Dragon's Keep

Chapter Eleven: Dark Nights prelude Dark Days

The darkness had grown since leaving the relative safety of Idrelas and she didn’t just mean the sky. King Falon had stopped flitting between strange expressions the moment they had entered Upper Town. Sabeline had stayed true to her vow and remained as proud as possible while the King gave a sweeping speech on how regretful this course of action was, but it was the only choice. She had stared resolutely ahead, ignoring the distraught faces illuminated by lamps in both Upper and Mid Town. The Lower Town had remained quiet and eerie, as though any loud noise would be wrong within its boundary. She could only imagine what her sisters in arms were thinking and feeling as they observed the absent Lower Town.

    Now they were trudging through wide open spaces, not quite the Great Green Plateau but, Sabeline admitted, it was greatly similar. Every time the clouds moved and her head was caught in starlight, the damned flower abomination affixed to her hair glowed silvery white until the clouds covered the sky once more. There had been several intervals of this during their trek and she was secretly hoping the stars remained hidden forever. But with her luck today, that seemed unlikely.

   A tall silhouette appeared on the horizon, darker than the night surrounding them. The King’s eyes lit up at the sight of it. Oh dear. Whatever was good for the King, she had come to realise in the past day, was bad for her. No matter what that structure was, Sabeline was overcome with a desire not to step another foot near it. Of course, being the one about to be sacrificed, she had no say in the matter.

    They were in an old part of the kingdom, that much she could gather. A part potentially disused since Alondra’s day, if the decrepit and dilapidated ruins sticking out at odd angles form the grass gave any indication. While The Hand took great interest in them, King Falon’s focus never wavered from the larger structure ahead.

   Sabeline had been correct in her assumption about her arms. It felt as if the muscles were ripping under the weight of iron and the contorted, uncomfortable way she was forced to hold to hold them. Her armour added an extra complication, with the metal sections scrapping against each other in ways they weren’t designed to. Between the grating and the pain, the dragon may as well kill me now.

   As they stepped ever closer, the odd architecture slowly became more discernible against the shadows. A large crumbling wall formed a partial crescent shape around a cracked and broken obsidian pillar stood. At its base, was a slightly raised stone circle, with carvings in a long dead language etched in the slabs around the middle where the pillar stood. The stillness in the air surprised her. Sabeline was sure there had been a cool breeze accompanying the macabre parade, but within these ruins, nothing. Her flowers lit up again, giving her enough light to detect much darker stains and splashes against the glistening pillar and stonework. Their presence brought every emotion she was trying to contain rushing to the surface, her heart missing a beat as the reality of her situation sunk deep into every single fibre of her being. She was going to die here and it would not be peaceful. The copious amounts of blood still coating the ruins after all this time was enough evidence of that.

    The King, despite lording over them all on his stallion, must have noticed the horror she attempted to mask. “This is where maidens of old were brought to dragons in offering.”

“So you have brought me here too. As an offering.” Sabeline spat.

“Of course my dear, Idrelas needs to be protected from the monsters of the realm and your sacrifice in a place of historical tradition and significance will do that.”

Monsters like you? The thought came unbidden to her mind. “It is not my sacrifice is it though sire. Its yours.” Before he could say anything more, Sabeline turned to the King matching his calm expression with furious eyes. “Something has happened to you sire. I may be the first casualty of what’s going on, but I give you my word my death here tonight will begin your downfall. The Knights of Idrelas will find out the truth and they will expose it. You have sealed your own fate as well as my own.” It felt good to give the King a piece of her mind. It isn’t as though I have anything to lose.

An arrogant smirk crossed King Falon’s lips at her words. “We shall see about that. Either way, you won’t be around for the outcome.” He nodded to Commander Karo as the rest of her sisters in arms were assembled in an orderly fashion by the guard trope.   

    Karo grimaced as he advanced towards her, gripping the shackles in his hands, pushing against her back and forcing her forwards. Muttering protests arose from the Knights again, some louder and pointedly for the King’s ears, though he gave no impression he heard them as Karo pressed her against the pillar. He held her there securely, summoning two guards to unlock the cuffs. Each took one of her chained wrists and as the weight of the shackles lifted, Sabeline had a brief moment to flex her fingers and roll her shoulders in an attempt to alleviate the scorching pain shooting down her limbs. The moment quickly ended when the goddess cursed guards took both arms, locking them back in the shackles behind the pillar. The minute the guards and Karo took a step back, she tried moving only to be held securely by the restraints. It had been worth a try.

“I am sorry.” Karo whispered regretfully, meeting her gaze for the first time all night. Before she could formulate a response, he walked away, as though the mere sight of her was too much for him to take. Suddenly remembering her promise, she called out to Karo’s retreating back. “You are not to blame for this.” He paused for a second, but did not turn back to face her, then continued on to re-join the large gathering.

    Sabeline’s shout had awoken something within the Knights and in return, they began to call things out to her. They were restricted by coming any closer to her (in case of an escape attempt she imagined) but that didn’t stop them vowing things in her name.

“I swear to you I will unravel the mystery of the Lower Town!” Mariel yelled passionately, Sabeline noticed the Knight cast a suspicious glance over the King as she sealed her promise.

“We will avenge you.” Ascilia swore, with so much conviction Sabeline had no doubt she would. Echoris was chanting prayers to the old gods. Sabeline and the others had no care who she worshipped, Echoris had always been mysterious and it was a part of who she was. She had never really displayed the fact around Idrelas however, knowing of the prejudice against the old gods. Sabeline was sure Echoris was saying these prayers deliberately and defiantly in the face of King Falon. Kilyn, Bersaba, Ivetta and Jaketta along with many others also shouted out vows of vengeance and they would honour her name and principals. At least my mantle of Bringer of Truth will be continued. It was a small comfort, but Sabeline would take anything she could get tied to this hard and cold beacon of death.

     Trying to regain some order, Sabeline imagined, the King deafeningly launched into a speech, drowning out the angry grumblings of the Knights. “Oh great dragon! We offer you no mere maiden, but a noble warrior. In return we ask that the devastation to Idrelas by your claw cease. Here be Sabeline, the Bringer of Truth and your failed murderer.”

Sabeline bit back a growl. That thing is a monster! How dare he make out like I’m some common criminal! The King sensing her fury, carried on. “And now I shall say farewell to my dear knight.”

Keeping a wary eye on him as he approached, Sabeline struggled against her bindings to no avail. King Falon smiled, leaning down to whisper goddess knew what convoluted nonsense he’d come up with. Sabeline doubted it would be a farewell of any kind. She felt he breath fanning across strands of her hair. “I will destroy you all.”

    The phrase caused her to recoil as much as she was able. King Falon just leaned back with a malicious smile on his face. His demeanour sent a chill flying like an arrow down her spine.

    But the sudden dominating roar cutting through the night sky did worse.