As it became engulfed by a great fire inducing a growing plume of dark smoke, he looked again to the clouds, but the cross was not there. He thought of his daughter and how they had enjoyed naming the various animal shapes the clouds sometimes made. He hoped she would not get sad when she looked at the clouds again without him. He knew he was going to die. Maybe the bards would even sing great songs about him one day. But he knew they would not. After all, he did not carry a sword. He only carried a torch.
Drahin (Father).
Two short, crystalline chimes were all that were required to throw the entire city surrounding the famed Stone Keep into a chaos driven commotion. City guards, peasants, merchants, militia, nobility, all were subject to the harrying effects of the warning that there was an attack from within the city. Had there been three short chimes, the actions would have been completely different. Instead of being focused on the ground and moving from street to street, the larger portion of the city garrison would have climbed the walls and taken up position preventing someone from entering instead of preventing someone from leaving.
He wondered briefly what had caused the twin chimes and subsequent ruckus, until, that is, he saw the same two people, the boy and is friend, leap from the window in a marvelous swan dive to land harmlessly onto the pile of hay below. As he watched them gain their bearings and stand, he wondered what had been necessary enough for them to risk their lives and do what needed to be done. Certainly the twin chimes were not part of their contingency, but were now part of their reality.
As he continued waiting from his seated position against the side of the building, still feeling it was right to wait, he saw the two men dart around the other side of the keep and out of his sight all the while people still passed him by. However, this time, they were taking notice of him. Before, when there was nothing evidently wrong, no one had the time or compulsion to look his way, but now, with the uproar of an attack, more people than not took time to see him. He met many of their eyes, and upon their faces he saw fear, or at least its closest approximation without the knowledge of what to fear.
But their fear was not the only thing he noticed. He saw smoke, and moments later, he saw a fire in the distance. Not a raging, uncontrolled fire, but a single pillar of flames throwing a tall pillar of black smoke into a bright blue sky. Moments later, he saw two men, each dressed in the mixed black and green colors of the flags adorning the city walls, hurriedly climb the steps of the keep hall and hastily run inside.
Chime, the singular bell rang abruptly going almost unnoticed as the inhabitants of the city were already consumed with protecting themselves against the attack from within. Chime, the second single bell produced an effect as innocuous as the first. Chime, the third single bell resulted in a monumental cessation of activity altogether. The people stopped and looked up toward the bells, waiting for something to break their confusion induced paralysis. Two bells signaled an act of treason, while a third indicated an assault from beyond the protection of the thick and tall city walls. As a singular entity, everyone within Vennesulte's view slowly turned to look in the direction of the beacon. After they had all seen it burning, resulting in a billowing tall tower of smoke, their collective action was similar to what it had been before. This time, however, it was in totally the opposite direction. If an attack from within produced a clockwise rotation, an attack from without produced its counterclockwise counterpart. But he no longer felt it was right to remain motionless. Now he was meant to move. Now he was meant to help.
The two of us had been fortunate enough to avoid the guards for the moment. As it turned out, none of our pursuers were able to scale the wall in the same manner we had. Hence our temporary escape on the rooftops had provided us with a much needed, but brief, reprieve from our escape efforts. When we had settled in the wine cellar, I helped Kinarin re-bandage his bleeding heal. Under normal circumstances, we would have already removed the arrow tip and tended to his wound, something our pursuers had prevented. As I unwrapped his blood-filled bandage, I saw that the remaining portion of the arrow had worked its way deeper into his heal. I feared it had become lodged too securely into the bone to remove without the skill of a surgeon. But that was an option we did not have.
"Dig it out," he said as he breathed deeply.
"Are you sure?" I responded. I was trained in minor bandaging techniques, but removing an arrow tip from its lodged position within the bone was a skill I did not possess.
"Dig it out," he said again with a greater emphasis.
Kinarin, while able to withstand an enormous amount of pain, was not completely prepared for my lack of skill. Had he been able to reach the wound himself, I am certain he would have performed the rudimentary surgery with greater skill, but as I was his only option, he endured through clenched teeth. The only indication he was in discomfort was his quiet groan as I used my knife to remove the arrow.
"I think I got it, although there may still be shards remaining," I said as I finished suturing my rough incision, "I apologize."
"Drin," he said through slow and painful breaths, "At least I know the content of your next lessons."
I was about to respond to his humor, but his abrupt finger to mouth gesture halted my speech before it began. The faint creaking of the front door being opened was followed by several soft footfalls, no doubt from people attempting to conceal, quite poorly, their presence from someone who might be hiding within. Although the building’s floor was adequately constructed, we could still see the faint shadows of the guards between the floorboards. We both knew it was only a matter of time, perhaps minutes, before the guards would locate the cellar door forcing both myself and Kinarin to battle our way out. As we silently counted the different steps, Kinarin motioned that there were at least fifteen of them confirming my estimation. While our skills exceeded those possessed by the city guard, we could not stand against them all, and certainly not considering Kinarin's current condition. But neither could we give up. As the footsteps grew closer to sealing our fate, I drew my twin daggers, my preferred method for fighting multiple opponents. Kinarin did the same.
But right as the handle of the trap door was being lifted, we heard the distinct and clear bells chime once again. Three times it sounded, and three times we held our breaths. After the third chime, we heard the hurried and purposeful footsteps of the guards abruptly ending their search. Kinarin motioned that we continue in our silence for a few more minutes. When we were both sure there were no guards present, we slowly lifted the trap door. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught the blade reflected in the sunlight shining through the window and barely dodged the fatal strike aimed at my exposed neck. I stumbled and landed on Kinarin who was waiting his turn to climb the ladder leading from the wine cellar. Under normal circumstances, he would have been able to support my weight with little effort, but my landing caused both our weights to shift to his wounded heal. We both lost our collective breaths as we tumbled to the ground.
I expected the remaining guards to come flooding through the opened trap door, but all we saw were a series of quick shadows from between the floorboards above as we both gasp to regain our breath. The shadows were followed by some grunts and impacts. When the noises had settled, we regained our footing and looked to each other, both confused. Drawing our attention was the emergence of a boy's head shooting through the trap door, "Vennesulte has silenced the men searching for you. It is safe. We must go."
The Lord Myosk might indeed be a proud man, but even in his pride, there was a very good reason why he had been appointed by the High King to rule over the first line of defense against outside forces seeking to invade the Silver Empire. In his younger years, he had been well known for his successes on the field of battle, in particular with his regimented training program for the soldiers in his charge. So when it was time for High King Yahnaros to award the Stone Keep and all of its lands to one of his familial relations, he was willing to endure the protests from his Council of Advisors in orde
r to ensure its greater safety. Against the council's warnings, he selected Lord Myosk, who previously held no known heritage to High King Yahnaros. Until, that is, he had his best scribes research the matter. And upon their findings, still surrounded in controversy, it was revealed Lord Myosk was a distant cousin to The King. His appointment was allowed, though certainly not celebrated.
However, his generals and soldiers, under his direct supervision, displayed countless and endless discipline. So when the bells chimed thrice, there was no hesitation amongst the military men. They responded and responded well. All but a fraction of his forces stopped their home by home search for the assassins and sprung into the necessary actions to defend the walls. A small contingency was still dedicated to their arrest, but because of the impending army's advance, it was made much more difficult.
In a matter of only thirty minutes, the formidable forces of The Stone Keep were deployed upon the walls. The machines of defense, catapults, trebuchets, and all manner of flaming hell were made ready to launch in response to the Lord's order. He stood at the center of the wall just above the large main gate atop the innermost keep wall. From this point, he was able to see the full expanse of the terrifying army approaching them. But its fear was not propagated by its numbers; they had faced larger armies before. Nor did it result from its many war machines, for there were none. Instead the fear it created was directly related to the dark mist shrouding the ground over which it traveled. Although its numbers were formidable, the army produced no sounds. No clatter of armor, no footfalls on the ground, and none of the typical shouts or screams meant to intimidate. It was completely silent, like the waxing of the moon against the blackness of night. Had it not been for the black mist and utter silence, Lord Myosk would have estimated the length of battle to last for only a few hours, but he had to admit to himself, never had he been privy to see anything like this before. But he was still confident regarding his defenses, and did not doubt his lands would remain protected at the battle's end.
He ordered his defenses to be readied. The war machines were loaded and pulled taught, and the oil that would be used to light his archer's arrows was liberally spilled in the premade trench. The remainder of the oil was then spilled on the outside of the walls in preparation for the ladders the advancing army would undoubtedly deploy in their attempt to take the keep. But that was his mistake. He assumed this army would utilize all the conventional tactics of war, as countless armies had in the past, but there was nothing conventional about the approaching force. Yet his experience was so thoroughly rooted in his planning and preparations, he was unable to see anything but the conventional, even in the wake of the black mist and utter silence.
As the Dark Legion finally stopped its forward march and began spreading over the battle field like a malignant virus, there arose a single sound like that of thunder far in the distance. Neither of the forces gave it any attention, however, because it was faint and possessed no threatening quality, at least none greater than either of the armies themselves. But as it was heard again, this time closer and louder, both armies began to search the skies for the source of the thunder, only to see a cloudless blue. Again the noise bellowed, but this time its audible detail suggested it was not thunder at all, but a roar; a roar that demanded all attention.
Both armies, dark and light, focused their eyes upon a terrifyingly awesome sight. Descending out of the sky, brilliantly alight by the reflected rays of the setting sun, was a blazing Gold Dragon, immense in its scope and thunderous in its presence. As it landed on legs impossibly strong, the ground shook. It unfurled its wings and stood upon its hind legs, front claws extended threateningly, and roared from a power beyond any that would be engaged on this day. The impact from its roar staggered both forces. As it regained the stance upon its front legs, it was revealed that the Gold Dragon was not alone, for seated on its back was a man and a woman. They both quickly dismounted and strode to the front gate of the stone keep.
"I bid The Lord Myosk to grant me an audience," said the man's voice, strongly and with a deep conviction.
"Who are you ask an audience from the Lord of the Stone Keep?" said the head guard atop the outer gate, eyes still uneasily focused on the Dragon. "Do you not see there is a battle about to begin?"
"The battle is precisely why I wish to speak to Lord Myosk," the lone man answered the guard's question.
"You are dressed as a beggar! What can you possibly know about battle? Again, I ask you your name!" demanded the head guard.
"I am he who is clothed in the rags of mortality to be dressed in the armor of hope and righteous. I am he who wields the truth of faith as a blade able to cut through the darkest veil. I am one who has given his life to The Greater King. I am Eriboth, and I have come."
At the mention of his name, the soldiers on the walls all looked around and muttered to themselves. The head guard, taken aback by Eriboth's presence, looked to the top of the innermost keep wall knowing the Lord Myosk had been watching the exchange. As a white flag was raised three times, the head guard ordered the outer gate to be opened. Before striding through the opening gate, Eriboth walked to the great gold dragon as it bent its head and neck low.
"I need only a short time, my friend. Please stand watch over these walls while I speak to Lord Myosk," stated Eriboth to the Great Gold Dragon.
In a deep and rumbling voice, The Dragon answered, "It is His Will, and it will be done. Now do what you must. The walls will be safe." As the Dragon concluded his sentence, it began to glow brightly as if the sun had descended to the ground. When its brightness caused all to shield their eyes, it dissolved into a golden half-sphere surrounding the entire grounds of The Stone Keep. Seeing this, Eriboth turned and strode inside the opened gate, Soliana by his side.
Once inside, he was met by twin columns of soldiers lining the pathway to the throne room of the Keep itself. The news of his arrival, and upon the back of a dragon, had spread to all of its residence causing their hope induced curiosity to supersede their fear. Windows and doors were all opened just enough to allow peering eyes to catch the briefest glimpse of the warrior of legend who had come to their aide. They had no doubt expected to see a great warrior adorned with all the splendor of the finest battle armor and must have been at least a little distressed when the warrior of legend turned out to be nothing more than a man in rags. But still they watched and still he strode.
As the great keep doors were opened, and he and Soliana walked through, the Lord Myosk was already seated on his throne. When he saw both Eriboth and Soliana approaching him, he stood up and quickly walked to them, his arms extended as if to embrace.
"My Lord Eriboth, had we not heard rumors of your death, we would have sought your services in this battle. It is good that you have come. Where is your army?" said Lord Myosk, embracing the rag-dressed warrior as if they had been friends.
"I have brought no army, My Lord. What you see before you is all that is required," Eriboth answered.
"Well, I am sure that Golden Dragon of yours will certainly provide us with the victory we need. Tell me, however did you find him? If I had not seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed the children's tales to be true," said the Lord as he put his arm around Eriboth's shoulder and led him toward the throne.
"I did not find Him, He found me," said the white eyed man.
"That is of no matter. What is of matter is I have assembled the whole of my war council which will be at your disposal. Had our time not been shortened by the emergence of an army on our doorstep, a failure of my scouts and network of informants," he said as he looked to one of the men gathering around them, "I would proceed with formal introductions. But they will have to wait until after our successful defense. Now, let us move to the war room. We have much to plan and little time to do it."
The thirteen of them walked through a door on the side of the throne room; one Lord, ten Warlords, one woman, and one legend. In the center of the room was a large, dark wood
ed table with a model of the stone keep. It was remarkably accurate in its replication of the actual stone keep, even down to the trees and shops within its outer wall. No detail was left out as every detail could possibly be utilized in the defense of the city and keep within. As all of the warlords gathered around the model, Lord Myosk spoke, "The most likely areas to focus their forces in an attempt to breech the outer wall are located here and here," he pointed out two distinct recesses in the model wall. "That is where the outer wall is about five feet shorter than the rest. If we gather our archers here and here,” he pointed to two portcullises, each located between the two recesses, “we will be able to maximize their effects on the invading forces.” He looked up to Eriboth.
“Yes, those would both be adequate choices for the defense of weaknesses in your outer defenses. But you will need to place them here and here if you wish to minimize the casualties,” Eriboth indicated two other areas far away from the front of the outer wall.
One of the gathered warlords spoke next, "From there, the only use for the archers would be to prevent an army from attacking our rear gate?"
"Or to defend a retreating force that is exiting the keep," Soliana answered the question.
Convergence (The Dragon Within Saga Book 1) Page 80