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DINOTALES: Book I - The Quest Begins (Chapter 20)
By Vader
February 2nd, 1800
I have led William Dawson around the battlefield, trying to get past any duels that the knights and animals were fighting one on one. I am so pleased that Dawson was good enough of a man to care for us and venture forth at his own risk to find us. In my heart, I would have thought that he would simply sail away back to England if we did not return. But I realize now that is the exact opposite of what he did, and I should have known better. Unfortunately, I fear that he will have his own life taken if I do not somehow get him atop the surrounding wall with Avatolon. Yet, it is impossible. The only way to make your way to the top of the wall is by climbing up the stairs on the other side, from inside Logilathe. And there is absolutely no way I nor the guards and knights shall chance opening and running through the large gate, for leviathans would certainly leap inside. Therefore, at the moment, Dawson and myself seem to be stuck in the center of the enormous battle, as I feel progressively worried.
-Jack Bradbury
Avatolon stood in front of the king and queen. They were now no longer in their thrown room, but in their own personal chambers. If Roschar did win this battle, the first place the carnivores would go is the throne room to kill the rulers. Yet hiding in their private chambers with some guards by their side allowed them more chance of escape. "This idea seems to be extreme, Avatolon. Yet I know, it is the only way - you have no need to prove that to me now," the king told the knight standing before him. He sighed, a single tear rolling down his cheek as he looked out a small window at Logilathe below. "I can not bear to see this city and everyone in it sealed to the ultimate doom of pain, suffering and death. We must make this sacrifice, for our people. I give you permission, my good knight."
Avatolon nodded. "I feel as you do, My Lord. I thank you," he told him with understanding.
"Serve me well . . . and fight bravely," the king said, as another tear rolled from his eye, a dark cloud of how this night could close weighing upon his mind. Avatolon gave him a look of complete loyalty and then ran away without speaking any more words. He left the chambers, running and jumping down into the central square. The guards allowed him to pass back through the gate, hurrying back into the Logilathe streets.
He only had a single purpose, single goal, single mission now, pushing away the blackness and disturbing thickness in the air as he bolted forward, once again reaching the wall. The pounding of the leviathans continuing to knock it down were heard and much of the wall had just begun to crumble. He could here the heroic cry of knights and the last struggling noises of those crumbling into death.
He ran forward, taking the few knights that were atop the wall, along with Princess Endra. Without any words, they all followed Avatolon toward, in a rigid path leading downward, under the wall, to where the all the stabilization and foundations of the structure had been laid.
Concurrently, Jack and Dawson whisked by Harold and Emma as they fought against the fearsome beasts, trying to keep them away from the wall. "There is nowhere you can lead me that is safe, my good boy," Dawson told Jack. "We can't escape fighting now." Jack knew this to be true, but he was still far from excepting it. He glanced behind him, to see that Harold and Emma had ran to catch up with him.
"Have you seen Rick?" Emma asked before Harold could blurt out anything hurtful. The question was not answered, for as Jack began to speak, he stopped, hearing a sound traveling through the air, that sounded like a whistle, with certain changes in pitch and tone as it came into everyone's ears. Jack's seemed to slightly recall a similar sound the knights had been making a while ago, but this one was still different.
No more time was taken on the part of the knights. All of them abandoned their resisting the leviathans, running away through the crowd of beasts, allowing their enemy to get free strait shots at the wall. They all ran away across the plains, as the carnivores intensely beat up against the wall, forcing it to begin to waver. Jack, Emma, Harold, and Dawson had no clue what this all meant. "Follow us!" one of the running knights called to them. "You must!"
Although not knowing the reason, they obeyed, running after the knights, behind their enemies. They stopped and turned to the view the smashing and steady destruction of the wall. Jack could not believe it - the wall was being allowed to be destroyed so that everyone inside would be lost.
In one second, all those doubts and worries in everyone's head vanished. Right before their eyes, the wall creaked and cracked, as if being freed from below it, moving forward, falling towards the leviathans that were directly in front of it that had been trying to knock it down. The wall smashed down, crushing all of the beasts as they cried out, roaring in anger and rage as the hard rocks and boulders free-fell downward, crashing, crumbling, and breaking into shambles all of their bones and muscles. The wall quickly finished its falling, killing all the -thirsty predators under it.
All but one of this army of Roschar's had been defeated. A single beast had managed to avoid what had happened - a twenty-foot tall predator that had first chased the group inside the cave when the lantern went out. It roared in rage at Jack, Emma, Harold, and Dawson, who were just meters away. It quickly rushed down, opening wide its powerful jaws and scooping up Dawson. The captain yelled, stabbing the beast with his dagger. But the animal's jaws only closed down harder. "No!" Jack screamed, throwing his sword at the creature. All the knights threw their own weapons at the terrifying predator, aiming at its heart and neck as Rick ran up to where Emma was, doing the same. Within a matter of minutes, the humongous beast slowed, dropping Dawson to the ground and then tumbling down to the earth itself, dead.
Jack ran forth with pain - not physical pain, but emotional pain. He threw himself to where Dawson was, coming close, hoping and wishing with all his heart that the man that had come to search him out with courage, was not dead. "Please . . . please . . . please," he moaned, tears streaming. He could not face the fact, he could not except it. But it was the truth. Dawson was gone, his life taken.
Harold slowly stepped forward as Jack cried over the dead body. He stopped in front of Jack, his arms crossed. "This battle . . . this death . . . it is all your fault," Harold said with all gruesomeness, storming away to let his words sink in. A mixture of anger, fear, sadness, all sorts of emotions began to come up within Jack. Harold was completely right. It was his fault. Everything that had happened was because of him. And this was only the result of one of the Roschar's armies.
Jack bolted up running away, with determination and tears on his face. People were surveying what had happened, soaking it all in, at the brink of Logilathe. Avatolon stood with the princess at his side as the king and queen walked out to observe how they defeated this large group of leviathans. Jack ran to the rulers immediately.
There was no time to stop, no time to wait, no time to waste, not time to take everything in, no time slow or be hasty. "I must go north to face Roschar. Please, I must go now," Jack said. He had to somehow accomplish this large feat, finish what he had started. He could not explain what he felt now. Sadness and guilt had consumed him. Yet he was now motivated to push on, not to give up.
Jack said nothing of what he felt. But the rulers could understand. The king looked upon him and said his last words before Jack left, "Then may it be so."
Epilogue
Avatolon walked across the war-scared plains in front of Logilathe along with Rick, Emma, Harold, Princess Endra, and Jack alongside him. The once completely pure grass had been stained with the marks of death and destruction. And so would all of this wonderful world if they did not triumph over all.
Citizens of Logilathe were already beginning to rebuild where the wall once stood, carrying with them large stones back and forth with new found determination, under the caring watchfulness of their rulers. Things had begun to heal in Logilathe, but everything now was on the verge of annihilation.
The group that crossed the plain reached the brink of the woods now. They all ventured forth, into what would be a perilous journey, facing extinct creatures returned to life, and ultimately, the final battle that would determine what would become of the good and the bad.
Everyone moved on forth into the woods, but Jack stopped, sighing. Yes, he was the one that had broken a most important trust, ignored the warnings and disturbed nature's ancient creatures. He had spelled doom. The words of Harold kept echoing through his brain. It was all his fault. Yes, it was true. He could not help succombing to gut-wrenching feelings.
He was about to turn around, and look at Logilathe again. But just before he did so, he told himself not to. It would be better not to look back. He would keep his eyes forward. He would try to redeem himself with all his might.
And then he felt the warm, gentle hand of Avatolon's on his shoulder. Jack looked up at him as the wise and understanding gaze of encouragement came down upon him from the knight's eyes.
And for that single time, the tortture he was now experiencing within his heart faded for just long enough to help Jack push forward, walking with his loyal companions . . . just as the sun ahead of them began to rise over the horizon.
THE END
1/3/02 1:27:09 AM
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