Wars of Eredhar: The Dawn of Darkness

"A King's request"

The dim morning light slowly made its way through the castle's windows, casting a pale and cold glow over the old stones and dusty curtains of Eoland's capital, the citadel of Albirion. The crackling of mighty oaks could be heard throughout the castle, as they slowly burned in the many chimneys within, big or small, all of them providing the required warmth to pass over a winter's night, with as less discomfort as possible. Winters in Eredhar were quite diverse, but one thing they did have in common, was that they could easily be one's undoing. Winter affected the continent in different ways, from the sand storms in the land of Tregonya, to the harsh blizzards in the mountains of Eoland.

The sound of wind could be heard outside the castle, storming its towers relentlessly, while the snow slowly covered the windows and walls, obscuring the magnificence of the great building. The castle was made of the finest stone mined from the Belimos Mountains, perfectly carved so it would be fit for a royal capital. Red miriliam was not known for its durability, but for its mesmerizing aspect, being considered one of the most valuable materials around the whole land. The Belimos Mountains were the only ones in Eredhar from which this stone could be extracted, thus, trying to pass it over the borders of the Kingdom, in a not so honest way, could easily leave you headless, or worse.

The old architects of Eoland realized that red miriliam was not strong enough to withstand a siege, leaving the castle vulnerable. This way, with the guidance of Ibenyth Abigond, their praised Primordial, they used the hardest and densest stone they could mine out of the mountain. The castle wall was designed into three layers, the outer layer being made from carefully carved red and white miriliam, blending in a graceful and pleasant pattern. The middle layer of the wall was built from a mixture of black and gray galvirian, a stone that was known for its impressive durability, but the mixture was something that no one had ever seen. The most astonishing feature of the wall was the inner layer, with a majestic touch of red and white miriliam embedded with beautifully polished gems that gave the halls a soothing gleam.

It was too early in the morning for anything to be moving inside the castle, although from time to time a strong cough would resonate along the great corridors that led from the hall to the royal chambers, through a big wooden door. It was a true masterpiece, with ornamental mountains carved from a royal white oak. The design was the handiwork of Eoland's great woodcarver, Devis Hamwork, the son of Velo Hamwork the Third. A manly, low cough, could be heard louder and louder, echoing throughout the place.

"For fuck sake, control yourself or you'll wake the whole castle!" a guard yelled at his partner, as he elbowed him in the stomach.

"Come on, you know I can't! This damn weather, this freaking winter is killing me", he coughed harder with each word.

"Then die already, it's not like anyone will miss you. Besides, you need not worry about your wife, I will take good care of her", the first guard laughed, patting him on his back.

"Aren't you hilarious, you damn idiot! I hope the winter bites your ass, Menas!" he said still coughing, growing increasingly more annoyed.

"Alright, alright, Tobe, calm down, you can still live, though if you keep this up, the prince will surely have your head on a plate, delivered to your wife!" Menas laughed and patted Tobe on the shoulder, slightly concerned, as he looked at the wooden door. "Seriously now, do something about it, go to that old lady, over there at that shabby shop of hers in the market. She must surely have something for you. That old wretch Tena always has something for ... well, anything."

Although the two guards were making quite a fuss, they weren't the only ones that decided to have an early morning. In the courtyard, there was a peculiar building which didn't have the same allure as the castle itself. As you walked outside the main gates of the castle, you had to take a sharp right and follow a small road downwards. After a couple hundred yards, there it was: the ugliest building ever built in the great capital of Abigond. It had a bunch of rocks of a dark grayish color at its base, the walls were made of cracked stones, which were topped off with something resembling a roof. The plate that was hanging above the entrance said "Servants' Quarters". There was always a fuss, even before the dawn of day, as people could be heard bickering inside the few rooms the building had.