Judgment game of lords b.., p.7
Judgment (Game of Lords Book 3), page 7
“What! I have not heard any of this.” Rana stood in disbelief at his comment. He had never lied to her before. Was he lying now? No, he would not, he loved her, and deep down, she would always love him.
“Just last week, Adon was caught at one of our rallies. He was spying on us.”
“Caught? Adon? That makes no sense.”
Luminé stood up and began to pace. “I must have the sword as a bargaining chip. It possesses power. I need this power to keep things under control to bargain with the Lords.”
“Why do you need me to help?”
“Because it is hidden on the Dark Mountain. I cannot get to it.”
“But how did it get there?”
“I don’t know how it got there, but I have found it, and it does not matter. I must have it, or I will have no power. Will you get it for me?”
Rana stopped. Something was wrong. She felt it. But what? In the old days she would do anything for Luminé. Was it her love for Michael? Was it his influence? “I don’t know if…”
“Rana, please. We have been friends and lovers from the beginning. We have always been destined to be for each other. I am asking you one last favor. As remediation for you… for you not coming with me… ” He looked down, hoping he had swayed her.
Rana had disappointed him once. She would do this, and then be done with him. She said, “All right. I will get it. Tell me where it is. I will bring it here tonight after midnight.”
Discontent
Luminé raced back to the Southern Realm, flying various routes to remain unseen. The guard network established by the Archangels was centered over the normal routes between lands. They did not imagine Luminé would fly right over the various realms in plain sight, wearing only a modest covering on his head as a disguise. As he flew, he looked down over the villages and cities of Heaven’s realms. They seemed so much more vibrant and alive than his own land. Life was teeming and active. His kingdom seemed to be stalled, full of chaos. Perhaps they just needed time to get organized. It was beginning to anger him, and he began blaming his inept Archangels.
But he dismissed his thoughts and focused on what was at hand. Tonight, he would have the Golden Sword and all the power it possessed. He was not sure what he would do with it, but he was well aware of the Prophecy. Possessing it had to come with power, and at the very least, bargaining power. It would allow him to keep Legion at bay by denying him the thing he wanted most. It would also give him an ace in negotiations with the Lords, negotiations he was sure would ensue for a myriad of reasons.
As he made his way to the final stretch of the open sea, he headed far west to elude any possible guard activity before flying across the sea to Luminare. As he neared, he could see a crowd of Angels in the courtyard of his palace, rioting. He landed in their midst and shouted, “What is the meaning of this!”
“You promised us a better life, Luminé!” one Angel said. “Now, we barely have enough land!”
Luminé grew enraged and he shouted, “All of you go back to your homes. I will meet with the Archangels tomorrow to find out what needs to be done.”
“I will tell you what needs to be done!” one Angel said, as he drew his sword. Luminé stepped up, skillfully drawing his sword, hopping forward, and knocked the sword out of his hands in three quick maneuvers. He put the point of his sword at the stunned Angel’s neck, clenched his teeth, and said, “Would you like to join those Angels over there in the Dark Cages?”
“No… no,” came the quivering reply.
Luminé pressed the sword in, cutting his neck, then kicked him away. “Go now, all of you. There will be an announcement tomorrow night.”
The crowd dwindled away.
Luminé stormed up the stairs and into the Throne Room. Oxana was waiting, sitting calmly on her throne.
“What happened?” he demanded.
“The Angels are not content for many reasons.”
“What are they upset about?”
“They gave me their list.” She unfurled a parchment and began to read. “For one thing, they all have to build their own homes. In Heaven, everything was provided for them. They also are complaining that there is not as much land available as there was in Heaven.”
“There is plenty of land!” he said scoffing.
“I know there is, but they are comparing it to Heaven, Luminé.”
Luminé gritted his teeth and walked to the window. He had not expected all these headaches. Filled with frustrated rage, he shouted, “Call a meeting with the Archangels now.”
Oxana nodded. “Of course, but before we do there is one more problem you need to be aware of.”
“What?”
Oxana glanced down at the bottom of the parchment, then looked back up, saying, “There are not enough females.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When we left, a great deal more male Angels came than females.”
“Well… what do I care? They have to figure it out.”
“It’s a problem. I have heard of many of the females being taken advantage of. There is an undercurrent of vile lawlessness growing.” She paused, watching his reaction, not wishing to alarm him, yet needing for him to take it seriously. She finally added, “It scares me.”
Luminé turned back to the window, scanning the horizon of his kingdom. “We will deal with them all. Do not worry. I have secured a way to get the Golden Sword tonight.”
Oxana’s eyes widened. “She agreed?”
“Yes, she did. It was too easy to convince her. I am to go there tonight after midnight.”
“Be careful. They are establishing guards all along the border. I have heard it is getting very difficult to get through.”
“Heard from who?”
Oxana smiled. “I have my spies, Luminé. Former friends, loyal to me. Go to the Earth first. From there, go to the Heavens from the North. The guard is weak there in the evening.”
Luminé gazed into her eyes. She was beautiful, cunning, capable, and once again anticipating his every need. He pulled her closer, holding her waist. “Oxana, you are truly a Queen.”
“You’re not so bad yourself.” She smiled seductively.
Luminé took her by the hand. “Come, my love.”
The Sword
Later that evening, Rana left her home and rode her horse across the 6th Heavenly Realm's dark fields. She wanted to go as far as possible on land to be least noticed. She had no problem with any of the border guards. After all, she was an Archangel and dating an Archangel, and everyone knew it, giving her special permission and access. But still, tonight, it was best to remain under the radar as much as possible. When she reached the coast, she vaulted into the sky, swinging along the coast to avoid Holy Mountain. She aimed straight toward Dark Mountain where hers and Michael’s forces were on guard.
She reached the opposite bank and got into a boat and went across. As soon as she landed, two guards with torches came out. “Archangel Rana? What are you doing here?”
“I have to inspect our night defenses. Who is in charge?”
“Timothy. He is up on the plateau.”
“Good, give me a torch. I will go up and see him.”
Once Rana reached the top, she summoned Timothy. “Timothy, show me where our guards are stationed.”
Timothy walked with her around the perimeter of the large plateau, pointing downward to the various parts of the mountain leading up to the dark watery abyss in the center of the plateau. When they were on the North side, Rana said, “Who is down there, along this Northerly Western portion?”
“Two guards are stationed below.”
“Good, say nothing. I am going for a walk to see how attentive they are.” She started down a path along the side of the mountain, weaving her way to the place Luminé told her he had hidden the sword. Foreboding swept up her spine. Was she doing something wrong here? Would she be better to find the sword and bring it to the Lords, winning the favor of them, as well as Michael? No, she didn’t need that. Everything was going fine for her, and she owed Luminé. She would do him this favor and be done with him. Even as she thought it, she wondered if it was wise to give him such power. But, she reasoned, he and his Angels were separate now, living in the Southern Realm. What real harm could it do to give him a bit more power so he could rule his realm effectively?
When she was nearly halfway down the mountainside, an authoritative female voice rang out. “Halt, who goes there?”
“It is I, Archangel Rana.”
“Stay where you are,” said the Angel.
Rana waited, listening to the Angel call to the other guard, “Hey! Get over here.”
Within a few moments, both guards were there.
Rana said, “It took entirely too long for you two to discover me. Go at once and tell Timothy that I want at least two more guards put on every side of the mountain. Draw up a plan and implement it first thing tomorrow morning.”
“But who will guard while we are gone?”
“I will stay here,” she replied. “Go! Now!”
“Yes, Archangel Rana.” They turned and began climbing to the top.
As soon as they were on their way, Rana turned her attention to finding the marker. She had little time. Luminé said it was near a group of very large boulders just off a curved path, next to a big fallen tree. The sword was underneath a group of stones arranged ten feet up the base of the fallen tree. She hustled down the path with her torch, anxiously looking left and right for the obscure markers.
~ ~ ~ ~
Michael jolted awake. A cougar had appeared in his dream and snarled at him menacingly. He calmed his racing heart, wondering if the dream had any meaning. His sleep had been fitful lately. Ever since Luminé and his followers had left, he felt uneasy. Many in his own ranks surprised him by going with Luminé, but even more of Rana’s realm had done so and abandoned their homes. A good number of them were from the ranks of those assigned to guard the Dark Mountain. He was angry with them all. Fools, who had followed Luminé to their own demise, was the only way he could characterize them.
He looked out at the moon, then rolled over and tried to get back to sleep, but he could not. After lying there for a while he gave up and decided to check on the guards. He flew to the Dark Mountain, got in a boat, and crossed. When he reached the other side, two guards came out. “Great Michael, what are you doing here?”
“Can I not inspect my guards any time I want?”
“Of course.” He bowed. “It’s just that Rana is also here doing the same thing.”
“Rana? Now?”
“Yes, she went up to see Timothy a little while ago.”
Michael took one of their torches, saying, “I need to borrow this.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Rana hustled along the path, guiding the torch left and right, desperately looking for the large group of strategically placed boulders. Time was running out as the guards would be back any minute. She needed to get the sword and get out of there. Once she picked it up, she would be in an unexplainable predicament if she were caught.
“There they are.” She ran over and held the light close, then looked for the fallen tree as she hopped off the path over the boulders and held the torch to the base of the tree. She walked ten feet along the trunk, holding the light low as it illuminated the ground. The collection of stones sat neatly piled. She dropped to her knees. One by one, she lifted the stones aside, brushing dirt away as she went. Then she saw it, a glimmer of metal shining up at her. Her eyes widened as she ran her hands along the golden blade and picked up the sword, marveling at its beauty in the dimming light of the torch.
“Rana!” came a loud familiar shout from not too far away.
She looked up in a panic. It was Michael. She stood, took her own sword out of its sheath, and placed the Golden Sword in its place. She dropped to her knees again and pressed her sword into the dirt, then covered it, before hopping back onto the path.
“Rana? What are you doing?”
Michael was standing in front of her. Had he seen her come out of the path. “Michael?” she said as she casually placed her tunic over the handle of the sword.
“Why are you here?”
“I… I was testing our defenses. I sent the guards to inform our leaders to come up with a better plan. They completely missed my arrival, too slow to respond, not acceptable.”
Michael knew something was amiss. Her words were hurried, and her voice frantic. It was subtle, but he knew her well. He had interrupted something.
“Rana, what is really going on?”
She froze. He had said it as if he knew something. “Nothing is going on,” she insisted. “Except that the guards are not doing their jobs!”
Michael sensed she was lying. But why? He said in an authoritative tone, “We will speak to them together then.”
Rana nodded and walked past him, heading up the path. Michael glanced over at the place he had seen her come out of the woods, then followed her up the path.
“Rana!” he called out. She stopped and turned, careful to conceal the sword.
“I have been thinking about us.”
“What about us?”
“I want to take a break. I need some time to think things over.”
Rana felt her heart drop within her. She turned and stormed off.
Luminé Waits
Luminé waited at the shore not far from the entrance to Rana’s seaside home. He had been there for several hours and was growing anxious, but then she appeared. She was hunched over, walking at a slow, deliberate pace. She looked bothered, aggravated. He had never before seen her like this, and he knew he had asked her to do the impossible. Perhaps she had failed. He would have to convince her to try again.
He watched her go into her home, waited a few more moments to be sure no one was watching, then went to the door. She opened it, her face drawn. The light she always had when their eyes met was gone, gone in a way that made Luminé realize it would never return.
He asked, “Do you have it?”
“Yes, I have it.” Her words sounded far away. She pulled the Golden Sword out of her sheath and brandished it in the air. “Here. Here is your damn sword.”
Luminé reached for it, but she stepped back. “No, Luminé. You don’t just get what you want and leave.”
“Don’t be silly, Rana.”
She pointed the sword at him and touched it to his stomach. She thought of losing Michael, and she wanted to ram it right through Luminé’s gut. Her eyes narrowed, and she readied herself. “Will you continue to bother me, asking me to do what I don’t want to?”
“Look Rana, you owed me… ”
She thrust the sword at him, piercing his skin, then swiped, cutting his arm. Luminé shouted in pain, and she screamed, “I owe you nothing!” She threw the sword at him, shouting, “Get out!”
~ ~ ~ ~
As he flew towards Luminare, he had expected to feel triumphant, like a conqueror. Instead, he felt low, having had to beg, and hide, and travel in secret. Even now, upon his arrival back to his kingdom, there was no one to share in the glorious thing he had accomplished. He had the Golden Sword, the sword of the Prophecy. Accolades and applause should be his, but he had nothing but trouble and discontent. He was worried about Oxana’s true allegiance, too. Her casual conversation with Legion had to be more than she was alluding to. He was unsure whether he could truly trust her. Yes, she had professed her undying allegiance, but why did Legion keep crossing her path?
He walked into the compound with his eyes down and his shoulders tense, ignoring the greetings of his guards, and went in to see Oxana.
Oxana was sitting in their temporary living quarters, going over some of the building drawings when she saw him. She stood up expectantly and asked, “Do you have it?”
“Yes, I have it.”
“Let me see it!” she said.
He pulled it out and brandished it in front of her.
Oxana’s eyes marveled at it. “It is magnificent, Luminé. Where will we keep it?”
“I have not decided yet.” He had already decided he would hide it someplace she would not know. “Perhaps my quarters would be safest,” he lied, watching her soak it in, knowing something was amiss. He would keep this power to himself. He may use her to help him discover what powers it truly held, or who perhaps they should wield those powers against, but she would never possess it.
He held it aloft, brandishing it, feeling a sense of power he had never felt before. Later that evening, after Oxana had excused herself, he went to his room and opened a large wooden chest. He pulled out a parchment where he had written down the Prophecy long ago, went back to his living room, and sat down to slowly read it.
The Prophecy
In the tree the secret lies
The ancient seed, bearing life
Whose fruits reveal both dark and light
And opens eyes to the age of strife.
When sea doeth yield the Golden Sword,
Forged and burnished from the fire,
The virgin warrior again will rise.
Bringing hope to listless band.
When armies face eternal doom
And the holy one is lost for good
The feared day has now arrived
Darkness reigns, yet even still…
The fiery column signals time
Seven days, no more may pass
But yea, cannot beyond delay
For sunset yields eternal night
If the fire consumes the host,
Unto the end, the dark must go
And Sacrifice will save the day,
And Sacrifice will save the day.
Luminé looked up, confused, and said aloud, “Why would the sea yield the Golden Sword? I have it here in my hands. This makes no sense.” He pondered it for a while. No one had ever been able to make sense of it.
Regardless, he had it. The long talked of and sought after sword was his now, yet it was not safe. He needed it hidden. He needed it close by. He looked around and went to the Throne Room, where he spent most of his time and which was most heavily guarded. There were a few places, but he knew having it out of his sight would wreak havoc on his nerves. Oxana would undoubtedly be looking in his quarters. He gritted his teeth, unable to think clearly, and silently moved around the throne, examining the freshly built wooden floor. He moved his throne aside and lifted back the rug, took his dagger and quietly pried the floorboard up, careful not to make noise.
