The castle was hushed but bustling with nervous energy. The halls were grim, no servants gossiped, no meals were being prepped, and even the animals remained eerily quiet. The king and his trusted men stood around a long table of maps and opened letters, tarnished by splatters of blood and sweat.
Torches lit on the wall illuminated the somber room where King Aric and Queen Elyssa convened, their faces etched with concern as they faced the ominous threat to the northeast. The air was tense as they surveyed maps littered with dark symbols representing the encroaching darkness.
The Queen paced the room, "Is it true?" Her words are hushed and shaky, "Is he back? I thought... Wasn't he defeated 32 years ago?"
The king sighed, "We've gotten 4 reports in 3 days... we have to assume he's back. It's the same from back then... destroying everyone he thinks is lesser than him." A lord spoke up,
"Your Majesty... What would you have us do? Who do we send to fight him? Shall we send the army-" A wave from the King halts his words mid-sentence.
"No... I want you to have the army protect my people. We will send two of our royal knights. The strongest." Another man sighs,
"My King... How do we know who the strongest is? Are you certain we should only send two?" The King nods thoughtfully, rubbing his salt-and-pepper beard, walking over to the table, spreading his hands out to brace himself as he looks over the maps,
"I am sure. Our knights have been brought up to be the best there is. Their swordsmanship is some of the best in the land! Not to mention their magic is strong." There was a long pause, "We will have a tournament... 3 days long.. We'll have each knight fight, and whoever the last two standing is... they will be sent."
They all fall silent, not wanting to argue with the king. The silence hung heavy in the room. Would they be sending two knights to their deaths? Or would they be successful? The queen looks up, rubbing her face with a sigh, "We need to tell the people... we have to warn them. We will tell them once we have our champions."
She looks up, meeting the King's eyes, his bordered by dark circles. A silent reassurance goes between them before he dismisses everyone.
Once alone in the dark room, the Queen approaches slowly, her lips pressed into a thin line, "Aric... Are you sure? Most of those knights are boys. What if it's a mistake?"
The King leans against the table, picking up a small letter- stained with blood. "This was from the north... it seems to be where he started. Of all the foul-" He paused, sighing, the letter in his hands crumpling, "I will not let this continue. We will start expanding our armies... If our champions should fail. They will fall with honor and their families will be well cared for. They will give us time."
The King turns, taking the queen's hands in his own, gently squeezing, "I will not let this land fall to him. I promise you that my love."
YOU ARE READING
The Chronicles of Swords and Sorcery
AcciónTwo knights, Sir Eryx Hunter and Sir Perseus Blackwood are Chosen to fight together to defeat a threat which has returned to their land. They- being fierce rivals in the tournament each year- are absolutely not happy about this decision. The two c...
