Aetherian(Part 1): A War Begins

Trevor

 "So, how come Ser Darien is the King's eldest son, but Prince Vorian is the one who's going to be the King?" asked Illyria.

"Vorian is the eldest son of the King and Queen," Trevor answered. "Darien and Damien are the sons of King Robar when he was the Lord of Falcon's Reach before he married Queen Alicent."

"So, how come Darien isn't going to be the Lord of Falcon's Reach?" asked Illyria.

"Because the King's sister is the new Lady of Falcon's Reach, and she has a two-year-old son," said Trevor.

"And Falcon's Reach has been the home of House Busch for how long?" asked Illyria.

"That's a good question," Trevor answered. "Some thousand years. Lots of these great houses were founded before the Dragon War."

"Including the Lysanders and Vestarrs?"

"Yeah," said Trevor. Suddenly, his radio buzzed, and he heard Commander Vestarr's voice on the other end.

"Trevor, is Illyria with you?" he asked.

"Yes, she is," Trevor answered. "Why?"

"I need to speak with you both," said the Commander. "Come to the chambers of the King's Council as soon as you can."

"We'll be right there," Trevor promised, then he cut the radio.

"Who was that?" Illyria asked.

"Commander Vestarr," said Trevor. "He needs us in the Council chambers." When they arrived at the doors to the chambers, the two brown-armored Vestarr soldiers, two of the dozen men that Karlon had given his father as guards, opened the doors to let them pass. Commander Vestarr was sitting at the end of the long Council's table.

"You know, I think this whole Head Councilor thing is going to your head," Trevor teased.

"You're not wrong," Garrett chuckled. "Though I still have yet to get His Grace to listen to a word I say. Valeria is still busy with conquering southern Alessia, and Robar wants to stop her. I keep advising him against it, and he reluctantly agrees."

"Why don't you tell our King what will happen if he lays a finger on my sister," Trevor snapped.

"Not why I summoned you here," Vestarr admitted. "I need you to go back to the catacombs."

"Under the Ivory Tower?" said Trevor. He felt dread rush through him. The last time he went down to the tombs, he was lucky to crawl out alive.

"Yes, those ones," the Commander assured.

"I've already been down there," Trevor reminded. "There's nothing other than that underground fortress that my ancestors built."

"You must have taken a wrong turn, then," Commander Vestarr suggested. "There's more than a castle in that crypt."

"I'll take another look," Trevor promised. As he and Illyria left the Council's chambers, Trevor began to wonder what he could have missed in the catacombs. They led to the underground fortress that held Nightbringer, but that was all he found. Maybe he did make a wrong turn.

"What's in the catacombs?" asked Illyria.

"Deadly traps, precarious architecture, walking dead people," said Trevor.

"Sounds like a place I would like to visit," said Illyria, with sarcasm.

"You should," Trevor joked. They arrived at the gates to the catacombs, deep under the Ivory Tower, and they could already feel an immense aura of darkness. Trevor didn't recognize it, though. It was different than the aura that Nightbringer gave off.