Reverse Chronicles

The Expedition

A messenger arrives carrying a letter for Wisterion. His face remains stern, but his eyebrows kiss as he read the letter. He burns the letter after reading the contents letting the ash fall to the ground gradually disappearing before they drop. He sends me to fetch one of his armors, as he orders one of the attendants to call Zenneif.

I go to the villa armory. Inside is a collection of all kinds of weapons and armor. Swords and daggers in all sorts of shapes and sizes are displayed on the walls. There are lances and spears whose blades shine true. There are shields in various sizes and shapes that have the same insignia as the pendant that Wisterion gave me. At the end of the room is the area for armors.

What armor did Wisterion need again? The only silver armor with blue fabric.

My eyes are directed at the armor which Wisterion indicated, but I am taken aback. It is not an armor that is made of steel, but a silver garb with a single blue cape. Compared to the other armors in the area, it is the simplest and has no show of flair. Yet, it is the armor that Wisterion wants. I grab the garb and traversed back to the training field where soldiers have assembled.

“Alan, you are finally here.” Wisterion turns to me as I approach. He is in the head of the group of soldiers. The soldiers have varied classes. Most are knights, some are mages, there are archers. All are on horseback. “There has been an emergency. A ferocious monster called the hydra is destroying Morpheum, a city to the east of the capital. General Ginchiyo, the Sword General is fighting the beast and I have been sent by the emperor to aid her.”

“Defeating the hydra is almost impossible,” Zenneif joins in the assembly. “When one of its head is cut off, five more grow in its place. To stop this frightening ability, we need an item that can only be found in the ruins of the ancient city of Chralle. I want to retrieve the item, but as law dictates, there must always be two dragon generals in the capital. Thus, I cannot go. For this expedition, General Wisterion and I have come to an agreement. We will send our Squires, Syrena and Alan to retrieve the item.”

“This squad will help the two of them retrieve the item from the ruins and deliver it to me on route to Morpheum,” Wisterion takes back center stage. He turns to me and approaches, “I trust you are well with this quest, Alan?”

Retrieve an item from ancient ruins?

“I accept this quest,” I answer him keeping a straight face as I gaze directly into his eyes.

“I also accept,” Syrena arrives stopping beside me.

“This is Lieutenant Linda,” Wisterion refers to a woman with a more elaborate armor than the rest of the soldiers. “She will guide you to the ruins.”

“I am Linda Sychraine, a lieutenant in the imperial army. The ancient ruins of Chralle is infamous for its powerful monsters and countless traps. I will guide you in and out of the ruins.”

The assembly ends with Linda assembling the squad in front of the villa. Wisterion prepares but he stops as I hand him the armor that he told me to fetch.

“That is for you,” he says with a subtle smile. “Consider this as a part of your training. Once you enter the ruins, you will be the leader of a five-man squad. Guide your team well and get out with your team intact. You will encounter many challenges as a leader. There will be those who will question your leadership, but remember this, Wisterion’s Squire is the Squire of destiny.” He abruptly leaves as one of the soldiers approach me.

“Squire Alan,” the soldier calls me to attention. “Your weapons are ready, and your horse is already…”

“My horse?”

“Yes, Squire,” the soldier answers pointing to a beautiful black stallion by the assembly of soldiers. “General Wisterion has procured a horse for you when you became his Squire.”

I run to the stallion. I am filled with awe as I gaze on its perfection. Its mane, fur, trail, and hoofs are pitch black, but its eyes are gold like the sun. Its fur glitters under the sunshine and its neigh is solid and strong.

“What’s his name?” I ask the soldier.

“He is unnamed, Squire. General Wisterion has tasked you to think of a name for your horse.”

A name for a horse? What should I name him? Spirit? Maximus? Buttercup? Oh, yes that would be the perfect name!

“Might, your name is Might!” Like the strength that he gives out even at a single glance, Might is a name that shall be renowned throughout the land.

I wear the garb that Wisterion gave me. To my surprise, it fits me perfectly as if it was made just for me. Colors and designs appear on the surface of the simple silver garb as I wear it. Slowly, it extends down to cover my legs like a full body armor. The single shoulder cape also extends down. Golden rose motifs fill it as it reaches my lower back.

“We’re ready, Alan,” Syrena rides to my side. “We should probably get going.”

I ride Might, who surprisingly resonated to my will. Linda turns and nods at me from the front of the group. She whips her reins and the entire body moves. We were a small squad of about 16 individuals. We make our way around the city, past the clock tower, towards the eastern exit. Exiting the capital, a great green meadow as far as the eye could see shows its monstrosity. The ancient ruins of Chralle is to the southeast of Xanvaldrea and is surrounded by the Chrallian forest in all sides.

Once the capital of the ancient Vessal kingdom, it was established by a king who vanquished an ancient horror. Vessal was once a large kingdom that would rival the empire if it existed today. The source of its strength and power are its Swordmasters, who danced swiftly and gracefully on battles as they defeated their foes.

From its peak, the kingdom suddenly declined. Because of a terrifying secret by even which the august librarian of the Great Library of Mysinda is unknown to, Chralle was instantly reduced to rubble. The city that was once a great center of ideas, strength, and artistry turned to ruins in a single day.

We soon reach the boundary of the meadows. The eminently dense forest has trees that are larger than Araplene. Just by looking at it as we ride towards it, a chilly jolt goes down my spine. Our speed slowly decreases as we reach the entrance of the forest. From up close, it feels as if the forest is going to swallow us. The darkness that protruded from its edge feels like a hand that grabs those who come close to the forest.

“We’ll camp here for the night,” Linda declares getting down from her horse. Although it still just became afternoon, her decision did not puzzle me one bit. The pressure that the forest exerts is too much that I need some time to get used to it. The monsters that lurk on its shadows must also be terrifying and fighting with the intense pressure is tantamount to our demise.

The squad begins building tents. I wanted to help, but the soldiers prevented me from even doing a bit of work.

“Give it a rest, Alan.” Syrena grabs me from the commotion. “They won’t let you do even a little bit of the work.”

“But still, I want to help.”

“Did you not understand a word I just said?” Syrena says annoyingly. She pulls my cape harder. “Let’s take a walk.”

We walk through the meadows at a distance from the camp. Syrena keeps looking at the pink clouds floating on the sunset orange sky.

“What’s your dream, Alan?” she asks out of the blue.

“My dream? I want to be a person that every can depend on,” I answer her.

“Well, that’s vague.” She laughs at my response. “I wanted to teach at a university in Mysinda. Both my parents are educators and because of that I have developed a love for learning and sharing what I have learned with others.”

“Do you regret being a Squire?” I ask her.

“Regret? That’s out of the question,” she replies. “I don’t regret being a Squire, but sometimes I think how it feels like being an educator. Doing work for my students and for people who need me.”

“A simple would be nice,” I answer.

“Yes, but your life is not so simple is it?” she turns to me gazing directly at my eyes. She looks back at the sky exhaling deeply. “I’ve heard some things about you and how you are similar to the emperor. It’s as if you were not meant to live a simple life in the first place.”

My mind has a reply, but my body did not carry out the command. Syrena’s words flashes me back to the incredible life that I had before I came here in Reversia. A life full of trials and triumphs, then this happened.

“We should head back,” she replies. “They should be finished with work soon.”

We go back to camp, where everything has already been set. The tents stood perfectly with their white sheets contrasting the darkness of the forest behind. A bonfire is about to be lit as the sun slowly disappears from the orange painting on the horizon.