by Tom Burton
Daniel and Laura continue watching the barracks. The two see Aaron and Jaylen with the guards, heading back to the castle.
“I should be with him,” Daniel whispers.
“No!” Laura says sternly.
Daniel gets annoyed at her.
“The king’s orders!” Laura explains. “I am here to make sure you are not with Aaron.”
Daniel’s gets annoyed even more, as he thought that Laura visited the barracks because she was genuinely interested in him.
Outside the throne room of the castle, the guards open the doors for Aaron and Jaylen but remain stationed at their respective positions as the two men walk into the room. Aaron and Jaylen see the king sitting on the throne, leaning forward while reading a scroll in his hands. King Edmund looks up at them and then folds the scroll neatly but continues holding onto it.
Jaylen and Aaron eventually stand before the king’s throne with their hands behind their back.
“You summoned us, your grace?” Jaylen asks.
King Edmund opens the scroll again.
“A man called George Carrick handed this letter to one of our guards,” the king says. Aaron and Jaylen look at each other, recognizing the name from the rebel group at Meldom. The two then look back to the king.
“He states that Greyshore has been burned down by a race they have never seen before.”
Aaron stares at the king for a moment, winces, aghast at what he just heard.
“Survivors?” Aaron asks.
King Edmund does not respond.
“No…!” Aaron whispers to himself. The next moment, he turns and sprints out of the Great Hall.
“Grab him,” King Edmund orders Jaylen.
Jaylen quickly turns and sprints after Aaron. “Restrain him!” he shouts to the guards at the door. But, before they can react, Aaron storms past them. He makes it to the courtyard. He quickly runs out of the outer gates, leaving the royal castle; Jaylen and the two guards are close behind him.
In the street outside the castle, Daniel and Laura hear shouting. Daniel thinks Aaron must have received the news. He begins running to the castle.
“No, wait!” Laura shouts…but Daniel ignores her cries.
As Daniel runs to the castle, he sees guards rushing down another street. He stops and focuses on them. He sees Jaylen and the guards running after Aaron. Daniel then sprints after them.
Aaron sees the front gates of Dellmoor in the distance; he sprints toward them. But Jaylen soon catches up to him. Jaylen jumps on him, and the two land on the hard stone of the street. Jaylen grabs Aaron from behind; next, he wraps his arms firmly around Aaron’s chest, capturing him. Aaron attempts to shove and kick Jaylen, his eyes filling with tears.
“What will it achieve?” Jaylen whispers in Aaron’s ear.
“I need to know…” Aaron replies.
He hits Jaylen in the stomach, striking backward with his elbow. Jaylen lets go of Aaron. Aaron then turns and kicks Jaylen in the chest. As Jaylen falls on his back, Aaron turns and again runs toward the gates. Jaylen quickly gets up and sprints after Aaron. The two guards from the throne room rush after Jaylen. Daniel catches up to the group and sprint past them, charging at Aaron.
Aaron makes it to the gate but stops for a second. Daniel wraps his arms around Aaron from behind.
“It’s me…it’s me,” Daniel assures Aaron. But Aaron once again tries to shake him off.
“Father?” Aaron whispers.
Daniel tightens his grip around Aaron.
“He’s gone, Aaron, he’s gone,” Daniel tells his friend. Still, Aaron refuses to believe it. He resumes his struggle to break free. Jaylen and the guards now reach the other two men and help Daniel restrain Aaron.
Aaron lets out a painful scream, long and loud, echoing across the whole city. As the scream dissipates, Aaron’s strength begins to give in. Daniel then releases his grip. Aaron kneels down and bursts into tears.
Jaylen and the guards then begin to drag Aaron back toward the royal castle. Daniel only watches in shock at his best friend’s devastation.
No one utters a word as Jaylen and the guards walk beside Aaron in the corridors of the castle. Aaron no longer needs to be dragged by the guards; he has decided to walk on his own. Once they arrive at his chamber, they find Sam sitting at the end of his bed. Sam stands up as he sees Aaron looking blankly at the floor, slowly entering the room.
Jaylen shuts the door behind him.
“Where is the king?” Jaylen asks one of the guards.
“Back in his chambers, sir,” one of the guards tells Jaylen.
Jaylen then leaves the chamber and walks down the corridor, toward the King’s chambers. The guard follows him.
Back in Aaron’s room, Sam looks at Aaron empathetically, knowing something terrible has occurred, but elects to stay silent. The door opens and Daniel rushes in to comfort Aaron. Aaron breaks down in tears. The two embrace as Aaron sobs uncontrollably.
In the royal chambers, King Edmund is seated at a small table. He stares at the scroll on the table. Suddenly, Jaylen storms into the room, swinging open the double doors. The king looks at him, expressionless.
“And—?” King Edmund asks.
“He’s back in his chamber,” Jaylen replies.
The king nods in relief.
“Why did you tell him?” Jaylen asks.
King Edmund drags the scroll back toward himself.
“If Aaron has made contact with the wizards, we will need him on our side. Can you imagine what would happen if he finds out we kept this from him?”
Jaylen nods, understanding the situation.
King Edmund stands up and walks toward a map of Neroman painted on his wall.
“The attack George spoke of was from the orcs. It can’t be anyone else.” He points to where Greyshore is marked on the painting. “Once Mutaro has taken the West, his eyes will turn toward the Crown Lands. We need to be ready.”
“What would you have me do?”
King Edmund walks toward his lord commander.
“I need you to go to Rylom and gather our armies, station the troops all around the country. We need to ensure that all our lands are fortified and protected.”
“You will need the approval of the lords to act,” Jaylen argues.
“Then you will need to summon them and make our argument,” King Edmund replies.
Jaylen sighs. “You know how much I hate politics…” Jaylen returns.
But King Edmund shakes his head.
“This isn’t politics…this is war!” he tells Jaylen.
Jaylen nods.
Back in Aaron’s chamber, the three men sit around the table. Sam holds a book firmly in his arms but chooses not to read it, out of respect for Aaron. Daniel gazes at Aaron worriedly, but Aaron remains expressionless, staring at the floor in disbelief. Suddenly, someone knocks on the door. Daniel rises from his chair and walks toward the door. He opens it to find Jaylen looking back at him.
“I need to see you before I leave…” Jaylen says.
Daniel stares at him, confused.
“Leave—?”
Jaylen ignores the question. “May I come in?”
Daniel allows Jaylen to come in. Jaylen sees Sam and Aaron sitting at the table.
“The king wishes for me to head to the East to summon our armies. He wants to increase protection across the Crown Lands,” Jaylen explains.
Daniel scoffs at this.
“Pity the West didn’t receive the same luxurious treatment,” Aaron whispers.
Jaylen stares at Aaron for a moment then walks over to him and places a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. “I’m so sorry…” Jaylen tells Aaron.
Aaron continues looking at the floor.
Jaylen lets go of Aaron’s shoulder and approaches Daniel.
“We’ll talk more when I return,” he says.
He leaves the chamber quickly, closing the door behind him.
As Jaylen walks in the corridors of the royal castle, he unexpectedly sees Laura walking toward him.
“Just the commander I was looking for!” Jaylen shouts.
Laura’s smiles as she approaches him.
“How can I help, my lord?”
“The king has asked me to go to Rylom to gather our armies. But I need someone I can trust; politics is not my game.”
“I accept!” Laura keenly replies, intervening before Jaylen can fully explain himself.
Jaylen, though stunned, smiles at Laura.
“We leave in an hour.”
“Not in the morning?”
“If we leave tonight, we ride a full night and get to work tomorrow morning.”
Laura nods then rushes past Jaylen with a smile on her face.
As the moon rises in Dellmoor, Jaylen, Laura, and three other soldiers assemble by the front gates. However, he notices Daniel walking toward them, and smiles. Laura turns to look in Jaylen’s direction of gaze.
“We leave in a few minutes,” Jaylen instructs her.
Laura dismounts her horse. She approaches Daniel.
“You’re going with them…?” Daniel asks.
Laura remains firm. “Jaylen has asked for my help. I am not going to refuse my lord commander.” Next, she lets her guard down and says, “Look after Aaron; if we do not make it back, the king will rely on others for help.”
“You will come back,” Daniel says, reaching out to embrace her.
The two let go of one another slowly. Laura walks back to mount her horse. Jaylen gives a reassuring nod to Daniel, who waves him farewell. The gates slowly open for the group.
“Ride fast, we have a long night ahead!” Jaylen instructs.
The five soldiers ride out of the gates; Daniel watches as Laura quickly rides away from him.
Back in Aaron’s chambers, Aaron is still sitting on the chair, in the same position. Sam is now lying on the bed, reading his book. Daniel then slowly walks into the room. Sam looks across at him.
“They’ve gone,” Daniel says. Aaron rolls his eyes. Sam gets off the bed to listen in.
“Well, the East is where they attack next,” Daniel tells them. “If the army is called upon, we may defeat them before the war even begins.”
Sam tries to argue, but Daniel remains unconvinced.
“We all saw what they were doing at Redlock,” he says. “We need more than the East to defeat them.”
Aaron smiles. Sam and Daniel notice him.
“What’s up?” Daniel asks.
Aaron turns slowly toward the two.
“Just remembering...there was a time, deep in the winters when Greyshore really struggled. The fires failed to warm our houses, the crops were nothing but dust in most places, but, most importantly, there was a scarcity of food. For days we went without eating anything. One day, my father came across a stall in the market where a butcher was selling deer. It was crowded with villagers desperate to buy something to eat, but he managed to purchase some. That night, he gave his portion of deer to Tom and me. He sacrificed his food for us…he almost died of hunger that night, but that was what he always did for us. It was his way of life, all the way to end.”
“He’d be so proud at what you have achieved here,” Sam tells Aaron.
“What have I achieved?” Aaron scoffs.
“You’re a Pioneer! The first one in centuries — meeting Azdus and Goras in the process!” Sam argues.
Aaron shakes his head. Daniel then leans forward.
“You have given this country a chance to live, Aaron. You sent us all across Neroman to find that we are on the brink of destruction; you made the king realize that someone is trying to kill us all. And now, we have a chance to fight…a chance to live.”
Aaron does not respond to Daniel. Instead, he rises from his chair then walks to his bed. Sam and Daniel watch him closely and walk up to their beds and turn in for the night.
The next morning, the skies slowly fill with dark clouds; the sun seems to be hiding behind them. In the chambers where the three men sleep, Aaron suddenly wakes up and shoots into a sitting position, breathing heavily and sweating all over. The sound of his movements wake Sam and Daniel. Sam mumbles tiredly then lies back in bed facing the wall. But Daniel walks over to Aaron and sits beside him on his bed.
“Any change?” Daniel asks.
“The visions are so detailed now,” Aaron says. “I can see everything, clearly….”
He looks at Daniel.
“It’s coming soon,” Aaron warns.
Soon after, someone knocks loudly on the door. Sam wakes up once again, annoyed and grumbling. Aaron walks over and opens the door. He finds Queen Kendra waiting in the corridor.
“Good morning,” the queen says cheerfully.
“Your grace—” Aaron says, stunned by the queen’s visit “—this is unexpected.”
Queen Kendra walks into the room. Daniel and Sam rush out of bed and assume a formal stance.
“It’s okay,” Queen Kendra assures them, “you can relax.”
Sam and Daniel breathe a sigh of relief.
“How may we assist, my lady?” Sam asks. The queen smiles. “We would like to invite all of you to the Dance of Crowns.”
The three men stare blankly at her. She chuckles at their confusion.
“It’s a yearly tradition to celebrate the peace and serenity that the king has fostered across the country.”
The queen waits for a response. Astonished, Daniel and Aaron gaze back at her; Sam chooses to step into the conversation.
“We would love to come my queen.” Sam accepts on everyone’s behalf.
Queen Kendra smiles then walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her.
Stunned, Daniel stares at Sam.
“You cannot be serious?! Have you forgotten what will be on our doorstep soon?” Daniel asks Sam.
“No, I have not! Neither has anyone else! I think we all deserve a bit of a break and let loose — a respite before the war breaks out and people go berserk,” Sam argues.
“The king is right to do this,” Aaron says, defending Sam. Alarmed, Daniel looks back at him. “It would be good to do this—just days before the capital…even the country, changes forever.”
Sam and Aaron look away from Daniel. They give up, not trying to persuade him any further.
A few days after their departure from Dellmoor, Jaylen, Laura, and the other three Dellmoor guards ride through the villages of the East. In the villages, the commoners notice the royal crests on their chests and eagerly make way for them to pass by. The villagers smile and wave at them enthusiastically.
Passing through another village near a small stream, Laura catches up to Jaylen, who has been leading the group all morning. The two then ride side by side.
“They seem friendly,” Laura notes. She smiles back at the villagers.
“They live right next to the Neroman’s military base. They’re protected by thousands of well-provisioned soldiers, under the laws of our king.”
As they ride further, the two see the military base in the distance. They stop their horses to get a better view. The base is huge, filled with courts designed for different military training styles: archers, infantry, and cavalry riders.
“Hasn’t changed much since I left,” Laura tells Jaylen.
“Let’s hope it stays that way,” Jaylen replies.
As they continue riding toward the camp, they see fewer and fewer villagers; instead, see more soldiers walk past them.
“Are the lords gathered?” Laura asks Jaylen.
“We don’t need to gather them,” Jaylen tells her.
Laura gives her companion a confused look
.
Jaylen explains. “Every few months, the lords of Neroman gather in the main chamber of Rylom. The meetings are to file or pass motions brought forward by any one of the lords as requested by the constituency they represent. I received word from a friend here that one of these meetings is taking place today.”
“Why is the king not involved in implementing these laws?”
“King Edmund does not involve himself in matters of less importance; he is only made aware of these laws once the lords have unanimously approved of them, and then they are brought to him for review.”
The two ride on for several moments before Laura looks over to Jaylen worriedly.
“Is it true that King Edmund is losing his power and influence over Neroman?”
Jaylen looks toward her.
“We’re about to find out…,” he replies.
As the soldiers gallop toward the Rylom base, they see that the military base is surrounded by a river. The base can only be accessed by two bridges, one leading north and the other leading south. Jaylen and Laura continue riding as the three other guards stop on the southern bridge. They are soon met by two Rylom soldiers.
“Lord Commander Jaylen Vance,” one of the guards bows to the pair, “on behalf of all those at Rylom, we welcome you.”
Jaylen and Laura dismount from their horses, and expresses acknowledgment through a simple nod nod. A man then walks out of the base and onto the bridge. He is without a helmet.
The man walks past the soldiers and then toward Jaylen.
“Lord Commander, I am Captain Mace Eldon.”
Mace shakes a hand with Jaylen and then with Laura. The three begin to walk across the bridge and into Rylom.
“Are the lords of Neroman here?” Jaylen asks.
“Some have arrived, commander, but we are still awaiting others.”
Laura follows, walking behind them.
Jaylen looks at the captain.
“Is she still here…?” Jaylen asks.
Captain Mace nods and smiles.
“There’s always a Vance here in Rylom.”
Jaylen attempts to restrain his smile—but smiles anyway.
As they walk across the basecamp, they see a battalion of soldiers stationed at a distance from the others. Whereas all the other soldiers wear silver-plated armor, this group wears dark red armor, with streaks of black.