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  “May I instruct them regarding my return to lead the Rangers?”

  “You are welcome in Glendor, therefore, you are free to leave as you wish. I want you to stay a while longer, though. We have things to discuss including the goblins that are now climbing the Boulders in search of you.”

  “In search of me?” blurted Alex. The King did not reply and Alex realized that he would not speak until his men had departed. He instructed his men to leave and notify his group to maintain position. They were told that his orders were for no Ranger to come looking for him nor should they move south of their current position.

  After the men disappeared down the trail with their elfin escort, the King spoke. “Queen Gelfora senses a kindred spirit in you, Alex, and her senses are never wrong. Join us in a discussion of what must be done to destroy the goblins.”

  Alex discovered that Galdan and Egam were old friends and that Egam was welcome in Glendor, although he had not visited in many years. Prince Elgorn complimented Alex on the stealth of his Rangers and said that they were the quietest humans he had encountered. Alex took this as a great compliment considering the stealth of the elves. He hadn’t heard them surround him. The elves did, indeed, hate the goblins and were eager to help in their destruction. During their discussion on how to kill the goblins was the only time Alex saw a smile on the face of Prince Rigal.

  Galdan brought out a crystal ball and laid it on the table. He saw Alex’s expression and laughed. “Yes, it is very much like Egam’s. I taught him that spell long ago.”

  They peered into the ball and Galdan brought the vision to the goblins. Alex was awestruck by the vision. He had heard Egam and Jenneva discussing Sarac’s crystal ball after the war, but he had never seen one in action. It was as if he were a great bird flying high above the mountains. He could see that Mitar’s group had already joined with his and David’s group was not far off. The goblins were just completing their ascent of the Boulders and their forward units were heading towards the Rangers. It did not look like the goblins would reach the Rangers before nightfall. Prince Rigal seemed to relish the thought of attacking the goblins and the strategy worked out ended up being a mixture of the Prince’s and Alex’s.

  After sundown Alex bade farewell to his new friends and returned to his Unit. David’s group had rejoined the others several hours ago and Alex knew where the goblins were camped. His men were fresh and could forego sleep for a while. Alex ordered David and Mitar to take their groups northward out of the Boulders. He then instructed his men on their task for the night. Myric quills and Lanoirian Stars would be the weapons used.

  He split his men into small groups of five soldiers each and sent them on their way. Each group was to take out the sentries and then work their way towards the campfires. Each goblin campfire would be attacked as a unit. The goal was to eat away at their outer ring of campfires until someone noticed, and then they would retreat.

  The Rangers encircled the goblin encampment and began stealthily attacking. The goblins had enough room between campfires that the Rangers were able to move into a campsite after they killed the occupants to retrieve their Stars. The attack lasted close to an hour before the first shout arose. The Rangers had their escape routes planned and moved out quickly.

  Confusion reigned in the enemy camp, as the goblins were unable to figure out in which direction to give pursuit. They spent a good deal of time trying to wake goblins that would never wake up. When their camp was finally organized they decided to push eastward to pursue the Rangers. That was the wrong direction. The Rangers had regrouped to the west and were already descending into the valley below.

  Alex’s men rejoined the other groups and went to sleep. There were no campfires to give away their location and Alex had several layers of sentries out. Alex took the first watch at guard duty at the southernmost point. Almost four hours later Prince Elgorn appeared. It astonished Alex to see the Prince walk out of the trees without having made a sound. “Greetings, Alex.”

  “Greetings, Prince Elgorn. How is our prey faring?”

  “Not well, I presume. They ran around for two hours and then settled back into the same campground. You should be very proud of your men, Alex. I figure they relieved the world of about five hundred goblins without a loss. That is excellent. I do think your count of the enemy was off, though. I would put their remaining strength at seven hundred.”

  Alex smiled. “That’s acceptable for our plan. Do you think they will continue east in the morning?”

  “I will guarantee it. Galdan will project an image of your men eastward, but far enough to stop them from charging. They will continue to march along the peaks, while your men may saunter through the valley. Make sure that you are far enough away to avoid being seen.”

  “That will not be hard to do with Galdan’s gift. I hope to see you well tomorrow night, Prince Elgorn.”

  “You shall, Alex. I must go. Your replacement is arriving.”

  Alex accepted his replacement and returned to the camp. He swore to return to Glendor someday and learn to walk like the elves.

  Alex had the men up before daybreak and marched them eastward at a leisurely pace. Every half hour he paused to use the telescope that Galdan had given him. The goblins were not moving as fast as Alex would have thought. He reasoned that lack of sleep the last few nights was beginning to take its toll. An hour before sunset, a detachment of Alex’s men started campfires burning well north of his position. The goblins would not be able to miss the rising smoke. They would have time to get down from the mountains, but not enough time to get to where they thought the Rangers were. Alex watched them descend from his position behind a small ridge. As the goblins marched north, Alex began to fear that they would not stop for the night. He no longer needed the scope to watch them. If they kept up their march, they would reach his position in less than half an hour.

  Twenty minutes later the goblin column halted and started setting up camp. Alex had been ready to wake his men, but now he let them sleep. Alex turned in to grab what hours he could.

  Five hours later, the sentry woke him. “We’ve seen the signal, Captain. One long flash, two short, just like you described.”

  Alex jumped up and ordered the men assembled. The attack tonight was going to be similar to the one last night with a few exceptions. Alex’s Rangers would have to cover only the northern half of the goblin encampment as the elves would cover the southern half. And there would be no retreat. When the attack was discovered the other two hundred Rangers and the elves would rain Fire Glue upon the enemy.

  Alex expected the goblin sentries to be more alert this night because of what had happened last night, but they were not. They believed the Rangers were far away. The attack went very well. By the time it came to the Fire Glue arrows, there were only a couple of hundred goblins left. They charged straight for Alex’s lines and those that made it through the flames were met with steel. The fighting was fierce but the Rangers were prepared and the elves were chasing after the goblins.

  Alex spotted one goblin that was huge and shouting orders to the others. It must be the leader. Alex fought his way through the charging goblins with his magical sword swinging back and forth. The sword, while feeling light in Alex’s hands, cut through shields and armor as well as flesh and bone. When he finally reached the giant he was unprepared for the force of his blow. The goblin hit Alex’s shield so hard it sent him sprawling. Alex jumped up just soon enough to meet the giant’s advancing sword with his own. Alex’s sword cut cleanly through the goblin’s sword and the goblin giant bellowed, “Tork, the goblin killer! Prepare to die!” Alex was close enough to smell the giant’s fetid breath.

  The giant pulled a battle-ax off his belt and swung at Alex. Alex sidestepped the stroke and brought his sword down on the leader’s arm. The titan’s arm fell to the ground still clutching the ax. The goblin reached into his belt and produced a large knife and prepared to throw it. Alex threw himself to the ground and rolled past the huge goblin, his
sword slicing through the goblin’s legs. Alex brought himself to his knees and thrust his sword through the creature’s heart.

  The two elf princes appeared and Rigal said, “I wanted him for my own, but my congratulations are warmly given to you, Alexander Tork, for you shall be known as the Killer of the Goblin King. Good riddance, King Guldar.”

  Chapter 7

  Turmoil

  The shrill echo of the servant’s scream reverberated through the halls. The General dropped his book and raced through the door. His Door Sergeant was already thirty feet ahead of him. Every passing corridor was filled with the sound of running boots slapping against the stone floors. The General raced up the stairs, turned the corner and froze. Having seen battle more times than he cared to remember, the General still had to fight to keep the contents of his stomach down. The two men were stretched out, one on each side of the doorway, with their feet facing away from each other. Their heads were missing and their blood flowed out and mingled across the threshold. The General’s Door Sergeant leaped over the blood flow and threw open the door. He turned and addressed the General. “General, the King is dead.”

  General Clark shook his head and looked around. The servant was still screaming hysterically and shaking her foot trying to get the blood off her shoe. One soldier’s head was lying a few feet away, the other was in an alcove across the corridor. Soldiers were still streaming into the corridor. “Touch nothing,” the General ordered. “Sergeant, search the room to see if the assassin is still there. Corporal, sound the alarm. I want the Palace sealed now. Nobody in, nobody out. You men, seal off each of these corridors. Nobody gets here without my authorization. Private, summon the King’s physician, and hurry.”

  Colonel Gregor rounded the corner just as the soldiers were sealing it off. “General, what is the situation?”

  “Well, Colonel, two of your finest are dead and so is King Eugene. My Sergeant is checking the room for the killer. Oh, gods, see if you can get somebody to shut her up".

  The servant was still screaming. “I kicked his head. I can’t get the blood off my foot. Somebody get the blood off my foot.”

  The Colonel ordered one of the men to take the servant into the next room and quiet her. “How did your Sergeant get into the room General?”

  “He jumped over the blood and opened the door. I can’t believe we have an assassin in our midst. He had to be quick and powerful to take two of your men out like that. They never even got their swords out. The King’s body looks like it was cut in two.”

  The King’s Physician and the man sent to get him arrived and Colonel Gregor sent the Private to notify Duke Nelson. The physician felt one of the soldier’s arms. “These men must have been dead for a while. They’re already cold. Now, how am I supposed to get across this mess?”

  “Walk through it, Physician. Tend to the King, if there is anything to tend to,” the General snapped.

  The Sergeant in the King’s bedroom removed his jacket and threw it across the blood slick so the doctor could walk into the room. General Clark and Colonel Gregor took the opportunity to enter the room as well, being careful to avoid the blood that was still flowing from the headless corpses. The bed and the wall behind it were covered with blood spray. The King’s body lay half on the bed and was nearly cut clean through. The Colonel noticed the empty brackets over the fireplace where King Olweg’s sword used to hang. “General, somewhere in the castle is the murder weapon. Whoever did this may be able to hide and provide an alibi, but the sword still has to be here somewhere.”

  “Same here,” said the Physician. “Dead for a while, I’d say. Cooler than a chamber pot in the morning. There’s nothing I can do here, General.”

  “Why don’t you tend to the hysterical servant in the next room then?” commanded the General. “Sergeant, start a search for King Olweg’s sword.”

  Duke Nelson entered the room. “By the gods, what evil is this? Colonel, I thought your men are supposed to protect the King. What do you have to say?”

  “Duke Nelson, I make no excuses for my men, only that they gave their lives in the line of duty. They were fine men and well trained.”

  “Well trained?” the Duke protested. “If this is the best you can train your men, then we may as well leave the Palace gates open to everyone so no more of your men get hurt. General Clark, I want you to start an investigation and a reevaluation of the fitness of the Red Swords.”

  “As you wish, Duke Nelson. The Palace has been sealed and I’m sure we’ll catch the culprit.”

  “Duke Nelson,” began Colonel Gregor, “It is the responsibility of the Red Swords to investigate harm to the Royal Family. I certainly welcome General Clark’s assistance and guidance, but I will be heading the investigation.”

  “I think not!” snapped Duke Nelson. “General Clark, I want the Colonel relieved of command.”

  The tension in the corridor built as the Red Sword guards placed their hands upon their hilts. “By what leave are you issuing orders to the King’s Army, King’s Advisor?” demanded Colonel Gregor.

  “As Regent of the Kingdom,” snarled the Duke.

  “I think not, Advisor”, responded the Colonel. “The Regent may rule only after confirmation by the Council of Advisors and then only until the heir is crowned. You overstep your bounds, Sir.”

  “General Clark,” commanded the Duke, “please come to my office where me may discuss affairs in private.” Duke Nelson turned and stormed off down the hall. The General followed him and the Colonel went to his office.

  The Duke stormed into his office and sat down. “General, why do you stand for such impertinence?”

  General Clark stood before the window and gazed out. “Sir, the Colonel has over four thousand troops at his disposal and they are fiercely loyal to him. By his charter, I cannot even relieve him of command of the Red Swords except for reasons of treason or by command of the King. As General, I can demote him to Private and post him to the Disputed Area, but he would still command the Red Swords.”

  “Very well, General, but keep him under surveillance. You must realize that the King had no heir and my Council of Advisors will chose the next king. I certainly will favor those who are loyal to me in times of trouble.”

  “I have had him under surveillance for some time. Perhaps some of his troops are required in the frontier. I will make those arrangements as soon as I notify the Council of your desire for a meeting.”

  The Duke smiled at the General’s back as he left the office.

  The Council of Advisors was assembled and informed of the King’s death. Duke Nelson called the meeting to order. “Gentlemen, it is imperative that we stabilize the Kingdom by naming a new King. Is there an heir?”

  “There is always an heir,” offered Duke Lanker. “The problem we face is trying to find him. One would expect with a sonless King that potential heirs would have plagued his reign, but, to my knowledge, there has never been one. We will have to search the archives and explore the family tree.”

  “Well,” Duke Nelson confidently proclaimed, “I’m sure that we will find the heir. In the meantime, we need a Regent to carry out the mundane affairs of the Kingdom. Having been the right arm of the King for many years, I can assume those duties while we are searching for the heir. I have been handling most of the duties already and my appointment will not give our neighbors the impression of instability.”

  There were murmurs around the chamber and some bickering and posturing, but Duke Nelson knew that the dukes were so individually aggressive that none of them could build a majority. Within an hour Duke Nelson was proclaimed the Regent.

  The process was repeated for naming Duke Nelson’s replacement as King’s Advisor. For a while it appeared that Duke Eddington might swing enough votes, but Duke Clemens withdrew his support and started the bickering anew. Duke Nelson was tiring of the nonsense. He had already gotten what he wanted. He surveyed the room and chose the one person who was not posturing for the position. Duke Whitley had not be
en on the Council long enough to have formed bitter enemies. “Gentlemen, please! This is only a temporary position and there is much to do in the Kingdom. As Regent, I want someone as my Advisor who will not polarize this Council. We need to act as one in these times of trouble. I would like to nominate Duke Whitley for the post. When the new king is crowned and I have returned to this Council, we can resume our posturing.”

  There were more murmurs but each side was happy that the appointment of Duke Whitley would stop the other camp from gaining in power. Regent Nelson thanked the Council for their cooperation and left them to their business.

  Duke Whitley’s first act of office was to nominate Duke Dalek for the open spot on the Council. The nomination was accepted and a runner sent to summon Oscar.

  Regent Nelson walked into General Clark’s office. “General, I am officially notifying you that I am now Regent of Targa. What are the results of your investigation?”

  “Congratulations, Sire. Unfortunately, we have not found the culprit yet.”

  “Tell me, General, were there any outsiders in the Palace during the night?”

  “No, Regent. We checked every gate and no outsiders came or went during the night.”

  “Okay. Now, we know that none of the Palace staff could visit such brutality as we discovered this morning. Which of the Red Guards or regular army are strong enough to deal such devastating blows?”

  “Regent, in all my years of battle, I have never seen such carnage as that. I would not have believed that a single slice of a sword could do such damage, if it weren’t for the reports of Tork’s prowess in the goblin war.”

  “Yes, that is what I have been thinking myself. General, have Alexander Tork arrested immediately.”

  “But, Regent, I don’t believe he is even on the Palace grounds. The last I heard, he was training the Rangers up north somewhere.”