The Awakening (Book 1 The Destiny Chronicles) Page 13

 

  CHAPTER 20 - RESTORATION

  Imogene and Mac were extremely worried about Struan now. His body was listless and clammy and his wounds seeped infectious toxins. They lay him down as comfortably as they could and Imogene bathed his brow and redressed his wounds. As they attended to their son, they became aware of another father suffering - anguished at the plight of his own son.

  ‘Great One,’ Mac said softly as he noticed him watching them take care of their son. ‘Thank you for helping us to save our children. If it wasn’t for you and Ziah, they would not be with us now.’

  ‘I’m delighted for you to have your children back again. That is what both Ziah and I wished,’ the Great One said genuinely. ‘There is no greater love than a parent’s for a child.’ He turned away slightly - Mac did not miss the pain in his voice.

  ‘I pray you will get Ziah back,’ Imogene added, although she knew that the chances of him being alive were impossible.

  ‘Oh, I will get him back,’ the Great One said. ‘No matter what has happened I’ll have him back with me and will not leave him in Sephtis’ hands. He thinks he has won this battle, but there is so much he has not perceived yet.’ Imogene and Mac were not sure what the Great One was referring to. They hoped the strain of the day’s events had not caused him to lose his faculties. Still, they had never known the Great One to be overcome by circumstances and they believed that he would be victorious again in this battle. They had no idea how that would happen but they trusted him more than anything in the world.

  The Great One had done so much for them – now they realized they could do something for him. Imogene reached into the leather pouch and pulled out the oil. This could bring Ziah back if they could get his body. Mac nodded in agreement, aware of what his wife was thinking. Ziah had sacrificed himself for their children’s freedom and now it was their turn. They were well aware that Struan might not make it through the night and it pained them both. Far more was at stake than just their family. The loss of Ziah would have great ramifications and impact throughout Griswold and the kingdoms beyond. He was the Key Keeper and no one else could use those keys but him. Without him the land was doomed to bondage and freedom would no longer be a choice for people. He had sacrificed himself for their children, now they needed to sacrifice the oil to save him. They had to trust that Struan would make it through this ordeal. This defeat would be the answer to bringing liberty not only to themselves, but to many others living under the condemnation and wrath of the Dark Lord. Mac took the vial of oil from Imogene and stretched out his hand to the Great One offering the precious gift to him.

  ‘I would not ask this of you,’ the Great One said, ‘as I understand what it is to lose a son. Are you sure you want to make this choice, as it must be your choice and no one else’s. I will not hold it against you if you use this on your son – I gave it to you to use as you will.’

  ‘We are certain of one thing only,’ Mac said softly but with steely determination in his voice. ‘We have trusted and given our lives for you Great One and you have never failed us, even in the hard and painful times. We trust you more than ever and now we have met Ziah and Aedan, we never want to be without them. We finally understand what true love and community is.’

  ‘Ah yes,’ the Great One said wistfully. ‘My kingdom is not about rules, nor is it a place like Lionsgate – my kingdom is about people and more importantly about love It’s a pity so few men get to experience it as you have recently. This is a treasure that has been discovered by you and your family and it is to be held fast to your hearts. When you see more clearly through new eyes, you can never go back to being the same ever again as you will find out in time Mac. Thank you for this gift,’ He said indicating the healing oil. A groan escaped from Struan’s lips, bringing them back to the reality of the situation. Imogene rushed to his side, cradling him, whispering words of strength and love into his ear. ‘You can do this Struan,’ she encouraged, ‘fight it with all you’ve got; we’re here now and won’t leave you again.’ The Great One smiled at her courage as he quietly slipped away into the night. It was a night of heartbreak for Imogene - she had lost one son and she was terrified that she might lose the other before the night was out. The girls lay huddled together in a makeshift tent that had been erected in the trees, hidden from the roadside and curious eyes. There was still the danger that the Dark Lord may discover they were gone and send out a search party to look for them. The others hoped the feasting would be long and flowing with wine which would keep them from noticing the Hamilton children’s absence. Aedan, Nuada and Morgan discussed the plan to recover Ziah’s body and the other possessions the Dark Lord had stolen.

  ‘Tonight is the night,’ Aedan declared. ‘If we leave it any longer there will not be another opportunity.’

  ‘Aye,’ Nuada agreed. ‘The feasting will cause enough of a diversion for us to be able to get him out.’ It was decided that they would return to the Dark Lord’s castle once the feasting was well under way.

  ‘Get everyone ready,’ Aedan declared – ‘we go to get our dear brother, Ziah.’ The men readied themselves, arming themselves with weapons that could easily be concealed. They carried a cloak made of gold and purple cloth which they planned to wrap Ziah’s broken body in.

  ‘Is Mac ready to leave yet,’ Nuada asked Imogene. It had been decided that Imogene would stay with Struan and the children to care for them.

  ‘Yes, I’m ready – let’s do it.’ A voice broke into the conversation. It was Aislinn. ‘I’m going with you Papa,’ she declared.

  ‘No, Aislinn,’ he answered equally as firmly. ‘You need to be here to help your mother. Besides, it’s far too dangerous.’

  ‘Papa, I have suffered more than you could know over the last few days and everything that was precious to me was stolen. I can be of great help to you. I know the castle better than any of you and I know the Dark Lord’s chambers because I’ve seen them. I may be young, but I know evil when I see it, and the Dark Lord is evil itself. I’ve cared for Maddy and Struan and protected them as best I could and I think I have proved I am responsible.’ Her steely gaze took both Mac and Imogene by surprise. Something else had been stolen by The Dark Lord – their daughter’s innocence and naivety - she would never be the same again. With resignation Mac nodded his head and Aislinn joined the group. His daughter could be very stubborn when she wanted to, but she was right, she did know the castle better than any of them.

  ‘Time to go,’ Aedan said. ‘We’ll look after her Imogene – don’t worry.’ The band of warriors made their way through the tunnel, silence hanging over them like a thick veil. Each was alone with their thoughts and each imagined what was to come. Approaching the end of the tunnel they noticed a man with a travelling cloak over his head and shoulders. He appeared to be waiting for them and immediately they were on their guard ready to war if necessary. Had the Dark Lord discovered the Hamilton children’s disappearance? Were they keeping watch at all the entrances for attack?

  ‘Put down your weapons,’ the voice said. ‘It’s just me.’ A chuckle erupted from Aedan.

  ‘I should have known you would come,’ he said to the older man. The Great One removed the cloak from his head, hugging Aedan fiercely.

  ‘Thank you for being with Ziah at the end,’ he said. ‘I know it would have given him courage and strength. Nothing will keep me from being with him now – It’s time to turn Sephtis’ victory on its head.’ They decided on their plan of action. They would find Ziah and retrieve his body. Then they would head into the castle to find the west tower and the treasure box that contained the Keys of the Kingdom and the scroll. Once they had these items, they would head back to the forest and ready themselves to return home. The hope was that the feasting would continue way into the night and that no one would notice that Ziah or the Hamilton children were gone till the morning. There was a lot to be accomplished in one night and the risk was very great but this would be their only opportunity.

  En
tering the stable they could hear the revelry taking place with all the feasting. Loud, drunken voices echoed through the courtyard and giggling could be heard occasionally too as maidens attended to the merry men. Nuada and Aedan wandered out of the stable, hanging onto one another like two drunkards holding each other up. Approaching some of the men in the courtyard, they pretended to be intoxicated with the free flowing wine.

  ‘Aye good evening, gentleman,’ Nuada said loudly. ‘What a feast this has been. I think I need to thank the poor sod who got himself mutilated today, for thanks to him we have a belly full of food and more wine than we need.’ The others laughed equally loudly.

  ‘Well then, I guess you should,’ replied a gruff man who clearly was struggling to stand upright. ‘He’s been put out on display for all to see at the gate to the castle as a reminder that traitors die nasty deaths.’ He waved his arm wildly in the direction of the gate, almost losing his balance with the vigorous gesture. Nuada and Aedan continued to distract the revellers as the others moved stealthily toward the gate looking for Ziah’s body. Just inside the entrance to the castle they found him tied up against a post, his head hanging limply on his bruised and bloodied body. There were no guards.

  ‘If we take him down, someone will notice he has gone,’ Morgan said thoughtfully.

  ‘Alerting them to our presence before we are ready is not a good thing.’

  ‘Yes, we need to get in and out without anyone noticing us,’ The Great One said. They looked about to see if they were attracting attention but all that could be seen was a rat or two seeking leftovers from the feast. In the corner of the castle courtyard they noticed a young man who had overindulged in the feasting. His body was slumped against the wall and he was gently snoring as he slept off the considerable amount of wine he had consumed.

  ‘Perfect!’ Morgan chuckled, mischief in his eyes. ‘It looks like we have a scapegoat to keep our cover.’ Effortlessly he lifted up the sleeping man who merely grunted as he was moved. The Great One untied Ziah and caught him to his breast. The young drunkard was placed against the post as Mac quickly tied him up. Every now and again he would mutter something under his breath before settling back into his stupor. He must have consumed a vast quantity of wine.

  ‘Hopefully they won’t notice in the dark that it’s not Ziah,’ Morgan said, ‘but just to be sure we need to make it more convincing.’ Morgan pulled out a long knife and Aislinn caught her breath in surprise and shock. She watched fearfully as he lifted the knife dreading what he might be about to do. Morgan lifted his hand and neatly sliced a large cut across his palm. Immediately his blood flowed and he proceeded to wipe it across the young man’s face and clothing, disguising him as the beaten and bloody Ziah. Then he quickly wrapped his hand in a handkerchief to stem the blood flow.

  ‘No pain, no gain,’ he quipped smiling sweetly at Aislinn.

  The Great One carefully and lovingly carried his son across the courtyard and into the stable to find some privacy. He needed to be alone with Ziah. He knelt over his son as he lay still and cold upon the straw in the humble stable. The Great One had known his son was going to die and that it would be brutal and vicious as he knew the nature of the Dark Lord. It had to be so for the Hamilton children to be saved. Ziah had embraced evil and death with strength and dignity and his father was proud of him. He thought of how Mac and Imogene laid down their hope of Struan being saved by giving him the healing oil for Ziah. He gently bent his head over his son.

  Mac, Aislinn and Morgan finished their task of tying up the young man. They made their way over to where Nuada and Aedan were ‘celebrating’ with the revellers. Morgan quickly gave an owl hoot – the signal that they were ready to take on the next part of their mission. At the signal Nuada and Aedan readied themselves to leave.

  ‘Well brothers,’ Nuada said, ‘we think that more wine calls and maybe even a cute serving wench,’ he winked as they stumbled off toward the courtyard. They could hear the men making lewd remarks as they left, roaring with laughter.

  ‘They will certainly have very painful heads tomorrow,’ Aedan smiled. As they met up with the others, they saw the Great One alight from the stable. A golden glow emanated from the interior of the stable, his face reflecting love and sheer joy. Mac and Aislinn gasped, as did Nuada and Morgan, as a figure was silhouetted in the doorway to the stable. Ziah! His personality filled the courtyard.

  ‘Ziah,’ Aislinn whispered, ‘how can it be possible?’

  ‘All things are possible for those who believe,’ a familiar voice whispered to her as she looked up into the smiling eyes of Regent. She remembered his earlier words and nodded her head in agreement.

  ‘Yes, everything is possible,’ she declared.

  ‘Welcome back brother,’ Aedan said to Ziah, grasping him in a manly embrace. ‘I’ve been waiting in eager expectation to see you again.’ The question in Mac and Aislinn’s eyes made the Great One smile even more broadly.

  ‘This was part of the plan,’ the Great One said.

  ‘You planned Ziah’s death?’ Mac asked incredulously, a little shocked that the Great One would do such a thing to his own son.

  ‘No Mac. The Dark Lord did that because he is evil. I would never choose to hurt my son because I love him so greatly. That is why we changed the plan. We know that evil will never overcome goodness if there are people to fight it and people who stand against it as you all have done. We knew that Ziah’s death and return to life would distress the Dark Lord and cause turmoil – he will learn that goodness in people is far more powerful than intimidating them with fear. Now we must find those keys and that scroll before it is too late.’ Mac nodded remembering the healing oil he had given the Great One to use on Ziah. He quickly sent up a prayer for Struan. The Great One knew his turmoil and loved him even more at that moment.

 

  CHAPTER 21 - DECEPTION

  Legion was pleased. His feast had gone well, he had crippled the Great One and it gave him great satisfaction. He no longer looked like a fool – the people of Griswold knew he was a formidable ruler and that he was powerful too. He excused himself from the feasting, encouraging his wizards and goblins to keep feasting. He wanted to be alone to savour his victory and plan his next move. He made his way up to the west tower. He wanted his treasure box- he felt confident and safe enough to retrieve them. He needed to read that scroll again –to formulate a plan that would forever keep those children bound to him. He had to ensure that above all else, they did not become like their parents. He was relieved Mac and Imogene were dead but he also knew their children had grown up with their values and that was what he needed to kill. He had taken care of the little one – he would grow up in the home of Morelock and learn magic that would benefit the Dark Lord. As for Aislinn he was so attracted to her beauty and her spirit. He would tame that spirit and make her his queen. She would be beautiful next to him, if he could break her and mould her. It was a challenge he looked forward to. Never before had he allowed himself to feel emotional about someone. Nonetheless he did feel something for that young girl – he mistook it for love but actually it was the challenge of breaking her feisty spirit and moulding her to his ways that attracted him to her – he did not have the ability to love. He only had the ability to conquer and enslave. He unlocked the tower door and entered, Draco’s sulphuric breath hitting him but even that did not deter Legion.

  ‘Hold back sulphur’s flame

  You are Draco and you are tame

  Release the treasure that is mine

  While you slumber for a short time.’

  He chanted the spell to ensure his safety from the razor sharp claws and fiery breath. Immediately the Dragon became complacent and listless. He lay on his back and waited for Legion to scratch his tummy.

  ‘There’s no time for that Draco,’ he said patting the dragon. ‘I have work to do.’ He scooped up the treasure box and headed out the door back to his chamber, leaving the dragon snoring.

  ***

  T
he team of warriors had increased in number and Aislinn felt more secure having Regent and Ryder there too. They made their way up the tower stairs cautiously and quickly, being careful not to bump into anyone. At one point they heard footsteps coming down the tower stairs. They only just managed to find a door leading off the tower which enabled them to hide quietly till the footsteps receded.

  ‘How are we going to overcome the dragon,’ Aislinn asked Regent. ‘I know he has a vulnerable spot on his head, but how will we get to it?’

  ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he smiled, ‘where there’s a will there’s a way.’

  ‘You haven’t seen Aedan deal with thieves yet,’ Mac chuckled. At the door to the tower Mac put his glasses on again and looked through the thick metal door.

  ‘I see the dragon,’ he said. ‘He appears very large, but if I’m not mistaken, he is fast asleep and does not appear to be guarding anything.’

  ‘Can you see the treasure box?’ Aislinn asked. ‘It’s made of carved wood with silver laid into it.’ Mac scanned his eyes across the room.

  ‘No, I don’t see anything except the dragon. Are you sure this is the room?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes,’ Regent and Aislinn replied simultaneously.

  ‘Where would he move it to?’ Ryder asked.

  ‘There’s only one place it can be if it is not here,’ Aislinn said earnestly, ‘and that is back with the Dark Lord. He would not entrust it to anyone else.’

  ‘It makes perfect sense,’ the Great One said. ‘He most certainly would want to gloat over his treasures and now he feels confident enough to have them with him. Where is his chamber Aislinn?’ The group made their way back down the tower stairs and to the Dark Lord’s chamber. Occasionally they would have to find a place to hide and conceal themselves from people passing in the drafty corridors, but most people were tired from feasting or too intoxicated to care about the strangers in the castle.