CHAPTER 59 - VESTIGE TOWER
The rain blurred the smoke from the burning buildings together with the fog of the darkstorm. It was hard to see right in front of you clearly. When the fog noticeably parted, Axion grabbed Mercinestor and Cipher’s attention. They gripped their swords and braced themselves for the next wave. The beast finally came into view and the blond hair gave away its innocence immediately. Huntross galloped up to Axion and nudged his nose into the prince’s shoulder. Axion rubbed the horse’s head. Not a scratch was on him. Axion offered the mount to his uncle, but Mercinestor declined, insisting he walk the rest of the way.
“I think we were just given a very rare opportunity,” Mercinestor explained, “We can rally folks for the final retreat. You must press on to the Vestige Tower and reclaim our kingdom’s most valuable possessions.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to start, uncle. Should we not focus on the people?”
“You will know when you get there. The Pride flows through you. Our two families represent the pillars that Lorde Magnanimous founded to protect the Pride. We were chosen by the gods, son. Let that energy lead the way.”
Axion nodded to Mercinestor with all the affection of a warm hug. For more reasons than one, he needed to hear that.
“The gods brought that fine horse back to you for a reason. Now use it, prince. I beg you!”
Mercinestor and Cipher urged Axion to ride ahead. Time was of the essence.
“We will meet you at the edge of the city.”
Axion mounted Huntross and turned him to ride back into the city. During this quick trip he had time to look at the devastation brought onto to his land. He wished he could look away. He reached the tower, which had to be one of five left standing, and decided to forego any formality on divine right. He ran inside the Vestige Tower remaining on Huntross as the horse charged up the stairs. Although it was basically against the law to have a horse inside the building, current times have called for martial law. He had almost forgotten what it sounded like without the rain. But if he listened carefully, he could still hear its outside echoes.
Axion was shocked to meet Jericho in the top assembly room, and not just at that, but Jericho was not alone. Sword drawn and temper on high, the man Jericho had found was far more wicked in the royal family’s eyes, than any dark soldier or sailor outside ransacking the city. The man Jericho had come across in rescuing Caliber’s treasures and histories was the governor, Demeter. The man that was responsible for banishing Mitakahn from the Pride.
“I should kill you where you stand,” admitted Jericho unaware that Axion had arrived.
“Stay your sword, knight!” yelled Axion at Jericho.
“Prince Axion!?” Demeter cried out.
Jericho looked up and immediately re-sheathed his sword.
“The dark army shall be upon us at any moment. Come! Grab what you can.”
“What of him, Axion? Surely, we cannot just let him go-”
Axion gave him a stern look.
“You exiled my brother…for what?” demanded Axion.
“I did not know. He was acting crazy!”
“Do not lie to me!” Axion screamed out.
“We deemed it the right thing to do.”
“I’m giving you one last chance, snake. Give me the whole truth or I will cut you down where you stand.”
“Fine! They wanted to destabilize your family, and after your father died and you left the kingdom-”
Axion gulped.
“They knew the throne was fragile. They offered me…riches and rule over the nation after assimilation.”
“Who are they?”
“The senate.”
“What?”
“Impossible.”
“That cannot be. That’s true evil, pure wickedness.”
“He is a liar, Axion. Do not believe a word he is saying.”
Jericho took his sword back out and put the pointy end under the coward Demeter’s chin.
Axion, still on horseback stood before him. The thunder collided outside, and its light shined through the high windows, down onto them.
“You have one last chance to tell me the truth.”
“His name is Warlord Cassius! He recruited me. I admit it…I’m sorry…. I…. I was not thinking straight. Please…. have mercy. I…was wrong. I betrayed our nation. Please don’t kill me.”
“You will never have a chance to turn this kingdom against itself again…” Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Axion’s rage took a hold of him, just like Jericho before. It must be genetic, or just the human condition.
“Wait!” a voice came from the front doors. It was Galastad clad in battle gear. “Mortikahn told me of your return, my prince. You should know what I carry with me. What I have been carrying with me since the day of your brother’s trial.”
Galastad took out Mitakahn’s exile scroll from his wet breast pocket. His armor vest, fashioned to resemble the Metuchen brown with outlines of gold and crimson around the shoulders running down, was actually made of the finest leather in Crucifire Plains. Axion could make this distinction by how dry the paper was after being out in that storm. He brought it over to Demeter and handed it to him. Jericho put his sword away and folded his arms. Prince Axion watched Governor Demeter rip Mitakahn’s exile papers to shreds. He walked over to an unharmed hearth bearing a dying fire. “There.” He tossed the shreds into the fire, and they all watched the garbage burn to ash. “It’s over now.”
“This is far from over, Prince Axion” Demeter admitted, “Cassius told me of what plagues this kingdom, and it is beyond our worst nightmares. They aim to attack you on every level.”
“You are going to tell me everything you know.”
“Yes, your highness.” Demeter knelt down before him.
Jericho looked at them… “You can’t be buying this?”
The sounds from outside seemed to get louder, the rain, the screams, the destruction. The high windows broke in and shattered. They were large enough for Demeter to get a good look outside and see the utter mayhem. The rubble and the panic covered by the dark clouds and black rain. The red, and the black, and the amethyst all bleeding together.
“Look at what your greed and conspiring has brought upon our country. You will pay for what you have wrought. For now, you get to keep your life, but don’t even think about trying to run or escape.”
“I will be a good prisoner.” He kept his head down.
Jericho looked at Axion twice.
“We should kill him where he stands.”
“That’s shorelander justice. He has information.”
“Shrouded in lies.”
“I will show him mercy, just as my father would have if he were here.”
Demeter looked up at Axion. It wasn’t enough for Jericho. This seemed like a huge mistake and breach in security. Jericho glanced at Galastad who was already nodding his head in earnest. Jericho rolled his eyes and followed Galastad out of the hall.
Axion was left with Demeter, who abruptly turned around and walked away. He reached into a bookshelf and triggered a hidden lever. The bookshelf swung open to reveal a secret room. Axion was intrigued. Demeter disappeared into the room. Axion approached the wide doorway, but could not fit inside, for he was still on Huntross. Demeter returned shortly with a golden scepter in his hand.
“In my vast knowledge of this kingdom’s history I can assure you that this is the only thing in the tower worth salvaging, almost everything else is a replica. Trust me I know the people that ran this place and if they survive the sacking of the city they will be able to tell you where they stashed away the original artifacts. There are rooms like these all over the Serengeti. Behold, the Scepter of Zenothorus!”
The scepter shined with magnificence. For a moment, it took Axion away from the battle, he was losing. The scepter was stainless gold with an emerald gem at the top of it, and a lion engraved on its center.
He handed it to Axion, knelt down before him, and said, “This was your twelfth great grandfather’s. Don’t quote me on that. What’s important is that he’s the creator of this city. He had a vision of living outside of his father’s shadow and that’s exactly what he did.”
Axion held the glimmering scepter in his hand, and with his other hand he offered Demeter a seat on his steed. Together the governor and the prince, in a shaky alliance, gathered everything they could to preserve the government and state of the Lion Kingdom, and along with Jericho and Galastad, they evacuated the hall. When they got outside of the Vestige Tower, before going down the outside set of stairs that surrounded the entire building, they could not help but feel the impact of seeing the city in such a state.
Demeter kept his head down. Axion felt completely overwhelmed by the sight of it all: the downtown district in ruin, the break of the front along the coast, darksiders making their way into the city, fleeing women and children in the rolling fields, and the rest of their army helping as many as they could. Galastad gave Axion a severe look. Jericho focused on catching his breath. Galastad walked by Jericho, now standing in between them. Galastad advised Axion, “As ruler apparent you are the one who has to make the call.”
“What call?”
“Axion whether we like it or not this city is lost. We cannot save it. We cannot save everyone.”
Axion looked down. He knew exactly what Galastad was talking about, what he was implying. A perfect example of one of the many reasons he did not want to be king.
“I will not condemn this city and the people in it to death and destruction.”
“There is no other choice. We are at the point of no return. Look at it out there.”
Galastad gestured out to the downtown area, the graveyard of buildings, beyond it the sea with the dark ships still sailing in. He pointed at the horrors with his sword.
“No, help is coming. If we do not leave now, we will surely die.”
Axion struggled to find the words. He looked to Jericho, who seemed to be in the midst of the same realization. People were still trying to get out of the rubble. There were simply not enough soldiers left to help everyone. Jericho all of a sudden took a soldier’s stance and gave Axion a firm look. Axion’s younger cousin found his resolve, it was time he did the same.
Galastad felt the same burden but held it with grace. Axion might think it was because this was not Galastad’s true home if he did not know the man well. Axion spent a lot of time serving the country with Galastad and Theomitus over the years. One thing that always made him hold Galastad dear as a true ally, was the fact that he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, not just his family’s kingdom, or even both kingdoms between them, but all of greater MagnaThora. Maybe he was right…
“Sometimes ruling means having the strength to make the hard choices. No one wants to be the one to weigh lives, son. Your father told me once that a good ruler carries his burdens as though they were invisible, but never weightless.”
“My dad said that?”
“One of his many gems of wisdom. He knew the duties of being a king, specifically how they weren’t all inspiring.”
“We have to do something, Axion, the darksiders will overtake the rest of the city soon.”
“It is mercy, your highness. Same as what you showed me,” said Demeter.
Axion had to make a decision now. This was indeed the point of no return, but not in the sense that the others were thinking. For Axion, after he does this…his hands will never be clean again. In a way, it would be as though he was killing the innocent people left behind. Unfortunately for him, he could not look away, as much as he wanted to, it was his duty, his burden. Axion cleared his throat to speak clearly and determined.
“It is decided then. Surrender the city. Jericho take custody of Demeter, do whatever you need to if he becomes a hindrance. Give word to soldiers still tasked to the rescue orders, full retreat. We make for Zepathorum City! Go! I will rally those still fighting in the streets. No soldier is left behind. Save as many as you can.”
Galastad and Jericho both nodded and saluted Axion. Demeter slid off Huntross and the horse bucked causing him to slip and fall into a face full of mud. They parted ways and went to pass the message along. The battle was over. The city of Port Caliber would fall to the enemy.