Chapter Two

Chapter Two, Dark Prophecy

Chapter 2

Jacob and Sabraya crossed the meadows with Anestas out cold, and arrived at the Kingdom within an hour. The town was nestled inside massive walls that surrounded King Aldrich’s castle. The tall spires overlooked the town, perched on a cliff side. Below lay a sandy beach and the West Ocean. They rode onto the drawbridge, crossing the swamp moat. The stench of rot was intense as it rose up in the wind. Guards on the high outer walls looked at them with suspicion as they entered the gate watch area. The inner gate was down to discourage travel by night and the watch area was the easiest way to interrogate those passing through. 

The sounds of locks being released behind the only door inside the gate kept echoing until a tall, thin guard came out. His uniform draped on his boyish shoulders as he approached with a look of disapproval. “Gate’s closed, come back after sun up,” he yelled toward the weary travelers, and then he turned around and headed back to the side door.  

Jacob and Sabraya looked at each other in disbelief.  Then Jacob jumped off his horse, and spoke in a very stern and demanding tone, “What is your name, son?” 

That turned the soldier around immediately.  He came back toward them and said, stuttering in anger, “It’s obviously none of your concern, now is it? Do you have a problem, or do you simply wish to die tonight?” He reached down to lay his hand on his short sword, ready for a fight.

Unfortunately for the soldier, Jacob was too upset after his ordeal with the trolls, to let this young man get away with rudeness. Jacob walked right up to him, face to face, toe to toe, spitting as he replied, “I asked you for your name. If I have to rip your head off with my bare hands and then ask someone else who you were, as forge master, I will.”

The soldier stepped back knowing that the situation had gone from bad to worse. Before either of them could say anymore, an older man came through the doorway. With two against one, Jacob relaxed a bit. The older guard asked the young soldier, “Staigar, what’s going on here?” 

Jacob smiled with the knowledge of the name of the distraught soldier.  Staigar knew why he was smiling and retorted to the older guard, “I was letting them know when they could gain entrance, when this one came over and threatened me!” He started pacing back and forth like a puffed-up rooster.

The older guard looked at the travelers, and then asked Staigar, “Did you find out who they were or what they needed here before you attempted to send them off?” 

Staigar, appalled, looked at the older guard as if his ability to do his duty was in question. He raised his voice to the older one, ranting and raving, “He threatened me! There are reasons for the king not to let just anybody in and out of the kingdom, Rothert. I know what I’m doing. They are going to leave, and I highly doubt they will be allowed through tomorrow!” He continued to pace.

The older guard patted Staigar on the back and quietly said, “I know you were trained to follow the rules, but on occasion, it is necessary to open the gates for people of importance. So as a rule of thumb, you should at least ask who they are before you end up in the dungeon for sending the king’s personal friends out into the night.” 

Staigar was about to reply until the words sunk in. He looked over to the travelers and back to the old guard. He was red with anger and frustration. Without words, he walked away through the doorway, slamming the door behind him.

The old guard looked closely at the travelers, and then barked, “Are you giving my men hell already? You’ve only been here for a few minutes, you old dog.” He spread his arms out and gave Jacob a grizzly embrace. “How have you been stranger? I haven’t seen you in a while.” 

Jacob smiled back and answered, “Stranger is it? If I’m a stranger, then you’re an old man.” They both broke out in soft laughter.

Sabraya looked to her brother who was still unconscious. She didn’t want to break up the reunion, but her concern outweighed her rudeness, “Father, um...” She paused as she waited for his attention, “Father, Anestas needs help, remember?”

Jacob regained his seriousness, and then told the old guard, Rothert, “Anestas was knocked out by a tree limb. I need to get him to the healers.”

The old man started laughing, but cleared his throat to stop when no one joined in. He walked over to where Anestas was draped over the horse. He peeked under the bandage, “Looks bad all right; I’ll take you there myself, so there won’t be any more trouble for you.” He then quickly opened the side door and yelled to someone to open the gate. The inner gate started to rise as the outer gate started to drop behind them. The old guard came back, once more in a pleasant mood, and said, “He’ll be in good hands, Jacob. Next to your late wife, our healers are the best in these lands.” He seemed to be confident in what he was saying. The inner gate opened completely and they started down the main road. 

Small storefronts lined the road, but most of them were closed for the night. Occasionally they passed a tavern or inn that kept their doors open through the late hours. They walked their horses down the cobbled road for quite some time, and then they turned left, up the hill, toward the castle. Large old trees outlined the barrier of the inner castle walls. Guards paced back and forth on top of them. The massive castle had spires extending into the low coastal clouds. Reaching the top of the hill, they continued down the road toward the inner moat, where Rothert rang a bell to have the drawbridge lowered.

They started across the drawbridge as Sabraya looked over the moat water. The water reflected the light of the moon toward her. She was startled at the sight of something slithering through the water like a giant snake, but when she looked closer, it was gone. She shrugged her shoulders and continued on. No one else seemed to have noticed. 

More guards were waiting for them on the other side. The old man started barking orders at them, “You two,” he pointed at a pair of guards standing next to each other, “take the boy to the healers, Katnia and Martyna. Tell them he was knocked unconscious when he hit a tree. They should know what to do.” He looked back at Jacob and Sabraya to give a reassuring smile to them. He continued on, as they were placing Anestas on a long board, “Be as careful with him as you would your own boy. I trust you will find me as soon as he wakes.”

The tall one replied, “I’ll even wake you if you’re sleeping.”

  Rothert, smiled with pride and said, “I’ve trained you well Battocks, Carry on.” He then told some more guards, “Take the horses, and take their saddle bags too, got it?” Then he turned back toward Jacob and said, “Now that Anestas is in good hands, shall we see you to your chambers so you can rest, or shall we get the cook for a quick meal?”

Jacob replied, “A bed would be nice right now, but will you fetch me when you hear about Anestas?”

Rothert smiled and said, “Of course, right this way then.” He turned and headed for the steps with Sabraya and her father following. The two guards brought up the rear carrying saddlebags over their shoulders. 

After climbing the outdoor steps, they entered the archway that led inside, and started up the inner stairway. As they came to a landing, Sabraya glanced over to a downward passageway that veered off to the side. She wondered where it led, but with her lack of sleep, she continued on without asking. Although she had been to town many times, she had never been allowed in the castle. 

The top of the stairs opened up to a large hallway that made Sabraya feel very small. They turned left without pausing. Sabraya looked at the intricate paintings of important people as they walked, trying not to fall behind, while her father and Rothert made small talk. She couldn’t hear much until Rothert looked back and said, “We’ll take this way. It’s a shortcut to the guest rooms.” He pointed toward a corridor to the right. 

They walked through to another hall and up a spiraling staircase, ending in a hallway that was only half the size of the ones before. Across the hallway they stopped in front of three doors. Rothert opened one door and said, “These are the guest rooms,” he opened another, gesturing them to enter, “Sabraya, you can stay in this one, it’s more to a ladies’ liking.”  

It was a large room with a candle under a small vent window. It had a mirrored dresser and a canopy bed placed against the back wall. The bedding and throw rugs were red with beautiful designs. She turned and said thank you before sitting on the bed, savoring the moment of finally getting some much needed rest. 

Jacob turned back and said, “I’ll be next door if you need me and try to get some sleep, we’ve had an unusually rough day.” Jacob left and closed the door behind him.

Sabraya was too tired to respond and instead, used her energy to unlace and slide off her riding boots. She thought about undressing to her nightshirt for comfort, but instead decided to lie down on the bed and curl the blanket around her. She immediately fell asleep and sometime later started dreaming as the candle below the vent window burned itself out.

Meanwhile… the guards carried Anestas to the healers, the aroma of the sea gently floated in from the balcony, cooling the warm night air. The guards laid Anestas on the examination table. He was motionless except for his breathing. The female healer Katnia approached the guards and asked, “What happened?”

Battocks answered, “He was knocked out by a tree branch; he obviously forgot to duck while traveling through a wooded path.” The guards chuckled.

The healer smiled and replied, “I’ll take it from here. Do you want notification?” 

Battocks thought a moment and then replied, “I’ll be out in the main hall; contact me there,” the guards then left, closing the door behind them. 

Katnia took the bandage off and winced at the size of the knot on Anestas’ head while the second female healer, Martyna, came over and began to undress his shirt. Katnia went to the cabinet and retrieved four jars full of various exotic plants and herbs. She carefully placed a pinch of each into a mixing bowl. Then she began grinding them together into a liquid paste. She asked over her shoulder, “How are his eyes, heartbeat, and breathing?”

Martyna opened Anestas’ eyelids, checked his pulse on the neck, and felt his breathing on his chest. “Breathing is slightly shallow, heartbeat is slow, and eyes are normal, for a sleeper.” She said with a smile. 

Katnia continued, “We’ll have to wake him so he can tell us where it hurts.” They both giggled for a moment and then went on with their tasks.

Katnia carried the mixture over to Anestas, and then got some bandages which she soaked into the mixture. Placing the bandage on his head, she asked Martyna, “Are you ready to begin?”

Martyna replied, “Ready as I can be.” They stood on opposite sides of Anestas, while they closed their eyes and started chanting in whispers of an ancient tongue found in the books of power. The language is only taught to the ones passing the higher levels of exams. The students who did not pass are shown ways to keep their magic under control along with simple tricks of the art, while the ones who do pass, enter into the king’s services join the battle against the power-hungry tyrants. 

Within minutes, they could feel the power swirling around the room like a web. They raised their hands and gathered more power. Gusts of wind entered the room, swirling various papers as the chimes began to ring. The power felt strong within them as they laid their hands upon Anestas, transferring the power into his body. The wind died down as their voices became silent. The healers opened their eyes, weary from the transference, and watched Anestas. 

He started to stir, and then suddenly snapped awake, lashing out at some unseen monster. After noticing his surroundings and coming to the realization that the healers were obviously not monsters, he gained his composure and asked, “Where am I and how did I get here… And why does my head hurt so much?” He tried to touch his aching head, but decided it was too painful.

The healers burst out laughing at the young traveler, and were unable to answer him. Katnia settled down first and answered, “You were knocked out by a tree limb, but the guard knows more about you then we do.”

“I sympathize for your pain, but if we hadn’t awakened you quickly, you might not have come out of it.” Martyna said as she left to retrieve the guard, still giggling under her breath. 

The guard and Martyna entered the room, as the guard said, “So, you made it after all. Your father will be relieved,” giving him an ear-to-ear grin.

Ignoring the fact that they were laughing at his predicament, he jumped up and frantically questioned the guard, stuttering in nervousness, “My... my father and Sabraya, are they all right… can I see them?”

Gently urging Anestas back down, he said, “Relax boy, just slow down now. I’ll be getting your father for you, don’t you worry. Your sister’s fine too, although a bit exhausted from traveling. Before I leave though, tell me, did you forget to duck, or what?”

Anestas, with his head pounding, scowled at him in reply, “Just let my father know I’m up now, thank you.” He closed his eyes and tried to wish the pain away. 

Battocks then went to the guards’ lounge area. Rothert was telling some tall tale of a long-ago battle he had won single-handedly. Battocks waited patiently as the young trainees got the full effect of the entire story. Rothert finished with his dramatic retelling and followed it with a “lesson in life” tip, before he noticed Battocks waiting. He turned to Battocks and asked, “What’s the verdict with the boy?”

Battocks started smiling and said, “His head is pounding, but he’s alive.”

Rothert beamed and said, “Well, that didn’t take long at all. I’ll go wake Jacob,” he winked at Battocks as he got up to leave. They left together then parted ways saying goodnight. Battocks headed to his post at the front of the castle while Rothert walked happily through the halls and corridors toward the guest rooms. Sabraya’s room was silent, as he knocked at Jacob’s door. 

There was only snoring for a reply. Rothert grabbed a dwindling candle from the wall and entered Jacob’s room. In a low, but stern voice he said, “Jacob. Hey Jacob, I got word on your boy. Wake up, old man.” He waited for a reply, but Jacob only stirring slightly, still slept. He tried again, knowing Jacob would be mad if he didn’t succeed. This time he shook his shoulder, “Hey, wake up, old man. I have news on your boy. You wanted to know when...”

Suddenly Jacob’s fist came swinging up out of the dark and plowed into Rothert’s chin. Rothert stumbled back, dazed from the blow, fumbling to keep the candle upright. Jacob shook his head, clearing the sleep from his mind, when he realized what had happened. He jumped up and went over to Rothert. “Are you all right? Rothert, speak to me. Are you all right? I thought you were after me. I had no idea it was you, I’m sorry Rothert, speak to me!” 

Rothert winced as he looked up at Jacob and said, “I knew you were cranky, but I forgot you sometimes wake up attacking. Next time I’ll use water.” 

Jacob sighed in relief at his friend’s humor, “It was a rough road there my friend, I’m still jumpy over it. Is Anestas all right?”

Rothert stood up and replied, “He’s fine, although it’ll be a while for the pain from the bump to subside.”

Jacob slipped on his boots and asked, “Is he up to seeing me, or should I wait for the morning?” 

Rothert chuckled and said; “I know he wants to see you tonight. Shall we?” They left the room and Jacob stopped to listen at Sabraya’s door. Rothert noticed he hesitated, and asked, “Should we wake her, Jacob, or let her sleep until morning?”

Jacob pondered for a moment listening to the silence from her room, and then replied, “It can wait for morning. She needs her rest.” They passed through the corridor and into the main hall toward the healers’ chambers. After a silent walk, they entered the room and approached Anestas. He was still complaining about the pain when he noticed his father and Rothert. Katnia was changing his bandage and Martyna was over by the cabinets, putting things away and cleaning the scattered mess. 

Rothert greeted the healers with charm, “Hello girls, how’s the boy? Going to live, is he?” 

The girls giggled and Katnia replied, “He has a hard head with a personality to match, but he’ll live.” She stood up and took the bowl to the sink to be cleaned.

Jacob peeked under the bandage and winced. “How’s the head, son?”

Anestas answered, “They can’t get the pain to go away. They should have let me sleep it off; I would have been all right.”

Jacob smiled, “Now son, just be thankful you’re still alive. Sabraya’s sleeping in the guest rooms. I thought it best to let her rest.”

Anestas slid up into a sitting position and said, “It’s good to hear that someone is going to get some rest tonight.” He got a puzzled look on his face as if trying to remember something that eluded his memory, then asked his father, “What exactly was chasing us, was it really...”

Jacob interrupted his question, “It was some kind of wild animal I’ve never seen before; we’ll talk about it later.” He then turned to Martyna and asked, “Will he be staying here for the night?” 

Martyna replied, “Yes, we’ll be watching over him for at least a night, maybe two, if it is necessary. You can check back in the morning and we’ll know how loud his roar is by then.”

Jacob seemed satisfied and turned again to his son. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. I’m glad to see you awake again, in spite of your pain you keep whining about.” 

Anestas gave his father a sarcastic smile and said, “Good night to you two then.” He lay back down again and winced when he tried to touch his swollen head.

Jacob and Rothert shut the door behind them and headed back toward the guest rooms. As they were walking down the hall, Rothert asked, “So, what was after you in those woods? What kind of animal could chase you off in such a hurry?” He stopped, waiting for a direct answer.

Jacob made a serious face and after pausing a moment to choose his wording, he answered, “Rothert, my old friend, something terrible was after us. But even worse, something even more terrible drove them out of their own territory.” He paused and then continued, “Rothert, I ran into the southern swamp trolls. They were headed for the northern mountains, devouring every living thing they came across. I’ve never heard of anything that could chase off the swamp trolls, so I know some worse evil took over their lands. And whatever it is, it needs to be stopped in a hurry.”

Rothert was speechless with his face turning pale as Jacob told him the news. They continued walking for a while without saying anything until Jacob said in a low voice as if someone was listening, “Rothert, I need your help.”

Rothert was always the one to be the first to jump in a fight for a friend, “You know you can count on me, what kind of help?”

Jacob replied, “I need to know I can trust the men King Aldrich is setting up for the journey. The king wants me to recover some legendary item, but he doesn’t even know if it exists. On the chance we succeed our quest; I need to know I’m going to make it back alive.”

Rothert knew how important this request was and reassured him by saying, “I will personally oversee the selection myself. You have my word on it.”

Jacob smiled and said, “I know it’s a lot to ask, but I need this, thank you. Another thing, if it’s not too much of a bother.”

Rothert said, “Just name it.”

Jacob continued, “I need you to make sure Sabraya and Anestas get to their Uncle Briggs’ house. From there, Sabraya can go to that wizard school while Anestas helps his uncle. I don’t want them to find out what I’m really doing for the king. I’m afraid of what those bull-headed kids would do if they found out especially after what happened to their mother on a similar quest for the king. Losing their mother was very hard on them, especially Sabraya.”

Rothert replied, “Of course, I understand. Your secret is safe with me.” They arrived at the guest rooms and Jacob turned to thank Rothert for his help before Rothert returned to his duties. Retreating into his room, Jacob slumped back into bed. He kicked off his boots before falling into a deep sleep; content with the knowledge that both of his children would be safe and taken care of while he was on his quest.

Reviews

[Shep]

Again very good. It seems you can draw me into this wonderland of yours. This is the kind of stories I love reading about. You have peeked my interst. SM Gracia said you can write and I have never once doubted her. Considering I have read everything she has so far written and she has read everything I have writen, knowing my taste for a good novel like this one. This chapter was perfect needs no smoothing, just someone to read it. Perpare to have few of my friends to stop by.

[Lane Craver]

Thank you... this story really took off on its own, and the characters just came out of the woodwork :)

[Coyote Poetry]

A very good chapter. I like the situation with the guard. Story got more friendlier and calm. I like the pace and the people in the story. Had a feel of real people with problems and needs. Thank you for the excellent chapter.
Coyote