Chapter 20 (Hellacre13)
King Alexander of Metria sat in an upper chamber he now used as his private den. He was relaxing on a divan, sipping a robust, red wine that had come from Mordred’s well stocked cellars. He was gloating to himself over the capture and imprisonment of Kal-el and the Elven Princess of Themyscira. He would take great pleasure on the morrow when he executed the presumptuous pair. Let them cool their heels in the dungeons and know that they would lose their heads on the block in public for all to see. It would not only reinforce his status as king but show any would-be upstarts and insurgents that he was not to be trifled with.
He thought exile would have broken Kal-el. Being away from the woman he loved, losing his station, his Order wiped out, having to roam nameless and eke out a living as a common hired hand would have taken its toll on a lesser man. But not this one. He had a penchant for rising out of the ashes like the legendary phoenix. He was hobnobbing with royalty and chosen by the Elves to go on a quest to seek the Cup of Ages because he was deemed worthy and, from Tresstom’s scathing words, it seemed had made an impression on the Elf herself. Luthor snorted; Kal-el did have a habit it seemed of getting in the way of a man’s courtship. First Lois, now a damn Princess. He must be humbled!!!
Luthor thought of Tresstom’s last words to him as he stormed off to the dungeons. He had warned him that it was going to be his pleasure to execute Kal-el and his beautiful companion; that Peenflank must not presume to take that luxury from him.
Tresstom had sneered, “Oh, you can chop off her head. I will even take a front row to watch that. But having them die together will only make martyrs of them and Diana is a proud minx. She would go to her death smirking at me. I know her. She would rather die with him than be my wife. I will see her spirit broken before she puts her head on the chopping block. I will take from her what she wanted to give to him and best of all he will watch me when I do it!!!”
Luthor laughed to himself. He would have gone to see that himself but it seemed to lack a certain amount of dignity to go watch Peenflank ravish Kal-el’s new love. He was a King now and besides he had been down that road with Lois. The pleasure he gotten in taking her had never been out of care or even lust but the malicious knowledge that she had been the woman Kal-el had secretly courted and wanted to marry. He had crossed that bridge already. Of course he could have taken the Princess for himself; but that would have created problems with Tresstom and Doma and Luthor had sense to keep the arrogant whelp as an ally. Doma was of great strategic import due to its location and the fact that Themyscira and her allies trusted him. And in any case this Diana was an Elf. Beautiful like a rare jewel but he never believed in mingling his blood with anyone outside his own race.
He drained his goblet and sat up. He needed to contact Desaad. There had been rumors that the enemy was on the move. He was about to go towards a mirror mounted on the far wall when there was an urgent knock.
“Your Majesty!!!! Your Majesty…Grave news!!!”
Alexander rose and opened the door. It was Captain Samuel’s successor. He looked flustered. Luthor snapped, “What is it? Did I not say I was not to be bothered?”
The Head of the Guard bowed apologetically. “Sire, forgive me. But… I thought you would need to know at once…The prisoners have escaped…”
Luthor’s eyes narrowed and his voice was low but menacing. “What?”
“They e-escaped…”
“I heard you the first time, imbecile. How the hell did that happen? Weren’t your best men posted to guard them?” he asked coldly.
“Yes, sire…” The man licked his lips nervously. Luthor’s calm was unnerving. “But…but it seems they overpowered them and killed them… and Lord Peenflank…he was found lying with his own blade in his gullet…”
Luthor’s face seemed to harden. He caressed the dagger at his waist and growled. “How long ago this happened?”
“I…It must have been a couple of hours ago. We only d-discovered it when the guard was about to change and I have sent men to try to track them down …They could not have gone f-far…They are only two…and on f-foot…I am sure we will f-find them soon …” he stuttered, not liking the way his new king was watching him. “I mean…I am sure they had no help to get in or out…”
Luthor’s eyes flashed. “Help? Damn it!!! We have been duped!! This was planned all along!!! They…” He stopped abruptly and suddenly stormed out the room. The guard blinked and followed him like an obedient, if somewhat anxious, dog. Luthor went down the spiral steps leading to the floor of the royal apartments. He stormed into the chambers he shared with his Queen.
He shouted, “Lois!!!”
There was no reply. The room was silent save for the low fire burning in the grate. He yanked the curtains aside.
The bed was empty. His eyes shifted from the rumpled sheets to the bedside table. The bottle was gone.
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“Kal-el, we have the bottle, lad!” began O’Brien proudly, displaying his precious burden now carefully wrapped under a cloak.
Kal-el gave him and the two men a nod of approval. “That is wonderful, Patrick. I thank you all.” His eyes fell upon Lois who was staring at him and Diana with a mixture of dismay and skepticism.
Diana’s voice could be heard at his side again. “Lois? You mean…?”
He turned to look at her gravely. “Yes. This is she.”
“Oh.”
Kal-el had not spoken about her much but she did know that this woman was at one time very special to him. She was not sure how she felt. It was an odd feeling and Diana looked somewhat dubious.
Kal-el’s hand found hers and squeezed gently and he gave her a meaningful look as if to reassure her. Then he let her fingers go and walked towards the woman who, if things had remained constant, might have been his wife by now. Life was indeed strange.
John spoke up. “She was in the castle. She begged us to let her come along. In fact, she helped us get out quickly.”
Lois looked just as stunned to see him and it was clear the sight of him so close to Diana had been as if someone had slapped her in the face. She never expected to see him so soon and it made her all the more regret her refusal to meet with him that fateful day when he left Metria in disgrace.
“Lois….I mean, Your Majesty, it is good to see you once more.” He bowed respectfully to her as only a knight would to a Queen.
She could not help but notice he looked well. She knew she must appear pale and haggard. She glanced at the Elven woman, whose beauty seemed to only enliven under the pale moonlight, and felt a pang of envy. Who was she? She had seen them standing close, too close. Walter had explained they had two allies in the castle that had been part of the plan to rescue the Knights of Kandor. He had failed to mention one was Kal-el, her former betrothed, and an Elf. “Kal-el…I thank you. It has been a long time.”
“Indeed it has. I was saddened to hear of your father’s and cousin’s death.”
She swallowed. “Thank you. I did not expect Luthor would be so evil. I was blind and so was King Modred. It was too late when we realized he was bent on tyranny and murder.”
“He is your husband still.”
“Much to my regret,” she replied. “But I cannot live as his Queen under such circumstances.”
Walter injected, “She knows of his plans, Kal-el. His alliance with the Emperor. Their plans to conquer all of First Earth. The war set events in motion to bring back Darkseid, Lord of Apokolips.”
Lois said, disgusted, “His essence thrives on blood and death. I believe it is just a matter of time before he is back and then First Earth will have to tremble in fear. Only those who bow to his dominance and might and who will spill blood in his name will be spared, like Luthor.”
Kal-el murmured, “Darkseid…” The reason why he was an orphan and the last of his race. His fate. The prophesy. His task to face the Emperor and banish him. A task that could bring about the death and enslavement of millions if he failed.
He felt Diana come up behind him and her hand rest gently on his shoulder. She sensed what this meant for him. How difficult it must be. His hand reached back and rested on hers. There was no need for words.
Kal-el said, “Lois, allow me to introduce to our ally Diana, Princess of Themyscira. Diana, this is Lois.”
Diana nodded politely. “I greet you on behalf of Themyscira, Queen Lois.”
Lois said wryly, “Lady Lois will do. And I never expected to see the Elves care about anything to do with the human world and wars.”
“Elves treasure all life and the Earth, Lady Lois. Tis true we prefer solace and to be amongst our own kind but this darkness threatens us all and we will not stand by and watch if we can help it. We will join the forces of the remaining free kingdoms that will fight .We hope to face the Emperor at Bludhaven. We cannot wait for him to divide and conquer. We still can unite. That is where we must go now. We cannot tarry, Kal. We must go. I am sure when we are discovered to have escaped Luthor will have his men come after us.”
Kal-el looked at John, Patrick and Walter. “Yes, we should leave now. The sooner we get to Gothamworth the better. James has the magical tools to release my brothers from their glass prison.”
It was all well and good that this Diana was optimistic, even somewhat pragmatic, but Lois found herself feeling irritable at how matter of fact she was and how Kal-el did not seem to realize that this was not just any opponent.
Lois said dryly, “I do not mean to cloud our silver lining here but you realize all of you, that this battle might well be suicide? That Darkseid is nigh undefeatable? You have heard the prophesy?”
Diana cocked her head. “That only the last son of Krypton could defeat him?”
Lois gave a thin smile and looked at the group. “Yes and if you hadn’t notice Krypton is a dead civilization. Defunct for hundreds of years. You may have knights and nobles and princes and mages and even thieves…”
Patrick muttered to himself, “Thief indeed!”
Lois continued grimly, “Even with all these brave people, the likelihood of defeating the Emperor is non-existent. He is so powerful that an entire race was wiped out trying to defeat him. I see no Kryptonian here, do you? And even if there was some miracle to occur that there is such a person, what can one man hope to do against a God?”
She saw all eyes look at Kal-el. The knight lifted a silver, pentagonal shaped talisman from around his neck. She remembered it was something he had always worn since she knew him. He had mentioned it was found in his blanket when he was left on the steps of the Guildhall as a babe. It was his good luck charm in as much the only thing to tie him to his lost past. The strange, serpentine shape was a symbol no one recognized, not even the history books. She did not know that the symbol represented the crest of one of the most powerful kingdoms to rule First Earth. That after the death of Krypton there was virtually little left for present day scholars to explore. That what little was known was kept secret by the Knights of Kandor as ones who had been fated to raise the man who would possibly become the savior to all of First Earth.
He said, in a voice she never heard before, “I can try to use the abilities that I have been blessed with to try to defeat tyranny and protect innocents and even if I die I would have gone to my grave knowing I did my duty.”
Lois said wryly, “Kal-el, that is admirable but you are hardly some lost Princeling fated to bring down the Emperor.”
“Actually, Lady Lois, he is,” interrupted Diana impatiently, unable to hold her tongue now. “Not that it makes a difference to you since you turned your back on him when he needed you most and went to throw your lot in with Luthor.”
Lois had the grace to redden but said tightly, “I think I know Kal-el better than you ever could, Princess. I was his betrothed after all.”
Diana frowned. She did not know that but she retorted crossly, “Well, it makes it all the more worse what you did. You have a misplaced notion of loyalty.”
Kal-el coughed and laid his hand on the Elf’s forearm. “Diana, that will do.”
She looked at him and heard the gentle rebuke in his voice but it was tempered by what could only be a twinkle in his eye. He seemed slightly amused at her firing up on his behalf. Diana began, “But, Kal, she just insulted you…”
“ Not now. We need to get out of Metria at once, remember?”
Diana saw the look in his eyes and reluctantly subsided. “Oh very well…”
Lois stared at them in disbelief. Kal-el was never a man to overstep his bounds and the Princess looked as if she would lop off the head off anyone in defense of him. They could not be courting. It was impossible. She was royalty and not even human.
Kal-el looked at the men and Diana. “Patrick, you must go ahead and fly to Gothamworth. Let them know we are coming. We will follow on horse back. Let them know what has happened here.”
Patrick nodded and handed the bottle over to Walter and warned, “Here and don’t ye drop it. I will fly like the wind.”
The shape-shifter suddenly morphed into a falcon and few off into the night sky.
Kal-el looked at Lois. “What do you want to do, Lois?”
She said sadly, “My father and cousin are dead. I have no kin left save a sister. She lives in Metria but I cannot go to her. Alexander will no doubt have already checked there and I have to pray Lucy is not harmed. I have to seek sanctuary where I can find it.”
“There will be no place to be called sanctuary if the Emperor has his way,” said John soberly. “All kingdoms are at risk now.”
Kal-el said, “You had better come with us. Lord Wayne’s Gothamworth is still free and he is a trusted ally. He would give you sanctuary until such time Metria can be restored to its rightful ruler, King Modred. Then you can go home.”
Even after being ousted by Modred Kal-el had not become bitter or vengeful. She found this amazing. She said softly, “Thank you. I am indebted to you.”
Kal-el nodded and looked at the horses. They had Patrick’s as an extra which Lois could ride. He said, “Mount up, everyone. We ride non stop until we cross Metria’s border.”
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The group left Metria behind after two hours of hard riding. Krypto joined them soon enough after having waited obediently in the woods whilst his master went ahead without him. Now they had to traverse the Emerald Mountains before they could descend into Gothamworth. This in itself was an entire day’s journey. It was two hours short of dawn when rain began to pelt down upon them forcing them to stop. They reached the bottom of the forested hills and they took the opportunity to seek shelter in a cave and rest for a few hours until they resumed their journey.
Diana had been very quiet during the entire journey and Kal-el would have liked to have had a few moments to just be with her alone but time and company did not permit it. So after sharing rations the group settled down to sleep. Kal-el insisted upon keeping watch even after Diana, Walter and John protested and said they should divide the guard duty.
“Listen to me, you two fought on a battle-field and then helped us rescue the bottle. You are exhausted. I can see it. And I have always been able to go for three or four days without sleep. It used to make me wonder why, but now I know. Please, go and lie down before I hit you all on the head and make you sleep by force.”
The men grinned but obeyed.
Lois was already asleep.
He looked at Diana half expecting her to protest, but she simply took her cloak threw it on the floor and lay down in a corner. She turned her face to the cave wall and seemed to settle to sleep. Krypto went to her and curled up at her feet.
Kal-el took his sword, sat near the mouth of the cave and watched the rain fall as he kept vigil.
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Lois’s eyes opened as the rays of the morning sun hit the cave. She sat up and looked around. Walter was still asleep, and there was no sight of Diana, John or Kal-el and the dog. She could smell the intoxicating smell of spices and flowers. She yawned and rose.
She stepped out to see a fire going and some sort of tea was being brewed. Kal-el was watching the pot and seemed to be stirring in honey.
“That smells lovely.”
He looked up. “Elvish tea. It tastes like heaven. Did you get enough sleep?”
She took a seat on a nearby stone. “Yes…In fact, I must have had a more restful sleep in these few hours that the last six months.”
He looked at her sympathetically and passed over a wooden cup to her. “It must have been difficult.”
She took the cup. “Thank you. Mmm, that is wonderful…Where are the others?”
“John took Krypto and they went to forage for fruit and Diana to water the horses.”
Lois looked around at the wilderness around them. “You allowed her to go off by herself? The wild is known to have bandits and wild animals.”
He smiled. “I do not presume to allow or disallow any of Diana’s actions and bandits and animals should fear for themselves as they may find themselves facing down a blade that can cut through stone.”
Lois frowned. “I see. You have a lot of faith in her to look after herself.”
“I do.”
She was silent and then asked abruptly, “Are you courting her?”
“I am hoping to marry her,” he replied simply.
Lois felt a pang of disappointment at that news. “Hoping to?”
“We would prefer to have the blessing of her mother and people before we bonded our selves to each other.”
“But she is a Princess. Did you suddenly come into some inheritance? Did the Elves make you a Prince?”
“No. I simply found out who I was.”
“Which is?”
He replied, “I am Kal-el, only son of King Jor-el and Queen Lara.”
Lois’ brows snapped together. “What?”
He touched his talisman. “I am the last son of Krypton.”
Lois’ jaw dropped and she was tilting the cup to the side, letting tea seep out.
“Be careful you do not scald yourself,” he said lightly.
Lois quickly rested the hot cup down but still gaped. “You are the…You are serious?”
“Why would I lie, Lois?” he asked calmly. “You know about my strange abilities and power…that it was liken to dark magic. Well, it is just my birthright. It is nothing I need ever be ashamed. I was sent here for a purpose by my parents through time with the last of their magic to fulfill the prophesy. I understand now that I was groomed by the best men to be able to fulfill that duty. Men who sheltered me from evil influences and reared me with the best principles.”
She found her voice and could not keep the tartness out of it. “She knows this, I suppose?”
“She does.”
“I expect it will make it easier to swallow; an Elf-Princess with a Prince of a long lost race…”
“If you are implying Diana is allowing me to court her because of my status, you could not be more wrong. She knew I was a disgraced knight, she knew I was just a commoner and still she never spurned me. In fact she chose me before we found out about my heritage.” He rose heavily.
Lois flushed and got up to face him. “I suppose I deserved that but there was a time you pledged your undying love to me. You said you would love me always. Have you forgotten that? Has your love soured and grown stale in just a year? I may have married Luthor but I never professed to love him. It was just a marriage of convenience. I wish I had chosen otherwise!”
Kal-el looked down at her with some sympathy. “If you had come to me six months ago I may have relented and said yes. I was lonely and I thought of you often. But our courtship was based on lies and hiding. I promised myself never to do that with any woman I loved and when I met Diana it seemed natural and preordained. And unlike you she never judged me or ran because she worried what others thought. I am sorry, Lois. I am in love with Diana. I hope you find someone to love and care for you as you deserve because the human knight you loved is not all that I am.”
Lois reddened. She knew she had offered and been rejected. She said stiffly, “Well, I wish you and your Elf all happiness.”
He had no chance to reply as John’s footsteps were heard and the knight could be seen coming into the camp bearing a bundle of fruit and berries and roots with Krypto at his heels. He grinned as he rested his bounty on a stone. “Quite a harvest I got us. Mmm, that tea smells wonderful.”
Kal-el gestured for him to help himself to tea. “Maybe you all could wake Walter. I think we should move out within the hour. Where is Diana?”
John gestured to the vale below. “She was going that way when I last saw her.”
Kal-el nodded and taking up his sword, said, “I shall check on her.”
He found her quarter of a mile away near a stream. All five horses were tethered near by and seemed to be grazing on the rich grassy banks. She grabbed her sword at once and was in a defensive stance when she heard crackling of the trees behind her.
His head poke though some bushes. “It is just me, Diana.”
She frowned and put her sword down. “You startled me. I could have sliced you head off, you know. Is anything wrong?”
He came up to her and said, taking her into his arms, “No. I was just missing doing this.” His lips claimed hers and they shared a passion filled kiss.
Diana hands linked about his neck and she sighed as he raised his lips. “What was that for?”
He kissed her eye lids and nose. “For loving me for me.”
She flushed self-consciously and picked at his tunic “Kal, I did not know you were betrothed to Lois and if I was rude to her I beg your pardon.”
“Does it bother you we were betrothed?”
“A little,” she confessed and raised her blue eyes to his. “Does that make me pathetic?”
He smiled. “You are no more jealous than I was when I thought you wanted Lord Wayne.”
She frowned. “Oh. So that is what feeling jealous is like? Wanting to hit Lady Lois on the head for no apparent reason?”
He grinned. “Yes and I might I say it makes you look even more adorable. I was very tempted to kiss you again in front of them all when you were railing at Lois on my behalf. I was dreading what you might have done.”
Diana laughed and hugged him. “I love you, Kal! “
“And I love you, Diana…Now you think those horses are watered enough? Breakfast is ready, you know.”
Diana nodded. “I think we can take them back now. You know, I was thinking of Patrick. I hope he gets to Gothamworth safely.
Kal-el took Lightning’s bridle and stroked his forehead. “He will. I am sure of it. “Eel O’Brien” is a survivor if nothing else.”
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Gothamworth
King Gordon did all that the Dark Knight suggested and arrested those that had been suspected of treachery and being spies of Darkseid. Of those rounded up were Captain Harvel himself, who protested loudly and actually tried to attack Lord Wayne in the throne room in front of everyone. He might have been successful in killing the nobleman but for the young mage who instantly used the spell he had been perfecting and the dagger Harvel had withdrawn from his boot turned into a turnip. The entire court gasped to see Havel stabbing Wayne’s back but burst into laughter when the Dark Knight turned around and delivered a fist to the jaw of the ex-Captain that sent him crashing to the floor.
Harvel then spent some time in the dungeon with Lord Wayne and the Dark Knight managed to elicit more information. Names like Sir Crane, Baron Cobblepot and Count Vertigo were some of the high ranking aristocrats that had been in league with the Emperor. Gordon’s men were able to round them up and their trials were speedy and all of them were hung for treason and the murder of Princess Barbara.
Once this had been done King Gordon, Lord Wayne, Prince Richard , and James gathered in the war-room looking at table sized map of Bludhaven and environs and contemplating their strategy in the battle to come. Time was not a luxury they had. News had traveled of Lord Peter’s death and reached Gothamworth. There was word that the Emperor himself had returned from the Realm of the Phantoms and was seen by spies hovering above the Citadel of Apokolips. The Parademons were amassing from other territories as Darkseid seemed to know that the remaining kingdoms were uniting and he needed his entire army if he was going to take Gothamworth and the remaining lands of the Elves and Sea King.
Lord Wayne had good news in that Themyscira was willing to help. The Queen Hippolyta was hoping to ride to Doma and then meet them at Bludhaven with troops. It seemed she had about three thousand women she was going to be leading.
King Gordon frowned. “But they are just women.”
Wayne corrected, “They are warriors and immortal.”
James added, “With magical weapons.”
“They are not to be underestimated and will be useful allies,” said Lord Wayne.
“What about this Doma?” asked Richard.
Wayne said slowly, “Well, they do have a good position in that they act as a buffer to Themyscira with Lake Migdhall as the divide between the two. It is the only reason Queen Hippolyta is tolerating Peenflank.”
“I met him once,” said Gordon derisively. “What an arrogant popinjay!!!”
“Yes he is that. But Doma is in too good a position to ignore. He knows this. He is a self preserving snake, that one. I would watch him closely were I Hippolyta.”
“Well, taken as a whole with our collective forces, we have command of twenty thousand soldiers. Will that be enough?” asked Richard. “Rumor has it the Emperor has over forty thousand of these parademons and also armies of the kingdoms he conquered fighting under his banner.”
Wayne looked grim. “The Amazons may add another two thousand.”
Gordon looked at the narrow gorge at Bludhaven. “We assail them from the top with archers and then take them on with the infantry. We have some of the best axe and phalanx-men on First Earth. The calvary will follow up after…we need to try to push them back to the sea…We…” The king was interrupted by a knock on the door. He looked up and frowned. “I told them we were in counsel and not to be disturbed. He bellowed, “Enter!!!”
In stepped the new Captain Edward Grant, dragging in a lanky man by the scruff of the neck and a sword in his hand. He bowed. “I am sorry, Sire, for interrupting. We found this one skulking on the battlements. He claims to know the Dark Knight and mage. I would have killed him already but for the fact he knows details that no other would know unless they knew Lord Wayne…”
James exclaimed, “Patrick! You here???”
“Aye, little magician, I am. Will ye get your paws off me? I am not a spy of Darkseid…”grumbled O’Brien to the guard.
Gordon looked at Wayne. “You know this fellow?”
Wayne gestured to the Captain. “Release him. He is a …an ally of sorts.”
Grant looked dubious. “You are certain?”
“Yes.”
Grant released him reluctantly. O’Brien straightened and dusted himself indignantly. “I told ye!”
James went to him eagerly, “Is Kal-el here?”
Patrick touched his shoulder. “No. He sent me ahead. To let ye know wha’ is going on.”
The Dark Knight had risen and he came forward. “What news have you for us? Where is Kal-el and Diana?”
“They are well…Well, so far…I left ‘em in one piece…He insisted I come ‘ere. They might make it out alive…I don’t know…It was a long flight…I flew non-stop. Mighty thirsty am I…and could use a good rest…Ye got feather beds in this place?” He eyed the flagon of wine on the side board along with the bowl of fruit.
Wayne narrowed his eyes. “To the point, if you please. Then you can eat. Did you succeed in your mission.”
O’Brien rolled his eyes and proceeded to tell them of the group encountering the late Lord Peter and having Walter of Keystone and John of Oa join them in the rescue of the Kinghts of Kandor. Gordon and Richard were shocked and saddened to hear of Peter’s death and the loss of another ally and Tresstom’s betrayal. They were curious about the bottle and the mention of Queen Lois.
“We managed to get the bottle and Queen Lois insisted on coming with us.”
Wayne smiled thinly. “Hmm, his bottle and his Queen. That will infuriate him.”
James’ eyes glowed with happiness. His brethren would be here soon and he could help free them.
Gordon rubbed his chin. “We are down another ally and Doma has turned out to be traitor. The Amazon Queen is going there to meet with them, you say? She must be warned.”
Eyes turned to O’Brien who had slyly made his way to the side board and was stuffing his mouth with as much fruit as it could hold. He looked at them, his cheeks bulging with grapes.
“Wha?”
