Wagon

The Realm of Men

Chapter 27: North & South

The door to the cabin swung open and the rugged captain took a few steps inside. With a hand still upon the door's handle he bowed his head in turn to the princess and her knight. "Princess. Sir. We're here." The officer announced prior to disappearing back to the main deck. Josephine had already prepared herself to depart the ship. Since she first had seen the landmass appear in the distance through the cabin's windows she had been eager to set her feet upon solid ground again. She despised ships, they made her feel exposed and vulnerable upon the vast nothingness that is an ocean. But now she was finally getting off the damn thing, and she swiftly tugged on her black leather gloves and threw the fur cloak around her shoulders. Sir John, too, was ready. Her guardian stood near the cabin's entrance, clad in the same dark leathers as before. He smiled thinly as the princess approached and parted his lips to speak.
"Are you ready?" Josephine nodded strictly and silently, and Sir John could tell that if she did not get off the vessel at once she might very well leap out through the nearest window. The knight gave a nod in return and thereafter marched out from the cabin with the princess in swift pursuit.

My Hider

youtu.be/3lCatuqheoU?t=45m17s 45:17 - 46:08

The cold breeze and salty scent washed over her like a tidal wave as soon she stepped out upon the main deck, and the sound of bickering seagulls reached her ears. The crewmen were too occupied to prepare the ship for mooring to pay the princess and knight any attention - except the captain. The sailor sauntered over to the duo and turned around to stare out over the intimidating crags reaching up on the ships' portside. Josephine followed his gaze and soon saw the towering walls appear amongst the rocks. The fortified harbour-town of Cliffport rose up subtly within the bay. A multitude of ships laid in dock, primarily warships that were preparing themselves for conflict. Josephine continued to scour her gaze; she could make out the guards patrolling on the walls, the merchants pulling their carts and fisherman reeling in their lines. Further up she saw the town expand with various larger buildings, which she presumed were manors of some sorts and perhaps a town hall. At the far end of the bay stood the lighthouse steadily upon the top of the deadly cliffs.

Josephine huffed a breath and made her way over to the side with Sir John follwing behind. She was young, and to some, inexperienced. But she knew exactly what to do the minute she was off the board. She smiled to herself as the ship closed in towards the docks.

*

"Do they even know we're here? Reckon they can't see much behind those walls..." Arthur muttered sullenly to himself, though he had been loud enough for the few men nearby to hear him, and they joined him in quiet compliance. Arthur pulled his cloak further around him against the cold - the endless cold and snow that seemingly had afflicted the land around the capital city. It was a nuisance to the northmen, regardless how used they were to the toughest of winters. At least the snow did not impede them in times of war as severely as it did to the southern nations. Irksome as it was, they learned how to most efficiently maneuver around and wage battle in the snow a long time ago.

The sound of footsteps approached Arthur from behind and the small band of soldiers closeby bowed their heads after looking towards the same direction. Leofric halted next to Arthur and frowned bitterly at the icy walls a few miles off into the distance. The king broke the silence after a short while. "Still nothing?"
Arthur shook his head. "No. Dead as the grave is what it is. Don't even know if they're aware we're here. If they do, they've certainly not made any notice of it yet."
Leofric snorted and glanced aside. The entrenchment stretched to either side for hundreds of meters and ultimately curved around the vast camp to protect it from the sides, reinforced with barricades and wooden stakes.
"We'll test the strength of those ice walls when our siege weapons arrive. But even if they refuse to falter there are other ways into the keep. I presume that you know of them still?" Leofric turned his attention to the knight beside him, who nodded.

"Indeed, sire. Give me a hundred men and the knights and I'll make their lives terribly sour." Arthur replied with grim determination. Leofric would've scoffed at any other man's claim at such, but he knew Arthur's leadership and skill at arms, so he simply nodded instead, content with the answer.

"Perhaps the Lady will even offer you her blessings."
Arthur grunted. "I still know preciously little about this Lady."
Leofric placed his left hand on the pommel of his blessed sword, forever radiating in a bright, gilded flame. "I'm certain she will make herself known to all eventually, just like she did to me. She will guide us to victory against this wicked foe that we now face, that much I know."

Arthur nodded and leered off towards the capital's witchcrafted walls of ice. "I hope so. We'll need it against this."

The Realm of Men

-

The Realm of Men

Chapter 26: Outside Monarch's Rise

Leofric pulled in the reins and his armoured destrier obediently stopped. Behind him the order to halt resounded down the massive column and the marching cacophony of the army soon stopped. The king had brought the army up to a range of rolling hills near five miles away from Monarch's Rise, and from here he had an excellent overview of the nightmare in the distance. The once mighty capital had been defiled by wicked sorcery - its high walls had turned to sheer ice and increased two-fold in size. The snowy fields and trees outside the city were afflicted by some otherwordly purple taint, and they were infested by hundreds of shambling corpses. Leofric twitched a frown at the sight, he presumed the undead horde is what remained of the city garrison.

"Riders approaching!" a voice bellowed behind him. Leofric looked over his shoulder and saw a line of riders carrying the king's banner nearing. The horseman at the front held in a helmet of sorts by his side and his horse eventually stopped next to Leofric's own. The rider stared ahead at the twisted scenery and turned the ghastly helmet around in his hands.
"Well... I don't know what to say about that." Arthur said with some delay. He then glanced to Leofric and held up the helmet to show. "It was a successful hunt, anyhow. Now there's a few less of their patrols out there to terrorize the good people of this country." Arthur grinned and subsequently swung the helmet down the hills. It bounced lightly a few times before stopping.

Leofric nodded and shifted around in the saddle. "Their leader said he would release the captives. Did you see any sign of them?"
Arthur hummed in reponse. "I did. Two-thousand of them, further west. Seems our uninvited friend stayed true to his word. I sent the majority of my men to escort them to safety."
"Good."
"So, what happens now? Are we going to kick out this crook? Those ice walls look tough."
"We'll establish a solid frontline to keep them contained inside the city. As soon that is done I will send men north to summon reinforcements and our siege weapons."

Leofric exhaled irritably and turned his gaze from the city to the knight at his side. "Give the order. The sooner we're set up the better, this weather could turn to their favour at any moment."
Arthur bowed his head and turned around to shout out a series of orders down the column of footsoldiers and horsemen. The orders were in turn carried on by the officers and soon the massive formation begun to dissipate as the soldiers moved off to establish their siege lines. Leofric remained on the same spot and tightened his grasp around the reins. Deep down he felt a tingling fear, but not over the inevitable battle. His daughter had been in the capital. The fleet he dispatched had been ordered to blockade the city by sea, but in addition to that he also commanded Admiral Aversbury to safely get the princess out from the city.

He muttered a prayer to the Lady, hoping that Josephine's guardian had been successful in leading her out through the secret tunnels.

The Realm of Men

Chapter 25: Escape

The uproar from the outside sounded well within the keep. The exterior wall had collapsed and it wouldn't be long now until the attackers breached the final gates. The girl was barely keeping up with the elderly knight as they rushed through the various halls and corridors of the keep, but her grip around his wrist was iron. They had been navigating around the keep for a while before her protector finally spoke up to her relief. "It's not far now, princess. Just a little further."
She felt her smidge of worry dissipate, the knight still remembered the path - he had to. Eventually they stopped by a large wall, adorned by an equally large painting that depicted the northern highlands. As always, she was absorbed by its masterwork beauty and didn't notice the wall open up to reveal the tunnel behind until the knight hollered for her. "This way, princess!"

The knight reached out for a nearby torch on the wall and cautiously made his way down the set of stairs that led into darkness. He reached behind him with his free hand and the princess swiftly scurried up behind him to take it. Shortly after she sneezed.
"I know. Nobody has used this passage for decades, the dust is everywhere." the knight muttered as he continued down the steps under the illumination of the torch. The princess nodded meekly to herself and glanced sideways to the walls. They were plain and terribly dusty, but she did not expect anything else from the secret passage. The opulence was reserved for the rest of the keep.
She sniffled and looked back ahead, past the knight and into the darkness. "Is it far, Sir John?" She eventually inquired in a well-practised highborn tone. She was only twelve, yet she carried with her the royalty and authority of her father and dynasty. The only dynasty.
"Do not worry, princess. We'll be out in a few minutes." Sir John concisely replied. She nodded and fell silent. The knight took to words before she could think about what to ask next. "I'm taking you north, Josephine, to friends and safe harbours. Nobody can harm you there until your father has restored order."

She nodded again and looked behind her but was solely met by darkness. The air inside the passage was near unbearable and thick from the dust, and she felt as if she was suffocating. She was just about to tell her guardian when rays of light pierced through the darkness. She blinked a few times and looked past the knight. A distance infront of them barred an iron gate their path with two men on the other side of it. Upon spotting the princess and the knight, one of the men rose a large hammer and swung it down upon the rusted lock that kept the gate shut and knocked it off with ease. The men opened the gate and allowed the two others to pass through, out into the fresh air. Josphine took a deep breath to wash the salty air down her lungs but had little time to do anything else. Sir John urged her on and they continued down a petrous path along the crags below Monarch's Rise, though she heard preciously little from the city above.

The path took a turn and led them to the shore. A small group of men armed with swords and garbed in stout leathers waited by a boat that would take them to a ship that lay anchored further out. Josephine could see other ships as well, though they were much further out and appeared to sit in some form of formation. The group stopped by the boat and the guards gestured for them to get in. Sir John entered first and positioned himself in the center, beckoning Josephine over, who climbed in next and sat down next to the knight, cluctching his arm with a hand for balance. The rest of the men thereafter followed and one of them pushed the boat off of shore. They dipped down the oars and started to row towards the waiting ship.

The waves were vicious, but the rowboat made its way to the ship without incident. A rope ladder was lowered down along the portside and Josephine, Sir John, and the armed escort climbed up in turn to the ship's main deck. The ship was bustling with activity, and as soon the group was on steady feet a man bellowed across deck. "They're onboard!"
A prominent man upon the upper deck raised a hand. Josephine assumed he was the ship's captain. "Signal the fleet! We have her!"

A crew member rushed to the main mast, although Josephine couldn't quite see what he was doing. Moments after a white and blue flag were raised high and the princess followed them with her gaze until they reached the top of the mast. She then squinted off at the formation in the distance and could just barely spot a hoisting flag from one of the ships in response. She didn't know what the flags meant, but they were used for some sort of communication.

"Princess?" Sir John's voice sounded from her left. She looked to him and he gestured her along. The two followed a sailor into one of the cabins and they had a clear view to the outside from several windows.
"The captain would be honored to accommodate the princess in his cabin until we have reached a secure port." The sailor spoke up, directed to Sir John, who simply nodded. "Your captain has our thanks. You may leave."

The sailor briskly left the cabin and shut the doors behind him. Josephine sat down next to the windows and peered outside. She could hear the many voices of the crew on the deck and within moments the ship begun to move. She turned her head and looked up towards Monarch's Rise, doubting if she would see it again in its current state. She worried for her friends that she had to leave behind in the keep, and she worried for her father that was out there somewhere, poised to take back the city.

The Realm of Men

Chapter 24: The plan

Leofric turned the small box around in his hand and studied it closely. He didn't trust it, for all he knew it would kill him the moment he opened it up. But why would his opponent go through all that effort just to give him an item that would kill him? He could have done it moments ago with his army, run down the whole camp and butchered every single northman. Eventually he reached out with his other hand to open the box. It did not kill him. In fact, it contained a glowing white orb, similar to a pearl. Leofric picked up the orb and weighed it in his hand. It was enchanted, the radiance professed that. But what was it for, exactly?
Leofric didn't much care to find out right now and placed back the enchanted item into its box and spun around to march back into the camp and further on up the Hunter's Hill. His soldiers around the camp gradually cooled down and returned to what they had been previously doing prior to the unwanted visit of the Rider King.

He was furious at his enemy. The fool could have knocked on the gates of Monarch's Rise and inquired about the wizard like a civilized man rather than invading, Leofric thought to himself. Now he had to somehow find the wizard that disappared into thin air after infiltrating his camp the other night. The Rider King had not given a specific date on when he wanted the wizard delivered, so Leofric had plenty of time - he hoped.

A small group of officers conversed with one another at the top of the hill when Leofric approached. The men bowed as the king passed and then followed on, back towards the makeshift command post in the hunter lodge. Leofric mused over his options as he entered the house and circled around the large table in the center of the room. He placed down the gifted box and looked over it once more to verify that the thing was harmless. The group of officers that followed in turn leered towards the object questioningly but made no comments, instead they looked back at the monarch in anticipation.
Leofric frowned and stared down at the map on the table with several markers placed out at various locations. He realised that he had no easy solution to finding the enigmatic wizard, so he made his decision - the only decision he thought that might draw back the wizard. And it was risky.

"We will proceed as planned and break camp. We'll march north until we reach Boreal Bay and set up our siege lines a thousand yards from the walls." Leofric tapped a finger over the location on the map. Monarch's Rise was on the opposite end of the bay. "Once there we can dispatch riders to our other regions and summon reinforcements."
The officers nodded silently in consent and followed the king's gestures on the map.
"If our enemy stay true to his word and release the prisoners, then I want men ready to escort them away to safety. Send a raven to the Midway force in the south as well, update them on the situation here. Do you all understand?" Leofric glanced up and glowered at the officers around the table who nodded their heads. Leofric concluded with a nod of his own and thereafter dismissed the men. He watched the last officer shut the door behind him and then turned around to gaze out from a nearby window, absorbed in thought.

With some luck his next major maneuver would attract the attention of the wizard again, and hopefully he would return to preach about making peace with the enemy and spouting nonsense about the wheel of fate. This time he was planning on talking with him, though.

Leofric sighed. "Damnable wizards."

The Realm of Men

Chapter 23: Men & Monsters

"Quiet..."

Riders and horses both lay in cover behind the crest of the wide hills in silence. Only occasionally did some of the soldiers mutter to their beasts to keep them calm amidst the terrible waiting. The hills erupted a short distance away from the interspersed copses that stretched along the frozen lake. Next to the lake and between the trees a dirt road slithered through, once used principally by farmers to transport their goods to and from larger settlements. Arthur huffed out a cold breath and removed his helmet. He crawled up to the edge of the slope to glance across to the other side, towards the lake, the road and the trees. The silence had been unnerving, considering that the knight had a hundred men and horses next to him - but that silence had been broken when the sound of approaching horses and foreign words cut through the icy air. Down by the road he could see a group of men, clad in wicked armors and sitting upon frosted horses. Arthur knew the colours, armors, accents and banners of nearly every country and renowed lord in the Realm. But he had never seen these before.

Arthur had to squint occasionally when the breeze picked up in a biting cold. After a short while he made his way back down the slope to the waiting soldiers.
"Approximately thirty of them down the road, heading west. They seem confident enough, probably aren't expecting any trouble out here other than smallfolk and farmers." Some of the men scoffed and shook their heads, cursing their foe and muttering cowardice behind their breaths.
"And they sure aren't expecting us." Arthur continued and sneered. The gesture was met with scattered chuckles. "We're going to show them just how wrong they are. Now, our foe looks mean - but have no fear, that's just the armor, and if they wear armor then they are mortal men, just like us. So strike true and watch each other's backs. Ready?" The troop nodded silently and Arthur gestured for them to mount up. A vague clinking noise spread through the Northern riders as they adjusted into the saddle and then looked towards their commander. To ride into battle with a high-ranking knight and the most renowed swordsman in the kingdom was a great honour to some, and it well showed on their determined and fearless features.

Arthur urged his partially armored destrier onwards and ascended to the top of the hill. On both his sides the soldiers followed, equally divided into fifty men on either flank. They now stood fully visible on the hill, but so far the enemy patrol had not spotted them. Arthur glanced to his left and right to ensure that everyone were in place. He leered towards the nearest banner briefly and nodded to himself prior to reaching for the grip of his longsword. He raised his free hand above his head briefly before lowering it again. The rank of horsemen steadily advanced forward, down the hills. After a few dozen yards Arthur kicked his heels into the flanks of his warhorse and spurred it into a furious gallop. Around him spears were couched and swords drawn as the mounted force burst into a unified warcry.

The enemy patrol finally turned their heads to gaze upon the approaching soldiers, their expressions hidden behind their deathly masks. Although they were outnumbered, they displayed no lack of courage and brandished their own weaponry, but the northmen's warhorses were already in a full-charge and trained for this - only a handful of the ghastly riders managed to turn their frozen horses around to face their enemy before they were hit by the tide of Men.

Arthur leaned to the left, the dark and icy blade cut through the air merely inches away from him. He heaved himself upright and spurred his horse on towards the next dark rider. This one was too occupied with selecting his prey to notice the knight's blade before it was too late. The rider fell off his monstrous horse, hands clasped around his throat that fountained blood. The skirmish was momentarily swinging in favour of the frozen riders as they cut down the first northmen that engaged them in combat, but gradually the Men gained the advantage, the dark riders were simply unable to parry so many blades and spears from too many directions.

The layer of snow on the ground turned increasing red as horses and men were butchered alike in the brutal clash. Arthur tugged in the reins and turned his horse around anew, charging at a new enemy that was locked in mounted combat against a northman armed with a sword and heater shield. The malicious rider turned its head towards the charging knight and with a flurry of maneuvers cut down his opponent that fell down from his saddle with a painful scream. The crooked rider then turned its own icy horse towards Arthur and spurred towards him, who in the last minute steered aside and in the process parried away a would-be lethal strike. The two opponents circled around before lunging at one another again. Briefly they were locked in even combat, each strike was parried away in a screech of metal against metal by the other. Finally Arthur got the better of his opponent, and followed up two parries with a swift riposte before his enemy could figure out where to strike next. The steel sunk in deep between the joints of the rider's armor. Arthur twisted the sword around to cause utmost damage before pulling it out in a spray of blood. The ghostly looking rider fell down with a hard thud, unmoving.

Arthur took a breath and glanced up. The skirmish was practially over, with only a meagre handful of enemies still resisting, they were ultimately cut down. The soldiers dismounted and walked amongst the fallen enemies, ensuring that they remained dead by plunging their weapons into them a few additional times. The invaders had brought down a fair number with them, at least fifteen to twenty, Arthur thought. He lowered his gaze to his last kill and dismounted himself, dropping down to a knee at its side.

"Well then. You bleed and die just like any other. What are you, exactly..." Arthur muttered to himself as he reached out for the dead rider's helmet and promptly tore it off.

The knight scoffed derisively.

The Realm of Men

My Hider

youtube.com/watch?v=b6vyn7TlyK8

Chapter 22: Hunter's Hill

Clopping hooves struck against the paved road in abundance, announcing the approaching column long before it was seen. Dark-grey banners with with gilded lions tore through the chilly breeze, held proudly by the riders honored with carrying the Northlands' standards. A small collection of buildings appeared on the right side of the road, and the people who lived there were fully occupied with emptying their houses of what belongings they had into small carts. News of the capital's fate had already spread a fair distance, though upon spotting the soldiers passing by, with no other than the king himself at the head of the army, the commoners hesitated. A few of them glanced between themselves in silent questioning before they slowly started to empty the carts this time. Perhaps they didn't have to flee, not yet. Someone was going to stop the phantom invaders.

They passed other groups of refugees on the road, mothers clutching their frightened younglings and fathers and sons conversing amongst themselves on where to seek sanctuary. Leofric glanced over his shoulder to peer down the column, watching as interspersed knights leaned down from their saddles to offer their own coin and bread to the desperate folks on the run. The knights received a myriad of good-wishes and blessings by the refugees that gingerly held onto their clinking tickets that would see them as far away as possible from the horrors of the capital.

Leofric leered skywards. There was no sun, not a tiny shed of warmth. Clouds stretched from one end of the horizon to the other, releasing a mild snowfall that slowly descended to the ground. At least it wasn't a storm. He sighed and reached down to a leather cylinder strapped to his right leg, and extracted a missive from it. They had been marching for half a day before the messenger had arrived with it, and the Castellan of the royal keep spoke of a huge device raised inside the capital city, with seemingly enough power to level the whole keep if the enemy leader willed it - their "king". Leofric scoffed to himself. He couldn't help but feel slightly amused over the arrogance of his new foe. The Northlands had no place for two kings.

They marched for another few hours, passing several other groups of refugees. Eventually a massive oak towered itself up in the distance, standing upon a hill with a wooden building beneath the protective branches. Tents and fires surrounded Hunter's Hill with dark silhouettes darting between them. The troops Leofric had summoned for were already present, and a series of horn blasts announced the new army approaching from the south. Distant cheering from the camp soon reached the king's ears, and although the odds were against them, Leofric had something his enemy did not - the courage of Men.

The door leading into the house opened. The hunter's lodge was a quaint thing, not necessarily belonging to anyone, but hunters frequently used it as a way station during long hunts, especially in the winter. Now it had been refurbished to a command post of sorts, with a large table in the center with several maps upon it, surrounded by a group of men. The soldiers turned around to face the door and subsequently bowed their heads for the royalty that had entered. Leofric marched across the creaking floorboards and took up a spot by the table while tugging off his gloves. The soldiers turned around again, and one of them - wearing a high-ranking officer's breastplate, spoke up first.
"We're all relieved that you are alive, your grace. Many of us feared the worst when we heard about the sacking of Lowburg."

Leofric nodded somewhat and glanced down at the map. Several lines detailing troop movement through the land and preliminary outrider reports regarding enemy positions had been sketched out on the map. He felt some relief that the enemy locations had only been marked in just an approximate mile radius around the capital city.
"Outriders report that a large number of enemy troops have bunkered down around Monarach's Rise, and that the land itself has twisted since this force arrived. Taking back the city won't be easy. It's going to cost us a lot of good men.", the officer continued.

Leofric glanced up at the officer for the first time. He was an elderly man with greying hair and a gruff beard, weary features and piercing blue eyes. The king recognized him, as he did with all his generals. "General Castleroy, have you received any word at all about the north?"
The general shrugged a shoulder and scratched his cheek. "No, your grace. The outriders don't dare to cirumvent the city in fear of being spotted by enemy patrols. I could have them use the smaller roads, but it's going to take them a few days longer to reach our northern regions."

The king knocked a few knuckles against the table. "Do so. I will send a raven to Fort Royal and inform our Midway guests of the threat we face and dispatch riders to harass the enemy meanwhile. Make your preparations, general. We march in the morning."

The same evening Leofric watched as the raven departed and flew south on its path towards Fort Royal. He glanced after it a few moments longer before spinning around on his heels to march through the camp. He approached a cluster of tents where a handful of armored men sat around a fire, jesting and laughing with one another.
"Sir Arthur. Take a hundred men and ride north, carve through what enemy you can find and give them a reason to glance over their shoulders. Remind them of where they are."

One of the men around the fire briskly rose up to his feet and grinned. "It will be my pleasure, sire!"

The Realm of Men

Chapter 21: When it rains...

The tent was brimming with the murmur between various officers and knights. Leofric sat in his chair and rubbed his eyes with a thumb and index-finger while sighing. After his encounter with the Lady of the Lake he had somehow found his way back to Lowburg, though strangely enough he had emerged fom the Silent Woods. He had suspected that the Lady or some of her elusive gentry had guided him back onto the beaten path without him ever knowing about it. He had immediately summoned his knights and the army's officers to the command tent raised outside of town and explained to them what had happened. At the start some of them had doubted the story's credibility, not that they ever dared to speak up and say it directly to their king. As a nail to the coffin, Leofric had drawn his sword to display the shimmering white light that surrounded the steel. After that there had been no more doubt - in fact, some of the men even seemed relieved by the knowledge that some higher power was watching over them.

A young lad on horseback had arrived not long after Leofric's return. The youngster had been garbed in the typical messenger's attire and his news had been dire. Word was that an otherwordly army had supposedly appeared out of nowhere and laid siege to the capital city of Monarch's Rise. A desperate battle had raged outside its walls but ultimately the defenders had been overwhelmed. According to the messenger's sources, the royal keep remained in friendly hands, but it was likely it wouldn't remain so for long. Furthermore, the messenger had informed Leofric that a force of obsidian armoured soldiers participated in the battle. Leofric was well aware of the soldiers in questions. The Knights of the First King, or more commonly known as the Grave Guard, was a highly skilled knightly order that answered directly to the king. The Grave Guard's mission was to guard each and every graveyard and cemetary in the Northlands, as well as pursuing and annihilating occult forces with malevolent intent - both phyiscal and spiritual. It had come as no surprise to Leofric to hear that these knights had been quick to join the field of battle.

Leofric idly drummed a few digits against one of the chair's arms and he suddenly felt terribly weary. He barely had enough time to rout one enemy before another beset his country. Eventually he pushed himself up from his seat and the tent fell silent - all eyes were on the king now, the officers and knights anxiously waited for their monarch to inform them on their next course of action.

"Like you, I have no idea who this enemy is or where they came from. But their intent is clear and we are at war with yet another foe." Leofric stepped away from his chair and moved across the tent to a large board that had been set up, a large map detailing the Northlands pinned upon it. Leofric pointed to a spot on the map, a castle with the name Monarch's Rise beneath it.
"Whatever they seek to achieve, it initially lies with the capital. They have ignored the surrounding lands and only carved a bloody path through the city. The keep still holds, but I suspect our enemy will eventually attempt to claim it. We will use this opportunity to mobilize against them. Scribe!"

A middle-aged man stepped forth from the crowd of officials with a board held in one hand and a quill in the other. Leofric eyeballed the scribe briefly before nodding. The scribe knew what to do next.
"I want every garrison from Knight's Rest to West Hearth to muster their troops and rally here - at Hunter's Hill." Leofric pointed between two locations before tapping a finger against a final, third location on the map. "Send word to Admiral Aversbury as well, inform him to move his fleet into a blockade here." Leofric gestured to the oceanic space on the map to the east of the capital. He then fell silent and watched the scribe, ensuring that he managed to keep up with noting everything down.

"Send out messengers at once. I also want outriders heading for the capital. They are to report any changes in the situation there. Get to it." Leofric dismissed them with a gesture and the group of officers and knights, along with the scribe promptly left the tent to get to work. The king watched his men leave and kept his gaze on the tent's opening for a few moments. His thoughts were spinning around in his head. Who was this new enemy and what exactly did they want? What was their grudge? Leofric had no idea. All he knew was that they had been caught completely off-guard by this unprovoked invasion, and that his enemy was not human.

He sighed. The Lady warned him about dark days approaching, but he never thought it would be this soon.

The Realm of Men

Chapter 20: The Lady

He landed on his feet but it didn't matter, his balance betrayed him and he toppled over with a heavy thud, landing on something relatively soft. He had been dazzled by something, but now his sight was gradually returning to normal. He stared up at trees, dense enough to block out the sky, but a few gaps through the branches revealed a twilight sky. How long had he been gone, and where exactly was he? Leofric rolled over to his left side and looked around him. A lush forest expanded around him, colourful and tranquil. Silent. Leofric blinked sluggishly to focus his gaze. Was he in the Silent Woods? He had never seen this part of the forest in that case. Something glimmering caught his eye and he turned his head towards it. Roots of some sorts had pierced up through the earth and twisted around themselves into what he could only describe as a pillar. The gnarled top of the pillar was similar to a crown, and in the center of it Leofric could spot a small glowing blue orb. That is what had caught his attention.
Leofric pushed himself up to his feet and leered suspiciously towards the orb. A short distance away from the strange pillar he could see another one, identical in shape with a glowing orb at the top. He counted up to near a dozen pillars after the first two, standing to the left and right of one another in a zig-zag pattern, as if outlining a path.

Briefly, Leofric contemplated if he had died - and if this was the afterlife. He glanced down at himself and spotted his sword by his feet. He crouched down to pick it up. The blade was soaked by crimson red, and a vague pounding in his back back and head made itself known No, he was still very much alive. The last thing he recalled was defending Lowburg's manor against his enemies. It had been a losing fight, but as soon he was about to get overwhelmed something had grabbed his shoulders from behind, and in a burst of light he was gone. He had no idea where he was, or if he even were in the Northlands still. But something had brought him here, and whatever it was it could still be around. Leofric reaffired his grip around the sword and slowly approached the rooted pillars.
It was eerily quiet in the forest. For such a lush place he thought to at least hear some form of chirping birdsong, but all he heard was his own footsteps and the rustling leaves beneath his boots. Leofric gingerly stepped closer to one of the pilars and realised that the orb of light was hovering within its crown, as well as emitting a low humming noise. He frowned somewhat in thought, he had never seen magic like this before. All of his instincts screamed at him to create distance between himself and the pillars, but he couldn't help but feel a strange sense of soothing and benevolence from the blue lights. Leofric extended a hand and to lay upon the pillar, if only to verify that it actually was made of roots, and despite the visual evidence he felt mildly surprised that such was the case. He gave the naturistic construct another eye-over before continuing down the invisible path. Ahead it took a turn, the lights bending around a few large moss-covered rock.

Rounding the rocks, Leofric saw the pillars continue down a slope and slither around in a path through the trees, disappearing off into the rich lush landscape. He exhaled silently and shuffled down the slope, intent on following the lights. They were guiding him somewhere, that was much evident. He turned his gaze upwards again, the sky was rapidly darkening and that darkness was encroaching upon the forest now. It made him feel at unease, but the shimmering blue orbs were made all the more apparent. He adjusted the grip around his sword and pressed on under the guidance of the pillars.
He wasn't sure how long he had been walking until a large expanse revealed itself a distance infront of him, past a cluster of trees. He stepped past them and realised that the expanse was in fact a sizable lake. Leofric leered skywards again and night had fallen long ago. As if strategically placed, the moonlight from above shone down upon the lake, revealing the purest looking water Leofric had ever seen. A burning sensation of thirst made itself known in the back of his throat, and though he had his suspicions about this entire ordeal he slowly approached the lake. Warily Leofric glanced around himself as he edged closer to the shoreline, but as before the forest stood completely silent. He plunged down the sword into the ground and dropped down to a knee, mail and plate rattling in protest. He lowered down a gloved hand to dip down the tips of his digits into the water. The water seemed natural at least, pure and potable.

A white light appeared in his peripheral vision, and in the blink of an eye Leofric had flewn up to his feet again and yanked up the sword from the earth. He stared out over the lake, straight at a source of the light - an enchanting woman with long, bright hair reaching down to her waist, garbed in a delicate dress or robe, Leofric couldn't tell the difference from the distance. She was slowly approaching him, walking upon the very surface of the lake on bare feet. When she neared he could make out her garments, a dress fit for royalty. Simple in design yet decorated with various, unknown patterns. She raised a hand, and Leofric could just barely make out a smile stretched over her features.

"Fear not, King of Men. I am no enemy of yours."

Her voice sung out from seemingly everywhere at once, though Leofric managed to keep his gazed fixated on her. There was something about her - like with the pillars, she radiated goodness and benevolence, regardless of her magical appearance. He lowered his weapon, the tip grazing against the ground. Leofric felt his heart pound in his chest as he spoke up. "Who are you?"

"I am the Lady. You are a guest in my domain.", her voice rung again. "You are safe here."

Leofric glanced to the left and right. Throughout the forest surrounding the lake he could see the same blue orbs shimmering in the dark from before. He concluded that there must be several paths leading around the forest. Wherever it now was. He looked back to the lady. "Why am I here? What do you want from me?"

The bright lady went closer, though Leofric stood his ground. Her aura was benevolent, pure and just. She smiled again.
"Dark days are upon us, King of Men. The world will shatter and bleed, kingdoms will fall to ruin. A tide is coming. But you have the strength to resist it."

Leofric blinked a few times. Dark days? A tide? He narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about? What is happening?"

The Lady smiled still, standing upon the surface of the lake, radiating a light that seemingly wasn't entirely blinding. "Darkness is coming for us all, threatening to plunge the world into chaos and ruin. You can help prevent this from happening."

"How?"

From seemingly nowhere, the woman procured a silver chalice which she held out. It was filled with water, presumably from the lake itself, Leofric guessed.

"Drink, King of Men. Restore your energy.", she smiled. Leofric stared at the chalice for a few moments and realised that he was exhausted and dehydrated from the trek through the woods. He took a breath and extended his free hand to take the chalice. He turned it around in his hand, inspecting its embellishment. Delicate patterns of gold engulfed the chalice into a beautiful creation that undoubtedly had not been made by normal men. Leofric huffed another breath before raising the chalice to his lips and draught. True to her words, he immediately felt reinvigorated by the water, and the thirst was as good as gone. Leofric glanced at the chalice questioningly and slowly held it out again. The woman took it back, and then held out her other hand.

"Now give me your sword."

Leofric raised his weapon and turned it around to extend it with the hilt first. The woman lirked her fingers around the grip and hoisted up the sword up from the king's hands. She turned around and walked back towards the center of the lake where she stopped. The chalice she held was gone now, and she grabbed the sword in both hands with the blade facing down. From the shoreline Leofric could hear her chant something in a language he had never heard, and saw then how she plunged down the sword beneath the lake's surface, only to raise it up moments after with the steel raditing a bright, white light. The lady of the lake turned around again and walked back towards the baffled Leofric. The light engulfing the steel gradually lessened, until it was just barely glowing, but it never fully dissipated. Stopping near the king, she extended the weapon back to him.

"Take it, King of Men. You will be my champion in the dark days to come. Use this weapon to defend mankind against the coming darkness, and fight well - in my name."

Leofric grabbed the sword by the grip and was certain that the weapon felt lighter now. He held it up to inspect the shimmering blade while processing the mystical woman's words. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but he knew that she was sincere, and a being of tremendous power, yet not in the twisting ways of magic he was used to. He nodded eventually and shifted his eyes back upon the woman.

"In your name."

The Realm of Men

Chapter 19: Setback

He slipped upon the blood on the floor but extended a hand to catch himself against the doorframe. Past the main entrance bodies lay scattered on the floor, friend and foe alike. Arthur inhaled sharply through his teeth and pushed himself away from the door, taking a cautious step forward to not slip again. Behind him came the other knights, warily glancing around them as they entered the manor. It was eerily silent with nothing but the scent of blood greeting them, Arthur heavily weighed the sword in his hand and hoisted it up to rest upon his right shoulder while approaching one of the side-rooms. Lowering the sword from his shoulder, Arthur pressed the tip of the steel against the door leading into the room, slowly pushing it open. Empty, of course. Arthur turned around with a silent sigh, the other knights had also gone about checking the remaining rooms. He looked over to one of them inquiringly, but his fellow knight merely shook his head. Nothing.

Arthur turned on the spot to face the stairs leading up, but before he could approach them something suddenly grabbed around his left boot. Arthur twisted his wrist, the cold steel rapidly pointed down at whoever had grabbed him. Captain Hal stared up at him, teeth gritted in pain with a layer of sweat dotting his forehead. His other hand was pressed against his abdomen, over an evident injury. "Sir.."

Sheathing the longsword, Arthur dropped down to a knee at Hal's side, a hand held against the officer's shoulder. "Captain. What happened?" Arthur inquired, his eyes shifting to the other man's injury. Hal's hand was bloodied as he kept it pressed against his injury, undoubtedly caused by a sharp object. Trails of crimson seeped through his fingers, and Arthur realised with a heavy heart that Hal did not have long left.
"The king...", he mustered through laboured breaths. "... he's not here. Taken. Infront of our eyes." Hal coughed hoarsely, his head turning to the side to stare off at nothing in particular. Arthur raised the visor on his helmet before lifting it off his head to put aside. "Was it the Raylians, captain? Where did they go?"

Hal looked back to Arthur, his head shaking to either side. "No... A woman. And light.", the injured officer's face twisted into something that resembled both disgust and fear. "Magic."

Arthur felt a chill creep down his spine. If magic is the culprit behind the king's absence, then the chances of finding him are near impossible. He withdrew his hand from Hal's shoulder and clutched his digits around the grip of his sword. "Are you absolutely sure?", he inquired. Perhaps there was a slim chance that Hal was simply delirious and uttering nonsense. But Hal's expression told no lies and he nodded weakly, reassuring both himself and the knight. "...need to find the king. You have to find him." Hal spoke up again, and with seemingly renewed vigour he reached out with his free hand to grab Arthur around his arm, but as quickly his energy had come, it disappeared, and Hal's arm fell back to the floor. Arthur nodded. "I will do all that I can."

Hal nodded grimly before his head thudded back against the floor and the final breaths escaped his lips. Arthur sighed and lowered a hand to close the officer's eyes and then looked aside, back out the front door. Where would he even begin to start looking? And who was this enigmatic woman?

Arthur grabbed his helmet and rose up to his feet. He glanced around the interior, looking for anything that could've been used as a clue, but alas, he saw nothing. He felt the anger build up inside him and his hands clutched tightly around the helmet. If there were any higher powers in the world, then surely they were playing wicked games right now with both the Northlands' and Arthur's fortune. He sighed to calm himself down and turned the helmet around before putting it on. "Give these men the burial they deserve.", he muttered to the five knights that had accompanied him before storming outside the manor. The fighting had died down now, and the smouldering town stood silent. The howling wind and distant horses was all that sounded.

He clenched his hands and leered skywards through the helmet's visor. He had been left with precious few options, and he disliked every single one of them.