Kingdom's Reign by Chuck Black Page B

straight on for Chessington. I finally turned and saw that the leading edge of the army had slowedto a cautious advance through the trees. This widened the distance between us, for which I was grateful. The size of Lucius’s army was overwhelming, yet it dawned on me that I should have been as afraid of the first hundred warriors as I was of the next ten thousand, but it was not so—I think because I was afraid for not only myself, but for all the people of Chessington as well. I hoped the Knights of the Prince and the Silent Warriors were ready for the ferocious army that charged behind us.
    The lower Chessington Valley and its beautiful city came into view. As we neared Fenton’s army, his men seemed to panic, for the valley behind us was filling with the advancing dark army of Lucius.
    My knights rode straight to Fenton and gathered around him.
    â€œWhat have you done?” he asked with a voice that carried the fear he felt.
    â€œI have done the bidding of the Prince, Fenton. Settle your men, and prepare them to protect the city.”
    Lucius’s army was just minutes away as they advanced unhindered upon the apparently helpless city of Chessington. The pounding of hoofbeats was broken only by the penetrating sound of one lone trumpet—Micalem’s.
    Behind Fenton’s forces, the streets of the city came alive as Leinad and Tess ordered the advance of their men. I pointed to our forces as they moved forward through Fenton’s men to join us.
    â€œThe battle belongs to the Prince!” I exclaimed.
    Fenton turned and saw only a portion of his city’s deliverance.Lucius’s army was nearly upon us, and I felt the hot breath of the dragon as its jaws opened to devour us.
    Fenton shouted above the noise of thousands of advancing horses. “May the Prince live forever, sir, and may our hearts be ever His, but even this is not enough to overcome the onslaught of Alexander Histen.” Fenton looked at me with a mixture of hope and fear in his eyes as our men gripped their swords and weapons tightly and readied themselves.
    I swept my sword across the valley’s eastern and western horizons. “Look to the hills, from where comes your help!”
    The valley horizons filled with the powerful forms of thousands of Silent Warriors. Lucius’s men hesitated as they became aware of their impending demise. Keef and Ramon and their men were to the west; Micalem and Gabrik and their men to the east. Gavinaugh, Keanna, and Weston were positioning their men to the north behind Lucius’s army. Leinad and Tess joined us with thousands of fellow knights, and we ordered Fenton to retreat to the city’s edge. We positioned our men, and I beheld the unfolding of the battle of the ages. Leinad, Tess, Gavinaugh, Keanna, Weston, William, Rob, Barrett, Cullen, Keef, Ramon, Micalem, Gabrik, and countless courageous others all joined in one final battle to end the evil reign of Lucius once and for all. My fear was gone, for we all belonged to the Prince, and I was in the company of legends and heroes.
    The sound of thundering horses faded to silence, and I sensed fear in the heart of the dragon. Now but a few hundred paces away, I still could not see individual faces, but one figure at the front stood out from the rest. He broke from hiswarriors a short distance and circled his horse a number of times. He was looking for someone. From the city behind us, Fenton’s men and our men parted to allow the approach of a single rider. The Prince rode forward to where Leinad, Tess, William, and I were positioned. I felt insignificant but empowered next to Him.
    Lucius stopped his horse when he recognized the majestic form of the Prince before him. There across the small expanse that separated these age-old foes, the fury of a fallen, jealous warrior met the judgment of a perfect King. The pain and anguish of many generations was heaped upon the ground between them, all because of the pride of