literature

Dawn of Darkness Ch.30 Part 1

Deviation Actions

Anacybele's avatar
By
Published:
1K Views

Literature Text

Chapter 30: Desperate Ambitions
Part 1



Not long after Jade had joined the battle, the choking clouds of smoke from the blazing fires in the village had finally begun to dissipate, allowing both Leyon's army and the enemy see one another once again.  Though this meant there'd be no further concealment for either side, Leyon and company were relieved that their visibility returned was that much better.  Now that they could see more clearly, it was easier for the knights to fight and to avoid accidentally hitting their comrades.  Even better, the fires had begun dying down a short time as well.  This left more room to wage battle across the ruined village and greatly reduced the threat of the knights being injured by the blazes.  Unfortunately, the damage caused to the village still posed a danger.  Many of the buildings had been literally gutted by the conflagrations and looked ready to collapse.  Several had already fallen, possibly trapping many people beneath the rubble, and what might have been muffled cries for help echoed from several collapsed structures.  Leyon quickly ordered some of the knights to break off from the battle and to attempt to dig the trapped villagers out before they were crushed or died of suffocation.  He and the remainder of the army, meanwhile, focused on what was left of the Melorans and Red Claw members.  

Natalie, quite enthused at her promotion, directed her horse nearby a building to skewer an axe wielding Red Claw member lurking near the village tavern when suddenly, the building's roof began to groan ominously.  Natalie's horse, already skittish from the fires, was spooked and neighed loudly, rearing up on its hind legs without warning.

"Ugh!  Aaaah!" Natalie yelped as she was thrown off of her steed and onto the ground…no more than a stone throw away from the crumbling tavern.  Her eyes going wide at this realization, she scrambled to her feet, but she was half a second too late.  The roof had split apart and a massive piece of debris hurtled straight towards her.  Eliot, who had dismounted to search the rubble of another fallen building for survivors, saw her predicament and raced over.

"NATALIE, NO!" he exclaimed, charging forward to shove the deputy commander out of the falling debris's path.  He tried to follow, but was a heartbeat too slow.  As a result, an enormous mass of wood landed on Eliot's legs with tremendous force.

"AAAAAUGH!"

"Eliot!" Natalie gasped and scrambled to her feet again.  Eliot was gasping in pain and had dug his hands under the debris in an attempt to free himself.  But the weight of the wood and the deep pain in his legs, particularly his right one, were too great.  All he could do was lay there, pinned and trying futilely to shove the debris off of himself.  Natalie attempted to aid him, working to shove or to lift the wood off of his likely broken legs.  But even their combined efforts could hardly budge it.  Regardless, she tried with all her might from above while he struggled from below.  The spiteful debris bloodied the fingers of both knights, but refused to be dislodged.

"Ugh, dang it, Eliot!  You're such an idiot!" Natalie opined.

"What?!  I just saved your life, thank you very much!" Eliot retorted through the pain.

"I'm sure you could've done that without getting into such a predicament!"

"And how, may I ask?"

"I...I don't know right now!" Natalie admitted, though she now sounded more afraid than annoyed and her eyes roamed the battlefield frantically.  "General Leyon!  Help!"

Leyon, hearing Natalie's cry, immediately brought his horse to a halt and scanned the decimated village for the deputy commander.  Thankfully, by this time, the enemy's numbers had dwindled a great deal, allowing the general to safely turn his attention to his comrade's distress.  When he saw Eliot pinned under the fallen rubble and Natalie trying to free the trouble-prone knight from its crushing weight, he immediately raced over.

"No!  Eliot!" he cried as he dismounted and took hold of the debris.  "What the hell happened?!"

"The building was about to collapse and the noise spooked my horse," Natalie explained and told Leyon about Eliot coming to her rescue and how he'd ended up trapped when the chunk of the roof crashed down upon his legs.

"Ugh, damn it!" Leyon growled, half in fear and half in annoyance.  He then directed that, upon his signal, the three knights would simultaneously bring their strength to bear; he and Natalie would lift while Eliot pushed from beneath.  Still, I am amazed, Leyon thought.  First Eliot saves my life, then Natalie's.  And each time, he took severe injuries in so doing.  I'm making sure he gets that Legion of Service medal.  He may not be the sharpest axe in the armory, but he is a true hero.  Though the addition of Leyon's strength was enough to free Eliot's legs, the dark-haired knight was still unable to stand up.

"I-I'm sorry, you guys..." he uttered.  "My left leg hurts like hell...  And I can't move my right one at all."

"Oh dear..." Natalie murmured.

"Blast.  I sure hope Norman can get you back on your feet," Leyon added, picking up Eliot and carrying him on his back.  "We're on a tight schedule, and we need every man we have."

"I'm so sorry...  But thanks, General," Eliot replied.

"Hey, Eliot, don't worry," Leyon assured as he helped the knight get onto his horse, swung atop his own mount, and then mounted and rode towards the edge of the village.  "This isn't your fault.  And besides, you're my good friend.  ...No, more than that.  You're one of the best friends I've ever had."

"...I am?  Really?"

"Yeah.  No doubt about it."

"I...I am honored, Sir. Thank you."

Leyon merely shot the wounded knight a wry smile as they continued towards the village outskirts.  Along the way, the general signaled for Norman to join them and instructed Derien to order the wolves to finish off the remaining enemies and for the knights to begin searching for survivors amidst the rubble.  Leyon, Natalie, Norman, and the wounded Eliot, meanwhile, retreated back to the area where the army had thought to camp for the night.  Several injured knights and wolves were already there, as well as a few townsfolk who'd been rescued from the battle.  Norman, thankfully, had the sense to use conventional medicines on the injured townsfolk and to conserve the staves for use by the army.  They would be needed when the attack on Jerusa began...and, badly.  Leyon ordered Natalie to stand guard outside while he set his comrade gently inside one of the wagons.  Norman, looking a bit flustered from the battle, soon began to examine Eliot's latest injuries.  He swept a glowing Mend staff up and down Eliot's upper legs, where the knight said the pain was most intense.  Norman then set the staff aside and gently began feeling his patient's upper legs.  Eliot winced wherever Norman mistakenly triggered even more pain.

"Hmm..." Norman contemplated worriedly after a few moments.

"Well, is Eliot going to be able to walk again at all?" Leyon inquired.

"Eventually, yes," Norman replied.  "His left thigh just has a bad sprain, but I'm afraid his right is broken.  I can feel a clean break in the bone just above the knee.  My staff can heal the sprain, but it can't fully repair a broken bone.  Eliot will have to stay off of his leg for a few days to allow the bones to mend themselves properly.  And, as was the case with Ike back in Fort Hector, he'll need to eat the right foods to help it along."

"Ugh..." Eliot uttered; though whether it was from losing his place in the fight or the prospect of the "right foods" could not be determined.

"Blast..." Leyon fumed as Norman began rummaging through his rucksack.  "This means we'll be short one seasoned warrior, and at the worst moment.  I damn well hope Eliot will be able to fight by the time we reach the capital.  We're going to need all the strength we can muster for this mission to succeed."

"I agree," Norman replied, producing several flat pieces of wood and rope from his rucksack.  "Hopefully, the time spent waiting for the "evacuation" will be enough to see him back on his feet.  For now, I'm going to put his leg in a splint.  Eliot, if you want to get around while we're camped, you'll need a crutch."

"But where am I going to get one of those?" Eliot wondered as Norman removed the greaves from Eliot's broken leg, rolled up his pants, and set the splints in place.

"Don't worry, I brought a few along just in case.  You can never be too prepared, after all.  We're just lucky they're so light and compact, since I was rather…restricted in how much I could bring along on this mission."

"Ah, thanks."

As Norman was carefully securing the splint to Eliot's leg, Natalie entered the wagon.

"Oh...  Deputy Commander," Eliot greeted.

"Natalie," Leyon added.  "Is something wrong outside?"

Curiously, the normally poised deputy commander suddenly became rather flustered.

"Oh, no," Natalie replied, but seemed to regret her words the moment they passed her lips.  "I mean...things are, well, about what you'd expect.  There are more wounded on the way; townspeople who were caught in the fighting.  I, uh, thought it best to give Norman a...head's up."

As she spoke, her face became progressively redder.  And, Leyon rather doubted that the heat of the fires in the village were the cause.

"Heh, true," he replied, suppressing a smirk.

"Oh, dear, I had a feeling you'd broken your leg," Natalie said as she took note of Norman finishing Eliot's splint and then going to dig out a crutch.  "You were lucky you didn't get crushed back there."

"Yeah, I know.  I'm afraid I'll be out of action for awhile," Eliot reported somberly.  Norman then helped him set the crutch under his arm.

"Does it fit alright?" Norman wondered.

"...I think so," Eliot replied, rising to a sitting position and then attempted to swing himself upright.  After several experimental steps, he let out a sigh of relief.  "Yeah, this'll work.  And don't worry, I'll be careful getting outside."

"Good.  You don't want to break your other leg, after all."

"Geez, I'm not that clumsy."

"Hey, um...  Eliot?" Natalie spoke up hesitantly before the knight could leave.

"Yeah?"

"Well, I...I just wanted to say.  Thank you...  For saving me."

"Heh.  You're welcome," Eliot replied with a genuine smile.  "It's a knight's duty to aid his allies in battle, after all."

"That it is."

Wow...  I never knew Eliot was such a hero.  He's saved my life and General Leyon's, all in the space of a few months.  And to think, I saw him as just a clumsy oaf, Natalie thought to herself as the corners of her mouth unconsciously drew upwards.

"Aha, General Leyon was right!" Eliot continued when he noticed Natalie's smile, his words shaking her back to reality.  "You really don't hate me!  Heh heh."

"...Wait, what?!" Leyon blurted, stupefied.

"Hey!  Don't make me take back my thanks!" Natalie retorted.

"Oh, I don't think you'd do that," Eliot replied deviously as he carefully clambered down from the wagon and landed on his left foot.  "And General, remember when I told you she hated me?  You said perhaps she didn't!"

"I knew it!" Natalie groused, wheeling about to face Leyon with clear displeasure on her features.  "I had a feeling you were up to your old cupid tricks again!"

"N-Now hold on!  Should we really be discussing this right now?" Leyon wondered nervously, raising his hands defensively.

"Yes we should!  You're not going to convince me to date him!"

"Hey, it was you who brought it up," Eliot pointed out coyly, snickering as Natalie's face reddened all the more.  "In fact, you didn't even mind when I simply called you Natalie back during the battle, heh heh."

"...W-What?"

To Natalie's consternation, however, it was true.  Though she tried to tell herself otherwise, Natalie, for some bizarre reason, truly hadn't minded it.

"Alright, fine," she seethed, still blushing.  "I'll admit it.  I think of you as a friend too, but that's it.  Nothing more."

"Whatever you say," Eliot replied, though he looked less-than-chastened.  "Well, I think I'll be missing my paint soon enough.  I have a piece I'd really like to finish before the war is over, and working on it would've helped to while away the time I'll be off my feet."

"Well," Leyon spoke up, "we still need to get some rest before we press on.  We'll bunk down here once the fighting is over and, when that happens, you can see if there's still a shop or two left in that village."

"Not a bad idea.  I'll go find out.  See you all later!"

"Alright then."

With that, Eliot turned around and hobbled back towards the village.  As he left, he spared a glance over his shoulder at Natalie.  He almost stumbled when he saw her staring after him.  Then, when he saw her avert her eyes and blush, he did stumble.  Heh...  If only you knew the truth, Natalie.  Then you'd see.  You weren't the only one with a crush way back when.  And you still aren't.

"Well, Natalie...  I just hope you find the right man someday.  Whether it's Eliot or not," Leyon spoke up moments later.

"Thanks..." Natalie replied, her voice suddenly distant.  "Me too."

"Glad to hear it.  Well, I'm going to go have a chat with Kevin's group.  I noticed an armed girl following them, and I'm going to see what that's about."

"Another new recruit?"

"Looks like it, but I think she'll be helpful.  She barely comes to my elbow and is thin as a spear shaft, but I saw her take down several Red Claw who were twice her size."

"Careful, Azura might not appreciate you eyeing another woman."

Though Natalie had likely meant for that to be a playful taunt, Leyon could've sworn he detected a hint of envy in her tone.

"Oh, don't be silly," he said.  "I love Azura.  Besides, this girl must be ten years younger than me.  Still, I may as well make sure she can help our mission.  I'll see you around."

"Alright," Natalie replied, almost tonelessly.

With that, Leyon took his leave.  As he made his way to the Cilaean mercenaries, he glanced back at Natalie.  The deputy commander was trying to avoid watching the departing Eliot, and she was failing miserably.  When she did, however, turn her gaze away from the trouble-prone knight, a curious expression was on her face.  Her eyes held a distant, almost wistful look.  Her once blushing face was now pale again, and the corners of her mouth had drooped.  Leyon's eyebrow arched, as Natalie usually wasn't one to appear so downhearted.  But, then again, she had been behaving in a curious fashion.  Aside from blushing at Eliot, her jibe regarding Azura had sounded far different than he would have expected.  Her earlier bard had carried none of her once palpable disdain for Azura, which Natalie felt quite strongly after Azura had unwittingly contributed to Leyon's memory loss, but instead sounded almost envious.  Not jealous, as if her old crush on Leyon had resurfaced, but envious; almost longing.  His intuition seemed vindicated when Natalie's gaze turned earthward and a sigh escaped her frowning lips.  Leyon, intrigued, continued on his way and soon approached Kevin, Zane, and Jade, whom were deep in conversation.  Kevin noticed him first and moved to greet the general.

"Ah, General.  I noticed Eliot hobble off on a crutch.  What happened?" the mercenary commander wondered.

"Yeah, is he going to be alright?" Zane added.

"Eventually, yeah, but he broke his leg when he rescued Natalie from being crushed by a crumbling building," Leyon explained.  "He managed to get her away from the falling rubble, but didn't get himself away fast enough.  I'm afraid he'll be out of action for awhile."

"Oh, that's not good.  We need every able warrior we can find," Kevin pointed out.

"I agree.  Hopefully, we won't actually have to fight until the time comes to retake Jerusa. If we're lucky, Eliot will be able to ride again by that time.  Anyway, I came to ask you about something.  I noticed that this girl joined our troop.  I have no problem with her aiding us; I think it's no secret that we need all the help we can get.  But I would just like to know who she is."

"Oh, right.  General Leyon, this is Jade.  She's my cousin," Zane explained.  "I was teaching her swordplay, but I had to leave home when our mercenary group was hired to aid the Cilaean army.  She's kept up her training, though."

"I see," Leyon replied.

The general turned to face Jade and, to his perplexity, she was gaping at him with wide-eyed astonishment.

"Wow!  You're the General Leyon?!" Jade gasped in undisguised admiration.  "I can't believe I'm actually meeting you!  Lots of people say you're one of the best generals Talgria has ever had!"

"Ah, well, I don't know about that," Leyon replied with an abashed smile.  "But I do lead my men to the best of my abilities."

"I bet you do!  I also heard that you even managed to beat General William in a spar!"

"Oh, that's gotten around too?  I did win a couple times, but he still usually bests me. The guy is a bear; tough and relentless.  And that's despite him always having a disadvantage against me, no less."

"Oh wow.  You two are amazing then!  Oh, but Commander Kevin is too.  When I started training, I wanted to someday be as great as he is."

"...Er, well..." Kevin stuttered, his cheeks suddenly going pink.  "I'm…flattered, Jade."

"Hee hee," Jade giggled.

"Did you seriously just blush?" Zane replied, sounding more annoyed than amused.

"Never mind that," Kevin insisted.  "I was just surprised."

"Whatever."

"Well, I think I'll leave you guys to your conversation," Leyon decided.  "I should go send a couple knights to make sure the village is secure.  I'd like for us to do what we can for the villagers before we press on.  Besides, Eliot decided to run an errand in town and goddess knows what kind of trouble he might get himself into."

With that, Leyon left his comrades to their talk and began seeking out knights to assess the condition of the townsfolk.  The villagers who'd been trapped under the rubble, he suspected, were already freed; but, they might require Norman's ministrations.  Still, Leyon also knew that there was a very definite limit on what the knights could do, as they were pressed for time and had to conserve their own supplies for the attack on Jerusa.  As he oversaw the activity in the camp, Leyon considered his next course of action.  Intervening at the village had cost them time and a valuable warrior, though Leyon could not say he would've done differently after seeing the Red Claw's latest atrocities.  The notion of postponing the retaking of Jerusa, at least until Eliot's leg healed, occurred to him.  After all, the dark-haired knight was one of the finest warriors the Royal Knights had produced, and his help could make all the difference when the battle started.  Still, there was a risk.  The longer the army waited, the greater the chances that their presence might be detected.  Conversely, however, if the army arrived at Jerusa too early, then the Melorans holding the Cilaean capital would be at full strength and the knights and wolves would be faced with a hopeless battle.  

Leyon considered and decided, with some reluctance, that they'd have to wait.  He didn't like the idea of leaving the trapped Allied troops cornered on the coastline even longer, but this cloud did have a silver lining.  It would give the ships carrying the siege weapons more time to arrive at the ports and deliver their cargo to the trapped Allied troops.  And that could turn this suicidal gamble into a victory.

***

Meanwhile, Azura, Bryan, and company continued on their way towards Astryn Palace, in hopes that Queen Marion might still live and could verify Bryan and Owen's identities.  The encounter with Larameans had delayed them badly, and at the worst possible time, so the group had kept a rapid pace. Though Bryan had forced himself to focus solely on reaching the palace in time, the incident with the Larameans yet lingered in the back of his mind.  He could not help suspecting that the laguz believing that Astryn had attacked their country, and arriving to retaliate at the same time that Bryan was trying to secure his throne, was no coincidence.  It was doubtful that Francois had any answers; the count had seemed just as astonished as everybody else and, even if he'd been feigning surprise, it was unlikely that he would share any sensitive information with Bryan until after his bloodline had been proven.  The palace, however, might provide him with answers.   

Not long after the battle with the beast laguz had ended, thankfully, the palace soon appeared on the horizon.  Even from a distance, it looked magnificent.  Its walls of ivory colored stone and smoothly rounded towers shone in the bright sunlight.  Stained glass windows caught the sun in rainbows of reflected light and delicate inlaid mosaics accentuated the artistry of the magnificent edifice.  It was also enormous, even bigger than Castle Talgria, and Bryan suddenly found himself hoping they wouldn't get lost while seeking the dying queen.  Much of the group froze in their tracks, staring in slack jawed awe, but Owen regarded the palace with a nostalgic expression.  His eyes had misted, and his lips twisted in a sad smile, prompting Bryan to clap a reassuring hand on his father's shoulder.  However, the group's awed perusal of the palace ended abruptly when an unfamiliar foot soldier appeared in the distance, rushing towards them.  Unfortunately, the look on his face was not a pleasant one.  In fact, the man looked stricken; almost heart-broken.  His eyes lit up, but only very slightly, when he caught sight of Francois and Eric.

"Ah, Count Francois.  I'm so glad I found you and General Eric so soon," the soldier greeted.  "I was sent from the palace to find you, and I feared I'd be seeking you for days."

"You were?  What's going on?  We found evidence of the Red Claw and hostile Larameans while abroad.  The capital hasn't been invaded, has it?!" Francois frantically inquired.

"Well, no...  You see...  Your mission has been canceled.  You and General Eric are to let these travelers go their way, while you and your escorts are to return at once."

The soldier's gaze then somberly strayed to the ground.

"What?  But...  But why?  These people are—"

"Trying to help us?  Yes, we suspected as much when we first heard news of them and saw them accompanying you just now, but..."

The soldier sniffled before continuing, and Bryan had a sickening presentiment about what had depressed him so.

"I...I'm afraid I bring terrible news.  Queen Marion...  She's..."

The soldier began to sob and could not finish the sentence.  But then again, he hardly needed to.  At this realization, Francois and Eric's eyes widened with dismay.  Azura, Bryan, and Owen's expressions were no different.  The soldier's eyes soon welled up with tears.

"...No," Francois uttered moments later.  "You...  You don't mean to say the queen is...?"

The soldier nodded as tears began trickling down his cheeks.

"Yes..." he confirmed.  "She...has passed on."

"Oh..." was all Owen could utter, sadness choking away any other words he might've spoken.

"Oh no..." Azura added, freezing where she stood.

Bryan's shocked expression soon crumbled into a twisted grimace as tears also began forming in his eyes.

"...Damn it!" he cursed as he dropped to his knees and pounded the ground with his fists.  "We were...so close...!   There's no way for us to prove my bloodline...  And I promised Sally I would save this country...  I promised that little girl!"

"...Bryan, we'll find a way," Owen replied, kneeling he his son's side and grasping his shoulder firmly enough to straighten up the despairing prince.  "We have to."

"Yeah, Bryan.  And we're all behind you," Azura agreed with a smile, though it didn't touch her eyes.

"But...what are we going to do now?" Bryan wondered.  "Even if I do gain the people's trust, I'll never ascend to the throne without solid proof that I'm the prince."

"…Wait, prince?!" the soldier gasped, Bryan's words causing him to choke on his sobs.  "You say you're our long lost prince?  But we were told he was killed in Cilae!"

"That was a lie," Bryan replied, some measure of calm returning to his voice.  "The Red Claw twisted the story because they wanted you to believe I was dead.  I survived the incident in Cilae because I was rescued from being falsely executed.  It's the honest truth."

"Yeah, my comrades and I were all there," Azura seconded.

"And I'm the one who saved Bryan!" Faline put in.  "A Red Claw double agent attempted to behead him, but I killed the rotten scumbag before he could release the guillotine blade."

"I see..." the soldier replied, though he hardly seemed convinced.  "Bryan, was it?  Then, there should still be a way we can find out if you are indeed our true prince."

"What?  Really?" Bryan wondered.  "Francois?"

"Hm?  Oh!" Francois blurted, his eyes pulsing wide.  "He's right, there is another way.   Forgive me, I had forgotten in my grief.  Anyway, it will not be easy, but if luck is with us, we just might succeed.  Master Owen, if you are really an Astrynian Grand Duke, as you have claimed, then you should know what I speak of."

"...Oh, yes...  Um..." Owen worriedly began contemplating, then comprehension dawning a few moments later.  "Oh!  How could I have forgotten?!  The sacred weapons of Astryn!"

"Sacred weapons?" Bryan wondered, puzzled as to how such things would aid him.

"They are the prized treasures of the Royal House of Astryn.  There are seven sacred weapons in all: a sword, an axe, a lance, a bow, a fire tome, a thunder tome, and a wind tome.  There is no light tome or dark tome because members of the Astryn royal family were always partial to physical weapons and anima magic."

"That's correct," Francois replied with a smile.  "I was wondering if you had perhaps forgotten."

"But, how can they help us?" Bryan inquired, confused and impatient.

"You mean you do not know?" Francois queried.  "It seems that Master Owen has neglected your education."

Eric gave a derisive snort, which prompted a baleful glare from Bryan, but Owen quickly stepped between the pair.

"It's simple," Owen cut in, forcibly enough to arrest Bryan's attention.  "The weapons are ensorcelled with special, unbreakable magic.  They can only be wielded by true members of the royal family.  If someone not of Astrynian royal blood tried it, then the weapon would be useless…or might even kill the usurper."

Despite the unpleasant imagery that Owen's words had conjured, the prince of Astryn found his hope returning.

"So that means I have to try touching one?" Bryan guessed.

"Precisely, but I'm afraid doing so won't be easy," Francois replied.  "With our queen dead I fear it is only a matter of time before the matter of who will take the throne becomes heated.  Perhaps even violent.  Our late queen likely appointed a steward from amongst the nobles to act as her surrogate until a new king or queen is crowned.  I do not know whom she chose, but I am certain whoever it is won't let just anyone enter the palace and touch those weapons."

"Yeah, I had a feeling..." Bryan replied with a sigh, then his brow crinkled as a thought struck him.  "Wait, would the legendary lance Eronite happen to be one of those weapons?"

"As a matter of fact, it is," Francois confirmed.  "I'm surprised you've heard of it, Bryan."

"Oh, I'm not," Owen contradicted with a chuckle.  "When he was a child, my son loved to read about famous lancers and lances of all kinds."

"Heh, yeah, it's true," Bryan added, with a hint of abashment.  "I read that Eronite was also called the thunder lance because of its bolt-shaped blade and how its wielder could toss it at the enemy like a bolt of lightning.  But the books I read about Eronite never said it was one of Astryn's royal weapons."

"Ah, true.  Beyond our borders, aside from the royal families of allied kingdoms, we prefer that to be a secret," Francois explained.  "It's to avoid drawing attention from the wrong people.  Only members of our royal family can wield these weapons, due to their enchantments.  As Master Owen pointed out, some of the weapons will actually harm a would-be usurper, perhaps fatally.  But, not everyone knows that.  A number of would-be thieves have tried to steal them, and discovered this too late.  Not all of the enchantments function that way, however.  There have been instances in the past where one of these weapons, whose enchantment would not kill a thief, was stolen.  And, when the thief realized that using his prize was impossible, it was held for ransom and used as a bargaining tool in certain criminal deeds."

"I see.  Makes sense.  But wow...  I never dreamed I would be able to wield such a weapon...  If I could only get the chance to touch it..."

"Well, we shall try.  I must reiterate, however, that if someone who isn't of Astrynian royal blood tries tried to touch one of those weapons…  Well, let's just say it isn't pleasant.  Only a true blooded member of Astryn's royal family can safely wield them.  More than a few who sought to challenge this claim found their decision to be…unhealthy."

"Oh, wow."

"Indeed.  Well, let us continue to the palace.  Undoubtedly, news of our queen's passing has spread.  At least a few of the nobles are likely to already be here.  I'll see if I can convince them to let you approach Eronite," Francois offered.  "I will be honest, the story you have told me is difficult to accept.  Yet, despite that, I find myself believing that you're trustworthy.  And, in any case, it isn't as though we've got anything to lose."

"Oh, that would be great.  Thank you," Bryan replied, anticipation leaving him nearly breathless.

With that, the group pressed on toward the palace.  They entered the large city of Medann, which sprawled all around the palace, and wound their way through the streets.  Much like the palace, Medann was a beautiful sight…"was" being the operative word.  Where there once had been broad streets of smooth and polished stones there was now a hazardous network of dingy streets riddled with potholes and shallow craters, the damage presumably caused by Meloran siege weapons and long, subsequent neglect.  A network of bridges above, linking the upper portions of the taller buildings, had also fared poorly.  Once crisscrossed in a lofty web, many of the bridges had crumbled; and, of those that remained intact, not one of them looked like they could support even Lily's weight.  The lofty spires of various buildings and homes now seemed withered and crumbling while gardens, once lush enough for a child to literally vanish into, now seemed drab and sickly.  Even worse than the once beautiful city's deformities, however, was its ghostly silence.  Very few people crossed the group's path, and of those very few, not one uttered a greeting nor even seemed terribly concerned with where they were going or what they were doing.

Medann, it seemed, had taken on the air of a gigantic mausoleum; its people walking corpses, whiling away the time until the cold embrace of death claimed them.

Owen, seeing the state of the city, seemed as though in silent anguish.  And, Bryan couldn't blame him; for the sight almost made him believe his mission to be futile; almost.  He hurried through the pot marked streets towards the palace and, within the next half an hour, the group stood before its massive front gates.  Francois then asked that the warriors wait for him while he entered and pled their case to whomever was present to hear him and who would judge his entreaty.  Neither the count nor the prince could be certain whom among the various dukes and duchesses were within the palace, but it was certain that they were likely vying for the throne already.  Bryan could only imagine what sort of chaos could be going on within the palace walls as he awaited Francois's return.  Francois had said that certain nobles already sought the crown, and were seeking to enlist the aid of military commanders and other nobles to support their claim.  Lartz had made the same point back at Fort Hector; though, at the time, the group had expected that they would seek a competitor willing to aid Allied Command.  That Bryan would be that competitor had never crossed anyone's mind at that time, least of all Bryan's.  The prince had also been informed by Owen, after his talk with Francois, that certain high-ranking individuals had either firmly declared themselves neutral or had not chosen a side…and that Francois's backing was already sought after.

Maybe somebody in there had grown tired of being refused?

He hoped that the count would be alright.  After all, Francois was about to inform a group of very powerful, very ambitious, very antagonistic and potentially very dangerous people that an unknown prince had appeared to snatch the throne from their grasp.  Such a declaration could very well take a turn for the worst, especially if one of the nobles decided that they preferred Francois to be dead than to be alive in the service of an enemy.  Time passed with oppressive languidness, and Bryan began to tremble and sweat trickled down his brow. Faline, Skye, Azura, and Owen soon took note of his anxiety and approached.

"Bryan, are you okay?" Faline wondered.  "I've been worried about you."

"So have I," Owen added.  "You can tell us what's wrong, Bryan.  We're here to help."

"Well, I'm just...so nervous now," Bryan admitted.  "There's no reason to think the nobles will even let Francois get a word in.  We already know some of the dukes and duchesses who are after the throne have been pressuring him to take their side.  For all we know, somebody got fed up with his refusals and shoved a knife in his back the minute he got through the door.  And, that's just the first hurdle.  What if they don't let me try to prove myself?  And, even if they do and the sacred weapons prove my identity, what if they refuse to recognize me as their prince anyway?  And, even if we do manage to get the nobles behind us...look at this place!  It's so...desolate.  Heck, if it weren't for the half-dozen people we saw on the way over, I'd think the city was deserted.  I felt confident before, but now I realize I don't know anybody here or anything about this place.  I don't know any of its customs, its laws and rules, or anything of the sort; much less how I'm going to get this place back on its feet.  I just feel like I'm going to end up being a total failure."

"Hey!  What kind of talk is that?!" Skye thundered.  "You can learn everything you need to know!  And you're not going to act like a bum!  Got that?!"

Before Bryan could reply, Raela appeared, seemingly from nowhere, behind Skye and rapped him on the head with her Sleep staff.

"Aaaah!  What the—?!"

"Watch yourself, mister!" Raela warned.  Skye could only gulp and grimace as he clutched his throbbing head and Raela strode off.  The others merely snickered.

"Skye..." Bryan began, whatever else he was about to say lost amidst loud chuckling.

"Hee hee, anyway, Bryan, don't worry," Azura encouraged.  "You started out not even knowing you were the prince of Astryn, but look at how things have changed.  You've sent Shigo slinking off with his tail between his legs, you've aided an Astrynian village, managed to convince an Astrynian noble to vouch for you and we even have a way to prove your bloodline.  You've already accomplished a lot and, if you keep at it, I don't think there's anything you can't do.  And, there's also something else you should know.  Even if you don't know a lot about Astryn yet, that'll change if you try your best.  I learned from a certain special someone, who is close to my heart, that the best leaders aren't the ones who never make mistakes.  The best leaders are the ones who learn from them.  And that's what makes a leader."

"Ah, that Leyon," Bryan deduced with a smile.  "I once heard the same thing from General William, actually.  And, both of them are right.  You're a lucky girl to have Leyon, Az.  I'm serious."

"Hee hee, I certainly feel so.  For quite awhile, I thought I didn't like him.  But it turns out, he's wonderful..."

Azura then freely allowed her lips to curve into a bright smile while her cheeks turned red.

"I bet.  And thanks, guys.  I needed that," Bryan said feelingly.

"You're welcome, Bryan," Azura replied with a pleasant smile.

Just moments later, Francois finally emerged from the palace.  While Bryan was relieved that none of the nobles had tried to harm him, the count's expression did not look too encouraging.  Bryan immediately approached Francois.

"Well?  What did they say?" he inquired, his heart pounding with eagerness.

"Hmm...  Well, let me put it this way," Francois began.  "I can't say I managed to convince the nobles to let you have a chance, but I can't say they've truly refused either.  They were...quite struck by what I had to say, as you can imagine.  However, they said that before they inform us of their decision, they would like to speak with the two of us, as well as General Eric and Master Owen, directly."

"What?  Me too?" Eric replied, his tone equal parts surprise and annoyance.  "Well, whatever then."

"Alright then.  I feel we'd have better luck getting through to them by doing that anyway," Bryan added, taking a deep breath and forcing his nervousness to drain away.

"Agreed.  I would also like to request permission to examine the old portrait they found," Owen seconded.  "I have no doubt that it's my wife..."

"Of course.  Now follow me, if you please," Francois instructed.  He then led Bryan, Owen, and Eric into the palace grounds while the others waited outside in the city that was neither alive nor truly dead.  Faline and Skye, in particular, wished they could have accompanied them, if only to defend Bryan in case one of the parties that opposed him attempted to lash out.  But they knew they wouldn't be allowed; and that doing so might even harm Bryan's credibility.  All they could do was hope that the matter was resolved peacefully.  Bryan, meanwhile, was vainly trying to stay calm and not let his body begin to tremble again.  He gazed around the outer gardens and the exotic trees and flowers that grew there, hoping to take his mind off of his troubles, if only for a short while.  But as he followed Francois, he passed somber patrols of soldiers and saw servants going about their tasks distractedly; all trying in vain to take their minds off of the fact that someone dear to all of them was now gone.  Bryan could understand their pain very well; Marion had ruled Astryn for many years, and losing her had to be quite a blow.  Talgria would likely suffer no less if Wencelis were to die as well…an eventuality that would become quite certain for him, and many others, if Bryan's errand failed.
And here is the first part of chapter 30!

Uh-oh, Eliot has broken his leg! That's not good since he's a seasoned knight...

And Bryan is about to meet some Astrynian nobles. Let's hope this meeting turns out well.
© 2012 - 2024 Anacybele
Comments0
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In