“We find ourselves pitted against the dragon hunters as well as the castle defenders. More than likely, some of the hunters and Knights are within the castle as well. There is no doubt that our forces are strong enough to defeat both armies, but I do not want to weaken our position. I know that the two of you are fully aligned with the dragons, but I would like to keep our forces strong in the event of their betrayal,” Finrul said.
“Though I do not think we will face the wrath of the dragons, your plan is not without merit. Even if the dragons were to swear to us that they would never betray us, it is best to conserve as many troops as we can,” Queen Ophelia replied.
“You have a mastery of those portals, why can’t we use one of those to storm the castle?” King Lothrin asked.
“The dragons would not like to hear that we passed on a chance to deal a devastating blow to an army of dragon hunters,” the sorcerer replied.
“Is there no way to use the portals to destroy the dragon hunters?” Revin asked.
“Yes, of course. Why didn’t I think of that sooner? Good work, Revin.”
“What about us?” Queen Ophelia asked.
“Ready your troops,” Finrul replied.
*
Attos slumped in his saddle as he slowly rode toward the kingdom patrol. He ignored their calls for him to identify himself. His plan had a good deal of risk, but the reward would be well worth it. The patrol called out to him once again, and again he ignored them. He could hear their horses getting closer. The plan required a level of deception that the Knights were unaccustomed to, but they had embraced the idea of assisting the populace at whatever cost. Loss of reputation in the eyes of their enemies was a small price to pay for the lives they could save by weakening all sides of the war. The new leader took a deep breath as the patrol came closer.
“He must be injured,” one of the soldiers said.
“Who would do this?” Another asked.
“The elves, they’ve no scruples. Quickly, check to see if he is alive,” their leader replied.
“In the name of the Knights of Ardevale, throw down your weapons or die!” Attos yelled as he drew his sword.
His Knights rushed out of the trees and surrounded the kingdom patrol. He could see the looks on the faces of his opponents. They were looking to their own leader for an answer. The man nodded his head as he detached his scabbard and let it fall. His troops followed suit. Attos lowered his sword and ordered the patrol to dismount from their horses. He watched them carefully, expecting that one or more of them would try to catch his Knights off guard. His suspicions proved to be false as his men were able to gather up the weapons and horses without incident. He dismounted from his horse as his Knights formed a circle around the prisoners.
“What will you do with us?” Their leader asked.
“Truthfully, I do not know,” Attos replied.
“Then you’ve already treated us with more courtesy than our current employers.”
“Is it that bad?”
“King Altarius is a vain man. He punishes those who do not agree with everything he says and does. The four Kings are very corrupt, but not everyone in their kingdoms should be held accountable. Some of us fight because it is hard to make a living, others because they’ve accepted the position instead of a family member going to jail, few choose the path of a soldier for glory. I doubt that my words will sway you, but if you deal with Altarius’ soldiers how you have dealt with us, you may be able to spare a great deal of bloodshed.”
“We are not the ones that will be shedding great amounts of blood. The elves are the invading force that you should worry about. Our true leader, who I hope returns soon, has given us orders to spread chaos in the ranks of both sides. We are not here to kill, we are here to weaken each side through the destruction of their supplies and the capturing of their soldiers.”
“Why would you do this for people that are not even your countrymen?” The patrol leader asked.
“Our new leader had a change of heart. We follow his lead because we have much to make up for. The Knights of Ardevale were once revered by the people. We wish that to be so once again,” Attos replied.
“Why change now?”
“Our ways may seem strange, but we were brought up on them. A new leader may only arise if the old leader is defeated in combat or steps down and selects his replacement. The leader is to be followed without question, unless you are willing to fight him in single combat. Over the years, we’ve become a group ruled by men who would stop at nothing for power. They identified their biggest rivals and saw to it that accidents befell them. A young man named Kade changed that when he killed our last leader.”
“Is there a place where you can offer us refuge?”
“Ardevale Keep, tell them Attos sent you.”
“Some of my men may be willing to join you. As for me, I only request that you allow me to travel the four kingdoms and tell other men of this new refuge.”
“You may do so with my blessing. I do believe Kade would be glad to hear that.”
*
Alandra slowed her horse as the monastery came into view. The monks had begun building a wooden stockade outside of the stone monastery. She looked to Hadrin, but he merely shrugged. Even Bertram seemed surprised to see the monks constructing extra defenses. He rode out ahead of the others to investigate. His paladins quickened their pace as well, leaving the two elves alone to contemplate their best course of action. Alandra knew that Hadrin would likely want to take in the situation as best he could before discussing what to do next. She watched silently as he scanned the horizon.
“I’m not certain I trust them,” he said.
“Nor do I, but what choice do we have?” She asked.
“None that I am aware of. We’ll discuss later.” Hadrin waved to Cristoph as the monk came riding out to meet them.
“Builder’s blessings upon you. It is good to see that you’ve arrived safely. We’ve started on ramping up our defenses, but we need to pursue more alliances,” the monk said
“What do you have in mind?” Hadrin asked.
“I would ask that you meet with the wildlanders and the borderlanders. They’ve both been affected by this war. We believe that it would be prudent to take a small contingent of paladins with you to ensure your safety.”
“It seems a decent plan. Will they be willing to combine forces and leave their homes less protected?”
“If the threat is as great as we believe it to be, I think they will agree to fight with us. We will need scouts to coordinate our forces so that none of us are taken by surprise. The elven army moves far faster than we ever could have imagined. I know not how they manage to do so, but we’ve heard news of their attacks and they appear to be able to travel at least a week’s distance in a day.”
“Let’s hope that they aren’t able to use that to pick us apart one at a time.”
The monk nodded before riding back toward the monastery. Hadrin and Alandra continued at their slow pace, pretending to take in the surroundings as they rode. She knew better than to interrupt his thoughts. It was a strange thing, they had traveled together for such a long time, yet they had not had much time to themselves. She had hoped she would get to spend time figuring out who the real Hadrin was, but the world seemed against the idea. He let out a sigh and his shoulders drooped ever so slightly. Seeing the opening that she had been hoping for, Alandra placed a hand on his shoulder. He reached up and squeezed it.
“I know that things have been wild since we first met, but I am glad to have traveled with you,” the Prince said.
“As I am glad to have traveled with you. You have been a true friend,” she said.
“I must confess that I’ve wondered if perhaps we could be more than just friends.”
“It would delight me to no end, Hadrin.”
“Then all the more reason for us to survive this madness. I still cannot believe my own father plays a part in this.”
*
Amber did he
r best to appear like the smallest target as possible when she spotted the riders coming toward them. She despised conflict, but not as much as she despised those who enjoyed spreading it. Wrotan did the best he could to sit up tall in his saddle, but his wounds were still pestering him. Mariah, too, was still injured from the battle with the dragon and its drakes. Lamont glanced back at his companions. The monk had put Amber at unease since they had first encountered him. There was something about the way he was so fascinated with Kade that caused her to distrust him. Unfortunately, he was her best chance of surviving the confrontation with the band of riders. Even if they weren’t set on fighting, Lamont had a silver tongue.
“Halt, in the name of King Gunther of Levik,” the leader of the band called out as they approached.
“We are merely passing through, my friend, no need to worry yourself about us,” Lamont replied.
“I can make that decision for myself, thank you. What I see here is a man that has seen many battles, a woman who does not shy away from a fight, a pampered dandy, and a young maiden. You are free to go, dandy. The others, well they will have to answer to us.”
“It would be rather taxing on me if my companions were not able to accompany me. Can we not come to some sort of agreement?”
“If these two are willing to join the service of King Gunther and the maiden is willing to become one of the Queen’s servants, then we will escort you along your way through our kingdom.”
“Don’t you have something better to worry about?” Wrotan asked.
“The war is the concern of the army. We’re one of Gunther’s special task forces,” the man replied.
“I’m afraid that I need these two to escort me all the way to the Arcane Academy. You see, my niece has the knack for healing and it would be such a waste if she did not get the proper training. Perhaps a spot of coin will do?” Lamont asked.
“A well to do dandy, is it? Perhaps this is our payday. Get em boys!”
Amber yelped in fear as she backed her horse away from the fray. Everything became a blur as Wrotan and Mariah drew their weapons. Lamont pulled a small orb out of his pack and yelled for the others to cover their eyes. Amber did as he asked. She attempted to block out the sounds of battle as well, but it was too difficult. Her curiosity got the better of her and she found herself watching the battle once again. Wrotan fought just as fiercely on horseback as he did on foot. Mariah seemed to be even more skilled at fighting on horseback than fighting on foot. Lamont did what he could while staying mostly out of the fray. He rode around the outskirts, lashing out with his mace whenever he saw an opportunity. Whatever the orb had done to the attackers, it seemed to give her companions the upper hand. Despite their injuries, Wrotan and Mariah were able to overcome their attackers.
“Well fought, my friends. I thought we were dead,” Lamont said.
“Your orb did most of the work,” Wrotan said.
“Does anyone need healing?” Amber asked as she rode up to them.
“First we must get as far from the scene of battle as possible. We don’t want anyone tracking us down. After that, you can see to Mariah’s wounds first. I will be the last.”
“Your wounds are the worst. That dragon almost killed you. In fact, I’m shocked that you survived some of those injuries.”
“True or not, you won’t get him to change his mind, Amber,” Mariah said.
“The young lady does bring up a good point. How did you survive your fight with the dragon?” Lamont asked as the party spurred their horses onward.
“It isn’t something that I’ve told many people, but I am no normal human. I suppose I must dip into history to explain. Back in the ancient times, there were those who were granted powers by the Maker,” Wrotan said.
“The Builder, you mean,” Lamont spoke up to correct him.
“Religious accuracy aside, whatever higher power you believe in, that is who granted these abilities. These powers ranged from magic, to talent, to strength, and beyond. When I was younger, my foster father informed me that one of my parents was a descendant of one of these humans. In their time, they were known as the Prime Rulers. I soon found that I was more resilient than those around me when it came to being able to handle pain. It was not until sometime later that I found it was more than just a mental toughness, but also a physical ability that makes one hardier.”
“I’ve heard of the Prime Rulers that you speak of, but I was not aware that their descendants carried on their gifts.”
“Not everyone that is a descendant shows the skills. Isaack looked into the matter and found that it is quite the rare occasion. In fact, he theorized that both of my parents might have been descendant of different Prime Rulers.”
“Not much is known of the Prime Rulers or Carpenters, as we call them. This is very informative. Tell me, is this foster father, Isaack, still alive?” Lamont asked.
“Unfortunately, he is not. Much of his writings were bequeathed to me upon his death. If we survive the coming war, I will allow you to borrow them.”
“You are most kind, Wrotan. This information could help us fill in many gaps in our knowledge of the Carpenters and their descendants. Discoveries like these always leave me abuzz with excitement. Knowledge is what people should be striving for, not power.”
Seeking Allies
Hadrin watched as the paladins fanned out in a semi-circle in front of the small group of wildlander warriors. He clenched his teeth as he glared at the lead paladin. The man knew that the elf was supposed to be the leader, but he seemed more concerned with looking powerful in the eyes of his men. Alandra placed a hand on his shoulder. His emotions began to calm almost immediately. She had gotten quite good at knowing when the Prince was about to act out in anger. Her action allowed Hadrin to consider whether a burst of anger or a well-thought berating would do a better job. He looked over to her and then nodded.
“Paladin Charise, you will be in charge of seeing us through the mission safely,” Hadrin said.
“But that is Nicolai’s role,” she said.
“Now it is yours. You would do well to not threaten our potential allies.”
Nicolai glared at Hadrin as the paladins all pulled back from their semi-circle and formed up behind the elf. Charise and the other paladins did they best they could to ignore their former leader’s attitude. The Prince had no doubt that they were annoyed what happened, but at least they knew better than to question him. He let out a sigh and shrugged as he turned back toward the wildlanders. Their expression remained hard, but that much was to be expected of them. Wrotan’s absence and the heightened tensions from the war were more than enough reason for them to remain distrustful. Hadrin pushed Nicolai’s foolishness out of his mind as he dismounted. He braced himself as he approached the leader of the wilderlanders.
“You do not need to prove your strength to us, elfling,” their leader said.
“Are your people not impressed by a showing of power?” Hadrin asked.
“We are, but now is not the time. You are Hadrin, friend of Wrotan. I am Mordus. The hunter, why is he not with you?”
“He has gone in search of a young man named Kade. We were traveling with him and something foul befell us. The war has forced us to split our ranks. In truth, he should be the one negotiating a treaty with you.”
“Nonsense, a friend of Wrotan is worthy enough to present a case to us.”
“Now?” The elf asked.
“It is as good a time as any.”
“The request is simple, really. We, the dwarves and the spirit monastery, wish to join together with you in a sort of mutual defense pact. If either of us is attacked, the other will pledge to bring an army in to assist. So that you know, we are also looking to bring the borderlanders into the pact, but we would not require you to come to a similar agreement with them if you do not want it.”
“We accept the deal with the dwarves and the spirit monastery. As for the borderlanders, that is something we must discuss amongst ourselves. You are welcome to
stay here as long as you need. I will inform the other chiefs that your people and the dwarves are not to be attacked. We will, however, ask that you assist us in ridding the lands of slavers after this war is over.”
“Agreed. In fact, the dwarves are looking to deal the slavers a deadly blow before traveling to meet us.”
Mordus hit his fist against his chest and nodded. Hadrin followed suit, trying his best not to flinch as his hand connected with his chest. The wilderlanders let out a cheer of approval before heading off with their chief. Everything had gone about as well as the Prince had expected. The borderlanders were the ones that were questionable. Their only connection, however remote, was Mariah and only Wrotan and Amber knew the extent of her pull with the nobles of Reddington. Hadrin would be forced to work his diplomatic charms if they were to garner assistance from the last member of the pact. He knew that Alandra would be helpful, but it seemed as though the paladins were bent on ruining his mission.
“If you wish to fight me, get on with it,” Hadrin said without even looking over at Nicolai.
“You have no business ordering me to do anything, elf. Do you understand?” The paladin asked as he rode up next to the Prince.
“I’m afraid that is where you are wrong. Your spirit monastery is nothing compared to what the elves can bring down upon the world. From what I gather, the four kingdoms are their only rival. That means you need as much assistance as you can get. Bullying people into alliances will not be tolerated.”
“Tolerated by whom?”
“By anyone, you fool. What do you think the wilderlanders and the borderlanders will do the moment this war is over?” Hadrin asked as he stared at the paladin.
“They will bow to the power of the spirit monks and the order of spirit paladins. We may not have numbers, but we have strength. More importantly, we have the Builder’s blessings.”
“No, you have religious dogma. Builder, Creator, Maker, every religion believes not in a destructive God, but a loving one. Bullying others is not righteous, Nicolai, it is foolish.”
*
King Lothrin drew his sword before stepping through the portal. He was fully aware of what would be required of him should Finrul fail to defeat the dragon hunters. The castle was already reacting to the advance force that had been sent through the portal when the King arrived. He thrust his sword forward and led his small contingent of highly trained elven warriors into the fray. Queen Ophelia and her archers arrived shortly after him and began to fight their way up to the walls. The height advantage could be the difference between an acceptable number of casualties and an unacceptable number. King Lothrin ordered some of his men to cut a path for the Queen.