CHAPTER 8 - HOME AGAIN - Part 1

The four Captains sat in the large conference hall with Grimm, the Dreamweaver and the Dwarven King, Garm. Glivagar had escorted them from the mountain fortress’s entrance deeper into the building to get them to their Captain of Captain.
Grimm was proud of each of the men that managed to escape and find their way to the Dwarves. He had greeted each one warmly and the Dreamweaver could see the old warrior was starting to get his old mood back, grim like his name, but eager to fight again.
The Dreamweaver knew Grimm had taken the murder harder than anyone else. The Realm had wept for two months, most people wearing black to mourn their King, but pressure from the Rathians brought the practice to a halt.
Now everyone worried about the upcoming weddings. And the weather was starting to turn as well. It would be hard to fight a war in winter. Grimm sat in a large chair, leaned forward to hear his men report.
“I passed through Holdfast on the way here,” Cezar said, looking around at the other men of equal rank. “It seems the Godsmen hold it together and rule there, but the castle is empty.”
“It had better be empty!” Grimm growled. “No one else has the right to be there until Cullen returns.”
“When will he come?” Oana asked quietly, still recovering from his worst wounds.
“We hope it’s soon, but we cannot know for certain,” the Dreamweaver answered. “He is already fighting another war.”
“He’ll come,” Grimm said, with confidence. “He’ll come in time. He wouldn’t leave us.”
The men all looked around at each other in concern. They knew Cullen was battling the Host again and that could take some time. Everyone worried that the weddings would go ahead without Cullen being back.
If Nicu held the wedding, the High King could potentially overrule them, but most people of the Realm held marriage at a high standard and it would be difficult to void out the practice even with the High King’s power.
The Dreamweaver worried that Cullen would lead the forces but refuse to be King. He didn’t know if Cullen was willing to take on that responsibility when he was still young.
And obviously, from the way Tik and Sonia were acting, things had already changed for Cullen, and the old man worried that he would come back changed in some way, some way that wouldn’t benefit the Realm.
But he kept his fears to himself. He concentrated on Grimm’s recovery. The Dwarven mages had quickly realized why Grimm’s arm wouldn’t heal and they discovered the tiny splinter stuck deep in his shoulder. They had said it was curse magic and meant to keep him wounded indefinitely.
With the right care, his arm was almost back to normal, and he was itching to fight again. He had even been practicing with the Dwarves and now he pressed the Captains into practice as well.
The Dwarven King knew he had left his well known weapon behind so they forged him a new battle axe out of steel, to be stronger than his former weapon. He carried it around with great pride and the Dwarves appreciated his attitude.
There was nothing left to do except listen to the reports from the elves that watched over the main cities and wait for Cullen. It was hard to live like that, but all of them were disciplined enough to hold on.

***

The massive Dragon arched its long neck up into the air and belched a gout of flame to burn away the cloud cover. Ash continued to swirl around on desert breezes creating a surreal landscape that had everyone stuck staring at the sight.
Cullen commanded everyone to stay back and he ran to the edge of the camp, keeping his eyes on the Dragon. Tris’tan and Aki ran behind him despite his order and flanked him on either side.
Cullen started the slower process of gathering spiritual energy into his blade and Shield, hoping he could actually fight this giant monster of legend. The Dragon flapped its wings and lifted itself into the air, creating new breezes that made the ash swirl in small tornadoes of wind.
The Dragon circled the camp once and then hovered over the desert just before the edge of the camp. Cullen held his attack since the Dragon seemed to be coming in for a landing and he wasn’t attacking the gathering.
The Dragon landed and Cullen could see that his claws were the size of a man, and his head was as big as a tavern, with teeth twice the size of a tall human. The Dragon’s red eyes settled on Cullen and the mouth drew back in a grin.
“CHOSEN ONE,” he began, his voice like a thousand thunderstorms all at once, with a deep rumbling in the background and a sense of power. “YOU HAVE MADE QUITE A MESS OF MY PLANS BOY.”
Cullen said nothing, thinking there wasn’t much to say. This creature, with all its power, chose to enslave one race to teach it to enslave another race and all of it was just wrong and evil. What could he say to that?
“DRAGONS RULED THE PLANET BEFORE YOU STINKING MONKEYS EVOLVED. I SLEPT AND WHEN I WOKE I FOUND THE SURFACE CRAWLING WITH YOU MEWLING INFANTS. MANY OF MY KIND ARE GONE BECAUSE OF YOU. THIS IS INTOLERABLE.”
“You are a being of great power Mabinogion!” Cullen shouted up towards the massive head. “You could do so many good things! But you chose evil deeds and I cannot stand for it!”
“YOU TALK AS IF YOU HAD A CHOICE BOY,” the Dragon responded with another grin. “I AM MASTER HERE. YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DEFEAT MY HOST, BUT YOU CANNOT BATTLE ME, NOT ON EQUAL TERMS. YOU HUMANS ARE LIKE A PLAGUE, FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN’T DECIDE TO JUST WIPE YOU OUT, BUT YOU MAKE GOOD SERVANTS.”
Cullen heard footsteps behind him and he glanced back to see Idylls standing there near him. She boldly looked up at the Dragon and shouted her own message.
“Dark Master! You have taught my people something terrible! We should be living in peace with our races working together to make the world better, not fighting over land and slavery!”
“WHAT IS THIS?” the Dragon asked. “YOU HAVE ONE OF MY HOST WITH YOU? CHILD, COME TO ME AND I WILL FORGIVE YOU THIS MADNESS. I WILL RAISE YOU UP TO BE THE QUEEN YOU WERE MEANT TO BE.”
“I will not go with you!” Idylls shouted back bravely. Cullen looked at her in amazement, wondering where her fierceness came from in that moment. He realized then that he had developed feeling for her.
“THEN YOU SHALL DIE HERE GIRL. I SHALL WIPE OUT THIS RABBLE OF AN ARMY. I SHALL REBUILD THE HOST AGAIN AND TOGETHER WE WILL RULE ALL KINGDOMS! YOU ARE NOTHING!”
The Dragon reared up and took a deep breath. Cullen pushed all his energy into his Shield and raised a wall of spiritual pressure before him. The Dragon’s flames came forth, covering the world as far as Cullen could see. He felt the heat of those flames but they did not burn him.
He heard the screams from those beyond his Shield and he knew they had to attack this vast creature before he killed the Xho who had just fought so hard to win their freedom.
Cullen slashed his Sword as soon as the flames stopped and an arc of energy and flame raced from him to hit the Dragon in the foot. The Dragon raised its leg, seemingly unaffected and took a swipe at Cullen and his friends.
Cullen’s Shield protected them from a direct hit, but the blow knocked them all across the sand, tumbling head over heels, rocked by the attack.
“I need time to build up more energy!” Cullen shouted to the others. Tris’tan was back on his feet in seconds and firing arrow after arrow at the Dragon’s head. The arrows that hit made small burn marks against the Dragon’s black scales and seemed to irritate the beast.
Another burst of flame came at them and Cullen leaped ahead to include them all in his protection. The flame was hot enough to turn the sand around them into glass and the floating ash disappeared.
The Dragon took a step forward and Cullen closed his eyes, keeping the Shield up and gathering energy into the Sword. He let the magics build, each power growing larger just as he had been taught by Stormungandr.
Aki stepped beyond the Shield’s cover and raised his own sword, letting loose a beam of light that hit the Dragon on the neck and burned him all the way up the side of its face and ended in the Dragon’s eye.
A white scar ran from the start of that attack and ended by blinding the Dragon in one eye. The Dragon screamed in pain and rage and Cullen stepped forward again and released the energy from his sword.
Lightening and fire and sand lifted away from him and took the form of a massive silver Dragon, with its mouth opened wide and horn pointing at Mabinogion. The light from it blinded the army watching and all of them turned away from the bright light.
The Dragon of energy hit the black Dragon and burned away half of its face, taking the blinded eye and scale and disintegrating them. The Dragon howled in pain and anguish, and stumbled back.
Mabinogion screamed again and lifted into the air. Cullen raised his Shield again to be ready, but the Dragon went up and then turned away, flying quickly towards the north, escaping in the sky.
The army cheered and the sound lifted Cullen’s spirits. He looked back to see only a few had been burned by the mighty Dragon and they had somehow driven it off. Cullen didn’t know where the Dragon would go, but he had been scarred now by the power of the Sword and wouldn’t return quickly.
Tris’tan reached over and pounded his back in joy, laughing with Aki at the result of their combined attack. Idylls was smiling her reserved feelings mostly hidden, but Cullen grabbed her and lifted her into an embrace.
They kissed each other for the first time and Cullen felt like all he had lost, he had somehow regained and things would be alright now. He had saved a people, driven off a tyrant and found a new woman to share his feelings with.
They walked back to the camp to meet Abd and Fakhri, who were waiting for them cheerfully. The city of Alu-Chet was likely destroyed but Cullen though the people wouldn’t want to live there again anyway, since it had become a place of such suffering.
The night turned into a feast, with stores of food being cooked and shared, with drinks for everyone and people telling stories of their individual fights. They laughed and talked deep into the night and people enjoyed themselves for the first time in a long time.
Finally as things dies down, Cullen went outside to stare up at the moon. Idylls and Tris’tan followed him out and stood with him.
“I never thanked you for saving me,” Idylls said quietly.
“You don’t have to thank me for doing the right thing,” Cullen answered. She came close and put an arm around him and he did the same.
“There’s something you haven’t told me brother,” the Asrai warrior said into the darkness.
“I received a message from the Dwarves that there’s trouble at home. I’m afraid we’re going back to fighting instead of resting when we get back.”
“Did Tik and Sonia make it there?” Tris’tan asked.
“Yes, they were safe and they didn’t tell me what the problem was so I assume it’s bad. I don’t know how bad, but something is wrong, I can feel it.”
“Then let’s return in the morning. It’ll take some time to get back, but we can leave right away. I’ll pass the word.”
Cullen nodded and continued looking at the moon. Then he glanced down at the dark elf beside him. “Are you ready to travel to where I come from?” he asked.
“I will go where you go,” she answered. He smiled and breathed a sigh of contentment. Worry ate at him, but there was nothing he could do except head home and deal with the problems when he got there.
He turned back, and he and Idylls walked into their shared tent with the others, who were already sleeping. He looked over them, glad to have them all with him, and he laid down knowing they would help him through the next trial as well.
In his dreams Stormungandr left him alone. He had succeeded in his quest and he deserved one night of rest.

***

Roarr climbed ahead of the rather large group that Cullen led through the Everwinter Mountains towards home. It had taken a significant amount of time for them to walk back to the desert, cross that desert and then hike up the mountains to this point.
A call rang out and the happy Dwarf shouted back, in the rough language of Dwarves. They cleared another pile of rocks and they could see the entrance to the Dwarven fortress in the mountains.
The two Dwarves waiting there cheerfully greeted Roarr and they were speaking very quickly in their own tongue. Cullen led the rest of the group towards them and he noticed right away that something was strange.
The two Dwarves bowed to him in welcome, but it seemed formal, as though he were visiting royalty. He supposed that was in fact true, but they had never treated him differently for it. This was strange, he thought.
The Dwarves spoke to each other the whole way in and down the hall that led into the fortress proper. Cullen saw Roarr look back at him once with a sadness in his eyes and he wondered what the Dwarves were saying. Something was really odd about their behavior.
When they reached the inner rooms, one Dwarf had ran ahead to announce their arrival. The remaining Dwarf escorted them into the meeting hall where they found the Dwarven King sitting with Tik, Sonia, Grimm, the Dreamweaver and four Kingsguard Captains.
He knew immediately that they had bad news for him. It was written on all of their faces. They all looked like Cullen was going to be affected by their news. He glanced at each of them, then watched Sonia as she stood, walked to him and embraced him.
She held him tightly and he could feel her weeping a bit. He looked at Tik and his friend just looked sorrowful. He reached up and removed Sonia from himself and stepped back. Sonia retreated to Tik’s side and Cullen turned to Garm, the King.
“Clearly there is bad news here, so please just tell me,” he said to the King.
“There’s no point in giving it to you any other way Cullen, but here it is,” the King spoke in his rumbling tones. “Your father has been killed and you are now the rightful High King of the Realm.”
Cullen’s mouth went dry and his heart skipped a beat. He looked at Grimm first and saw the grief in the man’s eyes. The old warrior stood, walked to just in front of Cullen and dropped to one knee.
“It’s my fault he’s dead Sire, I should have seen it coming and I wasn’t there to protect him.”
Cullen looked down at the man confused. He glanced at the Dreamweaver who was nodding but said, “No one is at fault except Nicu and his followers. They used magic on us all, I’m sure of it.”
Cullen looked back at Grimm, kneeling there with his head down.
“I’m ready for any punishment you deem necessary my Lord.”
“Grimm, please, stand up,” Cullen asked in an even voice. The old warrior climbed to his feet but wouldn’t look Cullen in the eye.
“Please, all of you, don’t start calling me Your Highness, or My Lord, or any of that,” Cullen asked them. “I’m just Cullen to you, the same as I’ve always been.”
Grimm nodded but seemed uncomfortable. “I’m not going to punish you Grimm. Go sit down,” he commanded.
The room was silent. The Kingsguard that came with Cullen found seats and Cullen pulled out a chair for Idylls and himself, sitting at the large wooden table that separated him from his friends that were waiting for him.
“Dreamweaver, please tell me what happened, in detail,” Cullen asked, without emotion. He was feeling overwhelmed but he knew the best way to respond would be to stay calm and ask questions. Find out what happened before he worried about being King.
“During the Tournament,” the Dreamweaver began, “I believe that King Nicu and his Shaman used magic to get us to leave the King’s side. He had gathered a large number of Rathians to Holdfast and used them to attack the men from other Kingdoms.”
The old man looked weary and seemed to wilt under Cullen’s stare. “While Grimm and I were away for just a few minutes, Nicu attacked and killed your father. He has since taken over the Realm and is demanding laws be changed, that marriages be held against the girl’s will and more.”
Cullen nodded. “And who are these Captains that are here with you?” he asked.
“These are the Captains that were in each Realm,” Grimm informed, “Cezar, Oana, Emil and Ion.” Grimm gestured to each one to match the name to the faces.
“Nicu had the Kingsguard in each Kingdom killed except for the Captains. All of them managed to escape and they were found by the elves who have been watching each capitol for us while we waited for you.”
“I see,” Cullen said. “So the Kingsguard is disbanded and leaderless, and this King Nicu has claimed the Realm for his own. Who commands in Holdfast? And what’s this about marriages?”
“The Godsmen betrayed us in Holdfast and did nothing when the Rathians attacked,” the Dreamweaver said. Anton gasped at the news. “Bishop Constantinus rules Holdfast now. And King Nicu has demanded that the daughters of King Simon and King Adrian marry his sons before the new year. He wants to complete his ties to the High Kingdom.”
Cullen sat silently for another few moments. To be High King of the Realm would be a lot of responsibility. And people like Grimm and the Captains obviously felt he should step into the role immediately.
He looked at Idylls and she looked at him. In her violet eyes he saw compassion and understanding. She had been the daughter of a Queen. She knew what it was like to be thrust into a role you didn’t really want.
Cullen looked at Tik, hoping to see an answer in his friend’s face. But Tik just looked expectant, like there was no other answer but acceptance. Cullen sighed and lowered his head.
“King Garm,” he finally said. “We will need help to win back the Realm. Do I have your support in this? Can I count on the Dwarves of Everwinter to face this battle with us?”
“We count you as friend to the Dwarves and family to the Daoine Sidhe. We fought with you against the Host and formed bonds between us. You brought Roarr back to us and so I say, yes, we will fight with you.” The King slapped his fist down on his throne’s arm.
Dwarves all around the room cheered and Cullen lifted his head. He would need the help of all the Faery races. Another war, just when he was ready to come home to peace and sanctuary.
“Then Grimm, I want to hear from these Captains everything they can tell me about the enemy. We will need to gather some forces of our own and I think we need to have a talk with the Bishop of Holdfast.”
Grimm smiled for the first time in months and nodded. He gathered the Captains around the table and with the remaining Kingsguard, they started telling Cullen about Nicu’s forces and how they could fight in each Kingdom.
Idylls sat with Cullen, listening to all of it and wondering what fate had set them to battle upon returning home. She watched Cullen begin to plan and push away mourning for his father. He was strong she knew, but he would need her later, when the reality would hit him that his father was gone.
She vowed to herself to stand by him through this trial as he had stood by her during her own trials. She had found a worthy man and she smiled to herself.

***

Cullen found himself, despite the awful news of his father’s murder, enjoying each moment differently as he watched Idylls react to the world around her. She had been raised in the depths of the Underdark, living in shadow and fear.
Now she walked in the sun and watched the Asrai twins throw snowballs at each other in play. She saw the sun sparkle off of icicles that hung from the stunted trees of the mountain and she listened to the marching songs of the three hundred Dwarves that followed the human group towards the forest.
She was enthralled by the trees and winter flowers that she saw. Birds and other animals were all new to her. Cullen watched her respond to all these new things and they were like new to him as well. Things he took for granted had new meaning to him now and he enjoyed introducing new sights to this young woman he was with.
Tris’tan sang the song that opened the path through the forest to let them cross the woods faster. Idylls listened intently to the song and marveled at the speed with which they moved through the forest. She was astounded by the size of the trees once they reached the waterfall.
Cullen stepped up to the poll’s edge and lifted his Horn to announce he had arrived. He blew the single note, a clear sound that echoed through the Danann Forest. Within minutes he felt the answering howls coming from the Asrai pack.
Images came to him, the scents and sights that came with each member of the pack, each one sending a greeting of their pack name. Then finally came the image and scent of a deep cave, with ice in its maw, the scent of stone and ice, the scent of his mother.
She came out of the trees, walking tall with even strides, wearing very little even in winter, her white skin exposed to the elements, her gray and blue tattoos evident. Cullen saw the Captains all react as men do when they see a strikingly beautiful woman.
Cullen bowed, as did the Asrai brothers and Grimm and the Dreamweaver. Anton and the Captain quickly followed their example. Queen Gwyddneu’s eyes were fixed onto Idylls, and Cullen coughed to catch her attention.
“What is this my son? What have you done?” she asked, her voice cold and regal.
“This is Idylls, a woman freed from her life as one of the Host,” Cullen answered calmly. “I ask that you accept her as I have. She means no harm to the Daoine Sidhe.”
The Asrai Queen kept her eyes on the black skinned woman and she sniffed the air. The Asrai around her moved to surround Cullen and Idylls, just in case there was trouble. Cullen lifted his foot and stamped it impatiently.
“You must tell me your stories my son,” the Queen finally said. “Then I can better understand your actions. I will accept her on your word that she means no harm. You understand what that means.”
“Yes Mother,” Cullen answered with a breath of relief. She reached out and took Idylls’s hand and squeezed. Idylls just bowed deeply to the Asrai Queen before her and kept her eyes pointed down.
“I MUST HEAR YOUR STORIES AS WELL CHOSEN ONE,” the deep rumbling voice like boulders falling downhill came from beyond the waterfall. “IT SEEMS YOUR LEGEND GROWS YOUNG ONE.”
Cullen turned to greet Cernunnous with a smile, but Idylls froze. He looked at her puzzled and only he heard her whisper.
“Of all the Daoine Sidhe I was taught to hate, the two brothers Cernunnous and Manawyddan were the most hated.”
Cullen squeezed her hand again, “All of that is past you now. These are my friends and here you are safe.”
Idylls nodded and Cullen turned back to the giant made of wood with two small burning blue eyes. Cullen lifted his head to look up and the Forest God’s carved face and he laughed.
“It is good to see you Cernunnous!” he called out, “I indeed have many stories for you both! But I cannot stay to spin tales for either of you now. The human Kingdom has need of me, and I have need of an army.”
“WE ARE AWARE OF THE HUMAN’S ACTIONS AND WE ARE SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS CULLEN. I SEE THE DWARVES HAVE AGREED TO FIGHT. YOU ARE GOING TO THE SIDHE NOW?”
“Yes,” Cullen answered, “And then to the Selkies to ask the Merrows to fight. I hope that the Asrai will join our cause as well Mother.”
“I will personally kill the man that killed your father,” Gwyddneu snarled, her face scrunched up in rage. “He was a good man and made the Realm peaceful.”
“Thank you Mother. Will you come with us to see the Sidhe as well? We need horses to reach the Selkies before we go into Holdfast. We’ll take back the capitol first.”
“I will come,” the Queen answered with a nod. The other Asrai howled in joy of the coming combat. They were the fiercest of the Daoine Sidhe and they would follow Cullen into any battle.
Cullen asked the Dwarven Captains to make camp while he went to the elves to ask for horses and more numbers fro his army. The human Captains were invited to see the stunning glory of the elven city.
They all climbed the hill above the waterfall and walked until they saw the ribbons of colored fabric that showed the way into the tree city. The massive trees that reached so high into the sky were connected by wooden bridges and carved to make homes for the elves.
Cullen, with his mother, led the groups into the city, walking among the summer gardens that stayed in bloom all year round. No snow fell in the city, the Sidhe magic prevented that everywhere except the winter garden, that were in another area of the city.
Idylls was again amazed at what she saw, hundreds of elves, all different colors and dressed with fabrics she had never seen. The Host wore leather and steel, never silk or linen. She was silently enthralled by the sights all around her.
Cullen asked the Kingsguard and the Captains to wait in one of the gardens where elves met them with refreshments, before he walked with Idylls and the Asrai into the tree that had been carved for the King’s audiences.
Inside he found King Dagda and Vivien waiting, along with a handful of other important elves. The King’s eyes widened at the sight of Idylls but Vivien just laughed behind her hand.
“This one is a better match for you than the human girl,” Vivien chuckled. Cullen blushed and discovered that Idylls could blush as well since her cheeks grew rosy at the words of the elven woman.
“You have left your people behind Daughter?” the King asked in his musical, golden voice.
“I have,” Idylls responded quietly. “Cullen has freed me from that life and I am honored to be here in your presence.”
“You have manners at least,” Vivien said roughly. “Cullen, you always delight me, we never know what you’re going to do next.”
Cullen bowed and smiled at her teasing. She never changed. “Next I’m going to win back the human Kingdom. I have heard that the Sidhe have been watching the humans since the takeover. What can you tell me?”
The King waved his hand and sighed. “Humans are trouble creatures Cullen. They had a peaceful Kingdom, but this King Nicu decided it wasn’t enough to rule Rath, he needed all the human lands. We are sorry for your loss. We appreciated King Remus.”
“Thank you,” Cullen replied.
“So far Nicu has done what we expected of him. He has raised taxes and bullied everyone into new laws. I can tell you he does not expect you to return and contest his rule.”
“And will the Daoine Sidhe fight with me, to help me put the tyrant down?” Cullen asked without preamble.
“Our bonds with you are strong Chosen One. Sound your Horn and we will fight. Our numbers are not great, but we are skilled. We follow you again, lead us well.”
Cullen raised the Horn and sounded the call. Even Vivien got quiet for the sound as it reverberated through the tree and out into the city. Cullen lowered the Horn and nodded to the King.
“Command us Chosen One.”

***

High King Nicu sat in his golden throne in the larger meeting hall he had built when he became King of Rath. The building was not tall, but wide and covered a large portion of the hill that rose in the Sea of Grass.
Nicu was attended by four beautiful women who were fanning him, feeding him delicacies and giving him sweet wine to drink. Next to him was Hafr, his Shaman, waiting for Hook to return to the room.
The far doors opened and Hook appeared. He strode into the room, tall and confident, his hair clicking from the many finger bones he had acquired during his years as a Horse Lord.
“It seems that you have a unique guest my King, I think you should meet him,” Hook said in his deep voice, grinning all the while.
Nicu nodded and waved him on. Hook turned back and waved to the men standing guard at the door. The doors opened again and a tall golden elf walked in. If the others were confident, this man was omnipotent. He owned the space he stood in and even Hafr took notice.
“Good King Nicu, thank you for seeing me. I’ve come a long way,” Mabon said in a golden musical tone, his voice sweet and silky.
“You are an elf?” King Nicu asked, his eyes wide at the being before him.
“I am one of the Daoine Sidhe, yes, but I do not associate with others of my kind. I instead work for a different breed of elf.” Mabon smiled superbly and bowed his head a bit.
“Why have you come if you’re not here for them? They have not responded to my demands for new taxes and trade items. I’m getting irritated with them and the other so-called Faery Kingdoms.”
Nicu waved one of the girls to get Mabon a drink which he accepted gracefully. He took a sip and closed his eyes to savor the taste and then opened them and fixed his golden eyes on the King.
“I come because we have a mutual enemy King Nicu,” Mabon said, hinting at their collusion.
“Who would that be?” Nicu scoffed, eating another grape handed to him by a red haired girl.
“Cullen of course,” Mabon smirked. “He is returned and no doubt will come for you soon.”
“What?!” Nicu shouted. “How do you know this? Has he sent you?”
“As I said King, I am his enemy as well, and I know he has returned because he beat back my people and our Master. But I offer you a chance to win, if you’ll listen to me.”
“Where is he?” Nicu demanded. “Does he have men with him who will fight? Where will he strike first?”
“He is in Holdfast currently and I think you will lose that part of the Kingdom quickly. The people love him there, just as they loved his father.” Mabon stepped forward and took some grapes from the girl with a smile.
“No, you will have to fight him in other Kingdoms if you hope to win. But I assume that you have gathered the dark weapons that were kept in castle Holdfast?”
Nicu sat back in his throne and folded his arms. He looked at Hafr who nodded once in assent.
“Yes, I have them, but they are no use to me, they do not work any longer.”
“They do not work because you haven’t been trained in how to use them,” Mabon informed them. “But I am their creator and I can teach you how to use them to fight Cullen and his friends.”
“And you would do this,” Nicu asked suspiciously, “Because you are his enemy too?”
“Exactly,” Mabon confirmed. “I would see him fall. He has attacked my Master and won, for now. We would rather you killed him quickly than see him rise to further power as King of your Realm.”
“The do it,” King Nicu commanded. “Show us how to use the weapons and we will kill this boy for you.”
Hook laughed at the idea and Hafr rubbed his hands together in excitement. Finally to be able to use the cursed weapons, now they would have real power.