Awakening Book 1: Rebirth [Editing]

Part 7: William

The giant stone walls of Watcher's Keep loomed before William and the men. The valley was picturesque and lush. The thick forest had been cleared away where the fortress stood and a  giant mountain towered above the top of the keep. The main gate was made of oak, reinforced with steel plates. It had an ornate design of rampant griffons etched into the wood. In front of the gate was a vast plain, green from grass but barren otherwise. William imagined many battles had been fought upon that earth leaving it bare.

The group of men trotted down a dirt path, heading for the gate. William spied men bustling along it, spears and bows in hand. He could make out the outline of their armour, heavy plate with ornate helms. Each was adorned with wings, attached at the temple. He could faintly make out the orders being barked as the watchmen spotted them. A great groan came from the wood as the gate began to swing open. 

The horses jogged beneath the great gate and into a stone courtyard. Deryk dismounted and handed his reins to a boy in a leather vest. The rest of the men followed suit. Bryce walked over to Will and held out a hand. He took it and climbed down from atop his steed. He handed the reins to the boy as well. The child had brown locks that were swept back behind his ears. He seemed to be in awe of William, but he didn't say why. He just stood there and stared, his mouth open.

Deryk thanked the boy and sent him along. He began to walk and gestured for William to follow. They strode forward in silence, mostly because Will was looking around, amazed by the vastness of the fortress. He had never seen so much stone put together for one structure before. In truth, he had never seen a castle before either. He was so distracted by his surroundings he didn't even realize that men were staring at him as he passed. 

William followed Deryk out of the courtyard and through another large gate. William stepped out into a large open space, filled with archery ranges and arenas for combat training. There were many people training there. Men, women, boys and girls, all practicing their respective art of war. The clang of sword on shield was in the air, joined by the twangs of arrows being loosed.

Nobody even looked up from their practice. Will was still in awe of the whole place. He had seen the guards from his town train but never so many at one time. It was all very exciting for him. He spun around, taking everything in. The gate to the courtyard was joined at both ends by a great grey stone wall. It encircled the entire training grounds and connected with an enormous fortress. The castle had its own walls as well. And in the centre Will could see Watcher's Keep towering above all the other towers and walls. A banner hung from the ramparts. It was a rampant griffon on a sea of blue sky. Will realized that the griffon must be the emblem of the Sentinels.

Deryk continued to lead him through the training grounds until they reached the gate leading into the fortress. Two guards stood at each side of the great doors, halberds in hand. They wore the same winged helms and silver armour. Their blue capes flowed down to the ground. When they saw Will they dropped to one knee, bowing their heads. 

One said, "Welcome, my lord,"

Will looked to Deryk but received no explanation. As the doors opened they strode through, entering the courtyard of the fortress. Deryk continued on, heading for the keep at the end of the courtyard. There were another pair of guards at the doors and they each bowed as well. William was becoming more and more confused. Deryk wasn't helpful either, for he didn't offer any explanation. He simply pressed on, leading Will to his destination.

They passed many closed doors and open atriums as they climbed the keep. Will was glad he was not wearing his heavy armour, with all the stairs he was climbing. Eventually they reached the place they had been headed the whole time. At least that is what Will thought because Deryk had stopped outside of a room guarded by another two soldiers. It turned out he had guessed correctly for the door swung open and Deryk walked inside motioning for him to follow.

The room was very much an office. It had bookshelves covering the walls, along with cabinets and drawers.  In the centre of the room, about three quarters of the way in there was a large desk with scrolls and maps piled high atop it. Behind the scrolls and maps sat a man well into his seventies. He had short silver hair and and a bushy moustache. He looked up as they entered the room. He had cool grey eyes that seemed to stare into your soul. He wore a blue robe, with white stitching. Around his neck hung a silver chain with a sapphire pendant. It seemed to glow from within.

"Deryk, judging by your presence here and the presence of this young man, I assume your mission was a success?" The old man had a deep voice that echoed in the room.

"Yes Commander, this is William, the Heir," Deryk replied, standing at attention.

"Good, good. Come closer child. Let me look at you," The old man said, gesturing at Will.

William stepped forward and the old man rose from his desk. The man was six feet tall with broad shoulders and thick arms. Will was shocked. He had not expected the man to be so brawny. The old man walked out and stood before Will. He looked him up and down, but did not reveal any kind of emotion. There was the odd grunt, but nothing more.

"Hmm . . . well, you look very much like your father, and your grandfather. There is much to explain. Here," He said, gesturing to a chair, "Sit,"

Will obeyed and sat down in the chair in front of the desk. The old man returned to his place behind his desk. He sighed before he began.

"The realm is in great peril, William. Not from the Shadow Lords or some invading army from a far off land. No, it is far worse than that. The Old World is waking. The bindings the Shadow Lords placed upon it are breaking. I'm not sure how or why but that doesn't matter right now. The creatures that inhabited the realm before the Shadow Lords' reign were dangerous and fearful. The only thing keeping the monsters at bay was the power of The Lord of the Realm and the old enchantments in the heart. But the Lord's bloodline has not sat on the throne in centuries. The only thing holding the Old World back was the Shadow Lords and now it seems even they aren't powerful enough. You no doubt saw some of these creatures on your way here. The fact that you destroyed them proves your power. But there is one thing more important than your skill with a blade or your ability to wield magic. You can speak the Old Tongue, the voice of the world. The words themselves hold power but you can bend it to your will. This is why you are here. We are the order of the Sentinels, sworn protectors of the realm and it's king. I am the Commander of the order, you may call me Theon Grey. You must help us protect the realm. You must sit atop the throne in the heart of the world. You are the Lord's heir. Will you join us, William?"

Will just sat there, stunned. It was too much to take in. It had only been two days ago that he had been excited for the harvest festival, anxious about taking Beth. He felt a pang of sadness as he thought about his home. He never even said goodbye to his family. He shook himself from those thoughts, it was neither the time or the place. He stared into the old man's eyes.

"If it is my duty, then I will do as you ask. I happen to like the world, and my life as I know it and I would gladly help in the fight to preserve it.," Will said, with conviction.

The old man laughed, "Good! I knew you would. Deryk, would you be so kind as to show William to his quarters? I must convene a gathering of the High Council. There is much to be discussed. After it is over, William, you will join me for training. Not in the use of swords or magic, but in the use of words. In the meantime, you may feel free to explore the grounds and join in on training sessions with the initiates. Welcome to the Sentinels," He said, waving them out.

Deryk lead William back down into the courtyard of the fortress and guided him to the barracks. The building was vast, and could house many men. They walked down a long hallway before reaching a room filled with beds and trunks. 

"You will stay with the initiates for now, since you are of similar age and are not a sworn brother. Al of your things have already been brought and unpacked. I must leave you now but we will see each other again in due time. Farewell," Deryk said, giving a shallow bow. He left the room, his footsteps echoing in the hallway.

William walked down the row of beds, searching for his. He quickly found it, since it was the only one with a suit of golden armour on a stand beside it. His trunk was already packed with all of his clothes and belongings, just as Deryk had said. He flopped onto the bed and instantly fell asleep, exhausted from his travels.