The Kingdom - Page 167/201

He stared at me indecisively to which I said, "Make sure my horse is there."

I stepped back from the bars and headed toward the eastern wall of the dungeon cell in obedience to the prompting that I had received. Urtholan appeared before me with a grin and extended his hand to me. Without hesitation I took his hand as he led me onward, straight through the stone wall.

I blinked, but kept walking, as I passed through solid matter and empty space. So much of my life these days had gone beyond the ordinary and into the realm of the supernatural.

Urtholan was not content to simply lead me free of the dungeon of the castle, but instead he led me up through the floors to come right up into the center of the judgment hall. He was gone from view, but I remained.

I winced in response to the startled, deafening shrieks on the part of horrified courtiers and headed toward the double doors, completely ignoring the wildly screaming Princess at my back. No one was listening to her anyway.

Reaching the double doors I turned back and said, "I'm leaving now and all those who wish to come are welcome, but it means you must leave behind your former lives in this place and embrace your new, faith filled one."

I turned back to the doors even as a guard stepped forward towards me. With a flourish he presented me with my sword, "Your sword, Sir."

"Thanks!" I said and went out the door even as he and a few others followed behind.

Reaching the lower steps, I came upon Phalon being held steady by an astonished Falarin. His hand shook slightly as he handed the reins to me.

I pointed to a promontory point along the eastern horizon, far from the confines of the city, "I'm going to make camp there for three days during which time I expect you to lead what few, or perhaps many, of your people who are still awake to the signs of the times and meet me there. Send riders to the Kingdoms of Lancandia, Perganel, and Sartorry to witness to them of both my words and the miracle performed here today in the sight of everyone."

"I will do it!" Falarin affirmed and with a pounding slap to his back I moved past him and mounted Phalon and began my second exodus from the city that already ran hot with the news of all that had transpired. Sadly, it was a contingent of far fewer souls than years before that I finally led free of the city.

The city as a whole was still too content with the way things had always been for them to notice that nothing was the way it had ever used to be.