Chapter 25
I stood from my big, black leather chair and as I had a few times before during the evening, labored to the French doors of the great hall to the back of Warhead Dale, and gazed out into the darkness. My knees were very stiff and I couldn’t believe what my eyes saw, but the storm outside had actually subsided. The wind did not howl and the rain did not lash the sturdy structure of Ol’ Captain Luke’s house. The sky was empty of the brilliant flashes of lightning that split the sky earlier and just above the sea’s horizon, I caught the hint of small specks of starlight.
I pondered about the afternoon and now evening of storytelling. My grandson as well as I, believed that my telling this story might bring character and charm to this mansion by the sea, but unfortunately I found myself at the precipice of having no idea what to tell the twenty or so kids that huddled in a circle by the fire behind me about war.
I hung my head thinking about how to create a grand battle of the good guys defeating the bad in a scene of blazon glory. I felt, however, that the wonderful children who came to hear my tale and the brave men who actually fought in the war deserved more than that. In my opinion, those victors and losers on the fields of battle and the legacy they produced deserved the dignity of not experiencing the retelling of the gruesome, horrific sights on foreign soil they probably spent a lifetime trying to forget. I knew I had.
I turned back toward the children and smiled a fleeting smile with care. I hoped that they would not feel ill of me if I left particular descriptions out of the rest of my narrative. Even if they did feel ill of me, it would make no difference; I would not change my mind. Those descriptions of pain and death would be left out. Kali was right; it would finally be finished.
“I am not sure that you are ready for the horrors and pain of war,” I stated.
The children stared at me dumbfounded with disbelief, as though they knew what war was like and what it contained.
I am not naive. I had been on the earth for a great number of years more than these young people in front of me, and I knew of the images of violence that had passed across their TV and movie screens. I had seen some of those shows, so I only answered their perplexed, cynical gaze in the most polite way I knew how. “Well, real war anyway.”
I paused and most of the boys crossed their arms and huffed.
“No, no,” I continued, “You are not ready for the agony of battle or the sights that accompany it. But, I shall not lessen this story or its meaning. I will let you know when the Bruinduer war takes place and I will pause for a few moments. During that period, you can conjure up as many nasty sights and sounds that you wish, but I will not tell you of the cuts and bruises and pain and screams. I will not tell you of the soldiers who die in agony or the vilest of men who relish in the suffering of them. You will have to paint your own picture of that, and I pray that you will never have to see or experience the reality.” I took a deep breath and wet my dry throat. “You will know when the actual war takes place, but like I promised; I will pause.”
The children eyed each other with uncertainty, but they wanted to hear the rest of my story, and I wanted to finish it.
“Morning cracked the Bruinduer sky and JT opened his eyes. He had found himself in a very comfortable spot in a gigantic bed in the Godwin Castle. He liked that bed. It was the bed that Michael had let him sleep in the first night he was in Bruinduer. He was also happy that Michael realized he was on the monarch’s side and did not force him to return to the cold, steel bed of the Godwin prison.
The light of the morning was soft and the window to his room was opened to a beautiful, clear blue sky. JT didn’t pay any attention to it or he just didn’t notice, but the filmy haze that had covered the Bruinduer sky since JT had been there vanished. It seemed to him that whatever might happen next was becoming clearer. He gazed out of the window from his bed and enjoyed the moment but was startled by a bird that suddenly perched itself on the windowsill.
It wasn’t a small bird, maybe a foot tall. It was dark brown and its head shifted from side to side as it examined JT with concern and curiosity.
JT’s anxiety about the war and the events of the day before flushed from his body and he studied his new friend that had made its way to his window. What was this bird thinking? What problems did that bird have at this moment? Was it hungry? Had it been in some kind of fight, or had it killed another animal? What was troubling the bird, or was it troubled at all? Maybe the bird was feeling rather well that sunny morning and just wanted to stop by and say hello. The endless scenarios and plights of the bird ricocheted through JT’s brain.
He quickly pulled his blanket just to the bottom of his cheek. He did not want to lose the feeling of content he experienced at that moment. It is very rare when one finds themselves in a complete, comfortable spot in their bed, and I speak the truth when I say those times must be savored. He almost fell back into a quick sleep, but the door of his peaceful room flung open with a loud bang. The brown, curious bird scurried away from the windowsill.
JT pulled the covers over his head in a futile attempt to try and disappear. As he heard footsteps rustle on the floor, he heard a very familiar song.
Unable to keep his curiosity at bay, JT threw the covers from his head and in front of him were the twins, the fat man, and the skinny man that had bathed him when he first met Atal Leer after entering Bruinduer through the Mahogany Door.
The fat man sung his song with a voice like an organ, and the tones danced across the room in a celebratory, joyous fashion pitching up and down despite the event of the day. The four men were dressed in immaculate silk jackets, trousers, and boots with bright white turbans. The twins and skinny man pulled the reluctant JT from his bed and led him to another room where he was bathed just like he had been before.
The men laughed, danced, and sang as they splashed JT with hot water and scrubbed the filth that had accumulated on his body since traveling to Triton and back to Godwin. They washed the dirt and grime that had caked his skin after the Bridge of Common exploded and cleansed the sand from his packed pores that accumulated after he fell to the desert floor searching for Kali.
The bath was rather quick, but JT swore it had taken forever. When he was finished, the freshness made him feel like a new man. The happy brothers then wrapped him into a fine, crisp silk robe.
The twins, fat man, and skinny man led JT down the maze of corridors within the Godwin Castle and out into the great hall. They danced and sang and praised JT with every graceful step. They knew what he was going to embark on that day; they knew he was going to war. If he would not see them the next morning, the four brothers wanted his last memory of them to be one of joy.
The bathers led JT past Michael’s throne and to the small room that was off to the right where JT found himself during many discussions with Michael. The singing from the men abruptly stopped and the fat man with a deep voice announced through the door, JT’s presence.
‘Sire, he is here.’ The fat man glanced back at JT and then to his three companions. JT bowed very skittishly, and the men turned and sang and danced their way out of the great hall of the Godwin Castle. JT would definitely never forget them.
‘Come in, JT,’ JT heard the muffled, lispy voice of Michael say through the door.
JT cracked opened the door and peeped inside the room. He saw Michael sitting on his red pillow laden bench. His legs were crossed and he was wearing the same type of silk robe that JT donned.
‘It’s all right, JT. No arrests today.’ Michael smirked and patted the bench beside him.
JT shook his head agreeably, entered the room, and plopped down beside Michael.
A few seconds later the high-pitched voice of a young woman pierced through the door of the small room, ‘Sire, she is here.’
The door swayed open, and Kali stepped into the room. She stood very nervous also wearing the same type of robe as JT and Michael. She tried to keep the top of the robe clamped with her right hand and pulled on the bottom of it with her left
hand as to try to stretch its covering ability. Her hair was still damp from the bath she had just received.
‘Hi,’ stated Kali. ‘I wasn’t expecting this.’
‘Sorry,’ said Michael. ‘I have something important to say.’ Michael shooed JT from his perch on the bench.
JT walked over and stood beside Kali. ‘You OK?’ he asked Kali as she looked upon him with comforting eyes.
‘Yes, I’m fine. In fact I haven’t felt this good in quite a while. It’s weird –’
‘OK,’ Michael interrupted Kali. He reached for the bench and pulled the seat up. ‘I’m sorry I brought all of this to bear on you guys. I should have listened to JT and gotten this over with a long time ago. I should have just waited for you guys after we came through the Mahogany Door, got Charlie, and left Bruinduer forever. Everything that has transpired to this point shouldn’t have happened, and now, we have to go to war over my stupidity to fix this.’ Michael reached into the bench and pulled out a pile of clothes. ‘I kept these clothes after we came through the door and received yours from Atal. I think it’s time that we are who we really are instead of pretending to be something we aren’t, or at least in my case, something I definitely am not.’ Michael pointed at his crown which was lying on the floor in the farthest, darkest corner of the little, gas lit room. ‘Let’s finish our destiny here like we should’ve done in the first place.’ Michael plopped the clothes on the ground in front of their feet. ‘I think we should go into the Battle of the End as the group who started the adventures in the first place. I think it’s time to conjure up the BEC.’
JT felt a shot of adrenaline pierce his veins. It felt like a very right thing to do. The trust that lapsed between the two old chums began to materialize once again.
The three dressed (JT and Michael turned away from Kali as she dressed herself since it would not have been a gentlemanly thing to watch her) and stood in the small room as the reunited BEC. They had finally become the team they had created from the beginning of their adventures; the group that traveled through Bruinduer to manage and complete their adventures in Bruinduer.
‘General,’ Michael clasped JT’s shoulder with a shivering, reverent voice. ‘Captain,’ Michael reached and grabbed Kali’s elbow. He then shuffled over to the small bench, sat on top of it, and hung his head. Obvious tears flooded his eyes as he realized that he had betrayed his friends.
JT felt the urge to walk over to Michael, place his hand on his shoulder, and pronounce, ‘rabbit.’ He suddenly remembered that was what Billy called him as they went on adventures in Bruinduer, but JT mostly wanted to announce the nickname to sting him because the young skinny man from Athens Eden had definitely carried this adventure too far. JT remembered, however, Michael’s speech in the Chamber of Common and the passion that seeped from his voice. He remembered that Michael was willing to risk everything, including his life for the freedom of the people of Godwin as well as Triton. He admired him. He remembered he told Michael that he would follow him into battle, no matter what the cost may be to him, so any joking would have to wait.
JT shuffled his feet over to Michael, placed his hand gently on his right shoulder and squeezed.
Michael glanced up at JT; his eyes were red and had a glazed look to them.
‘Majesty,’ stated JT with a smile.
The three Bruinduer adventurers stared at each other for a few minutes before they decided to walk out of the little room, out of the great hall, and into the Bruinduer daylight.
It was very hard to understand what they were thinking. Were they doing the right thing, or was this just another in the series of disasters that would finalize their imminent doom?
JT hoped the war would end quickly. He was very squeamish at the prospects of getting injured by a weapon from the hands of another person. The thought of metal piercing his skin made him shudder. Despite this fear, he would do his best to fulfill his promise to Kali and keep her safe during the battle and also save Bruinduer.
Michael rubbed his hands together much like Tickler. His skin turned red, dry, and coarse. He had an idea of what the battle may be like, but he didn’t know how it would be for real. During The Battle for Godwin; the first, last, and only war he ever had with Charlie, he was not required to actually put his life on the line. It was the Triton king’s game to ‘formalize’ the formation of the two kingdoms. His nerves were electric and he pondered his past which led him to this moment. Could he put a lifetime of disappointment behind him and lead his army to victory? Whatever the outcome, he was determined to see at least JT and Kali through the battle that he was responsible for starting. Hopefully, one day, they could forgive him.
Kali’s tongue remained muted and she emptied her thoughts. She didn’t want to be there, it was obvious, but she realized that what was transpiring around her was much larger than any superficial shortcomings she projected onto Michael. She had seen the destruction that Charlie could accomplish firsthand, and she believed that if they did not act, Bruinduer would collapse and she would die. She wanted to go home.
JT, Kali, and Michael laid their apprehensions and concerns aside and walked out of the Godwin Castle. They had to shield their eyes from the blazing rays of the Bruinduer sun which shone brighter than they had seen since stepping through the Mahogany Door.
‘Go on ahead, Michael. I need to say something to Kali,’ JT stated and tugged Kali gently on her arm and held her back for a few steps. Michael walked slowly ahead of JT and Kali. Every few moments he would spy over his shoulder curious over the secrecy.
‘I want to tell you something,’ JT said to Kali in a low whisper; his throat was dry.
Kali stopped, lowered her head, and then gazed up at JT’s eyes waiting for his words.
With an awkward swallow, JT began, ‘I don’t know how to say this.’ He shuffled restlessly and rubbed his hands together. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t really had a chance to talk to you since all of this started. You know since we were led off to the Godwin prison.’ Michael snuck a peak back at the two talking and JT continued. ‘I know this has been real crappy. But there’s something I need for you to know.’ JT panned to the ground and slid his right foot back and forth in a semicircle. ‘I think...’ JT couldn’t find his words and stuttered ‘I... I... think...’
‘What JT? Are you going to tell me that you care for me, or that you might even love me?’ Kali blurted out in a snicker.
‘Well… I don’t...’ JT scratched the back of his head.
‘Forget about it. This isn’t you.’ Kali shook her head. ‘I was just hoping that you would tell me goodbye.’ She smiled at JT, and JT’s eyes widened. ‘That is, if we even make it through this thing.’
JT had no idea how to respond.
‘Um,’ JT stumbled over the words he wanted to say. He wanted to tell the beautiful girl with the fire blue eyes that he cared for her, but he thought quickly about the response she might have when he told her what he really wanted to say. He turned his body slightly to guard against a possible unwelcome punch. ‘I don’t want you to fight in this war,’ JT got the words out, but they were followed with a long pause; every second that passed, the anger rose in Kali.
‘Why JT?’ Kali retorted and slapped JT’s side that he carefully placed between him and a rogue reaction. ‘Is it because I’m a woman?’
‘No.’ JT’s brain locked. ‘Well - I mean -’ the hole he was digging with Kali grew deeper. ‘I thought that you wouldn’t want to fight because you want to leave and you were injured in the bridge explosion and last time you were here...’ He paused, his thoughts betraying him. ‘Plus there is something else I really want you to do. I only can trust...’
‘What is it that you want me to do, JT?’ Kali stated with sarcasm she hadn’t displayed since being in front of Warhead Dale chastising Michael as they scaled the gate. ‘You want me to wash your clothes? Hey! I know… you want me to cook you and Michael up a victory meal after the war?’ Kali grunted, threw her hands into the air, and whirled away stor
ming toward Michael who had noticed the fight.
‘So much for that whole timid, indifferent act since we’ve been here,’ JT mumbled under his breath. ‘I just wanted to be caring and all...’
Kali stopped, because she heard the tail end of JT’s remarks. She turned back to him and pointed her finger while she placed her other hand on her hip. ‘Listen up! I have just as much at stake here as you, and if you really cared about me, you’d know that I would never turn my back on my friends!’ She took a very deep and long breath trying to calm her emotions. ‘And you’d also know that I don’t need to be coddled by some stupid boy!’
JT remained silent and somewhat beleaguered. He didn’t feel like fighting with Kali. He tossed his hands in the air and jogged to catch up with Michael. Michael gazed at JT and shook his head. ‘You’ll never learn.’
‘Whatever,’ answered JT.
The three stepped down the Godwin palace steps and met in front of a large caravan of troops (certainly not the entire army) on horses carrying white flags that rustled and beat in the wind.
A tall, thick Godwin guard with a red beard and worn, rugged face stood confidently at the bottom of the steps and held the leather reins of a beautiful white stallion.
‘You’re Majesty, your horse is ready,’ the guard stated with a commanding but gentle tone and the horse blew out a heavy breath. Its white hair bounced up and down as though in approval of Michael’s presence.
‘Good boy,’ Michael whispered as he leapt on top of his mount. He nestled comfortably in the saddle as though it was second nature.
‘I never knew you rode.’ JT looked up at Michael as the young monarch turned the horse in a circle.
‘This is Justice,’ Michael stated. ‘I’ve been riding now for some three years - since I became king.’ Michael petted Justice’s head. ‘To tell you the truth, I only started to ride because I knew you wanted to ride.’
‘I told you, you took him under your wing,’ Kali stated and nudged JT.
‘Oh yeah, I almost forgot.’ Michael pointed back over his shoulder. ‘Here come your two rides.’
Kali and JT’s eyes bulged. Guided by two Godwin guards, Joshua and Gabriel trotted beside the caravan of soldiers. They gracefully kicked up to the obviously ecstatic JT and Kali. The two horses were brushed and bathed and appeared as though they had never seen an ounce of dirt. Their smooth black coats glimmered in the sunlight and the majestic animals lifted their legs high as they marched confidently to the sides of their riders.
‘It’s so good to see you my friend,’ JT explained to Joshua. Joshua buried his nose under JT’s hand and let out a light, happy whinny.
Kali hung her arms around the neck of Gabriel and the horse rocked back and forth with delight at seeing the young woman. ‘I thought I would never see you again.’ Kali leaned in to the horse and patted him on the neck.
‘I’d hoped this would be to your liking,’ Michael stated as JT and Kali bounced on top of Joshua and Gabriel. ‘Some of the guards told me that these horses were wandering around last night looking for something. They said they were covered with dust and grim that could’ve only come from the explosion. I guessed you had ridden them last. Not too many horses around here with burning eyes like those.’ Michael looked on at the happy reunion with a smile. ‘I’m glad I guessed right.’
JT nodded to Michael and jammed his foot into Joshua’s side. ‘Let’s ride.’ The caravan rode off to the desert.
The lead caravan wound its way down the roads of Godwin. Women and children lined the rock filled streets to watch their warriors pass. Some children even raced beside the brigade until their breaths gave out, but most of the streets were dead of activity. JT happened to notice surprisingly that the day became more beautiful as the minutes passed, and for some weird reason, he actually felt good about what he was about to do.
The caravan crested over its last turn before the leaders came in full view of the Desert of Share. As they did, JT’s mouth fell open wide.
‘You have got to be kidding me,’ he mumbled as he tried to hide the utter horror that filled his eyes.
In the distance, JT saw the rest of the Godwin and Triton armies facing each other. On the side closest to him, a sea of Godwin soldiers dressed in blue faced an ocean of Triton guards dressed in black on their opposite. The white flags of Godwin and the red flags of Triton rose like hundreds of small sailboats navigating those same waters. JT could hardly see the desert floor through the mass of humanity prepared for battle.
JT peered over his left shoulder where the Chamber of Common had stood the day before, but apparently over the evening, it had disappeared.
‘I guess there will be no more negotiating,’ JT said as his caravan passed the empty spot where the Chamber once stood.
The Bruinduer sun crept stealthily higher in the sky as JT, Kali, Michael, and the brigade of Godwin guards rode toward the hot, sand laden battlefield. As the sun hung right above them, the team found its way to the Godwin side and the sea of soldiers parted letting Michael, JT, Kali, and the others pass through so they could take their place at the front of the army. As they passed, soldiers erupted in cheers and screams of approval and salutation. The sun shone brilliantly off the metal blades of swords some soldiers waved in the air. Others violently waved turbans and snapped their flags in the Bruinduer sky. Chills ran up and down JT’s spine from the outcry, and after a long pass and review, he, Michael, Kali, and the rest of the Godwin caravan from the castle halted at the lead of the army.
JT scanned across the hundred yards that separated the two armies. The Triton army stood as still as a planted forest of stone, and their red flags waved ever so gently in the crisp, warm breeze. He saw Charlie in the lead of his army dressed in golden armor with three soldiers flanking him with red flags mounted on large black horses that looked more like rabid beasts than graceful animals. Tickler, suited in gray armor was mounted on a quite smaller horse on the monarch’s left.
In a very arrogant way, JT thought he saw Charlie wave to them from the other side; his golden hand sparkled in the sunlight.
Fifty yards between the armies was a very defined line that once was the large, water-filled ravine where the Bridge of Common landmark had stood. JT panned up and down the length of the line. In the center he noticed that large steel fragments of the former bridge jutted out of the sand where the land closed on top of it forcing the spires of metal, cable, and beams into the air. A bitter cold shot through JT’s body as he recalled the memory, the heat, the screams, the chaos, and the pain after the impressive structure had exploded. Now nothing was left but bits and pieces growing from the desert floor pointing to the heavens.
‘That shaking yesterday,’ stated JT as he glanced back toward Michael.
‘Yeah?’ Michael answered puzzled.
‘That must have been the desert closing together,’ JT responded.
‘Uh huh,’ Michael replied with indifference.
After a few minutes passed, the Godwin side settled and returned to a posture just as statuesque as the Triton army. Michael stared toward Charlie and JT knew that Charlie was staring back at them. JT peered at Michael for a few seconds, and then glanced toward Charlie. He repeated this for nearly five minutes. The suspense was ripe.
‘So now what?’ JT asked, breaking the tension. He rocked back and forth on Joshua almost as though he were ready to start the war with a charge. For some reason deep within he was ready to fight. The aura of battle and the ancient warrior cloaked over him. He knew what to do. The pieces of metal that punched through the desert sent fire through his veins. He wanted revenge. The fear he felt about the metal slashing his body disappeared.
Michael said nothing.
‘We go and talk,’ Kali stated.
‘Talk?’ JT answered angrily. ‘He killed all those people.’ His mind was fuzzy. The excitement of war now penetrated his body. Hate now engulfed him.
Michael recoiled at JT’s willingness to fight.
‘JT, thi
nk,’ Kali stated. ‘Maybe we can end this right now without fighting. You’re losing your focus. Maybe Charlie really doesn’t want to fight. Maybe we can convince him just to go home.’
‘Not likely,’ Michael stated. ‘Remember, it has been 150 years for him here in Bruinduer with his power. It won’t be easy. He likes stuff like this. Remember? It’s just a game to him.’
‘Well, I think it’s a chance worth taking,’ said Kali. She wanted to be levelheaded about this.
JT gritted his teeth and circled with Joshua. He nodded his head. ‘OK, OK!’ He calmed the rush that pierced his body. ‘We’ll go and talk, but I agree with Michael. I don’t think we’re leaving this battlefield without a war.’
Kali sank her heels into Gabriel’s side. JT and Michael followed. They would meet Charlie, Tickler, and three Triton guards in the middle of the battlefield; flags waving.”