his priorites. He had an immediate decision to make and he didn’t hesitate. If there was one thing he was good at it was making up his mind quickly, even if he did take the wrong option from time to time.
Without breaking his stride, he veered for the swamp and launched himself into the air, landing in the thick, gooey liquid not six feet away from the bag, and just in time to grab the strap before it disappeared for good.
The force of his landing plunged Ben deep into the sand up to his shoulders. He knew that he needed to keep still to avoid sinking even further, but he could feel the strap of the bag, and the weight was getting heavier as the box was being dragged down into the recesses of the bog.
“Ben! Ben! Keep still! Do not move!” shouted Artrex, as he arrived on the bank just before the first of his soldiers. “Kraar! You... We will get you! Hold on!” he cried, looking around frantically for anything that may help to reach the young boy.
Ben smiled as he remembered Knesh’ sacrifice. To his amazement he was completely calm now, and totally in control of his feelings.
“Ahh well,” he said quietly, as the quicksand reached his chin, “in for a penny, in for a pound, eh Jake?”
He pulled on the strap with all his might. The bag rose slowly from the swamp and it surfaced, just as Ben’s head was disappearing below the quagmire, leaving only his arms above the sand. He used them to throw the bag with all the energy he could muster and it landed on the bank not far from the King.
Ben had almost disappeared from sight altogether now, only his two hands could be seen. King Artrex raged at the thought of losing the young boy who was willing to sacrifice so much for him and he waded into the swamp without hesitation, ordering his soldiers to form a chain and link arms as he walked. The swamp engulfed him and in seconds it had risen up to his neck.
Ben had gone. He’d been taken by the bog. But the King kept feeling around desperately for him, refusing to give up and praying to the skies above for help and guidance in his search.
“Knesh! Knesh!” he shouted aloud. “Hear me now! Guide my hands to this boy. Help me one last time my old friend, and I...”
Artrex fingers suddenly met Ben’s deep below the surface!
“Pull! Pull you Felaks! Heave!” he yelled at his warriors.
They all responded swiftly and first the King, and then Ben, reappeared, the young boy gasping for air as he resurfaced and spitting violently to expel the sand he’d swallowed. They trudged wearily up the bank and collapsed on the ground next to the heavily soiled bag, trying hard to catch their breath.
A few minutes later, the King had recovered a little and he stared at Ben with a look of complete astonishment.
“Why? Why would you do such a thing? I have come to expect such bravery from my people, it still amazes and humbles me every time. I can understand their reasons though, because I share in their pain. But you... You are not of this world. Ours is not your fight. You are passing through, you will leave when you can, and you have everything to live for! Why Ben, why?”
Ben shrugged his shoulders as any teenager might.
“Dunno.” he replied honestly. “I s’pose it just seemed like the right thing to do at the time. But do me a favour, will ya? For God’s sake, don’t tell Jake?”
Chapter 31
Early Evening 15th August – Astelli Plains - Rhuaddan
Sawdon’s comment about Knesh’ ‘parting gift’ was not received well by the evil King. “Yes, thank you, Sawdon!” snapped Vantrax angrily, as they stood staring disbelievingly at the rising cloud of black smoke in the distant eastern sky. “It is Heron Getracht, there can be no doubt. My fortress is in flames. Raaarrrrr!!! How??? Artrex does not possess the soldiers required to take a fortress, not in quality or numbers. How has this happened?” he asked, with a mixture of bewilderment and fury. The two warriors remained silent for a while as they both thought hard to come up with an explanation.
“Srrr, could it be that we have an enemy we were previously unaware of?” asked Strymos. “Renegades from the south perhaps?” he ventured, thinking aloud.
“No, I do not believe so. The enemy in the south is too weak, they