Prelude Chapter Six: Pyre At The Academy
Rellana I
As Rellana finished off one of the remaining soldiers that came from the host of the Golden order she looked up and surveyed the battleground. Many of the buildings of the Gatetown had fell victim to the battle of the Trolls, and many bodies of the enemy lay across the land, precious few sorcerers had perished during the conflict, and none of the Carian Knights she commanded had met a bitter end as well, this pleased Rellana greatly.
Upon giving a second look Rellana spied her younger sister running towards an abandoned water well far away from the battleground, and decided to make her way over to check on her. With every armored step either a deceased soldier or rubble was crushed underfoot of the Twin Moon Knight as she walked towards Renna.
As Rellana reached Renna she witnessed her little sister hoist her small body over the well and vomit into the small chasm. Rellana was slightly disgusted at her sister but empathetic with Renna's first experience of battle, and chose to remove her gloved hand and place it on Renna's back, patting it lightly.
"Sister, what troubles you?" Rellana asked, rubbing Renna's back as the girl turned to her.
"Violence troubles me Rellana," Renna began, her eyes teary from retching. "I may enjoy the thrills of combat, but when it comes to these battles I do not solace in wounding others."
"No good soul enjoys hurting others, Renna. And those who do, are enemies of our family." Rellana said firmly as she gripped Renna's shoulder causing her sister's eyes to dry as she became serious.
"I know, I'm far from a child, my seventeenth name day was months ago." Renna said, matching her elder sister's fervor.
"Perhaps you should stay young while you can sister."
"You're not much elder than me, Rellana!" Renna pouted, causing Rellana to laugh lightly as there was a four year gap between the two youngest carian princesses, and a seven year gap between Renna and Rennala.
"With your youth we may as well marry you off to a nobleman for political gain." Rellana mused laughing to herself, Renna did not find this amusing as her face turned red and contorted into a look of embarrassment.
"Marriage! Vile! Speak not of such things Rellana!" Renna said flustered as she waved her hands around in a flimsy. "I shall not be married to a politician or noble." continuing the spectacle Renna pretended to retch into the well again, but was pulled back by Rellana's grasp.
"Renna, no knight in shining armor will have your hand if you continue to act unladylike." In reaction to her elder sister's words Renna turned a bright shade of red and quieted down almost immediately.
"You don't act ladylike Rellana." Renna pointed out looking for an out, or perhaps a way to fire back at her sister.
"I do not need to be Ladylike, I am a Knight of Caria, not a lady to be courted" Rellana said with pride as she removed her helmet. Unlike her sisters Rellana had short hair but was almost identical to Carian Queen, although Rellana was much more built and she took much pride in her strength.
Renna proceeded to pout, her mood lightened by the exchange of words between her and Rellana, as was the goal of the knightess. "Enough of such talk," Renna paused, shifting slightly in her stance, Rellana was unsure of what the shift meant but she saw Renna's redden although she paid it no mind. "Siser, do you happen to know where Moongrum happened to go?"
Rellana had noticed that Moongrum had been fighting one of the commanders of the host of the Golden Order and he also had been pushed out of her sight, but the last she saw of him was near the old bell tower. She informed Renna of this and the small witch bid her sister leave before scurrying off through the rubble on her mission to reunite with her companion.
Rellana found herself alone, which she welcomed kindly. She took in the surroundings using her mana to weed out the locations of her comrades, many of which she sensed returning to the academy, which reminded her that Rennala had stayed back inside the academy to protect the students alongside two of the professors and Preceptor Mirriam. And Rellana decided to make her way to the academy and to her sister to inform her of their victory.
The knightess passed through the academy's magical barrier effortlessly—a privilege of her station as a Carian Knight, requiring no glintstone key. Inside, Rellana found the halls unfamiliar compared to the opulent surroundings of the Royal Manor she typically guarded. The academy's labyrinthine corridors were a scholar's paradise, yet she felt distinctly out of place..
Rellana wandered aimlessly as she lost her way in the labyrinth of the academy of Raya Lucaria, the armored woman seemed verily out of place in this scholar's paradise, although in her curiosity Rellana elected to look at a few books in these lost corridors of the academy and read from them, many of these books were penned by Rennala herself, Moongrum the most intellectually benefited Carian Knight who Rellana had trained herself, or by many a current or forgotten scholar that made their home at this academy of knowledge. The words in these books confused Rellana but interested her even more as she read, Rellana unlike her sister had a raw talent for magical abilities although she neglected her studies as she purely 'felt through' the movements of casting sorceries usually relying on brute force to push stronger sorceries through her catalyst, which happened to be her sword, so the exploration of glintstone magic intrigued her more than she cared to admit.
"Sister, I see you stand enamored with the literature I have written, how does it fare in your mind?" a voice rang against Rellana's focus causing her to shut the book she had been inspecting as she looked up at her sister who was standing over her shoulder eying the scripture that she had been reading.
"My queen." Rellana dropped to her knee in the presence of her sister, bowing her head respectfully as was her duty as a Carian Knight.
"Rellana.. Please, not as your queen, but as your sister please I bid you to rise. I would gaze upon my sweet sibling's face." Rennala urged Rellana to stand and she did, and meeting her sister's eyes they embraced tightly.
"Dear Rennala, it has been too long."
"Indeed it has, sister." The Carian Queen replied as she released from the hug, holding Rellana's gloved hands. "I thank thee, for defending the academy on the battleground."
"It is the duty I have been granted, and as such I shall defend our family sister, whatever the cost." Rellana dipped her head to her sister in respect.
"Rellana, you need not be so professional, we are blood. You forget I appointed you as the commander of my knights not as a subordinate but as an equal." Rennala lightly took the book from her sister's grasp and placed it back upon the shelf. "Alas, we have other matters to discuss. I've gathered the faculty and our knights in the grand library, and they wait upon us."
"I take it Count Ymir and Jerren are present as well?" Rellana asked as she rose to join Rennala in stride.
"Jerren still travels from Selia and is not far off, he shall arrive shortly, he does send his apologies for not being able to participate in the battle. As for the count," Rennala gritted her teeth before continuing. "Count Ymir, in our moment of need has abandoned his station at the Cathedral of Manus Celes and using my mana ive scoured the lands and found no trace of his traitorous hide."
"If I ever encounter Ymir, I shall bring him to you, so you may do as you please sister."
Rennala nodded solemnly as they proceeded to the doors to the grand library of Raya Lucaria, and opened them swiftly despite their massive size. The room opened up revealing its occupants. Moongrum and Renna, both covered in dust for whatever reason, were in conversation with Preceptor Mirriam who was seemingly scolding Renna as she held the princess by her ear causing a yelp to escape Renna's lips.
Professors Azur and Lusat discussed amongst themselves quietly in the back of the room, and Loretta without her steed sat in her wheeled chair alone near the center of the room. She had removed her helmet and her white gaze met Rellana's and she nodded at her superior, her white hair swaying slightly.
Rellana's own ward and apprentice Moonrithyll stood holding two glowing Glintstone Orbs, which to Rellana's best guess allowed both Iji and Bols witness the meeting as their massive size stopped them from being physically present within the room. Moonrithyll bowed to the newly entered sisters.
"My queen, my lady. Shall we begin?" Moonrithyll asked "Or shall we wait for my brother and lady Renna to clean themselves?" She threw her tease at Moongrum and Renna which earned her a glance of disapproval from her elder brother.
"Moonrithyll that was far from necessary. I simply was trapped under rubble and Renna was kind enough to dig me out, I am in her debt." Moongrum replied, and it was met with shrug from his sister
"Enough, we await on Jerren, he will be here momentarily." Rennala said holding authority in her voice without raising it. "I sense that he has arrived at the gate and is finding a place for his horse to rest."
"Indeed lady Rennala, I am helping the young lad with his steed now." The orb that projected Iji's voice spoke as it hovered from Moonrithylls hand over to Rennala's side and rotated to face Rellana.
"Little Rellana it has been too long since you visited the academy, please forgive me as I could not join you on the battlefield, I would have liked to join you but your sister thought my age would hinder your efforts." The old troll's voice was relieving for Rellana to hear, as he had been close to her and Rennala since the Carian Royal family was founded. Iji was their firstmost and most loyal confidant.
"Yes old friend, it has been too long, I have missed you much, if you had joined our forces the enemy would have turned tail and fled." Rellana replied with a light grin playing at her lips as she talked with Iji as his laughter echoed from the globe it was encased in.
"You overestimate this old troll, but I appreciate you have not changed, young one." Iji laughed lightly.
The laughter was cut short by the sound of heavy footsteps and the creaking of the library doors as Jerren, the final knight, arrived. His armor was unpolished and worn, reflecting his rugged duties in Selia. He placed his uniquely designed helmet which allowed his beard to be shown in combat under his arm and nodded a greeting to Rennala.
"Welcome, Jerren. I hope your journey was pleasant," Rennala greeted him courteously.
Jerren scanned the room with sharp eyes as his black beard hid his facial expressions. "Aye, it was. Seems I'm the last to arrive."
"No matter," Rellana said. "We are about to start."
Jerren nodded, took a chair beside Loretta, and sat down, readying himself for the meeting as Rennala prepared to address the gathered assembly.
Rellana herself drew a seat as many enchanted chairs levitated from the ceiling alongside the long table. The gathered faculty and knights sat, on the right side were the knights, Moongrum sat on the other of the table with the faculty of the academy, Iji and Bol's orbs floated above, an empty chair sat at the end of the table, and at the head of the table sat the three members of the Carian royals with the queen in the middle, Rellana to her right, and Renna to the left.
Rellana watched her elder sister inhale deeply, gathering resolve before speaking. "Dear assembly of knights, teachers, and friends, as you are aware, last night we defended against an attack from Leyendell's Golden Order, sanctioned by Queen Marika herself. I am profoundly proud of your valor in protecting our academy and its students. For this, you have my deepest gratitude."
After a brief pause, scanning the assembly, Rennala continued, "However, our convening today transcends last night's victory. Despite our success, the threat persists. We face a new vulnerability—Count Ymir has abandoned his post at the Cathedral Of Manus Celes, leaving it, and us, defenseless should the Golden Order strike with external support."
Murmurs of concern fluttered around the table, quickly silenced by Rennala's steady gaze. "Yet, I remain confident in our strength and our ability to withstand any forthcoming assaults."
As the assembly absorbed her words, hope flickered across many faces, though one—Jerren—seemed poised with urgency. Raising his hand, he caught Rennala's nod before speaking, "My queen, if I may? The loss of Count Ymir not only weakens us to the west but also portends greater upheaval. En route from Caelid, I passed through Limgrave, where I noticed an unsettling silence—no hawks overhead."
"That old Hawk or any of his kind were not flyin' overhead as usual, so I asked one of the townsfolk why there were no hawks in the sky." Jerren looked around the table seriously as he relayed his news
"The Storm King, he's dead."
The faces of the assembly grew shocked, and even Rellana felt her heart sink as the Storm King was known as the ancient defender and ruler of limgrave, with him dead political tensions would arise. And she decided to speak.
"Do you know who murdered the great hawk?"
He cleared his throat, his next words heavy with import, "he was not slain in secrecy, but bested in open duel by a barbarian who carved a path of slaughter through the Storm King's lands and castle with his bare hands before issuing a challenge to him at Stormveil. This brute now possesses the king's body."
The table fell silent as the information sunk in, Rellana was shocked, and she sensed Rennala tense beside her.
"Sir Jerren, is there more to this gruesome tale?" Rennala spoke, breaking the silence.
"Aye, there is. When the oaf left the castle he took the body of the hawk with him, and somehow from across the lands his show of strength was sensed, and at the gatefront he was sworn fealty too by a band of knights, the knights that predated the Erdtree."
Rellana gripped her fists tightly. "You cannot mean they've shown themselves at this time of chaos? All sixteen of them?"
"Indeed, the Knights of the Crucible have returned, alongside their three commanders." Jerren informed the assembly, and it seemed like the entire academy had grown silent. "And it seems as if he's taken the StormKing's body with him on a pilgrimage to Leyendell."
"Perhaps this unnamed barbarian simply makes his home in the Altus Plateau." Moonrithyll countered an urge of hope in her voice as she hoped for the best.
"Then what need would he have taken the body of a deceased monarch with him." Renna said slowly, her voice written with uneasiness.
"If not to offer to Marika in hopes of her favor." Rellana finished her adoptive sister's remark as they locked eyes between Rennala.
"Enough, we cannot predict this man's decision, we must send informants to track him and see what he decides to do. If he were to offer the body of the great hawk to Marika and bring himself and the Crucible Knights to her side it would spell disaster for the realm." Rennala remarked, her voice shaking slightly as she spoke.
Lusat spoke next, giving his opinion, "Perhaps, my Queen, if we used the primeval current we could defeat these intruders."
"No. The primeval current is dangerous to those who use it, I appreciate your research into it, but I have experienced what happens to those who use it and I have forbidden its use at this academy, Lusat, that is final." Rennala quickly silenced the professor, as Rellana and Rennala's parents had experimented with the original sorceries which led to their deaths, orphaning their children and causing a trauma for the ancient sorceries in the Carian Queens mind, although Rellana could not remember the faces or the love of their parents she agreed with her sister.
"If another attack strikes we must evacuate the students to a safe location, perhaps the caves below, or even Selia if the trip isn't too hard on them." Moongrum's kind voice broke the tension easily as he spoke of solutions. "And without the students to defend, many of our faculty could contribute to the effort of fighting the Order."
"Agreed, we shall send the students to Selia, out of harm's way to be protected by the villagers there so we can defend the academy freely." Rennala said seconding Moongrums's remark.
The meeting continued with discussions on strategy, resource allocation, and potential diplomatic outreach. As they delved into the details, Rellana felt a renewed sense of purpose. Despite the looming threats, she was reminded of the strength and resilience of her people and the leadership of her sister.
The assembly adjourned with tasks and responsibilities clearly assigned, Renna, Moongrum, and Moonrithyll would fortify defenses around the gate, Loretta Jerren and Rellana would drill the remaining sorcerers in the ways of combat, Azur and Lusat would evacuate the academy, and Rennala would oversee it all.
As they filed out of the grand library, the air was thick with determination and the unspoken promise to protect their beloved academy and each other, no matter the cost.