Book One: Fate
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Chapter Twenty: The Cleansing Begins
25th August 1409 CT
This is the first entry in my new journal. I don’t really know how to start, maybe I should introduce myself? But it’s only going to be me reading this, so I don’t really know.
My name is Joel Dawson and I’m part of a group of warriors known as Destined. Karen Warren and Tylor Sabre, who I travel with, are Destined as well. Also in our party is Leon Sansec, a Demon Hunter, who we’ve become good friends with.
Right now our party is in a small checkpoint town called Furlan. Oh, it’s within the Atra kingdom… I should have said that before… It’s similar to Wex, it’s only got merchants and knights in it and is very small, and it’s just a resting post between other locations, I guess. We are heading to Tillsen and the Katerano church within it so that Karen, Tylor, and I can begin our training.
Joel tore the page from his well crafted journal and tossed it to his side. He lay stomach down on a long white sheeted bed with an ink container and feather pen on the small wooden bedside table. He cursed to himself as he ripped the last remaining shreds of the book page from his journal’s neck. It had been the third he had pulled out. Just then there was a knock on the door and Tylor entered. He asked what Joel was doing when he noticed the crumpled up pages strewn around the bed and on the floor.
“It’s harder than I thought to write a journal!” Joel complained. “I keep forgetting things I meant to mention earlier and making all sorts of mistakes and… everything.”
Tylor laughed and sat down next to his young friend. He could offer no advice as he did not keep a diary of any sort back in Samilo. Remembering the reason he had come to see Joel, he informed him that they would be leaving Furlan soon to reach Tillsen as fast as possible. Also, Leon had gone off on horseback alone to go to the west, he would find them in Tillsen sometime in the coming week. Joel was a little disappointed that Leon had not said goodbye to him, but he had seemed distant as of late since there second visit to Tentra.
“You’ve dodged the work so far,” Tylor laughed. “But since Leon’s gone, Karen and I could use some help getting the cart prepared and moving our supplies to it. If we get it done within the hour we should reach Tillsen by nightfall.”
Moaning, Joel reluctantly agreed and gathered his things together. He would attempt to write the opening to his journal later.
In the large courtyard opposite the inn which had held the group for the night Karen stood with a new wooden cart pulled by a harnessed oak brown horse with a fair mane and healthy appearance. The cart they had taken to Furlan would only travel as far as that and after dropping them off the night before it had left for Tentra. It had been an old rider, who was ‘not afraid of the dark like those young-ins’ (as he had put it).
The male who took the riders seat this time was a Lis who looked around middle age by Tylor’s guess. He sat hunched over tapping long fingers on his knees while the group hauled their bags and satchel into the back of the cart along with some additional packages they had received in Tentra (mostly changes of clothing and such things). It seemed that Leon had paid for the service of taking them to Tillsen as fast as the horse would allow.
It was not long before the group was huddled in the back of the cart amongst the baggage as it shuffled along behind the Lis and horse along a thin winding road leading out of Furlan. Tylor had noticed that the land around them seemed to change. At some point, he did not notice when, the fields ceased and deep dark marsh land began. Reefs longer than his body emitted at each side of the road, some bent double on it, and thick muddy waters provided a pungent aroma in the air.
“This land is mostly marsh,” pointed out Tylor, “It’s strange that it differs so much from the rest of Atra.”
“Th-this is the marsh lands,” said the Lis driving in a sniveling weak tone from the front of the cart, his head turned ever so slightly so that the side of his face and his ear pointed towards them. “You probably know we get so much sun around here, right? Right. Well even so, this place stays the same all year round! Even in winter the snow seems to just sink into the marsh! Probably because we’re closer to L’Carn, smelly water ridden place it is. This here is the only road between Furlan and Tillsen, you know? Can get really crowded here if you meet knights on there way to the boarder! They shoved me right off the road once, almost drowned in the marsh mud. I tell you they have no respect…”
The driver turned his head fully away from them, still mumbling and complaining to himself about past experiences. Amongst his rambling the Lis driver had provided the answers that Tylor wanted. It did seem that the marsh surrounding the road spread out far beyond the horizon. He did see how hard it could be for a squad of fully laden knights on horseback traveling along the road, they could surely only go by two or three in a line at a time.
“If Leon was here,” Karen said suddenly, “I’m sure that he would want to tell you that the kingdom has made no effort to improve traveling between these two locations because the marsh is an affective defense from invasion.”
Leaning his head back over the edge of the cart, Tylor stared up at the sky. Clouds drifted along in front of him with the sun casting rays down from his side. It was a pleasant day. A feeling of warmth was a comforting change from Noctern, but this, however, was making the marsh land smell even worse. Joel nudged him and commented on the smell, saying he could not wait to get out of the stinking swamp. Hopefully they would be out of it soon, and then they would reach Tillsen.
The journey through the marshes took longer than all had hoped it would, but eventually the road opened up once again into open fields with the occasional oak tree by the road and fresh water stream trickling along beside.
On the horizon Tillsen appeared. It was larger than Cattra, and spread along the horizon for about two miles, but did not have the cranes and other steam powered machinery they had seen in the docking district. It was walled off with sturdy rocks, but not to scale or quality of the capital. Within, a number of larger buildings and housing roofs poked out along the wall along with a large white steeple.
Two people dressed in similar wear to the militia back in Wrathe guarded a pair of well polished wooden gates connecting to opposite ends of the stone wall along the east wall. They hailed the Lis driver, obviously knowing him from previous trips, and said nothing to the others.
A call to another man who stood along the top of the wall got his attention and he then twisted a switch, making the gates swing inwards.
The streets were not busy compared to other places the group had visited, but was still pleasant and peaceful. The ground was paved with similar design to the capitals long streets and even the elegant housing designs looked similar. Tylor could only assume from the similarities that Tillsen did not only once belong to the Tentra knights, but may also have been established and populated by them whenever it was first founded. He queried Karen on this and she agreed with his analogy. Most cities and towns in Atra had all been designed by the same architects and thus were of similar design, except when house owners submitted specific plans for their homes or shops and so on.
It seemed that carts were allowed to move freely anywhere they wanted within the town, some of the bigger streets were stained with mud and other things horses and carts had trodden in. No effort had been made to clean it up and it took away some of the feeling of beauty that Tylor had felt when first entering the quaint town.
The cart pulled slowly to a halt outside a huge white chapel with magnificently crafted stain glass windows lining both sides and a long steeple stretching towards the sky above them. The building was not only tall in height but length as well. As Tylor peered around the side of the church to admire the glass windows, he saw that it stretched far off to the distant wall of the town.
The glass windows depicted what appeared to be militia, or knights and other figures of power, fighting with beasts. The images of beasts were large dark green hunched creatures and black looming shadows with eyes looking similar to a Wraith. Some knights held the slain monsters head high above them while others showed the fighters standing peacefully together with words in a language Tylor did not know etched into the glass beneath them.
The Lis helped the group pull their belongings from the cart and dropped them at the door to the church before returning to his seat atop it and pulling off towards the gates of Tillsen without a word of farewell.
Karen, Joel and Tylor stood before the large arched doors of the church in silence for a moment. It was Karen who took the initiative and walked forward and rapped her knuckle on the door. They waited for a response.
Slowly the door slid open and an elderly man appeared. He was dressed in a white robe with red and gold cloth draped over his low shoulders. He looked at them all in turn and then at their baggage on the floor with a somewhat puzzled expression.
“I was about to tell you that sermons are on Sunday only, but judging by your belongings I would guess that you are here for something else?” he asked in a cheerful voice.
“This is a Katerano church is it not?” asked Karen directly.
The old said nothing in reply and his face instantly became more serious.
“We are three of the Destined. We seek a refuge to train for the battle with the evil consuming the western lands. Will you grant us asylum?”
The old man’s face was full of shock as she spoke and with amazement he looked at all three of them again. He laughed out loud and clapped his hands together slowly.
“So did your parents tell you the Destined's tale? I had no idea people were still using it as a bed time story. It is a myth, my children,” the man said with a chuckle.
It was no surprise that he was skeptical of their claim. Before him sat; a young man, a young woman, and a little kid. Even though they had armor and weaponry they did not really look like warriors of some ancient legend. Karen sighed to herself, unpleased by the man’s condescending reply.
“We are not joking and we are not children,” she muttered. “Will you allow us to enter to prove our birth right?”
The old man went silent and left the door. It swung slowly inwards from the light breeze gliding through the streets of Tillsen revealing that he had walked to the far end of the church’s main hall and was talking with another man similarly dressed.
The inside of the church looked as Noctern’s would have had it not been destroyed. Pews lined both sides of the walls with a red carpet heading up towards a central alter where sermons would take place.
Both the men returned to the group. The one that they had not prior spoken too was in front and shook Tylor’s hand vigorously when he reached the door. This man looked older than the other and his cloth was decorated more than the other mans with shining gold lining on the white cloth as well as the red. Despite being older, he seemed even more jolly and full of life than the first.
“Glory be! Three warriors appearing at our door! We are truly blessed. Welcome Center Point, and welcome to you, his companions. Please come inside immediately, my brothers will see to your belongings,” the man said and bowed at least three times. “I am the preacher of this church. You may call me Brother Isumail. The monk who first greeted you is my associate, Brother Izac.”
Brother Isumail led the group through the church to the back area and into a room with some tables and soft chairs. He sat down and asked Izac to fetch them some tea and to check to make sure that the group’s belongings had been collected safely.
“Why does Izac doubt us yet you seem to believe us unquestionably?” asked Karen, with a suspicious look in her eye.
“Izac did not trust his heart when he looked upon three children. Please understand that we must be very careful with what we do and say when discussing that legacy. As you may or may not be aware, the dark lord’s minions sneak into lands to dispose of these churches. To anyone else in this town we are a normal church worshiping man’s gods, but in secret we follow Seka’s legacy as a Katerano church should do.”
Brother Izac returned and brought with him a tin tray, on it was a collection of smooth white cups and a matching teapot. He filled out a cup for everyone and then left without a word. Isumail sipped at his tea and let out a sigh of relief.
“I must admit that I myself was beginning to lose faith after we had gone so long without news of even one Destined still being alive. Words cannot express the relief I feel to see that three of you have survived, although…” he paused and looked at Karen “Rumors had spread from Noctern of a Destined being female, I would not have believed it had I not seen you with my own eyes. Forgive me for saying, but this does not bode well.”
“I am aware of the implications of my birth, but have no answers as to why it happened. We must simply face the fact that what has happened was out of anyone’s control and cannot be changed. I trained at a church for some time and am further along in my progress than these two, please concentrate on teaching them,” Karen said.
“We will begin your training tomorrow and with your leave I will go begin preparing now, but may I ask your names?” asked Isumail.
Before he had the chance to introduce himself, Karen went round them all and did it for them. She quickly mentioned that a forth member of their party would arrive sometime and was required to be tested to see if he was a Destined. Isumail nodded and walked out of the room.
The group sat in silence for a while until Izac appeared and led them to the third floor of the back of the church on the west side where three rooms had been prepared for them all in a semi circle of a large sized tower.
On the way there they passed many more monks of various ages and races all dressed the same as Izac and Isumail. When they saw all of them they would bow or express happiness and honor to be in their presence.
I don’t deserve such courtesy and worship from these people, Tylor could not help but think to himself.
They were left to unpack. Joel kept walking between rooms seeing what the others were doing and was already bored.
Their three rooms were identical; each had a smooth bed with warm covers, a window on the far side from the door, a desk and chair, and a table with two cabinets above it. Joel had tossed most of his clothes into the cabinets and left the empty bags at the base of his bed, on top of his desk lay his gauntlet and Leon’s crossbow. Leon had said that he could keep it while they traveled to Tentra. Tylor had put his clothes and armor away similar to how Joel did (though tidier) and had left Pesmega in its scabbard sitting on the upper part of the bed. Karen had left her full bags on her bed where the monks had originally put them and sat leaning on her window ledge looking out across the town taking in the fresh air and humming to herself. She was a little startled when he wandered in and questioned why she had not unpacked.
“Haven’t you heard of knocking?” she asked in a semi-serious tone.
Joel shrugged and walked slowly along the room with his hands behind his back, curious at what Karen was looking at. As he neared, she pushed her feet from the window and placed them onto the room floor, dismounting from the frame. She huffed at him as he passed her and looked out the window.
The town did look beautiful from the tall window. The roofs and larger buildings set against the rays of the setting sun cast silhouettes across the church walls. Birds cooed overhead as they flew in groups in an almost half triangle shape off into the distance. It was very peaceful and very boring. The view was similar in all their rooms, of course. Behind Joel, Karen pushed his shoulder.
“Get out of here kid before I give you another scar!” Karen shouted, pressing her finger against his chest (which hurt a surprising amount).
“You’d hurt this face?” Joel questioned with a huge grin, before ducking under her arm and running out the room.
“Watch out, Tylor! She’s in a mood again!” he called from out in the hall.
She laughed to herself before closing her room door, then dropping the lock down to make sure there were no more uninvited guests. She returned to the window ledge and sat up upon it again, resting her back against the wall.
At last they were in a safe place and hopefully it would remain like that for a long time, they needed everyday to count. The most important training would be to discover how to use Aura, but also they had to receive at least basic training with weaponry.
Tai isn’t near at all, that’s an up point. He may not even be reborn yet, she thought to herself. A month, maybe two, that would be perfect. Of course much more is really needed, but if we all advance enough in that time Tai should not find it so easy to defeat us again…But he is not the only danger we have breathing down on us…
Karen looked towards the west and could not help but think she saw a darkness rising from it. It was spreading over L’Carn and was drawing near to Atra. If the kingdom did fall they would be struck down along with it. This evil cleansing of the land that Kain had an instrumental part in was growing more powerful with each day and is spreading its grasp over all the western land consuming and decaying it, casting it into darkness. Tillsen, Cattra, Wex, Tentra, appeared in her mind’s eye. Karen did not want to see such places of beauty destroyed by war; they had to stop the darkness before that happened.
A week passed like it was nothing more than fleeting minutes in an active day. Leon had still not returned from his excursion to the western boarder and thinking about such things made Tylor realize that had seen no knights passing Tillsen at all.
The group had begun their training. The rear of the Katerano was under lock and key for many years, until Isumail produced a shining gold key which unlocked a pair of large metal studded doors. Inside was a training area specifically made for the Destined. Weapon racks lined the walls filled with enough exotic weapons to give Xeno’s display a run for its money. Paved areas were split by square sections filled with dirt and oddly shaped stones. Archery targets lined a far wall and hay filled sacks in the shape of people hung from ropes and gallows along the opposite wall.
The first few days involved a number of young monks watching Karen, Joel, and Tylor doing simple things to document progress. This documentation would be sent away; Isumail would not state where, but said it was imperative to future Destined’s survival.
Their strength was tested by lifting weighted barrels. Their speed was measured, as was their agility. They were asked to run laps round one of the dirt areas for as long as they could without getting tired and to perform elaborate jumps and leaps through obstacle courses that were set up consisting of barrels, crates and other objects. Joel was performing worse than normal due to the pain from his back, so was not pushed as much as the others in the heavy regime. He had said that the pain was beginning to ease so it would only be a matter of days before he would be completely fine and ready to push himself as much as Karen and he were.
Next, their progress in the use of Aura was tested. The monks taught them a few meditation techniques. This involved finding a calm place within their minds and then concentrating on the peaceful thoughts within it. Through this method they would discover depth to themselves that they never knew existed, including their hidden power. For three hours a day they would meditate with Isumail and then another two hours alone at night. During the day the group would be asked to stand before an object and to attempt to move it with the invisible force that they had seen Karen and Tai use so many times. This training schedule would last for the duration of their time at the church.
Every Sunday the Destined ceased their training and joined the normal church going parishioners in the front section of the Katerano church to hear the monks giving their sermons. They dressed in normal clothes, no armor, and stayed quiet throughout as to not draw attention to themselves. The readings the monks gave were refreshing and very peaceful. They preached for world order and a better understanding of one another.
To Tylor, who had never heard a church service before, it did seem like nothing more than glorified readings of feel good stories. However, it seemed to make the people of Tillsen happy and that, even if its only productive outcome, was worth it. With the impending threat of the darkness in the west peoples hopes had to be kept at a high.
Three weeks past and finally Leon returned. He appeared on the eighteenth morning and watched the others doing their morning exercises before speaking for a long time in private with Isumail.
He told them that he had been delayed because he had to assist in fortifying the west, as it seemed strange things were happening within L’Carn. Of course, they knew what was coming and Leon had to make sure that Xeno knew as well and did not take the threat lightly.
The Demon Hunter was most astonished by Joel’s progress in such a small amount of time. He watched as the young boy sparred with Tylor for around an hour. First with nothing more than fists, but then they took wooden swords and swung with all the cautious and exact precision as if it were a real metal blade. None of the monks had taught them, they simply trained themselves. Though there was obvious potential in their stances, they were by no means experts. They were novice at best, but it was still amazing progress in such a small period of time. Leon offered his help in sparring with them in weapon combat and they gladly accepted.
From then, Leon stayed for many days. Every morning he would spar with Tylor and Joel when they were ready to use swords. Joel also asked to be taught how to fire a bow and arrow. The monks conveniently provided targets and the necessary tools, but none amongst them were marksman. Leon sheepishly admitted that he had not trained to use a bow proficiently and preferred crossbows. Joel practiced by himself whenever he had spare time, undaunted in his quest to learn how to use a bow.
He saw that Tylor had advanced now as well. His speed with his fists was now incredibly fast and he had also become more agile. He was able to flip and jump like he was a wild animal escaping from danger. Karen had mentioned that Tylor had begun uncovering more of his powers just a few days before Leon had arrived. When sparring, Joel tripped Tylor up and as he fell he pushed his hands forwards and managed to knock Joel off his feet as well without ever touching him.
“Now that their powers are unearthed it is a matter of learning to control them,” she had said to him. “So, Leon, will you take the endurance tests that we took to discover if you are one of us?”
“I will,” he replied.
His test results were less than Karen’s and Tylor’s. Karen seemed genuinely confused when she saw the monk’s recordings. She had really believed that Leon was one of them, but he was like any other man in terms of power. They explained to the others that his real strength had to lie in his skill with weaponry, as he asked them to do.
On the thirty-second day Tylor entered his room and was immediately aware that something was not right.
The day had gone by like all the others before it; early morning sparring, hand to hand matches, and then sword training. In the afternoon he had done meditation and then Aura training. He had hoped to go straight to bed as he was physically and mentally exhausted, but the uneasy feeling he felt the second he walked into the room confirmed that his day was not over yet.
“Is someone there?” he asked in a low whisper.
The room was silent. The bed was undisturbed and the window was closed, but something did not feel right.
And then he noticed it.
A large dark colored sphere, almost completely engulfed in shadow, was sitting quietly on his desk. Slowly, he walked the length of the room over to the table and lit a candle perched atop the desk. On a torn bit of paper sat the large sphere. It had the same glow as the fire spheres that Tylor had become common with, but the sphere before him was more than two times the normal size. It was a grayish black in color and within it the color swirled and curved like it was caught in a ferocious wind. Cautiously, Tylor picked up the sphere using both his hands. Resting it in his right he used his now free left hand to pick up the old piece of paper. Inked onto it was a note.
You have answers that I want.
I offer you a trade; answers for answers. This sphere is part of an answer which you seek. Come to the town gates at midnight and I will tell you an even greater truth that you did not even know you wanted, but will love to hear.
In return, you must pay my price. Tell me where you got the power from that you used to strike me down in Noctern.
I will be waiting.
Tylor crumpled the note and let it drop to the cold floor. Tai had penned that note and had been in his room, in the church. Tai must have known that it was a Katerano church and was now lying in wait. His rebirth was completed.
Taking the sphere in both hands, he stared into it again. The evil presence he felt had come from the ball, but he could only guess at what Tai was talking about. Curiosity was growing within him. There must have been a reason why Tai had not continued to conceal himself and chose not to attack them when they were unaware.
He sought out Isumail and asked to speak with him in private.
“Can you tell me what this is?” he asked, handing the sphere to Isumail.
“This is very strange,” Isumail replied, moving it around in his hands. “…No makers mark, but I am sure this is a magic sphere… but this power within it, it feels dark. No mage of the kingdom crafted this; that much is certain. Where did you find such an evil thing?”
“That doesn’t matter for now,” Tylor replied in a hushed voice. “Can you tell anything else about it?”
“Only that it is dangerous, evil, and the magic power within it is very great, surpassing even the best crafted spheres that I have seen. This is only a guess, but I say that this element seems to be either wind or water… perhaps both. But I have never heard of a mixed element sphere before.”
Isumail looked up from the sphere to find an empty doorway before him. Tylor had disappeared.
Wasting no time, Isumail called Izac and got him to find Karen, Joel, and Leon with instructions to bring them to him.
Ten minutes later they all stood before Isumail as he explained what Tylor had shown him and of his sudden disappearance after the conversation. Joel rushed back up to the rooms with Izac to check Tylor’s and found the crumpled note on the floor. Returning to the others he read it allowed.
“Dear god, Tai is somewhere in the town!” Karen cried.
“Joel, come with me to gather weapons,” said Leon as he ran out the room.
Tillsen was very quiet at night, Tylor had concluded. No animal calls or noises from the people. Light still shined from the odd window, probably bed lamps for people sitting reading in bed. Street lamps were lit also, to light the way for drunkards on the way home from the pub. The weather at night was getting colder and colder as winter blew its way in. It was the only time of the year that Atra’s weather significantly altered. Despite the dark and cool breeze Tillsen was still pleasant, and certainly not as cold feeling as Noctern had been.
The winter effected Samilo as well, the last harvests before the snowy season had to be collected quickly and stores saved up for the months that nothing would grow. Animals would hide away as well, out of the cold, and some hibernated so they could not be hunted either. Trading wise it was the worst time of the year for his back water island. He was curious how it would affect things on the main land.
No militia stood on either side of the large wooden gates, or up on the walls to open the gate should it be needed. It seemed strange to leave the town unguarded, but then there was no one really to protect it from.
Suddenly, Tylor could feel Tai nearby. It was as clear as day to him now. It had to be how Tai was able to find him so many times; it was like an arrow in his mind pointing, directing, towards an immense power. Out of the shadows Tai emerged, dressed just like he had been in Noctern, though his figure looked slightly different.
“You came alone, that was quite dangerous, was it not?” Tai questioned in a sly, quiet, tone.
“I do not fear you, Tai. I have struck you down once and I can do it again.”
The Sect laughed and threw his head back.
“You! You? I think not. Whatever possessed you when we fought killed me, but you are still a helpless, inexperienced, child,” Tai said, smirking under his mask.
“If you are so sure that is what happened why write a note asking me to tell you?” he replied, playing for time.
The Sect began pacing from side to side in a small line with his hands crossed over his chest. He did not seem ready to fight or interested in stopping Tylor from backing away. He did not drop his guard though; he knew that Tai was capable of summoning his power at whim.
“I want to know, in detail, how you came about receiving this power. Of course, I do not ask without offering anything in return. You found the sphere, did you not?” Tai asked.
He nodded in reply.
“It is Ouraset Jelosk; it had no word in your language. It is a sphere formed by the dark powers of Kain; the one I left for you was in the possession of a… companion of mine. I had one of similar make, but I used it. You see, they can only be used once. They shatter and can never be put back together and the power within it disperses too fast.”
“What has this got to do with anything?”
“It creates a violent storm when cast into the sky,” Tai said slowly, and then he laughed again in a reckless and crazed way that Tylor had never heard him use before.
Suddenly Tylor realized why Tai had left it for him. ‘A violent storm’, it tugged at so many hurting memories locked in the back of his mind. Back to when it all began the monstrous storm that had destroyed Samilo. Tai had done it; he had ruined the village, brought it to its knees, and killed so many people within it.
“Why did you do it…?” Tylor questioned, feeling the pain in his heart. “My father fought you in the fields outside of the village. There was no reason too…all those people…”
“Zan learned to hide his power from me, so I used it to draw him out of the hole he hid in. I had also hoped it would dispose of any offspring he might have, though Seka saw to protecting you, sadly....” Tai muttered. “Like the little vermin that you are!” he said, laughing madly again.
Tai stopped talking and looked past Tylor towards the street behind him. Tylor knew what he was feeling, as he too felt it.
“Your friends have discovered your disappearance,” Tai cursed. “Then we must cut our meeting short. I will not kill you this day, son of Zan Sabre. When we next meet, as the cleansing of this land begins, I will demand payment for my two truths that I gave you this day!”
“…Two truths?”
“The second is this; left to die in pain and agony, the four thousand lost souls will seek out revenge, and in their desperation will turn to the enemy to embrace the offered gift with open arms. Remember what I have said and live so that we might meet again.”
With that, Tai was gone. He vanished into the night and everything was silent again.
The strange tidings that Tai spoke of had confused Tylor greatly. And what were the strange words he spoke to him meant to mean? They spoke of the dead and revenge and turning to the enemy, was he talking about himself? Could Tai be turning his back on Kain? It did not seem likely. Plus it made no sense for him to mention four thousand souls in that sense.
His line of thought was cut short as Karen, Joel and Leon appeared, fully armed and clad in their armor. Tylor turned and greeted them, explaining all was well.
“What happened and where is Tai?” Karen asked demandingly.
“He left after telling me about that sphere and he spoke a strange phrase to me as well.”
In the days after Tai’s meeting with Tylor the Destined training schedule was increased. Time was now even shorter than before. On that night when they returned to the church they found that the sphere had been stolen, most likely by Tai. Tylor explained to them all about the sphere and that one had been used when Samilo was destroyed. That meant it was Tai who killed Joel’s father and mother, as they had been crushed in the storm. He cried as if it had happened just the day before, but in time learned to control his anger and sadness, with Leon’s help.
For weeks after, Tai made no appearance and all was well. Training continued and the three Destined had made a lot of progress. Leon had been called away once more, to the west, to see Xeno again so that he could be updated on the state of things in the Kingdom of L’Carn.
When he returned he brought worrying news; L’Carn had completely fallen and a large number of knights in dark armor were forming on the border. Leon went on to explain that over night Xeno had past Tillsen on way back to the capital to report to the king and to gather their troops together.
The Kingdom of Atra was preparing to go to war.
Three days after Leon’s news, a knight came to the Katerano church with a sealed envelope for the Hunter. The Kings seal pressed in wax kept the content secret until Leon pulled it open, breaking the seal into a million small pieces. The letter was penned by the king himself, asking that Leon bring the Destined back to Tentra.
“He wishes to speak to you all, to help determine the strength of the kingdom and our ability to withstand the incoming armies from the west,” Leon said to them all.
Isumail was in dismay as it would mean stopping their valuable training time, but they had no choice. If the king was a Destined then they had to make sure he was aware of them and that he too shared the same fate.
The next morning the group hired some horses and rode as fast as possible back to Tentra capital. Their time in Tillsen had surpassed almost three months and in that time they had grown, not only in strength, but in stature, and had more confidence in themselves. They were not weak children anymore and had deep resolve.
They would prove it to Tai when next they meet.
The capital city Tentra was as glorious as always, though now it was caped in two inches of fresh fallen white snow. Winter was upon them finally. Children played in the streets, throwing snowballs at one another, laughing and playing, completely unaware of the dangers ahead. Adults tried to dodge any particularly deep piles and avoided icy patches to the best of their ability, though not all succeeded and ended up staring up at the overcast sky from the ground.
Carts were not allowed in the streets, nor were horses, so the group had to leave their steeds within the first set of gates. They had left most of their belongings in Tillsen, taking only weapons and armor with them and some food for the trip in a back pack and satchel. Joel had also sneaked his journal into his bag out of Karen’s sight (which was now progressing nicely, according to him – he did not even let Tylor read it).
Isumail had also asked a favor of Joel as they were leaving; to take some books the church held and keep them safe and to read them whenever he had a free moment. Joel was confused as to why Isumail gave them to him and not Tylor or the others, but accepted them.
Tentra castle looked spectacular with the soft snow sitting upon its many balconies, steeples and roof tops. It was like a piece of art neatly polished and made with much precision. Within the castle’s inner courtyard things were very busy. Many knights huddled together and were marching around in groups and to the lower west of Leon’s house. Around two hundred knights had already assembled, sitting together in squads of ten. Other knights not in full plate were running around carrying weapons and sacks of supplies and loading up many carts which were also sitting in the courtyard.
“Atra is preparing its army,” Karen muttered.
“Yes, to go to war,” Leon replied. “Do not concern yourself with that yet, we must move on and see the king!”
It was the first time the group had seen the interior of the mighty castle. Paintings lined the walls and suits of armor and white marble statues sat at the edge of a long red carpet circling around the main foyer. A silver chandelier hung from the room lighting the large chamber which glistened in its own brilliance. No knights halted them as Leon walked them through the expensive looking room into a smaller, but by no means less decorated, area with some soft chairs lined with red cushions. Leon explained that they were in the waiting room and left them there while he arranged the meeting with King Nega.
“I feel a little uneasy… Remember what happened the last time we were left in a waiting room?” Joel asked while nudging Tylor with his shoulder.
Tylor laughed off Joel’s remark and wandered across the small room to a window on the far side. The outer frame was covered in snow and the glass had clouded up with condensation, little could be seen from outside apart from an endless sea of white flakes dropping upon the city.
Soon they would be in the court of the King of Atra and they would all have to show respect to such a man. Tylor paced the room and felt a little anxious himself. As he walked past the door he could not help but place his hand on the knob and twist it, making sure that the door had not been locked. Thankfully it had not and easily slid sideways to open the door as he twisted. The noise of the door opening got the others attention. Joel smirked at him and shook his head. Tylor returned to sitting down, a little embarrassed.
Around ten minutes past before Leon returned to the group.
“The king will see you now. Please remember to conduct yourself with the proper etiquette when talking with royalty. You may look at them, but never in the eye. Only speak when you are asked or instructed. Is that clear?”
Tylor and Joel nodded in agreement, but Karen remained despondent. Leon ignored this and led them out of the waiting room then up and round the circular stair case they had seen when they first entered. They followed a long passageway lined with a red carpet as well which led to a second stair case, also semi-circular, which wound upwards as it climbed the tower.
At the top of the last step was a large open balcony with two large doors with the king’s seal etched into them on the right of the stairs. Four knights stood on the corners of the balcony and saluted Leon as they passed. Taking one of the doors in each hand, he swung them open swiftly and walked in with a confident stride. Karen followed quickly after him. Behind, Joel and Tylor slowly walked in staring at the floor.
They followed the Hunter’s lead and stopped half way into the large room. Karen stood next to him and pulled the others into line. The room was a lot larger than the exterior had made it seem and stretched out quite far on both sides of them. The room was almost completely white marble, with a red carpet and two statues of knights at the door leading along to the other end of the room where three small steps met with three people sitting in gold colored thrones. The roof twisted into a central point high above them like a steeple and snow covered windows lined the upper sides of each wall and around four or five chandeliers provided adequate light. A number of marble pillars also held up the roof and attached to the ground, they had swirling patterns carved into them which looked like a unique style of writing.
In the center chair sat a man who seemed quite old, a long gray beard covered his lower face and he seemed slightly hunched over in the chair. His clothes were red, white, and gold in color with a number of jewels and brooches attached to it. Atop his gray haired head sat a circular crown with jagged points all round. Crystals of all colorss covered the outer edge of the head piece and shined with a strange glow. This was the King of Atra.
To the king’s left sat a woman of equal stature and dressed in a long white gown. This was most likely his wife, the queen. She had a kind face from what Tylor saw as he quickly peered up before looking straight back to the floor. She did not wear a crown but instead a small golden tiara across the front of her forehead below her blond hair line which had the same type of crystals in it as the crown the king wore. Her complexion suggested that she was younger than the king. Her face showed no tiredness or wrinkles formed with age as the kings did.
To the kings right sat a much younger man. His complexion was youthful and his hair was a pure dark brown. He was clad in blue silks and wore no crown. Judging by his age, Tylor could only assume that it was the king’s son, which meant he was the Prince of Atra.
Leon bowed low as the king raised one of his hands. The Hunter coughed intentionally and lazily and looked at the others encouraging them to do as he had done. They complied and listened as Leon rose and spoke directly to the king.
“King Nega, these are the ones I spoke of; Karen Warren, Joel Dawson, and Tylor Sabre,” he announced, pointing at each as he spoke.
“So,” the king said, before clearing his throat with a hoarse cough, “these are the warriors, the…Destined? They are but children.”
“As I said before, do not be fooled by their inexperienced appearance. They have seen and learned much and are wise and powerful far beyond their age. They are proof that the old wives tales of legendary warriors are true and they will be instrumental in our defense of the kingdom against the dark knights.”
He slowly raised his head and caught another glimpse of the king. His tired eyes were scanning along them in a line and had reached Tylor again. He quickly looked back down as the king’s line of sight got to him.
“Come, stand up all of you. Mighty warriors need not compose themselves like that,” the king said (in a slightly sarcastic manner).
The three rose and looked at the three royals watching them.
“How goes their training, Leon?” the old king asked.
“Productively, but more time is needed. Everyday they progress further,” he responded.
“I am afraid time is not something we can spare, Leon,” King Nega said with a sense of despair in his voice. “A force numbering, at last count, four thousand has begun moving towards our borders to the west. Xeno reported this to me last night. Judging by the information our scouts collected this is only an advanced force. As you no doubt saw as you entered, we are massing our army and they will march tomorrow towards the borders. There they will fortify their position and wait for the enemy to make a move. We had hoped after fighting L’Carn’s military that it would slow the speed at which the evil tide comes towards us, but it has not.”
“I see, I was not aware that the army was showing this much aggression and so soon!”
“We will have four thousand ready to travel by morning. Reinforcements from Cattra, Wex and Furlan will also join them when mobilized, with more on the way from the further away burrows of the kingdom to meet them in force…” the king paused and turned back to the Destined, “If you truly are warriors who know how to stop this darkness, then I would prepare yourself now, for war is knocking at our door and we cannot ignore its call.”
The group was led out of the throne room by Leon and escorted all the way back to his home in the castle courtyard. Within it they found Xeno preparing belongings in three large sacks. He greeted them as they entered and took up seats around the fire.
“How went your meeting with King Nega?” Xeno called to Leon from down the hall.
“The impending danger of the west has cut our meeting short. Needless to say, he did sound skeptical of my companion’s abilities.”
“I hope for all our sakes that he is wrong to doubt them,” Xeno said, returning to the group. “These Sect, the assassins, if there are any large number of them I fear that even my best knights will not be able to kill them. We would welcome your help.”
“We are not ready,” Karen sighed.
Xeno paused for a moment and looked at them all.
“…Perhaps not,” he said at last. “Very well, continue to train. Leon, I bid you farewell. The borders require my immediate attention. We will hold them and they shall not pass. We will buy your warriors the time they need.”
And with that, he left cradling under his arms three full sacks of belongings and provisions.
“So many people are depending on us…” Tylor sighed. “What if we can’t save them…?”
“You must simply try your best, we can ask no more than that,” Leon replied, placing his hand on Tylor’s shoulder.
I can’t fight a war, not me, Tylor said to himself. …But if I don’t, all these people may die… I have no right to deal out death or judgment. I have no right at all. The needs of the many out weigh the needs of the few… Am I brave enough to make that my new outlook? Is it enough to make me kill?
Tai walked confidently through a decrypt hall of what was once the capital city of L’Carn. He held the large sphere he had shown to Tylor in his left hand. From further down the corridor, Kass appeared and stopped him, immediately taking the sphere from his grasp.
“Where have you been, Tai?” she asked demandingly. “Why did you take my Ouraset Jelosk sphere? You disappeared after we slaughtered those escaping L’Carn groups, but then, where did you go?”
He simply smiled back at her from under his mask.
“My dear woman…” he said with a smirk, “Did you miss me that much? I go where I please. All you need to know is that I am back. How goes the war effort?”
“Tai, you pathetic worm! Your feeble attempts at rebellion against Kain’s orders will see you dead!”
The Sect, in a sudden rage, pushed up against Kass and shoved her against the blackened wall behind her. He pushed his face against hers and talked directly into her ear, “What would you say if I told you that I have found a source of power which exceeds even Kain’s?”
She pushed him away and laughed.
“You really are insane!”
“How goes the war effort?” Tai asked again, ignoring her comment.
“Atra has begun moving its army to the border after detecting ours as planned. The necromancers sent from Kain are here, we must smuggle them into Atra by tomorrow and they have provided a Scythe to hasten our travel there.”
“Well then,” Tai said, bowing to his counterpart, “let us go.”
“I have more news; our plan has changed,” Kass added, getting Tai’s attention once more. “Kain has sent Luther to us with the necromancers. While we travel north he will infiltrate Tentra. We will then join him when the siege begins.”
“What? Then his counterpart is in Tentra? … Could it be that Hunter?”
“Kain has sensed something strange about the Demon Hunter and about Tentra, but it is no confirmation. Luther has been sent to discover if it is true. His likeness still bears the face of the previous Destined, so if need be we need only kill him to find the face of the next target. It is the price he would pay. He is the weakest of us, after all.”
Tai smiled again, before waving his hand at Kass and continued strolling down the dark, dank hall.
“Tai!” she called to him. “I will ignore your actions this time, but it is the last! Next time I will tell Kain of your treason and he will destroy you.”
A laugh was her reply, echoing up the empty passage.
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