by E J Gilmour
Casimir nodded, and his eyes drifted toward the headland. ‘It is a sign!’ he cried, pointing toward the headland. Eben turned to see atop the rocky headland stood a shining white unicorn. ‘Go Ecorian! Go before he leaves! The eternal light has sent you a steed to take you through the darkening night! Go Ecorian!’
Eben sprinted along the beach toward the headland and climbed the rocky rise as quickly as he could. Within minutes he had reached the height of the headland. The white unicorn stared at him as he arrived. The majestic creature glowed against the shadowy background of thick dark clouds. Eben slowly approached and the unicorn gently bowed its head.
‘I am Eben Ecorian,’ he said softly.
**
King Edric watched the city below from one of the great arched windows of the Ecorian Hall. A feeling of impending doom filled his heart and mind. He knew it was only a matter of time, and he felt a deep sense of failure that he couldn’t protect his people from the enemy army beyond the gate.
Acartor approached and stood beside him and looked outward over the city. ‘The second muckron army has arrived. The Astarian from Crescent Bay is with them. The gate will fall. They will be upon us soon.’
King Edric’s eyes drifted to the area beyond the wall where the muckron horde was camped. ‘I know it is over, Acartor. All we can do is fight until the end.’
Acartor stood in silence for a minute with the king. ‘The decision to fight is foolish and reckless. If you would allow me to negotiate I believe I could salvage something from this hopeless situation. At least then some men would remain living. We must think logically. Survival should be our priority.’
‘There are some things that an honourable man cannot accept,’ said King Edric firmly.
‘But everyone will die,’ muttered Acartor.
‘Everyone dies eventually. It is not about when you die; it is about how you live. We will die as we have lived, with our honour,’ said King Edric firmly.
The doors of the Ecorian Hall opened and Princess Apherah quickly crossed the marble floor toward them. She was carrying a small piece of parchment in her hand.
‘Father, a messenger falcon just arrived from King Ignis of Ortaria. He has crossed into Vastoria with his army and is nearing the Sunset Hills. The tribes of the Empyrian Hills and the Scaldonians are with him. They are coming to save us.’
King Edric’s eyes opened wide. He quickly took the message from Apherah’s hands.
‘He is coming with an army of nearly fifty thousand soldiers,’ said King Edric, his voice growing hopeful.
Acartor took a step back at hearing her words. ‘This army is not enough to match the army of the Prince of Shadows. They will be utterly crushed.’
Princess Apherah looked at Acartor with surprise. ‘But there may be a chance.’
‘What chance?’ growled Acartor. ‘This is foolish. Our only chance was when we fought the enemy at Crescent Bay. We were completely overwhelmed. King Ignis is a fool for leading his army to their end. This is a barbaric move that will have a brutal outcome. This will not help us come to a resolution.’
‘I don’t see it that way, Acartor,’ said King Edric. ‘There is still some hope. We will hold out for as long as we can. Perhaps King Ignis will arrive before we are destroyed.’
Acartor shook his head. ‘It is your decision, King Edric, but I think you should not hope where there is no hope.’ Acartor turned and walked across the hall toward the stairwell that led down to the lower levels.
‘Father, the Ortarians are strong and noble. If we can just hold off the enemy for a few more days they may be able to save us.’
King Edric smiled at his daughter. ‘I am very proud of you, Apherah. You are brave and strong, and you never give up hope. I’m sorry for standing between you and the Ecorian. I should have never stepped in the way of your chance to find love.’
Apherah’s sad eyes glanced away. ‘I know you wanted what was best for our people. Eben Ecorian was a noble warrior. He gave his life to defend our kingdom. I will always hold the memory of him in my heart.’
King Edric smiled and hugged his daughter. ‘We will honour the Ecorian by fighting as he fought. We will give our lives as he did.’
CHAPTER FIVE
An army of fifteen thousand Jeanian tribal warriors filled a wide valley between two large sandy hills deep in the desert of Vastoria. Their banners depicted the white Ecorian unicorn on a purple background and hundreds flew high above their encampment.
Quade stood with Arthur and Dillon outside the tent of the High Chief of the Jeanians. ‘Do they always make you wait so long?’ he asked Dillon.
Dillon’s masked face looked across at him. ‘Yes, they believe we gave up the noble ways of the Ecorian Empire. Making us wait is one of their ways of showing their disapproval that we no longer follow the old Ecorian ways. They only regard the Desert Knights as friends because we have fought to protect the Jeanians in the past.’
After nearly an hour of waiting they were finally called into the tent by the tribesmen. The leather tent was large and several oil lanterns burned and provided a soft light. Three old Jeanian tribesmen sat cross-legged on the ground. They all had thick beards and deeply weathered faces. A haze filled the tent from the large wooden pipes the chiefs were smoking. They looked up at Quade and the two Desert Knights.
‘Welcome, Sir Arthur,’ said the oldest of the three tribesmen.
‘Greetings, Chief Parco,’ said Arthur.
‘Why have you come to our camp?’ asked one of the other tribesmen.
‘We have come to ask for your help,’ said Arthur. ‘We have arrived at a very perilous time for the people of Vastoria. The Desert Knights believe it is time for all Vastorians to work together. We spoke with Prince Armida of Ateria. He has brought an army of fifteen thousand men from Ateria. They are in league with the outcasts of the Zyranian Order and are marching north to battle the muckron horde which has invaded Irvaria. The Desert Knights will ride with the Aterians. We have come to ask you to join us.’
Chief Parco looked up at Arthur and shook his head. ‘I’m sorry to disappoint you, Sir Arthur, but we will only follow the command of the Ecorian.’
‘The return of the Ecorian is nothing more than a rumour,’ stated Dillon, annoyed by the response. ‘The rumour is a result of the people hoping for a liberator in such a time of darkness. The hour of need is now. We can’t wait for an extinct line of emperors to return to save us.’
‘We realise the danger,’ said Chief Parco in a low voice. ‘Nevertheless, we are not interested in fighting in any war without the Ecorian. The Jeanians have waited for many ages for the return of our emperor. We have seen the signs, and we are prepared to wait.’
‘But for how long?’ asked Dillon impatiently.
‘For however long it takes,’ replied Chief Parco as he puffed on his pipe. Suddenly a deep horn sounded in the distance and was instantly followed by several others. ‘It seems you are not the only visitors we will have today.’
Chief Parco stood up and walked out of the tent with the other two tribesmen. Quade, Arthur, and Dillon followed. The Jeanians were gathering and many had drawn their curved Vastorian swords in readiness to fight.
‘That horn is a warning,’ said Dillon. ‘Something is coming.’
They watched the top of the hills in the distance and waited.
‘Look,’ said Arthur, pointing to the height of the dune to the south.
A single rider on a great white horse was traversing a high ridge parallel to the camp. He turned his horse and descended the sandy slope.
‘I don’t believe it,’ said Dillon, shaking his head in shock.
‘Don’t believe what?’ asked Quade as he stared at the approaching rider.
‘That’s not a horse he’s riding; it’s a unicorn.’
They watched as the rider entered the valley and neared the camp. He was not wearing any armour and only had a single sword at his belt.
‘It’s him!’ cried Chief Parco i
n joy. ‘It truly is him! The Emperor has returned!’ The army of Jeanian tribesmen watched on in astonishment as the rider entered their camp. The unicorn glowed brightly. They could hardly believe their eyes. A complete silence fell over the entire multitude of tribesmen.
‘It’s Eben,’ said Quade, shaking his head and smiling.
Eben rode toward them slowly as all the Jeanians watched on in awe. He halted his unicorn about twenty feet from where Quade was standing with the Desert Knights and the chiefs.
‘We have waited so long for your return,’ said Chief Parco. ‘Are you the Ecorian?’
‘My name is Eben Ecorian,’ said Eben as he dismounted. ‘I have come to ask for the help of the Jeanians. The Irvarians need your help. Will you help me save them?’
Chief Parco bowed down. ‘We will prepare at once.’
**
King Edric had called a council in the Ecorian Hall. Already most of the seats of the table were taken by the commanders and knights of the city guard. Red, Cassiel, and Stella entered the hall. Baftel, Mostyn, Meara, Arlen, Princess Apherah, and Acartor were also seated at the table. They joined the company.
‘The muckron army is leaving,’ said King Edric. ‘King Ignis has moved his army across the Sunset Hills and has entered the east of Irvaria. Clearly the Astarian does not want to wait for King Ignis and his army to arrive at Faircastle. He is moving his army to intercept the Ortarians. I want to lead what remains of my army into the battle. My commanders have assessed our resources. We have two thousand cavalry and ten thousand soldiers. We also have another ten thousand men who are willing to fight.’
‘You mean the elderly men of the city?’ asked Acartor, shaking his head at the idea.
‘Yes, many of the older men of our city are willing to take up arms, and many brave women have already been assisting in the defence of Faircastle. They will also march with us.’
‘With such an army we will be completely destroyed,’ said Acartor. ‘We must face the reality that defeat is imminent.’
King Edric stared sternly at Acartor for a few seconds and then looked around at the others seated at the table.
‘I believe this course of action is our best and only chance. King Ignis will not be able to overcome the enemy army alone, but with our help we may stand a chance.’
‘What chance!’ scoffed Acartor. ‘There simply is no chance. Even with King Ignis and his army there is still no hope. The muckrons, Skatheans, and wyverns will completely destroy us.’
‘I’m ready to die fighting,’ said Red with deep conviction. ‘Eben died fighting for freedom. We will fight as Eben fought.’
‘Do you think you are being brave, Sir Red?’ asked Acartor. ‘We will all be fools if we take this path. Men can survive and continue to live in Veredor, but if we choose to fight we will surely die. We should negotiate with the Prince of Shadows.’
The mention of the Prince of Shadows silenced the company. King Edric stared across at Acartor for some time before speaking. ‘Acartor, I have already made the decision to march. We will fight with all our remaining courage. I sent a messenger falcon to King Ignis and received one back just before I called this council. He is waiting with his army at Jeriel’s Field. If we march on the north bank of the Adira River we will avoid the muckron army. We can then cross the river at the Morris Bridge. Jeriel’s Field is only a three day march. We must move quickly to outpace the enemy army. This will be our last stand.’
**
Eben looked across the table at Prince Armida of Ateria. The Aterian Prince had not moved his eyes from Eben since he had entered the command tent of the Aterian army. Chief Parco, Quade, Arthur, Dillon, and several other commanders and chiefs of the Jeanians and Aterians were seated at the table. Three wizards entered the tent and bowed to Prince Armida and then to Eben. They were clothed in long dark cloaks. The leader was an old man with greying hair, bushy eyebrows, and a large moustache.
‘My name is Aperio. I am an outcast of Zyran and a former wizard of the Seers of Zyran. I am honoured to meet you, Eben Ecorian.’ He bowed to Eben. ‘These are my companions: the Zyranians Cardo and Tuor. They are also outcasts of Zyran.’ Cardo was a stocky and short man with blond hair and dark eyes. Tuor was much the opposite; he was very tall and lanky with a sallow complexion and a youthful face; although his age was given away by the strands of grey in his hair.
Eben stood up and stepped toward the Zyranians and shook their hands. ‘It is also an honour to meet you,’ said Eben.
They all took seats at the table. Prince Armida waited until everyone was ready before he started the council. ‘Tomorrow we plan to march north, and we will follow the Adira River toward Irvaria. We are aware that King Ignis of Ortaria is leading a combined army of Ortarians and Scaldonians across the Sunset Hills. We also believe he has the support of the Empyrians. His army numbers about fifty thousand men. He plans to attack the muckron army which is currently laying siege to Faircastle.’
‘We must march to meet with King Ignis. With our armies combined we will crush the muckron horde,’ said Chief Parco.
‘No, such a plan would lead to our defeat,’ replied Prince Armida bluntly. ‘The walls of Faircastle have thus far repelled the enemy army. We believe it will not be long before the city falls.’
‘Why wouldn’t we want to join with the Ortarian army?’ asked Eben.
‘Because by the time we arrive at Faircastle the Prince of Shadows will hold the city. Once they win the city it will be impossible for us to win it back,’ said Prince Armida.
‘What other options do we have?’ asked Chief Parco, his brow deeply furrowed. Prince Armida glanced across at Aperio and indicated for him to speak. The wizard looked at Eben.
‘We have been using magic to hide our army from the eyes of the Prince of Shadows and his sorcerers. The enemy is not aware of the presence of the Aterian army in Vastoria. Furthermore, the Prince of Shadows is so confident that he no longer hides his plans from us. He believes his ultimate victory is near. He considers King Ignis to be the only thorn in his side. He will want to destroy the Ortarians as quickly as possible. Therefore, our plan is to allow King Ignis to draw the muckron horde away from Faircastle. When the stage has been set we will reveal ourselves.’
‘Do you think we can defeat the Prince of Shadows?’ asked Dillon.
The company fell silent. Prince Armida sternly looked to Eben. ‘Perhaps we should ask the Ecorian.’ They all turned to look at Eben.
Eben pondered the question. He glanced down at the Sword of Light that was at his side. ‘The Prince of Shadows will wish that he never returned to Veredor,’ he said with conviction.
CHAPTER SIX
The gate of Faircastle creaked as it opened. It was clearly evident that the hinges were buckled and twisted. The gate had little strength remaining. The Irvarian army had gathered along the main road that led between the gate and the palace. A sea of red Irvarian flags flew in the brisk breeze of the morning. Several long beams of sunlight shone over the city and lifted the hearts of the gathering soldiers. King Edric rode out through the gate, and Princess Apherah, wearing shining silver armour, rode her magnificent white warhorse after her father. The long lines of Irvarian troops began to march out of the city.
The horde of muckrons had completely departed the area, but their presence had left the fields and villages surrounding Faircastle in a state of complete ruin. Not one building remained standing outside the city walls; each and every structure had been burned to the ground, and all the old stone buildings had been destroyed by the invaders. Every tree had suffered a similar fate. Only smouldering stumps and blackened muddy fields remained.
King Edric surveyed the area and shook his head in anger. He turned his dark warhorse and led the army out along the river road with a look of determination in his eyes. Red, Cassiel, Stella, Meara, and Baftel rode just back from the front of the army.
‘All of Veredor will look like this if the Prince of Shadows is victorious,’ said Meara, her sad
eyes scanning their surroundings.
‘Not if we have anything to do with it,’ said Red. Meara smiled at Red’s brash confidence.
‘We will do all we can,’ said Meara.
‘King Ignis may just have something up his sleeve,’ said Red. ‘I know King Ignis, and I’m sure he will have a plan that will get us out of trouble.’
‘Let’s hope so.’
The army rode on eastward for several miles and crossed a large stone bridge to the north side of the river. For the rest of the day they followed the river road. The forest north of the river had been left untouched and hadn’t suffered the fiery fate of the forests on the southern bank. The beauty of Irvaria gave them all hope and rekindled a feeling of courage among the Irvarian soldiers. Late in the afternoon they passed through a forest of golden elms and set up camp in a meadow on the east side of the woods and near to the river.
Red and Stella sat by the river and watched the gentle flow of the water pass by. Cassiel was sitting on a rock a little further down the bank and was watching the southern side of the wide river with intent eyes. A feeling of anger swelled in Red’s heart. Memories of seeing Eben being cast from the cliff top were always at the forefront of his mind. He felt stricken that he couldn’t be there to save his friend. Red had never had a friend like Eben before, and he knew that he would never again meet anyone like Eben.
‘I’m going to avenge Eben,’ he said to Stella. ‘When the battle starts I’m going to fight my way directly to the Prince of Shadows. Just before I finish him I’ll tell him I’m avenging the death of Eben Ecorian.’
‘I miss Eben too,’ said Stella sadly.
‘I should have been there on the cliffs to help him.’
‘Red, you did all you could do. We tried to keep up with Eben and the others. There were just too many muckrons. If Meara hadn’t come to save us we too would have been killed on the battlefield.’
Red looked away and nodded reluctantly. He still felt there must have been something he could have done to save his friend.