Sealed Power

I couldn’t help the betrayed look that crept over my face as I looked at Orin. He avoided my gaze and kept his head turned with his hair not caught by the royal circlet around his head, shadowed his eyes in the flickering torchlight. The sickly looking cleric wore a self-important, satisfied look on his face as the sergeant-of-arms read the warrant of arrest. I was too stunned to do anything as the sentinels advanced on me.

“…deluding the crown prince to plans of treason and deceit, threatening the welfare of the kingdom of Rotan and their royal majesties, King Gerald and Queen Amnencia, and their royal highness' of the House of Rotan, the princes and princesses, and for fear of further endangerment of these, you are to be put under arrest by the high protection guards, the Sentinels, and further transported to prison where you will await trial by the House of Advocates of Justice under the supervision of the King and Queen. Signed by the High Lord of the House of Advocates, Sinjin, with the seal of our King and Queen, and under the testimony of Crown Prince Orin and clergyman Emean of the Royal Church of Impartiality with the sanction of the High Archbishop of the Royal Church.” By the time the sergeant-of-arms finished, and the words of the warrant had processed through my mind somewhat, the Sentinels had surrounded me.

Instincts were starting to take over. Talking my way out was impossible and futile. Fighting my way would be hard. I wasn't sure if I could best the Sentinels. The Sentinels were highly trained, and highly gifted guards and fighters handpicked by elite masters. And judging from the warrant, I no longer had the favor of the King and Queen and had become a public enemy of the hypocritical church I detested. It was clear that if I was caught the ‘trial’ would not end in my favor. I wasn’t innocent until proven guilty, I was guilty until proven guiltier and then they would decide what to do with me, and what ever they decided would not be very becoming to my well being. I gave one last roasting look to my spineless frie—acquaintance, he no longer deserved the term friend, and let instincts rule my body.

The Sentinels were at least five feet away from me in all directions. My right hand quickly went to grip the sword over my left shoulder. At that brief movement, the Sentinels stopped and became more wary. I suppose they had hoped I would come peacefully.

The Sentinels’ hands gripped their swords and quickly communicated with telepathic thoughts between themselves what their next action would be. I knew this because I could sense and partly decipher what they were saying. I wasn’t completely aware of all the boundaries of my, as some would call it, ‘Gift’. So far what I learned my ‘gift’ is sort of a subconscious power telling me what to do and when to do it, extra or heightened senses, some abilities to sense extrasensory thoughts and vibes as well and being able to send trembling force through objects and a few other things. Most of it is like this knowledge sort of stored away that comes to mind when I need it. Since I find that this ‘gift’ has gotten me into more trouble than what a ‘gift’ is supposed to, I refrain from calling it that and call it my ‘instincts’. Right then it was telling me to draw my sword.

I quickly drew my blade and spun in time to block an overhead swing from a Sentinel. Our blades met and his shattered as I sent a force through my blade and into his. Then as my instincts were prodding, I quickly ducked as a Sentinel tried to tackle me from behind. He flew over me and crashed into the one whose blade I had just shattered. The Sentinels paused as they planned to come at me from all directions. I took the opportunity in that brief pause to rapidly thrust my sword in the ground. The force that had shattered the first Sentinel’s blade quickly vibrated through the ground and spread into a wave that blew all surrounding me back and caused them to lose their footing with one Sentinel landing on Orin while the putrid cleric crashed into a tree. The regular army guards surrounding the clearing and holding the torches went down as well with most of the torches going out. While they were down, I speedily made my escape into the forest behind me.

I guess by taking the offensive and running, I was making myself look guilty, but I wasn’t going to win by following they’re rules and going through a trial. I had to escape so I could prove my innocence and lift the wool that had been pulled down over the King and Queens eyes by the false murmurings of the ‘Church’. They could not see it, but the church was slowly weaseling their way into the position of taking over the kingdom. But as I went further along, all that was starting to seem hopeless.

As I ran, dodging trees and jumping over foliage on the ground as the moonlight lightened my path, I could here the sentinels starting to pursue me, but also Orin’s voice yelling at me, “Mina! Don’t do this…you…peacefully! You’re only mak…worse!” Most of what he said was lost in the sound of air and leaves rustling past my ears as I ran further away from the clearing.

While running deeper and deeper into the forest the undergrowth got thicker and thicker and the trees closer together with the moonlight failing to light my way. It was making it hard to run with the branches and bushes catching at my clothes. Behind me, I could hear the sentinels catching up despite the troublesome underbrush. I willed my legs to go faster as I leaped over a fallen tree. As I landed on the other side of the tree, something twisted under my foot, sending me sprawling. I tucked and rolled with the prodding of my instincts. But even so, my sword flew out of my hand and I came to an awkward stop face first in the dirt. My head had hit a small rock that made me see stars. At times like this, I had to give a big ‘thank you’ to my so called ‘gift’. I tried to promptly stand but the blow to the head made me dizzy and I ended up on my knees. I gave a quick look around for my sword but it was nowhere in site in the darkness. I didn’t have time to look for it so I struggled to my feet, catching myself before I fell with the help of a nearby tree.

I looked back to where I had tripped in time to see three sentinels leap over the log, their white cloaks waving behind them. They, again, started to advance on me, this time more wary and with swords drawn. I clumsily reached behind my back for my dagger and drew it. Instead of waiting for them to get to me, I flung myself at them and took a swipe at one of the sentinels. The swing of my arm was useless with my being dizzy. The sentinel easily dodged it and lunged with his sword. I threw myself to the side with an urge from my instincts and caught myself before I lost my footing. Another sentinel came at me. He went for the hand holding the dagger, trying to disarm me of it. I pulled my arm back barely in time to be able to keep my hand.

I realized then that the Sentinels' intent was not to kill me, as it would have been for any other criminal. The way they were attacking; it wasn't with genuine malice.

For some reason...They wanted me alive.

I heard then that someone was behind me. My instincts screamed at me to turn. I tried to turn, but my head was sore and I was dizzy and weak. I turned too slowly. They caught me from behind one arm going over my throat and the other twisting the hand that held the knife behind my back making me drop the knife. They were strong. I struggled to break free to no avail. As I continued to struggle the arm around my throat tightened, cutting off my air.

“Mina, I’m so sorry it had to be like this,” he whispered, his beard scratching the skin on my ear. It was Orin. I struggled harder wanting more than anything to get out of his treacherous arms and hit him repeatedly. “This is the only way for me to still get the crown and to—to change things and...,” his voice almost broke, “and for you to survive. Forgive me.” The last two words he repeated over and over again as he pulled his arm tighter around my neck.

I started to kick my feet and use my free hand to claw. But my feet dangled uselessly as he lifted me up off the ground and my hand quickly lost strength and fell to my side. I was no match for his superior height and strength. I was starting to see bright lights as my brain suffered from lack of oxygen. Before I completely blacked out, I saw the two Sentinels rush forward grabbing Orin and forcing his arms to let go of me. I had the sensation of falling for a long moment and I do not remember hitting the ground. I do remember looking up and seeing Orin…was he crying? The rest of the Sentinels and the guards arrived with new torches. A Sentinel came into my blurred line of vision. I saw their gloved fist come towards my face and in that moment I couldn’t help but ask the question to myself, ‘why?’ Why would Orin betray me like this? I thought that he loved me. I knew I loved him. But maybe, while looking back at our time together, he had never seemed to love me as much as I loved him. It seemed all he ever really treasured was his kingdom, his people. I was just a liability that stood in his way of the crown and the opportunity to make the kingdom better under his rule. I had hoped to maybe one day help him in the betterment of his kingdom. But it seemed he had changed his mind.

***************

I woke to the rough trot of a horse. I tried to sit up but all my muscles were screaming at me in pain. I must have been riding in this hunched over position for some time. I tried to open my eyes but the right eye was swollen and sticky with blood and I winced in pain. My head was aching and ringing as if a huge bell had been put in my head. At that moment I’m pretty sure a pathetic whimper escaped my lips. I felt sick to my stomach and sure enough whatever last meal I had eaten came up. I turned my head in time to avoid completely spattering the horse which I’m sure the horse appreciated. Throwing up did not do so well for the splitting headache and an incredibly raw throat. Soon enough my stomach was emptied but the dry heaves persisted until a cool hand was put on my forehead. The dry heaves ceased and the headache and muscle spasms dulled somewhat. I sighed in gratitude. The cool hand pulled back and as it did I caught a glimpse of a white sleeve and a sliver ring on one finger. Uh-oh. I gradually turned my head to look at the owner of the hand. Sure enough it was a Sentinel. The white uniform and the silver ring confirmed it.

I groaned and sat up slowly as my muscles let out a cry of protest and was grateful for the ropes that held me onto my horse for I was still dizzy and nauseous. What had happened came back to me at a sluggish pace as I looked at the Sentinels riding around me and felt my hands tied behind my back. Two rode in front of me, two to either side of me and the horse I was riding and four in the back behind me. Unexpectedly, a sharp pain in my chest caught me off guard as the memory of Orin looking down at me after almost choking the life out of me flashed across my vision. The pain of the memory and the betrayal hurt as if a huge hammer had hit my chest. I couldn’t breath. I stopped myself from sobbing, I didn’t want these men to think I was scared of my fate that awaited me at the prison and the trial, but against my efforts, tears still cascaded down my cheeks. Oh, how it hurt! All the times we had spent together laughing and talking, all the times I had told him I loved him, me looking at him as if he were the center of the world came back to me and taunted me. He had been my center of the world. Now that center had left me--no! abandoned me, and my world was crumbling. My world was being utterly destroyed. I knew what awaited me at court. I knew what the punishment was for so called “treason”.

It was death. But it felt like something inside of me was already dying and it hurt so much.

We rode silently for a few hours until dusk began to settle in. I barley acknowledged the fact that if it was almost night, I had slept nearly a whole day or more. The Sentinels started off to the side of the road. Each dismounted and started unloading from their pack as they started to set up camp. I noticed none of this, as I wallowed in my grief, until one of the Sentinels came to my side.

“Mina?” He looked up at me questioningly with his arms outstretched to help me down, he’d already cut the rope tying me to the saddle. I dismounted with his help. As my legs hit the ground, pain shot up my right leg as it buckled beneath me. I fell into the Sentinel’s chest. He caught me before I hit the ground and held me up as I wasn't able to hold weight on my right leg. “Is your leg hurt?” he asked with kind concern in his voice. I stared at him for a moment processing his words. I nodded slowly feeling as if the air around me had turned to molasses, making my body work sluggishly as well as my mind.

I stared at my leg wondering why the pain didn’t hurt as much as my chest did. I had actually hurt my leg when I tripped and fell so it was physical pain, but the pain in my chest hurt tenfold more and yet I had sustained no physical injury. So why was the pain in my chest the most prominent. Why wasn't a bleeding, gaping wound showing for the pain I felt. How could someone hurt you so much without even laying a hand on you. Oh, wait. He Had laid his hands on me. He tried to kill me.

As the Sentinel cut the rope binding my hands and led me, half carrying me, over to a boulder to sit on, I reached a hand up to my throat. I felt the welts left from his fingers where they'd curled around my throat. I was pretty sure bruises would be rising on my skin soon if they hadn't already. My head ached from the lack of oxygen when he'd tried to strangle me as well as from the punched one of the cursed Sentinels had doled out to completely knock me out-as if his trying choke the life out of me hadn't almost already done the job...permanently. I reached up a hand to feel the cut on my eyebrow and winced as my hand, made clumsy by the lack of circulation when I was bound, bumped the bruised and still oozing cut. As I lowered my hand my wrist caught my eye where he'd grabbed my arm. Bruises circled my wrist under the indention left by the rope. Probably the same color as my throat, I thought numbly.

“What?” I whispered, my voice gone, when I realized the Sentinel had been speaking to me.

“Where does it hurt? Is it your ankle?” he asked as he slowly felt my leg for any swelling or breaks. I could also feel his healing power searching for the source of pain. He didn’t wait for an answer as he slowly unstrapped my boot and slid it off my foot as winced in pain, biting back a scream. My ankle was swollen and hideously bruised and bloody and turned at an odd angle. I tilted my head to look at the other side of my ankle. White, blood spattered, bone stuck out of my skin.

The Sentinel let out a hiss of sympathy when he saw the bone.

That caught my attention for a moment. He was a Sentinel, a high protection guard, and I was now named a traitor, so why should he feel sympathy about my pain whatever it was. He was probably one of the Sentinels who had chased me and so had caused it. I studied him, noting a familiar set to his jaw and a familiar brown eyes and brown hair.

“Colin?” I whispered, a dulled curiosity sounding in my voice.

The Sentinel looked up at me and smiled a recognizable smile. “I was hoping you’d notice me.”





If you read this...YOU'RE AWESOME. As you can tell this is a work in progress and I need suggestions including suggestion on the story line in other words I need help brainstorming. Feel free to comment and email me about your suggestion and/or if you'd be willing to help brainstorm on this and possibly others. So please, I will consider any ideas. And more is on the way so keep checking back.