Chapter 20 - Justice for the dead

A large army of the Kingdom's soldiers gather on the largest fortress in the south. The soldiers hold the fort to prepare for the knight's arrival in a week. Only then can they muster a large force and launch their full force towards Abigail's estate. The fortress has effectively limited the movement of the Silverhand's loyalists by the vast stone wall that spans the forest region. It will force Abigail's force to move towards the fortress to get to the Capital, or they will have to climb the jagged path of the cold ranges where a slip can cause a man's life. The soldiers are confident that no one can get past them. These walls have driven countless invasions, such as when the tribes of ages passed attacked the Kingdom and when the Eastern army tried to muster their way into their territory.

Abigail, cunning and devious as she is, moved to destroy her enemies inside the impenetrable fortress. She organized her subjects to dig in the mines and followed a map she had laid out from an old underground network of tunnels beneath the Kingdom. She planned to unearth old collapsed tunnels from her mines and use them to sneak their way across the southern part of the Kingdom. On the night before the knight arrives at the fortress, Abigail's loyalist emerges from a secret passage from the tunnels to the cellar of the fortress. They carefully lifted the old entrance and, snuck their way into the barracks of the sleeping soldiers and killed them in their sleep. In the guise of the night, the loyalist raided the soldier's supplies and weapons without alerting the patrols. By morning, the whole fortress is in a panic. The knights arrived to see half of the soldiers were already dead and had no supplies or weapons for them to use in their attack on the Silverhand.

The knights attempted to defend the fortress for a few more days. Still, the outcome remained consistent: Abigail's forces seemed to appear within their defenses, catching them off guard. They eliminated the knights with traps, arrows, and spears in the darkness. This extraordinary feat brought Abigail's surname, Silverhand, to fitting prominence. Her enemies likened her forces to ghosts, able to phase through any surface and instill fear in anyone they encountered. The complexity of her attacks astonished the Kingdom's knights, as they did not expect an ex-royal court member and socialite to be such an effective commander.

After weeks of trying to defend the fortress and enduring heavy casualties, the King ordered a full retreat to prevent further losses. This retreat was an embarrassing failure for the King and a significant triumph for Abigail. The battle demonstrated to herself, her soldiers, and the Pentalium that she could overthrow the King.

Abigail celebrates with her men in her mansion, located in the southernmost part of the Kingdom's realm, after their relentless attack has cornered the knights. She reflects on how disorganized her army was when they assembled before her. However, Abigail successfully calms their spirits and unites them by approaching them as a commander and friend. With her soothing singing and imaginative plans, she provides clear objectives that inspire her troops and bring them together.

"Using the mines, tunneling underneath the fortress, and attacking the soldiers from the shadows? It's genius! Lady Abigail, you are truly our Queen!" a man raised his mug to give her the recognition she deserved.

"It's because you followed my orders. I will not let anything happen to any of you. Put your trust in me and my commands, and I will lead you to victory," Abigail replied.

"And the false King that poisoned us will pay for his crimes. All hail, Lady Abigail Silverhand!" another man said, and the crowd replied with a louder cheer for Abigail.

Abigail sang a beautiful melody to her people, igniting their hearts with courage and fearlessness. As she sang, she hoped her actions would bring honor to her ancestors. She believed that using the old Zonian mines to enact Pentalium's vengeance would deliver the justice they deserved.

In the age when the Kingdom colonized this land, the Zonians excavated these mines. They burrowed deep into the earth, creating tunnels that formed a sprawling city beneath the Kingdom. When the time came for the Zonians to rise again and fight against the old Kingdom, they abandoned their underground home and rallied the tribes from above. They forged weapons from unusual iron sourced from these mines. The craftsmanship required to create Zonian weapons has been forgotten over the years. Still, suppose someone is fortunate enough to discover one. In that case, it is wise to keep it, for these weapons can easily cut through weaker materials.

According to legend, the Zonians never returned to their tunnels after their coup. They gradually faded from history following their defeat by the protectors of the Kingdom.

As the celebration continued, Abigail quietly stepped away from the event. She headed to the mine, where her most industrious subjects worked tirelessly, day in and day out, with little respite. Here, the oldest, the youngest, the sick, and the lame all gathered, doing their best to tunnel toward the Capital based on the map she had created for them. The news of their recent victory motivated them to work longer than usual. Despite her reminders to take breaks and not overexert themselves, her warm smile concealed her true feelings.

"Work faster! I want the King's head, ushering a new age for the Zonians and showing Pentalium I have what it takes to be a better leader than him!" Abigail whispered to herself.

Deeper within the mines lies an underground city where the Zonians used to reside. Supplies from the surface are transported down here, and patrols distribute these goods to the residents in their homes. Stone pavements line the old streets, shimmering with colorful gems when moonlight filters through the cracks in the rock above.

On the city's outskirts stands an old, dilapidated building perched atop a hill that offers a view over the city. Enormous pipes protrude from its roof, giving the structure a sinister appearance from a distance. The area has fallen into disuse, and most people ignore it. However, children often visit this place to play, as it is one of the few spots to relax before being called back to work.

Abigail entered the building and made her way to its center. Inside, she found a theater with pipes running from the roof. The lighting was dim, but she could see two men sitting at a round table in the center of the stage—one tall and the other young. A single empty chair was positioned beside them, waiting for her arrival.

"What a shame," said the younger man. "If the pipes were not stuffed with foam and leather, we would love to hear that same song you sang for your people a little while ago. This stage is where our ancestors used to sing and dance. Their voices would carry through the pipes and reverberate across the tunnels."

"And let my subjects know our plan? My father did this so the last Zonian families could have a place where we could meet without the prying eyes and ears of our enemies. Can you be a little grateful for what my family has done for our clan?" Abigail sneered at him as she comfortably sat on the empty chair.

"Ignore his tease, Abigail." The taller man said as he slid an expensive paper toward Abigail. It was a report detailing that her last attack at the fortress made the royal families question the King's capability to lead the war. The tall man didn't utter a word but, with his nod, extended his acknowledgment of Abigail's accomplishment.

"I would congratulate you, too, but the battle is far from over. As we speak, the knights are mounting an offensive. They will bring catapults and armored horses. There will be a full assault, Abigail. I suggest you attack them when they reach the ravine." The young one also wrote a report about the Kingdom's knights' next movement on a similar beautiful paper.

"We know which tunnels will take us to the Capital." Abigail drank her wine and expressed confidence. Both men were intrigued; they were surprised to learn how well she knew the layout of this place.

"A hundred pathways lead us to the other parts of the Kingdom. Only our long-dead ancestors have memorized the path of this place. Tell us, how did you know about the complete layout?" The taller man asked.

Abigail asked the men to recall the last time the five families of the remaining Zonians met three years ago. The Chief was tasked with uniting different tribes outside the Kingdom and creating an overpowering army to conquer it. The other members of the order would disrupt the economic and political life of the Kingdom, weakening it from within and making it easy for the Chief to take over.

But the Chief's untimely death has caused the Pentalium to shift their actions. Thinking fast on their feet, they allowed Margaret to continue with her rat experiment. At the same time, Pentalium assigned Abigail to investigate the last letter the Chiefs sent them: "Followed the message made by Zonian. Will check the hunter tribe on the mountain."

Abigail followed the Chief's report, which led her to the mountains where Margaret's rats grew in numbers as they feasted on the dead. Inside the craggy rocks where a tribe used to live, she saw the mural. When she gazed at it with her red eyes, the map of underground tunnels that spanned underneath the Kingdom's territory appeared before her.

"I drew the map and wanted to bring this to the Pentalium's attention. But you said to stop other efforts and support Margaret's plan!" Abigail yelled in anger as she pointed at the young man.

"I disrupted the tea and other remedies from flowing the market. He brought the exiled royal families to Margaret. And you were assigned to assist Margaret in safeguarding the cure. Might I remind you that our enemies manage to replicate." The young man said as he tried to reverse the blame on Abigail.

"Alas, Margaret died in the hands of George Frosthold. But when I had the opportunity to take the citizens from the King, I wasted no time. I decided to put every effort into gaining their trust and turning things around. I used information from the map, dug deep, and went behind the enemies' lines. My actions have pushed Pentalium closer to our goal." Abigail said, proudly reminding the men in the room that she had managed what the other members could not.

"IF Abigail succeeds, the people will call her Queen, " the taller man said as he tried to ease the tension between Abigail and the other member.

"Long as her subjects don't know she was the one who poisoned the very same vial that they drank, they are willing to follow her every step. Not unless my lips get loose from this wine." The younger one said, throwing shade at her pride. Abigail then jumped from her chair and broke the wine bottle. She was about to leap to the younger man but was stopped when the taller man threw himself between the two.

"Get a grip, will you? We are the last three houses of Zonian. We cannot afford to be divided now, " the taller man said, and he turned to the younger one, unfazed by Abigail's attempt. "And we elected you as our leader, so start acting one, " he yelled.

"And what will that broken bottle do to a knight? Make our armor smell of dried grapes?" the younger man stood up and showed his armor, which was full of damage, reminding Abigail that he was the experienced and strongest warrior in this room. If he wanted to, he could have sliced her head clean with his sword in a swift motion.

"But I was out of line. I apologize, Abigail. I must take my leave now. But heed my warning; the knights are still a threat. We are mobilizing soon towards your estate. Good luck, oh savior, " the younger one mockingly said as he left the premises.

"You did fail to secure that cure. If you were there to assist Margaret, she might not have died, and George Frosthold would not have found the cure. Try not to fly too close to the sun, Abigail, " the taller man said before leaving her.

Standing alone on the stage, she sang a song honoring the dead Zonians before her. "You will have your revenge," she sang as her haunting voice was trapped in the confinement of the rotting walls around her.

The Pentalium revels as they inch closer to victory. Soon, their demand for vengeance and justice will be met by the same demand they ask for—vengeance for a young boy who lost his father and justice for the lives they destroyed.