Chapter 22:
***Nabvan***
Nabvan had stationed himself at the forefront of the landing zone. He would be there to protect the king when the door to the spaceship opened. As the ship hovered overhead, he glanced up at the window to the king's quarters and caught a glimpse of Alexis and Destiney. He prayed that they stayed safely tucked away until the battle ended.
The spaceship lowered toward the ground, stirring up powerful gusts of wind. The crowd was pushed back several feet, yet Nabvan held his ground. His huge body did not give an inch. He knew that King Siefer held his place inside the ship as well, ready for war.
Nabvan scanned the crowd. He searched for any clues to the traitors' identities. Not knowing which men were traitors would be a problem. The villagers wore no armor to proclaim where their loyalty lay. Until they attacked the guards, Nabvan would have to stay his hand. Alexis and Destiney were no longer at the window.
The spaceship settled into place, and Nabvan's body tensed. He sensed the apprehension rising among the knights. The crowd drew closer to the ship. The huge door began to rise. The knights lifted their swords into attack position. Nabvan saw the glint of metal and realized the villagers closest to the ship were armed. Before the ship doors were fully opened, he shouted a warning to the king.
Rowl and his army of villagers attacked. The clash of swords and knives filled the air. King Siefer emerged from the center of his guards and challenged the nearest attacker. Blood sprayed his armor when he severed the man's sword arm. The air was soon filled with the scent of blood as the king's loyal villagers joined the battle.
Confusion and chaos ensued. At times, it was difficult to tell which side a villager was fighting for. Nabvan signaled the knights to his side. He shouted over the clang of the swords, "We need to gather the loyal villagers and have them fight behind us, or we will kill the wrong ones!" The knights spread out among the crowd. The villagers caught on quickly. They fought with the knights, bringing order to the chaos.
Rowl used his army as cover. Nabvan spied him occasionally. The traitor was fast but unskilled. His lack of practice was coming back to haunt him. He used a knife for hand to hand combat and managed to strike a few blows. A guard underestimated Rowl's reach and lost his life when Rowl slit his throat.
Nabvan cursed as one of the Milisarian guards turned on the king's men. As Nabvan ran forward, the guard slashed King Siefer's side, and the king fell out of sight. Nabvan beheaded the guard. He had no time to search for his king. He was instantly surrounded by villagers and had to defend himself.
