Trials Of Impending Night

Chapter 4: Earth Embodiment

Chapter 4: Earth EmbodimentEmmrin-Rashmada, home of the Slayers, was now also home to Yewnin. It seemed fitting for the world's most devious person to take shelter in the world's most devious place, but the alliance between he and King Zamanite was the only reason he stayed, and the only reason he had purpose for the Relentless King was for his army and his oppressive fist; the mighty clench that wrapped around the majority of the world. Their council was made up solely of the two of them for time being, with the occasional tortured Shaman for consultation. Yewnin's recent eradication of the underground jungle brought him back to the Slayer Kingdom with important matters to discuss. Rowdun's dragon had landed in an exclusive spot at the Dragon Port, with passers-by making sure they weren't in the way when during their dismount. The people feared the Woundless the most, but when travelling with the likes of Yewnin, they took extra care not to make eye contact or even breathe in their direction. Civilians had no physical evidence of their destructive powers, all they needed were the stories and infamous legends to feed nightmares. What was fact or fiction was unknown, but they didn't want to challenge Yewnin and Rowdun to find out. The two of them, along with Ecklethorpe, made their way from the port and towards the mountainous castle without the aid of royal guards. The obligatory rule of always having guards on-hand had been abolished by order of the king – the strength and bravery of his princes seemed more genuine when they walked without protection, which brought no complaints, as they didn't mind the better breathing space. It was enjoyable for them, able to walk with such glaring might, but pride was no noble trait. Fortunately for them, the definition of nobility was backwards to the rest of the world. All three of them could smell the fear in the air, seeping from people as they passed. Elite guards bowed without haste upon seeing their bodies swagger towards them, whilst Zamanite stood in the giant castle doorway with a distasteful grin, draped in gold, jewels, and the scars that came from achieving his status. “Thank you for your services, princes. Your father and I will discuss our next step… alone,” Yewnin prompted. Eck and Rowdun walked the opposite way to them, slowly pulling off parts of their armour whilst entering one of the many long corridors. The metal clanged onto the ground, left to collect dust without concern. The walls held up dozens of portraits of former Slayer Kings, differing in looks, from devilish and sinister, to pompous and glamourous. Jyllious the Conqueror, Peako the Relinquished, Cassmin the Slicer; the list seemed endless. The princes were never bored of looking at the past rulers. They valued each and every one of the great predecessors' varying traits, so much that they often found themselves wandering back and forth the corridors in admiration. Yewnin and Zamanite however had walked the other way and towards the king's private chambers. Spiral towers and mazes of staircases felt like a climbing venture after the first eight floors, yet the Relentless' stamina allowed him to ascend with ease, with enough breath spare to conversate. “I hope my sons did not disappoint,” he said, knowing full well that they wouldn't have. Yewnin chuckled, “Rowdun follows in your footsteps more and more by the day, I can see it”.

“Good. I am not as woundless as he. I will need a worthy successor soon”.

“And you think he is ready?”

“Readier than Ecklethorpe at least”.

“I feel a lack of certainty”.

“The would-be king must follow my footsteps exactly. I don't feel like either of them live up to my standards just yet, but hopefully, given the events of the weeks ahead, at least Rowdun will be… prepared”.

“And you think the situation with Hundo wasn't proof enough? My, my, you really are relentless”.

“You speak to me about my heritage and the affairs of my land, yet you only care for your bigger goals, so don't act like you have a say, or even deserve one, regarding what happens in my borders”. Yewnin didn't reply to the threat but smirked to himself. Before any tension could build, they had reached the private quarters, locking the doors behind them. The room was poorly lit, with only a few candles scattered about. Sticks of incense smoked up to the roof, giving off a surprisingly sweet smell that matched not with the king's persona in the slightest. To compensate, old blood-stained portions of the floor dotted themselves about, with the most morbid sight of all being the shackles on the walls, still clasping the severed hands of an interrogated prisoner. “And now, we shall talk,” Zamanite smiled whilst taking a seat. Yewnin copied and sat at the opposite side of the table, picking away at the chips in the wood. “I'll hand it to these relics… they do a grand job of being protected. I thought the Day Relic was a challenge… but I've grown since then, and my treacherous theft seems more like child's play now. So, when I say that the Earth Relic is impossible for us to summon, I mean it as both an educated man and an experienced one,” he stressed.

“So it is true. This beast, this, Trepidator… only one man can kill it?”

“One young man to be precise… and all signs point to that boy, Greenwick”.

“And you're positive?”

“That rambling Shaman spoke of a man in his youth… on a path that destiny has paved him. It explains why he seems to be at the centre of everything”.

“Yes, I recently sent out assassins to Filksolm, following a statement of which he was included in… but the trail was cold by the time they had reached the East”.

“The one chosen to overcome the evil around him. The only evil I've witnessed surrounding him is the voodoo in his veins”.

“Impossible. How does he live?”

“I don't know, but he defeated the Iwa, Lay-Vau – the one that apparently cursed him. Should that count as overcoming?”

“There is no mistaking it… the invincible beast was manifested for the sake of this… Greenwick taking is down, and the Earth Relic… only he can obtain it”.

“That's what I thought at first,” Yewnin muttered.

“Go on”.

“Even if he was able to destroy this monster, we would at least be able to kill the boy during his victory, and take the relic for ourselves, before he is able to-”.

“Your obsession with these two artefacts is worrying. You already have one”.

“Yes but I need the other!” Yewnin raised his voice by mistake. His untamed desire got the better of him, and it did not bode well, considering the look he received from Zamanite. “I doubt the boy has the experience required to defeat such a hell-spawn,” the king smirked.

“Yes, but we can't rely on chance, not now. There are bigger things at play here… this isn't chance, this is fate, his fate”.

“You are not the ruler of me, Yewnin. You came to me and I have granted you forces people could only dream of. My sons see me foolish for working with an outsider, and I can imagine the majority of my city question me too. Don't make me question myself”. Yewnin sat back in his chair and looked at the floor with a frown. “The boy will not claim that tool you so desperately crave, and you will not pursue it yourself. No one obtaining it is better than it falling into the hands of our enemies. Do you understand? We kill the boy before he even has the chance to summon it,” the Relentless ordered. Yewnin got out of his chair and headed to the door. “We do not tamper with this monster, or else I will take that Day Relic from you sooner than what we agreed upon. Do I have your word?”

“Of course,” Yewnin hissed during his exit of the room.

The two princes were never great conversationalists, especially between each other. Their youthful feuds and fallouts made things all the more awkward now that they had grown. Whenever something was said between them, the catalyst would usually be Rowdun trying to start an argument. To make things worse, the atmosphere had gotten a lot darker since the loss of their older brother, Hundo the Wise, the year before. At least for Eck. Although everyone knew that it was Rowdun that killed him in cold blood, no one confirmed it or even spoke about it. Even so, the Woundless himself tiptoed by the answer, but Eck had a hunch that it was their father who originally ordered the killing, for reasons unknown. His only guess was to thin out the competition, or perhaps Hundo was too wise for his own good, and required snuffing out. Either way, Rowdun felt no remorse or sickness towards it, he saw his actions as relieving himself of jealousy. It forced Eck to always keep an eye open for what lay ahead, and to be watchful from behind as well. The whole castle wreaked of betrayal, but by who's hands remained unconfirmed at that point. “I might go behind father's back and take that monster down myself,” Rowdun laughed.

“You heard Yewnin, you can't,” his brother sighed.

“You can't honestly believe that creep?”

“I'm just saying, a lot more of this sort of thing has come into fruition in the past few years. I don't think this prophecy should be so easily ruled out as nonsense. You've heard the crazy things he speaks of when we're on missions with him; the way he talks, it's like he knows he's right”. The Slayers had their beliefs and never considered anything outside them. Their use of Shamans was the furthest their minds spanned – anything further, such as chosen ones and invincible beasts was erroneous in their eyes. However, Eck was the only one that had the wit to actually take deeper notions into account, but his brother refused to listen. He spoke to himself about killing the monster and becoming king with ease. “I've done a lot for father. I've killed all kinds of creatures… all kinds of people. Perhaps the death of that Trepidator will be the tipping point”.

“Perhaps you should stab father in the back while you're at it,” Eck scoffed.

“Don't tempt me. But if I'm honest, you'd be next on my list if my profession was killing family members”.

“You're unbelievable”.

“You believe in prophecies but I'm what's unbelievable to you?” Rowdun sniggered.

“What's different from using Shamans to hear what they say could happen and what they say will happen?”

“A lot, actually. We use their predictions to help better ourselves. We shouldn't waste our time listening to their delusions. What if it's just a ruse so we don't try and kill it?”

“Or a ruse to make you try and kill it so that you fail miserably”.

“You dare evoke the thought that I, the Woundless, would fall gullible to this folk-tale?”

“You're just blind with stubbornness. You can only be woundless for so long”.

“And you're just jealous that I have a subtitle! You failed to have done anything of worth, and you show grief towards Hundo's death. Oh, and you nearly drowned on our last mission! You're slacking, little brother. It's sad really – the first royal to lack function”.

“Shut up! It's only because you take all the credit!” Eck growled. He walked to the other side of the room they were loitering in and punched the wall. Rowdun sneered to himself again and shook his head. “I'm glad you aim for the wall. If the day comes that you pluck the courage to aim for me, it will most certainly be your last day indeed,” he continued to taunt. Yewnin entered the room to luckily break the hostility, but he only had disheartening words himself. “My princes, I have spoken with your father,” he announced.

“So where do we find this beast?” Rowdun said hastily.

“Your father insists that we leave the monster be. He believes that the Greenwick boy is incapable of destroying it, so he would rather let the relic remain untouched,” Yewnin gritted his teeth.

“He can't do that, the old fool is going mad!” the Woundless whined.

“Eck, could you leave us to speak alone”. Eck couldn't believe he was being ordered by the outsider, but he had been doused in enough stress for one day and left without question, leaving the other two to talk in private. “My father is wrong! I can kill it; he just needs to see!”

“Keep this between us, but I too believe his choice to be… unwise”. In any other situation, Rowdun would have attacked him for challenging the will of the king, but he agreed too strongly to care. “But I need to make something abundantly clear… you cannot kill it, Rowdun”.

“So who do you agree with, and who do you not? You're confusing me!”

“I believe that both you and your father are correct to different degrees, but neither of you have the knowledge I have”.

“Just tell me what views you share with me exactly?”

“Well I agree that the monster has to be killed. I need the Earth Relic to optimise my power and… continue on my path, but only the boy can kill it”. Rowdun scowled at the thought of someone so inexperienced slaying the most infamous creature of all time, but he had to listen to Yewnin so that he had someone partially on his side. “I need what comes with the death of the beast. But again, don't tell your father of my disagreement,” Yewnin urged.

“Why are you telling me all this?”

“Because you're the only person here I trust. I see great things ahead for you and me… bigger things than ruling kingdoms and killing monsters-”. A frantic clanging from a nearby bell tower cut his sentence short. Like instinct, Rowdun geared up and ran, leaving Yewnin to follow slowly behind with apprehension, slightly annoyed that his motivational speech had been paused.

Eck was already outside and pointed up to the rooftops to show his brother what was going on. The alarm warned of a trespassing enemy escaping across the buildings with an arrow sticking out of their shoulder. “Who dares enter our kingdom?” Rowdun growled.

“A spy, my prince. Your father spotted him alone, climbing along the castle walls,” a guard explained. Eck and Rowdun ran and effortlessly climbed the houses to assist in the rooftop chase, but the hooded spy was as fast and as nimble as the Slayers, though it was only a matter of time until someone would have a clear shot. Another arrow eventually skimmed by their ribs, knocking them down for a moment, causing the hood fall back to unveil an angry woman. “This is getting out of hand!” Rowdun scoffed. He wielded his own bow and hit her straight in the chest, knocking her down before rolling off the roof and face first into a pile of crates. There was no sign of movement, giving the Slayers no rush to close in, but a messenger hawk swooped down next to her, prompting her to quickly equip it with a message. Eck and Rowdun ran to pin her down, but it was too late, the hawk had begun its speedy flight. “Who are you and who do you work for?” Eck scowled.

“My name… is Lall!” she spluttered, spitting blood in his face. Rowdun shot the bird out of the sky with incredible precision. The arrow shot clean through its body, causing it to spiral out of the air and onto the floor by Lall's side. Guards dived in and tore the message from its leg to find that it was empty. “What is this?” the Woundless shouted.

“A distraction,” she coughed. Her eyes scrolled slightly to the left, behind Eck and towards the Dragon Port. They all turned to see what she was trying not to look at, stunned to witness a Panchergeist dragon shooting off into the sky. “I wasn't working alone. The true message is leaving on that dragon's back!” she grinned.

“Guards, send out a dozen Collisers! Rip that beast from the skies!” Rowdun yelled.

“Good luck, a Panchergeist's scales are reflective. You have no chance of finding it, let alone catching up with it,” she continued.

“Silence, woman,” Eck warned.

“I heard everything you had to say with your king!” she taunted as Yewnin walked up to the wreckage. He examined her face, soon remembering their brief fight along the Dewhills, before he turned the land to ash. “Nice to see you again, Birdmaster,” he mocked, happy to see her close to death. The king himself then strolled into view, catching the guards by surprise and forcing them to quickly salute in fear. “What you heard won't help you in any way. That boy will still fail, no matter how much warning he receives… no matter how much preparation he is given!” Zamanite shouted as he placed his sword through her stomach. Her intimidation had failed. The Slayer's stern lack of fear was essentially an acceptance of challenge, yet Yewnin lacked their rotten dignity and worried that the information would in fact ruin the intricate plans he had carefully put in place. To hide weakness, he kept his concern to himself and followed the king and princes back inside to consult further. Unfortunately for them, in the space of just fourteen hours, the messenger dragon had found its recipient, Quigsy, riding his cart calmly back towards his base of operations. He sang terribly to himself, until he heard the low swoops of Panchergeist wings, which caught him clearly by surprise. The drake landed dangerously close in front of the horses, startling him further. Lall's accomplice jumped down from the saddle and shoved the message into his hands. “I must return to the land of Birdmasters and inform all of Lall's death, as quickly as I can,” the spy exclaimed, leaving the Bonborran with the urgent message. He muttered the crudely written note to himself before he could even take in the fact that Lall had fallen. “Monster is real. Slayers on pursuit for boy. Bring boy to Master. Urgent”. He read it again much quicker to take in the information as his shaky hands caused the piece of paper to wobble, then wasted no more time, turning his creaky carriage around. “Oh no, oh no!” he chattered, flapping the ropes over and over to push the horses to their limits. He didn't know how far Wick and the others had travelled. All he could do was hope that he was able to reach them in time, before danger beat him to it.