Broadswords - 47. The Battle, Part Three

Broadswords

Chapter Forty-Seven
The Battle, Part Three

Kep didn't feel any sense of remorse for having his mother imprisoned. Initially, he expected that he'd at least feel something. A lingering thought at the back of his mind, or a sharpness in the depths of his stomach. But he didn't. It needed to be done, it was right, and his body wasn't burdening him with guilt over it.

In any event, he'd been reunited with Birten. It was overwhelming. Their embrace had felt so right to him, and he had to resist the urge to kiss him. He wanted to, that was for certain. But he did not want their first kiss to be in front of Harmon, the king, his mother, and a random guard. Nor did he want it to occur in the dungeons beneath the castle. So he refrained. There would be plenty of time for that later, anyway.

Plus, he knew that the battle must be raging at the cave. He couldn't even imagine what exactly was going on, but he knew that he had to be there. Regardless of what the slayers would think about the situation, he was just as much a part of this thing as all of them. It wouldn't be right to putter around in the kingdom while something so major was occurring.

After they left the dungeon, Harmon pulled Kep and Birten aside into a small sitting room a ways down the corridor. "So what's the plan?" the prince asked. Kep still didn't know him all that well, but Harmon, too, seemed rather unfazed after the scene that had just transpired below the castle. Perhaps it was something the prince was used to experiencing, being royalty. Or maybe he also knew that it was something that needed to be done.

Kep cleared his throat. "I have to get out there, to the cave. I know I won't be able to add anything in the means of fighting, but I can't stand idly by while everything is happening. I need to support the slayers, and me being here isn't doing much to help that."

He looked at Birten, hoping he didn't try to dissuade him. It would hurt him to go against Birten's wishes, but he knew he'd go either way. He just hoped the support was there. Birten nodded. "I have to go, too. I'm still a little groggy in the head, but what's right is right. I have a slayer out there who I've sworn to accompany through thick and thin."

"Alright, let's go," Harmon said, and made his way toward the door.

Both Kep and Birten watched as he began his departure, but neither followed suit. Kep knew they were both thinking the same thing. A member of the royal family voluntarily putting themselves into such a violent and dangerous scenario? It wasn't the smartest idea by any means.

Harmon noticed that they weren't behind him, and he turned. "Come on, we don't have time to waste," he said. He must have been able to decipher the looks upon their faces, as he continued. "My father wouldn't approve of this, no, if that's what you're thinking. He would prevent me from going. He wouldn't allow it. But this is bigger than that. There is a battle raging out there, and in part it's because of me. And in part it's because of my father. I have an obligation to this kingdom, and I am not going to let someone destroy it because of the way they feel about me. There are countless innocent people that could see their lives end today because of this foolish act. I'm going."

Kep couldn't argue with that. Despite his status, Harmon had just as much right to go as Kep did. So he was in no position to debate. He followed the prince out the door, and with some hesitation, so did Birten.

They hadn't been able to procure use of any of the royal steeds from the stables, as the news of Harmon's appearance would without a doubt make its way back to the king. And Birten's horse had been lost in Dorre. They had no real choice except for Kep to rent three cheap horses. They could probably double up, but considering the state of the lower-priced rentals, it wouldn't do them much good. It would only delay their trek, and none of them was willing to allow that to happen.

So Harmon waited a distance away from the stables, sticking out like a sore thumb despite the fact that they'd clad him in some ill-fitting garments of Kep's. Meanwhile, Kep and Birten dealt with getting each of them a horse. When they'd made their way back to Harmon, Kep couldn't help but think how ridiculous the well-off man looked in the less than noble streetwear. However, it was what was needed in order for them to get him through the kingdom unnoticed.

When they finally got on their way, Kep realized that they might have trouble actually departing the kingdom. Though they had made it this far without anyone realizing a prince was in their midst, the guards at the kingdom gates would be much more observant. It could be a hitch in their plan; not only would it prevent Harmon from leaving, but Kep couldn't be sure that he and Birten would be safe from punishment. It was bad enough when the guards had thought he'd caused Elan's injury when he'd returned the slayer to the kingdom. If they thought he was kidnapping the prince, or even just involved with the royal son trying to escape, it would certainly be much worse.

But Harmon didn't seem concerned. "They'll be more attentive when we return. They're not going to put as much focus on us as we exit, and they wouldn't have reason to expect that I'd be leaving. If my father had noticed I'd gone missing and alerted them, it would be a different story. But by the time we come back, there's not much they can do. They won't have the option to not allow me reentry."

Though his nerves were still high, Kep didn't voice any further concerns. Harmon was so well-spoken that he made it hard to argue. So they left. And Harmon's theories were confirmed. The guards glanced over their faces as they passed through, but miraculously didn't appear to recognize him. It was concerning to Kep how some dirt, a change of wardrobe, and the tussling of Harmon's hair made that much of a difference in the eyes of those protecting the perimeter of the kingdom.

Regardless, they'd made it out without issue. And there were more concerning things for him to focus on. He had no idea what they would arrive to, and he was beginning to feel more scared than he had in a long time. All of the emotions and fears that he'd felt over the past month or so were finally culminating due to the situation at hand. He did his best to push his anxieties down, but it wasn't easy. He had to do it, though. He knew he was putting himself into this situation, and allowing his internal issues to get the best of him would negate that.

They were making decent time on the horses, and it didn't take long before they noticed the fire. Though the wood was still a significant distance away, the flames were visible from where they were. Kep could tell that the fire had spread a sizable radius out from where the cave stood. It terrified him to think that all of the slayers could have been burnt alive in the process. They could be too late.

When they reached the first smattering of trees, they found the horses of those that were involved in the battle. The fire hadn't yet reached the edge of the wood, thankfully, but the horses could clearly tell that something was amiss. Kep didn't feel comfortable leaving their horses there, but there was nowhere else to leave them. So they did.

Once they were on foot, they kept as quick a pace as possible. The warmth intensified the further they got. And before long, they began encountering parts of the wood to which the fire had spread. But with Kep's guidance, they were able to navigate through and find alternate routes to avoid those areas.

And finally, they made it to the clearing.

The battlegrounds were a sight to behold. The entire surrounding area was ablaze, and there were two large dragons lying immobile near the center. Two additional dragons were active, and the slayers were split up into two groups in defense. It took him a few moments to realize that there were a few human bodies on the ground as well, and he forced himself not to look.

As he shifted his gaze, he saw Daegon begin to climb the further of the two dragons. It took him some time, but he made it up the creature and wrapped himself around its neck. As Kep looked on in astonishment, he witnessed a dragon being slayed for the first time. The dragon fell to the ground, and Daegon came off of it as if it had been nothing.

But it wasn't nothing. It was huge. Especially to Elsior, who Kep hadn't even noticed until his yell drowned out everything else. Though he had never seen the man, it was quite obvious that he was the one who had created all of this chaos. Looking crazed, Elsior raised his arms up into the air. "Enough!" he bellowed. He moved his hands in a series of patterns before him, staring intently at the dragon that was still standing. It began to rise into the air as he did so. Kep couldn't quite describe in his own head what was happening except that it appeared that the dragon was transforming.

Several things happened all at once: the dragon began to shrink, its appendages began withdrawing into its body, its scales began smoothing out. It started off slowly, but the smaller it got, the faster it happened. Soon, the dragon was no more. Instead, what appeared to be a rock remained where the dragon had been. It continued to float in the air, and Elsior turned his attention to the mouth of the cave. A few of the other dragons were emerging, and he did the same to them.

All of the onlookers were too shocked to move. Even Daegon and Elan, who Kep knew to be quick on their feet, stood where they were. Elsior had stunned them all. And he wasn't done. One by one, he altered each of the remaining dragons into stones, all of them continuing to float in the air once their transformation had been completed.

Kep made mental note of how many dragons had been altered into this new form, and he realized that by Elan's initial count, there were still two left. They must not have fully emerged from the cave yet. With another gesture of his hand, the seven current stones flew across the clearing toward Elsior. He snatched them from the air and shoved them toward the man at his side, who immediately distributed them into the several pockets that adorned his clothing.

The two of them rushed into the cave. Elsior was undoubtedly going to finish the task, turning the remaining two dragons. Finally, everyone else seemed to shake out of their stupor. Daegon was the first to move, followed soon by Elan and Lana. Within seconds, each and every one of them was following suit.

Once inside the cave, there was no need for torches as Kep was so used to. The immense amount of fire that had overtaken the wood was enough to light a good distance into the cave. By the time Kep made it to the rest of the group, he could see that Elsior had already completed the transformation of the remaining dragons. He must have already given the stones to his companion, as he said "Deke, you know what to do."

And Deke vanished into thin air.

But Elsior remained, and the fury in his eyes was evident. He swept his gaze across the faces of everyone in his audience. "You think this is over… but it's far from over. There are nine infants and one full-grown Elsior's dragon left. You may have protected Jhirdyr… for now. But can you protect the rest of the continent? Or the other continents? I'm not so foolish to believe that I was guaranteed a win here today. Every plan requires a backup. Deke is currently fulfilling my request to have the dragonstones scattered across the lands. I didn't use full-fledged Terramancy this time, you see. The magic will only hold for so long before they revert back into their dragon forms. And when they unleash their fury on their new whereabouts, the people affected by their devastation will know Jhirdyr is to blame. They will know that this proud kingdom could not eradicate the power that exists within my creatures and thus is the reason they were spread elsewhere in the world. They will know who brought tragedy to their people."

Most everyone was either too stunned or too angry to speak. But apparently Daegon wasn't one of them. He took a step toward Elsior, hand at the hilt of his sword. He sneered. "You're pathetic. Destruction of the world is your answer to a personal vendetta? Millions of innocent lives lost because you felt betrayed?"

The two men stared at each other. Neither of them moved. Kep glanced around at everyone else, and anyone with a weapon had it at the ready. But Elsior was unarmed. And outnumbered. But that didn't seem to bother him one bit. "I'm not heartless. Do I want to see innocent people lose their lives? Of course not. But sometimes sacrifices must be made. This is not only a personal vendetta. That is part of it, I won't deny that. But it's more than that. It's more than me. It's what this kingdom has done for so many years to so many people. It has shunned its mancers, casting most of them out. The world must see how foul this is, how cruel this city truly is."

Then another voice echoed against the cave walls, coming from Kep's left. It was Harmon. The majority of the group turned in their direction, and Kep quickly realized that they probably had no idea that the three of them had even arrived. He felt uneasy with so many eyes on him, but Harmon was used to that kind of attention and it didn't appear to faze him whatsoever. "You're not wrong, Elsior. Jhirdyr is a progressive place in many, many ways. But its overall stance on the abilities that mancers have has not been very enlightened over the years. I cannot imagine the internal anguish mancers have felt as a result. Especially those born within our city. But is this any way to prove your point? Is showing the devastating possibilities of what mancies can cause going to help your plight?

Elsior was clearly taken aback at the sight of the prince. Though the fury still raged on his face, a sense of surprise was briefly visible as well. "You. After all these years, after all this time, you of all people do not have the right to say those things to me."

Another silence filled the air. The flames crackled outside. Ragged breathing and panting escaped various people's lips. The occasional crunch of the ground sounded as someone shifted their weight. But nobody spoke. Though Harmon didn't seem to be the type to give up, Kep assumed he felt there was no need to say anymore. It was pretty evident that Elsior's opinion wasn't going to be changed. And from what Kep could tell, though he'd never met him, he had lost his mind.

It continued for a while, everyone staring at each other without words. The tension was becoming unbearable. It seemed as if they might be at a standstill. That is, until something caught Kep's attention. An object near the cave's wall glinted against the firelight that shone from the outside. The Sanguistis. He'd forgotten it was still there. He'd been in such a hurry to get Elan out of the cave when it nearly sucked the life out of him, he didn't think twice about it once he'd tossed it aside.

Harmon must have noticed it too, as Kep noticed him shifting his eyes toward it every so often. But Elsior was still looking him dead in the eye. Kep realized that Harmon needed a distraction. He was nervous. It wasn't something he was used to getting himself involved in. But he was a different person now. He couldn't continue to be the sheep he has been for so long. He had wanted to get involved, and this was his chance.

Whistling loudly, he was able to get Elsior to look away from Harmon. And it was just what the prince needed. Harmon leaned forward and deftly yanked up the Sanguistis from the ground. Whether or not the prince knew what powers the dagger held, Kep wasn't sure. But before he fully knew what was happening, Harmon lunged forward and shoved the handle's spike into Elsior's chest.

Immediately, the mancer fell to his knees. The dagger stuck in his chest like a tack, blood emerging from the wound. A blossom of red slowly formed around the weapon, soaking into the material of his tunic. A warmth emitted from the weapon, far more intense than anything that had occurred when Elan had used it. The color drained from Elsior's skin at a rapid pace. A faint gurgling sound came from his slack jaw, but no words emerged. His body went limp, and he fell to the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Elsior was dead.