Chapter 8-Backtrack
Orin awoke the next morning in a great deal of pain. His back was soar and his head was pounding, but he remembered what had happened the night before very vividly. He stood up from the grass of the field he had been lying on, and looked up to the sky. It was cloudless and blue, the sun just raising over the yellow horizon, and the air was cool. Then he remembered Kazin, and wondered if he had gotten away safely from the spirits. Then he recalled Kazin's words as the spirit merged with him, and fell to his knees, feeling a sense of failure in his heart.
"Damn…then I must save him to." said Orin as he looked down to the ground, and saw the large hole he had created with his sword. "These spirits only help to fuel my determination by corrupting the souls of the Shining Force."
At the sound of his own words, Orin realized something. Something that link the three together. They were the original Shining Force, and they had all been taken by the same fate, and Orin stood quickly, ignoring his pain, and he grabbed his sword, and ran to camp.
The fire was smoldered now, but everyone remained asleep. Orin stood and looked at them, still remembering the fresh battle in his mind, but he came to his senses, and tried to wake them.
"Everyone! Hurry and get up. We have much to talk about." said Orin, his voice quivering from anxiousness.
Vahn yawned loudly, and sat up in his cot.
"We have time to rest, the sun has only just risen." said Vahn, looking groggy. "I'm too tired to talk now."
And with that, Vahn feel back onto his cot, and began to make his way back to sleep, but Orin would not have this when lives were at stake.
"And if you sleep, my friend, how do you plan on finding your possessed father?" said Orin, with sarcasm and anger in his voice.
Vahn sat up abruptly, his eyes wide with a certain fear in them, and he looked at Orin, his face starting to redden and sweat.
"What? What did you say about my father!?" said Vahn, who began to stand.
"He has been taken as my father has, and if you do not listen to me, then both they and Slade might not be seen by my nor your eyes again!" yelled Orin, whose loud tone woke both Keith and Ikara.
"How dare you insinuate such an event! My father is much to strong for any spirit to harm him!" Vahn face was angry now, but there was a look of worry and fear in his eyes. "Take back such a tale, Orin!"
"Do not call me a liar! Why do you think your escorting me here in the first place!?" asked Orin, as he took a step toward Vahn, his face enraged at Vahn's accusation.
"Guys, what are you fighting about?" asked Ikara, as she rubbed her eyes. "Has something happened?"
"And something has happened, but this lout refuses to here the truth!" said Orin, who seemed ready to throw a punch at Vahn.
But he was beat to it, and Vahn's swiftly struck Orin on the face, and then pushed him to the ground.
"A lout I may be, but you can see your way to the ruins alone, and by the way, I'm not the one on the ground." said Vahn as he grabbed his staff and left the camp.
"What was that about!?" cried Ikara, as she tried to lift Orin from the ground.
"Kazin was taken by another spirit, and he refused the story." replied Orin, as he rubbed his cheek. "And the priestess will be taken as well if we do not help him."
"Are you crazy, Orin!?" cried Keith, "He just knocked you to the ground and called you a liar!"
"I'm not helping for his sake, I'm doing it for Sarah." said Orin, as he rolled up his cot. "Duran, wake up!"
"(Snort) Huh?" said Duran, as he sat up slowly and looked around. Then he realized who was talking to him, and his eyes opened fully. "Time to go!?"
"Hurry and pack your things everyone, we must go after Vahn." said Orin.
"But then this walk was a total waste!" yelled Keith, as he rolled his own cot. "Can't we just let Vahn handle it?"
"No, neither of them are safe." said Orin, "And I fear that Kasha might get in the middle of this and be hurt. She is to young and frail for such a battle."
"Damn." whispered Keith under his breath.
When they had finished packing, the walked briskly after Vahn, who was now almost halfway to Yeel by this time. They began to see him as they walked, and he went into the small town without looking back at them. It cool this day, and the sky was clear, and it made the walk relaxing, yet the Force could not enjoy it because of how tense they were about catching up to Vahn. They did so at the exit of Yeel, and Vahn did not greet them.
"What? Come back to make up more stories about my family, have you." said Vahn, walking fast as he spoke.
"If you don't believe me, then why is your father not coming home with you?" asked Keith, who was mad at him for socking his good friend. "You think your smart, but your ignorance puts your family in danger."
"So you have stories too, eh?" said Vahn, whose face was growing red again. "My father is probably home by now, because he's fed up with your pranks."
"Well, we'll see, won't we, and when we get to your home, your mother and sister will have to be hidden, because the priestess will be possessed as well." said Orin.
"Do not tempt me Orin, I will not hesitate to knock you out this time." said Vahn, who stopped to face Orin. "Now leave me be, or you'll be very sorry."
They did not leave though, but they followed Vahn to his home, and by the time they reached the small cottage, the sun was almost directly in the middle of the sky, and the clouds now spotted the heavens.
"Leave here, because I will not let you in my house again!" said Vahn, as he closed the door behind him.
Keith knocked on the door, and they heard Vahn yell inside.
"Go away!" he cried.
But they did not, and soon after, Kasha answered the door.
"Yeah! Mommy, they're back!" cried Kasha in excitement.
They all entered, and Orin went strait to Sarah, who was sleeping.
"Stay away from her! You will not cloud her mind with your stories!" yelled Vahn, as he walked toward Orin, his fists clenched.
Keith and Duran held him back, and he struggled, but they held fast to his anger. Orin rubbed Sarah's shoulder, and she rolled over and awoke almost immediately.
"Orin? Why have you returned already?" she said, still sounding tired.
"They…they've gotten to Kazin, and I feared for your safety, so I returned here." he said, his face filled with sullen sadness.
"What!? I feared this would happen, but I thought it was impossible." her face grew red, and she was about to cry. "This is my fault."
"No, we will find him, but we came back to hide you from them." said Orin.
"Hold your tongue, Orin! Mother, do not believe his words! He tells you lies mother! Damn you, let me go!!" Vahn yelled, as he struggled to break from Keith and Duran's grasp.
"Vahn! Orin is not the kind to lie, because he has his father's soul in him." she yelled, her eyes filled with tears.
Vahn gave up, and he fell to the ground, and Keith and Duran let go of him, as he went to his knees.
"I can protect myself for at least a few months, but my holy spells will not hold for long." said Sarah, now looking at Orin. "Put these charms onto each door and window in the house, and this will create a barrier to keep away the spirits."
"Mother, I will not leave you here!" cried Vahn.
"You will do what I tell you Vahn. You will place these charms and then you will take Kasha to Gyan in Granseal." said Sarah, her voice now calm.
"No, we cannot leave her with Sir Gyan, he was once part of the Force as well." said Ikara, as she tried to comfort Vahn.
"You're right, then Kasha will have to go with your mother, Orin." said Sarah, as she sat up in her bed. "That is the safest place for her. And then you will go with Orin, Vahn."
Vahn agreed and they prepared to leave for Granseal. They laced the charms around the house, and left only an hour later.
"I'm sorry for doubting you, Orin. You must have felt this way when your father was possessed?" asked Vahn, looking regretfully at Orin.
"I did, but you must accept it, and persevere to rescue them. It is much better than sitting at home and thinking 'what if'." replied Orin.
The sun was almost setting, and they were almost to Yeel, but they were tired from their long walk to the cottage and back to Yeel. When they got there, they accepted the priest's offer of refuge, and they went to the chapel to rest. Kasha made a fuss about having to leave home, and that the chapel was dirty, and she was hungry and thirsty. Orin was a bit annoyed, but knew that it was his duty to get her to Granseal safely, and if this task was not completed, it would make finding his father much harder to bare. They left the church early, the sun was not even raising as of yet, but they had many thing to do that day and time was a serious factor. They pushed themselves to walk quickly, even though Kasha seemed discontent and ornery because of they early because of they early awakening.
They left the Yeel, which was quiet and peaceful in the early morning since everyone was still sleeping, and headed to Granseal. It was chilly this morning, and the sky was streaked with clouds that were filled to burst with water, ensuring a bit of rain throughout the day, but it made no difference to the Force. They paid no heed to the weather or to any danger they might face, because they were determined to get on with their quest, and because the possessing spirits had started this conflict, and already sidetracked them once, they were made even more aware of the danger of their position. The reach Granseal as the sun was appearing in its whole state over the horizon, and it lit up the sky and made the rain clouds seemingly darker and more apparent.
They walked through the gates, and as they did, Orin's eyes widened slightly at the sight of his home. It was fully repaired after the attack almost a week before, and it looked somewhat better than it had even before it was attacked. Many roofs were newly painted and some houses were even rebuilt because they had suffered such major damage. The small town was very inactive on this day, even though sunrise was the usual time to be out and about, and this puzzled Orin a bit. He then understood the fact of the lives that had been lost that day, and it made Orin think of all those who were still in mourning for their families lost. There were some who were at the well as the group walked toward the castle, and almost half were soldiers on patrol. When they reached the castle gates, Keith and Ikara stopped, and turned to Orin.
"As villagers, we can't go into the castle unless we are a repetitive of the town." said Ikara, as she backed away from the castle entrance.
"Don't worry." said Orin, with a bit of laughter in his voice, "You may enter as my guests."
"No." said Keith, who hesitated slightly after he said this. "We…we plan to visit our family, Orin. I don't mean to be rude, but we have been away for a week, much longer than any of us would ever have expected to be away from our homes until we were adults."
"Orin, let them visit." said Vahn, "You must feel the same as they do."
"And I do, and they may see their families." said Orin, looking surprised that they had suddenly began talking to them as if he were already king. "Not even royalty should have the authority to deprive someone of seeing their loved ones, and I don't intend to be the only one to do such a thing."
Keith and Ikara both nodded to Orin, and they turned toward the well and walked off.
"And what of you, Duran?" asked Orin, as he turned back toward the castle gates, "Have you not someone to visit?"
"I thought you may have known, but my family was killed by the devils." said Duran, looking to the ground as he spoke.
"Indeed, and I had forgotten this, but I am truly sorry for reminding you of such a tragedy." said Orin, his voice scratchy and low toned because of the embarrassment of his own neglect for memory.
"Well, I suppose I'll be your royal guest then, Orin." said Duran, as he looked from the ground, a small smile beginning to grow on his face.
"You will, all the three of you, and I hope my home suits you well." said Orin, as he smiled back.
They proceeded down through the tunnel, walking slow, and they relaxed because they had gone so far already, and yet, they were back where they had begun. They smiled brightly, as they walked down this tunnel, and to the east, the sun had risen in the sky, and they felt the warm rays hit them when they had come out of the tunnel. There in front of them, stood Granseal castle, and they let out a sigh of relief because sight of the castle made them feel secure, until a soldier walked up to Orin. Four others came from all around, and they looked at them, their faces concealed under robes that Orin didn't recognize. They were not the friendly soldiers they had been when Orin left Granseal, and he knew instantly that something was wrong.
"What business do such young children have in a castle such as this?" said one guard, his face dark and angry, with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"Do you not regard this place as sacred!?" said another, looking outraged for reasons Orin did not know.
"What has happened here? You are not soldiers of Granseal!" said Orin, his voice growing louder because of his growing worry.
"Do not raise your voice to a soldier, boy, or you shall not leave this court!" said a soldier, as he raised his javelin, preparing to strike Orin if he spoke out again.
"I think the law says something about talking such rudeness to your elders." said another soldier, his eyes looking at the four of them menacingly. "I think some jail time is in order. Oh, but the girl, I believe she can stay with the Lord."
"How dare you! You will not lay a finger on her, or it will be my staff you'll answer to!" cried Vahn , and he clenched tight to his rod, ready to swing if any of them moved.
He was caught off guard from behind though, and a soldier delivered a powerful blow to Vahn's head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Orin unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, and blocked a swinging javelin. Duran had already grabbed Kasha, and jumped back quickly to evade another spear that was swinging at him. Orin blocked two spears, and dodged another, then he slashed his sword, and it cracked one guard in the hand, disabling him. The soldier dropped his weapon and screamed in agony, and then backed fearfully away from Orin. Three spears came from all sides of Orin, but he ducked fast, and swept out the feet from to guards, and stood to face the other two. Before the fallen soldiers could raise, Duran stood over them, and kicked both their weapons from their hand, then pulled out his axe. Intimidated by Duran and Orin's strength, they got up quickly and ran into the castle.
Orin kicked one guard in the stomach, and though his armor protected him from weapons, the force of the kicked sent him to the ground. When the final soldier began swinging at Orin, he clashed his sword against his enemies javelin, and sparks flew from the force of both blows, and Orin's sword, though it was strong, cracked at the hilt, and fell to the ground with an echoing clang. The guard looked at Orin, his eyes wide with happiness at the strength of his weapon, and his luck that such a skilled, young swordsman, would be so unfortunate to have his weapon break. Orin, surprised at the lack of sturdiness of his weapon, jumped back quickly next to Duran, and looked at him.
"Damn, I knew I should have repaired it." said Orin, as he turned to his fast approaching enemy.
"Its taken care of, my friend." said Duran, as he clenched his axe, and smirked at the guard, "He shall not get past me, no matter how powerful his spear is."
With that, Duran charged his enemy, and swung his axe low into the soldiers leg. It was his hard, and the soldier's leg cracked, and looked to be broken because of the blow. The soldier fell over, grasping his leg in pain, as blood began to ooze from the wound.
"Now, what has happened here!?" cried Duran angrily, as he held his bloodied axe in frustration. "Tell us, or you'll meet a fate worse than death, my friend."
Duran brandished his axe, the tip shining a dark red from the sun and the soldier's blood, and the soldier spoke up.
"There was a new lord who has taken over the castle. He came to be only two days ago." said the soldier, his words muffled with the sound of pain. "He made many laws, and they are harsh as to villagers rights. You should leave the castle at once, or I fear you will not leave the kingdom alive, for the Lord has many soldiers about."
Duran looked at Orin, whose face had become pale at the soldier's words, and he understood what had occurred while he was away. A new lord had taken over the castle, and that meant his mother was in danger. Orin did not know what to do, his weapon was broken, and he had no way to get another one without being captured by castle guards. Kasha had begun to cry at the sight of her unconscious brother, and the blood that lay on the stone of the castle court. Suddenly, without Orin's attention, guards in great number had begun to surround them, and they had no way of stopping them. Almost 20 of them had appeared from behind them, and from inside the castle itself, and they pounced on Orin and Duran, and they were knocked unconscious. Kasha was taken away by a soldier, and she screamed in fear, and reached out for her brother, whose body still lye limp on the ground.
Orin awoke the next morning in a great deal of pain. His back was soar and his head was pounding, but he remembered what had happened the night before very vividly. He stood up from the grass of the field he had been lying on, and looked up to the sky. It was cloudless and blue, the sun just raising over the yellow horizon, and the air was cool. Then he remembered Kazin, and wondered if he had gotten away safely from the spirits. Then he recalled Kazin's words as the spirit merged with him, and fell to his knees, feeling a sense of failure in his heart.
"Damn…then I must save him to." said Orin as he looked down to the ground, and saw the large hole he had created with his sword. "These spirits only help to fuel my determination by corrupting the souls of the Shining Force."
At the sound of his own words, Orin realized something. Something that link the three together. They were the original Shining Force, and they had all been taken by the same fate, and Orin stood quickly, ignoring his pain, and he grabbed his sword, and ran to camp.
The fire was smoldered now, but everyone remained asleep. Orin stood and looked at them, still remembering the fresh battle in his mind, but he came to his senses, and tried to wake them.
"Everyone! Hurry and get up. We have much to talk about." said Orin, his voice quivering from anxiousness.
Vahn yawned loudly, and sat up in his cot.
"We have time to rest, the sun has only just risen." said Vahn, looking groggy. "I'm too tired to talk now."
And with that, Vahn feel back onto his cot, and began to make his way back to sleep, but Orin would not have this when lives were at stake.
"And if you sleep, my friend, how do you plan on finding your possessed father?" said Orin, with sarcasm and anger in his voice.
Vahn sat up abruptly, his eyes wide with a certain fear in them, and he looked at Orin, his face starting to redden and sweat.
"What? What did you say about my father!?" said Vahn, who began to stand.
"He has been taken as my father has, and if you do not listen to me, then both they and Slade might not be seen by my nor your eyes again!" yelled Orin, whose loud tone woke both Keith and Ikara.
"How dare you insinuate such an event! My father is much to strong for any spirit to harm him!" Vahn face was angry now, but there was a look of worry and fear in his eyes. "Take back such a tale, Orin!"
"Do not call me a liar! Why do you think your escorting me here in the first place!?" asked Orin, as he took a step toward Vahn, his face enraged at Vahn's accusation.
"Guys, what are you fighting about?" asked Ikara, as she rubbed her eyes. "Has something happened?"
"And something has happened, but this lout refuses to here the truth!" said Orin, who seemed ready to throw a punch at Vahn.
But he was beat to it, and Vahn's swiftly struck Orin on the face, and then pushed him to the ground.
"A lout I may be, but you can see your way to the ruins alone, and by the way, I'm not the one on the ground." said Vahn as he grabbed his staff and left the camp.
"What was that about!?" cried Ikara, as she tried to lift Orin from the ground.
"Kazin was taken by another spirit, and he refused the story." replied Orin, as he rubbed his cheek. "And the priestess will be taken as well if we do not help him."
"Are you crazy, Orin!?" cried Keith, "He just knocked you to the ground and called you a liar!"
"I'm not helping for his sake, I'm doing it for Sarah." said Orin, as he rolled up his cot. "Duran, wake up!"
"(Snort) Huh?" said Duran, as he sat up slowly and looked around. Then he realized who was talking to him, and his eyes opened fully. "Time to go!?"
"Hurry and pack your things everyone, we must go after Vahn." said Orin.
"But then this walk was a total waste!" yelled Keith, as he rolled his own cot. "Can't we just let Vahn handle it?"
"No, neither of them are safe." said Orin, "And I fear that Kasha might get in the middle of this and be hurt. She is to young and frail for such a battle."
"Damn." whispered Keith under his breath.
When they had finished packing, the walked briskly after Vahn, who was now almost halfway to Yeel by this time. They began to see him as they walked, and he went into the small town without looking back at them. It cool this day, and the sky was clear, and it made the walk relaxing, yet the Force could not enjoy it because of how tense they were about catching up to Vahn. They did so at the exit of Yeel, and Vahn did not greet them.
"What? Come back to make up more stories about my family, have you." said Vahn, walking fast as he spoke.
"If you don't believe me, then why is your father not coming home with you?" asked Keith, who was mad at him for socking his good friend. "You think your smart, but your ignorance puts your family in danger."
"So you have stories too, eh?" said Vahn, whose face was growing red again. "My father is probably home by now, because he's fed up with your pranks."
"Well, we'll see, won't we, and when we get to your home, your mother and sister will have to be hidden, because the priestess will be possessed as well." said Orin.
"Do not tempt me Orin, I will not hesitate to knock you out this time." said Vahn, who stopped to face Orin. "Now leave me be, or you'll be very sorry."
They did not leave though, but they followed Vahn to his home, and by the time they reached the small cottage, the sun was almost directly in the middle of the sky, and the clouds now spotted the heavens.
"Leave here, because I will not let you in my house again!" said Vahn, as he closed the door behind him.
Keith knocked on the door, and they heard Vahn yell inside.
"Go away!" he cried.
But they did not, and soon after, Kasha answered the door.
"Yeah! Mommy, they're back!" cried Kasha in excitement.
They all entered, and Orin went strait to Sarah, who was sleeping.
"Stay away from her! You will not cloud her mind with your stories!" yelled Vahn, as he walked toward Orin, his fists clenched.
Keith and Duran held him back, and he struggled, but they held fast to his anger. Orin rubbed Sarah's shoulder, and she rolled over and awoke almost immediately.
"Orin? Why have you returned already?" she said, still sounding tired.
"They…they've gotten to Kazin, and I feared for your safety, so I returned here." he said, his face filled with sullen sadness.
"What!? I feared this would happen, but I thought it was impossible." her face grew red, and she was about to cry. "This is my fault."
"No, we will find him, but we came back to hide you from them." said Orin.
"Hold your tongue, Orin! Mother, do not believe his words! He tells you lies mother! Damn you, let me go!!" Vahn yelled, as he struggled to break from Keith and Duran's grasp.
"Vahn! Orin is not the kind to lie, because he has his father's soul in him." she yelled, her eyes filled with tears.
Vahn gave up, and he fell to the ground, and Keith and Duran let go of him, as he went to his knees.
"I can protect myself for at least a few months, but my holy spells will not hold for long." said Sarah, now looking at Orin. "Put these charms onto each door and window in the house, and this will create a barrier to keep away the spirits."
"Mother, I will not leave you here!" cried Vahn.
"You will do what I tell you Vahn. You will place these charms and then you will take Kasha to Gyan in Granseal." said Sarah, her voice now calm.
"No, we cannot leave her with Sir Gyan, he was once part of the Force as well." said Ikara, as she tried to comfort Vahn.
"You're right, then Kasha will have to go with your mother, Orin." said Sarah, as she sat up in her bed. "That is the safest place for her. And then you will go with Orin, Vahn."
Vahn agreed and they prepared to leave for Granseal. They laced the charms around the house, and left only an hour later.
"I'm sorry for doubting you, Orin. You must have felt this way when your father was possessed?" asked Vahn, looking regretfully at Orin.
"I did, but you must accept it, and persevere to rescue them. It is much better than sitting at home and thinking 'what if'." replied Orin.
The sun was almost setting, and they were almost to Yeel, but they were tired from their long walk to the cottage and back to Yeel. When they got there, they accepted the priest's offer of refuge, and they went to the chapel to rest. Kasha made a fuss about having to leave home, and that the chapel was dirty, and she was hungry and thirsty. Orin was a bit annoyed, but knew that it was his duty to get her to Granseal safely, and if this task was not completed, it would make finding his father much harder to bare. They left the church early, the sun was not even raising as of yet, but they had many thing to do that day and time was a serious factor. They pushed themselves to walk quickly, even though Kasha seemed discontent and ornery because of they early because of they early awakening.
They left the Yeel, which was quiet and peaceful in the early morning since everyone was still sleeping, and headed to Granseal. It was chilly this morning, and the sky was streaked with clouds that were filled to burst with water, ensuring a bit of rain throughout the day, but it made no difference to the Force. They paid no heed to the weather or to any danger they might face, because they were determined to get on with their quest, and because the possessing spirits had started this conflict, and already sidetracked them once, they were made even more aware of the danger of their position. The reach Granseal as the sun was appearing in its whole state over the horizon, and it lit up the sky and made the rain clouds seemingly darker and more apparent.
They walked through the gates, and as they did, Orin's eyes widened slightly at the sight of his home. It was fully repaired after the attack almost a week before, and it looked somewhat better than it had even before it was attacked. Many roofs were newly painted and some houses were even rebuilt because they had suffered such major damage. The small town was very inactive on this day, even though sunrise was the usual time to be out and about, and this puzzled Orin a bit. He then understood the fact of the lives that had been lost that day, and it made Orin think of all those who were still in mourning for their families lost. There were some who were at the well as the group walked toward the castle, and almost half were soldiers on patrol. When they reached the castle gates, Keith and Ikara stopped, and turned to Orin.
"As villagers, we can't go into the castle unless we are a repetitive of the town." said Ikara, as she backed away from the castle entrance.
"Don't worry." said Orin, with a bit of laughter in his voice, "You may enter as my guests."
"No." said Keith, who hesitated slightly after he said this. "We…we plan to visit our family, Orin. I don't mean to be rude, but we have been away for a week, much longer than any of us would ever have expected to be away from our homes until we were adults."
"Orin, let them visit." said Vahn, "You must feel the same as they do."
"And I do, and they may see their families." said Orin, looking surprised that they had suddenly began talking to them as if he were already king. "Not even royalty should have the authority to deprive someone of seeing their loved ones, and I don't intend to be the only one to do such a thing."
Keith and Ikara both nodded to Orin, and they turned toward the well and walked off.
"And what of you, Duran?" asked Orin, as he turned back toward the castle gates, "Have you not someone to visit?"
"I thought you may have known, but my family was killed by the devils." said Duran, looking to the ground as he spoke.
"Indeed, and I had forgotten this, but I am truly sorry for reminding you of such a tragedy." said Orin, his voice scratchy and low toned because of the embarrassment of his own neglect for memory.
"Well, I suppose I'll be your royal guest then, Orin." said Duran, as he looked from the ground, a small smile beginning to grow on his face.
"You will, all the three of you, and I hope my home suits you well." said Orin, as he smiled back.
They proceeded down through the tunnel, walking slow, and they relaxed because they had gone so far already, and yet, they were back where they had begun. They smiled brightly, as they walked down this tunnel, and to the east, the sun had risen in the sky, and they felt the warm rays hit them when they had come out of the tunnel. There in front of them, stood Granseal castle, and they let out a sigh of relief because sight of the castle made them feel secure, until a soldier walked up to Orin. Four others came from all around, and they looked at them, their faces concealed under robes that Orin didn't recognize. They were not the friendly soldiers they had been when Orin left Granseal, and he knew instantly that something was wrong.
"What business do such young children have in a castle such as this?" said one guard, his face dark and angry, with a sarcastic tone in his voice.
"Do you not regard this place as sacred!?" said another, looking outraged for reasons Orin did not know.
"What has happened here? You are not soldiers of Granseal!" said Orin, his voice growing louder because of his growing worry.
"Do not raise your voice to a soldier, boy, or you shall not leave this court!" said a soldier, as he raised his javelin, preparing to strike Orin if he spoke out again.
"I think the law says something about talking such rudeness to your elders." said another soldier, his eyes looking at the four of them menacingly. "I think some jail time is in order. Oh, but the girl, I believe she can stay with the Lord."
"How dare you! You will not lay a finger on her, or it will be my staff you'll answer to!" cried Vahn , and he clenched tight to his rod, ready to swing if any of them moved.
He was caught off guard from behind though, and a soldier delivered a powerful blow to Vahn's head, and he fell to the ground, unconscious. Orin unsheathed his sword from its scabbard, and blocked a swinging javelin. Duran had already grabbed Kasha, and jumped back quickly to evade another spear that was swinging at him. Orin blocked two spears, and dodged another, then he slashed his sword, and it cracked one guard in the hand, disabling him. The soldier dropped his weapon and screamed in agony, and then backed fearfully away from Orin. Three spears came from all sides of Orin, but he ducked fast, and swept out the feet from to guards, and stood to face the other two. Before the fallen soldiers could raise, Duran stood over them, and kicked both their weapons from their hand, then pulled out his axe. Intimidated by Duran and Orin's strength, they got up quickly and ran into the castle.
Orin kicked one guard in the stomach, and though his armor protected him from weapons, the force of the kicked sent him to the ground. When the final soldier began swinging at Orin, he clashed his sword against his enemies javelin, and sparks flew from the force of both blows, and Orin's sword, though it was strong, cracked at the hilt, and fell to the ground with an echoing clang. The guard looked at Orin, his eyes wide with happiness at the strength of his weapon, and his luck that such a skilled, young swordsman, would be so unfortunate to have his weapon break. Orin, surprised at the lack of sturdiness of his weapon, jumped back quickly next to Duran, and looked at him.
"Damn, I knew I should have repaired it." said Orin, as he turned to his fast approaching enemy.
"Its taken care of, my friend." said Duran, as he clenched his axe, and smirked at the guard, "He shall not get past me, no matter how powerful his spear is."
With that, Duran charged his enemy, and swung his axe low into the soldiers leg. It was his hard, and the soldier's leg cracked, and looked to be broken because of the blow. The soldier fell over, grasping his leg in pain, as blood began to ooze from the wound.
"Now, what has happened here!?" cried Duran angrily, as he held his bloodied axe in frustration. "Tell us, or you'll meet a fate worse than death, my friend."
Duran brandished his axe, the tip shining a dark red from the sun and the soldier's blood, and the soldier spoke up.
"There was a new lord who has taken over the castle. He came to be only two days ago." said the soldier, his words muffled with the sound of pain. "He made many laws, and they are harsh as to villagers rights. You should leave the castle at once, or I fear you will not leave the kingdom alive, for the Lord has many soldiers about."
Duran looked at Orin, whose face had become pale at the soldier's words, and he understood what had occurred while he was away. A new lord had taken over the castle, and that meant his mother was in danger. Orin did not know what to do, his weapon was broken, and he had no way to get another one without being captured by castle guards. Kasha had begun to cry at the sight of her unconscious brother, and the blood that lay on the stone of the castle court. Suddenly, without Orin's attention, guards in great number had begun to surround them, and they had no way of stopping them. Almost 20 of them had appeared from behind them, and from inside the castle itself, and they pounced on Orin and Duran, and they were knocked unconscious. Kasha was taken away by a soldier, and she screamed in fear, and reached out for her brother, whose body still lye limp on the ground.