Rise Of Pandora

Rise Of Pandora: II. Seal The Gates

"In order to do my job, I had to learn to hate them and at times...they made it easy."

-Alareiks Menhara

CHAPTER TWO

I. Embrace, Outside the Brynhild capital

"Aye! Gate Bearers!" The Gate Ringer, the man who kept watch atop the wall, screamed loudly while shaking a brass bell in one of his hands. From several sections of the wall came busting out with Gate Bearers, all fierce in appearance, with bows and quivers locked into the curves of their glove-covered fingers. Their faces were lined with grave worry and sanded down with urgency.

Armored men and women upon ironclad war horses had approached the gate. Their numbers were likely in the hundreds. They looked like soldiers and their colors were that of Ereignfall—red, blue, and white. The Gate Bearers took notice of that and even made out the sigil of the eagle which was being held by some of the soldiers. The distance from atop the wall to the ground was fairly large but the soldiers were shouting loudly, loudly enough for the Gate Bearers to hear. There was this panicky dread in their coarse yells. The men atop the wall understood that these were soldiers from Ereignfall but they were still very alarmed and skeptical due to the soldiers' frantic behaviors and appearances. They were wailing wildly like banshees, and their horses, which were drenched in blood and charred fur were spooked, could hardly stand still.

"Stop! Who dares approach the capital," the Gate Bearers shouted in unison to the soldiers down below.

"What business do you have for coming to the capital," a young-looking Gate Bearer shouted.

Some of the Gate Bearers were commenting on how foul the soldiers had appeared, some even mocking them for that very reason, saying that they looked like grizzled bears stuffed into padded leather armor.

"My Name Is Brais Bessarion! I am the chosen king of Ereignfall! Ally to the Menhara name! Son of Sir. Toryiant Bessarion IV! Lord of the August Hills and the rightfully named Iron King! And I am the man who will put my sword between your eyes if you do not open this damned gate!" It was clear to the Gate Bearers that this king was panicked, perhaps more so than the soldiers who rode beside him.

The Gate Bearers did not appreciate the king's unwarranted threat.

"Where is Sir. Arthur! I was told he was still a Gate Bearer upon the capital's wall! I wish to speak to someone with authority and sense," Brais yelled aloud.

"Who do you believe you are speaking to! If your intentions are to start conflict with us, then you are the one without sense, Iron King! !" One young Gate Bearer said, looking down upon the angry king.

The perplexed king looked down and sighed. He fixed his posture upon his black steed and said, "I did not mean to speak to you in such a way but there is a pressing matter! I just need to be let inside immediately to speak with the Emperor!"

Suddenly, through all of the chaos came a voice more commanding than all of the others. He walked to the edge of the wall and looked down at all the commotion. He was an elderly man with a uniform that was different from all the other Gate Bearers.

"Iron King! What business do you have to march so rudely upon my wall," the elderly man shouted!

"You have not been told? We sent three riders ahead of us to foretell of our arrival!"

"No such riders have come to our part of the wall and what were we supposed to be told of," the old Gate Bearer asked. "Begin to make sense, Iron King!"

Brais slowed down and collected his breath. He recognized the voice. He placed an arm above his eyes and tried to make out the figure who was speaking to him but there was a slight drizzle of rain that started recently so it was difficult but he could make out some of the old man's features and from there he began to speak. "You are Sir. Arthur Matthews, yes! My father served alongside side you for many years! He told me that you were an honorable and trustworthy man."