Darsidian Myths, A Promise Heard

Chapter 40

Jayden slowly opened his eyes. A few unwary seconds went by before realizing he was staring at a ceiling supported by wooden beams.

"I see you're finally awake," said a nearby voice. "You sure have a bad habit of losing consciousness when your surroundings become dangerous."

Jayden's eyes instantly widened with fear. He quickly scurried away from the voice as memories of Sable resurfaced.

Eldred held up his hands reassuringly. "Relax, you're safe. No one is going to hurt you here."

"Eldred?" said Jayden uncertainly. As he stared at his friend worriedly he noticed how tired his mentor looked. There were shadows beneath his teacher's drooped eyes, as if the wizard hadn't slept in days, the man looked exhausted.

Jayden suddenly became aware he could see through his wounded eye. Hesitantly, he touched the flesh near his injury. "My eye...it's all right!" He quickly looked underneath the sheets of his bed and examined his leg beneath the white nightshirt he was wearing. "My leg...it's healed!"

"Of course you're healed," said Eldred. "I wasn't going to wait for you to heal on your own. That would have taken far too long."

Jayden looked around cautiously as he tried to discern where he was. He was in a large, stone room with luxurious, wooden furniture and candles placed along the walls. The flames from the candles illuminated the room with a faint, flickering orange light, giving it a warm, cozy atmosphere. Centered into the wall opposite, and to the sides of the bed, were doors guarded by suits of armor. The bed he was in was large and covered in finely made crimson blankets. Facing him, at the opposite side of the room, near the door, was a large fireplace with depictions of all the legendary beasts upon the mantle. At the foot of the bed was a table with countless scrolls strewn upon it as if someone had been studying them. Placed at the right side of the bed was another small table with a clean, white shirt and brown trousers folded neatly together. Located beside the clothes was a pair of new, leather boots.

Jayden looked uneasily at his teacher who was sitting at the left side of the bed. "Eldred, is it really you?"

"It is," answered Eldred.

"The I'ra, what happened to them?" asked Jayden earnestly. "Where is everybody? Are they all right?"

"The I'ra have been defeated. Lauren is guarding the door with Rufus; Bastian is helping clean up the city, and your friend Lucas is waiting outside with his family. To be brief, your friends are fine."

Jayden closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief as he leaned against the bed's headboard. He felt better knowing everyone was all right. He was especially relieved to know Lucas had survived. "Where am I?" he asked as he eyed his surroundings again.

"You are inside the king's chambers within Valador's castle," informed Eldred.

"The castle," said Jayden distantly as he tried to piece everything together. "I can only assume Valador was saved from Elincia then. How were the I'ra defeated? Why were there so many of them?"

"They were defeated by the combined forces of lunvarin, human, and dragon," said Eldred. "If it wasn't for the dragon's help Valador would be a much different place now. As for why there were so many I'ra, Sable is responsible for that. After Bastian and Garcia initiated their plan it is believed the priest was informed of your actions by one of his disciples. This forced him to withdraw his army from Grail and attack Valador instead."