Cataindar

CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

*  *  *

The King stooped and picked up Draig.  He felt the sword lock into his massive claw, its power charging his entire body.

Slowly he stepped forward, from the worn cobbles that he had scrambled and fought over the first years in his cell.

Over the bones of his former guard.

Over fresh stones the length of his chains would never let him reach.

To the door of his cell. It complained as he pushed it fully open, ducking his head as he slowly stepped out.

King Groath turned back to see the place that had kept him trapped.  His tiny bowed cot.  The rusted chains embedded into solid stone.  It was a tiny space, a pathetic room. 

The corridor was lit in a golden light from a burning torch.  The king had never seen a sight so beautiful. Darcius stood watching him several paces away.

“You are free.”

The king bristled, the white clumps of hair on his back standing on end.

He was free, Draig was in his hand.  It was everything he had dreamed of. 

“Yes. I am free Darcius, you have kept to your word.”

Darcius stepped back, looking up at him. He could see the catain choose his words carefully,

“King, it will not be an easy escape, we are sure to be attacked.”

“I am ready catain.  Now let me know of this secret escape”

Darcius nodded,

“Soon, but first we must make haste.”

*  *  *

Luisa arrived to the meeting and saw the Abbot, Finn and Thorne’s faces immediately react to her stressed appearance.

Finn was up like a shot.

“Princess what has happened?”

 “Darcius, he is killing everyone, he has some massive sword, and they have taken Clearwater.” Luisa panted.

The abbot let out a small moan and grabbed both sides of his grey head.

“Dragons…. No!”

Finn gripped the abbot’s shoulder, “Abbot, what do you know of this? Pray, speak!”

The abbot let out a low moan and grabbed Finn’s paw. “I thought it impossible. From the murder, the burned chamber… There was one journal that was missing, Finn… from the chamber.  Just one.  We had to be sure.  It chronicled the end of our former princess, the dreadful darkness.”

“Yes Abbot, how can we forget such a thing!” Finn cried out.

“Yes! How can we! The Ratains found us! She brought them! But we slayed them, we thought we had slain them all….” The abbot haltered.  Then stared passed the walls.  His eyes wide, his mouth slack. 

Luisa’s skin began to crawl.

“But not all were quite dead.  The great ratain, the ratain king… he was dreadfully wounded… we were sure he would die… but he survived.  We kept him deep, deep, in the depths of Cataindar, imprisoned in the Ratain cells from before. We thought if we were found we could use him, somehow… he has been in there, so many years… and over the years… I believe he has quite recovered.”

Finn shook his head.

“Wait… Darcius… Darcius means to…”

The abbot nodded. “Yes Darcius means to set him free, set the Ratain King free… inside Cataindar.  If he is successful…  if the king escapes, by the dragons, all is lost, Cataindar is doomed.”