Through the 12 Realms

Chapter 10: Preparing for War

"Where is that messenger!" An angry voice erupted out into the space of a hall. It belonged to a man who donned a shiny silvery-blue suit of armour. His hair took on a deep brown hue as did his eyes, he sported a well-kept beard as well as a longsword dangling around his waist. 

The hall was lit up perfectly, no area too dark or too light, just the right amount to relax the eyes. Its floor was made of smooth stone slabs that were comfortable for bare feet, with many paintings hung around the glistening walls. Large purple cloths hung from the ceiling with the Insignia of the Rogor kingdom, a large Wraith. There lay a Throne in the hall that sat against the middle of a wall opposite the entrance. It was a large throne made of pure crystal, it shone a radiant purple glow as it refracted the light from the torches which were donned upon the walls.

Upon the throne lay a man who seemed to be in his early 40's, he sported a beard going grey, with a crown upon his head glinting in the light of the crystal throne he lay upon. He had dazzling red hair that looked as if its colour was sculpted by raging fires themselves. His eyes had a piercing blue colour to them that seemed as if it could shoot daggers. He wore a shimmering purple robe that was adorned with many jewels and crystals that exudes excellence. By his throne lay a longsword in a sheathe, that was as fine as the clear moon in the night sky. 

The entrance to the hall was a large double door which was made of only the finest stone, it was adorned with many Jewels and crystals to symbolise which room it led to. 

The hall lay quiet until suddenly taps could be heard coming towards the door as if someone were running urgently. The door then flung open to reveal a man in shimmering silver armour from head to toe, with a glistening sword hanging by his waist. His face drenched in sweat as he had just run country to country. He took a moment to collect his breath, then faced the man on the throne.

"My liege! We have found forces of the Akath kingdom gathering at our eastern border!" 

The voice was tired, huffing and seemed as if it was about to give out, it belonged to a knight dressed in silvery armour. 

"What!? The Akathians dare to challenge us!?" The Silvery-Blue armoured knight spoke up once more in a fit of rage. 

"Calm yourself, Dagothur." The man who sat upon the throne spoke up against Dagothur. His voice was deep and full of authority as it reverberated throughout the hall. 

"Take your men and set up at the Eastern Border, However, make no advance and hold your position." The voice full of authority and power leapt throughout the hall once more.

"At once Jagen." Dagothur spoke out in a tamed voice, calm and collected. He kneeled as he spoke with his right hand clenched in a fist as he brought it to his heart. After a moment he quickly stood back up as he turned his back to exit the hall. 

Dagothur made his way to the courtyard outside the castle. It was a yard where the soil had been stripped and replaced with gravel, it was outfitted with training dummies that were to be used for the knights. 

As Dagothur's metal boots clanked and wrung against the gravel beneath him, he sped his pace up in order to reach the middle of the courtyard where large groups of knights were loitering around. The knights stared Dagothur up and down as they resumed their training, albeit with curiosity.

Once Dagothur had reached the middle of the courtyard, he looked around his sides, once satisfied he turned behind him and announced himself. 

"Alright, you lot! Gear up, we leave in 15! I hope you're ready to bust some Akathian heads!" His voice was filled with pride and arrogance as he proudly spoke to boost the knights morale. 

Once he had finished his announcement, all the knights had made haste to the armoury to don their armour and brandish their swords in anticipation for the battle. Once all the knights had dispersed, Dagothur turned his head towards the throne hall he had just come from, he stared at it full of intent and greed. 

Suddenly his eyes began to dim as they lost their colour, and for a split second, they had dimmed to a pure black colour, as black as darkness itself. 

"I can't wait..."