Revelations of Doom

by Jedidiah Behe

  "Will your people join us along the way?" asked Kyrianna.

  "They have been dispatched to Vorea. Traveling out of the mountains is rigorous, especially with such a large number and it will take them some time. Things have moved along faster than I had foreseen however and the army should be arriving in time."

  Kyrianna was confused. She knew that it would take at least a week or more travel time to march an army from Ortsk to Vorea and wondered how Solomon thought they might make it to Vorea before the war was over. "When were your men dispatched?" she asked curiously.

  "My people set out of the mountains two weeks ago,” answered Solomon.

  Kyrianna leaned back in her saddle, a bit shocked. "But how long have you known of this war?"

  Solomon looked into her eyes a long time before answering. "I have known of this war for over twenty years."

  Kyrianna pulled her reigns in, stopping her horse abruptly. "How could you have known of this war for so long? And if so, why did you not warn my people of it. You could have stopped this from happening with so much time to intervene."

  Solomon had anticipated Kyrianna's reaction. He put his hand up to beg her indulgence. "The reason why I knew of the war is because I saw it in a vision."

  "You’re a prophet?" asked Kyrianna, obviously skeptical.

  "I have seen prophecy yes, but along with prophecy comes responsibility. I was given a vision of a war to come, and a task to complete by that time. I was never aware of the exact date of this war. What would your people have thought if I had come to them, ranting about an attack on Vorea? I did not know who would lead this attack. What do you think your people would have thought and done? They may have dismissed me as a crazy man. But what if they closed their gates to everyone around them? And what if I had come ten years to early? No war would have started but your trade routes would have been closed, businesses would have failed, and by the time your kingdom realized that no war was immanent, it would be impossible to reestablish relations with the surrounding tribes. I could have very well doomed Vorea before the war ever came. Do you see?"

  Kyrianna thought about it all. It made absolute sense, prophecy was prophecy, to try and bring it about to one’s liking was foolish and naive. She couldn't believe she had been so narrow-minded. What would her father think? "I am sorry, my emotions cloud my logic. Forgive me?"

  Solomon waved his hand in the air. "Nonsense, there is nothing to forgive. There is no fault in holding such love for your people. Trust me child, there have been times that I thought to try and change prophecy."

  Kyrianna nodded and offered a small smile. "I have never met a prophet before. We have people in our city that claim to be Seers, but I have seldom found truth to their tales. Do you see all things that will happen?"

  "No, I have seen very little of the future, and some of what I have seen, I wish to forget."

  Kyrianna watched as Solomon's eyes looked out past what was real, into the places that his visions have taken him. She decided to keep further questions to herself and rode next to Solomon in silence. She looked back over her shoulder and watched Eliath and Tarriel talk to each other. It looked as if Eliath was instructing Tarriel in some way, about riding her horse. She was amazed at how the independent Tarriel seemed so anxious to learn from Eliath. It was the most unnatural looking thing for her to be doing and by the way Tophin gawked at her, Kyrianna knew that it was extremely out of character for the proud female warrior.

  Her smile faded as thoughts of her kingdom seeped into her mind. What would come of Vorea? Who was this tyrant from the north? Would the other tribes arrive in time to help? Would it be enough to help? She could only hope and pray that it would.

  A Brother’s Love

  Lucian rode hard to Yavasura. He had slowed only a few times to walk Thunder so as not to kill the mighty horse from exhaustion. Aside from a stop to water the horse, he moved on relentlessly. He arrived in Yavasura on the afternoon of the fourth day, tired and feeling quite dirty, yet his armor still maintained its brilliant shine somehow. The militiamen that met him on the outskirts of the village recognized him immediately and let him pass. He hadn't planned on stopping either way, pushed ever onward by the feeling of betrayal from his own brother and his people.

  Those inside Yavasura that knew him stopped and glanced at the mighty steed that he rode, but nothing further. He wore his full suit of armor minus the helm, which hung at the side of his horse in the fine sack that Solomon had presented them to Lucian in. He had a thick cloak on and had wrapped it around himself, concealing his armor enough so that it wouldn't stand out. He did not want a reaction that the sight of his armor would cause just yet. He rode past the stable hand and right up to the main structure of the village which housed the Chief Counselor. Some of the soldiers that stood guard at the doors moved to block Lucian from entering but when they recognized him and saw the flame of determination burning in his eyes, they quickly moved. He pushed open the doors and marched down the hall leading to the advisory room and burst in, disregarding the calls from the guards behind him.

  The room was filled with the elders of Yavasura and a handful of the higher class citizens. These were the people that decided what was best for everyone else, decided the fate of Yavasura. As far as Lucian was concerned, they were the reason why he had always desired to stay in the wilds and the reason why no aid was being given to Vorea. They were the reason why his anger was at a boil. The room went quiet as he came to a stop in the middle. It was a circular room with two rows of tables lining the wall, one set higher behind the other.

  He looked around at the people in the room and when his eyes came to Chief Counselor Orland, his vision startled him. Standing next to the counselor was one of the dark figures that he had first seen in the city of Kaheendra. His face was hidden under a cowl and he whispered into the ear of Orland. When he finally regarded Lucian, he hissed and sank back behind the Counselors chair, but remained.

  Lucian still didn't know what to think of these creatures. He was sure that no one else saw them. He was also sure that their purpose was to manipulate man away from the path of right. The creature seemed pained by Lucian’s gaze and sank further back, out of sight behind the chair.

  "What is the meaning of this intrusion?" asked Orland.

  "Lucian?" a voice came from the side. When he turned, he saw that it was his brother. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Sanjeera, or Kaheendra, or somewhere." his voice was uneasy, strained.

  Lucian ignored his brother and turned to regard Orland. "Why has Yavasura refused to give aid to Vorea?"

  Orland's features scrunched up. "What business is it of ours what war's Vorea wages?"

  "What business is it of ours?” echoed Lucian, stunned. “It is or neighbor that is under duress. A fellow tribe that is being attacked and they need help. Not only that, but they are a crucial part of the trade industry within the southern tribes. How could you say it is not our business?"

  The dark figure appeared by Orland’s ear again, whispering his doubtful curses and negative influence. "I am sure we can survive without the likes of Vorea hoarding the riches of the markets and dictating to others the trade routes we may use. If Vorea falls then it may be just the thing that boosts our economy to thrive. Helping them could very well be detrimental to our people. Would you have me throw our small tribe into war, where the men that tend our farms may die, leaving the women and children to fend for themselves against our enemies?"

  "What enemies does Yavasura have?” snapped Lucian. “We have been at peace for some time now and all the other southern tribes are uniting in this war. If you stand down now you will be standing alone."

  The dark figure continued to whisper in Orland’s ear. "Who are you to carry such news, a lowly hunter from the sticks? How would you become privy to such information? I do not believe your claims, Culdora is probably waiting for us to do such a thing as take our army north, that way they could easily move in and slaughter us, taking our fields and or live
stock for their own."

  Lucian was furious at what he was hearing. Never had he heard Orland talk this way before. The dark figure looked at him and must have seen Lucian’s frustration mounting, his shoulders rocked as he chuckled.

  "Enough of this!" growled Lucian.

  He threw off his heavy cloak, displaying the finely crafted armor. Despite the long dirty ride, the armor shined brilliantly, the golden runes aglow. The dark figure let out a blood curdling screech and vanished in a swirl of black smoke. It was exactly what Lucian had hoped for. The wretched beast would no longer persuade Orland. The rest of the room whispered back and forth, staring with wide eyes at Lucian's magnificent appearance. This was not the Lucian that they knew. Most of them had never seen anything quite like what he wore. To them he must have looked like a mighty King. He took a few steps closer to Orland, who was now pushing back against his chair, looking afraid at what Lucian might do.

  "The entire lot of northern tribes has joined together, and plans to move on Vorea. What do you think they will do once they have crushed Vorea, the strongest nation among us? Do you think they will be content and stop there?” asked Lucian, but he continued on before anyone could even think to interject. “No, this man who leads them, Thaluzont, means to dominate us all. We have united the southern tribes to fight against this horde. If Yavasura does not lend her aid then I will consider you an enemy and when the war is over, if the horde does not win to then descend upon you, and they will, I will have no choice but to turn the southern armies this way, and you will be treated as traitors and enemies."

  Angry and frightened whispers echoed through the room. Some just sat and stared at Lucian, not knowing what to think. Some of them thought he might be lying, or insane, and making this whole thing up, but the sight of him in his pristine armor gave them pause.

  "How dare you come in here and make such outrageous claims!" shouted his brother as he stepped up closer to Lucian. "You have never desired to be a part of this tribe. Now you come here in some armor that you probably stole from a rich merchant and claim to be some type of great leader responsible for uniting the southern tribes, and threaten us if we do not follow you. And what of our parents, could you not defend them? I first thought you dead, but now I see the truth. You and your so called friend must have fled like cowards after seeing our parents murdered."

  Lucian watched his brother tremble in anger, in jealousy. He always knew him to be hungry for power. He had always stayed clear of Eolic's ambitions, knowing that he thought of Lucian as a threat, but he never thought it would come to this. Eolic could not stand to see Lucian in a position of authority. Lucian decided that he would have to put an end to this, if he was to succeed in gaining the aid of Yavasura. He turned his back to Eolic, something that had outraged his brother since they were children.

  "You have disgraced the name of our parents,” said Lucian with as much contempt as he could muster.

  He knew what was coming. It was as though he was watching from above as his brother drew his sword. With impossible speed, Lucian spun, pulling Drovenalor free of its sheath. The tip whistled as it came around, slicing through Eolic's sword, sending the upper half of the blade twirling through the air. There was no sound as the two blades connected, only the distinctive ring of the mighty sword being freed from the scabbard. Everyone in the room stared in shock as Eolic gaped at his cleaved blade. The upper half of it finally clanked to the ground across the room. Lucian stood holding his powerful sword out to the side, parallel to the floor, for everyone to see. The beautiful ring still hummed softly around the room.

  "It saddens me to see you act this way my brother,” said Lucian, “To refuse to help your fellow man in need. If you wish to oppose me because of your pride and jealousy then so be it. I do not want to, but I will cut you down as if you were my enemy if you elect to stand against that which is right."

  Eolic stared at his younger brother, the man that he never really knew. The look in Lucian's eyes showed that he was deadly serious. Eolic had always thought Lucian a strong person, in body and mind. He had always tried so hard to become recognized, to show people of his strength whereas Lucian naturally exuded these things. It was one of the main reasons why he envied Lucian so. It was wrong to do such a thing, their father had taught them better. How could he have let such wicked emotions control him? Now standing there looking at Lucian, all he could think about was how he wanted to kill him. How could he desire to kill his own brother? He fell into Lucian's arms, sobbing and mumbling apologies, begging for forgiveness.

  Tears welled up in Lucian’s eyes as he clutched Eolic. He had been prepared to kill his own brother if he had to defend himself. It was a horrible feeling and one that would haunt him for some time. He held Eolic in an embrace for a moment and then sheathed his sword. Holding him at arm’s length he looked into Eolic’s eyes. "Of course I forgive you, my brother. Who am I to not grant such a thing?"

  Eolic let out a relieved whimper and embraced Lucian again, then pushed away and suddenly spun to the elders. "We must send aid to Vorea. My brother is right. I have let jealousy blind me and have counseled you all wrongly. If it were our tribe, I would hope that no one would deny us help."

  Eolic's voice carried great weight among the elders, not to mention Lucian’s threats, and they all nodded and turned to Orland who still looked in shock over the entire ordeal.

  "Very well, we will send a contingent to aid Vorea in this struggle," said Orland.

  "No, we will send every able man we have. What good is defending our home from thought up enemies if this horde defeats Vorea?" said Lucian.

  Orland looked around at the other elders and they all were nodding in agreement with Lucian. "Very well, it will be as you wish it Lucian." He took a large flat stone and slammed it on the desk, concluding the event.

  "Good, we have much work to do, the attack on Vorea will not wait for our arrival," said Lucian. He grabbed Eolic in another strong embrace. "Thank you brother, I must ask you a favor..."

  Before he could finish he heard a woman yell out his name. He recognized the melodic voice as Gwendaline’s. She raced into the room and jumped into his arms, planting kisses all over his face.

  "I heard you were back! It's so good to see you!" she slipped down off him and pointed a finger at him. "Just where have you been? You have been gone far longer than usual."

  She finally noticed his armor and her eyes lit up along with her smile. “What amazing armor! Has my Lucian wandered off and become a King?”

  Lucian was somewhat surprised by the way she was acting. She had never been so blunt toward him and openly affectionate. He glanced at Eolic who was staring at the ground uncomfortably. Eolic had always felt strongly for Gwendaline and Lucian knew that. He realized what she was doing, playing games with Eolic. He didn't like to see his brother toyed with, no matter how smug he had been all those years, and decided to put an end to the game.

  "It is good to see you too Gwen," he looked around at everyone in the room, "good to see all of you again. But I must be off to Vorea. I trust that my brother Eolic will soon be following me to with our army." He purposefully glanced at Gwen and made sure she was listening. "A woman of importance in Vorea needs me. I do not wish to let her down." He grabbed the stricken Gwen's hand and looked her in the eyes. "It really was good to see all my friends again, now please, allow me two horses from our stables, I must leave quickly."

  Lucian let go of Gwen's hand and followed his brother out of the building toward the stables. Her mouth hung open for a moment as she digested Lucian's obvious words.

  "I think you may have broken her heart brother." said Eolic as he walked with Lucian, once out of earshot.

  "Something I should have done long ago. I have no feelings for her. Why should I allow her to believe that I may? Now maybe she will catch the attention of a more worthy man." He gave Eolic a wink.

  Eolic just smiled and shook his head. "So who is this Vorean lady you spoke of?" he asked, as he gave Lucian a m
ischievous smile.

  Lucian tried not to smile back but couldn't help himself. "She is the most beautiful woman I have ever looked upon. Her eyes shine like an emerald star, and they show such intelligence. She is quite something brother, you will meet her soon." His look became somber as he thought of the pending battle. He hoped that he would see her again, hoped that he would not arrive too far behind and too late.

  "So is she the reason why you wish to help Vorea?" asked Eolic

  Lucian stopped and gave him an incredulous look, "Of course not. I would never plunge our people into battle because of a woman. Do you think so little of me brother?"

  Eolic put his hands up in defense. "I only hoped that my brother, whom I have known my whole life, had not changed.” He paused briefly and blurted out the next question, as if he had no other way of asking it. “Tell me, Lucian. Why did you leave?"

  "I left home in search of our parents’ murderer. In my travels I came to find that all the other tribes had been victims of assassinations on their elders or chieftains or whoever is the leader of their people. I also learned that the north unites and marches south in large numbers."

  Lucian stared ahead for a moment, thinking of his experience with the one called Ijon. He sometimes wondered absently if it was just a dream, but then he would run his finger across the rune burned into his breastplate. "I have seen many people die in these past days and have been shown a great many things. Most of all I have seen the evil that haunts us and threatens to take away our freedom. This is why I fight. If Vorea falls the northern tribes can orchestrate attacks from that city. No attack from the south could defeat them within those walls and they would be able to strengthen their forces and tear us apart piece by piece with ease. Our only chance is to join with Vorea and drive them back."