im leaving on vacation today, and might not have internet access until wednesday. so i am posting this next chapter up now.
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Chapter 7
His wrath undoes the wicked
“Now I know you’re completely mad,” Hewe said, “You want us to follow you, some kids, and a priest against Einon?”
“Yes,” Cara said, “but this time we can win. You don’t understand…”
“I don’t want to understand!” Hewe shouted, and then pointed to his eye patch, “I understand this! I understand six years in a quarry! That’s all I need to understand!”
“Believe me, I know what you’ve been through, Hewe,” Kara said, “But this time we’ve been joined…”
“Only a fool would join you!” Hewe shouted.
“You’re not listening to what I’m saying,” Kara shouted back.
“I don’t want to listen! I’ve had enough of your mischief!”
and he was about to threaten her with the shovel he carried but it suddenly had an arrow in it, courtesy of Bowen, Knight of the Old Code. Bowen rode forth and said, “Save your strength for the fight against Einon.”
“There isn’t any fight against Einon,” Hewe said.
“We’re going to start one,” Sora replied, smiling.
“You and what army?” Hewe replied.
Bowen merely smiled and rode to the hill. He raised his bow as a dragon came into sight. That was all the convincing Hewe, or anyone else, needed.
The rest of the day was spent making supplies needed for the upcoming fight. During this time, it was discovered that, although he never fired one in his life, Brother Gilbert was a natural with a bow and arrow. His very first shot landed right in the target dummy’s forehead, the second right between the legs. Kara trained with a small hand axe, and Sora and his friends sparred with each other in preparation and gave pointers to the peasants.
From a nearby hill, the lord of the village, an elderly man named Brok, saw the villagers preparing for combat, and a dragon roaring. In fear, Brok ran to King Einon’s castle for help.
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“I need more men!” Brok yelled. He was meeting with King Einon and all of the advisors and lords.
“It’s just a few peasants waving pitchforks,” said one advisor, “I noticed they’re all on your land. You’re not too busy hawking in your old age to keep control of your minions, are you?”
Einon rushed between the two men before a fight started.
“I’m just saying,” The advisor continued, “that any one of us is worth a hundred of them.”
“Ah, the brave Felton,” said the advisor that was Aloz in disguise, “an army unto himself.”
“Well…” Felton began, but could not find the words. The point was well made.
Einon pushed Felton’s head to the table, screaming, “Fool! I know this man who leads them, and I will not underestimate him! Him or the dragon!”
“Don’t be afraid of the dragon, my son,” Queen Aislinn said, coming into the room.
“I’m afraid of nothing!” Einon replied, “Nothing! You understand?”
Queen Aislinn gestured outside, saying, “A mother’s gift to her son. The finest to be had.”
“The finest what?” Einon asked.
“Dragonslayers.”
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As night approached, they were all ready. Tomorrow, they would fight. Bowen and Draco walked alone, just talking.
“Have you thought beyond tomorrow?” Draco asked.
“It’s hard to see that far,” Bowen replied.
Draco gestured to the camp below, “Look at the camp. What do you see? What do you hear?”
Bowen thought for a moment, and then answered, “Hope.”
“Exactly,” Draco said, as he lay down next to Bowen, “down there you have life, songs and courage. You
have everything you’ll ever need,” and then, to himself, he added “And now, so do I.”
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Down below, Sora, Riku and Kairi talked about tomorrow as well.
“Tomorrow,” Kairi said, “we fight to stop Aloz from gaining more Quintessence. And after that…”
“We return to Radiant Garden,” Sora finished, “and continue the battle there.
“Do you think,” Kairi asked, “that Draco may know something about the Heartless? It’s hard to tell, but it seems like dragons know much about the heart.”
“It’s possible,” Sora answered, “after tomorrow’s battle, we’ll ask him. A little more knowledge could only help us now.”
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The next day, the peasants came through the forest and to the castle where Einon dwelled, Bowen at the lead. Einon was already prepared for combat, dressed in his chain mail and ready for battle.
As the peasant army came out, Bowen rode among the ready to fight. He had replaced his old shield, with the dragon horns on it, with a small, circular shield, with a golden dragon’s head painted on it.
“He dares defy me at my own gates,” Einon said, “Look at him! Well, today his Code dies once and for all!”
He prepared to charge down, but one of his soldiers stopped him, “No! We’re safe here, Your Majesty! That rabble couldn’t possibly storm the castle! By tonight they’ll be cold and wet and tired. They’ll probably just limp off home. We’re safe here, Einon! Remember your father!”
Broc gasped as he saw the dragon charge right at them, sending to fireballs at their line of archers on the walls. The Dragonslayers shouted in a foreign language as they started their preparations.
Two loaded a ballista and prepared to fire it, but a fireball burned the ramparts above them and sent debris flying down on them. One fell on the trigger, launching the giant arrow right into one of the Dragonslayers.
Another Dragonslayer prepared to launch three arrows, ropes tied to them, in one shot, but Draco caught one of them and pulled on the rope. The ballista and it broke free of its chain and slammed right into the Dragonslayer.
By now, Einon was fed up, and charged into battle with his soldiers and the Heartless. From the trees, Gilbert and all the archers launched volleys of arrows, felling many before the army even reached the peasants. Sora and Kairi worked together with magic, flash freezing and burning Heartless and soldiers alike. Riku used his dark powers to crush several foes with only a handful of attacks. Bowen jumped off his horse and easily felled both man and Heartless with swipes of his blade.
From a nearby hilltop, out of sight, Axel and Spoiler watched.
“Shall we join the battle?” Axel asked.
Spoiler chuckled and drew her quarterstaff, “Try and keep up.”
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“Sora,” Riku shouted while engaging a Heartless, “we got reinforcements coming!”
Sora turned just in time to see Axel cut through a small battalion of Heartless on his own, and nearly laughed. Some things never changed.
Suddenly a new figure appeared. He tossed his swords in the air, threw two daggers at Heartless, and grabbed his blades as they came down. The two Heartless vanished as soon as the dagger’s pierced their chests.
“I thought you didn’t like playing the hero?” Axel jibed, though he was truthfully glad to see his boss there.
“Don’t get used to it,” Phantasm replied, and they joined up and felled more Heartless immediately, “I still don’t like playing the hero. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how. I’ve made my choice.”
“The right one,” Spoiler smiled behind her bandana.
Brother Gilbert launched an arrow to a special trap, and a log came down and clotheslined some soldiers, who fell off their horses.
“Pride goeth before the fall,” Gilbert muttered to himself.
Bowen, who had managed to pick up a second sword by now, easily felled two more soldiers. Einon, seeing the battle going against them, ordered for a retreat. But as he shouted, Brother Gilbert readied an arrow and fired.
The arrow hit him directly in the heart, but he did not die. At the same moment the arrow pierced his skin, Draco felt a huge pain in his chest and fell into the castle. Bowen saw this and feared the worst, and then he saw that Einon was still alive. Einon pulled the arrow from himself, almost as surprised at Bowen was.
“The Dragonslayers,” Einon gasped, realizing the truth, and charged back to the castle.
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The remaining Dragonslayers began to tie Draco down with chains, making sure he could not escape. They were prepared to kill, but Einon stopped them.
“Stop! I want it alive! Alive and safe. Safe for all eternity.
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“I got to save the dragon!” Bowen shouted, “Who will go with me?”
He was dismayed, however, that only Sora, Riku, Kairi, Kara, and Gilbert stepped forward, the peasants standing back, motionless. With a shake of his head, he started for the castle, the five others behind him.
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It was nighttime now. As Draco waited for something to happen, a figure came and stabbed the guard watching over Draco. Draco heard the thud and said, “Come from the shadows, Aislinn. Come where I can see you.”
Queen Aislinn came out of her hiding spot and kneeled before Draco, saying, “You know why I’ve come.”
“I know. In giving my heart, I’ve taken on every poison stirring in his evil chest. Even the pain of his death must be mine.”
“You cannot blame yourself,” Queen Aislinn said, “Death without immortality?”
“That was not the only reason. I had to wait for a time when mankind would not repeat my mistake and let tyranny thrive. When there would be those who remembered the Once-ways, remembered that even in the darkness there is still light,” he then tried to lift his head up, but the chains would not let him, “I cannot see. Are the stars shining tonight?”
Aislinn looked up and then said, “Brightly, my lord. Brightly.”
“Then let us end it,” Draco said, and Aislinn took the spear the fallen Dragonslayer wielded.
She took it in her arms, ready to strike, and said, “Forgive me!”
But before she could strike, Einon stopped her, grabbed the spear out of her hands.
“I know why you brought me the Dragonslayers,” Einon said simply, “You wanted them to kill him because you wanted me dead.”
“I wanted to correct a mistake made years ago,” Aislinn said, “when I saved a creature not worth saving.”
“How un-motherly of you,” Einon said, and without another word, Aislinn walked away. Einon snapped his fingers, and a Heartless appeared. He pointed at where his mother had gone, and the Heartless went. Moments later, a women’s scream could be heard, and then the roar of a dragon.
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This roar got the attention of the infiltrators of the castle, using the passage the now late Queen Aislinn had used to free Kara some nights ago. They turned and saw the rebels, lead by Hewe, enter behind them.
“We have to open the gates,” Hewe said, “The rest of us are waiting outside. Go save your dragon, Bowen.”
Bowen and the group turned and continued through the castle, coming up in the dungeon as before. From there, they would ransack the place until they found Draco.
Unfortunately, Einon was waiting for them.
“Well, well, well, what a pleasant surprise,” Einon said, “I expected you, Bowen, but with my bride-to-be as well? And a bunch of children? And with a priest to wed us.”
“To bury you,” Sora grumbled.
“Well, to bury one of us,” Einon said, and jumped to his feet. Heartless appeared in the room, and Einon drew his blade. He swung at Bowen, but he stepped back and Einon only cut through a chair. The group spread out, Bowen engaging Einon and Sora and his friends quickly dispatching the Heartless.
“Kara,” Sora shouted, joining with Bowen to fight Einon, “the door, quickly!”
Kara and Gilbert quickly shut the door before any more enemies could enter. Einon quickly dodged blade, fireball, thunder, and darkness as he engaged the swordsmen (and swordswomen). Bowen sidestepped a swing and Einon fell down the stairs of the hidden passage, onto the stone floor below. He should not have survived. Bowen, Sora, Riku and Kairi jumped down and closed the passage behind them.
Bowen stared down at Einon, his body unmoving. He quickly made his way down the stairs to see if he was dead, but Einon’s blade came up and the 4 on 1 dual began again. They clashed blades as they moved through the catacombs beneath the castle.