All the Wicked Things

Chapter 10

It was obvious that Elric did not want me around, and though I didn't know what his ultimate plans were, I certainly wasn't going to stick around to find out. Determined more than ever, I slipped out of my room before Jasmine brought breakfast the next morning, before the sun made its way lazily above the horizon.

Wearing the clothes I wore when I first met King Turin, I grabbed Constant's journal and a small bundle of fruit and bread I'd stashed away just in case, and made my way down the halls and out the front door. I'd attempt to make it to the portal one more time, and if it didn't work, I would go to the humans and warn them of the danger that was awaiting them.

The courtyard was busier than I expected it to be at this hour. The bonfires and make-shift campsites from the night before had all been cleared away, but the spaces were filled with large pots fills with flowers and bundles of various herbs. The blacksmith was preoccupied fashioning a bit of steel into what looked like a crown, and with that I knew that everyone was preparing for Turin's funeral. What sort of funeral does a magical king have? I thought as I walked through the crowds.

I reached the edge of the courtyard, the large front gate opened wide to let vendors and patrons in and out, and I slipped through the opening not garnering a second look from any of the Mystics that passed by. In the meadow outside of the castle, I saw Moose lingering about. I wasn't sure if he was acting as Elric's watchdog again or not so I ducked conveniently behind a passing wagon as it strolled down the cart path. I heard the clanging of metal in the distance, and when I was positive Moose was out of sight, I peeked my head around the covered wagon to see what fuss was.

Marching in unison was a massive army, ten thousand strong at least. I had never seen so many soldiers, not in person anyways, and their size and demeanor were nothing short of menacing. The banner a large beast out front carried, bore the same symbols I'd seen etched on King Turin's bed, and an another creature shouted orders in the air with a shiny gold trumpet. The rest of the hoard heeded those commands as they turned right and left with each buzz of his lips.

They were the Ruffians. The immortal army that Constant had written about in his journal, and the rhythmic sound their boots made as they trudged towards the castle reverberated through the valley as a grim warning to whatever lie in their path. The trumpet sounded and at once, the mighty force came to a halt in front of a wooden platform I had not seen before. My curiosity got the better of me so I left the shade of the wagon and snuck behind an old oak tree.

I sat there for several hours watching for something, anything to occur. But the Ruffians just stood there, never moving—hell, I wasn't even sure they were breathing. They looked like statues waiting for their commander's orders to bring them to life.

As the sun rose high over the tree tops, my curiosity began to wane, but just as I was about to leave, a young men walked out of the castle gates carrying the king's throne. I hunkered back down and watched as the entire courtyard emptied out around the wooden platform. The trumpet sounded again and metal clanked together as the soldiers came to attention, and Elric walked out and took his place on the throne. A few moments later, Elric rose to his feet and what looked like a procession carrying mummified remains walked through the sea of Mystics toward the wooden platform.

It was a funeral.

King Turin's funeral to be exact, and I suddenly felt silly for not knowing that. I had been lucky throughout my life, so I was told, having never been to a funeral before my mother's. But I didn't feel lucky and that particular experience made me not care if I ever saw one again. I slowly and carefully backed away from my watch post. As I turned back to make sure I hadn't been spotted, I saw the men lift Turin's body onto the platform. A wave of sadness came over me.