Redemption (31 page)

"I am getting a bad feeling about this," Prince Antion said softly. "Winona, see if you can manipulate the door bar from here."

Winona nodded and moved across the balcony to the far railing. The others stood just outside the door of the dining room and gazed about in confusion. They talked softly about where else they should search, and their words were carried lightly in the night air. Winona tuned out the conversation as she concentrated on the gates to the castle courtyard. Several dozen castle defenders milled about in the courtyard below, and more of them walked the walls at the front of the castle. The woman narrowed her concentration to the bar, and slowly it rose out of the brackets holding it. Using the Talent, she carried the bar high over the gates and tossed it into the sea.

"Well done," Sandar said softly from behind her. "I was afraid that the defenders would see it being taken, but no one even noticed. They appear to be consumed talking to one another."

"They are probably discussing the distraction that Babul's people created before," shrugged Winona as she turned and saw that Sandar had brought a torch with him. "Burning the pavilions would make no sense to me if I was defending a castle. Signal the bandits. They should be able to see you from here."

"That's what I thought," Sandar nodded as he raised the torch high and swung it back and forth. "I brought a torch for that reason."

While Sandar was swinging the torch, Winona turned to look towards the others. That is when she noticed the full extent of the balcony. When they had first exited the dining room, the balcony appeared to only be accessible from the one room, but now she saw that that was not true. The balcony curved around the castle and there were doors on both sides of the dining room. The door on the left had no light shining underneath it, but the right one did. A lump formed in her throat as Winona opened her mouth to warn the others.

Suddenly the door on the right opened and a man stepped out onto the balcony. Winona stared as Jared walked out of the door, only it was not Jared at all. King Zinan was garbed identically to Jared, and if the two men had not been separated, Winona would not have been able to tell them apart.

"Who are you?" scowled the king as he saw Winona and Sandar at the railing.

The warriors turned and stared at Winona in confusion because they were not able to see King Zinan, but they heard his voice. Jared immediately broke away from the group and following Winona's gaze, moved swiftly across the balcony until he saw his brother.

"They are with me," Jared declared confidently. "Your reign of evil is over, brother. I have come to end it."

"I don't think so," snarled King Zinan as he walked slowly towards Jared. "No one's power can match mine."

Everyone stood transfixed as the two brothers slowly approached each other. They walked right up to each other and extended their arms until each of the men was holding the head of the other between his hands. There were no further taunts, nor were there any visible signs of struggle, but everyone realized that the battle was joined.

"Guard Jared with your life," Sandar whispered to Winona. "Do not let your feelings lead you astray. I will protect Prince Antion."

Without warning, Borundan soldiers began pouring out onto the balcony from the doorway that King Zinan had emerged from, evidently drawn by the commotion on the balcony. Prince Derri and the others had moved to where they could see what was going on, and they immediately turned to face the new threat. Prince Antion separated from the group and moved close to the struggling brothers so that Jared could tap into his well of Talent. Sandar hovered near the Arin prince as a final barrier to any assailants, while Winona remained at the railing ready to help when needed.

Talot, Prince Derri, and Prince Umal drew their weapons and moved between the twin brothers and the doorway where the Borundans were exiting the castle. Monte stood behind the three warriors and nocked an arrow.

Prince Umal was the first to draw blood. His twin scimitars crossed as he swung his arms wide, catching the neck of a Borundan soldier between the sharp blades. Prince Derri swung low, slicing the legs of one of the charging Borundans, and Talot poked the head of his double-bladed axe into the chest of another. An arrow whizzed overhead and sailed through the doorway, skewering a fourth Borundan soldier. Monte immediately nocked another arrow. The Borundan soldiers ran through the doorway and tried to get around the three warriors, but their task proved to be a difficult one. Talot's long reach with his axe caught those trying to get around on the right, while Prince Derri's long two-handed sword blocked the path to the left. In the center, Prince Umal's scimitars sang a song of death, and Monte's arrows flew one after the other as the bodies started to pile up on the floor of the balcony.

The warriors eventually managed to block the doorway to the balcony, and both sides played a defense game, refusing to yield ground to their opponents. The brief pause in the fierce fighting was a welcome breather to the tired warriors. Monte used the break to rush back and procure arrows from Prince Antion's quiver.

Unbeknownst to those on the balcony, the Borundans were not trapped in the room beyond the doorway. Half of the Borundan soldiers turned from the bottleneck and exited the room to a distant corridor. Moments later they reappeared, exiting the dining room onto the balcony. Winona shouted a warning as she saw the soldiers coming onto the balcony. One of the Borundans raised a bow and aimed at Prince Antion. Sandar saw the archer as Winona shouted her alarm, and he moved swiftly to throw his body in front of the Arin prince. The Borundan's arrow caught Sandar in the neck and the Arin soldier slammed into the floor of the balcony. Monte pivoted towards the new threat and released his bowstring. His arrow sailed into the Borundan archer's chest, and the man fell backwards, colliding with his comrades.

Prince Umal dove across the balcony and came to his feet near the door to the dining room. His twin scimitars slashed a path of destruction as they sliced into the tight group of Borundan soldiers.

Winona rushed to Sandar's body with the thought of healing the Arin soldier, but she found Sandar's neck pumping out blood at a tremendous rate. She knew that her Talent could not save him.

"Leave me," gasped Sandar as he looked up into Winona's face. "You must save them both now."

Tears filled Winona's eyes, and she nodded silently. As she rose to leave, Sandar's hand grabbed her arm. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she felt how weak his grasp was. She turned and stared into his eyes.

"He does love you," Sandar said weakly. "Save his life."

Sandar's hand fell from her arm, and Winona bit her lip in despair. She gave a quick glance towards the dining room and saw Prince Umal receive a sword thrust in his side. One of the scimitars fell from the Odessian's hand and he staggered backwards as more Borundans pushed out onto the balcony.

"Help Umal!" Winona shouted as she turned towards the magical struggle taking place behind her.

Prince Derri left the doorway to the Lomite giant and raced towards the dining room where Prince Umal was trying to fight with only one scimitar. As he leaped over the body of the Borundan who had had his legs cut off, the soldier slashed out with his sword, snaring the Salacian prince in the back of his leg. As Prince Derri landed on the floor, his leg gave out from under him, and he toppled to the floor, his sword spinning away from his hands.

Winona wiped the tears from her eyes and glanced at Jared and King Zinan. The twins were still wrapped in their strange embrace, and her eyes immediately focused on Prince Antion. Another arrow flew by the Arin prince and sailed over the railing of the balcony. Winona gritted her teeth and stared at Prince Antion.

"Forgive me, Orro," Winona cried as she brought her Talent to bear on the target.

Monte also saw the second arrow sail out of the dining room, and he immediately moved so that he had a clear view of both doors. He unleashed an arrow and killed the second Borundan archer. He immediately pivoted and sent another arrow into one of the Borundans trying to get past Talot. Prince Derri had regained his footing and limped towards the dining room door while Prince Umal continued slashing with his lone scimitar, his other arm hanging limp at his side. Monte sent another arrow into the dining room and caught a Borundan in the forehead. He immediately nocked another arrow.

Suddenly, shouts rang out from beyond the railing of the balcony. Sounds of fighting and screams of death drifted up from the front courtyard. The sound of the Caprians attacking brought a momentary smile to Talot's lips, but the smile instantly faded as a thrown knife imbedded in his chest.

Behind all of the fighting, Winona's inanimate body suddenly dropped to the floor of the balcony. Moments later, Prince Antion also collapsed, his limp body falling next to Winona's.

"Monte!" shouted Prince Derri. "We need to barricade these doors. Umal and I cannot do it. Have Talot seal his doorway, but you must seal ours. Some of the castle defenders will most certainly be here at any moment."

An eerie silence reigned over the balcony as the Caroomite gazed at the piles of carnage. Borundan bodies were everywhere, and blood flowed in thick rivers across the floor of the balcony. Only then did the archer realize that Talot had been struck. He stared at the knife protruding from his friend's chest and tears welled up in his eyes. He knew that the task of sealing the two rooms rested in his hands alone. He placed his bow on the floor and ran into the dining room to barricade the door. The two princes leaned against the wall, blood flowing freely from each of their wounds. As Prince Derri turned to see how the magical battle was turning out, his mouth opened in horror. There was nothing visible on the balcony other than bodies and blood. Prince Antion and Winona were heaped together on the floor, and not far from them were the bodies of Jared and King Zinan. No one was left standing.

Babul was tense as he sat on his horse and stared at the Castle of Capri. The moonlight sparkled off the black stones of the castle, and he squinted from the strain of his constant watch for the signal that had been promised. Behind him, three thousand Caprians waited to attack the home of King Quanto. The men were not soldiers in any sense of the word, but they were the toughest bandits and wagon warriors that the small nation had to offer. All of them had been uprooted from the small towns of Capri by the masses of Borundan soldiers surging westward to wage war on Arin. They were angry and resentful of the foreign soldiers who were chasing them from their homeland, and they were anxious to do something about it.

"Look there!" Alan shouted as he pointed towards a light high up on the castle that was moving back and forth. "Could that be the signal?"

Babul focused on the light for a few moments and nodded. "That is the signal," he declared loudly. "Men of Capri, now is the time to take back our country. Charge!"

As was typical of the bandit leader, he led the charge for only a short distance until others raced past him. His method of letting others take the brunt of the fighting was mere habit and not intentional. After a few hundred riders had raced past him, Babul realized how he was acting and felt ashamed. Over the past few days he had come to greatly admire Prince Antion and the foreign warriors that gathered around him. Even the foreign woman showed far more courage than any bandit he had ever known. With a firm determination to do something that truly mattered for once in his life, Babul kicked his horse into a gallop. Alan, who always stayed near Babul during battle, shouted at the bandit leader in confusion, but he also urged his horse onward in an attempt to catch up. Together they raced towards the ancient castle that had never fallen before.

Shouts of warning rang out from the wall of the Castle of Capri as the riders approached. As soon as the first riders came within range, scores of arrows flew from the walls, and riders began falling to the onslaught. Several riders leaped from their horses as they gained the top of the ramp. The men frantically pulled the gates open as the wall archers tried to target them. Most of those heroic wagon warriors and bandits fell to the defender's arrows, but the gates opened nonetheless. Beyond the gates a hundred castle defenders stood with their swords drawn, creating a human wall to deny the attackers a path into the courtyard.

Babul charged up the ramp with his sword held high. He opened his mouth and shouted, "Death to the Borundans! Capri is for Caprians!"

Both chants were immediately taken up by the attackers, and its effect was more devastating than Babul could have imagined. The elite Caprian guards that defended the Castle of Capri were Caprians after all, and they were trained to defend the castle against foreign invaders, but now they found themselves killing their fellow countrymen. The cry caused more than a few to question what they were doing.

The fighting was fierce and bodies piled up on the ramp and in the courtyard. The wagon warriors and bandits could not match the castle guards in skill, but they far outnumbered the defenders. As thousands of Caprians flowed into the castle, many of the defenders dropped their weapons and surrendered. The battle was bloody, but short-lived.

Babul made it through the fight without injury, which was more than Alan could say. The bandit leader looked briefly at the body of his rat-faced friend and then entered the castle. Although the battle had just ended, bandits were already stripping the castle of valuables. Babul chuckled to himself as he realized that he should be one of those racing for the most expensive treasures, but for some reason the treasure held little interest to him. He found a stairwell and raced upward. He had never been in the Castle of Capri before, but he knew that Prince Antion had planned to attack the top floor. He raced past frightened servants without a glance at them.

When he reached the top floor, he turned towards the front of the castle. The first door that he tried to open refused to budge. He frowned as he realized that the door was not locked, but rather blocked by something from the inside. He retreated and headed down another corridor. When he came to the large ornate doors, he found them also blocked. Again he retreated and tried yet another corridor.

At the end of the third corridor, Babul found a door that opened. Cautiously, he stepped into the dark room and made his way towards the front of the castle. He cursed softly as he bumped into a table, but he managed to find another door that was not blocked. He opened it and stepped into another dark room. Once again he maneuvered in the dark to yet another door. As he opened the last door, he felt the cool breeze of the night air and saw the balcony bathed in moonlight. He cautiously stepped out onto the balcony and looked around.

From his position at the end of the balcony, all he could see were five bodies. He recognized Winona, Sandar, and Prince Antion, and a lump formed in his throat. As his eyes moved on to the two gilt-clad bodies, they widened in wonder, and he started walking towards the bodies. Unexpectedly, Monte leaped from around the curved façade of the castle with his sword pointed threateningly towards the bandit.

"Babul?" Monte asked with surprise. "How did you get up here?"

Babul was startled, and he leaped sidewise in fright. He turned to face his attacker and recognized Monte. He also saw the carnage behind the archer.

"Mother of all battles!" the bandit exclaimed. "What happened up here?"

"Check for another door," Prince Derri shouted from where he was leaned against the wall outside the dining room. "If Babul can get out here, so can the castle defenders."

"They will not bother you," Babul replied quickly as he walked towards Prince Derri and Prince Umal. "The Castle of Capri has fallen to the Caprians. My brethren are currently relieving the castle of anything valuable. You will not be attacked. This was not a battle with twenty Borundan soldiers. What happened?"

"Our information was wrong," Prince Derri shrugged. "It happens."

"Twenty Borundans?" Monte said mockingly. "I used over forty arrows and not a one of them missed its target."

"There were over a hundred Borundans up here," added Prince Umal. "We need a wisper desperately."

Babul turned and looked at King Zinan and Jared and shook his head. "I do not know of any wispers."

"King Quanto always had wispers in his employ," urged Prince Derri. "See if you can find one. We will not survive without help."

"I will get help," Babul promised. "Don't move."

"We are bleeding like sacrificial goats," pleaded Prince Umal. "Moving is the last thing we will attempt to do. Please hurry."

The bandit leader turned and raced towards the door he had used to enter the balcony. Monte turned away and proceeded towards the bodies near the railing, which is where he had been heading when Babul appeared. He knelt beside Prince Antion and frowned as he felt for a pulse. His lips pressed tightly together when he could not feel one. He turned and checked Winona and could not feel her pulse either.

"Tell us!" shouted Prince Derri. "We cannot make it over there without spilling blood all over the place."

Monte's eyes turned towards Sandar, and he shook his head sadly. There would be no need to check the Arin soldier's pulse. He was clearly dead, his blank eyes staring up at the sky. Without answering Prince Derri, Monte checked both of the twin brothers. Neither of them was alive.

"They are all dead," Monte announced. "All of this carnage was for nothing."

"It was not for nothing," Prince Umal responded softly with tears in his eyes. "We ended Zinan's reign of terror. Do not trivialize Antion's sacrifice."

"At a cost that breaks my heart," Prince Derri sobbed. "How I wish it had been me rather than Antion."

Monte moved to the other doorway and knelt next to the Lomite giant. He reached out to check the giant's pulse, and Talot's eyes sprang open.

"Did we win?" Talot asked weakly.

Monte's mouth erupted in a broad grin that encompassed his whole face, and tears of joy raced down his cheeks.

"We won," Monte smiled. "Lie still. A wisper is on the way."

"I have no urge to move," Talot smiled weakly.

Monte reached to pull the dagger out of the giant's chest, but Talot's large hand reached up and stopped him.

"Leave it be," instructed the Lomite. "Sometimes it does more damage coming out than it did on the way in. I will wait for the wisper."

Monte rose and raced to the two princes. "Talot is alive," he announced to his friends. "He has a knife in his chest."

"Then the wisper shall see him first," Prince Derri nodded. "Umal and I are not going anywhere."

Babul raced onto the balcony with a woman right behind him. Monte pointed towards Talot, and the woman hurried over to the giant and began her healing. Babul moved towards the dining room and sat down next to the two princes.

"You have paid a heavy price to save the world," Babul said softly. "I wish I had been here to help you."

Prince Derri smiled thinly and nodded. "You know, Babul," he quipped, "I actually believe you this time."

"It is true, I swear," Babul retorted seriously. "I do not know what has happened to me, but the past few days have changed me. I do not even have the desire to pillage the castle for treasure. I do not understand it."

"Antion would be proud of you," smiled Prince Umal. "He has had that effect on many people. I think you will find that life is fuller when you live with a meaning for your existence."

"And treasures cannot compensate for opportunities lost," added Prince Derri. "Welcome to the real world, Babul. If you wish a fresh start in life, I would be willing to sponsor you in Salacia."

"That is a tempting offer," smiled the bandit leader, "and I thank you for your graciousness, but I want to do something for Capri. For too long we have lived like animals preying on those who are weak. It is time for that to change."

"And how will you change it?" asked Prince Umal.

"First we must rid the country of the Borundan soldiers," Babul replied. "I had hoped that Prince Antion would help with that. Only Arin is strong enough to chase the Borundans from my homeland. Now we will have to find another way, but we will do it."

The wisper arrived and stared at the two princes. She knelt next to the Salacian prince and examined his leg.

"The big man will recover," she said. "He will need to rest for a few days. Now, let's see about your leg."

While the wisper worked on the two princes, Monte sat talking with Talot. Babul roamed around the balcony and the adjoining rooms marveling at the carnage. He found it incredible that such a small band of warriors could defeat what amounted to a small army. He marveled at the shafts he found in the Borundan bodies. He had started counting them to verify the archer's boast, but he had lost count. What he did notice was that each shaft had been a killing blow. There were no arrows in the arms or legs of the Borundan soldiers. Each had hit squarely in the chest or head. He was impressed.

When Babul returned to the balcony, he walked to the railing and stared down at the courtyard. Some bandits were riding off with treasure to hide in the woods, but others were standing around talking. He suddenly realized that if it was up to him to rid the country of Borundans that he needed to get downstairs and start organizing the people. He turned and strode purposefully towards the exit, but an inhale of breath brought him up short. He turned around and stared at the five bodies behind him. He looked at each of them, but could not tell who had made the sound. Hoping against hope, the bandit leader rushed to Prince Antion's side and felt for a pulse. There was nothing, but he refused to accept the prince's death. He placed his head on the chest of the Arin prince and listened intently. A broad grin filled his face as he heard a very faint thumping.

"Prince Antion is alive!" Babul shouted. "Wisper, get over here!"

The wisper came running, as did Monte. The wisper knelt alongside the prince and frowned. She could detect no life in the man, but when she put her hand to his forehead, he felt warm to the touch. Using her Talent, she peered inside Prince Antion and saw his heart beating. She bit her lip in confusion. As she sent the Talent into the prince to probe for his ailment, Antion's eyes opened. He inhaled greedily. As he stared up into the faces of the wisper and Monte, Prince Antion realized where he was. He tried to rise, but the wisper held him down.

"You are too ill to get up," scolded the wisper. "You are weak. Rest while I examine you."

"Get her off me, Monte," scowled the Arin prince. "There is no time to waste."

Monte hesitated, but a glance at the Arin prince convinced him to act. He took hold of the wisper and gently pulled her away despite her protests. Prince Antion struggled to sit up and then looked around. He saw the bodies littering the ground around him. His eyes lingered on Winona with a look of regret, but he ended up staring at the twin brothers.

"Feel their bodies," Prince Antion demanded as he nodded at the twins. "Tell me what you feel."

Monte let go of the wisper and moved to Jared and King Zinan, although he could not distinguish one from the other.

"One is hot and the other cold," Monte reported. "What does it mean?"

"It means that one of them still lives," Prince Antion replied. "Wisper, use the Talent on the warm one."

The wisper had no idea what was going on, but she immediately complied with the order. Monte frowned and shook his head.

"Are you sure about this, Prince Antion?" Monte asked. "What if it is Zinan who lives and Jared who is dead?"

"Do it," Prince Antion replied with determination. "No matter who lives, he must be called King Zinan, for he is the only one who can recall the armies heading for Arin. Our task is not complete until this war is abandoned."

Babul had helped the wounded warriors travel across the balcony, and now they stood watching the wisper work. While the wisper sent the Talent into one of the twins, Prince Antion crawled over to Winona's body. He placed his hand on her forehead and smiled thinly.