Zatheron
The Destroyer
Confrence
The city of Valgard was a beautiful city. The buildings were made of white stone, found at Mount Teren, the only mountain in the southern plains. Ruling Valgard was the House of Arden, the founders of their nation: Valyran – with King Gerald Arden. Valgard prospered for many years, even since the long remembered fall of the Soul King five hundred years before. The markets were always buzzing and the factories always rumbling with life and activity. The city, although ruled by King Gerald, was managed by Lord Albert Borshaw, a high-standing military advisor to the king, the Commander of the City Watch, and the lord of a rather wealthy merchant family.
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Another very faithful servant of the king was Lord Tiron Bremen, the Hand of the King. The House of Bremen had been the Hand since the Reconstruction, a thousand and five hundred years before as Valyran rebuilt itself from the ruins of its once continental empire. Much like the royal bloodline, there is an heir to the role of Hand of the King. Tiron’s heir is his youngest child and only son: Arthur Bremen.
The House of Arden had seen peace for their nation for the past one hundred years since the Gervarian militia stormed the Valyran and the Nemerian embassies. The Lowland Strife, as it was called, was fought on two fronts for the Lowland Militia – as they called themselves. Since Gervaria didn’t legally have anything to do with the storming of the embassies, or so it appeared, the two other nations found and beheaded the leader of the militia. The war lasted only a year. However, war was back on Valyran’s doorstep.
With Lord Tiron Bremen, the Hand of the King, absent of Valgard, Sir Arthur Bremen had to take his place when the Royal Council was called upon. The knight was a handsome man, dark hair with light bronze skin. His emerald eyes stared ahead as he walked down the hallway to enter the council room. He had been here before as his father’s escort. The room was large with an immense table that circled the center of the room. He found the king seated already, conversing with Lord Borshaw. Arthur grabbed the seat to the king’s right, the seat his father sat in on this council.
“Ah, Arthur, good of you to join us lad,” said King Gerald as he turned to the young knight.
Arthur nodded politely. “Thank you, Your Grace. Pardon my father for his absence – he is on leave to do errands –”
“Yes, yes, I know. He informed before he departed for the city of Kern. He also informed me that you would be in his stead during his time away. Welcome aboard, son,” the king said with a smile before grabbing the gavel as the lords chit-chatted and smacked it against its resting piece of wood, bringing all of the gentlemen to attention.
“Good morning, my lords. The Council is now in session. First off, we will discuss recent events of your individual states. We are starting with Lord Borshaw,” he said waving his hand to the stout man on his left.
Borshaw nodded. “Thank you, Your Grace. Due to this recent engagement of war, the markets of Valgard have slowed. Investors from Tellaham are not as frequent a sight as they once were.”
“It wouldn’t be the prospect of war that has driven them away. If the war was their concern, they would be flocking here to buy up all they could to take back to their woodland,” Lord Vincent Galront said with a wave of his hand. He was a slim figure, but all knew he was strong. House of Galront was known for having artistic swordsmen and a mind for economics. “Something else has to be keeping them at bay.”
“I suppose,” Borshaw returned, stretching out his last word. “It would make sense as a certain event causing the men of Tellaham to be cautious. The Longfield Farmstead’s crops were set ablaze by an unknown arsonist. The Longfield family is currently taking refuge in my guest home until the crime is solved. The case has grown more complicated; their eldest son is missing – presumed dead.”
Murmurs rose around the table as the lords whispered their thoughts to one another.
“Order,” the king said calmly with a single sound of his gavel. “Continue, Lord Borshaw.”
“There was a report from the City Watch stating that the crime was committed by the organization we all know and love,” Borshaw said in a sarcastic tone, his face grim, “the Darkhood Legion.”
“Blast the vermin! They seem to want to destroy this nation!” Lord Rand Abissol exclaimed, rising from his chair. The council pounded their fists on the table in agreement. “Something must be done, I say, for they have been the cause of three murders in my city as well!”
“You will have your chance to talk about such horrendous events when your turn has arrived. For now, the time to speak still lies with Lord Borshaw. Though we all agree something must and will be done,” said the king.
“The Longfield family is the largest distributor of wheat, barley, and corn for Valgard. If the Darkhood only set afire the fields, why did they not put the house up in smoke as well?” Arthur asked just before Lord Borshaw continued.
The older lord thought for a moment. “Perhaps… they wanted to impact the city in a sick way.”
“Knowing what we know of the Darkhood, they are radical terrorists. They wouldn’t spare the family home because they didn’t deem it necessary. No they would have burned it down as well in fear of witnesses.” Arthur thought for a moment then looked around. “Do we have a map that includes the outskirts of the city present?”
The king opened a drawer to his left and pulled out a scroll that was secured by a weak knot. He handed it to the knight. Arthur opened it quickly and laid it out in front of him. “Lord Borshaw, the Longfield homestead is five miles away from the city walls which would put distance between the closest of City Watch guardhouses at five miles. The travel of a platoon to the homestead would take a number of hours which would give a Darkhood operative enough time to ride ahead, warn their comrades, and then ditch the homestead, leaving the a blazing house in their wake.”
“What are you getting at, Arthur?” Lord Borshaw said. The old man must have put the pieces together but wanted reassurance but it was evident that the other lords got it as some opened their mouths to speak. Arthur smiled as he beat them to the punch.
“I am saying, Lord Borshaw, that you have a Darkhood infestation. They are using the Longfield homestead as a front for their operations in Valgard.”
The council room was quiet. King Gerald sat resting his chin in his palm. Lord Borshaw seemed to be stunned as he looked at his desk, his right thumb sliding over the smooth steel pommel of his sword. And a Darkhood holding cannot be afforded at this time while we are in a state of war, Arthur thought to himself.
“Thank you, Arthur,” Lord Borshaw said. “That was all I have. Your Grace, you may proceed to the next hierarch.”
King Gerald nodded. “Lord Theodore Chestburry will not be joining us today due to events in Kern. Lord Abissol, you may speak.”
The events of Dorehall were mainly economy related and Arthur didn’t pay too much mind to it. Arthur noticed the king writing something on a piece of parchment, yet still paying attention to the council and voicing comments he felt he should make. When it came to the last lord of the table, Lord Aaron Rhyne, the note that the king had been writing was finished and he rolled it up, tying a thin string around it. Then, he took a small piece of cloth and wrote on that. It was only for a brief moment before he slid the cloth to Arthur.
The knight read what the cloth had on it before folding it and keeping it in his hand. The things Lord Rhyne had to say were actually of some interest. The House of Rhyne was well known for grim family members. As grim as they were, they knew how to have a good time as they threw occasional festivals for the people of their state. One thing that made the Rhyne household a powerful one was their access to water through the Rhyne River (of which their family was named after) and May Lake – to the east of Valgard.
“Onto matters of the Darkhood,” Lord Rhyne said with a deep voice. “These bandits have begun intruding on our lands as well. Mayville, on the shores of the lake has become politically conquered. All but the mayor are servitors of this foul brotherhood. I came here with the priority of asking Your Grace if I may send in a ranger patrol to root out the evils of Mayville and convert it back to the peaceful town it was.”
King Gerald Arden looked at his other lords and then back to Rhyne. “By the gods… permission granted. The last thing we need is an innocent town becoming the traitor’s recruiting grounds,” he said exasperated. “Is there anything else, Lord Aaron?”
“I have nothing more, Your Grace.”
“Then let be said, this council is adjourned,” the king said with a smack of his gavel. The lords gathered their things and scurried into the hallway beyond the large oak doors. The last two people in the room after the guards were dismissed were King Gerald and Sir Arthur.
“You asked me to stay, Your Grace?” the knight asked politely.
“Drop the formalities, Arthur; we aren’t in an official meeting anymore.” The king looked to his left, away from Arthur, and picked up a scroll case. He handed it to the knight. The case was detailed with artwork of mythical beasts on the copper face. “The scroll in here is a map. The task I am going to give you is one I would only trust your father and yourself with. Take this map to Giant’s Haven, to the north.”
Arthur held up a hand. “If I may speak freely, sir?” he asked cautiously. The king nodded.
“Does this have to do with the new war at hand?”
“It does.”
“Then why not send a military courier?”
The king sighed. “With this apparent rising of the Darkhood Legion, I don’t want to take any chances. Very few people know of this mission: I, you, your father, Lord Borshaw and your escorts.”
“Escorts?” Arthur asked, bewildered.
“You may encounter trouble on the way lad. The escorts I hand-picked myself: Michael Stronglance, Alexander Romora, a 3rd warrant officer of the Ranger Corp, and a former mercenary from Cnidos.”
Arthur nodded. I suppose the roads out of town could house dangers, but it would be much faster if I traveled alone, or just with one companion. No matter; if the king deems four companions are necessary, he’s probably right. “Where will I meet these gentlemen?”
“The North Gate is where they will be found. Avoid the King’s Road; I have had too many reports of bad incidents there. In fact, I should probably send a clean-up crew to handle that. Anyway, take either the Merchant’s Road or the Knight’s Road. Both are safer than the first.”
Arthur stood and nodded. “Understood sir,” he said before saluting. “Permission to be dismissed, Your Grace?”
The king waved his hand. “Go. Travel with the speed of the gods, young lad.”
Arthur smiled before walking out of the council hall. Most of the other lords were still in the hallway chatting amongst themselves as only two were missing.
Lord Chestburry is not here so that makes one more missing. The young knight continued to look around, the scroll case in his hand. He made his way through the lords and through the castle halls. When he came to the great hall, he was stopped by a heavy hand on his shoulder once he was through the door way near the high seat where the king sat. He immediately put his hand on the hilt of his blade, loosening it from its sheath. When he turned he saw the missing lord.
“This mission you are going on will be a dangerous one Arthur.” It was Lord Borshaw.
“I am aware.” Arthur was confused as to why the lord was stopping him.
The old man pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small pouch, secured by a thread. “In here is an item that you may find of use to you. Your father wanted me to give it to you before you left for this journey.”
Arthur took the satchel and felt the weight. It had substance but it wasn’t necessarily heavy. “Thank you, milord,” the knight said politely, unsure what to make of this surprise visit.
“Go. I don’t want to stall you for too long,” the portly man said with a smile and a chuckle. He turned to walk through the halls of the keep, vanishing from Arthur’s sight. He kept looking to where the old man had been before deciding to open the bag. Inside he found a perfectly cut crystal that was about the size of an avocado. What surprised him though was that it was glowing slightly, which wasn’t natural. Whatever it was, his father must have good reason for giving it to him.
((Commentary on my work is much appreciated. This is the second draft of my story's first chapter so I do not expect it to be perfect. What you think can be refined and made better, please do speak your opinion. Thank you.))
