Running. 

Luisa and Finn’s scougers were running. Feet and paws pounded the stone as they tore through the corridors heading towards her royal quarters. The foreboding she had felt had not dissipated. But Luisa ran hard, keeping up with the scougers; her lungs now coping comfortably.  Her sword hummed at her side, her pendant, throbbed as it bounced on her chest. She rounded the corner to her quarters and stopped short. Laid outside her door was a guard, his neck twisted horribly.  The door to her room was ajar. She crept forward, unsheathing her sword and nodded to the scougers; they fanned behind her. Luisa carefully pushed the door open and stepped through.

Inside was Darcius holding Clearwater hostage, his curved dagger tightly pressed under Clearwater’s throat. He was surrounded by his scougers all had their weapons drawn.

“Well hello Princess.”

“Darcius,” Luisa stared hard at Darcius, staring deep into his blue eyes into his black soul.

Darcius smiled back at her, his eyes flicking around at Luisa’s catains, weighing up their numbers.

“We find ourselves in a predicament, Princess.  Let me put it to you simply; if you want Clearwater to live you will open the Royal Weapons chest.  Immediately.”

“Don’t…hnnh” Clearwater squirmed as Darcius’ paw crushed the sound from her throat.

“Shh-shhhh, quiet now little one… Princess?” He gestured at the case.

Luisa continued to stare Darcius down.  She squeezed the handle of her sword, her free hand balled into a fist as she clenched and unclenched her jaw. Electricity worked up and down her spine. 

I have no choice. 

Looking at the case across the side of the room she could feel its presence, its spirit.  Like the mechanism was now part of her.  Locking eyes with Darcius, she flicked her hand and the lid of the giant chest flew open like it had been struck by a wrecking ball, the whole case shook back and forward. 

Every catain in the room jumped back, shocked at the energy that crackled through the room. Darcius’ eyes grew wide and Luisa smiled grimly.

That surprised him.

 Darcius edged round, still holding Clearwater in front of him.  He nodded at his scougers, and three catains went over to the chest, straining and pulling, they dragged out the giant sword that lay in the bottom.  Others, warily, almost guiltily, helped themselves to the other weapons from the case.

“Now… we leave…”

Luisa’s mind raced, what did they want with that sword?

Darcius’ tooled-up party edged through, each catain’s hackles were raised on both sides. Luisa could feel the tension as Darcius catains passed, a sword clinked and a threatening hiss came from Finn’s scougers.

“Easy…” Luisa warned. “Let these cowards go.” Luisa stared Darcius down the whole way.

They were through the door, and Darcius turned still backing away, Clearwater in front of him.

“A wise choice Princess. If I sense you coming after us, just know that I’ll slit her sweet throat.”

The last one of Darcius’ catains closed the door. Every pair of eyes turned to Luisa.

She looked down for a moment and took a deep breath.  Carefully she opened her door and peeked out, she could hear the scraping of the giant sword being dragged along the stone floor becoming faint.  

“We need to get to Finn, as quickly and quietly as possible.”

*  *  *

Darcius threw Clearwater to another scouger.

“She may be useful, if she struggles; kill her.”

He turned to his scougers, fiercely looking at each one in turn.

“Scougers.  Our time has come.  We will free Cataindar! You all know what to do. Make haste and good luck.”

Darcius took over dragging the huge sword. Throwing a cloak over its great length he began the journey to drag it deep into the hidden depths of Cataindar.

*  *  *

King Groath paced the few steps he could take back and forth in his chamber, his chains clinked together, his arms tingled, every sense of his was alert, waiting to hear the catain arrive.  He thought he had heard him several times, and had frozen motionless with his eyes shut, but he had heard nothing but the beating of his giant heart.

But wait! What was that? 

He strained his ears, he could hear something, in the far distance.  He froze, closing his eyes and tilting his head, focusing in on the sound. It was an incredibly faint scraping.  He heard the distinct ca-clunk as a door in the distance was unlocked… and then the scraping continued. Agonizing minutes dripped by, as the scraping got louder, more heavy doors were unlocked.  He could hear the clatter as Darcius descended the stone steps that led down to his level, the darkest, most secure place in Cataindar; his prison. He could hear Darcius panting, he could hear each footstep, the light under the cell door brighten as Darcius got closer and closer.

Darcius was at his door, finally.

He could hear the catain rest against it for a moment.  The King drew himself up to his full height, and called out.

“Come Darcius, now is no time for rest,”

He heard Darcius let out a tired laugh.  Gears spun and crunched as Darcius unlocked his cell door.

And then the door shoved open an inch.  Light blazed through.

Another inch.

Another.

Light again filled his cell.

The King closed his eyes.  He tried not to be overwhelmed.  But his mind recalled the years, a lifetime, in this cell.  He thought of his wife, his children, his army, the Ratains. 

Will I see them again?

His great chest shook and tears fell down his scarred face.  Through his eyelids he could feel his room was filled with light. He took a deep breath.

He opened his eyes to see it.  Darcius, fur clumped together with sweat, and in his arms covered in a cloth was a giant sword. 

He held Draig.

His beautiful, perfect sword.

Darcius looked up with him, with a small smile.

“What is a King without his sword?”

King Groath could do nothing but stare agape at his long lost sword. Its beauty. Its perfect construction.  His body ached to hold it again. He lifted his chained paw up to it and the dewin stones inlaid along it’s blade responded, glowing a gentle red, as the sword sensed him.  He could feel their power course through his veins. 

*  *  *

Darcius was exhausted from heaving the sword, but the incredible power flowing from the sword filled him with a dark crackling energy. He blinked and shook his head.  Pulling himself up he stared up at the king.

“Are you ready to be free?”

King Groath gave him a sharp nod and with a great twist extended his arm across, the limb pulling the great chains taut against the wall.  Darcius slid his sword from his back. With a shout he whipped the blade down, and with a loud ‘chiing’ the first chain was cut.  The ratain king shook out his arm, and then slowly repeated the manoeuvre on the other side.  Again, with a blue and silver blur Darcius cut through the chain.

The chains that had bound him were cut.

Darcius had an unchained ratain infront of him. 

Darcius backed, slowly away, out into the corridor, his sword still warily in his paw.

--

Thank you so very much for reading my friends! If you are enjoying - and at this point I really hope you are - please vote and leave a little comment!

You guys helped Cataindar in a massive way this week - those votes and comments helped the novel hit the no.1 spot again in Action-Fantasy! So thank you!

As always- I just love hearing what you think :-)

I'm doing  a road-trip to Winnipeg today - having some fun in one of the last weekends of Saskatchewan sun. 

Ill also have a pretty sweet suprise for you Darcius fans on Monday :-) have a great weekend everyone!