CHAPTER 3 - FREEDOM FIGHTERS - Part 3

Idylls looked at the table filled with weapons. Mabon, the golden Daoine Sidhe was preening in front of them with pride. He stood on the other side of the wooden table with his hands on either side of the displayed weapons.
“Sister Shiv will remember the first three weapons,” he explained. “The Warhammer, the Assamese Dao,” as he brushed his hand over the hammer and the long square shaped sword used for execution, “And the Bhuj.” The Bhuj was a staff weapon with a thick blade on the end.
“The Warhammer gives power over stone and earth, the Dao blade gives power over Wind and the Bhuj gives the user great strength.”
“Don’t forget that Cullen’s Sword has these powers as well now,” Shiv reminded them all.
The three Queens stood admiring the weapons. “What are these two new ones then?” Hrim asked Mabon.
“The first is a Khopesh sword, as used by the many tribes around the desert, but this one has powers of lava that will stick and burn it victims.”
Mabon displayed a sword with a curve in it as the Khopesh and then he raised his hand over another staff weapon with a half moon blade at the end, presumably used for cutting attacks.
“And this last weapon, the Half-Moon blade has power over ice and will freeze whoever it attacks.”
“Excellent,” Jorinde said in a husky voice. “We have champions ready for all these weapons and we will send them into Alumet to find Cullen and kill him. Now tell us where he is.”
Mabon lifted his arms in a shrug. “I can tell you he’s in the poor quarter of the city and he’s either stationary or he leaves the Sword behind. I would check a tavern or an inn in that area.”
“That’s the best you can do?” Simult asked. “This is my city we’re looking in!”
“It’s imprecise my dear,” Mabon placated. “He will sense enchanted weapons coming for him as well, so be careful. He will fight hard for the life of his friends.”
“I have warned them time and again,” Sister Shiv complained.
Idylls looked over the weapons that made her stomach feel ill when she started at them too long. These weapons were of evil intent and evil magic. They were harnessing powers beyond what they should hold.
Idylls wanted to see this Cullen and what he could do. She wondered if she could convince her mother to let her go with the Champions to the attack so she could see the fight. Shiv had urged her to get involved, but would her mother see it as an attack on her rule?
“I want to see what happens mother,” she said, deciding to take a chance.
Jorinde turned on her suddenly with a nasty grin. “Oh, you speak?”
“I want to see the fighting,” Idylls tried again.
“You do, do you?” her mother replied. “Then go with your shadows, make them guard you well and stay away from the actual fight. I can’t have you harmed. Watch from a distance.”
Idylls nodded in disbelief. Her mother was going to let her out of the city and let her go to another city to see a battle against this hated enemy? This must be some kind of trap she thought immediately. She must have already decided to kill me and this is how she’ll do it.
Idylls thanked her mother graciously and then she left the room to study her spells for the trip. She would take a handful of guards that had always wanted her attention as well, and see if she could avoid the traps laid by her mother or Simult.
She would see this man they feared and she would survive whatever came. She remained determined.

***

Grimm and the Dreamweaver rode into Holdfast months later, having left their extra Kingsguard soldiers behind in Rath, the two men were alone as they arrived in the city.
They had sent no birds except the single message saying they were coming home, so there was no crowd to meet them. The group of soldiers at the gate was surprised to see the two men ramble up to the wall, and quickly one ran off to tell the King.
Grimm and the old man rode slowly through town, both of them feeling at ease with the sounds and sights that were most familiar to them. Holdfast was bustling along and the two men were happy to see everyone busy and safe.
Both of them carried worries about the situation in Rath and the upcoming tourney. Each of them feared for the High King in different ways, and each of them knew the other was just as worried.
Grimm would drill his men and come up with security plans for the entire army of men that lives here in Holdfast. The Dreamweaver would read the stars and try to find an auspicious day to hold the tourney. Both of them would advise the King to be careful when dealing with this new King, Nicu.
They rode side by side up the earthen ramp towards the castle and the gates were held wide open for their return. By the time they reached the Inner Ward, young men from the Kingsguard were there to take their horses and gear.
Both men were quietly polite to the eager soldiers and they walked into the castle together in search of the King. He was in his Solar and the two men silently mounted the stairs to find him.
A young squire knocked and opened the door for the men and they finally reached the High King, who was dressed in fine linens and silk and looking refreshed and healthy. He was seated at his desk looking over paperwork when they cam in but his head came up quickly and he smiled to see his friends.
“Grimm! Dreamweaver! You’ve returned!”
“We have your Majesty, we just arrived,” the Dreamweaver said quietly.
“We received no word since Rath, I was starting to get worried,” the King said, his mouth dipping into a frown. “Any trouble? And why is your arm in a sling?”
“You made this Kingdom safe Sire,” Grimm said in his rough voice. “Two old men can ride from one end to the other without trouble. I had to wrestle to be heard as is the Rathian way. It hasn’t healed properly”
“Well that first bit is reassuring. After that bit of business with Adrian, I was a bit worried we would have some problems,” the King replied, smiling once again.
“Oh, I think we have problems Sire, just not any that stopped us from coming home,” the Dreamweaver said, sad that he brought the King’s frown back.
“Ok, then have a seat and tell me what you know,” the King commanded. Both men gratefully found chairs and sat, enjoying the sunlight coming in from the windows.
The room was large and well aired, with stone walls in a half-circle with windows from top to bottom. The floor was thick wooden timbers with thrushes strewn about. Tapestries hung around the rest of the walls depicting hunting scenes.
“We are agreed that King Nicu is up to some mischief, but we have no proof and no real idea what,” the Dreamweaver began. “But we do think that the tourney has altered his plans somewhat.”
“Why do you think this way?” the King asked.
“Because we heard of no more raids after he learned of the tourney. And we think it was his own men doing the raiding. He was contesting the borders, but without taking any blame.”
“I see. And the attack on King Adrian and his family?”
“We think that were also his men, but again, we don’t know why he would do such a thing,” the old man said, just as puzzled as the others.
“We must have tight security then here for the tourney. We can’t have the other Kings attacked while they are here!” The King fixed a baleful eye on Grimm.
“You don’t have to look at me like that Sire,” Grimm protested. “I’ve been thinking about this for months. I have some ides. And we left our extra fifty men in Rath to help Captain Emil.”
“That’s good. We’ve got plenty of new recruits here as well. Some of the boys that have graduated from the Orphanage look promising.”
“Any word from Cullen at all?” the Dreamweaver asked eagerly.
“None. I sent a few men, Deep’s team after them hoping they could help, but the Dwarves say they saw them to the start of the Deadlands and that was it,” the King informed the two men.
“Deadlands?” Grimm asked.
“The Dwarves say that beyond the mountains there is a land that is nothing but sand. Nothing grows there that they can see, so they’ve been calling it the Deadlands. They sent Deep with extra water just in case, but we know nothing more.”
“I hope that he’s alright there. And that he comes home soon. We could use him here for the tourney. His power would be appreciated.”
The High King shook his head. “We must do without him for now and hope for the best. He’ll come home when he’s beaten the Host, however they’re dug in.”

***

“I can feel them coming,” Cullen said to the others that were gathered around him. “The weapons we failed to capture are coming towards us. We need to move quickly.”
Gathered in the tavern were Deep and his men, the Asrai, Aki and Fox, Roarr, Sonia, Tik and Anton. Abd and Fakhri stood near the table they had occupied.
“We have snuck hundreds of men into the city over the course of the last ten-day. Others are ready in the desert to attack the Host on the farms. Explosives have been set at various locations we chose throughout the city. We’re as ready as we’re going to be.”
“Good,” Cullen said, making eye contact with each of the people around him. “Then tomorrow morning we strike, when the Hive is least active.”
“Everyone get some rest then,” Anton suggested. “We will be busy come sunrise.”
Abd nodded and turned to Fakhri. “Have those that will set off the bombs ready to go by sunrise. The explosions must create chaos and confusion but do as little damage to the city as possible.”
“Most of them are just flame and smoke,” the tough woman said confidently. “It will be alarming but of little real consequence.”
Cullen turned to Tik. “I want you to take their barracks, where most of the Hive will be. I will take the castle myself. We spilt Deep’s team in two, with half of them going with you and the rest with me.”
“I understand,” Tik said, grinning and thinking about using his sword. He couldn’t wait to get into battle.
“Where do you want me Cullen?” Sonia asked.
“With me,” Cullen answered. “The Queen will likely be in the castle and a swift arrow could make all the difference.”
Sonia nodded and tried to give a smile, but worry and fear were with her too. She worried over the two men she cared about most, and then there were the rest of them too.
“And you three will go with Tik and roam the city looking for Host we might miss,” Cullen informed the Asrai. “But you others I want with me,” he continued, talking to Aki, Fox and Roarr.”
“Aye, we’ll be where the most action is then!” the Dwarf chuckled.
“My sword is yours to command,” Aki said solemnly. Fox was silent, as always, but his fingers fell across his large knife.
“Then let’s be off to bed and we’ll wake up before dawn. Rest well everyone.” Everyone rose quickly and headed off to bed. Many of them would be restless until the start of the battle, but Cullen had faith in all of them.

Idylls walked with fear behind her. She had created four shadow guards this time and she made them hulking monsters that could crush boulders but still she feared. Behind her in the long tunnel that connected one city to another, walked five Champions.
Three of those Champions had been killed by Cullen and brought back to life by Sister Shiv. She was the most adept at shadow possession, giving life to the dead, creating warriors of shadow.
Behind her walked these Champions and they carried cursed weapons. Their weapons were instruments of power, of Mabon’s power and madness. She was leading them to Alumet to find and kill Cullen, but somewhere inside her she hoped that she could see Cullen, witness him in action and decide if he was evil herself.
The tunnel was illuminated by glowing lichen and mushrooms and the warriors behind her flickered natural lights among themselves, oranges and reds of violence and anticipation.
Idylls could muster colors under her skin as well but not as proficiently as others who were scaled. Her dusty skin allowed the basic color patterns to reveal themselves and she was currently blue with fear and anticipation.
She walked quickly, knowing it would be dawn soon and the Xho would be waking in the city. She hoped to reach the city before midday and set a trap for Cullen at the inn or tavern where he must stay.

Above the Hive’s tunnels the sun began to rise. The sky became lighter and colors of pink and blue painted the clouds that rushed overhead. It was dark like twilight, in that hour before the sun delivers enough light to see by, when it was still dark enough to hide.
Cullen and the other crept towards the west gate of the city, sneaking up on the ten Hive guards who stood watch. They faced away from the rising sun and stood under the ever present clouds that covered the city.
Deep commanded Feather and Crow to approach the guards and they did so silently. They crept along side the buildings close by, leading the way for the rest of the men. The guards saw two men approaching but did become alarmed until the two men drew swords.
The fight was joined seconds later by the rest of Deep’s men, Worm firing arrows into the group and Cat stabbing with knives anyone that came too close to him. Within just a few minutes, the guards were dead and Deep’s team held the gate.
Abd lit a torch and held it high, waving it back and forth before the entrance to the city. An answering torch waved brightly back and soon crowds of armed men were walking into the city.
Thousands of Xho, trained and armed walked in Alumet that morning. Led by members of Deep’s team, they each started walking down the streets looking for the Host soldiers that guarded the city.
Tik and his group, including Anton and Roarr, ran through the streets until they reached the barracks where the Host’s guards were settled in for the day, just falling asleep after a changing of the guard.
Before he reached the building the explosions started going off. In multiple places around the city, smoke bombs went off, billowing black smoke like that of a serious fire, into the sky. They were loud but not dangerous and the city woke to the sounds of fighting and explosions.
Tik slashed his sword in front of the barracks and fire and force knocked in the door and the surrounding wall. Hive soldiers leapt to their feet and grabbed weapons as quickly as they could, but humans charged in and started fighting.
Tik would let lose the power of his sword whenever the way was clear of Xho fighters. Blasts of force ripped down walls, shattered beds and bones and lit small fires in its wake. Tik laughed with joy at such power and for once he forgot about Sonia, concentrating wholly on the battle.

All around the city fight broke out, with groups of armed Xho attacked groups of Host soldiers. The explosions kept most people in their homes, worried that there was a new attack. The streets were clear of merchants and workers, leaving much room for fighting and war.
Abd led a group of men into battle, finally killing Hive warriors with his own blade, rejoicing in the feeling of freeing his people. He marched to the opposite gate on the east side of the city and he killed the guards that were there, standing about confused at the sounds of explosions and fighting.
Out in the fields of the farms, more Xho soldiers were attacking the Host that guarded production, and Fakhri led more men in attacking those that guarded the fields, taking down groups of fighters with her own hands. She saw the smoke billowing out of the city walls and she smiled.
Today was the day they take back their world.

Cullen, Sonia, Aki and Fox ran through the street towards the castle. When Cullen reached the castle doors he found them shut against attack and he used the sword to knock down the doors.
With fire, force lightening and strength he collapsed the doors in on themselves and launched his men through the gate. The Host on the other side tried to fight, but purple exploding arrows found them and they died screaming.
Cullen walked through the shattered gate and started towards the building. More doors were closed against him, but he smashed his way through and found more Hive soldiers willing to die to protect their Queen.
Cullen and his group started clearing rooms one at a time. Cullen would break into a room, slash his Sword at the force against him and rush to the next room, trying to find the Queen. Aki was the only one who seemed able to keep up with him and soon it was just the two of them rushing through rooms, searching.
They found the kitchens and searched cooling rooms and storage rooms. They found the throne room, empty but with an ornate throne lifted upon some stairs. They found a library filled with books but draped with sheets as though the knowledge didn’t matter and it was put away for storage.
They raced up steps into the arms of guards and fought in the hallways with warriors that shouted curses in their strange clicking tongues. They found royal apartments and guest apartments, all empty or filled with soldiers.
Then they found a solar with a strange concealed door left open. It was behind some shelves and Fox’s sharp eyes saw that it was left ajar. Cullen swept it aside and charged into the hallway that was built between walls.
It opened into another room, with a hanging tapestry hanging over another hidden passage and the three fighters charged ahead, knowing they were on the tail of the Queen. They chased her through another long hallways that emptied out into the throne room again.
They raced to the door of that room and looked down the hallway and saw the Queen running with four warriors behind her. Cullen stepped into the hallway and shouted.
“Stop! Turn and face me!”
The warriors spun around and stopped. The Queen stopped hurrying and turned as well. Everyone stood in that hallway, at either end and took measure of each other. The Queen commanded her soldiers and they advanced.
As they came, Cullen saw a door farther down the hallway open and within shadows and girl stepped out. Her skin was ashy colored and without scales. Her hair was bright white, almost silver and her eyes were violet colored. She gasped as she came into the hallway.

Idylls stepped into the hallways, surrounded by her shadows and she realized she had stepped into a battle. Simult was facing a trio of figures and the lead man stood outline in flames of some fire behind him.
She had heard him command them to face him and now the four warriors were rushing towards him. This must be Cullen, she thought. Who else would command a Host Queen to stand and fight?
She looked in amazement at him, standing with a large round Shield with crenulated cuts on it, holding a long katana that practically glowed with power. She had heard what power that Sword had and she ducked back into the doorway to stay out of its range.
She motioned to the warriors behind her to go back into the tunnel. Because she was almost a Queen herself, they obeyed her and ducked back down into the ground. Idylls glanced back into the hallway to see Cullen fight.
The elf and smaller Faery behind him waited as the four large warriors of the Hive charged him. He could have used the Sword’s power to blast all of them out of his way but instead he faced them with the Sword and didn’t use its magic.
The first fighter came in high, swinging his naginata towards Cullen’s head. Cullen swung his Sword up high, deflected the blow and spun the opponent’s weapon out of range before the second man got close.
The second fighter tried to stab Cullen, but he pushed the Shield down and the attack bounced off the Shield and away. Cullen finished sweeping the first high attack to the side and suddenly cut with his Sword across his body, slashing the second fighter across the face.
He screamed and fell back, tumbling into a third fighter behind him. The fourth warrior closed, stepping past the two that were tangled and Cullen raised his sword again to match him.
He tried a few cuts, slipping his blade closer and closer but Cullen deflected all of his attempts. The first man tried to coordinate with the fourth man but Cullen faced them both without failing.
Then Cullen went from defense to assault and both men were savagely wounded in seconds, one getting cut across the chest and the other in the leg. Cullen pressed his advantage and killed both men, one after the other.
The remaining two fighters made a stunning coordinated attack, coming from both sides at once. Despite their training and skill, Cullen swept both attacks away and killed both Fae with one attack. Then he stepped forward and made eye contact with Idylls.
She felt a moment of connection as they stared at each other, like time and sense fell away and the two of them were alone. Then Simult shouted a word of power and blew into her globe of shadows.
Six shadows coalesced onto the stone floor, shaping quickly and with power. Simult was strong with the magic of shadows and her minions would be powerful. Idylls moved back but continued watching waiting to see what Cullen would do.
Cullen held back and instead the elf stepped forward. If Idylls had been trained to really hate anyone, it was the Daoine Sidhe. She had been taught that the elves had taken power away from the Host and that they were responsible for all of their troubles.
The elf stepped forward as the shadow became bulky and solid and began drifted towards Cullen and the other two. The elf seemed to fall into himself, closing his eyes and mumbling. His sword began to glow.
The shadow streaked forward, racing along the hallway to reach their victims when suddenly a beam of light, as strong as the sun outside, burst free of the sword and washed the hallway clean of shadow.
Idylls blinked in the sudden glare and when her watery eyes refocused she realized Cullen had run down the hall after the light. He stopped before the Host Queen and he took off her head with a single blow.
As the body collapsed, Cullen turned to look at Idylls again and she felt a shudder go through her body. She could not win a battle with this man, this force of nature. She turned and bolted into the hole in the ground, telling the warriors inside to flee.
Cullen stepped into the room with the tunnel and using his Sword he crushed the stone work around the hole and buried it in stone and dirt, closing the hole behind the fleeing woman.

After the battle, within a celebrating city, Sonia noticed two things. Tik’s eyes looked shaded, as though they had dimmed in some way. And when she told Cullen about it, she noticed he was so distracted, he didn’t really hear what she said.
She watched the two men that she loved and she wondered what had happened that both of them weren’t paying any attention to her or to each other. Something had happened but she couldn’t determine what exactly.
She stayed near them both, watching Abd lead his people into the reclaimed castle as the crowds cheered fro the Xho warriors that had finally pushed the Host out. All the underground bolt holes had been sealed with explosives and guards had been posted throughout the city to watch for any kind of counter attack.
As Abd entered the castle, the clouds above the city dispersed and blew away into nothing. The bright sun shined down on the free city and the people cheered and sang and cried with joy.
The foreign merchants carefully guarded their merchandise against any kind of looting, but the Xho weren’t interested in hurting anyone or destroying their own city. They put out fires and cleared dead Hive soldiers and set them out in the desert to burn.
Merchants that wanted to leave were allowed to leave the city on their own without trouble because Abd wanted the word spread that the Xho, the humans had taken back their city and they were coming to do the same to the remaining two.
Abd made speeches all day promising the people that they would continue to fight and they would take back the next city within a month. Cullen and Tik stayed close to him, guarding him from any possible assassins or trouble, but the people were truly happy and celebrating and there was no more trouble.
The city had a feast and everyone stayed up late into the night, eating and dancing and planning. Abd met with Cullen after eating and they started planning the next attack. Soon they would march towards Aluhet, the second city of the Xho.