hovered in front of her face as she read it. She looked him over and her eyes narrowed as she spat, “Stay where you are, maggot! I have not given permission for you to walk around here as you please. You are far from home, young prince. I thought this was all but lost in time-where did you find it?”
Derian crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. “I have the other half of this scroll in safekeeping at Greenhaven, and I can get a hold of it for you, but first I need to know if you will agree to my terms, sorceress.'
She rose as smoothly as a snake from her oversized throne, and looked deep into his eyes. Kassina was not known to bow to the demands of others. Her eyes narrowed and glowed as she read and considered his thoughts, and she smiled when her decision was made.
“I already know what you want, Derian. There is no need for you to speak your terms, it would just waste our time. I don’t often meet a man whose dark heart truly yearns to kill his own father and it would give me no greater pleasure than to enable that ambition. I am touched by your interest in me, young prince, and I accept your offer. It has been a long time since I have had myself a new pet. But you should know that even the gift of immortality comes with a heavy price, and your plans run greater risks than you may have considered.'
“Of course they do, Kassina. I will do whatever it takes!”
She laughed mirthlessly, her voice turning from soft to a deeper growl. Her blue eyes glowed red, like embers in a freshly lit fire, and her fingernails slowly grew into sharp claws. Kassina raised her arms suggestively, and her smile revealed her pearly, pointed fangs through her cherry-red lips. “Very well, Derian, come to me now and let us seal the deal, so to speak. I’m dying to taste your royal blood, I have always wondered what it would be like.'
Vartan awoke suddenly and sat up in shock as sharp pains seared through his head. He rubbed his face as if to ward off the pain and whispered, “Damn these nightmares. Derian and Kassina? As if that could ever be possible. What dark corner of my imagination did that come from?'
Beside his bed lay an empty bottle of white wine, his dirtied pack, armour and weapons.
I knew this was a bad idea, he thought as he took a long swig of water, the liquid hitting his growling stomach. There was a strange smell that burned in the air, almost like a bonfire left overnight. He slowly wound a cloth bandage around his ribs to aid the healing, and gently eased on his clothing and armour.
This wasn’t his first visit to the Jade Inn, but it was the first time that he had to pay for a room to sleep in. After taking a few moments to gather his thoughts and regain his focus, he felt it was time to get some fresh air. Vartan shoved open the creaky wooden windows and kept his eyes lowered to let them adjust to the overwhelmingly bright light. There was a large gathering of people below him who all pointed at the horizon, whispering to each other with frightened voices and holding each other tightly.
What in Marithia is going on? he thought. Vartan slowly lifted his gaze, and his skin turned pale in shock at the sight before him. Greenhaven glowed with a red tinge, and large black puffs of smoke filled the blue sky.
“No! It isn't possible,” he exclaimed.
Vartan ran hastily downstairs to the inn’s stables and quickly readied his horse before roughly mounting it. From the corner of his eye, he noticed the shadow of a man running at full flight behind him. In a smooth motion, he drew his new sword towards the man’s chest, stopping him dead in his tracks only inches away from certain death. The shine of the blade reflected on the man's chest.
“V… Vartan? What is this all about? You promised me another drink this morning,” said Tusdar, with his hands raised defensively in the air.
“Open your eyes and look to the horizon, you drunken fool. Greenhaven appears to have fallen, and all of Marithia may be in danger. Amazingly, it just so happens that all of Marithia includes you,” Vartan replied, sheathing his sword.
Tusdar stood still, staring at him expectantly. Vartan shook his head and growled, “This is no time for drinking, Tusdar. I must ride out of here, now!.”
With a stern nod, he whirled his horse around and rode hard in the direction of Greenhaven, digging his boots into his horse. Vartan had ridden far from the so-called safety of the golden city’s walls, but it was worth a try. He concentrated hard to form words in his mind.
Helenia, if you can read my thoughts, please tell me that you have not come to harm.
There was no reply, only the sound of cold wind rushing harshly past his ears. He was riding harder along the long and winding path leading through the woods, when he suddenly pulled back on his reins. His horse almost lost its balance as he barely avoided a collision with Aidan, who was drenched in blood and bore nasty flesh wounds from head to toe. Aidan desperately limped onward, almost like a walking corpse, staring vacantly ahead.
“ Easy, Aidan, let me help get you to a healer,” said Vartan, steadying him.
“Vartan… so much death… so much blood… sorceress… taken,” he whispered as Vartan brought some water to Aidan’s dry lips. He coughed out the initial mouthful as his throat was suddenly flooded with fluid.
“What of Princess Helenia? Was she hurt?” asked Vartan desperately.
“Helenia… we saved… and the queen… rode out… Greenhaven… with knights,” said Aidan weakly.
“Oh thank the gods, now drink up and be still. You will need whatever strength you have left,” said Vartan, lifting Aidan onto his horse and riding gently back in the direction he had come.
The inn’s door blasted open with the force of Vartan’s heavy boot as he clutched Aidan protectively in his arms. He gently lowered his companion to the floor and yelled, “Innkeeper, Aidan has been wounded in battle and needs a healer as soon as you can find one. He will not hold on to this world much longer.'
“The name is Hildar, were you really that drunk last night that you don’t remember my name? By the gods, Vartan, this man is almost at death’s door. I can send a messenger for a healer on horseback, but the nearest healer won’t leave her home without the coin to pay for it,” replied the innkeeper.
Vartan reached into his pack to produce a large black bag bearing the royal insignia, that rattled loudly, and dropped a hail of gold coins which landed in a sparkling pile on the table.
“Hildar, this should cover him for months of stay with plenty of fresh food and water, and should more than pay for the healer’s work. Make sure the healer is here swiftly and that Aidan is treated well, as I shall return to check on him,” said Vartan, turning to head back out the front door.
“Where are you going, Vartan?” Hildar asked.
“To find out what happened in Greenhaven and help any survivors,” Vartan replied, storming out of the inn and resuming his journey back to the fallen city.
It was almost midday when he reached the point on the road where he had found Aidan. It wasn’t much longer before he laid eyes on more of Greenhaven’s inhabitants along the road, but these poor souls no longer walked among the living.
Vartan covered his nose with his hand in an effort to eliminate the stench of death. Bodies were scattered all over the path, and all had fallen in vain as they ran from the city. Scavenger hawks picked at their dying flesh and scurried away from Vartan on his approach. The smell of smoke thickened in the air, almost overwhelming him as he neared the main gates. Approaching the city, Vartan knew that something was horribly out of the ordinary. His eyes widened and he was almost deafened by the near silence from within.
Only the crackling of fires were heard as the flames danced their way towards the hazy sky. Vartan stopped momentarily and his eyebrows tightened in confusion as he stared at the city's famous once golden walls. He could now clearly see why the city no longer shone in the daylight. Various pieces of human flesh had been viciously torn from bodies and left to rot on the city’s walls, bathing them in blood.
Gods only know if they had been torn apart while they were still breathing or after their deaths, he thought.
The wind changed and a horrible smell of rotten flesh invaded his nostrils, making him gag uncontrollably.
He dismounted roughly, taking a few staggered steps onto the lowered gate. With his sword hand at the ready, he focused and took carefully placed steps forward until he had made it inside the walls of Greenhaven.
His jaw gaped open as he took in the sight of what was once the jewel of Marithia and blurted in a loud breath, 'How could this have happened?'
The entire city was in a disastrous state, and stood in dark contrast to its original renowned beauty. Wooden homes were partly burnt, and some of them were still engulfed by the flames. People lay dead in every direction that the eye could see, and there was not one moving soul in sight.
They cannot stand the daylight, young knight. For now, we are safe outside the darkness, but their forces
