by E J Gilmour
‘At what price?’ asked Meara sternly.
Acartor looked away and waited several moments before answering. ‘That I kneel down before him,’ he moaned, a guttural sound exiting his mouth.
‘And you made yourself into his slave?’ asked Meara firmly.
Acartor howled and fell to his knees. ‘What good is my answer, Meara! You know what I have done. I have spilled innocent blood, I have betrayed the trust of many, and I tried to lead our race into slavery. What was my reward? Power…no, he lied to me, Meara. It was all a lie! After the battle at Crescent Bay I was sent by the Astarian Callidus to convince the Irvarians to surrender and become slaves of the Prince of Shadows. I failed. When I returned Callidus made me give an account of what I had achieved. He was sorely disappointed in me. He handed me over to the Skatheans and muckrons. He had me brutally tortured. Callidus laughed as he watched me be tormented. My wages were nothing: an illusion, torture, pain, and death! Arhhhhh! I know you are going to kill me, Ecorian. You saw me murder Chiara. You were there and witnessed all that I did. I know what I deserve!’
Meara looked to Eben. Acartor hit his head on the floor like a madman. He howled deeply and frothed at the mouth. Eben drew the Sword of Light and walked forward. He felt anger well up within. So many deaths had been caused by the deeds of the traitor. Acartor howled deeply, knowing his fate; he writhed on the floor and wept bitterly. Eben stood over him and looked down at the condemned man. Acartor’s bloodshot eyes looked up and were full of anxiety, horror, and desperation.
Eben saw, in that moment, the deep loneliness and desolation that Acartor was living in and the prison and the bonds that the traitor had taken on. He looked down and saw nothing but a wretched slave. Everyone watched on intently as Eben reached down and grabbed Acartor by his shirt and lifted him to his feet.
‘There is one last choice you can make, Acartor,’ whispered Eben into the traitor’s ear.
Acartor stared at Eben with wide eyes and in shock. ‘You know I deserve to die, Ecorian,’ whispered Acartor desperately. He looked away as he was not able to look into Eben’s eyes.
‘You gave yourself as a slave to the Prince of Shadows,’ whispered Eben. ‘And here you come as a slave before us. You made a terrible choice. Would you free yourself from slavery if you had one last choice?’
‘But why would you offer me that?’
‘I know you are a murderer and traitor, Acartor. The consequences of your actions can never be undone, yet there is something the Prince of Shadows cannot conquer in men. You can still choose to shake off the shackles he has enslaved you with.’
Acartor bowed his head and cried bitterly. ‘Don’t give me that choice, Eben. A shadow abides in my heart that I cannot live without. If I take such a path I will surely die.’
‘Then you will die free and not as a slave to the darkness.’
Acartor stared at the ground for several moments. He then raised his sunken eyes. A single tear rolled down his cheek. Eben then stepped away.
‘Remove his shackles,’ commanded Eben.
‘What are you doing, Eben?’ asked Meara, alarmed at the command. Everyone in the room looked on in disbelief.
‘Trust me, Meara. This is the only way.’
The guardsmen at first hesitated, but he then reluctantly released Acartor’s shackles. The traitor stood up and looked at his freed wrists. He then fell to his knees again and clutched his head in his hands. The company watched as a dark shadow rose out of the back of Acartor’s neck. The shadow drifted up into the air and in a few moments dissipated.
‘Was that a ghoul?’ asked Red, staring wide eyed into the air above.
‘No, it was a shadow that belonged to Acartor,’ replied Eben.
Acartor looked up sadly. ‘I am sorry for the terrible things I have done.’ Suddenly he clutched his chest, and his face showed his deep agony. ‘Oh. I am so sorry,’ he groaned as he lay back. His life was draining from his body. His skin withered and grew deathly pale.
Meara went to his side. ‘Acartor, what’s happening to you?’ There was no reply. Acartor’s body fell still and lifeless within moments.
‘This was a curse of the Prince of Shadows,’ said Baftel. ‘He poisoned Acartor’s heart to stop him from ever turning away from the darkness.’
Eben stared down at the dead man. The company looked down at the body of Acartor, and they all were astonished at what they had seen.
**
The following morning the company gathered in the lower hall of the palace in readiness to begin the journey. The warriors of the company were wearing the finest armour and carrying the best weapons available. Red wore a combination of plate armour and chain mail, whilst Stella wore a chainmail shirt and plates on her forearms and knees. Red had kept the sword he had been given at Eaglemere as it had served him well, but Stella had replaced her sword and taken a new shield. Eben was surprised that she had found a shield with the Ecorian unicorn painted across it. Eben had also taken some fine new armour. He wore a light chainmail shirt, a silver plate that covered his chest with a carved unicorn, leather gauntlets, and metal plates that protected his shins.
Duke Egil was also wearing full Scaldonian armour which was rough and battle worn. He carried a mighty broadsword at his side. Quade was also wearing new Irvarian armour and had a curved Vastorian sword. He also had a crossbow latched to his back. The Desert Knights Dillon and Arthur were clothed in the same dark attire of their order. King Ignis was outfitted in finely crafted Ortarian armour. He had a sword slung over his shoulder and a short sword and dagger at his belt. Mostyn wore his usual old brown cloak that looked like it had never been washed, and Meara was wearing a light blue dress and a new leather overcoat. Cassiel looked the same as always and was wearing his dark brown coat and chose not to wear any armour.
There horses were waiting outside the hall. The unicorn shone brightly among the horses. Queen Sera, Prince Armida, and a multitude of other commanders, lords, and knights watched on as they walked out of the Ecorian Gate. Eben walked over to the unicorn and leapt up onto its back. The others mounted their horses.
‘The hopes of us all go with you,’ said Queen Sera.
‘We will not fail you, my Queen,’ said Eben. He nodded to Queen Sera and then turned the mighty unicorn about and led the company through the city. The people of Faircastle had all come out of their houses and looked up with wonder at Eben riding the unicorn down the main street. The Ecorian flag was being waved alongside the Irvarian flag throughout the city. The people cheered joyously as the company passed by, and a feeling of excitement permeated the air.
Before long the company exited the front gate and turned to the west. Eben led the company with Mostyn and Red by his side. They maintained a quick pace for several hours and passed the area of land that had been destroyed by the muckrons. They entered into the beautiful back country of Irvaria where the sound of birds singing rang out over lush green hills. Toward midday they stopped at a small stream surrounded by old yew trees. They sat beside the clear flowing water and rested.
‘I have used my power to hide us from the eyes of the Prince of Shadows,’ said Mostyn. ‘However, I could not hide the fact that we left Faircastle as a company of eleven.’
‘It doesn’t matter that he knows,’ said Meara. ‘There is no way that he could know our plan to seek the help of the Star King.’
‘That is true, but he knows we are up to something,’ said Duke Egil. ‘He may have the Skatheans send vultures to spy on us. They used vultures against us in Scaldonia to keep track of our movements.’
‘They won’t last long against me,’ said Quade as he tapped his crossbow.
‘I don’t doubt it,’ said Mostyn.
‘We will be in the Great Mountains in a matter of days,’ said Meara. ‘I do not think the Skathean vultures would brave contesting the eagles of the Great Mountains. Even if the Prince of Shadows learns we are going west he would assume that we were going to Emeril or to help the Irilians in Dravania.�
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‘The Prince of Shadows may not even know of the Star King,’ said Mostyn. ‘I am aware of many old stories and some of the legends from the Forgotten Age. The only reference to the Star King in the Forgotten Age is that he helped the Astarian Fiora escape into the north when the Prince of Shadows was pursuing her. All the other stories about the Star King cover the period of two thousand years since, and for the most part they are not pleasant stories.’
‘Two thousand years!’ exclaimed Red. ‘The Star King is old.’
‘Many of the ancient races have exceedingly long lives. The Chalai he stole from the Oran Oracle also stopped him from aging,’ said Mostyn. ‘However, the Star King was never concerned with immortality. He was searching for a way to return to his home far across the cosmos. That is precisely why he is useful to us. He alone discovered how to open gateways to any place in Veredor.’
For the remainder of the day they travelled west across the pristine Irvarian countryside. As they progressed the road took them through old forests, across rolling green hills, and through abandoned villages. All the village folk had retreated to Faircastle at the news of the coming of the enemy army, and they had not yet returned to their homes. Occasionally the company would come across a lone shepherd who had refused to leave his sheep, but otherwise they were alone on the road.
That evening they built a fire beside a crystal clear stream. The company sat around the fire and the aroma of Mostyn’s pipe filled the air.
‘Ah, Tobacco from Iarthar; nothing quite like it in all of Veredor,’ said Mostyn as he scratched his black shaggy beard.
Red was busy cooking them a delicious smelling stew over the fire.
‘Tomorrow we will enter the western forests of Irvaria,’ said Meara. ‘I expect the journey to the Great Mountains to take another two days. I hope you remember the way to the Star King’s cave.’
‘Indeed I do,’ said Mostyn. ‘The Fire Order has long kept a watch on the Star King. He was once our enemy in an age long gone. Long ago the Star King built a castle high in the Great Mountains. At the time he hoped to construct a machine to help him travel across the stars, and because the sprites are a crafty race he employed them to complete the task. Later, when it became apparent that they could not achieve his request, he grew angry and went to war with the mountain sprites. The Star King destroyed many of the remote mountain sprite sanctuaries.’
‘Yes, I know the story,’ said Meara. ‘The mountain sprites suffered many losses in the war.’
‘If it wasn’t for the Fire Order there would be no mountain sprites left. We saw what the Star King was doing, and we set out to stop him. Since those days the mountain sprites have been our friends; although they typically avoid the world of men. In recent times their numbers have greatly diminished. There are none remaining in the Old Guardian Mountains, and few sprites remain in the Great Mountains.’
They slept well beside the stream and the soft sound of flowing water soothed their minds. A little after sunrise the company set out again and made a blistering pace into the west. By midmorning they had entered the western forests. The tall trees of the forest provided a thick canopy that kept much of the light from the forest floor. All about them were moss covered stones and ferns. Toward the end of the day Meara took them from the main road along a track the wound on through the forest. They persevered throughout the day.
As the sun set they made a camp on top of a grassy hill where few trees grew. The base of the hill was surrounded by forest. Red and Stella set about building a small campfire and the company rested again after a hard day of riding. Later in the evening Eben lay back on the grass and looked up at the stars high above. His thoughts had been focused on Apherah since the company left Faircastle.
‘I sense the presence of something dangerous,’ said Mostyn, breaking the calm silence of the later evening. Eben instantly sat up.
‘What is it?’ Eben looked to the edges of the campsite.
Meara stood up and looked to the east. ‘Yes, I feel it,’ she said. ‘Quick, prepare yourselves.’
Mostyn closed his eyes and concentrated. ‘If I had the skills of Baftel I would be able to clearly see.’ Eben jumped up onto his unicorn.
‘Horses,’ said Quade. ‘Can you hear them galloping in the distance?’
‘Yes,’ said King Ignis as he drew his sword. Duke Egil also drew his broadsword, and the Desert Knights stood up.
‘They are not horses,’ said Mostyn.
As he spoke they could see dark shapes and flickering flames approaching through the trees below the hill and lighting up the forest with a red and orange glow. Quade loaded his crossbow as Red and Stella drew their swords.
‘Stone Horsemen!’ cried Mostyn.
Then they were in sight. Six mighty horses, which appeared to be made completely of a dark stone, appeared at the base of the hill. Atop each horse rode a stone rider. They all carried mighty flaming battle axes that lit up the surrounding forest. Flames burst from the eyes of the riders. A howling moan bellowed up the hillside as the Stone Horseman charged at the company. The riders lifted their flaming axes. Quade fired his crossbow as Meara and Cassiel stepped forward.
‘Be gone!’ cried Meara as she raised her hands. Swirling columns of blue flame burst through the night at the fast approaching riders. Five of the Stone Horseman managed to dodge the flames, but one fell; the stone horse and rider instantly disintegrated into ashes and sparks.
Eben charged forward at the five remaining Stone Horsemen. He drew the Sword of Light and in moments was among them. He cut out at one of the riders. The stone rider exploded into ash and fire. Eben then turned on another. Orange flames burst from the mouth of the stone horse, but the unicorn’s speed was unmatched. The mighty steed avoided the flames and brought Eben up beside another rider. Again he hewed down. The horseman raised its battle axe and parried. Sparks blasted out from the clash of steel. The stone rider then struck back. Eben whirled around, deflected the incoming axe, and thrust the Sword of Light forward. Instantly the rider burst into flames and ash; the stone horse and rider disintegrated. The three remaining Stone Horsemen then entered the campsite.
Fire blasted from the snarling mouths of the horses. Stella raised her shield and was knocked over by a heavy impact. Meanwhile King Ignis charged directly forward and boldly swung his sword up at a Stone Horseman. The rider exploded, and the King was thrown back several yards by the shockwave of fire and sparks. The two remaining Stone Horsemen then turned and charged from the campsite. Eben gave chase through the woods.
The pace was incredible. The trees flickered by as a trail of sparks was left by the stone horses. The horsemen split apart and turned in different directions. The unicorn chased after one, lighting up the forest with pure white light. The stone rider howled in fear, the sound was more like the roar of a bear than any sound a man could make. Eben hewed down and the stone creature disintegrated into ash, flame, and a trail of sparks. He then halted the unicorn and looked through the darkened woods for the other Stone Horseman, but the rider was gone from sight.
The whole company was still on guard and watching for the remaining Stone Horseman to return, but the evil creature had fled in fear of Eben and the unicorn.
‘I destroyed one of them, but the other escaped,’ said Eben as he returned to the camp.
‘The Prince of Shadows sent these Stone Horsemen,’ said Mostyn. ‘I think he has underestimated us.’
‘I doubt it. He knows our capabilities,’ said Meara sternly. ‘It is more likely that this was a warning. He wants us to know that we are not beyond his reach. Most of all he wants us to be afraid.’
‘We are not afraid of his monsters,’ said King Ignis.
‘Stone Horsemen served the Prince of Shadows in the Forgotten Age,’ said Mostyn. ‘They have not been seen in Veredor for thousands of years.’
‘Muckrons, draugs, wyverns, and Stone Horsemen; none of them scare me,’ said Duke Egil. ‘We have proven we can defeat all of these creatures of
darkness, but the dragon that guards the tower where Princess Apherah is being held. I don’t know how we will match such a creature.’
‘Yes, the dragon may prove to be our greatest challenge,’ said Meara soberly. ‘Perhaps the dragon is even more powerful than the Prince of Shadows himself. Dragons are very rare; they are creatures that have endured in the cosmos since the dawn of time. Most of them are good natured, but the one that serves the Prince of Shadows is a beast with power far beyond any other creature in Veredor. It has a heart darker than the darkest night. We must destroy it.’
CHAPTER TEN
As the sun rose the company rode on through the forest. The land about became progressively hillier. They rode on and kept a great pace, and gradually the forest began to thin. They could see the mountains in the west. The Great Mountains were clearly the tallest and most imposing range that Eben had ever seen. Their snow-capped jagged peaks rose high into the clouds above.
‘The Great Mountains; long have they stood as the boundary to the Far Western Lands of Veredor. They are home to many mysterious and reclusive creatures,’ said Meara, her bright eyes staring with wonder at the mountains above.
Mostyn led them onward through the last part of the forest. They then entered the rocky foothills of the Great Mountains. Before long the track completely disappeared; although Mostyn seemed to know where he was going. They came upon what looked to be an old worn track that wound its way onward across the rocky hills toward the towering mountains.
‘Yes, here it is: the Path of Saidrin,’ said Mostyn. He raised his eyes and looked at the mountains above. ‘Many brave people have died trying to take this way across the mountains. In winter it is impassable; even in summer the way is treacherous. Few who attempt this pass ever make it across the mountains. Luckily we are not trying to cross the mountains. Our path will lead us south on a lesser known mountain track the crosses the Path of Saidrin. The way we will take has no name as it is only known to the mountain sprites, the Fire Order, and the Star King. The path will lead us onward to the cave.’