Chapter 6
Whispers of Revolution

The sun had begun setting by the time they had left the forest, and the evening
birds had started their chorus of the night.  Father moon could be seen peeking it�s crest
over the mountains to the south of them, mother moon still hours behind him.  In front of
them the bright lights of the city could be seen, and soon the noise of a city alive in the
night could be heard.  As they crossed the fields Hearoh couldn�t take his mind off the
words of Karib, �...you are truly the successor of Mathias.�  Hearoh thought to himself
about what had happened on this day, and tried to remember his past.  He knew that
Dmitri knew something, but he wasn�t sure what.  The shrewd dragon had kept quiet, but
Hearoh proved to be quite a detective, finding a journal written by a boy named Samus,
who obviously had connections to Hearoh�s past.  He hadn�t had time to read much of it
yet, Dmitri always kept a close watch over him.
At the March city gates the sun had set and Father was in full view with Mother
nearing the hill sides.  The gate-master immediately recognized Jess and with a smile and
nod let them in.  Inside the city the people were obviously busy preparing for the feast,
scurrying about collecting food and things for the festivities.  The hanging signs above
the shop doors swung in the gentle breeze that blew through the walkways in the city.
�I�ll get the supplies we need and meet you at the manor before dinner,� Dmitri
said as he walked into the small food store.
�Yeah, see ya then,� Hearoh called to Dmitri as he left.
�Come on, we should get to the manor, you can meet my father and the generals
of the PAL,� Jess said.
�That�s fine, just remember that I am not here to join, I�m just here because of
Cerant and Dmitri.�
�Of course, you wouldn�t try to force you into anything you weren�t ready for.�
�It�s not a matter of readiness, it�s a matter of �none of my business�.�  Hearoh
said, he felt he was getting roped in.
�Of course.�  Jess said with a smile.
Up the brick road and around the corner they found themselves in the midst of
monstrous crowd of people dressed as soldiers.  They all turned to see who was behind
them, and immediately saluted.
Jess saluted back and the men returned to a rest.  They never took their eyes off of
her, and seldom few ever noticeably blinked.
�Men, I would like you to meet Hearoh.  He is a very skilled swordsman and has
joined us tonight so that he may learn more about the PAL.�  Jess said in a military tone.
One soldier raised his head slightly.  Jess nodded to him.
�Greetings Hearoh, we hope you will join our ranks,� the soldier said and then
returned to his position.  The rest of the Army complied with a brief, �Hut�.
�This is Angelus, my second in command, he commands all of these men.�  Jess
said with pride.
�Hail, Angelus.  This is my companion Cerant, and I have brought another,
Dmitri, who will meet us later,� Hearoh said.
Angelus raised his head again, Jess acknowledged.  �We look forward to getting
to know all of you better.�  The soldiers all gave a �hut� of approval.
�Come, Hearoh, it is time to meet my father.�  Jess began to walk around the
soldiers and then to the gate that stood between them and the castle.  A soldier stopped
them and asked for their names.
�I know you are Madam Jess, but we must be careful in these times,� he leaned
into whisper,� the revolution is at hand.�
�Yes, of course, Durinitas Insurgo.�  Jess spoke calmly the words of the ancient
times.  
The man nodded and let them through the door. But stopped Hearoh and Cerant
before they entered.  �Please, leave your weapons here at the door.  You will have no
need of them inside.�
�Certainly, but I ask that you let me keep my walking stick, my legs are weak and
I need all the help I can get,� Hearoh pleaded with the man.
�Since you are trusted by Lady Jess, you may.�  He took their weapons with care
and let them pass into the palace.
Inside the castle things were much quieter.  There wasn�t a bustle, or even a
feeling of urgency.  It was very calm and well organized.  A tall man with dark hair
approached them followed by two others in full armor.
�Daddy, Jess said as she ran to him.  He embraced her and then looked at Hearoh
and Cerant.
�Hearoh, Cerant, come, Dmitri has been waiting.�  Hearoh shook his head briefly,
but it all became clear when he saw the massive man standing back by two doors that led
to the great hall.
They met with him and continued into the great hall where it was still empty.
�How did you get in?�  Hearoh whispered to Dmitri.
�I told them that if they didn�t let me in I would eat them all.�  He said as he
smiled.  Hearoh didn�t doubt that he would.
�Have a seat.  You are my honored guests.�  Jess� father said.  �Dmitri has told
me that you are interested in joining our group?�
Hearoh glared at Dmitri, who only grinned back.  �Sir, I beg your forgiveness, my
friend has misled you.  I have no desire to enter into the army, I am just here to learn of
the struggle that is going on around me.  Your politics are none of my business.�
�Where do you live?�  The man asked.
�In the forest to the east of here,� Hearoh replied.
�Well, soon, if the rebellion doesn�t succeed, the forest will not be mine anymore,
and it�s new owner will not be so gracious as to let you live there any longer.�
�Then I will move, I am not bound to anyone place.  Truth be told, I had planned
on leaving within the month regardless.�
�I see...,� he was interrupted by a small man who burst in the room.
�Your highness, forgive my interruption, but there is a group of men at the gates
who claim that they peace talkers from the Justix Army,� the squirrelly man said.
�Very well, I will see them.  Tell them I will meet them in the library.  Jess, see
that these men are taken care of until I return,� the king said as he turned to leave.
�Should I ready my generals?�  Jess asked her father.
�No, they will not be necessary.�  He said on his way out.

---

Angelus was nervous.  He would keep hearing noises coming from everyside of
him, like his troops were being surrounded.  Then suddenly the king came out of the
castle doors.
�Angelus, have any suspicious men come through here yet?�  The king asked his
general.
�No, Sire.  You are the first I have seen in half an hour.�  Angelus was beginning
to worry.
�Good, hold here, no matter what, and keep your eyes open.  Until further notice I
want the castle doors barred and locked, no one leaves, no one enters.�  The king
sounded paranoid, something that was very against his character.
�Yes, Sire.  May I ask, why the sudden security?�
�No right now, just keep your eyes and ears open for me.  Durinitas Insurgo.�
The king turned and went back into the castle, the doors gliding closed behind him.
Angelus had always envied the kings position, ever since childhood.  He and
James, as the king was called back then, were good friends, and nearly inseparable.
Angelus was a squire and James a young prince.  It never really crossed Angelus� mind
until much later what each station meant.  Inevitably though one day it happen, James
was promoted to Knight Captain and James to King.  Neither thought that it would mean
much, but soon the duties of each became so much that neither saw each other for weeks
at a time.
Over the years they had grown further apart, until now the only time they saw
each other was in ceremonies or important nights.  And much like tonight when they
spoke it was General to King, not James to Angelus.  Angelus prayed for change.
His second in command interrupted his deep thoughts, �Sir, I do not wish to
worry you, but I have been hearing strange noises for the last bit of time, should I ready
the men.�
�Tell them only to be ready to fight should the need arise, though I doubt there
will be much we can do when the time comes.  We are closed in here in the court yard,
we would kill more of our own men than they would.  Stay calm, we will work through it
when the time comes.  Pray it is just the night air playing tricks on our ears.�  Angelus
was getting worried, knowing that he wasn�t the only one hearing the noise was a tad
disheartening.
�Your word is my guide,� the knight returned in traditional PAL words.
After that, silence.  Not a man moved or breathed.  They all waited and watched.
Expecting the best and preparing for the worst, as they called it.  Suddenly from the
shadows something moved.  Instantly there were 30 swords pointed at one point.
Waiting for a surrender from the shadow, nothing came.  Seconds seemed like an eternity
as they waited for more movement, until finally it came.  Out walked a small mouse, not
caring about the blades, just looking for dinner.
The men all let out a sigh of relief and some even chucked.  As they turned
around though the chuckling stopped.  Silently, with precision and speed, men all
wearing black uniforms surrounded them on the upper walkway of the wall.  The soldiers
knew there was nothing they could do to stop them, so individually they all thought of
ways out.  Nothing came to anyone.  It was probably the worst strategic area to be in, and
the enemy knew it.  Their leader stepped forward, preparing to give the ultimatum.
�Drop your weapons, or my archers start to kill you all one at a time, starting with
him,� he said as he pointed to Jarid, the newest cadet.  He didn�t flinch, just stood his
ground and stared back at the enemy unwaveringly.
�Men, drop your weapons.  There is no need for blood shed on this night.  We
surrender, under one condition, you do not harm any of my men.�  Spoken like many
before him, Angelus had said what every leader dreads thinking of.  There was the brush
of leather and steel and then the sound of steel and concrete.
�Good, now just stay put while we speak with your king, this will all be over
soon, pending there isn�t any resistance.�  The man�s voice was very light hearted, as if
he was taking joy in all of this.  The smile on his face said it all.
For Angelus and his men, all that was left was the waiting.

---

The King had been away a long time without any communication to the dining
hall.  There wasn�t any background noise, just the breathing of the others in the room.
�Does anyone know how long this is going to take?  I am hungry.�  Cerant asked,
being blatantly honest about how he felt about the situation.
�I have no idea, they are speaking peace, hopefully, so the longer the better.  If he
left to early it would be because they got into an argument and called it all off.�  Jess
answered.
�Great, I should have had something while I was in the pub today.  Ahh!�  Cerant
was frustrated.
�I have some rolls that I took from the kitchen earlier, if that would help.�  Dmitri
told Cerant.
�Of course, man, what are you holding back for,� Cerant greedily leapt at Dmitri.
Dmitri produced three �rolls� from a pocked on his vest.  To him, they may have
been rolls, but to a human they were loaves.  It didn�t matter to Cerant though, he took
one in each hand and proceeded to ravage each.
�I�m going to check on my father.  I will be back in a few minutes,� Jess said to
the room.
Cerant looked up briefly to wave a loaf at her and say goodbye.  Hearoh stood up
though.
�Are you sure that is such a good idea?�  Hearoh asked.
She walked to the door and turned to him, �Hearoh, I can take care of myself.�
As she said this the doors to the room swung open.  A man bleeding from an arrow
stumbled in.
�Where is his majesty?�  The man clamored.
�He has gone to talk peace with Justix.  What has happened?�  Jess asked as she
moved to help the man.
�The castle is under siege.  They troops are surrounded, and the women in the
streets are all locked inside now.  Justix has taken over.�  The man collapsed after his
words, Jess caught him and attempted to tend to his wounds.
�I am going to find the king, Dmitri and Cerant, stand guard here, look for
anything you can use for weapons, the enemy may be here any minute.�  Hearoh called
out as he ran through the door.
�I thought you weren�t going to get caught up in this.�  Jess asked Hearoh.
�Right now there are two sides, Good and Bad.  I am just trying to stay off the
wrong one,� Hearoh said as he left.

---

The halls were empty.  Hearoh knew not to go to the courtyard, the troops were
surrounded.  He headed up the stairway that had the label �library >�.  At the top three
men stood outside a door.  They weren�t paying too much attention, so Hearoh made his
approach stealthy.

---

The King was calm, contemplating how to get out of what he was in.  He was
surrounded by three men to his left and right, and another three outside the library.  He
had his twin daggers hidden, but against six men it was suicide.  There weren�t many
more options in his opinion though.
Carefully weighing out the pros and cons of his actions he decided it was time to
act.  �What good is a King who will not fight for his people,� he thought as he readied
himself.  As he stood there was a thud outside the door, followed by a grunt and another
thud.  The men at his sides all looked towards the door.  A thin blood soaked blade slid
through the wood of the door.  A sharp cry, and then nothing.  The blade slid out of the
wood and another thud was heard.
The men at the King�s side all looked at each other and walked towards the door,
not paying attention to the Monarch.  He took advantage of the situation.  His two
daggers aimed with precision at the necks of two of his assailants.  They went down hard.
The two turned to look at him, only to turn right back around when the door opened.  
Hearoh stepped walking with a cane.  The King searched his body for a sword,
but there wasn�t one.  He didn�t care though, he just knew he was happy to see him.
Before either of them could say anything to the other one of the grunts spoke up,
�We surrender, just don�t kill us.�  Hearoh and the King agreed silently.
�You stay here, if either of us see you again we will kill you,� the Potentate
spoke.  He walked to the door and he and Hearoh left the room.
�Is Jess safe?�  He asked Hearoh.
�Yes, your majesty, she is,� Hearoh spoke as he headed to the stair case.
�Hearoh, you have saved my life, you can call me Joshua, that is my name,� The
King said as he followed Hearoh down the stairs.
�Yes, Joshua rolls off the tongue much better than Grand Royal Monarch,�
Hearoh said, laughing.
�Agreed.�
�What is the easiest way to get to the wall above the courtyard?�
�Through that door over there, it holds a staircase that will lead you to the top of
the wall,� Joshua pointed a door a few feet away.  �Why?�
�To free your men.�
Before the King could say anything Hearoh was gone.  He decided that it was best
to let Hearoh go, he seemed capable enough.  He ran back to the Dining Hall.

---

Jess was getting worried.  Hearoh had been gone a while and they had not heard
anything.  Dmitri and Cerant were both at the doors with meat carving knives and candle
stick holders.  Cerant�s rolls had long since been finished off.  The messenger was
leaning against the wall, the arrow had missed any major organs and the wound had
slowed bleeding.
Jess paced back and forth looking at the door waiting for it to open.  It did.  The
king rushed in, just dodging Dmitri and Cerant�s attacks.  He ran to Jess and hugged her
tightly.
�I am so glad you are safe,� Joshua said as he hugged Jess.
�I�m glad your safe, too,� Jess said returning the embrace.
�Hearoh has gone to rescue the men, hopefully this will be over soon,� he said
and walked to the rear window of the dining hall and looked over the empty town.  The
battle had just begun.

---

Hearoh walked up the stair case to the roof.  He stopped at the door and listened,
there were men no more then two feet from it.  �There goes stealth, I�ll have to go for
shock,� Hearoh sighed quietly as he put his hand on the cold doorknob.
He burst outside to the night air and was immediately surrounded.  The men all
had swords to him before he stepped out of the door.
�Hello, who might you be?�  Their leader said as he turned to face Hearoh.
�I am called Blood, you shall perish this night,� Hearoh said, it was the best he
could think of on short notice.
�Well, Blood, how will you defeat us with only your walking stick?�  The leader
was smug, but the smile quickly faded.  His eyes widened in shear terror as he looked
down to where his left hand once was.  He hadn�t even seen Hearoh strike, and now he
was less one hand. looking at the ground he saw a trail of blood that led to the Walking
stick.
�What you should be wondering is how you plan to defeat me with only my
walking stick.�  Hearoh nudged the severed limb with his weapon.
Twelve foot soldiers gathered around Hearoh in a circle with the leader still
facing him.  �What are you waiting for?  Kill this insolent punk!�  The headman cried to
his men.  Before they could raise their swords there were ten fresh hands on the ground.
Many of the men just collapsed, some just dropped their swords and held their nubs with
their good hands, but no one attacked.
�You will regret this meeting, Blood, let us depart men.�  Silently the men left
over the side of the wall and disappeared into the night.  From below the army was
cheering.  Angelus gave Hearoh a salute.
Through the door behind him Joshua, Jess, Cerant, and Dmitri all came up.
�We thought you might need some help, but it seems you have had all the fun for
yourself,� Dmitri said looking at the eleven hands on the ground.
�Well, it seems you have defeated the enemy forces, Hearoh, you have done
well,� Joshua spoke.
�I try not to think of it as defeating them, more so leaving them with a bunch of
one handed swordsmen,� Hearoh said with a smirk.
�Well, you have proven yourself a man of worthy might today, will you
reconsider a position in our forces?� Jess asked.
�I am hear to help you, but as I said before I will not join your army.�
�Very well, I cannot force you.�  Jess said.  They all turned to go back down the
stairs, but Cerant lingered for a moment, looking at the damage that Hearoh had done.
He was beginning to realize what Jarib and Karib feared, and he wasn�t sure he was
comfortable with it either.