Kae willed his Life Force, his essence, to take shape inside his chest and called his separated self to his side. A translucent, but wholly recognizable copy of his proper body stood beside him. All around, the separated selves of the other Protectors sprung up at Entan’s order, doubling their number.
As always, the separated self gave Kae a heightened awareness of all around him. Kae’s heart and mind filled with fear, excitement, expectation of death, lethargy, and terror of the men and women inside the walls. He could hardly distinguish his own emotions from those of the people around him.
An older warrior, a band of gold encircling his head, approached. Entan stepped forward to clasp hands with him. “Thank you for coming, my friends! I am King Yadi. We had begun to fear none of out ancient allies would answer the call.”
Entan released the king’s hand and swept it to show all the Protectors. “I’ve brought fifty men, more than enough. What is the nature of the threat you face?”
“Orcs. Vile creatures you have no knowledge of in your lands. They have no mercy and less love for men. And this time, I fear they mean to destroy us!”
Orcs?
Resolution and purpose emanated from the Protectors, yet fear mingled there as well.
“The less time we lose on talk, the better then. We will form up there.” Entan pointed to the wall over the gate. Sunlight reflected blindingly off the armor of the soldiers lining it. “I take it you will not insist of a central command?”
Yadi shook his head. “No. I am grateful beyond words that you have come. My only plea is that you help me save my people from annihilation.”
Entan ordered the Protectors to climb the wide stone stairs to the top of the wall. Men and women in heavy steel armor watched them pass.
“How do they hope to survive? They wear no armor, and those staffs and thin swords will simply break against the tough hide of the Orcs.” The woman who spoke laughed a bitter laugh.
How wrong she is!
The sword of every Protector could cut through armor, and the two staffs each carried on their backs were known to split rock if wielded correctly, let alone skulls.
Yet Kae could not blame this woman for her ignorance. They still wore armor here and used heavy, broad swords. No wonder they needed help.
The fifty-first Protector didn’t join any of the corps, but walked a few steps behind them now. Kae crouched on the ground, pretending to fasten the leather ribbons that held his boot tight against his calf.
As the man passed him, Kae looked up and saw his eyes beneath the black hood.
His heart stopped in his chest. It cannot be. He can’t be this dumb!
Kae leapt up and grabbed the man’s arm to halt him and pull him closer. “Baynard, you fool! What are you doing here? You are a priest, not a Protector!”
The fear rising in Kae’s chest was all his own this time.
Baynard yanked his arm from Kae’s grasp and removed his scarf. “The people of Ebulon need help. I heard their call too, but when I asked the Head Priest to send a party of priests to aid in the fighting, he refused. He told me he doesn’t even expect any of you to return and would not risk priests to the same losing cause.”
“And still you came? Why?” Kae had known Baynard since they were boys. Baynard became a priest, Kae a Protector. Different roles, different training. Kae gave Baynard secret lessons from time to time, but it was one thing to practice sword fighting on fine afternoons, another to fight Orcs. “You can’t hope to win any real battles, Baynard?”
Color rose in Baynard’s cheeks. “I came because the Head Priest is wrong. Priests are needed here, if for nothing else than to assist you all.”
Kae, come! Entan called on the air.
“Nothing for it, what’s done is done. Stay near me. I’ll keep you from harm. Let’s hope we survive this and return home!” Kae ran up the stone steps to join the Protectors.
His separated self was no longer just a replica of his proper body. It shone from inside with red light now, yet did not burn. Still, Kae feared it would start to, just as it did when last he used it for too long.
“Can you use your separated self, Baynard?” Kae asked as they reached the top of the wall.
Baynard’s separated self appeared beside him, a near solid copy of the young priest. Kae’s waved to it, but it didn’t see. The priest could not see another’s separated self either. None but Kae could do such a thing.
“I can do things with my separated self you have never even heard of,” Baynard replied. “Do not fear for me. I can well take care of myself.”
Boastful, but likely Baynard had simply spoken the simple truth. Kae only found out about the separated self a few days ago, and so far no one explained much beyond that. Still, his separated self could travel farther than anyone else’s, could see others’ where none could see his. Now it burned with red shimmering flames. Nothing Kae did would douse the flames, not imagining the river that always brought calm, not the visions of rain shielding it, not concentrating on Entan’s orders as he revealed the battle plan.
The vile stench in the air grew worse up on the wall. Like rotting fish and rotting meat mixed together in a pot of old blood, with a heavy helping of a decaying animal corpse, seasoned with rotten flowers. Then boiled.
Kae let the river flowing though his mind wash away the stench.
“Perhaps these Orcs fight by smell alone,” Baynard whispered, but straightened as Entan’s gaze locked on him.
Pay attention! Entan’s voice came on the wind.
The Captain turned to Kae. “Send your separated self out to scan the area surrounding the castle. Tell me how many Orcs there are, how far from the walls their camp lies, what they look like.”
Kae nodded. His separated self already stood on the ridge near the horizon line. Baynard’s separated self appeared beside his. The valley below was filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes, some looked like giant rocks, bits of sheer wall broken off.
Is that where we are, near the Mountains of Giants?
Kae was born in a village at the foot of those grand mountains, lived in their shadow until the bandits burned down his home and killed his parents. Kae only survived because Entan and the Protectors came just in time to drive the bandits away.
No, it cannot be!
Giants no longer existed. Besides, the creatures swarming in the valley below him were no giants! Some were taller than men, others much shorter.
The nauseating stench in the air came from them, and mixed here with dung they burned to stay warm. Yet filtered through his separated self, the smell was easier to bear.
The Orcs were preparing to attack. The steady, monotonous beating of drums grew louder and louder. Torturous, like listening to water drip from a pipe at the castle, while watching Issa eat and not able to join her.
Issa would just be waking now. Would she wait for me this morning, as she waited yesterday?
Such thoughts were useless, pointless and painful. Kae was no longer Issa’s Guardian. The priests had never allowed Protectors to love. Issa and Kae had no future. Kae’s future was with the Protectors.
Kae had no future if all these vile creatures attacked the walls of Ebulon. Thousands upon thousands mingled and jostled in the valley.
The skin of his separated self glowed a shimmering red now, began to burn. But not as it had after Kae had used it for too long. This was a slow, quiet, seething burning, like a predator ready to pounce.
As the Orcs began to form up for battle, ten catapults were revealed. They meant to take down the walls of Ebulon and make short work of it, judging by the size of the boulders stacked on leather sheets ready to be carried.