A Battle For Freedom

- 8 -

Calmly and carefully he moved his way up the marble staircase, listening to the voices of Verne and his knights, following them. The shadows from the candle light around the stairwell danced on the white stone wall and the steps as they marched swiftly up to the ground floor of the castle.

As Lugh made it to the top step, he knelt down by the wall and turned to check that the coast was clear. He watched as Kora's limp body dragged along the rough floor of the corridor, her long flowing hair dangling down over her. The men were rough, their arms firmly around Kora's own. Verne looked smug. They made their approach out of the castle doors, by now it was dusk and the sky was changing into oranges and red and darkness began to take over each edge of the land.

Lugh slowly tiptoed after the knights and his brother. Silently, like his life depended on it. He assumed, which he was correct, that the castle courtyard would be guarded. There stood several knights, and a large oak carriage. Verne's knights hurled Kora carelessly inside and slammed the wood door locked. Two big brown stallions neighed loudly as they were whipped into action. They sped off and out into the villages of the land. Lugh stood at the doorway, peering out, watching the carriage roll off into the distance.

As he proceeded to step out to confront Verne, a hand gripped his arm. He turned, his face in shock that he had been caught. But instead he came upon a familiar, kinder face, Vard. Vard smiled at him quickly and then placed his finger to his mouth to hush the Duke and led him back into the castle corridors. They crouched under a bay window, covered by the long drooping cotton drapes.

Verne ordered his men to release several small jaculus dragons from iron pens. They shot out swiftly, terrified and in confusion. Verne shouted for their men to attack them, and his knights complied, swinging at the swooping dragons with their large silver weapons. Two more knights arrived with bow and arrow, aiming for the dragons. The dragons, shrieked and squealed, releasing fire from their breath in alarm and hostility. This aroused the village people and more knights and watchmen arrived from the castle walls to help wipe out the beasts. Haybales caught light, wooden stalls and wagons, blazing up and burning in great orange sparks.

One dragon fell, crippled by an arrow to the chest.The creature's agonizing cry only provoked the other dragons to grow fiercer, sweeping down at the knights and attempting to snatch them by their strong claws. Verne was at the doorway of the castle, guarded by two of his knights. A large smirk among his face. He was creating a false attack, to start off an immediate war. At least two more dragons fell, twisting and twirling in agony. The entire courtyard was in flames, heat rising above into the sky, smoke filling the air. Verne stepped back inside the castle to security as he allowed at least twenty of his men attack only three more small dragons who remained, battling for their lives. Watchmen had begun to show up with pails of water, attempting to put out the flames. It was chaos and Verne was grinning. The flames danced around in his eyes, the destruction he caused. He heard his men call, indicating the last dragon to fall. Lugh and Vard watched from the window as the beast fell by the knight's feet. And with one big plunge, they stabbed their sword into the dragon's chest.

"They will be returning inside soon, we must leave! I have a plan, follow me," Vard whispered with urgency. The Duke nodded back at him and they both hurried along silently back down the corridor. This time they traveled up the steps, following the staircase up to the castle turret, the highest point of the building. Lugh looked out over top of the tower, finding the carriage speeding off into the wood which surrounded Iona and below him flames and smoke from the destruction Verne had produced.

"Devastating I know," Vard said, turning to his Duke sympathetically. Lugh could not look away from the departing carriage, his eyes transfixed. "But, we can get her back. You cannot get her back by confronting Verne. He will lock you up as well. If he can put together an attack, what else is he capable of?"