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Avelaide
I have always like creating worlds and making stories for said worlds.
One of these is quite familiar to those of you who have followed the tournament of champions threads. The world of Avelaide.
In tournament of champions 2 I wrote a story about Basil, The boy who met seven gods. This story was to give more insight into the world and the characters of this world for the tournaments. Though during this time I began to grow interested in writing a real saga about Basil and Avelaide. Making it into books one day.
I have finally decided to go through with it and write these books.
If I would fail with this. I will at least make sure to write the three initial books so I can share them with friends and family.
These would mainly be story told in the boy who met seven gods story, though heavily modified.
If I succeed however. I will continue to write and in the end reveal what was supposed to be act 5 in the boy who met seven gods.
This means that I won't write act 5 for the boy who met seven gods story.
As said earlier, the boy who met seven gods had a purpose to give more information for the tournament. This means that it was very much connected to the MTG universe and rules and such. In this new saga I have cut all of these connections, gone back to basics and the only things left are mere inspirations.
The story itself will also be significantly different. Some characters has been moved, renamed, removed or changed while a bunch of new characters and events will be added. The first book will put a lot of focus on the student of arms period "Basil form the age of 10 to 16). The gods are no longer gods but something similar to "guides" or "caretakers". Some things that happens in tbwmsg story have been removed. Also some things felt unreasonable cruel and put there only for the shock value so I have changed that as well.
I made this thread now to gather the boy who met seven gods chapters in one easy to reach place. Even though I will forsake this story for the new when it comes to writing. I will still keep it as a base for any Avelaide based contests, discussions or such. I will also use this thread for discussions about this new saga.
I have posted the old story beneath. (Including all errors and mistakes)
I will include the image links later.
One of these is quite familiar to those of you who have followed the tournament of champions threads. The world of Avelaide.
In tournament of champions 2 I wrote a story about Basil, The boy who met seven gods. This story was to give more insight into the world and the characters of this world for the tournaments. Though during this time I began to grow interested in writing a real saga about Basil and Avelaide. Making it into books one day.
I have finally decided to go through with it and write these books.
If I would fail with this. I will at least make sure to write the three initial books so I can share them with friends and family.
These would mainly be story told in the boy who met seven gods story, though heavily modified.
If I succeed however. I will continue to write and in the end reveal what was supposed to be act 5 in the boy who met seven gods.
This means that I won't write act 5 for the boy who met seven gods story.
As said earlier, the boy who met seven gods had a purpose to give more information for the tournament. This means that it was very much connected to the MTG universe and rules and such. In this new saga I have cut all of these connections, gone back to basics and the only things left are mere inspirations.
The story itself will also be significantly different. Some characters has been moved, renamed, removed or changed while a bunch of new characters and events will be added. The first book will put a lot of focus on the student of arms period "Basil form the age of 10 to 16). The gods are no longer gods but something similar to "guides" or "caretakers". Some things that happens in tbwmsg story have been removed. Also some things felt unreasonable cruel and put there only for the shock value so I have changed that as well.
I made this thread now to gather the boy who met seven gods chapters in one easy to reach place. Even though I will forsake this story for the new when it comes to writing. I will still keep it as a base for any Avelaide based contests, discussions or such. I will also use this thread for discussions about this new saga.
I have posted the old story beneath. (Including all errors and mistakes)
I will include the image links later.
Comments
The sun was rising beyond the mountain top in the east covering the land dominated by forests and farms with light after the cold night.
It was in the middle of spring and the last snow in the forest had melted away only days before leaving the forest ground soaked and muddy.
A couple of deers were running from the forest out onto the farming lands where seven houses were located. From one of these, grey smoke had begun to rise from the chimney and light from an open fireplace lit up the windows.
Inside the house, an old lady had started a fire to warm up the house and begin cooking food. A young boy, seven years old, sat at a table looking down on a small basket with dried leaves, seeds, some type of grass and other strange dried crops. The boy was moving his head from the basket towards the window and back to the basket over and over.
“Your mother and father won’t arrive any earlier just because you stare at the window all the time. Now do something worthwhile and stop staring at that basket. Those won’t be planted for another two weeks or so, not until Levirga sends her winds of warmth and the season begins.”
The old lady said who probably was the boy’s grandmother .
“I promised Mother and Father that I would have the crops ready for their return and celebration” The boy answered as he moved around the dried seeds and leaves in the basket.
A dog, a brown/grey estrela mountain dog, that had lied in a bed in the corner drags himself off the bed and down onto the floor before he stood up on all four and moved towards an empty bowl.
“You were too eager and made a stupid promise. Now help me with the fire and get some wood or go out with Byron to hunter Yorvan and get the hare he promised. If you’re lucky he maybe has some leftovers for Byron.” The old lady said while pointing a wooden spoon at the dog.
The boy who seemed a little annoyed by his grandmother grabbed something from the basket and then he went to the door while calling for Byron before they both went outside. The air was still cold but fresh when they walked down the road in the direction of four other houses. Other people had begun to wake up and some of them where already outside working, either with a new building that was being built or preparing the fields for the upcoming seeding season. The boy and the dog walked up to a smaller house at the edge of the forest. The boy knocked and was greeted by an old man, not from the door but from beside the corner of the house. Hunter Yorvan was an old man that had earlier been serving as a soldier for the Lisakdonian army for over 25 years. However he did never really see any battle if you don’t count a couple of brawls with thieves a battle. Yorvan patted Byron on the head and served him some leftovers from an earlier butchered animal. Byron happily accepted the meaty gift.
While Yorvan prepared the hare that he had promised he asked about the boy’s parents and their expected return. They were soldiers of the army after all so Yorvan knew them since long before.
The boy told him of their return that was expected to be that same week and that he had made a foolish promise that he could not keep since Levirga would not bless the seeding for another week at least and even less a harvestable one.
“Then sing for her to bless your small and simple desire” Yorvan said while smiling at Byron who had already emptied his bowl and looked at Yorvan for more.
“Grandmother says that Levirga won’t bless anyone’s harvest this early, even by song or not” The boy said while looking down at the seeds in his hands.
“Your grandmother says a lot of things but she does not seem to know much. The secret you see with Levirga is that you have to sing a song that is older than the soil you want to use”
“I don’t know any such old songs”
“Haha, they say that my time in the army was wasted on drinks and useless songs but so many songs I came across. I came across one that is very old. Older than Lisakdonia itself. That song was sung to Levirga for her blessing in removing the frost after the great cold. That song will do. She will definitely listen.”
So Yorvan taught the boy what to do and the lyrics to the song before he returned back to his grandmother almost an hour later. Before beginning the song he went inside with the hare and some fire wood so that his grandmother would let him be alone for at least a while. He then prepared a little bonfire and planted the seeds just a little over a meter from the fire. He then began to dance in a circle around the fire and the planted seed while singing the song.
“Le’virga ladi ashi vedjan toghon. Ravendost sta elde fo dason of I’ere…”
A neighbor girl, the five year old Lily saw the boy dancing around the fire with Byron lying down beside. The girl, without permission joined the boy in the dance and song, even though she did not know the lyrics. They danced and sang until their feet and lungs hurt. For what must have been hours they continued until the boy almost wanted to give up. He felt what he believed was his grandmother approaching behind him. He turned towards her waiting for some comment that their dance was just a waste of time but his grandmother was not there. Instead he looked at a being that was probably four times his height and not completely there. Like an illusion that has taken form. Levirga gave a gentle smile towards the boy and the girl who was terrified by the giant illusionary woman. She spoke the lyrics of the song as she bowed down towards the place where the seeds where planted. She swept her hand above the soil as she spoke. Then she began to become more and more transparent until she completely disappeared, still with a gentle smile towards the boy. Lily had run home and Byron was sleeping at the side. The boy bowed towards where Levirga had earlier been and then he took Byron with him and went inside.
The morning thereafter when the boy went outside he was meat with a large bush where he had planted the seeds the day before. In good timing as well since his parents returned only hours thereafter.
The sun was starting to descend over the horizon in the late summer sky over the plains, the village and the nearby forest.
A large horde of sheep were running across the plain in coordinated formations upheld by three shepherd dogs. On the top of a hill two boys on horses watched and gave orders to the dogs how they would move the sheep herd. The boys were Thomas and Simon. The 17 and 16 year old grand children to hunter Yorvan of the village.
”I’ts starting to get dark Thomas, We should probably gather up the herd and get home.”
The boys gave the orders to the dogs and a little less than ten minutes later they were ready to move home. The three dogs joined the boys on the road home. Two of them were the 3 year old siblings Silver and Ebony, their respectively fur color. The third and oldest of the dogs was the 8 year old Byron. He was one of four motherless puppies that Yorvan had found the last days in the military soon before his retirement. Yorvan gave away the other dogs to friends in the military but Byron he kept until he came home where he found out that two of his friends from the military, Arthur and Eleanor had given birth so a son recently so he gave Byron to them. Thomas and Simon stopped before Arthur and Eleanor’s house where they left off Byron.
”Rest well tonight Byron. Tomorrow we have much to do” Simon said with a joking smile as Byron ran towards the back of the house where Arthur was chopping wood.
Arthur who had a large bandage over his left leg gave thanks to Simon and Arthur while he took opportunity to ask them if they had seen his mother lately. They had not seen her since she had left off gathering mushrooms earlier that morning. Arthur’s mother was old and could easily get lost. One time she was lost for almost three days before she was found. The two boys offered to search for her after they had gotten home and finished some other duties. On the way they met Arthur’s 8 year old son and the 6 year old Lily. They told the boy about his grandmother after which the boy hurried home with Lily still with him.
Byron greeted the boy and Lily when they came home. Eleanor was cooking inside and Arthur was still chopping wood behind the house. They walked to Arthur who when he saw them put aside the axe and limped slightly towards them.
”I heard from Simon and Thomas that Grandma has gone astray again. I could go and look for her. I still remember where her chanterelle location is.” the boy said while looking at his dad’s wounded leg.
“Thomas and Simon have already offered to search for her but if you want to you want to have your own little adventure then I won’t stop you. Just take Byron with you. “ Arthur said with a gentle smile while putting his hand on his son’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry father. Yorvan says that the stories of the forest are just stories. The most dangerous things he has ever seen are some foxes, elks and once a lone bear.” the boy said.
“I will help!” Lily said while still playing with Byron.
Arthur gave the children one bow with arrows before they walked off in the direction towards grandma’s chanterelle location.
Red streams of sunlight were entering the forest from among the treetops for a little more than ten minutes before the sun descended beneath the mountains in the far distance and the forest turned darker. The path that the children were walking was an old road used by woodcutters almost century before when a wooden fortress was built at the river to the east. That fortress that was used by knights of Friyena during the crusade.
“What was the crusade?” Lily asked as they walked.
”Mother and father says that the crusade was a time when good knights that followed Sir Reynald Letholdus released the kingdom from bad people.” The boy replied.
”Who was Reynald Letholdus?” Lily asked further.
”He was the first knight to offer his loyalty to goddess Friyena and the first to be gifted with the white flame.”
The children continued to speak while they walked through the old forest road. After a while they got to a place where a trail broke out from the main road. The children and Byron walked down onto and continued on the trail which led deep into the forest. The air had begun to get cold and the last sunlight that reflected upon the clouds had disappeared. They walked the small trail over a small river when Byron caught upon something and hurried before them. The children ran after Byron for a short distance until they caught up to him in a seemingly no special place. A few small yellow chanterelles were spread around the place. The grandmother had obviously been there and gathered the chanterelles and probably got lost afterwards.
“We should probably go home now. Byron don’t want to be here anymore, and neither do I” Lily said nervously.
The boy did not respond and went into the tall grass with the bow ready in his hands. Lily stood still before the grass beside Byron unsure what to do. The paths in the grass field sometimes collided into a larger mark. The boy walked further into the grass field with hands on the bow and at a moment something softer than the grass touched his arm. He looked back at the grass straws and notices that they were red. Something that could not be anything else but dried blood. The path continued in the manner but the grass became covered in more blood the further he got. The boy was shaking and wanted to return but he had promised to find grandmother so he continued. It did not take long until he saw something. Someone was lying down in the end of the field a throw cast away from him. He recognized his grandmother’s clothes directly. He ran to her but it was clear when he saw her face. She was dead. Her throat had been ripped open and her arms were covered in black bite marks. A sound of a stick cracking came from further ahead behind some trees. A black wolf with yellow ish eyes and bloody mouth appeared, starring at the boy with its teeth revealed. Terrified, the boy took his bow and shot an arrow towards the wolf and he began to run back.
The boy ran in panic and adrenaline but he was the wolf was much faster. He heard the wolf approach behind him so he tried to ready an arrow in the bow but as he turned around. The wolf jumped upon him, biting deep wounds in the boys left arm. The boy screamed as he tried to get the wolf off him with his free right arm. After a few seconds that felt like forever something jump over the wolf, freeing the boy. It was Byron. Lily came just behind and helped the boy up while Byron was leading the wolf away from them. Lily led the boy who was paralyzed by the fear and the pain. Lily felt that he wanted to run back to help Byron but she could not led him go. They ran back through the field and out into the forest, past the dropped basket and the chanterelle place.
The boy was losing blood fast and became less conscious. Lily stopped at a moment and took of her skirt to wrap it around his bleeding arm. He had difficulties to stand up alone for longer than a few seconds. After she was done she grabbed him around the waist and forced him forward. When they came to the river, Lily heard sounds of leaves and sticks being trampled in the distance. She looked back and saw something approaching fast in towards them. She forced the boy to jump over the river with all power he had left. He landed on his stomach on the other side, too weak to stand up. Lily took up the bow and the quiver. She readied an arrow and pointed it towards the approaching wolf. The wolf stopped a couple of meters before her, growling at her.
“Stay back! Or I will harm you! Lily shouted at the wolf as she was trying to keep her arms steady even as her whole body was shaking.
The wolf was scratching the ground with its front paws, ready to attack. Lily let loose of the arrow in towards the wolf that backed off a little so the arrow missed. Lily was not fast enough to ready another arrow before the wolf attacked her. She took the bow and hit the wolf in the right moment to avoid being hit. Lily jumped into the river in an attempt to climb the other side and get away with the boy. The wolf quickly recovered and jumped over to the other side.
”Husha! Husha!
A horse rode towards the wolf with Simon holding a spear in his hand pointed towards the wolf. The wolf back off while growling at Simon. The wolf tried to attack the legs of the horse but Simon was quick with the spear and managed to scratch the head of the wolf. Lily climbed up from the river before thinking. The wolf turned towards her instead. Shouted at the wolf trying to catch its attention but it was ineffective. The wolf ran towards Lily who it saw as an easy target. An arrow hit the wolf in the side before it could reach Lily. The wolf fell onto the ground for a few second before it stood up again prepared to attack Lily but it was hit with another arrow. Yorvan came running with Silver and Ebony beside Thomas who was mounted on another horse. Thomas ran to the boy and helped him. Yorvan ran to Lily and gave her his shirt to keep her warm. Simon asked where Byron was and Lily pointed in the direction without saying a word. Simon jumped off his horse and ran off. The wolf was still growling and moving but unable to get up. Yorvan who noticed Lily’s answer to Simon took his bow and approached the wolf. He put his boot on the wolf forcing it down with far more force than necessary while he readied an arrow. The wolf was growling and trying to bite Yorvan but he knew what he was doing. Yorvan released the arrow straight into the wolf eye and through its head, killing it instantly.
Thomas gave the boy the help he could but his wound was severe and had to be treated. Thomas then put him onto his horse and returned to the village where he could be treated. After a while Simon returned holding Byron in his arms. No words were needed since Byron’s red fur and Simon’s expression said enough. Yorvan and Thomas went in the same direction as the boy had went earlier to get his grandmother before they left the forest and returned home.
After the boy’s arm was healed, the townsfolk gathered at the old funeral were they buried the boys’ grandmother. Arthur’s mother. After the funeral. The boy, Yorvan, Arthur, Eleanor, Lily, Simon, Thomas and a few others went to the sheep hill where Thomas and Simon had dug a hole earlier. Byron who Yorvan held in his hands was wrapped in a white blanket was kept in a wooden box that Arthur had prepared. Yorvan lowered the box into the hole and then they one after one said their good bye to Byron.
Arthur and Eleanor thanked Byron for being at their son’s side during all these years and saving his and Lily’s life.
Thomas and Simon thanked Byron for beings such a helpful shepherd and a hero.
The boy was silent as he too much so say. He put his hand on Byron for a moment so that Byron could feel what his hearted wanted so say but was too sad to express.
“Thank you Byron for saving our lives. Thank you for all the times you have played with me and made me happy. Thank you for all times you helped me. Thank you Byron. I will never forget you. Lev’foralt Byron” Lily said with difficulties as she tried to hold her tears in check.
”Byron. A loyal companion and good friend. Somewhat of a fool but with the greatest of hearts. You always tried to keep out of danger but you would never back off when you were needed. I remember the day I got you. You were left alone of your siblings because you were uglier but that was only because your inside was the most beautiful. May you run on Levirga’s grand fields in peace. Lev’foralt Byron.” Yorvan said as Thomas and Simon closed the box and began to fill the hole.
After Byron’s funeral, Yorvan gave Eleanor the vial of peace and left together with Thomas, Simon and some others. Lily followed the boy and his parents to the gate to their home before she wished him good night and continued down the road. The boy had silent the whole day. Before he went to bed Eleanor opened the vial and told to drink it. He fell asleep and the world disappeared as he began to dream.
He woke up. He could hear a river, music and someone singing. He could also hear someone bark. The barking became louder and louder until his face was attacked by a large wet lounge. He tried to cover his face as he looked who it was. It looked like Byron. He looked around and saw someone or siting on a large stone a bit away from them. He stood up and walked away to the person that was playing a harp and singing. The being resembled a woman but of very tall status. She stopped singing when she saw the boy. She took up the boy into her lap and hugged him. She then continued to sing and play her harp. Byron was sitting before them swinging his tail back and forth. Keralda took up the boy’s arm and let her arm travel over the wound. It felt better for the boy as the infected wound healed but something remained. Something dark that Keralda seemed unable to remove
“I can give your body and mind peace but I cannot remove the darkness that lurks within your wound. I can make it harmless buy you must make sure to remain in the light and not fall to the dark. Can you promise me that you will remain within the light?
The boy did not answer except with a light nod he gave. It was not clear if it was as answer to her question or for something else. The boy sat there for what must have been an hour but he could still not get a feeling away in his head. Something was very off about this. It was not Keralda, not the wound nor the music, the singing, the river, the flowers or anything in the surrounding.
It was Byron. He looked at Byron who happily looked back at him.
“This is not Byron.”
“It is Byron as created by the image of your heart’s memories of him. The real Byron is at rest.
The boy sat there for hours. He let the music and the song give peace to his body and soul while being with Byron for a last time. Even if it was fake, it was real enough.
Another year passed and not much happened in the small village until one day when Arthur and Eleanor returned from their duty. Eleanor told her son that she would be promoted to a captain of citadel guard in the capital. However to get that role she would need to go from half year duties to whole year duties and thus move to the capital. Arthur and Eleanor had agreed that it would be the best for them to take this opportunity. The boy was somewhat against it but he understood. The last winter without Byron had been extremely lonely. He would however need to say goodbye to Lily, Yorvan, Simon and Thomas. He began with Yorvan and their family. He thanked for everything and he was ordered to return one day. He then went to say good bye to Lily. She was sitting at a large lonesome tree. She had already heard the news.
“Remember when we first met. It was right under this tree five years ago. The town had gathered to celebrate the harvest that was the best in a century. I was hiding here from my mom. Byron came to see who I was followed by you. It was the first time either of us met anyone in our own age. We had so much fun then and you even got stuck up in the tree so Arthur had to climb up and get you.
You and Byron are and were my only friends here. Simon and Thomas are too busy. Silver and Ebony are just not as friendly and fun as Byron was. I need someone to keep from going home.”
The boy remained silent.
“Promise me that you don’t forget me and that you return to me someday. You remember the stories that your mother used to tell. About the homeless beauty and the wizard? Will you be my wizard and return to me? That when you have grown older and stronger that you come back and take me away, far away where we can live together in peace.”
”If that makes you feel good than yes, of course I return to you.” The boy now said.
“Promise me” Lilly now stood up and held the boys hands in her own in breast height.
”I promise” He replied while holding her hands as well.
Lily released her hands and embraced him. ”Thank you. I will wait for you.”
The day thereafter. Arthur, Eleanor and their son moved to the capital of Lisakdonia. To Crastine.
The morning sky is swarmed by seagulls over the harbor seeking an opportunity to steal from the fishing ships. A couple of men were sitting among a huge number of boxes laughing at each other’s jokes. A handful of military ships were docked in the south of the city. Most of the soldiers on board were either scrubbing the deck or sleeping. A couple of dogs ran after a man on a horse who rode inwards towards the center of the city. The 700 000 large capital of Lisakdonia quickly became busy as more and more people went out in the streets. The north-western and main bazaar was so crowded that it was difficult to just get around unless you were a soldier. Some young children were playing in a fountain in the middle of the bazaar were three horses had stopped to drink. The air was filled all kinds of smells from different stands. Raw fish, berries, fruits, beers, wines and meat without mentioning everything present that did not smell. The bazaar was located not far from the outer wall and the main gate with a 200 meter large road connecting them. Outside the city were also large constructed areas but these were seen upon as lesser inhabitants by those that lived within the walls.
In the center of the city lied the palace. A huge building that belonged to the royal Vearone family. However since the crusade 87 years ago, parts of the building had been given to Friyena’s order or the order of the knights of Friyena. South of the palace over a bridge was a huge platform. On the platform stood a large amount of soldiers and knights. To the very south of the platform stood the royal family, the royal guards as well as three of the highest standing knights of friyena’s order. Two of the knights were Dame Oskilde or as more commonly used, Lady Oskilde and Sir Oscar. In front of them stood the famous Sir Tengil Letholdus, descendent to Reynald Letholdus himself. The 57 year old king, Sedric the second, grandchild to Julia, survivor of the crusade, stood with a bowl containing a liquid and a burning feather drowned in a honey-like mixture. He spoke some words as he raised the bowl up towards the sky. Beside him stood his wife and his three daughters. The oldest daughter and heir to the throne was the 10 year old Yiadelle.
As the king spoke the knights and soldiers all began to bow down upon their knees. Everyone except one knight that stood before the soldiers but behind the royal family and Tengil. The knight was not a famous knight but he held the banner of Friena’s knights in his hands. The same banner that had been held by Reynald Letholdus during the crusade. The banner was an image of a spear with two wings and white flames with a divine circle around it all. Eleanor, a captain of the guard was bowing down before her crew at the left of the mass. After the weekly prayer to and Friyena had been finished, the soldiers were dismissed. Eleanor went home to her husband Arthur and 10 year old son. The husband Arthur had a lower rank than Eleanor as a guard of the main gate and north-western district.
The family had the rest of the day off so they would take this chance to take part in one of the festivals that were rather common during the summers. They went to the inner forest to the north were the festival was held. The theme of the festival was mostly hunting and fishing but not everything was following this theme. The air had started to feel a little colder but it was nothing that anyone drew attention to. The family began the journey by going to the great grill where they purchased grilled boar. Later Arthur showed their son some Technics in archery at the archery range. After that they went to see the theater plays. Moments into the play the air had been notable colder and everything seemed darker even though it was in the middle of the day and the sky had very few clouds. Half an hour later Eleanor began to feel unease that something might be wrong. They left the play in the middle and began to walk home. The boy was a little sad since they could not see the end of the play.
When they got home they were met by a soldier at the door. The soldier gave a salute to Eleanor.
“mad ‘am the general of the guards have ordered all captains of the guard to report in to their respectively lieutenant. All soldiers are also ordered to report to their respectively captain.”
The soldier dropped the salute and bowed before he disappeared. The family went inside were Eleanor and Arthur prepared their equipment. Eleanor stopped and bowed down before the boy. “It is probably just some strange test made by some of the Kilmaeren wizards or some outbreak outside the city. No matter what it is I am sure it will not take long and we’ll be back before long. Then we can go back to the festival and stay all night. I heard that they will play the same play again.” She gave her son a hug before Arthur called for her and they went towards the western gate. The boy followed them outside. They waved to him before they disappeared behind a house. The air was now as cold as in the night and it was as dark as if the sun was hiding behind clouds yet no clouds were nowhere close to the sun.
At the wall barracks at the western wall. The second commander of the Crastine defense force was sitting at a table. He held his hands over his head in disbelief. Beside him were two pigeons in cages and in front of him two pieces of papers. Four sergeants of his had entered the room and looked at him with question in their eyes. ”Messages from Santiena and Vol’ adein arrived recently. Something huge and very dangerous has attacked them and is now traveling south in a destructive rage. The writers of the messages were in such hurry that most is difficult to read but it might be a black dragon.” The commander said with a bit of anger and a little fear in his throat.
”South!? But that leads it past Vol’ Ekar and then here.” One of the sergeants questioned stress fully.
”Yes and it does not seem to seek anything but the destruction itself. It could be a monster of Stelladora for a pre-emptive attack against us. Ready the full defenses and start evacuating the western districts!” The sergeants gave salute and ran out of the room to give the orders further.
The defenses was quickly readied. A large numbers of ballistae, catapults and similar were mounted on the wall and the multiple towers directed towards the north. The western districts would take longer to evacuate as over 200 000 people lived there. The commander was walking over the wall were thousands of soldiers were running and preparing themselves for the eventual attack. The air was now really cold and the sky was almost night black. The soldiers are very nervous. At one moment a soldier came running to the commander telling him that there were a small group of soldier in front of the gate that were trying to say something. The commander did however not listen for he saw in the distance something large approaching that gave a freezing feeling through his whole body. It was a black dragon. It was the Margeficus, king of the dragons but it burned of black and yellow flames as if it had been infected by the abyss and it headed straight towards Crastine. The commander looked around and saw the soldiers terrified so he stood up on the command tower and spoke out.
"Crastine have never fallen nor will it fall today. 87 years ago the city was saved by the heroes that Friyena brought to us and heroes will save us today again. You will be those heroes! The Margeficus is attacking us. The king of the dragons! BUT WE ARE THE SOLDIERS OF FRIYENA! WE SHALL NOT FALTER TO ANYTHING LESS AS LONG AS WE HAVE HER SUPPORT! SO IF THE KING HIMSELF ATTACKS US TODAY! Then today is the day when that king dies!!"
The soldiers cheered for the short moment they had as the margeficus approached their range.
The commander held a red flag in his hand raised up as the ballistae crew except one became ready.
”FIRE!"
The commander swung the flags down and the crews released their shot. They all had a target to aim for. The conventional ballistae aimed for the vital parts such as eyes and the nostrils while the dragon slayers aimed for the wings. A grounded dragon was far easier to fight than an airborne one. The ballistae flew far and hit the Margeficus’ nose and eyebrows and managed to scrap the scales a little but most bolts did little to nothing. One bolt hit just beside the eyes hurting the dragon who gave away a furious roar that shook fear into many soldiers. The twin bolts had easier to hit the wings because of the very size of the dragon. The twin bolts flew in vertical order so that the chain would grab onto the wing and force the bolts around it. On smaller dragons the chain could cut through the wing but not here. The bolts were hooked on the chain and smashed straight around or into the wing muscle. Most bolts were deflected and flew off but some managed to dig into the muscle and get stuck. Other bolts were a little more successful as they were aimed through the wing tissue were they pierced but it was difficult to hit and the created holes were too small to affect the dragon’s fly capacity noticeable. The Margeficus was angry for the damage to the wings. The ballistae crews reloaded their weapon and shot as the commander gave the order. The margeficus was not much affected except it had become angrier. The commander took up a blue flag in haste and shouted.
”Ready!
FIRE!!”
Nothing happened so the commander shouted again. Nothing. The commander turned towards a tower were the last ballista was mounted.
“What are you doing!? Why are you not shooting!?”
“We’re sorry commander, Two bottles left!”
A young soldier shouted back as a small group of soldiers were attaching blue vials to the chain of the twin bolt. Two older soldiers behind the ballistae were focusing the aim on the approaching dragon whom now began to leak fire from its mouth. The commander was sweating as he tried to hold his calm. “Fire when ready!” The soldiers on the wall had begun to duck behind the battlements.
“Now!” Shouted the young soldier as he finished attaching the last vial to the chain. The older soldier who had kept aim shot away the twin bolt towards the dragon’s left wing who was now two stone throws away. The Margefius spew out a thick red-black fire towards the wall as the special twin bolt hit the wing. The bolts swung around the wing and back pressing the vials into the wing muscle until they broke by the pressure. The liquid that was released almost instantly vaporize around the wing. The muscle quickly began to freeze. The Margeficus could not move the wing and thus keep itself airborne anymore. It crashed down in the bazaar inside the city. The fire that had hit the wall had set around 200 soldiers behind the battlements on fire. Some fell off the wall while others screamed before the fell silent.
The commander felt a small victory as the dragon now was downed. He was about to order the attack when he saw that thousands of inhabitants were still in the district not far from the dragon. He shouted for the soldiers to bombard the dragon with everything they had. The thousands of soldiers shot with arrows and threw spears against the dragon in an attempt to hit the eyes, nostrils, stomach and increase the damage to the wing. The Margefius recovered and was furious. It turned around and covered the whole wall in fire. Since the dragon was now below the wall the soldiers could hide behind the battlements until they realized that the wall began to crack by the heat of the fire. The soldier thus avoided to continue the bombardment directly. The commander tried to get to his senses and think about some solution. He took up a red flag to order the ballistae crew on the far away towers to shot but he was too late to keep the dragon’s attention. The dragon had noticed the escaping inhabitants. The commander could only watch in dread as the dragon spew fire that streamed through the roads towards the civilians and the soldiers that tried to evacuate them. The flame covered what must have been at least five thousands of people. Then the buildings that were being covered in the flame collapsed due to the heat. Bolts from the towers began to shower over the dragon scraping the wounds. The dragon turned around with its tail swinging straight through a large amount of buildings. The dragon spew fire towards the tower that did seem to miss the crew but just seconds later did the towers collapse giving the soldiers a secured death. The commander was now swinging both a green flag ordering the catapults to begin bombarding the dragon.
Minutes passed which felt like hours as the Margeficus destroyed more and more of the city. The commander’s heart then relaxed for a little moment as Sir Tengil Letholdus, Lady Oskilde, Sir Oscar, a company of other knights of Friyena and hundreds of soldiers came through the destroyed bazaar. The Margeficus turned towards them. He noticed the white burning sword in Tengil’s hands.
“Fall back to the abyss from where you came foul monster!”
Tengil shouted towards the Margeficus as he raised the sword towards it. The dragon drew breath and spew black and red flames upon the reinforcement. The flames however were split and deflected. Tengil held in his hand the blade trying to hold the flames back with its magic. The dragon swung its head trying to eat Tengil but he jumped out of the way and stuck back at the dragon’s eye leaving a white glowing wound. The rest of the soldiers and knights began to ran under and attack the dragon’s weaker point or with just magical force. The second commander was jumping and cheering on top of the wall as they dragon had trouble killing Tengil. The Margeficus then behaved somewhat strange. It stepped back and stood up on its back legs straight. The dragon was now standing 40 meters tall. Then it began to make a sound that sounded like laughter. The dragon’s eyes turned from red to straight yellow and black-yellow smoke began to leave its body making it seem more abyssal. A dark yellow light began to glow in its mouth as it drew breath. Tengil shouted to the others to run away while he himself readied his shield magic. The Margeficus lowered its stance and spewed out a yellow-black flame towards Tengil who struggled to hold his shield. The flame had such force that the ground beneath began to break and flew away and the houses for at least 700 meters behind Tengil was destroyed and incinerated. The flames was too much for Tengil. His shield broke and he turned to ash leaving only the sword.
---
The commander was down on his four. His eyes were filled with tears from both the black smoke that surrounded him but also the despair from the destruction. He watched through the dense smoke how the Margeficus trampled through the western district towards the south over thousands upon thousands of destroyed buildings. Screams could be heard from the ruins of the buildings of people being cooked inside the burning ruins. The commander took up flag after flag. He swung them in desperation that someone would answer and be able to do something. Nothing happened. All ballistae and catapult crews had either died or escaped. He looked around on the wall at other hundred or so soldiers that were also lying in despair and fear. He then looked down upon the bazaar where the bodies of many soldiers and knight lie. He saw the bodies of Oskilde and Oscar half burned. He then noticed the glimmering light of a sword in the ashes. Tengil’s sword. The sword of the Letholdus family. He looked around at the destruction and at his soldiers before he dried the tears from his eyes. He then asked the closest soldier what his name was.
“It’s Viktor Sir. ”
”Viktor. Gather all men that you can find and evacuate as much as you can of the city. I will keep the Margeficus busy for as long as possible so that you can escape.”
Viktor paused for a moment before stood up and rallied the rest of the soldiers. He watched back at the commander who had stood up and now ran towards the alchemy center. The commander gathered the last small wooden box with blue vials and a large blanket before he ran to the stable and mounted his black horse. He then rode and got the Letholdus sword before he set off south across the ruined district towards the rampaging dragon.
----
The boy was quickly walking in the massed crowd of people beside the soldier. Some people were crying after loved ones such as their children or siblings. Some people argued that this was the end of humanity, that the abyss had sent its greatest monster to destroy them. Other argued that it was a monster created by the Stelladora. The soldiers tried to keep the people calm so that they could move out as fast as possible. The fleet in the distance was now visible. Stones and bolts were continued to be shot inwards from the ship. A large number of ships that were crowded with people had already set off towards the north beside the cliffs side to avoid being seen by the dragon. The boy was shacking as he looked around. The air was cold and thick with the smell of ash and fire and the dark sky towards the north was covered by a hundreds of meter long pillar of smoke. Then a small glimpse of light appeared from the ocean. Something light that looked like a spear or an arrow appeared and flew into the city followed by the Margeficus’ roar a moment later. The spear was later followed by a winged being. Not a dragon but something that looked like a large human. The being flew in towards the city and the Margeficus.
---
The commander rode on his black horse which he had covered in a thick wet blanket closer and closer towards the Margeficus who had managed to destroy almost the complete south-western district and now turned towards the palace. The fleet in the harbor had begun to bombard the dragon with bolts and rocks with help from the wind that had help them thus far. The dragon’s body was covered in bolt buried into his scales from which black blood dripped. He did not seem to be affected by any of the wounds except the frozen wing that had begun to thaw. Screams echoed from the burning ruins around the commander. Screams which he had to ignore as good as he could as there was nothing he could do to help them. It tormented him but he remained adamant on his course. The dragon had begun to move towards the palace, ignoring the incoming bombardment from the fleet. The commander drew Letholdus’ sword and held it in his right hand while he charged towards the dragon. The commander did not possess the might to use such weapon to its potential but if the legends of the blade was true then it would cuts would burn with the white flame regardless of wielder which would be enough for the commander.
The dragon stopped his movement and began to draw breath. Yellow light began to glow from its mouth and scales as it had done earlier before it killed Tengil. The commander drew up another wet blanket over himself as he rode towards the dragon’s feet. Before the dragon had managed to destroy the palace in a hellish inferno the commander had reached its legs and struck towards one leg and then the next leaving two glowing white yet small wounds. The dragon roared as it turned to his right while covering the district in a yellow-black inferno. The commander just barely managed to avoid the feet and the inferno but now the Margeficus saw him riding to the west away from the palace. The last fire had left the dragon without breath so when the commander heard the dragon draw another breath he turned around a corner and took up two blue vials and opened them spilling the content over himself and his horse. The horse screeched as the liquid touched the blanket and vaporized. The blanked turned to ice in a blinking moment and the commander felt his skin freeze to ice stuck to the blanket. It felt like he would faint but he kept pouring the rest. Then came the expected sound of the dragon spitting fire and the immense cold was quickly replaced by burning heat as the water in the blankets began to boil and corrode his skin. It was only willpower that held the commander from fainting now. The horse could take it and collapsed with the commander falling ahead. The fire had stopped but the pain was extremely intense. He tried to open his eyes but he noticed that his eyelids had burnt up and his eyes were destroyed. Yet his plan had succeeded as he had survived. He ignored all screaming pain as he forced himself up on his legs. He turned towards the dragon holding the sword in his hands. He shouted at the dragon.
“Is that the best you can do monster!? I am an honored knight of Friyena and I will not fall to such weakness!”
He held the sword as Tengil had held it before. The blanket he wore was still whole enough to cover his mortal wounds. The seconds felt long before he finally heard the dragon making the laughing sound and began to draw a deep breath. His lie had worked. The pain in his body miraculously disappeared and then he heard a female voice inside his head.
“Thank you”
The black flames then swallowed him and turned his broken body to ash leaving only the sword upon his ashes.
The Margeficus later turned towards the palace again. A light appeared from the sea. Seconds later a spear of white flame hit his right side. He roared as he fell over. Then Goddess Friyena appeared in the distance heading straight towards the Margeficus with a spear in her hands.
----
The dragon roared at the approaching god before he spewed fire upon her. Frieyna held her now glowing spear before her and pierced through the flames and towards the dragon. The dragon tried to move aside but she was faster and struck him at the side leaving a large wide wound as he roared again. He swung with his right wing making a force of wind that forced back Friyena as he stood up and swung his arms at her. She blocked the first arm and struck at the other wounding him once again. The dragon struck at her with his head and then tried to bite her. Friyena had to back off and avoid the bite attempts. The dragon spewed fire one again towards her which she blocked as before. She now answered by creating a white flaming spear in her free and threw it at the dragon hitting him in the stomach. The dragon stopped for a short moment as it starred at Friyena with its red eyes then it spoke.
“Friyena. Agn wuern afictum es akon Vegrin reega valt’afrur ene’re sarr ovur so egerre agn. De eter onu Friyena de’st on stan agn. aer deeve steat on for’al ese amon?
Friyena levitated in the air. She looked around at the destruction and back at the dragon as she answered.
“Agn enim”
The Margeficus raised up tall over the city as he smiled widely. ”Dere emaxum” The red eyes of the dragon began to glow with a yellow color that seemed to bleed into the air around them. The whole body of the dragon seemed to bleed but with black-yellowish smoke instead of blood. The bolts and spears that were trapped in his scales burned up and the frozen wing muscle began to burn yellow for some seconds leaving a wing that was more mobile indicating that the frost has thawed. He then drew a short breath before unleashing a powerful breath of yellow black flames that pushed whole houses aside towards Friyena. She raised her glowing spear to block the flames but as she blocked it a large black claw appeared besides her striking towards upon her. She left her guard and moved backwards but another claw came above her striking down upon her. She raised her glowing spear to block the strike. The Margeficus strike was powerful. It broke the spear into two pieces that that fell down. Friyena threw balls of white fire as she escaped upwards. She had been struck on her right leg whit white blood sipping out of the wound.
The Margeficus unleashed another black-yellow inferno upwards towards Friyena. The flames were spread across the whole sky over Crastine covering most of it from the sun completely. Friyena appeared from behind the dragon as he kept covering the sky in flame. Friyena held a sword in her and struck the dragon multiple times at the back leaving glowing wounds. The dragon turned around while still unleashing the inferno towards Frieyna. She was struck by the fire but the dragon’s claws appeared just after. She struck towards the approaching claws but as she wounded the dragon she was even more wounded as one strike ripped her left arm leaving it bleeding. Friyena saw that her move had also left a huge part of the city behind her in ruins. Her sword, The sword of Vielaoron was not powerful enough to deal with the Margeficus. She would have to rely on something more powerful. Friyena flew up again and began to throw fire spears summoned in her hand towards the margeficus. She flew so high that he was forced to follow her. The dragon spread its wings and left the ground. Friyena then summoned a series of large white flames that she threw at the approaching dragon that ascended towards her. The white flames were enough to harm the dragon somewhat but it was not the intent. Friyena took an opportunity and flew through the flames down towards the city again. She descended with tremendous speed where she had dropped the spear. She grabbed the part which held the head and flew up again.
She threw a series of new flame spears and fire spells towards the dragon that spewed flames towards her but she had already escaped towards the sea. The dragon followed after but in slower speed so to not make him attack the city again she kept attacking him with flaming spears. The dragon followed her to the sea where she turned around and attacked the dragon head on. She struck his nose and avoided the claws. From behind the dragon she kept casting fire spells at him. The dragon spewed fire towards her and all around himself to stop this annoyance. He continued until the sky was covered once again in black flames and the bombardment of Friyena’s spells ceased. Then in the silence he was hit with another spear from above and then another. He rose through the black flames until he came out above it. Above him levitated Friyena with a bright glowing spear in her hand that could be mistaken as the sun. She then threw the spear and it appeared as the whole sky turned white.
----
The public around the boy stared at the black burning sky where Fryena had fought the dragon just seconds before. Through the black flames a small light appeared followed by another and then nothing for a couple of seconds. People held their hands praying that nothing bad had occurred. Then suddenly the whole burning sky lit up with a white light as if the sun itself had fallen. It was followed by a light that looked like a star falling onto the ocean. The seconds passed then the black dragon appeared through the flames. White flames where burning on the dragon as it fell towards the ocean. It broke the surface of the water with a heavy impact that created a large wave which struck upon the harbor and the fleet docked there breaking some of them. The dragon that began to sunk kept burning even as it sank deeper. The people stood still chocked until they began cheering as they never had before when Friyena descended from the black sky that began to light up. The boy also cheered for a moment before he remembered his mom and dad. He broke out from the grip of the soldier and began to run back into the city.
Friyena descended to the ocean where she found the spear half that she had used to kill the Margeficus. It was glowing black with magic from the abyss as it floats on top of the water. She took up the spear and kept it hidden as she flew towards the city again.
Black smoke was filling the air all over the central districts from the burning ruins in the west. The boy ran on the roads to the west as the houses continually became more ruined and the streets began to fill with corpses of the dead. Hundreds upon hundreds of bodies that were half burnet or buried underneath the ruins. Soldiers and civilians alike. The smell of the dead and burnt flesh became stronger and difficult to withstand but the boy continued as he had to find his parents. He saw whole families killed and scorched by the flames that had turned the streets black of soot. At one occasion the boy saw a mother embracing a child most likely her daughter. The mother’s face was burnet off and the child’s hair was still burning with a small flame. The horrifying images made the boy feel sick and his eyes were tearing both from fear and from the smoke. Soldiers were running across the streets trying to save some people stuck among the ruins while others were either carrying buckets of water or carrying the bodies. Every time the boy saw a soldier that was similar to his mother or father he turned them to see their face and every time it was some else. The boy had hope in his heart that they were still alive somewhere. He asked the soldiers but no one had seen anyone of the descriptions. He later met a blonde soldier that gave orders out orders to the others. The soldier shook his head to the question but pointed towards the western plaza and the bazaar.
The boy arrived at the plaza which was full of dead bodies from soldiers, knights and some civilians. Some were burnt black while others had been crushed, both or dead by something else. After an hour or two of turning bodies of both men, women and even children the boy ran further down the streets. He was exhausted and his legs and arms were shaking uncontrollably. He tried to convince himself that everything was just a terrible dream and mother would soon shout his name because he had slept for too long. The streets had begun to be filled by other civilians looking for their loved ones and the constant working soldiers. The boy had problems running beside them as his eyes were filled with tears limiting his vision. After a little while he tripped and fell upon a soldier. The soldier almost pushed the boy off him before another soldier who saw the boy’s bad condition came and helped him up. This soldier tried to spoke to the boy but the boy’s words were almost impossible to understand as she was shaking in the soldier’s arms. The soldier took the boy and carried him away to the southern plaza were someone could look upon him.
The soldier had left the boy he was cleaned and given something to eat by a woman. The boy did not sit down for long before he saw a familiar face through the mass of people.
An old captain and friend to his mother was sitting by the fountain with a nurse trying to cover a burned wound he had on his arm. The boy walked over to the captain. The captain looked at the boy with tired eyes as he offered a seat behind him and the nurse. The boy refused and through the pains of his lungs“Where is my mother? Where is Eleanor” The captain looked at the boy for a couple of seconds and then he gave a short shout “Mikhas!”. A young adult male with yellow silk robe came walking with a gold-red box. The man reached the box to the captain who took out one necklace and a small leather emblem which he reached to the boy. The boy didn’t need to take them as he recognized them clearly enough. The necklace had an emblem of a silver fox within a red frame and the leather emblem was blue with an orange pheasant, the emblems of his parents.
The captain when nursed took the boy with him to the morgue to see his parents. They came to a room dedicated for captains and their partners. One body was burnt black at the torso but the boy recognized his father’s wound on the left leg. The other body beside it was Eleanore. She was seemingly unharmed as if she was sleeping except that her ribcage was broken. Before leaving, the captain gave the boy the emblems of his parents. The boy took them and went back outside.
The hours passed by and the sun descended beneath the horizon. The city was still burning with a red light that kept the night from being completely dark. People were going around the town. Some were blaming the stelladora while other blamed the Kilmaeren or something else. The boy sat down on a bench with the emblems in his hands. He looked at his mother’s necklace. Two years ago he lost Byron and his grandmother. Now he had lost his mother and father and thus his whole family. He looked up and saw a pot of flowers in a window. In the pot were one single lily and he remembered her and the promise he had made her. He would be her hero and return to her. A knight passed by the boy. He looked down upon him and asked if he could help with anything. The boy looked up and back on his mother’s emblem and at the lily. He then asked were Friyena was. The knight pointed in a direction and the boy ran off after thanking him. Friyena was sitting down in the middle of a huge crowd of people making it difficult for the boy to reach her. After he had forced his way through many of those in the crowd the mass separated making a small path for him. Friyena was looking at him with her hands out welcoming him. He walked and she embraced him as she had done for so many children before this day. Her embrace reminded the boy of his mother and for the first time for many hours he was not sad anymore. When Friyena released him he bowed down on his knees. He asked her to let him become a knight of her order after which he explained his situation. Friyena took out the necklace of his mother from his hands and put it around his neck as she accepted his service. A nearby knight took care of the boy and walked off towards the headquarter of the order and days later the barracks.
----
The city burned for three days before the fire was completely put out. The royal family reported increasingly numbers of the dead each day and the last report came after two months when almost 130 000 people had been confirmed dead or missing.
The second commander had been promoted to general and given the title as a knight of Friyena for his heroic actions and thus ensuring that his funeral would be honorable towards him and his body buried in the halls of heroes. Many other were also promoted to higher ranks upon their deeds and death in the defense. Both Tengil and his son had died during the attack so the Letholdus sword was inherited to his only grandchild, the 5 year old Emilia Letholdus. A soldier named Viktor of Frejdan had for his phenomenal contribution during the attack and the 3 days thereafter been promoted sergeant and not much later to commander. However not everything was fine after the Margeficus attack.
A couple of months after the attack diplomats from Stelladora approached the king and Frieyna. Sedric believed that they would admit that they were behind the Margeficus but not. They brought words, not from the Stelladora royal families but Decaotus that Friyena had betrayed the other gods and would be set to trial. To come with such accusations towards their goddess and their savior was an insult beyond anything ever before. Sedric was left speechless. He accused the diplomats for claiming false accusations but it was later proven that it really was decaotus that had sent them. Sedric defied all accusations and sent the diplomats home. Two years later when Sedric had fallen ill the diplomats returned. This time in addition to the old demands they demanded that the region of Lalden would be given back to the Stelladora. In his illness and fury Sedric ordered the diplomats executed for their insults. Two weeks later when king Sedric died of his sickness, the war broke out.
It was almost 600 years ago when the kingdom of Lisakdonia was born. 574 years before the Margeficus attack on Crastine to be exact. The western continent of Eviera was divided into many small kingdoms, republics and other lands. Among these were the kingdoms of Lisiena and the kingdom of Akdonia on the eastern coast under the shadow of the Xellaran republican empire. Lisiena and Akdonia had been in war over a small region at the coast between the kingdoms. An area that included the isles of Frejdan and an important trading settlement, Crastine. The war between the kingdoms had been fought for almost a century so the people had become tired of the war and was now longing for peace. Almost no one that had been alive when the war was declared was alive anyway. Then one day a caravan of seemingly civil Akdonian trading ships were attacked by pirates outside of Frejdan. The nearby Lisienan navy lead by the crown prince Marcus intervened and saved the trading caravan who in which the princess Julia of Akdonia was residing. A couple of Lisienan captains called for her being taken hostage but Marcus decided that she and her fleet would be transported safely home.
This act was seen as heroic and very honorable by the Akdonian king and not far thereafter an agreement was made between the kings. Prince Marcus and Princess Julia would marry and their first born would rule over a unified realm. This angered the first born son and rightful Akdonian heir, prince Kilmartin who even began to hate his younger sister but he pretended as if he still loved her until the day when their father was attacked and killed by a group of assassins. Kilmartin and his kilmaeren followers blamed the assassination upon Marcus and had him executed in secret before any trial could be made. The only obstacle left was the child that growing within his sister that would be born within a month. So one day he offered to help his sister out of bed who did not know anything of her brother’s schemes. When they got to the stairs he pushed her down. He watched her fall down the stone stairs and land beneath them with blood streaming from between her legs. Their younger brother Gaius heard Julia’s scream and came to help her. Seeing his brother on top of the stairs he understood what had happened. Kilmartin threatened his younger brother. ”Soon I will be king so don’t dare to turn against me brother.”
Gaius carried Julia to the infirmary where she had to give emergency birth. Kilmartin later joined by a handful of soldiers and the royal judge who would confirm his rightful coronation when the child was confirmed dead. After a more than half an hour a baby boy was born, dead. Kilmartin told the judge that he would be waiting in the throne room for his coronation and then before he left he ordered the soldiers to kill Julia and Gaius if he intervened. Kilmartin left knowing that his brother would intervene. Gaius did just that and told the soldiers that Kilmarting could not give such orders before his coronation had been completed upon which the judge agreed so the soldier withdrew their weapons. Gaius tried to reason with the soldiers in an attempt to help them escape the city. The attempt was soon made unnecessary as the scream of a baby was heard. Julia had given birth to a living twin to the dead boy. A baby girl. The judge and the nurses examined the child and confirmed that it was born in a healthy condition regardless of the early birth and the dead brother. Lisiena and Akdonia had been given a unified heir.
Kilmartin was sitting in his throne room where he had gathered his closest friends and administrators waiting for the judge to arrive. The doors then opened and the judge entered but what Kilmartin had not expected was for him to be followed by Gaius and the royal guard. “What is this!?” Kilmartin asked fiercely. “By order from the mother of the rightful queen. Justified by treason, murder of the queen’s father and a threat to the queen and her family been sentenced to be executed.”
Kilmartin laughed at his brother but his smile disappeared when the judge confirmed the accusation and the birth of the queen. Probably half of the administrator’s that sat with Kilmartin stood up and turned towards him now backed up only by his Kilmaeren loyalists. Kilmartin and the kilmaeren were arrested by the guards and later that day executed in the town center. One of the kilmaeren could not be proven guilty for any of the accusations and thus set free. When Julia was able to travel she travelled to Lisiena personally to talk to Marcus’ father and the king of Lisiena. He had been furious about the death of his son but when he met Julia and her daughter he calmed down. It was after all his granddaughter and the guilty had already been dealt with. Julia decided to not live in neither Lisiena nor Akdonia but in the unclaimed lands in-between and Crastine was the perfect city for that.
When the king of Lisiena retired 16 years later, the kingdoms were formally united into the kingdom of Lisakdonia under the rule of the 16 year old queen Vearone
Peace would not last for long as the one kilmaeren that had survived the executions had rallied the rest of the kilmaeren to rise up against the Julia and Vearone and thus rage war against both Lisiena and Akdonia. When the kingdoms later unified upon Vearone’s coronation the Kilmaeren persuaded the Xellaran republican empire that the newly formed Lisakdonia and its queen was a weak kingdom ruled by a weak queen. Lisakdonia’s armies was indeed weak compared to the Xellaran power. Queen Vearone however was not as she had been taught by her mother Julia, Gaius and the best administrators of both Lisiena and Akdonia. A lesson the Xellaran and Kilmaeren would learn the hard way. Even as the Xellaran and were annexed by Lisakdonia the Kilmaeren continued to fight. A conflict that would last for centuries even though the Kilmaeren was almost completely extinct sometimes they managed to live on in the shadows. The year 589) after the birth of Vearone, or 573 after the unification. Eleanor was promoted to citadel guard in Crastine with the main objective to bring down the Kilmaeren loyalists. However when the great Margeficus attacked the year thereafter and Crastine was saved by Friyena, the Kilmaeren got economical support from Stelladora and could thus poison king Sedric. The years that followed the Kilmaeren hired bandits and mercenaries to create unrest in Lisakdonia. 6 years after the Margefius attack. Eleanor’s 16 year old son, a knight of the Friyena’s order took upon his mother’s duty to bring down the Kilmaeren once and for all.
Summer had come to an end and autumn began to bring its cold to Lisakdonia. 5 years has passed since the Margeficus attacked. The kingdom had not been in peace since then, the opposite. When Sedric died, most likely poisoned. The Stelladora declared war. The Kilmaeren began to hire bandits and mercenaries to attack trade routes and smaller settlements across the kingdom. The whole operations were funded by Stelladoran contacts. These raids and attacks could mostly be handled by the local militia and city guards but recently a unified force of mercenaries and Kilmaeren wizards had taken over the mines of the Kieran chain in northern Eviera. The first commander in Crastine was sitting down with the generals of the army and the leaders of the knightly order of Friyena. He was holding a bunch of papers with the names of multiple young novice knights in his hands. Among the papers were names such as, Richard, Antonio, Kasper, Friede, Malin, Draguf, Pier, Basil, Alice, Rowan and many others. He looked through the papers while he the others were discussing. He put aside papers into two piles. When he came to one of the papers he stopped.
“This boy is only 15 years old. Who nominated him?”
One of the leaders of the order spoke. ”It was me. That boy is the son of the former citadel captain Eleanor and one of the gate guardians. He has been trained in archery and hand to hand from childhood by his parents which is clearly visible in practice. Also he has been in contact and survived the attack of an infected wolf. I believe he would make a good choice for this operation regardless of his young age.
The commander looked through the paper again. “Well if you praise him so highly Maria. Also it seems his birthday is only 2 months from now in November. He looks promising so I will put him under your responsibility for these two months.”
After he had looked through the rest of the papers and confirmed all the nominated novice knights they would include in the operation to reclaim the Kieran mines. Six were chosen. Alice, Antonio, Basil, Felix, Janet and Rowan. “Then if it is all set then the operation can begin. Commander Tristan will lead the operation together with Lady Maria of the order. The departure is in 7 days so make sure to prepare.
-------
The day came and 500 soldiers and 20 knights began a march north towards Kieran. The boy was the youngest and only one beneath 16 years old in the company. The other novices were not much older but all of them had at least seen their 16th birthday. Janet was the youngest as she had become 16 just a week before the operation began. Alice was 17 and Rowan was the oldest at 18. The other two were both 16. The boy had trained for more than 5 years with all of them except Alice who had become a novice at 14 years age after she had jumped off the school of magic so she was the only one of the 6 that could cast spells with confidence. However none of them had been able to reliable cast the white flame, a symbol of the knights of the order and goddess Friyena’s signature spells. Even though the boy had trained with the all, he had trained the most with Antonio so he knew him the best. Antonio came from the kingdom of Kelmatein on the western coast, a vassal state under Lisakdonian.
Antonio had a very different accent than the other, a slow speaking but calming accent so the boy had during his first year at the barracks kept close to him and thus they had become close friends. Antonio had been on four missions before this one and hoped that this would be his opportunity to finally cast the white flame and become a real knight instead of a novice one.
The weather had been rather mild so it took only a little more than a month for the company to reach Rockhold, the first village in reach of the Kieran chain and only one that had not been taken by the Kilmaeren. The company there met a force of 200 local soldiers and guards that joined them in the operation. Scouts had made sure that the Kilmaeren were not planning an ambush so the following days the company made camp in the small forest village before they took off towards the Kieran mines and battle.
The boy, Antonio and Alice together with a handful of soldiers and a veteran knight were running through one of many tunnels in the mountain. When they got to an open room they were met with a group of mercenaries that released a volley of arrows towards them. The soldiers raised their shield but two were hit and had to lay down. Alice threw a ball of red flame towards the mercenaries to split their formation. The veteran and Antonio were the first ones into battle with the rest tight after. A few mercenaries were killed and more were injured and taken. Many managed to retreat further into the mine. The Veteran had received a cut wound so he had to stay together with the two other soldiers. One soldier was dead. Alice stayed to help the wounded while the rest of the group continued deeper now with Antonio in the leading role.
The came into contact with the same mercenary group as earlier but this they had reinforcements. A kilmaeren stood behind them. Antonio ordered the soldiers to form a shield wall to shield from the arrow volley. The kilmaeren wizard then threw a spell at the roof above the soldiers which made it break and collapse over the soldiers. The boy had to jump back to avoid being hit. When the smoke began to disappear the boy noticed that only he and two other soldiers had avoided the rocks. The only light that came into the tunnel came from a small hole above the rocks. The boy could hear shouts and weapon clash. The rocks were too heavy to move so the boy and the other two soldiers had to run back and see if they could find another way.
They ran through the tunnel system that appeared as maze for them. After half an hour of running in circles and getting lost they found a group of people on the ground beneath some rocks. Janet was trapped with her leg beneath a rock but she was alive. The three began to help her remove the rock that had broken her leg. Sounds came from deeper within the tunnel. The boy ordered the two soldiers to take Janet out of the mines while he ran further in. He came across more bodies of soldiers and mercenaries. After a short while he came to another open chamber were a group of soldiers were in combat with mercenaries. There were mine cards and piles of ore all over the room.
The boy arrived just as the mercenaries began to break. The one that was most likely their captain ran into a door on the other side of the room. The boy avoided the battle that and followed the captain into the room. There were an open furnace burning in the corner and a bunch of benches and tables with tools upon them. The captain attacked the boy from behind a corner but the boy had been surprised like that many times during training so he easily guarded the attack. The boy rotated his weapon so that he disarmed his opponent. The captain ran back further into the room and the boy followed. The captain threw down hammers and back onto the boy who just blocked them with his shield. The captain dropped down onto a charcoal pile and held up his hands showing that he surrendered.
The boy smiled exhausted while still holding his sword towards the captain. Finally a victory. The door opened behind him. When the boy looked away from the captain towards the door the captain jumped towards and laid his hands on his armor at the waist. The boy screamed of pain as he fell back on the tools on the floor. The plate mail had melted and the cloth beneath burnt from a flame spells that the captain or rather Kilmaeren wizard had cast upon him. The boy had difficult to see his surroundings and even breathe as the pain was extremely intense. He heard a hammer being thrown at the kilmaeren and then he heard Antonio shout. “Are you okay? Are you alive!?” The boy answered with a painful grunt as Antonio ran up towards them Kilmaeren. The wizard threw balls of fire towards Antonio which he blocked with his shield. Antontio threw another hammer at the wizard who had to back off, almost tripping on the charcoal. Antonio moved past the boy who was shaking on the floor. Antonio continued to block the fire balls but as he came closer to the wizard, the balls became hotter and began to turn his shield glowingly red. Antonio threw his shield towards the Wizard who ducks beneath it. Antonio then attacked with his sword but the wizard cast another spell that threw him back, dropping his sword. The wizard was clearly exhausted from the spells he had cast. He took up Antonio’s sword who now was without shield and sword. Antonito still lying down took off his right glove and then grabbed a hammer. He turned around towards the wizard who stood above him. The wizard took the sword and thrust it towards Antonio took the tong and blocked the sword with his left arm. He then grabbed the sword with his left unprotected sword and after a little moment the sword began to glow a gentle white light. Antonio shouted loudly and the sword exploded in the wizard’s hand. He then kicked the legs of the chocked wizard and hit his head with the hammer so he fainted.
A couple of hours later outside of the mine. The boy lied in a bed with a bandage over his abdomen. Janet was sleeping in a bed beside his. Antonio and Alice came to meet him. The operation was still going on but the success within the mine had forced the Kilmaeren and the mercenaries into the villages to the west which would be much easier to retake. Antonio, Alice and the other two novices came daily to meet the boy and Janet at the nursing house. It took 8 additional days for the operation and retaking of the region to be successful. The day after the four returned to the boy and Janet, now brining messages and a pot of flowers as a symbol of victory. The first message they got was that Antonio had been promoted from Novice to a real knight since he had managed to fully cast the white flame. The other message was from leader Maria. Since the boy and Janet had been so injured from the operation they would be given exemption from duty until they had fully recovered. The two bed-bounded were left for a while. The boy stared at the flowers by his side. Janet continued to sleep until the evening. When the sun went down and the celebrations began, Antonio brought beverages for the group in the nursing room. Alice later asked the two what they would do during their exemption. Janet would return with the company to Crastine and just rest. The boy looked at the flowers where as he answered. “I have a promise I 6 years that I will fulfill.”
Janet was still bound to the bed but the boy was able to walk the days thereafter and after the preparations had been made the company set off towards Crastine again.
The boy followed the company for two weeks before he turned off towards the west, towards his birth home where he would keep his promise he made to Lily 6 years ago. He would bring her with him to Crastine.
The winter’s first snowflakes had begun to fall. The inland road began to wake up old memories in the boys mind. He walked passed villages open fields, bridges, forests and mountains that he had travelled over with his father when he was young. Everything looked as he remembered them only that he was much older now only days from his 16th birthday. He had given most of his equipment to Antonio for caretaking as he did not want to be slowed down by a damaged armor. He had however still his sword and shield, both of which he had inherited from his mother Eleanor. Just in case Lily would not recognize him after all this time. He had even begun to grow a beard, well if you could call a few hair straws on the jaw a beard. The days passed as he continued south. One evening he got a bad feeling in his left arm kind of like it was being choked. He decided to put up his tent and go to sleep early. Tomorrow he would pass by the last village before his home village.
The sun rose up and the boy was met by a thin layer of snow making the whole world white. He packed the tent and continued. He came across the village a few hours later but no one seemed to be awake, or no one was home. The village was completely silent and there not even a single animal there. It felt strange as that village had always been full of life since it lied in connection to a lake rich with salmon, trout, bass and even pike even though it is seen as trash fish. The boy continued across a small bridge and through a number of farm fields. After a while he finally saw something. On one of the field was a horse searching for food. He walked out towards it and as he came closer he recognized the horse as one of Yorvan’s foals, Najda or well she was no longer a foal. She was a 7 year old grown horse with a black but with a distinct white mark on its face that could not be mistaken. He was so happy to see her that he never thought why she was out there alone. He approached Nadja who was a little doubtful at first before she recognized him. The boy patted Nadja and gave her a hug. Her body was warm and soft. She was however more eager to see what he had in his bag. He took out a piece of carrot which he gave to her before he made an attempt to step up on her. She was not unwilling for it so Yorvan had probably planned to use her as a riding horse. It was rather uncomfortable and difficult without a saddle but it worked. They then made off towards the village together.
The path would have taken another two days but with Nadja they only needed to make rest for one more night. New snow had begun to fall the following morning and the boy was eager to set off so he woke up extra early. He would finally see his birth home and Lily again. He also wanted to see Yorvan, Thomas, Simon, Ebony, Silver and the others. Tomorrow he would finally turn 16. He thought that maybe just maybe he should ask Lily to marry him then. No that is just silly. They haven’t seen each other for so long. What if she had found someone else? What if she is already married?! Nadja was neighing at him. Right she is only 14 soon 15. She is not old enough to marry yet hehe. He tried to shake his silly thoughts out of his head as he took down the tent and prepared to set off. He did however continue his silly thoughts for another hour on top of Nadja.
They rode through one last forest before they came out on a large field with some large hills. They traveled up on the first hill and as they got the top the boy could see a gravestone up on another. The grave of Byron. The boy bowed towards the grave as he said ”I am home Byron, my friend” They continued across another hill and as they came around he finally see three houses, one of which was his birth home. The boy dismounted Nadja as they came to the house. He walked up to the door and knocked. He was unsure if anyone had moved in after they had moved out so he was not surprised when no one opened. He looked through the mirror and saw nothing. No one had lived there for a long time. When he walked towards Nadja he noticed something. He saw a bush that seemed untouched by the winter’s touch and from the bush grew a lily flower and a red rose. They grew on the exact same place where He and Lily had danced for Levirga 7 years ago. A red rose has only two symbolizations in Lisakdonia, one of which was marriage. Since it was newly grown did Levirga bless a marriage between him and Lily? He picked up the rose and the lily and held them onto his breast as he smelled the flowers. They smelled lovely in the winter. He held the flowers close as he approached Nadja and walked down the road with her.
After a little while he saw a bunch other houses. From one of the light escaped the window and smoke was pouring out of the chimney. It was Yorvan’s house. He decided that he would meet up with Lily first, that way he could maybe bring some other good news to Yorvan, Thomas and Simon when he went to meet them. A dog was barking from the house as he walked on the road pass Yorvan’s house. He laughed a little for himself. ”Yes I am eager to see you too.” To his side he saw the great tree where he had said good bye to Lily those 6 years ago. ”I held my promise Lily. I am here now.”
He could not set his eyes off the next house that appeared behind the trees. Lily’s home. It looked dark in the windows. Well he had gone up very early and Yorvan was always up before everyone else so it was nothing out of the ordinary. He was shaking now of anticipation as he approached the door. It appeared to be unlocked. He was thinking if he should knock first. Then he thought that he would wake Lily up himself to the smell of the flowers he had brought. Her father could get as angry as he wanted. The boy would take Lily with him either way. He took a deep breath from the flowers to calm his nerves. He then opened the door and stepped inside.
The floor was covered with metal kettle, books, candles and other stuff that had been thrown off the table. Two chairs were pointed towards Lily two meters in front of where she had been hanging. In the behind the door laid Lily’s father. His head had been hit by something blunt like a war hammer leaving a nasty wound. Over at a bed in the room lied Lily’s mother. Her dress had also been ripped apart and her hands and legs were tied to the bed. They did not seem to have been dead for very long. Probably not more than two days. Most of the desks and dressers were open and the content within had been thrown onto the ground. No kind of valuables could be seen anywhere. He held Lily in his arms for an unknown amount of time. It felt like nothing of it was real. That it was all just a terrible terrible nightmare and that he would soon wake up in his cold tent. He hit his own head with his fist to wake up but the only thing he managed to do was to spread his tears all over Lily’s face. He proceeds to close Lily’s eyes and pull up the broken dress so it covered her bare body. Nadja was neighing outside of the house. The boy looked up towards the door and he notices the smoke from Yorvan’s house. The world came to him. He took up Lily’s body and put her in the bed beside her mother. He then walked outside to Nadja, He drew his sword from the sheath in his package and began to walk towards Yorvan’s house.
He walked straight towards the house over the snow covered fields. As he came closer towards the house he noticed a pile of bodies behind the house. Horses, dogs and three human bodies. The dog inside the house began to bark and become more violent as the boy came closer to the house. He could hear two voices inside.
Man 1: “Now he starts again like he has gone on for the last two days. Take care of your stupid dog Steve!”
Man 2: “He is not stupid! What is it Buddy, is someone here?”
The boy held the sword in both his hands as he approached the door. He kicked the door open revealing the two men inside that was sitting at the fire cooking food. One of the men was quick to reach for an axe but the boy was quick to cut his arm straight off making him fall back screaming. The other man had taken a sword and raised it but the boy was quick and thrust his sword into the man’s throat killing him. The dog was barking violently at the boy but he was tied to some metal equipment. The boy reached down for the axe and picked it up.
Steve: “Wha what are you doing? No please don’t hurt Buddy. Please NOO!!”
The boy did not care as he raised the axe and buried it deep into the dog’s skull.
Steve: ”NOO! Buddy! Why? What do you want from us?”
The man was crying while holding his bleeding arm tight in an attempt to prevent the bleeding.
The boy took out the axe from the dog’s skull and pointed it towards the man. ”Who is your leader?”
Steve ”I, I, I am not allowed to give out that info- information.”
Boy”TELL ME OR I’LL BURY THIS AXE IN YOUR HEAD LIKE I DID TO YOUR DOG!! Who is your leader and where is he?”
The man was even afraid now. ”He he his name is Philip. He is in the wooden fortress to the east of here. Now please let me go.”
The boy looked at the bleeding man. He then raised the axe in his hand.
Steve “Woah! No! Please. What I’m saying is the truth. Please you have to believe me.”
Boy: “I do believe you.”
The boy then struck down the axe into the man’s skull killing him as well. He left the axe in the man’s skull and drew out his sword from the other man’s throat. On the table was a small pouch with coins. He took a coin and looked at it. It had the appearance of a dragon’s head. A coin from Stelladora.
The boy stepped out and into Yorvan’s shed where he took a spade. During the following hours he proceeded to bury both Lily’s mother, her father, Yorvan, Marcus and Simon. When he was finished many hours later burying them he went to Lily. He first cleaned her as well as he could before he dressed her with her finest clothes. He then wrapped her in a rug from her house before he carried her to the tree were he began to dig her grave. His hands were in pain and full of blisters but he continued as the sun went down.
He lowered her into the grave and filled it with the soil. He then ran to his grandmother’s grave and took her gravestone. He cut away the text and filled in Lily’s name instead before he put it on her grave. He sat down before the stone at on which he put the two flowers. ”Do you remember this tree Lily. It was here we first met… It was here we last met. I promised you that would return, that I would come and rescue you. I failed you Lily. I failed you and I can never undo it. Forgive me Lily. I should have come sooner. He continued to speak to Lily’s gravestone for hours until he fell asleep on her grave. He welcomed the cold night as maybe it would take his life so that he could be with Lily again.
The boy who met seven gods – Chapter 8: The Purple Crow
The boy woke up as the sun was touching his face. Nadja was lying beside him with her head stretched over him to keep him warm. The night had been cold but the boy did not feel very cold himself, if it was because of Nadja’s warm body or something else he was not sure. Nadja woke up and stood up as the boy began to move and turn around to see that the gravestone was still there. Lily Mistrune 583 – 597. She was really gone. His memories of her were filling his head, his promise, they were haunting him so it hurt but else he felt empty as if nothing was worth it anymore. The boy stood up on his legs with the help of Nadja. His hands were still hurting from yesterday but they had managed to heal slightly. He looked down the hill Yorvan’s house were the two dead bandits still were held. He decided what he had to do; he had to avenge Lily and her family and Yorvan’s family. Philip would pay.
The thoughts of vengeance were able to keep the painful memories from his head and keep him going. He went down to Yorvan’s house and searched through the soldiers for anything that he could use. He took a composite bow that belonged to Yorvan with a bunch of arrows, an axe and rope. He then went and took a saddle from the storehouse together with provisions for both himself and Nadja. When he was finished and prepared he went up to Lily’s grave one last time. He ripped off a leather emblem he had attached cape. The emblem was red with a silver fox with text written on the back symbolizing his parents. His emblem proving his role within the order of Friyena’s knights. He dug a small hole on the grave and dropped the emblem into it before he refilled the hole.
“If I can’t protect the ones I love then I don’t deserve to be a knight. But I will always be your friend so I give my emblem to you so that you don’t forget about me. Farwell Lily. Lev’foralt Lily Mistrune”
He stood up as Nadja approached him. He mounted her and began to move towards the eastern path where he and Lily had walked to search for his grandmother 8 years ago. The usually colorful forest was barren and grey as the leaves had left the trees and now were under a layer of snow. The path on which he and Nadja walked had a bunch of footprints beneath another thin snow layer in them heading forward indicating that those that had walked here came from the village and had done so the last days, proving their guilt to what had happened. He continued along the path until he came to a familiar place. A small old path led off the road into the forest. He recognized the path as it was that path he and Lily had taken 8 years ago. He could see a little of the river in the distance. He continued along the path that began to ascend upwards as the surroundings become more disoriented with mountains and hills.
After some time he came across an intersection on the road were the other two paths were apparently more trafficked as the snow had been trampled down completely. He continued along the path that led towards the mountain and the fortress. After a little while he saw a red trail in the snow leading into the forest.
”Is there someone there? Help! Please help! I have been attacked and left to die, please help”
The voice was that of a young woman coming from the forest. The boy dismounted Nadja and ran in the direction. He found a woman that lied down towards a tree. She was holding her hand over her waist that was red from blood.
“There you are. Please help me before I bleed to death.”
The boy took out a piece of cloth from his bag and sat down before the woman. He removed the hand from the wound but, there was no wound. He found a dagger was being held to his throat. The woman was smiling at him as she held the dagger to his throat and held his hand with her other.
“Did your mom not tell you to not listen to strangers boy?”
Before he could do anything a group of men came out from among the trees with weapons and bows drawn towards him.
Man 1: “Bad day to act like a hero, soldier.”
Before the boy could turn around to see who was speaking he was hit at his head knocking him out.
Man 1: ”Take a note of his rank and loot his stuff then throw him down the cliff. Take the horse back to camp.”
Man 2: ”Ehm I don’t know what rank he is captain.”
Man 1: “What are you talking about? Just look at the boy’s emblem.”
Man 2: ”Well that’s the thing, he doesn’t have an emblem. It has been ripped off.”
Man 3: ”Haha why would he rip off his own emblem? Did he steal the equipment from a real soldier?”
Man 1: “No he was obviously a soldier from his stance and behavior. He could have betrayed the army and had his emblem removed from him but then again, he would not bear this equipment. He could be hiding something.”
Man 3: ”Hiding something? Like what?”
Man 1: “I don’t know but if he’s trying to hide it then it could be important enough. Tie him up! We’re taking him to Philip!”
“I suppose you are Philip.”
The man in purple answered.
“So you know my name. Since none of those that brought you here had leaked that information I assume you got that information from one of my scouting parties. What a coincidence then that I haven’t heard anything from Steve and Arnold since we left that village. What else did they say before you killed them?”
“They told me your name, that you were covering in this fortress and that you are rapist!”
The man to Philips right punched the boy in his stomach forcing the air out of him.
Philip: “Hold on now. If you are talking about that young girl. I never raped her, nor did I ever touch her. I am too old for such violent actions. I can’t say the same for my men though.”
Philip noticed that the boy’s eyes become more furious. The boy obviously knew the girl and was here to because of her.
Philip: “There was something special about that girl. I usually don’t watch people die since that is beneath me but something held my interest as she was grasping for air after my men have had their fun with her. It was like a fire was screaming to burst out within her. It felt like the whole house was ready to collapse under her. Everything she needed was just a simple spark.
But it never came and she fell silent. For a moment there it felt like I was watching Friyena herself being strangled.”
The boy looked up. Had he really heard correct? Did Philip hate Friyena as If it was even possible to hate such lovable goddess? Philip seemed to take joy in his little story as he showed a smile when he noticed the boy reaction.
Philip: “Yes indeed. I have no love for Friyena. No I hate her and everything she has done with my while heart. You know why? Because she killed my sister. “
The boy: “You’re lying. Friyena would never harm a human even less kill one.”
Philip: “You are not completely wrong. She herself would never attack a human but her actions killed more than hundred thousand people. An action she could have prevented from the very start but did not. Where did it all lead to? It leads to her being loved without question by everyone in Lisakdonia. Especially that champion of hers, William. She was the hero that saved Crastine and the kingdom from the worst monster the world had ever seen. A monster that killed my sister as she tried to protect the city. She was a high ranked knight of Friyena. My whole family was a respected family among the knights. When she died I could not bear to remain in Lisakdonia for my memories so I traveled across the middle sea to Stelladora where I later found out the truth our beloved goddess. So I returned here and made contact with the Kilmaeren in an alliance to break the kingdom from within so that Stelladora could take back Lalden and later invade the main land of Lisakdonia.”
The boy was somewhat chocked over what he have heard. Why would he listen to this man who had watched Lily die? This man who killed innocent people? This man who allied himself not only to Stelladora but the Kilmaeren? This man is a monster and enemy to everything that the boy loved.
Philip: “I have told you what I know. Now I want to know what you know since what my men told me seems to be important enough to keep hidden.”
Philip took up and showed the cloak with the ripped off emblem.
“But I will let you calm down since the truth is indeed difficult to handle in the beginning but it will be easier when you well accept it. When you have accepted it I will drain you of all knowledge you have but you’ll probably join me against. Who knows. Maybe I even take you to Stelladora and show you the truth but I doubt you are worth the hassle. So I will keep you here until you tell what I want to know or you accept the truth. I have time but you only have as much as you can endure. See you tomorrow.”
Philip and the other two stepped outside of the cell. Philip and the man from the forest continued up the corridor while the third man sat down on a chair at the table further up with a book. The boy tried to move his hands and feet but they were tightly tied to the metal. He tried to screw around his hand but he was unable to reach the rope with his fingers. He was able to reach the metal rings however. He waited for the guard to fall asleep before he began to try challenging the white flame into his fingers. He had tried for hours but the best he managed to do was bring a little warmth to his cold fingers. He was far from causing any kind of damage to the metal rings. In this speed he would die in this cell before he was even close to break the rings. He had to try though so he continued until he began to feel cold, probably of the exhaustion that made him fall asleep.
The boy who met seven gods – Chapter 9: Breakout
The boy was running on the streets of Crastine. The sky was dark as the night and the air was cold as winter. People were screaming all around him. He ran by the sound of wings behind him. The Margeficus was flying over Crastine and spewed black fire across it. The flames came fast and with huge force towards the boy and he was swallowed in the flames. He woke up with a screaming pain in his left arm. Someone was shouting outside. It took a short moment before he realized that he was still in the prison cell and his arms and legs were still tied to the roof and floor. The cell was cold and very dark and the air felt familiar, evil. He looked out of the cell where the guard should be but the chair was empty. The book he had been reading the day before lied on the table and the candle was still lit beside a knife. He returned to his attempt to channel the white flame through his hands. His left arm began to hurt intensively when he tried so he had to try channeling it with his right hand alone. He tried multiple times but it was as hopeless. Someone was shouting again outside. He paused for a moment and looked up at his arms. He then chose to channel through his left arm regardless of the pain. The more he channeled the spell through his left arm the worse the pain became. The pain became difficult to withstand but it felt as he could channel even more through the arm. Then something metallic broke. His left arm was shaking but it was free. He used his free arm to free his other arm and then the legs.
He was free within the cell but now there was no return if they found him like this. The boy felt that something was holding Philip and the others’ attention outside. He was shaking his arms and legs while jumping to return the blood flow through his limbs. He stepped to the cell door. It was of course locked. He put both his hands on the lock and tried to channel the white flame. As before his left arm began to hurt intensively but he continued through the pain and then something snapped. He pushed the door and it opened. He stepped outside and walked carefully through the corridor. Some of the other cells housed skeletons and one seemed to be storage for something. Inside the unlocked storage cell he saw his clothes and equipment except the weapons. He stepped inside and put it on. He walked to the chair and the book. In curiosity he looked into the book. It seemed to be a heroic saga of some kind. He took the knife, left the book and walked up the stone stairs into a wine cellar. Before him was a large open door that led out on the court yard. There were multiple burning barrels and wooden spikes at the fort gate as if they had defended it against someone or something. Some men were running with a bleeding man in their arms.
The boy did not go out on the courtyard instead he sneaked up a spiral stair in the corner that led up into the heart of the wooden fortress. He came to a corridor with multiple doors that lead to sleeping rooms. Most of them hosted multiple beds until he came to one that was clearly Philip’s own chamber. There was one single large bed and a bunch of book shelves full with books on them. Then there was an altar or rather a memorial on the other side of the room. It was a table with a sheathed sword, a bunch of candles, flowers, some paper with text and a painting. The boy walk over to it and looked at the painting and the paper in front of it.
“In honor of lady Oskilde, knight of Friyena and keeper of peace and order in Lisakdonia. Since the lady has passed away and have no children the brother Philip is thus by right the one to inherit her belongings. May the Flame song serve you as well as it did her.” - King Sedric
“The flame song
The boy took the sword which had a pommel of a white crow, the family animal of Oskilde and Philip. He unsheathed the sword and saw the runes on the blade. He could not read them since they were written in the language of the gods but it was clear that it was the real word of lady Oskilde. The flame song. A blade forged and enchanted by Friyena’s white flame. A blade that should not belong to a traitor like Philip. He held the sword in his hands while he channeled a little of the white flame. The sword did not try to resist the flame but instead it embraced it and showed a dull gentle glow. He sheathed the blade and put it in his belt. Before he left the room he bowed to the painting of Lady Oskilde. He heard two men speaking from the floor above. One of them was Philip. He looked at the painting. “I’m sorry lady Oskilde but your brother has to die for his crimes.” He stepped outside of the room and walked to the stairs.
He walked up and found himself in another corridor with one path leading out on the roof of the fortress. The other path leads to a closed door from witch the voices came. Philip was speaking with some other man that seemed to be captain or something.
Philip: “Have they managed to lure the beast away from the area? I would not want it to come back here. We have lost enough men as is.”
Captain: ”I ordered John, Leon and those new guys to lure it to the village to the east. The village should be able to take keep it occupied.”
Philip: ”Good that should give us enough time to empty the fortress and retreat west before it comes back or the army scouts the area.”
Captain: “Should we continue our search for the woman?”
Philip: ”of course! Haven’t you been listening? The documents she stole would make our operation much more difficult to maintain. Find her at all cost. I want her alive but if you have to, kill her. Now dismissed!”
Captain: ”Yes Sir!”
The captain walked out of the room and through the corridor. The boy was hiding in the corner of the corridor outside of the captain’s vision. The captain passed by him and walked down the stairs. A short moment later the boy left his hiding spot and walked into the room where Philip was looking out of the window. ”What do you want now? The orders are clear, find the girl and empty the fort...” before Philip could turn around had the boy taken up a small table and hit him in the head knocking him out.
When Philip later woke up by a bucket of water he found that his arms and feet were tied. His was on his knees on top of a table and around his neck was a noose. To his left laid three bloody bodies of his men and in front of him stood the boy. “Wait no!” The boy kicked the table under Philip trapping him in the noose strangling him. A moment later the chandelier above him broke and he fell on the floor. He was coughing as the boy walked up to him and grabbed the rope. He began to drag Philip out of the room but before he left he threw a candle on the floor that began to slowly spread fire. Philip tried to speak between the coughs as he was being dragged but the boy did not listen. He was being dragged out on the roof where the boy tied the other end of the rope to a hole in the wooden fortification. Philip tried reason and plead to the boy. He tried to break loose of the rope that tied his arms but he was unable to. He began to panic but the boy after tying the rope just kicked him off the fortification only held up by the rope around his neck. The boy jumped down to the roof beneath and then down to the courtyard. He walked to the center and watched Philip hang. Then he waited.
Lily was dead, Nadja was gone, a most likely abyssal beast was being led to a town to the east and there is nothing he could do about it. He felt more alone than he ever had before. He sat down at a tree as the feelings overwhelmed him of sadness, fear and anger. He punched the tree as he tried to remove the thoughts from his head but they were would not go away. The men were still screaming from the burning fortress. ”They deserve to burn for what they did to Lily and the others.” The screaming became louder. ”Shut up” The screams became louder and the thoughts became more overwhelming. ”Shut up and die!” The boy held his hands over his head. The sound and the thoughts became stronger and stronger. They began to hurt him. He screamed as he held his head as good as tight as he could. The world was screaming and spinning around him. He began to fall as he lost his grip. Voices began to speak from the screaming world. Voices from Lily, Yorvan, his mother and father and many others. Where they screaming at him? He could not make anything out from the chaos within his head. ”Stop! Please stop!” He tried to run away from it all but he came nowhere. He was stuck. He did not even know if his body was moving at all. He crawled into a ball trying to keep the world away as it was hurting him.
Moments later something large and wet was pushing him. The screaming world disappeared and he returned to reality. Nadja was before him butting him. The fortress was still burning in the background but the screams were gone. ”So you’re finally back.” The voice came from a horse beside him. He looked at the person. It was the same woman that had fooled him the day before. Behind her on the horse lied Philip’s body. ”You have been sitting there shaking since I came here ten minutes ago. The horse of yours have been trying to take you back since then.” The boy reached for his sword. “Woah woah, take it easy there. I don’t intend to harm you. The opposite rather, I should thank you. You killed Philip and left him hanging for me to just pick like an apple from an apple tree.”
The boy managed to stand up on his feet. “What? Aren’t you one of his bandits.”
“Well in his eyes I was a mercenary until recently when I accidently dropped a couple of his document into a bag that happened to be on my back when I happened to ride out of the fortress this morning. Then later I found out about an outbreak in the area so I investigated and found the fortress on fire. You see our friend here behind me have a rather large bounty on his head.”
The boy was now walking beside Nadja inspecting her inventory that seemed to be filled with food and some other stuff such as an axe and tent. “So you are like a bounty hunter then?”
”Not really. I am a… raven. I focus on documents, information and a little black mailing. Bounties are just a bonus. It is quite funny. I had planned to sleep close to that village in the west where Steve and Arnold were stationed. Then I found this newly dug grave with a even newer hole in it.”
The boy slowly reached his hand towards the sword as he looked at the woman.
“Dear oh dear. I would never plunder a grave. That’s beneath me. It was just that one evening we find this boy that was riding alone and seemed very broken and then I found a grave just one day older at a location that he had been coming from. You never ripped your emblem off because you were hiding something from anyone else. You are hiding from yourself as you believed you failed to protect Lily. If you love her then fight for what she would have wanted you to fight for. Would she have wanted you to give up or would she have wanted you to go on? Only you know that answer. Oh I almost forgot.”
The woman took out a pendant from her pocket and reached it to the boy.
”Philip’s men found that pendant when they… Well, since it is Levirga’s pendant of female fertility it was given to me. I will never get children so I have no use to it. I assume that it is your name written inside. It will probably not help your grief but it might warm your heart to know that she was more than just waiting for you. Now there is a monster attacking a village. Do want you want with that information and good luck.”
The woman began to ride away when the boy stopped her.
”Wait. I haven’t gotten your name.”
”With my profession it is best if you don’t know that name. On the other hand with the money from Philip’s bounty I could retire before you had any chance to make harm with my name…
It’s Bristana. Good bye and good luck hero.”
Those were her last words before she rode away. The boy was holding the pendant in his hand. It was really a pendant made by Lily. He recognized traces of her craftsmanship in it and his name was engraved inside. If she was willing to engrave his name into a pendant like that then she would not just stop believing in him, even after death. He would be the hero he promised her that he would be. The first step would be to save this village from the beast. He rode east in full speed on Nadja.
As he rode after the devastation he tried to think what kind of beast it would be. An infected? No. A Prokéd was possible but not likely. Then it could only be a Forcis beast. Yeah the signs are correct. It would be a difficult challenge but with the Flame song and the white flame he could win.
The boy who met seven gods – Chapter 10: Beast
He followed the path of devastation through the forest. It became darker and the air became colder as he is came closer to the beast. The closer he got the more evil the air felt and he began to doubt his own ability. He began to felt his hands shaking. Maybe this was a bad decision after all. What if he could not save the town and only served his own life on a silver platter. No he had to stay strong, for the townsfolk, for his parents, for Lily. He did not have much time to think as he began to see a red light in the distance. It was the town that was burning. He drew the Flame song with his right hand. He tried to channel the white flame into the blade but he was unable to so he had to change to his left arm which for some reason was able to channel the flame. His swordsman skill would be far inferior but he needed the flame or he would have no chance at all against the beast. He rode past a signpost that read “Nadra Vika” and headed towards the burning town.
He entered the burning town but could not see any beast. Many of the buildings were destroyed and dead bodies lied scattered around the streets. A child was hiding in a bush crying. The boy wanted to help the little girl but the risks that the beast was watching him and would attack them both was too high. The girl was safer in her hiding spot. He rode further into the town holding the sword firmly in his left hand. Nadja was neighing and whining. She wanted to turn back. “It’s okay girl. It’s okay.” He and Nadja moved slowly through the burning city. A few houses were not on fire but the doors were opened and they seemed to be empty. The inhabitants had probably already fled. He moved through the town a little longer to make sure but the air was still foul as if the beast was still in the town. To search any longer would only increase the risk that the beast found him. He began to return and get the little girl out of there. When they got to an interconnection in the middle of burning houses Nadja began to move uncontrollably. The boy tried to calm her down but then he saw what had scared her. A large shadow began to movie beside the ruins of a burning building. It turned around and revealed two yellow glowing eyes and in its mouth it had a soldier. In one movement the monster bit through the soldier cleaving him in two. But it was not a Forcis beast. It was an Akon beast.
For a second the boy froze but forced himself to remain in control. ”Run Nadja run!” Nadja took speed and set off as fast as she could towards the center of town. The Akon roared before it blasted through the burning building towards the boy and Nadja. They galloped through the center of town. The easiest way out of town was south as the streets were not covered in rabble. They moved south through the streets in between the burning houses and the town gate. The beast moved through building after building and then the gate spreading burning logs and debris all around. They were finally outside of town were Nadja could use her higher speed to get away but Nadja had not been able to rest in a long while. They rode along the road with the Akon running after them. The Akon gave out a freezing screech that made Nadja panic. The boy had to hold on tight to her. She was not breed for war and even less to stand up against an abyssal beast. Nadja was too much out of control. If she kept panicking she would risk running out into the forest where the beast could catch up to them. The boy had to slow down the beast. He took out a bow and a few arrows from the package and began to shoot at the beast with the best skill he could bolster. The arrows were ineffective though as the beast’s hide was too thick and its eyes were tough as metal.
The beast screeched again making Nadja move uncontrollably. The boy almost fell off. He threw a couple of apples at the beast which was as effective as the arrows. He looked forward and saw a bridge at the path but on the other side was an outpost that blocked the road with a gate. The boy shouted at the outpost in case someone was there. After a few moments a light appeared in the outpost but it was too late for anyone to open the gate. The boy had to turn off the road and continue south among the trees. Someone was shouting something from the outpost that sounded like “Beast! Akon beast! Sound the alarm!” Nadja had difficulties moving between the tight trees in a high speed while the beast that was still after them just moved through the trees. The boy had no choice. He had to fight the beast hand on. He drew the flame song with his left hand and held the shield in his right hand. His control was very limited but normal blades could never harm an Akon significantly. The Akon came closer. He began to channel mana through his left arm so that the blade began to glow. Then as the Akon came so close that he could hear the breath from the beast he swung at it. He managed to just scratch the face slightly leaving a tiny mark. The Akon roared as it struck up the ground so stones and dirt flew at the boy and Nadja. A stone hit Nadja in the right back leg slowing her down significantly.
The boy dropped the shield and took the sword in both hands channeling as much mana as he could before the approaching beast could strike. He only got a little more than a second before the Akon jumped at him. The boy thrust the sword towards the Akon. The impact threw the off Nadja while Nadja fell down a hillside. The Akon went through a couple of trees. The boy had landed at a tree and stood up. He was shaking uncontrollably in his whole body and left arm was in pain. Blood was streaming down his left side and his senses were dull. He tried to find the sword but he could find it nor did he know where Nadja was. He then noticed the Akon behind him. It had not seen him yet so he took the opportunity to move towards the river. The wound was bleeding heavily and he did not even know how large it was. As he came closer to the river he saw that it was a cliff and now he heard trees breaking behind him. The Akon was moving towards him. The boy had to fight to not faint of blood loss. He stopped at the cliff edge and watched down. Could he survive a jump into the river he wondered. The Akon rushed towards him. The boy did the only choice he had and jumped down the cliff into the river.
The river was powerful and violent. The boy was thrown between rock and rock. Some blunt and other sharp scratching into his cloths and skin as he was being dragged down like a rag doll. The water was cold and he was losing blood quickly. He tried to move to the side but it was hopeless. He was far too weak and the stream far too strong. He had to focus keeping his head above the water in hope that the river would calm down soon. He had almost fainted when the river became wider and calmer. He floats until he came to a downed tree that he stuck in. The last of his consciousness left him as the cold water froze his body and the blood was painting the water red.
The boy who met seven gods – Chapter 11: Knight of Friyena
A storm is raging. An ocean is clashing violently. He is submerged and cannot swim to the surface as something is trying to drag him down. It’s trying to destroy him. Everything seems lost. He feels cold and lifeless as if he was already nothing more than a corpse. Then the storm and the ocean surface broke and a silhouette of light appeared. It was a silhouette of a woman with wings and a halo looking ring around her head. He reached his hand towards her seeing the hand ripped off all flesh with purple glowing cracks in the bones. The winged woman grabbed his hand and pulled him up from the water.
He opened his eyes and found himself in a large room with large windows. Sunlight was filling the room from the window showing the white walls and golden frames around the windows. ”He’s awake! He’s finally awake!” The voice from a girl that sitting on the bed beside him holding her hand on his own. It was Janet that was sitting beside him. Rowan who had earlier been playing with some glass bottles had left the room after Janet told him. ”I thought you would never wake up again.” The boy was slightly confused. Janet helped him move further up the bed. The boy noticed that he had two large but healed scars on his left shoulder. The boy looked at the scars and remembered the confrontation with the Akon and the dream he have had multiple times now. “I was saved. Was I saved by Friyena? What happened with the Akon? Where is Nadja?”
Janet: ”Yes you were found but by a group of fleeing people, not by Friyena.”
”Look who decided to finally wake up after eight long boring weeks!
The voice belonged to Antonio who just entered the room in dressed in knight’s civilian noble attire. He walked and tried to show his emblem and his necklace as well as he could. Shortly after came Alice and Rowan.
Antonio sat down beside Janet and pointed at the boy’s scars.
Antonio: “But I must wonder. How by the gods did you survive that wound and the freezing water?”
Boy: ”I guess I was lucky.”
Antonio: ”Luck? Luck had nothing to do with it. You should have been dead. Your body was cold as ice and you had lost most of your blood but yet somehow you survived. Even Friyena doesn’t know how you could survive. Yeah, Friyena herself had to save your life shortly after you had been found.”
Boy ”Oh well. I must thank her as soon as I can then.”
Antonio: “Don’t worry about that. She’s just happy that you are alive and well. Oh and about saving people. They found your horse as they found you. She was wet, could and had a wound and a sprained leg but nothing too serious. She is in the order’s stable so we could go see her after you are able to.”
Boy ”Her name is Nadja. I was the one that dragged her into Nadra Vika and exposed her to all of this so it would have been my fault if something would have happened to her. Wait fleeing people? What happened with the Akon?”
Janet: ” After you had fallen into the river the Akon moved south towards the closest town. The town that lied just at the river that you was found at. Lacus Vika. It destroyed the whole town and only a hundred managed to flee with their life. It was some of those that found you. A group of hunter knights were quickly ordered to pursue the beast. Three managed to find it but two of them were killed by the beast. The beast managed to destroy two more villages before it was finally stopped and killed east of Astra Vika. They haven’t found the hunter knight yet but Friyena believes or rather knows that he is still alive.
Antonio: ”Not kidding. That man was a titan. If I was a beast I for sure would not want him to hunt me. I rather have this fool that sleeps for 8 weeks and causes his friends to be overly worried.”
Antonio was rearranging the boy’s hair and puffing at him.
Antonio: “But hey! Enough with the old news. You know what the order have said. An anonym’s letter arrived sonly after you had been found. It seems like you have done some great deeds during your small adventure and the order want to see you in action to discuss promoting you above novice. That is if you can create the white flame. That’s great right!”
The group remained in the room for a while longer before they managed to get the boy out of bed and visit Nadja in the stable. A few days later the boy was ordered to see the leaders of the order to demonstrate the white flame. The boy was given a test sword enchanted with the white flame.
He held the sword in his right hand while trying to channel the mana but nothing happened. The leaders did not seem happy. The boy switched hand to his left and did the same but now the blade began to glow. He then held the sword in both hands and did the same creating the glow once again.
”You are right handed if I understood correct?” Said middle aged man in the right of the table. “Yes that is true sir.” said the boy somewhat nervous. “If you are unable to channel the flame with your main hand then you would not be wise to promote do a real knight. I vote against.”
Lady Maria sat to the left of the table. “The restriction is that the user should be able to channel the flame and the boy have just showed that he is able to so he should of course be treated as any other knight. I vote for.”
Sir Galahad: “You know as well as I do that the boy won’t be able to fight as well as any of the other if he is limited to using his left hand. It would be foolish to make such decision before he can fight with full skill.
An old man at probably his 60s was sitting in the middle and now took to speak.
“Most knights are not able to channel the flame with their second hand for another year or so after they managed to do so with their main hand. For some reason this boy learned to do it with his second first and he have managed to do harm against evil with it. He came in combat with an Akon beast and both struck a bleeding wound and managed to survive. Not many knights at all would be able to achieve something like that. I vote for. I’ll be happy to see you my young boy at the ceremony. Now that wine you spoke of Maria. Did you happen to bring some for this old man?”
Maria followed the old man out while Galahad remained in his chair somewhat grumpy. He wrote a letter and gave it to the boy. ”Bring this to Ulric or Alys of the armory.
The boy took the latter but he nervously asked. “Only the armory letter? Should I not get a letter for the weapon forge?”
Galahad: ”Pth don’t make me laugh. You already have a sword. Why would you need another one? Now get out of here.”
`The boy did not really understand what Galahad meant. He had no sword to contain a white flame nor had any of his ancestors so he had no heritage sword either. Had Galahad made a mistake or was this a way to keep him from becoming a real knight for another 3 months? The boy went to the forge and had his measures done before the night. The following days he tried to come in contact with the leaders but it was impossible for someone of his rank and such foolish question. He had to accept his defeat and wait three weeks for the day of the ceremony.
Antonio: ”You’re the shortest in the room and thereby you’re short.”
Boy: Sigh. I’m short and I’m not nervous for the ceremony in itself. It’s because I don’t have a sword. I will bring shame upon myself and my family for not having a sword for my own ceremony.”
Antonio: ”You know what? You think too much. This is your day. Or well it’s your and five other novices day but you know what I mean and there is no way you would bring shame upon yourself. They probably fixed the sword for you or something. Now straight your legs so I can fix your leg plates.”
Janet sneaked in through the door. “I just wanted to say, good luck on the ceremony. I, Alice and Rowan will be sitting in the middle to the west so you know. Bye!”
After both the boy and Antonio had stopped looking towards the door, Antonio went and took the shield and gave it to the boy. “you’re ready. Now go out there and make me proud!”
The boy straightened himself but before he could walk Antonio began to ran out towards the door.
“I should probably leave first and enter the ceremonial hall before you. Might be awkward otherwise.”
The boy held the shield in his left hand and went to the desk where his helm was and took it in his right arm. He took a deep breath and walked out of the room and joins the other five novices that would become real knights today.
He waited nervously for the large gate to open and the ceremony to begin. He looked at the other five that would take the wine and be given a white flame sword of their own today. Three of them he knew from the barracks and training sessions. The other two were older probably around 25 or so. ”It’s finally happening. For ten years have I been training for this moment.” Said the young man to his left. ”Yeah indeed.”
Two older knights came out through a door beside the gate and reminded them of the procedure they had to follow as soon as those gates opened. ”Is everything clear?”
The six responded with a simple “yes sir”. ”Good. Now pare up two and two. Put on your helmets and keep your back straight. Keep your shield in a good grip and make sure your capes are covering the side on which you are walking. So you who are walking on the left keep your cape on the left shoulder, you on the right keep it on your right shoulder. When the gates open follow us to your respectively position.” The two knights took on their own helmets and then took out a banner each symbolizing Friyena and positioned themselves before the two lines holding their respective banner in both hands. The boy stood in the middle of the left line.
Moments later the gate opened by two soldiers. The two lines began to walk through the gates. They came into a huge circular room that was large enough to house a large dragon and give it movement room if it was not for the pillars positioned throughout the room. The outer parts of the room were full with people standing up and benches that were all pointing towards the center where an altar was being located. At the altar stood the three order leaders, some order knights, some priests and a ordinary sized woman that could be no other than Friyena herself. The walls were either covered with flags or huge windows that let in the winter sun. When the lines came pass the benches they split up in two moving around the central circle. Each of the novices stopped at their respectively mini altar while the two banner holders moved up on the altar from the backside. When all six had arrived to their position they put down their shield before them and the altar. Then they dropped down on their knees on a soft pillow looking carpet. They then took off their helmet and put it before them on top of the small altar.
The oldest of the order leaders stepped forward. ”Welcome everyone! This day we will witness these six young people take the oath to our beloved Friyena and drink the wine she provides to them. This day is the day when these six shall become knights of the order, Knights of Friyena and protectors of Lisakdonia, bearer of the flaming swords and master of the white flame.” As the old man spoke, Friyena and two priest walked to each of the novice knights. One priest held a tray with six goblets and a blanket while the other held a large chalice that contained a kind of wine. At each of the six Friyena took a goblet and dipped it in the wine so it was half full. Then she dried it with the blanket and put it on the small altar. She then bowed before the novice knight and gave them a kiss on their forehead before she walked over to the next. She had been at each of the six and returned to the altar long before the old man had finished his speech. He spoke about the history of the order, about the old heroes, about the Margeficus attack, about the great betrayal, about the crusade and about Friyena’s very first knight. Sir Reynald Letholdus, born as Reynald Lethold. He finished the speech with “As Sir Reynald Letholdus one took the oath these six shall now take the oath.”
By those last words the six took up the goblet before them and raised it up. They then lowered it and drank the wine that Friyena had provided them. The wine had a very modest taste but it made the boy feel kind of different. He felt pride and something more. His thoughts turned over to other things as he saw five sword bearers enter the room and walk towards the center. “Oh no, I really don’t have a sword do I?” Each of the five sword bearers held a blanket on which the sword lie sheathed with a necklace wrapped around its handle. Each of the five swords looked a little different from each other and had different pommels, some generic and others were of animals.
”The six have taken their oath, now they shall be given their weapon and their title as a true knight. Said the old man as he walked down towards the man in the upper right. One of the sword bearers stepped forward and reached the forth the blanket with the sword. The old man first took off the necklace and placed it around the man’s neck as he asked the man in normal tone. “Have you thought of a name for your blade?” on which the man answered. “No I have not.”
The old man nodded and began to speak in his speech voice again.
”You who have now taken the oath and taken the wine which you been provided, rise. Rise up and accept your blade.”
The man stood up as the old man took the sword of the blanket and reached it towards the man.
“I hereby give you this blade. May you find a fitting name for your blade and your victories with it be plentiful and bring hope and protection to those you chose to fight for. May you bring peace and order wherever you go. Now show yourself to the world Sir knight Walter!” Walter turned around with the sword in his hands. He unsheathed the sword and raised it towards the sky. Many in the audience he was looking towards did the same as to welcome him. He then sheathed his sword again and dropped down to his earlier position.
The old man walked to the next one that was a young woman. He asked the same thing, nodded and spoke out. ”You who have now taken the oath and taken the wine which you been provided, rise. Rise up and accept your blade. I hereby give you the abyss cleaver! May your victories with it be plentiful and bring hope and protection to those you chose to fight for. May you bring peace and order wherever you go. Now show yourself to the world Lady knight Christina!” She as well turned around and raised her sword towards the sky with most of the spectators before she turned back and dropped down again. The old man went to the next young man and continued the procedure and the one after him. When he came to the fifth one that was the boy he looked down for a short moment before he continued to the last skipping the boy. The old man continued the procedure with the sixth one who was a man that had named his sword family protector.
After the man had turned around, raised his sword and turned back down the old man turned back towards the boy. Sir Galahad now stood up from his seat and walked down towards the boy. The boy was shaking of nervousness as he starred down at his helmet. The old man now stood before him and Sir Galahad beside him. The old man did not speak as he put the necklace around the boy’s neck.
”You who have now taken the oath and taken the wine which you been provided, rise. Rise up and accept your heritage.” The boy was confused as he stood up, Heritage? Sir Galahad held a golden blanked in his arms on which a sword was resting in a completely new sheath.
”In honor of the lady Oskilde, knight and keeper of peace in Lisakdonia and loyal to Friyena. For this boy’s noble deeds in battle and connection already established to this blade. Goddess Friyena has decided that since Lady Oskilde has no living heirs the one to be considered rightful of this heritage, her blade shall be this boy. I hereby give you the blade of Lady Oskilde, the Flame Song!
”WHAT!! Antonio was shouting from the amazed crowd.
May your victories with it be as plentiful as its earlier master and may you bring hope and protection to those you chose to fight for. May you bring peace and order wherever you go. Now show yourself to the world.
Sir knight Basil!”
End of act 2
He is running as fast as he can. The forest around the path is burning and the fire is spreading. Out on the path runs a countless amount of animals. Deer, rabbits, foxes, elks and a swarm of rats all trying to escape the spreading inferno. The smoke and heat is hurting his lungs but he cannot stop. In the burning forest he could see a familiar form. It was a black wolf that was growling at him. A burning tree is falling towards him. He just manages to jump aside and avoid being hit by the tree but a branch is snapped off and hit him with burning sparks. He throws away the branch but it feels like it burned into his skin. The wolf is gone. He continued to run until he came out of the burning forest. He was back in his home village. The houses are on fire. He runs to Lily’s house. He have to save her. As he comes to the burning house he tackles open the door only to find Lily’s body hanging in a noose. He screams and runs to her, cuts the rope and embraces her as the house is burning around them. A terrifying roar comes from something outside. Then the wall to the build is brought down by a huge black beast with yellow glowing eyes. The Akon was looking at them while revealing its blood covered teeth. The roof above them broke and collapsed over him and Lily who he tried to cover from the falling and burning rubble.
“Basil?”
Everything turned black. The house, the Akon and Lily all disappeared into nothingness. He felt as if something was watching at him. He looked up and around himself. He was in a total black void with nothing anywhere and complete silence with a cold feeling spreading through him. He turned around and saw a large being looking down on him. It looked as something human yet very different but extremely powerful, like a god but it was incomplete as if it had been robbed of most of its earlier form. Or maybe it was being formed. It was clearly not one of the five gods so what is it. He spoke to the being. “Are you… Septhis?” The godlike being did not answer. Instead it looked up and looked towards the distance. Basil tried to follow what the being looked at. He gazed to the distance and noticed something small far away that he had missed earlier. The being looked down on Basil again while it remained silent.
”Basil. Wake up.”
Basil walked over towards the distant thing. After a while he saw that it was human size. It was someone wearing a black coat while being on his knees, shacking. The cold feeling in Basil’s spine became stronger as he approached the being. The person was saying something. His voice was filled with hatred and his body was shacking of anger. Basil felt uncomfortable as he came closer. He stopped and said hi. No response. He said it louder. Still no response. The person was still shaking and mumbling with hate. Basil looked around in the black void but still saw nothing. The godlike being could no longer be seen. He took a deep breath and stepped forward to the person. At the moment he put his hand on the person’s shoulder he noticed the fleshless hands with purple glowing cracks in them. As he came in contact with the shoulder the wound from the Akon opened up spreading a pain through his body. He fell down while holding onto himself trying to prevent himself from falling apart. The pain was beyond anything he had felt earlier. It felt as the flesh was being ripped from his bones. The person had stopped shaking and now stood up before Basil.
”Basil! Wake up Basil!!”
He woke up in shock. He was sweating and panting heavily. He was sitting down in a bed in a small wooden house. He felt two hands holding onto him. It was Janet. “You’re finally awake. You had one of those terrifying nightmares again. Was it about her again?” She said with tears in her eyes revealing that she had been in shock as well.
“Yeah. It was her again but this time she was already dead.” He responded after he managed to recover his breath.
Janet: ”You have been having these nightmares for three years and they only seems to get worse. I really think you should go to master Gorbeniac.”
Basil: ”No! No I could not do that to her.”
Janet: ”But your memories of her are haunting you. Hurting you. You should let your memories go so you can live free.”
Basil: ”Letting her memories go? It is her memories that keep me going! Why would you even think of something like that?”
Janet: ”I… I just don’t want you be in pain. I care about you. We all care about you.”
Basil: ”If you really cared about me you would understand how important those memories are for me!”
Janet: ”I… But... Do you really think Lily would want you to endure this pain for her?”
Basil: ”Don’t speak about Lily as if you knew her. None of you ever did.”
Janet did not answer. She sat silent on the bed while Basil put on his civil attire before he stepped outside. He stepped out into a smaller village where people were all busy with their daily routines.
“You know. You should listen to Janet more. She is the only one of us that still want to take care of when you have these nightmares. A voice said beside the corner.
“Don’t you also begin now Rowan. Also where are the others?”
”I wouldn’t want to take a debate with you when you have woken up from a nightmare if so Decaotus was sitting on my shoulders. The others have been ordered to look over the Nissera path. The captain thinks that the time to strike will begin any day now. We only need one opening. And before you ask. We tried to wake you up, or well Antonio and Janet tried.”
Basil walked off to the stable to get Nadja and set off towards the Nissera path where Alice, Antonio and a group of soldiers and some knights were lying in ambush to take down a disguised Kilmaeren gold transport. If they managed to take over the transport without alerting the unknowing Kilmaeren, they would get a chance to infiltrate the headquarters in the nearby city of Sirdaca.
Basil and Nadja moved at walking speed through the gravel covered roads between stone buildings after stone building. People with carts, baskets and other wares were trafficking the road so it was difficult to move any faster, no need either. He moved throughout the rather large village till he came to the city gates. One of the town guards were sleeping while standing. Another guard stopped Basil and questioned his reason to leave town alone. Basil did not say anything while he took out his knight necklace and showed it to the guard. The guard examined it before he gave it back with a nod. He then gave signal to the guards above the gate platform to open it. Basil nodded back to the guard as he took off out through the gate and onto the open fields. The fields were wide and stretched far with only some hills and a bunch of trees breaking the view. Even though he did not have any of the usual equipment nor his sword he did have a dagger that was invisible within the civil clothes.
He rode for a little less than half an hour before he reached a forest with very scattered trees which became denser the farther west he came. After another twenty minutes he turned off the road into the forest. After a short while he came to a location with a few huge rocks. Around the rocks between the trees were a bunch of horses without their riders. A soldier stuck out his head from among the stones. He had an half eaten apple in his left hand and a bow in his right. “You’re late.” Said the soldier that was clearly ordered to guard the horses. “I was delayed. Where is the captain and the others?” Basil asked as he dismounted Nadja and tied her to a free tree. The soldier took another bite of his apple and pointed with his bow slightly behind of him. Basil took his dagger and put it in his belt instead as he walked in the pointed direction.
”Through the forests walks the sleepyhead with an expression that could strangle a loving rabbit to death.” Said a joking Antonio who was carving a piece of wood. “You did not wake me up in time.” Said Basil as he approached a group of four soldiers and Antonio who was sitting and waiting. They looked more like bandits than soldiers without their uniforms. “Well we tried but you wanted five minutes more when we only had four before we would set off. I told you to go to bed early yesterday but no no you did not listen.”
Basil: “I went to bed before you did!”
Antonio: ”Gah, details details.”
Basil sat down on a stone beside Antonio. ”I assume that the transport have not arrived yet?”
Antonio: “Nope, only a couple of civilians and a trader. Oh right! There was this thing that was running by. At first I thought it was you but it turned out to just be a boar. It look quite similar to you hahaha.”
Basil: ”Haha very funny…”
Antonio: “Relax Basil, The captain received a letter this very morning informing that the gold transport is following the schedule and path. Unless they had plans to take a swim they have to get by here”
Basil: “About the captain. Has he mentioned anything about my, Janet and Rowan’s absence?
Antonio: ”He has mentioned it but he did not think much about it. He already thinks we are more than enough for this mission of ours and that we are overestimating the abilities of the Kilmaeren.”
They sat there speaking for what felt like hours. Janet and Rowan had arrived during the first hour. Rowan gave Basil a push that was filled with a little more annoyance than humor before he walked over towards another group further up where Alice was. Janet sat down with Basil and Antonio. “Janet! You came! Here! You came here! Ehm.. You travelled from the town to this location in which we are now, located. You know what I mean and don’t mean. Or maybe you did come. I don’t know what you have done today.” Antonio laughed with a little red in his face of embarrassment.
Janet looked at Antonio questionably without catching what exactly what he meant. She looked towards Basil and put her left hand on his right hand. “Are you feeling better now Basil?”
Basil: “Yes, a little.”
Janet ”Have you been thinking about what I said about master Gorbeniac?”
Basil: ”Like I said. I won’t speak to him.”
Janet: ”What if you speak to Friyena then? Or Keralda?”
Basil: ”I won’t speak to any of them. Anyway today we’ll bring the last of the Kilmaeren’s leading centers. When they are gone so should these nightmares. They are the cause of her death after all.”
”Probably the last remaining center. There could be more.” Antonio slightly interrupted before he continued with his carving.
Janet “I don’t think that will solve your nightmares.”
They were interrupted by the sound of two falling tress followed by shouting. The three drew their daggers and followed the other soldiers out on the road where the gold transport had been stopped by the fallen trees. The guards of the transport drew their swords to answer the ambush but were quickly overwhelmed and brought down. Those in the transport that was not armed were undressed and taken prisoners and taken away by some soldiers. The bodies of the fallen guards were also undressed and carried away. A bunch of the soldiers dressed over into the attires of the transport guards while others tried to cover the blood spill with gravel from the road.
“”twenty minutes from your arrival! Remember that.” Said the captain to the soldiers that were putting on the guard attire. A scout came up the road towards the captain. “No signs of any of their scouts in the forest nor the air above.” When the transport was searched through, the road cleared from the logs and the soldiers ready they set off towards Sirdaca seemingly as if they never had been attacked in the first place. As the twelve disguised soldiers took the transport down the road the others returned to their horses and set off towards Sirdaca. Two soldiers set off pigeons that flew off towards the north. “It will take the transport one hour to make the trip. Make sure that you are in your designated location before twenty minutes thereafter!” Ordered the captain as they set off in shattered groups towards the city.
.Inside they only found a middle aged couple. The man was sitting at the window looking out of a gap of planks towards the mansion and in the back of the room stood a woman and cooked food. The woman looked back at the boys and pointed towards the corner beside the oven. The boys walked there and found a rug which the moved away to reveal a trap door. They opened it and climbed down into a cellar. Down in the cellar they found the captain sitting at a table talking with another knight and four soldiers, all equipped. Two other soldiers were sitting and playing cards on the floor. At the back of the cellar at some opened barrels stood Alice, Janet and two soldiers helping them putting their armors on. The captain waved the boys towards the barrels when he saw them. Alice was just being finished with her armor so the soldier when seeing the boys began to look over the closed barrels. When he found one of interest he broke open the lid and took out pieces of metal armor that belonged to Antonio. Alice and the soldier helped the boys put on their armor.
When they were finished they sat or stood around the table where the captain explained once again the plan. He also explained that the army that the pigeons had been sent to should arrive not much more than two hours after the operation begins just in case the Kilmaeren get wind of what is happening and send for reinforcements themselves or if the city would fall under intended unrest. The captain had taken almost ten minutes to finish. The time to strike would fall soon but it was up to the soldiers within the mansion disguised as the gold transport guardians to take out the guards and open the gates. The minutes passed but nothing happened. The captain ordered a soldier to go up and ask the man which he did. He returned a moment later with the message that nothing had happened yet.
“I gave them twenty minutes and they can’t even follow such simple order!” Said the captain with an annoyed tone.”If they have been caught then there is nothing we can do until the army arrives and we have to siege the mansion. That is unless they manage to find out from our disguised men that the army is on their way.”Said the other knight.
The captain chuckled slightly. ”I don’t think that will be a problem. You see I told the men that the army would not arrive until four hours after their intended arrival. Even if they would succeed to gather the knowledge they would be far off. Then again. Why do we assume that they would be able to find out in the first place? They haven’t shown any sign of such competence these last years nor since they were almost destroyed 95 years ago. They are nothing more than fancy clothed rebels that have taken a feared name and treated as such.”
“What do you mean captain? The Kilmaeren have killed thousands upon thousands only during these last years, destroyed many villages and interrupted important road. What I’ve heard the old Kilmaeren almost never did anything at all. That they were cowards.” Said Alice in a slightly upset voice almost interrupting the captain.
“That is indeed true dear. These Kilmaeren act with fire and destruction unlike the Kilmaeren of old. But they these new ones does not think like those of old and that makes them far less dangerous even if they kill more people. You see the Kilmaeren did not act against the kingdom directly. They instead proved themselves loyal to the kingdom and the royal family. They infiltrated the positions of positions of power. Slowly but surely they took more control without anyone knowing since nothing they did was strange. They imprisoned and killed their own whenever a kilmaeren was found to not blow their cover. I myself believed that they also did it to remove the weak links from their organization. Never did they turn against the kingdom. Not even when they took the positions as royal family guardians and the commander of these, Sir Pavyel himself, did they strike. No they waited until the moment when they could in a simple act remove the whole family and take control over the kingdom. But as you all know. They failed when they mistook a maiden as princess Julia. Most would say that it was by a small string of pure luck that they failed then, something that could not be said today. No one knew if their closest friends or companions where true or Kilmaeren. A time when you could trust no one, well until the gates of Crastine was shined upon by the white flame and the people saw their truth.”
“What makes you so sure captain. What if we are Kilmaeren agents waiting for a perfect moment to rebel.” Said Antonio while waving his hands.
“Don’t be ridiculous. We have taken the oath and been drinking Friyena’s wine. Your loyalty is guaranteed and before you ask. These soldiers have also taken the wine for the importance of this mission. They are as clean as you and I.” The captain got interrupted by someone knocking on the trap door. “It’s time! The torch is lit and the gate is being opened. The other two groups are ready to act.” Whispered the man from above.
“ Finally! Give the signal to the others and let’s end this rebellion once and for all!”
They came into a bedroom. It had two small beds so it was probably children’s bedrooms. Two voices came from the corridor outside of the room. The four sneak to the door. Antonio took off his right glove and Basil both took his left glove. They did so to not have disruptions for the spell in form of the gloves. Antonio gave directions with his fingers to Basil while listening at the door. When the voices began to move away from the door they opened it silently. The walked out rather casually toward the guards back. At unison Antonio and Basil grabbed the guards by their neck. A flash of white light from their hands later and the guards fell silent. The two moved over the bodies while the soldiers began to drag them back into the bedroom but stopped as they heard someone shouting from somewhere else in the mansion. A few seconds later a bell began to toll.
“Well it lasted longer than expected. Now let’s handle this the real way” Antonio said as he drew his sword and began to spring down the corridor. The two soldiers also drew their swords and ran after. Basil drew his sword but paused as he looked at the two dead soldiers. They had the same type of armor as Philip’s men. Basil while holding the Flame song in his right hand channeled the flame. The blade began to glow but it was still less than what he could do with his left hand. Someone could be heard running on the floor beneath towards the stairs up towards Basil. He went behind a corner holding the sword ready in his hands. The person came up and stopped at the bodies. Basil jumped out of his cover and struck towards the person but had to forcefully force his strike into the wall as he noticed who it was.
“Whoa! Are you trying to kill me Basil!?” Rowan shouted as he drew up his shield.
“Sorry. I thought you were a guard.” Basil apologized.
“Be more careful next time fool! We don’t have time for this now though. We have to get going.”
Basil agreed while he picked up his shield and they ran further into the huge mansion.
During two occasions they came in combat with guards and during both they came out successful except that one of the following soldiers got a nasty wound on his arm. They came across two of their own soldiers who helped taking care of the wounded soldier while the three continued. They came into a large room with an open fireplace that was burning. On the floor lied multiple dead soldiers and guards spread out. Many of the furniture and parts of the walls were black by burn damages. ”Ugh. moaned a lisakdonian soldier that lied just before the fireplace. The soldier that followed Basil and Rowan ran to the soldier to help him while the other two looked through the room and the bodies. “Joel! I’m here. Everything is going to be okay. I’ll bring you home.” Said the soldier as he sat down on his knees to bring up the wounded man.
A sound of something large of stone moving came from the fireplace a mere second before flames burst out over Joel and the soldier. Basil and Rowan were unable to do anything as balls of fire began to fly out towards Rowan and then Basil. Rowan got hit over his left shoulder but managed to cover behind his shield before the next ball. Basil managed to jump behind a couch before he got hit. “Kilmaeren bastard coward! Shouted Rowan in anger while the spell caster stepped out of the fire place still casting the fire balls. Basil was relatively safe but Rowan’s shield began to heat up. Basil had to do something soon. He prepared to run out of his hiding place and attack the spell caster but then a bolt of different magic flashed by and the spell caster groaned. Another bolt of lightning came from a door to the side of the room and Alice appeared. The Kilmaeren shielded himself with a spell of his own before he counterattacked her with his own fire. Rowan took the opportunity and threw his shield aside and ran towards the kilmaeren.
The spell caster was more than capable to handle them both at the same time. He threw Alice back with a force spell and threw another fire spell at Rowan who got hit directly on his helmet before he was thrown back by a force spell. He also managed to throw another spell at Basil before he could even act but then put his focus towards the door where Alice where. He threw a spell and another while the sounds of metal boots running could be heard. The kilmaeren cast another spell that was more powerful at the door where the knight that had been with the captain had appeared running towards him. The knight held his glowing sword in both hands before him which seemed to shield him from the spells. The kilmaeren did not even manage to move aside before his torso was pierced by the blade of the knight. Alice came running into the room and to Rowan who was badly wounded by the fire, unable to fight further. The knight dropped the body of the kilmaeren and looked into the hidden door inside the fire place. ”This must be it.” He said to Basil as he walked to him.
“We should wait for reinforcements.” Said Alice while she held a Rowan who tried not to moan by the burns. “You do as you want. I’m going down. Make sure to inform the captain of this location.” said the older knight before he stepped through the passage and down a spiral stair on the other side. Alice helped Rowan up over her shoulder. ”I’m taking Rowan out of here. I’ll make inform everyone.” Basil nodded to her and as she walked out of the room with Rowan, Basil stepped through the fireplace and down the spiral stairs.
After quickly browsing through a bunch of notes related to the research he came to some accounting books. He browsed through many small operations and missions before he got to the accounting papers for the Kieran mines. He stopped and read it through a bit. Basil the browsed through the rest of the papers quickly looking over the locations. He browsed through among others locations such as, Sietuhn, Febala, Saghien, Mievan. He stopped when he noticed the one of the papers mentioning Nadra Vika. He took out the paper. “Operation at Fort Nadra”. Location: North of Nadra Vika. He read through the description which was very vague and mentioned nothing about the purpose of the operation. Only that anyone in the surrounding area would be put down before the operation could begin. The date: Late autumn of year 595. At the bottom of the paper were two signatures. Overseer of operation: Sir Philip Keline of Febala, “The purple crow” and manager: Harnor Lyvaris Basil made sure to remember the name Harnor Lyvaris before put the book aside and walked out of the room into a corridor with stone walls.
He walked pass many doors that seemed to be storage rooms. He later came to an iron door that stood open. The door had many safe devices such as two large metal bars that could be attached to the floor and roof. He stepped inside an room that had blood and some black liquid spread on floor and walls. The room was otherwise empty except for a table with shackles to hold people or other things. “Anyone there?” Someone said from across the corner. Basil walked there and met the knight from earlier sitting on the floor. He was bleeding heavily from his abdomen and had a wound with black liquid over it on his shoulder. “What happened here?” Basil asked but the knight groaned while he raised his hand to point back towards the door. “You have to kill it before it escapes. It managed to wound it badly but you have to end it. Go. Now!” The knight shouted at Basil. He was in stress but something felt off with the knight, however Basil followed his order and walked out of the room where he had come from. He came back to the corridor and noticed a small trail of the black liquid leading further down the corridor. Basil took off his cape and wrapped it around the openings of his helmet in case the black liquid was harmful before he continued down the path.
Help! Can someone help me! He came across multiple dead bodies of kilmaeren guards and some spell casters, all cowered more or less with the black liquid. Someone was screaming further down the path. He walked further and heard the voice coming from a room. He held his sword in both hands as he move closer. When he came to the door he took a peek inside. There was a large man covered in a black liquid with what seemed to be a dark mantra around him. He was bashing on a door from which the voice came from. Basil channeled the white flame through the Flame song and stepped inside.
The monster man did not hear him come inside. Basil raised his sword and thrust it straight into the man’s breast and heart. The man made a sound that was something between a scream and a roar but he did not fall. He turned around and struck Basil so hard that he flew into the wall. The man turned towards him still with the sword through his breast. Basil took up a spear from a dead guard and began holding the man on a distance. The monster man did not care about the spear and moved straight towards Basil. He slashed the man’s eyes with a quick sweep with the spear. He man roared again. The door behind him opened and someone stepped outside. The man that had screamed earlier had a mace in his hand and smashed the monster’s head. When the monster turned around Basil stepped forward, drew out the sword from its breast. He channeled the flame as good as he could swing it at the monster’s head, decapitating the monster.
Black blood streamed out of the monster’s neck, covering much of Basil’s armor and cape. Nothing came in contact with his skin however. The monster fell and Basil now saw that the man that had been screaming was actually an elf. “Thank you soldier, you saved my life. I will make sure to remember this.” Basil was confused before he noticed that he was enough covered with black liquid that it was difficult to know that he was Lisakdonian knight. The elf dropped the mace and sat down in a corner trying to recover his senses from the stress. He looked over himself and then back at Basil. “So what’s your name savior?”
“Ehm what?” Basil asked still a little confused of it all.
“Your name. If I should remember my savior I need a name of course.”
Basil: “Oh well It’s Basil”
Elf: “Basil? That doesn’t sound elvish? Don’t tell me I was saved by a human.”
B: “ehm. So what’s your name then?”
E: “You don’t know my name? So you are human then. Well well. It can’t be helped now. My name is Harnor.”
B: “Harnor Lyvaris?”
Harnor: “Oh you do know my name. So you’re one of Raimund’s men then?”
Basil sat silent.
Harnor: “Well if you’re one of his men I must assume that the attack is over then? Sad that the research specimen is dead. I wonder how it got loose. Maybe one of the men thought it would be a good idea to set it loose against the attackers.”
Basil stood up and went to the door.
“Well thanks again for saving my life Basil”
Basil got to the door, closed it and then locked it.
“Ehm what are you doing Basil?”
Basil then walked over to the mace and picked it up.
“Basil. What are you doing? Basil?”>
----------------------
Janet and Antonio were walking through the corridor in the secret basement. The army had arrived and the mansion was now full of soldiers. The leader of the Kilmaeren and some of his closest had been taken prisoner. They finally met Basil walking up the corridor. He was covered in blood and some black liquid underneath. They took him with them and walked up while speaking about what had happened. Antonio joked that they should jump into the river to wash themselves. Janet was more concerned what Basil’s had been through. Basil was not concerned. For a moment he finally felt satisfied.
With the Kilmaeren currently destroyed. Lisakdonia and the army could begin to focus on a greater mission as they turned their eyes towards the east.
The weeks following the Sirdaca operation were long and uneventful. Many knights and soldiers were still active to seek and either arrest or kill the remains of the Kilmaeren together with those that had tried to take up the banner. Most quickly fell into obscurity leaving only a shell of the once feared organization. There was now another greater beast that now had to be dealt with.
In the palace of Crastine queen Yiadelle, the generals, the masters of the order among others had begun a meeting to discuss how to deal with the war with Stelladora once and for all.
General 1: ”When have Friyena planned to arrive for this meeting?”
Order master 1: “Friyena have stated that she herself will not take part in this conflict nor anything related to the military actions of this war.“
General2: “How about her champion, how about William?”
Order master 2: ”The matter in hand have changed. William has changed. The William that was sent to Priepes was not the same as the William that returned.”
Master Gorbeniac: “It is up to our lady goddess what she does with William. She did become less willing to use his abilities after the Priepes mission. Something might have happened that we are not aware of or are not allowed to know.“
General2: “Maybe she only tested him.“
General1: “This discussion is getting out of hand. Let’s return to the matter. The diplomacy with Stelladora has failed and they have marched into the land of our ally Lalden raging battle against both their armies and ours that ate stationed there. The Stelladoran fleets have attacked our fleets all from the Dormanian land to Monil Isula completely locking out any possible trade or transport of provisions and resources. The Lalden capital of Valdune has been taken over and if we don’t act soon they might take control of the remaining land of western Lalden including Velan.“
General3: “We should send over an army and crush their pathetic invasion and then conquer the rest of their sorry land.“
General2 “That’s ridiculous! It would be suicide.“
General3“They have the main land of Dormania and even after six long years they still haven’t been able to conquer Lalden even with our stationed forces resisting them. I say that the gossip of their armies being dangerous is just bullocks. Their so called dragons are probably nothing more than misunderstood fire drakes.“
General4: “Yes Walter, the invasion of Lalden has to be stopped and pulled back but an invasion of Stelladora is unlikely to succeed since we don’t have an army close to what we would need for such invasion to be successful.“
Master Gorbeniac: ”Many dragons fight for glory and to receive the best mating partner. Those dragons domesticated by the Stelladorans are different. They have more in common with the behavior of bears than wild dragons. They only take risks fighting those that can harm them when they are very hungry or defending their own, their children.”
Walter: ”So they are not flying on dragons but large, fire breathing bears with wings? ”
Order Master1 “What kind of invasion, Walter?“
Walter: “What kind? There is only one kind. To conquer their sorry asses back to the east.“
Politican1: Why don’t we give the Stelladoran the same hot iron that they have been giving us these years by attacking their fleets and taking control of sea at their doorstep.
General2 ”That’s not a viable option. We don’t have the fleet for such large scale blockade- Also the Stelladoran does not depend on a fleet for anything at large scale, not military actions nor trade. Also our fleet would be spread far too thin making them fragile to dragon attacks.”
Politican1: ”Would it not be the opposite. More ships, more to burn? Less ships, less to burn?”
General2: ”More ships, more arrows in the sky. Less ships, less arrows in the sky. Every single arrow has a chance to hit the dragon’s eyes something that they avoid at all cost since that single arrow would likely lead to an infection and thus death. You see. Dragons are very ferocious and seemingly unstoppable as their scales are difficult to penetrate. Because of that many dragons go through their whole lives without ever getting an open wound so they have not built up a defense against simple infections like everything else. So when dragons fight among each other they fight more for show than to damage their opponent…”
General1: ”thank you!! A lecture in dragon biology and behavior is interesting thank you but it is not the purpose of this meeting. We have to come to a conclusion how to efficiently prevent and repel the invasion of Lalden.”
Yiadelle: ”We have to make peace with them.”
Walter: ”Peace!? Hahaha. No disrespect my queen but since your father went into an uncontrolled rage and killed the diplomats the Stelladorans will most likely not listen to diplomacy.”
Yiadelle: ”Then we force a peace treaty.”
General2: ”I’m sorry my queen but forcing peace with them would be like forcing a peace with a dragon.”
Yiadelle: ”Then how do you calm a dragon?”
General2: ”Well best would be to not get in conflict with one from the start. Otherwise you either need to kill it or threaten that you can with certainty kill it.”
Yiadelle: ”Then we threaten the dragon by pointing a dagger at its eyes. Like you said, they can’t resist an infection very well.”
General4: ”Stelladora is not like one dragon but rather a hundred dragons with double the amount of eyes. We could probably point a dagger at a few of them or one or two large ones. But we can’t deal with everyone.”
Yiadelle: ”Then we point the daggers towards those that matter. My dad used to say that the Stelladoran were only a union because of Stellearon, Ecedolon and Eagrolyn controlling the lesser kingdoms with fear and an iron fist. That if the three fell somehow the others would fall out of control and tend to themselves. They look like a union but they are not fully unified and neither are their armies.”
General4: ”So what you are saying my lady is that if we take the royal families of Stellearon, Ecedolon and Eagrolyn hostage, most of the minor kingdoms would back out of the war and we could demand a peace treaty with the whole union?”
General1: ”We could reach both Zeislanta in Stellearon from Lisathra and Grailline in Eagrolyn from Lalden and Valdune within a few weeks from landing. Beldon in Ecedolon is far outside of our reach. However if what you propose is true then the kingdoms in the west, south and north should back out as the two major capitals are taken. Ecedolon would provide a significant resistance but by taking the other two we would be given time and an opportunity to negotiate peace. In best case we’ll get a white peace with the union or at least most of it. In worst case we’ll free Lalden and force Stelladora’s offence back as well as clearing out the trade route. It would give us enough time to rebuild the fortifications in Lalden once again.”
The discussion continued for some time before they had brought up three different propositions. No majority could be made by a first vote so the propositions were changed slightly until the majority showed support for this military action and thus it was settled. Lisakdonia would sail to Stelladora with two armies. One travel north to Lisathra and pass towards Zeislanta. The other would directly go to Velan and liberate Valdune and Lalden before going towards Avurum and finally Grailline.
There was one major factor that the generals and masters were unaware of. During this time a dragon rider named Ammar Avitus in Beldon had just achieved something no one had ever done before. He had gained the trust and companionship of a great dragon.
Janet opened the door to the order’s forge. A young man was working on a damaged piece of armor when he noticed Janet. He pointed towards a door at the lower end of the forge. Janet nodded and walked to the door beneath a short stair. She walked into a smaller room where a dozen knights maintained their equipment. Basil and Antonio sat at a work bench. Antonio was in the middle of covering his sword with some thin oil. Basil was rubbing his shield with a red piece of cloth from a mix of some liquid and red paint. He was stroking the cloth over the red background of his shield carefully to avoid touching the symbol of Friyena’s symbol, the spear with two burning wings and a divine circle. They were so focused that they did not notice Janet stepping in beside them. Not until Antonio took up his sword and channeled the white flame that first burned with a light blue flame before turning white.
“Oh Janet! I did not see you stepping in. He said as he moved over the jar with oil to Basil’s side as he took up a small vial with a clear liquid within. He opened the vial and carefully dripped it into a new clean piece of cloth. He rubbed the clear liquid onto the sword with care.
“You have been maintaining your sword three times already since we returned from Sirdaca. Don’t you think that’s a little too much?” Janet said while looking on Basil’s work whom were too focused to recognize her presence.
”Not according to Sir Galahad. We have to make sure our equipment is in top condition for every single ceremonial event and even smaller stuff. It’s funny when I think about it. When I left Kelmatein I dreamed that I would become an honored knight that did nothing but defend the people from evil and being popular with the ladies. But my sword, Malumion, the Evil Slayer has been in more encounters with a piece of oiled cloth than the blades of our enemies.” Antonio said as he dripped over a little more of the clear liquid from the vial to the cloth.
Janet smiled as she took up the oiled cloth and held it before her. “Ah yes. The cloth of a thousand oils. The most terrifying evil in all of Avelaide! It is so evil that not even Antonio of the Kelmatein can slay it with his sword, the evil slayer Malumion! Mohahaha!” Antonio chuckled as he finished polishing his sword. “Oh Janet. You mislead fool. Don’t you understand? My plan was never to slay the clothes. My almighty and flawless plan has just gone in motion as I, Antonio, wielder of the Malumion does not seek the destruction of the oiled clothes but to take control of them. Then I shall with them behind me force the living beings of this world to their submission. In the end all shall bow down to me as their supreme leader as I take my rightful as ruler of the world! Mohahaha!
”Antonio, mightiest of the cloth lords. What will be your first order to our mere mortals as you take over the world?” Janet said sarcastically while bowing to Antionio.
”My first order as supreme leader shall be. A question to you my dear follower slaves. Where is My other followers by the name of Alice and Rowan?” Antonio said with high stature.
Basil was finished the red paint and now reached towards the piece of oiled cloth to cover the frame and parth that had not been painted. Janet gave cloth to Basil before she answered in normal voice ”Alice and Rowan are in the library to study spells as they said.”
Antonio and Janet both chuckled. Basil looked up from his shield slightly confused. “What? Study spells? Since when did Rowan get interested in spells?”
Janet and Antonio continued to chuckle and almost laugh because of Basil’s obliviousness. ”It is not spells that Rowan is interested in and probably not what they are studying either. They are studying something more. Bodily.” Said Janet with a smug smile as she let her hands touch Basil’s shoulder to more clearly express herself.
”You sure?”
“The signs have been there since long back but it became obvious after Sirdaca. Well it is high summer so the lovebirds have been active to build their nests and lay eggs. The air is filled with love. Some just can’t seem to see it yet. Antonio smiled as he looked from Janet at Basil before he seated his sword. Janet blushed slightly but Basil understood it completely different.
“Building nests and laying eggs? Are you saying? Have you and Amanda? Basil asked eagerly totally missing the intent of what Antonio meant.
Antonio was slightly chocked over Basil missing the intended point and instead hitting another.
“Well. I had planned to tell you all during a better moment but you got me. It was not intended but Amanda told me a few days ago that Levirga has blessed us.”
“That’s wonderful! I did not even know that you two have tried” Janet’s excitement had grown over the fact that Antonio would become a father.
“Well as said. It was not our intention but Levirga thought that we are ready so who are we to disagree?
Basil looked up slightly concerned “But if you’re going to become a father. Are you still planning to become a hunter knight?”
Antonio drew a part off his sword from the sheath while looking at it. “I have been thinking about it as well. I would want to reduce the risk of my child going without a father so I will take the safer bet and become an educator instead. I have been speaking to master Gorbeniac and master Galahad and they say that I need more experience before I can make the try-out. So unless something grand like the rumored Lalden liberation comes around, I’ll have to wait for probably another year or so."
The friends continued to speak about the child as Basil finished his maintenance. They met Alice and Rowan later that day and it was clear that Rowan had not learned anything at all about spells that day. They told the news to them about Antonio becoming a father. Days passed with ordinary routines until the rumored Lalden liberation was confirmed. However the operation would be much larger than expected so many saw it as an easy chance to rise in the ranks including Antonio followed by his friends. General Nicholas Celsus would lead the liberation of Lalden and General Sylvester Solum would lead another mission towards Zeislanta. Two great names of equally great leaders.
It was called the invasion to end the war and the biggest military action since the crusade a hundred years ago. The following three weeks the army and the chosen and voluntary knights would use to prepare. This was the opportunity many sought after to take revenge for their lost ones that had perished by stelladoran blood gold or the Margeficus that was still rumored to have been sent by the Stelladorans. A thought that would blaze up once again but this time it would it set ablaze the heart of a whole nation.
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Neigh! Nadja shook her head as the door to the stables opened. Basil was standing at her side brushing her as Janet came around the corner towards them. Janet approached Nadja and greeted her by patting and hugging her face. ”Antonio said that you have had nightmares again.”
Basil continued to brush Nadja’s side as he responded with a slightly grumpy tone.
“I won’t go to master Gorbeniac no matter how much you nag on about it.”
Janet patted Nadja’s black mane while cuddling her. “I know but that was not why I came here”.
Basil put away the brush as he was finished and then turned to Janet.
“If that’s not why you’re here then why are you here?”
Janet stopped cuddling Nadja but still kept her hand on her head. “For the same reason as always. I want to see how you are doing and make sure you are ok and… I care about Basil and it hurts me when you are being hurt or sad.”
Basil remained silent for a moment as he opened up the fence and led Nadja towards the door of the stable. Janet followed as they went out to the field enclosure where Basil set Nadja loose to roam with the other horses. Janet waved at Nadja as she ran away to the others.
”Was that the only reason you came here.” Basil said as he went to the shed to pick up a broom. “There is no “only” in caring for other people Basil. Also no, Antonio got the idea that we should get together and go to a tavern this evening since we are all free and it’s only two weeks until we travel to Lalden. He got some other people as well on it and fought it would be fun.”
Basil took up the broom and a bucket. “Yeah. Sure, why not?”
Janet gave him a quick hug “Great! We’ll meet at the Letholdus statue at dusk. See you there!” She released Basil and headed towards the front of the stable but before she stepped out the door she turned and waved at Basil. Basil stood still for a moment and looked at the broom and bucket. He smiled mildly by pure reaction before he went back to clean Nadja’s stall.
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The sun had lowered beneath the horizon and the last sunlight now only covered a small section of the horizon sky. Three ordinary clothed men were walking towards the south of Crastine while laughing at some jokes. They came to a large building that was lit and filled with music and song. A young woman and a young man were sitting on a bench at the edge of the tavern. “The Eagle’s nest” was the name of the tavern which the three men stepped inside. The tavern was full with people singing, drinking and dancing. On one table two men were doing a kind of dance-off against each other while the surrounding people where cheering. The three men ordered beers and sat down at a table that had enough free room.
“Magnus, Leonard and Andre! You’re late. Said Antonio sitting at the opposite side of the table with a tankard in his hand. Basil was sitting to his left and Janet to his right with Alice, Rowan and two other girls sitting beside them. Magnus was the one in the middle of the three men. He is a 27 year old war knight with average long black hair and short beard. Leonard had brown air and a longer beard. He was a 28 year old hunter knight. Andre was younger at 25 years age being an educator knight with red hair from Kilmatein like Antonio.
”The night is still young Antonio but there does not seem to be a lack of people here regardless.” Magnus said while raising his tankard for the table. Leonard was busy eating a whole grilled chicken, potatoes and a chunk of bread that he had ordered.
”Well it was actually not my idea initially I just spread it further haha. I need to get a refill. You could get to know each other guys meanwhile.”
The people presented themselves to each other and their professions. “So why is the reason you became knights for the order?” Magnus asked and as Basil was beginning to answer the question Antonio came back, but instead of sitting down on his regular place he hustled himself in between Janet and Rowan pushing Janet towards Basil. As he sat down he began to answer the question. “Well most of you already know why I’m a knight except Leonard. So the reason I became a knight was because in our family it is tradition that the firstborn becomes one and I decided to follow the tradition. Basil here became a knight because he lost his family to the Margeficus. Alice became one because she wanted more than just become a spell caster. Rowan became one for the glory and honor. Janet here became a knight to help and save people since she herself was saved during the Margeficus’ attack.” Janet became slightly grumpy by Antonio’s behavior but she nodded to his explanation.
“Most of us lost someone to the Margeficus. I lost my brothers and Leonard here lost his mother and sister but of course we were already taken into the school before the attack happened. Now we might finally get revenge for them. That is if it is true that Stelladora and Decaotus arranged the attack. He did come from the central sea and their land was untouched after all.”
The hours passed and the group joined the rest of the tavern to sing or dance during some occasions and had in general fun. They later sat down and listened to Magnus’ and Leonard’s adventures and spoke about their own. Late into the night after many beers, songs and stories they decided to go home. Alice and Rowan had already left. Janet had fallen asleep on Basil’s shoulder and Antonio have had a little too many beers since he had challenged Leonard to a drinking contest. Magnus and Andre helped the terribly singing Antonio home. Janet had also been drinking more than usual so Basil helped her home.
Magnus, Andre and Basil left the Tavern with the singing Antonio and the half sleeping Janet walking towards the barracks. The barracks were quite far away so it became difficult for Basil to supporting Janet all the way. Magnus offered to help him supporting her but Basil declined and told them that his family house was very close so he would walk her there instead. They decided to follow him there at least which they did. When they got to Basil’s house the three men said good night and continued towards the barracks. Basil helped Janet into his parent’s bed. After he had put her to bed headed towards his bed she said one sentence in her half sleeping state. What she said was not completely unexpected to Basil but he had preferred if he never heard them.
”I love you Basil.”