The rear riders halted at the gates and closed them. They then hurried after the carriage to be present when the king and queen exited the carriage and entered the mansion. Artimor watched closely. He saw the carriage stop at the front of the mansion. The two red-headed mages got down from the rear step, but their actions clearly showed that they were still protecting the king. King Arik and Queen Tanya stepped out of the carriage, and the king glanced around before they walked up the steps and through the front door of the mansion. The mages hurried after them. The carriage was quickly moved away from the front of the mansion as were the horses of the riders. The six soldiers entered the mansion, leaving no sign that the building was even occupied. It was the perfect hiding place for the sick king. For Artimor, it was also the perfect tomb for the king. The demonkin moved away from the tree to position himself for the strike.
Just as Artimor headed for the street, a nearby noise distracted him. He turned and frowned as the mortician drove his wagon through the creaky gates and onto the street. Seated next to the mortician was an obvious widow. The woman was dressed entirely in black, and a dark veil covered her face. Although he was invisible, Artimor reflexively stepped back to let the wagon pass. As the mortician’s wagon passed in front of the gates of the Everich estate, one of the wheels broke free causing the wagon to tilt to one side and screech to a halt, the coffin banging loudly against the low sideboards. The mortician and the widow nearly tumbled off the seat, but the old man managed to save them from the fall, his feet landing squarely on the street with the widow pressed tightly to his back.
The old man turned slowly, taking hold of the widow and gently lowering her to the ground. Without a word, the mortician walked away from the wagon towards the wayward wheel. He bent over, seemingly with great effort, and picked up one edge of the wheel. He rolled the wheel back to the wagon and leaned it against the side before stooping to inspect the axle.
Artimor cursed his bad luck. He was tempted to blow the fools away, but he controlled himself. Any attack on the mortician would ruin his chances of killing King Arik. Seeing that the mortician’s wagon was not going anywhere for some time, the demonkin walked into the street and around the wagon. He walked right up to the gates of the Everich estate and peered at the mansion. As the sky grew dark with the coming night, the demonkin raised his arms and clasped his hands together. Extending his fists through the metal gates, he let loose a spell of great power. The air shimmered along the drive as the powerful projectile raced towards the mansion. A second later, the Everich mansion exploded in a massive flurry of stone and wood. In the blink of an eye, the Everich mansion ceased to exist. Debris shot upward and outward, leaving not a single wall standing. Artimor grinned as he watched the debris begin to fall back to the ground. So much for King Arik and Queen Tanya, he thought to himself.
* * * *
The mortician mumbled unintelligibly as he examined the axle and the undercarriage of the wagon. The widow standing nearby him gently touched his shoulder and nodded towards the Everich estate. The mortician turned to see the air shimmering along the private drive. While the explosion was shaking the whole neighborhood, the mortician reached under the wagon and pulled a long two-handed sword from its concealed position. He whirled towards the gates of the Everich estate, his tall hat falling from his head to reveal a long blond braid that had been curled up inside the hat. With the mortician disguise no longer needed, Alexander Tork raced across the street.
“Right at the gates,” the widow said urgently. “He will reveal himself by the time you get there.”
Artimor heard the noises behind him. He whirled around to see Alex racing towards him, a long sword extended before him. The demonkin sneered as he cast a spell at the Knight of Alcea, but the magical projectile dissipated upon impact with a shield protecting Alex. Artimor glanced at the widow with disgust. He knew that it must be Jenneva opposing him. He should have been concerned by their absence from the king’s party, but he was too enthralled with the chance to kill King Arik. Just as well, he thought. It was time for the other two heroes of the Mage to meet their deaths. He brought up both hands, pointing one towards Jenneva and one towards Alex. Twin streams of electrifying force stretched out towards his victims.
“Protect yourself!” Alex shouted as he dove for the ground, turning his sword sideways and pulling it close to his body.
Jenneva dropped the shield around Alex and quickly reinforced her own. Her actions came not a moment too soon. The force of Artimor’s spell hammered her shields with a power she had never felt before. Closing her eyes tightly, Jenneva forced all of her power into her shields. She knew that if she did not, she would die.
Alex rolled towards the demonkin and jumped out of his roll near where the twin streams of electrifying power were emanating from. He swiftly slashed out with his magical sword, feeling the satisfying strike of the sword against something tangible. The twin streams instantly vanished, and the form of Artimor appeared. Alex did not take time to examine the demonkin’s wound. He brought his sword back in another swing, directing the blade towards Artimor’s neck. The blessed sword sliced through the demonkin’s neck, sending Artimor’s head falling to the ground, and his body sliding down the gates of the Everich estate.
* * * *
The empty wagon halted at the gates to the Royal Palace in Farmin. One of the guards moved towards the wagon, but the captain of the mounted troops escorting the wagon intercepted him before he reached the driver.
“We have come for supplies,” stated the captain. “Open the gates.”
“Supplies?” scoffed the guard as he noted the patch on the captain’s uniform. “I think not. The 15th Corps has been deployed to Alcea. Deserters are certainly not allowed entry into the Royal Palace.”
One of the other guards blew a whistle upon hearing his comrade’s words. Two squads of soldiers raced towards the gates, but the captain and his men did not flinch. The captain dismounted and waited. The gates of the palace opened slightly and soldiers flowed out to surround the wagon and the squad escorting it. A gruff sergeant approached the captain standing before the guards.
“What is going on here?” he asked.
“Your guard needs better training,” spat the captain. “He should be aware that the 15th Corps has a special company that did not deploy to Alcea. I am Captain Ergard, and I have come for supplies.”
“Ergard, eh?” the sergeant replied. “I’ve heard of you. You are the boys holding Prince Harold captive.”
“We are safeguarding the prince,” corrected the captain.
“Whatever,” scowled the sergeant. “Why are you coming here for supplies? There is a depot for that.”
“The depot does not store the delicacies that Prince Harold demands,” retorted Captain Ergard as he waved a paper in front of the sergeant’s face. “I have authorization from the Crown Prince. Are you about to refuse his orders?”
The sergeant took the paper and looked at it. With a shake of his head, he handed the paper back to the captain and waved his men back inside the gates.
“Let them through,” the sergeant instructed the guards.
Captain Ergard mounted his horse as the guards swung the gates wide open. As the reserve squads returned to their patrols, Captain Ergard led his men through the gates and around to the side of the palace where the kitchen entrance was located. The captain proceeded down the steps to the underground entrance to the kitchens while his men dismounted and secured their horses. He banged loudly on the door, and it opened quickly. A soldier asked his business, and the captain once again showed the authorization from General Montero. The soldier nodded and handed the paper back to the captain. The captain stepped into the kitchens and looked around. When the soldier moved to close the door, the captain reached out and restrained him.