Evil Beyond the Mists   The summons came at dawn. Ever since the news of the King's death and the reforming of the Council of Light, Knightshade had planned to make the journey to the castle, north-west of Kurz. Recent events in Leinster had shown the enemy grow bold. Without the calming influence of Lord Light, people felt fear, and the dark lord, it seemed, could sense that fear and fed upon it. Not content to wait and use rhymes to befuddle the minds of the forces of light, he had sent an army of undead into the Run and almost struck a grievous blow. If not for the courage of the townspeople, the blow would have landed. Knightshade had played his part too, but he knew that there would be more work for those like himself. Men and women, skilled in weapons and magic. But since the attack, things had been quiet. Then came news of the King's death. And that of his daughter, Princess Jillian. Knightshade had never been to the castle before and knew little of the ways of royalty. Like the townspeople of Leinster, he felt sorrow at their passing. He had remained in Leinster out of respect for the dead. It was with some surprise therefore, that he found a royal messenger at his door.   The messenger was young and stood nervously on the doorstep, a scroll clutched in his hands. "From the castle," the boy said, stating the obvious and handing the scroll to him. He didn't leave, but waited patiently. Obviously, a reply was expected. Knightshade heard the wax seal crack as he unfurled the scroll, and scanned the message. 'My Lord Knightshade, Word of recent events in Leinster has reached us at the castle. It is the council's wish that you report to us here at once. We would hear first hand all that you know of the enemy and what counsel you could provide in these troubled times. The bearer of this message will have a carriage waiting for you. Yours in haste, LadyKris.' "Wait here," he said to the boy and disappeared inside. He reappeared a moment later with his sword strapped to his waist. "Let us go." The messenger led him to the northern gate of Leinster, where the promised carriage waited. Climbing inside he was joined a moment later by the young boy, and then they were on their way. The journey to the castle would have taken him a day by foot, but the horses that pulled the carriage were strong and ate up the distance, reducing the journey to only a couple of hours. Knightshade spent that time staring out of the window at the peaceful scenery. The green grassy meadows were home to many birds and other small animals who went about their business, unmindful of the threat that hung over the realm. They knew nothing of the dark lord and his plans, but they would feel his evil just the same if he could not be stopped. When the carriage rolled to a stop, Knightshade was jolted out of his dark reverie. They were inside the castle courtyard. Alighting from the carriage, Knightshade stared quietly at the huge stone walls, which enclosed the massive structure of the castle itself. Turrets could be seen on all sides, pointing proudly upwards. Flags, displaying the coat of arms, fluttered in the breeze out of many of the tiny windows. Knightshade thought wryly, that as a youngster he would have been overawed by what he saw, but now he felt only sadness. This might once have been the centre of all that was good in the realm, but since Lord Light had disappeared, it was little more than a figurehead. Knightshade only hoped that the new council would take charge once more and bind the people of the realm together to confront the darkness that threatened them all. Huge double doors, flanked by two guards in royal mail, were the main entrance to the castle, and this was where the messenger led him. The doors stood open at this hour of the morning, and the guards made no challenge as he was led inside, down a huge carpeted hall. Paintings and tapestries of heroic deeds long since past, lined the walls as far as the eye could see. There were many doors on either side, which palace servants opened and closed as they scurried about on some errand or other. A short way down the hall, the young messenger stopped in front of one of the doors. Opening the door, he gestured for Knightshade to enter. Inside was a small waiting room. Another guard stood inside, in front of a door in the opposite wall. Seeing that the messenger had left, Knightshade handed the scroll to the guard. "I have been summoned by the council, " Knightshade said. "I assume they are within?" The guard nodded. "Wait here, milord, I will tell them that you have arrived." The guard disappeared through the door, closing it behind him. Knightshade only caught a glimpse of the room beyond. Three people waited within. A moment later the door reopened and he was ushered inside. It was a small room that he entered. Richly furnished, but practical, a large table dominated the room, most of it covered by scrolls of parchment. At the far end stood LadyKris herself. She was beautiful to the eye, but there was a hardness there too. The story of her lonely vigil which she kept for her beloved was discussed in Leinster almost as much as Lord Light's romance with Princess Jillian. If she felt any sorrow she kept it hidden within, revealing only a strong resolve and determined face, even to those who were close to her. She was formal almost to a fault as she welcomed Knightshade to the castle, her voice strong and even. "I am glad that you have come," she said simply. "The council has spent much time discussing the recent events, but none of us have engaged the enemy directly as yet. We would know what you know." LadyKris took a seat at the end of the table. Once seated, she placed her hands on the table. On one of her hands, Knightshade noticed a ring with a large sapphire on it. On either side of her sat two men. They were the mages Tereanas and Tery. Knightshade remained standing as he recounted his tale, beginning with his encounter with the Daemon of Fire and then on to the undead invasion of Ratling Run. While he spoke, he examined the three listeners, gauging their reaction . Tery seemed friendly, smiling encouragingly at him as he spoke. He seemed genuinely concerned at the danger that plagued the realm and listened attentively. Tereanas, however, questioned him intensely, drawing out details of the battles he had fought. His young eyes gleamed at the mention of the Daemon of Fire. Tales of Tereanas' rise through the ranks to become one of the council was quite extraordinary for one so young. He had appeared mysteriously several years ago, and had immediately made an impact on those he had met. He was also known to enjoy testing his skill against monster and human alike, should the opportunity arise. Knightshade knew that he would not be content to sit quietly with the council when the real fighting began. LadyKris also sat quietly, listening carefully to story that unfolded. When Knightshade finished, it was Tereanas who responded first, slamming his fist on the table. "This attack cannot go unpunished!" he said, inflamed. "Lord Daemon has had his way long enough. Now do you see why I wish to launch an attack? We must strike before he gets a chance to attack us first." It was obvious that this argument was not a new one. To Knightshade's surprise it was Tery who responded. "This changes nothing," he said quietly, a serious look on his face. "We suspected that the enemy had grown strong in magic. This just confirms it." Tery sighed. " A war of any sort would decimate this land. A peaceful resolution must be found. I will fight if need be, but I would not have the blood of innocent people on my hands unless there is no other option. We hold the people's trust for now. They will follow us, but not blindly." Tereanas snorted. "What better way to reward their trust than to lead them to victory? The council is reformed. Our soldiers are well trained and their numbers grow daily as men and woman of valour rally to our call. We are ready! Now is the time for glorious victory!" "Is victory so certain?" Tery said softly. Tereanas did not reply. He just stared at the wall in front of him, a frown marring his youthful face. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence, before LadyKris finally spoke. "As you can see, Knightshade," she said, smiling. "There is still much to be decided. But there is no need to detain you any longer. I will accompany thee to the castle entrance, myself. I have need to speak with you on a more personal matter." Knightshade rose and followed her outside. When he said goodbye to the others, Tery smiled warmly, but Tereanas seemed distracted and did not reply. Once in the waiting room, LadyKris relaxed slightly, and led the way back out into the castle courtyard. Knightshade was silent, waiting for her to speak of this 'personal matter' that she had mentioned. Page 1 of 8 Return to Index Next Page   This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page