Evander jogged down the corridor from the Hunter's room and into the Entrance Hall. King John was speaking with King Bradevere of Bromidium Keep, his army had just arrived not moments ago.
"Am I the first to arrive, John?" King Bradevere asked as he approached from the cold outside.
"Of course you are, you are the closest to us," King John answered. "But I expect King Gullrock should be joining us here by tomorrow and hopefully King Viscount soon after. We have much to prepare."
Evander approached the kings then, "Good evening, gentlemen. I believe it is time."
"Quite so, Evan," King John said with heavy shoulders. As much as he was ready to rid the world of the evil that plagued them, he wasn't ready to lose most of the kingdoms' men in doing so, but this was the reality of war. King John returned his attention to King Bradevere, "Please, my kingdom is yours. Use it in whatever way you need to prepare your men. They may sleep in the barracks, there is plenty of space since...well." He began remembering all of the dead knights during the last attacks.
King Bradevere could feel his trepidation, "It'll be alright, John. We shall see this to the end."
"To whatever end," Evander said. Both kings nodded with a genuine smile of their own.
"Where's Alrid?" King Bradevere asked with almost a sense of worry, he felt something might have happened. "And Melganoth?" He knew that the demon was tasked with finding out about the slug but that was a while ago. He had assumed he would have found something by now and would be here ready for war.
The emotion in the room suddenly slumped to the stone like a heavy theater curtain, Evander was the one to speak as he should have been. "Alrid is no longer with us." He said shallowly while maintaining his stoic nature. "And Melganoth is now an enemy of the free people."
King Bradevere was stricken with sudden disbelief as the news hit him square in the chest, "You can't be serious..." He placed a hand to his forehead. "Such a young lad he was." He looked back up to King John now, "Tell me that Den is still with us."
"I am," came a deep voice bellowing from the Grand Hall, followed by a resounding belch that echoed in the vast emptiness. Den approached the small group of men with, of course, a mug of ale in one hand. "Nothing like a cold brew before a fight." He felt the room a bit more now that he was closer and knew what the topic of discussion was.
"What do we need to prepare?" Evander said abruptly, he was done wallowing in sorrow. It was time for action and most importantly of all; vengeance.
"Weapons and armor," Den said.
"We need fire, and tons of it," Evander added. "Alrid believed that if we could burn the enemy then their bodies could not be used again, including our own men."
"That's forbidden!" King Bradevere shouted.
Evander looked to the king and without regard to rank or title he replied, "We do not have a choice in the matter. We either burn the dead or the dead burns us. And I don't know about you but I am tired of losing our people. This ends now."
King Bradevere was surprised at the response from the King's Hunter but using his better judgment, he understood the predicament that Evander had been placed in and decided that he was right. "Then let it be the dead who burn."
"I have a plan on how we can deal with our own dead as they fall," Evander explained. "We dig pits throughout the castle grounds, fill them with wood and set them to a bonfire. We task people to be the ones to claim the bodies of the fallen and drag them to these pits. As long as we can stay on top of the fallen, we can stay ahead of the risen."
King John thought for a moment with a hand to his chin, "Yes, that could work. And what of the enemy outside?"
"Simple. More fire," Evander went on. "I propose we use the moat outside and fill it with oil. When the enemy enters the moat, shoot flame-tipped arrows into the oil and create a wall of death between us and them. Station knights between the wall of fire and the wall of the castle. As any abyssals get through, they are cut down and sent back into the moat. Keep them at bay long enough to reduce their numbers to a manageable level. Do not allow their numbers to grow and the day is ours."
"What about the wyverns he will surely be using?" Den asked with intrigue.
"We have archers and javelin throwers for that," Evander went on. "Only this time we plan accordingly to take into account the bodies they leave behind that will fall onto us."
King John nodded approvingly, "Alright then, we know what needs to be done. Let's get to work."29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTUB93C0xJ3
Evander did not sleep that night, nor did much of anyone else in preparation of the immediate threat of the enemy. The moat was filled in with oil and arrows were dipped in the viscous liquid as well, ready to be lit. Several craters had been dug out around the inside walls of the castle for the morbid reality of burning the dead.
Most people loathed the idea of burning their fathers, brothers, and sons but that was the only way to keep their bodies from becoming vessels of evil. They collectively agreed it was a better solution than the former.
Den and his kin had been hard at work in the smithy creating a multitude of extra weapons and armor in place of having to repair them mid-fight. Having a stockpile of weapons could mean the difference between victory and defeat. It was an arduous task to say the least, they had to prepare for a full-scale war of an unknown beginning.
The sun began to rise over the frozen continent as Evander and King John sat on the steps of the keep. King John gazed out over the snow and exhaled deeply, his head looking to the snow. "This is going to be one hell of a war."
"We did it once," Evander replied.
"I hate to be the one to bring down morale but last time we had the power of all of Monmarolin. It's just us now." He paused for a moment and looked to Evander, "Just us and him."
Evander did not look up from the snowy steps, he had retreated into his mind and into thoughts of his son. His grief had, for the most part, turned into determination to see Melganoth dead. Alrid may be gone from this world but he would not allow his son to die in vain.
"I miss him too," King John said gently. He knew where Evander's mind had gone. The calm before the storm had given everybody time to think as it all was quiet, everything had been set and it was only a matter of time before the scouts spotted Varamont's army over the horizon.
Knights stood along the battlements and the citizens had retreated to shelter inside the basements and cellars of the keep and its surrounding buildings. The knights that patrolled the grounds behind the castle walls were either pacing, ready to bring pain down upon the enemy or sitting, chatting and having final drinks before the inevitable.
"Are you doing alright, Evan?" the king finally asked him. Not as a monarch but as a friend. A friend that could clearly see the absolute torment he was going through.
Evander took some time before he answered, collecting his thoughts he said, "I am the last of my line. Whatever happens today, it will matter not as I have no one to take my place should I fall." He looked to the king, "I'm doing just fine." Clearly, he was not fine but he felt that he needed to keep up a brave face.
"Either way, Evan, let us have one final drink as the sun rises over another day," the king got up to retrieve two pints of ale as Evander remained trapped inside his own mind.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrGOD6REznQ
The sun was now at its highest point in the sky when King John stood upon the battlements. Evander and Den stood with him as they watched out over the snow-ridden landscape to the east where the Under Realm sat on its own island way off in the distance. No enemies had been seen as of yet but the consensus in the air was that evil was on the move and getting closer with each passing second.
As they watched the snow fall, the army of King Gullrock of Castle Erytho marched in from the west. Now two of the three remaining armies had arrived for the deciding war of the free peoples. It was now only a matter of waiting for the Army of King Viscount to arrive from the north. He and his army were garrisoned upon the Collapsing Highlands so it was quite likely that they would not arrive within the day.
"It is good to see you again, John," King Gullrock said, shaking King John's hand as he entered through the castle gate. "I do wish we would stop meeting under these conditions, if I am to be honest."
"Worry not, we shall meet for a pint when this is all over, my friend. I assure you," King John returned the hand shake.
"You remain optimistic," King Gullrock said in observation, he wouldn't let on that he admired King John's ability to remain so in spite of the dwindling likelihood of their survival.
"We must, if we are going to keep morale high," King John grew silent for a moment before he spoke again. "Especially after the last few days. These people have been shaken to their very core after what happened."
"Well don't leave me in suspense," King Gullrock said. He was very curious as to what had been going on and why the kingdom was in such a solemn mood. Although, he did not like the idea that something had already happened and the first arrow hadn't even been fired.
"Alrid was slain a few days ago," the king grew weary each time he said it as he felt it deep within his soul; pulling it down like an anchor set by a ship.
"How is your Hunter faring over his loss?" King Gullrock asked almost as if he expected Alrid's death. He was one of the more realistic kings of the four, almost heartless, in a way.
King John looked up at Evander who still stood upon the battlements. The Hunter's eyes pierced the snow as he waited for his chance at vengeance. "I cannot say for certain, he has been much harder to read since he returned yesternight. He is different somehow, it seems as though he is hiding something."
Den had left Evander on the wall some time ago and had gone for another pint, he approached the kings now at the mention of Evander's name. "This is exactly why the lad's father hadn't told him about O'Leander's disappearance." He exhaled slowly as he gazed up at Evander, "The vice of the Draytons is that they are a vengeful breed, I say. Not much else can draw their attention once their minds are made up. I'd wager the lad's thinking of all the ways to make Melganoth pay."
King Gullrock interjected suddenly, "That demon killed Alrid?"
"Yes, but he was not himself," King John defended. "Allow me to explain exactly what happened." He then elaborated about the tragedy of Alrid's demise and the events of the cremation that followed.
"Viscount is not going to enjoy hearing about this," King Gullrock stated plainly after a long pause following King John's explanation. "Viscount voiced his opinion much to me and Bradevere after we departed. He would not stay silent about it."
Den added his voice to the conversation, "Either way, lads, it has happened and we must push forward." The dwarf did not care for such titles as 'King' since his kind didn't appoint monarchs. The kings had always understood this and never said anything about it.
"Speaking of," King John said. "I should go and check on him. Maybe I can help." He bowed his head slightly to both of the men, "Excuse me."
The stone stairs that ascended to the castle wall crunched under each step of his armored feet. He rounded the top of the wall and moved to stand beside the stoic Hunter. Slowly, he leaned his elbows onto the ramparts. "Quiet out there," he stated.
Evander remained exactly how he was, still and staring. King John glanced up at him to see if he had changed anything about his demeanor. When he could see that nothing had changed he asked, "Did something happen, Evan?"
Evander finally came back down to earth and broke his gaze from the tundra to meet the eyes of his friend, "What do you mean?" He said slowly.
King John decided to take more of a blunt approach considering that his Hunter was lost within his own mind and war was nearing them. "Everyone can see that you're different. Something happened and it was recent. What was it? What has you stirred up like this?"
Evander stared back at the king without a word as within his mind he stumbled over his thoughts. Should he tell the king about his meeting with Varamont? Why would he keep it to himself anyway? This is exactly the kind of thing the king should know about especially since it happened within the keep.
"Nothing," Evander finally said. "Just thinking about Alrid." He returned his gaze to the land outside the walls. "I'm not sure what to do now without him. Even if we win this war, what then? I've got no one left of my line. My name ends with me." He sighed deeply with all of the defeat he felt, "I failed. First my beloved, and now my son."
"I do not believe that to be true, Evan," the king said. "We can still win this war for all those we have lost to it. Avenge the ones who cannot fight for themselves any longer. Don't give up just yet, my friend."
"I wish your words reached me," Evander said after a few moments. His tone shifted to one of a simmering rage, "Melganoth is mine. I will be the one to make him pay. You can have everyone else, but he is to be left for me."
The king could feel the anger burning within Evander and decided not to pry any further and to leave the Hunter to himself. It was clear that Evander was not in the right mind to solve any problems.
The scout tower on the east wall suddenly rang out with the alarm bell as the garrisoned knight rang it violently and shouted out, "Enemies to the east!"
It had begun. The first real battle of the war had finally come to Man.29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDKUzUkqX3o
