Chapter XI
The whistling wind awakened me up the next morning. I scanned my surroundings and realized I was inside Malachi's home. He must have brought me in once I had fallen asleep during the previous night's worship. I climbed off my sleeping pad and stumbled outside. The sun was just peaking over the horizon, almost hidden by a cloudy sky, and action within the camp was minimal. Suddenly, I heard shouting and saw Malachi. He was hacking away at a small log with a piece of paper tacked onto it with a sword. The paper had a drawing of smiley face. As I watched, Malachi swung his sword and cut the log cleanly in half. He wiped the sweat from his forehead before he noticed.
"You're up early," Malachi greeted, waving to me. I jogged over to where he was.
"What are you up to?" I grumbled, doing the best to rub the sleep out of my eyes.
"Just doing some warm-ups before the battle," Malachi laughed, showing me his sword. At the mention of the battle, my stomach immediately felt queasy. I had completely forgotten that the time of prophecy was almost upon me. I ignored the anxiety and took the opportunity to examine Malachi's sword.
"It's quite different," I noted. Instead of being straight like mine, the blade of his sword curved like the crescent moon. The grip was simple brown leather, with some tassels at the end, effectively making it a single handed sword.
"When compared to yours, I would agree. However, it is the traditional weapon of the Evangelics. Anyway, how about a quick sparring match, with our real swords?" Malachi suggested. It took me a moment to realize what he had asked.
"Are you sure? I'm pretty good," I bragged.
"I would hope so, but I'll take my chances," Malachi laughed. We distanced ourselves and took our stances. I pulled my necklace off and repeated the verse necessary. The sword flared to life in my hand, but the pain was even less than before. I didn't know whether it was because I was becoming used to it, or if the transformation was just decreasing in intensity. I rushed Malachi first, eager to show off my abilities. He dodged my first swing and then used his sword to block my next. He tried to slide his sword in right next to my rib cage, but I swung my sword to knock it away.
"How am I doing?" I asked my former teacher.
"You're doing even better than when we parted ways, but I won't admit defeat that easy," Malachi commented. I sidestepped Malachi, the flat of my blade trailing just beside me to nail him in the stomach, but he spun out of the way. He made a jab at my leg but I jumped up. I came down on top of his sword, trapping the blade between the ground and my feet. Malachi continued to hang onto his sword, struggling to free it. I swung my sword so it would come down between Malachi's shoulder and collar bone when I was hit with a sudden wave of nausea. I doubled over in sickness, throwing me off balance in the process. Malachi flicked his sword up, freeing it and causing me to stumble backwards. I landed hard on my butt. Malachi swung his sword at me, which I tried to block with my sword. He used the curve of his blade to hook the underneath of my sword's guard and pulled upwards. My sword was flung from hands and out of reach. Malachi lowered his sword it rested on my chest. I raised my hands in surrender.
"Morning! Good for you guys, getting in some early morning practice," Yalown announced his arrival while approaching toward us, carrying a plate loaded with bacon and eggs. Malachi helped me to my feet just as Yalown reached us.
"You alright? You were winning until you suddenly doubled over," Malachi observed.
"Yeah, I think I'll be okay. I just felt sick to my stomach for a moment," I said. Yalown gave me a slap on the back, which didn't help my stomach much.
"Don't worry. Just pre-battle jitters. Here, eat," Yalown diagnosed before handing me a piece of bacon. I managed to eat it, and even though it tasted excellent, my stomach still gurgled in protest.
"Thanks," I managed.
"No problem. Mara was looking for you. She spent the night in Eve's tent," Yalown told me.
"I'll go meet up with her in a little. Now, if you'll excuse me," I said, going to retrieve my sword, which had by then shrunken back into a necklace. I slipped it around my neck and started back into Malachi's dome when I overheard Malachi and Yalown conversing.
"Malachi, we need to talk," Yalown said as they started to retreat back toward the main camp. That was all I got to hear because they were quickly out of earshot. I went back to my bed pad and knelt to pray. I took off my necklace and held it in my folded hands.
"Father God, please tell me. What is wrong with me? Why am I suddenly feeling sick?" I prayed and begged. My pleas grew silent as I waited for an answer, but not even the Voice spoke up. I waited a little bit longer before giving up. All I knew was Yalown had been wrong, but I still had no idea why I wasn't feeling well. I would just have to deal with it. I exited the dome the second time that morning to see the entire camp now in full swing. The smells of fresh fires burning was in the air as I started toward the camp. All around soldiers were cooking breakfast or coming out of their tents with a sleepy look on their faces. I finally found Eve's tent, and upon entering, found Mara and Eve checking all the Sonic Blasters before they would be needed.
"Good, more help. Get over here and pick this thing up," Eve ordered. Her hair was a complete mess. Before I could even so much as utter a greeting, I obeyed, and grunted as I lifted up the weapon. It was significantly heavier than it would have appeared. Eve checked something on the bottom of it and signaled for me to move onto the next one.
"What's the big rush?" I asked.
"They are ready sooner than expected. If they aren't fired soon, they'll explode," Eve warned. We finished all the checks before anything else was said.
"Does Yalown know?" I asked.
"He was the first besides me. He should be making his speech soon, and then we'll be ready for the invasion," Eve explained. Suddenly, the sound of multiple trumpets pierced the air.
"That's our cue. We should probably get out there," Mara suggested. Eve nodded in agreement.
"That is a good idea. Yalown's speeches can be rather awe-inspiring." Eve encouraged us, and turned back to do a quick second check on the Sonic Blasters. As we were parted ways out the exit, Mara turned back to say something.
"Thank you for the talk," Mara said to Eve, who then gave her a smile.
"It wasn't a problem. I wish you the best of luck," Eve said. Ominous- looking dark grey clouds blotted the sky. As We followed the streams of soldiers toward where ever Yalown was having his speech, I gave Mara a puzzled look.
"What?" she demanded.
"What was your talk about?" I asked.
"None of your business," Mara snapped. We had to stop our conversation there, because we had reached where Yalown would be talking. It was a small wooden platform, just tall enough for him to be elevated above everyone. Yalown stepped up on the said platform and all the soldiers erupted in cheers. Yalown raised his hand for quiet, which fell almost immediately.
"First, I want to thank you all for coming together, to fight as comrades, to add yet more territory to the Catholic Empire. But how do I know we will be successful today? For the Lord our God has declared it, in His very Word, the Bible. For it is written, 'and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Deuteronomy 7:2.' As such, we will be successful. Let us bring honor to God and our nation!" Yalown declared. He was reward with a deafening roar of the cheering soldiers. As everyone disassembled, I caught sight of Tobias talking with some veterans. I quickly hid behind Mara, who wasn't happy that I did that. She grabbed my hair and dragged me into the open.
"Don't act like you're five years old. Face him like a man," Mara scolded. Tobias turned his head and saw me. I tried to hide behind Mara again, but she wouldn't let me. I really didn't want to get in another fight, especially right before we went to war and when I wasn't feeling very well. Instead of yelling and out right cursing me, Tobias just smiled and waved, like nothing had happened just a few days prior. I guessed the healers had been successful.
"Everyone, be in formation in ten minutes," Yalown announced. The lingering soldiers then ran off to tell everyone else.
"Formation?" I asked to no one in particular. I felt a hand clasp on my shoulder.
"You two will just stick with me," Yalown ordered. He guided us until we reached a clear area where troops began to organize themselves in front of the wall. They organized themselves into a vaguely hourglass shape. Eight soldiers, each carrying a Sonic Blaster, spaced themselves evenly among the frontline. I saw Eve at the edge of the camp, holding a megaphone. Yalown placed us in the third line before taking up his position in the front line.
"On my mark," Eve shouted through her megaphone, which echoed all across the army. We waited several moments until I was suffering from pure anxiety, my head felt light and my palms sweaty.
"Fire!" Yalown bellowed before Eve could give her order, earning him a dirty look from her. Nonetheless, the Sonic Blasters fired off, unleashing so much power that one could literally see the sound waves. The wall vibrated for a moment like a tuning fork, but that's all that happened.
"What the heck?" Mara asked angrily. I breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe my destiny wasn't truly supposed to happen today. Just as I finished that thought, a thunderous roar washed over the entire army, which was the direct result of the wall collapsing. An avalanche of wall fragment came raining down, and the army slowly stepped back to avoid it. Soon, there was a gaping hole easily wide enough for the entire army to move through while still maintaining formation.
"Troops, advanced," Yalown shouted. We trodded forward, half expecting the Imperial Army to attack with each step. The city was hidden behind the pile of debris, but I wasn't prepared for what I saw once I climbed the pile. I stopped short in amazement.
"Hey kid, keep moving," the soldier behind me grumbled. I apologized and scrambled down the other side of the pile. The city had streets made of colorful marble, polished smooth, but that wasn't what had caught my eye first. It had been the buildings. All the buildings were varying heights, ranging from silver to gold to copper in color. Each floor was disc- shaped and connected to the next floor by thin stems. It was a miracle of engineering that the buildings managed to stand up. As I gawked at the architecture, Mara pointed something out.
"Where is everyone?" she asked. She was right. Since this was a city, the streets and sidewalks should have been flooded with people and levias. However, there was absolutely no one.
"Troops, continue advance," Yalown shouted, ignoring the obvious issue. We marched for several blocks until another march was began to be heard. Yalown raised his hand and the entire army came to a quick halt. I nearly ran into the person in front of me, but Mara caught my shoulder and pulled me upright. Before I properly thanked her, the Imperial Army appeared over a hill. They were dressed in their normal uniforms, except they wore solid metal boots, which clinked off the marble streets. They marched in perfect straight columns. I scanned the front row, expecting to see Commander Joel leading his army, since he was addicted to warfare. However, I was pleasantly disappointed, because the entire front line wore black uniforms. The Imperial Army stopped about fifty yards away from us. They spread their legs shoulder width apart and raised their arms.
"Began fire," a command rang through the Imperial Army. It took Yalown only moments to realize to what that meant.
"Break formation," he ordered. The Imperial Army began to pepper the ground with a barrage of bullets. I grabbed Mara's hand and we ducked toward the back of the formations. The air became filled with the screams of soldiers being struck down by bullets. One such soldier collapsed, his neck a bloody mess. I was tempted to stop and help, but we kept running. Once we were out of range, I turned back to watch. Several soldiers were taking shelter behind buildings,and firing blasts from their shoulder cannons. Shouts came from the Imperial Army whenever one such blast landed, launching enemy soldiers into the air like toys. The front line held firm, firing their bracelets and cannon simultaneously. Yalown's face was pulled into a tight grimace, and his eyes were full of intense focus. Suddenly, soldiers broke out of the Imperial Army, wielding short swords. The swords were made of a dull metal, but veins of green laced throughout them. These swordsmen began stabbing nearby Catholic soldiers, and every time the swords touched flesh, arcs of electricity streaked out and coursed down the victim's body. The front line disassembled fast, until Yalown was the only one still standing in formation.
"Evangelics, assist them," Malachi called out from the back of the army and Evangelic men came racing through the army, wielding their odd swords. They engaged the Imperial swordsmen, but they were still outnumbered. One almost managed to stab Yalown, but Malachi wove in between the two and drove his sword straight into the enemy's heart. Malachi kicked the man off his sword, who fell down clearly dead, and gave Yalown a thumbs up, who acknowledged him with a nod. I decided then would be a good time to join the battle. I summoned my sword and its bright flash caused the entire Imperial Army to take a nervous step back. They recognized me, and it made me feel good. However, as I rushed into battle, a knot formed in my gut. I engaged a swordsmen who had been about to kill a Catholic soldier. Electricity flew as our swords met. He was not a good fighter, and I was easily able to disarm him, but still the knot tightened. He was at my mercy, and an easy thrust would have ended his life. I nearly lost my lunch at that point, so instead, I slammed the flat of my blade in his helmet. It rattled, and the man crumbled to his feet. I looked around for another opponent, despite feeling sick, when I saw an arm reach out from an alley and grab Mara, dragging her into the darkness. Catholic soldiers saw nothing, as they had started to fight more Imperial Army soldiers as they flooded in from intersecting streets.
"Mara," I cried out, and started to run toward the alley. I then remembered the battle, and turned back to the main fight, but Yalown waved for me to go. Apparently, he had seen it too.
"Go. Fulfill the prophecy, and your God- given destiny, and return to us safe. We'll handle the battle from here on out," Yalown ordered. I didn't hesitate at his command, and ran to save Mara. I saw Malachi run through one of the Imperial Army men's shoulder with his sword, then proceeded to knock the man's light out with his free hand. Malachi saw me and gave me an encouraging smile. I ran into the alley, brandishing my sword.
"Release Mara, or prepare to die," I threatened, though I doubt I could kill someone without vomiting. The alley blocked out what little sunlight streamed through the storm clouds, leaving the alley dark and gloomy. The sounds of battle echoed through the alley, but it sounded foreign and far away. An Imperial soldier emerged from the gloom, holding Mara against his chest.
"Please, peace. I just want to talk," the kidnapper begged. I hesitantly lowered my sword as Mara was released. Mara joined me at my side.
"Okay, go ahead," I said. The kidnapper removed the helmet to reveal that she was a girl. She had bright blue eyes and a blond hair, similar to Commander Joel's, pulled back in a ponytail.
"My name is Saray, and you are the person of the Deadly Prophecy, no?" the girl asked.
"The Deadly Prophecy?" I responded, confused.
"She means the prophecy about the person with the Gift of Mercy ending the King's rule. That's what the people of the city call it," Mara explained. Saray approved her explanation with a nod.
"As far as I know I am," I was able to answer now that I understood what had been meant.
"Well, I completely agree with what you must do. The King is nothing more than a tyrant now. Plus, I feel like God is telling me that I should lead you to the castle," Saray said.
"Really? You can do that, safely?" Mara asked.
"Yes. I know all the movements and positions of the units patrolling the city. We can get there, and completely avoid any fighting," Saray explained. That sounded pretty good to me, since it made my nausea settle down a bit. I began to wonder if my nausea was being caused by my own gift. It made sense. A person with the Gift of Mercy should be against any kind of battle, no matter how justified. They would just forgive every person. That suddenly reminded me of something, and memories flooded my head.
I was young again, living with my parents. I had been chasing my sister around the room in a game of tag. We were screaming and having a generally good time. I made a sharp turn around a table and managed to grab Ruth's shirt, but at the same time my arm caught my mom's favorite decoration, a glass bluebird. The glass bird went flying into the air and shattered against the floor. Ruth sucked in a lot of air, like what a little kid does when they know someone else is in trouble.
"Mommy is going to be really mad. She'll never forgive you," Ruth taunted before running off to tattle. I panicked and tried to shove the evidence underneath the couch. Just then my mom walked in.
"What happened?" my mom asked.
"I'm sorry. It was an accident. Now you're going to hate me," I bawled. My mom knelt down and pulled me into a hug.
"I can't hate you, you are my child. Besides, I'm forced to forgive everyone because of my gift," my mom laughed.
"What gift?" I asked.
"Do you trust her?" Mara whispered, interrupting my memory before I remembered what my mom said next. I decided it was our best chance to get to the castle safely.
"Yeah. Please lead on," I motioned to Saray to take us. Saray's face lit up in a smile and took off down the alley. We jogged after her, doing our best to keep her in sight. When we reached an intersection, Saray raised her hand to stop us. A unit of Imperial Army soldiers marched by, their vision trained straight ahead. If any of them had looked our way, we would've been in a lot of trouble. Fortunately, we were safe. We raced through the streets. Saray did her best to keep us in alleys and narrow back streets. We were on one of those backstreets before we actually said something again.
"Where is everyone?" Mara asked, repeating her question from earlier.
"The King evacuated all civilians once he learned of the invasion," Saray said.
"Did he leave too?" I asked, hoping he did. Then again, why would Saray be leading us to him if he had.
"Unfortunately, no. He's arrogant enough to believe that New Canaan will win this battle, and that he is safe with in his castle," Saray said. I didn't want to hear that, but Mara was equally, if not more, upset at hearing that.
"Arrogant. That's an excellent way to describe the King," Mara grumbled. I wondered again for the hundredth time what her connection to the King was. We continued our walk in silence until we heard voices.
"Quick, climb up that building," Saray ordered, slipping her helmet on, which she had been carrying under her arm the whole time. I stashed my sword around the corner before giving Mara a boost up onto the top of the first floor of a cooper -colored building. She helped me up, and we scooted away from the edge. The voices got closer until they stopped in front of our hiding spot.
"Soldier, what are you doing away from the battle?" a gruff voice asked Saray.
"I was ordered to do some surveying. It turns out the one of the Deadly Prophecy has disappeared from the main battle," Saray reported. The gruff voice made some hushed comments to his fellow comrades.
"Very well. Carry on," the gruff voice told Saray. The men continued talking. Mara and I remained hidden until the voices had faded away.
"All clear," Saray called up to us. We climbed down, and went to retrieve my sword, but it had shrunken back into a necklace. I put it around my necklace. We continued our journey toward the King's castle.
"Are we almost there?" I asked eventually. My anxiety had been building to critical levels.
"Just over the top of this hill," Saray grinned. She wasn't lying, because at the top of the hill, I got my first glimpse of the King's castle.