29. Attack

Chuck let out a little giggle, then cleared his throat. "Here they come," he said, nodding at me most seriously.

Aug 30, 2024

When the Gem awakens to call a Hero, the world is ill prepared...and its fate is placed in the hands of a 17 year old boy, named Wendell.

Some will say this is nothing but a tale of fiction.
Let them think as they may.

After all...I can't fix stupid.

Previously: Wendell discovers Lili, the girl of his dreams, trapped at Til-Thorin with everyone else. That would have been odd enough, but now he’s hearing voices.

<— Read Previous Chapter | Read Next Chapter —>

Never be predictable in a fight.
Control where, when and how the conflict is fought.
…and if possible, get someone else to take your place.

“I’m not doubting you, son, I just…”

“Go ahead, Chuck, say it,” I challenged, taking two steps with each leap. The wizard was hard pressed to keep pace as we ran down the tower. The warning bells of Til-Thorin sounded without ceasing. I could hear soldiers shouting orders to subordinates. “You question if I’m actually nuts,” I mocked, “that maybe what I’m telling you isn’t in the letter.”

“Well, yes,” the wizard faltered, stumbling and catching himself against the wall. “No! No,…” he righted himself and sprinted after me. “I’ve got no right pointing fingers at anyone — not after what I’ve seen…” then less loudly, “or done. But it is difficult to believe, not being able to actually see what you see.”

I stopped at the archway of the Great Hall. Children and women gazed about, confused, as the sound of distant drums grew louder. Some children started clinging to one another — clinging to their mothers. I looked at Chuck, point blank. “You can always walk away,” I said.

“What are you talking about?” Chuck said.

“I have enough pressure trying to keep up appearances. It’s going to be hard enough to hide who I really am without having to convince you too." I forced out a smile. "You were right, Chuck. I found my way here without you. Bad at this or not, I’ll figure it out. You can leave.”

“Now wait just a minute, that’s not what—”

“What you meant?" I said. "Then what are you trying to say? I’m experiencing all sorts of things I can’t explain, that I don’t understand, and from what I remember, your JOB Chuck is to guide me. To help me FIND answers, not…question my questions.”

The wizard frowned, but said nothing.

I shrugged. “Sooner or later, I’ve got to figure out how to do what I’m meant to do. At the moment, that’s learning what these ‘seals’ are, protect Ithari’s children, whatever THAT means, and try not to get killed in the process. I’m glad and grateful that you, Alhannah, and Dax were here for me, but am I supposed to wait on you? Only act if I have your approval, or when you agree with me?”

Chuck scratched his forehead with a boney finger. “But wandering around, listening to voices from people…or things you can’t see? You’ll start looking like,” he glanced at the children nervously and leaned in closer to whisper, “…well, me.” He shot me a pleading look. “Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been quite fond of myself…but I’m not the best example. You mistake my intent here, son. I’m not criticizing you, so much as worried you might look a bit odd to others. A hero should maintain a more…respectable example, don’t you think?”

“You mean, like screaming, running away from danger, falling off cliffs and getting lost?” I couldn’t help but crack a smile.

Chuck returned the smirk. “Touché.”

I waded through the bodies in the Great Hall. “Ok," I said, "I’ll tell people you’re the one hearing the voices, then.”

Chuck followed after, quickly shaking his head at the questioning glances from the women-folk. “Now wait just a….”

No one got in our way. The moment Chuck and I set foot outside, soldiers started nodding to the old wizard, and groups would part to allow us through. King Robert was organizing the battlements with the aid of the evolu maiden and her rook. Chuck tapped me on the shoulder and motioned to a ramp at the center of the curtain wall. It led to a larger platform.

"We need a sold vantage point," he said. So I followed his lead.

The first thought I had, once I climbed atop the curtain wall, was that it would have been less frightening if there had been more noise. All I could hear clearly was the shrieking wind and heavy drums thumping through the darkness. The air was thick with it, and a dark weight rested heavily on my chest. There were no yells, battle screams, or roars from the enemy. The anger and animalistic behavior I’d witnessed time and again was nowhere to be seen. Just the endless beat of drums. A heartbeat to the approaching carnage.

"Keep your chin up, son," Chuck said sternly. "It’s meant to confuse you and snuff out what hope you might be feeling."

"What?" I said.

Chuck tapped his own chest. "The weight you’re feeling. It’s not real, boy. It’s an enchantment. Horde tactics 101. If they have Täuku in their ranks, you’ll feel despair." Then he shrugged. "Think of bunnies and rainbow poopin’ unicorns. You’ll be alright."

I didn’t have the heart to even ask.

Across what once looked to be a field of wheat, random stalks of grain pushed through the sheets of snow and ice under the full moon’s glow. A gigantic pillar of what looked to be black smoke billowed up from the center of the enemy’s camp. The blackness hit an invisible ceiling in the sky, rolled outward, and blotted out any sign of the heavens. The field went dark, leaving only a muted glow from the ice. Thick smoke fell downward, like a waterfall. It was wickedly fast, covering the landscape, saturating the air and rushing up the curtain wall. It hit us hard, making it difficult to breathe. The blanket turned the glowing ice to ashen gray.

Then they appeared. Silhouettes against camp fires.

The vallen horde.

Chuck let out a little giggle, then cleared his throat. "Here they come," he said, nodding at me most seriously.

Giants marched forward with interlocking shields, while others pushed through the snow with battering rams on wheels. As they got closer, I saw others carrying shovels and picks following close behind. Once in arrow range, they broke off into three groups. Those with the bettering ramp headed to the main ramp of the outer gate.

At first I just…stood there. I’d never seen anything like this. Movies, perhaps, but this was happening. Actually happening. I was watching an enemy approach to take my life and the lives of all those around me…and I was supposed to stop a thing like this? Soldiers yelled from the walls, preparing for the attack against the gate. Lord Joram, a short but stout man, appeared along the upper bulwarks and barked out orders.

Bowman shot at exposed arms and legs, piercing the flesh of giants as they pushed the battering ram up the ice-covered ramp. Unlike their human counterparts, these beings did not fall with a single arrow. It took several piercings before bodies stumbled from under the machine’s protection. That is, unless you’re a rook — who seemed to find their mark with each and every shot. Joram shouted again…and arrows rained death upon them. Vallen fell from the ramp, landing upon the jagged rocks below.

Gray ice turned black.

It didn’t stop them. The enemy just sent new fodder. Wave after wave, I watched fearless beings, enraged by the events, push forward, trampling over the dead. Wild animals on two legs pushed through sleet and up the ramp, pounding against the gates of Til-Thorin.

“TREBUCHET!” shouted Joram, guards repeating the cry along the walls.

Boulders descended from the skies, the howling wind masking the approaching missiles.

Projectiles showered the courtyard, and wagons exploded upon impact. Fragments of wood became new weapons of death, debris impaling unsuspecting soldiers and servants, bringing supplies. Both inner and outer curtains trembled at the onslaught, but held. A portion of the catwalk exploded next to me.

The body of a young soldier slid against my leg.

His blood pooled at my feet.

“Alhannah Luckyfeller,” Chuck shouted. IN moments, the gnome appeared by his side. He pointed forcefully at me. “You’re still his bodyguard, young lady, and you won’t get a copper if he dies tonight, understood?” He peeked over the wall at the collection of enemies now pounding at the portcullis with their battering ram. “And I’ll dock your pay if he loses a limb. Now get him out of here.”

“Come on, Wendell,” she snarled, tugging on my tunic, “we need to find you shelter.”

“No,” I grunted, pulling away from her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Chuck pushed past me to get a better view of the battering ram below. The walls vibrated with each impact against the portcullis. The siege machine’s roof protected the enemy from the human archers.

“Then make yourself useful," Chuck snapped. "There’s plenty of opportunity — just don’t get in the way…or get yourself killed.” He hesitated, took a short breath and irked out a smile. "I’ve become quite fond of you, son. Let’s make sure this is a long friendship, alright?" With a few words and a wave of his staff, the battering ram caught fire. The magic quickly consumed the logs and sent the enemy scurrying away.

"Right," I said. Looking to Alhannah, I winked. "Silmä Inäkmään," I said, and vanished.

"Mahan’s Pink Panties," she gasped.

Chuck just rolled his eyes. "That’s NOT how it works."

Growing up, I had all sorts of conversations with friends about what kind of super powers we’d want if we had a choice. Most kids were in the camps of flight or invisibility. I’d always liked the idea of flying. It seemed practical, useful, and I could steer clear of bad stuff if I wanted to. Being invisible, on the other hand, always seemed like it would be a hassle.

Sure, no one could see you, but that didn’t stop you from getting hurt. So what if you couldn’t be seen, if your likelihood of accidental injury dramatically increased?

There was no room to maneuver. No clear path to stay out of everyone’s way in the chaos. Time again, I spooked poor soldiers who ran smack into me, and I almost got knocked off the castle wall. "This IS useless," I said. "Silmäh Inäkmään," I whispered, returning to view.

The young soldier standing next to me gasped, lost his footing, and fell down the stairs.

"Sorry," I shouted, then put my back against the wall. Alhannah, who’d run about the courtyard, barking my name, noticed me, frowned, and ran back.

Tha-THUMP-THUMP!

That’s when I noticed…

Nothing.

I was staring just over Alhannah’s head, at the front steps leading up to Til-Thorin’s main doors, and the torches…flickered. I mean, torches flicker, yes, but it…blurred for a moment. Like the flames went completely out of focus. Smudged. I blinked once, and the flames popped back into focus.

Tha-THUMP-THUMP!

Then it happened again…this time with the torch just outside the main doors.

"HAH!" Chuck screamed from the wall, kicking at the stone in font of him. Archers next to him continued to fire arrows upon the enemy as they ran. The wizard laughed mockingly. “If this is the best they can do, I don’t think we’ll have much to worry about.” He grinned at me widely. "Amateurs."

Tha-THUMP-THUMP!

The drums suddenly stopped. That got mine and everyone else’s attention. Sprinting along the wall, I took a position with my mentor. Shadows shifted in the distance. My chest clenched tight.

“Chuck, what’s…that?” I asked, squinting and pointing at the rim of the enemy’s camp. Figures lumbered along, dragging what looked to be trees, which were collected into piles. "What are they doing?"

In an instant, two immense bonfires came to life. The flames rose high, defying the rage of the wind. The light revealed four trebuchet at either end of their camp, being reloaded. At the very center was a ring of black robes.

Chuck gulped.

A single silhouette stepped up between the mounds of flame.

The wizard pulled his wide-brimmed hat down around his brow and rolled back the ends of his sleeves. “Looks like they can do better.”

Alhannah was already pulling me away. “Come on!” she yelled. “This fight’s out of our league!”

Chuck then motioned to me. He pulled me in close and whispered. "You might not know what to do, son, but you can still be a tremendous help." He tapped my chest with a boney finger. "That little rock emits a powerful influence over intelligences. She’s also a being of light. That means if I’m casting spells in her natural wheelhouse, I just might get a boost from her." He grinned. "Make sense?"

"Not a bit," I said.

Grabbing my wrist, he spun me about facing the field. "Then stand there, stay close, and don’t get hit, alright?"

"Uncle Chuck, what are you doing?" Alhannah shouted.

With a roll of his shoulders, Chuck stood tall and tossed his staff to the side. It floated to a halt, suspended in midair. “Alhannah, round up the servants and get back to the inner curtain!” He turned and gave her a soft smile. "I need the boy here for a bit. If he dies, you’ll get full wages."

She shrugged, "You’re the boss," then took off running.

"Hey!" I shrieked.

Chuck jabbed me in the shoulder. "Don’t whine. You sound like old lady Kravitz. If they throw something at you, just remember to duck." Doing a spin on his heel, he shouted, “Where are the blueberries?!”

Altorin appeared at the bottom of the stairs. “Morphiophelius?”

The wizard gave him a grave look. “They have a coven. We won’t be able to match power for power, but with the boy here and your help, we can make it costly. Burn them out and force them to meet us physically.” He waved his hand at the Elder like he was shooing a child. “Tut. Tut. Off you go now. You on one side, Gaidred on the other.”

Altorin ran off as fast as his chubby body would carry him.

“You can do this, right Chuck?” I asked. The towers of flame seemed to sway with the movements of the central robe between them.

The wizard gave me a goofy grin. “Of COURSE we can do this!” The fires in the distance rose higher, churning in the air. He cleared his throat. “Pretty sure.”

I gripped the stone wall to steady myself.

"You are SO gonna die," Doubt grumbled. "I’m going to be left to wither on a stone wall, next to a babbling idiot." He paused. "…and his mentor."

You’re not helping!

The flames in the enemy camp climbed higher and higher, both spires leaning closer as they grew. Red and yellow strands of light wrapped around each other, becoming one, swaying like a drunkard in the wind.

And then it fell.

Like a mighty tree of flame, the thick spire collapsed forward onto the ground, exploding outward with a hiss of steam.

“Oh my,” gasped Chuck, his eyes growing wide.

From the flames emerged a molten centipede. It charged without hesitation, rumbling across the field. Black smoke billowed up from the scorched ground, ripping at the soil with every step of its legs. All three hundred of them.

Chuck scratched his head. “Well, that’s quite creative!"

"Chuck!" I gasped.

"Right. Right…what can you…” and then he smiled to himself. Quickly raking his hands through the air, he brought them to his chest and yelled, “Kivi jä hiekkä, nousu jä äpu!”

The field rumbled. Snow exploded as soil pierced the icy gray crust. Chuck rolled his shoulders forward, his tongue hanging out from the side of his mouth. “Come on…that’s it….”

Just as the centipede reached the halfway mark between the enemy camp and Til-Thorin, he made a sudden grasping motion in the air. In response, four immense hands jumped up from the soil. Fingers outstretched, they grabbed the centipede, clenching tight, and pulled it under ground, mandibles snapping uselessly.

A piercing shriek echoed across the field. The light within the hole vanished.

“HAH!” Chuck shouted. He did a victory dance and thumbed his chin at the enemy. “And THAT’s how you DO it! WHOOPAH!” A wide smile lit up his face as he looked at me, the crinkles around his eyes deepening. But as his gaze settled, the smile faded and a tinge of uncertainty crept into his expression. He cleared his throat, adjusting the collar of his robe with a nervous twitch. "It's okay," he said softly, almost to himself, "you don't have to be noticed to be cool."

Without warning, several boulders sailed uncomfortably close to us, shattering in the courtyard. Chuck threw himself to the ground as a boulder destroyed a merlon next to him. I shrieked and stumbled backwards.

Just as my sneakers hit the edge of the catwalk, Chuck grabbed my tunic.

"Thanks," I gasped.

"Fun, huh!" Chuck grinned widely. He looked like a little kid playing games with his friends. His expression was so…unafraid. He crawled over and shook his fist up over the lip of the shattered merlon. “MISSED, YA PANZIES!”

The enemy fires raged, more trees added as fuel. Creatures jumped from the red and orange light, charging along the ground at fantastic speed. The spires vanished behind a wall of black smoke emitted by summoned centipedes twisting, tearing, and raking at the ground.

“Nine?!” Chuck gulped. “YOU ARE SO CHEATING!” he screamed, almost slipping on the ice underfoot.

He paused,…and looked down. Snow squished between his exposed toes.

The corners of his mouth curled upwards.

Leaning over the edge of the wall, Chuck sucked on his index finger, and lifted it into the wind. With a single nod, he started whispering something. I couldn’t tell what the heck he was saying, because it sounded more like a child making sound effects, not words. With each sound, he made a gesture with his hands.

“Chuck?” I asked, peering over the edge of the wall. My heart pounded, watching the centipedes race towards us. Snow evaporated beneath their fiery bodies, small flames left in their wake.

But Chuck didn’t seem worried. In fact, he was, again, grinning from ear to ear as he continued his strange hand gestures and sound effects. The wind whipped around us, causing Til-Thorin’s flags to flap loudly.

“What are you doing?!” I yelled above the wind.

“Reinforcements,” Chuck squealed. “Trust me.”

As if on cue, a rumbling noise filled the air and suddenly, from the mounds of snow packed against the curtain wall, chickens appeared. Thousands upon thousands of egg-laying, calf-high, ground-scratching chickens!

In a wave of fluffy white-snow feathers, the birds jumped up from the snow and turned their attention to the threat. They flew at the advancing centipedes, pecking and squawking. I would have laughed at the whole scene if it wasn’t so bizarre. The chickens were only a fraction of the centipedes in size, but the sheer number of birds quickly overwhelmed the molten bugs. You could hear the popping sound of the impacts, steam hissing with each peck or bird sacrificed, rising into the night wind.

“We’re being attacked by bugs made of fire, and you…send chickens?!?”

Fluffy eyebrows bobbed up and down. "Cool, huh?" Chuck gave me a wink and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Natural predator,” he said. “Maybe it wasn’t the most refined counter magic,” he shrugged, “but farm chickens defeating giant fire bugs? That story is going to get us free drinks at a tavern.”

An explosion of flame drew our attention. Apparently, our enemies weren’t done. Black robes now circled the fires, and the trebuchet stopped lobbing stones. The robes raised their hands, and the flames grew brighter, until it gave birth to a single, monstrous figure. A single centipede-like creature emerged from the flames. This was several times larger than the creations before it, and twice as long. It shrieked, slamming its flaming horns of a ram against the ground so hard, I felt it upon the wall. The beast whipped its tails about, shattering one of the trebuchet, and setting two more on fire.

Altorin and Gaidred, positioned to either side of us, shouted incantations, their cloaked forms illuminated by the fire. The roar of the giant centipede filled the air as it slammed its horns against the ground, causing another tremor and sending debris flying. Altorin and Gaidred's voices boomed with power as they continued to chant, their words ringing out in melodic yet forceful tones.

The ground before Til-Thorin buckled and crumbled, forming a maze of deep trenches and jagged walls that stretched across the field.

Problem was, there was nothing to prevent the creature from working around the obstacles or crawling through the trenches. The tactic would only slow it down.

“Right,” Chuck muttered under his breath. “Go big or go home.”

Tha-THUMP-THUMP.

For the first time, I looked behind us. Hundreds of men gazed up at where we stood. It was almost spooky. How so many could be so still? Swords, shields, and spears of hundreds, all at the ready,…all eyes on Chuck, Altorin, and Gaidred. Even King Robert, lady Tamorah and her rook stood at a distance, waiting with bated breath.

Tha-THUMP-THUMP.

"Stand close, son," Chuck whispered, then reached out. He gripped my shoulder, and at his touch, my legs almost gave out.

My jaw dropped, and I gasped.

Suddenly I…couldn’t breathe. The air would leave my lungs, but I couldn’t inhale. I could feel my heartbeat, like a bass drum, through my skin, pushing to my shoulder and out through the wizard’s hand.

Tha-THUMP-THUMP!

"I need your help, precious one," Chuck said. His grip tightened on my shoulder and I flinched. "Protect this people. Lend me your strength!"

Tha-THUMP-THUMP!

With a deep breath, Chuck clenched his eyes tight.

I grasped the stone to keep myself upright.

Chuck whispered something under his breath, and I felt my chest tingle. A surge of electricity, like grabbing an electric fence, went from his hand to the Ithari, and back again.

…and Ithari flared.

A brilliant white light pushed out from under my heavy tunic. It made the whole of my chest glow, slim rays of light breaking free near my collar bones.

When Chuck opened his eyes, they were glowing with a bright, otherworldly light. It seemed to radiate from within him, illuminating his face and casting a radiant aura around him. He appeared almost,…godlike, as if some unseen power had imbued him with a mesmerizing presence.

A light that defied the darkness.

The snow and ice had melted under our feet, streaming down cracks and grooves of stone, pooling at the base of the wall. The water from under the dead trickled along the ramp of the front gate. Like a river with its own will, it traveled to Chuck, flowing around him, between our feet and up, over the wall.

The chanting continued as Chuck's eyes blazed with an otherworldly light. He raised his hands towards the sky and a powerful gust of wind rushed through us, causing some to stumble. It was like standing on top of a mountain during a storm, but instead of fear, I felt…exhilarated.

At that moment, I felt connected to something greater than myself.

Tha-THUMP-THUMP!

My whole body pulsed with the familiar warmth of Ithari’s power. Strength surged through my limbs and I let go of the wall. It was as if an overwhelming sense of purpose washed away if all my doubts and fears.

Sweat trickling down his brow, Chuck waved his free arm in an outward motion, a loud gasp escaping his lips. Water shot upward, like a mighty geyser. The wind whipped about us, intensifying and freezing the water as descended from its arc. Each ripple layered upon itself, taking on shape. Within moments, a giant, rounded shape, hunched over, leaned upon the ground.

I cocked my head to the side. “No way. Is that a…”

Navigating the maze created by Altorin and Gaidred, the fiery ram-bug shrieked in triumph and centered its horns on us, increasing its speed.

I gulped. “Uhh, Chuck?”

Snow and ice splintered away as giant fists pounded the ground in open challenge. Before our section of the wall stood a 60-foot great ape. Squat and muscular, it beat its mighty chest, producing a roar that shook the foundations of the Keep.

Then it lunged forward.

As Chuck started mumbling, a white light engulfed him with an intensity that was almost painful to look at. The warmth of the glow radiated outward through all his limbs. It made Chuck's face appear almost angelic.

“Look!” Altorin shouted, pointing.

With a great leap, the great ape sailed through the air and landed the molten centipede.

Chuck flinched.

Powerful fists pummeled the bug across the back, causing the creature to slow. When the centipede turned its head to bite the ape, it was met with extreme prejudice. Legs were torn from the bug's body and used as daggers, piercing the outer shell of its hide.

The centipede shrieked again, this time in pain.

Chuck started trembling, his grip on my shoulder loosening.

Mandibles bit into the leg of the ape, forcing a roar of anger and pain from the primate.

Chuck stumbled forward, one of his legs giving out. I caught him and wrapped an arm around his waist. “I got you,” I said, both of us now glowing in Ithari’s light. “Tell me what to do, Chuck?” I whispered, “How can I help you?”

Tha-THUMP-THUMP!

The ape struck relentlessly at the centipedes’ head, great spouts of steam shooting outward with every blow. The molten bug was both slowing…and getting smaller.

“They’re weakening!” Gaidred shouted, pointing across the field.

Sure enough, the flames of the enemy fires had all but died out. The glow of coals was the only sign of the magical fires now. But that didn’t stop our problem.

The great ape continued to rip legs from the centipede…but it continued its course towards Til-Thorin.

…until it hit the curtain wall.

Force, flame, steam and the sheer weight of the two enchanted monsters struck the outer curtain wall beneath our feet.

Chuck and I went flying backwards.

Somewhere on the way towards the ground, I hit my head.

…or maybe it was just the ground.

I woke to a room in near chaos.

The Great Hall.

I’d been placed on the corner of a large table, a folded sack under my head for a makeshift pillow. My head throbbed, but I didn’t flinch until I tried to sit upright.

Someone handed me a cup of water and helped me take sips, the cool liquid soothing my parched throat. “What happened?” I asked, looking around the room.

“You were hit by the impact of the centipede,” Gaidred said, appearing at my side. He nodded to the servant, who took their leave. “You were unconscious, so they brought you here.”

I looked around again and saw soldiers directing women who were bustling about, corralling children through the doorway. The Great Hall had been transformed into a makeshift hospital ward. Servants were tearing cloth into strips for bandages and organizing metal tools for the surgeon.

“What about Chuck?” I asked.

He nodded to a corner, where Altorin hovered over Chuck, holding up two fingers. “He has some deep cuts, but he’ll make it.”

“And Til-Thorin?” I asked.

Gaidred’s expression turned grim. “We weakened the coven,” he said, “but the curtain walls have been breached. Now it’s up to sword and shield.”

“Don’t mess with me,” Chuck scolded loudly.

Gaidred turned back to pouring over a diagram. The table I’d been placed on was covered in maps and scrolls.

“Problem?” I asked quietly.

The Elder shook his head, tracing what looked to be a long tunnel stretching out from the Keep. “When you and the freemen showed up, I was hopeful there was more than one tunnel...to smuggle the children out.”

I got down from the table. “And?”

“And nothing. If there is a tunnel, it’s hidden, or on a map that hasn’t been stored here.”

Help me.

The voice was so clear; it sounded like a whisper in my ear. It made me jump back from the table, it startled me so badly.

“Are you alright?” asked Gaidred.

“F-fine,” I replied, but my gaze went to Chuck — still arguing with Altorin.

“I’ll give you the finger if you don’t stop teasing me,” growled the wizard. “I said THREE!”

Many of the children were crying and clinging to any adult paying attention to them. I wondered how many were alone. How many of these little, innocent children were now orphans? In the doorway, a woman kneeled and consoled a little boy, wrapping her arms around the weeping child, holding him close.

It was Miriam.

I stepped away from the table and was about to call out when a small hand slipped between my fingers.

Livi looked up at me and smiled. She had on a clean brown dress and a scarf wrapped around her head. She slipped past my hand and threw her arms around my waist.

Gaidred grinned and joined a frustrated Altorin.

I kneeled down in front of the little girl. There was so much I wanted to express, to share with her, and especially apologize for. But it didn’t make complete sense in my own mind. She leaned forward and wrapped her arms around my neck and squeezed tight.

“I wanted to,” was all I could get out. My eyes started to leak and I couldn’t stop it. “I didn’t know how, Livi,” I choked.

“I know,” she whispered in my ear.

I closed my eyes and hugged her back.

When I stood upright, Miriam was staring at us both. There wasn’t any sign of anger, but the light was missing from the woman’s eyes. She said nothing. Finally, she took the hand of the little boy and led him away.

“She’s never going to forgive me,” I whispered.

“Yes she will,” Livi whispered back. Then a little louder, “Evan will punch you, though. He’s asking for you.”

I gulped.

The three mägo seemed completely engaged in the argument of Altorin’s finger illusion, so I nudged the girl in the shoulder. “Take me to him.”

Fingers gripped tightly in her small hand, I was guided through a short maze of hallways. Servants bustled about, gathering cloth, candles, and strips of wood being used for splints. Til-Thorin’s physician stumbled past us, arms filled with vials and jars covered in cloth.

The chapel was located near the heart of the Keep. Two ornate doors, attached by black iron, were propped open. It looked as if the long, narrow chamber was once a bright and beautiful place to visit, even worship in. The archways where glass once beckoned the daylight, however, were now covered by stone — the result of additions being built. Only a single stained glass window remained as a centerpiece to the renovated chamber. Hundreds of candles glowed, affixed in the colored residue of wax, which had built up over time. Cushioned benches were used as beds. The sound of crying children and sobbing women echoed in the domed chapel and down the corridors.

Evan was propped up against one of the walls at the front of the chapel. A lifelike statue of a man in armor holding a spear hovered over him. The blacksmith’s war hammer was propped up and leaning against his wounded leg. Livi pulled me across the floor and through the sea of children until we stood over the stretcher.

“I brought him,” she said to her brother.

Evan was still pale, his hair matted against his forehead. He looked utterly worn from exertion. His face was beaded with sweat, and he huddled under a dingy-looking wool blanket, shaking. He blinked several times before he spoke, as if trying to stay awake. “Thank you, Livi,” he said softly. “Can I talk to Wendell alone?”

She nodded and let go of my fingers. Miriam was in the far corner, kneeling and telling a group of children a story. Livi wandered over and sat down next to her mother. She glanced back at me and gave me an encouraging smile.

“I was wrong about you,” Evan coughed. He gripped the blanket tightly against his chest until the fit stopped. I noticed his shoulders were bare. “You could have left at any time,” he continued with a slight gasp, “but you didn’t.” He searched my face, but I wouldn't make eye contact. It made Evan smile. “You could have let me…and all of us die in that storm.” Lifting the black T-shirt from the other side of his stretcher, Evan handed it back to me. “But you saved us.”

I unfolded the T-shirt. My fingers rubbed the soft fabric until I found the beginning of the yellow smiley face. “I didn’t save Hiram,” I cringed. It was painful to say. Even more so to hear out loud.

“Didn’t,…or couldn’t?”

I finally looked at Evan. Tears welled up in his eyes, but his face was peaceful. Resolved. “I love my little brother.” The hint of a smile touched the corners of his mouth, then vanished. “But I know why he died.” A trembling hand reached out and gripped my forearm. Strong fingers pulled me closer. Evan’s jaw was clenched tight, his face fighting to control his emotions. “He died trying to save our sister’s life,” he said through clenched teeth. “He gave his life in exchange for hers.”

I couldn’t help but look away, but I regretted it. Miriam stared at me coldly from across the chamber—children tugging at her apron, asking her questions. She ignored them, sitting there, like a statue, just…staring.

“My mother has certain beliefs that I don’t share, Wendell. I never wanted to admit that, but I do. She knew you possessed magic and expected it to save Hiram.” He paused and followed my gaze to his mother. “But where I was wrong to shun and rebuke you for what abilities you may have, I never expected you to be anything more than a man.”

He gripped my forearm hard enough to grab my attention.

…then shoved my enchanted school bag into my hand.

I stared at him and blinked hard. Twice.

“I believe in people working together, in community…” he said, then looked up at the stained glass window above us. “Like Lord Thorin of old.”

I followed Evan’s gaze,…and the sounds in the chapel dulled.

A little boy skipped past me, unnoticed. Evan kept talking, but all I could see were the colors and shapes in the glass. A knight, I was guessing, was this ‘Lord Thorin’, stood fast, defending citizens behind him with sword and shield. Defending them against the horde.

The stained glass window from my dreams.

What’s a window doing in a cellar? It wasn’t in the cellar. Images flashed through my mind: the halls, just like the corridors leading to this room. They were much lighter, but they could match. The grain, a pile of someone’s forgotten laundry…all of which could be used by these children.

Then it hit me.

Until such time, protect the seals and seek Ithari’s children. Keep them safe or they will be used against you.

Children. All these children, I thought, have to be protected, or the Vallen will use them against us! It wasn’t the shards at all!! It all made sense. I knew where the seal was and I had to get it before the enemy did. Every hint, every act had led to this very moment…this very chapel.

P.S. …had any dreams lately?

Snatching the war hammer next to Evan, I threw it…into the stained glass window.

The sound was deafening. Not from the glass shattering and spraying shards across the chapel floor, but from the screams of the children. Tiny arms covered their heads as they scattered. Mothers and servants desperate to control the explosive fear.

Lili, assigned to bring the children food from the kitchen, walked into the chapel just in time to see me tackled to the ground.

Author Notes

If you’re reading this for the first time and never partook of the initial novels in third person, this is a huge change in the storyline, and I’m so tickled to make it.

We only have two more weeks to the conclusion of this season AND the first book in the series!

Jaime

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