CHAPTER ONE

King Attalee rolled over in his bed and reached for his sword. Something didn't feel quite right and it unnerved him. Ears and eyes strained to hear, to see anything in the darkness filling his room. Usually, he slept soundly at night, but this night, something woke him up. He controlled his breathing and kept as silent as possible. Was there someone in the room with him, creeping up in the darkness to slit his throat? He tried to push that image from his mind, as Attalee had been taught a thought could kill a man before ever a fatal blow could be struck. Despite his apparent unease, he smiled at the memory of the lesson.

Before going to bed, the king had leaned his sword against the table and he slowly moved his hand toward it, wanting to feel the familiar grip within his grasp. He had a small knife in one hand, in case he needed to fend off an attack, but he would feel much better with his sword. Slowly, he moved toward it, trying to control his breathing, but it sounded loud to his ears. He could even hear his heart beating in his chest as his unease increased.

The king's fingers touched the edge of the table and could feel a small pouch of coins and knew the weapon was just to the left of it. In the dark, he grabbed the sword and vaulted from the bed. Such was the rush of his adrenaline, he was halfway across the room before he realized he still hadn't been attacked. The pouch fell open and a gold coin rolled out and fell to the floor.

As Attalee stood in the darkness and prepared to fend off an attacker, he heard the coin hit the floor, roll and finally fall on its side. He stood for a moment and then began to laugh to himself. He now understood the source of his feelings of unease, silence. The silence is what had woken him up. For the last few weeks, he had been hearing the sound of trees being felled and siege equipment being built. Pulling a small cover off the lantern, the room was bathed in light. It only took a moment for the king to put on his armor and strap his sword around his waist.

The two soldiers casually guarding his door were startled to see the king emerge in their midst and in the dead of night. Attalee smiled to himself at their startled expressions. Walking past them, he bounded up the stairs two at a time and onto the top of the wall that surrounded and protected the city of Ka'an.

He was met with a spear in his face. "Be at peace," Attalee whispered to him and the guard instantly dropped the weapon when he realized he was facing the king.

"Sorry, my Lord," he mumbled and shrank away in fear.

"Not to worry. You were just doing your duty. Keep up your vigilance, for it is needed."

"Thank you, my Lord," the man said as he immediately straightened up and with renewed energy, resumed his watch.

It's amazing what a few kind words can do for morale , he thought as he played with his ear. Attalee caught himself and forced his hand down. A nervous habit he had, but he didn't want his men to know or even suspect the king wasn't in full control of the situation.

What had his instructor taught him? The men in one's fighting force take heart in one's attitude they can win, even against insurmountable odds. The army of over one hundred thousand barbarians against his own mere forty-five thousand men, women, slaves and even children was an insurmountable odd. Yet morale was high among the troops and it was a test of self-control for Attalee not to worry that ear. In private, he had about pulled it off until General Cae had mentioned how red it was looking and perhaps he should see the healer, Caiisa.

He could see in the moonlight of the seven moons, the colonnades highlighted against the night sky. The twin suns would be up in three hours, he mused.

What action should he pursue? He really only had a gut feeling to go on, but something was wrong, terribly so.

The night air was dank with moisture and he could feel it creeping down from the mountains and over the wall as the earth slowly cooled. The fog permeated his clothes and he suddenly shivered.

He tried to see out over the Plains of Sorrow, but the only thing visible was the all-consuming darkness. It was like peering into the depths of a deep well and he had the sensation of falling into its oppressiveness.

It had been raining for the past month and the rivers were swollen and overflowing their banks. The one that started at the base of the glacier and ran down through the center of the city had flooded many from their homes and the mud made it hard to move troops and weapons. General Cae had built walkways across the flooded plain, but it was still hazardous going to the wall. If a person fell into the raging torrent of mud, they had little chance of being saved. This was the reason why Attalee and the General had been sleeping in the wall instead of the king's quarters.

Walking along the wall, he came to the statue of Jupiter standing guard over the entrance to the city. Looking up at the likeness of the God, he prayed for his city and his people. Attalee found it hard to believe less than a cycle ago, the Gods and Romans had fought off a creature from legend; a monster called the Abomination. They had fought and mortally wounded it, but Jupiter, the king of the Gods, sensed it was pregnant.

The creature had gotten away before they could kill its babies, so everyone would have to be vigilant against the return of the Abomination or its children.

The events of the last few months passed through his mind's eye and he was almost overwhelmed.

Feeling a robe being placed across his shoulders, Attalee jumped, startled by the touch in the darkness.

"You will catch your death out here if you aren't careful," the general said to him in a tone just above a whisper.

Copyright © 2005 Roger W. Kramer