Chapter 8: The People Come Alive

Like a flash from the heavens, realization dawns that to do nothing or to do actions out of sync with nature accomplishes nothing, and sets the stage for sloth and gluttony. Forever has physical exertion been a road to the divine.

Cantorso gets his family prepared to take them deeper into the Blackheart Forest for their protection from the coming war. While the others who agreed to reform the once mighty and proud Royal Guard start going from village to village, city to city and house to house to mobilize the people. Their job is simply to let the people know that Mystic blood still runs in the kingdom of Owen, and now is the time to resurrect their pride and to fight for their freedom.

Family after family joins up for what they hope will be the downfall of the evil empire. The women and children go further into the desolate part of the Blackheart Forest, while others go towards the Pheminol Mountains.

Cantorso, now the best choice for the commanding general of the reformed Royal Guard, gives Art an order, "Go deep into the Pheminol Mountains until you find the Stiefel mountain race and tell them of the coming war. Tell them that Lynx sends you and that he is still alive and well, and things are progressing as hoped."

All over the kingdom of Owen, at least north of the Maloose River, there is a new and strange sound coming from the blacksmith shops, leather shops, and from everyday people in barns and shacks. It is the sound of metal being pounded into weapons of war. It is the stretching of leather to adorn the rise of new heroes, and food and other supplies being set aside to fuel the pride of a growing nation.

At the same time it seems the Masters and the Clan Soldiers know something is amiss, because patrols start getting thicker and thicker and move with an even darker purpose. But that will not to stop the process of war from continuing on. The people take great care never to ride in groups of three or more, and to always act like they have a perfect right to be where they are.

It seems whole villages are made into manufacturing machines right under the noses of the Clan Soldiers.

The time for all to meet at Tomb Rock is just a week away now. At that time they will openly display their weapons and their willingness to fight, and if need be die, for their country and their freedom. Although nobody knows for sure just how many people have joined up with the New Royal Guard, they do know that they are going to make their presence felt. It will be better to die on their terms, rather than to cower in their homes waiting for hell itself to call upon them.

In a kingdom of darkness there are many dangers, but hope is a beacon of light guiding you home.

Art is steadily making his way around the Triton Marsh. Riding with a purpose, he is riding harder than he has ever ridden before. He knows he needs to make the best time possible while still on the semi flat lands of the forest, because he is going to have to dismount and walk once he gets into the Pheminol Mountains, which will be laborious and slow.

Though none of the people know it yet, while they are forming their own army, the Clan Soldiers are arriving in great numbers from the far north, from occupied cities such as the capital of Owen, Turlac, and the Plains city of Murtz, what is left of it, and yes, even the mountain city of Thort. But especially from their home clans in the eastern part of the Desert of Origin and the eastern arm of the Coaster Plains.

As hundreds of Clan Soldiers are riding through the Toro Pass of the Pheminol Mountains, advance scouts of the New Royal Guard are watching them ride by and are actually heading to the very cities they have just come from to recruit more souls for their divine mission to free this land from the evil oppression of the Masters and their evil god Zarton.

And yet other Clan Soldiers are coming from the south across the Maloose River into what they believe to be the mainstay of the new rebellious uprising. Although only a few come from across the southern side of the Maloose River, because the Masters want to be sure that just in case the rebellion and the wizards that are leading it do make it to the river, they have enough manpower to stop them.

The people's reactions to the coming war are skeptical at best.

Some ask, "How is it going to be different this time? Before, there were many Mystic Wizards, and yet they still lost to the Masters. How is one young Mystic Wizard and an unknown wizard from another land going to win such a war, when the all-powerful and all-knowing Mystic Wizards of old could not do it?"

In an odd way that person just answered the question himself. Some people, when they live in a strong nation, become lazy in action and thought. If the Owen people of old would have said, thought and believed 'we' instead of 'they', this journey into the abyss might never of happened.

Though fears are high about the possibility of losing the war, and then where will they be, most of the people agree that just existing is not living, and though the thought is not pleasant most agree it will be better to be dead than to continue to live under the oppression of the Masters and their evil god.

Art is now at the point of where he has to leave his horse behind and walk on foot. Though he does not know it, he is about to embark down the very same path Kyle, Lynx, Maddox and Tork went through to get out of the Pheminol Mountains. But, if the Heavenly Gods continue to shine their strength and guidance on this divine crusade, Art will find his way without really ever knowing how he did it. However, there is always the danger and the fear of failure.

All over the northern half of the kingdom of Owen whispers and secrets are in all the towns and villages. For the first time in almost two centuries there seems to be life flowing through the veins of the common people once more. War is now unstoppable, but who will win, nobody knows.

For the people to win they will have to accomplish something that their forefathers and the original Mystic Wizards could not, and that is defeat the Masters, the evil god Zarton, and their puppets, the Clan Soldiers and Marauders.

Advanced scouts for the New Royal Guard are now nearing the far corners of the northern half of Owen. On the way they are picking up manpower, horses, weapons and information about the movement of the Clan Soldiers.

Just the thought that Mystic blood still runs in the kingdom of Owen gives the people a confidence that their forefathers must had had just before the Masters and Zarton took their land and their pride away. This time, though, it is going to be different, because the people of old just stood by and watched the Mystic Wizards get defeated. Complacency, more than anything, lost that war. It was a hard lesson taught, but freedom is not free.

This generation has an understanding that if the very people the Mystic Wizards are sworn to protect and die for will not even help themselves, then how will the aura of power, which comes from life and love, help them now. That alone probably caused the defeat of the honorable and powerful Mystic Wizards of old. And that love and that belief and support from the people will probably be the only hope for winning this war of good against evil.

Cantorso now feeling free to take chances, because his family is out of harms way, starts going from village to village, house to house, and holding outright rallies to get the people motivated. Though it is always in the black of night and always with lookout guards posted around the perimeter.

At one such rally on the eastern coast looking out over the ocean, a group of about twenty Marauders come riding up hard and fast. The people scatter as the riders ride through the rally. They stop right in front of Cantorso and the leader starts to dismount his horse. From an unseen signal from Cantorso, the ten other Royal Guardsmen who are riding with him draw their weapons. And what fine and formidable weapons they are. The leader of the Marauders speaks with hands out, "Hold up there, my good man. My name is Stolks, and yes we are Marauders, but it is in our blood to ride and fight. The only way we could do it under the watchful eye of the Masters was to let them think that we would kill and rampage the countryside turning you folks towards them for protection. Yes, we scared many a people, but we never once killed an innocent man, woman or child. We have heard that Mystic blood still runs through our kingdom, is this true?" One of Cantorso's soldiers walks up and whispers something in Cantorso's ear. Cantorso nods his head.

"Yes it is true, but I tell you now that I think you are a liar, because many of our families have been touched by the hand of death by Marauders." "That is sadly true, but it was not us, and I know it was not two other bands of Marauders that ride under my banner, for sure. We are just like you, people from the forest who are born to ride and fight. Our forefathers fought along side the Royal Guard even when the people would not fight for themselves."

Cantorso, from memories long told, has to think about that for a second, then he says, "My forefather and many of our forefathers were Royal Guardsmen, and I remember stories of a few proud bands of riders that did fight alongside them against the evil forces, but they didn't call themselves Marauders."

Stolks cut in and proudly acclaims, "Yes, our forefathers were called the Shadow Riders."

Cantorso and the other Royal Guardsmen put away their weapons, and he goes up to the man and gives him a big hug, saying to him, "From this day forth you are once again known as the Shadow Riders by the people of Owen. But to many, you will have to prove your honor is pure, and you will have to earn the respect that your forefathers had." "That is understood as much as it is expected."

Then all the Marauders, once again the Shadow Riders, kneel down on one knee and they say in unison, "We pledge to you our strength and allegiance from the honor of all our forefathers to the New Generation Royal Guard."

All the people of the village cheer and welcome them back into their hearts. Plus many villagers join the New Royal Guard right there on the spot Cantorso, ever thoughtful, "We must stay split up into small groups so the Clan Soldiers and the Masters don't know that we are working together, and when we're going to attack, until it's too late."

Stolks agrees, "That is a sound plan, brother, but they will not expect us to ride with the people. In fact, if we start acting different now they will get suspicious. We will ride and inform the other two groups of Maraud ... no, Shadow Riders, that it is true that Mystic blood still runs through the veins of Owen, and they will also pledge their allegiance. But remember, many of the bands of the Marauders are just puppets of the Clan Soldiers and Masters, so consider them all enemies until we meet face to face again and introduce our warriors to each other."