Theurgy: The Journey's Dawn (Book One)

Chapter 11 A New Road

The king took a long sip of wine. From what one of the servants had told him, he had been here for approximately two days, nearing the third rise of the sun. To him, that will prove it all to him. Whether or not his expectations and his suspensions hold true. He sensed it, he knows he did. That same feeling, that same look, surely he can not be mistaken. Who would have thought? That the very son from those two would end up meeting him, still wearing that pendant, the accursed pendant that had caused so much. And now their son was wearing it. He couldn't help it, this all brought a bright smile to his face.

"Is something amusing my lord?"

The wind was blistering, whistling along the lifeless branches and craggy cliffs. The trail was covered in snow, and if he stood still for too long, he too would be covered in white powder. But he didn't really mind it. He liked his wine cold. But he could not say the same fro his attendants. He has sat on the same rock, watching the entrance, lazily waiting for someone to stumble out half dead. His guards, flanking him either side, although stoic in form, secretly shivered even in their thick leathers and armor. His advisors, each one, was seemingly unbothered but had already become impatient. Novia, the Paladin of expeditions, had been pacing so much, a clear trail was left in her wake. The others watched her furrowed face, occasionally glancing at the dark cave. The question, or more closely scolding, came from her. She never likes waiting. Things tend to not happen that she wants to. So much time could be towards other, more important things. And while the others were complacent enough to simply wait, she was far more impatient than them.

"Pace yourself now," Lupren told her, yawning. The moonlight settled in his blond hair, nearly illuminating it in the dark. "I would think you would use to this by now. We're witnessing the next generation, whatever that is worth. Can't wait to get more personnel."

"You're not the only one," Aurelius agreed. "More knights are needed east. And I bet you will need more explorers, no?"

"Of course I do," she told them. "But how much longer must it take. we could have stormed this place thrice before the next Sun. So why is the king smiling."

A small chuckled escaped his lips, and Novia resisted the urge to throw a large rock at him. He shifted his position to something a bit more comfortable, taking another sip from his cup. "Not a fair comparison, Novia. They are still new and have a lot to learn. But in time, some decent knights will be forged by your hands. Remember who currently holds the record?"

There was almost a collective sigh among them, as she finally settled beneath a tree. "We all know that you hold the record, my lord."

"And let's see if anyone breaks it," he looked back towards the exit. Really, none of the expected to see anyone walk out any time soon. The average time of completion is about five days. Still, he hung to the curled ends of his cloak, the wind still picking him as he stared with a knowing smile. Ever so often, Lupren would unsheath the blade at his side, and run a single finger upon his edge to watch sparks suddenly explode with fascination rivaling a child. None of them mistook the magnitude of this trial really. They knew very well that many people had died already. Not a noble death by any means. There was no service done to honor this. The only reward is given to the living, who will become elite members of this society as the Captains have, as the king has. At this point, it has almost become a right of passage to become a knight, to make a drastic or even noticeable difference. Knights will become leaders, protectors, warriors, and explorers for this empire, extending themselves into the unknown and conquering it. That meaning, has been alive within them since the advent of the clans themselves. Surviving this dungeon would no doubt be anything more than arduous, but it will forge the strongest of warriors.

And the footsteps that stepped out of this darkened tunnel, above the whistling wind, the rustling of branches and so on. The mud-stained snow was trembling now, as they all suddenly moved and looked back to the tunnel. The king's eyes were wide, despite the pain they endured, widened to near discomfort. The captains looked on in a mixture of curiosity and wonder. It was not yet sunrise, the moon still high in the sky, and the stars dotting the dark skies. The only thing that rivaled that darkness was the very tunnel they stared, and the shadows approaching from a dim, nearly fluttering pale light lit by one sword. Held by a lone corn-haired knight, half carrying another in a shared hobbled step. And in his free hand, he held onto the silver rod, that had only traded hands once before. The hands that now spread on either side of the king as he chuckled.