Crown
Covenant
Chapter 1: The First Stone
Mamoru yawned impatiently as time withered away like an hour glass. As if time awaited an arising event alongside him and clustered itself in every corner of his quarters. He brushed off his white embroider coat and adjusted his cap. Pulling his attention away from his paperwork he examined his quarters. Bookcases boarded the walls only allowing windows to gap them. The room was spacious with a long walkway measured by a golden trimmed red rug. The morning sun poured through the drapes of his windows inexorably, lighting the room with a glowing white. He looked outside his window which enabled an exceptional view of the grand city Razstaphon, an almost endless cluster of buildings with shuffling heights. Large ships and knight-bearing hippogryphs traversed the skies while down below, the city was a highly populated crowd of lively citizens, moving about in an active flurry. Despite the pacing time in his quarters, unlike the activities outside his building, Mamoru knew the moment was on the rise.
Mamoru, just a few weeks past his twenty-sixth year was the emperor of Razstaphon, a core city within the boundaries of a bordered off country. His rule had begun only four years ago, and those years presented tough decisions and judgments, trials and errors. But he always preserved peace throughout the kingdom… Until now; things were changing. Evil was stirring, just as he anticipated. But he had prepared for this. Every day he was given he prepared for this…
A knock on the door broke his thought. Mamoru eyed it without budging his head before calling out in response. "You may enter." Two uniformed knights armored from the chest to the tips of their fingers and the crown of their heads, yet clothed by black leather everywhere else, entered with a practiced march. They saluted sternly by mashing a fist into their plated chest to Mamoru, who watched passively until they spoke.
"My lord," He said. "The maid is here with your tea."
Mamoru nodded his head with an empty smile and welcomed her with a wave. "See her in please. I'm parched." With that the knights quickly saluted before retreating behind the door, allowing a maid garbed in a black dress with loose frills dangling to enter. Her heels clacked against the wooded floor as she approached with a tray of cups, a steaming kettle and herbs in her hands. She traversed the lengthy walkway with cat like steps. Mamoru pushed back his long brown hair from his face and examined her blankly. She approached nervously and placed her tray atop his desk.
She stepped back two steps and glided into a curtsy, her dark hair bobbling at the gesture. "My lord," She added kindly, before retrieving the herbs and handling them gingerly. "I have berries and herbs for you your highness. Have you a preference?"
Mamoru shook his head lightly. "Either is fine." And with a hint of humor he added. "As long as it's not poison I'll drink of it," They shared a light laugh as she swiftly mixed the herbs into the kettle and prepared the tea. She offered it to him and he accepted it gratefully. As she awaited him by his side he eyed the drink for a moment before surrendering his sight for a light sniff of its aroma, a precaution the maid took no offense to. He sighed away its essence and rose the cup to his mouth feeling the heat breath on his cheeks. I knew it… He thought, halting from sipping it. He removed the cup from his face and eyed the maid keenly, drawing a stone expression from her.
"Tell me," Mamoru said blankly. "Is the dagger resting in the folds of your dress a provision, or did you foresee me sensing the potency in my tea?" The maid's eyes widen, but not from surprise. She wore a sadistic face. "A parlor's trick like this is most insufficient against a shaman my dear."
The maid smiled evilly. "Perhaps so oh righteous one," Her hand slithered into the folds of her dress. "But only a fool lays their ace early." She slipped out a black gem and held it to the reaching sun. Alarmed, Mamoru sprang for the gem but a bright flash blinded Mamoru, pushing him back into his chair. With his eyes aching in protest, a hissing dagger sliced his cheeks as he eluded his assailant's assault. He evaded two more swipes, following the sounds of her strokes before finally grabbing her dancing arm. He remembered his teaching and injected the assassin with a disruptive force that he had stirred up within himself. He could feel her arm quiver in protest as the energy poured into it. The assailant screeched in agony. She ripped free of him and stumbled into a bookcase. Within seconds the two guards stationed outside crashed through the door, startled.
"My lord," They shouted, spears readied.
"Stay back," Barked Mamoru, struggling with his vision. "She has a caster stone." The assailant quickly turned to the knights, caster stone armed at them and a ray of blue destruction lit the room in a glorious light. Its force shook the room and hurled the guards through a collapsing wall. Loud grunts were all that Mamoru heard as they faded behind the crumbling debris. Mamoru gripped his face and admitted an aiding sensation into his vision, enabling a focused sight. He fronted a hissing woman, her face contorted with rage. Her favored arm bulged with a rippling fluid and rigged shakes rocked her shallow form.
"How…" she spat coldly. "You bastard shaman…how can you use our pulse blight!" Mamoru flinched at her question. Stomping footsteps drew her attention allowing Mamoru to dash at her. She swung her good arm at him but he dodged effortlessly and rammed her gut with an open palm. He followed with a swift blow to her chin with his right palm disarming her of the caster stone and then twisting her arm over his shoulder and hurling her over his back. The woman spun to a quick recovery ignoring any harm and bolted for the window. She turned back to him and now a wave of knights fronted Mamoru protectively. "You've far from won shaman!" She sneered before shattering the glass with her leaping body.
"Halt!" A knight had called after her but only falling glass answered and she was gone. He cursed fiercely. "After her," He shouted. "Let the perimeter know of this immediately. She's not to escape!" The knights exclaimed loudly before bolting out the office. The knight turned to Mamoru, attending to him alertly. "My lord, are you harmed?"
Mamoru gripped him by his paldron. "All is well, fetch me that caster stone. Quickly," The knight obeyed with gusto and dropped the stone into Mamoru's hand. "Thank you," He said before holding it out affront of him. Flames rose from his palm and danced around the smooth gem. Mamoru focused into a scowl, shaping the flames into a thin cylinder. Within seconds the fire shaped into a man with the body of a warrior. He bowed his head swiftly before speaking.
"Did you get her?" The fiery man asked expectantly. A look of concern dressed his face at the sight of Mamoru's wound.
"She escaped through the west window. I've crippled her but she was armed with a caster stone." Mamoru abandoned the stone to float amidst the air, flames shaping the man above as he wiped his blood dripping cheek. "Be cautious of a possible second, she's not to escape."
The man shouted an order to the air before placing a dragon shaped helm over his head, concealing his face. "We're in pursuit now. She won't get far."
"With haste Aethen," Mamoru commanded. "Be careful my friend." The man saluted and Mamoru released his influence on the stone. The flames dispersed and the stone shined bright before falling into Mamoru's awaiting hand. "Alert the guards at the gates and perimeters to be mindful of anyone departing. No one leaves without a thorough inspection."
The knight saluted. "As you wish my lord," And sprang to action. Two more knights walked in and stationed themselves on either side of the battered wall.
Mamoru addressed them with an appreciative nod before retreating back to his chair. He sighed in relief. He hadn't expected her to be equipped with a caster stone; gems of omnipotent capabilities. He at one moment was even frightened. But regardless it all went accordingly. "Sir," A third knight called out. "Annavelle is demanding to see you my lord."
Shocked, Mamoru rose from his chair. "Annavelle, why is she here?"
"Apparently sir," The knight began. "She was here to discuss your schedule today and then the attack happened. The pursuing knights must have alarmed her. I told her you were recuperating and not to be disturbed but…"
"But," Mamoru interrupted. "We both know that is not to be. See her in." The knight saluted and went to fetch her. The two knights watched him with hawk eyes. "I haven't the time to think up excuses." He pleaded to them puppy like. The knights managed to restrain their giggling. Within seconds loud clacking of heels stormed up to his office and in stomped Annavelle; a woman with waving black hair flopping past her slender shoulders to her back. She was tall and dressed in a long white dress. Her tan skin illuminated against the sun's rays, blessing her with a beauty hard pressed to rival.
She glared at Mamoru with fierce green eyes. "What in perdition has happened here your highness?" She had a lion's roar. The knights quavered at her rage.
"Peace, Annavelle." Mamoru gleamed once he noticed a priest stumbling in after her. He motioned for him before continuing. "This holds less ground than you might think."
"Does it my lord? An attempt was just made on your life." She countered sharply, inspecting the damage of the assailant's assault. "By God look at this place," She stepped over the rubble onto the walkway leading to his desk. The priest quickly followed.
"All is well. We anticipated this."
Annavelle's face tightened. "You knew this would happen, my lord?"
"I held my tongue that we might catch her off guard. If I alerted the counsel they would have taken unnecessary precautions, therefore scaring her off before we could properly identify her and surround her. She did all the things we expected, spiking my tea, wielding a small dagger, though the caster stone was of surprise." He allowed the priest to attend to his bloody cheek. His glowing abilities soothing his aching flesh.
"And it is those surprises that we cannot risk your highness. Had she been more skilled you might have been badly harmed or worse." She flinched when Mamoru reached for the still steaming tea. "Your highness," She shouted.
Puzzled, he looked at her before realizing. "Ah, yes…yes…poison." He puffed his cheeks in protest, surrendering the cup back to the tray. Upon further scrutiny the priest assured them of a lack of poisoning.
Annavelle sighed deeply. "But thank God you're safe my lord. They would have been worried about you."
Mamoru smiled deeply, allowing a sigh to slowly seep out. "Yes, I am fine Annavelle. You can trust me." He thanked the priest as he finished healing his cut. "Can you purify this tea? It smells delightful." He whispered to him, drawing a cold face from Annavelle. Before he could plead with her he noticed the caster stone blazing a fierce blue. He gripped it and felt Aethen's presence through it, letting him know it was safe to unveil its contained power. Once again he manifested flames from his spirit and they shaped Aethen above the hovering stone. "Have you good news, friend?"
Aethen nodded his head. "We apprehended her just moments ago. She was aided by two other men who are too in our custody."
"I see," Mamoru said in relief. He had feared they had taken too long. "Take them to the chambers. I'll meet you there." Aethen nodded and the figure quickly dissipated with the flames. "If you'll excuse me Annavelle,"
She stepped to the side. "But of course my lord, shall I attend?"
"I'll send for you once it has calmed." He rose and prepared to depart. Knights surrounded him as he approached the door. "Oh," He said to the priest. "Bring along that tea won't you?"