The Semideus

Chapter 6

Howard

"You summoned me?"

I stood before Fallon's new King quite astonished at my own ability to refrain from hurling forward and detaching his head from his neck. The fact that my  mouth was able to conjure a full statement was practically a miracle. My father's body was nowhere in sight. Had this  monster ordered it to be fed to the animals?

"Do you know who I am?"

I felt scrutiny in his features, he was fully analyzing me. Stephen, Peter and Bob were behind me, awaiting my fate to be determined in order for them to follow it. They were loyal to me, that is why I could not let them be banished to the wild causing them the loss of what they had known their whole lives as home.

"You are the dirt bag that murdered my father." I seethed.

 My eyes fully pierced his own. All I saw was darkness, a man with no soul. Our eye contest lasted for only seconds before the palace boomed with his unsettling laughter.

"Impressive, not many bear their guts in the open  for   me or give me such exquisite monikers."

He regarded me for a while then stood up at full length.

"Kneel before your King."

I knew it was a command but it felt like a test. Was he testing me?

"Never. You are no King of mine."

 My knees hit the palace floor initiating a shocking pain throughout my body. My arms were roughly held behind my back as the two men holding me strained to steady me in that given position.

"Well, you are kneeling now. Does it mean I am your King?"

I spat ferociously, my mind picturing a million ways his body could be dismantled.

"I thought we had an agreement King Wallace."

Lancelot emerged from behind the palace doors, his features grim on seeing my kneeling position.

"I did not agree to sending him away unscathed, besides you did not quite disclose any real information on the whereabouts of the sword."

Lancelot proceeded to my side and stretched out his hands to reveal a crumpled piece of paper. I could not see its contents as Wallace snatched it hastily. He read it, his eyes flickering every once in a while.

"Now, free my brother and banish him from this land and the map is yours."

I watched as Wallace's head snapped upwards. Giving a faltered smile, he gestured his men to let me go. Their firm grips had made my arms numb and the pain in my knee caps was still taunting. But none of that discomfort came close to seeing my brother work hand in hand with our father's murderer. He had just handed him something our King, our father had died for. Was there not a single bone of honor in his body?

"Do not give it to him Lance. Our father must have denied him the location for a reason-"

"You have no say in this little brother. Take care of yourself, I hope you find what you are looking for out there."

The words stung more than physical body harm.

"And do not think of orchestrating some sort of retaliation. I know of all the men you hand picked a year ago to initiate a small army. I ordered for them to be rounded up and to be detained in the dungeon."

"You did what! If any harm whatsoever comes to them I will-"

"You will what little brother? Look around you, father is dead, your army is detained, this Kingdom will no longer be your home which means you are dead to us."

Pain, excruciating pain tugged at the core of my heart making me reverberate with anguish. He was my brother, my only brother, the only living relative I had left. I honestly thought he had a trick up his sleeve, a plan to salvage Fallon.

"You heard your brother, as the new King of Fallon I hereby decree you  an outcast."

I heard gasps, the elders who were still being held back by the Towan soldiers eyed me with open pity. I reckoned they wished they had listened to my war notion now. At least our Kingdom would have retained some of its dignity.

"And if I choose not to leave, what is the penalty?"

King Wallace sent me a wicked grin.

"That is quite simple really...death."

Muttering from the elders erupted obviously disagreeing with this. Had they not fathomed this man by now? He was a behemoth, death by his hand  was pleasurable to him. My attention turned to my brother.

"What will happen to our people Lance? What will happen to our Kingdom the moment he finds this sword?"

Three men approached me, signaled by the King to get rid of me. I finally felt my anger flare. The first man went for my left arm but before he could take it captive, I connected my knuckles with his right cheek sending him tumbling backwards. The second one drew out his sword as a warning but I swiftly disarmed him, sending a kick up his stomach. He clutched his stomach in pain, his knees weakening causing him to fall on the ground. The third one glanced at Wallace first, probably too shaken to take me on his own. I saved him the trouble by beginning to walk away on my own accord.

"I will see myself out. Do not let this three follow me."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Stephen's features harden.

"Mark my words though, I will be back and I will take back my Kingdom."

With that, I exited as gracefully as I could only to meet a crowd of my people waiting outside the palace. They had come out of their hiding places, why?

"You cannot leave us at the mercy of the Towan people Howard!"

A woman cried out holding her screeching baby against her bosom. I swept my eyes over the crowd, all held the same opinion. They thought I was abandoning them? I had no choice! The palace doors burst open, soldiers filed out probably to see to the commotion. King Wallace followed behind,  his face depicting mirth. What I would give to gut this man.

"Look boys! We didn't even have to scour for them! Well, we have slaves now. Go on... capture them!"

I watched  helplessly as my people gave in without a lifting a finger to fight back. All their lives, throughout generations they had been taught to hide not fight, now they couldn't hide neither could they fight. They had come out of their hide outs for me and now…now they were to be enslaved by this tyrant. I should have fought the council harder, if only we had fought back… My people had lost a war they did not even get to take part in. My heart bled for them.

"I will come back for you all, I will."