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Authors: Tony Johnson
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to follow behind the closest group of huddled warriors heading towards a back end of the castle. Right before they entered into a hallway to exit the lobby, a hand tightly grabbed Steve’s shoulder, forcing him to stop.
“You’re coming with me, warrior.”
Chapter 7
Steve turned around and looked up at the tall Sir Lambert, who stood three inches higher even though he was still considered a Human like Steve.
“Your name, warrior,” the deep voice that marked the man’s old age asked in a statement. There was a hint of gruffness in his raspy throat that made him sound angry. In truth, he was a gentle, caring man. The only time he did not show any mercy was towards monsters while he created the warriors’ attack plans.
“Brightflame, Stephen Brightflame, Supreme Commander.” Steve felt like a small, insignificant warrior as he nervously reached to shake Lambert’s outstretched hand, trying to keep his own hand steady.
“I thought I was the Supreme Commander,” Lambert said.
Steve was so awestruck it took him an awkwardly long time before he understood the joke. He finally smiled, hoping he didn’t look like a fool to this great man he respected.
“Follow me, Stephen,” the Supreme Commander grinned, playing off Steve’s nervousness as if he hadn’t noticed.
As he led Steve up the stairs of a nearby tower, Sir Lambert realized that he recognized the warrior’s name. “Brightflame? The jouster?” he asked, not turning around as Steve followed behind him.
“Yes sir, that’s me,” was all Steve said.
The Supreme Commander gave out a grunted chuckle, finding it humorous that of all the warriors, it happened to be Celestial’s jouster who he had selected to follow him. “I saw what you did out there,” he said.
Steve instantly thought he had done something wrong by the accusatory sound in the Supreme Commander’s voice.
“I watched you from the archers’ wall as you saved the life of those two men at the risk of your own. Your actions were truly valiant.”
“It was my responsibility as a warrior.” Steve replied, letting out a sigh of relief. A part of him was wondering if he was in trouble for doing something wrong.
“Yes, but few men can make that kind of decision in that quick of a moment. We need that kind of fearlessness today.”
“Fearless? I was full of fear,” Steve admitted.
The Supreme Commander weighed Steve’s words for the next five steps up. “True fear stops or slows down the actions your heart tells you to take. Your heart wanted to see your warrior brother survive. Without even thinking, you went back to help them even with the monsters shooting at you. What you felt was not fear, you were just scared. The difference between fear and being scared is the difference between life and death in those quick moments of instinctive choice,” Sir Lambert philosophized.
Steve saw the wisdom in the Commander’s words and nodded, even though the Supreme Commander wasn’t facing him.
“As you may have realized, this is more than a regular attack.” Sir Lambert gestured outside a small window in the tower, not taking the time to look out of it as he continued to walk up the stairs.
Steve took a glance through the curved open window. The image caused him to stop in his tracks. The view he saw would stick with him for the rest of his life. It was his first chance to see the magnitude of the destruction of the attack from an aerial view. He had known it was bad from what he experienced en route to the castle, but what he saw from high in the tower - it put everything in perspective.
He was standing in one of the two towers at the face of the castle, looking south. He saw the collapsed watchtower of Commander Ostravaski spilled across the large plaza with pieces of the aqueduct jutting sharply up out of the Fluorite River. Other buildings in his view were tipped over or had been completely leveled. He could see the large oval shape of the arena, far off in the
“You’re coming with me, warrior.”
Chapter 7
Steve turned around and looked up at the tall Sir Lambert, who stood three inches higher even though he was still considered a Human like Steve.
“Your name, warrior,” the deep voice that marked the man’s old age asked in a statement. There was a hint of gruffness in his raspy throat that made him sound angry. In truth, he was a gentle, caring man. The only time he did not show any mercy was towards monsters while he created the warriors’ attack plans.
“Brightflame, Stephen Brightflame, Supreme Commander.” Steve felt like a small, insignificant warrior as he nervously reached to shake Lambert’s outstretched hand, trying to keep his own hand steady.
“I thought I was the Supreme Commander,” Lambert said.
Steve was so awestruck it took him an awkwardly long time before he understood the joke. He finally smiled, hoping he didn’t look like a fool to this great man he respected.
“Follow me, Stephen,” the Supreme Commander grinned, playing off Steve’s nervousness as if he hadn’t noticed.
As he led Steve up the stairs of a nearby tower, Sir Lambert realized that he recognized the warrior’s name. “Brightflame? The jouster?” he asked, not turning around as Steve followed behind him.
“Yes sir, that’s me,” was all Steve said.
The Supreme Commander gave out a grunted chuckle, finding it humorous that of all the warriors, it happened to be Celestial’s jouster who he had selected to follow him. “I saw what you did out there,” he said.
Steve instantly thought he had done something wrong by the accusatory sound in the Supreme Commander’s voice.
“I watched you from the archers’ wall as you saved the life of those two men at the risk of your own. Your actions were truly valiant.”
“It was my responsibility as a warrior.” Steve replied, letting out a sigh of relief. A part of him was wondering if he was in trouble for doing something wrong.
“Yes, but few men can make that kind of decision in that quick of a moment. We need that kind of fearlessness today.”
“Fearless? I was full of fear,” Steve admitted.
The Supreme Commander weighed Steve’s words for the next five steps up. “True fear stops or slows down the actions your heart tells you to take. Your heart wanted to see your warrior brother survive. Without even thinking, you went back to help them even with the monsters shooting at you. What you felt was not fear, you were just scared. The difference between fear and being scared is the difference between life and death in those quick moments of instinctive choice,” Sir Lambert philosophized.
Steve saw the wisdom in the Commander’s words and nodded, even though the Supreme Commander wasn’t facing him.
“As you may have realized, this is more than a regular attack.” Sir Lambert gestured outside a small window in the tower, not taking the time to look out of it as he continued to walk up the stairs.
Steve took a glance through the curved open window. The image caused him to stop in his tracks. The view he saw would stick with him for the rest of his life. It was his first chance to see the magnitude of the destruction of the attack from an aerial view. He had known it was bad from what he experienced en route to the castle, but what he saw from high in the tower - it put everything in perspective.
He was standing in one of the two towers at the face of the castle, looking south. He saw the collapsed watchtower of Commander Ostravaski spilled across the large plaza with pieces of the aqueduct jutting sharply up out of the Fluorite River. Other buildings in his view were tipped over or had been completely leveled. He could see the large oval shape of the arena, far off in the
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