Date: Sat, 18 Oct 2014 12:20:35 +1100 From: Dolgan Victor Subject: Gaia's Children Part 1 GAIA'S CHILDREN ARC ONE - THE ZELHN KINGDOM PART ONE - CRIMSON SOLSTICE NOTE: This story is a work of fiction. None of the names, places, or events are based on reality. Any resemblances to real world imagery are entirely coincidental and not intended. This story contains scenes and acts of sexual behaviour between men. If you are offended by such material, please do not read any further. If you are not of legal age, or if this type of story is illegal where you live, please do not read any further. This story remains the property of the author (me) and may not be used or reprinted without prior permission. Nifty archives works hard to provide us with good quality material to read. Please help support Nifty by donating to ensure Nifty can continue to provide wonderful stories. AUTHOR'S NOTES This chapter marks the start of a new arc. It deals with the Zelhn Kingdom, and introduces the protagonists, albeit in different form from how they will be portrayed in latter chapters. For a visual image of the Zelhn Kingdom, I have included an image of a hand-drawn map. Where the map comes from is up to the reader's imagination. Please note that as always with hand- drawn maps, scales and relevant positions may differ slightly from what is shown. The map can be found here: http://i.imgur.com/jvUtNVr.jpg This is my first story I have submitted to a site, so please bear with me. I appreciate any comments and feedback. You can send them to aexiv125@gmail.com __________ [The Zelhn Kingdom. A beautiful and bountiful land protected by vast mountain ranges. The majority of the population resides on the central land, Telia. A land of commerce and wealth, many outposts and villages stretch across the eastern and southern portions of Telia. The North-Western portion connects to the Starbridges which span to the other continents.] [The Zelhn Kingdom stretches across two other islands: Ralai and Holia. Ralai is an agricultural hub, where much of the kingdom's wheat and green produce comes from. A portion of Ralai remains in its wild state, to promote a balanced ecosystem.] [Holia, on the other hand, is a dangerous land, with perilous mountains, fiends and harsh living conditions. Much of the island remains unexplored and shrouded in mystery, with civilisation only managing one outpost near the western tip. It is much a child's dream and an adventurer's ambition to explore and conquer the wild ranges and plains on the eastern side of Holia, but to date; few have ventured far enough to witness what is known as the Dragon's Claw.] [The jewel of the kingdom rests near the north-east of Telia. The city of Zel, where the monarchy resides, is home to a great population of royalty, nobles, common labourers and serfs. The great castle sits atop a hill, and the city itself fans out below it onto the Zel Plains. It is the central hub for merchants, utility stores, trading and more subdued court gossip. ] [But for all the beauty and bounty the land had, there were equally dangerous counterparts in the kingdom. Fiends on Telia, while not as fierce or savage as those on Holia, roamed the lands, and were abundant in the ranges. Over a dozen attacks from Pryhn and Hurahn were pushed back by the ever vigilant military force housed at the O'Thu base. From time to time, Demishn Tribes will arrive demanding food and men to help combat drought or warfare, but as they did not physically harm the people, the Zelhn royalty were generous enough to aid them in their demands.] [The people however continued their basic life. Most led content and peaceful lives. The Zelhn Kingdom prospered, and lay rich for many centuries.] - A Brief History of Zelhn as written by Zelhn historians. ~~~ YEAR 1316 AQ (AFTER QUAKE) The city of Zel was abuzz with activity in preparation for the Solstice Festival. The day where the sun set behind the mountains far into the night, and the start of the festivities that lasted until sunrise the next day. Families and friends made joyful banter in the streets, merchants and peddlers sold wares and festive gear to potential customers. The excitement spread to the neighbouring villages as always, for the Solstice Festival was the annual celebration of a turning year. At the Ivory Castle, though, the chaos was much more controlled. Hushed whispers resounded through the courtyard as servants and pages readied the carriages and horses to transport the royal family to one of the festive points. In the great hall, bordering the courtyard with a view of the whole city was a council in session. King Foseti Zelhn sat in his throne, tilting his head slightly to gaze at the merchant in front of him with a fake sense of interest. Being a king had its responsibilities, and at that instant, Foseti would have gladly relinquished his title to not deal with the fools who prostrated themselves before him. He knew that he had a reputation for being a just, kind ruler, but those who sought audience with him were quite often intimidated. Foseti was a powerfully built man. Even clad in his purple royal robes, one could see the powerful muscles rippling under them. He stood tall amongst the nobles and even amongst his military might, at a height of six feet three inches. He bore the golden-blonde hair and ice-blue eyes of the Zelhn heritage. His presence was felt especially when his penetrating eyes set on someone, but Foseti found that rumour to be foolish, for all of the Zelhn royalty bore those traits. Foseti sighed and waved a hand, cutting the merchant short who instantly flung himself at Foseti's feet again. "Your claims are unjustified, merchant Klaus. By the rights of free trade, you cannot demand the expulsion of a fellow merchant for selling the same wares as you do. We do not condone a monopolised economy, and instead, seek to encourage a free market." He gestured to a knight who forced the fool to his feet. "I do not accept your appeal, and dismiss you from my council." "But, your Majesty!" the merchant cried even as the guard dragged him to the doors. Once the doors closed behind the complaining merchant, Foseti grimaced and rubbed his face, causing a chuckle to come from his side. He gave a long look at his beloved wife. "I'm of the mindset to limit these foolish audiences to once a year rather than once a moon. How my predecessors survived I will never know," he said with a snarl. Agatha laughed. "My dear husband, you have many years to sit on the stone throne. You've been there for more than a decade, what are a few more decades?" Foseti smiled at his lovely wife. A beauty from one of the noble families, Agatha Rosheim was far from the fragile, faint-of-heart mistresses normally found in the upper ranks. Foseti still remembered their first meeting when she had the courage to hurl a glass of punch into the crown prince's face when he sought her hand in a dalliance. He found her strong will and passion for life more appealing than the rest of the silly girls, so he had went for her hand in marriage. Agatha had proved a good choice to be his queen. She was not weak; she grew up learning swordsmanship, and had bested several knights in combat. She understood politics and economics, helping Foseti to run the kingdom efficiently. She was a caring and good mother, having given birth to his three children and taught them to be good nobles worthy of bearing the Zelhn name. While she had mellowed out from the brash ball of passion at adolescence, she still retained her strong will and independence which drew Foseti to her. She was understanding from the start that, while Foseti may love her as his wife and willing to dolt on her, she never was his true love. Foseti made it clear from the start, and she was willing to accept it. For that, Foseti gave great respect and formed a deep bond with her. Their bond was one of the strongest marriages in the kingdom by far, according to historians as well as the Court Mage, who had seen and served the past rulers. Foseti laid a hand on Agatha's as he called out to the scribe, "Have there any more audiences before we take to the road for the festivities?" "None, your Majesty," the scribe replied. "House Paewin extends their apologies for cancelling their audience with you, for their festivity of choice lies rather far from the city, but wishes to convey the day after the morrow for an audience." "Make arrangements for the audience, then, and extend my thanks and wishes for a joyful day" Foseti replied, while the scribe bowed. "Court is adjourned! I now declare the day free for us all to enjoy the festivities!" As per tradition, he took off his simple gold circlet, as did Agatha. Handing it over to a waiting servant, he said, "I hereby dissolve the hierarchy of rank, for we all should enjoy the night as one!" He clapped his hands as all rose in his presence. The gathered nobles bowed, and quickly left, eager to be with their families to see the festival. The Solstice Festival was the one night where nobles and commoners mingled without hardship. It was a common sight on this night to see a noble working with a farmer to erect a pavilion, or a strong youth from the aristocrats carrying supplies or aiding in hard labour with the folks, or a high-ranked damsel comparing dresses and shopping together with a common girl from the streets. Foseti himself was eager to depart, but protocol dictated he left last. He stared daggers at a few choice nobles who slowed to discuss court gossip, while Agatha stifled another laugh at his hard expression. At last, the last of the nobles left, and he rose from his throne, his powerful shoulders straining on the robes. "Come, dear wife," he said as he offered a hand to Agatha. "Let's be on our way before Tyr and Loki bring down the castle around us." "Come now, your Majesty, your children are not devils." "Believe me, Agatha, I was once their age," he said drily as they moved towards the vast doors, servants bowing to him as they walked past. Foseti walked with the unmistakable grace and power of one who was trained in martial combat. At an age of thirty, he was still a force to be reckoned with on the training grounds. Foseti had, and will have fought to the end to protect the country he ruled and loved. His hands had hard calluses from his years wielding the greatsword, and while he was proud of his achievements, Foseti knew how much blood was on his hands as a constant reminder of the price he paid. But now his hands were used for a much different purpose, for he had new treasures for which to handle in the world. As he and Agatha stepped into the courtyard, a bundle of energy separated itself from a nearby maid and bounded towards him. "Daddy!" his first born shrieked with glee as he flung himself at Foseti. Foseti grinned and laughed, crouching down to catch his son and spun him around, getting a few more cheerful laughs from the boy. "Oomph, you're getting heavier by the day! You're growing up to become a big boy, Tyr," Foseti said with pride as he nuzzled his eight-year old son. "One day, I'll be just as strong as you, daddy!" Tyr announced while he drooled on his father's powerful chest, setting himself off into another fit of giggles. Tyr was the spitting image of Foseti when he was young, the same innocent face, strong jawline, straight, slightly roughed up hair. Foseti gave a quick kiss on Tyr's forehead. The maid ran up to the royal couple, breathless for holding onto another child. "I beg your pardon, your Majesties, Prince Tiwaz broke too fast from me to have a proper hold on him," she said curtsying. Agatha stepped forward. "No need for that, Helen. Tyr is a large bundle of energy, I doubt you would have stopped him with an army." Tyr, on seeing Agatha, scrambled in Foseti's arms. "Mummy! Mummy!" he cried while grinning. Foseti quickly handed Tyr to Agatha, who also kissed him. "How's my sweetie doing?" "I had fun! After Natasha finished with her lesson, me and Lokien went to play. While Helen watched us, me and Lokien ran around with the other children!" Tyr exclaimed. Agatha laughed. "I see you're excited for tonight, aren't you, my sweet boy?" Tyr nodded vigorously in her arms. Foseti crouched down and picked up his second son, Loki. "And how about you, dear son? Are you excited?" Foseti asked Loki, who smiled at him shyly. Loki, while inheriting the Zelhn hair and eyes, took on his mother's softer features, giving him a peaceful face, though Foseti did not doubt that he had the same passion as his mother. "I am, father! We all are!" Foseti also gave Loki a grin and a kiss on the forehead. Lokien was his second prince, two years after Tyr. While in the crowd Loki liked to play with others very much and Tyr chose his partners carefully, Loki was very reserved when it was with his family, but Foseti loved him all the same as Tyr. "Daddy, daddy! Where are we going tonight this year?" Tyr asked from Agatha's arms. Foseti smiled. "We'll be going to the Albion village this year. My knights have told me there is a great show to be had in the village centre that can't be missed!" "Yay, a show, a show!" Tyr threw up his hand in excitement, while Loki also grinned, but kept his mirth inside, only shaking in Foseti's arms. A knight rode up close to the family. "Your Majesties, the carriage is ready. I was advised to be on the way as soon as possible to get to Albion before sunset," he said to Foseti. "Very well, let us be on our way. Please make sure the carriage is comfortable for us," Foseti ordered. "Yes, your Majesty!" the knight saluted, before turning and galloping towards the waiting carriage. "Come, sons, we're going now," Foseti said, walking to the carriage, followed by Agatha and Helen. Tyr and Loki looked at each other, and as if on the same wavelength, scrambled to get to the other parent's arms. Foseti and Agatha also exchanged smiles before swapping sons. Tyr clung onto his father, holding onto his thick hard arms. "Daddy, is Natasha coming with us?" Foseti shook his head. "Natasha is staying back to take care of your baby sister. She's also getting old and prefers to watch the festivities from the castle." "Oh, poopy," Tyr sulked, making Foseti chuckle and rough up his son's hair with one of his large hands. "Do not worry, Tyr, Natasha will see you when we get back to the castle." Tyr brightened up. "And I get to see the show with daddy, mummy and Lokien!" "Of course you will, my son." Foseti kissed Tyr on the forehead again. "I love you, daddy," Tyr said softly as he cuddled closer to Foseti. "I know you do, and I love you as well," Foseti said as they neared the carriage. Handing Tyr to the waiting knight who carefully placed the boy in the carriage, Foseti gave his wife a hand into the carriage. While Agatha found a comfortable seat with Loki in her arms, and Tyr bounced on his seat in excitement, Foseti conveyed with the guard outside. "How long will the journey take?" he asked. The squad leader saluted. "Our estimate is within two candlemarks, your Majesty. It will get us to Albion a few strikes past the mark after sunset. I apologise, your Majesty." Foseti shook his head. "No need for apologies, we all know how long-winded councils could be." The knights nodded and smiled. The military might of Zelhn respected and loved their King, for he treated them all as brothers, and they bore witness to his strength in battle. They would sacrifice themselves for their King willingly, knowing that Foseti would likely do the same for them, given the chance. The leader saluted again. "We must be on our way then, your Majesty. Please board the carriage." Foseti nodded, before he looked skyward, something in the red sky catching his eye. Ever alert, the knights also looked upwards, knowing their king's battle-honed senses were not to be ignored. Seconds passed, before a long, white feather drifted towards the group. Foseti's heart jumped at seeing the feather, and raised his hand. The feather floated onto his palm, and he closed his trembling fingers over it. Closing his eyes, Foseti felt the feather, knew exactly who the feather belonged to. Emotions welled up in him, feelings long buried brought back to the surface. He felt the love, the heart, the joy in the feather, as well as the warning it entailed. (So soon?) Foseti thought. (What he warned me off...but my children aren't even matured yet.) He pondered. (No, he did say it wasn't immediate. However...to start already...) Foseti raised the feather to his face, breathing in its scent. "My beloved..." he whispered quietly. The guards around him looked confused, giving quick glances to one another at their King's unexpected behaviour. The leader regained control, saying, "We must leave now, your Majesty, or we will arrive after the main show is complete." Foseti opened his eyes, showing a clearer clarity than before. "Yes, you are right." Tucking the feather into his robes, he climbed into the carriage, next to Tyr who immediately climbed into his father's lap. Smiling at his son, he looked once on the carriage roof. "We ride!" he said, much to Loki's and Tyr's happiness. The carriage moved, surrounded by the squad of guards. It moved quickly, soon carrying them out the castle gates and through the city, all the while being chased by the setting sun's rays of light. ~ The village of Albion was a small but busy one. Situated a slight distance from Zel, it was a place where adventurers or merchants seeking a shorter journey rest for the night. It was considered to be the most outer reach of the city before the plains and woods. There were an abundance of inns and taverns for resting travellers, and as such, a big clearing for which wagons and carts could be placed. That clearing was now being cleaned in preparation for the show. Travellers who come to partake in the festivities aided the village folks in sweeping the area, putting out tables and benches and setting up pavilions. There was much noise and joyful banter as the excitement rose through the pre-sunset sky. On the opposite side of the village, however, it was quiet. Here, the residents of the village resided in small, but comfortable, shacks and huts, surrounding the rarely-used gateway. In the healer's shack, a boy sat in the waning sunlight, studying a grimoire which he had pulled from his mother's bookcase. He knew that, as a child of the village, he should be helping to set up and prepare for the festivities, but he found the noise disturbing. Besides, he didn't have many opportunities to read his mother's small collection of books. Dressed in a plain shirt and culottes, the boy tentatively flipped a page on the big grimoire resting on his thighs, sneezing at the dust that rose up. There were many words he could not read, but having self-taught himself letters, he slowly pieced together what he could read on the page in front of him. He was fascinated by how much one could learn from these thin, fragile pages. At the mere age of eight, he was already one of the more knowledgeable common people in the kingdom, though he did not know it. He was fascinated by the grimoire of healing his mother used the most regularly. Watching his mother perform cleansings and healings had given him some level of practical knowledge, and he had practice by himself. It was much to his joy the day he produced a thread of healing energy around his finger, for it meant that he had some level of arcane magic like his mother. The current grimoire he read focused on the aspects of wind and how to attune to it. Putting to memory an incantation used to lift small objects with a small up gust, he flipped the page just as a shadow fell across the book. Looking up, the boy watched as a feather floated down towards him, before resting on the grimoire. He held the feather up by its tip, analysing it. It was the softest feather he had felt, and it was long, a foot long. The boy did not know of a breed of bird that big around the village, so he was puzzled by it. "Aldrid!" He flinched at the voice of his mother as he hurriedly leapt back into the shack and put the grimoire into its proper position on the bookshelf. "Aldrid, dear, the performers are here, and all the other children are helping out!" His mother came into the shack just as he crept out of the room, looking like he had taken a nap. Aldrid faked a yawn, saying, "But it's not even sunset yet...and there are enough people there to help aren't there?" "Come now, Aldrid, people will miss you," she tried to coerce her son. She knew how shy he was around other people, and wanted this year's festival for him to mingle with others his age. Besides, it'll be a chance for her to pull him from the books she knew her son read, but he didn't know that she knew. Secretly, she was proud her son knew his letters already, as not many in the village could afford the education. "They'll miss you more, mom. You are the only Druid in our village, so if people get hurt, they'll come to you," Aldrid replied as he pulled on his sandals, knowing that his mother will drag him out whether he wanted it or not. She smiled as she saw Aldrid lace up. "You know you'll have fun. This year's said to be our biggest performance yet, and even the royal family is coming to our village to watch!" Aldrid looked up, surprised at the news. "King Zelhn is coming here? Why didn't you tell me!" he said excitedly. He had read tales of the current King's exploits and deeds, and had almost a hero worship of the King. She grinned. "I knew you'll get excited when you hear it, so I waited to tell you. Come on, dear, there's still much to do." Aldrid bounded out the door like any other child, and his mother saw a crack shine through his mature behaviour. Her smile dropped briefly, as she wept silently that her son grew up too fast. The loss of his father two years ago hurt Aldrid badly, and he had put up an emotional wall around himself, a wall that only she could breach. No child should have to go through such sadness at such an age. Aldrid could care less at that point. The King! He could finally see the King, the one who single-handedly led a charge of knights into a fray of Hurahn warriors, slaying them without so much as getting a scratch. The King who was kind, and visited the outposts every so often and made sure each and every village was accounted for. He knew much of what he read was exaggerated, but the real King couldn't be far from the truth, could it? "Aldrid, what is that you're holding?" Aldrid broke from his mental worship of the King and looked at his mother. "Oh, this?" He held up the feather. "I found this outside our house when I walked around and wanted to keep it. Do you know what breed of fowl this came from, mom?" She held up the feather, analysing it. "No, but it must definitely be a huge one to have such a large feather. I'll tell the folks hunting to look out for it. We don't want such a large bird hunting our rabbits and farm animals," she said as she handed the feather back to Aldrid, who quickly pocketed it in his culottes. "We should leave now so the villagers can see you out and about." Aldrid grimaced as he followed his mother to the other side of the village where the noise increased with each corner he turned. As they approached the crowd, the other residents of the village waved greetings at his mother, while also showing surprise at seeing Aldrid out. Many of them knew of Aldrid's predicament, and sympathised with the boy. Soon, his mother separated to take care of a few injuries, leaving Aldrid alone near the clearing. Choosing to stay out of sight, Aldrid crept to the edge where he was least likely to be disturbed. For the next candlemark and a half, Aldrid sat under a tree, watching the hustle as the stage was slowly brought together. He found himself enjoying watching how people worked together and acted as a team. Some children noticed him and came to lure him into playing, but Aldrid declined and feigned weariness. The children shrugged and moved away. At long last, the set-up was complete. Chewing on a crusty pie his mother brought him a short time ago, Aldrid stayed near the edge as the clearing filled with people and the sitting benches got full. He spied the village head speaking with what looked like a foreigner before his view got blocked. Being young and having the implications of shortness attached with it, Aldrid couldn't see much of the clearing, but settled with feeling the excitement and the noise. "We're not late! We made it!" A loud voice next to him shocked Aldrid that he nearly dropped the remainder of his pie. Aldrid turned his head to the side and was met by the sight of a grinning face framed by rough golden blonde hair and a pair of twinkling, ice-blue eyes. "Um..." "Hello! You must be one of the kids in the village!" the boy exclaimed. "Do you know what's happening? Has it started?" "No...um...they just finished setting up everything, and I last saw the village elder talking with one of the performers," Aldrid answered softly. The boy nodded at every word, and said, "This isn't a good place to see! I can't see anything here!" He tried jumping but the adults in front of him were too tall. Aldrid nibbled on his pie as he watched the jubilant boy. "All the seats will have been taken by now, so-" "No no, we have to get a good view! Come on!" the boy said as he grabbed one of Aldrid's arms and started dragging him through the crowd. "Wait, my-" Aldrid went silent when the sudden movement made him drop the last bite of his pie. Mournfully staring at his dinner, he let the boy drag him through gaps in legs, robes, baskets and clothes before they emerged in the edge of the clearing. Finding an empty spot, the boy dragged Aldrid along before sitting down on the dirt. In full view of everyone, Aldrid quickly took a seat next to the boy, trying to hide himself. The boy sighed, "This is better! You can see everything!" Aldrid looked around, and then saw the boy was right. He could see the four masked performers on the make-shift stage, with peculiar assortments of tools and percussion surrounding them. "So what's your name?" the boy asked Aldrid. Breaking his attention from the stage, Aldrid's tongue got tied. "Um...I'm Aldrid." "Nice to meet you, Aldrid! I'm Tyr!" the boy...Tyr, said. The boy grinned. "Are you a villager here?" "Yes," Aldrid replied. "You must have many friends here then! Can you show me?" Aldrid gulped. "I'm not a very...well...known kid here; I like to keep to myself." Tyr cocked his head. "Why is that?" Aldrid grew speechless as he struggled to find an answer. He wasn't expecting Tyr to come out of nowhere, drag him to the front, and start asking him so many questions. Aldrid had already said more words to Tyr then he had to anyone else in the village apart from his mother. Unexpectedly, Aldrid found himself wanting to talk to Tyr, but didn't want Tyr to dislike him. Thankfully, a commotion near the back saved him. "Make way, make way! His Majesty and his royal family are here!" Bodies shifted as the family was no doubt being escorted to the front for a good view of the show. "The King!" Aldrid said as he shot up excitedly. Tyr looked on surprised at the first sign of life in his new found friend. "Is he here? The King?" "Daddy? Yup, he's here, I just left the carriage earlier so I can see what's happening," Tyr said cheerfully. Aldrid caught himself and slowly stared at Tyr. "Daddy...?" A loud, deep and powerful voice sounded. "I appreciate the quickness to escort us to our seats, but I must ask first; has anyone seen my first son, Prince Tiwaz? He left to this area before we did," the King said. Tyr stood up and started jumping, waving his hands. "I'm here Daddy, I'm here! I came here to find a good spot to see!" Aldrid stared at Tyr for a moment. "You are...Prince Tiwaz?" Panic came over Aldrid and he flung himself down on the ground. "I'm sorry, your Highness, I beg your pardon!" Aldrid cried loudly. "I didn't know you were the Prince; if I had I would have treated you properly, oh no, mom's going to hear about this and she'll punish me, I should have kept my head on myself..." Aldrid then noticed the much more embroidered and obviously higher quality Tyr's clothes were...and the dirt patches where Tyr had sat. "Forgive me, your Highness! I dirtied your clothes, please forgive me-" Tyr, caught out by the sudden outburst from his new friend, quickly pulled Aldrid up. "Aldrid, stop it! You didn't do anything wrong at all so stop bowing!" he said hurriedly. "As you wish, your Highness," Aldrid mumbled, still too shocked to lift his head. A large shadow loomed over him, making him look up. He immediately wished he didn't, as he stared up into a cold pair of ice-blue eyes, and what looked to be a mature and older version of Tyr's face. The King was gazing down on him, his huge body overpowering. King Foseti, the object of Aldrid's worship. Aldrid shook as he mumbled, "Your Majesty...I apologise, I..." "Calm, child," the King said in a soft gentle voice as he knelt down to Aldrid's height. "You have done no wrong at all, my son just said so," he continued as he smiled at Aldrid and placed a hand on Aldrid's head. "I...I..." Aldrid stammered at the sudden gesture and blushed a deep red. His hero, the King, was touching him, patting him on the head! Aldrid knew he would never forget this night. Foseti, seeing the boy so flustered, directed his attention instead to his grinning son. "Tyr, who is your shy friend, and how did you meet him?" "I was running to the clearing when I saw a boy like my age! He's Aldrid, and he told me that the show was about to start, so I took his hand and found a spot near the front to see!" Tyr said like it was the most natural thing to take a stranger's hand and run away with him. "Aldrid, is it?" Foseti said. "A good strong name. I'm glad you could be my son's friend," he said giving Aldrid a brief hug. "Y-Yes, your Majesty," Aldrid choked. He had forgotten how warm and comfortable it was to be in a fatherly embrace. It was then that Aldrid realised that the villagers and travellers who came to see the performance were all solely focused on him, and his face blushed even more as he involuntarily hid closer to the King's body. He saw his mother on the opposite side of the clearing, looking ready to faint. "Umm...sir?" Foseti chuckled as he felt the boy sink deeper into his embrace. "Yes, child?" "I...I have al-always worshipped you an-and held you in high re-regard, so this time to b- be held by you I-is unforgettable so I-I thank you," Aldrid mumbled before he buried his face even more into the King's chest. Foseti barked a laugh. "You have followed the countless stories about me!" He waited for Aldrid's nod before he held him away. "Now, most of those stories are much exaggerated, but they do hold some truth. But thank you for your kind words," he said before kissing Aldrid on the forehead. Aldrid heard a faint sound and turned his head. His mother had fainted at last, the breaking point seeming to be the King treating her child like a son. "I'm sorry to have taken your time, your Majesty," Aldrid mumbled. "None at all, child. Oh, Agatha, here, meet Tyr's new friend, Aldrid," the King gestured to his wife, who came towards Aldrid. Agatha smiled at the trembling boy. "It's always a pleasure to meet a friend of Tyr's. He rarely has playmates at the castle, so his having chosen you makes you special. Tyr, do you like Aldrid?" "Yes!" Tyr replied. "He's a nice boy, although a bit shy, and he didn't try to make me do things for him!" "That's good to hear," Agatha said. "Aldrid, dear, I trust my son's been playing nice?" "Y-Yes, your Highness," Aldrid replied. "Although he can be forceful; Tyr...I mean, Prince Tiwaz, caught my hand and took me to the front. He accidentally made me lose some of my pie..." Aldrid caught himself and quickly blushed. The royal couple laughed. "Oh, Aldrid, I like an honest boy!" Foseti said. "Where would your parents be?" "Ummm...my mother is over there," Aldrid pointed. Foseti looked in the direction and deduced accurately that the fainted woman on the ground with a few others around her was Aldrid's mother. "In that case, please tell your mother that I'll like to invite you and your immediate family to the castle after tonight." Aldrid's eyes grew big. "Your Majesty? But but...How could I dare to intrude-" Foseti waved a hand. "As my wife here said, Tyr rarely makes friends so quickly. It makes you a bit special, so I would like the chance for you and Tyr to associate more." "I-I...I would like to faint like my mother, but then there wouldn't be anyone of my family here for which to accept your offer," Aldrid mumbled, causing Foseti and Agatha to laugh again. "I am grateful for the chance, your Majesty, thank you so much." "Our thanks for sticking with our trouble-maker son here," Agatha said, giving Tyr a rub on the head. "We must not hold up the show any longer," Foseti said while rising. "Come, Aldrid, and sit with us-" "No!" Tyr said. "I found these spots, and it's a good view! I want me and Aldrid to stay here!" he said smiling. Foseti smiled down. "Very well. Loki, do you want to stay with your brother here to watch?" he asked behind him. Aldrid then noticed the younger prince behind Agatha. He bowed to Prince Lokien. Lokien smiled up at his parents. "I want to sit down with mummy and daddy, so I want to go with you." "You have it, dear son," Agatha said as she picked up Loki. Loki looked at Aldrid. "Nice to meet you, I'm Loki," the prince said softly. "Pleasure to meet you, your Highness, I am called Aldrid," Aldrid said as he raised his head to look at the prince. Loki grinned at Aldrid. "Have fun with Tyr!" he called out as Foseti and Agatha moved to the free seats at the front. Aldrid noticed a feather poking out of the King's robes, but thought little of it. Now that the incident was over, the noise level grew back up as the villagers and travellers discussed amongst themselves. Aldrid remained standing while Tyr sat down. Tyr looked up at him. "Aren't you going to sit down with me?" "It's impolite..." Aldrid mumbled. Tyr rolled his eyes. "We're friends, Aldrid, so let's sit together." Aldrid nimbly sat down next to Tyr, but kept a respectable distance. Tyr grunted and pulled on Aldrid's arm, almost sending Aldrid barrelling into the prince. Getting the idea, Aldrid sat close to Tyr, like they were before Aldrid found out Tyr was Prince Tiwaz. "Are you sure you're the older Prince? Prince Lokien seems more mature than you." Tyr gave Aldrid a glare. "I was starting to like you as well!" Aldrid quickly looked down. "I beg your pardon, Prince Tiwaz, I was merely joking-" Tyr laughed and quickly waved his hand. "I was too! I know, Loki is a bit quieter, but he had many friends around the castle! I like choosing my own friends, so I get to know them more. But Aldrid!" Tyr added angrily. "Yes, Prince Tiwaz?" Aldrid replied meekly. "Don't call me Prince Tiwaz again! I'm Tyr! My friends call me Tyr, not Tiwaz? Ok?" Tyr ordered. Aldrid had a rush of relief. "Yes, your...Tyr," Aldrid said with a smile. Tyr grinned as well. "Good." Aldrid smiled back even more. "You look a lot like the King. When his Majesty looked at me, I almost thought it was an older, grown-up you." "Daddy told me I looked like him when he was small," Tyr said. "One day, I will grow as big as he is! And as strong as well!" Tyr announced pumping a fist into the air. "I will be stronger! And take down more knights then he does." Aldrid giggled. "You still have a lot more years to go." Tyr gave him another glare, before giggling as well. "You have unusual hair colour, Aldrid. It's so white, like snow." Aldrid fingered his shoulder length hair. "My father's side had this hair, and I inherited it. I also inherited my mother's grey eyes, so people look at me and say I look like a monster," Aldrid said sadly. "No, no! I think your hair looks good, and your eyes look nice as well!" Tyr quickly denied. "Thanks, Tyr, but you're probably the only one who thinks that." "Then I'll make more people think that way." Aldrid giggled again. "By the way, when his Majesty invited me to the castle, was he planning to let us stay for a few days, or only a few candlemarks?" Tyr thought. "Daddy hasn't invited anyone, but I want you to stay for a few days. Maybe Daddy can find a job for your mummy so we can be together more!" "I...I would like that," Aldrid mumbled. To grow up in a castle? Maybe he would be a servant, a page, but to be friends with Tyr...it was many children's dream to even touch the gates, let alone go inside. "Look, look Aldrid! It's about to start!" Tyr grabbed Aldrid's arm and pointed at the stage. Aldrid turned, and true to Tyr's words, two of the performers were positioned over the peculiar percussion instruments and another two readily posed in the centre of the clearing. Looking over at the other side, he noticed his mother rise up and sit on a bench, slightly dazed, while the Queen and the King played with Prince Lokien before they too, settled down. Aldrid focused on the stage as the first beats of the drum sounded through the area. ~ Two loud beats sounded through the clearing, hushing all as each member in the audience focused on the stage. The two masked percussionists, obviously muscular and large men from their appearance, set into a strong tempo, creating the illusion that the audience members' heartbeats pounded to the same beat as the piece. On and on, they beat on the drums with their sweat flying and bare torsos shining. Aldrid swore the lit torches around the clearing got a little dimmer as the tempo increased. Looking closer at the men on the drums, he vaguely made out the shape of a lion's face on each mask, but the lighting caused deep shadows across their faces. With a sudden loud beat, the still performers in the centre began moving. Weaving their movements into each other as the two masked dancers spun and slipped around each other. To Aldrid, it looked as if the dancers were one giant snake, twisting and slithering in and around itself. One of the dancers leapt on the other and arching its back, breathed outwards loudly. A stream of fire came from its mouth, causing the audience to make excited sounds at the display. Aldrid, however, got chilled to his heart, as in the bright light caused by the flame, he made out the mask of the dancer. A snake head. Leaping off the dancer, the fire-breather spun around while letting out more flames. As it came to a stop, female voices came from the sides of the stage. Peering into the gloom, Aldrid spied two figures that had come in while the audience was focused on the dancers and percussionists. The female voices flowed over the audience, keeping pace with the harsh tempo set by the percussionists. The vocalists were rather plump, compared to the muscular percussionists and the lean and trim dancers. Being in the shadows, Aldrid could not make out the particular masks they wore. What was it about the performance that disturbed him? Aldrid could only wonder as the audience grew more and more excited as the show progressed. The other dancer soon displayed that it too could breathe fire. As the vocals increased in pitch and the tempo increased, the two dancers seemed to writhe even more, twisting their bodies into unnatural poses as they kept pace. Shaking his head, Aldrid found himself suddenly clear-minded. He looked over at Tyr and his neighbouring audience members, and found each focused so tightly on the stage that they weren't aware of what Aldrid saw. All the flames in the clearing had burnt out. But not a single breath of wind had come through. The only light now came from the dim red sky and the two lanterns close to the stage. Looking at the stage briefly, Aldrid felt the tug on his mind to keep looking, and quickly averted his gaze. Something was definitely not right, Aldrid concluded. Normally at this time, the insects and creatures of the forest would sound. But aside from the show, there was silence. Aldrid looked at Tyr and found the prince captivated entirely by the singers and dancers. Reaching over, he shook the prince. "Tyr? Tyr, come on, something's wrong," he whispered. "What's wrong, Aldrid? Look at them, they look so lovely!" Tyr said, tugging on Aldrid's hand although he never looked at his friend, eyes focused on one of the dancers as it slithered up to him. The skin on Aldrid's arm crawled, and with effort, he turned Tyr's head towards him, breaking the prince's gaze with the stage. "Tyr! Look at me, do you feel ok?" He looked at his friend's dazed eyes, and frowned. "Tyr?" Tyr's flushed face and dazed eyes slowly regained their clarity. "Aldrid? I..." he breathed deeply. "I was so into the performance, I'm sorry! But it's good! Let's keep-" he started as he turned back. Aldrid quickly clung onto Tyr's arm again, not letting the prince turn. "Don't, Tyr!" he whispered loudly. "I don't think this performance is right; look around, all the lights have gone out!" Tyr looked around, and noticed the same thing. "What do you think...?" Suddenly, a face appeared in front of the boys. A snake-masked face turned oddly, staring at Tyr, a tongue hanging out the dancer's face. The face drew closer to Tyr's face, the tongue reaching out more. "The scent...the scent is here!" a sickly and shrill voice of the dancer came. "Sweet, sweet royal blood. Blood...feast," the face contorted as it sneered, drawing closer to Tyr. The prince froze, too horrified to make a sound, as Tyr watched the tongue fork in and narrow, morphing into a snake tongue. It drew closer, and was about to touch Tyr's cheek... Aldrid's hand came and slapped the dancer hard, sending it to the ground. The sharp sound echoed through the clearing, breaking the concentration of the crowd as they reacted to the unexpected sound. As one, murmurs came about how dark it was, but the King, now free from the spell the performance had, suddenly sensed something amiss. Aldrid stared at the snake-dancer, his hand throbbing. He stared as the mask slowly morphed into the skin, as scales seem to draw to the surface of the face. The face stared at him, hissing. "Lowly mortal, you dare to harm me! I will tear your guts from your family and wrap them around you!" The body under the skin was bulging in odd places as the dancer rose from the ground, hobbling towards Aldrid. The boy backed away, dragging Tyr with him. Audience members around him noticed the dancer...no, the snake-man...approaching them. Silence came as the audience looked at the other performers as they, too, began to contort and change. Without looking back, Aldrid slipped through the crowd with the prince in tow, just as the screams began. ~ Foseti stared as the drummers morphed into grotesque furred cats and the singers seem to sink into themselves, emerging as gleaming monsters resembling leeches. His hand was on his ever present longsword even as one of the dark panthers leaped into the crowd. A woman shrieked, "Demons!" as her neighbour had his throat torn out by the panther. Suddenly the audience rushed to flee. "Guards, guards!" The King shouted as the audience fled from the clearing, screaming in horror and fear. The few guards who accompanied the royal family were quick to react, intercepting the snake and panther demons as they lunged to the crowd. Reacting to a movement from his peripheral vision, Foseti raised his longsword to meet claws. "Blood...sweet, royal blood!" a panther snarled in his face. How? Foseti thought in agitation as he blocked another blow from the panther demon he faced. The village lay within the barrier under which Zel lay, the barrier designed to block any demonic energies. The barrier which his Courtmage, Natasha, powered and maintained. Any demonic force should be unable to enter, let alone morph. Striking at the panther demon, he saw the red and black energies swirl around the leech demons. Demon sorcerers, Foseti deduced, for soon, two rifts appeared from the swarm of energies. More demons pulled themselves through to land on the clearing. The panther demon sprung at Foseti again. It made to tear his throat out, but with two powerful slashes, Foseti segmented the panther into three. The snarling head of the panther dropped, black blood oozing from its mouth. Footsteps sounded behind him, and his guards came rushing past, with a few adventurers mixed in. They formed a wall in front of him as more creatures emerged from the rifts. "Your Majesty!" a guard came rushing up to Foseti as he flicked his blade clean of blood. "The guard squad has repelled three demons which tried to tear through the audience. We have made contact with Natasha; she is preparing the gateways to transport reinforcements from the castle. Most of the civilians have escaped; six have been slaughtered by the three demons. Some adventurers have armed themselves and stand ready with us to repel the demons." "Good," Foseti replied. The first wave of demons from the two rifts was already approaching. "Organise the defence, with our soldiers in the frontline; until we get more troops, we can only hold our position. We must protect the village from being overrun." "Yes, your Majesty!" the guard saluted before running off. Already the rough formation of his guards and the adventurers was blocking the first few demons to make it to the wall. A flying demon sprung up and dived towards Foseti, its beak wide open. Raising his sword, an arrow shot past his ear and into the breast of the demon, bringing it down while one of his guards secured the deathblow. Turning around, Foseti smiled wearily. "Agatha, you should not be here," he said to his wife who nocked another arrow in her silver bow. She smiled at Foseti, saying, "If I'm not by my royal husband's side, then where would I be?" "In safety, with the rest of the villagers," Foseti replied, smiling back. He did not deny that his wife was skilled with the usage of the bow, so he did not press the issue. "I assume Loki is safe?" "Yes; he's in the carriage with two guards watching over him." She pressed her lips, worried. "Tyr was nowhere to be found, though. However, with the danger of the demons here, none of the guard could be spared to look for him." Foseti said, "I don't doubt his new friend took him to safety. Aldrid possesses a maturity beyond his years." Agatha nodded as she shot down another flying demon. "I trust the boy. I have yet to see Tyr befriend someone as quickly as him." She surveyed the fight in front of them, demon on man. "Do you think we'll have a chance?" "We may have been unprepared, my dear, but this is a negligible force as demon waves come," Foseti replied as he shouldered his blade. He narrowed his eyes. "And that worries me. To make a strike at the Solstice Festival, at the location where the royal family was conveniently visiting, the demons must have made plans. For such a plan to have these weak minions as the main force..." A shrill shriek paused his words. As one, demons and humans alike clasped hands over their ears as a shockwave ran through. Squinting an eye against the pain, Foseti watched as a larger demon rift appeared in the centre of the clearing. What stepped through made Foseti's blood run cold. A towering demonic beast with three heads and a lashing tail with a snake's head. Following the scent of spilt blood, the beast stalked towards the demons and men. Foseti shook himself. "Retreat," he said as loudly as possible. A guard looked at him. "Your Majesty? But-" "Don't question my order, retreat! We cannot fight against such a creature without reinforcements!" he shouted. "Fall back! Retreat!" he repeated, just as the creature pounced on a smaller demon and bit the demon in half, devouring the head and chest in one gulp. The punitive force broke apart, running and following the village folks as the creature tore through the demon waves. Foseti ran, Agatha close to him, as cold sweat ran down his forehead. He could never have foreseen the creature here in a village. It was rare to even see it on a battlefield! He weighed their chances, and dread filled his veins. For what had come to step through was something a small army could not take on, let alone their punitive force. A creature of such power that this village would most likely not survive without the barrier. A Chimera had come. ~ Aldrid held tightly to Tyr's hand as the village boy dragged the prince away. The prince followed as the pair weaved through trees and shrubs away from the clearing. "Aldrid!" Tyr said as a branch lashed against his cheek. "Where are we going?" "To my home," Aldrid replied. "We're almost there; it's far enough from the clearing that we should be safe." Pushing past a few more branches, the two boys emerged close to the shacks. Ducking towards the shack he lived in, Aldrid pulled the prince into the shack. "We should be safe here until His Majesty looks for us." He could hear the echoes of screams and clash of metal in the far distance. Tyr sat down on the dirt floor. "My dad...mum...Lokien!" Tyr almost leapt up had Aldrid not quickly held onto him. "My brother! What if they get him?" "Tyr!" Aldrid tried to pull the prince down. "You have to trust your parents to secure Prince Lokien safely! You have to remain safe for them to find you! Do it for them, please!" "But what if they're in danger?" Tyr panicked, pulling at Aldrid's arms. "I can't be the only safe one, I have to go look!" "No, Tyr-!" Aldrid flung himself on the prince as Tyr tried to escape. Lying on top of the prince, Aldrid stared down at Tyr with pleading eyes. "Please, for me and your parents, just stay here for a while until we know it's safe. Please?" Tyr felt something warm drip onto his face. Looking into Aldrid's grey face, he saw the blood dripping down from the wound across Aldrid's left eye. Drops of blood landed in his open mouth, filling his mouth with the metallic taste. "Aldrid?" Tyr said meekly. "Are you ok?" "Don't worry about it," Aldrid dismissed his pain. "You may be a prince, but I'm not letting you up until you're calm, Tyr." Tyr calmed down at seeing his friend injured, no doubt from the branches they went through on the way here. "I'm alright now, Aldrid. I promise to stay here until someone comes." Aldrid looked at Tyr's ice-blue eyes, and saw the panicked gaze fade. Letting the prince up, he winced and put a hand up to his eye. "I'm going to get something for my eye. Watch from the door, Tyr, for anyone coming." "I only see a few villagers who seemed to think the same as you," Tyr observed. "Whatever you did, Aldrid, you got us here the fastest," he giggled. Aldrid didn't comment as he washed his wound and applied one of his mother's poultices over the cut. He had seen the hunger in the demon's eyes as it watched Tyr, and knew that Tyr was a prime target. He had to quickly get the prince to safety, even if he had to injure himself. Coming back to the doorway, he noticed a very nervous look on Tyr's face. Looking out, Aldrid's eyes widened at the sight of four or more injured audience members helped to his shack. "Tyr, I have to get to these people, I'm sorry," Aldrid said as he inspected the sickroom. It'll be more crowded than usual, but in these circumstances, he couldn't do anything. "Why are they coming here, Aldrid?" Tyr asked. "I'm the son of a Druid, so this is the Druid's shack," Aldrid explained fussed over a few beds. "My mother heals the injured and treats the sick...if she were here," he added worriedly. Tyr stared at his friend as Aldrid clenched and unclenched his hands. Suddenly, Tyr felt very ashamed of himself. He was panicking about his family, even knowing that the guard will do their best to defend them, but Aldrid didn't know where his mother was. And yet, Aldrid's first reaction was to see him, the prince, to safety. Aldrid felt a pair of arms wrap around him. "Thank you, Aldrid," Tyr said softly. "Y-Your Highness," Aldrid stammered at the unexpected movement. "Tyr, you can't just hug me, you're the Crown Prince!" "I don't care," Tyr mumbled, and tightened harder. "You took me to safety, even knowing that your mum is in danger. And yet, I've only panicked and be trouble." Aldrid turned and hugged Tyr. "No, Tyr. You are the Prince; your safety comes before us. Please remember that." "But it's so wrong," Tyr cried out. "You are people too!" "And you will be a great ruler when you become King," Aldrid said. "You are the Crown Prince; you will someday be King." Tyr sniffed. "I suppose you're right." Someone knocking on the door broke the two boys apart. "Is anyone here?" a voice sounded out. Aldrid quickly hurried to the front. An elderly woman looked relieved at seeing Aldrid. "Ah, young Aldrid. Is your mother here? We have some injured from the escape." Aldrid shook his head. "I haven't seen my mother since the escape myself." He grew silent as he too worried on his mother's whereabouts. "But I've prepared the beds. If we can get the injured onto the beds, I can soothe them with some poultices." "You are such a good boy, Aldrid," the woman said gently. Some uninjured men helped the four injured people into the beds. While Aldrid spread poultice over the injuries, Tyr watched as the village grew fuller with people escaping from the clearing. Voices of despair and dread sounded, echoed through the mass of people. "It is done, elder," Aldrid said as he replaced the lid of the poultice pot. "Any other healing will have to be done by my mother...if we can find her," he added softly. The elderly woman placed a hand on his shoulder. "Do not fear, child. She will be safe." Tyr sniffed at the sight and blessed his luck at having found Aldrid as a friend. The large gateway in the centre of the village suddenly lit up. Gasping at the sight, people near the gateway quickly moving away as the gateway came alive. "Get back, everyone!" one of the village heads said. "Help must be coming!" "They're coming! Aldrid, the knights are coming!" Tyr said excitedly, pulling his friend forward away from the shack. "Natasha must have started the gateway and is sending the knights through!" "Who's Natasha?" Aldrid asked as Tyr reached closer to the glowing gateway. "She's a Mage! The only Mage in daddy's court!" Tyr replied. "But she can do so much! She's been here for a long time, and daddy trusts her. Look, they're coming!" he exclaimed as he pointed at a large glowing circular glyph before the gateway. The boys watched as a score of fully armed knights slowly materialised from the glyph. As soon as they reached full materialisation, the knights sprung off and organised parties to aid the village and the ongoing fight at the clearing. "Doras!" Tyr shouted out at one knight who looked like he barely saw past sixteen summers. "You came!" The knight looked at the voice and looked shocked as he saluted. "Prince Tiwaz! What are you doing here? I heard that your brother is in the carriage and safe, and the other knights are looking for you!" "I had to run away from the demons first. Aldrid, my friend, saved me and brought me to the village!" Tyr said proudly, looking at Aldrid. "I see," Doras said, eyeing the village boy next to his Prince. "I thank you for keeping his Highness good company." "It was my duty, sir," Aldrid bowed. "Come, your Highness," Doras extended a hand. "We must find your family and transport you back through the gateway the next time Mage Natasha opens it-" A shrill sound pierced through the village as every person clutched their ears. There was silence for a while as people recovered from the noise, until a loud fearful shriek could be heard from the other side of the village. "That does not sound good," Doras mused. "Where was the carriage secured, your Highness?" "About halfway towards the performance," Tyr replied. "Daddy didn't want us to crowd the village people." Doras nodded and turned to Aldrid. "I thank you again, young boy. If you would go back to the village now and-" "No!" Tyr said. "He's my friend, and I want him with me!" "But, your Highness!" Doras protested. "It's dangerous for you boys! There are demons which will prove more than a match for even us knights!" "Then we go together," Aldrid stopped the argument. "The less time we waste talking, the more we can find Prince Lokien and get to safety together." Doras nodded in agreement while Tyr huffed. "Very well, let's go." Quickly calling over more knights, ten knights and the boys made their way back to the clearing, following Tyr's rough guides about where the carriage was. Upon reaching the carriage, a storm of feet echoed ahead of them as the mix of guards and adventurers fled. One of the guards noticed their approached and waved back the new group, shouting, "Retreat, retreat! What lies ahead is something we can't face without reinforcements! There's-" His line was cut short as a snake head bit into his throat and thrust him against a tree. The boys and their group of knights watched in horror as the chimera smashed through the trees and leapt towards them. "Lokien!" Tyr screamed. "He's in the carriage!" A close by guard reacted and quickly went inside, coming back out with the small boy in his grasp just as the chimera bore down on the carriage, crushing it into splinters. Kissing the child's forehead, the guard threw the boy towards Tyr as the chimera slashed with a sharp claw, stabbing through the guard and ripping his back wide open. Blood sprayed as the chimera feasted on the body. Prince Lokien sailed through the air and another guard caught him safely in his arms. "Come, we must be away!" Doras shouted. "We cannot let Kein's sacrifice be in vain!" A guard each picked up Aldrid and Tyr as they sprinted back to the village. Their greater strength and speed ensured that they made good time compared to when they were approaching the carriage. Lokien started crying in his guard's arms, which alerted the chimera behind them. Growling, the chimera's dragon head tossed aside the guard's half-devoured body while saliva dripped from its goat head. Readying itself, it pounced towards the group. Two guards dropped back to confront the beast. Slashing at the chimera, the two guards quickly fell in a mist of blood to its sharp claws and poisonous fangs before it advanced on the boys, hardly delayed. Aldrid watched in horror as the beast drew nearer. "No...no, NO!" he screamed as he saw the mouth open wide. Suddenly a loud crash sounded and a brief light shone. Waiting a few more fearful seconds, Aldrid realised he was being lowered to the ground. "Open your eyes, lad. We're safe," came the voice of a calm, yet awed, guard. Opening his eyes, Aldrid's mouth fell open. Barely two feet in front of him, the chimera snarled as it heaved itself towards the group, but a pale green shield prevented it. The shield shone on impact, so Aldrid could not see where it started and where it ended. "So this is where the barrier was," a low voice said next to him. Turning, Aldrid jumped and quickly bowed before a hand stopped him. "And I thought Tyr would have cleared this up with you, Aldrid," a weary looking Foseti smiled down at Aldrid, his other hand still holding a longsword. "Yes, but...old habits die hard," Aldrid murmured. Foseti chuckled, then turned grim as well. "The barrier runs a full circle around the castle, and in my ignorance, I believed it extended beyond the village. Now I know that it merely runs just beyond the residential area of the village, which explains how the demons could create rifts so close to my home," he said the last with anger. Aldrid could not say a word at the hard gleam that seemed to glaze the King's eyes. That is, until the King heard a voice. "Daddy!" Foseti flung the sword away, turned and knelt as Tyr flew into his arms, crying. "Daddy! You're alright!" "And so are you son, so are you," Foseti whispered. "I trusted Aldrid to make sure you were safe, did he do so?" "Yes he did, daddy," Tyr sniffed. "He made sure I was safe, then came with me to rescue Lokien." Foseti drew Aldrid into his embrace with Tyr. "Thank you, Aldrid." "I did what was right, your Majesty," Aldrid said while he too, wept, as the weight of what just happened started to sink into him. "Your Majesty...where is her Highness?" The King's face turned dark and sad. "Agatha...is injured. While we were escaping, she tripped and almost got caught. She got grazed by the fang of the snake head; while it wasn't a direct bite, she still got poisoned." He turned to the side where Agatha and Lokien were embracing, a tight cloth bound around her left leg. "It hurts me to say this, but she may lose her leg." Tyr separated from them and went over to his mother, also crying. Foseti looked down at Aldrid, feeling the weariness and pain the boy must be having. "Have you found your mother yet, child?" Aldrid shook his head. "I didn't get the opportunity to look for her. I'm worried about her." "Is that her over there?" Foseti gestured. Aldrid turned, and gasped as he saw his mother carried in, cradled by a strong burly guard. Aldrid rushed over to his mother's side as the guard carried her towards the village. "Mother...mother..." Aldrid whispered as he held his mother's head. He looked at the leg where the snake head bit, saw where the venom was starting to wear away flesh. "Can you hear me, mother?" She smiled weakly. "Don't worry, this is not a mortal wound. I will recover, I merely require...rest." Raising a hand to caress his son's face, she closed her eyes and fell into unconsciousness. Aldrid looked up at the guard with tears in his eyes. "Please make sure she's comfortable." The guard nodded. "The villagers said she was the Druid, so she'll have some power to heal herself. I'll give her a place to rest." The knight gave Aldrid a look that showed that the guard didn't think his mother will survive the snake poison. Aldrid didn't either, but he held onto hope. Tears flowed through his eyes, but Aldrid tried not to cry, tried... A hand fell on his shoulder. "It's ok to cry, child," came Foseti's soothing voice. The voice ripped away his attempts to not cry, and Aldrid cried into the King's leg. Foseti stood there, giving Aldrid an opportunity to ease his emotions. Aldrid leant back, sniffing. "Now I sound a bit like Prince Tiwaz," he joked. Foseti chuckle, then laughed loudly. "You are a truly special boy, Aldrid," he said. The gateway glowed again and a large glyph appeared. "Your Majesty!" a knight ran up. "This glyph will send you back to the castle! We must go soon so the reinforcements can come here faster!" "Very well." Foseti looked at Aldrid. "Would you like to come, Aldrid?" Aldrid shook his head. "My mother is here, so I must look after her while she recovers. I will miss you, your Majesty, but I must stay." "I...see," Foseti said, humbled. "If I could do anything to help, please just say so and I will help, for you have helped my son. My offer of extending my hospitality to you and your mother stands. Perhaps you will enjoy a visit after a recovery." "Thank you, your Majesty." Leaving towards his family, Foseti picked up his two sons and helped his wife up, with a few guards aiding in his efforts. "Come, let us go home." Aldrid watched with some measure of sadness as the family stepped into the glyph, before he turned away, focusing on his mother lying in the shade. Tyr turned towards Aldrid's direction, confused. "Isn't Aldrid coming with us, daddy?" "No, Tyr. He has a duty to stay in the village to help his mother, just as you will help your mother when you are back at the castle," Foseti replied. "But..." Tyr paused. "Daddy, isn't that your feather?" he asked, pointing. Foseti looked over and rummaging through his pockets, noticed his feather was missing. Glancing where Tyr was pointing he saw the long feather on the ground where he no doubt, carrying Agatha through the barrier, had dropped it by accident. A brief look of grief passed his face before he turned away. "It is no matter. I am not risking anyone to go outside the barrier for a feather," he said quietly. His grieved look didn't get past Tyr. "Daddy's upset...I will get it for you." "Son, what are you doing?" Agatha asked in pain as her eldest son separated from her side. "That's daddy's feather!" Tyr cried as he evaded the guards and ran towards the barrier. "He will be upset if he didn't have it-" "Son, no!" the King's powerful voice came as his son left the glowing glyph, but guards held onto him. "Someone stop Prince Tiwaz!" he yelled, making Aldrid turn back to the royal family as he heard the commotion. Tyr ran past Aldrid, who said, "Tyr, what are you doing?" "I'm getting daddy's feather back! I know he'll be sad if he didn't have it, and it was my fault he dropped it!" "Tyr, no!" Aldrid screamed as Tyr left the safety of the barrier. The chimera instantly turned towards the boy, and dove towards Tyr just as the prince reached the feather. Too late, Aldrid knew. He just needed to push the prince into the barrier, and he will be safe. But how? The grimoire he read before sunset came to mind again. He had memorised the spell to cast a small gust of wind. But he didn't have time to recite it all before Tyr got...killed. No, he couldn't let that happen! Aldrid felt energy fill his body as he focused on Tyr. Seeing the chimera bear down on his Prince, Aldrid flung out his hand towards Tyr and let his power flow, focusing his mind on the wind, all his energy trying to get Tyr back behind the barrier. Aldrid felt a burst of energy flow through him and he gasped. Suddenly a gust of wind blew Tyr back through the barrier as he grasped the feather, just as the chimera landed on the spot Tyr was. Tyr landed next to Aldrid, who collapsed to the ground, panting at the sudden loss of energy. Tyr stared at his friend. "Aldrid...did you just...?" Aldrid panted. "Go, Tyr...the gateway is about to activate, you must get to the castle!" he rasped as he tried to draw deep breaths. "But-" Tyr wavered. "GO!" Aldrid shouted as he flung his arm out. A smaller gust of wind lifted the prince into the open embrace of his father just as the glyph shone out, enveloping the royal family and the guards with them. "Aldrid!" Tyr shouted. "No, you should come with us!" "Come, child!" Foseti yelled to Aldrid. "There's still some time, if you can hurry-" Aldrid shook his head. "Thank you for being my friend, Tyr, and for being so gentle with me, your Majesty, but I...have to stay. Please make sure Prince Tiwaz and Lokien are safe, your Majesty." Foseti dropped a hand. "I will, I swear on my life to protect my sons." He looked at Aldrid again as he faded. "Thank you, child." "Aldrid!" Tyr tried to get out of his father's embrace, but the King held on tight. "Aldrid! I'll make sure I'll get to see you again! Defini-" With a flash of bright light, the royal family disappeared. Aldrid smiled wearily. "Be safe, my prince..." he mumbled before he passed out. A rumble of footsteps went by as a hundred knights rushed past his unconscious body to confront the chimera. One pair paused and picked up the unconscious boy, gently cradling him as the guards carried him to safety in the village, next to his mother. ~ Throughout the night, the clash of metal and twangs of bows were mixed with snarls and growls as the knights strove to conquer the chimera. Blood soaked the land as many men died. Much blood sprayed over the knights, or when the chimera bit off half a body with each head, flinging blood over a large area. Finally, the great beast succumbed to its wounds and collapsed, with a score of knights finishing it off. A score of knights, from a force of one hundred, were all that survived the ordeal. Many had severe injuries. None were intact. Still, the knights pressed on, wiping out every demon that was spawned from the demon rifts. Slaying the demon sorcerers, the knights closed the rifts, ending the threat of the day at last. At the end, only a dozen knights remained alive. For many years to come, this single tragedy on such a joyous day will be remembered by the bloodshed and loss experienced by the kingdom and the local village, Albion. The day was named the "Crimson Solstice", rightly named for the colour of blood singing through the clearing and woods on that particular festive night. Legends grew on what exactly transpired that night, from the amount of demons there were to how they got there and what creatures of the night were there. No legend, however, could hide the fact the danger that even a peaceful Kingdom, like the Zelhn Kingdom, will be dangerous. Anywhere, anytime and any situation. That demons were as much a danger as the fiends and monsters of the knight. The demon attack was just the first of such warnings. And from that point on, the Kingdom heeded that warning. ********** PART ONE - CRIMSON SOLSTICE Thank you for reading so far. I hope some readers enjoyed it, and that I have held some interest in the readers to continue with the story. Please send any comments to aexiv125@gmail.com; I appreciate any feedback and criticism to improve my writing. I would like to thank the current readers who have sent in comments following the prologue. It's a wonderful feeling to have someone give up their time to read what I have to offer. Until the next chapter.