The Eternal Champion

CHAPTER EIGHT THE SAILING

Next morning I awoke and my dreams went away and I was left in an introspective mood and there was only one thing that I desired.

That thing was an Upmann's Coronas Major cigar.

I kept trying to push the name from my mind. To my knowledge John Daker had never smoked an Upmann's. He would not have known one cigar from another! Where had the name come from? Another name came into my head-Jeremiah… And that, too, was vaguely familiar.

I sat up in bed and I recognised my surroundings and the two names merged with the other names I had dreamed of and I got up and entered the next chamber where slaves were finishing preparing my bath. With relief I got into the bath and, as I washed my body, I began to concentrate once again on the problem at hand. Yet a sense of depression remained with me and again for a moment I wondered if I were mad and involved in some complicated schizophrenic fantasy.

When the slaves brought in my armour I began to feel much better. Again I marvelled at its beauty and its craftsmanship;

And now the time had come to put it on. First I donned my underclothes, then a sort of quilted overalls and then I began to strap the armour about me. Again it was easy to find the appropriate straps and buckles. It was as if I had clad myself in this armour every morning of my life. It fitted perfectly. It was comfortable and no weight at all, though it completely covered by body.

Next, I strode to the weapons room and took down the great sword that hung there and I drew the belt of metal links around my waist and settled the poisonous sword in its protecting scabbard against my left hip, tossed the scarlet plume on my helmet, lifted the visor and was ready.

Slaves escorted me down to the Great Hall where the Peers of Humanity had assembled to make their final leavetaking with Necranal.

The tapestries which had earlier hung on the walls of beaten silver had now been removed and in their place were hundreds of bright banners. These were the banners of the Marshals, the Captains and the Knights who were gathered there in splendid array, assembled according to rank.

On a specially erected dais the throne of the king had been placed. The dais was hung with a cloth of emerald green and behind it were the twin banners of the Two Continents. I took my place before the dais and we waited tensely for the arrival of the king. I had already been coached concerning the responses I was to make in the forthcoming ceremony.

At last there came a great yelling of trumpets and beating of martial drums from the gallery above us and through a door came the king.

King Rigenos had gathered stature, it seemed, for he wore a suit of gilded armour over which was hung a surcoat of white and red. Set into his helmet was his crown of iron and diamonds. He walked proudly to the dais and ascended it, seating himself in his throne with both arms stretched along the arms of the seat.

We raised our hands in salute:

'Hail, King Rigenos!' we roared.

And then we kneeled. I kneeled first. Behind me kneeled the little group of Marshals. Behind them were a hundred Captains, behind them were five thousand Knights, all kneeling. And surrounding us, along the walls, were the old nobles, the Ladies of the Court, men-at-arms at attention, slaves and squires, the mayors of the various quarters of the city and from the various provinces of the Two Continents.

And all watched Rigenos and his Champion, Erekose.

King Rigenos rose from his throne and took a step forward. I looked up at him and his face was grave and stern. I had never seen him look so much a king before.

Now I felt that the attention of the watchers was on myself alone. I, Erekose, Champion of Humanity, was to be their saviour. They knew it.

In my confidence and pride, I knew it, also.

King Rigenos raised his hands and spread them out and began to speak:

'Erekose the Champion, Marshals, Captains and Knights of Humanity-we go to wage war against inhuman evil. We go to fight something that is more than an enemy bent on conquest. We go to fight a menace that would destroy our entire race. We go to save our two fair continents from total annihilation. The victor will rule the entire Earth. The defeated will become dust and will be forgotten-it will be as if he had never existed.

'This expedition upon which we are about to embark will be decisive. With Erekose to lead us we shall win the port of Paphanaal and its surrounding province. But that will only be the first stage in our campaigns.'

King Rigenos paused and then spoke again into the almost absolute silence that had fallen in the Great Hall.

'More battles must follow fast upon the first so that the hated Hounds of Evil will, once and for all, be destroyed. Men and women-even children-must perish. We drove them to their holes in the Mountains of Sorrow once, but this time we must not let their race survive. Let only their memory remain for a little while-to remind us what evil is!'

Still kneeling, I raised both my hands above my head and clenched my fists.

'Erekose,' said King Rigenos. 'You who by the power of your eternal will made yourself into flesh again and came to us at this time of need, you will be the power with which we shall destroy the Eldren. You will be Humanity's scythe to sweep this way and that and cut the Eldren down as weeds. You will be Humanity's spade to dig up the roots wherever they have grown. You will be Humanity's fire to burn the waste to the finest ash. You, Erekose, will be the wind that will blow those ashes away as if they had never existed! You will destroy the Eldren!'

'I will destroy the Eldren!' I cried and my voice echoed through the Great Hall like the voice of a God. 'I will destroy the Enemies of Humanity! With the Sword Kanajana I will ride upon them with vengeance and hatred and cruelly in my heart and I will vanquish the Eldren!'

From behind me now came a mighty shout:

'WE SHALL VANQUISH THE ELDREN!'

Now the king raised his head and his eyes glittered and his mouth was hard.

'Swear it!' he said.

We were intoxicated by the atmosphere of hate and rage in the Great Hall.

'We so swear!' we roared. 'We will destroy the Eldren!'

Hatred now boiled from the king's eyes, seared in his voice:

'Go now, Paladins of Mankind. Go-destroy the Eldren offal. Clean our planet of the Eldren filth!'

As one man, we rose to our feet and yelled our battle-cries, turned in precision and marched from the Great Hall, out of the Palace of Ten Thousand Windows and into a day noisy with the swelling cheers of the people.

But as we marched, one thought preyed on my mind. Where was lolinda? Why had she not come to me? There had been so little time before the ceremony and yet I would have thought she would have sent a message at least.

Down the winding streets of Necranal we marched in glorious procession. Through die cheering day with the bright sun shining on our weapons and our armour and our flags of a thousand rich colours waving in the wind.

And I led them. I, Erekose, the Eternal, the Champion, the Vengeance Bringer-I led them. My arms were raised as if I was already celebrating my victory. Pride filled me. I knew what Glory was and I relished it. This was the way to live-as a warrior-a leader of great armies-a wielder of weapons.

On we marched, down towards the waiting ships which were ready on the river. And a song came to my lips-a song that was in an archaic version of the language I now spoke. I sang the song and it was taken up by all the warriors that marched behind me. Drums began to beat and trumpets to shout and we cried aloud for blood and death and the great, red reaping that would come to Mernadin.

That is how we marched. That is how we felt.

Do not judge me until I have told you more.

We reached the wide part of the river where the harbour was and there were the ships. There were fifty ships stretched along both quays on either side of the river. Fifty ships bearing the fifty standards of fifty proud paladins.

And these were only fifty. The fleet itself waited for us to join it at the port of Noonos. Noonos of the Jewelled Towers.

The people of Necranal lined the banks of the river. They were cheering, cheering-so that we became used to their voices as men became used to the sounds of the sea, scarcely hearing them.

I regarded the ships. Richly decorated cabins were built on the decks and the ships of the Paladins had several masts bearing furled sails of painted canvas. Already oars were being slipped through the ports and dipped into the placid river waters. Strong men, three to a sweep, sat upon the rowing benches. These men were not, as far as I could see, slaves, but free warriors.

At the head of this squadron of ships lay the king's huge battle barge-a magnificent man-o'-war. It had eighty pair of oars and eight tall masts. Its rails were painted in red, gold and black, its decks were polished crimson, its sails were yellow, dark blue and orange and its huge craved figurehead, representing a goddess holding a sword in her two outstretched hands, was predominantly scarlet and silver. Ornate and splendid, the deck cabins shone with fresh varnish which had been laid over pictures of ancient human heroes (I was among them, though die likenesses were poor…) and ancient human victories, of mythical beasts and demons and gods.

Detaching myself from the main force that had drawn itself up on the quayside, I walked to the tapestry-covered gangway and strode up it and boarded the ship. Sailors rushed forward to greet me.

One said: 'The Princess lolinda awaits you in die Grand Cabin, Excellency.'

I turned and then paused, looking at die splendid structure of the cabin, smiling slightly at the representations of myself painted upon it. Then I moved towards it and entered a comparatively low door into a room which was covered, floor, walls and ceiling, with thick tapestries in deep reds and blacks and golds. Lanterns hung in the room, and in the shadows, clad in a simple dress and a thin, dark cloak, stood my lolinda.

'I did not wish to interrupt the preparations this morning,' she said. 'My father said that they were important-that there was little time to spare. So I thought you would not want to see me…'

I smiled. 'You still do not believe what I say, do you, lolinda? You still do not trust me when I proclaim my love for you, when I tell you that I would do anything for you.' I went towards her and held her in my arms. 'I love you, lolinda. I shall always love you.'

'And I shall always love you, Erekose. You will live forever, but…'

'There is no proof of that,' I said gently. 'And I am by no means invulnerable, lolinda. I sustained enough cuts and bruises in my weapons practice to realise that!'

'You will not die, Erekose.'

'I would be happier if I shared your conviction!'

'Do not laugh at me, Erekose. I will not be patronised.'

'I am not laughing at you, lolinda. I am not patronising you. I only speak the truth. You must face that truth. You must.'

'Very well,' she said. 'I will face it. But I feel that you will not die. Yet, I have such strange premonitions-I feel that something worse than death could befall us.'

'Your fears are natural, but they are baseless. There is no need for gloom, my dear. Look at the fine armour I wear, the powerful sword I bear, the mighty force I command.'

'Kiss me, Erekose.'

I kissed her. I kissed her for a long time and then she broke from my arms and ran to the door and was gone.

I stared at the door, half thinking of running after her, of reassuring her. But I knew that I could not reassure her. Her fears were not really rational-they reflected her constant sense of insecurity. I promised myself that later I would give her proof of security. I would bring constants into her life-things she could trust.

Trumpets sounded. King Rigenos was coming aboard.

A few moments later the king entered the cabin, tugging off his crowned helm. Katorn was behind him, as sullen as ever.

'The people seem enthusiastic,' I said. 'The ceremony seemed to have the effect you desired, King Rigenos.'

Rigenos nodded wearily. 'Aye.' The ritual had plainly taken much from him and he slumped into a hanging chair in the corner and called for wine. 'We'll be sailing soon. When, Katorn?'

'Within the quarter hour, my lord king.' Katorn took the jug of wine from the slave who brought it and poured Rigenos a cup without offering one to me.

King Rigenos waved his hand. 'Would you have some wine, Lord Erekose?'

I declined. 'You spoke well in the hall, King Rigenos,' I said. 'You fired us with a fine bloodlust.'

Katorn sniffed. 'Let us hope it lasts until we get to the enemy,' he said. 'We have some raw soldiers sailing on this expedition. Half our warriors have never fought before-and half of those are boys. There are even some women in some detachments, I've heard.'

'You seem pessimistic, Lord Katorn,' I said.

He grunted. 'It is as well to be. All this finery and grandeur is all right for cheering up the civilians, but it's best you don't believe it yourself. You should know, Erekose. You should know what real war is all about. Pain, fear, death. There's nothing else to it.'

'You forget,' I said. 'My memory of my own past is clouded.'

Katorn.sniffed and gobbled down his wine. He replaced the cup with a clatter and left. 'I'll see to the casting off.'

The king cleared his throat. 'You and Katorn…' he began, but broke off. 'You…'

'We are not friends,' I said. 'I dislike his surly, mistrustful manner-and he suspects me of being a fraud, a traitor, a spy of some sort.'

King Rigenos nodded. 'He has hinted as much to me.' He sipped his wine. 'I told him that I saw you materialise with my own eyes. That there is no question you are Erekose, that there is no reason not to trust you-but he persists. Why, do you think? He is a sane, sensible soldier.'

'He is jealous,' I said. 'I have taken over his power.'

'But he was as agreed as any of us that we needed a new leader who would inspire our people in the fight against the Eldren.'

'In principle, perhaps,' I said. I shrugged. 'It does not matter, King Rigenos. I think we have worked out a compromise.'

King Rigenos was lost in his own thoughts. 'There again,' he murmured, 'it could have nothing to do with war, at all.'

'What do you mean?'

He gave me a candid look. 'It might concern matters of love, Erekose. Katorn has always been pleased by lolinda's manner.'

'You could be right. But again there is nothing I can do. lolinda seems to prefer my company.'

'Katorn might see it as mere infatuation with an ideal rather than a real person.'

'Do you see it as that?'

'I do not know. I have not talked to lolinda about it.'

'Well,' I said, 'perhaps we shall see when we return.'

'If we return,' said King Rigenos. 'In there, I must admit, I'm in agreement with Katorn. Over-confidence has often been the main cause of many defeats.'

I nodded. 'Perhaps you are right.'

There came shouts and cries from outside and the ship lurched suddenly as the ropes were cast off and the anchors hauled in.

'Come,' said King Rigenos. 'Let us go out on deck. It will be expected of us.' Hastily he finished his wine and placed his crowned helmet upon his head. We left the cabin together and, as we came out, the cheering on the quayside swelled louder and louder.

We stood there waving to the people as the drums began to pound out the slow rowing rhythm. I saw lolinda seated in her carriage, her body half turned to watch as we left. I waved to her and she raised her own arm in a final salute.

'Goodbye, lolinda,' I murmured.

Katorn darted me a cynical look from the corner of his eye as he passed to supervise the rowing.

Goodbye, lolinda.

The wind had dropped. I was sweating in my wargear, for the day was oppressed by a great flaming sun, blazing in a cloudless sky.

I continued to wave from the stern of the swaying vessel, keeping my gaze on lolinda as she sat there erect in her carriage, and then we had rounded a bend in the river and saw only the rearing towers of Necranal above and behind us, heard only the distant cheering.

We beat down the Droonaa River, moving fast with the current towards Noonos of the Jewelled Towers-and the fleets.