Zachania (17 page)

He advanced a
few more paces, he could feel his heart beating faster, mentally he
tried to calm his breathing, then as he was about to attack he felt
an agonising pain strike him in the back, he turned quickly to see
that the sleeping soldier was now awake and was holding a blood
covered blade that he had just thrust into Talons back. Talon with
the speed of lightning kicked the blade from the man’s hand, then
instinctively he thrust his own blade deep into the soldiers chest
killing him instantly. Talon froze as the man fell to the
ground.

The sight of a
man he had killed made him feel nauseous. Only the sudden sound of
footsteps snapped Talon from his thoughts as he turned to see the
two other soldiers running towards him.

Once again with
the reflexes of a wild animal Talon reacted, he threw his dagger
into the chest of one of the charging men, before diving to the
ground to pick up the blade that had just moments before been
thrust in his back, in one swift movement he jumped back to his
feet and parried the soldiers lunge, then thrust the dagger into
the soldiers back, then with devastating speed he grabbed the man
by the throat and in one short pull snapped the man’s neck.

As the soldier
hit the ground Talon stood frozen to the spot, he gazed wildly at
the three men he had just killed, he could not understand if it was
rage or reality that he felt, but it dawned starkly upon him that
in barely a few moments he had ended the lives of three men.
Suddenly he jerked and fell to the ground, the pain in his back and
the thought of what he had just done made him retch. The pain he
felt now was increasing as he reached behind and wiped his hand
across his back, he was bleeding heavily, he walked over to a small
fire that the men had been cooking on and reached in and pulled out
a burning piece of wood. Then painfully he raised his clothes, he
could not see his wound but he felt it with his free hand, he
gritted his teeth as he knew what he must do next, the wound was
bleeding too much and the stem of blood would have to be stopped,
using his free hand as a guide he pushed the burning piece of wood
into his wound, the agony was overwhelming. Talon held the wood
there until he could bear no more, and then dropped in agony to the
ground. After a few moments where he regained his breath, he
reached around and felt his wound, he sighed with relief that the
blood flow had stopped, it pleased him that he would not have to
repeat the act. He rested for a further few moments until he rose
back to his feet “never again shall I show mercy, from this day
forth the man who stands in my way will die.” he mouthed
angrily.

General Krustov
had made up a lot of ground and was now only a few miles behind,
Talon was now on one of the soldier’s horses but his tiredness and
the pain from his wound had an impact on his direction, trying to
remain as hidden as possible Talon drifted off course.

Krustov however
kept his soldiers on the Imperial roads, they were the most direct
routes and they crossed the easiest terrain, after several days of
riding the General and his men reached the town of Tallasian
first.

When Talon
reached his birth town he rode quietly under the blanket of night,
by dawn he had made his way to his father’s house using the back
roads and alleyways, conscious to stay away from any military
positions.

In the dawns
light he dismounted his horse and crept up the small hill that hid
his father’s abode, and then as he reached the crest of the hill he
noticed the smoke. Panicking he ran up the hill to view his home,
what he saw made him drop to the ground, before him he what was
once his family’s home was now burning ash, the house, the
courtyard, stables and stores were all destroyed, nothing was left,
even the tree where he used to sit with his Grandfather was burnt
.

“NO!” Talon
shouted “NO!” he repeated again and again as the horror struck him,
he dropped the ground in grief and exhaustion, broken he drifted
into sleep.

General Krustov
sat resting in the royalty suite in the Imperial Tallasian castle,
pleased with himself for fulfilling his orders he poured himself a
large cup of ale before reflecting on what had been a good days
work.

Deep below in
the dark and damp dungeons of the castle were Talon’s father,
mother and two brothers. Talon’s father Tallonus was segregated as
he had tried to fight back when the General and his men captured
him in his home. Tallonus was tied and gagged to a wall; his body
had been beaten as an attempt to quash his spirit. The General was
waiting for the wizards to arrive, they had contacted him with the
crystal that he was given and informed that were on route to the
castle, after the treatment of Savarta, Krustov feared the worst
was about to happen to Talon’s family.

Talons mother
Shirose sat weeping with her two sons, she tried to put on a brave
face but the shock of what was happening and the beating of her
husband she had witnessed continued to grieve her.

One of her sons
Kramos sat cradling her head whilst her other son Tols was trying
to call out to his father through the wall.

“Father,
Father, can you hear me, Father, its Tols talk to me.”

“Do you think
he is ok mother.” Kramos asked.

“Your father is
a strong man, I’m sure he will be fine.”

“Then why does
he not answer me?” Tols added.

“Father its
Tols, speak to us!” the boy shouted now angry as he banged on the
wall.

“Tols, stop
that, it won’t help matters.” his mother fearfully answered.

“Why have they
taken us mother, what has father done.”

“I don’t know
Tols, they mentioned Talon, that’s all I know dear.”

Tols banged the
wall one last time before walking back to his brother and
mother.

“I will kill
them for this!” Tols angrily snapped in his youth’s bravado. As he
finished he turned to see his mother break down, she wept
inconsolably as her two boys hugged her.

Talon woke with
the midday sun burning his face, for a moment he thought he was in
dream, a terrible nightmare but one look down at the ashes brought
his reality flooding back to him. He sat up and just stared from a
distance, he could see that there were a few guards hanging around,
the thought crossed his mind to race down the hill and slit the
men’s throats but after a hard swallow he knew that he would be
killing the wrong men, it was not their decision and anyhow it
would be crazy to come this far only to be captured now.

“I was too late
father.” he sighed remorsefully “I am sorry, I am so, so sorry.” he
added wiping away a tear.

After a while
Talon rose to his feet, he realised that as he looked down at what
was once his home this was probably the last time that he would
ever be at this place, he wiped away another tear as he imagined
how his family would have been killed, he took out his dagger and
stared determined towards the ashes.

“Father I am
alone now but I have your spirit with me, I swear on my blood that
I will have vengeance for you” as he finished he sliced his palm
and squeezed the blood onto the ground “with my blood I swear a
sacred oath to avenge thee.” he added.

Talon’s family
were left in solitary for ten days, General Krustov was ordered by
the wizards via his crystal not to speak with them until they
arrived, now a week and a half later they finally arrived at the
Tallasian castle. Captain Grain urgently knocked on the Generals
door so to give him the news.

“Enter.”

“Forgive the
intrusion General but the Emperor’s wizards have arrived, they are
on their way up here now.”

Krustov
immediately jumped up and began fastening the buttons on his
uniform

“Bring them
in!” Krustov barked anxious not to leave them waiting and induce
the wrath of their anger.

“Sir, they have
a wizard Grand with them.” Captain Grain added in a nervous
tone.

“Here in
Kratos.” the General added shocked that a Grand, the highest order
of wizards, ancient in origin was outside the Palace lands.

Captain Grain
nodded and then excused himself; the General barely had time to
check himself in a mirror before his door was pushed open. The
General froze as he first laid eyes on the Lord wizard Grand, he
was seven feet tall and dressed all in black, Krustov noticed that
his pupils were also the same colour as his garments, his face was
old yet his beard was jet black, he had a very sinister looking
appearance and he moved in a flowing fashion

“Kneel before
Grarlin, wizard Grand and Lord of the wizards Guild.” shouted
another wizard.

Swiftly the
General dropped to his knees, slowly he raised his head, he had
never met a Grand before but during his service as a soldier he had
heard many tales about them, he knew that he must show him the
utmost respect, next to the Emperor himself the three wizard
Grand’s were the most powerful individuals in the Empire.

“My name is
Grarlin, rise to your feet General, you have done well, you have
seen to your orders and performed them well, the Emperor is pleased
with you.”

“I exist to
serve the Empire your highness.”

“Where are the
prisoners?”

“They are in
the dungeon; I have starved the father as I was ordered to do.”

“Has this
weakened him General?”

“Yes your
highness, he has been denied food for nine days, I stopped his
rations as soon as I was ordered by your colleague through the
crystal, he is ready for your interrogation.”

“Good! And
interrogate him I shall, as for you General, you will gather your
men and make haste for Zanlia, I want you to personally oversee
that your secret army are integrated within the Zanlian’s.”

“Zanlia your
highness.”

Grarlin
furrowed his brow and stared deeply at the General, Krustov quickly
realised that he should never question a wizard or ask him to
repeat himself.

“I beg your
pardon your highness, Zanlia of course.”

“Have you
received word from Zanlia General?.”

“No your
highness, due to the delicate situation in Zanlia and the fact that
I am here in Tallasian I thought it more sensible not to risk
correspondence across non-military ground, however I can assure you
that my army is in Zanlia, I have given strict orders to two of my
most trusted Generals, Sanda and Torenus, both are extremely
talented in stealth my Lord.”

Grarlin nodded
his approval.

“Then make
haste to Zanlia General, carry on your orders until you hear
otherwise from us.”

“Yes your
highness.”

“Now take me to
this Zachanian.”

The General led
the four wizards down to the dungeons, the General winced as he
approached them as the smell, sewage and dampness filled the air.
He ordered a guard to unlock Talon’s father’s cell and then excused
the guard. Tallonus looked on in fear as he saw Krustov, Captain
Grain, Grarlin and three further wizards enter the cell.

“What’s
happening?” he thought silently and anxiously.

Days and days
of solitude had played games with his mind, he could see that this
was going to be an interrogation maybe even torture but strangely
he found himself feeling relieved that he was no longer alone.

Grarlin looked
hard at the tied man, a moment later he told Krustov and Captain
Grain to leave the cell, once they left Grarlin walked slowly
towards his prisoner, Tallonus was manacled to the wall and could
not move as the wizard Grand tore off his gag, both men stared hard
into each other’s eyes, Tallonus had never seen a wizard before but
he knew that this was one before him, it sent a shiver down his
spine but he wanted to know why all this was happening to him.

“I see you
asking questions about us Zachanian.” Grarlin sighed breaking the
silence.

“You are
wondering why, why is this happening.” added Grarlin.

“I am not
Zachanian; I work in the service of the Empire.”

“HA!” Grarlin
snapped back.

“So the truth
shall have to be pried from you Zachanian! “Grarlin snapped raising
his voice. The wizard then paused for a moment as the two men
looked at each other again, suddenly Grarlin spat in the face of
Tallonus, He cried out as the spit burnt his face, he felt his skin
bubble as if scolded by boiling water. Tallonus winced but did not
cry out; he shook his head until the pain subdued, then opening his
eyes he scowled deeply at the wizard.

Grarlin eased a
small smile.

“So you have
strength Zachanian, but strength has no importance here, soon you
will bleed, soon you will suffer, and soon you will speak the
truth, you cannot resist me” he added ominously before he reached
into his gown and pulled out a truth crystal, Grarlin smiled and
showed the crystal to Tallonus, he paused then closed in on the
manacled man and thrust the crystal close to his eyes. Tallonus
winced as he felt his thoughts being sucked from his head, he began
to shake as he gritted his teeth and used all of his own powers to
resist, back and forth he felt his thoughts being drained but he
concentrated pulling them back into his head. His eyes began to
bulge as he shook uncontrollably, blood spilt from his ears and
nose but still he resisted the crystal with all of his might. He
let out a cry as he noticed Grarlin himself now beginning to shake,
he shouted out as the pain grew, Grarlin was now sweating and
Tallonus saw him gritting his teeth, again Tallonus screamed, he
concentrated all of his thoughts on the crystal and then screamed a
loud and determined cry, suddenly the crystal that Grarlin held
flew from his hand and shattered into a thousand pieces, Tallonus
collapsed exhausted into his manacles as Grarlin stepped back in a
dizzy fashion and sighed aloud.

When Grarlin
regained his breath he wiped away the sweat from his brow, still
breathless he spoke to Tallonus.