The Kingdom of Noitcif

Chapter Thirty - The Speech

  The following day, Fleet had assigned numerous griffin riders to patrol the skies at all times, especially where the two Noitcif portals were located – the one in the clouds, and the one on the cliffside. Other knights were busily guarding every one of the islands of Noitcif, and Wesley was assigned to protect the king.

  Rosalind was eager to do the most she could, but Fleet had told her quite sternly that she was a likely target for the emperor to capture, and she had only been a page for a little more than a month. She eventually agreed, though not without objecting a few times and concocting many different reasons about why she would be useful. Lee Rose also had a guard stationed at her side, as she was the second most important member of the kingdom; if the men of Ytilaer couldn't get their hands on Espen, she would be the next one they would try to capture.

  The young king didn't know if he had ever seen the kingdom look so busy. Everywhere he turned, people were installing padlocks on their doors, brandishing weapons, or mulling over maps and schemes to get the stone away from Engres.

"If the chain he carries it on is made of pure iron, how will we get it off of his neck?" one of the villagers inquired.

"We may have to kill him first," another replied grimly.

"But how would that work? He is bound to have at least two guards with him at all times."

"I am sure the knights will think of something," the second reassured, patting the first upon the shoulder.

Espen wished he could feel just as convinced that everything would work out as that second villager did.

  But as the day wore on, a very strange transformation of the mind began to creep over Espen. In the morning, he was fretting about every last detail of the invasion, and by evening, he was calm and relaxed about it. Nothing substantial had changed - there were more padlocks upon the doors and all of the knights were in position, but it was almost as if they had won the battle already. Espen felt as if he was a chess master, sitting back to watch the game he was playing, and whatever happened, he was as set-up as he could be.

  Time and time again, he tried to convince his tranquil mind that this looming confrontation was inevitable and could very well be lost, but the chaotic thoughts that had dominated his brain before just didn't seem to come back. And as the evening passed, Espen realized he was all right with that. And so, when his mother suggested he should give a short speech to uplift the spirits of his people, he also thought it was a good idea. Perhaps they would also take on the fearless mindset that had overcome him.

  After sending Skander out to gather everyone, Espen climbed the stairs of his castle to a large balcony overlooking the cobblestone streets below. It was dusk, but he could see his people gathered there, shoulders squared as they waited bravely for the coming danger. However, although they mustered the appearance of being fearless, Espen could see the flash of doubt in their eyes; the hints of despair; the shadow of terror. The young king was determined to wipe all that off of their faces.

"People of Noitcif!" he cried, causing the murmuring below him to instantly cease.

Although he didn't have his crown atop his head, the citizens considered the sight of their leader standing above them on a golden balcony with the last rays of sun glinting off the castle stones and the golden ribbons of his robe to be quite a sight, indeed.

"We are faced with Ytilaer darkening our doorstep. After all these years of waiting and being reminded of their presence by the Vastuta Tower in the distance, they will finally return. Their black planes draw near, and Engres' men have war in their hearts. But why? Why will they come? Because of a plan of deceit. Our plan of deceit. We are now in charge of this plan. Our messenger has alerted us and Ytilaer is none the wiser. They have no idea that we are armed with the foreknowledge of their arrival. We lie in wait for them. Engres appears to be in charge of this whole operation, but bear in mind that it is Noitcif who has the upper hand. Should we be afraid? No! Ytilaer has walked into our trap. The emperor is coming with the stone; passing it into our outstretched hands. Yes, there will be a struggle to get it back, but it will be like trying to pry something out of the grasp of an obstinate child.

  "Ytilaer has guns. Planes. Technology. Power. But what do we have? Griffins. Knights. Fortresses. Friends. An entire kingdom, while Ytilaer will only be comprised of an army, and maybe just a portion of that. We have the home turf advantage.

  "Engres was my father's brother. My father was the son of the Noitcif king, who was the previous son of the Noitcif king, and that pattern continues back through generation upon generation. Engres is the first Emperor of Ytilaer. We are his superiors. We are his ancestors. What ancestor does he have to look up to?

  "Therefore, let us go into this battle with a confident heart. A proud heart. A heart that will not be weighed down by doubt or fear. Because we are in control of this battle, we are superiors of this horde of renegades, and we are the noble kingdom who is not attacking, but retaliating. Keep that in mind! Because no matter what happens, this kingdom will remain a legend! And our story will be one worth retelling!"

  A cheer rose up from the ground, and the king cheered with them.