They marched until the King couldn’t walk any further and, not wanting to push him too hard, Tyrius began setting up camp for the night near a small stream.
The water was cool and fresh and gave the travelers some well needed drink to cool their parched throats. After quenching his thirst, Tyrius went about gathering berries and leaves that he knew would provide them with enough nourishment to stave off their hunger and last them through the night. Once he had gathered enough, he passed the King a sizeable portion and sat down near the fire to eat.
“How much longer do you think it will be before we catch up to them?” asked the King, rubbing his sore feet.
“They have a good day or two head start on us. And they are trained soldiers. They are probably moving much faster than us, so they certainly could have made much more ground than we have today. I would guess at our pace, if they have reached their destination, we will catch up by nightfall tomorrow. If they are still moving it could be days before we catch up.” answered Tyrius.
“Days? I see…we will do as we must.” said the King, determined.
“Don’t worry, your majesty. Once we reach the soldiers, I am confident your part of the journey will be over until we can find a way to take back the capital from General Krauss. Once we do so, you will be back in your home where you belong.”
“I certainly hope you’re right, my friend.” he sighed. “I never thought the day would come where I would be betrayed by my own men, let alone the man I’ve raised like a son.”
“You couldn’t have known he would betray you. He fooled us all.” replied Tyrius. “You can’t blame yourself for things that are out of your control.”
“I should have seen the signs. He had become more distant over the years, but I thought it was simply because he was growing up, you know, becoming a man…. That, and his increasing duties as General. I should have taken more time with him, to be more present.” said the King.
“It wouldn’t have mattered, I fear. Once the Defiant One had his grip on him, coupled with his lust for power, nothing you said or did would have stopped him from going down this path.” said Tyrius.
Tyrius stirred the fire to bring the flame new life as they sat and let the events of the past few days sink in.
“I suppose you’re right, my friend. I thought I could protect him from the truth and raise him as my own. I thought I could give him all the things he needed to be happy, but I was wrong. I suppose now all that’s left to do is to set the wrong’s right and end his terrible plan before it’s too late.” said the King, determined.
“We will. We must…but first, we must get some rest if we are ever to catch up with the company of soldiers and get some answers! Off to bed now, your majesty.” said Tyrius, eager to get to rest so they could get an early start in the morning.
Tyrius took the first watch so the King could get some rest. It didn’t take long for the King to fall asleep, leaving Tyrius alone in the wilderness with his thoughts and the hope that the next day would bring him closer to finding his dear Erin.
✽✽✽
The next day Tyrius and the King stumbled upon a grisly scene. Hundreds of men lay dead in an open field deep within the forest. Crows and other scavengers littered the field, preying on the open flesh of the deceased. They walked amongst the dead, trying to determine what had happened and which side had won. It was apparent that the encampment had been attacked by General Krauss’ forces, most of which appeared to have been those undead soldiers they had passed while fleeing the Royal palace a few days before. Tyrius could tell that most of the bodies that lay before them were severely decomposed far beyond that of the others and wore the darker colors that they saw within the palace during their escape.
Tyrius and the King inspected the battlefield for any indication that the encampment had been fortunate enough to survive. Finally, Tyrius found what he was looking for: tracks leaving the battlefield and heading deeper into the forest towards the mountain.
“Look!” he said to the King, pointing to the tracks leading way from the battlegrounds. “These tracks are leading deeper into the forest. You can see they must have been pulling wagons too. This is good news, my dear friend! Our friends may still be alive! Let’s go. We have much ground to cover before nightfall.”
He patted the King’s back, reassured by their discovery of the tracks leading into the forest, and together they set off into the woods. They stopped a few hours into the evening to set up camp again, knowing that to continue tonight would do them more harm than good, as the light was too dim now to follow any tracks and they were both growing too weary to continue much further.
The following morning, they got up with the light of the sun just barely shining through the trees and set off immediately in the direction of the tracks. Tyrius couldn’t explain it, but he felt refreshed with a newfound energy and the hope of finding Erin felt more near than ever before. He smiled at the small but intense feeling as they continued their pursuit into the forest.
Chapter XXV
Captain Ryan, Erin, and the rest of the rebel forces had been working all day to move the camp away from their compromised position and deeper into the forest towards the base of the Mystic Mountain. They found a clearing near the base of a high cliff that was formed when a portion of the mountain had slid away in a rock slide many years ago. The fallen debris was now covered in thick vegetation and towering trees like the rest of the forest, providing ample covering from the sun while still giving them the advantage of the high ground in the event of another attack.
Once they had decided on this location, they helped the rest of the survivors unpack and began the long preparations for setting up camp. It took them the remainder of the afternoon and they finished just as the sky began to darken and give way to the coming night. As the cooks began preparing the meals, the soldiers were starting to prepare defensive barriers around the encampment.
They collected as many branches as they could find in the surrounding area and started to sharpen the tips to make long spears. They then stuck them in the ground pointing out towards the surrounding forest to create an impenetrable barrier around their encampment. Around midnight the entire camp was surrounded with these wooden spears, leaving only one opening near the edge of the cliff to provide a way in and out. They had been working all night under torchlight to ensure they were more prepared than they had been last time – they were not going to be caught off guard again.
Having finally finished the defensive preparations, Captain Ryan ordered a group of soldiers to take the first watch while the rest of the men were told to retire for the night.
Erin was happy to be able to finally get some rest after the long day of hiking through the woods, followed by the rushed setup of their new encampment. Captain Ryan had insisted her tent be next to his again, stating that in the event there was another attack he wanted to be sure she was around to save his neck. She smiled at his kind gesture, but she knew it was so he could keep a close eye on her like he always had done. She wasn’t sure why he had always been so protective of her. She just assumed it was because of his caring nature and his friendship with Tyrius.
With the thought of Tyrius, her heart sank to her stomach. She missed him dearly and worried for his safety. She couldn’t help but wonder if he was even still alive. Each day he spent in those dungeons, his chances for survival diminished greatly. No one lasted long in those pits of despair – whether it was the malnourishment or the loss of hope, or a combination of both, long-term captives always died before they could carry out their full sentences. With worry for her friend on her mind, Erin tossed and turned for what felt like an eternity before sleep finally overwhelmed her.
✽✽✽
The sound of birds singing in a nearby tree woke Erin gently from her sleep. For a moment, she thought the past week had all been a dream, but then she realized where she was and that hope vanished just as quickly. As she came to her senses, she heard Captain Ryan’s voice outside her tent. He w
as talking to someone, but it was loud enough that she could overhear the conversation.
“She’s still sleeping; we had a late-night yesterday setting up the defenses around the encampment. She’s been through so much lately.” She heard him say.
“Understood. I will wait until she’s up before letting her know I have arrived.” replied an all too familiar voice.
Erin quickly rubbed the sleep from her eyes and jumped up from her bedroll before flinging open the tent flap. The light from the morning sun was shining brilliantly through the canopy in beautiful scattered beams and the smell of roasted game drifted through the camp, but despite her almost nauseating hunger, she was more focused on the voice she had just heard. She saw Captain Ryan walking away with two elderly men, one of who’s silhouette Erin could recognize anywhere.
“Tyrius! Thank the heavens, is that really you?” cried Erin, chasing after the men.
Tyrius stopped and turned around, smiling the most heartfelt smile he could muster without breaking down into a full sob. He threw his arms open and Erin ran to him, embracing her dear friend and teacher. Her face soaked in an endless stream of tears.
“Oh, Tyrius. I’ve missed you so much! I heard you had been captured and I was so afraid for you! I was coming to rescue you, but I was captured before I could make it to the capital.” she cried between her chest shaking sobs.
“My dear child, I know, I know. I’m so sorry for everything I’ve put you through. But don’t worry, you’re safe now. I won’t let them get you again. I promise!” he held her out at arms-length to take her sight in again before pulling her back into a giant hug.
Despite all of the danger that they now faced; Erin felt safe in Tyrius’ arms. He had always been there for her, and it had been a difficult journey without his guidance, not to mention her constant worry for his safety.
“Tell me, Tyrius. What happened when you went to see the King? I had heard you were captured, along with the King, and were being held in the palace dungeons.” Erin asked, wondering how they were now free.
Tyrius thought for a moment about how he would begin his tale, rubbing his fingers through his beard. After a while, he seemed to have decided, and began recounting his steps.
“After I left the Forgotten Temple, I headed straight to the Royal Palace to warn the King of the missing orb. When I arrived, I went to the King’s private study to wait for Albert to go and inform the King of my arrival and bring him to the study for a private conference. That’s when I was confronted by General Krauss and learned of his arrest of the King. He had told me the King had gone mad and was planning to unleash the Defiant One from the Dark Abyss. Something inside me knew that it couldn’t be true, but there were men, soldiers of the Royal Guard, who had witnessed the King’s mad rant first-hand, so it was difficult to dismiss at the time.
“When the soldiers left, the General tried to convince me to join him in his quest to expand the kingdom. When I refused to join him, he had me locked away in the dungeon with the King, claiming that I had been his accomplice.” he said, shaking his head in disbelief at what had transpired that day.
“We waited for what must have been days; it was difficult to tell without any real access to the outside world; however, I knew that my connection with the Elders would lead them to me. And as I had hoped, the Master Elder was able to infiltrate the palace and set us free without any major complications.
“He then took us to the Birthplace of the World to meet with the other Elders where they now await their demise, as it seems the toll of time has finally caught up to them and their life force is fading fast.”
Erin gasped. She had never thought she would see the day the Elders would die, as they had been around for centuries. She knew that it would eventually happen, as was the cycle with the Elders and their magic, but it didn’t make it any easier.
The Elders were given the gift of magic from the Last of the Elders before them. He had trained them in the art of magic and prophecy, and, when they had been taught all he knew, he too had passed, leaving his students the task of choosing an apprentice to train themselves. That apprentice had been Tyrius.
Now, he would be the one who would have to select the next generation of Elders and would be responsible for teaching them all that he knew, before he, too, would eventually pass. And so, on and on went the cycle of the Elders, as it had been since their creation after the end of the Mystic War nearly fifteen-hundred years ago.
Despite her knowing this day would eventually come, Erin mourned the thought of their passing; they had all been like family to her since she was young and had begun her apprenticeship with Tyrius.
“How did you get back to the Outer Woods and how did you find us?” she asked, ready to hear the rest of the story.
“The Elders sent us to the last place we knew you were, West Post. They used their remaining power to transport us to the city where we came across two soldiers. I was able to extract information from one of them and found out that you had been captured and taken back to the Royal Palace.
“We followed the tracks of the soldiers and wagon you had been held prisoner in until we found a place where the tracks stopped. From there we deduced that there had been an ambush and that there was still a loyal faction of soldiers somewhere within the forest, as we had found two Royal soldiers dead with arrows deep in their backs. We followed their tracks and eventually we came upon a place where a great battle had been fought.
“At first, we feared the worst; however, we quickly realized that there were tracks leading away from the battlegrounds further into the forest heading toward the base of the mountain and away from the Royal Palace. We hoped for the best and followed suit. We only just arrived this morning after travelling through the night.
“As soon as I saw Captain Ryan, he led me to your tent. I’m so relieved you are okay, child. I don’t know what I would have done had I lost you.” He hugged Erin tight again, a huge weight falling off his shoulders.
“Well I’m just happy to have you back and to know that you’re okay!”said Erin, smiling.
“As am I, child, as am I.” Tyrius replied.
“I hate to break up the reunion, but we have important business to discuss” said Captain Ryan, eager to get to business.
“Understood.” replied Tyrius.
“Erin, would you mind getting some food and drink for the King and I and catching up with us in a moment? I have some things to discuss with Captain Ryan.” asked Tyrius.
“Okay. I will be back shortly!” replied Erin before running off towards the cooking area.
Tyrius and Captain Ryan turned and met with the King, who had been checking on his people and thanking them for their loyalty, before they all walked into the command tent to meet with the other officers. They had set up the tent much like the one they had in their other encampment, with a table in the center and lanterns hanging up to provide light during their nightly meetings.
Recognizing the King as he walked through their tent flap, the officers quickly stood attention and clapped their fists to their chest in the customary salute. They all smiled as the King walked by each of the soldiers, patting them on their shoulders and thanking them for their loyalty. When they all settled in their respective places, the meeting began.
“All right men, as you now know Tyrius was able to escape from the dungeons with the King safely. So now the mission has changed slightly. We no longer have to worry about rescuing the King, but the general objective is still the same. We must take back the palace and stop General Krauss at all cost.”
He looked to Tyrius to continue.
“There have been some complications…we have discovered that General Krauss has possession of Black Magic. He is using it to create an undead army to help fuel his campaign and secure his position by force. We fear he has plans of building up his army and eventually trying to take over the remaining kingdoms. There’s more…we fear he has gained his powers from the Defiant One in exchange for his promise to help s
et him free from the Dark Abyss where he was sealed long ago, at the end of the Mystic Wars.”
This news brought agitated murmurs from the men. Captain Ryan spoke up first.
“We came across the undead soldiers during our encounter in the forest. At first they appeared to be normal soldiers who had defected, however upon closer examination we discovered they were the bodies of men that had been laid to rest, some of which were loved ones we had known our whole lives.”
The men all nodded in agreement, a haunted look on their faces as they recalled the carnage of the battle a couple of nights before. Captain Ryan continued.
“If the General has this kind of power, what can we do to stop him?”
Erin had slipped in only moments before to bring in a bowl of porridge and some water for Tyrius and the King, bowing slightly as she handed him his bowl “Your highness”, she said respectfully. He quietly thanked her before turning his attention back to the briefing.
“Our only hope to stop General Krauss and his powerful magic is David, the chosen one from prophecy who will lead us in this conflict.” replied Tyrius after thanking Erin for the much-needed nourishment.
“Where is this boy now?” asked one of the officers, bringing up a murmur from the others wondering the same thing.
“He is seeking help from the city-kingdom of Ravenfell, in hopes they will aid us in this conflict. They are our neighbors and have been at peace with us. What is in our best interest is also in theirs, as they are our closest neighbor, and if we fall, soon they will fall as well.” replied Captain Ryan, filling in the gaps for Tyrius. He had much to catch up on.
“Okay, so how does this boy have a chance against the General if he is in possession of magic from the Defiant One? He was the most powerful of all the Mystics!” answered Sergeant Parker who was standing next to Captain Ryan. He had been an avid enthusiast of the Mystics and the legends that surrounded them, and he had read all too often of the destructive power the Mystic of Destruction had in his possession.
David Bishop and the Legend of the Orb Page 23