Hero

CHAPTER 13: DAMIAN IV

Damian Renway had just been called into the throne room by his brothers. His head was still aching from the events that had taken place with the strange cloaked men. Revenos pushed open the door to the throne room, "good luck your majesty."

Damian nodded entering into the throne room. His two brothers were shouting from the other side of the room at each other. Edward who was sitting on the throne was now looking straight at Damian.

"What are you doing brother?" Asked Edward, "There's a killer on the loose and you decide to walk around the city with no guards and no protection trying to find out who killed our father."

"You're lucky you didn't get yourself killed," said Richard looking at his brother with disgust, "we are part of the royal family Damian, your brother the king, and you and I the princes, our great ancestor Denbire Renway built this castle and made our family its rulers, you spit on his grave with your rash decisions, you disrespect him with your incompetence, you shouldn't be getting involved in something that can only end with your own demise."

"Silence!" Shouted Edward, "You shall only speak when spoken to by the king."

"Apologies your majesty" replied Richard stepping back to one side of the throne and bowing to his brother.

"You two sit in this room all day talking, talking isn't going to find the man who killed our father," shouted Damian, "we have to get out there into the city and gather as much evidence as we can, we have unfathomable riches and the people of this city have secrets, secrets that they will tell us for a price."

The secret trade had always been a big one in Skylance. Much like Vox, gossip would spread like fire through a forest, everyone would know something about everyone and everything and when you put the pieces together you could often find the answers you were looking for.

Edward stood up standing still not uttering a word. Finally the silence was broken with him slamming his fist against the throne, "No! I will not have my own brothers life be put at risk, I do not trust that you will not go out again so am hearby sentencing you to a 24 hour watch by the royal guard."

"Don't do this brother, please." Pleaded Damian. His broker turned around walking out of the throne room.

"Guards!" Shouted Richard, "Don't let him leave your sight, I'm reliant on you Revenos to watch over my brother."

Damian exited he throne room with three guards following him. He was starting to hate living in the castle even more because of his brothers. He decided to go and speak to the only person who seemed to listen to him, his sister Marie. He had always admired his sisters empathy and genuine kindness, something he felt his brothers lacked greatly in. He walked up the large spiral staircase in the west wing of the castle and knocked on Marie's door. She opened it up given her brother a big hug when he walked in followed by the three guards who she looked at angrily.

"I can't believe our brothers are making you be watched." Cried Marie, "It's not fair, just because they are older they think themselves wiser."

"I don't know what to do anymore Marie, there is no way I can discover who the man is that killed our father without leaving the castle," replied Damian, "but with these guards watching me, I can't do anything to help."

A knock was heard on the door. "Come in," answered Marie.

A tall man with a grizzly brown beard entered the room. He seemed to have a good physique and be quite strong. "You must be Damian then." Guessed The man who had just entered into the room.

"I'm sorry but who are you?" Asked Damian

"I am your sisters future husband dear boy," laughed the man, "you might remember me from when we were but infants, my name is Lord Oreon, I have travelled her to wed your sister and take her back to my city." The man reached out his hand to shake Damians, who reached out and shook it.

Damian was about to walk out of the room when Lord Oreon stopped him"Your majesty, might I suggest you begin training for the jousting tournament tomorrow, that is if you're going to participate?"

With everything that had been going on Damian had completely forgotten about the tournament that his father wanted him to take part in. "Of course, Lord Oreon, I wouldn't miss it for the world." Replied Damian walking out of the room followed by the three guards.

The reward for winning the tournament was a great sword owned by one of their ancestors and eternal glory. Damian decided that to show his worth to his brothers he needed to win the tournament but he knew he couldn't win through using skill because he knew his brothers would beat him, so he decided that the only way to win was to play dirty.

Damian knew where the sword was kept but no one alive had ever seen it before, so later that night whilst the guards stood outside his room, he lowered himself slowly out the window using a piece of old rope he had found in there. Damian slowly moved around the castle hiding from the many guards that were patrolling around. He made his way over to the East side of the castle where he reached the royal vault. Only a Renway could open it but he was the only one who knew about the vault since his father trusted him the most out of all his siblings. He placed his hand on the entrance and it opened up. He slowly walked inside down the large marble staircase. Damian was surrounded by gold everywhere apart from the large wooden chest in the centre, which he knew contained the sword that he needed to get.

The chest had lots of patterns on and depicted an image of a sword that had an eagle crest on it. Damian lifted the chest carefully and was amazed at what he saw. An empty chest. Damian was confused and also worried that somehow one of his brothers had taken the sword for the joust tomorrow and that he now had no way of winning.

On his way out of the vault a strange figure stood in front of him. He wore a purple cloak with an odd looking golden mask that covered his face. The man said nothing but held out what looked like a potion.

"Drink this and you will win tomorrow." Said the man. Damian took the potion out of the mans hand unsure of what to do and within a few seconds the man had disappeared. Damian looked at the potion in his hands and smelt it for poisoning.

He crept back into his room and poured the potion into a glass on his bed side table. Damian's intellect took over, deciding not to drink the mysterious potion and poured it back into the original flask. A knock was heard on the door.

"Hello?" Answered Damian.

The door opened and the man was there again surrounded by the guards who were now for some reason asleep on the floor, Damian suspected a sleeping draft. He picked up his sword and pointed it towards the man. "If you take one more step forward or I'll strike, I don't want to hurt you!"

"Do not think of me as your enemy Damian Renway, I have travelled a long distance to get to you." Said the man moving towards Damian.

"Who are you?" Questioned Damian still pointing his swords towards the man.

"I am your saviour." Whispered the man, "Drink the potion before the tournament tomorrow Damian or bad things will happen, you must act fast."

The door suddenly started moving as the three guards led by Revenos came charging in the room and at the same time the mysterious visitor had also disappeared. "Everything okay my prince?" Asked Revenos who looked shaken by the fact Damian was holding a sword.

Damian looked at the guard and placed his sword on the ground, "Yes, I had a nightmare, sometimes I sleep walk."

"Someone's been snooping around the castle tonight your highness, you must come with us this instance to the hall of Kings and Queens, you must spend the night there" shouted Revenos. Damian nodded, sneaking the potion into his cloak from behind just as he left the room. He had a difficult decision to make.