The Shadow of Eons

Chapter 25

Jonas slept fitfully, thinking of Francis, who had spurted blood all over after Marta had slashed his neck. The servant had placed both hands on the wound, attempting to staunch the bleeding while his life seeped slowly out. His aghast face haunted Jonas throughout the night; Jonas saw himself in his dream tearing up his tunic to use as a tourniquet while calling for a churigeon. The dream kept playing and replaying itself until Marta shook him awake, telling him to stop shouting. Jonas spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, trying to get the image out of his head.

There was the duel at noon to look forward to, and Jonas found himself wondering if he would really survive the encounter. He had planned on being out of the palace with his wife by now, and resented having run into the irksome Earl of Abandy, who now countered his plans at every turn. He even might find himself matched up in the duel against the malicious man, who had the nefarious plan of conquering Ardaman and turning it into a zoo. And he had had problems getting the sword to do his bidding lately, as it wouldn't respond to his efforts after the Earl of Abandy thwarted Jonas's first bid to slow down time. Jonas found that there was now almost nothing to look forward to in his life, save for the possibility that he might kill the man. Marta had said that she would distract him so that Jonas could rescue Brianna, but Jonas now knew that only death was the answer for the interloper, who seemed to be able to find Jonas wherever he went, as he had found him in the middle of the wild Plains of Yore, with nothing but trees, grass and bison for miles. And death was a very real possibility for Jonas, as well.

Jonas grimly thought of his children: at least they still existed in his life. He would do all in his power to defend them from the evil earl, and anything else that might befall them. They were the only things keeping him now in sanity, the only things he had to hold onto. If they were taken from him, then he would surely become as an animal, only seeking revenge and violence upon others. It would be like those horrid months he had spent alone in the wilderness, before he had found the sword, and would be unceasing in its finality.

Before he knew it, the servants had arrived bringing breakfast, and Jonas, his two children and the two women blearily woke up and nibbled on poached eggs, scones and assorted fruit. They were still sated from the bounty of the night before, but did not want to insult the servants, who were constantly providing for their needs. After breakfast, those same servants dressed them, and for Jonas they supplied a complete set of light armor together with a sword and shield, both of which were burnished unto perfection, in whose brightly-shining surfaces Jonas could see his own glorious, armored reflection. He scowled at himself, which of course he could not see, as the armor covered his mouth, so he settled for glaring at himself instead.

"I hope you don't die, father," said Agatha, who was clutching tightly at his arm as they made their plodding way from their rooms to the outdoor arena, led by the pair of guards the king had sent to escort them. "I hope you defeat whoever you are assigned to fight, and win the day. I also hope we rescue mother."

"I hope we do too, my sweet," Jonas told her in what he hoped sounded like a reassuring, fatherly manner, for he was feeling as if this might be the last walk he would ever take, as the dastardly earl seemed to have powers far exceeding his own.

She leaned her head against the metal plating on his arm as they continued to walk. "I saw you try and rescue her last night, you know," she said. "But you didn't do it. Why did that happen, father?"

Jarron, who was walking a few paces back, joined in: "Yes, father," he said, keeping his voice low so that the guards wouldn't overhear, "I am curious. Why would you stop at doing something so important?"

Now that he was being held accountable by the fruit of his loins, he had no choice but to tell them: "My dear children," he began, preparing for what he knew was going to be a long talk ahead of them: "I have something deeply grave to tell you. There is another man, a man who can also slow down time, who stopped me from liberating Mother last night. That man is known as the Earl of Abandy."