Author's note: Long time no see. I am not going to tell much. Just thanks for your continuous support and lets just get on with the story.
Chapter 43
Dragons of Anor Londo
" May I now pronounce; Tommen of House Erestris . Third of his name. King of the Amatan kingdom and all her fiefs. Protector of the Amatan people, Guardian of the realm. "
The newly appointed High Chancellor of Amata, Lord Ferenim placed the golden crown on the white haired Erestris' head. He was wearing an armour his brother used to wear a few years ago. The emblem of the Erestris house, the black spider was shining in the light of the great flame.
" Long may he reign. "
The High Chancellor pronounced.
" Long may he reign. "
All the people present in the Lion courtyard of Amatan royal palace said in unison.
Tommen's face was stoic and calm. With the royal robe of Amata on his shoulder , the glittering golden crown on his head and with his right hand grabbing the pommel of the Erestris ancestral Damascan steel sword, Dawnbreaker; he looked like the legendary rulers of Imperial Rome.
Despite his very young age, he was doing a decent job in his coronation and his childhood friend, General Firo couldn't help feeling proud for his new king.
The commander of the third army of Amata heard about the upheavel in capital from a raven when he was in the northern city of Kawarenther near the kigdom of Alba and Strath-Clyde with his brother Maiza.
Both he and his older brother were raised in the capital under the tutelage of King Sarrum.
As the member of the venerable Tarono family, they had enjoyed many privileges that many other noble families had not been privy to.
Being able to study with the princes were one of such privileges. King Sarrum was exceptionally protective of his children. Both of the princes had been taught and trained in utmost secrecy . As the Tarono and Erestris family were cousins, Sarrum considered the Taronos as his kin.
Hence only Firo and Maiza had been able to be companions to the two princes during their growing years.
Their father Nehron had been the first advisor to the king and their mother Alyesta had been the best friend to Queen Razia, the firespawn lady.
Speaking of the firespawn queen, Firo's attention turned back to the late queen's only son.
As far as Firo could remember, Tommen had always been lousy with a sword and he had never been gifted in the art of battle strategy. Firo had been very close with the new king as they had been study partners in their teen years.
He was never even considered as an heir to the throne. He had been always groomed to be the first advisor of his brother. And Firo had to admit that his weakness as a warrior had been compensated by his brilliance in statecraft.
An excellent student of history, geography and economics; the second prince of Amata had a suger tongue like none other. His mastery in speechcraft at such an early age had baffled the veteran speakers of the realm.
Due to his sweet nature, he was loved by the people and had been an excellent choice to be the next high chancellor. Firo and his brother had been hoping that Tommen would be able to put an end to the expansionist nature of their kingdom.
Although Sauron had been as radical as his father, the pacifist people of Amata had been hoping that the forceful militarization would stop after Sarrum's death believing that Tommen would be able to persuade his brother to stop dreaming of conquering whole Albion and stop persecuting all the magical people that refused to join the army.
But then...
Everything began to go downhill from there.
Queen Razia died of a sudden illness, a rare case among the firespawns. Both of the princes were devestated. Even though Sauron had not been her son, the queen had loved him just like his own son. Such kind of love had never been given by anyone else to the elder prince after his mother's assassination on his thirteenth nameday.
In fact, Firo believed that it was the queen's impartial love to the princes that brought the two brothers closer to each other.
Firo could still remember how the 14 year old Tommen cried in the funeral of his mother while his brother trying to console him who himself was failing miserably to stop his own tears.
One year after that, King Sarrum was assassinated and Sauron changed.
He ascended to the throne promising revenge for his father's death. Tommen had tried to dissuade him but their aunt Mellisandre suddenly found the court void of any lady and assumed the role of the high lady of the court.
She began to whisper into the young king's ears. Firo would not be able to know what had transpired between the two of them but the king began to change.
He put Tommen under house arrest for trying to speak up against their despicable aunt.
He began to militarize the kingdom with far more zeal than his father had ever shown and went to war against the new kingdom of Elmet. But the king of magic, Merlin decimated the fourth army of Amata. Still, Sauron began to master another army to wage another war. This time against Alba.
Firo's father tried to stop it but within weeks both Lord Nehron and Lady Alyesta were murdered.
It didn't need one to be a political genius to put two and two together and understand that Mellisandre had been the perpetrator.
Had Firo and Maiza not been in Kawarenther, the ancestral seat of Tarono family; who knew what that red witch had done to them.
Three days after the assassination, a pigeon came to Kawarenther bearing a royal letter of apology saying that the king was sorry for not being able to protect the lord and lady paramount of Kawarenther.
The Taraono brothers' assumption had been proven right when another pigeon came from capital on that same day bearing an unnamed letter that warned them of not trying to rebel.
They writer of that letter ( later revealed as lord Ferenim ) claimed that he was a well-wisher of the Tarono family. The brothers learnt from that letter that Mellisandre was behind all this. It appeared that She had been planning to murder the royal brothers for some time and usurp the throne.
She had been planning to put the blame on the Taronos if they rebelled.
Despite the warning, they began to prepare to take the capital by force and free the unsuspecting king from danger of the red witch, who according to the letter had complete command of the second army.
The day when the first and third army, which were loyal to the Tarono family began to march towards capital was the day when the incident happened. The incident where Firo´s brother Maiza lost his best friend, King Sauron Erestris.
Now Tommen, Firo's best friend sat upon the emerald throne and he vowed that he and his brother would not fail again.
No evil person would ever come between them. Between the friendship of Tarono family and Erestris family. Between Firo, Tommen and Maiza. This time they would prevail.
They will survive.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Merlin had never enjoyed parties. During his time in Camelot, his only job was to make sure that Arthur's goblet never ran out of wine. ( And occasionally drink them when they were poisoned )
After becoming king, Merlin had arranged royal parties only twice or thrice ; during the times when the kings of the north had come in his kingdom. Even then he would retire early. Excusing himself for some odd reason.
He had not always been like this. In his teens, he had been a cheerful boy. But in his later years in Camelot, he began to change.
The burden of his past destiny had it's effect on him and it's not a good effect.
To mask the pain that he had been enduring, he began to avoid people as much as possible. So all the extravagant parties thrown by Arthur had not been an occasion that Merlin had enjoyed.
Even though after coming in Elmet, he had become free from the burden, too much people gathering in a place while drinking and dancing was not something he liked still.
So, he kept himself away from the center of the party that was in honor of the new king of Amata's coronation.
It had been three weeks since his army of ten thousand Elmetian soldiers along with the first and third army of Amata stormed the capital and captured the two rebel generals.
Merlin was planning to return to Arcaenia as soon as possible after placing the last Erestris on the throne of Amata.
Arthur was itching to meet his wife. But as it turned out, The king of Amata had other plans .
He requested Merlin and Arthur to stay. Arthur suspected that the new king was plotting something. Merlin tried to reassure him but Arthur would have none of it.
And soon, Queen Guinevere arrived and that initiated a series of events that finally culminated into the present confusing and precarious condition presiding over the royal capital of Atropetiny.
Queen Guinevere hadn't come alone. With her, came ten thousand soldiers of the Camelotian reserve army.
When Freya left Elmet, Gwen sent message to Camelot that Arthur needed aid. Leon heeded his queen's call and sent ten thousand soldiers to Elmet.
So after two days of retaking Atropetiny, the Camelotians arrived. The Amatan people were both agitated and angry.
Hell! even the commander of the third army, General Firo directly accused Arthur of plotting to take Atropetiny while it was weak due to internal turmoil.
It took much persuasion and reassuring to sooth the accusing commanders and courtiers of Amata.
Alas! It didn't end there.
For some unknown reason, the kings of north began to come in Amata. Even the kings allied with Elmet came. With them, came small armies of their respective countries numbering between one thousand and five thousands.
As a result, the royal capital of Atropetiny was surrounded by nearly thirty five thousand soldiers from different eight kingdoms. Not counting the seventeen thousand Amatan soldiers stationed inside Atropetiny.
Any visitor from a foreign land in Atropetiny would think that the city was under siege. What surprised Merlin most was that even his allies who had come into the coronation of king Tommen like King James and King Urien hadn't talked with him properly. All they said was that they would talk after Tommen's coronation.
Both of the kings looked worried and Merlin could bet that King Eldred of North-Umbria, Amata's staunch ally looked terrified of something during the coronation ceremony.
What could that be?
And the worst thing was that even Arthur knew what was going on. But he wouldn't tell Merlin. Saying that Tommen told all of the kings what was this all about and made them swear a blood oath not to tell him before unravelling the situation to them.
It frustrated him to no ends. Usually it was Merlin who kept secrets. Usually it was he who did shady business. Espionage, intrigue and spymastery were his areas of business. To know something was going on but not being able to put a finger on it was something that bothered him too much.
He couldn't wait for the celebration to end. After talking with Arthur, he had talked with Tommen and he had said the same thing.
After the coronation.
Just what's wrong with everybody?
Why after coronation?
What is the matter that only he can't know?
Merlin wanted the answers badly.
If only Uriel were here!
Wait.
Suddenly it clicked inside Merlin's head. He knew someone who could give him the answer that he needed. He mentally slapped himself for not remembering till now.
Quickly, he went out of the throne room where the celebration was taking place and entered the lion cortyard outside.
The main courtyard of the Amatan royal palace was named thus because of the large pillar above which four lions' statues were sitting, each of them facing an individual direction. Tommen said that it was erected by the first king of Amata, king Hilmes.
Merlin went to the center of the courtyard and looked above. He took a deep breath and yelled in the ancient tongue of the dragons.
O Dracon. E male ptsufeta gome,
tseudhep anankes.
He hadn't said thoese words for quite some time. He felt refreshed suddenly. Maybe it was because he had begun to feel the presence of his kins in his consciousness again.
Within minutes, two dragons landed on the courtyard of lions. One is white and the other one is golden.
When the Elmetian army came to Atropetiny, both Kilgharrah and Aithusa came with the Elmetians too. Merlin suspected that the Amatan generals hadn't lashed out at him like they did at Arthur was because of the two dragons.
After all, you wouldn't want to piss off a man who had two dragons under his command and ( unknown to them ) who was himself a dragon.
" Father, you called for us? " Aithusa asked.
Merlin's heart always fluttered with joy when Aithusa called him like that. He went closer to the white dragon and touched her snout with his forehead. Aithusa cooed and Merlin chuckled taking comfort in his kin's presence.
" Yes, Aithusa. I need to know something. " Merlin said while staring at the silent golden dragon.
" What is it, father? "
" Do you know why all the kings of north mustered their army and came to Atropetiny? King Tommen seems to be the perpretator but he refuses to tell me anything. "
" Why don't you force him to tell you? " Aithusa suggested. Clearly annoyed about the behaviour of the Amatan king.
" No. The boy has just lost his only family in this world. I don't want to put extra pressure on him. "
" You are a kind man, young warlock. " Suddenly Kilgharrah said.
" Are you patronizing me? " Merlin asked in a cold tone.
" I am not talking about Tommen , young warlock. I am talking about myself. You are kind enough to tolerate my presence after all the wrongs I've done to you. "
" Don't think too much about it, Kilgharrah. I am only tolerating you because Freya told me to give you another chance. So, enough talking. Can you give my question's answer? I am presuming Aithusa don't know the answer. "
Aithusa nodded in agreement.
Kilgharrah straightened his head and said, " Yes, Merlin. I know the answer that you seek. "
Merlin's heart skipped a bit.
" Tell me then. "
" Your answer lies not in the north but in the south. " Kilgharrah said.
" Again with all these riddles. Can you not speak vaguely for at least once? " Merlin huffed in annoyance.
Aithusa gave a draconic chuckle in amusement. Kilgharrah bowed his head which surprised Merlin. It seemed the golden dragon was still afraid of him after their last encounter.
" My apologies, young dragonlord. It would be better if I show you a vision first. Will you let me? " Kilgharrah asked with extreme politeness.
Merlin thought for sometimes and then said, " Very well. Show me then. But don't even dare try to manipulate me this time. "
" I haven't forgotten, Merlin and I value me life. Are you ready? "
Merlin gave an affirmative nod.
Kilgharrah opened his gigantic maw and breathed on the king of Elmet.
Then, darkness engulfed him.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
He was in the royal capital of Elmet.
At the top of the white gold tower.
He could see the entire city of Arcaenia from there.
But it was not the city of Arcaenia that he knew.
It was not vibrating with life. It was on fire. The farming ground was decimated. The learning ground couldn't even be recognized. Pelagius academy was burned to the ground. No flower bloomed in the royal garden.
There were only charred bodies. Burned and turned into a pile of cinder. There were thousands of them. All of his subjects. Dead. And he couldn't do anything.
Then he was in the dead city of Arcaenia. He was thrilled for a second to see that there were still people alive in the city. But his thrill soon vanished when he saw how they were behaving.
Some were scratching their faces.
Some were bashing their heads against the street and walls.
Some were crying and screaming as if they were in pain.
The once colourful city of Arcaenia now had no colour except grey of burned cinder and cheerful voices of his people were replaced by voices of agony and hopelessness.q
Then, suddnely the insane crowds stopped and stilled for a second.
They all turned and looked at him. Merlin's heart almost burst out in anguish when he saw that she was among them too. His queen. His love of life. Freya.
But she was not the Freya that he knew. Her eyes were without life and her beautiful face was marred by scratches and burned marks. Her look was malicious. No kindness could be found in her eyes. She was not the person he loved and he wished that he should've been dead before watching such an atrocious thing.
He saw others too. Daegal, Nayem, Gilli, Roy, Sicillia, Maes, Iseldir, Alator and his mother too. All of them looked souless and defiled just like the rest of the Elmetians.
He wanted to cry out to them. To ask them what happened. But he couldn't. It was a vision. And he was just a spectator here. He couldn't understand what was the meaning of all this.
He needed to get out of this nightmare first.
Suddenly he heard a roar of a dragon. He looked above in the sky. A giant white dragon protected by an armour of crystal was coming towards him and atop him sat his sworn enemy clad in a black armour.
The lord of mainpulation.
Ajajil.
He was weilding a weird looking spiked chain and his face was criss-crossed with golden glowing lines. He looked at Merlin directly to the eyes and said,
" All that is yours is rightfully mine and mine it shall be. "
The crystal dragon opened it's fiery maw and again darkness engulfed Merlin.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Anor Londo, Royal capital of Frankish kingdom had fallen.
It was an easy job actually. After taking Lugdunum and turnig all of it's inhabitants into undead had greatly enhanced his numbers.
So, when he sieged the city of Anor Londo, his forces outnumbered the Frankish forces ten to one. And the walls of Anor Londo stood no chance against his destructive magic. The city fell overnight and now the people of Anor Londo had become his loyal soldiers.
Currently, he had nearly one million soldiers. But they all would be useless if Merlin unleashed his dragons on them. So, what he needed now was dragons of his own.
And he knew where to find them.
He was standing before the alter of the church of Anor Londo with the royal sword of King Philip in his hand.
He knew what to do now.
He began.
" I command thee, dragons of the old. Long thou have slumbered. Time has come for thou to arise and take thy rightful place beside me as the rulers of earth. I command thee.
O Seath the scaleless.
O Kintyera the red jewel.
O Amerun the young one.
Heed your lord's calling and harken to me. "
Saying this, he stabbed the alter with the sword and the alter burst into thousand pieces. The ground began to shake and crack. Soon the marble floor of the church split in two and from the depth of the underworld, they came.
They came out roaring and upon seeing him, they bowed their head in reverence.
" We bow to thee, Lord Ajajil. Command us and we will obey. "
A crooked smile appeared on his lips.
Finally the dragons of Anor Londo has been freed.
The world will soon be his.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
So ends the third arc of the story. Tell me how you like it. Another chapter I'll be posting tomorrow. Be safe and happy reading.
Adios.
- Assassin of Syria.