THE DRAGON SWORD

Chapter two: "The Shadows of the Past"

“The Dark Lord?” Gideon asked, his voice filled with disbelief. “I thought he was killed with the Dragon Sword.”

“He was never killed,” Lord Roderic replied, his tone heavy with the weight of history. “Gorok Rukdar, whom we know as the Dark Lord, was silenced after the great emperor killed his son.”

Gideon had heard the stories during his history classes at the academy. The Dark Lord, a figure shrouded in shadow and malice, had once sought to conquer the world with his dark powers. But after the great emperor, Aerioneth Windstrider, wielded the legendary Dragon Sword to kill the Dark Lord’s son, the tyrant vanished from history. Everyone believed the threat had ended, that peace had been restored. But now, with the recent attack and the news of the Dark Lord’s return, those old fears have resurfaced.

“What does he want?” Gideon asked, his curiosity piqued. He had to know what the Dark Lord was after.

“I don't really know,” Lord Roderic answered, his eyes narrowing. “But whatever his intentions are, they cannot be good.”

Before Gideon could ask more, a soldier rushed into the room, breathless, his face pale with urgency.

“My Lord! " We have an orc alive!” the soldier shouted.

“Bring it here,” Lord Roderic commanded, his voice cold and authoritative.

The orc was dragged into the room, struggling and snarling, still alive but clearly injured. Lord Roderic stepped forward, towering over the creature as it glared up at him.

“Tell me what the Dark Lord wants from us,” Lord Roderic demanded, his voice a low growl.

The orc spat in Lord Roderic’s face, laughing loudly as it did so.

“You don’t know what’s coming,” it hissed. “This was just a warning.” The orc’s eyes gleamed with malice as it spoke. “You’re all going to die.”

Lord Roderic remained unfazed, wiping the spit from his face. “You’ll speak,” he said coldly, “or we’ll make you speak.”

The orc continued to laugh, its body trembling with defiance as the knights in the room prepared to torture it. Lord Roderic’s command was clear, no one was leaving until the orc gave them the information they needed.

Gideon stood at the entrance of the torture room, watching as the creature screamed in pain, but still, it held its silence. Lord Roderic, however, did not seem to have any intention of stopping. He stepped closer to the orc, his voice as hard as stone.

“Are you ready to speak?” Lord Roderic asked again, his voice devoid of pity. “We can keep this up all day until you’re ready to tell me what I want to know.”

The orc spat more blood, its eyes wild with defiance. “I’ll never tell you,” it snarled. “My master will destroy you all.”

Gideon’s heart raced as he heard the creature’s words. The Dark Lord was real, and he was coming for them.

Lord Roderic’s face tightened with frustration. “You think you’re brave?” he asked the orc, his voice growing colder. “You’ll die here, and your master will not save you, But I will make sure you suffer first.”

The orc’s laughter faltered as it realized that Lord Roderic was not backing down. But even then, it refused to speak. Finally, with a resigned sigh, Lord Roderic ordered the knights to stop. The orc’s silence was the mark of its loyalty to the Dark Lord, a loyalty that even the threat of death could not break.

Lord Roderic straightened up, his face a mask of frustration. “We need to know why the Dark Lord is attacking us,” he said, his voice heavy with determination. “We’ve done nothing to him.”

At that moment, the orc finally spoke, its voice dripping with disdain. “You humans think you’re innocent. You’ve hidden him among yourselves.”

The words hung in the air like a terrible omen, and everyone in the room stiffened, not quite understanding. Gideon took a few steps closer, straining to hear.

“Hidden who?” Lord Roderic demanded, his patience wearing thin. “Who is your master after?”

The orc’s eyes gleamed with malice. “The son of the great emperor,” it said, the words sending a chill through the room. "My master won’t stop until he finds him. You’ve been hiding him all this time.”

Gideon’s heart skipped a beat as the realization hit him. The son of the great emperor, is he still alive?

“Wait,” Lord Roderic said, his voice trembling slightly. “You’re telling me the great emperor’s son survived? We thought they were all dead!”

The orc gave a low, mocking laugh. “That’s the story you were told. The truth is, he lived, and now the Dark Lord knows.”

Gideon stepped forward, his thoughts swirling. “But how did the Dark Lord find out?” he asked, still struggling to wrap his mind around the enormity of what he was hearing.

“I don’t know,” Lord Roderic admitted, his voice grim. "But I know this: The Dark Lord has one goal now: to find the surviving prince and take him. The only one who can wield the Dragon Sword.”

The room fell silent as everyone processed the revelation. The great emperor’s son was alive. And the Dark Lord was coming for him.

“We need to act fast,” Lord Roderic said, his voice hardening. “The Dark Lord has known for some time, and he will stop at nothing to get to the prince. We have no time to waste.”

The knights assembled quickly, and Lord Roderic addressed them from an elevated platform. His voice was strong, filled with the authority that had earned him his position as the leader of the White Knight Army.

“We are going to find the prince, and we will protect the Dragon Sword,” Lord Roderic declared. “The Dark Lord cannot be allowed to get his hands on it.”

Gideon, standing at the back of the group, felt a surge of excitement mixed with fear. He had always wanted to prove himself, but this mission was something far greater than he could have ever imagined. To find the surviving prince? To protect the Dragon Sword? The weight of it all was almost too much to bear.

One of the senior knights, second in command to Lord Roderic, stepped forward, holding a parchment in his hand. He unfolded it and spoke aloud.

“Here are the names of the knights chosen for this mission: Magnus Darkweaver, Jareth Holyblade, and Gideon Justiceborn.”

The crowd reacted immediately, some with surprise, others with approval. Gideon felt a flush of both pride and anxiety as he turned to face the knights who had already begun to murmur among themselves. Some were happy that he had been chosen, especially after witnessing his prowess in battle against the dark creatures. Others, however, were not as thrilled. They whispered that his selection was because he had saved Lord Roderic’s life earlier.

Gideon felt his stomach tighten. He wasn’t ready for this. He had barely begun his training, and now he was being sent on a mission that would decide the fate of the world.

He found Lord Roderic later that evening and approached him with his concerns.

“My Lord,” Gideon said, his voice shaking slightly. “I’m not ready for this. I’m still learning. Jareth and Magnus are experienced. They know what they’re doing. I don’t.”

“I know you’re scared,” Lord Roderic said softly, understanding in his eyes. "But there’s something about you, Gideon. I see in you the same fire I saw in the great emperor. I’ve seen men fight, but you—”

Gideon looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“The way you fought in the battle,” Lord Roderic explained. “You fought like him. Like the great emperor. I’ve seen it before, when I was a boy. My town was attacked by the Dark Lord’s army, and the emperor himself led the charge. He fought with the same passion, the same strength. And I see it in you.”

Gideon was taken aback. The great emperor? He had never considered himself to be anything like the legendary warrior.

Before he could respond, one of the knights entered the room, carrying a sealed letter. Lord Roderic tore it open, his eyes scanning the contents. His face went pale as he read.

“No… it can’t be…” Lord Roderic muttered under his breath.

Gideon felt a sense of urgency building. “What is it, my Lord? What’s wrong?”

Lord Roderic looked up, his eyes wide with fear. "Anadora, the city of the emperor, is under attack.”

Gideon looked in shock reading the situation.

”Oh no, the Dragon Sword is in danger.”