For 2 days the riders rode softly through Tamoria, no one gave them chase and there was no one for them to give chase.
At noon, Kaldur led them to a sanctuary situated on the side of a mountain. It was surrounded by all kinds of beautiful flora and fauna. A chipmunk even landed on Garfield's shoulder and he pet it before it jumped off from him.
A waterfall ran down the middle of the building. 3 stories and a 5000 square feet of courtyards and fancy rooms. The beauty of the environment puzzled all the riders except Kaldur. Roy rode up beside.
"What is this place?"
"This is Riverdale, home to many noble elves...and my mother."
Garfield was amazed by its beauty.
"It's beautiful ain't it?"
"Garfield I appreciate your admiration for elvish decor and architecture, but we have more urgent matters to attend to."
Garfield and Victor meticulously inspected all the furniture and structures, admiring it for what it is. Roy was beside Kaldur.
Kaldur turned around to see Garfield carrying an antique vase.
"Garfield, did I not ask you to bring your horse here? We need to see the bodies."
"Oh..of course! Wait, what do you mean we?"
Just as he said this, Roy opened the door to the inner sanctum where several stone chairs are placed in a circle. The two black robed people to his left, and two people to his right. Kalel the barbarian dwarf chief, and...Oliver his mentor, the Forest Lord.
Roy kneeled immediately.
"Mentor, why are you here?"
A man in chainmail with blonde hair and a goatee stood up.
"I would like to know myself."
Then Garfield came walking into the sanctum with his white horse.
"Alright! Alright! I just want to get to the point!"
He unclipped the bodies off of his horse and rolled them out onto the floor. Everyone gasped, then he threw down a bag that contained 3 heads; all rolled onto the floor. He noticed the shocked expressions on everyone's faces, except the hooded figures whose faces were hidden and Roy and Victor.
"You've seen these before...haven't you?"
The people who were shocked stayed silent.
"Tell me!"
Richard's marching army was caught in the middle of a desert storm. Soldiers shielded their eyes from the sand.
Richard who was on his horse was unphased and he continued to urge his soldiers to move forward. Lord Rayner rode beside.
"Your majesty, the conditions are suitable for marching, perhaps we can set up camp and wait until the storm passes over."
"We keep going."
"Your maje-"
"Every day, every hour, every minute, every second we give to these savages, they grow stronger, whilst we grow weaker. To you think my eyes blind my logic, I know that conditions are unsuitable, but for now we're going to have to deal with it."
"The soldiers marching on are taking up more resources than ever before, food is running low, and water...half the men don't even have water anymore..."
"If we see any pools of water, we will stop. Until then we march."
"But your maje-"
"You're giving me the suspicion that you do not trust your king as you said many years ago...do you trust your king?"
"To the death your majesty."
"Leave me, and urge the rest of the column to keep marching, it's almost nightfall and we don't want another ambush by those monstrous race on their disfigured steeds!"
"Right away, your majesty."
Victor placed his hands on his face as he looked down onto the floor.
"Demons? Here?"
"Hellspawn to be precise, Demon is a title bestowed on those who command the hellspawn."
Roy then asked Kaldur a question.
"But demons and hellspawn, are they not figures of mythology? My mother used to tell them to me to prevent me from doing bad things, kind of like how the troll under the bridge story teaches us to not play on bridges."
"The stories you consider myth were true tales of men, dwarves and elves fighting the legions of Hell. Since then Tamoria was blessed for not being traversed by them...until now. This particular hellspawn is a wraith, hellish assassins easily drawn to the prospect of wealth, but they are only attracted to the kind of wealth that we can only dream of."
"But who would be that mad to be in contact with demons, let alone hire them?"
Garfield then stood up and reached into his pocket.
"I think I know..."
He threw a bag of money that spilled gold coins onto the floor.
"How many people are rich enough to convert over a million silver coins into 100 gold ones?"
"Not many."
"Now...how many do you think has something to gain from our deaths as well as Koriander's?"
It was clear now. Victor, Diana, Kalel, Dinah, Kaldur and Oliver knew it. Roy narrowed his eyes.
"That wretched son of a BITCH! I SHOULD HAVE KILLED HIM WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!"
Kaldur stretched his arm out and lowered it.
"At ease, Roy, this news brings about a different image of Richard, but more importantly it has only fulfilled my worse fears."
Dinah looked over into the distance and she knew that somewhere to the west the Western mountains.
"Please, elaborate on your worst fears."
His arm pointed towards the two hooded figures.
"These two people are from Western Kingdom."
Victor took out his halberd.
"Western Kingdom? We haven't been in contact with those heathens since we separated from them 50 years ago. Why do you bring them here?"
"Victor, please show some respect, they are people just like us. As of what you think you know of them, most of it is propaganda made by our kings."
The figures stood up and took off their hoods. Both were revealed to a man and a woman. Both had flaming red hair. Both had blue eyes. The woman had a narrow, pale face with round cheekbones and a pointed chin. Her eyes were full of terror, grief and tiredness. A short nose hooked over continually short and pursed lips, which were a pale red in color. Her hair was tied up to a pony on the back of her head. Her armor was metal, but thin, it did not clung to her feminine figure, but instead was more outwards to resemble that of a man's armor.
The man bore a stern chin, was equally pale and equally disheartened. His nose was long, but his hair was short. He wore the same armor as the woman.
"Anthony, Margaret, tell your stories."
Anthony spoke up. He spoke with a very exotic accent.
"The Western Kingdom as you call it, is barely a single kingdom anymore, several noble families have set up their own kingdoms in a attempt to seize the entire nation for their own. War has already broken out and it's on the verge of including your Tamoria with it."
Then Margaret spoke up. She spoke in the same accent.
"As we speak, the families fight fiercely for the ownership of the kingdom, if the wrong family wins, they will surely wage war with Tamoria, and while they may be weakened, your western side remains vulnerable to attack. In addition, your kingdom will be weakened as well from its current war."
Kaldur interrupted.
"In others words, with our war in the east not ending soon, we may be caught on a war on two fronts, one which we cannot win. You must make sure the family that supports the reunification or maintained peace with us wins. Do not question their affiliation for they too desire an long-term and hopefully permanent peace with us."
Garfield looked at everyone.
"Well, with all of us making one family win shouldn't be too hard."
"It wouldn't if all of us are going together. Unfortunately, some of you must go to the east and find some way to bring about a peaceful resolution to our own war."
"Fair enough, us young folks will go one side, the rest of you will go to the other side."
"Garfield, I'm sorry but you, Victor, and Speedy will not be fighting together. Instead, I've already drafted up groups which will maximize your effectiveness based on each of your strength and weaknesses."
"What? Split up? We've been fighting by each other's side since we've met..LITERALLY!"
"I acknowledge your friendship and sense of brotherhood with your friends, but we cannot take chances. Victor, Roy, and Oliver will travel to the east. When you do go there, you must not engage the Tarranids with hostility, I've decided that Victor should go with them just in case they must use force. In addition, Roy and Oliver's archery prowess will ease the burden of having to hunt and generally live off the land since I doubt you will be able to dine in their cities or buy from their markets."
Victor then suggested.
"We can always steal..."
"No, as for you Garfield, you and Kalel are more equipped for warfare and not for survival. You must go West and settle the conflict between the noble families. Any questions?"
For a while no one said anything, they completely understood Kaldur's logic. Garfield raised a hand as if he were still in the academy asking a question.
"Yes, Garfield?"
"Victor and Roy are usually the only people I talk to, I much prefer to have someone to talk to."
"Ah I forgot, to mention, someone else will be traveling with you, a close friend I believe."
"Who?"
"Excuse me as I get him, he's probably still slumbering in his chambers."
After a minute everyone heard several footsteps. They then saw a red-haired man stopping right in front of them. He was tall, 6 foot 5, muscular in stature and was in his sleeping garments. The boys immediately recognized him and his own exotic accent.
"Hello friends!"
They all simultaneously shouted
"Wallace!"
They ran to him and gave him hugs and stern handshakes.
"Yes, Kaldur has already told me everything, I'm a little saddened I won't be traveling with the rest of ye, but oh well Garfield's one hell of a lad, ain't ye Garfield."
"Damn right."
Kaldur then returned walking.
"I see the conflict is resolved already. Good."
"When do we leave?"
"You must all leave by midday tomorrow, I am giving you this time to prepare your equipment."
Roy then answered.
"But our equipment is back in our homes, it is more than a few days ride!"
"Do not worry, I have the gear for each of you. An upgrade, if you will, from your old equipment."
"Can we see it?"
"Of course...right this way."
Roy was given a new bow, and better bow, it can pack more power behind it, thus more accurate and longer ranged. He was also given Oliver's old armor, while it is older that Roy's old armor, it was much sturdier and lighter. He was also give 2 different camos for his armor, one for the desert and the other for the forest. Instead of a shortsword he was given 2 knives, one curved, the other straight, both were built by dwarven steel, the best of its kind.
Victor wasn't given heavy armor, instead he too was given leather armor, not that he mind. Instead of a halberd, he was given an unusual weapon, it had several teeth like blades on one end of it, much like spikes around a morningstar. Kaldur told him, they were actual teeth, dragon's teeth.
Garfield was given a new set of armor, it is made of solid,elven mithril, a mineral that is far harder than steel, and far lighter than copper. His shield was now a heater shield instead of a kite shield, it too was made of mithril. Instead of getting a new sword, he received his old one, his father's sword.
"Ah Steve's sword, almost as tall as a man, dangerous enough to cut through one."
Kaldur was confused.
"Steve is your father?"
"Well, not really technically, but adoptive fathers are basically fathers...anyway thank you for this gift."
Kaldur was going to tell him something but he chose otherwise.
"It is also enchanted."
"How so?"
"Try transforming into a werewolf."
He did so hesitantly and then changed back. Instead of being naked, he was still in his armor and in his clothes.
"Amazing. Truly amazing."
"It should be, elven sorcery is rare, but it is famed."
The boys all went to the sleeping chambers to slumber. They were too smothered by the gift of new equipment, they gave no thought to what lies ahead...or why they were given better and rare gear in the first place.
ANOTHER CHAPTER! SORRY THIS ONE TOOK A WHILE. KALEL, IF YOU HAVEN'T GUESSED ALREADY IS KAL-EL OR SUPERMAN. OLIVER/OLLIE IS GREEN ARROW. MARGARET AND ANTHONY ARE MY OC'S. BTW MARGARET AND ANTHONY ARE SPEAKING IN BRITISH ACCENTS. EVERYONE FROM THE "WESTERN KINGDOM" WILL BE SPEAKING WITH BRITISH ACCENTS. WALLACE IS SPEAKING WITH A SCOTTISH ACCENT, BECAUSE WHY NOT? BESIDES THE NAME WALLACE REMINDS ME OF WILLIAM WALLACE, A FAMOUS FIGURE IN SCOTTISH HISTORY. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTION PLEASE INFORM ME ON IT. YES, RAVEN WILL COME IN THE NEXT FEW CHAPTERS AND PERHAPS OTHER CHARACTERS FROM BOTH TEEN TITANS AND YOUNG JUSTICE. THANKS FOR ALL THE FAVS/FOLLOWS/REVIEWS.
CHEERS.