tell his mentor how she had led them to Madumda's quarters and how they searched through it. He told the mage about the orb, about how Qaim was afraid of it and claimed it was evil, and how that forced Qaim to move away from it. Then he told the mage how that is what led the aignx to find where the Sword was hidden, and how he then used the Sword to destroy the orb before they left. "Ah, that explains one mystery for me," Beraut uttered. "I was wondering what caused all the Soulless Ones to collapse." Beraut now went on to explain how, at a critical point in the battle, those creatures caught between the world of the living and the dead had just collapsed, and how that helped turn the tide of battle. He explained that he didn't know how or why that had happened at the time, only that it was a fortuitous occurrence. "I and the army are grateful that you heeded Qaim's warning," the wizard continued, "taking the opportunity to destroy another of his evil plans and to release those poor souls from their bonds to this world." Now Kieren continued telling the mage about leaving the Dark Lord's quarters and about the confrontation he had with him just as they prepared to leave the fortress. He then told him about their escape from Treblance, the journey to find him, and how they found Tunstan destroyed. Now he paused before he spoke again. When he looked up at his mentor the next time, the young prince had a pained expression on his face. "Beraut, now that I know all of these things, can you explain why you or your brothers who continued to live in the Mystic Forest couldn't have helped to save Romaric's life?" "First of all, that was beyond our influence and second, even if any of us could have done anything, my brothers couldn't have taken the chance of revealing their presence and lose the advantage they held over Madumda for something that minor. I am glad you brought that up though, for it reminds me of something else. There is one more thing I have to present to you now. It is back at camp and we shall have to travel there for you to receive it." This made Kieren wonder what the present could be, but he finally decided it was probably some kind of crown to make him the official heir to the throne or something like that. He didn't pursue this possibility any further in front of the others, as he thought that bringing up that fact would be boastful or conceited. Now Beraut led his mount as they walked back toward his military headquarters, though they all continued to talk and ask questions as they went. When they finally reached the camp, someone asked if they might be able to get something to eat, as it had been a while since their last meal. Immediately Beraut ordered that food be provided for them and that all their other needs be taken care of. While they were enjoying a hasty meal, Beraut disappeared, but soon returned. Behind him walked a solitary figure wrapped in a blanket, his head bowed and covered by that piece of cloth. As he walked, he didn't look up until the wizard spoke to him directly. At that moment the individual lifted his head, and a shocked look instantly spread across his face. After that, he bolted toward the others, who were just finishing their meal. "Kieren! You're not dead. I didn't betray you or cost you your life. Oh, I was so worried I had condemned you all." At the sound of the prince's name, all heads turned to see who was speaking, and their eyes almost popped from their sockets when they saw Romaric coming toward them. "ME dead?" Kieren responded. "You were the one who fell from the snow bridge and then was swept away by the avalanche." By now Kieren and Romaric were hugging each other, but they were quickly joined by Garreth, as he didn't want to miss out on this reunion. Soon everyone was shaking hands, slapping each other on the back, or telling each other how much they meant to them. This continued until all of them were too exhausted to continue any longer, and they literally collapsed from exhaustion. Beraut supplied blankets to those who were still awake and then the mage covered the others, before he too went to bed down for the evening. It had been a long and an emotionally draining day, and they all needed their rest. When they awoke the next morning, they were all awash in the euphoria of defeating the Dark Lord and freeing the land of his threat and tyranny. They were also thrilled about being reunited once again. After consuming a quick meal, Kieren, Garreth, and Romaric slipped away from the others, wishing to find out, in private, what the other had been through. They spent quite a bit of time telling about what had happened to them since the snow bridge collapsed under Romaric, and they commiserated with each other over all they had been through. Once they had completed this, Romaric decided to ask Kieren a question. "Are you going to Leander now that this is all over?" Kieren looked up at his friend, and then over at Garreth, and then he answered the question. "Eventually I will have to go to Leander, but Beraut is allowing me to do as I wish first. I have decided to go back to Aurelia to spend time with my parents and you, to unwind and have some fun before I have to worry about the duties that are going to be thrust upon me." The two elves were ecstatic about this news and they both hugged their friend before they started making plans about what they were going to do when they got back home. "I am also bringing Qaim and Jana back with me to Wildoness," the prince announced, when they had reached a lull in their conversation. "Neither of them has any family to return to and no place to live, so I am going to ask my parents to let them stay with us, to repay them for all they did to assist me." "And maybe because you're also falling in love with Jana," Garreth offered, which caused Kieren to blush. Romaric, who had not seen how his friend and the servant girl had been with each other, was flabbergasted by this suggestion. "I've seen the way you look at her when you talk to her," Garreth continued, "and that you always seem to stay fairly close to her, like you used to do with us." Garreth now noted the look of shock and confusion on Kieren's face. "I was just afraid she might get hurt, is all," the prince responded. "Even after we got here?" Garreth continued. "Well, that was because she didn't know many people and I thought she might be frightened and feel all alone." "And after you finished with Beraut yesterday, you went straight to her and no one else." "I was just trying to be nice and keep her company. You had Romaric to keep YOU company." "I didn't see you being that concerned about Qaim." "Qaim's different. He can take care of himself and he seems to prefer to be alone most of the time. Besides, he's been with us a long time and he knows everyone else who was with us, so he doesn't rely on just me for company." "And maybe it's also because Qaim isn't as cute as Jana," Romaric added, with a snicker. "You two are just awful. Maybe I'll change my mind and not go back to Aurelia with you." "Then who will you get to care for Qaim and Jana, if you don't take them home to meet your parents?" Garreth countered, knowing he had Kieren flustered. "Oh, just leave me alone," Kieren screamed at him, and then he started to walk away. Garreth and Romaric looked at each other and then raced after him, to stop him from leaving. "Don't get mad, Kieren," Romaric pleaded, not wishing to be separated from his friend again. "We still want to be your friends. We know that someday you'll be expected to marry and have children, and we won't be as close as we are now, but we're just not ready for that to happen yet." "I'm sorry if I upset you," Garreth told him, "it's just that I could see you spending more time with her than with us, even once we got back home. I don't want things to change, and I saw this as an opportunity to make my point." "I understand and we shall always be close, maybe just not in the same way we have been or now are. We are grown up now and different things will be expected of each of us. For that reason things WILL change, it's just that we'll always be sure to remain close to each other, no matter what else or who else comes into our lives. I promise you that you will come to live at the castle with me, as soon as you can, and you will both be advisors to me for as long as I am king. You shall also be like brothers-in-law to whomever I marry, and you shall be uncles to my children. We shall remain close for as long as any of us still has the breath of life in our bodies." The trio laughed and joked around for a while longer, before they were told that the camp was packing up and everyone would be returning to their homes, as would their opponents. Without the Dark Lord to lead them any longer, his army would disband and those soldiers would head to their own homes as well. For now Tarolia would slowly recover and soon a new king would be crowned, so the kingdom could look forward to the future with great hope and expectations. THE END * * * * * * * * Author's note: As my holiday gift to all of you, I hurried to post the remainder of Sword before the end of the year. I just wish to thank all of you for your patience with this story. These chapters took a long time to outline and write, and I appreciate that you stuck with me throughout the entire process. I hope you found it worth the wait and that 2002 is good to all of you. Bill * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at http://members.tripod.de/wolfslair, in the 'Other Stories' section. E-mails may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com.