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| Risks Taken | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Late that night, while Chilandrea gathered what tools and ingredients she needed for the next morning, she felt a strange presence. She hid the objects quickly under her bed as Molandra appeared. "Good evening, Chilandrea," she said. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Good evening, All High Priestess. Is there something you wish to discuss?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I just wanted to see how you were doing. You do know that your wedding grows nearer each second." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Yes," said Chilandrea. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Are you nervous at all? The preparations can be much more stressful than the marriage itself." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "A little, I suppose. But... there is one thing I have been worried about." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Molandra sighed with disapproval. "It's that knight, isn't it?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Both the prince as well as Sir Alexander have come to me with their concerns about the recent battle. They have the odd sense of foreboding, and I've felt it as well. Have you seen anything about the outcome of the battle?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Why no, dear. I think it's all just because you think you care for this knight and you feel as though you should worry. Your powers have nothing to do with something like this. But since you are to be married, you should get your mind off this silly infatuation and concentrate on the business at hand." Molandra stroked Chilandrea's shoulder in comfort. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Thank you, Molandra. I suppose you're right." Chilandrea felt relieved to think that Molandra had nothing to do with the strange army at the borders. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Besides," said Molandra, "if that knight were to die -- or any of those ruddy warriors, for that matter -- I'd think of it as a blessing, wouldn't you? One less knight should be one step closer to a peaceful nonviolent society. The whole kingdom should rejoice when a knight as violent as they are perishes." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chilandrea tensed up in fear as Molandra stood to leave. "Molandra," she said cautiously. "Is it possible that one can receive a false vision simply from fear or worry?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No, I've never heard of such a thing. Why do you ask? Have you seen something?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "No, no. I was just thinking of one of the stories in the old books. That is all." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well, I shall see you tomorrow to continue with the preparations. Good night, Chilandrea," Molandra said and disappeared. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| It's true! Molandra had created the army to keep Alexander away! How could she? Chilandrea uncovered her tools and hurried her process. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Alexander woke early the next morning before the first rays of light came over the horizon. He remembered what Chilandrea had said when they last met. She had kept repeating the words 'if you should win' and 'if you should survive.' He thought about those phrases and wondered if she had seen anything that would make her think that he'd be killed. A cold shiver ran through his body at the thought. He didn't want to know his future if it would impair his ability to fight, so he shrugged it off as he donned his armor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| He stepped out of his tent and saw that most of his army was still asleep. Some were up and about sharpening swords, others were shining shields, and still more were preparing more of their weapons. He stood near the center of their campsite and shouted as loud as he could without alarming the other army. "Everyone up! Prepare for arms!" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tent flaps opened and warriors emerged, stretching and yawning. Their equipment preparations did not take too long to complete, and soon enough they were ready to fight. They gathered at the base of the hill in a long line, marched up to the ridge, and waited to see the other army make their appearance. They waited, swords unsheathed, shields up, and the sun's top began to peer over the horizon. As the light hit the top of the opposing hill, the army appeared as if materializing out of thin air. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexander watched as it happened and understood. As his army gasped and whispered about the peculiar appearance they had just witnessed, Alexander took a deep breath and said a silent prayer. The mysterious army they were about to face was not real. These men did not exist. Someone must have command over this battalion, must have created them, and his first suspect was the All High Priestess. Chilandrea would not have done this -- at least he hoped she wouldn't have. If Molandra was as stubborn as Chilandrea had said then she might go to lengths like this to keep her way in tact. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Then it hit him: when he'd gone to see her in his outrage over her marriage to Merrick, she had a vision and she'd said the outcome was terrifying. Then when he'd been summoned just before he had to leave, she had repeated 'if you should survive,' the words that made him wonder of his mortality. Could it be? | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexander would die in this battle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Men, say your prayers now," said Alexander. He knew that if he died, so would almost all of his men. Closing his eyes, he prayed to himself, 'The darkness has come to devour us. Dear almighty beings, any deity that may exist, let not Chilandrea know of the reasons behind my death. Let her live on in peace and happiness, but let her know of my love. Let not her tears fall for me, but let her continue her life as if I had not existed. Let her feel no pain.' After a moment of silence, he took a deep breath and cried, "FOR OUR PEOPLE!!" and the armies fled down the slopes of the hills. To himself before following after them, he whispered, "For love." | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Suddenly, the phantom army halted and began creeping slowly backwards up the hill. Alexander's men paused to gape at them and wonder what was causing them to run. Black clouds formed rapidly overhead, thunder clapped and lightning shot from cloud to cloud. The sky turned a menacing shade of red and every man crouched to his knees in fear. Alexander searched around for the cause of this and could find none in the sky. Turning his eyes to the battlefield, he saw the phantom army clawing and grappling up the side of the hill to safety. His own army had become like armadillos, scrunching into little balls of protection. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| He scanned over the field in search of the person responsible for this and his gaze landed on a solitary dark figure in the center of the valley. It was larger than any of his men and all he could think of was that some magical giant had sprung forth from the earth to stop this war. No one seemed to notice the figure and all were running by it as if they couldn't see it at all. He ran towards the figure in black and his men ran against him. He didn't get far before he halted in astonishment at the sight. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Chilandrea!" he gasped. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| She stood in the valley and watched the army run over the hill without moving. A few men stood behind and stared at her with their swords drawn, prepared to fight. Chilandrea glared at them with a fury. She raised her arms high above her making the sky seem darker and more tempestuous and she let out a wail that would rival that of a banshee. The men's weapons dropped to the ground and they ran in fear. Alexander was amazed. She was very powerful and her courage was staggering. There seemed to be a circling wind whipping around her, tossing her hair and cloak about. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alexander fell to his knees, staring at her in bewilderment. She must have known about the army and how strong they were. Or maybe she really had seen his death in this battle. Either way, she had saved his life and he had seen it. Slowly, after all the men had fled and Alexander's army stood in awe at the way the other men had run so fast, Chilandrea turned to face Alexander's army. She raked her eyes across the army and lay them on Alexander. The army simply stared ahead in wonder, not seeing her, but his gaze looked directly into hers. Shivers traveled like lightning down both their spines as she disappeared. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Clouds parted, the skies cleared, the sun shed its rays upon the confused troops as they stood and whispered about which of their various superstitions was responsible for this strange event. For a while, Alexander knelt on the hill in silence thinking of his beloved priestess. He couldn't just stay away after what she'd just done. He had to say something to her to thank her for his life and to tell her that he would leave her forever if that was truly what she wanted. It would be resolved. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| He stood and ran up the hill, past his befuddled men to the fastest horse in their camp. He packed nothing but some water and an extra set of clothes. Mounting the horse, all the troops began shouting at him asking where he was off to. "Oy, Alexander!" cried a warrior. "Why are you leaving? Do you have a special girl you're off to see?" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| The horse cantered back and forth as he turned to them on their hill. "I'm off to see a priestess about my future!" and spurred his horse into a speedy gallop in a hurry towards Horace's castle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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