Continued from "The Knights of Keiar #1"…

The sun was setting behind the seven people as they trekked toward the distant, unseen, and ancient castle of Keiar somewhere ahead in this dank, icky forest. Stepping over a moss-ridden rock, and crunching dried leaves with his foot, Gilead kept his hand on his sword handle as he walked between the four knights, leading the way, and Xena and Gabby. He pulled Argo’s rein with his right hand, with Xena on top of Argo. Gabby walked to his left, with Gilead’s arm across her shoulder.

The four knights of Keiar—Kore, Rexlar, Taggard, and Homan—led the way without any hesitation. They scrambled over rocks, leapt over logs and hedges, and went around puddles. Gabby could tell they were going the long way around, trying to cover their tracks, misleading to the best of their ability anyone that might be following them. Seeing them walk so methodically and effortlessly, one could tell they must have walked this trail over a thousand times. Xena, meanwhile, wondered what the castle of Keiar would look like. She pictured an ancient stone castle tower, lifeless and without color, crumbling and dying with pale green vines coiling themselves around the weathered gray stone walls.

Gabby nudged Gilead.

"Gilead, is something wrong?"
Gilead:
"What do you mean?"
Gabby:
"You seem very edgy."
Gilead sighed, and whispered to Xena and Gabby, making sure the four men ahead do not hear him:
"Yes, there actually is something wrong. Remember when I told you about my mind powers…?"
Xena and Gabby nodded.

Gilead:
"Well, I’ve been trying to probe their minds (indicating the knights), trying to determine whether their words are true…and I’ve been coming up empty every time. It’s like they’re somehow blocking me, knowing that I’d try to look into their minds, and cutting me off."
Gabby:
"But that’s impossible. No human can do that besides you."
"Unless they’re not human," Xena snapped.

Silence followed for a few minutes as the seven walked further into the forest. It felt like it was getting darker with each step; the sun was still high, however, and pale beams of sunlight filtered in through the openings in the leaves that spread above their heads like a green blanket.

Gabby:
"You really think they are inhuman?"

Gilead:
"No idea. Just keep your distance from them."

They eventually came to a clearing in the forest, in which a round hole, four feet deep and ten feet wide in diameter, had been dug. Sitting in the hole was a band of men and women, children even, bundled together around a fire. From the looks of things, they were taking a meal break, but they jumped up and readied spears, swords, and slingshots at the sound of footsteps.

A man looking to be in his twenties, unshaven, and wearing brown leather and holding a spear, came forward.

"Greetings, knights. We were wondering when you’d get back. (Then to Xena, Gilead and Gabby) Now, who may you be?"

Kore:
"Sir Angus, these people are not of them. You can relax, sir. (Then turning to Gilead) Sir Gilead, I’d like you to meet Sir Angus, Keiar’s son."

Gilead, Xena and Gabby stared at the young man who was called Keiar’s son. Their minds were burning with questions that needed answers; Xena most of all.

Angus put his spear down on the dirt. He motioned to his knights, who sat down on the ground and stretched.

Angus:
"Ladies and gentleman, I believe I have a lot of explaining to do. If you will sit down and make yourselves comfortable, we will begin."

Angus indicated at a patch of soft grass for them to sit down. Xena dismounted from Argo, tied his reins to a tree trunk and sat down. Gilead and Gabby followed. Angus went over to the bonfire and took down a pot that was hung over the flames. One of the other men reached into a knapsack and produced a dozen drinking cups. They were all old, worn, and dusty, but made of gold, with gem decorations. They obviously belonged to a king or other wealthy person.

As Angus passed around the cups, then the pot, containing a sweet smelling tea, Gilead squinted. If the knights were telling the truth, then that meant Angus, here, was a prince. The royal cups would be proof of that. But anyone could have stolen those cups, and as he was sitting cross-legged on the grass, Gilead did not release his hand from his sword handle. The tea, however, tasted great; it was just what Gilead needed, as he realized that he was very thirsty. He then took a deep, long drink, almost downing the whole cup.

Angus:

"Like Kore said, my name is Angus. And these people (indicating the ragtag army of men, women and children behind him) are my soldiers, dedicated to reclaiming what my father had built, and lost."

He took a drink, and continued.

Angus repeated everything that the knights had told Gilead and Gabby, about Keiar being an ordinary citizen in Rome, then how he and a thousand men planned to overthrow the infamous dictator Caesar. Angus then went on to explain, in greater detail, about how one man’s betrayal had cost the lives of every one of the thousand men, and nearly Keiar’s own as well (Please refer to "The Knights of Keiar #1…):

"…And when they stormed Caesar’s palace, they were, needless to say, surprised at the fact that the palace had been completely vacated. Still they did not realize that one person was missing from their army. And how could they…? To pick out one person out of a thousand…(shaking his head) anyway, back to the story: after hours of searching every nook and cranny of the palace for something to turn up…anything at all, one soldier found the decapitated body of the one who had betrayed them. Pinned to his shirt was a rolled up scroll. I still have the scroll with me, as sort of an heirloom from my father."

Angus got up, and a young girl produced a knapsack on her lap, fished around in it and took out a tattered scroll that resembled a rolled up piece of rag more than a scroll. Angus received the scroll from her, gave her a pat on the head, and handed the scroll to Gilead. Seeing Gilead unroll the dirty piece of rag, Angus sat down, closer to the fire.

"Take a look, if you will. That is what my father and the thousand men were walking into: a trap."

Gilead carefully held up the scroll to his face. The parchment was so old, Gilead felt as if it would shred to pieces right in his hands. Gilead read as fast as his brain would allow, and handed it to Gabby, who then handed it to Xena after a few minutes. Had anyone actually read the scroll besides these three people, they would have seen this:

Dear Keiar:

My friend, words alone fail to express how I feel about what you and a thousand men—make that nine hundred ninety-nine—plan to try to do to me. This man you see here, the one who has lost his head, has come to lay your entire plan before my feet. Rest assured I’ll be ready for you, and rest assured that not one of your pathetic band of rebels will live to see another day. And most of all, rest assured that I myself will watch as you cry out in pain and suffering as you are torn apart, limb from limb, by my ferocious lions on the floor of my coliseum. By the time you find this note, you should be hearing the whistling sound of flaming arrows cutting through the still air, seeking out the hearts of those who dare challenge me.

Good Riddance

Emperor Julius Caesar

Gilead rolled up the scroll and handed it back to Angus. Receiving the scroll, Angus gave it back to the young girl behind him and downed his cup of tea. Noticing curious stares on him, Angus put his cup down, cleared his throat, and started talking.

"My father and his men were surrounded on all sides by Caesar’s army, with no way of escape. Without food and water, they lasted four days before the first casualty occurred. My father saw there was no way in Tartarus he could win this battle, and he decided to try the impossible: attempt to break through Caesar’s barricade and escape. That very night, my father and his desperate band split into six groups. They each rushed out through one of the exits of the palace, swords swinging and prepared to die. As expected, Caesar’s army was upon them in an instant, and not a soul from my father’s band survived, except my father himself."
Gabby:
"And how did he manage that?"
Angus, somewhat embarrassed:

"He…became cowardly. Rather than face death like a true warrior, he dove into a pile of corpses and faked death. In the darkness of night, and in the confusion and chaos, Caesar’s men passed right by him, taking him for another dead body. He stayed awake all night, listening to the noises around him. After the soldiers had slaughtered the rebels, Caesar reclaimed his palace, and—as strange as this may sound—started a celebration. My father always told me that while lying right outside the palace gates, he could smell the wine, the food, and hear the music and laughter coming from the inside. He took this chance to run, as fast as he can. He was the only survivor from a band of a thousand men; he wept as he ran, feeling sorry for them and himself."

Angus paused, filled his cup from the pot of tea, and downed it in one fell swoop. As Angus coughed and cleared his throat, Gilead probed Angus’s mind. He was really glad that he could read something this time, not coming up blank as he did when he tried to read the knights. He was reading something; it was a feeling, a feeling of sorrow Angus had for his unfortunate father. And a genuine feeling it was.

Angus resumed his position, sat upright, and continued his tale.

"When my father got back to his camp, next to a river, he says he saw himself in the water, and saw not Keiar the bard, but a fool. A fool who clung on to his fairy tale ideals, and ended up costing the souls of a thousand men, and his life as he knew it. He told me that it was there that he realized that one should know better than to be someone he is not. A bard my father was, nothing more. Storytelling was his forte and trade, not fighting and leading armies.

"He was about to throw himself in the river, giving his life to pay for his cowardice, for not dying with his comrades back at Caesar’s stronghold. As he was about to jump, someone grabbed his arm. He turned to look, and it was one of his men from last night. He was so shocked, he passed out.

"When he awakened, he realized that he was not the only survivor of that bloodbath; in fact, fifty-six of the thousand men had survived! Last night, they had seen what Keiar was doing, and sought various ways to make it through that nightmare alive. Some, like Keiar, faked death, while a horde of others dashed back into the palace and took different exits out of the castle. Even in this, many of them were tracked down and shot in the back. The remaining ones had hidden in the nearby forest, keeping a watchful vigil all night long, prepared for the worst."

Gabby heard her stomach growl. Gilead’s acute hearing also picked it up, but he doubted that anyone else heard it. Just then, Rexlar, the brown knight, whispered something to Angus. Gilead squinted; if Rexlar had just said to Angus what Gilead thought he said, Angus should be getting up any moment and offering them some food…

Not a second after Gilead finished this thought, Angus got up and offered them some food.

"Sir and ladies, if you will allow me to serve you some beef stew, it would be my pleasure. What do you say?"

Xena and Gabby, who had eaten nothing all day, eagerly agreed. Gilead, however, was not terribly hungry (he had just eaten yesterday), but he feigned enthusiasm just to be polite.

As the sun was setting and they were done eating stew and drinking tea, Gilead realized that it now was his turn to introduce himself and his companions. He introduced Gabby, himself, and Xena. At the sound of the word "Xena," Angus jumped up.

"XENA! The Warrior Princess?"

Xena put on a bored expression.

"Yes, yes. I am Xena. Let’s not make a big deal out of it."
But Angus was just getting started. He approached Xena, took her hand in his, and blurted out:

"Xena, my lady, will you help us?"
Xena:
"Help you with what? …There is still much you haven’t told us."
Angus let go of Xena’s hand. Kore stepped in. He pulled Angus’s arm, and dragged him away from Xena and co.

As Angus and Kore were locked in a heated discussion, Gilead once again tried to probe the minds of these people. He read something from Angus’s ragtag army—these men, women and children were the offspring of the fifty-six survivors of that battle. Most of them were in doubt, as many of them did not even know whom they were fighting against. It was an unseen force, almost godlike, striking at their heels when they least expected it. One thing they knew, however, was that they had to reclaim the territory that Keiar had staked out when he had founded his own kingdom. This was also the one thing that gave these people hope. Otherwise, they would be fighting a losing battle, with imminent defeat.

Amusing himself, Gilead estimated the oldest person from this group to be sixty-two years of age. The late king Keiar evidently had not gotten married until very late, as his son, Angus, was the youngest of this group at twenty-one, not counting the children and teens.

Speaking of Angus, maybe he needed to be probed again, just to make sure. Gilead delved into Angus’s mind, and something he had not sensed before, an unusual feeling of uneasiness, filled Angus’s mind. Gilead thought nothing of it, however; he then probed the four knights. A futile attempt it was, and Gilead knew it. Sitting on the grass cross-legged, Gilead was getting rather frustrated; he then made the decision that these four knight brothers were not human.

From where she was sitting, Xena could see Angus wiping his brow, while Kore spat out what seemed to be harsh words. She could read Kore’s lips; he was saying, "…but sir Angus. We could use their help!" "No can do, Kore." "But why not?" "They know too much already!" "But sir, this is Xena we’re talking about!"

Xena did not have time to listen further into their conversation; she saw Gilead and Rexlar jump up, and simultaneously reach for a tiny dart that was headed for Angus’s head. Gilead was faster, and he snatched the dart out of its flight path. Rexlar, meanwhile, drew his bow and arrow, and shot into the shadow. The ragtag army and Xena and co. jumped to their feet, and pulled out their weapons. A low, almost inhuman grunt was heard, and a brown, hairy creature, humanlike, wearing leather armor, fell headfirst into the clearing. He still gripped a supply of darts in his left hand. The creature was very stout and short of stature, with white hair coming out of the sides of its otherwise bald head. Its bluish skin was covered with brown, almost black freckles. The creature’s eye sockets were set deep back in the face, and its ugly nose looked as if it was slammed head on by a mallet.

Angus:

"A troll!"
Taggard:
"Everyone, get ready for battle!"

The ragtag army fell down to the ground, and started digging. As Gilead was wondering what in Mt. Olympus they were doing, Kore chopped away at another troll that had appeared, who was about to get the jump on Gilead.

Gilead looked around, bewildered. Xena was already kicking and beating on a troll, almost half her height, and picked up the creature and hurled it into the darkness. Gabby was frantically waving her staff and smacking at six or seven trolls that had decided to gang up on her. She saw Gilead standing around like an idiot, and called out to him.

"GILEAAAAAD!!!!! HELP MEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!"

Gilead snapped back into sense. He rushed over, and delivered a foot sweep that did just that—it swept the little creatures away like dirt on the floor, powerless against the mighty onslaught of the broom.

Arrows started flying. Most of them were aimed at Angus, who was doing his share of fighting, albeit shielded behind the ragtag army, who had formed a circle around him. They were, however, prime targets for whoever it was that was shooting the arrows; they dropped like flies. At last, when Angus was standing alone, the final arrow flew straight at him. Gilead whipped up his hand and snatched it away.

Gilead, to Angus:
"Listen, Angus, you have some explaining to do!"
Angus punched a troll in the face as he answered.
"I imagine I do. But let us hold that thought until we get ourselves out of this mess."
Gilead, as he kicked a troll squarely in its nose:
"I don’t think so."
Angus picked up the troll and hurled it at another.
"What do you mean? You want me to talk right now?"

Gilead, dodging an arrow and walking over to Angus:

"Yes!"
Angus stopped; so did Gilead. As the fighting was going on around them, the two men stopped to look at each other.

Angus sighed.

"All right; I guess it’s time."

Gilead:
"Right. Starting now, I’ll ask specific questions, and you will swear on your honor as of the line of royalty to tell the truth to the best of your ability. And you will speak loud enough for everyone here to hear you. And most of all: you will not ask counter questions."

Angus looked at Gilead quizzically for a moment, but agreed.
"…All right."

Gilead cleared his throat, and proceeded, speaking loudly:
"First of all, are you who you say you are?"

Angus:
"…And that question meaning what?"
Gilead shook his head in disbelief and disgust; he gritted his teeth.
"Don’t pretend innocence!!! I mean this: are you, in fact, Keiar?"

To be continued in "The Knights of Keiar #3"…