Phoenix

Chapter 8

Pic of King Roger de Mowbray

"My kingdom was the strongest at one point. And that made the other two kingdoms upset. The people loved my parents. The King and Queen were great leaders. But, with the years adding on, we became weaker in armies. King Roger de Mowbray of the Rayasite Dynasty and Lord CreweLord Montagu of the Avaeweth Kingdom formed an alliance, and attacked full throttle.

"If they were spared, they became part of those two kingdoms. If they didn't they were killed. Together they created the Rayasite Kingdom, in which they both have power. But, they failed to kill the Prince, me. And as long as that Castle stands, it is mine, so anyone working in their has to obey me, even their armies. However, they are both very powerful, and they could kill me in an instant. So Clifton advised a plan to make our own army, to be ready for when my powers peak the highest, the Blood Moon.

"Of course that moon comes once every ten years. We were so close..." I shake my head. "They can not reach full potential until I am dead. Luckily, they do not really know what I look like, only going off on baby paintings in the castle." But lately we have seen more and more people trying to kill me. "There is a witch, up in the east. He can see things in a crystal ball. It would not be hard to show what you look like." She says.

"Impossible, we would know about such sorcery." I shake my head again. " 'Tis true, I have seen it myself. It is not always correct." She assures me. "What ever the case is, it is time I end this madness. I will not let this stop me from taking back my Kingdom. I owe it, to all of them." I look back from where we came. "Let us go. Show me the way." I motion towards her.

She nods and leads the way. Just to get to the Reapings Land was a days job, and that is if we ran without break. I have a feeling she could, but not me. "Tell me, my Prince, what are the kings specialties in grace?" She asks as we run. "It's Roakin, and King Mowbray's specialty is weapons, he's an expert with them. The only weakness that we could get form him is that he's too cocky. He lets down his guard a lot. But most would not live to see that.

"Lord Crewe's strength is illusions, he can make you believe your on fire, when your not." She takes a sharp left. "But it is not real then." She says. "In his case, it is." I hear her gasp. "It is true, they are illusions, but his strength is so great, your brain thinks it is real. For example if your body is on fire, your brain will over heat. It is a pain, but the only skill hes got. He is not good at close combat. Or close anything that is. His grace is said to work in the five stages of senses. Smell, touch, taste, sound, and visual." She thinks about it. "And what about the villagers? They are all sorcerers?" I shake my head no.

"Most of them are, but not all. And most of them have barely any grace, if any. Our only real problem will be the army. They are all top notch. Only the best of the best get to be in it." I smirk as I say this. "But something tells me you can hold your own." She, too, smiles. "Tell me, is your strength from your grace?" I ask. "I no longer have my grace." She responds. Still as closed as a clam, I see.
"Let us take a break, my Prince." We were seventy-five percent there. I can see the mountains from where we sit. "We will rest up well, there will not be much time for breaks in the Reapings." She sits in a tree. "Sleep, I will take first watch." She commands, throwing me an apple. Who am I to argue? I bet she would force me to sleep if I refused. But I could see that she, too was tired. Come to think of it, she took watch all night the day before. "Very well, but wake me up when it is my turn." She nods in agreement.

*/*/*

"My Prince," I feel myself being shaken. "My Prince, wake up." I rub my eyes. "Is it my turn?" It is light out. Not completely morning, but a few hours past when she was suppose to wake me. "No, enemies are approaching, we must hurry." I'm suddenly alert. "They caught up to us already?" I ask. We start to run. "They must really want you, my Prince. I wonder why." She amuses herself.

"Does it matter?" I sigh. "I do not think you would have ever made it to the castle." She comments. "And why is that?" I ask, eyes narrowed. "You bareley had any men. You would not have gathered enough by the time the Blood Moon came to pass." I can here the enemy soldiers behind us. "We would have gone during the blood moon not matter how many men we had." We are so close to the Reapings.

No one in their right mind would ever step foot in this land, not even the King's Soldiers. So why was I so quick to trust this girl to lead me through it? "You would have killed them all!" She scoffs. "That was never a concern of mine. It would be for the better cause. Sacrifices have to be made to win any battle." I could turn back now, not step foot to it. "Well that is where your wrong. People aren't just tools to win wars." She frowns at me.

"We are here." She adds, stopping at the border. We were standing in tall grass, with beautiful cleared skies. But less then a foot from us stood a sand desert. Creatures of all types lived there, where during the day it was too hot, and during the night too cold. Hills of sand, high winds, monsters, it was a clear death trap. "My Prince, do not worry, for I shall bring you safely across, unharmed. It will only take us two days, you have my word." She bows again on one night. "Roakin. That is my name. Now get off the ground, for we have a desert to cross."