“You’re a coward then,” he said to him as Glaivel avoided his eyes.
“I know. And I will live the rest of my life knowing that both of our friends’ blood is in my hands,” Glaivel said as he looked at him again. “I hope this would lead to our mending of ties, Brother,” then he beamed a smile.
“Do you honestly think that giving them a proper burial will change anything?” he asked as he held the paper his brother gave him.
“No, I don’t,” Glaivel answered.
“Then why?”
“Because this is the least that I could do for my nephew,” said Glaivel as he left the tent.
He was stunned by what Glaivel said. He opened the paper that had a map of the tomb where Glaivel had Mozarel and Averice were buried.
End of chapter XI
XII: Weight of the World
Evangeline appeared atop a mountain swept with strong winds and snow. She investigated the recent raid that had happened in the Iron Kingdoms as she was more concerned than ever. She kept thinking of what Ravaen had said that an Orderian was to blame for the attacks. She just couldn’t believe what he said.
She scoured the remains of the burned down temple to look for clues or anything at all that could prove otherwise. She knew the attacker used magic from the Ahktum raid, but she strongly believed that it was not one of her magisters or her people. She stepped through the thick snow and hit something as she walked.
“Roivarien.” She uttered a spell to clear the snow. There on her tracks, a dead man’s body appeared beneath, she was startled, but all she did was move away and remembered to tread carefully.
There were traces of the same magic that was used on the Ahktum temple. She could not believe it. It was indeed just one person. Her eyes glowed pink and small orbs appeared in the air. These were the remaining traces of magic left by the attacker. She waved her hands and the orbs whirled in the air as they slowly clumped together. She began to piece the left over magic to see if the symbols, the diagrams or anything that related it to Orderian magic. She waited and concentrated as the diagram began to assemble itself. Finally, it glowed and all of it made one piece. The diagram of the magic used by the attacker was visible, but she was not happy for what she found out next. It was, in fact, Orderian magic.
“No, this can’t be,” she uttered, refusing to believe it. “Maybe someone else learned our ways. Yes, that’s it.” She tried to fool herself but deep inside she knew that there was a high chance that she was wrong.
She went around the temple and got an unbearable feeling. Something as though poured ice-cold water on her. She then looked around for something as she stopped in the direction of the Middle Kingdom. She gasped at the thought that dawned her. She had a bad feeling as she began to see an ominous pattern.
She walked forward as she teleported back inside the Grand Orderian Library. She sat in the air as she hovered above the floor and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and then opened her eyes as the wind blew on her face; she was back on the Mirror Realm.
However, something was different in the realm. The peaceful white clouds had turned dark and stormy. She turned around and found Lyo within arm’s length.
“This is new,” she said to Lyo who still hadn’t faced her. She tried to get her attention but Lyo was fixated on the brewing storm. “Lyo?”
The being slowly turned to her but said no words nor showed any reactions until she looked back towards the storm clouds.
“Jorus Gracos Saros,” Lyo suddenly said.
She said the same phrase that she said to her in the past. “What does that mean?” Evangeline asked but the being said no more and paced away from the clouds. Confused, Evangeline quickly followed her.
“What does that mean? You need to tell me,” she begged when Lyo stopped and slowly turned to her again.
“Whatever you do, whenever you do it, the outcome will always be the same. Jorus Gracos Saros will happen, by the Gods and Animos will. So further delaying it, Grand Sage, will chance at nothing,” Lyo said.
Her lips trembled upon hearing this. She felt helpless at that point.
“You need to prepare now, Grand Sage. Time is running out the more you delay,” Lyo said.
The being waved her hand to her and suddenly Evangeline woke up as if gasping for air, back in the real world, back in the Orderian library.
She slowly hovered down to the floor, befallen with sadness. Frightened by what the future now had in store for them. Even with all her power, she felt powerless, literally vulnerable to divine interventions.
She held her hand to the right and a book floated to her. She opened the book and the pages leafed themselves to a certain page.
The Heaven’s orchestra was disrupted. It had been going on over a millennia’s cycle. Yor’Jod the One father, along with his son, ruler of the Great Darkness, Shardon, and his daughter, ruler of Eternal Light, Arumar, did all they could to prevent the coming catastrophe. With sheer power and strength, with command in all of light and all of dark, with the power of creation and the forces of the heavens, they were simply not able to set everything to stone.
They were fearful, for their creation was at risk of forever being engulfed in the darkness Yor’Jod chose to subdue. Then they began their work to see the world survive. Arumar planted the great tree of pillar with the power of returning the world to the light while Shardon did the unimaginable and set the worlds own death, but with the great tree, everything will be returned to Yor’Jod’s original creation, with the Heaven’s Orchestra guiding everything.
Jorus Gracos Saros, will be the end, and the beginning...
She closed the book as she took a deep breath, shaken and helpless. She stood as the book returned to where it came from. She then teleported to the docks by the shores of the Orderian and there she was with the master of ships.
“Grand Sage,” the shipmaster bowed to show respect to her.
She held her hand and appeared a roll of paper which she handed to the shipmaster.
“Prepare this ship within three months’ time,” she commanded.
“But Sire, with this kind of ship, it would be impossible,” the shipmaster argued.
“I will be assigning these men to you,” she said when five to ten teleportation orbs suddenly appeared and revealed her most elite magisters, who were equally confused as how they got there, but immediately fell in line at the sight of her. “You are commanded by your Grand Sage to help the shipmaster build the ship that I need in three months’ time. You will follow his orders until the ship is complete. Is that understood?” she commanded.
The magisters looked at each other, but then immediately kneeled, a sign of agreement.
She then looked at the shipmaster, who was fairly stunned at that point. “Make this happen, Shipmaster,” she said then she teleported away herself.
DEEP WITHIN THE CONTINENT of Shardon, Kaira and her unit scouted the lands, surveying and doing reconnaissance work for the Unibeltrasian Forces. They could not be too laid back because of the recent developments and the unexpected prowess their enemy possessed. They needed to make sure that they remain undetected behind enemy lines.
“Bring out the map,” Kaira said. One of her arad-assassins pulled one out and laid it in the ground. She then carefully inspected the map and crossed it with their surroundings.
“How far are we now from the front lines?” she asked.
“About four kilometers, Princess,” one of her arad-assassins said.
“And is that accounting the small Xerxecian outpost we saw?” she clarified to which they agreed. “If there’s an outpost just past the jagged pass of Rondag, where is their main camp? Past that then there’s nothing but rough terrain,” she said as curiosity took over. There was no way the Xerxecians could’ve set up camp there.
“I need two men to search for any camps out the forest to the north and one further east,” she ordered her men then went their own way. They were about to change locations when their owl flew to th
em and prepared itself to show an image. The owl started to make an image and it was Aderon who showed up.
“Commander, what is it?” she asked him quickly.
“How is the scouting going?” Aderon asked.
“As of the moment we only found one outpost in the end of the jagged pass of rondag,” she reported to him.
“Any numbers for me? What are the creatures stationed in the outpost?” Aderon asked.
“They have a two tengus, a group of armedigors, and a giant fanged mastodon,” she reported.
“Did you say, fanged mastodon?” Aderon asked again.
“Unfortunately, yes, Commander,” she said. She could see Aderon’s worrisome expression.
“I was pretty sure they were extinct, and their remnants turned to the elephantes that roam the middle kingdom,” Aderon said as he looked around. She understood why Aderon was acting that way.
As big as kragens, mastodons could charge like a taranos. “Those things do have thick fur, so there’s a good chance they came from the untamed lands of the Shardon Continent,” she said and Aderon sighed deeply and he rubbed his forehead.
“Continue your mission. For now, I have to add those mastodons to our list of enemy units,” Aderon said as he handed over a piece of paper to one of the guards with him.
“Understood, Commander,” she said and was already preparing to leave.
“I’m not done yet,” Aderon suddenly said.
“Well, that is all that I can report for now. Is there something else?” confused, she asked.
“We have received reports, that a raid happened in the Middle Kingdom,” Aderon said and her heart skipped a bit. “A tomb was raided, left a crater on its wake,”
She had expected it. “Casualties?”
Aderon only looked at her and refused to talk. He refused to answer her question to which she already knew what it was.
“Aderon, I need to leave for my kingdom,” she asked as her voice was shaky.
Aderon sighed, “This again, how many times do I have to tell you that you can’t go? I’m sorry, Kaira, but I cannot allow that,” Aderon said firmly.
“Why? So you let Tamiron, and Ravaen do what they must and not me?” she protested.
“You and your unit is too important, Kaira!” Aderon raised his voice, adding to her frustration. “You know that.”
“Then I need to speak to Tamiron,” she asked.
“And what makes you think that will happen?” Aderon asked firmly.
“Because again, I need to leave for my kingdom,” she said as she tried to hold back her own voice and frustration.
Aderon chuckled and shook his head, “What makes you think that Tamiron still has authority here? Remember, he gave me command of the united forces which you are a part of. My word is his command and that is absolute. Did you hear me, Princess Kaira?” Aderon imposed.
She averted to look at him and Aderon huffed. “You are to continue your reconnaissance and that is an order. And Kaira,” Aderon called her and she finally looked, “Don’t rely on Tamiron that much. He is not the same man as he was before.”
Kaira was visibly shaking, out of anger at that point, as Aderon’s image disappeared into the owl’s eyes. Her men didn’t know what to do.
“Damnit!” she shouted as she punched the ground hard.
She had to check the state of her kingdom, but without Tamiron in command, she could not do anything. As much as she hated to admit it as well, but Aderon was right; Tamiron was not as he used to be, and she hated herself for that.
She knew that she was not to blame, but still she felt that she could’ve done something for him.
WITHIN THE LA’SARIEN Forest, where the sun’s rays barely to penetrated the thickets and where access was restricted by the elves, a tomb made of rock lay unsculpted to make sure that the tomb stayed hidden as it was intended. The only marker on the tomb was the insignia of the race of men. Besides the birds that chirped and the capris that roamed the forest, leaves rustled beneath a cloaked figure’s footsteps.
The tomb was well hidden enough for it to pose a problem to the entity of the shadow, but he had magic, and that made things easier. He stumbled upon a small clearing where the tomb lied and from what was made to appear as a mere cave, guards of the Viris kingdom emerged, then new ones switched with them.
The cloaked figure hovered silently through the forest then engulfed himself of maroonish pink orbs and teleported away.
SEVIDON WALKED ALL over camp. He looked left and right and all he saw were the camps of all the armies that remained. He stopped and turned back where he started and beyond were more tents. Banners, insignias and flags of the kingdoms towered over the camps and all had something in common, they represent their respective kingdoms — except for one.
“Where are the camps of the Orderian army?” he asked a soldier who was sitting near his own tent.
“I’m sorry, my liege, but we haven’t seen the entire Orderian army you see. We just saw a handful of them come every now and then. But they did not stay much longer than a day or two.”
“The Grand Sage, do you see her often here?” he asked the soldier again.
“About twice, my liege. Only glimpses though. We are talking about the beautiful raven-tressed woman, right?”
He looked at the soldier as his eyebrow rose to the description. The soldier was confused with his reaction and looked at his fellows to see the same experience.
“Yes, she is who we are talking about,” he said calmly and the soldier embarrassedly nodded.
He then patted the soldier twice in the back. “Alright,” he said then he went on his way.
He did not like the fact that an entire army is unaccounted for in a camp supposedly for all of them to be stationed at. He did not like it one bit.
The fact that Tamiron even gave Evangeline freedom to do her own bidding somehow boiled his own blood. He then heard a sound that he only heard two or three times in his lifetime. He stopped and looked for where the sound came from and there he saw, two crows squaking atop the banner of the imperial army. He doesn’t know what to make of it, but he was clearly disturbed for he knows what happened after the sighting of such birds. He then tried to ignore the squaking and went on his way as he saw some guards were visibly disturbed by their presence.
He entered the communications tent where all the messenger owls rested. He walked towards the movement reports and searched through the papers but did not find what he was looking for.
“Where are the troop movements of the orderian army?” he asked.
“What do you need it for, my liege?” asked the soldier.
“I just need it,” he said but soldier seemed concerned.
“I’m sorry, my liege, but I can’t give that to you. Only the commander and the Grand Sage herself are allowed to see it,” the soldier explained.
He was completely baffled by the answer. He looked the soldier dead in the eyes and said, “I said, I need it. Show it to me now, that is an order from your commanding officer.”
The poor soldier had no choice and said, “Follow me, Sire,”
They then proceeded to another part of the tent that seemed untouched for a long time. The soldier then pointed to the reports and he began to read them one by one.
As he continued to read the reports, he was stunned by the number of troop movements that Evangeline was doing. “Since when did she seize the ruined citadel of Oroz’Kram?” he asked.
“It’s been going on now for a month, Sire. Orderian troops receive reinforcement via the port they constructed on the shore,” the soldier explained.
He continued to read the reports and found out that she had already scouted the entire southern part of the continent.
“Get me an owl, I need to contact Tamiron immediately!” he shouted out of frustration.
He could not believe it that Tamiron would not rein Evangeline in. She was doing things on her own and behind their backs. He had to stop it, but he needed to talk to Tami
ron first.
“Sire, we are already preparing to contact Prince Tamiron, but there’s another message waiting for you,” the soldier said. A letter was handed to him and he proceeded to read it.
For Prince Glaivel or General Sevidon’s eyes only,
We have received reports that an attack on a recently discovered tomb within the La’Sarien Forest. The tomb was situated on the middle of the both kingdom’s borders and the fact that it was well hidden surprised us here in the Meskotav Council.
We have not yet informed our respective kings for this matter for any border issue will have to go through us, but due to the severity of the situation we will have to report it sooner or later.
We request to have an audience with either Prince Glaivel or General Sevidon about this matter in the earliest convenience.
He was surprised. The tomb that the Meskotav council were talking about was the tombs of Mozarel and Averice. He immediately stood and left the tent without a word.
He went straight to the Venis Command tent where his adoptive brother, Prince Wraponreth, was surprised.
“Brother, to what do I owe this pleasure?” Wraponreth said.
“I have to leave for Tamara, Brother. I am giving the command of the Venis army to you for the time being. That is all,” he said abruptly then left the tent.
“Wait, what do you mean you need to leave for Tamara? You mean now?” Wraponreth clarified as Sevidon saddled his horse.
“Yes, you don’t need to explain yourself to Aderon. I need to leave now,”
“Wait!” Wraponreth called out to him but he already rode out of the camp.
He wasted no time as his horse galloped in its fierce might with an Orderian owl following not far behind. He needed to speak to Tamiron about Evangeline. Something was very odd about her, and Sevidon could feel it in his gut. He could feel that something was terribly wrong with her.
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