"Darren! Darren!" Jones' hands hastily grabbed onto the next rock, desperate to clear the blockage. He and the rest had gotten out of the mine earlier only to feel a large rumble and see the entrance crumble in front of them. The younger knight had leaped into action without hesitation hoping against all hope that his friend hadn't been crushed to death. "Darren, answer me! Are you there!?"
"Jones, stop." Turning around, Jones saw his uncle just behind him, the other knights some distance away mounted on their horses. "We need to return to Vasilikos and report what happened here."
"B-But Darren's still down there. I can help him. I have to help him!" Jones turned back ready to keep removing more rocks until Abraham placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Jones," Abraham started gravely. "There's no easy way to say this, but I've been in situations like this before and, as much as it pains me to say it, chances are that Darren is dead."
"B-But-"
Abraham quickly turned his nephew around and stared him dead in the eye, sorrow in his gaze. "I know you don't want to hear it, but you must come to terms that Darren more than likely may have died in that cave in." He saw tears begin to gather in Jones' eyes as the situation began to set in. Without hesitation, Abraham pulled Jones into a hug and embraced his nephew, ignoring how the metal armor made the action less than comfortable. "You'll have time to recover from this, I promise you, but right now I need you to pull yourself together for just a little longer. Alright?"
He received a shaky nod and a sniffle from the younger knight. "Y-Yes, sir…"
"Good lad. Now mount up and get ready to ride."
As Jones slowly made his way to his horse, the knights already mounted up trying to console him in their own way, Abraham took another look at the pile of rock that buried Darren. With a sigh and a sullen shake of his head, the elder knight began walking towards the waiting group.
RUMBLE
Abraham paused. He turned around and looked at the pile again.
RUMBLE
This time he saw it. Another rumble sounded off and Abraham pulled out his sword in response. He heard his fellow knights follow his lead, but before they could reach him the pile of rocks exploded, knocking Abraham off his feet.
Despite his heavy armor, Abraham got back up quickly and assessed the situation. A large bug-like creature with a heavily armored carapace and two large blades on its back emerged from the pile of rocks with others like it following from behind it.
He readied himself for a fight against the unknown beasts with a challenging roar on the tip of his tongue. But just before he charged, he saw two smaller creatures following the larger ones.
Cooper and Declan ran ahead of their fellow zerg and met the bemused knight with a pair of whines. They got behind him and started to push him by the legs towards the large creatures. Abraham complied, still confused as to what was happening until the last of the large creatures exited the rocks helping/dragging Darren out.
He rushed towards the younger man, hearing cries of surprise from his men, and helped Darren to settle on the ground.
Darren had never been so glad to see sunlight until now. After Innis had brought the roof of the cave down on top of them, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to get back out. Even with the assurance from his zerg and the knowledge that his roaches would be able to dig through the rubble, there was still an irrational fear of being buried under tons of rock.
It was only a few minutes, it felt like hours to him, when the first roach had signaled that it had dug through the rubble. A few seconds later Darren's eyes were adjusting to the sunlight as he felt someone help him sit down. He turned to see Abraham giving a concerned look.
"I don't look as bad as I feel, do I?" Darren joked with a shaky smile. Abraham just shook his head in disbelief.
"You're alive!" Jones had run up to Abraham's side shortly after Darren was revealed. The relief in his voice was palpable. "I thought you were… How did you…"
Darren patted the roach next to him on the leg. "You can thank this guy for saving me. I was staring up at the falling ceiling like an idiot and he pushed me under him. Thankfully he was strong enough to hold up the rocks so that the others could dig me out."
"Ah. And what are these things if you don't mind me asking?" Abraham said warily. The roach took a look at Abraham and let out a chuff.
"He's a roach, another creature that I can summon. I had him and his friends follow us secretly just in case something happened. I'm glad I did."
"So am I, so am I," Abraham nodded. "What caused that cave in though? Everything seemed stable enough when we left and there were no signs of significant degradation."
"There was a Rogue Magi in there, some woman named Innis. She said…" Darren's eyes widened in realization. He shot to his feet and grabbed Abraham by the shoulders with an anxious look. "She said that Vasilikos is in danger and that we would be too late! We have to go now!"
Aenwyn was taking the time to explore the human capital thoroughly, simply enjoying the calm that she found herself in. When she had heard that Abraham and Jones were going out to check up on a nearby village, Aenwyn thought to spend the day with Darren. When she heard that Darren was also going with them, she suddenly found herself with a lot of free time.
Ida, seeing that Aenwyn looked lost, had been kind enough to point out the places that she could visit now that the elf wasn't being pressed for time. Taking up the kind woman's advice, Aenwyn changed into some comfortable clothing and left the castle.
She first visited the markets, something that Jones introduced to Darren and her in his free time. Many humans hawked their various goods to whoever passed by claiming them to be priced at fair rates. Some stalls had elves or dwarves peddle their own wares, though they were in the minority.
Aenwyn continued to tour the capital seeing statues, bridges, and various buildings sculptured into works of art. While they weren't on par with the natural beauty of her home's forests in her gracious opinion, it was clear that they were made with passion.
In her explorations though, Aenwyn did not visit a section of the city Ida warned her about. In the lower areas near the docks was an area Ida called the "Red Light District". All Aenwyn knew about it was that Ida called it a "cesspool of debauchery and degeneracy, no place for a young woman like her".
Aenwyn smirked at the memory. If only Ida knew how old she really was compared to the human woman. Still, she appreciated the concern.
Making her way across one of the bridges that overlooked a good portion of the capital, Aenwyn's ears twitched as she heard frantic movement. Turning towards the noise, she looked over the side of the bridge and saw a throng of people beginning to gather around a gate. Curious about what was happening, Aenwyn leaped towards a nearby roof and ran closer to get a bird's eye view.
Her powerful legs, a product of traversing the tall trees of Ayi Thalore, barely worked up a sweat before she found a good viewpoint. Down on the street, Aenwyn saw a contingent of guards led by a Magi who were building a barricade at the gate entrance. The crowd of people that assembled were beginning to make their displeasure at the interruption of traffic, wondering what the inconvenience was for.
BOOM
Aenwyn crouched down reflexively at the explosion. In the distance, she saw smoke rise somewhere in the lower districts before turning back towards the street. While the crowd had tried to figure out what was happening, the guards and Magi had put on a sash. The elf's blood ran cold.
Each of the sashes had a symbol of Serenity placed somewhere on it. The citizens eventually collected themselves and went to ask what happened, but then the guards started getting violent. Many had started to use their weapons to drive off anyone who came too close, though no one was hurt.
It was then that the Magi started to use his magic. He stomped down hard and sharp spikes of rock erupted out from the ground in front of the guards. Screams of shock burst from the gathered people and most began to run.
Aenwyn frowned at the display. An explosion in the capital, pathways being blocked, it was clear that Serenity wasn't up to any good. No one here was harmed so far, but that could change in a second. She resolved to warn someone, preferably someone in power.
She turned away to run back towards the castle, but before she could leap away someone tackled her. Aenwyn turned onto her back quickly and saw a cloaked man crouching over her. The knife in his hand glinted in the sunlight as it came down.
Duke Caedman leaned back in his cushioned chair as he looked at the smoke rising distantly from his balcony. The plan, something he still wasn't entirely pleased with, had seemingly gone off without a hitch.
He would have preferred that something more grandiose be destroyed to showcase the power he held over the capital such that no good Summoning Magi tower located near the royal castle, but he supposed the main guardhouse in the mid-district would have to do. Strategically it made sense. Neutralize the enemy, confuse, and separate them as quickly as possible while taking little to no risk in the process.
Still, Caedman mentally sighed, it would have been nice to see that eyesore of a tower be reduced to rubble.
Putting a hand to his chin, Caedman began to review the plan once again. The next part of this scheme would depend on those that owed loyalty to him. It wasn't hard to rile up those who thought similarly to him. In fact, all he had to do was saw a few words here, grease a few palms there, imply what could be gained by aligning with him, and a good majority of the nobility were eating out of the palm of his hand. With a good majority of soldiers loyal to the crown outside of the capital to patrol the kingdom, this was the best chance his men would have. They would block certain roads and create checkpoints in order to easily transport his new pets.
Speaking of pets…
Duke Caedman looked off to the side where he could see the medium sized Wildling huddled in the darkened side of the room, its frame rising and falling in its slumber. Investing in that eccentric Magi Innis was a gamble, but her success had proved the validity of her research. He had to admit, he was skeptical that the woman wasn't just some raving mad lunatic until he saw the fruits of her efforts. Eventually, a problem arose from capturing Wildlings from all over the kingdom. Innis would require more space than Vasilikos could provide. With his funding and permission, Caedman sent Innis to Coalfell to continue her work.
Having her based in that mining village served two purposes. One, it was a quiet place with little to no intrigue. Two, if it was discovered it would hopefully draw the attention of enough soldiers loyal to the crown to investigate. Caedman hoped that Innis' willingness to advance her research also extended to her ability to fight anyone that showed up, but he already had what he wanted so losing her was of little consequence.
Transporting the Wildlings was a bit of a challenge but it wasn't anything that some coin couldn't fix. Left in select parts of the capital, the Wildlings would be directed by Magi capable of controlling them once given the all-clear signal. With soldiers, Magi, and Wildlings working in tandem he was confident that the takeover of the city would be a quick affair.
Finally, once the fighting had quelled to acceptable levels, Caedman would deal with his cousin Indulf and his wife Catherine. He would achieve his rightful place as king of Aleria and Serenity would be legitimized as an organization with the backing of the crown.
The last part was something he had come up with himself. He wasn't sure why the man who brought him into the shadowy group wanted to keep its anonymity. After all, it was only right that the peasants knew who had painstakingly liberated them from the current monarchy. Caedman was sure that his actions would only bring him praise from his mysterious backer.
His thoughts turned to his only son for a moment before they could be ruefully dismissed. Cael's mother came from good stock, something he had meticulously made sure of before offering her family the marriage proposal. And what did he have to show for all that effort? A weak willed woman who died during childbirth and a spineless coward whose only saving grace was his middling talent as a Magi. Two whole years of his life wasted on a fruitless endeavor.
Caedman let out a groan. He hated to think of his only child at any time, especially when he was on the cusp of such a momentous occasion, but occasionally his thoughts drifted to the boy. He had to stop before he gave himself an aneurysm. Thankfully he had his own plan for that.
"Is everything in place yet?" the duke asked aloud. Near him, Boss pressed off from the wall he was leaning on and uncrossed his arms.
"Just nearly. The boys need a little more time to gather the Wildlings," the intimidating man replied.
"And my lost property?"
"I sent someone out to get her. Had him watch her movements for as long as possible and to attack once she was vulnerable. With her friends gone, now was the best time. We're just waiting on you."
"Then I suppose now is as good a time as any." With that said, he heaved himself to his feet and waddled towards the door. He paused for a moment to clap his hands. "Come beast. We leave now."
The hulking beast stirred, looking towards Duke Caedman with a growl but ultimately compiling to the command. Its large pair of arms unfurled to hold itself up while it lumbered over towards its master.
Duke Caedman nodded approvingly after a quick look over his pet before looking at Boss. "Make sure that everything goes to plan in the city. I will be waiting at the castle once you are finished. Bring me my property and you will be rewarded." He received a nod in return before leaving.
King Indulf stood at the head of the war table, a map of Vasilikos rolled out on top of it. Catherine stood at his side, silently conveying her support and remaining calm despite the chaos that dominated the majority of the room. Men and women dressed in either armor or elaborate robes rushed in and out of the war room in a frenzy of activity.
Ever since the initial explosion and the shock of silence that followed, Indulf immediately made his way towards the war room. Despite the concerns voiced by those that followed in his wake, the king began to order for his advisors to meet him as soon as possible.
Since then Indulf was silent, poring over the map and whatever information was being brought to him. Catherine shuffled through some of the papers herself and only spoke to either her Ida to delegate information or to Indulf to point out certain points of interest.
"This has to end now." All activity stopped as Indulf finally spoke, the tension thick as air itself seemed to hold its breath. The king looked up from the map to look over the crowded room. "What do we know about this attack?"
An advisor dressed in armor stepped forward. "My lord, first hand accounts of the initial explosion say that it was located at the mid-district guardhouse."
"Do we have a damage report available yet?"
The advisor shook his head in the negative. "Patrols in the area converged on the site but were unable to get closer due to barricades."
Indulf paused in confusion while Catherine took up the slack. "What barricades? All gates should be left open in times of peace."
"I'm afraid that these barricades don't belong to us, my lady. There have been reports of armed insurgents along with traitor Magi blockading certain checkpoints and slowing down the response time of our loyal soldiers. Each of them has been seen with this symbol on their person." He pulled a scroll from his waist and rolled it out onto the table to reveal the symbol. A circle with a pointed edge and an 'X' in the middle.
The royals' expressions turned grave. "So they finally make their move," Indulf muttered, his eyes not leaving the paper. In a louder tone he said, "Serenity has revealed itself. This is a declaration of war, we must act."
He was met with a lull as everyone in the room paused. Then questions erupted from those gathered.
"Impossible, isn't Serenity just some rumor?"
"How are we supposed to fight back with our current forces?! We aren't even at half our total strength!"
"Did he say traitor Magi? How can we trust anyone in this room if they turned their backs on the crown?"
Question after question was asked, yet all questions stopped the moment Indulf raised a hand for quiet.
"We understand that this is a dark moment, possibly the worst witnessed in the recent history of Aleria, but we must stay strong. Our people will be relying on us to deal with this situation as best as possible and We do not intend to fail them. It is Our will that the defence of the capital is to be handled in a respectable manner.
"Gather what forces are available and deal with the insurrectionists. Taking prisoners would be preferred, but only if such an event presents itself. This situation must be dealt with swiftly and efficiently. Go."
The advisors and their aides bowed then turned to leave the room. Once the door closed behind them, Indulf let out a sigh and leaned against the war table.
After a few seconds of silence, Catherine gave her lady-in-waiting a questioning glance. "Could you perhaps make some tea for us, Ida?" An almost imperceptible nod was given and Ida left the room without a word.
It was only once the woman's footsteps faded did Catherine step towards Indulf. She wrapped her arms around him and pressed her head against his shoulder ignoring how the man's armor dug uncomfortably against her. Indulf's hand went to grab one of Catherine's, absentmindedly stroking it with a thumb as he continued to glare at the offending symbol of Serenity.
Neither said a word to each other, but they didn't need to.
Many would assume that a royal marriage would only be motivated by political means and they would typically be right. In the case of the current royal couple though, they had met each other as children and continued to grow with each other's company, Indulf as prince and Catherine as heiress of a noble family.
They eventually came to love each other and when it was time for Indulf to take a wife he didn't hesitate to make his opinion known. It was on a bright summer day that the kingdom of Aleria celebrated the union of Indulf and Catherine. Their marriage could have been described as a picture perfect fairytale wedding, but that wasn't to say there weren't problems hidden just behind the curtain.
Still, the two powered through each trial and tribulation with the knowledge that their closest confidant would be next to them every step of the way. As time passed they used words less often in times of stress and instead showed how they felt through their actions. It was a language carefully crafted since childhood, something only they understood.
The moment of calm stretched out between the two, both simply enjoying the other's presence. Indulf was the first to speak as he turned to wrap his arms around Catherine. "Thank you."
Catherine smiled, tilting her head up slightly to look into his eyes. "There's no need to thank me, I know you would do the same for me in a heartbeat."
"Still," Indulf leaned down to kiss Ida. As he pulled back, Catherine saw the joy in his eyes. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Oh, I could guess what would happen," Catherine said with a playful grin. "You would have no idea what to do half the time with all the things that crop up in just an afternoon. This kingdom would be completely ruined without me."
Indulf rolled his eyes but the smile tugging at his lips betrayed his true feelings. "Of course. Anything and everything that Aleria's accomplished is only due to its benevolent and humble queen."
"And don't you forget it."
They shared a chuckle before falling silent again.
A moment of insecurity flashed through the king. "Do you think things will be alright?" Indulf asked tentatively.
Catherine's smile turned reassuring as she began to smooth out the shoulders of Indulf's tabard. "No, I don't think so. I know so." She looked up, trying to convey to him her complete and total belief. "You are King Indulf of Aleria, a man whose compassion for his people is among his greatest traits. There is no doubt in my mind that at the end of the day you will see this whole thing through." She grinned mischievously and patted his cheek. "It also helps that you have such a handsome face."
Indulf snorted as the tension in his shoulders dispelled. "Just when I thought you were going to be serious about this, you go and say that. I should have found someone less immature to marry." Despite his words though, he leaned into Catherine's hand. "I love you."
Catherine stood on her tiptoes and kissed Indulf, his head leaning down to meet her halfway. She pulled back moments later with a pat on his chest. "I love you too."
KNOCK KNOCK
Just then someone knocked on the door and Ida's voice came through. "My lady, it's Ida. May I come in?"
"It's open," Catherine called out. She turned towards the door continuing to say, "Please put the tea- What happened!?"
Ida came into the room, but instead of carrying a tea set, she brought in a bloodied Aenwyn with an arm over her shoulders. Indulf came forward instantly to help the elf onto a nearby seat before taking a quick look outside the doorway. Seeing no one in either hallway, Indluf closed the door and turned around.
Indulf took the time to look over Aenwyn. Her clothing was covered in blood, but there wasn't any damage that he could see on her person. She was breathing heavily, gasping for each breath of air.
Catherine kneeled at Aenwyn's side and took her hand. A second later the comforting glow of Restoration magic sprung from the queen's hands; the elf's breathing steadied to an acceptable level and she closed her eyes in relief. It was only once Catherine was sure that she could heal Aenwyn as much as possible at that moment did she ask her question again. "Aenwyn, what happened?"
Aenwyn opened her eyes slowly and took a few more breaths before answering. "While exploring your city, I was attacked by someone I can only assume to be a kidnapper of some sort. He was equipped with a eudium dagger and was able to sneak up on me. His attack would have surely disabled me had I not caught the dagger aimed at my shoulder," she finished with a small chuckle.
Those in the room looked alarmed by the information. Ida and Catherine began to fuss over Aenwyn who insisted that she was fine.
"And the blood?" Indulf piped up. "You were limping earlier."
"Again, no need to worry," Aenwyn reassured. "I am just exhausted from the earlier encounter. Besides, none of it is mine."
As Indulf was about to speak again the door burst open, armored guards making their way in and standing at attention. One of the advisors from before, one outfitted in a suit of armor himself, followed the guards before kneeling at Indulf's feet.
"I am sorry, my lord, but I bring grave news. Earlier reports of insurgents and traitor Magi underestimated the gravity of the situation. We now have word that the streets are being overrun with Wildlings under the command of the traitor Magi. There was also another disturbing piece of information…"
As the advisor trailed off, Indulf started the man down. "Speak up man, what is it?"
The advisor was hesitant to answer, but he obeyed his king. "It's your cousin, my lord. Recent reports indicate that Duke Caedman leads the insurgents. He is bringing a group here to attack. We have people trying to stop him, but all they have achieved is slowing him down." He bowed his head again. "I humbly request that you retreat to a far more safe position in the castle while we hold off this threat."
Indulf froze. Behind him he heard someone gasp but barely registered it. His mind was awhirl with conflicting emotions until it settled on fury. His gauntlets creaked out protests as he squeezed his hands into tight fists. He took a deep breath and in a deadly calm tone he said, "He goes too far this time." He pointed to one guard. "You, fetch me my weapons and prepare to leave the castle. If Caedman wants a fight, then he will get one. No one threatens the safety of Aleria."
His soldiers saluted while the one pointed to ran off to fulfill Indulf's orders. They made their way back towards the throne room and left for the courtyard, preparing their arms along the way. Just as they left the castle and entered the courtyard though, they were stopped.
In front of them was a group composed of soldiers, Magi, and Wildlings. As reports said, each of them had Serenity's symbol on them.
The soldiers were a hodgepodge of men from different noble families as could be seen from their uniforms. Each Magi that commanded them wore similar colors, but the Serenity symbol made sure to identify what side they belonged to. Their ranks were somewhat disorganized but there was a sense of order to them.
The Wildlings were much more different. Instead of cloth decorating them, each had the symbol branded onto their bodies. There was a wild gleam in their eyes that was just barely controlled, the Magi that were assigned to them seeming to struggle to hold the beasts back from charging. The captured Wildlings, each a different size and shape, growled, hissed, and snarled as they pulled against their restraints.
Eventually, the hostile group parted down the middle to allow someone to walk forward. Duke Caedman stood at the head, a smug grin on his bloated face. "Hello, cousin."
"Caedman," Indulf growled out, unsheathing his sword with a hiss. Those that had followed him outside had begun to gather, making a shield with their bodies. "What could have possibly possessed you to do this?"
The duke's grin widened. "It's simple actually, you see-"
RUMBLE
The earth shook beneath their feet, interrupting Duke Caedman. He looked around confusedly. "What the devil-"
RUMBLE
It happened again, this time stronger than before. Some men fell to the ground while others kept a shaky stance.
Aenwyn, hidden just behind the guards, felt her magic responding to something deep below the ground rapidly approaching the surface. She looked towards the landscape that surrounded the city walls.
RUMBLE
BOOM
"SCREEEE!"
A/N: I can't believe I actually got this one out. I hate the fact that it took a while to write out, but what are you gonna do when you're extremely lazy beyond belief?