The Stone Sorceress

Chapter 12-13

Chapter 12

Eros looked at the Lemurian walls in the distance while a small company of riders rode out to meet him. Their banner of blue and white fluttered in the wind, and he recoiled at the sight of it: the memories of the war were all too fresh.

The lieutenant exchanged a cordial greeting upon the open field. He didn't hide from his expression the shock he felt at perceiving the condition of the royal carriage, which had broken windows and a canopy full of bullet holes. The royal escort too was splattered with mud, smelt of rain, and looked thoroughly exhausted. He might have carried his interrogatories further had he not met with a steely gaze from the cavalier. The lieutenant remained official, said little, and led the Hyperions to the Lemurian gates. Obsidian walls dwarfed the carriage. Inside, the buildings and highways were made of that same opaque rock giving the kingdom a melancholy air. They were led deeper into the kingdom until they were passing a ruin that was once a castle. Aurora glanced out of the cabriolet, and said, "What's the matter with him?"

Sabriel looked from Eros to Aurora, "Thanatos died there."

"Ah! I remember him."

Sabriel smiled, "He may have saved your life. It was he who led the last defences, all those years ago."

The princess looked at the cavalier who didn't stir, "Eros was there too."

They'd arrived at a grand square. When they rode through, Eros saw the palace before him. It possessed ornate windows, and resplendent obsidian masonry. There was a dome roof of onyx, and wonderful balconies lining the upper windows. Out of the wrought iron door, came the king. Eros absorbed in a moment the hallmark of a once brilliant warrior. He had a noble face, and bearing. His physique, now aged, was yet tall and strong, powerful. He wore a magnificent crown and walked with the aid of a golden sceptre. King Rossthof met the 85th at the entrance to his home, a little uneasily. His green eyes remained on Eros longer than the rest because in these parts, Eros's name was synonymous with the devil; the Lemurians claimed that he was a prolific widow maker during the great conflict, and called him a blood drinker. It was known Eros killed the former king, and Rossthof's elder brother, Aavak.

Eros said, "I present the princess of Hyperion, Aurora."

Aurora meanwhile had cast her eyes over her betrothed; the brothers Aavak and Rossthof were herculean in their stature, but Prince Nyx was short and thin. His skin was like a vampire's and his facial features were ugly: eyes, nose, and mouth were all of a defective kind. There was nothing regal about his posture either. In short, he was a runt, and she had to be his wife.

"I'm honoured to make your acquaintance." The king bowed to the princess, at last turning his attention from Eros; "I know you have travelled far, so we shall discuss the wedding plans tomorrow. For now the captain of my guard – Skoll - shall conduct you to your residence. You shall have all you require."

Eros once more bowed humbly. The king departed, and a small guard remained about Skoll. With king and prince now gone, Eros had time to consider the captain. He was much taller than Eros, and tremendously powerful. He wore blue trousers, a white blouse, and a blue jacket that ameliorated his physique. He had blonde hair, green eyes, and was handsome in a viking sort of way. "Follow me," he said.

The convoy set off through the Lemurian streets, and headed to a nearby residence. The fiacres rolled along a gravel courtyard that belonged to a grand house. Skoll led them inside where Aurora despaired at the dark interior. She thought the obsidian furniture looked sinister, and that the animal heads displayed on the walls were ghastly. Stomping upstairs, she locked the door, and, from the window, began to lament. If only she had one of Sabriel's pistols, she thought.