A Peace that Would Last One Thousand Years?: Part Five

     A young Darigan Techo sat playing in the square in the middle of the Citadel, playing with her friends. "Hello, Sir Knight," she said. "You have become sort of a hero to Darigan, ensuring our victory despite your tactics. The adults all call your tactics strange, but I think they are noble. Why should you hurt the Meridellians?"

     Jeran smiled. Finally, he found a Darigan who understood his ideals, and even thought he was noble for following them. Jeran was close to giving up on them, giving in to the enormous pressure from the Darigans. But this little girl believed he was right. This little girl was not corrupted, despite having the appearance of a Darigan. Perhaps not all Darigans are evil, Jeran thought.

     Jeran walked on in silence for a few more minutes. The little Darigan had made him rethink his expectations of a Darigan, and he was attempting to come to a new conclusion about them, from all that he had learned. The knights did not seem fond of my new methods, Jeran thought, but neither would Meridell's knights if I told them the same thing. Even Meridell would not listen to a knight of no stature who told them to fight as I did. Perhaps Darigans are more complex than I imagined... Just then, Jeran was interrupted by an Eyrie Guard, who told him that Darigan wanted to see him.

     As expected, Jeran was called down to Darigan's throne room. "So, report on the battle, knight," Darigan ordered grumpily, wondering what Jeran had messed up. "How did my forces fare?"

     "As a whole, the battle went well," Jeran reported. "The attack force was repelled, with little to no loss on either side." At this, Darigan made a sound of annoyance. "We captured many knights with our nets, but I freed them under the oath that they would not fight again." Jeran figured that on a whole, it would be unwise to try to hide this from Darigan.

     "You freed them?!" Darigan nearly screamed. "Why?! I knew you were a sentimental fool, but surely even you realize that few would honor such an oath! Why would you trust their word?!"

     "One of the worst violations of the knight's code of chivalry is going back on a word. Meridell's knights are honorable. I trained them myself- I should know," Jeran explained.

     "And yet you, the hero and champion of Meridell, betrayed Skarl. How am I supposed to expect any better of them?" Darigan asked coldly.

     "I act in the interests of Meridell," Jeran said blandly. "I have not betrayed my country. My fight is with The Three, who are against Meridell, though they happen to be using Meridell at this time. My wish to protect both Meridell's and Darigan's forces stems from this."

     "Just make sure that you protect Darigan as much as you do Meridell, if you must protect Meridell at all. If Darigan loses even one soldier because of your ridiculous ideals, you shall face my wrath!" Darigan declared.

     "I will do my best," Jeran promised. "Just remember that it is The Three we are fighting, and they wish to destroy Meridell as well as yourself. Before calling my plans wishy-washy nonsense, you may do well to remember what we are truly fighting for."

     "Why you insubordinate...!" Darigan started, but Jeran had already stormed out the door.

     Over the next several weeks, the fighting went well for Darigan. Darigan himself called a counteroffensive to keep the Citadel from destruction, despite Jeran's objections. Jeran himself led this attack, however, fearing that the growing impatience of the Darigans might lead them away from his ideals if he allowed anyone else to lead. Darigan allowed Jeran to do this, almost hoping that the Lupe would loose in battle so that he wouldn't have to heal with him anymore. Danner's confusion over Jeran's tactics seemed most of the battles seem like mock-ups- Jeran refused to let his knights seriously wound any Meridell knight, and Meridell seemed to be too preoccupied with what Darigan might be thinking to fight well. Jeran therefore captured and released much of Meridell's forces, and Meridell became more and more normal.

     One major battle came near the farm where Sally the Usul was keeping Kass. Danner, hoping to prove himself in spite of his previous failure, led an ambush on Jeran's forces, who had just set up camp. That particular battle went poorly for Jeran, who found it hard to command the tired Darigan forces. Jeran was in the middle of a fight with a dozen of Meridell's strongest knights, thinking himself lost, when help came at last.

     A restored Kass came flying out of the barn, hearing the sounds of battle and hoping to help. He landed next to Jeran, taking down all of Jeran's shocked opponents, then turning on Jeran himself.

     "So, fighting again, I see," the Eyrie growled. "I thought Darigan wanted peace!"

     "He did," Jeran answered. "Skarl attacked first."

     "Not my problem anymore, is it?" Kass asked. "I think I'll just amuse myself with those weak Meridell knights...although from the way you're fighting, someone might think otherwise."

     Jeran pointed his Sunblade at Kass menacingly. "Just give me a reason, Kass, and I'll do it. You don't have your little Usul friend here to protect you this time."

     "What kind of Darigan are you?! You actually care about the Meridell scum?!" the Eyrie screeched.

     "One does not go about fighting The Three by destroying Meridell...although with your experience with The Three, you should know that," Jeran growled.

     "The Three?!" Kass gasped. "Well, then, I suppose I'm duty-bound to help you...so why don't you put your apparent grudge behind you, and accept my assistance? I won't hurt any Meridellians, if that's what you want."

     Jeran shook the Eyrie's hand, against his better judgement. But Kass did seem to be an asset- he helped Jeran in that battle at least.

     The Three watched these battles with interest. As they had expected, Meridell was slowly but surely loosing. But, inexplicably, the more Meridell lost, the more normal it became. Jeran's trust in Meridell's knights, it seemed, was well-founded- almost all captured knights returned to their regular lives rather than fight again. Meridell was, in effect, winning as it lost, while the Three were loosing as they won.

     The Three decided, as Meridell's forces were driven back to the castle, that theirs was a lost cause if they remained with Skarl. Therefore, they confronted Skarl late one knight.

     "Do you remember what the price of failure was, Skarl?" Revenge asked.

     "But...no...I...Meridell hasn't lost yet!" the once proud king gibbered.

     "Oh, but surely you don't think there is any way for you to win now, do you?" Ambition asked.

     "Besides, this fight wearies you...you wish to go back to your daily feasts rather than protect Meridell," Greed said.

     "I won't fail!" Skarl declared.

     "But you already have," Ambition answered.

     "No, Meridell has not fallen yet- and with the Castle Defender around, it never will!" Skarl declared, calling up the giant spectre.

     "Not good enough, Skarl. You already are lost," Greed declared. "You have been from the beginning."

     "Now, Castle Defender, attack Skarl!" ordered Revenge. And, to Skarl's horror, the defender obeyed...

     Up in his Citadel, Darigan was dismayed. Why had the Castle Defender been called? He had heard tidings of the battle, of how well it was going for his own forces, but King Skarl surely would not be desperate enough to call the Castle Defender for a second time. Unless The Three...

     Darigan left his throne room, heading down to the armoury again. If The Three had decided to take matters into their own hands, Jeran would need his help. Something seemed wrong, but he continued on his way. Perhaps he would realize what it was if he wasn't so worried about what was happening on the ground.

     The Three were pleased with their new Castle Defender. Surely, nothing from Darigan could stand up to that enormous spectre...nothing short of that fool Darigan himself. Therefore, they called 'Plan B' into effect. Darigan would fall...

     Jeran and Kass stood with Darigan's forces in front of Meridell Castle. It was far too quiet- surely they should meet some resistance. It seemed, in fact, that Meridell's army had fled, but why? Darigan's forces were strong, but definitely not enough to strike fear into the hearts of trained knights, to make nearly equal opponents run. Jeran's confusion was short-lived, however, as a giant, dark shape pulled itself out of the castle, destroying several towers in the process. The Castle Defender had been summoned.

     Jeran looked up at the Castle Defender, now horribly transformed. The giant spectral Kougra's previously blue form was an inky black, seeming like a visible form of darkness itself. The spectre wasted no time, launching itself upon Darigan's stunned forces, taking down nearly half in a moment's time. Many of Darigan's knights turned tail and fled, hoping to escape the spectre's wrath, but the Defender let none escape. He sounded his Faerie-horn, hoping to regroup. This, however, had a secondary effect-not only were the Darigan forces newly willing to fight, but knights from Meridell also arrived. Confused, the Meridellians attacked the Darigans, but on instinct, Jeran blew his horn again, and this stopped as well. Finally, Jeran understood. Together, Meridell and Darigan would take down The Three.

To be continued...