Chapter 6
The Kingdom of Sorrow
Celunia had left the others in his haste and was standing at the top of ridge. Dusk was now passing and dark from the east was traveling from the east into the hills below. Their was a loud clamor of voices south of the group. That must have been where the encampment of imps had been and they were now moving towards the city.
Celunia and Grable started down the other side of the hill and into the East Gale, with Billy close behind. Billy’s armor was heavy and the same for Grable and Celunia. With every rut and root of the thick forest the party never slowed, fearing the Sorcerers minions were just behind. The large elms here were closer together than in the West Gale and it seemed as if it were a whole other world. The darkness that now closely surrounded them gave them cover but hindered they’re eyesight and after a short time they were forced to stop.
They made camp underneath a wide evergreen tree that stood at the top of a tall ridge. If there were any imps following them then they would surely spot them in enough time to flee.
“There are too many of the enemies eyes in this forest not to be seen.” Celunia was lying perfectly still along the edge of the ridge facing west.
Grable was sitting against the trunk of the tree. It’s drooping limbs formed a canopy over his head. “So what now?”
“I am very sorry to say but I am afraid that we must move again tonight.”
“There is no way. We can’t even see anything,” Billy said.
“I urge you not to be so loud child. And I am sorry, as I have said, but you do not realize the danger we are in.
“The Lone-men’s kingdom is no more than five or six fathoms east. There we will be safe, yet, here we stand a substantial chance of meeting the end of our journey.”
“I say we move after we have a short rest.” Grable said as he sunk farther down the gnarled trunk and closed his eyes.
“Fine, but if I am too slow then don’t complain.” Billy turned and looked out over the hill and across the section of the East Gale that lay before them. Not that he could see much more of anything, but it was certainly much better than talking to the others.
A few minutes passed and they resumed their tumultuous task of tramping through the dark forest. Celunia’s hooves clicked on roots as he lead the company further east and deeper into the forest. Grable had not said much the entire journey so far, and had not said anything since they left their camp underneath the evergreen tree.
It seemed a few hours to Billy when they at last stopped at the edge of a tremendous cliff. The wall of rock that blocked their path dropped, very steeply, down into a plain below. There was a path leading down its face, thin and terrible, and as the road doubled back and forth along the descent, it divided the wall into many sections of platforms.
Celunia was first to go down and around the bush at the head of the path. Billy followed behind him and then came Grable. As they wound around the path to the field below gravel fell from the edge above.
“Imps! Faster!” Celunia yelled loudly and then quickened his pace so that it was hard to keep up, even for Grable.
Despite the clamor of the centaurs clumsy hooves, tiny shrill voices were slowly becoming distant into the sky above. They had rounded three more turns since they noticed the imps and there was silence again, as if they had given up the chase.
“ Where did they go?”
“I do not know Billy but we must continue at this pace.”
“I do not know how much longer I can manage.” The others had not even noticed that Grable was lumbering a few paces behind by now.
Just then, as Billy approached another bend of the path, and arrow flew down and into the dirt right in front of him. He stopped and looked up to see where it came from and noticed that the imps had also began to descend the cliff-side.
They increased their pace, fearing being attacked again, and made for the floor below. There were about four bends between them when, from the plain below, came a giant boulder, covered in oil and roaring with fire, crashing into the company of minions. Their bodies fell past the warriors and crashed into the precipices below. The Boulder soon fell, still flaming valiantly.
As Grable stepped onto the hard, grassy plain he ran into the Billy. Celunia had halted and stood looking straight into the field. Before them lay a tall, stone wall that stretched as far north and as far south as the horizon.
“The Sorrowful Kingdom.”
“The kingdom of humans? I can’t believe that we are here so soon. I thought it would be days.”
“It seems that are pace was swifter than we imagined, child.”
“Or that the Lone-kingdom has grown since past years.”
“We must find a gate in this hideous wall. The sooner we arrive and inform king Nadier, the better.”
“I agree,” said Grable and he walked over to the wall, only about thirty paces away and stood beside it. “Why its no taller than nine foot high Celunia, I can stretch to see what is inside.”
“Then do it, and hoist me over the top while you’re there.”
Billy and Celunia made there way to the wall. It seemed easy to just be thrown over the wall, and they were tired from the chase. The night before had left no time for rest as well and they felt more like a nap than anything, but they hoped that within the walls of the Lone-Men, their needs would be met.
“Stand where you are beasts!” Grable had lifted Celunia carefully, almost to the top of the wall when the heard the command. There were several men on horses, each one clad in white and gold, though their armor was leather and steel.
“Men of Arabar, we request the audience of Nadier. It is urgent that we speak with him at once.”
A tall man, who must have been the leader because he sat in front of the line of men, slowly trotted up to Celunia and snarled. “No beast will see the king, and certainly not after being caught spying.”
“Spying? We were not spying. We trying to escape many minions of the Sorcerer that have trailed us all through the night.”
“We have seen the minions you speak of and it is because of us that you are not their supper.”
“Thank you,” Billy blurted, hoping soothe the angry man on the horse.
“You are welcome child, but we did not save the lives of your friends, and would not have if you had not been in company with them.” The man turned to the others and gave a command.
The other armed men quickly surrounded Celunia and Grable and tied there hands to a long rope. Billy was ordered to sit on a small horse that had been brought just for him. Though scrawny, it seemed strong and Billy felt safe on its back.
The caravan rode south along the wall for an hour or so and eventually reached a gate. The captain of the men rode in first, followed by Billy, and a section of the men surrounding Celunia and Grable, pulling their rope tightly.
“Welcome to the Kingdom of Gilant, the kingdom of men,” the captain announced. They all passed through the gate and its slammed tight behind them. They were at the top of a knoll and sat looking down into a city that truly stretched he horizon.
