Chapter one

The air was cool against my face on that fateful night when they came. I stood guard for the royal army of the kingdom of Evalena when this strange visage came over the horizon. Alarms were sounding at the outposts and training set in as the men ran to their posts. I took to the murder holes at the top of the castle and prepared an arrow for flight as I was part of His Majesties elite archer unit. Above me, Reconnaissance Archers let loose parachute arrows into the air to illuminate the ground as the oncoming army came charging toward our gates. The arrows were attached to phosphorous candles that burned bright white and floated from the sky giving us a clear view down below.

                “Oh the Gods. What in the world are they?” The soldier next to me exclaimed. He was young and I could tell that it was his first fight too. He stood roughly at five foot seven but what he lacked in height he picked up in strength. His arms and chest were massive, which was probably the reason he was picked up as an elite archer. I honestly had no answer to his question as to who we were about to fire on. I took a deep breath and sent a prayer up to one of the Gods for the men on the ground. I truly felt sorry for them as I watched them form up outside. None of them knew what waited for them and most of them were straight from the warrior’s school up north.  

                “Archers at the ready!” My thoughts were shattered as the call was given by the tower commander. All around the wall was the sound of strings pulled taught accommodating their sharp counterpart. Silence spread across the tower as we all focused and even the cries of the creatures down below seemed to fade away. Training set in as I prepared to launch an arrow into my first kill. We sat there with our arrows drawn as we waited for the call to let them loose.

                “Get ready mates, stay focused and shoot straight.”

                “Sir? Wh-what are those things?” Asked a mousy looking kid that looked barely old enough to hold a sword, let alone a bow.

                “Son, I honestly don’t have an answer to that. But we will fight. And we will win!”

                We all cried out as our commander fueled us with words of encouragement. Adrenaline plowed through my veins and set my senses alive as I prepared for the bloodshed to commence. It seemed like a lifetime until I heard the words that still reverberate through my head.

                “Let ‘em fly! Kill those monsters!”

                It was a flurry of whistles as we all let our deadly weapons loose into the flesh of the unknown. Cries went out as they hit their marks and the enemy flopped dead. In a matter of seconds we were all loaded again, watching as our fellow archers on the West wall followed our volley with their own.

                “Feathers!” The command to fire at our own will was sent up and followed by a flurry of whistles and twangs of bow strings letting loose the piercing projectiles. It seemed to have no effect on them as they kept charging our lines down below. We were taking heavy damage and my faith in this magnificent army was soon fading as the battle ensued. The echoes from the ground didn’t make me feel any better as the two armies collided together. Blood curdling cries were resounded from both sides of the playing field. More parachute arrows were flown into the air illuminating the enemy which was close enough for me to start making out distinct attributes. They seemed almost human with bipedal features and two arms but their other features seemed unnatural. Arms wove around with an uncanny sense of flexibility as if they didn’t have joints to restrain them and they moved faster than anything I have ever seen. What scared me the most is that they didn’t fight with weapons. I looked all along their lines and didn’t see a single hint of a blade, mace, staff or anything of the sorts. Their hands seemed to do the trick and they were having a massive effect on the battle. There seemed to be no way of winning this fight.

                “Empty your quivers and send them to the depths of Hell! They won’t take our title away from us. Never surrender men. We will hold this tower until we have all perished.”

                Somehow those last few words didn’t make me feel better. I was nervous and for once, had little faith in our magnificent forces. My arrows flew by one after another as I went through the rhythm of archery. The soldier next to me, who I soon found out was named Vasquez, ran out of arrows before I did. He must be really good because I was even referred to by the sergeant at arms during training. I looked at him and saw the determination in his face and the will to fight. I knew that just by being by his side, my back would always be covered. I looked down below to see how we were fairing but it looked bleak. It seemed as if the attackers were going to take the city tonight. Their will was awe-inspiring but fearful. Our arrows seemed to cause heavy damage to the mass forces that were splayed in front of us though. My estimate was they had close to 50,000 bodies against our measly 25,000. It would take another two days in order for our neighbors to the east to come to our aid. I’m not sure if we would even last that long. I reached for the handle of my blade which hung off my left side so it would be easier to access. Our sergeant at arms didn’t believe in having archers that couldn’t hold their own when the enemy broke through. Before they even touched a bow, they were sent with the infantry and trained with the best fighters in the world. I prepared myself for the fight that is inevitable as I check my gear. I secured my gold-colored helmet that comes down and protects my nose, adjusting the red scarf around my neck that falls behind my back so that it comes off easily if someone pulls on it, I move down tightening my chest armor colored in a pale gold with the symbol of a howling wolf in front of it, working my way down to the yellow pleated skirt and shin guards that connect to my brown boots. Everything seemed to be in working order and I was ready to head down the ramparts when the commander spoke up.

                “Hawthorne! Go down to the supply and grab more quivers. Take Vasquez and James with you. Tell them to bring the reserves and keep them coming. Send a messenger to the king telling him that we are being attacked by an unknown force and defeat is imminent. Have him and the royal family evacuated by the offbeat roads to the other fortress. Make sure that there is a small contingent along with to protect them.”

                “Yes sir! Should we warn the citizens to evacuate also?” I ask the commander.

                “Yes but make it fast. Every second that we wait is another life lost. Now go!”

                I rush to the stairs leading to our supply house with Vasquez and James hot on my heels. We flew down them, skipping steps and crashing through each flight. Finally we get down to the lower levels and meet up with the supply warden behind the cluttered desk and gated doors.      

                “Excuse me sir but we need an order of quivers and arrows sent to the North wall by order of Commander Castelton. Also we need any reserves that we have to go to the North gates and prepare for a breach. We are taking on an army that we are unable to stop and we need to set up a secondary force to cover us.”

                “You said that Commander Castelton sent you down here?” Asked the warden. He gave me a skeptical look as if I would lie about something like that.

                “Yes he did. Please sir this is urgent. Our men are getting slaughtered out there.”

                He just looked at me and then pulled out a huge log book with a dull expression as if I was being a hassle, as if he had something better to do other than help out his country. I was getting furious and time was running out.

                “You need to sign here, here and here and initial here as to saying that you are responsible for any damage or loss of equipment.” I just looked at him in disbelief and thought to myself, why does it matter if this stuff goes missing or breaks? They are freaking arrows. I grabbed the quill infuriated with the short, fat warden that looked almost pleased that he was causing us trouble. I signed where he said and he took the book back. I looked around the tiny hallway to see if there were any sentries running about. Sure enough, I spotted one ducking back into the corridor as he noticed my eyes burrowing into him.

                “Hey! Sentry! Get over here!”

                Begrudgingly he shuffled his way over to me with a look of irritation.

                “Listen here pal, we need a lot of arrows and another battalion of soldiers to reinforce our guys at the gates. Get going and start making it happen. Grab your buddies and get arrows up to the North tower immediately and then go to our reserves.  Warn the citizens that they need to evacuate immediately. Tell them to pack light and expect not to return. Now hurry!”

                I threw him in the direction of the stairs and was about to run toward the stables when the warden cleared his throat loudly.

                “You have my quill there soldier. I’d like to let you know that there is a no stealing policy in this supply room. If you don’t give it back I will be tempted to call the authorities and have you tried.”

The look that the warden gave me was so serious that I was tempted to grab his squat, fat face and ram it into the gated doors. I could have sworn I had steam coming out of my ears as I took the quill with such force and nearly slammed it onto the table but at the last second set it down ever so gently in front of him. I snapped the quill in half on the desk and strutted down toward the stairway with my chin in the air. Despite the fact that our whole country was under attack, I felt that the warden needed to know who was actually in charge of this program.

                “Where are we going now? Why didn’t we tell them about the king?” Asked Vasquez as we headed in the opposite direction of the stairs.

                “Because I know that we would have been overrun by the time they even sent the messengers. We can’t afford to lose the royal family.” I replied as I quickened the pace. The stable yards came into view and I didn’t even stop to talk with the stableman. We hopped on the horses and set them at a gallop toward the palace breaking through the stable entrance. My heart was pounding as each stride took us closer to the king and my plan on how to get the royal family to safety was starting to come into view. The castle was close to a half hour ride so talking was held to a minimum to ensure we would get there as fast as possible. The castle came into view shortly which meant we were making great time. It was truly magnificent to be honest. With pearly white stone and towers that soared to the sky, it was the most beautiful building in all of Guilldrin. It was encased on a hillside and when the sun hit it a certain way it seemed to absolutely shine. Encompassing the entire outside of the castle was the clear watered Dyrnph river. It served as the castle moat and made it so that no one was able to cross it without the drawbridge down. Just past the moat was a twenty foot wall that surrounded the entire perimeter of the castle with sentry posts every few feet. I slowed the horses down to a trot so I could pass the word to Vasquez and James.

                “So here is the deal. The Family already has procedures for if the city would ever be overrun. We will go to Fort Winfard to the East and try to send a messenger to the King of Morchron and ask him if they will come to our aid. First thing is first though, we can’t let anyone in the royal family out of our sight. Our first priority is them over us and nothing can happen to any of them. It’s a two days ride to Fort Winfard so we have to make it fast. Any questions as to what we are doing?”

                “What about the men back at the walls? Are we just going to run away with the royal family and not fight alongside our brothers? Why didn’t you listen to Commander Castelton and have a sentry send the message to the royal family?” James asked with a look of displeasure on his face.

                “Our men will be overrun with or without our help. We are not running away either. Commander Castelton said that he needs the royal family safe and he wanted soldiers to go with them and protect them. Would you feel comfortable letting just some regular soldiers go and protect the greatest king in all of Guilldrin? I would feel honored to die alongside my fellow brothers but this is more important. How would you feel if you let someone else protect the royal family and they failed when you could have been there and saved them?” I replied as I looked him dead in the eyes. James seemed to back off after that but he still looked disgruntled about abandoning his brethren.

                Silence continued as we headed through the Main Gates with the castle shining even in the moonlight. My thoughts were soon invaded about our magnificent king that I now swore my life to protect.

King Ethlered was a great man and a fierce warrior back in the day. You don’t just inherit the crown in Evalena, you have to earn it. As soon as one king was about ready to croak, the voting took place and the council decided on which soldier of the Evalena army would take his place. Evalena was built on war and victory. Ever since its birth in the old days, her land has been covered in the blood of our forefathers who fought against the tyranny of Sinrea, the kingdom that thrives off of pain and suffering. King Ethelred swore to protect his country against such tyranny which still remain to this day. He has always been at the front of the battle and captured the heart of the citizens as soon as he took the crown. What is even more amazing about him is that he has kept the same physique that he had as a warrior nearly forty years ago. It’s as if the old man never ages!

                We arrived at the massive staircase leading up to the castle entrance and took the stairs two at a time. Time was running out and we needed to warn the castle citizens as fast as possible. I lead the charge and burst into the main entrance heading straight to where the cleric was sitting behind his desk.

                “Is the king up yet?” I asked in between breaths to the tall, lanky man behind the desk. He seemed to be ancient with a white beard and white hair around the sides of his head where his hair fell out on top. He wore an Evalena livery red tunic with the howling wolf on the front and gold colored leggings. He wore the traditional chain and cape that signified him as the cleric to the king.

                “No he is not. Do you even know what time it is? What is this about? I can’t be having hooligans running around the castle at this time making a ruckus. What is so urgent that you need to wake him up right now?” Man this guy sure had a lot of questions. His tone of voice annoyed me and I really didn’t have time for this.

                “Look, we need the king and the whole royal family up and packed for evacuation in a half an hour. The longer we wait the more in danger they become. We just came from the North Tower and we were being slaughtered. As far as I know we were the only ones told to inform anyone. We got here as fast as we could but we need to get everyone up. Tell everyone in the castle even. The longer we stay in the city the more likely it is that citizens are going to die.”

                The cleric gave me a stern look as if this might be some kind of prank that the army would play on the king. What is with everyone not believing anything I say tonight?

                “Please sir. If this wasn’t urgent, Commander Castelton wouldn’t have sent us. We want to make sure that everyone gets out of here safely.”

                He looked at me with those pale blue eyes that seemed so cold and lifeless. His facial expression changed though and it seemed as if he were going to believe me.

                “How much time do we have?”

                                “Probably only a few hours if the reserves haven’t made it to the tower by now. Every second we waste though is one less second we aren’t heading to safety.”

                “Ok I’ll go grab them. Who is attacking us?”

                “I’m not really sure, we were just getting slaughtered out there by these, these things.”

                “Oh my. Calvin!” He called to a small servant boy, “Run to the rooms of the royal family but grab the king first. Tell him that the city is falling and he is in danger. They need to leave as fast as they can. Make sure you make no stops and to grab the other runners that are up at this time. Wake the maids tell them to help the princess and prince. They need to be dressed in commoner clothing and ready to leave. Send Maxwell to the city figure to warn the citizens.”

                Calvin, a small red headed kid who looked as if he were about ten years old with a splatter of freckles around his cheeks and nose, rushed to do the biddings of cleric Borese. I soon heard alarms resounding throughout the castle and the residents were seen throughout making their way down to the grand entryway. Heads turned left and right and people were muttering amongst each other trying to figure out why the alarms were raised. Cleric Borese soon dashed into the middle of the cacophony and took charge with his loud, resounding voice.

                “People, people. Quiet down now. Listen here, we are under attack and the city is no longer safe” Gasps were heard around the room and more talking commenced.

                “Now listen here and be quiet. We need to start evacuating the castle. Any able bodied men that can wield a sword need to come with me to the armory to help protect the women and children. What you all need to do is grab only what you can carry. Load up your horses and head back to the stronghold to the east. Once we have made it there we will go for help from the city of Morchron. The longer we are here the longer we are in danger so hurry up! We leave in one hour so do not be late! We will not hesitate to leave stragglers.”

                The people around the cleric were dumbfounded. They didn’t want to leave at all especially without most of their things. Grudgingly, everyone began their ascent up to their rooms to pack the miniscule amount of items they could take. The cleric turned towards me with a look of intensity and said, “I need you to go to the king and make sure that nothing happens to him as you said. I have complete faith in you and trust that your skill will be enough to handle these creatures.”

                “Yes sir. I will do all I can to protect the king.” With that, my men and I took to the towers to grab the king. We were set out on a mission and were determined to accomplish it. Two, three, four, five flights later and we were soon on the Royal floor. I set about knocking on doors making sure that everyone was out and about. My men followed suit and in no time we had the royal family out in their sleep wear wondering what in the world was going on. I saw the king in his red and gold robe, such a striking man that sent fear into the hearts of anyone that crossed him. Standing at 6’4 he towered over almost anyone and he was no stick either. Years of warfare perfected his muscles and defined them leaving him with a very cut and strong physique.

                “Your highness please I beg you to come with me for your safety. Grab essential items and follow me. I can’t tell you much other than that we are being attacked and we are moving to Fort Winfard.”

                “How much time do we have?” The king replied.

                “Not very much. We left the North gate half an hour ago and we weren’t doing all that great. If things continued as they were when we left than the city has already been overrun. I will give everyone a maximum of fifteen minutes to get everything ready. I will head to the stables and make ready the royal coach and prepare for our journey. Remember please hurry your lordship.”

                The Royal Entourage was listening closely to our conversation and were all amazed just like the patrons down in the castle hall. The king took charge and set everyone hustling while Vasquez, James and I raced down the steps to make sure we got to the stables in time.

                “James I need you to go to the kitchen.” I told him.

                “What do you need?” James replied.

                “I need enough provisions to last about seven days. Enough to feed thirty people. No make it thirty-five. I want to make sure that everything is planned accordingly and we don’t leave anything behind. If you need to, make sure you bring some workers to come help you. Meet back here in ten minutes and try to make it faster.”

                “Will do.” James took off down the stairs as he had to descend lower to get to the kitchen floor. In the meantime, Vasquez and I rushed out the main doors and took to the stables. There was no one in sight in the stables and we took to the conclusion that we would be on our own with saddling up all the horses. I realized once we got started that I was glad Vasquez came with. He grew up in the countryside and learned how to saddle up horses in quick means so that he wouldn’t waste any time in the fields. In what seemed like a matter of minutes, Vasquez was able to saddle up the royal coach, the coach for the Royal Entourage, and ten horses, enough for the royal body guard and the three of us. I was truly astonished by this feat and kept a mental note to praise him for it when the time came. We took the horses out front of the castle and waited for James to get back with the extra provisions. It seemed like forever until I saw the first worker come out of the kitchen door. James seemed to find enough food to feed thirty-five warriors, not the royal family.

                “James! What is all of this? I said to get enough for thirty-five people, not the entire castle people.” I called to James as he was walking out of the kitchen door, arms full of pastries and meats, cheeses and breads.

                “I talked to the chef to prepare us enough food for thirty-five people for seven days or so and this is what he gave me. If you have a problem, take it up with him.”

                I couldn’t believe that we had so much food and delicacies. That was the thing that got to me more than anything. We needed proteins and starches, not fatty foods. I figured I would just leave it considering we didn’t have time to pick and choose. We set about packing the horses and storing provisions in the trunks connected to the coach. By the time the Royal Entourage was coming out of the castle, everything was saddled up and ready for our journey to the Fort Winfard. 

Author's Note

First chapter and more to come. Any feedback/corrections would be great