The Monarchy The Burning Lands

Chapter Eleven

The village sits quietly on a hill overlooking a nice snowy landscape. It is strongly populated by the Crane clan mostly those of lesser backgrounds and is dedicated to ensuring the crown is well prepared with the best food of the monarchy. Young Tyson Crane at the age of only 16 years sits frozen and did not expect to be greeted by the dark death that now stood before him. The army wasn't like the tales he had heard. This army was smaller and consisted of about 15 to 20 men at most not like the horde that attacked crane city months before. The men of this army seemed living unlike the army of the dead that answered to Lord Bution.

Tyson couldn't even speak as he laid his eyes on the man in the back. His body was frozen as he eyed the older man. He was a tall man towering on his large black horse and hanging at his side was the blade legends had warned about. The blade of old once held by Lorde Bution now held by a man who looked like a twin of the old Lord. His hair was longer and showed signs of whitening, which is what made young Tyson crane unable to move. The man looked robotic and non-living, but he sat there upon his horse commanding his small army and they listened obediently to their master.

Young Tyson stood frozen watching the guards get slaughtered by the dark blackened blades the ones spoken about in the legends of the old world. The blades were rumored to have been made from lava rocks of the mountains of Nair and rumored to be as black as the hearts of the Nair and O'Sullivan clan combined. The young crane couldn't move thinking about those facts and wondering who the man upon the horse was. His voice was cold and calculated. He conquered the crane armies with swift blows and Tyson had stood there in shock watching the older man and, in some ways, admiring his brutality and skill. He walked through the battles towards young Tyson who could barely move at the sight of the large man decked out in all black armor. The young man thought to himself if this was it? If this would be the day, his last day and if so what he should do in these moments?

The older lord stood before young Tyson and the boy did the only thing he could think of watching the people get slaughtered around him. Young Tyson Crane fell to his knees and begged for mercy from the older lord. Tyson had seen the grey hair of the man which reached just above the man's shoulders. It was black with a hint of grey tints, but the man wasn't an old man. He was perhaps a few years above Tyson's own age, but he seemed calculated and far more skilled than Tyson ever would be. The man looked down to Tyson who kept to his knees afraid to raise his head for fear of being slaughtered like the rest of the people around him. The man spoke firm and demanding as he pointed his hand at the boy and rested his other on the hilt of his blade.

"you are a Crane, boy?"

Tyson felt his body shake as the man stepped closer and Tyson's breath caught, and his heart felt as if it had stopped the very second the man placed his hand on Tyson's shoulder.

"answer boy and perhaps you will live"

Tyson lifted his head and looked into the man's dark eyes. His mouth was covered by a leather black cloth and he wore a black hood covering most of his hair. Tyson looked up into the man's eyes and felt a shiver run through his body as the man again demanded.

"Speak, boy!"

Tyson's lips trembled as the words fumbled out.

"aye sir I am a crane"

The man looked down eyeing the boy as he spoke firmly.

"but not of the royal crane branch?"

Tyson looked down at the ground and the man knelled making eye contact with the young boy as he again placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and the boy nodded his head.

"My father was killed during the crane wars we lost everything, and my mother grew ill a few months after and died. I'm an orphan, sir."

The man looked over the boy and eyed the slaughter around him as he commented.

"do you want a purpose, a family boy?"

Tyson remained quiet and the man smiled under his mask. He spoke firm telling the boy.

"I am Lord Bution."

The boy felt his body freeze as the man continued.

"I could give you purpose, nobility..."

Tyson interrupted the older man as he stared him down.

"King Nolan killed Lord Bution."

The man laughed commenting as he eyed over the poor boy.

"ah did he now? Perhaps he did, or perhaps I just let him believe what he wished to believe at that moment."

The man slowly pulls down his mask and slowly pushes off his hood revealing his face to the boy and the boy looks up to the man afraid.

"your...."

Edmond smiles to the boy looking him over as he comments.

"aye, a Lord's work is never done, boy. I spared a lot of people that day in exchange for my father's life. I offer you mercy young crane in exchange you will serve me."

Edmond gets to his feet and places out his hand to the young boy as he comments.

"your clan doesn't help you boy. A war unlike any other will be upon this land in a year. The clan's they haven't seen what I had a glimpse of what is to come from the gypsy of the mountains. They foretold that a war would come upon these lands, but I will save it. I will force the clans to unite and to prepare."

Edmond leans down eyeing the boy and comments.

"you can stay here boy and rot as an orphan or become my child and help me save the monarchy."

Tyson looks up to Edmond and Edmond places out his hand to the boy and asks.

"what say you, young crane?"

Tyson stares up into Edmond's dark eyes and replies.

"Tyson is my name."

Edmond places back on his mask and pushes up his hood looking down to the boy who rises from his knees and asks.

"will I live?"

Edmond doesn't speak and points to his horse as he motions to the boy. He climbs up on his horse and reaches out to the young crane who takes Edmond's hand and Edmond helps him up onto the horse. The horse turns, and Edmond holds up his hand motioning to his men and they take off in a swarm disappearing into the dark night.