The Gates of Helmaia Prologue Part 2

They wrapped up their search in the waning hours before dawn, thoroughly combing over every level of the citadel from the highest parapets to the lowest catacombs. Kast felt an untold sense of relief when there came no further reports from the other patrols about finding Helmaian survivors, and he found his thoughts drifted once again to the servant women and the young girl, and he hoped they had somehow been able to find safety.
Such thoughts would have to wait however, as they were still duties left for him to attend to. Injury and fatigue from the night’s battles were finally beginning to show on him. His hands were skinned raw from climbing the rope, his back was sure to bruise from when the mage sent him flying, not to mention he had also hit his head for that same reason. Add it all up to the toll deciding whether or not to spare the two women had had on him, and he felt utterly exhausted, but he could not rest just yet. He still had to report in to the captain.
He found the Captain a few levels down, taking reports from the other platoon leaders. Kast waited his turn before saluting Captain Bey and making his report, minus a few little details here and there. He hated lying to the Captain, but it was better for all concerned that he didn’t know. He finished making his report and waited for the Captain’s comments.
“I see, so you were attacked,” the Captain remarked.
“Yes sir,” Kast repeated. “I’m ashamed to admit that he was able to get the drop on me.” 
“Nonsense,” Captain Bey dismissed with a wave of his hand. “I’ve had similar reports of Helmaian stragglers ambushing our patrols, yours is not an isolated incident.”
“I see…” Kast replied nervously, his thoughts drifting back to the girls again.
“Do not let it trouble you,” Captain Bey assured him. “You survived and he didn’t, that is what’s important here. Now, is there anything else you’d like to tell me?”
“No, Sir,” Kast didn’t hesitate.
“Very well,” Captain Bey said. “Then let us make our report to the High Priest and put this island behind us.”
That elicited a chorus of cheers from the Karnasian’s as they all fell in line and followed Captain Bey down to the courtyard. It was as they exited the massive double doors, that their cheerful demeanor abruptly ended.
The courtyard had been completely cleared of the dead, both Karnasian and Helmaian alike, but in there place were the High Priest and his Executors, surrounded by a giant circle with lines that that curved around and intersected one another in a pattern the likes of which Kast had never seen before. The whole of the design was deep crimson in color, almost as if it had been painted in…
“Sir,” Kast started, beginning to feel sick to his stomach, “is that…?”
“Blood,” the Captain confirmed, stomping down the steps and then storming across the courtyard towards the High Priest.
One of the executors tried to bar his path, but Captain Bey brushed right on past him and only stopped before the High Priest. “What is the meaning of this, Demtri!?”
“What ever could you be referring to, dear Captain.” The High Priest replied nonchalantly.
“Do not act coy with me, Priest!” The captain warned the diminutive little man. “This array is for blood magic!”
“Indeed it is,” the High Priest didn’t even try to deny it.
Captain Bey drew his sword, prompting the Executors to draw their weapons as well and move to strike down Bey, but the sound of the all the other Karnasian’s also drawing their weapons halted them in their tracks. Elites though they were, even they could not hope to fight so many and walk away with their lives.
“I am placing you under arrest for the murder of King Arathor and High Treason to the Empire,” Captain Bey stated. “When the Emperor learns of this…”
“The Emperor?” Demtri laughed venomously. “Fool…he ordered me to do it.”
“Lies!” Captain Bey spat.
The High Priest shook his head. “Jerad Bey, for all your talents, you always fail to see the big picture. That’s what made you the perfect tool.”
The High Priest backed up a step and then another, until he was standing firmly in the center of the array. From within his robes he drew a vial filled with a liquid as crimson as the markings on the ground.
“I was being truthful when I said the King took his own life,” Demtri said. “He knew I needed a sacrifice in order to complete the ritual and he sought to rob me of the chance. No matter,” he continued, “there are always others. In the meantime the amount of blood that I was able to collect off his corpse is enough for a…small demonstration.”
He turned the vial over, spilling its contents onto the ground at his feet. Where Arathor’s blood made contact with the array, the markings began to shine bright red, spreading out until the whole array was glowing. Magical energies pooled and coalesced into dark spheres, each one growing in size until you could have easily have fit four or five men inside.
Violet bolts of electricity crackled around the spheres as they hung mere inches above the ground and even the surrounding air seemed to be humming with charged magic energy. Then, just as suddenly as they came, the spheres shrunk into nothingness and in their places stood creatures the likes of which Kast could not have imagined even in his darkest nightmares.
Their bulbous heads contained no eyes, but a set of six powerful nostrils twitched as they took in air, tasting the different scents. Ragged uneven tufts of dark fur covered taught rubbery flesh stretched thinly over powerful mounds of muscle that ran the length of their arms and legs and ended in razor sharp claws and talons the color of obsidian. They all ranged in size to such a degree that while the smaller ones were about as tall as a man even while hunched over, the larger ones were easily twice their size, and they all carried themselves with the attitude of a pack of predators stalking their prey.
The Karnasian’s all gaped in a mixture of awe and horror at this strange new foe that had suddenly appeared before them.
The one closest to seemed Kast turned its misshapen head up towards the sky and seemed to sniff the air for a moment. Then it released a beastial howl that sent shivers down Kast’s spine. The other creatures followed suit, and Kast had to cover his ears, otherwise sure that they would be bleeding from the sound.
The High Priest laughed from where he stood in the center of the array that had brought these fowl things into their world. “These demons serve the Emperor and by extension, anyone he deems to be worthy.”
He paused and let that sink in for a moment. “Jerad Bey, you have served the Emperor well, but alas, he has no more use for you. Your final service to our glorious Empire shall be as a feast for the Emperor’s new…allies.” He turned to one of the creatures. “Devour them.”
On the High Priest’s order, the creature’s let loose another deafening howl and then all at once, they attacked. It was an absolute slaughter, the creatures upon the Karnasians before many of them even had a chance to react, most of them knocked to the ground and ruthlessly fed upon within the first minute, their agonized cries mercifully cut off as the light left their eyes forever.
One of the larger ones speared a man clean through his chest, lifted him off the ground and devoured him whole, armor and all. Crimson rivulets gushing from between its teeth and pooling on the ground as it feasted on what used to be a man. Next, the creature turned after another one who was fleeing for his life and with a speed defying its sheer size, the creature ran him down and speared him through the chest much as it had the first man and then devoured him as well.
Several Karnasian grouped had together trying and bring down the beast, shooting the creature’s hide full of arrows, but all of them failing to find a vital point. The creature reared back its mighty forearm and then swept them away, sending them flying into the nearby wall after which their broken and limp bodies fell back to the ground.
Kast was having his own troubles with the creatures. One of the smaller ones had taken notice of him almost immediately after the frenzy began, its mouth slavering over in anticipation of having the Karnasian all to itself. It charged in and Kast side stepped, bringing his sword down on its shoulder. The creature cried out in pain, but quickly countered by ramming its forearm into Kast chest and sending him off his feet.
With the Karnasian now on his back, the creature pounced upon him, clawing at his face with razor sharp talons but finding mostly only his armored gauntlets. Even at a disadvantage, Kast was not about to make it easy, ramming his sword sideways into the thing’s mouth as it tried to gnaw at him, eager to taste his flesh. The creature caught his weapon between its teeth and bit down hard, fracturing the blade and then shattering it completely as it applied more pressure, leaving it nothing more than a broken stump.
Kast caught the creature’s lower jaw before it could sink its teeth into his throat, barely holding it back as he fumbled awkwardly for one of his knives. He found one quickly and drew it, then reared back his arm and rammed the small blade into the creature’s neck, twisting it around to do as much damage as possible.
The creature shrieked in agony and reared back, allowing Kast enough leverage to dislodge the thing and then roll and pin it beneath him. The creature shrieked again, so loud that Kast felt his brain was about to split in two, until he brought his fist down on the thing’s head and shut it up for good.
But just as he dispatched the first one, another was already charging at him from behind. Kast had no weapon, no means to protect himself. Even if he did, he wasn’t going make it time. He was dead for sure.
The creature came in at him, its maw open wide to tear into his flesh. There was a whistle in the air. The arrow struck the creature’s neck, sinking deep as the creature fell and lay unmoving.
Kast stared at the thing in shock, wondering what in the Emperor’s name had just happened. The next thing he knew, Captain Bey was beside him, bow in one hand while the other grasped Kast’s shoulder as he tried to haul him up to his feet.
“Come on, Soren!” Captain Bey yelled at him. “We must run, quickly, before more of them are upon us!”
Kast didn’t move, just sat there watching the creatures feast on his people. Men he had trained beside, sweated beside, had even bled beside. There had to be something he could do, some way to make this right.
“Soren, listen to me!” Captain Bey pleaded. “They are all dead! There is nothing more we can do for them! We have to go, now, before we suffer the same fate!”
Kast was pulled along after the Captain as he led the way up the stairs back into the citadel. The creatures took notice of them as they reached the top and all abandoned their meals for the chance at more live prey, and chased after him. Kast last look into the courtyard were of demonic beasts and the corpses of his friends and brothers strewn about them, bloodied and half eaten, before the large doors slammed shut and Captain Bey lowered the crossbar into place.
“That should hold them,” Bey said reassuringly. As if in direct challenge to his statement, the large doors bucked as the creatures rammed it from the other side. The doors creaked and then settled back into place. “For a little while, at least,” the Captain revised.
Kast didn’t speak, didn’t look up from the ground, he was numb to everything as he struggled to take it all in. The Empire they had both served faithfully for so many years had just betrayed them after they had delivered a glorious victory, all of his friends were dead and now they were being hunted by demons intent on feasting on their marrow. Everything he had ever believed about the world had just been turned on its head, and now he didn’t know what to believe.
Captain Bey placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Their loss pains me greatly as well, Soren,” he said, referring to his men. “But we must mourn their deaths later, while we are still alive to do so. Do you understand?”
“Yes…Captain,” Kast was reluctant, but he knew his Captain was right. He shook it off, setting it aside for later so he could focus on present matters. “So what should we do now? Where do we go from here?”
“First,” Bey answered, “we find a way out of the Citadel and then from there we can worry about finding a way off the island. Come, one of the patrols said they found a secret passage down near the servant tunnels.”
Kast followed Captain Bey through a series of corridors and down winding stairwells to the lower levels until they reached a labyrinth of underground tunnels that the servants used to move about the Citadel away from the prying eyes of the nobility. It was hard for Kast to keep his bearings, as his platoon hadn’t been sent to patrol down here and he was unfamiliar with the area, but he obediently followed the light of Captain Bey’s torch that flickered just ahead of him.
They finally stopped in the middle of the corridor and Captain Bey examined something on the wall nearby. In the dim illumination provided by the torch, Kast could see that a section of stones were set unevenly so that they just noticeably dug into the length of the wall. Captain Bey placed his hand on the section and pushed and the wall swung inward, revealing the passage.
“Corporal Luuda told me he found this door ajar when he and his squad were patrolling through here. When they investigated, they said it led outside the citadel, but that no one was in sight. Its possible some Helmaians used this passage to escape and fled into the wilderness, be on your guard Soren.
Kast thought about the servant women and the girl again, but pushed those thoughts away. Captain Bey stepped into the passage, with Kast right on his heels. It was narrow and they had to walk crouched over to avoid hitting their heads on the low ceiling, but moments later, the passage opened up and the two men dropped down onto slick grass.
Kast took a quick look around, trying to get his bearings. From what he could tell, they had exited the tunnel somewhere on the edge of the marsh he had first seen when he was scouting the island.
“We should hide among the trees, they’ll help cover our escape,” the Captain said, looking over to where the marsh was overtaken by forest.
Dawn was breaking now, and the first traces of daylight were beginning to poke over the horizon. Captain Bey and Kast quickly reached the forest, navigating their way through the trees and rough underbrush until the Citadel was well out of sight. As the minutes drug on, Kast was finding it harder and harder to keep up with the Captain, his aching body stiffening up in protest to being active for such a long period of time without rest. The captain seemed to take notice of this, as he slowed his pace and allowed Kast to catch up.
Bey quickly took stock of his companion, and then came to a decision. “We should rest for awhile.”
“No,” Kast protested, though he did so breathing heavily. “I can keep going.”
“Nonsense,” Bey argued. “Look at you, you can barely stand. Not that I can say I blame you. I may have fought in most of the same battles as you, but I didn’t take nearly half the beating that you did. We should be far enough away from the Citadel that the High Priest will have a hard time of finding us, so go ahead and rest for awhile. I’ll see if I can find us some water.”
Kast took a seat on a nearby log in the middle of the clearing and removed his helm, setting it on the log beside him as the Captain ventured off into the trees. Kast watched him until he was lost from his sight. Left by himself, his mind wandered off and he couldn’t help but think about everything he had been trying not to up until now. It all came crashing in on him like the wave that brought forth a great flood, and for the next several minutes, he struggled to force away the images of his friends being slaughtered before his eyes, their faces as they were taken by the cold embrace of death. Most of them had families waiting for their return back in the Empire, and what would they be told? That they had fought and died valiantly on the field of battle against the Helmaian scourge, and that their deaths should be treated as a testament to sacrifice in a battle against a powerful and determined enemy? Kast didn’t know which made him more furious, the fact that the Emperor they had all served so faithfully had betrayed and murdered his comrades, or that he would use their deaths to further his own ambitions against the Helmaians.
Kast stewed over that one for awhile, until the snap of a twig cracking somewhere behind him broke him out of his reverie. Startled, he turned to see who it was, finding himself face to face with a young girl whose head was titled downward, looking at the twig she had just snapped underfoot.
Then she looked up at him, and Kast eyes widened as he saw her face and realized that it was the exact same girl from earlier that night. With her standing out in the open like this, Kast was able to get a much better look at her than he had before, and he was almost transfixed. She had long silvery white hair that was typical of Helmaians that flowed all the way to her waist, save for a pair of braids that framed each side of her face and reached down to her collarbone. She was frail and small with pale skin that was almost translucent even in the forest’s dim lightning.
Her eyes were the color of sapphires, rich and vibrant and almost hypnotic in their gaze. Kast could feel those eyes pulling him in like the undercurrents of the deep sea. He was clad in full armor, yet those eyes seemed to look right past all that to the man underneath, boring through and penetrating him all the way to his very core.
She took half a step back, recognizing him as a Karnasian even though Kast doubted she realized he was the very same one who had spared her life only mere hours ago.
He spread his arms out to his sides, trying to seem as non-threatening as possible and tried to tell her that everything was alright and that he wasn’t going to hurt her, but before he could utter the words, something large and heavy plowed into his side and knocked him to the ground. Kast and his assailant rolled in the grass and when he came out of it, he was lying on his back with the pointed end of a sword at his throat and the man holding it positioned atop him, clad in polished armor with a blue cape trimmed in gold.
A Helmaian. As if his day couldn’t get any worse.
“You will not lay your filthy hands on her, Karnasian,” the man said acidly. “I normally take no pride in killing an unarmed opponent, but after the all the blood of my comrades that you have spilled this night, I am willing to make an exception. Be sure to give them my regards as you rot in the afterlife.”
“Wait,” another voice spoke from out of nowhere.
The Helmaian and Kast looked off to the side to see another Helmaian step out from the trees. He looked older than Kast, but was younger than Captain Bey, with golden blonde hair cut short that tapered just above the level of his dark blue eyes. Right behind him was the handmaiden Kast had first seen with the girl, the woman quickly rushing to the girl’s side while the man walked into the middle of the clearing and looked down on their captured prisoner.
“Sir,” the Helmaian atop cast protested. “Surely you can’t be suggesting we let him live, not after everything his kind has-”
The other Helmaian held up his hand, cutting the man off. His armor marked him as an officer and he carried himself with an air of someone who was used to having his every command followed to the letter and who wouldn’t tolerate having to give an order more than once.
“Helmaian’s do not kill unarmed prisoners,” he said. “Besides, he will be more useful to us alive than dead. Get him up and bind his hands.”
The Helmaian grudgingly did as he was told, roughly pulling Kast to his feet and then taking a length of rope from a satchel at his back and tying the Karnasian’s hands together with a firm knot. He was then thoroughly searched and though he had no weapons to be found, as he had used them all fighting off the creatures earlier that night, Kast didn’t try to resist, not wanting to give the officer reason to change his mind about not killing him on the spot.
Meanwhile, the officer moved over to the girl. “I believe I asked you to remain with the guards,” Kast overheard him say to her, his tone overtly gentle but laced with subtle hints of disapproval.
“I know,” the girl replied softly, “I’m sorry.”
“You have no need to apologize, My Lady. I know these last few hours have not been easy. But I must ask that you have patience for just a little while longer and not wander off so that we can protect you.”
The girl didn’t reply, but silently nodded.
Several minutes later, there was more crackling in the underbrush and two more Helmaian soldiers appeared out of the forest, towing an already bound Captain Bey behind them. One of the men presented himself before the officer while the other kept watch over the Captain.
“We found this one down by the river,” Kast overheard the soldier say. “He surrendered all his weapons willingly and requested to speak with you.” 
“Unusual for a Karnasian,” the officer pondered aloud. “His name?”
“He said he would only give to you.” The soldier replied sternly.
“I see,” the officer said, then moved to stand before Captain Bey. “I am Alric Windstrider, Paladin First Tier of King Arathor’s Royal Guard. Who is it that requests to speak with me?”
“Captain Jerad Bey, of the Empire of Karnas,” the Captain replied without a second’s hesitation.
Kast could see the recognition of the name flare in the man’s eyes, a look mirrored on those of the other soldier’s as well, and suddenly the mood shifted into a tense atmosphere. Paladin Windstrider and the Captain looked each other dead in the eye, neither man thinking even for an instant of acknowledging the other as a superior, but also knowing that both men were worthy of respect. After several tense minutes, Paladin Windstrider drew a dagger from a scabbard at his side and with a few rough sawing cuts, severed the tied length of rope binding his wrists together.
“Sir!-” the Helmaians each tried to argue, but again Windstrider cut them off.
“That should allow us to speak on equal terms,” the Helmaian said.
“I must say I am pleasantly surprised,” the Captain told him honestly as he rubbed his wrists “I can honestly say I wasn’t expected to be treated so fairly after tonight.” 
“The reputation of Jerad Bey is well known to King Arathor: his victories, as well as his deeds on the battlefield. In fact, the King would often curse that you were not born a Helmaian. On a more personal note, my older brother was captured at the fourth battle of Splitback Pass and it was only thanks to your word that he was released and allowed to come home. Consider this a repayment of that debt. Now, tell me what circumstance brings someone of your repute before us, without the rest of your forces, I cannot help but notice.”
“My forces have been destroyed; betrayed by the very Empire to which they had sworn their loyalty,” Captain Bey answered sternly.
Paladin Windstrider offered no sympathy at hearing this, keeping his stoic expression while the other Helmaians wore ones that were mixtures of both relief and mirth that their fallen comrades had been avenged at least in some small way. The girl however, had the most noticeable reaction of any of them, a sharp intake of breath accompanied by her features turning to what Kast thought could be almost mournful at hearing the Captain’s words. Captain Bey looked at the girl and his lips curved downward in frown.
“I find it odd that a group of soldiers, especially one of Helmaia’s Paladins, would allow themselves to be accompanied by someone so…small,” the Captain phrased his words carefully.
“Watch your tongue, Karnasian!” one of the Helmaian’s spat before anyone could stop him, “That is Lady Aaricia Marasta, Daughter of King Arathor and Princess of Helmaia!”
“Fool!” Paladin Windstrider yelled at the man. “Do you realize what you’ve just done!?”
The man’s face went white as he realized the magnitude of his error.
“Arathor’s daughter!” Captain Bey repeated a bit wide eyed, a look echoed on Kast’s features as well. He quickly bowed his head to accord her the proper respect. “Forgive me your highness, I did not realize…”
“You’ll be addressing me, Captain,” Paladin Windstrider interrupted. “Despite the loose lipped ramblings of my subordinate, the situation has not changed. Now, tell me about what happened.”
“Originally, our goal was only to capture Arathor and force him to negotiate Helmaia’s surrender,” Captain Bey told the Paladin, “or at least that is what I was led to believe. I realize now that this entire mission was nothing more than an elaborately constructed lie meant to hide the Emperor’s true intentions here.”
“The Emperor’s intentions?” Paladin Windstrider queried.
“Yes,” Bey answered. “The Emperor ordered his High Priest to accompany us under the guise of an observer.”
“I know the man you are speaking of,” Windstrider commented. “He confronted the King shortly before he sent me away with his…daughter.”
Captain Bey nodded along. “However, the High Priest was really here to serve a much darker purpose. He collected a vial of the late King’s blood after he was killed and used it in a blood ritual to summon demons into this plane. On the High Priest’s order, they attacked us and devoured my men.” He then looked at Kast, still bound and under guard. “His was the only life I could save.”
“I see,” Windstrider pondered aloud with his chin in his hand. “If what you say is true, then it’s imperative that we get the Princess off this island as soon as possible.”
“You have transport?” Captain Bey asked.
Paladin Windstrider took a long hard look at the Captain, clearly deciding just how much he could trust him. Finally, he relented to his lack of options. “There is a ship waiting for us just offshore,” he said. “It shouldn’t have a problem breaking the Karnasian’s blockade, but we have no way to get to it.”
Captain Bey and Kast exchanged glances, both thinking the same thing. “We may be able to help with that,” Captain Bey said.
Paladin Windstrider’s brow rose. “How so?”
“We used longboats to make landfall here,” Captain Bey told the Paladin. “We can show you where they are, and help you get past the troops guarding them, but there are conditions.”
“Such as?”
“You allow me and my companion to go with you. There is nothing let for us in the Empire, so we have no reason to go back. When we reach the ship, you may stick us in the brig if you wish, but once we make the next port, you will release us and let us be on our way. Agreed?”
The Paladin considered this for a moment, but as before, his lack of options spurred his decision. “Agreed.”

Their trek through the forest was slow going. If at all possible, stopping to rest had actually made Kast feel worse. The soreness had set into his body in full and his joints felt stiff to such a degree that he found a simple march through the woods was taking a lot more effort than it should have.
It was lucky for him their pace wasn’t very fast to begin with, as the Princess would often get her feet tangled in the underbrush and fall to her knees, prompting her handmaiden to immediately help her to her feet and all the other Helmaians to stop and make sure that she wasn’t hurt. In all honesty, Kast thought they’d go faster if one of them just picked her up and carried her the rest of the way to their destination, though he certainly couldn’t make the claim that his pace was any faster than hers.
All the while, though he tried to avoid it, he couldn’t help but glance over in her direction from time to time and the Helmaian that had tackled him before stared daggers at him each time he did. Kast had no doubt that the man wouldn’t hesitate to run a blade through his gut if he got too close to her, which was ironic since he had already come to within a hair’s breadth of killing her and had chosen not too.
So far it seemed neither of them had recognized him, which he considered to be a good thing. The less these Helmaian’s knew about his first encounter with their princess, the better.
  There was a crackling in the underbrush followed closely by a yelp and an instant later, something hit Kast in the back and knocked him to his knees. He turned to curse at the clumsy oaf that had stumbled into him, but instead found the Princess picking herself up off the dirt. His anger faded into a resigned indignation as he stood and brushed himself off before offering her his hand to help her up. She looked at his outstretched hand for a brief moment before slowly taking it and Kast gently pulled her back to her feet.
“I-I’m sorry…” she mumbled quietly, her eyes cast downward to her feet as she fidgeted in place. “Please forgive me.”
Kast could not help but notice the Helmaians eyeing him warily, and with the exception of Paladin Windstrider, their hand’s had all drifted down to their swords.
“Think nothing of it,” Kast told her, and then walked quietly to stand over by Captain Bey, who had watched the brief exchange with a fair degree of amusement.
“How much further to the beachhead,” Paladin Windstrider asked the Captain.
“Not far,” Captain Bey answered, “but we should stop and rest. The longboats are going to be guarded and we’ll most likely have to fight and overpower them.”
The Helmaian considered it for a moment. “Very well, we’ll stop and rest here awhile. But I’m warning you, Karnasian. If this all turns out to be a trap, yours will be the first head to roll.”
“If it is a trap,” the Captain argued, “it is more than likely meant for us, than it is for you.”
“We will see,” the Paladin huffed, and then walked away.
“It would seem the Helmaian’s don’t fully have faith in our intentions,” the Captain commented. “Not that I can say that I am surprised, or course.”
Kast unconsciously voiced his agreement as he watched Paladin Windstrider speaking quietly with the Princess, most likely telling her to keep as far away from the Karnasians as possible. 
“So are you sure there isn’t something you want to tell me, Soren?” the Captain said with a bemused grin as he took a seat next to him.
“What?” Kast said, surprised by the sudden turn of the conversation. “No, Captain, there is nothing-”
“Soren,” the Captain cut him off, “I’d like to think I’ve grown to know you well enough to be able to tell when something is bothering you, and even more so when you are lying about it. You’ve been distracted since even before the High Priest turned on us, and you haven’t been able to stop looking at that girl since we crossed paths.”
He paused, giving Kast a long hard look before making his next statement. “This isn’t the first time you’ve met, is it?”
“…No,” Kast answered him truthfully. He then proceeded to tell him of the events that took place in the Citadel the night before, recounting every detail from what really happened after the Helmaian guard had attacked him, to finding the princess and deciding to simply leave her be, allowing her to escape. Captain Bey merely listened in silence, not offering single insight to what he was thinking, until Kast was finished.
“I see,” the Captain finally said. The he laughed. “You did very well, Soren. I’m proud of you.”
“Captain?” Kast was not quite expecting such a positive reaction.
“Why are you acting surprised,” Captain Bey grinned. “You did what you judged to be right, and it brings me great joy to know you have taken my words to heart. And considering the current situation, I think it worked itself out for the best.”
“Yes, Captain,” Kast agreed, feeling a great weight lift off his shoulders and for the first time feeling just a little bit better about their situation.
A short while later, Paladin Windstrider got up and announced that their break was over and that it was time to get moving. Kast and Captain Bey took point while the Helmaian’s flanked their Princess and brought up the rear.
Captain Bey had not been lying when he said their destination was not far. Within an hour they were peering down at the Karnasian beachhead from atop a bluff that overlooked the sea. The Longboats were down below, three of them still aground on the sand, while the rest had been used to ferry the wounded from the Citadel Battle back to the Karnasian ships waiting offshore. Captain Bey had left a dozen men behind in order to guard the boats, but at present, only half of them could be seen. There was one other man though, clad in the armor and wearing the insignia of the Executors.
“That Executor is going to complicate things,” Captain Bey said quietly to the group. “I was counting on the men we left defend to guard the boats not being aware of what took place at the Citadel so I could walk you right past them. But they will kill us on sight at the Executor’s order.”
“We’ll have to find another way,” Paladin Windstrider stated.
“Maybe not,” Captain Bey commented. “We might be able to use this to our advantage.”
“What do you mean?”
“The guards are likely already expecting me and my lieutenant,” Captain Bey explained, “but they know nothing of us traveling with Helmaians. If we can draw even half of them away, that should give you a fairly decent chance of overpowering the remaining guards and taking one of the boats while we lose our pursuers in the forest and circle around to meet back up with you.”
“That might be dangerous,” Paladin Windstrider said, sounding a bit doubtful, though it seemed he tried to hide it. “Once we take the boats, we can’t wait for long. If they catch you,” he warned, “you’re on your own.”
“That is our risk to take,” Captain Bey replied, “so long as my lieutenant agrees.”
He looked to Kast, who said nothing but only nodded his head. The two men then quietly slid away from the edge of the bluff, got to their feet and slipped back into the forest. Without the Helmaians to slow them down, they were able to make their way quickly through the trees, circling around the side of the bluff until they were crouching at the edge of the tree line just in front the beachhead a few moments later.
The guards stood at what Kast would call a lazy attentiveness, their lackluster assignment not doing much to stimulate their alertness as they kept watch. Kast doubted they would even be at their posts at all were if not for the Executor currently supervising them, his posture ram rod straight from years of military discipline.
“Were going to need to grab their attention,” Captain Bey whispered to him. He held out his bow. “Use this. You’re probably a better shot with it now than I am anyway.”
Kast took hold of the weapon, but the Captain grabbed his arm. “These men were on our side once, Soren, but no more. Whatever your feelings towards them, they now they stand between us and survival and they will not hesitate to kill us as soon as they know we are here. You must show no mercy, do you understand?”
Kast nodded as he took the weapon and the Captain’s arrows, pulled one from the quiver, nocked it and picked his target. He drew back the string and sighted down the arrow’s shaft, careful to control his breathing as he released it. The arrow whistled away, curving downward in a lazy arc to pierce one of the guards in the neck between his helmet and his breastplate. The man fell over, lying dead as his blood started to pool and seeped into the sand. One of his comrades called the other guards to arms, pointing into the tree line where Bey and Kast were already disappearing back into the forest.
“You men!” Kast heard the Executor call to the guards, “stay with the boats in case they circle back. The rest of you with me! After them!”
Kast hazarded a quick look his shoulder. Half a dozen men were following the Executor up the beach as he chased after them, leaving five guards to protect the boats, making it an almost even fight for the Helmaians.
He and the Captain ran quickly through the forest as Karnasian arrows whistled past their heads. The Captain displayed surprising speed and agility for his age, easily keeping pace with Kast as they hopped over tree roots and ducked below low hanging branches. They could hear the Karnasian’s running behind them, the berating tone of the Executor making it easy to track their position.
“Faster, you fools,” the Executor yelled. “Do not let them escape!”
“Let’s split up here, Soren,” the Captain said. “Use the terrain. Let us see if we can take out a few of them ourselves.”
Kast nodded as he went left and the Captain went right.
“Split up!” The Executor hollered. “Hunt them down!”
Three of the guards peeled off to follow Kast while the other three and the Executor pursued Captain Bey. As he ran, Kast looked over his shoulder, noting the men chasing him were a good five or six seconds behind and keeping in a tight group. He searched for good place to set up an ambush where he could get rid of his unwelcome guests, and almost immediately he spotted a spry looking tree branch he thought he could make use of. He grabbed hold of the branch with both hands and pulled it back so that it curved around the bend of the tree it was attached to, silently counted to five, and then let go.
Wham! The tree branch swung around the tree like a catapult, taking the three guards square in the chest and knocking them off their feet. Each of the three men lay on the ground dazed and groaning, not dead but more importantly, not getting up anytime soon. Kast grinned at his own handiwork for a half a second, then quickly doubled back towards the beach, making sure to keep a careful eye out for the Executor and any of his group as he weaved in between the trees.
Kast was about a quarter of the way back when a faint warble brought him to a halt. He looked around for a moment and as the warble came again, this time he followed it and spotted Captain Bey crouching behind a tree off to his right. Kast went to him.
“Your pursuers?” the captain asked him, huffing between heavy breaths.
“They won’t be a problem for us anytime soon.” Kast grinned. “Not after the wallop I gave them.”
“Is that so?” Captain Bey replied. “In that case, we had better get moving. I don’t expect the Helmaian’s to wait for much longer.
Kast nodded and the two of them headed towards the beach. Despite the protesting of his body, Kast moved fast pace, ignoring the gnawing ache in his legs as he pushed himself forward. Captain Bey seemed to be having a hard time keeping up with him, signs of his older age beginning to show on him for the first time that night as he started to lag behind and Kast forced himself to slow down.
They were almost at the beach now, and could make out the sounds of waves crashing onto the shore and the cries of the gulls as they searched the sea for their morning meal. A moment later, they pushed through the bushes and finally spotted the beachhead through the trees just ahead. The half dozen guards protecting the boats all lay upon the ground, unmoving in the sand as their Helmaian allies all sat packed into one of the longboats. Kast felt a rush of elation as he saw the Helmaians waiting for them, a surge energy one felt when their goal was finally within reach. Finally they were getting off this island.
Kast heard a sharp whistle from somewhere behind him, accompanied by a sudden shout of surprise. Kast turned and found Captain Bey down on one knee, hand clutching at the arrow now embedded in his leg.
“Captain!” Kast called out as he rushed to his side and checked the wound. The arrow had struck the Captain in the back of his thigh, and had penetrated deep. Kast could now hear the guards in the forest behind them, their shouts getting closer by the second as they closed in like a pack of wolves on wounded prey.
“Come on,” Kast urged as he tried to bring the Captain to his feet. “It’s not much farther. We can make it.” 
“No, Soren.” The captain breathed through the pain. “There isn’t much time left. You should leave me and escape while you still can.” 
“No!” Kast protested as he pulled on the Captain’s arm. “We’re almost there. You can’t give up on me now, not when we’re so close!”
“They’ll be on us before you even make it halfway!” Captain Bey argued as he shoved Kast away. “Now get out of here before they kill us both!”
“I won’t leave you!” Kast pleaded, trying once again to get the Captain to stand up.
“You must!” Again the captain shoved him away. “Someone has to carry on the truth about what happened here. Men, good men, were murdered by the very empire that they served, sacrificed to the ambitions of a despot ruler and his mad priests. If we both die here, then that truth dies with us, and their truth becomes written. You must not let that happen! You must survive.”
“But-” Kast started.
“No buts,” the Captain interrupted. He sighed and his head hung low. “Oh, Soren…I know this is not a fair thing I ask of you. Life has not been kind, and you are now left with a burden someone your age should never have to bear. But I ask anyway, fulfill the final request of an old man who does not want to witness the closest thing he has ever had to a son be cut down so soon in life…Tell me you understand.”
“I…” Kast fought off tears and choking breaths. “…I understand.”
A silence hung between them, a silence that could be filled with a thousand words that could say to each other if only they had the time.
“…Do you remember, Soren,” the Captain said finally. “What we talked about, here, in this very spot?”
“…Yes.” Kast couldn’t hold it back anymore, tears rolling down his cheeks as he spoke his last words with the Captain.
“Always remember, Soren…” Captain Bey said. “There will be times when you feel lost and don’t know what to do. When that time comes, remember everything that I taught you, and it will help you find the answer.”
Kast nodded his understanding, but did not speak, not knowing what he could possibly say.
“I feel fate has chosen you for something,” Captain Bey continued. “I know not what it is, or how dangerous lies the road ahead, but it somehow all revolves around that girl. Your decision to spare her life, and then meeting her again so soon after the fact. Demtri’s betrayal. All these things add up into a bigger destiny than any of us can understand.
The Captain removed his sword from its scabbard and then presented it to him pommel first. “This blade was given to me by my father, who received it from his father before him, and has served me well through many adventures. It is my hope it will serve as your guardian on the path you must now tread by yourself. Take it, Soren.” Kast took hold of the weapon, and the captain’s hands closed around his. “I will always be by your side, Soren. As long you hold this blade, as long as you have faith in it: you will never fight alone.”
Kast reluctantly sheathed the sword into his empty scabbard. Red robed figures could now be seen moving through the trees, the Karnasian guards heading in their direction. Kast and Captain Bey watched them approach and they both knew this was their final moment together. 
“You have made me very proud, Soren.” Captain Bey said, a single tear rolling down his cheek. “So very proud. Now go, quickly now.”
Kast turned and ran for the boat, tears clouding his vision as whistling arrows feel all around him, all of them failing to find their mark as he darted across the sand. He closed the distance quickly and saw Paladin Windstrider waving him on just ahead.
“Where is Jerad Bey?” the Paladin asked as Kast reached the longboat and started pushing on the side.
“He…” Kast said, choking on the words at first, but then reluctantly finding his voice again. “He isn’t going to make it…He said to leave without him.”
Paladin Windstrider grimly nodded his understanding. “Cast off,” he ordered the other Helmaians. The four men helped Kast push the longboat into the water and once it was safely afloat, they all climbed up over the side and settled in behind the oars. A moment later and they where well out to sea, and Kast took one last final look back at he island.
The number of Karnasians on the beach had nearly tripled in size, and they all gathered before a figure in flowing red robes who stood surrounded by larger men heavily clad in armor. Kast recognized the man as the High Priest and his Executors and his heart nearly boiled over in rage at all the man had put him through. Two other men were approaching the crowd, dragging something between them, which a moment later they dumped before the High Priest.
It was Captain Bey.
Kast heart leapt up to his throat and the boat rocked from side to side as he stood up. He ignored the complaints of the Helmaians as they bobbed on the tides, only hearing them cursing at his foolishness as he focused on what was happening back at the beach.
The High Priest seemed to be speaking with the Captain, most likely exchanging taunts and insults. The High Priest then nodded to one of his Executors, who stood before the Captain, looking down on him. He then drew his sword, and finally Kast realized what was about to happen.
“No!” he shouted as he tried to leap off the side of the boat, but the Helmaians wrapped their arms around him and prevented him from moving. Kast struggled against their hold, but they were many as he was just one. Try as he might, he could not break loose.
“Let go of me!” Kast screamed at them. “I have to go to him! Let go!”
“It’s too late!” the voice of Paladin Windstrider yelled into his ear.
The Executor raised his sword over his head. Kast struggled harder making a little bit of headway but still couldn’t break the Helmaian’s grip.
“Let go!” he screamed again, fighting back with all the strength he had. “Let go of me, damn it!”
The Executor’s sword fell.
And Kast’s entire world went right along with it.