Dark One Rising(152)

“I will need to get to Charbonneau to ready my garrison for war.”

Alek nodded sadly. He shifted his attention to Zayn. “How long do you reckon that Lord Ulric can hold the army back?”

“No more than a few weeks. He has lost a lot of men, but his keep is fortified adequately. Fallon has already taken all of the towns on his side of the Indriahs. He is moving some of his troops east into Azlyn and the rest of them north into Isamar. The coastal city of Kieran might be next. It would give him the advantage, with an armada of ships from there, to attack the east from the coast.”

“I can’t believe Fallon is bold enough to try and attack His Ma-jesty right under his nose,” Alek said.

Aldis answered, “With control of Lachlan Castle, I think he’s confident he will prevail. The giants and the creatures that he has in his ranks are enough for anyone to bend to his will. Most of the commanders are unaware of the influence he has. I don’t think they are in their right minds. Lord Ulric is strong minded and has up to now withstood whatever mind numbing Fallon’s creature has tried to create, but it’s only a matter of time. His creature is strong and will eventually wear him down.”

“The wraith.”

“Yes.”

Kevaan and Alek looked at each other and frowned. “We have witnessed his power first hand. He bent my father to his will, getting him to relinquish his hold on assets and accounts. My father could not withstand the push any longer. He is dead.”

Zayn frowned. He looked at Aldis and then back at Keevan. “My condolences, Sire.” Both men bowed to him. “Then it’s your throne that’s in danger,” Zayn said.

“Aye.”

Alek said, “I guess I will still go to Isamar. We need all the fighters we can get.”

“You will be hard pressed to get there before he does. He has already struck the village of Barksdale on the border and has moved into Xandra. Your best bet would be to move west from here into Salador and beat him there. The Tribal Council of Isamar have their headquarters there. It would be the fastest way of reaching Chancellor Jaxon before he does.”

“I think the elves could get there faster from Vallis,” Alek declared

The two guards looked at each other then back at Alek.“You can get in touch with the elves?”

“Sort of. I know how to get as far as their front door but don’t know if I can get in.”

“Would they help us?”

“Yes, they have already given their allegiance to us. The dwarves as well. I’m sure the elves would send a representative to accompany me to the Isamarian headquarters.”

“What extraordinary times these are. I never would have thought I’d see the day when the elves joined man.”

“This cause goes beyond just us, beyond anything we could ever have imagined. Fallon is in league with the Dark One, and the demons are helping him take down the realms. There is only one who can stop him. She has already been sent to Vallis to prepare for battle.”

“She?”

“Yes. The Tanith Prophecy is true, and the Chosen One is a female.”

“I didn’t even hear that the Chosen One had been born, much less that it’s a female.”

Alek and Kevaan looked at each other knowingly. “You don’t get out much, I assume. The rumors have been traveling for some time now.”

“We are a bit isolated from things on our side of the pass. News usually gets to us last. The Pass is not easily crossed through, especially not in the last few months. Most go around, and that takes time. So news gets to us rather slowly. We have heard of the rumor, but not that it was truth.”

“We were just as surprised. With Randor dead, Kevaan will be next. He needs to ready his army. I need to continue on. We have to enlist as many cities as we can. Every able body must prepare for war.”

“What can we do?”

“You can get to Drydon Keep like you planned and give the king an update. He will need to know that Fallon has moved east, and Lachlan Castle has been besieged. Tarak and Henri will accompany you. The rest of the men and I will make sure Kevaan reaches Charbonneau safely, then I’ll ride back to Vallis. It’ll take time but I won’t take any chances with his life. With Randor gone, Kevaan is the only hope for Aaralyn. After that I’ll go to Salador and see about getting to the chancellor before Fallon does. If the Isamarians know he’s coming, they can prepare. With an elf or two with me, I will feel safe enough to travel into unknown territory. You’ll need all the protection you can get in order to reach Drydon Keep with no incidents. That’s the plan. Make sure His Majesty gets the message.”