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Chapter 68
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2021-02-16 21:05:16Huthdel tried to run but was quickly brought down. “You will pay for this!” he screamed hysterically. “The order is blessed by the Gods. They support us. Look at the good we have done throughout the kingdom. The gods are turning their backs on you even as I speak.”
Huthdel’s protests continued from beyond the entrance until they were no longer audible.
Benedict stood and declared the day’s audience session closed. He left the hall and returned to his chambers where he poured himself a goblet of wine. He downed it quickly and poured himself another.
A short while later Tordor arrived and was permitted to enter. Benedict offered him wine but he declined.
“What have I done?” Benedict asked.
“He had it coming. What else could you have done?”
“We should never have come here. This whole venture was a mistake.”
“You cannot see it as that Benedict.”
&ld
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Benedict had fallen asleep after their passionate lovemaking and the soft cushions did not transmit her deep sobs to Benedict’s side of the bed. Tears flowed freely as she cried. Hester cried releasing years of pain. Old pain, new pain, betrayal - Atomas and hers. Her betrayal of Harbem and Benedict. Her betrayal of herself. She felt like packing the minimum amount of belongings and leaving.Right then. Right there.She knew it would destroy Benedict emotionally but perhaps it was what he needed. Perhaps if she did, it would cause sufficient anger in Benedict for him to turn and be more resolute in his dealings with others. She suspected though that he would possibly be distracted and launch a massive manhunt for her. At worst he would turn and outlaw her too. She had no way of telling for sure. She knew she loved him. He had been kind to her and had given her the respect she had never had with Atomas. He had been faithful to her. And she had betrayed him. She de
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Finally, in the last hour of the sun a buyer arrived. He studied Samnom and asked the price. When he was told the price he did not flinch. He took out a bag of coins and paid the agreed sum. Samnom was released to the man and led away on a rope as a donkey is led. Samnom was happy to finally have left Klaman behind and was curious to see what his new life would bring. He followed in silence until his new owner stopped at a small plot of land outside the city. “This is your home. What is your name?” “Samnom.” “I will call you Sam. I am Ubul.” Samnom nodded. Ubul seemed like a nice man. He spoke with a strange accent and was clearly not from Kyrshom. “I do not expect you to call me master except in the presence of others. I simply needed someone to work the land for me. I have other things to do but the land must produce to make money. I cannot do everything. You will sleep in my house and eat my food. I do not believe in wielding the whip but expect respect if I respect you.” “I
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“The Black Cloaks know a way in?” Alexa asked stunned. Something about that statement picked at her memory but she could not place it just then. “You have a secret way in?”“Yes,” Harbem replied. “We do. Why do you ask?” The answer struck him as he asked the question. He knew instantly he had said too much.Alexa seemed distant. “I can’t quite recall why right now. But something about what you said seems to remind me of something. I just can’t recall what it is. I will tell you when I remember.”“Very well. I hope it is not too important,” Harbem said moving on quickly and trying not to show too much concern about what Alexa had said.“Very well,” Alexa said. “I think we should be fine if we can enter by another route. We will have to plan to catch my mother alone so we can speak with her.”“Certainly. That is what I need you for,&rdquo
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He watched them a bit longer making sure he was hidden from view. Gillyn’s face was reserved, perhaps fearful, cautious and even sad. As he watched, Lored kissed her. She returned his kiss but it seemed to lack passion. If Lored noticed he did not say so although Samnom was sure he must have noticed. He waited and watched a while longer. He could not hear what they said but he believed that Gillyn was not happy despite the fact that she responded to Lored’s attentions. Her response seemed to be unenthusiastic. Samnom guessed that Lored had returned after getting rid of him and given Gillyn an ultimatum. What the ultimatum could have been, he had no idea. The day grew brighter as the sun climbed higher. The shadows shortened and more of the city was revealed. Time marched on to the opening of the market and Samnom realized he had to move on to the market to be there by the time that the people who bought vegetables arrived. If he arrived too late, they would have spent their daily all
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Lored entered the room where Gelyn was kept.Gelyn stood and approached Lored. Tears ran down Gelyn’s cheeks as she looked at Lored.“Why would you do this? Please, oh please let me go! There is time. Breeger is not yet here.”Lored smiled mirthlessly. “You don’t get it do you?”“Get what Lored?” Gelyn was confused. “I am sorry. I am sorry I disappointed you. I asked you for forgiveness already. I can’t change the past but I have gone along with everything that you asked since then.“It’s not about you and Samnom. Well, part of it is. But whether he entered into our lives or not, you were always going to end up here. You see Breeger hired me to make sure that you would be returned at the right time. And that time is now.”“Why? Why did I have to be returned?”“Why?’ Why? It’s not so much about you as it is about Arnson.
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Gelyn’s eyes flashed. “You are sick. How the gods cursed us the day you were born.”“Many a great man has been hated by those who do not share his vision which is why you will never rise to be anything Gelyn. It is why you are what you are. Why the gods have given you your place among us.”Gelyn changed the subject. “Why do you need to have me here for this? You can simply announce it.”“You know as well as I do, that the uneducated need to see the proof to believe. It is proof they need to destroy to satisfy themselves that they have saved themselves and the world from what they fear.”The meaning of Breeger’s words was obvious. “So you mean to have me destroyed and Arnson to achieve your sick goals. You will not set us free.”Breeger smiled arrogantly. The look on his face was in itself an admission that Gelyn was right.“There you have it Gelyn. At last we under
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“Thank you,” Mota said and continued his narrative, “Healers came to see me and complained. They demanded I turn people away if they were not from my village. I told them I did not ask the people to come but that they came of their own accord.” “If the other healers were as good as you, then people from other villages would not have come to you.” Mota nodded. “I told them that the people had freedom of choice. I offered to teach them my knowledge and this angered them. They said I was telling them that they were inferior to me. That I was better than them. They said if word got out that I was teaching them it would only ruin them altogether.” Samnom shook his head in disbelief. “I then offered to give the money the people from other villages paid to me for treating them, to the healers in those villages less the cost of my ingredients for lotions and cures. They refused. They said I was trying to set them up for ruin and that they would then be indebted to me.” Samnom listened int
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Grimsor stood up. “The Alymcyte has a very high melting point and cools very quickly. What you are seeing is Alymcyte melting and cooling very rapidly.” “What? How? Why?” asked Semore. “I don’t know,” Grimsor replied. “None of it makes sense.” “So why are the men running from the mine?” “They are afraid of it. One man was badly burned when he put his hand in and then it was stuck when he tried to pull it out. The men think there are demons in the mine.” “Ridiculous! I need them to get back to work! Now!” “That’s easier said than done,” Grimsor replied. “They are terrified. They need an explanation.” “What do you think is causing it?” “I think we have opened up a fissure beneath the Alymcyte and that magma is now closer to the surface than we think.” “Impossible!” retorted Semore. “The volcano is dormant. It’s sealed tighter than my grandmother’s grave!” “Yes but all the blasting could have opened a crack and brought magma to the surface. What I think is happening here is that
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The city of Kyrshom was never the same. The lava had destroyed much of the city and it would never be rebuilt. The walls that had been built naturally from past eruptions were destroyed and partially covered by the new lava flow. They could no longer serve as natural protective walls. The lava had flowed through the city all the way down to the cliff where it had poured over the edge and buried the harbour. The ramp that had previously been built was partially destroyed and could no longer serve as an access to the city without considerable repairs which would take a long time. Many residents moved away and the life and culture of Kyrshom seemed to have left with them. People feared another eruption of Mt Almall and did not wish to lose what little they had left. Hope sparked briefly for the revival of Kyrshom as the lava cooled. People discovered Alymcyte in the cooled lava and there was a brief “Alymcyte rush” before the price offered for Alymcyte fell through the floor. It was so
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Eesa seemed to consider then replied in a hushed voice. “Thank you for your kindness sir. I am new and I am particularly interested in meeting men if you understand?”Breeger smiled. “I do indeed understand Eesa. But perhaps you would prefer to meet only one man if he makes it worth your while?”Eesa looked at Breeger in disbelief. “You would like that? You can do that?”Breeger smiled. “I assure you that I can.”“Then let us discuss it further somewhere more private. Perhaps tomorrow after your party?”“Perhaps tonight after my party?” Breeger pressed.“As you wish,” Eesa replied.Breeger explained to Eesa where his villa was and he left, very happy at the prospect of seeing Eesa again.After the party that evening Breeger took Eesa back to her home and she invited him in.Breeger was keen to start his new affair with Eesa and did not sa
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Firing continued strategically but damage was much less now as the attackers had moved out of the path of the catapult. The fires in the small trenches were doused and the attackers advanced further only to be stopped by new fires in new trenches. A co-ordinated retreat was being made by the army. They would ultimately retreat to within sight of the palace where another large trench had been dug and would be fed by oil from two sides to keep the fire burning. One army advanced and the other retreated. Neither side noticed the sky lighten with the approaching day. Then, just before dawn, a new quake struck. It was brief and violent. It was as if the earth heaved and men were thrown to the ground as the quake increased in strength. Then it finally subsided and all was quiet for a brief moment. In hindsight that moment seemed to last forever. Then an explosion tore through the predawn air and the earth shook knocking everyone to the ground. People screamed and shouted looking around des
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Samnom knew that no-one in this compound was his friend and he treated them all as the enemy as he wandered through the compound calling out Gelyn’s name.Two more encounters with guards in the compound left the remaining guards assured that they were little or no match for Samnom. One guard stepped forward to meet Samnom.“We do not know where Breeger or Gelyn are. They went to the King’s ball and never returned. Breeger is wanted and the king’s men have searched the compound already for Breeger. He must be hiding somewhere else.”Samnom thanked the soldier and left. He made his way to the palace where he was stopped at the gates.“I seek no fight. I simply wish to see the lady Gelyn. My name is Samnom.”The guards looked concerned and conferred with each other a short distance away. Then one walked off towards the palace while the other returned and asked Samnom to wait.A while later the guard ret
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The air by the East wall was thick with dust as the sun approached the horizon. A clear sign that the army beyond the walls would actually strike at sunrise. Benedict left his chambers and made his way to the East wall. He was greeted by the watch commander whose face was grim. He bowed and greeted Benedict. “Your majesty.” His body language said what he dared not say. They were hopelessly outnumbered. Benedict greeted him and made his way to the edge of the wall. He was right. The army of the Kelnians had approached the walls as near as they dared before daybreak. With the first sun’s rays, their strike would begin. Benedict looked along the top of the wall. Boiling pots of oil stood ready to be poured on the army below. Archers were ready too and Benedict was assured the catapults were ready too although he was not sure if they would be effective since he believed that the Kelnians were now closer than the minimum range of the catapults. As he looked down he saw the arrangement o
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She could not tell Alexa for it would alert the men with them. Hester waited until they turned the next corner in the passage. Alexa looked back as always after turning a corner. Hester followed them around the corner and then stopped as soon as Alexa had looked back. She turned and ran back around the corner and into the dark. She had no torch but there was only one path in this passage. If she collided with a wall she just had to find the right way again and then continue on. She prayed for Alexa to forgive her for not saying goodbye.At the next corner Alexa turned and realized Hester was gone.“Hester is gone!”The men in front of her stopped and looked back. “We can’t go back Alexa. It’s too dangerous now. Others will be coming through here soon enough and if she has fallen they will find her.”“But she could be dying!” Alexa insisted.The men looked at each other. One volunteered. “I&rsquo
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“You seem to be full of excuses King Benedict but yet have no proof of anything you say. Assassins killed our masters you say but they escaped. Atomas body was not burned you say but you cannot produce his body. Atomas women have left you say but where is the proof? I truly believe that you have lost control of the kingdom King Benedict. In all the time you have been king, you have failed to eradicate the Black Cloaks. I think it is time that we should do your job for you and relieve you of the task of ruling this kingdom.”“I ask you to please reconsider your threat Olnoy. I have come here today in peace. There have been a series of unfortunate events which have happened at this point in time. However, if you will decide to at least try and trust me, I will show you what I say is true.”“I think letting you stand out here and lie to me is enough. Letting you give me the bodies of our masters simply adds insult to injury.”Ben
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“He had it coming. Besides, if he had been freed and allowed to voice his opinion, he would not have voiced it in favour of us.“ “Of that much I am sure,” Benedict replied. He would have to explain the death to Talek. There was not much else that could be done. Benedict insisted that they make their way to the mine first before returning the bodies of the masters. Tordor agreed. Melonor had not returned with news from the mine and both Benedict and Tordor suspected that he must have met with misfortune. They instructed the soldiers with the bodies to wait at the East gate for them and rode to the mine with a small number of soldiers. On the ride up they found out why Melonor had not returned from the mine. He lay dead beside the road, killed by an arrow through the heart. Benedict and Tordor surmised that it was an assassin ordered to stop word of the situation at the mine getting back to Benedict. They doubted that anyone would try to stop them now but cautioned the soldiers to
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Tordor agreed. He knew it was a war they could not win. He left to order the bodies prepared for burial.Benedict looked over the city. His thoughts turned to Hester and Harbem and Alexa. He called one of the guards and told him to fetch Harbem from the dungeons.Harbem was ushered in some time later. His hands were still chained and Benedict ordered the chains removed. The guard removed them and left. Benedict indicated that Harbem should be seated. He poured two cups of wine and handed Harbem one.“Perhaps we can make a deal Harbem.”“I am prepared to listen your Majesty.”“There are ten thousand men outside the walls of the city. This morning, two of the three masters who led them to the gates, were murdered in audience with me. I have no doubt Breeger is behind it, but that’s beside the point. Those men outside the city will march and wipe out this city. I will need every man to defend it. Perhaps now is the
