The Obsidian Heir

Gandar

The loud sound of marching could be heard from outside Mark's window. He was writing a letter for his uncle Daren Gandar.
Daren Gandar had balding gray hair and dim blue eyes. His voice was rough and his face always looked sullen.
Daren had scars all over his body from years in war. Mark finished writing his letter. He put the skull seal on it and closed the envelope it was put into.
Mark stood up from his chair. He was wearing black leather all over. He wore an obsidian crown.
He was named king after Gregor the Grand died and Tontly was taken captive by the Reins. He's changed since then.
His hair had grown to his neck, and he had a thick rough coarse beard. He has gotten much stronger.
He walked out onto his balcony and looked down at his army marching from left to right. His army has grown bigger as the days pass.
Harwin was commanding Mark's army. A messenger busted into his room. Mark turned around and looked at the messenger, "What is it?" demanded Mark.
"We caught two spies of lord Righara's," said the messenger. The messenger was Tim Calen. The messenger of Mark's council.
Tim had a right blue eye and a left hazel eye. His hair was blonde and short. His height was short. He was fat, but strong.
"Bring the spies to me," demanded Mark in a mawkish tone. Tim nodded and exited Mark's chambers.
Mark sat back down in his chair. Tim entered back in the room with the spies. Mark recognized both of the spies.
One was Righara's sworn sword and shield Iline Paris. Iline had short black hair, green eyes, rough skin and a soft voice. The other spy was Righara the second, the heir to Righara.
Mark glared at them silently for a minute. Tim stood in the back of the room. The mood was ominous.
"Tim get Peline, let's send Righara a message," demanded Mark.
Mark looked at Righara the second, "Why would Righara send his heir to spy on me?" asked Mark with a mocking chuckle that reminded him of Gregor.
"He told me I'm his fastest and strongest man he had, he said he believed I could complete a task like this," answered Righara's heir.
Mark shook his head, "How stupid is your father?" asked Mark, "He's not stupid," denied Righara the second in a nasty attitude.
Mark raised his eyebrows as if he was surprised by a sarcastic remark. "Iline my lord," said Mark.
"Yes?" Iline said in an indignant manner. "Send my kind regards," said Mark mockingly.
"What regards," asked Iline anxiously. "His son's head," said Mark resentfully. Iline and Righara the second looked at each other, both had their eyebrows raised in a worried manner.
Righara the second began to shake, "Iline... I don't want to die," said Righara afraid.
Iline looked at Mark enraged, "This is madness Mark Gandar," said Iline angrily. Mark shook his head, "Spying on me is madness," Mark argued.
I can't do anything about this, thought Iline. Iline's chest sank and became sorrowful, as did Righara the second's.
Peline entered the room gripping his sword. He stared at the spies. "Ser Peline slice off Righara the second's head off. Now!" demanded Mark.
Peline raised his sword and Righara's heir began to scream annoyingly. "NO NO NO! WAIT-" the rest of his screaming was cut when Peline swung his sword, cutting Righara the second's head off.
Iline stared in horror as Righara the second's headless body sat next to him. "Iline do me a favor and bring his head to his father for me, you have a day to get out of sight from my watch towers, or I'll have your head too," threatened Mark with malicious laughs.
"Yes- yes my - my lord..." said Iline shaking in fear and unwillingness. Peline glared at Iline as Iline slowly got out of his chair.
Iline picked up Righara the second's head trying not to puke and hands shaking. Peline growled and Iline rushed out the room in terror.
Mark listened to Iline's footsteps rush down the hallway. Mark gave an evil smirk. Peline put his sword in its sheath. Peline's sword was named Gallows.
"Thank you Peline, you may go back to whatever you wore doing before this execution," said Mark.
Peline gave Mark one last look and exited Mark's chambers. Tim's eyes were on Peline as Peline left the room.
"You shouldn't have done that my lord," Tim said anxiously. "Do not defy me Tim," demanded Mark. "I'm giving you council," argued Tim. "This is not the council room, these are my chambers," said Mark. "This is most likely gonna start a war my lord," argued Tim. "That's exactly what I want to happen Tim," said Mark smiling, "We're the most powerful we've ever been in history, in the time length of only two years our army has grown tremendously. We've had five houses join us," said Mark.
Tim couldn't help but agree, "I do agree it's the most powerful it has ever been in history my lord," agreed Tim.
"House Rulin, house Filler, house York, house Black, and house Washington have all joined us. We're unstoppable," said Mark with confidence in what he said.
"Yeah, but what if Reinfield gets other houses my lord?" asked Tim. "House Rein has house Oaks, house Gillen, and house Hall with them, we have more me and houses on our side," responded Mark.
"That Rein girl is to marry Loren Gillen in a month you know, that'll combine the houses together for the first time ever," said Tim. "Yes I'm aware, why may you tell me this?" asked Mark. "We could send an assassin to kill Loren or even Raehera on their day to wed, my lord," suggested Tim.
Mark scratched his beard, "Smart thinking Tim, go out and find me my best assassin," demanded Mark. Tim nodded, "Yes my lord," said Tim as he exited Mark's chambers.
A few hours later Mark exited his chambers and walked down a long dark gloomy hall. The air stunk of sulfur. The walls around him were made of obsidian. The only light to shine was torches on the walls, and the moonlight shining through the moonlight.
Mark stopped at a wooden door, he grabbed a steel knob. The steel was cold to his hand. He turned the knob and entered the room.
A bed with red blankets stood out in the room. The bed had red see through curtains. A woman laid in the bed.
Mark sullenly walked to the bed and stood beside the woman. He leaned down to her and softly kissed her on the forehead.
He held the woman's hand in his, "I love you mother," he said, sounding depressed. His mother had a few strands of gray hairs poking out her scalp.
Half of her face's skin was missing and her skull was showing. Her face was decaying from an illness called the Dark Plague. She had only one eye and it was blind. It used to be a beautiful blue. Now it's only gray and white.
Mark began to tear up, he wiped the tears away as he stared at his mother, Sheila Gandar.
Mark gave his mother one last sullen look, and then he left the room.
"It'll be unwise if we headed north to Yorencraw, Oakland and Monar both block our path to Yorencraw, and neither of those castles are on our side, a war would be started," said Elinor. Mark and Elinor were walking down a hallway in the castle of Obsidian City speaking of the houses they could get help from for the war upcoming.
"We could send a messenger up there, I'm already sending one to my uncle's place up in Red Vail," said Mark. "He's your uncle, he'll most likely say yes my lord. A messenger sounds like a good idea, will you be sending Tim to your uncle's?" asked Elinor.
Mark shook his head, "I'm not sending Tim to Yorencraw nor to my uncle at Red Vail," said Mark, "Why is that?" asked Elinor. "I don't feel like risking Tim's life, he's my best messenger, so I am not risking him," said Mark.
Elinor raised his head in approval, "That's smart, he is the quickest and knows the best paths of all the continent, so we'll need him for more important matters," said Elinor. "Exactly why I kept him," said Mark.
"If we do send a messenger it'll be that young Garrison Psalms, the one with blonde hair and blue eyes with the stache, or Jay Cara, I'll be sending one of them in the Narrow Grounds, the path that is carved in the side of the continent. A long path, but the safest," said Mark.
Elinor nodded his head up and down in agreement, "You always have smart ideas, Gandar," said Elinor.
Mark gave Elinor a courteous nod, "Thank you Elinor," said Mark.
"I hear that the Midnight Riders will be out, the riders of the night, the demons of the darkness," said Elinor.
The Midnight Riders were a few thousand bastard sons who rode around Esternia, they didn't stand or swore to any house. They weren't a house either, just a bunch of experienced sword fighters all in shining black armor with swords of poison.
Mark hated the Midnight Riders, they're a very dangerous group of bastard sons, Mark feared them. The word that they'll be out near them gave Mark a chill down his spine.
"I hate those bastards," said Mark frustrated, "They will not be a problem for us, they can't get past our walls, let me remind you our walls are made of pure hardened obsidian," said Elinor trying to calm Mark. "They did it fifty years ago to my father," argued Mark.
"That is true, but our gates were open to the common folks then," argued Elinor, "The Midnight Riders were able to enter through the gates and pillage."
"I'm not leaving the gates open for the common folks then, they all can get slaughtered by the Midnight Riders if they're not able to open, I'll be closing the gates, so those stupid bastard riders won't get in," Mark said stressed.
"If you close the gates the support of the common folk may go down knowing that those bastards are coming, they'll be slaughtered, imagine the children the women and the men," Elinor pleaded for them
"We have an army that supports us and five other houses, and if we get support from the Red Vail and Yorencrow that'll make seven castles on our side and six houses," argued Mark.
Elinor shook his head, "You're becoming of your brother, cruel and no gratitude for the commons," insulted Elinor.
Mark's face flames with anger. He grabbed Elinor by his throat and raised him in the air. Elinor began to kick and hit, "I am not my brother, he's dead. He was evil, I am not him. Do you understand?" asked Mark.
Elinor gasped for air as he was being choked, his face turned purple. The grip around his neck was furiously tight. "Yes-" he struggled to say.
Mark let loose of Elinor, and Elinor fell to the ground. He took deep breaths to get the relief of air back to him.
Mark was walking aways down the hall away from him by the time he was able to breathe again.
Elinor got up off the ground and looked at Mark who was at the end of the hallway.
Mark entered through a door that led to a balcony. It was humid, and the air smelt of sulfur.
His army was on the ground below the balcony training. I will not fail you Tontly, he thought.