Elements of Glory: The Princess of Nothing

’It seems like an adventure yes, but it’s more, and it isn’t pleasant. Imagine your heart hammering in your chest, and you can hear it, feel it in your ears. Enemies are rushing toward you, and you to them. None of your enemies can be, or want to be, reasoned with, they are coming, and their mission is to kill you! Let that settle into you… you cannot run away, for if you do you’re a coward and worse. Your fellows are relying on you as you are on them. There is no escape from what is coming. If you thought you were going to survive this, you were a fool. Every soldier going into battle cannot look at the end, planning to survive, you must give into the fact that you are dead… if you survive, treat it as a gift… no one is invincible!’

-Magnus Gunner, training up and coming Rangers

WERAL CASTLE

’Well, so much for all that,’ John commented, backing further away from the doors of the throne room as hundreds of fists started to beat upon them. ‘You said if they got this far it wouldn’t matter. Want to revise that?’

‘Want to,’ Samantha responded, ‘don’t know if I can.’

‘Defeatist,’ John grumbled. He turned, and raced across the throne room to the thrones, and started looking around for anything that might help them face what was coming. He knew he could throw Gemgic back at an attacker, but, he guessed that the Mugwamp army would probably have swords and the like.

He didn’t know what he could do against weapons.

Just days ago, all I wanted to do was enjoy summer holidays and build a fort with my friend. Now look at me.

Behind the King’s throne, on the wall, below the large stained-glass window, was a wooden rack, and on it were some swords and axes.

John grinned.

‘Samantha, come here!’ John shouted. He heard her hurrying across the throne room toward him, as the banging on the door continued. In moments she was next to John and she stared at the weapons.

‘What?’ she asked.

John looked at her. ‘Grab one,’ he told her.

’John, we can’t fight off an entire army,’ Samantha argued.

’You would rather do nothing?’ John asked.

Samantha stared at John for a moment, took in a deep breath, and then let it out as she stepped forward, pulling a sword free from the rack. John followed her lead, and then they turned toward the throne room doors as they started to crack and splinter.

John blew out a weary sigh as he gripped the hilt of his sword. ‘Oh man,’ he grumbled, ’this is not my best day ever.’

*

The Weral Castle was under siege, Mugwamps, by the hundreds, had set up a perimeter, and even from where the onlooker stood, he could tell that the creatures, en mass, had stormed the castle and were within, nearing their prize. The onlooker couldn’t let that happen, he wouldn’t let that happen, no matter what it cost him. Slowly, with the rain coming down in buckets all around him, the onlooker ducked back into the trees of the forest.

No one was foolish enough to venture into the forests of Weral at night, but it had to be done now. There was no other choice.

’You’re sure this is the castle,’ the onlooker said, wiping water out of his blue-skinned face, his tall pointed ears twitching.

’You know of any other castles in the area?’ Togik, a horse-like Stryth grumbled. He let his horse eyes look past the blue Tyrim and sighed. ‘I just hope we’re not too late.’

‘If the Wasgician hadn’t bungled this, we wouldn’t have to worry,’ grumbled Fernid Skyrender, holding his musket in one hand as he stepped up beside the Tyrim, whilst wiping rain out of his moustache and beard. ’You’re sure Grulem knew what he was doing, Evrase?’ he wondered, looking at the Tyrim.

‘I’ll remind him that you keep questioning his judgement the next time he has to save your life, stitching up a hole blasted into your side.’

Fernid grumbled something under his breath.

Evrase sighed, ’Okay, so, if everything Togik says is true, this is where the Wasgician brought the Element of Glory, and if the Wasgician managed to get her back, he’d probably bring her back here!’

‘Almost guaranteed, the way the Mugwamps are crawling over the castle,’ Fernid pointed out.

‘Right, then we need to get in, get the Element, and get out,’ Evrase said, keeping his voice even.

‘Couple thousand Mugwamps,’ Fernid shrugged, sliding his musket into a holster on his hip, ’shouldn’t be too hard.’

‘Well, at least you’re positive,’ Evrase grumbled. He turned to Togik. ‘Okay, Stryth, lead the way. Let’s get this over with.’

They were just about to set off, when a wet branch snapping behind them caused the three to quickly turn. Fernid’s musket was in his hand in and instant, pointed right at the head of an elderly man with white hair, a sooty suit, a rumpled top hat, and a black and silver cane in one hand. He brought his hands up in surrender instantly.

‘Please!’ he called. ‘Don’t hurt me!’

‘Who are you?’ Fernid demanded with a dark growl in his voice.

’Please, I have to get to that castle, two of my children are within, and they are in dreadful danger… I can help them, I can help us all. I just need to get into that castle!’

‘Fine,’ Fernid growled, ’but I ask again... who are you?’

‘I’m an ally of Grulem. My name is Thaddeus Nourn!’

‘Oh my,’ Evrase said, stepping forward.

’You know this guy?’ Fernid asked.

‘Yes,’ Evrase responded. ’He’s the keeper of the Elements of Glory in the other world.’

‘They’re all dead,’ Thaddeus choked out. ’John and Samantha are the only ones left. You have to help me save them, before it’s too late!’

Fernid put his musket back in its holster and turned to Togik. ’Okay, Stryth, same plan as before, we need to get inside quickly.’

‘Follow me,’ Togik responded and started toward the castle, with Fernid, Evrase, and Thaddeus Nourn in tow.

*

As the doors to the throne room were slammed once more – and this time with even greater force – John heard a jingling sound high above. He glanced up and saw the chandelier, glowing brightly, and was about to turn away when something else caught his eye, something he’d not seen before.

Despite this fact, there was something enormously familiar about what he was looking at.

’Oi,’ he said, looking at Samantha, ’what’s that?’

‘What?’ she asked.

John pointed up at a glowing sphere that was seemingly wrapped within the chandelier. ‘Oh, my,’ Samantha gasped.

‘What?’ John asked.

‘I recognize that,’ she said, stepping toward the chandelier, her eyes directed upward.

‘Yeah, me too,’ John said, ‘so what about it?’

Samantha shook her head. ‘I don’t know,’ she admitted, looking back at John.

’You don’t know?’ John asked aghast. ’What good is it, you knowing past stuff and forgetting all the things we did together in the other world, when you can’t even remember something like this?’

’I’m sorry,’ Samantha bit out.

‘Well, is it important? Is it something we can use to our advantage?’ John growled.

Samantha looked up at the orb in the chandelier once more, and stared at it, thinking hard. ‘It has something to do with Ratikgurr,’ she said after a moment.

‘Is that good or bad?’ John demanded as the throne room doors splintered a little more.

‘I don’t see what good it would be to us,’ she scolded tersely, ’as he was evil.’

John growled under his breath, and looked to the doors of the throne room once more, as the Mugwamps smashed against them yet again.

*

A blue-skinned man, two Humans, and a Stryth walked quietly through the catacombs beneath Weral Castle. Everyone but the horse-like Stryth and the elder man – Thaddeus – had weapons drawn. Thaddeus was looking around quickly, his eyes bulging as if he was hearing things. Then he suddenly stopped.

Fernid’s long, leather, overcoat flapped slightly as he turned to face the old Wasgician. ’What is it now?’ he growled.

‘The throne room,’ Thaddeus said urgently, ’we need to get to the throne room, quickly!’

‘Easy,’ Evrase, the Tyrim, said.

‘Easy?’ Togik asked.

‘Yeah, now that we’re inside I know my way,’ Evrase responded, ‘hence why I’ve been leading.’

Togik snorted.

’You know the castle?’ Fernid asked.

‘I used to come here a lot of cycles ago… before…’ he stopped himself. ‘Anyway,’ he reiterated, looking forward again. ‘I know a secret way into the throne room… follow me.’

*

John gritted his teeth and gripped his sword tightly as one of the throne room doors split and cracked, raining large pieces of wood onto the floor. Grey-skinned Mugwamp hands started clawing at the opening, tearing away more and more, as they chattered furiously.

’We are so dead,’ Samantha mumbled, stepping up beside John.

He couldn’t help but smirk.

‘What?’ Samantha demanded. ‘What are you smirking at?’

John chuckled. ’I can’t count the times I’ve heard you say that,’ he told her. ’Though we’ve never been in a situation like this.’

‘Like what then?’ Samantha asked, and she sounded truly curious.

‘Just mischief,’ John told her. He turned and looked into her blue eyes. ‘I miss you,’ he said, feeling suddenly very sad.

Samantha turned away.

‘I miss everything,’ John sighed, looking toward the doors again. ‘I miss Thaddeus.’

The sound of stone grinding against stone echoed behind John and Samantha. They turned around and watched the King’s throne moving to the side. After a moment, there was a hole in the floor where the throne had been sitting. Suddenly, a blue-skinned man with pointed ears, wearing leather armour, and holding a long sword in one hand, came hurrying out of the hole. Behind him came a gruff-looking man with a long leather jacket, leather armour, and a beard and moustache on his face. Following that man came a black horse that clip-clopped on the stone floor, and then, to John’s complete astonishment, came Thaddeus!

When the old man saw John and Samantha, he raced toward them, and was soon upon them, gathering them close and hugging them tightly. He pulled back and looked at them both, tears brimming in his eyes.

‘Oh, my stars,’ he cried, ’I thought I’d never see you two again.’

‘Thaddeus!’ John exclaimed. ‘How did you get here? I thought…’ his voice caught in his throat. ’I thought you were dead.’

Thaddeus’s wrinkled face filled with pain. ‘Many died,’ he said sadly. ’I barely escaped… I’m sorry I never told you everything upfront. I’m sorry I never explained to either of you, how important you are… but now, now I need you to embrace what you are… embrace what you are and help save us now.’

Samantha pulled away from Thaddeus, and stared at him like he was a stranger.

‘Samantha?’ he asked

‘She doesn’t remember home,’ John explained.

‘Oh,’ Thaddeus said knowingly, ’yes, of course, she was reborn… Don’t worry, it will come back to you.’ The old man looked up at the chandelier above and he grinned. ’Ah, good old Wilth, I knew you’d not let us down.’

‘Is that important?’ John asked.

Thaddeus looked at him. ‘Very,’ he said. ‘It was locked by Elements of Glory, and it can only be opened by such…’ He gave a small smile. ’In fact, twenty-two cycles ago, it was precisely you two who sealed that orb, backed by the powers of all the other Elements of Glory… now, you must reverse what you’ve done.’

‘How?’ John asked, as more wood cracked and splintered on the door.

‘I’ll help you,’ Thaddeus assured.

‘Okay, fine,’ John said. ‘But even if we do this, how’s it going to help?’

‘Twenty-two cycles ago,’ Thaddeus explained, ’even though Ratikgurr controlled the Elements of Glory, he couldn’t use your power – and that of your brothers and sisters – to destroy an entire nation, as in slaughter them all… The best he could do is seal them in a prison that could only be opened by his servants. Unfortunately for him, the power it took to do the deed, in some way that I and the other of my order don’t yet understand, reset all the Elements of Glory. Thus, Ratikgurr lost his power over you.’

Thaddeus’s face became deadly serious, and he said, ’Now, you have a chance to turn back what you did. You can restore the Weral Kingdom and all of its people, and together we will drive back these Mugwamps, and prepare for whatever evil is working in the shadows and threatening the world now!’

John felt his hands shaking. He’d never seen Thaddeus like this, so filled with passion. Deep down, even as the old man explained it, he knew it was true, and old memories seemed to flow over him.

The doors cracked and splintered more. Slowly John looked at Samantha and she stared at him, her big blue eyes filled with wonder.

‘Will you do it?’ Thaddeus asked.

John and Samantha continued staring at one another, and, as one, they nodded.

‘Yes,’ they said.

John turned to Thaddeus. ‘Just tell us what to do,’ he prompted.