Chapter 36 - Tremendous Triumph

Michael followed Harold down to the dungeon secretly. He hid everytime Harold tried looking over his shoulder. It seemed Harold was suspicious he was being followed or he was just being extra careful.

He went into the cell where the shiny plant Julia talked about was. It was such a magnificent plant with its light illuminating all the corners of the cell.

Harold brought out a dagger. He raised it up like he was going to bring it down hard on to the plant. He did, with all his power bringing down the dagger. But he stopped right before the dagger could reach the plant.

He stood upright. He kept the dagger back from where he had brought it out.

Michael was confused. He wondered why he had stopped. It seemed he wanted James dead out there. That was the only reason he would have stopped.

Michael dashed into the cell with his hand resting on the hilt of the sword in the quiver by his side. He was threatening him.

"He thought you are a friend. But now you are planning to get him killed, isn't it?" Michael challenged him.

"Michael?" Harold was very surprised. He put his hand on his wide opened mouth. "What are you doing here?" he asked afterwards.

"I should be asking you that. You are the outsider here. Harold, what are you doing here?" he asked with a threatening voice.

"I....I..." Harold stuttered. "James sent me down here" he managed to answer.

"The king was bedridden because of a sorcerer and here you are right in the palace with an element of sorcery. Tell me why I shouldn't take you up to the king and have you undergo a trial?" he accused him indirectly.

"There is a war going on. And this is the only way to end this war" he explained.

"I know, the only way to make James victorious" he smiled.

"Yes" Harold was surprised.

"He thought you are on his side and I also believe that too but we are wrong. You are on your own side" Michael walked round him. Harold kept turning to have Michael within his eye range.

"I am on his side, of course. You are the one fighting against him" he grumbled.

"Yes. I am against him" he laughed. "But you are the one hesitating to make him proud. You didn't destroy this plant as he had ordered you" he condemned Harold's hesitation.

"Is that why you are calling me a traitor that I betray him. No, I hesitated because I want the king to die in the battle. He is on his way down there" Harold laughed.

"Anyway, I am here to stop the war. That is what matters to me. Peace" Micheal drew out his sword and moved towards the plant.

"Wait, wait" Harold rushed to block his way. "If you are only concerned about peace. Then wait till we hear about the king's death" he requested.

"You are insane" Michael pushed him away and continued to the plant.

"I'm sorry, if you want to get to that. You will to go through me" Harold put a knife into Michael's shoulder before he could turn around.

"You stabbed me?" Michael couldn't believe he would do that.

"Yes. You are not supposed to interfere in this" Harold replied strictly.

"You know I am still contemplating on maybe I should kill you before destroying the plant but you show me the right choice" Michael laughed at him. He aimed his sword at him.

Harold blocked the sword with his dagger.

"If that is what you are thinking, them we have the same mind because I am also planning to kill you" Harold attacked him.

"You want to kill a prince?" Michael asked in amazement. He believed no one would show him mercy if he did that.

"Yes" he replied curtly.

"And you think you will get away with that?" he inquired.

"Yes if I kill a prince that was trying to kill the king, the sorcerer behind everything" he made his plan known to Michael. He would lie against him.

"That is not going to happen. I will just want you to know that is my exact plan. The only difference is that what I will say about will be true" Michael made a fighting stance.

"But you will need a lot of lies to implicate me" he concluded and rushed at him.

Harold was not really a fighter. He went down easily as Michael delivered a sword blow on him.

*********************

The war continued with James running around the battle ground. This was getting longer. It seemed Harold had a hidden intention. There was nothing that could have stopped him from destroying the plant by now.

James thought, he had to fight this like a real fight if he wanted to live to see another day. As he was trying to muster up courage. He kept remembering Quentin's word.

There was no other way to stop this soldier of illusions than using the powerful Psanit. He must be ready to die. He had put his trust in a friend and he was betrayed. He would avenge if there is another lifetime.

The soldiers of illusions became more mad. They seemed annoyed from not getting the fight they wanted. Their attacks against him since he had come here was soft.

Now that had increased and the few he had managed to put to the ground were getting back up. They were now more violent.

One of them came at James. He lifted him off the ground and threw him away very hard. He fell down on his back and looked at those people on the wall.

The Alpha King was there.

James made up his mind. Even if he was going to die here. It should be a brave death.

He rose up and attacked. The first one he grabbed among them. He made sure he drive his sword through him like seven times.

The soldier of illusion didn't have any blood within it. He screamed in agony and vanished into thin air. James was happy. He quickly grabbed another one and gave him combination of stabbing and cutting.

The same thing happened again as it also vanished. Harold had surely destroyed the plant. That was obviously what was making them vanish.

Harold would never betray him. He was a good friend. Something must have held him up all these while.

James continued his assault grabbing the soldiers of illusion one after the other and they were disappearing.

The numbers was reducing. James grabbed one again. He showed him to the people on the wall before finally killing him.

"James! James!! James!!!" the people on the wall sang his name. He paused for a while turning to them to acknowledge their support.

He kept killing them singlehandedly. It was very easy for him. Without wasting much time all the soldier of illusions had been killed by him. And they had disappeared.

He was walking around checking for survivor among his men. He found Commander Craig. He was alive, barely

"They are not dying" Commander Craig moaned as James lifted up his head.

"I have killed all of them. Their last of them is dead and vanished" James smiled.

Commander Craig looked around the place. It seemed he was looking for dead bodies.

"We are the only ones lying dead here" Commander Craig opened up.

"Their body vanished, Commander" he laughed victoriously.

The gate opened again. The Alpha King was the first to come out. He rushed to receive James in his arms.

The other soldiers came and picked the bodies and survivors on the battle ground.

"Did you actually do that? You singlehandedly take all of them out?" the Alpha King was moved like he wanted.

"For a moment, watching from the sundeck. I was worried. The enemies standing tall after they were felled" he expressed his worries.

"I told you, Father. Not to worry about this. I told you I will handle it. I'm sorry I doubted you. But there is someone that didn't doubt you the whole time. Her faith in you was not shaken" the Alpha King held his hand to walk him back in.

"James! James!! James!!!" the soldier praises him as he walked back in arranging themselves on both of his side. All of them looked happy and marveled.

Except General Brewer. He was staring at James with wicked eyes. He must have known one of James' secret.

"General Brewer, I know you lost a lot of men. But it will be good if that didn't affect our celebration of victory" James advised him. He was sure he didn't become upset because of the men he lost.

It was his strange victory. He must be getting suspicious something was not right.

"And who is this woman with unwavering faith in me?" James asked his father.

"Queen Teresa" the Alpha King mentioned.

James was surprised. He believed Queen Teresa knew about all his plans and how bad they were.

He couldn't understand why she would believe him as the Alpha King said.