settled upon Mal, and allowed a half grin to mark his face. It was truly a gift to see him once more, and oddly enough he didn't look to have changed much to Tonniel's eyes.
"I hope you have been finding the quiet life of a farmer a fitting reward, old friend," the king spoke first to break the momentary pause of silence. "You have indeed been missed, what brings you before me now in such array and calling for an urgent audience? What could trouble a simple farmer so that he should take up arms and demand to speak before the king?"
Mal had known the man whose level gaze was trained keenly upon him since he was little. He had seen the measure of him and judged there was more cautious wit reserved behind his words. No longer was he a knight of standing within the court, which meant Mal, would have to be addressed as such.
"The Vault of Echoes has failed, its guarded secrets loosed upon the world. I have witnessed it with my own eyes, myself and 2 other agents acted to preserve it. We were only successful in securing a single guardian of the vault, while being beset by a hostile sorcerer and his forces in the attempt. Fortune alone provided us with salvation - my companions intercepted items stolen from the Vault allowing us to at least thwart their plan if only barely. The Vault is no more and while the treasures it held were destroyed, their heinous magic has corrupted it somehow allowing it to escape."
As Mal briefed the king every ear in the court listened in shock and disbelief save for the king himself. He alone marked his trusted former knight's words attentively and allowed himself to contemplate both what he was saying as much what he wasn't. Whoever these two 'agents' were, if they had stood with Mal against such dire odds they must possess at the very least some portion of his courage.
And it desperately was sounding like they were going to need all the courage they could gather.
- Episode 39 -
Lady Adriana stalked through the night looking for another meal to satisfy her gnawing hunger. A couple of farms back the dragons of dark magic had caught up with her, joining in the hunt for food. So far they had found very little to appease their fiendish appetites, but they also had not yet come across anything that stood against them.
It felt so delicious to be free of the Vault, even if it did mean they had to exchange one vessel for another. At least they were free now; able to feast until they had their fill and then relish in all the fun these forms could provide. There was such sport they could have, and if these bodies failed them they could always take another.
What could stand in their way now? The memory of magic carried aloud, shaped by song and purity returned to haunt them. There was something in its woven flow that had eluded them, defied and burned at them even as hastily summoned as it had been. Frustrated roars and bestial screams filled the night air as the monsters voiced their collective irritation at the idea of being opposed. Even the chance of being imprisoned again was a thought they would not tolerate.
A half eaten cow dropped to the ground from one dragon maw as the resounding wet thud was echoed by another, this time a wounded goat. They would have to seek out the source of that magic, the voice that had breathed it to life. Sniffing at the air the dark creatures shifted their attention to hunting down this threat to their freedom.
A sharp scream pierced the halls of Oakhelm Keep as Trinity bolted upright drenched in a cold sweat. Her limbs were heavy and stiff slowing her movements as she fought to get up. When Camden's head burst through the doorway he found Trinity was still trying to untangle herself from her sheets. In her panicked haste she couldn't waste a moment, not even for her brother to ask what was wrong or greet her. Instead she forced out the only words she could manage around her thick tongue trying to explain what she had seen in her dreams.
"They're coming," she warned him, her eyes still burning with a soft glow. Camden's expression turned to one of determination, a stone like resolve upon his brow. "Don't worry Trin, Mal has gone to speak with the King, me and Silver-Claws won't leave your side. We'll keep you safe," her brother promised firmly.
"Silver-Claws," Trinity had to ask, her head aching as she struggled to understand. "Oh, I named the dragon, he seems to like it - what do you think," Camden explained. "I suppose it fits," Trinity commented awkwardly.
"Cam," she began her voice low and hinting at faint tremor of fear. "The other dragons, their dead bodies; they are now being used by the dark magic." Trinity had to swallow hard as she could still picture them. Camden's hand reached up to rest on her shoulder, when she looked back up it was his bright blue eyes she found looking into her.
"We will face them and stop them; I won't let them hurt you or anyone else," he assured her. Out in the hall another pair of eyes, burning like a white-hot blaze mirrored Camden's in agreement.
- Episode 40 -
Mal strode back into the room to find Trinity and Camden both awaiting him, his heavy boots carrying with him a rhythmic series of drum like beats. "Come with me, both of you - now," Mal's tone was somehow distant, different. His bearing itself had changed; the old knight had always carried himself with a detached, relaxed strength that now had become hard and lean. A cloak of deep storm sky blue was draped over his shoulders with a bright silver clasp bearing the token sigil of a raindrop. The longstanding emblem of King Rainborne, everyone in the realm immediately knew that it marked the bearer as being in the service of the King.
Curious, Trinity and Camden set their feet to follow Mal as he turned to make his way back through the halls. They walked in silence for a few long moments passing from one darkened corridor to another before coming to a halt before a pair of heavy iron banded doors. "It looks like I am to serve as Earl Marshal etc. again, so I best look the part," Mal started to explain to them.
"That also means that I am going to need a pair of capable deputies to act as my agents bearing the title of Knight Marshal. Interested?" The question caught both of them off guard, Camden stammered to reply with a 'but' and Trinity had to find the words for him. "We're just kids though," she pointed out while her brother nodded, sighing with relief. "Is that a refusal to take up arms and office in defense of the realm," Mal asked.
"Well, no, of course we aren't refusing but..." Trinity was now finding herself struggling to grasp for the right words. "Then it is settled," Mal declared decisively and shoved the doors before them open. "I herby do welcome you to the service of the King and defense of the realm granting you the title of Knight Marshal." Not stopping to stand on ceremony, Mal walked through the doors to seize a large hefty blade from the wall and set himself to inspecting it. Upon leaving his old office he had been required to also relinquish the symbols of its authority; chief among them the Marshal's Edge, a blade borne by every Earl Marshal since it was forged. It took a special knack to wield it due to its awkward size; it was a thick wide blade demanding two hands in its use. Many a man had foolishly presumed that its use sacrificed defense since wielding it meant you could not also carry a shield. But Mal had long ago mastered not only the art of its use but also in unlocking its various slumbering enchantments.
Systematically Mal moved to strap the large blade on and slung it over his back, then collected a few other various items. "Your badges of office," he proclaimed and handed each of them a sigil etched pendant of silver emblazoned with a raindrop. "Camden, your speed is strength, your blade and spell shield a proven asset at your side. But even speed can slow and strength can fail, so I would like you wear this leather jack. It was crafted by a master long ago and has served every bearer well. Don't worry; it won't slow you down like a heavy suit of armor can so you can take full advantage of your speed.
Trinity, your magic has served you well so far and I dare not presume to claim myself well versed enough to advise you about it. However, I do know that to rely solely upon it is foolish and unwise. So I would like to give you this; it was fashioned from the heart of a white ash tree and blessed in the Pool of Tears itself. This staff has been wielded on occasion by wizards in the service of the King and it is said that it can lend you
its strength. I cannot offer you heavy armor or stout steel as such proven weapons would be of little use to you. But I can attest to the value of a strong staff wielded in defense and if it might aid your magic as well so I can think of nothing more fitting for you."
Camden and Trinity took a minute to study their gifts before gratefully thanking Mal for them. They examined them in all their detail, appreciating every aspect of their new treasures. It seemed like so long ago that they were just running through the woods, arguing with each other. Now they were newly appointed Knight Marshals bearing emblems of office and wielding enchanted items like storied heroes from a fairy tale.
It almost didn't seem real to them. The echoing roar of Silver-Claws instantly reminded them that indeed it was all too real. And now, it was time for them to start acting like it. The dragon must have sensed the decaying forms of its former siblings, that or the taint of dark magic, Trinity decided. "They're getting close, come on boys," she announced and set off back down the hall.
"Time to