Chapter 6

They stayed in Osmosia for a fortnight, resting and planning. Kevin went out once in a while and earned a few wages doing odd jobs so that they would have money on their journey. Gwen practiced the spells in the book, and found they were indeed stronger, but they also took a greater toll on her, so she used them sparingly. Ben allowed his shoulder to heal and then began to spar with Kevin to keep them both sharp in their skills.

"We should rally up an army," Ben grunted during one match, parrying a blow from Kevin's sword.

"An army with what people?" was Kevin's reply. He thrust his sword forward in a jabbing motion, throwing Ben off balance. Quick as lightning, Kevin knocked Ben to the straw-covered ground and held the tip of his blade to the prince's throat.

Ben gaped up at him.

"You're a bit out of practice, I think," Kevin said calmly, sheathing his sword. He extended his hand to help Ben up, but the prince ruefully cast his hand aside and got up on his own.

"No one's ever defeated me," he muttered, brushing himself off. Without giving Kevin another glance, he stalked off, fumbling to get his sword in his belt as he fumed.

Kevin muttered after his departure, "Because you're the crown prince. The knights always allowed you to win."

"That is true," Gwen said suddenly.

Kevin started and whipped around, eyes wide. "Gwen," he said warily.

She smiled. "It's all right. I always thought that everyone was letting Ben win. Now I know that my suspicions were correct."

His lips turned upwards in a small smile. "Yes. But now we cannot afford that. If Ben cannot defeat me, then he has no hope in his battle against Vilgax."

"But he will not be fighting alone," she said.

Kevin glanced at her, and noticed that she had adopted a pair of black pants and a blue tunic, probably from a smitten stable boy. "He proposes to rally an army."

"Of what people?"

He shrugged. "I can hardly tell what he is thinking."

"He must have some idea," Gwen said thoughtfully. "Though I can't say whether it is a good one."

"I fear he is growing obsessed with the idea of revenge," Kevin sighed. "I am all for defeating Vilgax, for his reign is too long unchallenged, but I do not want to go into this without a fully developed plan of action." He shook his head. "I fear that we will fail."

Gwen placed a hand on his shoulder. "As long as we believe we can do it, then so we shall. We will devise a plan, Kevin."

"Of course," he smiled in return. But when Gwen turned away, his face fell into concern for their futures. It was likely that Vilgax, who had conquered several kingdoms greater than Bellwood, would prevail.

Kevin stared at him. "The villagers," he repeated.

Ben nodded enthusiastically, oblivious to the incredulous look he was receiving in response to his newly formulated plan. "Yes. I am the crown prince of Bellwood, so the villagers should be lining up to serve me."

"Somehow," Gwen sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, "I doubt that."

"But why?" Ben persisted. "I am strong, handsome, and royal. Those who help me shall be rewarded greatly after achieving victory."

"Or die," chorused Gwen and Kevin.

"The villagers," Kevin explained, "will have had no training. They cannot fight. Most villagers are farmers, as you should be well aware of. Vilgax, last I checked, is not just a fancy name for a garden."

Ben sneered at his sarcasm. "We have no other choice."

The fair lady frowned at him sadly. "Did you ever stop to think that maybe," she said gently, "that our parents would want us to live on? They would not want us to rush into this war. Our parents, your father, especially, would want us to move on. Forget Vilgax."

"No," Ben said stubbornly, looking offended. "I mean, of course our parents want for us to live on, I know. But we shall live on in Bellwood, our home."

"I believe Gwen is right," Kevin frowned. "Bellwood is gone. The king and queen are-"

"You don't have a say!" Ben snapped at him. Kevin blinked in surprise. "Your home is here. It is still standing, unlike Bellwood. You belong here. We do not."

Kevin stood, chair scraping angrily against the stone floor. He glared down at the prince. "My father went to Bellwood as an escort to sign the peace treaty between Bellwood and Osmosia many years ago. There he met my mother, and they fell in love, and so he stayed. I grew up in Bellwood, and that makes me as much a citizen as you. Bellwood was my home, too. Do not tell me where I belong when you know nothing about me. I do not have a say, indeed. If you, you selfish child, would pull your head out of the mud for a moment, you might for once listen to sense! What you are asking of your people is too much! They cannot stand against Vilgax. They cannot fight. They have no armor, no weapons, no knowledge! It is hopeless!" For a long moment the young men glared at one another, Kevin breathing heavily.

Then Ben lowered his gaze. "I am sorry," he conceded softly. "You are right. But I will not allow myself to stand down from this battle. It is cowardice, and I will not be so. I shall face Vilgax, and when I win I shall rebuild Bellwood."

There was a heavy silence before Gwen found words. "Both of you offer good and righteous standpoints. Benjamin, it is not cowardice to wait until the right moment to reclaim your place. You must grow stronger." Ben scowled, but not disagree or interrupt otherwise. "Kevin," she continued. "You care deeply for the peoples of Bellwood, and that is respectable. You truly are a kind person, and the best knight I have ever had the fortune to meet. But you cannot choose the actions of others. If the villagers to whom we propose Ben's plan wish, they will join. It is not our place to prevent them from fighting for what they believe in."

Kevin met eyes with her and saw the thought she had put into her monologue. He nodded, though he did not seem particularly happy about it.

"So," Ben said slowly, "we shall carry out my plan?"

"Yes," Gwen said. "But we will force no one to join."

"Fair enough," the prince remarked. "We must set out soon. I fear we have tarried here for too long."

"I agree, for once," Kevin smirked lightheartedly, and Ben gave him a small smile in return. Gwen's face lit up as well.

"Sh-Shiiip," drawled a familiar voice, drawing their attention.

"Ship agrees as well," Ben announced. "Sir Kevin, perhaps you could see about horses? For I am not eagerly awaiting the long trek ahead."

Kevin inclined his head and started off. Horses would make the journey so much easier, and truth be told he did not want to do all that exhausting walking. He went to the local stable, which he had done some work in previously. When he arrived, the owner was brushing one of the tall auburn steeds.

"More work, then?" he asked cheerfully as Kevin approached.

Kevin smiled grimly at the balding man. "Not this time, Harvey. I've come to inquire whether you'd be willing to part with a few of your horses. For a price, of course." He removed the sizeable sack of coins from his pocket to show that he did indeed have money.

Harvey stood straight, hard lines crossing his face. "Where you off to, then?"

"My companions and I must leave. We have overstayed our welcome, I should think," Kevin replied. "We must be getting on, but the distance we must travel is intimidating to our feet."

The man made a thoughtful sound in the back of his throat. "I suppose I could let a few go," he said.

Relief welled up in Kevin's chest, but it only showed slightly in his eyes. The rest of his face remained business-like and polite. "Thank you, Harvey. How much do you want for them?"

Harvey smiled. "Why don't you just take the horses on a loan? Come back some day to repay me."

Kevin blinked in surprise. "But...I may not return."

"Even so," Harvey said with a wink. "I'll find you some day, be it while I'm alive or in the afterlife. Go on, then. Take any three you like. I've got plenty."

The young knight smiled warmly. "Thank you, Harvey. I am indebted to you."

Harvey only laughed and turned back to his task. "Don't forget the saddles and bridles," he said as Kevin passed him into the stables.

He studied each of the twenty horses, checking to see which ones looked the sturdiest. Speed did not matter so much to him so long as the horse would last. He chose a black mare, an auburn stallion, and then another darker horse. For a long moment Kevin considered the white horse, but decided against it. It was hard to hide such a pristine creature, and even harder for an enemy to forget it. Kevin gathered the supplies they would need to care for the horses and packed them into three saddlebags, which he set upon the horses' backs. He nodded his gratitude to Harvey as he led them out of the stable and back to the old woman's house where they stayed.

"Excellent!" Ben exclaimed when he saw the horses. He immediately approached the stallion and acquainting himself with it. "We ride tomorrow at dawn."

"Dawn, really?" Gwen asked pointedly. He shot her a glare, but she ignored him. "Kevin, which horse will you ride?"

He looked back at her. "Whichever you do not take."

"That's very kind of you," Gwen sighed, "but you do not have to always let us choose first."

Kevin smirked. "Very well, then." He took the black mare. "I do not think this one would suit you."

This time Gwen scoffed. "Doesn't suit me, is it? Then I suppose I will just have to take this one, which will."

They stood for a moment, smiling gently into each other's eyes. Ben interrupted by loudly clearing his throat, alerting them to the fact that he had already mounted his horse with the few belongings he had to pack, with Ship riding between his arms. Kevin helped Gwen mount her horse, though she didn't need it, and once he had climbed atop his own mare, they cantered off.

It was a long journey, as expected, to the nearest village. Thankfully, the acquisitions Kevin had procured shortened it considerably, at almost no cost to their own strength. At sundown, Ship had become Julie, who rode pleasantly in the same spot, dark eyes excitedly watching the scenery. Ben's cheeks were tinged pink, and Kevin and Gwen snickered at this behind his back.

Well after the moon had risen in the starry sky, Ben proclaimed that they stop for the night, so they did. Kevin kept vigilant watch for a while, until Julie took over. She never needed sleep, so that was fine with the knight. At dawn, Julie woke her master seconds before she changed back into her daytime form, and they rode on after a quick breakfast of bread with cheese.

Just before noon, they saw the first village. It was a farming settlement, as per the wide expanse of fields with crops, a few cows and pigs, and rickety wooden houses. The people all seemed bustling about at their chores. With rejuvenated spirits, the trio set their horses at a quicker pace. They were spotted well before their arrival, and were greeted with unaccustomed stares.

"Hello," Ben announced, overlooking them regally. "I am Benjamin Tennyson, crown prince of Bellwood. This is the Lady Gwendolyn, and Sir Kevin."

As he spoke the villagers exchanged uneasy glances. They were all quite dirty, obviously only bathing on occasion with the water from the lake nearly a mile off. It must have been difficult having to go fetch it daily.

"We come bearing tragedy," Ben continued. "Bellwood has fallen to Vilgax of Vilgaxia."

None in the crowd seemed surprised.

The prince waited for a reaction, but when he received none he kept speaking. "We three appear to be the only survivors. However, we have strength in our will, in our honor, and in our love. Those who wish to fight for what we have, and to take back what was stolen, may join us."

Still no one spoke in return. Several of the older villagers shook their heads.

Ben's eyes flickered to each face in the throng of people. His confidence was ebbing. "We will not fight alone," he said. "We have a powerful weapon. It is the Omnitrix."

Gwen's eyes flashed dangerously. "Benjamin!" she hissed.

He gave her a quelling look in return, and everyone, including Kevin, frowned in curiosity.

"The Omnitrix," Ben explained loudly, "is the center jewel from the Bellwood crown. It has power. Those who wield it possess strength and courage, and those who follow that leader are blessed with luck."

Kevin blinked in surprise, the only indication of his emotion. Perhaps that was why he had not run into Vilgax's men in the castle, why they had not been attacked in the forest, and why King Paradox had received them so kindly.

A single villager stepped forward, arms folded across his chest. He was tall and strong, like an ox. His narrowed eyes were an uncommon hazel color, and he had short black hair. "If this Omnitrix is so special, why'd Bellwood get taken?"

Ben looked offended and uncomfortable at the question. "There were complications," he said. "At the time of the ambush, the king was not wearing the crown. Vilgax took a cowardly strike against us."

"Manny," said a young woman, placing a hand on his shoulder when he looked as though he would mock the prince. She looked up at Ben with the same hazel eyes, though that was the only resemblance she bore to Manny. Her locks of amber hair cascaded down her shoulders. "Why should we help?" she asked seriously. "We are not fighters. We are just farmers. There is not much we can do."

Gwen was the one who answered, smiling at her. "There is much you can do. There is strength in numbers. There is strength in, well, your strength, your will. Any help we can get is much appreciated, and will certainly be rewarded. However, we are not forcing any of you into this."

The girl looked thoughtful at this, which did not go unnoticed by Manny. "Oh, come off it, Helen!" he said, snapping his fingers in front of her face. "You cannot go. I will not allow it."

Helen only looked at him angrily. "Perhaps you have forgotten when Vilgax rode through here with his army," she said harshly. "Perhaps you have forgotten what he has done. He destroyed our crops. Many of us starved through the winter. Pierce-" her voice cracked on the name. "Pierce was killed, Manny."

Manny's face softened and he drew her into a soft embrace as she cried gently. Then he raised his glare to the trio. "You won't find help here," he said.

Ben and Gwen lowered their eyes, but Kevin nudged his horse forward a little to address the small village. "Thank you listening to us," he said. "We will leave you to your business. Should any of you change your mind, we shall travel from village to village outlying the city of Bellwood, and then go there to prepare for battle."

Without so much a wave from the villagers, the knight, the prince, and the lady rode off. They did not stop. The village was obviously too small to support what little people they had, and they refused to deplete what was left from Vilgax's raid.

They reached the next village by nightfall, and by then they knew they must stop. As they approached, Kevin wisely suggested that they wait to recruit until the morning, when they were refreshed. Ben agreed, too preoccupied with the way Julie was pressing against him, making him feel warm and strange.

A kind old woman gave them bedding for the night. It seemed that old women were drawn to them, though the trio considered themselves far too old to be children. Rather rude about those things, old women. But they bore her fussing for the night and slept heavily, while Julie watched over them from her seat by the window.

Once again she woke Ben just before her ritual transformation, and the three rose to begin their day. They went outside and stood in the center of the village, looking important, until the villagers seemed to realize that they were waiting for an audience. When the crowd was quite sizeable, Ben spoke as he had in the previous village. They listened quietly, as the others had, and no one stepped forward.

But Kevin noticed three boys looking at each with interested looks. The tallest and oldest of the three, who was quite handsome, was eyeing Gwen. The knight felt a surge of...indignation...at that. How dare his peasant eyes look upon such beauty. The second blonde boy, who was of Kevin's height and build, was staring at Ship in curiosity. The third brunette boy latched onto Ben's every word, eyes only growing wider when he spoke of the Omnitrix.

When Ben had finished, the brunette leapt forward. "I shall join your quest, my lord!" he shouted.

"Jimmy, no!" said a stern voice. A middle-aged woman they assumed was his mother grabbed his arm and tugged him back into the throng of his neighbors, and he sulked.

"I will meet you there," the second blonde said.

Then the first stepped forward as well. "And I," he said in a smooth voice. Kevin instantly disliked him, but there was nothing he could say if the man wanted to offer help. But he couldn't hold back the sneaking suspicion he had of him.

Ben nodded in approval. "Then we must be getting on. We have two more villagers to go to, and then we shall arrive in Bellwood."

"Michael and I, Cooper," the second blonde said proudly, "shall await your arrival."

With that, the trio rode off. As they passed, Kevin locked eyes with Michael, who appeared calculating and smug. There was something off about him, but he could not very well speak aloud of that. He had no grounds but for instinct, and that never took root with the prince's logic.

They did indeed go to the next two villages, which fortunately for them were considerably closer. In the next village, Kevin noted that two looked up to the challenge of helping. As they passed to leave, he heard them excitedly speaking of adventure and glory. He caught their names: Cash and J.T. There were three he figured would come in the last village, where they stayed for the night. A boy named Alan, whose father was a knight claimed he would join. But Kevin personally believed that the two young women who were coming, Elena and Eunice, were simply infatuated with the prince's boyish features.

Kevin counted the number they might have rallied for their battle. There was a meager ten who had professed an interest in aiding them, and all of them were quite young and inexperienced. Likely they simply wanted to travel or have an adventure. They did not fully realize the implications of war. The young knight was truly worried, and stared into the flames of the fire with his brow knitted together.

Gwen placed a hand on his arm, and he looked up at her sympathetic face in surprise. She asked him what was the matter, and he voiced his concerns. The lady nodded and gave him a knowing smile. "It may seem bleak now," she said, "but I have faith. Both in Ben, and you. And those who come to fight with us." Then she pecked him on the cheek and went to her blanket to sleep. Kevin touched his fingers to the tingling spot on his cheek, watching her leave in surprise. He considered her words, wondering where she got such faith.

Kevin looked over to the sleeping log that was Ben, the man who was supposed to save them all from the tyrant. He snorted loudly and rolled over, and a fine trickle of saliva dripped down his cheek. Julie attentively wiped it away with a handkerchief, watching over her master. Kevin's eye twitched and he ran a hand down his face.

They were doomed.

A/N: So sorry for the later than usual update. I got sidetracked and busy and blaaaahhh. So I kind of cut to the chase with the recruitment. Anyone think everyone's gonna show up for the fight? Anyone you want to come guns a-blazin' into the middle of the fray? I don't know all of the Ben 10 characters, and I've only seen episode one of the newest series (no television, go figure).

Anyway, next chapter shall be up as soon as I write it! ^-^ Thanks so much for your patience and for reading. Hope you don't hate it.