Under the Cursed Grand Magus

Chapter Two: World's Collide

Stella awoke to the soft touch of Alice, who lay next to her with puffy eyes from crying. "Stella," whispered Alice softly, "The carriage stopped." Even though they were lying cold to the bone in a cage drawn wagon. "What's going to happen to us?" chimed Molly, pressed against Stella's back. "I don't know. But, it's only a matter of time before Margrave Runegard notices something's wrong." answered Stella wearily, "What do you think he'll do when he finds out one of his Knighton's was raized?" Margrave Runegard was famed as the Cursed Grand Magus of the Kingdom. His obsession with magic led him to curse his fiancé, Lady Chery, with a kiss that drained her life force, leaving her comatose for three years with no sign of improving. "I don't know." began Stella, but doubt crept into her heart, "But, what could he do? Even if he found out about the attack, there's no way he would be able to save us anyway. We'd probably already be taken out of the country by then." It was true, the Cursed Grand Magus's estate was at least a week away by carriage and the Rider Knigton was on the border of the Kingdom and only a five-day ride from the Kingdom of Freyr.

Outside their cage, men were talking about how they successfully raized one of the Cursed Grand Magus's knighton's and that their success would surely encourage other Lords to attack. "It's just peasants talking about the 'cursed grand magus'. If he really is that powerful, then why hasn't he shown up yet? I bet we could take him down no problem and then our Lord would have to give us a bonus for doing him a favor!" The men laughed among themselves, while Stella listened in horror, she and her people were taken captive just to target Margrave Rundegard and those men doubted the Margrave's ability. "I pity them." Stella said under her breadth, though she had never gotten the opportunity to meet the Margrave, Stella understood that he was not someone to be trifled with. According to her late father, who ventured to Margrave Runegard's estate for a social event, there was an air of danger that hovered over the Margrave. Even though Margrave Runegard had a pleasant and friendly demeanor, there was something 'off' about him and Stella's father never forgot that encounter.

The cover of the cage Stella and her friends were in was pulled off and a man rolled the cloth as he went about cleaning up the camp. He wasn't like the rest of the mercenaries, he was treated differently, and that showed when another man hit him with his shoulder. "Watch where yer'going Grant!" Barked the man at Grant, who had fallen to his haunches from the hit. "I'm sorry, I'll be more careful." answered Grant keeping his head low.

"Boss! Boss!" A man on horseback burst through the treeline in a panic, "It's bad! Its the Cursed Grand Magus! He's coming!" Everyone in the camp stood stunned, even the leader of the mercenaries needed a moment to realize what the man had said. "What do you mean he's coming?" The leader's voice was tense and low, "He's coming! We need to gah--" an arrow pierced the man's throat, and he fell from his horse. "Tha'ts impossible..." gasped the leader, "Boss" came the whimper of another man from the treeline, "We did as you said, we stayed behind to keep watch, but, but..." the man sniffled, he skin was pale as death, "But what?" asked the mercenary leader, "But the Cursed Grand Magus, he was already aware of us... and..." Even from the cage Stella could see the man trembling, "Oh... that's right, I was supposed to give you a message... he said to tell you that," again the man paused biting his lip hesitantly, "You are my prey, and I'm coming to hunt you down, so at least try to make this entertaining for me." Having delivered the Cursed Grand Magus's message, the man began to bleep profusely from every pore, sliding off his horse in a bloody heap.

Men started running to get their horses and fastened them to the wagons. "Leave everything behind! Take only our captives! If the Cursed Grand Magus gets to us, we'll use them as leverage against him!" The wagon jolted forward and started moving much faster than when they were first captured. In the cage, the women looked at each other pale from shock, "I always knew Margrave Runegard was a dangerous man but, I never realized how dangerous." Stella clutched her chest trying to ease the tension in her heart from the fear she felt. "He is going to save us? Right?" Alice's lip quivered, her eyes wide from fear, "Right?" Stella understood Alice's fear and doubt and, for the sake of her friend, she knew she had to say something encouraging, but Stella needed courage too. "Yeah." Was all Stella could manage as the wagon slid across the ground roughly, the ground was uneven, and they were being jolted around. "Grab onto the bars!" As the wagon jolted again, Stella's body slammed into the bars from the force, and she did her best to hold on and steady herself. The others followed her example, holding onto the bars, so they wouldn't get knocked around.

There was a whistling sound that ripped through the air, blackening the sky and piercing several mercenaries. "Arrows?" gasped Stella, seeing one man get struck by three arrows. She looked back against the jolting of the wagon but could only see trees. It wasn't until they began to ascend a hill that Stella caught a glimpse of Margrave Runegard astride a silver stallion wielding a black bow with several soldiers in formation behind him. They were watching from a high vantage point. In unison, the soldiers drew their arrows and took aim along with Margrave Runegard. The sound of the arrows ripping through the skies filled Stella's belly with fear. What if one of those arrows hit a civilian?