Sean was driving the wagon northward, and according to Elizabeth they had just pass into the land held by the Lord of Scorpion Keep. Just seven days to reach the Keep. They heard the screech of Bobo and they looked up. Elizabeth frowned as she jumped up quickly. She held out her arm, "What is it Bobo?" Bobo landed and began chirping and squeaking frantically. Elizabeth's face mirrored panic, "No, Father Zeus." She grabbed her spear as she leaped from the wagon as Sean quickly pulled back on the reins.
"I'm sorry O'Briens, I need some time." Elizabeth told them as she descended to the ground, but didn't wait for a response before she took several steps and drove her spear into the ground as she began gesturing with her hands.
Sean stared after her and then looked back at his wife as he applied the brake, "Now what?"
Louise shrugged, "She wants us to wait, we wait."
"But we're so close," Sean told her.
Louise shook her head.
They watched as they saw some kind of distortion begin in the air in front of her. The edges of the distortion took on the appearance of rolling clouds endlessly looping around the edges of the distortion. Slowly the center of the distortion began to solidify and darken becoming reflective.
Allie switched as her eyes continued to glow white and with her arms still raised over her head she began connecting to every animal within the city until she connected to the horses pulling the wagon. She struggled to gain control of them but being beaten by the whip had them scared and in lots of pain and they were resisting her communication as she kept struggling trying to break through their pain and fear.
Lord Walter and Happy arrived moments later, "Where is Paige?"
"I reckon this one can tell us," Sir Cabe told him as he stepped on the man's shoulder.
The man screamed. "Where is the Lady Paige?" Lord Walter demanded.
A crowd began forming around them as Henry finally caught up to them. They continued to work to get the man to tell them what happened to the Lady Paige.
Allie gave up on the horses and began commanding the cats along the street to leap upon the wagon and attack the man driving it.
The man was resisting all of their attempts to get him to speak. After several minutes Sylvester spoke up, "Let me try my Lord."
Sylvester pulled out a glass and dumped a white powder into it and added water and it began to bubble and fizz as he stared at it. "Friend, this is a special acid, it's going to taste disgusting and it will tingle as it goes down. If I give you the antidote within a minute of pouring it down your throat you'll be fine, if not it will slowly, painfully, dissolve you from the inside out. Sir Cabe, Happy make him open his mouth."
Sir Cabe grabbed his head and forced it back while Happy using all of her strength to force his jaw open, almost breaking his jaw in the process. Sylvester poured the liquid down his throat.
The man choked and sputtered, "By now, she's being hauled into Lord Beyon's court where King Merrick is receiving tribute. Now give me the antidote."
Allie looked at Sir Cabe, "I tried to slow them down, but they have reached the castle."
Sir Cabe smiled at her, "Thank you for trying."
Allie smiled, "She's my Lady too Cabe."
Toby looked at Sylvester, "What did you give him?"
"Antacid," Sylvester told him with a grin.
Lord Walter looked at the man, "King Merrick has no influence in this area, why would he be here receiving tributes?"
"Because he made a deal with our Lord a month or so ago, Merrick drew Lord Beyon out of the city and all but decimated our most experienced troops. Lord Beyon crumbled like stale biscuits. So Merrick let him remain on his throne here but he has to be loyal to King Merrick and pay him tribute every month. Every man you see in full black armor is one of Merrick's men." Henry told him.
Lord Walter slugged the bounty hunter knocking him out. He looked at a merchant, "Call the constable and have this man arrested on my authority as the Lord of Scorpion Keep. He turned to look at his friends, "I have to go. I can not let anything happen to my Lady or Ralph. Wait with our horses, if I am not with them when they join you, escort them back to the Keep and serve my Lady as you have served me." Lord Walter turned when Happy grabbed his arm.
"Forget it my Lord, I'm coming with you, I love her too." Happy told him.
A large number of people in the crowd as well as Henry spoke up, "We're with you Lord Walter. Lead us to save your Lady and to drive this scum from our lands."
Lord Walter smiled and looked at the others and they all nodded, "Very well, but you must stay behind me at all times," and he pulled his stone head hammer from the sack on his belt and he focused his will, and his hammer began glowing brightly, when suddenly the glow pulsed down and all seven members of his company along with twenty members of the crowd glowed brightly for a moment and then he took off running closely followed by his friends and the crowd. The power he infused them with increased their running speed and their ability to jump and they made excellent time following the cobbled street until they came to the castle of Lord Beyon.
Lord Walter began to feel Paige's fear and his anger grew exponentially.
They saw the cage wagon with some of the roots still hanging off of it as it sat off to the side, empty. The body of one of the bounty hunters, the head of Kaylee's arrow protruding out of his chest, was lying dead beside it. Ten of King Merrick's men stood outside guarding the entrance to the castle along with four of Lord Beyon's men. As Lord Walter ran up the steps they all drew swords and stood in his path. Four of the men in black fell instantly as Kaylee's arrows struck each one in the throat.
Lord Beyon's men moved forward but began attacking Merrick's men.
Lord Walter leapt into the air and as he came down he slammed his hammer which hadn't lost its glow into the ground and a concussive shockwave shot out along the ground throwing the remaining men back into the wall of the castle. The shockwave struck the castle and shattered the doorframe as the great doors collapsed to the ground. People within the castle looked about as the ground shook and the hanging lights rocked back and forth.
Paige was forced to kneel in the throne room as they shackled her wrists to her ankles. Ralph was forced to kneel in front of her next to King Merrick. Her fear continued to grow when suddenly she felt anger, deep, vengeful, unrelenting, remorseless anger. She wasn't sure where he was but she knew Walter was coming for her. Her fear subsided as she clung to that anger she felt.
The temple Mistress while preparing herself for what was to come, looked up from the altar as she felt the shockwave roll through the castle. Instantly she felt the source of that power and she stood up as quickly as she could. The temple was strangely empty and she made her way towards the entrance of the temple. Sir Cabe and the others ran past Lord Walter and fell on Merrick's men and rendered them all unconscious.
Lord Walter rose up and ran past them into the hall. At the moment he didn't care if they were friend or foe, he was going to bring this castle down in rubble if need be, and Athena help them if anything happens to Paige or Ralph. They heard a warning bell as it began sounding. Lord Walter saw the guard tugging the bell pull and threw his hammer. The hammer struck the man knocking unconscious, almost killing him. Lord Walter held out his hand. "Garrison," he commanded and the hammer responded flying back into his hand as he turned to face the twenty men running down the corridor toward him.
The men in front saw Lord Walter's face. The dark look in his eyes actually scared them. It caused them to slow and the men behind them crashed into them.
Lord Walter dropped the hammer and caught it by the throng and he quickly threw the hammer without letting go and the yellow glowing energy of Athena shot outward and struck the first guard and jumped to the next, in total six of the guards fell to that power. Lord Walter leapt into the air and brought the hammer down against the floor and another shockwave ran out before him knocking the remaining guards down as members of the crowd ran past him and began assaulting Merrick's guards. Lord Walter started running again. Dust and small bits of mortal began falling from the walls and ceiling as the shockwave rolled on out into the castle.
As he ran he held his hammer up again, "By the grace of the wise Lady." The hammer had begun to lose its glow and suddenly flared back to life. As he came around a corner he ran into another twenty guards waiting for him. The temple Mistress saw him and her eyes opened wide as she gestured and Lord Walter was surrounded by a yellow energy field. As he engaged the first two guards of Merrick, the temple Mistress demanded the four guards of Lord Beyon that stood outside the temple to assist the Mistress escort her quickly to the throne room. Lord Walter swung the hammer and struck the first guard so hard he flew back into the others taking four of them down. The hammer crushed his sternum and broke every rib around it, bone fragments splintering off and piercing his lungs and heart.
The other guard froze with his sword out before him, pointing at Lord Walter. His sword was struck by the hammer and snapped in half. The broken point flew back and pierced the breastplate of another guard killing him instantly. The guard was so shocked he stood there literally shaking and Lord Walter swung his hammer and knocked him back knocking down six other guards as he plowed into them. The blow crushed his clavicle and top three ribs, the shards of those bones shredding the top of his left lung and his aorta and pulmonary arteries. Lord Walter leapt back up into the air and again slammed his hammer into the ground and the remaining seven guards were knocked back and down to the ground. The shockwave wrecked greater damage on the castle. Whole blocks fell out of door and archways as dust rained down throughout the castle.
Lord Walter roared in anger as he grabbed the throng again and threw the hammer without letting go and the yellow energy again leaped from the hammer and struck the first guard trying to stand and jumped from guard to guard until only one guard was left conscious and Lord Walter threw the hammer without activating it. It struck his face with full force and the guard collapsed as blood ran freely from his nose and eyes. The fight was over quickly as Sir Cabe and the other joined in and ensured the guards were rendered unconscious.
The Lady Paige could feel his frustration at the minor annoyances of the guards slowing him down growing. Deepening his anger to levels she began to fear as she remembered Bethany. She looked up, 'Please my Love, remember your promise to me. Calm yourself.'
The temple Mistress assisted by the guards had quickly moved down the hall as Lord Walter fought. She reached the throne room as she saw King Merrick standing in Lord Beyon's throne room grinning evilly at Paige and she saw him slap Paige hard with the back of his hand. "Because of you I've wasted so much time, energy and resources trying to get my grandson. Now I will see your light snuffed out for all time, after which my grandson will forget you ever existed. Then on his eighteenth birthday his soul will be ripped out of his body and cast into the underworld and my soul will be installed into his body. As it should have been done to my son, but the coward chose to run instead."
Lady Juniper gasped as did Lord Beyon, standing up before he started to protest. Merrick thrust an angry finger at him, growling and Lord Beyon hesitated as he knew all his guards were outnumbered at least three to one. He quickly looked to his wife as three of Merrick's men stepped up to the foot of his throne.
"You will NOT assault a defenseless woman again monster," the temple Mistress said as she gestured and Paige was enveloped in a yellow energy field.
Merrick turned to face her with hate in his eyes, "No woman tells me what to do you old hag."
The temple Mistress glared at him as she thrust her outstretched arms beside her and she brought her hands together and there was a thunderously loud clap as a wall of yellow energy flew out from her, passing harmlessly over the Lady Paige and Ralph. It impacted hard against Merrick, driving him backwards as he fell and tumbled along the stone floor. "My Lord, I demand you stand up for the innocent, immediately," the temple Mistress yelled.
"Behind you," Ralph yelled and one of Merrick's guards drove his sword through her back. The four guards who had escorted her to the throne room jumped into the fight with the eight rear guard standing at the door.
Everyone inside the throne room gasped as she collapsed to her knees. Lady Juniper jumped as she gestured and the guard was struck by yellow energy and it slammed him into the door. Gesturing again a yellow shield went up around the Mistress. The Master at Arms became angered as he looked at Lord Beyon, "My Lord, I demand you give me the word, now."
One of King Merrick's men came forward, "My King, our men outside are being neutralized and men are on their way here now."
Merrick stood up as he recovered and stepped back up to Ralph, glaring at the temple Mistress.
A tear slipped Paige's eye as she saw through the corner of her eye, when she turned her head at Ralph's warning, the temple Mistress collapsing to the floor. 'My Lord, we need you desperately,' she thought. She watched Merrick step back up to Ralph and her own anger rose over that which she felt from Walter at his sick design on her child. She reached down deep within herself and suddenly the white fire of Athena erupted around the floor about her. King Merrick and the seven rear guard men behind her had to jump away as they began burning in that holy fire.
Ralph stared at his Mother in shock, Paige herself was completely surprised.
Lord Beyon swallowed hard as he saw the three guards beginning to move towards his wife. He drew his sword, "Master at Arms, attack."
"For the wise Lady and our Lord," the Master at Arms rejoiced in yelling while drawing his sword followed by all of Lord Beyon's men.
Lord Beyon jumped down in front of his wife to engage the guards. Lady Juniper gestured and the yellow energy erupted around Lord Beyon protecting him.
Lord Walter was running down the hall when he slowed as he could almost hear his Love speak to him, he tried to take deep breaths to calm is anger when suddenly he felt a sharp slap across his lip and he could taste blood when four of Merrick's men entered from the other end of the hall. Lord Walter roared as he thrust his focus onto the hammer the will of the four men broke when they saw the vivid rage on Lord Walter's face. When the men saw the mob come running up behind him they quickly turned and ran the other way.
Lord Walter let the hammer drop until he grabbed the throng and he threw the hammer without letting go and the yellow glowing light left the hammer and slammed into the closest guard, it leapt from him to the next guard, and then the next, and then the final guard. The energy reacted to Lord Walter's anger as it knocked each guard to the ground, rendering them unconscious and wounding them greatly.
Lord Walter continued running past them followed by his company while some few of the crowd stopped to ensure they were rendered unconscious.
The fighting continued as it intensified inside the great hall. "Seal the doors," King Merrick shouted before he looked at his wizards, "Shield this hall."
Lady Juniper gestured at the Master at Arms and that same yellow energy erupted around him, protecting him. "Now my sisters," Lady Juniper demanded.
The three wizards nodded as they joined hands and their eyes glowed green as they intoned words of power.
Paige looked up, her lip split and bleeding and a bruise forming on her cheek. She stared in amazement. Just past Ralph, over head she saw a shimmer in the air and suddenly she saw a beautiful, armored woman holding a spear in her right hand, and she smiled tenderly at Paige. Paige watched as Bobo flew directly at her and pierced through the dimensional boundary. His cry pierced the air about the great hall as he flew up high into the rafters and then dove down and struck at the eyes of a rear guard blinding him.
Elizabeth extended her left hand and twirled her fingers. Paige stared at her, she couldn't believe it was her Bard mentor as she thought, 'Elizabeth?' Elizabeth smiled even bigger as Paige saw another shimmer and she could see the hallway outside of the great hall and saw Lord Walter as he came running around the corner and Paige smiled as tears filled her eyes and hope swelled her heart.
Fifteen women in the pews stood up and threw off the cloaks they wore revealing that they too were Clerics of Athena and they began gesturing towards various members of Lord Beyon's guards and yellow energy shields began popping up all over the great hall and then they began gesturing at members of Merrick's rear guard and yellow energy flew out striking them.
As Lord Walter turned the corner and entered the hallway that lead to the throne room a green energy rose up from the ground and covered the door. Lord Walter slid to a stop. "Sylvester, what is it?"
Paige watched as Sylvester stepped forward and heard him say, "Someone is shielding the door, barring our entrance. This is a very powerful shield, it will take me several minutes to break it my Lord."
Lord Walter shook his head, "Paige may not have the time, I need to see inside that room, now."
Sylvester nodded as he got a grey powder from his bag and threw it out into the air and intoned words of power and before Lord Walter a silver image formed showing him the interior and he saw Paige shackled and on the floor before King Merrick and Ralph forced to kneel next to him.
King Merrick seeing how strongly Lord Beyon's men were responding and the number of Clerics helping he began to panic as his fear of death rose up inside of him. He looked at his sorcerers, "Open a rift, and get us out of here." He grabbed Ralph roughly holding him by his arm.
The sorcerers began chanting.
Lord Walter looked at his friends, "This is going to take a lot out of me for a time. You must lie on the floor to protect yourselves until the door falls. Then follow up my offensive and rush in. Defend my Lady and son until I recover." Without waiting for a reply he held his hammer aloft, as he focused, "By the grace of Athena" he yelled. His voice was so loud Lord Beyon and the entire court looked up to the door.
"Lord Walter," Lord Beyon said in awe.
King Merrick turned to stare at the door in horror and Paige saw deep fear in his face before her attention turned back to the portal showing her what was happening in the hallway outside.
King Merrick looked at the sorcerers, "Hurry you fools."
The stone head hammer began to glow ever brighter and brighter. Like water rushing out of a bursting dam, power poured into the hammer and it glowed far greater than that night with the wyvern. His friends had to shield their faces from the intensity.
People on the outside of the castle had to avert their eyes as they saw the blinding light pierce not only every corridor window of the castle but it poured out of the great doorway and up and out of the bell tower.
The roof of the bell tower had collapsed in the second shockwave and like a beacon that light blazed skyward and every eye through out the city turned in wonder or fear at the blazing light as it continued to race skyward. So bright it dispelled the shadows cast by the sun itself and created its own shadows defying the light of the sun. So intense was that light that it blazed through the green energy shielding the door and through every crack in the door. The fighting paused as everyone but Paige within the throne room covered their eyes it was so bright even there. Bobo screamed in delight as he flew through that blazing light attacking as he saw fit.
The summoning spell the sorcerers were trying to cast was ruined as they had to shield their eyes and their concentration was broken.
Lord Walter could feel the hammer beginning to vibrate unnaturally as the power began to stress the very fabric of the hammer's structure. Knowing the hammer couldn't contain the power being poured into it much longer he looked to the image as a guide. With his adrenals in overdrive Lord Walter hurtled the hammer far harder than he normally could. The hammer's ability was augmented beyond belief by the power of Athena still pouring into it and the entire castle shook violently as the hammer emitted an enormous clap of thunder as the power of Athena literally transformed it into lightning.
So loud it not only staggered Lord Walter, the concussive blast was strong enough to knock him backwards more than twenty feet and into the wall behind him. Whole sections of the castle that had been weakened by the numerous shockwaves gave way to that thunderous blast.
Paige wasn't sure why but the intense light didn't interfere with her ability to watch what happened in the hallway and she gasped as she saw Walter slam into the wall and fall to the floor.
Ralph chose that moment to act and drew the long dagger that Lord Walter had gifted him, that had somehow been missed by every man he passed. He drove it deep into King Merrick's thigh, striking his femur so hard it stuck in the bone. King Merrick bent over, screaming in pain.
As the bolt of lightning struck the shield, the shield shattered like fragile glass and was quickly followed by the great doors. The great doors blew apart in an almost unbelievable explosion, splintering into millions of fragments.
Sir Cabe and Happy were the first running down the hall followed by Kaylee, Toby, Allie, Sylvester and the crowd of people. Happy momentarily looked back and saw Lord Walter lying on the floor against the wall and she had to fight her instinct to turn and run back to him. Four of Merrick's guards on the other side of the door staggered as they emerged from the hall with swords dangling loosely from their hands and just as quickly fell to the ground with arrows sticking out of their throats as Kaylee stopped to shoot them.
Everyone was struggling to recover from the intense light and the explosion, as they began moving around. Some of Merrick's men moved towards the entrance as Sir Cabe and Happy ran past the fallen men and into the throne room. King Merrick's wizards began casting and as Sylvester came through what remained of the doorway he threw an iron powder towards them and spoke a word and each one found their voices silenced as a magical muzzle appeared on each one.
Ralph ran over to his Mother and tried desperately to get through the energy field to remove the collar from about her neck.
Paige's eyes shifted up and she could still see Elizabeth smiling at her and suddenly she could hear a melody in her mind.
Sir Cabe jumped in front of Paige and Ralph with his sword out and engaged the three men advancing on them.
Having recovered from the explosion and seeing Sir Cabe, Lord Beyon yelled, "For the wise Lady!" The roar of his men filled the air as they were filled with courage.
Lady Juniper ran and jumped on the first pew and as she leaped into the air from it she gestured and floated quickly back over the remaining pews until she landed a step away from the temple Mistress. She stopped long enough to gesture at her husband and twirling blades of energy formed around him acting as a shield as he engaged more of Merrick's rear guard.
The temple Mistress gasped as Lady Juniper cast a healing upon her. She reached a hand out toward Paige as she saw Ralph trying to help her and the energy field collapsed.
Happy stopped and examined the collar on Paige's neck. She gave up realizing it was magic and began picking the lock on the shackles, "Sylvester, this collar is beyond me." Sylvester moved up and examined it and nodded as he uttered words and the lock finally clicked and he removed it.
The crowd members poured in through the doorway fanning out to begin attacking every member of Merrick's guards not engaged.
As the shackles fell from Paige she leapt up and Elizabeth threw her spear. It pierced the dimensional boundary and flew into the great hall and Paige caught it in her left hand. As she landed she took off running and using the spear like a quarterstaff she sprung up and over Lord Beyon and the four men he was engaged with. She twirled the spear as she dropped down and swung the spear around as she crouched down catching those four men across the back of their knees. The spear sliced through their chain mail and tendons easily and they all dropped their weapons as they fell to the floor writhing in pain.
Lord Beyon along with the Master at Arms and his men while out numbered continued to engage with King Merrick's men. Their numbers now augmented with the company and the members of the crowd of the market that came with them. Lady Juniper's Clerical sisters continued to cast shields and healing spells onto Lord Beyon's men and smiting Merrick's men as they had time.
King Merrick lay dead on the ground, as he was bent over in pain when Lord Walter's hammer struck him impacting his head. The force crushed his skull completely.
How is everyone? We're still doing okay here. Hope everyone had a good weekend. This part of the story was a real challenge to try and align the order of things going on so it hopefully makes sense and isn't too confusing for you. Wednesday's chapter will bring this engagement to its conclusion, until then, to the Adventure! -Tim