The Sun Children V - The Princess' Crown - Chapter Five

There is still much work to be done on this so it is not perfect i know.

Chapter Five

The Ignition of the Fire

**********

Smoke poured into the air from a city of burning stone and metal. Blood ran down the grooves between stone slabs on the streets and houses crumbled over them as fire took hold tore them apart.

Civilians lay in the side of dark alleys clutching their wounds which had been cut by the red knights. They stared onto the bodies of lower level guards who had given their lives trying to protect them from the emerging evil.

Above the sky drifted over through a thick cloud of smoke. There was a great light in the city which came from the burning palace which was now half gone, its lower tier buried in a mound of rubble from the collapsed floors above and the remains of the grand rooms could be seen torn apart and in a layer of soot.

Sapphire had crossed onto the higher level of the city and now tried her hardest to evade the streets and free herself of the Argarians. However it seemed every corner she turned there were more soldiers who came at her with their blades drawn and soon she realised her only option was to fight back. From street to street she ran under covers of smoke and her feet began to grow tired. She ran through walls of flames and they parted in the sun child’s passing. She looked into the dark night sky and grew sad when she saw the orange glow above her city from all the fires which swept through it.

A single Argarian sat above a street as Sapphire walked below but what he could not see behind her dress was the sword in her hand, swaying lightly in her step. He then leapt from the balcony in the top of the house and Sapphire turned quickly to see him falling into her. He then teetered on the blade of her sword as she struggled to hold the weight and dropped the metal body to the floor and withdrew her sword from his flesh.

There came a moment of silence when she walked away, staring at her kill. She turned and saw through her fringe an entire unit of Argarians racing towards her after seeing their friend killed by the Princess they once protected and without the energy to fight back she began to evade.

Into a wall of smoke she ran upon a cross-over in the streets and she emerged from the other side coughing and her eyes watered. She saw the blades of her enemy too penetrate the smoke and their darkness filled helmets emerged like faces in a deathly mist. Something about the thought of her dying in the capital of her own kingdom gave her the extra energy she needed to regain distance from them. Soon she was headed for the lower level itself which lay in the distance around the expansive lake below the palatial courtyard.

The street widened into a plaza where a statue of a past king stood and he gazed before him down a wide flight of stone stairs which descended into the lower level of Nyshtare. The stairway ran alongside a bridge which went to the palatial island and from under the bridge water poured noisily into the lake. 

Sapphire stared at the far view of her capital as the ran down the steps, onto the mid level which was flat and then back onto even more stairs. This took her to a street that stood beside the lake. She looked behind her to see the unit of Argarians chasing after her, coming around the statue at the top.

In the distance the streets were filled with moving lights which came from fleeing civilians being guided out of the city by the silver knights. Beyond them stood the pleasing sight of the Western Gate.

It seemed coincidental that as the Argarians took step onto the ground of the lower city a great rumble came from not too far away. They and Sapphire looked to the burning palace as a great section split away and crumbled in a cloud of smoke. Great fragments pummelled the floor of the courtyard and rolled along it, broke the stone wall around it and dropped violently into the lake in a mist of water. Great waves came from the risen water level and the raced towards the shores within the city. Sapphire took this moment as an opportunity to run whilst her enemy was distracted. The water broke over the low floor and flooded into the city, seizing the stone floor in a deepening layer of water.

            “Princess! Come back here, it is useless running!” shouted voices behind her. She did not look but carried on regardless. She knew that their armour would make them slower when wading through the water. Another large roaring occurred and even more palace broke away. Suddenly the water level got higher much quicker. It covered half of her shins in no time and was cold and clear. Lilies floated around her and the edge of her sword which cut through the waves at her side.

A single Argarian was washed away into the streets and the others were forced to cling onto the buildings whilst the initial rush of water had stopped.

She turned and held her sword with both hands as her enemy began to move again. Her voice then echoed over the sound of rushing water and roaring fire.

“You shall not plunder this land into flame, only I have the ability to do such!”

Without realising she then backed into a post above which was a fire lamp. The leader of the unit attacking her swung his sword out at her and she ducked as it hit the stone where her head was with a metallic clang and in a moment of panic her own sword fell from her side.

            “Quick men, defend your princess!” came a voice from behind. Suddenly a group of silver knights passed by her either side of the post and swarmed into the Argarians, beating them violently into the waters and drowning them if they did not succumb to their stab wounds.

The silver lower city guards were not supposed to have to defend their royals, but it now seemed someone would have to.

Sapphire watched helplessly as the ones who had sworn to protect her valiantly fought off those who swore the same oath but had betrayed that in a blood fuelled lust for power.

More civilians ran about behind the battle, wading through water in torn clothes and disappeared behind houses. They screamed as they felt the cold pain of the wash and the prickling heat of the fire.

Sapphire watched them pass into shadow until she looked above her to see red petals fluttering across the sky and before her. They came over the lake, fleeing from the burning courtyard. As the princess eye’s followed them down in their descent she saw three of the silver knights approaching, their leader’s helmet was tucked under his arm. There were many others still behind him, striking final stabs into the Argarians who’s bodies now lay under the wash, their blood flowing away in the rush of water

            “Princess Sapphire! Thank Riath you’re ok!” said the captain of the unit, he was of fairly long dark hair and dim brown eyes yet they held a hint of trust and mystery. He looked unto the princess and he could see her mind was elsewhere.

            “Princess Sapphire? I’m captain Vahil, myself and the other men here have come to escort you out of the city!”

He could see that Sapphire still was in a state of shock as she looked at him blankly.

            “Please…we must move! Hundreds of red guards surround the upper level and they’re coming for you princess. We do not however know the whereabouts of the king and queen” said Vahil in another effort to bring her around.

            “They’re dead!” she suddenly replied.

            “Then we’re finished! Nyshuhr has fallen!” yelled a soldier from behind Vahil.

            “Nyshuhr shall not fall whilst I still draw breath!” said Sapphire courageously. Just then she noticed a glimmering in the water besides her and leant forwards from the post she was against, then sunk her hand in and pulled out her father’s sword which had fallen from her side. She raised it aloft out of a spawn of petals and she then placed it back into its scabbard.

Vahil stared almost lustfully at the weapon as it was hidden away again, but then moved in raised his hand to Sapphire’s arm.

            “Let us go now, the lower guards are behind you, your highness!” he stated.

They began to walk through the river side street, passing through a cloud of smoke that drifted over from the courtyard’s trees which now burned. Crossing through into a gap between the lake-front houses and heading towards the inner roads of the lower city Sapphire saw a mother guiding her children through the chaos and turned to the captain next to her,

            “And what of the civilians? Are they safe?” she asked.

            “Rest easy your highness. We lower city men have done our duties unlike those treacherous red guards. As soon as I saw smoke rising from the palace I asked master Hahrlyn here to send word to the barracks that evil deeds had befallen the House of Tavral and its people may be in danger.” Vahil brought master Hahrlyn to his side and be bowed to the princess as they saw each other across the captain.

            “So what happened when you alerted the barracks?” Sapphire then asked.

            “Every captain of the lower city took his unit to the streets to evacuate your people, we tried to get to those on the upper level but there were too many red guards. We took those we could to the western gate”

            “And where are they headed?”

            “Nyrsu Gara is their destination”

            “The forest city? Is that not far away? Are they protected?”

            “General Nahryn sent many men with the refugees so they are protected in the case of ambush. The further away from danger they are, the stronger we will stand once the time comes to fight back!”

By now they walked amidst the round streets which stood in rushing water which pushed many doors open and flooded many houses.

Ahead were a wall of thick smoke that came over across the lake and it poured through another passage between two houses. Beyond its darkness came the sound of clashing metal once more and the cries of the innocent. Sapphire and Vahil looked at one another in alarm and then turned back to the unknown.

            “I’m going to quell what ever lurks beyond our sight!” said Sapphire to Vahil, but he pulled her arm and demanded’

            “No your highness! In the absence of your red guards we lower city men are ordered to protect you and we must maintain order and tradition for our nation to survive, let us go before you!” he insisted. Sapphire looked at him with understanding and let him pass before her, into the smoke where he and four others vanished. She waited for a few seconds before she saw her captain emerge again with his hand held out.

            “Take my hand Princess, we have a problem!” he said as the smoke washed around his armour and blew his hair about.

            Sapphire took his hand and went with him through the smoke, followed by the rest of the unit and into the other side of the street which saw a couple of its houses aflame and red and silver knights fighting amidst the rising water. A crowd of civilians stood between the silver knights and Sapphire and they turned and saw her with looks of hope and relief on their faces.

            “The princess is here!”

            “Make way for the late king’s daughter!” shouted some.

            “Your highness! Please help! They’re blocking our only way to the western gate!” pleaded a woman who came forth and knelt before Sapphire. The princess helped her back to her feet and gave her a bow.

            “The House of Tavral shall always rise to protect those who remain loyal” she said.

Vahil then guided her through the swarm of loyal Nyshuhrian people to the last line of men fighting to save their civilians they had sworn to protect. The Argarians seemed ruthless in their attempts and they did lot lighten the power in their sword-falls until they saw the life leave their opponent’s eyes.

Sapphire observed the struggle in the water as the silver knights tried their best to fend off the Argarians, but they were too strong to keep back for too long.

“Captain Vahil, send your men with me unto this evil, here we reclaim authority!” she ordered.

            “Men of the lower city, go now to your princess’ side!” shouted Vahil and he watched his unit pass through the group of civilians and run in behind Sapphire who had now drawn her sword. One by one she ran into the narrow battleground and drove her blade into as many Argarians as she could for her anger and sadness had not yet healed. Those who followed her finished off any that remained alive and took vengeance for them selves where they could.

Then silence came as many lay dead in the submerged street and the silver knights turned back with their princess, putting away their swords and ushering the civilians forth to journey to the western gate.

The soldiers surrounded the civilians as to protect them from any ambush that may happen and Vahil walked aside a larger man who seemed to be leading what was left of the unit he was in.

            “Who is your captain?” asked Vahil to some of the knights they had just aided.

            “Our captain was Ehryn, he is dead.” Answered master Gohrn.

“Then we must amalgamate our forces, the larger we are in number the stronger we are” Sapphire interrupted, leading the other into what should never have been the unknown but in recent events became a place of darkness and death.

            “Where are we headed?” Gohrn asked.

            “The western road, we need to get these people to safety and we must head for Nyrsu Gara to regroup and discuss this country’s struggle”

            “Thank Riath the princess came!” whispered a man amongst the civilians to his wife.

            “Quiet, Pyhrin! Not all still worship such deities, we don’t want another war of religion, I think the Uhrians had enough of our ancient beliefs” spoke his wife.

There was little speaking when the Nyshuhrian people walked the empty streets. All felt sorrow and guilt for they felt they had let their people down. Vahil felt this way more than others, gazing into the window of a dark house and seeing an elderly man on the floor with a stab wound upon him, it bled into the water he laying dying in and only saw a blur through his own eyes. His eyes widened as he could not distinguish silver knight from red knight. There was nothing anyone could do and so Vahil was led away by his soldiers to carry on into a darker side of Nyshtare where the orange glow of a burning city radiated into the night sky.

            “There is something not right, why is there no sound save for the mocking crackle of fire?” asked Sapphire.

The faint chatter was hushed at the sound of nothing. Dead silence came about, no screams nor shouts, no clashing metal or thuds of falling bodies, only that of gently flowing water and calmly crackling fire. Everything stopped, including Sapphire as she looked far into a distant mist surrounding a street.

From its depth she could, as she approached, make out figures of men leaning against the walls of houses, slouching and weary looking. Their held their weapons loosely and seemed to hang their heads in defeat.

Further into the mist more appeared and then she could see a considerable amount lining the street to its end which was still cloaked in the same mist.

A figure then emerged from the mysterious cloud, limping and also weak.

Sapphire and Vahil walked forwards to speak to them and the injured man looked unto the arrivals with hope and relief.

“Captain Maharl!” said Vahil who went to pat his friend on the shoulder but was gestured not to as Maharl was obviously in pain.

“Princess Sapphire, I was beginning to think that the royal state had ceased to exist, that there was no hope once the sun child had gone.” he said, panting and clutching his injured leg with his free hand. He was similar in appearance to Vahil but he looked much more mature.

Sapphire then looked at him with a look of intent about her.

“I do not wish to be relied upon as the sun child, I will not use my abilities unless I have no other choice, but I will fight for my people no matter what and no amount of Argarian will loosen my lust for vengeance against their treacherous existence!”

“Forgive me your highness, I meant not to assume”

“There is nothing to forgive captain, now tell me what happened here, why do your men look as if they have already lost a battle” asked Sapphire and she began to walk slowly towards the mist next to Maharl.

They passed through the crowd of men who watched their princess go by and Maharl explained the situation.

“We were escorting your people onto the western road your highness, we got many thousands through into Nayara Gara but the red guards then came and swept away all hope with swords and spears. Your people lay dead now in the foregrounds of the western gate and I fear that the red savages may still be out there. They forced us to retreat then their number became too many and we had given up hope until we saw the glimmer of your crown breaking the mist”

By now they had reached the end of the street and ahead through water and the strange fog intertwined with smoke was the western road. Sapphire saw bodies of lower guards and civilians lying side by side in the dim light and began to move forwards onto the road.

She then was pulled back slightly when she felt Maharl grab her by the shoulder.

            “Please your highness, I cannot allow you to proceed onto the road, it is too dangerous.”

            “It is the road I must take! Captains, help me get the men up, we make haste for the western gate! Our courage, bravery and might shall form a glory greater than any evil that comes our way! Argarian or not those who dwell in the smoke and mist shall learn what it means to war against Nyshuhr, the time for them to fear us has come once again!”  Sapphire then stated.

Sapphire and her captains then walked amongst the weary men of silver and helped them to their feet as they stood in the flowing water. They shook with nerves and steadily held their weapons close as smoke still drifted overhead like a dark cloud searching for them amidst the burning rubble.

            “Stay close to me” she requested turning to her captains.

            “Until the end, your highness” Vahil replied.

She then walked back up the lines between the men, holding one hand on her sword’s hilt. Keeping fairly low she crept out onto the flooded and smoke hidden rode. There were breaks in the darkness ahead and through them could be seen the fire beacons adorning either gate post of the western gate.

Sapphire turned and saw the two captains follow her into the unknown, the smoke as dark as the sky would be without the orange glow from the fire which ran through the city.

            “We walk cautiously towards the gate, any movement and we take defensive measures” she whispered.

            “That is a wise decision your highness” said Vahil.

            “Yes, indeed it is” Maharl then whispered, turning to face Vahil in his reluctance to disagree with the princess.

Maharl then looked behind him and signalled the soldiers to move out and upon his command both units of silver knights flooded onto the road from the street as if they were a rush of water themselves. They surrounded the scared civilians in the centre and led them behind their captains and princess.

The Captains were the second to follow, their men followed them and in three large lines they came swiftly, but their presence had been expected and from street to street a great darkness emerged before them, they had been countered upon by the Argarians.

Every soul looked about as they gazed upon bodies in the smoke, lifeless in the water. Houses burned and smoke drifted yet still not a sound could be heard.

The way seemed clear, until there came dark shapes in the smoke, they grew in number and form and then from the darkness came the dim shine of soot drenched red armour. Sapphire took a nervous breath and carried on forwards.

**********

The day arrived when the streets were damp from the downpour overnight. Horses pulled carts down the street beyond Ember’s window and they were unsuspecting of just what was to befall the city in the coming hours. The wind blew coldly through Arzutare’s grounds from its rivers and the caught the high flags above the Lord’s Court and the just as prominent Koren Court.

***

The calm light had too hit the rotting windows near Ember’s bed. She lay with her eyes open staring into the bright gap between her curtains and into the warm skies outside. She still felt a cold chill go through her as she remembered that today she must do what she had always dreamt of, but now she knew what chaos it would bring she feared her own hopes. 

“Ember?” said a voice from beyond her door.

“Yes mother?”

Emlyn walked in and sat on her daughter’s bed and placed her hand on Ember’s cheek and smiled at her.

            “The day has come. I will not say I know everything is going to be fine because I know it is not. I will say that I fear what your actions will bring but regardless I’m proud of you and I love you Em”

***

Sharla had too been lying in her own uncomfortable bed that morning in the barracks under Keloro’s Court. She dreamt of finally seeing her sister again for even after only a matter of days of being separated the longing to see her had in itself become a pain in the heart.

The morning quickly grew and amidst the same crowd of tired thugs the four friends sat together watching others eat their breakfast like pigs from a trough. The hall was still cold this time of morning and Sharla shivered slightly as she looked around. There was an eerily calm atmosphere that could only resemble the silence before battle where those who were willing to fight for what they love would rise from darkness and see the light of a new day. That day had come.

There were raised voices across the hall, a sudden commotion as it was. The four friends all turned to look as many others did. Sat by himself at a table in the open was a melancholy man with a quill in one hand and a book in the other. There were scars on his face and he had very little hair and his eyes told of a silent suffering. Three others stood over him and snatched what he held and began to taunt him.

The mysterious man just stood and smashed one bully in the face leaving the others to cower away. The guards did not care as they watched from above, instead they smiled a little.

“This isn’t right, I’m going to help!” Sharla declared as she too quickly left her seat and headed across the hall. Many heads turned as they saw a girl run in and out of them.

The man sat back down and shook to himself, clenching his fist in silent anger and looked as if he was about to erupt, by tears or fury, perhaps both.  

A smug looking Hal appeared from an entrance to the hall with a couple of guards following him. Many backed away from his path in fear as he looked straight to the traumatised soldier. Sharla quickly went and stood out of the way as to not be seen by the General she had come to hate.

Hal wrapped his hand around the man’s throat like a snake crushing its prey as it slithered tighter.

“You ever assault one of my men like that again and it shall not be my hand paining you, I know you’re familiar with Larinian’s methods of punishment, aren’t you Valan?!” he hissed.

“Who’s that?” asked Theran

“I think that is Valan, one of Delgar’s Pikemen. He looks quiet and lonely, but that is what the army has done to him, he used to speak when he first came here, but Larinian saw to ending that. Only he now hears his own voice inside his mind” Karnon replied

“I heard a rumour that those scars on his cheeks are where Larinian himself pressed his dagger into his flesh and made him vow silence” said Dialar, the others turned and gave him a look of disbelief.

“Why, what did he do that displeased the ‘great’ Lord?” Theran asked. Karnon shook his head before replying,

“I’m not actually sure, I heard he came from Alorna with his family and his strength was noticed by Larinian’s men so he was conscripted”  

Sharla watched as Larinian walked away, leaving Valan to drop to the table gasping for air. She slowly approached and picked up his book which lay on the floor. She placed it next to him and placed her free arm on his rattling hand to calm him slightly. He quickly stared at her pale fingers and her kind touch with realisation that someone seemed to have sympathy towards him, something he hadn’t experienced for a long time.

“Are you ok?” Sharla asked.

Valan stayed silent and gave a very discrete nod in response and listened to her soft words.

“Alright, I’ll be over the other side of the hall if you need someone to talk to, I know what it feels like to be alone and I don’t wish that on someone like you!”

He watched her disappear into the crowd of tall soldiers and then pulled his book back over before him. He opened its pages to where he was before he was attacked and pressed his quill into page.

Whilst crossing the room Sharla turned and saw Hanron stood in a doorway, discretely beckoning her over. She gazed over to her friends and saw that they were waiting for her. She held up a hand as a sign of having to wait as she began to head over to the General.

Hanron guided Sharla down the hallway and into the small indent that she had spoken to Theran in a couple of days ago. He had a look in his eye that suggested he knew of something he meant to tell her.

“The plan is set; we are to rescue your sister and mother in this day at nightfall”

“You mean you’ve been to see them!?” Sharla said with a raised voice. Using his hands Hanron reminded her that they were still within hearing range of the hall, not that anyone would be able to hear through the mindless conversations.

“I have, your mother and sister are kind and strong, much like you, and I trust they will not let us down in their part. Oh and Miss Ember asked me to give you this” he said, taking from his pocket the gold hair ring and handing it to Sharla. Sharla stared at it in her palm and recalled the same memories Ember had in mind upon giving Hanron the object. 

“I have also told Larnkor of what has come to pass, of the sun child being here in this city and the importance of helping her get away so that she may rise and return. He is to mobilize the entire unit in order to see you escape and Miss Ember’s freedom.” He then said.

A small tear came to Sharla’s eye as she realised how important her sister was to so many, they were prepared to lay down their lives so that she could get out of Arzutare to safer grounds.

            “Thank you Hanron, I thought coming here would be the darkest days of my life, but I have met some kind people, and the opposite. I never thought coming to Koren would be the cause for our freedom. Now it looks as if I will see Ember this night and we will all break free of Larinian’s rule!” she whispered sharply. Hanron then hinted to keep her voice down once again as footsteps approached. Then appeared the same man from the days before who had caught Sharla and Theran talking in the same hallway.

            “Move along Hal, this conversation does not concern you!” Hanron declared.

“You really are miserable, your only friends in Koren are children!? I’m surprised you know how to show kindness towards the younger ones. And who’s this; you’re friends with this scheming rat? I thought you had enough pride left in you to at least befriend someone worth your wasted time”

“You can insult me all you want, but you leave him alone. I think you are the miserable one, do you really expect to achieve anything through this intimidation?!” shouted Sharla in Hanron’s defence.

 “You will not speak to me like that again girl, you owe me respect for I am a General of Larinian’s army!” he evilly responded with his teeth grinded in anger.

“This is Sharlon’s daughter, I think you owe her more respect” Hanron snapped.

“Sharlon’s daughter...I see weakness in her, and a malicious nature about her person, yes she is Sharlon’s daughter”

Both Hal and Sharla stared fiercely into one another’s eyes however Sharla was quickly pulled away by Hanron who then whispered to her,

 “Sharla, forget your anger, there’ll be a time to relinquish it, now please, I don’t want you getting involved in the life of someone who really is not worth it”

She began to move away from Hanron but he then whispered I her ear,

            “Keloro’s tower, midday, tell the others”

She looked briefly at the General and understood what was asked of her. she then began to continue her journey to the hall when Hal’s voice sniggered in her ears,

“Do run along little girl, run like your father!” Sharla clenched her fists to retaliate but knew this was not the place to act out against the law and instead carried on as she was, loosening her grip and taking a deep breath.

An hour or so later the sun cast a dim haze over the grounds of Keloro’s Court that afternoon. Larnkor’s unit was practicing formations and drills in the courtyard in the shadow of the lone tower.

Upon the session finishing the other soldiers dispersed to other areas of the court, to the ranges, barracks, meeting hall and even elsewhere in Koren Court’s large complex. Theran headed quickly over to Sharla and took her to a quiet area in the shadows of the observation balcony above the yard. On their way over Larnkor made eye contact with Sharla and gave her a discrete nod with an expression of contained happiness. She smiled as she then knew that Hanron had spoken to his friend about the plan.

            “Did you go and see Hanron?” Theran asked with his hands placed on his friend’s shoulders.

            “Yes, he went to see Ember!”

Sharla took out the golden hair ring she had received and held it against her heart.

            “This is what she gave Hanron to give to me!”

            “Something you stole from the market perhaps?” Theran sighed sarcastically.

            “Well, um, I suppose it might be”

Theran tried to keep a straight face but burst out laughing and then Sharla too began to giggle.

 Suddenly then the loud bell rang from Keloro’s tower and its echo once again clashed with that of the many other bell towers around the Koren complex.

            “I hate this wretched sound!” yelled Sharla above the noise.

            “Don’t worry, you never get used to it, I’ve been here for three weeks now and the sound still cuts straight through me!”

            “I can’t really hear you!”

Theran stood even closer to Sharla and cupped his hands around her ear as he spoke.

            “Don’t we need to go to Keloro’s Tower now?”

Sharla nodded with her hands on her ears and then she and Theran began to walk inside of the Court to an old stairway

It was square and twisted around the four walls of the inside of the tower, a large square pillar in the centre. At the top was a door which Sharla opened with a creaking hinge and she led Theran into the room where the ceiling was a metal grating and above that was the bell which had not stopped ringing but still gave a low tone of vibration in the air. There was a large pulley rope which descended through the floor and into a chamber below. All about the room which was lit by two small windows on two of the walls were dusty barrels, crates, wooden planks, bows, arrows and surplus dummies.

The two friends went and sat upon two of the barrels in silence, waiting for the others to arrive. They looked at each other and smiled, but said nothing. Slowly Theran went to take hold of Sharla’s hand but then the door burst open again and Karnon entered with a heavy breath.

            “Don’t worry you two, carry on doing…what ever it was you were doing...” he said conspicuously. He was followed by Dialar who raised his eyebrows at the sight of his waiting companions. A short while later Valan walked in and smiled at Sharla before going to sit down on the crates where Karnon already sat and they creaked under his weight.

            “You sure that can hold you up?” Dialar asked.

            “No, but I’m sure I can hold you up” he replied with a haughty smile.

Just then the sound of another arrival sounded on the door-hidden stairwell. The door then opened and Larnkor helped Hanron in and they walked side by side to the centre of the room, looking at those who had turned up. 

Behind them a few more appeared, Theran recognised them as some from his own unit and Larnkor welcomed them, grouping them into the centre o the room with him.

“These here are Masters Dargor, Dilarn and Tolinar, along side Master Theran and Miss Sharla; they are my most trusted warriors and I trust they will do well in the events to come.”

Hanron then saw someone new in the room bowed to him and Valan did likewise.

            “Master Valan of Tara’s unit has agreed to join us, Sharla spoke to him after he was attacked by Hal” Karnon stated. Hanron pulled a face at the very mention of Hal’s name but he shrugged it off and focused on what was happening at present.

            “Good, the more help the better.” Hanron replied.

            “Are we getting further help?” Karnon asked.

“Yes, I have also informed the stable masters of our plan as they too are part of Keloro’s Court, but they reside in the stable a short distance away. You are to escape on horseback through the city; it will be faster and much more likely to succeed. Myself and the other archers shall guide you through and try and destroy any opposition to your dangerous passage” Larnkor mentioned.

Hanron started to pull a crate over to the centre of the room and Karnon and Valan followed likewise. Soon there was a makeshift table right below the silent bell above. Larnkor gathered his men around it and Theran helped Sharla up to stand near it also.

Hanron placed a scroll at one end and rolled it out along the top of the boxes. What was displayed now before everyone was a map of Arzutare. Not many people had seen a full map of the city before and its size and labyrinth like streets took everyone by surprise.

“Should we go through the plan then?” Larnkor suggested.

“Yes we should. Ok, up here you will notice the symbol of the ‘Axes of Cavadon’ this is Koren Court.” Hanron began, pointing to a far side of the map.

            “Riding east of Koren we will come to the gates into the town of Arnur. From there it is a straight ride towards Arnur Bridge across the river of the same name.”

            “And onto…Ringwater…are we seriously going to ride around Larinian’s Lair on horseback?” Dialar muttered.

            “Do you see any other way?” asked Dargor.

            “Our only other way is around Rinar Lake and through the fields of Kongar towards the northern wall.” Tolinar replied.

            “Ringwater is more dangerous yes, but it is quickest and also closer to where we need to stop” Hanron began to explain once again. A few looked at him in uncertainty

            “Stop? Why must we stop if we’re trying to break out?”

            “Because we are to collect two others without whom this entire plan of mutiny would not go ahead, we need to get them out of here as fast as we can if we are to hope for a better future” Hanron answered. He glanced at Sharla across the other side and she nodded a little in understanding.

            “And who are they?” asked Karnon.

“Sharla’s mother and sister, without them we would not be discussing this plan”

            “Whilst it is all fine that we prepare to break out in a moment of dissolution, but how are we supposed to get the army to strike up an assault on its own city? The only thing that could cause such a shut down in control would be if the sun child suddenly emerged”

            “I told you Sharla’s sister is the reason this plan is happening, but I have not told you why” Hanron said slowly. The faces of everyone around the table apart from Theran, Larnkor and Sharla herself looked puzzled and anxious to hear what came next.

            “Sharla’s sister was indeed born on the day of the red sun; she is the sun child, the bane of our Lord Larinian and the only person who could allow for our escape.”

            “This plan has never been about us escaping Koren has it? It has been about securing a passage and means for the sun child to break out of Arzutare” Dialar muttered.

            “So they’ve been in this city for seventeen years…” said Dargor. Hanron gave either of them a small nod and then he spoke,

            “Yes, both of you are correct, what will soon be realised is that both wars of Danalavonia were fought for no reason, so many died trying to cross into Calamiha when we were attacking them for a reason they were right to deny.”

            “We must focus here and now, we must rescue the sun child. It has been all of our dreams to see the Lord fall and here is out chance. She has vowed to do what she must to alert Larinian of her existence and when it has become realised it is presumed the entire army will be called forth into the city. amidst this chaos we ride”

“And then what?” asked Theran.

            “We must get as far away from Larinian as possible. In any other realm we would be safer, but Arzuria still claims control over them. Erivania is the safest realm but it lies on the doorstep of Kornia. It would seem the only option we have is to take the safe path south through the abandoned mountain paths and into the safer forests and from there, we head south to Danalavonia”  

            “You mean for us to cross into Calamiha?!” Sharla said suddenly for not even she knew this part of the plan.

            “W…what? We’d be killed on the borders of Calamiha!” Dargor argued.

Hanron shook his head and look across at Dargor and then to everyone else.

            “That will not happen..”

            “How can you be sure?” Tolinar interrupted.

            “If you let me finish…The Erivanian regiments in the last war were the last to withdraw, after the Arzurian regiments cowered back to their city in shame. They surrendered to the Calamihans and as they did they swore a secret alliance to them that if the sun child ever returned they would make no effort under Arzurian control to kill them. if we were to escape into Calamiha we’d need to rid ourselves of this armour and wear that of our Erivanian allies”

            “So our journey is to take us to Erivania!?” asked Theran excitedly

            “I’m going home!”

            “We won’t be able to stay there long, the Kornians will be alerted the emergence of the sun child and will most likely be ordered to overrun the less powerful realms like Erivania.” Hanron answered.

Valan sat on a barrel close to the table with his book in his hand and a quill in the other once again and he scribbled away at something whilst the others spoke.

            “Is the plan understood to everyone? Hanron will take his ‘brigands’ through the city to rescue the sun child, my unit will make sure the path is clear” Larnkor asked.

            “‘Brigands’?” mumbled Hanron unsurely, his eyebrows raised.

            “That is the name given to your group of troublemakers by the other units of Koren, they know you favour the disrupters of peace…I thought you knew?”

            “No, I did not…So this is it, from when we leave this tower we are officially mutineers. You should all get your rest. Masters Theran, Karnon, Dialar, Valan and Miss Sharla, meet me at the stables at sundown where we wait, I have some last minute business to finish. You other three follow your General Larnkor back to the barracks where he is to address the rest of the unit on their orders.” Hanron instructed.

Dargor, Tolinar and Dilarn bowed to the others before following Larnkor down from the tower and were followed by Hanron. Karnon turned to Valan, who had just stood up and closed his book, and placed a hand on his shoulder.

            “Myself and Dialar shall stop by Torvar’s Hall at sundown and wait for you, if you are ok with that, we should get used to travelling together and the beginning of our journey starts this day”

Valan placed a free hand on Karnon’s shoulder and nodded in agreement. Dialar turned to Sharla and Theran who were hugging in both nervousness and excitement. They broke away from each other to look at their friend.

            “We must return to Dorvar’s hall, but we shall meet again at the stables. Your family has given us our freedom Sharla, thank you.”

He and Karnon then left the room and were soon followed by Valan who placed his barrel back tidily with the others so that it did not look out of place. As he passed by he smiled at Sharla and saluted her with the book in his hand.

            “We should go and pack Shar, it will only be a matter of hours until the sun dies and we need to rest before then, it will be a long night” Theran insisted. Sharla smiled warmly at him and he opened the tower door for her as she walked onto the stairs.

As the day dragged on the skies darkened into a display of oranges and purples and gradually the torches were lit across the Koren complex. The great hall of four towers looked gloomy in the setting sun and birds flew above its four high flags not knowing what evil lay beneath.

Valan emerged from his barracks and met with Dialar and Karnon who had snuck out of Dorvar’s Hall from the other swordsmen. They then began to travel through a wide courtyard and then onto the path which spanned across the bridge above the gorge overlooking the training grounds. In the distance was the faintly lit Keloro’s Court.

They entered the Court and looked down onto the yard below where Larnkor’s men were carrying around bows, arrows, armour and supplies. All moving silently in the thick of night.

            “Good, you’re here!” sounded the voice of Sharla as she and a tired looking Theran arrived before them.

            “Yes we are kid, but where is the old General?” asked Karnon.

            “He will join us shortly; he told us earlier that he needed to take care of a few things. Come, we should go” Theran answered. The five of them walked through the Court and out of a gate onto a field before a distant stable block.

            “The whole of Larnkor’s unit is riding out; they’re to make sure the gates are open when we need them to be” Sharla said.

            “Well where are they then?” asked Dialar.

            “They’re travelling through underground tunnels which have not been used for years, beneath this very path which connect the court to the stables. If another General was to see an entire army heading for the stables they’d get suspicious”

The stables were a short way south of Keloro’s Court along a small path. The building had a high roof and large doors above which was a large stone carving of an armoured horses head, staring down upon all that entered.

The large entrance was jolted open and inside were multiple floors of stables with wide ramps descending where the horses could be brought down from the floors above. There was also a ramp descending below the building and into its foundations where even more horses were kept.

Karnon, Dialar and Valan were guided into the stable by stable bucks who wore only grey leather armour, much like the archers. They were shown to their horses and each had their own name for they were as much a part of the army as the men who rode them.

Sharla and Theran stood outside in the shadow, watching the world slip into the sunset in the last day of peace Arzutare would see for a long time.

            “I hope Ember manages alright, she’s never been outside before. Well Theran, if this doesn’t work out its quite clear we will be found out for mutiny and executed at worst, but I want you to know that I would not have survived here had it not been for your kindness, for your trust and loyalty, I thank you with all my heart” Sharla said softly and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek.

Theran smiled and blushed a little, Sharla was his best friend and they’d only know each other for a few days. He was inspired by her strength, commitment, bravery and kindness and would follow her to any end that the day would bring.

            “I believe in you Sharla, and hence I believe in Ember, I am sure she will do what she must. Come, we should go inside and wait for Hanron”

“She will do, she’s the sun child, the bane of Arzuria”

***

Darkness hit the skies above Arzutare and no one felt it more than Ember who stood in her room, gazing at the moon and its bright glow which lit the peaks of clouds.

            “I’ll see you soon sis” she whispered as she turned away. She fastened the buckle at the top of the corset-type dress she now wore which went to her knees that were covered by dark baggy trousers tucked into her boots.

She slipped on a long dark cloak and stood looking at Sharla’s messy bed which had not been touched since the day she left.

The old stairway creaked as she went down it step by step, raising her hood and tucking her hair within it. She brushed off her sleeves and trousers but stopped to turn a corner when she reached the hallway. Her mother saw her appear and came quickly from the kitchen and hugged her tightly.

            “You know where you’re going, remember what I told you?” she asked.

            “I will find Ringwater, I will not fail what I have been trusted with, and I will not fail Sharla!”

“Do what you must, don’t be too long my darling. I am scared for you, but I know you will do good, go now and let us be rid of this oppression once and for all!”

She pulled away to let her mother open the door. A rush of cold night air flooded in and the glow of the moon lit up the cobbled road beyond the safety of her own home. Ember now saw the outside world for the first time through her own eyes. A long breath was taken as she passed underneath the door and onto the path outside which cut between overgrown grass. She turned back around and saw her mother smile as she closed the door, leaving her firstborn alone in the outside world where she had never been.

            “Miss Emlyn?” mumbled a nearby voice. Ember knew that it was Miss Lilion but did not turn to face her. Instead she ignored the old woman as her mother would have and went about her task which had been trusted to her. The old woman was lighting a lamp which hung from the overhanging room above her house and simply grunted at her neighbour’s ignorance.

Before Ember the street went on for some distance and every house looked the same as hers and the chimneys above the rooftops cast frequent shadows across the cobbles. A couple of people passed her by, drunk-like and noisily, but did not notice anything strange about the hooded girl. Ahead the street ended and a guard moved across from one side to the other on horseback. Nor did he notice Ember who crept out onto the same street after he had vanished out of view. She turned right and the path was wider now and was made of slabs instead of cobbles. It was what was known as the parade plaza where the army used to show its might on marches through all three towns of the city. Those days were long gone now and grass grew between the slabs here as it did everywhere else.

Behind the houses and through alleyways Ember could see the water of Ringwater River dazzling in firelight from the lit up town on the island. The sound of the flowing river was only slightly heard under drumming of her own heartbeat.

The riverside plaza took Ember to a large opening in the street where as she looked down she could see the city’s main road creeping into blackness amidst a distant view of a fire lit wall on the perimeters of Arzutare. Turning west upon the wide road she saw a flat, long stone bridge and behind it’s was the three towered lair of Larnian.

Ember began to walk onto the old wide bridge facing the Lords Court. Its walls were dimly lit by torches in windows within its large fortress and the flags blew only mildly against the darkness of night. There were guards stood at the end of the bridge between trees which grew in front of the Court on the road that went around it. They stood and watched as a mysterious figure walked alone upon the cobbles above the river.

She looked back at them knowing full well that they were alerted by her presence and walked between the walls either side of the bridge where stood beacons of fire lighting the way to the Court’s shadow.

There she came to a stop above Ringwater River, something then stirred in the air. The guards looked up to the beacons which began to behave strangely, flickering like the pulse of a person’s blood. It was then that Ember pulled down her hood and her hair was caught only slightly in the night breeze. Here she gave testament to the ages of fear which came before her. True as Sapphire said she could not control her own mind once it had become unhinged and as like Sapphire, Ember’s eyes had become orange. Steadily Ember lifted her cloaked arms to the air and the beacons grew higher. Their fiery ferocity sent slight vibrations up the bridge to the guards who began to recoil in a growing warm breeze. They now saw what wrath had become evident as Ember began to move forwards once more and stones began skipping along the road, each beacon erupted with an infernal rage as she passed them and as they did the fire from each began to twist and roar behind her, forming a body of flames trailing behind her cloak.

            “Go, we must inform Lord Larinian, the sun child is here!” shouted one guard to the other as the crackling from the immensity of Ember’s summoning grew louder. He began to run towards the court but was then brutally taken down when a twisting barrel of fire spurted from behind Ember and engulfed him in its scorching heat. As the flash of a second attack dispersed both men appeared, crawling on the ground alight and their screams echoed into the night.

They had succumbed to their pain and lay still with boiled flesh under the trees before the court. Guards had gathered on its high walls, the Lord had been informed of the wretched crying of his own breed. Those very trees suddenly burst into light as Ember exerted all of the remaining fire unto their branches and they too became enormous beacons, surrounding the Court’s grounds in a hovering ring of fire.

Arzutare’s wrath had been awakened and its conjurer now swept back across the bridge into the dark streets of the city to wait for the end of it all.