Chapter Ten: The Trap

Redran stood in the king’s war room. It was a large room within the castle. Mounted swords, poleaxes and various maces were decorating the walls. Giant maps were hung next to these in ornate wooden frames. In the centre of the room was a long rectangular table. On the table was a small-scale diorama of the entire realm. It was mostly accurate, and had magical clouds, and magical moving rivers with real water.

Lord Redran stood at the head of the table with the king and Freya. Arkanon stood in the corner of the room looking non suspicious, the rest of the room was slowly filling up with guards and royals.

After the hall had been filled, the doors were closed and the room fell silent. The king’s second in command announced the meeting had commenced and the royals and knights sat hushed and waited for the king to speak.

“Noblemen, Noblewomen, Knights of the Castle of Flowers and friends of the kingdom, we are gathering to discuss war.” The king said. The crowd started to murmur and whisper.

“Bandit clans have been gathering together, their forces started small, but grow larger and larger every day.” Lord Redran spoke.

“This is stupidity, the kingdom is safer than it's ever been.” Said one fat nobleman, this was met by agreement from the men sitting around him.

“Fifteen carriages last month, and over sixty-five people have disappeared.” The Castle may be safe, but the lands and roads surrounding it are being poached by the evil and wicked.” Lord Redran spoke again, louder this time. “Just yesterday evening, a carriage on the road to Buttermilk was assaulted by three men, I witnessed it myself.”

“Three men is hardly an army.” Another noble said, interrupting Lord Redran.

“...And you look like you ate three men yesterday,” The King snapped back at the overweight nobleman. “Your job is not to speculate, or question the facts. We are simply assembling you here to tell you the news. Times are no longer safe, and the peace we once knew is gone. I will be assembling an army to wipe out these rebels. Once we have located the enemy camp, we will march on it. I have scouts deep in the woods looking for any signs of bandit activity. They are estimated to be somewhere south of the castle, although we have no exact location yet. All of you noblemen were once knights, or soldiers, I expect many of you to take up arms yet again to wipe this scourge from the planet and defend our realms.”

This was met by a cheer from some of the audience, but not all of them were happy.

The king dismissed everyone and they all left the castle talking loudly among themselves.

Freya, Arkanon, Redran and the King remained with some guards.

“You might not be a conqueror, but you’re a pretty good king,” Arkanon said to the young king.

“Thank you. I've got nothing on you, Sire.” The king replied. “I wish I could be as famous as Arkanon the Handsome.”

Arkanon blushed, but he was a skeleton, so it just looked the same.

“Freya, I have a plan.” Redran said. “We’re going to set a trap.”

A few hours later, Lord Redran and Freya were dressed in farmer’s clothes sitting atop a carriage loaded with cabbages. Arkanon was buried in the back under the vegetable pile.

The carriage was rolling towards the town of Buttermilk, the sun was setting fast and the roads were getting dark. Redran ignited some oil lanterns and decided to relieve some boredom. He started singing a popular folk tale to pass the time, and also to attract the attention of any bandits who might be watching.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“My lady is the wind,

My lover is the sky

My heart belongs to sunny days

I long to kiss my life

My every day is wonderful

I love just being alive

I don't need a baby,

My lover is the sky.”

Freya started singing as well, and soon Arkanon joined in, though his voice was muffled by cabbages.

“When it rains, its raining kisses

Kisses just for me.

Everyday, I know what bliss is.

Bliss is everything I see.

Ooooooh, my lady is the wind,

My lover is the-....”

The carriage rolled down the road, the sun got lower and lower.

Creeping closer through the forest was a small team of bandits. They were patient this time, and they watched from a distance.

“-....My lady is the wind,

My lover is the sky

My heart belongs to sunny days

I long to kiss my life

My every day is wonderful

I love just being alive

I don't need a baby,

My lover is the sky.”

The carriage rumbled down the road and the sun was set. The moon was dim tonight. The carriage wheels were loud, but the singing was louder. The three of them sang.

They started rolling down a hill and the carriage picked up a bit of speed.

“I live my life so happy

Because I love to sing

My lady is today

I am loved by everything

I travel round the lands

I love, my love, my lady

“My lady is the wind,

My lover is-...

A bandit opened a portal in front of the carriage and Redran didn’t have enough time to stop the carriage because the horses were travelling downhill. The carriage disappeared into the portal and reappeared on the edge of a cliff.

“-The sky…” Redran shouted.

The carriage immediately raced directly off the cliff and started to fall to the ground far below.

The horses fell forward and the carriage flipped forward over them. Arkanon and fifty cabbages were tossed from the carriage rear. Freya turned into a lady beetle and flew away. Lord Redran was too stunned to move. His plan had failed. Arkanon was falling in front of him. The bottom of the cliff was a rocky shore next to a river. They were headed for the rocks.

Redran jumped for Arkanon’s body. Redran used his telekinetic magic to slow Arkanon’s fall. The horses hit the rocky terrain below and their carcasses exploded. Their deaths were quick and bloody. The carriage exploded into splinters and the cabbages were minced upon impact. Redran had slowed Arkanon’s descent completely. They hovered metres above the broken carriage. He was clinging to Arkanon for life. Redran’s spell was momentarily interrupted when he realised how exactly he was holding onto his long dead best friend and they both fell the final few metres into the carnage. Redran and Arkanon got up, covered in blood and looked around. They were in a valley, but neither of them knew where.

They looked at the ledge far, far above them and saw a huge orc standing there, with two bandit wizards.

Redran and Arkanon sprinted for the forest.

From high on the cliff’s edge, Batuuk snarled and smiled. Let them run, he thought to himself. He was humming the tune to the folk song quietly.