Chapter VII

  The dreams came as they always did, but this time they were wrapped up with scenes of Aria dressed in her emerald gown, at the banquet hall, laughing while holding his arm. This image dissolved into Aria dressed in a pale blue dress, wearing a white apron, shaking the dust from rugs.

  Darius smiled in his dreams at the image. The dream soon twisted into the battle on the walls, then he was fighting the giant single-handedly, while it reached for Aria. Darius blinked, and the giant became a fifteen-foot tall Morsteck who raised his sword high overhead. Morsteck's gauntlet glowed, and an earthquake opened up to swallow Darius as Aria screamed his name... Darius....Darius....

  “Darius....Darius!” he finally awoke to Aria shaking him.

  “Breakfast is ready,” she told him as he wiped a cold sweat from his face ”...and the Council of Elders is set to begin in an hour - they've requested you be there.”

  Darius ate hurriedly and got ready for the council meeting, wishing he had time to soak his battle-weary muscles in a hot bath. He dressed quickly, and waving a hasty goodbye to Aria and his sister, left for the village square.

  In the meeting hall, many of the villagers had gathered, waiting to hear the decision of the Council of Elders. The pair were shown into the same room where Xavier had spoken with them the previous day.

  The various members of the council -- the village Elders, already occupied most of the chairs around the oval table. A few chairs had been left empty at one end of the table. At the other end sat Xavier, dressed now in his council robes. Darius took a seat in the chair offered to him by one of the aides, and tried to wait patiently without fidgeting. He wished Aria was here - she was born for this sort of thing after all.

  Darius had attended enough meeting like this in various kingdoms to know that the council was still waiting for someone to arrive. They didn’t have to wait long. The double doors soon opened and in walked Tyrell. Rankin entered afterwards leading a manacled General Halgon who was followed closely by two soldiers as guards.

  A murmur of voices swept through the room at the sight of the enemy general. Rankin and Tyrell each took seats on opposite sides of Darius, while the soldiers stood keeping a watchful eye on Halgon at the head of the room.

  Xavier tapped the table with a small gavel. “Gentlemen.“ he said, calling the meeting to order. “You all know of the battle last night that threatened to destroy our village. We lost a number of good men and women in the fighting, the earthquakes and the fires. You have been called together today to determine what we must do now in the aftermath, as well as to decide the fate of those responsible.”

  Darius looked at General Halgon, and was disturbed when he saw a smug look of satisfaction on the General's face.

  Xavier continued. “Commander Tyrell, what the current condition of our defenses?”

  Tyrell, got up from his seat and looked around the grim faces seated at the table. “We have two crews working to repair the breaks in our outer wall. They should be completed by mid-day. However, we lost close to thirty men and women in the battle last night, and probably can’t withstand another attack like that.”

  One of the councilors looked pointedly at Halgon before saying, “That still doesn’t explain how they were able to breach the walls in the first place. As I understood it, the secret to making explosives of that magnitude died with the Atlans.”

  At that comment, General Halgon chuckled. “We have discovered a great many things.” he sneered, “If Commander Morsteck hadn’t been called way, we wouldn’t have needed the explosives. He would have leveled this whole village with one massive earthquake.”

  A shocked silence filled the room at his words. Finally, Xavier managed to get out a stunned “Impossible, no person can cause earthquakes like that.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.” Darius interjected before Halgon could gloat more. “From what we saw last night, a gauntlet that Morsteck was wearing seemed to be the cause of the last quake that shook the town as the battle started.” Darius looked to Tyrell who was nodding.

  “Unfortunately, I have to agree.” Tyrell added. “Even if he didn’t cause it, Morsteck knew it was coming even before it happened, and used it to get away.”

  “Commander Morsteck did make the earthquake happen.” Halgon gloated, his teeth bared in an evil grin. “And when he returns, he will sweep across all of Aralistra and bring all of you under our boot. We have made some very powerful allies! No one can stand in our way....”

  Tyrell was out of his seat now, shouting to the guards, “Get him out of here! He can wait for his sentence in his cell.” As General Halgon was forcibly removed from the room, he kept shouting, “You’ll see! Not even Falconhome can resist us! Everyone who resists us will die! Mark my words your time will come. Feldon will fall, and not even your murdering heroes can save you....”

  They could still hear his ranting as the guards dragged him downstairs to the prison below. A silence once again filled the room, while those present thought about the implications of Halgon’s ranting. Tyrell finally broke the silence.

  “Given the events that have occurred, even assuming that Halgon’s threats are just the empty words of a raving lunatic, I think it would be wise to send word to the palace in Falconhome warning of an attack. If nothing else, they should be appraised of the events of the past few days, and of the fact that - somehow - Count Lotch has acquired the lost art of making explosives. King Kyphen should also know that Trideria now seem able control the power of earthquakes.”

  Xavier nodded in agreement, “Commander, are any of your men up to the challenge of delivering the message?”

  Tyrell considered this a moment before answering. “I’m afraid that most of my men were either killed, or severely wounded. The few that remain, are supervising the fortification of our defenses here. However, there may be an easy solution." he gestured towards Darius "I recommend that Darius and Aria deliver the message to the palace. Darius has always been well received by the Royal Family, and their testimony might be more believable than any that my men could give.”

  Several of the village elders nodded their approval at this idea while Xavier watched Darius closely. He knew the turmoil that was going on in Darius’ mind right now -- the need to protect his former home warring with the need to prevent other towns from falling to Morsteck’s forces.

  Darius finally seemed to make up his mind. “I can’t speak for Aria, but I'll go. Though we'll need horses for the journey, and it would be best if we carried a written proclamation signed by the Council of Elders to back up the story.”

  Xavier turned a gentle smile towards the young hero. One of the council members offered, “I personally will provide two of the fastest horses I own if you will deliver this message for us.”

  The rest of the meeting was spent recording the message to be delivered, followed by further preparations for the defense of the village. Finally as afternoon turned to evening, Darius returned to his sister’s home, accompanied by Rankin.

  As they arrived, Aria greeted them at the door holding Mia, who reached out to Rankin wanting to be held. While Aria handed Mia to her father, Darius filled her in on the decision of the Council.

  This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  Later that night, the council member -- Victor Evans, brought the two horses around for them.

  “Take good care of them.” Victor told Darius as they inspected the animals. “They’re two of the finest steeds in the territory.”

  “Don’t worry,” Aria said with a smile. “...we’ll bring them back safely.”

  “No, no.” Victor shook his head. “You misunderstand. They’re yours to keep. I’m giving them as a gift to you in thanks of what you have done for our village. I honestly don’t think we would have survived the attack if it hadn’t been for the aid of the two of you and Commander Tyrell.”

  Aria looked over the two horses, a beautiful black stallion for Darius, and a regal-looking gray mare for herself. “Th-Thank you.” she finally managed to stammer, not used to being at a loss for words.

  Councilor Evans finally excused himself, patting the stallion on the nose, saying, “You behave for your new master, Windsong.” The stallion nickered, nuzzling his former owner affectionately, as the Councilor turned to go.

  After Victor had left, Rankin walked up to where Aria was grooming the gray mare - Twilight. He stroked the mare’s soft muzzle, offering her the piece of carrot he had managed to sneak out of Elainna’s pantry. “Councilor Evans must really think a lot of you two. His horses are like children to him. He really wasn’t kidding when he said that these two are the finest in the area.”

  Rankin was looking everywhere but at Darius as he said “I just wanted you to know that we all appreciate what you two have done." Rankin finally met his brother-in-law's eyes and clapped Darius on the shoulder. "You’re both welcome in my house any time.”

  Darius smiled sheepishly before his gaze hardened. “You’re not in the clear yet. Morsteck could return at any time, and you’ve got an enemy General in prison that they’re liable to want back. I’d keep him under tight guard if I were you.” Darius warned.

  “What Darius means -- is thanks.” Aria told Rankin, glaring at Darius.

  Rankin grinned, used to Darius’ gruff ways. “Don’t worry, we’ve decided to keep Halgon and his men under heavy guard at all times. I’ll be personally overseeing them until you return with a contingent to take them to Falconhome to stand trial.”

  Elainna appeared in the doorway, just then, to let them know that the evening meal was ready. Darius finished making sure that the horses had plenty of food and water before following the rest of them inside.

  In the morning, they arose early, eating quickly. Darius was eager to be on the road before daybreak. They had packed their provisions in the saddlebags the night before, so were able to saddle the horses quickly. Before leaving, Darius crept into the bedroom where Mia still slept. Lost in thought, watching his niece sleep, Darius didn’t hear Aria as she entered the room quietly. On an impulse, she took his hand in hers, whispering, “It’s time to go.”

  Darius jumped, obviously startled but didn’t remove her hand. Finally, he gently bent down and kissed the sleeping infant on the cheek. Mia stirred in her sleep but didn’t wake. Silently, they crept from the room.

  After saying their good-byes to Elainna and Rankin, the pair rode to the main gate. Tyrell met the duo and handed Darius the a waterproof case containing the message that had been drafted by the council the previous day. Tyrell also gave them a second case with his own report for the Palace, and a request for reinforcements to replace the soldiers that had been lost during the battle. As they were preparing to leave, Tyrell had one last request.

  “While you’re in Falconhome, please try to find an old scholar named Tristan Telgan. He may be able to shed some light into how Morsteck is able to control the earthquakes, or where they learned the secrets of explosives.”

  Aria twitched at the name; remembering a conversation with Halla several years ago on the night her father was Murdered.

  After wishing them a safe journey, Tyrell gave the order to open the gate for them, and they rode out into the darkness of pre-dawn morning.

  They rode in silence, the sleek muscular horses making good time across the grassy plains. Dawn was breaking as they approached the next village, but they took the long way around, not wanting to be spotted - just in case some of Morsteck’s spies were watching.

  Farmland flashed by and Windsong’s hoofs kicked up tufts of sod has he galloped along, Aria racing close behind on Twilight. By mid-afternoon, they had slowed their ride back to a steady walk, trying to pace the horses. Darius dismounted, leading Windsong by the reigns to allow him plenty of time to cool down for the last half mile as they approached the stream that emerged near the entrance to the Sentinel Woods.

  They ate hungrily from the provisions that Elainna had packed while the horses drank their fill and grazed contentedly nearby. Finally, after quenching their own thirst and refilling their water bottles from the stream, they mounted their horses and entered the Sentinel Woods.

  Overhead, twisted branches intertwined into a dark curtain that turned the full light of day into a dim half-light. The horses moved nervously, tossing their heads as skittering sounds could be heard in the underbrush. Windsong snorted anxiously at half imagined shadows as Darius gently coaxed the big animal into a canter.

  “There’s an eerie feel to the air....” Aria mused as she pulled up alongside Darius. “...almost an expectant brooding. As if everything in the woods were waiting for something.” Darius nodded, without saying anything, intent on the road ahead.

  “How much farther to Falconhome?” Aria asked after a moment.

  “We’ll arrive around noon tomorrow.” Darius answered. “The road is dangerous to travel in the dark of night. Not much light filters through the trees, and the road zigzags through the woods. It's possible, but I'd rather not risk it if we don't have to. There’s a clearing about halfway through the woods where we can camp, but we’ll have to hurry if we’re going to make it before nightfall.”

  With that said, Darius urged Windsong forward. The black horse didn’t need any additional coaxing, and shot forward at a full run, leaving Aria to hurry to catch up. She spurred Twilight, and they were off, racing along at breakneck speed like all of the creatures of the under-realms were chasing them.

  In the darkness of the forest, cold unfriendly eyes watched their progress before following along on the same course. As darkness began to gather, several more pairs of eyes had joined the first, as they all moved soundlessly toward Falconhome....

  The pair reached the clearing as the sun dipped below the horizon. Darkness had already descended upon the woods, and they could hear small animals moving in the underbrush. Darius dismounted before Windsong has even come to a complete stop. He hurriedly gathered up any loose wood lying around, and set about making a fire.

  As she tended to the horses, Aria looked around the clearing. This place looked like it was a common place to set up camp. There were a total of five fire pits scattered in a rough circle around the clearing. Darius got the central fire started, and carried a lit branch to another pit across the clearing, where he began building another blaze.

  “What are you doing?” Aria asked, bewildered.

  Darius didn’t bother to look up from his task. “The Sentinel Woods are a very dangerous place. Many dark creatures live here and come out at night. The creatures that live in these woods don’t like flames.” He finally looked up as the second fire began to crackle to life, motioning to the circle of fire pits. “These pits are arranged to provide a deterrent, so that the creatures don’t approach the camp.” He got up, carrying an armful of wood to the next pit in the circle.

  “So, if we camp in the center, with the fires around us, the beasts won’t attack us?” Aria asked.

  “Well....” Darius said after a minute, “remember the half-wolf/half-man thing that you fought the other night?”

  Aria shuddered, she did indeed remember. “Yeah, it almost turned me into a shish-kabob.”

  “It’s called a 'Weylin'." he told her. “They live wild in these woods and hunt in packs. They won’t approach the fires by themselves, but if there are enough of them....” he left the sentence unfinished and went back to his task.

  After the fires were lit, Darius dared to venture into the nearby forest to gather more wood for the night. Aria busied herself unsaddling the horses, and portioning out the grain that had been brought for the steeds. Darius returned after a few moments, his arms full of wood, which he deposited in the middle of the clearing.

  “There’s a stream on the other side of the clearing.” he told her pointing toward one of the fires. “I’m going to get one more load of wood, and will be back.”

  “Hurry.” she told him, not wanting to admit to her fear. “Something doesn’t feel right here”, she said finally.

  Darius nodded and left again. Overhead the stars were just beginning to appear in the night sky. Aria crossed the clearing and found the stream where she refilled their canteens. She made several more trips, bringing water back for the horses in the water skins that Elainna had packed for them. Darius had not been gone for long when she suddenly noticed that all of the normal night sounds had disappeared, leaving only an eerie silence in its place.

  Aria was filling the skins from the stream for the last time when a mournful howl split the silence in the distance, causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end. Aria drew her sword and looked cautiously around the clearing. Aside from the horses, nothing was moving. At the edge of the clearing not more than fifteen feet in away from her, a rustle of leaves betrayed the presence of something living.

  Behind her, Windsong snorted nervously, pawing at the ground with his hoof. Aria readjusted her grip on her sword, wishing that she hadn’t left her crossbow beside her saddlebags on the other side of the camp. Afraid to move for fear of provoking an attack, she stood rooted in place. The rustling came again. Aria wished that Darius would hurry and return.

  On the other side of the clearing, the sound of a twig snapping caught her attention. Aria was in the process of turning to see what had made the sound, when an arrow whizzed by her from across the clearing. With a startled scream, she dropped for cover....