In the Name of Justice: Chapter XXVII
You know a chapter means business when it's named after the book.
Chapter XXVII
In the Name of Justice
Groveside Woods.
They were bigger than Justice had originally believed, and certainly a great deal more impressive. In fact, the man felt almost dwarfed as he stood at the edge of the field, staring up into the face of the forest that ranged as far along the horizon as the eye could see.
“We're here.”
Rafaga rode up alongside him and glanced down the narrow passage between the trees. There was a clear parting ahead of them where the trees had been split into two sides, revealing an convenient area of flat ground that they would be able to ride the horses through. Justice could only guess that it had served as a road of some sort in the past, but now the forest had begun to reclaim it once again.
“Your Majesty, how would you prefer to go about this?” Rafaga asked. “We can rest now, or-”
“No.” Justice's eyes remained locked upon the path. “Our search for the sword will be more effective if we split into four routes.” He motioned with his hands as he spoke. “Kircheis and Abess-Reid can take the front-left, Carbuncle and Whiteley the back-left, and Rafaga and Rakina the front-right. As for me, Luso and I shall be taking the back-right.”
At once, the blond-haired knight moved up from the rear of the group to position himself by Justice’s side. The others, too, began to move into their respective pairs, each ready to leap into an advance should it be ordered.
“Keep alert, but most importantly, stay together. We don't know what lurks within these trees…” He took a deep breath. “If nothing is found after ten minutes, assemble here.”
Justice shot a brief glance at the others before turning back to the forest. His back and legs ached from so many hours’ worth of continuous riding - something Rafaga had come to call ‘saddle syndrome’ - but it was too late to stop now. To think that he was finally here… The thought alone was enough to send his heart into frenzied pace.
“Right. Prepare yourselves.”
All through the assembly, there was a uniform shift as each person moved into position. Justice regarded them with a nod, then addressed his own horse. The animal was bristling with energy, as if it could sense the anticipation in the air, and when he gathered the reins in his hand, it tensed in response.
“This is it,” he called out. “Advance!”
And so they were off. Like an arrow from a bow, Justice sped forwards, into the narrow channel between the trees. The sound of heavy hooves was thunder behind him, an echo to the pounding of his heart that filled his whole chest. This was it… This was it! The sense of uncertainty seemed to fall short of the burning anticipation that had taken a hold of him, driving him onwards, further and further into the depths of the forest.
Justice was about three hundred yards into the forest before he realised that two of the four pairs had already branched off into the trees - now, only Carbuncle’s group and his remained. He turned his head to the left to see the fire vampire bend low over his black steed, signal, then take a sharp turn to the left with Whiteley. The two were gone within seconds.
“I suppose that means we’re the last ones now, Your Majesty,” came Luso’s voice, at which Justice nodded.
Ahead, the trees were beginning to thin into a small area of open space. Justice tightened his hands around the reins, gradually easing himself to a trot and finally a gentle walk. No sooner had he broken the line of trees, however, he was met with a shock.
The wind was stronger here, sweeping its way over the edge of a sheer cliff. Fields, forests and lakes lay before him like a map in the darkness, though Justice couldn’t help but feel daunted by the view. His heart lurched uncomfortably as he peered over the edge - a forty yard drop to the ground below.
“This is dangerous,” he said, turning back to the forest. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Luso moved as close to the edge as his horse would allow him, then shivered.
The two men continued on into the woods. Perhaps if Justice had been less anxious, then he would have taken the time to stand back and appreciate just how beautiful his surroundings were: the trees here were thinner and much paler than those further west, with small, rounded feathers for leaves. A thick mist hung in a blanket over the ground, catching the moonlight so that it shimmered like water.
They weaved through the trees together with fast yet deliberate steps, several yards apart so as to cover more ground. Justice’s eyes darted back and forth across the forest, though he always made sure to keep Luso within his sights - the man was human, after all. Exactly what he was looking for he didn't know. How would he be able to recognise the sword when he came across it? The question hadn’t occurred to him yet, but when he thought about it, he felt the first sinking sensation of doubt arise within him. Indeed, how could he be certain that he would even be able to find the sword in this vast forest? Steel wasn’t living - it gave off no smell for him to detect. What if it was buried in the earth? Desperately, he tried to rid himself of the idea, but it was no use - it was already in his head.
No, he couldn’t think like that. Any moment now, there would be a shout from one of the others, and everyone would come running. Yes, that was right. With that thought in mind, Justice pressed onwards, speeding up his pace slightly. The thin layers of dead leaves on the ground crackled beneath his horse’s hooves, punctuating his every step with a crisp crackle.
However, it wasn't long before something caught his attention.
A tree stood in front of him, though unlike the others, there was something odd about it. Slowly, Justice edged forward and lifted a hand to brush the end of his finger along the nearest thin branch. It had been broken, snapped in two so that the end hung from a sinew. He raised a handful of leaves to his face to take in then scent.
And froze.
“What is it, Your Majesty?” Luso approached him from behind.
Justice drew back his hand, then gathered the horse’s reins once again. “Someone’s passed through here.”
“A human?”
Justice shook his head. “Vampire.”
The word seemed to linger on the air like an unpleasant smell. Justice’s expression was hard as he dismounted the animal and began to lead it forward through the trees, pushing aside the branches one by one. It was too narrow to ride here anyway. The smell was fainter now, though every so often, he would catch the slightest trace again. Was it one of the others? Or perhaps…
Gideon.
At once, Justice slipped his hand from the reins and broke into a sprint. Judging from the freshness of the scent, then the person hadn’t travelled far; if he moved fast enough, then maybe he would be able to catch them unawares…
All of a sudden, his foot latched around something, and he found himself falling forward into the ground. His body hit the mud with heavy impact. Wincing, he propped himself up on his elbows in an attempt to find some sort of support in the small space, but what his fingers closed around made him freeze.
And look up.
The cold metal in his hand was the blade of a sword that protruded from the ground at right ankles. The material rang with age, with an almost tangible echo of another time; yet at the same time, it stood as proudly and untarnished as if it had been forged that very day.
Luso was already calling out into the forest as Justice stood up. His eyes were drawn to the blade with unwavering intrigue - he simply could not look away. There was a short space around the sword where nothing grew, creating a small clearing between the trees, as though nature itself were bowing to this magnificent article.
A light rustling sounded to the right, and two figures emerged from the trees. Rafaga’s face paled as his eyes fell to the scene before him. “Oh, my...”
Yet Justice said nothing. Nothing seemed real, as if the whole situation were merely something he had dreamt up. Whilst the unknown struck fear into his heart, he could feel a deep pull towards the object in front of him, as if he had visited this place before.
Which, of course, was only natural when his father had done the same so many years before.
And now, he was finally taking back what was his.
Justice fell to his knees and placed his hands over the sword - one on the hilt, the other around its blade. The metal tingled against his skin, sending shivers down his spine. Just what would happen when he released it, he wondered. If it was as the legends said, then doing so would grant him the power to take on Marthiel’s throne, but in a way, he wasn't interested in that - this time, his motives were more of a personal matter.
Justice longed to wrench the sword from the soil on the spot, but somehow, he knew that doing so would have no effect. His fingers tightened around the blade, harder and harder, until he could feel it biting into his skin. A sharp pain shot up his arm as he felt the first drops of blood rise up between his fingers, but still he carried on, squeezing as tight as his hand would allow. Blood slid out from his grip, over his knuckles and down the length of the blade; within a few seconds, the first drops had reached the point where metal connected with earth. Then, in the same second, the man felt a sudden surge of power, and the sword came loose in his hands.
There was a uniform gasp as Justice fell back in the mud. His whole body tingled as if he had just stepped from fire into icy water, though that sensation was soon to fade. Slowly, deliberately, he turned his eyes downwards, to the blade in his arms.
He had it. It was his.
After so long, he had finally done it. There were no words with which Justice could describe the feelings coursing his veins at that moment. Exhilaration, pride, joy… And triumph. No matter what happened in the next few moments, he had reached his goal. He had won.
Justice passed his eyes from one shocked face to the other before taking the blade handle between his fingers and raising it into the air. The tip seemed to cut through the night as though it were something tangible.
Overhead, there was a deafening crack as the first fork of lightning whipped across the sky.
Justice was just about to straighten up, when a sudden sneering voice sounded from nearby, making him freeze in place. “Well, well - look what we have here.”
Next Chapter →
Chapter XXVII
In the Name of Justice
Groveside Woods.
They were bigger than Justice had originally believed, and certainly a great deal more impressive. In fact, the man felt almost dwarfed as he stood at the edge of the field, staring up into the face of the forest that ranged as far along the horizon as the eye could see.
“We're here.”
Rafaga rode up alongside him and glanced down the narrow passage between the trees. There was a clear parting ahead of them where the trees had been split into two sides, revealing an convenient area of flat ground that they would be able to ride the horses through. Justice could only guess that it had served as a road of some sort in the past, but now the forest had begun to reclaim it once again.
“Your Majesty, how would you prefer to go about this?” Rafaga asked. “We can rest now, or-”
“No.” Justice's eyes remained locked upon the path. “Our search for the sword will be more effective if we split into four routes.” He motioned with his hands as he spoke. “Kircheis and Abess-Reid can take the front-left, Carbuncle and Whiteley the back-left, and Rafaga and Rakina the front-right. As for me, Luso and I shall be taking the back-right.”
At once, the blond-haired knight moved up from the rear of the group to position himself by Justice’s side. The others, too, began to move into their respective pairs, each ready to leap into an advance should it be ordered.
“Keep alert, but most importantly, stay together. We don't know what lurks within these trees…” He took a deep breath. “If nothing is found after ten minutes, assemble here.”
Justice shot a brief glance at the others before turning back to the forest. His back and legs ached from so many hours’ worth of continuous riding - something Rafaga had come to call ‘saddle syndrome’ - but it was too late to stop now. To think that he was finally here… The thought alone was enough to send his heart into frenzied pace.
“Right. Prepare yourselves.”
All through the assembly, there was a uniform shift as each person moved into position. Justice regarded them with a nod, then addressed his own horse. The animal was bristling with energy, as if it could sense the anticipation in the air, and when he gathered the reins in his hand, it tensed in response.
“This is it,” he called out. “Advance!”
And so they were off. Like an arrow from a bow, Justice sped forwards, into the narrow channel between the trees. The sound of heavy hooves was thunder behind him, an echo to the pounding of his heart that filled his whole chest. This was it… This was it! The sense of uncertainty seemed to fall short of the burning anticipation that had taken a hold of him, driving him onwards, further and further into the depths of the forest.
Justice was about three hundred yards into the forest before he realised that two of the four pairs had already branched off into the trees - now, only Carbuncle’s group and his remained. He turned his head to the left to see the fire vampire bend low over his black steed, signal, then take a sharp turn to the left with Whiteley. The two were gone within seconds.
“I suppose that means we’re the last ones now, Your Majesty,” came Luso’s voice, at which Justice nodded.
Ahead, the trees were beginning to thin into a small area of open space. Justice tightened his hands around the reins, gradually easing himself to a trot and finally a gentle walk. No sooner had he broken the line of trees, however, he was met with a shock.
The wind was stronger here, sweeping its way over the edge of a sheer cliff. Fields, forests and lakes lay before him like a map in the darkness, though Justice couldn’t help but feel daunted by the view. His heart lurched uncomfortably as he peered over the edge - a forty yard drop to the ground below.
“This is dangerous,” he said, turning back to the forest. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Luso moved as close to the edge as his horse would allow him, then shivered.
The two men continued on into the woods. Perhaps if Justice had been less anxious, then he would have taken the time to stand back and appreciate just how beautiful his surroundings were: the trees here were thinner and much paler than those further west, with small, rounded feathers for leaves. A thick mist hung in a blanket over the ground, catching the moonlight so that it shimmered like water.
They weaved through the trees together with fast yet deliberate steps, several yards apart so as to cover more ground. Justice’s eyes darted back and forth across the forest, though he always made sure to keep Luso within his sights - the man was human, after all. Exactly what he was looking for he didn't know. How would he be able to recognise the sword when he came across it? The question hadn’t occurred to him yet, but when he thought about it, he felt the first sinking sensation of doubt arise within him. Indeed, how could he be certain that he would even be able to find the sword in this vast forest? Steel wasn’t living - it gave off no smell for him to detect. What if it was buried in the earth? Desperately, he tried to rid himself of the idea, but it was no use - it was already in his head.
No, he couldn’t think like that. Any moment now, there would be a shout from one of the others, and everyone would come running. Yes, that was right. With that thought in mind, Justice pressed onwards, speeding up his pace slightly. The thin layers of dead leaves on the ground crackled beneath his horse’s hooves, punctuating his every step with a crisp crackle.
However, it wasn't long before something caught his attention.
A tree stood in front of him, though unlike the others, there was something odd about it. Slowly, Justice edged forward and lifted a hand to brush the end of his finger along the nearest thin branch. It had been broken, snapped in two so that the end hung from a sinew. He raised a handful of leaves to his face to take in then scent.
And froze.
“What is it, Your Majesty?” Luso approached him from behind.
Justice drew back his hand, then gathered the horse’s reins once again. “Someone’s passed through here.”
“A human?”
Justice shook his head. “Vampire.”
The word seemed to linger on the air like an unpleasant smell. Justice’s expression was hard as he dismounted the animal and began to lead it forward through the trees, pushing aside the branches one by one. It was too narrow to ride here anyway. The smell was fainter now, though every so often, he would catch the slightest trace again. Was it one of the others? Or perhaps…
Gideon.
At once, Justice slipped his hand from the reins and broke into a sprint. Judging from the freshness of the scent, then the person hadn’t travelled far; if he moved fast enough, then maybe he would be able to catch them unawares…
All of a sudden, his foot latched around something, and he found himself falling forward into the ground. His body hit the mud with heavy impact. Wincing, he propped himself up on his elbows in an attempt to find some sort of support in the small space, but what his fingers closed around made him freeze.
And look up.
The cold metal in his hand was the blade of a sword that protruded from the ground at right ankles. The material rang with age, with an almost tangible echo of another time; yet at the same time, it stood as proudly and untarnished as if it had been forged that very day.
Luso was already calling out into the forest as Justice stood up. His eyes were drawn to the blade with unwavering intrigue - he simply could not look away. There was a short space around the sword where nothing grew, creating a small clearing between the trees, as though nature itself were bowing to this magnificent article.
A light rustling sounded to the right, and two figures emerged from the trees. Rafaga’s face paled as his eyes fell to the scene before him. “Oh, my...”
Yet Justice said nothing. Nothing seemed real, as if the whole situation were merely something he had dreamt up. Whilst the unknown struck fear into his heart, he could feel a deep pull towards the object in front of him, as if he had visited this place before.
Which, of course, was only natural when his father had done the same so many years before.
And now, he was finally taking back what was his.
Justice fell to his knees and placed his hands over the sword - one on the hilt, the other around its blade. The metal tingled against his skin, sending shivers down his spine. Just what would happen when he released it, he wondered. If it was as the legends said, then doing so would grant him the power to take on Marthiel’s throne, but in a way, he wasn't interested in that - this time, his motives were more of a personal matter.
Justice longed to wrench the sword from the soil on the spot, but somehow, he knew that doing so would have no effect. His fingers tightened around the blade, harder and harder, until he could feel it biting into his skin. A sharp pain shot up his arm as he felt the first drops of blood rise up between his fingers, but still he carried on, squeezing as tight as his hand would allow. Blood slid out from his grip, over his knuckles and down the length of the blade; within a few seconds, the first drops had reached the point where metal connected with earth. Then, in the same second, the man felt a sudden surge of power, and the sword came loose in his hands.
There was a uniform gasp as Justice fell back in the mud. His whole body tingled as if he had just stepped from fire into icy water, though that sensation was soon to fade. Slowly, deliberately, he turned his eyes downwards, to the blade in his arms.
He had it. It was his.
After so long, he had finally done it. There were no words with which Justice could describe the feelings coursing his veins at that moment. Exhilaration, pride, joy… And triumph. No matter what happened in the next few moments, he had reached his goal. He had won.
Justice passed his eyes from one shocked face to the other before taking the blade handle between his fingers and raising it into the air. The tip seemed to cut through the night as though it were something tangible.
Overhead, there was a deafening crack as the first fork of lightning whipped across the sky.
Justice was just about to straighten up, when a sudden sneering voice sounded from nearby, making him freeze in place. “Well, well - look what we have here.”
Next Chapter →