Lore of Eternal Shadow: The Fugitive King

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lauren, Jannick, Alyssa, and Salgan passed through the hills into the warzone that the Varian League had become. Valcon raids seemed like a gentle dream compared to what the four saw now. The road was barren. No trader plied the miles. The forests around them were scorched in many places. The four passed by several remote cabins and inns. All of them had been torched. The inhabitants had all been slaughtered; their corpses littered the yards of their abodes like discarded rag dolls. Jannick had to look away bitterly from the carnage. Nothing could be done.

"It makes sense, really," said Lauren as she surveyed the land, "Caligo invaded here months ago knowing that the Varians would ally with Galgaroth against him. He invaded here first before anybody could even figure out Caligo was a real threat."

"But who could've told him about this place?" asked Alyssa, "Most people in Galgaroth think Elos is a myth."

"Elos was real enough to the Council and the Shol^Thol to send a messenger here," Lauren noted, "My father or any of the other traitors could've let Caligo know this was here..."

"Teleportation magic did the rest," Salgan concluded.

Jannick's blood boiled. He had felt this rage of powerlessness before. He had lost Tofi, his manor had been sacked and Jannick, with all his sixteen years of power, honing, training, and muscle, could do nothing to reverse the grief. Again, two years later, he was in the same spot. Here he was: his eighteen years had brought him to a pinnacle of power that most men could only dream of; strong as a dragon, powerful as a forest fire, cunning as a fox. But all his power was worthless. He had been off adventuring oblivious to his burning homeland.

One night Jannick brought these thoughts to Alyssa's ear while they stood watch together. It had been strangely quiet so far on the road. There was no sign of the demons, making their path of destruction that much more haunting. "If you had been at that manor when it was attacked, you would've died," Alyssa remarked.

"What makes you so sure of that?" asked Jannick from across the fire.

"Runa told me that she and Sigfred only made it out alive by lingering an inch from death," said Alyssa, "Everyone who stood against the Valcon was massacred. What makes you think that your skills would've saved your manor, Jannick? Sigfred is twice as strong as you are."

"But he's not a mage like I am," put in Jannick.

"Magic can't save you from everything."

"What's your point?"

"My point is we can't help what's already happened," said Alyssa, "If you had instead stayed home and fell defending it, we wouldn't have a valuable fellow such as yourself helping us when we finally do go after the madman who caused all this."

"How am I so special?" asked Jannick.

Alyssa laughed, "C'mon, you're the first to admit your skill: a powerful fire mage, a skilled swordsman, and you can't tell me your adventures went unnoticed by our countrymen. How would I not want you helping me find this ridiculous power source?" Jannick turned this over in his mind as Alyssa added, "You're the sort of guy who saves the world whether you like it or not."

Jannick chuckled, "I can't say I've heard that before."

The four spent several more days on the road before they approached Vanian, the capital of the Varian League, at midday. It was under siege.

They stood on a high hill to get the best view of the city. The River Hearth cut through the middle of Vanian and the town was surrounded by a circle of worn, thousand-year-old stone walls. The buildings inside were mostly made of sturdy and thick carved wood. The Vanian Academy stood as a long stone basilica over most buildings, a research center for enchantment and the largest school of magic in the Varian League. The stone steeple of the Cathedral of the All Spirit and the wooden apex of the Halls of the League of Manors both stood tallest in the city. Above the city, on the opposite bank from where the four stood, was a great bluff with the crumbling ruins of a once mighty fortress—the old city. Even the demons had forsaken it.