Sallitia: Age of War

7

Valter rode his unicorn, Seraphina, into the heart of the White Tower as Leyla, his faithful barn owl, circled above them. The White Tower rose against the cloudy sky, its majestic spires piercing through the heavens. Inside, Amadrya waited with a grave expression. She’d called for another White Council meeting, and all its members were present—except for one.

“Where’s Asherah?” Amadrya asked, scanning the room.

Just then, the heavy doors swung open, and the young wizard strode in, his cloak swirling around him. "My apologies for the delay." he said with a slight bow. "My trip for herbs took longer than expected."

Amadrya nodded, though there was a flicker of suspicion in her gaze as she observed him. “Very well, Asherah.” she replied, her voice steady. “We must begin.”

The council members shifted in their seats, waiting for her to continue. Amadrya took a deep breath, her eyes sweeping across the room. “I have summoned you all here because our worst fears have come true. Darkness has returned to Sallitia, stronger than ever before. I am sure you’ve all heard that the elven king, Eburon, was recently wounded in battle. The arrow that struck him was from an orc, and you all know what that means.”

An ominous silence settled over the room, broken only by the crackling of the torches along the walls. Onodius, the veteran paladin, leaned forward. “Orcs..” he murmured. “They haven’t been seen in Sallitia since Egeldor was banished. They were his most loyal servants.”

“Exactly.” Amadrya replied. “With orcs back in our lands, we can only assume that Egeldor's influence has returned with them.”

Onodius’s face was grim. “I feared it was true. I saw dragons returning from the north as well. They sense the vulnerability in Sallitia, and they are coming back to plunder and destroy.”

In the shadows, Asherah’s lips curved into a secretive smile. He had not anticipated the dragons to move quite so swiftly at his behest, but it was a welcome surprise. With their fire and fury, his master’s path back to power was clearing rapidly. Soon, Sallitia would be torn asunder, and the magical creatures would be scattered and weak. This time, even the elves would not be able to stop the oncoming tide of darkness.

Avalon, the wise seer, spoke next. “This does not bode well. If we cannot stop the humans and magical creatures from turning on each other, we will lose Sallitia.”

Valter, who had remained silent until now, leaned forward. “There may yet be a way.” he said thoughtfully. “A way to unite humans and magical creatures under a common rule.”

The council members turned to him, intrigued. Onodius raised an eyebrow. “How, Valter? The entire war began because the humans sought to take over Sallitia.”

Valter’s gaze was steady. “King Eburon and queen Laralythia of the elves have a daughter. And king Caspian and queen Alexandra of the human kingdom have a son. If we were to arrange a union between them, it could bring peace—a new era of unity.”

Asherah scoffed. “An elven princess and a human prince? Impossible! Humans and elves are sworn enemies. You cannot simply erase centuries of resentment with a marriage.”

Amadrya’s eyes narrowed. “We are not erasing anything, Asherah. We are building a future. If we do nothing, then Egeldor’s forces will wipe us all out—humans and elves alike. Do you want that?”

Asherah fell silent, though the secret bitterness in his eyes spoke volumes.

A few days later, queen Laralythia was in the serene forest near the Hisidorian castle, guiding her young children in archery. The late afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, casting dappled light on the trio as they stood amidst the quiet trees. Faelyn, her small bow in hand, was listening intently as her older brother Alvanar showed her how to nock an arrow properly.

“See?” Alvanar said, gently adjusting her grip. “Nock it all the way beneath your eye, and then… just let go.”

With a focused expression, Faelyn took a breath and released the arrow. It flew just past the target, embedding itself harmlessly in the soft ground nearby.

“Oh, I missed.” Faelyn murmured, disheartened.

“Don’t worry, little one.” Alvanar encouraged, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s fetch the arrow, and you can try again. You’ll get it next time—I’m sure of it.”

The two siblings walked together to retrieve the arrow, laughing softly as they teased each other. Their mother watched from a distance, her heart filled with pride as she observed them.

But just as they returned to her, the peaceful silence of the forest was shattered. A rustling sounded nearby, followed by a man stepping out from behind a thick bush, crossbow drawn. His face was twisted with a cruel smile, his eyes glinting with malice.

“Well, well,” he sneered. “I couldn’t have asked for a better prey. The elven queen herself… and her precious prince and princess.” His voice dripped with contempt as he aimed his weapon. “When I bring your heads to the people of Rohan, magical creatures will have no choice but to bow before human rule.”

Laralythia’s instincts kicked in instantly. She knelt down and looked her children firmly in the eyes. “Alvanar, take Faelyn and ride back to the castle as fast as you can. Do not look back—no matter what happens.”

“But, naneth—” Faelyn’s voice wavered, fear filling her bright eyes as she gripped her mother’s arm.

“Go, Faelyn. You must be brave for me. Protect each other.” Laralythia urged, her voice softer but no less resolute.

Without another word, she lifted them onto her horse, giving the animal a swift slap to send it charging back towards the castle. As the children’s terrified faces disappeared into the distance, Laralythia turned to face the hunter.

Her hand reached for her bow, and she drew an arrow, aiming at the intruder with deadly precision. “You are a fool to threaten the elven queen.” she said coldly. “Your hatred will be your undoing.”

The man merely laughed, raising his crossbow. “We’ll see about that.”

They fired at the same moment. Laralythia’s arrow grazed his shoulder, while his black, poison-tipped bolt found its mark, embedding itself in her chest. She staggered back, feeling the poison’s cold grip spreading through her veins as her vision blurred. Summoning all her strength, she whispered a silent prayer to the spirits of the forest as she collapsed to the ground.

Back at the castle, Alvanar and Faelyn burst into the courtyard, their faces pale with terror. Their mother’s horse let out a frantic neigh, alerting everyone nearby. King Eburon, sensing the commotion, rushed outside and saw his children trembling on the horse’s back.

“What happened?” he demanded, worry etched deep into his face. “Where is your mother?”

Faelyn, choking back sobs, managed to stammer, “A man… he attacked us. Naneth stayed behind to fight him.”

The color drained from Eburon’s face. He called his stag, mounted it swiftly, and took off into the forest without another word.

When he arrived at the clearing, his worst fears were realized. Laralythia lay motionless on the forest floor, her usually radiant face pale and still. As he knelt beside her, a small green dragon, perched nearby, plucked a gleaming jewel from her crown and darted away, vanishing into the shadows.

Eburon reached out, gently cradling his beloved’s face, feeling his tears fall freely. His heart ached with a pain too deep to voice, and he pressed a trembling hand over the wound in her chest, cursing the darkness that had taken her from him.

“Oh, Laralythia,” he whispered brokenly, his voice lost amidst the quiet trees. “you were my heart, my light. How can I face this world without you?”

But there was no reply, only the soft rustling of the forest leaves and the fading warmth of her spirit. The king held her close, letting his grief echo through the woods as he mourned his fallen queen.