 
Chapter One

The Horses Bring Horror

Queen Daloa awoke from a deep dream and found herself covered in sweat underneath her heavy, fur blankets. She scanned her bedchamber and saw that it was empty and quiet. From there she looked out past her terrace and into the purple, early morning sky. The sun was beginning to rise and the queen was glad. The past few nights she had been waking in the middle of it, to find herself alone and frightened from some unpleasant dream.

Quite often, Queen Daloa thought about the day when she would find herself a decent king. She hated thinking about how lonely she was. The queen was waiting to fall in love and did not want to be rushed into an unstable marriage, just for the sake of having herself a king. But still, on mornings like these, it was hard to not look at her pillow and imagine a man she loved laying beside her, waiting to be awoken to kiss her good morning.

The queen arose from her bed and grabbed a robe to shield her thin body from the cold morning air. She made her way over to her terrace and looked out at the far lands of Vivus below, which were now hers to rule and at such a young age too. She then looked down to her city, Vanak, which rested beneath her like a sleeping child. Usually her city was very loud with the sounds of iron being hammered by blacksmiths, merchants yelling out in hopes of making a sale and the cheers and cries of the rich and the poor. All of this would echo through the streets and up to the queens ears as she looked down and wondered how much she was adored or hated by them all. But right now, not even the blacksmith's were up to start their work. It was very quiet and still.

It seemed only yesterday when Queen Daloa had waged war against the usurper, Karl Karnip, who had gained the throne by killing her father, King Dala. All the people across the land knew it as the war of miracles. This was because Karl Karnip's army was much bigger than the one Daloa had spent years forming, after she had fled the city when she heard about her father's abrupt murder. She was thirsty for revenge and wanted the throne she deserved. It was not easy, but after years, young Daloa had formed a host of her own to wage war against Karnip and steal back her rightful throne. She and everyone else knew that they were greatly outnumbered. The false king had the power of every army across the land under his belt and when he learned about Daloa coming to steal back the crown, he only laughed. But when the day came, something very unusual happened.

The weather became extremely violent and fire was thrown from the skies and the world shook so hard that it was a battle itself just to stand. Daloa led her army nonetheless and a horrible war took place. Not only were the men fighting each other, they were fighting against the fierce power of the world. At the battles end, there were more of Daloa's men that had survived the monstrous storm than Karl Karnip's. She and her brave survivors were then free to break down the city walls and capture the stunned king.

The queen could still remember the look on Karnip's face when she told him to bend the knee. It was in this very room, on this very terrace. Karnip got down to his knees and Daloa grabbed the crown from his head, placed it on her own and then ran a blade across his throat. This was only but a year ago and the crown had been there ever since.

As the queen reflected on all this, she heard the door open from behind her and turned to see who it was. It was none other than her chambermaid, Galla. Galla was a young woman who was born in a small town, named Egest, which sat just off the coast of the Clorn River. When Daloa fled the city of Vanak, years ago right after her father had been murdered, she came upon this small town. She stayed there in hiding for a very long time.

Daloa would break into shops and homes to steal food and take shelter during cold nights. One night Daloa broke into one home and heard a girls' screams from upstairs. She quietly walked up them and found a very large man lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood. The man had been stabbed and was slowly bleeding out. The girl who was screaming was pressed up against the wall in a corner of the room, while a man with a blade in his hand kept her there. Daloa grabbed a dagger she had found earlier from her waist, jumped on the back of the man and drove it into him. The man cried in pain and frantically tried to shake Daloa off his body. He smashed her into the wall and crushed her. Daloa fell to the ground. The man then grabbed the dagger, which was sunk deep into his upper back and pulled it out. He then went for Daloa and grabbed her by the neck and raised her up off the ground.

'You shouldn't 'ave done 'at, you pretty little thing,' he said, with a mad laugh.

Daloa could still remember the foul smell of the man's breath and the little amount of teeth he had in his mouth. He stunk of alcohol. She figured he was a common fisherman, who was very poor, very deprived and very illiterate. As the man was holding Daloa up, he dug his fingers deeper into her small, fragile throat. Daloa spat in his face and then kicked him in his crotch with all her might. The man let go of her, hunched over and puked up a dark red liquid which stank of old wine and raw fish. At this point, Daloa grabbed the dagger from the floor and stabbed it into the back of the man's neck. He fell to the ground, dead.

Daloa felt as if some stranger had taken over her body and she was no longer an innocent little girl, but now a savage born from the wild. As she looked at the dead man beneath her, lying in a pool of his own blood, something opened up inside of her. This was the moment that Daloa knew she had a fiery heart and fierce soul. She got hungry for blood, death and most of all revenge. She was no longer the little girl she had once been.

Daloa took notice of the young girl that was shriveled up in the corner. The little girl was crying and rested her head on Daloa's shoulder once she came over to her.

'Hush,' said Daloa. 'You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you anymore.'

The young girl then broke free of Daloa's arms and ran over to the large man that had been stabbed and was bleeding out. The man had died from his wounds while Daloa fought his killer.

'Was he your father?' asked Daloa.

The young girl nodded as tears ran down her cheeks.

'Thank you,' said the girl. 'For saving me. How can I repay you?'

'I ask only for your name,' said Daloa. 'And I am sorry for your father.'

Since that night, Daloa and Galla had been very close. While Daloa hid secretly in Egest for years, King Karnip sent men to look for her. Galla would bring her food and warm clothes while she slept in cold alleys, planning her revenge. Daloa trusted Galla very much and eventually told her she was the old kings daughter and had to hide from being captured by the new king. Daloa spent two years in Egest before she met a knight in a pub and traveled with him to the Far East to begin her recruiting. Now that Daloa was queen, she kept her old friend Galla very close and made her a chambermaid.

This morning Galla was wearing a purple silk gown, which went well with her long, curly brown hair.

'Galla,' said the queen. 'My love, how are you this fine morning?'

'I am very well, Your Grace,' said Galla. ' I came to tell you that Lord Etin wishes to see you right away. He says it is very important.'

The queen hesitated for a moment before replying to Galla to think on her words.

'What does he want?' she asked.

Galla smiled and walked towards her queen.

'You have been sweating this night,' Galla said. 'I hope your dreams did not trouble you. My queen is too beautiful to have nightmares.'

Daloa smiled and grabbed Galla's hand after she had fixed her hair.

'Your queen has nightmares like everyone else,' Daloa said to her. 'Sometimes you can learn something from them.'

Galla laughed, squeezed Daloa's hands and said, 'then one day I hope to be as brave as you are. The news from Lord Etin I do not know. He would not discuss such matters with a chambermaid of course. However, I noticed he was very tense and nervous. The news is unpleasant I would assume.'

From this Daloa let go of Galla's hands and returned to the stone rail of her terrace to the sight of her city lying beneath her.

'Then send him in Galla. But stay here with us.'

Galla bowed and exited the room. Daloa looked to the far mountains resting on the edge of the horizon. Her young mind filled with troubled thoughts.

A moment later, Galla returned with Lord Etin following behind her. The old lord was dressed in a long, brown, worn out robe.

'Lord Etin,' said the queen as she turned from her balcony to face him. 'It is nice to see you.'

The old man bowed and said, 'Good morning, Your Grace. I am afraid I come with disturbing news.'

'Before you begin, Lord Etin,' said Daloa. 'There is something you must know. It may be true that Galla, here, is my chambermaid, but she is also my most loyal friend and whatever you must tell me, you can tell her as well. We do not keep secrets from one another. Is that understood?'

Lord Etin's face showed that he was confused. He glanced at Galla and then returned his focus to the queen.

'I am sorry, Your Grace and my apologies, Galla. But now that you are both here, I would like to begin.'

'You are forgiven, Lord Etin,' said the queen. 'Please continue.'

'Your Grace,' began Lord Etin. 'I have messengers from across Vivus that tell me they have heard many rumors in recent that concern you and your entire realm. There is a revolution taking place.'

The queen bit her lip and felt a heavy flutter from within her stomach.

'A revolution? How could this be?' She asked. 'I have been such a good and loyal queen. I only care about my people. Why would anyone turn against me?'

Lord Etin reflected on how young Queen Daloa was and how inexperienced she was. But still, she had a good heart and a right to the throne.

Daloa's head was buzzing with questions.

'What sort of a revolution? What is their purpose and who is leading this?'

'I am afraid it is conspirators from all over the land,' said Lord Etin. 'Apparently there are many who believe that you used sorcery to gain back the throne. Many are calling you the Witch Queen. Hosts are being formed to strike against you and take you off the throne.'

A flash of fear and confusion struck the poor queens head.

'A witch! They think I am a witch? Me? Why would they think such a thing? I have been a good queen.'

Lord Etin moved closer towards Queen Daloa.

'The rumors have spread all across the land about the battle that took place only but a year ago,' he said. 'Everyone knows what sort of army we were up against. Even I thought we were doomed. But I was loyal to you and knew that you were the rightful heir to the throne. I and everyone else who fought by your side knew that too. We were ready to give our lives for you, but we never thought we would actually be able to keep them. Our numbers were just too small against Karnip's. But the gods were good to us that day and the world opened, shook them and threw them all down to hell where they belong. I have never seen anything like that in all my years and because of it, I will never stop believing that you are truly meant to be our queen.'

His words touched young Daloa, but still she felt very uneasy. She may be a queen, but Daloa was still a young woman who had only been in this world for twenty-three years. She was afraid but she knew she had to be strong. Lord Etin's news had pierced through her heart and made her feel weak. Daloa then took a deep breath.

'If war is to be waged against me by my own people, then they may die. Lord Etin, inform, Sir Jorcy that battle is on its way. I want every knight, guard and person who can hold a sword, know that they are to fight for their realm and defend their city and their queen.'

At this Lord Etin looked to the ground in dismay.

'Is there something I said that displeases you, Lord Etin?' Asked Daloa.

Lord Etin looked at his queen and said, 'I am afraid, Your Grace, that with every sword in this city raised against this rebellion, we will still be outnumbered. If the rebellion is joined by cities all over the land, then we are surely nothing against them all. We may have the greatest of soldiers on our side, but we are only one city against many others. Our city need's allies to stand any chance against this monstrous attack and we have no allies it seems.'

Thoughts swam through the queen's head like frightened fish in a river. She was frustrated that this was happening. All she wanted was to be a good queen and rule her people in a manner like her father had. Why did her own people want her dead? If only they knew that she had truly used no sorcery to gain back her rightful throne.

Daloa left her terrace and made her way back into her room. She went over to a small table and grabbed a goblet and filled it with wine.

'Does the senate know?' asked Daloa. 'If so what are they proposing?'

'I have not spoken with the senate yet,' said Lord Etin. 'But doubtless they will try to buy our allies.'

'How could we possibly have no allies?' she asked before taking a sip. 'Doesn't everyone know that I am the rightful heir of my father? Why don't they love me the way they loved him?'

The queen then walked back out onto her terrace, leaned against the stone rail, buried her head in her arms and began to sob. Lord Etin and Galla exchanged a look with one another.

Daloa realized that she was being weak and to be a queen you had to be strong. She then raised her head from her arms and looked out to the horizon.

'Tell me, Lord Etin,' she said. 'What must I do?'

Lord Etin cleared his throat and moved closer towards Daloa. 'My queen,' he said, 'I know this must seem like a very difficult situation. But I have a plan. The land beyond The Haunted Sea, Auran, there is the city of Aurank and..'

'I may seem like only a young girl to you, Lord Etin,' snapped the queen. 'But I know my geography as well as my history.'

'Aurank?' asked Galla, confused.

'Aurank,' began the queen. 'Is the one city that lies in the distant lands of Auran across the waters of The Haunted Sea. Aurank is a city that lies in the land of Auran that once used to be joined with Vivus in a time long, long ago. But then Auran split away and left us with a cursed sea to divide their lands from ours. Since then, no one has ever crossed over to it. The city of Aurank has never been seen by anyone on this side of The Haunted Sea for thousands of years. It is unreachable and completely cut away from our lands forever. It is an evil place as far as the stories go.'

'You know your history, Your Grace,' said Lord Etin. 'Do you know why the lands of Auran split away from Vivus?'

'There are a lot of different reasons I have been told,' said Daloa. 'But what does this have to do with anything?'

Lord Etin moved closer to Daloa.

'Perhaps,' he said 'it is time for them to join us once again.'

The queen looked hard into Lord Etin's face and felt her anger rise.

'What you speak of, Lord Etin. Is not only impossible, it is absolutely ridiculous. After thousands of years, why would Aurank ever want to join our lands again? It is known as a place of magic and evil. Not that I truly believe that, but even if we were to have them join us, which again I must say is impossible, then our people would have no choice but to think of me as a witch.'

'My queen,' Lord Etin said. 'If this battle is brought to us without any help, then your city and your life will be finished. We do not have the numbers this time to win. The entire realm is either against you or not willing to fight for you.'

'We didn't have the numbers the last time we fought, did we?' snapped Daloa. 'I will hear no more of this, Lord Etin.'

'I have sources tell me that the city of Aurank is under great stress,' said Lord Etin. 'They are running out of resources and soon enough they will turn to our lands once again. If we do not come to them first and ask them for our help and ask for peace then I am afraid you will have another war on your hands. That is why I propose we go there first.'

'How do you know this?' asked Daloa. 'No one has been to Aurank for thousands of years.'

'Yes,' said Lord Etin. 'But perhaps people from Aurank have been to our lands.'

The queen fell silent.

'My queen,' continued Lord Etin. 'The land you rule is against you. We need another army fighting with us or else we will fall. I know that we were outnumbered when we fought against Karl Karnip, but we were lucky to have the fierce wrath of the world that day on our side. We will not be so lucky again. The city of Aurank has rumored an army twice the size of ours filled with warriors who are the best the world has ever seen. If we get a hold of that army then we will be the strongest city and you will live on to be the most powerful queen. You will be known as the queen that joined the lands of Auran back with Vivus.'

With these words, a rush of excitement filled Daloa's beating heart. All she ever wanted was to be the greatest queen Vivus had ever known. Perhaps, this was her chance, but still, she could not help but feel much doubt towards this impossible plan.

'And you are talking to me as though this is our only option,' said Daloa. 'Wouldn't it be easier to try and win our cities here on this side of the sea then to go over to foreign lands and win them over?'

'Perhaps,' said Lord Etin. 'But they could be a very powerful ally. Your father was always fascinated with the land of Auran. Before he died, he was making plans of sending men over to explore it. He was even thinking of going there himself. If we do go, then you must go as well. It would mean more to them if the queen of our land went to them rather than her messengers.'

'Tell me, Lord Etin,' said Daloa, in a serious tone. 'If we traveled across The Haunted Sea and reached the city of Aurank alive, what would stop them from killing me? If they kill me, then they would have access to my throne and take our lands and use our resources to help their people. This plan is not only impossible, it is absolutely ridiculous. I will not hear anymore of this nonsense.'

Just then a knight, clad in mail, burst through the door. He looked very concerned.

'Your Grace.' The knight said, out of breath.

Daloa looked at him with worry and suspicion and said, 'Sir Jorcy, what brings you to my chamber in such haste?'

'I'm sorry to interrupt, Your Grace,' the knight said. 'There seems to be many horses coming towards our city. Perhaps an attack.'

A flash of fear and curiosity surged through her trembling body. I must be brave. I am their queen. She looked at Lord Etin and saw his eyes looking down at the stone floor with a look of anxiousness and pity.

'Lead me,' she said, with a stern voice. 'I must see this for myself.'

The next thing she knew, Daloa was rushing down the spiral stone staircase, which led from her top chambers all the way down to the main hall of the castle. Every picture of old kings and queen's that hung in a frame on the old castle walls seemed to be staring right into her. She could feel her heart jumping out of her chest. Her eyes now fixed on the back of Sir Jorcy's head as he led her out of the castle onto the narrow stone path that ran through the front gardens. She saw the sky now corrupt with heavy black clouds that made the world look hostile and unpleasant. As she and Sir Jorcy exited the castle gates, a large group of knights surrounded her as she was led through her city. The streets were empty and very silent. Most of the people of the city were just beginning to wake but many were still gathered about, trying to see what all the commotion was about.

'Out of the way!' Her knights screamed as they pushed through the heavy mob of city folk. The city folk each shared a look of fright, wonder and sadness. No one seemed to know what was going on, but they were all staring in the same direction. As the queen broke through the heavy mob she waited as the two massive iron gates of the city opened in front of her. When the gates were fully opened, there the barren waste of the red desert stood. Not for many miles did any city, town or castle lie in this, red, desolate land.

Sir Jorcy pointed out towards the distance.

'Look!' he said. 'A large group of horses is coming our way. Have you been expecting visitors?'

Daloa thought back to the conversation with Lord Etin earlier. She turned her head around and saw him standing there and looking very troubled. Something felt very wrong as the queen stared at the long line of wandering horses coming towards her city. As she looked out at them all, she noticed that these horses did not have riders. The horses got closer and Daloa noticed that each were tied together with what looked liked piles of luggage strapped to their bodies.

'What the hell is going on?' asked a knight named Sir Cremiv. 'There's got to be at least a hundred horses coming our way. But these damn things are walking themselves.'

The queen then broke from the circle of knights who were surrounding her and walked further into the red desert. She squinted harder at the pack of horses and she could now see the figure of a man in front and leading them on foot. Her knights noticed this figure as well.

'Archers!' yelled Sir Jorcy. 'Ready yourselves!'

A line of archers all dressed in silver armor formed a line behind their queen.

'My queen,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Fall back. Get yourself protected.'

'Must we be so hostile to our guest?' asked the queen. 'This man is alone and has traveled very far in this waste. I can hardly see him being a threat.'

Daloa then stepped further out towards the man and his pack of many horses. As he and the horses got closer, a foul smell pierced the nose of every man, woman and child of the city.

'What is this vile smell?' complained Lord Etin, as he wrinkled his nose in disgust and hid it behind a handkerchief.

'That,' said the cold voice of Sir Jorcy. 'Is the smell of dead men. Many dead men'

Queen Daloa's heart stopped. The man and the horses were now much closer to her and the city gates. It was quite visible to everyone now what the horses were carrying. The rotting corpses of hundreds of slain men, women and children were tied to each horse with rope. Each covered in deep, fatal wounds oozing with blood and decay. As the horses got closer, the people watching from behind the city walls took notice of this and turned their children away from the terrible sight

The queen stood there and watched as the man with the horses approached. He had very dark, damaged skin and he looked as if he had not eaten for days. His clothes were ragged and barely holding on to his slim body. The man was now close enough to stare into the eyes of the queen and give her a haunting smile.

Daloa remained strong and would not let this creature of a man frighten her. Every knight had their swords drawn and the archers remained in position, armed and aimed on their target. Finally the man was close enough for words.

'Halt!' yelled Sir Jorcy. 'What kind of madness do you bring to the city of the queen?'

After a long, tense silence, the weak voice of the strange man echoed through the ears of everyone listening.

'Your Grace,' said the man, still smiling. His voice was thin and hoarse. 'I have come a long way. Would you mind fetching me a drink?'

'Water,' the queen demanded. 'Someone bring him water.'

'I'd rather give him horse piss,' spat the furious voice of Sir Warr, who was a short, fat knight with a furry beard that nearly covered his entire face. Sir Warr was the smallest knight in the city guard but he proved to stand quite tall against his enemies.

'This vile rat stands in front of us all, leading horses with bodies of hundreds of slain children, with their mothers and fathers. Someone put a blade through his lifeless heart!'

'Water,' said the queen again. 'Someone bring me water. Sir Warr if you speak another word, Ill have someone silence you.'

A knight named Sir TaJord approached the queen with a canteen full of water. She grabbed it and handed it to the man. He smiled and looked right into her eyes. Daloa could feel this monster peering into her soul. The man drained the entire canteen in a matter of seconds and when he was done he looked back to the queen and said, 'you're pretty.'

Daloa took a deep breath and asked the man, 'Who are you?'

'My name ain't important, my pretty little queen,' said the man. 'You can call me the messenger.'

'A messenger for whom?' asked the queen.

'A messenger from everyone across the land of Vivus,' said the man. 'I am here to give you the message of death.'

Sir Jorcy moved in front of the queen.

'Sir Jorcy!' the queen roared, moving away from him and returning to face the man. 'I can handle myself. Do not do this again.'

Sir Jorcy looked hard at his queen and then to the smiling man and returned to where he had been standing before.

'I see the witch queen thinks she can protect herself,' said the man. 'Is she sure about that?'

Daloa's stomach dropped. 'I am no witch,' she said. 'Who are these slaughtered people?'

The man smiled and said, 'these, Your Grace, are your supporters.'

'Where do you come from?' she asked.

'It doesn't matter where I come from,' said the man. 'Soon you will be dead. I am here to tell you that you are too late. Armies of tens of thousands are making their way for you as we speak, to re-take Vivus and rid it of your sorcery. No witch queen will ever get away with stealing the crown!'

'Do you even know who I am?' asked Daloa, enraged. 'I did not steal the crown! It belongs to me. My father was King Dala, who ruled for many years before he was slain and had his crown stolen by Karnip, who only called himself a king.'

'You lying witch,' said the man. 'Everyone knows the daughter of King Dala was killed, along with the rest of the royal family. King Karnip killed the King because Dala was a godless man. What kind of man, with no god, could truly call himself a King?'

'My father didn't need a god to worship,' said the queen. 'All he needed was the blood that ran through his veins to know he was a king. The very same blood that runs through mine.'

'That blood stains the floors of the royal castle,' said the man. 'Just like it stains the lands, and now, queen, if that's what you call yourself, it will stain my blade!'

And with that, the man drew a long, curved knife and lunged towards the queen. Before the queen could even flinch, the man's body was covered with arrows and he fell to the sand, dead. The queen looked at the dead man, then the corpse filled horses, then back to her people and her city.

'Lord Etin,' she said after a long moment's pause. 'Get a ship and crew prepared. Sir Jorcy; gather your finest men. We leave for the land of Auran tomorrow at sun up.'

'The land beyond The Haunted Sea?' asked Sir Jorcy, confused.

The queen took a deep breath.

Chapter Two

A History Broken

King Whyten stared out of his window in the top room of the tallest tower of his castle. He was thinking very hard about his vision from last night. The sky was very dark and a thick fog hid the land below from view. This did not trouble the king, for his land was always dark. The sun never came to the land of Auran. The king often thought it was too afraid. Thick black clouds always covered the sky above and whenever a star shone through, it was known to be a curse to the one who saw it.

Aurank was the only city that was known in the dark lands of Auran. It had small towns that sat on the edge of the city, but any further than those and you would only find a bare, black and haunted landscape. Mountains surrounded Aurank and no one knew what was on the other side of them. Whenever anyone would dare go beyond them, they never came back.

The door opened from behind the king, but he did not turn to see who it was.

'King Whyten,' called a voice.

'Sit,' said the cold voice of the king. He then heard a chair being pulled from the table.

'I am sorry tha..'

'Save your words,' snapped the king, turning from the window to face the man who had entered the room. His eyes pierced through the man's skull.

'You command the shores of the Forbidden Sea, do you not?'

The man was sweating and shifted in his seat. He could feel the stare of his king cut through him like a hot knife. The king was used to this. He could always taste the fear in everyone he spoke to.

'Well?' asked King Whyten.

'Yes,' said the man. 'That is correct.'

'Does any boat ever leave the harbor, Sir...?'

'Sir Val,' corrected the knight. 'And no, my king, not ever, the boats are never used.'

'Are you sure about that?' asked the king.

'Yes,' said Sir Val. 'No boat comes or leaves the harbor. It is under my watch at all times. I send my men up and down the shores of The Forbidden Sea every day and night to make sure no one comes near it or comes from it. Anyone that is sighted around its perimeters is brought to me at once.'

'What do you do with them then?' asked the king.

'Well,' said Sir Val. 'We question them. We ask about their business and what brings them to the shores of the sea. We remind them that the Forbidden Sea is forbidden and then...'

The king gave Sir Val an amused look. 'And then you...?'

'And then I cut their throats and dump their bodies into the waters, on your orders.'

'Not just my orders,' corrected the king. 'The kings before me made these orders to make sure The Forbidden Sea will always stay forbidden.'

'Excuse me, my King,' said Sir Val. 'Perhaps we should lighten up on these old laws. Perhaps give these people a warning? Lately there have been a lot of children being caught exploring by the shores. You know how children are. They like to do things they are told not to do.'

'We have plenty of children to spare,' said the king.

'A few months ago,' said Sir Val. 'A child was caught by his own father who commands the North Shores. When he brought the child to me... Well, I've never seen a man so broken.'

'People should know not to get near those waters,' said the king. 'Parents should discipline their children more. Nothing else. Is that clear?'

'Yes, my king.'

The king walked over to Sir Val and placed a hand on his shoulder.

'My king?' asked Sir Val. 'What is this all about?'

'You know of my powers, do you not?'

'Powers?' asked Sir Val. 'I am afraid I do not understand.'

'Take out your sword,' said the king.

Sir Val swallowed, got up from his seat and drew his sword. He stood there for a moment in silence, very nervous.

'You're shaking,' said King Whyten. 'Knight's should not be so nervous around their king. He may think they have something to hide.'

'I do not know what you're talking about,' said Sir Val. Suddenly, he lifted his sword and dug the blade into his own left thigh.

Sir Val screamed as he tore through his own flesh. Something was taking a hold of his body and mind. He couldn't stop, finally the blade cut through and his leg and sword fell to the ground with the rest of him. The stunned knight lay there, violently shaking and screaming in a pool of his own blood.

King Whyten stood over Sir Val and looked at him and said, 'Tell me why you have been letting ships leave Auran to cross over to the other side.'

Sir Val screamed in agony.

'Tell me,' said the cold voice of the king.

'I do not know what you are talking about!' roared the knight.

'Grab your sword again,' said the king.

Sir Val lay there moaning in pain. Then, his body rose from the ground and he leaned over to find his sword. He grabbed the hilt and raised it above himself. His screams grew stronger and the next moment his blade found his other leg.

'No! Why?' screamed Sir Val, as he sawed through his own flesh.

'You're punishing yourself,' said King Whyten. 'For lying to your king.'

'I don't know what you are talking about!' Sir Val screamed. The next moment his blade hit the floor as it cut right through his other leg. Shouts and moans filled the kings ears. Blood ran down the stone floor of the tower. Sir Val screamed from shock and pain as he lay in a pool of his own blood beside his two dismembered legs.

'Now that you know you are a dead man,' said the king. 'You might as well tell me why you have been letting ships leave the shores.'

'I haven't!' roared Sir Val. 'I do not know what you are talking about!'

'You might be telling the truth,' said the king. He then stomped his iron boot on Sir Val's face and crushed it.

Just then the door opened. A very slender, older man, wearing a black velvet robe stood, looking at the king.

'My king,' he said, bowing. 'You have summoned me?'

'Yes,' said the king, wiping his boot on the floor. 'Sit.'

The man in the black robe looked at the dead mess that was once Sir Val.

'Something go wrong?' he asked.

'I'll get to that in a moment,' said the king, walking to a small table to pour himself a glass of wine. 'Where are my sons?'

The slender man took a seat at the long table and rubbed his balding head.

'I haven't seen them, my king. I'm sure Fasmir is busy grooming horses and Larr is kindly asking some tender high-born girl to be his princess.'

The king stared into the amused eyes of the man.

'Ok, I lied. Fasmir is most likely with his soldiers and I do not doubt Larr is laying with a whore. I do not know where they are my king, what is this all about?'

Just then, the two princes barged through the door.

'Father,' they both said.

Their father said nothing and pointed to the long table for the two of them to sit.

The two princes' took notice of Sir Val's body on the floor.

'My, father' said Larr. 'You sure know how to entertain your guests.'

'Sit,' said the cold voice of the king.

The two princes took a seat next to each other.

'Can we get some wine flowing, father?' asked Larr. 'These little meetings are always better when I'm drunk.'

The king scowled at his son and said, 'You can have wine when we get this sorted out.'

'I'd rather sort myself out with wine,' said Larr. 'I'm hungry too. How long is this going to take?'

A long tense silence flowed through the cold dark room.

The king then took a seat.

'I had a vision last night,' he said.

'Daddies had a bad dream,' said Larr. 'I had a drea...'

'Be quiet you imbecile!' roared the king. 'This is not the time to be a fool. If you will not hold your tongue I'll have you remove it yourself.'

Larr looked at the table and remained silent.

'Now,' continued the king. 'Last night I had a vision. I saw the queen of Vivus. She was talking with one of her lords and he told her some very unpleasant news. Apparently, there are men stationed here in Aurank who have crossed the sea as spies for the other land, traveling back and forth to give them information about us. How these men get through the Forbidden Sea alive is beyond me. The Forbidden Sea has not seen a boat in its waters for thousands of years.'

'Is that where Sir Val comes in?' Asked Larr.

'Are you sure this was a vision?' asked the balding man, whose name was Sypot. 'A true vision?'

'I know my own powers,' said the king. 'I know what I saw and heard.'

'You haven't had a vision in years father,' said Fasmir. 'Maybe this was just a dream. There is absolutely no way that there are ships leaving the harbors unnoticed. As you said, the Forbidden Sea hasn't seen a ship in its waters for thousands of years.'

'I know my visions,' said the king. 'Do not doubt me. This queen was very distressed too.'

'Distressed about what?' asked Fasmir.

'There is a revolution taking place against her.' The king continued.

'Against her?' asked Fasmir. 'But why?'

'They think she is some sort of sorceress,' said the king.

'My king,' said Sypot. 'Why should any of this be of any interest to you? The matters of the lands across the Forbidden Sea are not important to us. Let them all fight and kill one another.'

'Perhaps this will interest you,' said the king, with a cool stare. 'Their little queen is making her way to Aurank.'

The room became dead silent once again.

'You're sure of this?' asked Sypot.

'Why would she do such a thing?' asked Fasmir.

'Let her come,' said Larr. 'I'll lay with her.'

'It seems she does not have enough men to fight against her own people,' said the king, ignoring his son. 'She is coming here to form an alliance with us.'

Sypot than arose from his seat.

'Not in thousands of years have we ever had anyone dare cross over!' he objected. 'It is treason. An absolute outrage!'

'Let her try,' said Fasmir. 'The Forbidden Sea is guarded by more than just harsh waters. There are powers there that are unknown. Even if she does somehow make it across alive, we can have our men set her ship ablaze before she even reaches our shores.'

'I no longer trust our men of the shores, as you can see,' said the king, gesturing to the butchered corpse lying at the end of the room. 'And if these spies are going back and forth across the sea, then perhaps it's not as powerful as we once thought.'

The king then got up from his seat and poured two glasses of wine. He handed them to his sons.

'About time,' said Larr. 'All this silliness is making me thirsty.'

Fasmir sat back in his seat and drank quietly.

'My king,' said Sypot. 'What will you have us do about this folly? Surely this queen must be stopped before she even reaches our lands. If words gets out of this, there will be madness swept across the streets of your city.'

'Soon enough there won't be any people in our streets,' said the king, sharply. 'Our lands have been cut off from the rest of the world for too long.'

Sypot's mouth opened from shock.

'Keep your mouth closed when you're in front of me,' snapped the king. 'It is no lie that we our running out of resources. Our plants and crops are dying and our water is dirty. I can barely sleep thinking of how our own people have to try and survive down there.'

'Good,' cut in Larr. 'If you don't sleep than you won't have any more of these crazy dreams.'

'For too long,' continued the king. 'Have we cut ourselves off from the rest of the world. We are running out of resources for ourselves. Perhaps this queen is our ticket to expand Auran and take back the world that we were once apart of.'

'Perhaps this is a ticket for me to snag a young queen,' said Larr, draining the last of his wine.

The table became very silent.

'You cannot possibly be considering this, my king?' asked Sypot. 'Everything our ancestors...'

'Our ancestors are dead!' roared the king. 'And very shortly, if we continue to live by their old laws, we will all be joining them. I know our history. I know that we are to never step back onto the other side. But perhaps our ancestors did not realize that we are growing weaker by being stuck in one place for all these years. I am not saying we are going to join this queen and live side by side with her and all her people in peace, till the end of days. Instead, we will turn the entire world into the world of Auran. For too long have we been forced to live here on the other side of the Forbidden Sea in seclusion.'

'In seclusion?' asked Sypot, stunned. 'We are greater people than those who live on the other side. There are ancient powers here that the people of the other side would never understand. Those same ancient powers keep us here. You know of the laws.'

'I am the king. I make the laws!' Snapped King Whyten. 'This queen will not be harmed. She will be our guest and will be treated with respect.'

'Respect?' yelled Sypot. 'She is the queen of the other side. She is the enemy.'

'She is our only hope,' said the king.

Sypot turned his eyes towards the surface of the table and looked as if he were on the verge of tears.

'Father,' said Fasmir. 'What does this queen have to do with anything? Like Sypot said, our people are more powerful. Why don't we just slit her throat, lead an attack and just take her lands for ourselves?'

'Something we should have done a long time ago,' said Larr, with a yawn.

'Because if we help the queen instead,' said the king. 'It will be easier to gain her land. A war would just lead to delay. When her people find out that the power of Auran is defending the queen, they will surely back down and obey her. It will be easier and safer for our people if the queen is our ally. This may be our only chance to have a royal subject from the other side who wishes to join us. We have never had a chance like this before.'

'Our people will not like this,' said Sypot. 'Every child is taught to never cross the Forbidden Sea. Reason being that the land on the other side of it belongs to our oldest enemies. The ones who created Aurank swore an oath that we were never to go back there. You will be the king that breaks the oldest oath.'

'I will be the king that saves Aurank,' snapped the king. 'We do not have a choice. We need their resources. Our ancestors could not see into the future and see how desperate their city would become. Our backs are against the walls of extinction. Do you think I am lying about this? After all, Sypot, you have been the one recording our drastic food shortages over the years. Am I wrong?'

Sypot drew his eyes towards the floor.

'I thought so,' said the king. 'This is a chance to save our people. I will not throw away an opportunity like this. The queen will come to Aurank. And one of my sons will marry her.'

Larr coughed on his wine and Fasmir turned his head quickly to face his father.

'Pardon?' he asked, after clearing his throat.

'Did you not hear me?' asked the king.

'I heard you perfectly well, father,' said Fasmir. 'I just can't believe my ears.'

'I have made my decisions,' said the king. And with that he turned his back to them and walked to his desk that sat at the far corner of the room and took a seat.

'Well, father,' said Larr. 'Judging by this vision, how did she look?'

'Who will marry her?' Fasmir cut in. 'Larr or I?'

The king looked at his sons and said, 'Let her decide.'

'Well that's going to be an easy decision,' said Larr. 'Once she sees me, the little queen will fall to her knees.'

Fasmir grabbed another glass of wine and sat down in silence. Sypot got up and said, 'my, king. I believe I have heard enough for today. Can I have your leave?'

The king looked up to face Sypot and gave him a faint smile that was as sharp as a blade. 'Why? You haven't heard the rest of my plan.'

'What now?' asked Sypot.

'Which ever of my lucky sons gets to marry this queen,' said the king. 'Gets to kill her as well.'

Fasmir took the final sip of wine from his cup and Larr gave a chuckle. The king got up from his chair and walked back to the long black table. He looked at Sypot and then at his two sons.

'We are killing the queen now?' asked Fasmir.

'See,' said Larr. 'Papa knows how to have fun.'

'Shut up, you fool,' said the king. 'Now, if this queen has any sort of a head upon her shoulders, it is easy to assume which one of you will be chosen by her to marry. Fasmir, you will marry the queen. You will stay in Vivus with her, study the lands and give her a child or two. More importantly, as commander of our army, you will join ours with theirs. You will live with her in peace. When there is a trust between our people and hers, the queen will have an accident and we will have complete control. This is more than our ancestors could have ever dreamed of.'

Larr stood up, grabbed his blade and drove it into the surface of the table. 'This is an outrage!' he screamed. 'If anyone gets to marry the queen, it's me!'

Fasmir looked at his angry brother and said, 'Larr, don't get too worked up yet. Who knows, there could be something very wrong with this queen and maybe she'll find you to be more gallant and charming than me.'

'That's impossible!' yelled Larr. 'I mean... damn!' He then pulled his blade out of the table and sat down. 'Father, grab me more wine.'

'Get your own bloody wine,' said King Whyten.

Larr then grabbed his goblet and threw it across the room.

The king walked over to the window and looked upon his city.

'I fear this is our only chance,' he said. 'Aurank will fall if this does not work. It's only a matter of time before our own people will be starving in the streets. I need all of your help.'

Sypot thought about his own family and imagined them starving. It was true, after all, he had been the one all these years inspecting the crops and pastures and informing the king of the drastic decrease. This plan went against everything he was taught of as a child, but Sypot realized that the king was right. There was no other way.

'Alright,' he said in a quiet voice. 'But there will be anarchy once word gets out of this queen reaching our lands. Our people will not like this. For the entirety of their lives they have each been told to never cross over the Forbidden Sea and reach the other land and now we are letting their queen cross over to us. The kings own son will be marrying this queen and our land will be joining with theirs for the first time in two thousand years. Aurank is not ready for this.'

'I know this will not be easy,' said the king. 'But to make sure Aurank stays strong, we must do this.'

Fasmir stood up and pounded a fist on the table. 'This better work, father,' he said. 'Or you will be risking your own hold on the throne and more importantly, my rank as commander. If I lose my army to your plan, I will never forgive you.'

'You won't have to forgive me,' said the king. 'We'll be long dead before you even get the chance. All I ask is for each of you to have patience.'

'Then I shall marry this queen,' said Fasmir. 'And kill her when you need me to.'

'Good,' said the king. 'I want men tracking every move this queen makes before she gets to the city gates. Sypot, send a man to meet the queen when she lands on our shores and have her safely escorted to the castle. I'm trusting she will have many men with her as well. We must have the queens trust for this to work. Do you understand?'

'As you wish,' said Sypot.

'Good,' said the king. 'Now I want all of you out. And bring a man in here to clean up this mess. We're going to need a new commander of the harbors, as well. Fasmir, I trust you can handle finding someone.'

'Yes, father,' said Fasmir.

'I don't like this, father,' said Larr. 'As soon as word gets out of this, the queen won't even make it three steps within the city without everyone trying to rip her apart.'

'Larr,' said the king. 'If one hand is even laid on this queen...'

'Don't threaten me, father,' cut in Larr. 'You just watch. There will be war within our own city once everyone gets word of this.'

The king stared coldly at his son. 'We will see,' he said. 'Now get out.'

The three of them walked towards the door as the king took a seat behind his desk.

'Oh and one more thing, my sons,' said King Whyten, as Fasmir and Larr were almost out the door. 'This queen must never learn of your brother.'

Chapter Three

Across The Haunted Sea

Queen Daloa, six of her best knights, Lord Etin and Galla, rode towards The Haunted Sea. The wind was strong and nearly knocked them all off their horses. The queen was very tense. The thought of crossing the mysterious sea troubled her deeply.

Daloa rode in front of her men. Each knight watched his queen's long, flowing blonde hair, blow in the wind as she rode. They were close to the sea and had been riding since the break of dawn. The sun was now perfectly above them which meant it was now mid day and they were all very hungry.

The foul smell of the haunted sea stuck to the air, making it thick and hard to breathe. It was not known for people to sail in these waters, let alone, across them. Stories of it being haunted and protected by old spirits, made men and women from across the land avoid its strange shores. The fish and other sea life that lived in the waters were never caught and sold for food. There were rumors that if you ate anything from the haunted sea, it would drive you mad.

The sight of the sea was a small relief, having ridden all morning and into most of the day. It also stirred a strange feeling in everyone's stomach to look upon the stale, ghostly water that was dead calm and rested below a thick yellow fog.

Galla squeezed the stomach of Sir Torrith from atop the horse they shared.

'Frightened, M'lady?' he asked her.

'What if I am?' asked Galla.

'It's completely normal to be afraid of the haunted sea,' Sir Torrith jeered. 'People go their entire lives avoiding these strange waters. Many say that the dead swim here.'

'You're not helping making this any easier, Sir,' said Galla.

The knight laughed. 'Not to worry, M'lady, stay close to me and no harm will come to you.'

'I will stay close to my queen,' said Galla. 'Only then will no harm befall me.'

The company rode down a steep gravel hill and finally came to the shore. There, a large wooden ship, with two large gray sails was docked beside a very old, unstable wharf. Men were scattered on-board the ship, carrying supplies and preparing it for the voyage. All were seamen who were very frail, wore ragged rags and sailed a dead sea.

Queen Daloa stopped her horse and her knights did the same. She turned in her saddle to face Lord Etin who was close behind her.

'Where is the captain?' she asked him.

Lord Etin looked up and scanned the old ship. 'He's here somewhere, Your Grace. Probably below deck making sure everything is prepared.'

'You're sure we can trust this man?' she asked. 'He must be mad to sail these retched waters.'

'Mad, yes,' admitted Lord Etin. 'Captain Mourn has been very kind to me for many years, however. He is the only known captain skilled with navigating across these waters. Not only that. He is also the only known one who does so.'

'So,' said Daloa. 'He has been to Auran.'

'That is correct,' said Lord Etin. 'However, he has only sailed across once. And after that he vowed to never sail across again. Indeed, the sea made him mad. He claims he has swam with the dead.'

A cold chill crept down the queen's spine.

'So you're asking me to trust a mad man?'

'No,' said Lord Etin, and gave her a soft smile. 'I'm asking you to trust me.'

Daloa's eyes turned from Lord Etin's to focus again on the gray water.

'Why is he breaking his vow to help me?'

Suddenly, a member of the crew ran past their horses, carrying a large box in his arms.

'Excuse me!' yelled the queen at the man. He paid no attention and ran across the shore until he reached the wharf.

'You cannot command these men,' said Lord Etin. 'These men have nothing but their ship and their captain.'

'Who are they?' asked the queen.

'They are the crew,' said Lord Etin. 'They serve only their captain and their ship. You will hear no words from these men. Best keep your distance from them, my queen. I can't imagine they come across too many women.'

Queen Daloa squeezed the hilt of her sword.

From atop the ship, a tall, older man appeared and stared at them in the distance

'That's him then?' asked Daloa, not taking her eyes off the man.

'Yes it is,' said Lord Etin. 'It is time for us to board.'

Daloa turned and faced her company.

'Everyone. It is time. Dismount and lead your horses on board the ship.'

'Are you sure about this, Your Grace?' asked Sir Ardo. 'I do not feel right about doing this. These waters are cursed.'

'We have all heard the stories,' said the queen. 'You should feel no fear Sir Ardo. You are a knight. Follow your queen or go back a knight who follows no one.'

At that Sir Ardo nodded and said nothing more.

The queen then dismounted and grabbed her horse by the reins and walked across the shore towards the old wharf. Her company did the same. Each of them stared into the gray seawater and felt very uneasy.

Daloa knew she had to be brave in front of her knights to make them brave for her. As she looked deep into the thick fog that blanketed the sea, she thought she could see a large face, with a look that warned her to stay away. As they got closer to the water, the queen suddenly felt her horse jerk its head. The reins nearly slipped from her fingers from the force.

'Myuria!' said the queen, in shock. 'Myuria, calm down.'

The horse was now frantically trying to pull itself out of the queen's grip. It's loud neighs echoed across the shore. The horse pulled and pulled and lifted its front legs off the ground and stomped them back down. The reigns ripped out of Daloa's hands and she fell to the ground. The horse nearly missed her body when it came thundering back down on all fours. Each knight rushed to the queen's side to help her up and make sure she was all right.

The queen's horse galloped in fright, away from the shore and out of sight. The other horses started to go mad as well. Desperately trying to free themselves from their master's grip, the horses neighed and frantically jerked their heads back and forth; doing anything they could to free themselves.

'Let them go,' the queen said, as she got back to her feet.

The knights tried to calm their horses but it was of no use. They were freed and galloped away in frenzy. The knights shouted after them to return but before long the horses were gone.

'Well that's not a good sign,' said a knight named Sir Vyak.

'What are we going to do now?' asked another knight, named Sir Pato.

Daloa stared towards the steep gravel hill where the horses had run up and out of sight. She then turned her head back, faced her knights, took a deep breath and said, 'they know the way home and they will wait there for our arrival. As for us, we continue on.'

'How the hell are we going to get anywhere without our damn horses?' asked an angered Sir Warr.

'Did you expect our horses to get us across the sea, Sir Warr?' asked the queen. 'Let's move.'

The knights all exhanched looks with one another then followed their queen towards the ship. When they boarded, the captain approached them. His skin was very pale, marked by many scars and his clothes were ripped and ragged. The skin around his mouth was very tight and blistered, making it look as if he hadn't smiled in many years.

'You're the queen,' the cold voice of the captain said. 'I am Captain Mourn.'

The captain did not bow, but the queen did not expect a man like this to do such a thing. The man looked like a corpse.

'And it is my honor to meet such a brave man such as yourself,' said the queen. 'I have heard much about you and your journeys.'

'Best not talk about those,' said the captain. 'You will have to stay brave if you wish to cross this sea. The water can smell your fear and when it does it grows hungry. Whatever you do when you are aboard this ship, don't look at the water for too long. For if you do, it will take you.'

The queen couldn't help but look at the gray sea when the captain said this. She turned her eyes quickly away from it to stare again at the stale face of her captain. The queen's knights were all close behind her.

'These are my men,' said the queen. 'I trust you know Lord Etin.'

The captain's eyes turned from her to face the tall, slender man that was standing behind the queen and gave him a nod.

'Its about time you all get yourselves comfortable,' said the captain, coolly. 'It's a long voyage to the other side. You best get some rest, you're going to need all the strength you have. Remember one thing, this sea does not want you here.'

The queen turned to face her men. They all wore an expression on their faces that showed doubt and worry.

'I'll show you to your cabin's,' said the captain. He then turned from her and began to walk across the deck. Daloa's eyes then again turned to the gray, murky water below. She then took a deep breath and followed.

Captain Mourn led them down a flight of steps that went below deck and came into a dimly lit hall. He then opened the first door that came on the left and led them inside.

'In here is the kitchen and the dining room. Although my cooks seldom make any food.'

The kitchen was hidden to them behind two sliding doors and the dining room was a small round wooden table with a bench filled with cobwebs. To everyone in the company, this did not seem like a room they wanted to eat in.

The captain then took them all back into the hall and into the first room on their right.

'In here is where most of you can sleep.'

There were blankets and pillows that had brown feathers sticking out, scattered on the floor. Small benches came out of the walls that were cracked and weathered. A foul, damp smell filled the air.

'Lovely,' said Sir Ardo.

'I'll show you to your room,' said Captain Mourn to Daloa.

He led her and Galla, who followed closely behind, down to the end of the hall and came to a door.

'This is where you will sleep,' said the captain.

He opened the door and behind it was a small room with a single bed against the back wall.

The queen looked around the small room. The cold damp air made her flesh prickle. Something about this room made her feel uncomfortable.

'Thank you,' said the queen. 'It takes much bravery to do what you are doing for us.'

'I'm not brave,' said the captain. 'I am not anything. You're not brave either, just confused. If you knew what awaits you across this sea you would never be here right now.'

The queen had heard enough.

'My captain, thank you for all of your warnings, but I think I've heard enough about this sea. I'm quite aware of all these stories, but you know what I think? I think it's all rubbish. I do not believe in ghosts or spirits and I certainly do not believe that you swam with the dead.'

The captain stared at the queen and crossed his arms.

'Yes,' she said. 'I was told about your little story. Well, captain. I am looking at you and you know what I see? I see a troubled man who may have seen some strange...'

The captain broke the queen off and quickly grabbed her by the arm. He than placed her hand on his chest.

'Do you feel anything, my little queen?' he asked her.

The queen was taken aback. She knew he was talking about his own heart. She tried to feel for a beat, but could not feel anything but the captains' cold flesh. He held her hand there for a while longer than let go. The queen didn't say anything. The captain walked to the door and looked back at her.

'Get some rest, my little queen.'

He then slammed the door shut, leaving Daloa and Galla alone in the cold room.

'Are you alright?' asked Galla, grabbing Daloa's hand and inspecting it.

'I'm fine,' said Daloa, taking a deep breath.

Captain Mourn climbed the wooden steps from underneath his ship to the deck above. His crew was gathering the last of the supplies that they needed for the voyage ahead. He saw Lord Etin standing with the queen's knights.

'I hope you're all prepared for the unexpected,' Captain Mourn said to them.

Each of the knight's eyes turned to the gray water.

'Don't worry, captain. If anything should crawl out of that bloody water, we have everything we need to send it back in,' said Sir Warr. He then flashed the captain his steel.

The captain looked at the blade with little interest and then turned to Lord Etin.

'Ready yourselves. We set sail now,' he said, then left the men and crossed the deck to disappear behind the door of his cabin.

'I am sure if something really does crawl out of that water,' said Sir Pato, 'A blade will hardly do it any damage.'

'We will see about that,' said Sir Warr.

A horn blew and a giant sail was then cast. Crewmen cut the rope tied to the wharf and the ship creaked loudly as it began to move into the grayness of the sea.

The knights watched as the shore got smaller and smaller as the ship got swallowed into the mouth of the thick fog.

'I feel trapped,' said Sir Vyak. 'I cannot see anything around this ship. How are we suppose to know where we are going?'

'I trust if we keep going forward we will hit the shore of Auran at some point,' said Lord Etin. 'But I am not sure how long it will take us.'

'I wonder what the land of Auran will look like,' said Sir Torrith.

'I wonder if we will even make it there,' said Sir Ardo, staring deep into the water.

After what seemed like hours, Captain Mourn approached the knights and told them that the cook's had prepared food for them. The knights followed below deck and into the small room that had a round wooden table. The knights each took a seat. Lord Etin joined them soon after.

'Where's the queen?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'She is in her quarters, resting,' said Lord Etin, as he pulled a chair from the table and took a seat.

'I've got a strange feeling about this sea,' said Sir Torrith.

'How many times are you going to say that?' asked Sir Warr. 'Where's this damn food? My stomach is as empty as a whores soul.'

'Where is Sir Ardo?' asked Sir Vyak.

'He's up deck,' said Sir Pato. 'He told me that he is not hungry. He just keeps staring into that damn water.'

'Didn't the captain specifically say to not look at the water?' asked Sir Torrith. 'It will drive him into madness.'

'This whole mission is madness,' said Sir Warr.

Just then a thin man emerged from behind a door. He had a large pot and a wooden spoon held in his hands.

'And you must be the cook,' said Sir Vyak.

The man said nothing and avoided eye contact.

Another two men came from the door, holding bowls and spoons that they gave to each knight.

'About time,' said Sir Warr. 'Eh, what do you have to drink on this bloody boat?'

The two men looked at each other.

'Well boys,' said Sir Torrith, grabbing his wooden spoon. 'Dig in.'

Before anyone could take a bite, a voice called from above deck.

'Brothers! Come here at once!'

The voice belonged to Sir Ardo.

The knights could hear panic in his voice and quickly left the table and ran up the stairs. There they saw Sir Ardo leaning over the rail and pointing towards the water.

'Look,' he said. 'Look over there. I see something in the distance.'

Lord Etin and the knights each turned their heads towards where Sir Ardo was pointing. The only thing the men could see was the thick fog and the waving of the still water that sat below it.

'God damn,' said Sir Warr. 'That old nut was right, you have gone mad.'

'I am not mad,' Sir Ardo protested. 'Look, over there. You don't see it?'

Lord Etin squinted his eyes and suddenly, he saw it too.

'Look hard,' said Sir Ardo. 'It is floating on the surface.'

'I don't see anything,' said Sir Vyak. 'Sir Ardo, perhaps you should come inside and eat something and stop staring at this sea.'

'Hold on,' said Lord Etin. 'Sir Ardo has not gone mad. I see it too.'

A small, distant black figure floating on the surface of the sea appeared in the thick fog ahead. Slowly, the figure got larger.

'What is it?' asked Sir Torrith, seeing it now as well.

'I don't know,' said Lord Etin. 'But whatever it is. It is coming towards us.'

'Should I call for the captain?' asked Sir Vyak. 'Where did he go?'

'No need,' came a low, cold voice from behind them. There the captain of the ship stood, staring out towards the black figure moving across the water.

'Captain Mourn,' said Lord Etin. 'Over there, can you tell what it is?'

The captain looked worried. He then grabbed something from his back pocket. He held the object to one of his eyes and looked through it.

'What is that thing?' whispered Sir Torrith.

The captain then lowered the object from his left eye.

'What is it?' asked Lord Etin. 'Is it another ship?'

The captain said nothing.

'What did you see?' asked Sir Jorcy.

The captain remained silent.

'Please captain,' pleaded Lord Etin. 'What is it? What did you see?'

Captain Mourn looked into Lord Etin's eyes and said one word.

'Death.'

The knights looked at each other with suspicion.

'Men,' said Sir Jorcy, unsheathing his sword. 'Pull out your steel.'

The knights did as Sir Jorcy commanded.

'I will inform the queen,' said Lord Etin.

'No,' roared the captain. 'Do not inform the queen. Let it pass.'

'Let what pass?' came a soft voice.

The men all turned to see the queen approaching.

'Why are your swords drawn?' she asked.

'My queen,' said Sir Jorcy. 'We see something coming towards us. It must be another ship.'

The queen's glare lifted from her men and turned towards the sea. Far across the dead, gray waters, she saw a black figure floating on the surface.

'Perhaps it is just a log or fallen tree,' suggested Sir Vyak.

'I can't see anything,' said Sir Warr.

'Quiet, Sir Warr,' snapped the queen. She then turned towards the captain and saw the object he was holding in his hands. 'What is out there?'

The captain looked hard at the queen and said in a grim voice, 'It's best you did not see.'

'Give it to me,' said the queen.

'You will doom us all. You do not understand.'

The queen snatched the object out of the captain's hands and held it up to her left eye. When she saw what was in the distance, her heart nearly stopped.

It was not a boat. Nor even a log.

On a floating piece of debris sat a young girl. The child did not look well. Her skin looked green and rotten. Her hair looked burned and her lips looked like open wounds. The queen felt frozen. Fear took her and suddenly she felt sick and helpless.

Daloa lowed the object from her eye, and slowly turned her head to stare at the captain.

'We keep moving,' said Captain Mourn, staring back at the queen.

Daloa felt stuck. She did not believe in the supernatural and had to be brave. She was their queen.

'We go towards her,' Daloa said firmly.

'Are you mad?' roared the captain. 'It's not what you think. It's the sea. It is trying to fool you. That is a child of death, do not be deceived.'

'You're the one who is deceived, old man,' snapped the queen. 'I am a queen. I cannot let ghosts and curses enter into my mind as facts. What I see is a child who needs our help and we will turn this boat and help her.'

'If you do this,' said the captain, leaning closer towards Daloa. 'You will doom everyone on this ship.'

The queen looked hard into the captain's pale face. Deep into his hollow eyes, she saw no soul.

'Everyone look for rope,' she called to her knight's. 'And bring me blankets, food and water. Who knows how long this poor child has been lost at sea.'

With that, she turned and walked away.

Each knight looked at another with blank expressions. All of them, including Lord Etin, did not feel right about rescuing this child.

After a brief pause, Sir Jorcy said, 'well men, you all heard our queen.'

'Yes I did,' said Sir Torrith. 'But I don't know about this. Something doesn't feel right.'

'Nothing about this mission has felt right,' said Sir Vyak. 'I am not too sure about some of the decisions our queen makes. I think we should listen to the captain. She is just a girl. She doesn't understand.'

'That girl is your queen!' snapped Sir Jorcy, stepping into Sir Vyak's face. 'Mind your tongue, and do as you're told.'

'Fine then,' said Sir Vyak. 'But if this goes terribly wrong, don't say I didn't try and do the right thing.'

Each knight then set off to do what they were commanded. The ship started to turn direction.

Queen Daloa returned to the deck with a blanket and rope in her hands. She rushed towards the railing and looked out at the girl floating on the wood. The girl was much closer now and the queen shuddered at the image of her. She looked like a corpse thrown out of hell and made to swim to the surface of this horrible sea. While Daloa was studying the horror of the girl's face, she saw that the girl was staring right back at her.

Some of the queen's men had already returned from beneath deck with food, water and blankets in their arms.

As the ship got closer to the stranded child, every eye aboard was fixed on her, sending a chill down everyone's spine. It was apparent to everyone that this girl looked like she had died many days ago. Her face looked decayed and her flesh was grayer than the water below. No one could believe what he or she was seeing.

When the girl was close enough to the ship, Daloa broke free of her fear, looked down at the girl and called to her.

'Hello. Do not be afraid. What has happened to you my poor child?'

The child gave no response. The queen then noticed that suddenly the girl no longer looked like a corpse. In fact, she looked quite beautiful.

Daloa felt very uneasy. She couldn't let her wits get the best of her. Perhaps it was a trick of the eye. The color of the sea could have made the child look different in the distance. She had to go with this. She was a queen and queens' should know better than to believe in ghosts.

'Take hold of this rope, child,' called Daloa. She then threw one end of the rope down to the little girl below. 'I will pull you up, hold tight.'

The little girl looked at the rope with a blank stare. When she finally grabbed hold of it with both hands, the queen pulled her up.

The girl stood on the deck and faced the group of startled men. Her clothes were torn and burned. She smelt rotten and made everyone feel very uncomfortable.

The queen grabbed a blanket and put it over the girl.

'Tell me child,' said the queen. 'What has happened to you?'

The girl said nothing. She paid no attention to Daloa, instead, the big black eyes of the little girl scanned each of the men carefully. When her eyes finally met with the captains she did not look away. Captain Mourn stared right back at her. Daloa noticed the two of them focused on each other. Then, after a long, tense moment, Daloa saw the young girl give the captain a faint smile.

'Come child,' the queen slowly said to the little girl. 'You must be starving, and tired. We have food below deck and you can sleep with me in my chambers.'

'Are you sure that is a good idea, my queen?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'Why wouldn't it be?' snapped the queen.

Sir Jorcy said nothing and continued to stare at the little girl, suspiciously.

Queen Daloa threw a blanket over the child and led her across the deck towards the stairs. As the two of them walked, the little girl slowly turned her head to look back at the captain. She gave him another smile.

Below deck the queen led the child to her cabin. There, she found Galla asleep on the bed. Daloa did not want to wake her, instead she instructed the child to sit quietly.

'I will be back with food and water for you.' said the queen.

The little girl said nothing and watched Daloa as she left her alone on the bed. The queen felt uneasy about leaving this strange child alone with Galla, but she knew that she would not be long.

Above deck, each of the knights voiced their opinion on the queen's decision to rescue this odd child from the sea.

'Silence!' roared Captain Mourn after he had heard enough. He stared hard at each of the knights. 'Every man must not sleep tonight. We're all in danger.'

'Why?' asked Sir Vyak. 'What is that child?'

The captain gave Sir Vyak a grim grin. 'That, is death walking.'

'What should we do?' asked Sir Ardo. 'Our queen does not see it.'

'No,' said the captain. 'But the queen can sense it, just like we can all sense it. It comes from the depths of the dead sea. Your queen is a young foolish girl and she is doing what she thinks is right, but knows is wrong.'

'Perhaps this captain is as twisted as we all thought he was,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Trust your queen. This child probably came from a plundered ship, that's all.'

'Tell me, Sir,' said the captain 'What ships do you see sailing this sea?'

Sir Jorcy looked at the captain and said nothing.

'Fine then,' said the captain. 'Trust your queen. But let me warn you all, do not fall asleep with this child aboard.'

With that, Captain Mourn began to walk away. Just when he was almost out of earshot, he turned around to face the knights and called to them, 'you may also want to keep a close eye on the queen tonight. Maybe even two eyes,' he then disappeared behind his cabin doors.

When the queen returned with the plate of food and a cup of water, she found the little girl sitting exactly where she had left her, with Galla still in deep sleep.

Daloa took a seat beside the child and handed her the plate of food. The girl did nothing but stare blankly at the wall. Sitting next to the child, Daloa smelt a strong, foul odor. It smelt of rot and dead flesh. Taking a deep breath, the queen knew that the child only smelt like this because of the sea.

'Can you please speak, my child?' asked Daloa. 'Do not be afraid.'

The girl said nothing.

'Well,' said the queen, getting quite annoyed. 'At least eat, you must be starving.'

The little girl continued to sit beside Daloa as if she did not exist. The queen was suspicious, but then she figured that the child was perhaps traumatized from being on such strange waters for a long period of time.

'If you will not speak to me, or eat,' said the queen. 'Then I can do no more for you. You can sleep here with my chambermaid and me tonight. I will leave this plate of food and water on the table in case you feel the need to have a bite or drink, which you really should.'

Daloa then grabbed the plate of food and cup of water and put it on the small table beside the bed. The sun was going down and darkness soon took over. Daloa stood up and went to shut the door when she saw Sir Jorcy and Lord Etin standing in the hall.

'Goodnight,' said the queen.

'May I have a word please, Your Grace?' asked Lord Etin.

'You may,' said the queen. 'But say it now, I am quite tired and am in need of much rest.'

'I have prepared a nice bed for our, um, guest,' said Lord Etin. 'There is a small room, just at the end of the hall here where the girl can sleep.'

'The child will sleep with me,' said Daloa.

'Please,' said Sir Jorcy. 'I think it a better idea if the child sleeps alone.'

'I don't need your council on the situation, Sir Jorcy,' said Daloa. 'Now goodnight to both of you.'

And with that the queen shut the door on the men and locked it. When she turned around to face the child she saw that the girl was now lying down beside Galla.

The queen was thankful that the child had at least decided to get some rest, however, the child lay there with her eyes wide open.

Daloa grabbed a dagger and put it on the table beside her bed, next to the plate of food. She unclothed herself and put on a nightgown. Daloa noticed the girl watching her undress and when she was no longer naked, the child turned her eyes back to the ceiling. The queen than slipped underneath the blankets, and other than Galla's small breaths, the two of them lay there in an eerie silence. Daloa wrinkled her nose in disgust as the smell of death soaked the air.

On the other side of the queen's apartment doors, Sir Jorcy and Lord Etin stood discussing what should be done.

'Something does not feel right,' whispered Sir Jorcy. 'That child is a danger to our queen, I can feel it.'

'Well what are we supposed to do?' asked Lord Etin. 'We cannot go against our queen. We must stand by her decision to have the child sleep in there with her.'

'That does not sit well with my men and I,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Doesn't the queen understand that the sea is queer? Perhaps this child really is the monster that the captain speaks of.'

'I do not protest the captains thoughts and wishes against the child,' agreed Lord Etin. 'But the queen is a skilled fighter, I'm sure she can handle herself in there if the child tries anything. But the most we can do is wait for the morning.'

'I will not be able to sleep knowing that that thing is in there with my queen,' said Sir Jorcy. 'I will stand here all night by this door. Listening in case anything does happen.'

'I agree with your decision,' said Lord Etin. 'That would be for the best. I myself will have trouble sleeping tonight. But at the moment I am very exhausted and will at least try. Goodnight to you, Sir Jorcy.' And with that, Lord Etin turned from the knight and walked down the hall to his sleeping quarters.

Sir Jorcy stood by the door and pressed his ear against it. On the other side he could hear nothing. He then pulled his head away and stood there in the dark hallway in complete silence, waiting.

The rest of the knights on board went down to the kitchen and ate and talked of the strange child into the late night. They eventually found themselves too tired to take the warning of the captain and returned to their sleeping quarter to catch a few hours of rest. The crew of the ship never slept, instead they constantly worked at either scrubbing floors or doing other tasks. The captain sat in complete darkness in his cabin, smoking from a long wooden pipe. He was also waiting.

Queen Daloa awoke in the middle of the night. She was soaked in her own sweat and was surrounded in pitch-blackness. The air still wreaked of rot and dead flesh. She was extremely thirsty and decided she needed to get herself some water. She leaned over and grabbed a match and lit a candle. When the light of the flame lit the room, her stomach dropped when she saw that the door was wide open. Quickly, she turned to her left and to her

horror; she saw that the child was no longer on the bed or even in the room. Galla was lying there motionless.

Daloa noticed that the dagger she left on the table was no longer there. She sprang out from under the sheets and ran across the room to grab her long sword. But before she got to it she heard footsteps entering the room. She turned to see Sir Jorcy standing in the doorway.

'Where is she?' demanded the queen.

Sir Jorcy said nothing. He stood there and glared at the queen with an odd look.

'Don't make me ask you again, Sir Jorcy,' warned the queen. 'Where is the girl?' She then turned to find her long sword and realized that it too was no longer in the room.

'Where is my sword?' roared the queen. 'Answer me!'

Sir Jorcy took a step into the room, closed the door behind him and locked it.

'What is going on, Sir Jorcy?' asked the queen, suddenly she felt numb with fear.

Finally, after a grim silence, Sir Jorcy spoke. 'Go back to bed, queen.'

The queen then became angry.

'What do you think you are doing?' she spat. 'I am your queen! Now answer me. Where is the girl?'

'Go to sleep,' said Sir Jorcy.

The queen tried to scream for her knights, but before she could get a word out, Sir Jorcy slammed his head into hers. The queen fell to the ground. Lights blinded her eyes as she felt the bones in her nose break. Daloa tried to move but the pain was too much and she was stricken with shock.

Sir Jorcy grabbed the queen by the throat, lifted her off the floor and slammed her against the wall. The queen felt her back break from the force and she could no longer move. Sir Jorcy than slammed her body onto the bed. The queen howled in pain. She could not use her legs from the weight of the large knight crushing her. She tried to use her arms to punch at him but it was no use. Sir Jorcy finally grabbed her flailing arms and held them down at her wrists. The queen could do nothing but scream. She turned her head to face Galla, who was lying beside her. To Daloa's horror she noticed the sheets were covered in blood and that Galla's throat was sliced open.

Again, Sir Jorcy slammed his skull into the queens. Daloa felt herself losing consciousness when suddenly; she felt the cold wet lips of the knight press against her own. Sir Jorcy slid his tongue into her bloody mouth and stuck it down her throat. He than grabbed a hold of her tongue with his teeth and ripped it out of her mouth.

Daloa's body shook violently as blood erupted from her mouth and drenched her face. She could no longer scream or move. She lay there shaking, praying for death to come.

Sir Jorcy spat her tongue onto the floor and let go of her wrists. He than grabbed her nightgown and tore it off her body. Daloa lay there underneath Sir Jorcy, naked and paralyzed. The knight than grabbed her breasts and licked her neck. He then bit down and tore a chunk of flesh out.

The queen was still somewhat conscious and aware of what was happening to her. She barely felt any more pain. She was losing too much blood. The life was draining out of her. Sir Jorcy than slid his face down to Daloa's breasts and licked and kissed them. Daloa tried to scream but instead a mouthful of blood poured out of her throat and pooled all over her face. He then laughed hysterically.

Queen Daloa woke up screaming. Just then Sir Jorcy broke down the door and barged in with his sword drawn. The queen grabbed her dagger from the bedside table and held it threateningly towards Sir Jorcy.

'Get away from me!' she screamed at him.

Sir Jorcy lowered his own blade and looked at the queen with a confused expression. Daloa then realized that what she had just experienced was nothing more than an incredibly intense nightmare.

'My queen?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'I did not mean to frighten you.'

'You have done more than just frighten me,' said Daloa. Even she was not quite sure what she meant by that remark. She lowered her blade and looked towards the bed.

Galla sprang up and looked at them.

'What is happening?' she asked.

Just then, the queen noticed that the child was nowhere to be seen

'Where is she?' asked the queen.

Sir Jorcy looked to the bed with another confused look.

'I thought she was in here with you,' he said. 'I have stood by your door all night. I saw nothing and only heard you when you screamed.'

The queen dropped the dagger and put her clothes on. She then grabbed her long sword and said, 'come with me.'

'What is going on?' asked Galla.

'Stay in here and lock the door,' ordered Daloa. 'I will explain when I can.'

Queen Daloa led Sir Jorcy down the dark hallway and up the flight of wooden steps leading to the ship deck. Outside it was still dark. Dawn was a few hours away from arriving and the air was very cold. The queen scanned the deck and saw a small black figure standing at the back of the ship, leaning on the rails. The crew was nowhere to be seen.

Daloa and Sir Jorcy stood there for a moment looking at the black figure.

'Is it her?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'If it is how could she have possibly gotten passed me? Your door was locked all night.'

The queen no longer felt the need to protect the child. She should have taken the captains warning seriously. Daloa turned to face Sir Jorcy.

'Go wake the others,' she said to him.

'I am not leaving you alone up here,' said Sir Jorcy.

'I command you to,' said the queen. 'I can handle this myself. Go wake the others and return to me. Make sure everyone is armed and ready.'

Sir Jorcy nodded his head, took one last look at the black figure standing at the back of the ship and fled down the stairs.

Daloa took a deep breath and started to make her way across the deck towards the black figure. As she got closer she saw that the black figure was the child. The queen looked at the back of the child's head, holding her sword at the ready.

'What are you?'

The child said nothing.

'You haunted my dreams, disappeared from my bed and got passed my best knight. If you do not say anything now I will throw you off this ship and put you back into those waters where you belong.'

The child said nothing.

'Look at me,' roared the queen. 'Look at me, child!' She then grabbed the child's shoulder and spun her around to face her.

The queen dropped her sword and whimpered in fear as she saw the face of the child had turned into to her own. It was as if the queen was staring into a mirror. She tried to say something but fear and shock kept her from doing anything but gasping at the horrific image. The child's face, that now resembled her own, started to wrinkle and deform. Her eyes turned into two large black holes and the flesh turned green and rotten. The child opened its mouth so wide that her jaw broke and suddenly, an endless cloud of black, flying insects poured out from her. Thousands and thousands of them came rushing out of the child's mouth and surrounded the queen and covered the ship.

Daloa grabbed her sword in panic and swung it fiercely, trying to desperately protect herself from the swarm of the flying bugs. Sir Jorcy and rest of the queen's men got to the deck of the ship to find themselves lost in the cloud of black insects.

'Find the queen!' Roared Sir Jorcy, as he ran out and swung his sword around trying to kill as many of the swarm of flying insects as possible.

It was hard to hear the voice of anyone over the intense buzzing made from the thousands of bugs. All the queens' men were racing around the ships deck, frantically trying to kill the bugs but it was no use. They were too small for a blade to strike down. Daloa coughed, as many of the bugs flew into her mouth. She fell to the floor and her sword left her hand. She covered her face as the bugs swarmed her body. She tried to open one eye and when she did she saw a foot near her.

Daloa looked up and saw the figure of the small girl standing over her. The child laughed at her and began to walk away. Daloa felt a rage grow inside her and she burst forth towards the girl and slammed her to the ground.

The bugs began to bite at Daloa and soon she was covered in her own blood. She pinned the small body of the girl down with her own weight and saw her sword lying close. The queen reached her arm out and grabbed the hilt. Raising the blade over the child's throat she said, 'Go back to the sea, or I shall end you.'

The child began laughing, then opened her mouth wide and began coughing out brown thick blood. The queen was disgusted and ran the blade across the child's throat. More thick brown blood poured out from the child as it continued to laugh hysterically. The queen got to her feet and took off into the thick cloud of bugs, and across the ship deck when she ran into a body.

'My queen!' said Sir Ardo. 'Come with me, below deck. Now.'

The queen went with Sir Ardo and followed him down the flight of stairs. The bugs had made their way below deck and the hallway was covered in them.

'This way, my queen,' said Sir Ardo.

He led her into the kitchen and there they saw a small door leading into a storage room. They entered and slammed the door shut behind them. They were safe from any insect in here.

Daloa was shaking and crying.

'It's alright my queen,' said Sir Ardo, holding her close to his body. 'You are safe now.'

'No we are not safe,' said Daloa, through her tears. 'This is all my fault. I should have listened to the captain. I should have listened to my men. You were all right. The child is a demon, and now I've doomed us all!'

'We are not doomed yet,' said Sir Ardo. 'Stay here. I will go get the others.'

Sir Ardo quickly opened and closed the door, leaving the queen alone in the small, damp storage room. Daloa sank to the floor and began crying. She felt foolish and guilty for not taking the captain's warning seriously. Her flesh was covered in bites and blood. Her clothes were torn. She felt she deserved the tremendous amount of pain she was in at the moment. What felt like hours later, the door opened and all her men stormed into the small room.

'Hurry!' yelled Sir Ardo. 'Shut the door!'

The door slammed shut after all the men were inside. A few of the bugs had made their ways in and the knights frantically squashed them against the wall. The room was dark and Sir Ardo lit a match.

'Is everyone in?' he asked.

'Yes,' said Sir Vyak. 'You think you could have picked a larger room?'

'I had no time to really plan it out,' said Sir Ardo. 'I was too busy trying to get our queen to safety. You're more than welcome to wait outside with the bugs.'

'Quiet you fools,' snapped Sir Jorcy. He then turned his head, as much as he could, to face the queen. 'My queen, I am so happy that you are alright.'

'I am not alright,' said Daloa. 'I failed you all. This is all my fault, if only I listened to my men, this would have never happened.'

'Do not put the blame on yourself,' said Lord Etin. 'You were only doing what you thought a good queen should do.'

'What happened?' asked Sir Pato. 'Where did these things come from?'

'It's all the girl,' said the queen. 'She set this wrath upon us. I fell asleep with her in my bed and I awoke to find she was no longer there. I think she also got into my head and gave me the most terrible nightmare.'

'What was the nightmare about?' asked Sir Ardo. 'Because I too had a terrible dream.'

'Me as well,' said Sir Torrith.

Then all the men started to speak of how they all had horrible nightmares.

'It was of Sir Jorcy,' said Daloa. 'He burst into my room and killed me.'

Sir Jorcy gave the queen a disgusted look.

Then Sir Warr said, 'I also had a similar dream. I dreamed Sir Jorcy grabbed me while I was asleep, dragged me down the hall and beat me bloody. He also kissed me, which was quite unpleasant as well.'

Then all the men began to talk of how Sir Jorcy beat and kissed them all too.

'Oh, really?' said Sir Jorcy, annoyed.

'Don't you see?' said Lord Etin. 'Sir Jorcy was the only one among us who did not sleep. The child got into all of our heads, using Sir Jorcy as its tool to haunt our unconscious minds. It was probably trying to get us all to turn on him.'

'We need to kill it,' said Sir Vyak. 'And throw it back into the sea.'

'Yes,' agreed, Lord Etin. 'Perhaps the bugs will follow.'

'But how?' asked Sir Torrith. 'There are too many of those foul little insects out there. I can't see a damn thing through their masses.'

'What we need is fire,' said Lord Etin. 'Our blades are useless against such things. We need fire to get rid of them.'

'There are torches in our sleeping quarters,' said Sir Ardo.'

'Then we make for them,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Lord Etin, stay here and protect the queen.'

'No!' snapped the queen. 'I let this all happen. I will help you rid the ship of this monster.'

'My queen,' said Sir Jorcy. 'It is too dangerous out there.'

'This entire quest is dangerous,' said Daloa. 'I do not fear danger. Let us go and find this walking plague and throw it back into the sea from whence it came.'

The men agreed.

'Where is Galla?' asked Sir Torrith.

'She is safe in my cabin,' said Daloa. 'I pray she did as I told her. Now let's move.'

The door was opened and each of them shuffled out of the small room only to find that the flying insects had all gone.

'What is happening?' asked Sir Pato. 'The bugs, they are gone.'

'Do you hear that?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'Hear what?' asked Sir Vyak.

'Exactly,' said Sir Jorcy. 'It's quiet. Let us go above deck. Everyone be ready.'

'Ready for what?' asked Sir Vyak.'

'Anything,' said Daloa.

They walked through the kitchen and climbed the steps leading above the deck. The silence did not seem right. Something felt very wrong. When they reached the deck they found Captain Mourn and his crew standing together and staring at them. After a brief pause, the queen asked, 'Where is she?'

Captain Mourn looked at the queen and quietly said, 'she's calling.'

'Calling what?' asked the queen softly.

The Captain said, 'for her people.'

Just then almost everyone was knocked to the floor after the ship shook from a violent hit.

'What was that?' asked Sir Pato.

'It felt like we've been hit by something,' said Sir Torrith.

Just then a loud scraping sound was heard from all sides of the ship, then many bodies climbed over the railings and ran from every direction towards them all.

'Arms!' roared Sir Jorcy.

And then a storm of blades flashed in all directions, cutting at the bodies that stormed the ship. An endless mass of dead men from the water climbed on board to bring the living back to the sea with them. Lord Etin sprang to the stairs and disappeared below deck as many dead men followed after him. Daloa, her men and Captain Mourn cut and slashed at the dead. The crew was unarmed and each of them ran off into different directions, but soon they were caught and overpowered by the mob of dead men. Their arms and legs were torn from their bodies. The dead then began eating them.

'Get the queen safe!' roared Sir Jorcy, as he slashed at the dead men.

Sir Ardo then grabbed the queen and ran with her across deck. Everywhere they went was crowded with dead men. Sir Ardo let go of the queen to slash at the dead and then Daloa began to do the same but it was no use, there were too many of them. Captain Mourn was nowhere to be seen.

The knights frantically cut through the mob, but they were completely surrounded and whenever one fell to the ground, more sprang up out of the water and over the ships rail.

'We can't hold these fucking things off forever,' yelled Sir Warr.

Just then, the fighting stopped. The brightest light anyone had ever seen suddenly blinded everyone. It shone so bright that it brought everyone to the ground in agony.

'What the hell?' Roared Sir Warr as he rolled around the deck clutching his pierced eyes. 'I'm blind!'

Everyone else was also moaning in pain from the sudden brightness. What they couldn't see at this very moment was the sight of Captain Mourn standing on the roof of his cabin holding his right arm straight above his head as his fist was closed around a single stone. The stone was emitting an extremely powerful ray of light that lit the ship and the sea around it. From this the dead started to flee and jump back into the black depths of the sea.

'My eyes!' moaned Sir Vyak.

'Just be thankful you're not dead,' called Captain Mourn. 'Now stop your bitching.'

Daloa gathered her strength and got back on her feet. She was still partially blind from the light but slowly her vision started to come back to her. The light from the stone Captain Mourn was holding had faded and the ship was once again covered in the blackness of night. Slowly, everyone's vision returned to them.

'What the hell happened?' asked Sir Torrith, wiping tears from his swollen eyes.

'I saved you all, for now, that's what happened.' said the captain. 'I wish I had time to save my crew.'

Daloa scanned the ship and saw the scattered remains of the men who had once been the captain's crew.

'I am so sorry,' she said. 'This is all my fault.'

'You bet it is,' the captain spat. 'But we're not out of these waters yet.'

'What was that light?' asked Sir Jorcy.

Captain Mourn threw the stone down to Sir Jorcy. As it landed in his hands, he looked at it closely and asked, 'what is this?'

'It is a Vade Stone,' the captain said. 'You wouldn't understand where I got it but let's just say it was given to me from a woman who does not live above the surface of this sea.'

The queen and her knight's gave the captain a puzzled stare.

'A Vade Stone,' the captain continued, 'contains the one power the dead fear. Light.'

A cold shiver crept down Daloa's spine.

'You can keep it,' Captain Mourn said. 'It is useless now for it only works once.'

At that moment, a loud yell was heard coming from below deck.

'What was that?' asked Sir Pato.

'Where is Lord Etin?' asked Daloa. 'And Galla! Poor Galla, I must check on her.'

With that, Daloa and her men rushed below deck. They heard loud pounding and scratching noises coming from the kitchen. When they burst through the kitchen doors they found six dead men trying to bite and claw their way through the wooden door of the storage room.

Daloa quickly unsheathed her long sword and charged the dead men. Her knights followed and all of them cut and stabbed at the remaining dead until they fell to the ground motionless.

'Open the door,' called Daloa. 'It is now safe.'

The door to the storage room swung open, and Lord Etin stepped out and looked at the pile of dead men lying at his feet.

'You came just in time,' he said, shaking. 'They were just about through and I was giving up hope.'

'You're safe now,' said Sir Jorcy. 'We all are.'

'Don't go thinking we are out of this yet,' came the voice of Captain Mourn, as he made his way over to them. He stared at the dead men on the floor.

'If they were already dead,' said Sir Vyak. 'Than why can we kill them again?'

'You can't,' said the captain. 'They are still there. Only their bodies are useless now. It's a terrible curse. Have pity on these men.'

Everyone gave Captain Mourn another troubled stare.

'We need to get off this ship,' he continued. 'Now.'

'Wait a moment,' said Lord Etin. 'What happened to the rest of them?'

'I'll explain later,' said the captain. 'We need to move quickly.'

'What do you mean?' asked the queen. 'We cannot just abandon the ship. We haven't arrived at Auran.'

'If you want to reach the shores of Auran at all,' said Captain Mourn. 'We must leave this ship immediately. I have enough rowing boats on board for each of us to fit in. We must leave behind all our belongings and continue on this ship no more.'

'What do mean?' asked Lord Etin, looking very worried. 'What is wrong with the ship?'

The Captain looked at the queen and then to Lord Etin and said, 'it has been marked.'

'Marked?' asked the queen.

'By that child you helped aboard,' said the captain. 'The dead will be back and this time there won't be any Vade Stone to help us. They could be back at any moment. We must hurry.'

The knights looked at each other with troubled expressions. Daloa looked to the ground and felt her heart almost stop. Captain Mourn turned from them and made his way up the stairs leading above deck

'Grab only what you need,' he called to them. 'Pack lightly. Move.'

When the captain was out of sight, Sir Jorcy turned to Daloa.

'My queen,' he said. 'With what I've seen tonight, I think it would be best to listen to the captain. We must get off this ship.'

The queen looked very troubled.

'Daloa, my queen,' said Lord Etin. 'I must agree with Sir Jorcy. We have no choice.'

Daloa turned towards her knights and then to Sir Jorcy and gave him a small nod.

'Everyone,' she said. 'Do as our captain says. Grab only what you need. Hurry.'

The knights ran across the kitchen, down the halls leading to their sleeping quarters and grabbed only small items they had brought with them and their weapons. Daloa ran to her cabin and opened the door. There she found Galla lying behind the bed, sobbing. When she saw Daloa emerge from the door she sprang up and ran to her. The girls held each other tightly in each-others arms.

'Oh Daloa!' said Galla, through tears. 'What is happening? I've heard all kinds of terrible noises. I thought something terrible had happened to all of you! What is going on?'

'Galla,' said Daloa, grabbing her head and trying to calm her. 'Listen to me. Listen. Calm down. We must get off this ship. I'll explain later.'

'Get off this ship?' asked Galla, looking horrified. 'What do you mean?'

'No more questions, Galla,' said Daloa, letting her go and grabbing a few items that she needed. 'I need you to be brave. Something terrible has happened and we must leave immediately. Grab only what you need and follow me.'

Lord Etin came into the room.

'My queen,' he said. 'Should we pack food?'

Daloa thought for a moment and then said, 'there is no time, if what the captain has said is true then we must hurry.' She then left the cabin. Lord Etin and Galla followed her closely behind as they walked down the hall and up the stairs leading to the deck. There they found Daloa's knight's frantically cutting ropes that were holding small wooden boats and packing them with everything each of them had brought.

'Hurry now,' warned the captain. 'They could be back at any moment now.'

'How are we going to get the boats down?' asked Sir Pato.

'Throw them down,' said the captain.

The knights then lifted each of the wooden boats onto the railing of the ship and pushed them overboard where they fell into the black water below with a splash.

'Be careful not to tip them over,' called Captain Mourn. 'Or else some of you will have to swim to Auran.'

The knights were careful about throwing the two-remaining boats over the rail and into the water. When they had finished they looked blankly at the captain.

'Well what are you waiting for?' asked Captain Mourn. 'Quickly, jump down and get into them before they float away.'

At that moment the ship was struck again and shook as everyone tried to keep his or her balance.

'They're back,' said the captain. 'Get into the boats quickly.'

'How far are we from Auran?' asked the queen.

'Not too much further,' the captain replied. 'But you will never get there if you keep asking questions aboard this ship. Go now!'

Daloa looked down. It was a long fall from the deck of the ship into the water. She turned to face Galla, who was frozen with fear.

'Come now Galla,' she said to her softly. 'Do not be afraid. We will jump in together.'

'I don't understand what's happening,' Galla said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Daloa grabbed her hand. She than climbed up over the railing as Galla followed.

'On three,' said Daloa. 'One, two, three!'

And with that, the two girls jumped from the ship and landed into the cold, black water below. When they came up from the surface they swam to the nearest boat and climbed inside.

One by one her knights followed. Their amour was heavy and nearly drowned each of them as they made their ways into the small wooden boats below. The stench of dead flesh pierced the noses of the queen and her men, as they watched the dead emerge from the black depths and climb onto the ship once again.

Daloa grabbed Galla's head and dug it into her own chest. 'Don't watch, Galla. Keep your eyes closed.'

Captain Mourn stared down at them all as the swarm of dead men came rushing from the water and scaled the ship.

'What is he doing?' asked Daloa. 'Jump down!'

The black figures of the dead men reached the top of the ship's rails and climbed over. Captain Mourn was soon buried underneath them all.

The queen felt another tremendous wave of sadness and guilt shake her heart.

'A captain always goes down with the ship I suppose,' whispered Sir Pato.

'We need to get out of here,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Grab the oars, they lay at your feet.'

Daloa, Galla, Lord Etin and Sir Jorcy occupied one boat as Sir Torrith, Sir Ardo and Sir Vyak sat in another. And Finally, Sir Pato, and Sir Warr in the other. Each of them watched, as the besieged ship grew smaller in the distance as they rowed away. Daloa grabbed blankets and buried herself and Galla underneath them as they shivered in their drenched clothes.

The night grew on and no one slept. The sun was starting to rise from beneath the gray fog and a new day was given to them. The knights took shifts rowing the boats. Daloa leaned her head against Sir Jorcy's back and closed her eyes as he rowed.

The queen begged for sleep to take her so she could escape into her dreams and away from the thick fog and haunted water that surrounded her. But sleep would not come. The rocking of the boat was making her feel nauseous and the repeating sight of Captain Mourn falling beneath the swarms of dead men was branded into her mind. Just when she finally slid into unconsciousness, she was suddenly awoken by the voice of Sir Torrith.

'Look!' he cried, as he stood up and pointed. 'Land! I see land.'

Everyone looked and saw it too. A gray shore was starting to emerge out of the thick fog in the distance.

'Well I'll be damned,' said Sir Ardo.

'There it is,' said Lord Etin under his breath. 'Auran.'

A shock went through the queens body as her eyes looked upon the gray shore in the distance. She felt relieved and deeply troubled at once.

'Few eyes have ever been laid upon these shores,' said Lord Etin.

'I hate this place already,' said Sir Warr.

'Look!' Said Sir Vyak. 'I see something on the shore.'

A small black blob sat upon the gray sand ahead. As the queen and her men got closer, the blob turned into figures of seven cloaked individuals, standing on the shore and watching them as they drew closer

'Draw your bows, men.' ordered Sir Jorcy.

'Do you think that is a good idea?' came the voice of Lord Etin. 'We are completely surrounded. There is no choice but for us to reach the shore. Threatening these men will do us more harm than good. They could have bows of their own and pick us off before we even reach them.'

'What do you suppose we should do?' asked Sir Jorcy, annoyed.

'Wait until we come within ear-shot,' proposed Lord Etin. 'Than we can try and explain ourselves.'

'What does the queen think?' asked Sir Pato.

The queen looked very worried, but she knew Lord Etin was right. The sea surrounded them and reaching the shore was the only thing they could do. By now the figures on the beach had surely spotted them. There was no escape.

'Do as Lord Etin requests,' came the trembling voice of the queen.

Sir Jorcy looked hard at her. 'As you say my queen.'

'We're close enough now,' said Sir Vyak. 'Lord Etin, say something.'

Lord Etin looked at the queen and then to the figures on the shore. The hoods of their black cloaks kept their faces hidden.

'People of Auran,' called Lord Etin. As he heard his own voice, even he could hear the nervousness in it. 'We come from the land on the other side of this sea. We have traveled a long and very perilous journey across to reach your land and offer you our peace and ask for your help. Please, do not feel threatened.'

'Don't say anything about the queen,' said Sir Jorcy, quickly.

Lord Etin turned quickly to face Sir Jorcy and then back to the shore where the cloaked strangers stood motionless.

'Please,' he continued. 'We are armed but we wish to use no force against you. I think it is about time our two lands become known to each-other once again after all these years and reunite an ancient friendship.'

The figures stood motionless and unresponsive.

'I have a very bad feeling about this,' said Sir Vyak.

'Why aren't they saying anything?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'Surely if they meant us no harm they would reply.'

'Perhaps they speak another language and do not understand us,' said Daloa. 'Lord Etin, is it known that the people of Auran speak another language?'

Lord Etin felt very troubled. 'In the history books I have read on Auran there was no mention of a different language being spoken. But perhaps these are not common folk. It's very hard to tell. But I am feeling worried. They are not even moving, just standing there watching us.'

'Let's just shoot them down then,' said Sir Warr, from the next boat over. 'They are within range.'

'There may be more of them,' said Sir Torrith. 'It seems they have been waiting for us. Why else would they be standing there in formation?'

Sir Jorcy did not know what to do. He looked at his queen for an answer. Daloa was holding Galla in her arms. She was shaking and burying her head into Daloa's chest like a child.

'I wish we never came here,' said Galla. 'I wish we could have stayed put in our warm castle.'

The queen looked at Galla and then turned her focus back to the cloaked figures. They were much closer to the shore now.

'My queen?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'What shall we do?'

'Let us get as close as we can to them,' she said. 'If they move to attack then draw your bows and fire.'

Just then, three of the cloaked figures moved forward, each pulled large black shields from their backs and placed them in front to shield their entire bodies. Then the remaining four, pulled large bows from their backs and hid their bodies behind the wall of shields.

'Men!' yelled Sir Jorcy. 'Get ready to fire!'

Each knight stood and grabbed their bows and before even one of them could notch an arrow, an orange streak flew across the sea from behind the shields on shore. Before anyone aboard could tell it was a flaming arrow, Sir Vyak fell dead as it pierced through his throat. His body fell forward and slammed into the floor of his boat.

Galla screamed and the knight's notched their bows and shot back at the black shields. The shields were very thick and the arrows of the queen's knights bounced off them. There was no one to be seen behind the wall of shields.

'Sir Torrith!' yelled Sir Jorcy. 'Put out the flame on that arrow!'

Sir Torrith lowered his bow to look at the arrow that had pierced through Sir Vyak. Just then another orange flare streaked through the air towards them. This one struck Sir Torrith in the face. It pierced through his left eye and came out the back of his head. He dropped to the floor of the boat, dead.

The knights had no shields of their own. Each of them were sitting ducks. Queen Daloa grabbed Galla and the two of them laid down flat against the floor of their boat.

'Protect the queen!' yelled Sir Jorcy. He then grabbed Lord Etin and stood over the queen and Galla. Sir Jorcy had his bow drawn and at the ready, waiting to see movement behind the wall of shields upon the shore in front of them.

The flames of the arrows that had struck Sir Vyak and Sir Torrith were beginning to catch their hair and clothing between their mails ablaze.

'Watch those flames!' said Sir Jorcy, looking over.

Before anyone had time to even turn their heads towards the flaming arrows sticking out of the two dead knights, six more flaming arrows came firing towards them from behind the shields ashore. One struck Sir Ardo in the mouth and came out through the back of his neck, another struck Lord Etin in his left shoulder and four struck Sir Warr in his stomach and his upper chest. Sir Ardo fell dead on top of Sir Torrith's body and Sir Warr fell back into the rear of his boat. He sat there and stared at his deep wounds. The flames from the arrows in his chest caught his beard and his face was now ablaze.

'Kill me!' he screamed, and then died screaming in agony.

Sir Pato was the only one left alive in his boat. As he tried to jump overboard another flaming streak flew from the shore and caught him in the neck where he fell dead into the sea.

Lord Etin hid behind Sir Jorcy, for he had no mail or armor, but he knew that that hardly mattered.

'Please!' he yelled. 'Have mercy.'

Sir Jorcy stood there; he put his bow down and drew his sword. The boats were close enough to the shore now that he could jump out and spring at the cowards behind the shields.

'Come out and fight!' he roared at them. 'Kill me like a real man!'

The three large shields were then lifted from the ground, exposing all seven of the cloaked figures. They each had their bows strung with flaming arrows.

'Mercy,' whispered Lord Etin.

All seven flaming arrows then whizzed through the air towards them. Sir Jorcy was struck with three of them, two in his left chest and one in his right thigh. Lord Etin took two, each struck deep into his upper chest. The other two arrows struck their boat and stayed there. Lord Etin fell back and landed beside Daloa and Galla who were still laying flat on the bottom of the boat. He reached slowly for Daloa's hand. She grabbed it and Lord Etin looked at her and gave her a soft smile. As blood poured out of his mouth, he whispered his final words to her, 'I am sorry.'

Sir Jorcy roared violently at the very top of his lungs in anger. He than sprang out of the boat and ran at the hooded enemies on the shore.

The cloaked figures watched in amusement.

Sir Jorcy lifted his sword and swung it at the closest attacker to him. But his wounds made him too slow as his sword crashed against his opponents.

Too slow to defend the counter attack of the cloaked figure, Sir Jorcy was struck deep in the chest with a blade. The knight dropped his sword and fell to his knees. Tears rolled down his cheeks and his head lifted towards the sky. He then looked back at the boat where his queen was and saw that it was now entirely covered in flames.

The cloaked figure pulled his sword out of Sir Jorcy and he fell dead onto the gray sand.

Daloa watched in horror but she had no time to mourn. The cloaked figures could now see Galla and her and they moved towards them. The boat was covered in flaming arrows and the queen grabbed Galla's hands and jumped into the water with her. The girls hid behind the boat, out of the way of another wave of flaming arrows. They whizzed past them, nearly striking them both as they lay in the water, sheltered behind what was left of their boat.

Daloa and Galla were being smothered in thick black smoke, as the boats around them became large fires on the sea.

Daloa moved her head to see how close they were to the shore and what she saw she could hardly believe. A large group of men had suddenly sprung out of nowhere; each armed and began attacking the cloaked figures.

It was the last thing she saw before taking in a deep breath of smoke and falling into the depths of The Haunted Sea.

Chapter Four

The Knight's Of Darkness

The rider was drenched to the bone. His fingers were numb as they squeezed the reins of his horse. He had been riding all-day and well into the night and at no time had the rain stopped or even fall lighter. It had been at least three days since he left the capital city of Vanak. He wasn't quite sure how his Lord was going to take the news of the queen leaving her capital for a suicide mission across the haunted sea. What business she had there was unclear to the rider. Now that she was gone, however, his mission had ended.

The rider had been stationed in Vanak for months and was excited to finally be returning to his homeland. He was not too sure if he had done as well as his Lord had hoped, but after all, the rider had little experience being a spy. The only reason he was chosen for the job was because his Lord trusted him more than any other man. The rider had much to tell his Lord.

The last the rider had seen of the witch queen, she was nearly assassinated by a strange man who brought with him a fleet of horses carrying the corpses of hundreds of slaughtered men, women and children. If only the assassin had finished his job, a lot of time would be saved and perhaps, even a war prevented. When he saw the queen, she looked nothing more than a young girl, caught in the middle of a man's game. The rider had never seen a woman so beautiful. It was hard to imagine that a girl, especially one like her, was considered an enemy.

As the rider's horse galloped hard across the rocky plain, he thought about the queen's assassin some more. Perhaps Lord Karnip himself had sent him. The more he thought about this, the more it seemed unlikely that his master would be so careless. Lord Karnip was a harsh man, but he would never butcher an entire village of innocent people to send a message. Would he? After-all, there were many across the land of Vivus who wanted the young new queen off the throne. His Lord would never order innocent people to be killed. He knew him better than that.

The rider could no longer feel his body. It was numb by the cold hard rain that continued to pour down from the black sky. He started getting random flashes of warmth, creeping over his body like a trespasser. The rider put the thoughts of fever to the back of his mind.

Finally, as the night pressed on and the rain poured down, lights peered out from the distance. He rode towards them and came to a small village. This village was no strange place to the rider. He had visited it many times before. In fact he had stayed here a night not even a year ago, when he had first set out. The rider rode down narrow dirt paths that led to the entrance of the small village, called Gracock. Simple people that didn't have much importance to the world populated this small, poor town. Gracock sat right in the middle of the two most important cities in Vivus. On one end, the northern end, you had the city Vanak, which was known to all as the royal capital. The city where all kings and queens have always lived and ruled from. And then, on the other end of Vivus, the southern end, there was the land of Storrack, ruled for generations by the Karnip family. This was home to the rider. The quiet, simple citizens of Gracock hardly noticed they lived in the middle of a gathering storm.

The rider came to the small roads and paths that ran through the streets and alleys of this bleak village. The roads were almost completely empty, apart from the odd man who would drunkenly walk past the rider and his horse. It was very late in the night and the townsfolk were all far away in their dreams that were cast on the beds that occupied the small wooden homes and apartments that surrounded the midnight stranger, as he searched the streets for a stable or inn.

Suddenly, a small lad came running to him from the darkness. The lad gave the rider a small bow and then said, 'evening, sir. I saw you from across the street. You look lost in these late hours and I couldn't help but think you were looking for a place of rest?'

The rider stopped his horse and looked down at the small young boy and scowled at him.

'You should have more sense than that boy,' said the rider. 'Never, should you approach a stranger at this hour,'

The boy became afraid and took his eyes off the rider.

'I am sorry, sir,' came his soft trembling voice. 'I just wanted to help you get out of this terrible rain. You must be very cold, you're drenched to the bone, sir. See, my father owns the Cherrypopper, it's just down the road here. It's a small inn.'

'And a damn whorehouse,' said the rider. 'I know what it is boy. This is not my first visit to this damn place. And don't call me sir, I am not a damn knight.'

'Sorry...man,' said the boy. 'I'll offer you a free room, if you would follow me.'

'I could just slit your throat right now, boy,' said the rider. 'And march over to that whorehouse and burn it down with your father inside.'

The boy took a step back.

The rider turned his horse so it faced the frightened boy.

'You must be more careful, boy,' he said to him. 'Do not be so kind to strangers in the dark. I will take your offer, follow you to your father's inn, and rest there for this night and I promise you no harm will come to you or anyone. But the next rider in the night will not be me. And he may not be so keen to accept your hospitality. Now lead me to the Cherrypopper.'

The boy bowed to the rider once again.

'Yes, my...uh, man.'

'Call me Lidd,' said the rider.

'Yes, Lidd,' said the boy. 'Right this way.'

The rider, who called himself Lidd, followed the boy on horseback, as he was led through a small alley that came to a narrow stone path. The two of them walked in silence. The hard rainfall made it difficult to hold a conversation. Finally, as they walked past closed markets and small apartments, the narrow stone path ended and there a small cottage stood.

Lidd stopped his horse and gazed at the small cottage. It seemed to be the only building in the entire town that had lights coming from inside.

'Ah, the Cherrypopper,' said Lidd. 'I haven't been here for a very long time.'

The boy noticed the rider had stopped and ran back to meet him.

'I'll take your horse to the stables,' said the boy. 'You go on inside and get dry.'

The rider looked down at the boy, hesitated for a moment and then got off his horse.

'Thank you, lad,' said Lidd. He then grabbed a silver coin from inside his pocket and tossed it to the boy. 'Remember what I said about strangers. We can be very dangerous. Be more careful, especially in times like these.'

Lidd then patted the boy hard on the back and walked towards the cottage. When he got there, he put his hand on the front door knob and twisted it. There he saw a large room full of round tables and a small bar at the back. Lidd took a step in and carefully scanned everyone inside. Mostly everyone in the room looked very drunk and didn't even turn an eye to the large, drenched man who was standing at the door. Men sat scattered about the place. Some sat with half naked women on their laps and some sat at the bar drinking heavily. A few tables were occupied with men playing cards and others of men passed out on top of them

Lidd didn't know where to sit. All he wanted at this point was to sit in front a fire and dry with a hot meal and a horn of ale to wash it all down. He took another step when an older woman who had blonde curly hair tied up in a bun, approached him. She wore an awful lot of make-up and a shirt that hung low and exposed most of her giant breasts. Lidd tried hard not to look at them. He had more honor and discipline than to weaken at the temptation of a whore.

'Hello,' said the whore, wearing a tired smile. 'You're wet. And so am I.'

'Is that how your father taught you to greet people?' asked Lidd.

The woman winked at Lidd and then moved closer to him.

'Oh, that's right,' said Lidd. 'You never knew you're father, did you?'

The whore put her arm around the rider and softly nestled his wet hair.

'Men always think they're better than whores,' she said. 'But men work for their money, just like whores do. I think we're all whores, really.'

'I am not here to listen to your bullshit,' said Lidd. 'Where is the owner of this rank place? I want to speak to him.'

The whore took a step back and crossed her arms.

'He's over there, behind the bar,' she said. 'If you get enough drinks in you later, perhaps, if I am not with some other lonely man, you should come find me.'

The whore then walked away, leaving the rider standing in a swirl of different emotions. The whore's face was nothing much to look at, but as she walked away, the rider couldn't help notice she had a nicely shaped body. He pondered on the offer. Not knowing how long it had been since he'd last been with a woman. The thought remained there for a moment, hanging like mist in his mind, but then he remembered his duty and the thought quickly evaporated.

Lidd sternly walked over to the bar and took a seat on a stool. He unfastened the belt that held his sheath, holding his heavy sword and leaned it against the bar. The barman span around and examined his new customer.

'Good evening, sir,' he said.

Lidd was used to folk in small towns calling him sir. Rarely true knights visited places like these. If you had a long sword and rode a horse, to these simple people, you were a knight.

'Good evening,' said Lidd. 'I was wondering if you had any rooms available at this hour?'

The barman examined the drenched rider.

'There may be something open for you,' he said. 'I take it you have been riding all night. You're soaking my damn floor.'

Lidd nodded his head slowly.

'Well, I'll see if we can get you a room,' said the barman. 'Would you like a drink? Maybe that will warm you up for now.'

'I'll take a mug of ale,' said Lidd.

The barman turned his back to the rider and grabbed a large mug and filled it with the brew. He then turned back to face the rider and handed it to him.

'I must say, I wouldn't be sitting here right now, if it weren't for your boy,' said Lidd, after he took a drink.

The barman gave Lidd an awkward look.

'He saw me riding through the streets in the pouring rain,' said Lidd. 'And decided to approach me and offer me hospitality. A brave courtesy, but I told the boy he should be more careful and suspicious of strangers. He was lucky to come across a man that meant him no harm. But men like me are very rare to come across these days, I fear.'

'That damn kid,' said the barman. 'He's got a bigger heart than a brain. He's like his mother.'

'Well, anyhow,' said Lidd. 'The boy is currently putting my horse in the stables. You go on and see if there's a room open for me. I'll be here, finishing this ale in the meantime.'

The barman looked at the rider, curiously.

'You look familiar,' he said. 'I've seen you before.'

'Years ago,' said Lidd. 'I haven't been to the Cherrypopper for some-time.'

'You went by Clifford then,' said the barman.

'And I take it you still go by Rondo,' said Lidd.

'Yes, I do,' said the barman, Rondo. 'Unlike you, I only have one name.'

Lidd smiled.

'When you travel the wrong roads, it's not always wise to use your birth name.'

'Will I ever know your real name?' asked Rondo, grinning and crossing his arms.

'Perhaps,' said Lidd. 'When there is total peace across the land.'

'There's more chance one of these whore's knowing their fathers name than that ever happening,' said Rondo, laughing and slamming his hand on the table.

Just then, a small door behind the bar opened and the young boy approached them.

'Ah, there you are,' said Rondo, to the boy. 'Have you finished putting this man's horse to the stables?'

The boy took his eyes off the barman and looked to the long-haired man who was no longer hiding his face behind a hood.

'I know you,' said the boy. 'I've seen you here before.'

Lidd didn't know how to react to the boys' words. The last time he had been to this inn was eight years ago. Back when he was nothing but a simple squire to an old knight named Sir Daven Gilmour. The old knight had brought Lidd here to get him to lay with a woman before he swore himself to knighthood. He could remember that day like it was only a fortnight ago. Sir Daven Gilmour was a peaceful knight. He had many years and adventures behind him by the time Lidd came to be his squire. The old knight had fought many wars and lived to see two kings rule the realm. Lidd looked up to the knight like he was his own blood. Sir Daven Gilmour was skilled with his blade, light on his feet and heavy with his heart.

The day Lidd was brought here was a day he would never forget. It was one of the last days before Sir Daven was to go away for a couple of months and travel far north on an important errand. Lidd was to be left behind in Storrack to finish his training. But before Sir Daven departed he told Lidd that he was ready to knight him. And before Lidd swore himself to knighthood, Sir Daven wanted him to lay with a woman.

The old knight had told Lidd that it was a good idea to try and get the girl off before he stuck it in her. So Lidd did his best, but it didn't last long. The taste and smell of the whore was enough to make Lidd pull his pants back up, place a couple coins on the bed and leave the room. When Lidd returned to the bar, where he had left Sir Daven, he found that the place was destroyed. The tables were turned over, the bottles were all broken behind the bar, the windows were smashed and bodies were everywhere.

Lidd's eyes scanned the bodies that were scattered on the floor. Victims lay there lifeless, soaked in their own blood. They had all been brutally butchered. Lidd had never seen anything quite so grotesque. The confused squire stood there in shock and finally turned his eyes to where he had last seen Sir Daven sitting. Lidd ran across the room to the table and found what was left of his old master. The knights' sword was shoved completely down his own throat. Lidd could only see the hilt that just barely stuck out from Sir Daven's open mouth. Lidd never got the chance to be knighted again.

The owner of the inn, Rondo and his very young son, squeezed out of a small door they hid behind when the slaughtering began. The barman let Lidd stay at the Cherrypopper for a couple of days to rest and get himself together. Lidd even helped Rondo clean up the massacre of his customers and employees. All that Rondo could describe of these attackers was that they were five very large men that wore all black cloaks and golden masks that covered their faces. To this day, Lidd never saw men that fit these descriptions, but if he ever did, he would get his revenge on these reckless outlaws.

'How could you possibly remember me?' Lidd asked the boy. 'The last time I saw you, you were only a small child.'

The boy smiled at Lidd and said, 'I don't exactly remember you. But I remember your horse. It's the same horse you had the last time you were here.'

Lidd was impressed. What the boy had said was true.

'Your boy is very clever,' Lidd said to the barman.

'That's his mother in him,' Rondo laughed, looking at his son.

'When I saw you riding in the streets in the pouring rain,' said the boy. 'I didn't want to approach you, but there was something about your horse that I had seen before. Then I realized it was the horse that belonged to the knight that helped father and I all those years ago.'

'I am no knight, boy,' said Lidd. 'If only you could remember that as well. I am blessed that in all these years I had good fortune to have never lost a horse, or else I may not be sitting here right now in this warm inn. And I could never hope to have such a sharp memory as yours, but I do believe I can recall your name being Peter.'

'Close,' said the boy. 'It's Pite.'

'Cut that nonsense boy,' said Rondo, giving his son a smack to the ear. 'You're right, his name is Peter. The boy calls himself Pite.'

'Pite?' asked the rider, with a smile. 'You gave yourself a nickname? I don't think that's how it works.'

'So what?' asked the boy. 'So did you, Lidd.'

The rider stared coolly at the boy.

Rondo, gave the boy another smack to the ear.

'Mind your tongue you little runt.'

'No, that's quite alright,' said Lidd. 'The boy is right. You've raised quite the clever child. Perhaps one day, if you think he's ready, send him to Storrack, I am sure he could prove himself to become a great knight one day.'

Rondo spat on the ground.

'To piss on knights,' he said. 'I'd rather my boy tend horses here for the rest of his days then join a group of monsters. It was knight's who came all those years ago and made a mess of this place. I've never had the same business here since. People are scared to come here now ever since that got out. Twenty-four people slaughtered in an inn. Who has ever heard of that happening?'

'I can assure you, that the ones behind it were no true knight's,' said Lidd. 'They were outlaws. They had to have been.'

Rondo took a step back and pursed his lips at the rider.

'Boy,' he said. 'Go to bed. You've done enough tonight.'

'But father.'

'Go!' roared Rondo.

Pite, looked at the rider defeated, then took off behind a door and was gone.

The barman leaned close to the rider.

'You used to serve a knight. He was one of the poor sons of bitches that was here on that horrible night,' Rondo said. 'Tell me, what kind of knight gets his own sword shoved down his throat by a group of outlaws?'

Lidd sprung from his stool, straightened his back and puffed out his chest.

'I have heard enough,' he said. 'Please, show me to a room.'

Rondo took a step back in surprise.

'Easy now,' the barman said. 'I didn't mean to offend you. Times aren't what they used to be. The land used to be so quiet, now people are getting slaughtered in their own homes and local taverns. Life used to be so peaceful, makes me think what we're fighting for.'

'We're fighting to have peace once again,' said Lidd, firmly. 'Sometimes the wrong people come to power and disrupt the peace. Knights are those who fight for justice. And justice only serves for peace.'

'Not all knights,' said Rondo. 'You may be glad to hear that I've learned more about those outlaws.'

Lidd sat back down and looked at the barman in wonder.

'Tell me,' he said.'

'Recently, I've heard men exchanging tales with one another about villages getting burned to the ground and people being slaughtered by the masses,' said Rondo, quietly so that only Lidd could hear. 'I've heard on numerous nights from many different men that it's a group of five riders responsible for these raids. Each rider is cloaked all in black and wears a golden mask. I keep hearing the same name given to these men. From all over, their known to everyone as the knights of darkness.'

Lidd leaned back in his chair, took one last big gulp from his mug and slammed it on the table.

'I don't care if they call themselves the knights of round tits,' he spat. 'If I ever come across these black men, I will cut them down and drive their blades so far down each of their throats that they will shit my steel.'

The barman laughed. 'I'd like to see that.'

'How recent have you heard these tales?' asked Lidd.

'Very recent,' said Rondo, frowning. 'I've heard many queer tales among my customers over the years. But especially more since the queens revolution.'

'She is no queen of mine,' said Lidd, taking the last sip from his mug. 'King Karnip was right for taking the throne. Now I must be getting some rest before I'm on the road again. Show me to my room, if you would be so kind, Rondo.'

'Alright,' said Rondo. 'I guess that's enough chitchat for tonight. Follow me.'

They walked passed drunken men who were scattered about the place.

'I see you still get good business here,' Lidd said to the barman.

'Oh yes,' he said. 'Especially at the late hours, but I've been losing a lot of employees lately. So I get my boy to tidy the place.

Rondo led Lidd up a flight of wooden stairs that brought them to a hallway with many doors.

'In here I trust you will be quite comfortable for the night,' said the barman, as he stopped in front of a door and opened it. Inside were a small bed, a square table and a fireplace in the far corner.

'Perfect,' said Lidd. 'I was hoping to get a room where I could dry by a fire.'

'These rooms are only for special guests,' said Rondo.

Lidd turned to him and said, 'by morning I will have already left. So I shall pay you now.'

The rider put two silver coins in the barman's hands.

'Thank you very much for your hospitality, once again, friend.'

'The pleasure is all mine,' said the barman. 'Whenever you're passing by and need a place to stay, you're always welcome here at the Cherrypopper.'

'Tell your son that I am thankful for his courage and generosity,' said Lidd. 'Your boy is very clever. He has a good head on his shoulders that could be used for much more than just cleaning the floors of his fathers' whorehouse. I meant what I said earlier. When the boy is of age, you may send him to Storrack. There, all the great knights are. He would be trained well and would give his allegiance to a good cause.'

'Storrack is it?' smirked the barman. 'So that's where you're from? You serve the Karnip realm don't you?'

The rider gave the barman a half smile.

'I will get some rest now. Thank you once more.'

Lidd then bowed to Rondo, stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

Finally, Lidd was alone. His journey had made him quite tired.

He took off his boots and his wet clothes and hung them on the bedposts. A bundle of charred logs rested in the fireplace. On the right were a stack of some freshly chopped. On the small table by the window he found a flint box and in a matter of moments he had a decent fire made. The light from it filled the dark, desolate room and the warmth felt like an old friend to the rider. After he got warm, Lidd grabbed his pipe from his jacket and filled it with null grass. He sat by the flames and smoked.

The rider entertained himself by blowing large smoke rings that danced in the damp air around the room. His mind was quiet. It didn't take long before his eyes became too heavy to keep open any longer. Slowly, Lidd slipped into a much-needed sleep.

His dreams took him downstairs and to the whore he met earlier. They were standing naked together in the pub. She got to her knees and began to kiss his stomach. Then the front doors burst open. There, five riders stood, cloaked in all black with their swords drawn. The whore jumped to her feet, startled. The riders charged them. Lidd didn't have time to put his pants on, so there he was, naked, defending himself against the five-cloaked riders, as they attacked him from all angles. The whore tried to run but two riders grabbed her and held her down. She tried to fight them off, but the men drew their daggers and stabbed her repeatedly.

Suddenly, Rondo, and his young son, Peter came rushing into the bar. Lidd yelled at them to flee but it was too late. The two riders let go of the bloody mess that was once the whore and rushed to the barman and his son. Lidd tried desperately to make his way over to them, but he couldn't get through the three men attacking him. The cloaked men closed in on the helpless barman and his son. They seized them, pulled their heads back and sawed through their throats.

Lidd screamed with anger. A sword broke through his defense and slashed his chest. He fell to the ground and there he saw his old knight, Sir Daven standing above him. He still had a sword pushed all the way down his throat. The old dead knight grabbed it by the hilt and slowly pulled it all the way out. He then looked into Lidd's eyes and pointed his finger at him.

'You couldn't save me,' the old knight said, he then brought the sword down on him.

At that moment, Lidd's eyes opened.

The desolate room was filled with the light of day. The fire he had made was nothing now but a pile of charred wood and his pipe was still in his mouth. The troubled rider sat there for a moment, thinking of what he had just dreamed. He felt a dozen different emotions. His eyes made their way to the window and saw that it was still raining. He got to his feet.

Lidd made his way across the room and over to the small window. It looked out over an empty, narrow road that ran through an alley behind a complex of a dozen small buildings. The rider's thoughts turned to the five cloaked men he had seen in his dream. The sun was rising behind a curtain of black clouds and Lidd was relieved he had not slept too long. Leaving before most of the townsfolk were up was his plan. Being seen was not something he wanted.

Finally, turning away from the window, he grabbed his damp clothes. Regretting it, he forgot to put them by the fire to dry before he fell asleep. Not that they would keep him dry for very long anyway. He slipped down the stairs quietly and found himself standing in the empty pub. The place seemed tidier than he last saw it. Walking slowly to the door he heard a small voice from behind.

'You're leaving already?'

Lidd turned to find the young boy, Peter, standing behind him.

'Why aren't you in bed, boy?'

'I thought I'd get an early start on my day's work,' Peter replied.

Lidd's eyes scanned the room.

'I couldn't have been asleep any longer than a couple of hours. If I couldn't have guessed it, I'd say you were waiting to see me off.'

The boys' eyes dropped to the floor.

'It's just, I've never met a real knight before.'

Lidd thought on that.

'How many times, boy, do I have to tell you? I am no knight.'

'Than what are you?' asked Peter.

'When you become a man, ride to Storrack,' he told the boy. 'There, you will see many knight's. If you're lucky, you may even train to become one yourself.'

Peter's eyes lit up.

'But until then,' said Lidd. 'Serve your father. Stay close to him and look after this place.'

He turned his back to the boy and began walking towards the door.

'Will I ever see you again?' Peter's soft voice called to him.

'You may,' said Lidd. 'When you come to Storrack, look for a man who goes by the name Jonpai.'

'Jonpai?' the boy asked. 'Who is he?'

'He's still trying to figure that out himself,' said Lidd. 'Farewell, Peter.'

Opening the door, the rider stepped down the Cherrypopper's creaky steps and walked into the heavy rain. The stables were across the street and in there he found his horse. Lidd brushed her face with his hands, found half a carrot on the ground and fed it to her. He then grabbed the saddle that was hanging on the wall, put it on his horses back and took off into the rain. Riding through the empty streets, he passed the outer gate and left Gracock far behind.

Lidd rode his horse hard all day without rest. He came across a large stone bridge that led him onto the road to Storrack. Riding that well into the night, he finally came to the land he called home.

The long roads stopped at a large stonewall. An iron gate blocked the passage with two guards standing beside it.

'Halt!' one of the guardsmen called. 'Come no closer.'

Lidd stopped his horse and called to them.

'Good evening, it is good to be back in my homeland. I wish to enter, if you will let me.'

'Your homeland?' asked one of the guards. 'What business did you have outside these walls? The land is crawling with spies and enemies. Why does one man venture on his lonesome?'

'To these land's, I am no spy,' said Lidd. 'That I can say for certain, although I cannot claim that I am no spy at all. To this fair city, I am no enemy. My business is my own. My identification is right here in my hand, if you will let me come forward.'

The two guards looked at one another and then nodded in agreement.

'You may approach,' one of them said.

Lidd kicked the sides of his horse and slowly trotted towards the two guards. When he was close enough, Lidd handed the men a piece of script. They each read it closely.

'You're with the Karnip's?' one of the guards asked.

'Aye,' said Lidd.

'Very well,' said the guard. He took out a large set of keys and stuck one in a lock that hung from the doors. The guard then pushed the doors open, revealing a black, sleeping city.

'Thank you,' said Lidd. He took out a small gold coin and flung it at the guard. 'For your trouble.'

Leaving the front city doors far behind, Lidd rode passed the small homes, inns and streets that he grew up around. It felt like he had been away for years. His eyes scanned the city and his mind recalled memories from a past long, long ago. Back when he was a small boy, before he met the Karnip family, who had ruled the Storrack realm for many years.

Lidd followed the road that led through the many homes, inns and small shops that made up this proud city. When those came to an end, the road ended at a dirt path. The rider rode hard up this dirt path and finally came to another large stonewall.

The giant wall was so tall that it hid the Karnip Castle completely from view. Often, Lidd was told that the people of Storrack were always suspicious of the people that lived in this secretive castle. For the inhabitants of it were the people that ruled the city, yet they were hardly ever seen by anyone.

The path ended at a large gate that sat in the middle of the giant wall, guarded by two armed men. When Lidd approached the two men, one of them called to him.

'Well, well, sees we've got a visitor.'

Lidd removed his hood and showed his face to the guards.

'I have returned,' he announced.

'Back from the whores realm already?' asked one of the guards. 'Sir Herrick and I here, bet each other you wouldn't return. You've got traitors blood in you.'

'If you both bet on the same thing, how is that a bet?' asked the rider.

The two men looked at each other with blank expressions.

Lidd smiled at the two guards.

'I am quite drenched,' he said. 'And such a journey as the one I've traveled has made me tired. While I've been away on important business, how has standing here guarding this gate been?'

The guard spat on the ground right beneath Lidd's horse.

'At least I'm a knight,' said the guard. 'I am happy to see you once again, friend.'

'Sir Larrag,' said Lidd, smiling.' 'I am happy to see you once again, as well. It has been a long time since I left.'

'You haven't been missed,' said the guard, laughing. He than approached the rider and gave Lidd's horse a smack.

'Well, I must really be on my way,' said the rider. 'If you would be so kind and open this gate for me.'

Sir Larrag turned his back to Lidd, took a key out from his jacket and stuck it into the lock. The gate creaked loudly as it swung open. Lidd kicked his horse and began up the steep dirt road that led up to the castle of Karnip.

'Thank you, friend,' he called to the guard.

Lidd rode hard up the steep dirt road. Finally, he came to the large castle.

A young man ran over to meet the rider from across the castle's courtyard.

'Jonpai!' called out the man's voice.

Lidd dismounted, grabbed the reigns and handed them to the man.

'It is good to be back,' said the rider. 'Give her a good feed, will you? She has had quite the long journey.'

The young man grabbed the reigns and said, 'No need to fret. I shall brush her all night and give her a dozen carrots.'

'Take her shoes off as well,' said Lidd. 'I haven't had a chance since I've been gone. Thank you, Forad. I shall come seek you in the morning and visit with you both.'

The squire bowed and led Lidd's horse to the castle's stables.

Lidd approached the front doors of the castle and removed his dirty black gloves from his hands.

When he entered, the main hall was nearly empty, save for a black distant figure that slowly made its way down a spiral staircase.

'Well, well,' called the figure. 'I am surprised to see you here.'

Lidd knelt to the floor.

The man crossed the marble floor of the great hall and approached the rider.

'Rise, rise,' he said to Lidd. 'It is good to see you, again.'

Lidd got back to his feet.

'Aye,' he said. 'And it is good to see you, Chale'

'I see it's raining outside,' said the man called Chale. He wore a light blue tunic with silver breeches. His long jet-black hair ran straight and hung just passed his shoulders.

'You haven't noticed?' asked Lidd, looking down at himself.

'No,' said Chale, softly. 'I've been inside this warm castle all day sipping tea beside a hot fire.'

'That sounds nice,' said Lidd, giving the young man a warm smile.

'Yes, indeed,' said Chale. 'I am very thankful my father keeps me here by his side. I must say I am confused to why you are here, Jonpai. If I do recall, you were supposed to stay in the queens capital until you were instructed to leave.'

Lidd's smile disappeared and he saw Chale's face had become serious.

'But, the queen has...'

'Left her city, yes I know,' said Chale. 'We all know that. But that did not dismiss you from your post. My father is going to be furious.'

Lidd's eyes scanned the large open hall.

'Follow me to my chambers. We can talk more openly there.' said Chale, softly

Lidd's mood had changed. From the moment he left the queen's city he was excited to travel back to his homeland with such news about the queen. And now he had returned and everyone already knew about her departure. How was it that they already knew?

Chale led Lidd across the floor of the main hall and down an empty corridor that came to a stairwell that took them to a hallway. Torches hung from the wall and lit up the many doors that the two men walked past. Finally, the two men came to a set of two large wooden doors painted red.

'I warn you that it's a bit of a mess in here,' said Chale, as he took out a set of keys from his pocket, stuck one into a lock and twisted. The two doors pushed open and Chale entered the large room as Lidd followed closely behind.

Lidd had been inside this room many times before. As a young child, he would often sneak in and hide in one of the closets and wait for Chale to go to sleep. Then, Lidd would crawl under the boy's bed and make strange noises all night. Chale was convinced for years that his room was haunted.

'It's not too bad,' said Lidd, looking over the room. 'You should see the places I've been sleeping these past months.'

'I can't imagine,' said Chale, making his way over to a small table in the far corner of the room. 'How long have you been gone for?'

Lidd took a seat in a chair and turned his eyes to the ceiling as he thought about the question.

'It's got to be just over ten months now,' he said. 'The last time I sent a raven was when I heard news about Anjord Trench joining forces with the Aldeen.'

'Yes,' said Chale. 'My father sent some of his men to the Aldeen's to consider the rebellion. They sent us back the men's skin.'

That made Lidd sour.

'The Aldeen's are wild men. They have no concern for the realm. If they won't join us I don't see them joining the queen either. Not even the old King Dala had a hold on the Aldeen region. They are not a threat.'

'They are more of one now,' said Chale. 'Now that Anjord Trench joined with those bloody savages the whole trench is out of our reach.'

'Any word from Anjord on the rebellion?' asked Lidd. 'Where do they stand?'

'King Dala had an alliance with them,' said Chale, grabbing a glass pitcher full of white wine and pouring it into two glasses. 'After his death, however, they remained silent and gave no aid to his daughter's rebellion. My brother wasn't the king long enough to make any sort of an alliance with them. Alas, my father sent men to the trench and they gave us no terms. We need that trench if we have any chance of taking the royal capital.'

Chale handed Lidd one of the glasses.

'But now that the queen has fled her city,' said Lidd taking a sip. 'Perhaps Anjord Trench will be more willing to join our cause.'

Chale took a large gulp from his glass.

'Our cause is getting weaker,' he said. 'My father won't admit it, but I know he knows it too. We have allies from all over the lands that want to see the witch queen burned, but our forces are filled with weak peasants that have never even seen a battle before. Towns are easier to overtake than cities; it's the cities that have the knights and seasoned warriors. It's true, most of the outer lands are with us, but most of the outer lands are not filled with cities. If we do not get that trench, we could easily be stopped. I hate to think what would happen to us if Anjord Trench is with the queen. That trench leads right to us. We could be overtaken in less than a day. Our rebellion will either win us a throne or destroy us completely.'

Lidd took a sip from his cup and thought on that, his tired eyes scanning the room.

'Will your father be upset with me when he learns that I left my post?'

'No doubt he will be,' said Chale, leaning back in his chair. 'It would have been more wise of you to have stayed and sent a raven to us about the queen's departure. You had no reason to just leave like that.'

'I could ride back there,' said Lidd.

'The capital will be very suspicious by now after all that has happened,' said Chale. 'It will be very hard for you to get passed the city gates. I think it would be best to let my father give you council.'

With that, Chale stood up.

'Now?' asked Lidd. 'It is very late in the night. Surely your father must be asleep.'

'Lord Karnip finds it quite hard to find any rest now a days,' said Chale. 'Besides, he is in the council chambers with his new...men. I was with them earlier this evening.'

'New men?' asked Lidd, after he drained his wine glass and got to his feet.

'Yes,' said Chale. 'These men are a part of my fathers plan. He hired them to follow the queen across The Haunted Sea and make sure she does not return.'

'What men would dare cross that sea?' asked Lidd.

Chale looked away from Lidd for a quick moment to stare at the floor and then back into the rider's eyes.

'Before we go see my father,' he said. 'I must ask you to trust me and leave all your weapons here.'

That took Lidd by surprise.

'My weapons?' he asked. 'What is this all about?'

'Just trust me,' said Chale. 'Please, Jonpai.'

That name seemed almost foreign to the rider's ears. He slowly nodded in agreement and unsheathed his long sword and gave it to Chale.

'Thank you,' said Chale. 'I am going to need your dagger as well.'

Lidd sighed, then reached into his wet coat, retrieved the dagger and handed it to Chale.

'There,' said the rider. 'Now let us go.'

He began to walk towards the door before Chale called to him.

'I've known you all my life. You're almost like a brother to me. Please trust me.'

Lidd put a hand on Chale's shoulder and said to him, 'I trust you with my life.'

'Then please give me your other dagger.'

The rider was just about to reach the door before he stopped, sighed and reached into his jacket once more to produce his other blade. He then placed it softly on a bedside table.

'Thank you,' said Chale, walking towards the troubled rider.

'What is this all about?' asked Lidd, confused.

'Ask no more questions, it will all be clear soon enough.'

The two men then headed out the door, across the narrow hallway and back down the flight of stairs that led to the main hall. From there they headed to a large corridor across a courtyard. The sky was getting brighter and dawn was on its way. When they reached the corridor, they walked through it till they got to a flight of stone steps leading down. The two men slowly walked down these steps in silence. When the stairway came to an end they faced a black door. Lidd remembered this black door as a young boy and knew that behind it, was a room where all the important meetings were held.

'Your fathers council room,' said Lidd quietly. 'I think I've only been in here once.'

'I wish I could say the same,' said Chale with a soft voice and a weak smile. 'Now before I open these doors, Jonpai, you must remember to trust me.'

'This is all very suspicious,' said the rider. 'What is going on?'

'You'll know soon enough,' said Chale, in a worried tone. He took a deep breath and slowly opened the door.

From what Lidd could remember of this small, desolate, old room, everything looked the same. The large room had hardly anything in it at all, except a small fireplace in the far corner, an ancient bookshelf and a very long wooden table. For half a second, the rider saw only the old man he had known his entire life sitting at this table. Lord Karnip was dressed in his usual red and black cloak, wearing the same serious expression across his face that never left.

But the rider only saw the old Lord for a brief second before his eyes met the men that sat across from him at the large wooden table.

It felt to the rider as if the world stopped and the sky erupted. Suddenly, Lidd was filled with a sudden rush of anxiety and bewilderment that covered his mind and smothered all his thoughts. A thundering pound of shock surged through him, followed by a storm of emotions, corrupt with horror and rage.

For the men that sat in this very room and shared a table with the old Lord, that raised Lidd as if he were his own child, were five, cloaked men that hid their faces behind gold masks that resembled some terrifying, ancient creature. To the rider, these five men were known as the murderers who slaughtered his old knight, Sir Daven and to everyone else across the lands, they were known only, as the knights of darkness.

Chapter Five

Caught On The Road

Before she saw faces, she heard only voices. At first she could only hear mumbled tones but slowly she made out words. Her eyes slowly opened and closed again. The light made her head hurt even worse than it already did. She had no clue where she was or who she was with. The last thing she remembered was smoke and blackness. Then she remembered the slaughtering of her men and suddenly she sprang up and reached for the dagger on her hip. But the dagger wasn't there. Her eyes opened wide and the first thing she saw was an old, rough looking man with a thick beard and wonder in his blue eyes, sitting across from her.

Daloa sat there for a moment in wonder herself, and she saw her knife sitting on a feathered cushion and sprang for it. Before she could reach it, she felt two soft arms wrap around her neck and the voice of a girl call out.

'My queen, no!'

At first, Daloa froze and then she turned to face the voice that had called to her. The girl let go of her queen and sat there staring at her with tears welling in her troubled eyes.

'Galla!' Daloa exclaimed.

The girl's embraced one another for a long, silent moment, with tears bursting from their eyes.

'I thought you were going to die,' said Galla.

Daloa thought on those words.

'My dear Galla, no, I wouldn't leave you here all alone. Where are we anyway?'

'I think I can help you with that,' called a man's voice.

Daloa turned sharply around to face the man with the beard. She realized that it was only the three of them alone inside a moving coach. The windows were draped with purple curtains and the interior was very well kept. Whoever this coach belonged to must be wealthy. Daloa sat there in silence studying her surroundings. The only sound she could hear were the hooves of the horses outside pulling them to wherever they were going.

'I imagine you must be very confused,' said the man, breaking the long silence. He grabbed the long knife that was sitting on the cushion beside him and handed it, hilt first, to Daloa. 'I trust you want this back. No doubt you are going to have to use it again, perhaps even sooner than you would like.'

The queen hesitated, then grabbed it from him and stuck it in her belt.

'Sorry,' said the man. 'But I had to take it from you while you were unconscious, just in-case you woke up and slit my throat before I could tell you who I was.'

'Who are you?' asked the queen.

The man smiled and then said, 'my name is Geraldo Cloan. I am a consultant of affairs and matters of the castle Whyten. I was called to espionage on this mission to find the queen across the sea and make sure she returns to the castle safely. King Whyten sent me himself, along with twelve of Prince Fasmir's men. If you look out the windows you will see three of them are following us to help me with your safety to the castle. Sadly, one of our men was cut down by the same foes that slaughtered all of your men.'

'Who were they?' asked Daloa, sharply.

'We've been asking ourselves the same question,' said Geraldo. 'They must have somehow heard that you were coming. The king will be very upset to hear about this. He made it very clear that no one was to know about you until you were safe in his castle.'

Daloa was very confused.

'How did your king know I was coming?'

A strange look crept across the man's face.

'King Whyten has ways of finding things out. Ways of which I could never describe to you, not yet anyhow. You will find that the people on this side of the sea are very different from yours, at least, if the stories are true. I must admit, I know nothing of your land, besides the tales I've heard that have been passed along from generations far in the past.'

The queen turned her focus from the man and slowly made her way to one of the windows. She pulled back the purple curtain from the window on her right and looked out to see a black, dense forest. A cold chill crept up her spine. The trees looked very old and unwelcoming. Something about this land looked dead and haunting, as if the forest itself were under some curse or dying from an ancient disease, left to be plagued for eternity.

She saw two of the three-armed men on horseback Geraldo had mentioned.

'I'm confused,' said Daloa. 'Where are your other men?'

'They had to remain behind and hold the road incase any more attackers followed us,' said Geraldo. 'We want as little in our party as possible while we take the road to the city. We don't want to attract anyone. There are many eyes within this forest.'

'Who are they?' asked Daloa, looking at the three men on horseback.

'Their names are Paston, Givle and Niets,' said Geraldo. 'Each are very seasoned warriors. Handpicked by Prince Fasmir himself to make sure you arrive to the city gates safely. The young man at the reigns of our coach is named Jimfly, if it interests you.'

Daloa let go of the curtain and sat back. She looked down and realized her clothing was torn and tattered. Small burns covered her arms, along with many cuts and bruises.

'How long have I been unconscious?' she asked.

'I'd say about an hour or so,' answered Geraldo. 'Your friend here, pulled you up out of the water and brought you to land while my men killed the attackers. I'd say we arrived just in time. The fighting was over in less than a couple of minutes. Whoever killed your men wanted you dead most of all, of course and they would have succeeded if we had shown up a minute later.'

Daloa turned to stare at Galla.

'Thank you,' she said to her. 'For saving my life.'

Galla bowed her head, shyly.

'You must understand,' said Geraldo. 'That once the people of Aurank find out the queen from the other side has come to their city, they are going to stop at nothing until she is dead. The people of Aurank have been told for thousands of years that the people across the forbidden sea are the bringers of death and destruction. They are going to think that you have come to bring death to their land. The fact that you are here now is something that will cause chaos within the city.'

'Where are you taking us?' demanded the queen.

'Why, to the city of course,' said Geraldo, with a smile. 'Where else? The king is waiting for you.'

'What does he want with me?' asked the queen. 'How did he find out about my arrival? How could a rescue party been sent before I even made it to the shore?'

'I'm afraid I can't answer all of your questions,' admitted Geraldo. 'We will be arriving at Aurank soon enough. Once we reach the gates, the king's son Fasmir will have a dozen men guarding us until we reach the castle safely. Until then, I advise you get some rest. You've had quite the long journey.'

'You don't know half of it,' said the queen, coldly.

Geraldo sat back in his seat

'You don't know half of what's ahead of you.'

Daloa thought on that. The man was right. She was far from her homeland and heading towards a city that had been unseen by her people for a very long time. All she had for protection was a group of strangers and a small dagger on her hip. The queen thought of her men. Images of them being slaughtered pierced her like hot pincers, leaving scars of guilt and remorse on her tortured mind. Remembering the look on Lord Etin's face as he stared deep into her eyes before the moment of his death was almost enough to send her into a fit of tears. If only she had stayed in her castle. Many had lost their lives to make sure she regained the throne her father had left her and now she had abandoned her people for a hopeless quest.

Just then, Daloa felt nauseous.

'I need to get out,' she demanded. 'Stop the horses.'

'I don't think that's a good idea,' said Geraldo. 'We are getting close to the city gates.'

'Please,' said Daloa. 'I need to make water, I cannot wait any longer.'

Geraldo sighed and then pulled back the curtains to the window on his left and signaled to one of the horsemen. A few moments later the coach stopped.

The queen rushed out the back and sprung onto the dirt road. There she saw the armed men on horseback watching her closely. She walked quickly off the dirt path and into the brush of the dark forest. When everyone was out of view, she stopped in front a tree, hunched over and vomited. When she was finished, Daloa leaned against the thick trunk and began to weep. Her head was pounding and her body began to shake violently. Her anxious mind was too much to bear. Thoughts of dread and sadness weighed on her and pulled her down. Daloa's heart was broken. She had failed as a queen. She thought of her father, of how brave he was and loyal. All Daloa ever wanted was to be like him and now she had shamed him.

'I am sorry father,' she whispered, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Just then she heard a voice call out to her.

'Daloa!' the voice called.

The queen realized the voice belonged to Galla.

'Over here,' Daloa called back.

Galla ran over to her queen, embraced her and saw that her eyes were filled with tears.

'Oh, my queen,' said Galla. 'What horror we have been through!'

'Yes, my dear, Galla,' the queen agreed, wiping her eyes. 'I failed my people and led my men to their deaths. I am the worst queen to have ever been. I hope I die soon, for I deserve it, perhaps I deserve an even worst fate for all I've have done.'

'No, my queen,' said Galla. 'Your men followed you because they believed in you. They died for you because they loved you so.'

The queen took a deep breath and said, 'perhaps you are right, Galla, but I have abandoned my people. We will never make it back across the sea.'

'We cannot give up hope now,' said Galla. 'If we do, then your men died for nothing.'

The queen smiled at Galla and said, 'you're right. We have come too far now. Thank you for giving me strength, Galla.'

The two girls embraced each other once more.

A loud horn called in the distance.

'What was that?' asked Galla, in a panic, she then fell hard to the forest floor as something violently knocked her in the back of the head.

Before Daloa could see what had struck Galla, an arm locked around her neck. She tried to scream but couldn't. Whoever had her was pulling her deeper into the forest. Daloa tried to kick and

grab the person with her other arm but it was no use. Her attacker was very tall and muscular and she felt like a child in his grip. Suddenly, she remembered the knife at her side and grabbed it with her free hand.

The attackers arm was digging deeper into her throat and she felt herself losing consciousness. Her strength was quickly disappearing as she tried to find the knife at her side. Finally she felt the hilt and pulled it from her waist and dug it deep into her attackers side.

The man screamed in agony and let go of her. She fell to the ground and looked up at the giant man who had attacked her.

Blood was oozing from the wound she had made. He looked up at her and before he could pull out his sword, Daloa rushed at him and dug her knife deep into his throat and held it there till he was dead.

The horn was blown again and Daloa remembered Galla. She got up and ran as fast as her feet could carry her. When she arrived where Galla had been attacked, two men were in the process of lifting her unconscious body from the ground. When the two men saw Daloa they dropped her and pulled out their long swords.

The three of them stood there in silence, waiting for someone to make the first move. To Daloa's relief the men were not wearing any armor.

'Who are you?' asked Daloa, furiously.

The two men looked at her with blank expressions.

The queen had nothing but a knife against two long swords. She knew her best advantage was to wait for the men to make the first move. But the two men never got a chance when suddenly three other men, stormed the attackers from behind and drove their swords into their backs.

It was Geraldo and two of his men.

'Are you alright?' Geraldo asked her.

'Yes,' said Daloa, as she looked at herself covered in her attacker's blood.

She then got down on her knees and lifted Galla's head to see if she was OK.

The horn blasted again in the distance.

'What is happening?' asked Daloa. 'Who is blowing that horn?'

Geraldo gave her a look of dismay.

'We have been spotted,' he said. 'I'm afraid the men we killed by the sea were apart of a much bigger clan. They must have broken through our defenses. Their scouts have spotted us and they are calling to them. We must hurry back to the horses before they reach us. Quickly now, Paston, grab the girl!'

Geraldo's man, Paston grabbed Galla and swung her unconscious body across his shoulder. The four of them began to run back to the road.

When they got there, they found the coach to be in flames and Niets in a duel with two other men. The young man who sat at the reigns was getting stabbed repeatedly in the chest by an attacker dressed in armor.

'Jimfly!' yelled Geraldo in despair.

'Find me a sword,' said Daloa.

Paston dropped Galla softly to the ground, unsheathed his sword and ran at the man who had killed Jimfly. The man, Givle, ran over to help Niets fight the two men attacking him. The horn blasted again.

Daloa looked to her right and saw further up the road, the horn blower. She saw he had a long sword in a sheath hanging from his waist. Daloa ran towards the man and when she was in range she flung her knife at his direction. The man began to sound the horn once more before the knife darted towards him and sunk deep into his left eye. He screamed in agony as he fell hard to the ground, clutching at the hilt of it. Daloa grabbed the horn from the ground and beat him in the face with it until he was dead. She then snapped the horn in two, pulled her knife from the horn blower's eye and unsheathed his sword.

The queen observed what was happening around her. Paston was in a fierce duel with the attacker who had killed the young man at the reins. The attacker was badly wounded and it was a matter of time before Paston finished the job. She then looked to see how the duel between the other attackers was going. One was lying dead on the ground while Givle and Niets both fought the man remaining.

The queen then looked towards Geraldo and Galla and saw two new attackers; both dressed in armor and running at them. Daloa broke into a sprint and approached the attackers before they could reach Geraldo and Galla. When she was close, they took notice of her but before they could make the first move, she flung her knife at one of them with such force it plunged into the man's throat with only the hilt sticking out. The man was dead before he hit the ground. Daloa then raised her sword to the other attacker and the two of them began a violent duel.

Daloa's attacker was much stronger than she was and each strike nearly knocked her sword from her hand, but the queen was quick on her feet and dodged many of his blows.

With the attackers back now to Geraldo, he came up behind him and stabbed his blade through his back. The man fell to the ground, dead.

Geraldo wiped the man's blood from his sword with a grin.

'What the hell did you do that for?' asked Daloa, offended.

'What?' he asked, confused.

'That was my man, I had him,'

'I am sure you would have won, I had no doubt about that,' said Geraldo. 'I just wanted to help. You should be thanking me.'

'That was my man and it was wrong of you to come up from behind him like that,' said Daloa.

Geraldo looked to the lifeless corpse laying face first in the dirt.

'I'm sure he doesn't mind now,'

'What is happening?' called a soft voice.

Daloa looked to see Galla sitting up.

'Oh Galla,' said the queen, as she knelt down to her. 'Are you alright?'

'My head hurts,' said Galla, as she touched the back of her head with her hand and retrieved it full of blood. She then saw their coach in flames and men lying dead on the road. 'What happened?'

'Ask questions later,' said Geraldo. 'We need to get out of here now. Quick, follow me.'

The three of them ran to where the coach was. Thick black smoke filled the air around them. More attackers came rushing out of the bushes and Paston, Givle and Niets met them with cold steel.

'We need to cut these horses free,' said Geraldo. 'Help me.'

Four horses were tied to the front of the coach and were now frantically trying to flee as the smoke from the coach began choking them.

Daloa cut two free as Geraldo cut the other two.

'Get on one and follow me,' said Geraldo, as he got on a horse.

Daloa turned her head to look at the three men fighting off the attackers.

'They will be fine,' said Geraldo. 'Please, lets get out of here, now.'

With that, Daloa climbed on a horse and reached her hand down to Galla.

'Get on,' she told her.

Galla jumped up on the horse with Daloa.

'Come on,' called Geraldo.

He took off with Daloa following closely behind. The two other horses took off as well and followed them. The forest whizzed by the riders as their horses sped along the road. Suddenly one of the horses crashed to the ground with a loud neigh. Geraldo, Daloa and Galla took a look behind to see what had happened and saw that the horse was covered in arrows. Then they saw four men among horseback pursuing them.

Geraldo and Daloa rode hard, waiting for the arrows to strike any one of them. Another loud neigh erupted through the air and they watched as another horse fell to the ground after being struck by arrows. The four men pursuing them were following close behind.

Daloa grabbed the dagger from her hip.

'Galla,' she said to her. 'Here, take the reigns for a moment.'

'What?' asked Galla in shock.

'Just trust me,' said Daloa, handing Galla the reigns.

As Galla took them, Daloa turned around and flung the dagger at one of the pursuing men. The dagger flew through the air and struck one of the men in the chest. The man fell off his horse and crashed to the ground.

The three other men drew an arrow from their backs, put it to their bowstrings and aimed. But just then, arrows came flying from behind them and peppered their backs. The three men all fell from their horses. Daloa saw a large group of armed men on horseback coming up behind them.

'Well if I'll be damned!' yelled Geraldo.

Geraldo raised his sword in the air to salute the men. The men raised theirs in answer.

They continued to ride hard down the road for awhile to make sure they had left their enemies far behind. After a long ride, Geraldo slowed down to talk to all his men.

'Thank you men,' he said to them. 'If you had not shown, I'm sure we'd be dead by now.'

A large man with a thick black beard came up beside Geraldo and said, 'we saw them coming for you only a couple of hours after we had split up. We decided to hold back for a little while and put them ahead of us so we could follow them. I guess they moved quicker than we thought. Before we knew it we saw smoke coming from up the road and sure enough there was the coach up in flames with dead men scattered along the road. We saw Niets and Givle tending to Paston, who was badly injured. Next thing we knew we saw riders in pursuit of other riders and we knew it had to be you.'

'Thank you,' said Geraldo. 'We would be nothing but pin cushions by now.'

Niets and Givle came riding up to Geraldo.

'Well,' said Geraldo. 'How is Paston?'

'He didn't make it,' said Givle.

'Took a good blow to the chest,' said Niets. 'We did the best we could, but he bled out just after the rest of our men had shown up.'

'A shame,' said Geraldo.

Daloa felt bad for the man who had fallen. She wondered how many more would have to die for her.

'Well the queen is safe,' said Geraldo, giving her a queer look. 'And that is the important part.'

All of the men looked at Daloa and each gave her strange looks.

'Well then,' said Geraldo, after a long, awkward silence. 'Let us now ride hard once more, towards the city, before we are caught in the darkness surrounded by more enemies.'

Geraldo pulled the reins to his horse and took off. Daloa followed him with the rest of the men close behind. As the sun began to set behind the dark black clouds and the forest was retreating back into blackness, the road ended and they came to a giant gate of iron.

'Well, queen,' said Geraldo. 'How does it feel to be the first person from your side of the sea in over two thousand years to stand in front of the city of Aurank?'

Queen Daloa looked up at the giant gate and swallowed hard.

She gave him no reply.

Chapter Six

A Brother and Sister

The cellar was always freezing at this time of night. Martye awoke suddenly from a disturbing dream that he could not remember. His eyes scanned the cold, damp cellar. He saw only an empty, desolate place. The brick walls that surrounded him were cracked and weathered. There was nothing much to look at in this cellar but a stone cold floor covered in small bits of hay and dust and some empty barrels resting in a far corner. The boy tried to remember what his house had looked like, but for some reason he couldn't. How long had it been since he and his sister were forced to hide?

The boy looked to the floor beside him and saw his sister lying on a dirty sheet with her head on an old cushion. She was fast asleep. He had to smile. His younger sister was the only thing he had now. His family was gone, his home was extinguished and his friends were either missing or dead. Everything had been taken from him, everything but his dear sister.

Martye observed how frail and thin his little sister had become over the years. Her small, thin body was stretched out underneath a dusty old blanket. Her chest moved slowly up and down as her soft breath eased through the air. The boy noticed his sister's breasts through the thin material of her shirt and saw how much bigger they had become. His Julias was getting older and on her way to becoming a woman.

Just then he heard distant voices coming from above. The boy turned his head in alarm. He heard the voices again. Soon there was loud thumping footsteps'.

'Julias,' the boy whispered to his sister, shaking her softly with his left hand. 'Julias, wake up. Wake up.'

The girl yawned as she opened her tired eyes and looked up at her brother.

'Martye?' the girl asked softly. 'What is it?'

'I hear footsteps coming from upstairs. Listen.'

The two of them lay there in silence listening to the footsteps from upstairs and the soft chatter.

'I think we should hide everything and leave at once,' said Martye.

'Why?' asked Julias. 'We've been here for months and no one has ever come down at night.'

'We've never had people here this late,' said Martye. 'Who comes into a bookshop this late at night? I think someone knows we are here.'

'You can't be so paranoid,' said Julias.

Martye gave her a displeased look.

'My paranoia is the only reason we're still alive,' he said to her. 'Now get dressed, grab your things and get ready. I'll clean up.'

Martye and his sister scrambled around the old cellar trying to return it to its original appearance. When they had finished, the two of them slipped through the small hatch door in the ground and made their way through a pitch-black tunnel. The cold hard ground was soaked in water. The tunnel went on for a long way before they made it out and up onto the city streets.

Their eyes scattered the empty black city.

'What do we do now?' asked Julias.

'Find yourself somewhere to hide,' said Martye. 'I am going back to the bookshop to see who is inside.'

'Oh, it's probably just thieves or something,' said Julias, in protest. 'Lets just find somewhere to sleep until morning.'

'I have to make sure,' said Martye. 'Just in case I've seen their faces before. I need to make sure we haven't been spotted.'

Martye took out his knife.

'Go back into the sewers and stay close to the entrance,' he told her. 'I'll be back soon enough.'

With that he broke into a run, leaving his sister behind him. It didn't take long before Martye got to the side of the small building of the bookshop. He quietly got to the front of it and looked through the windows. He saw small lanterns being held inside by two men.

Martye was confused. The windows weren't smashed and there wasn't any other sign of a forced entry. He noticed the front doors were slightly open. Whoever was inside must have had a key.

Martye moved closer towards the doors. The people inside were near the back of the shop now. When Martye thought it was safe he nudged the doors and crept inside. He maneuvered quietly through the many bookshelves that occupied the small shop. When he was finally in earshot of the men he ducked down and listened to them.

'You mean that bloody haunted sea?' asked one of the voices.

'Quiet, Shliov,' said another voice. 'And its not haunted. Only fools believe that.'

'Then why haven't you ever tried to cross it?' asked the voice belonging to the man Shilov.

'Because I'm not a damn sailor,' said the other voice. 'And besides, the sea smells like shit.'

'Well, why did she go in the first place?' asked Shilov. 'Tell me that. Why did that mad queen take off into that damned sea?'

'Quiet,' said the other voice. 'I've heard a couple of tales, but they're only tales, mind you. Some say that she is fleeing the capital, going south to join Anjord. Others, I've heard that she is going on a voyage, to you know, just kind of get away from it all. And the rest are strange. But there was one that really stuck out.'

'And what is that?' asked Shilov.

'I heard,' said the other voice. 'That the queen is on a mission to voyage across the sea and discover the lost land of Auran in search of an army that could join forces with her.'

'Seriously?' asked Shilov. 'That would be mad. The land of Auran is just a myth.'

'What if it's not?' asked the other voice.

There was a long silence.

'Well whatever tale is true,' said the other voice. 'One thing is for sure, our queen has abandoned her city.'

'What is going to happen now?'

'We're going to make our move.'

Martye swallowed hard.

'We have seventy six men that are waiting, Shilov.'

'That's right Cease,' said Shilov. 'Ever since the witch queen took over, we've been waiting to strike her down and now that she is gone, we are free to take the city for ourselves.'

'That's right, Shilov,' said Cease. 'To hell with every king and queen that ever was. We are a free people. And free we will always be. Now let's get out of here. Do you have all the books we need?'

'Yes,' said Shilov. 'Right here.'

'Come on, let's go.'

The two men began walking down the aisle of the bookshop, but as they got closer to the doors they stopped.

'Did you leave these doors open?' asked Cease.

'I guess I did,' said Shilov. 'But not this much, only a little bit.'

Cease pulled the doors in and shut them.

'Anyone in here?' he called out.

Martye's stomach dropped. He pressed his back against the back of the wall and lay still.

Cease scanned the room. He looked behind every bookshelf and nook and finally came to where Martye was hiding.

'Well, well,' said Cease. 'And who are you boy?'

Martye looked up at the man and got to his feet. His hand squeezed the hilt of his knife.

'My name is Dreas,' answered Martye, quietly.

This was the first Martye got to see of the man called Cease. His face was unshaven and his clothes were dirty.

'What are you doing here boy?' he asked.

'I work here,' Martye lied. 'I was out walking and saw the doors were open, so I came to see what was going on. I thought it was Mr. Thime, perhaps. He is my boss and owner of this shop.'

'You were very sneaky,' said Cease. 'Why were you hiding back here and listening to us?'

'Well,' said Martye, taking a moment. 'I heard your voices and realized it was someone else, so I hid to make sure you weren't thieves.'

'Why would we be thieves?' asked Cease, laughing. 'Look, the windows aren't smashed or anything. The doors were opened with a key as you could clearly see.'

'Where did you get the key?' asked Martye.

'Your boss gave it to us,' said Cease. 'Oh Shilov, could you bring Mr. Thime over here?'

'Sure thing,' said the other man, Shilov. He left.

Martye and the strange man stood in silence for a short while. Martye was thinking about what the old bookshop owner was going to think. Clearly he would tell the two men that he was no worker of his. Finally, the footsteps drew closer and the man Shilov appeared.

'Here's your boss,' said Cease. 'He doesn't look too upset, does he?'

Martye then noticed that Shilov was holding up the severed head of the old bookshop owner.

'I guess you have the day off tomorrow,' said Cease, laughing.

Martye took off into a sprint and before he knew it he felt a sharp pain from the back of his head and everything soon went black.

*

He awoke in tremendous pain. His head was throbbing, but he soon forgot the pain once he noticed he was lying in the middle of the bookshop while everything around him was engulfed in flames. Martye scrambled to his feet. Smoke covered the room as the ceilings and walls were ablaze. He ran to the back of the shop to find the entrance to the cellar.

Parts of the ceiling came crashing down. Finally, Martye found the small door, leading to the very room he and his sister had been sleeping in for months. He opened it and ran inside as the entire roof of the bookshop came caving in. Martye ran down the spiral staircase and came to the cellar. He opened the small door to the sewers and closed it behind him. When he found himself in the tunnel he started screaming out for his sister.

'Julias!' screamed Martye. 'Julias!'

Tears ran down his face. What if they had found her? What if they had hurt her?

'Julias!' screamed Martye. 'Please answer me. Oh god. Please, answer me sweet sister.'

Martye ran as fast as he could.

'Martye?' came a soft voice.

'Julias?' He stopped dead in his tracks.

'Over here,' said Julias.

Martye's sister came running. The two of them embraced one another.

'Julias!' exclaimed Martye. 'Thank god. Thank god you are OK.'

'What happened?' asked Julias, tears streaming down her face. 'I've been waiting here for hours. I thought something horrible happened to you.'

'We need to get out of here,' said Martye. 'They will be looking for us.'

'Who?' asked Julias, confused.

'I will explain later,' said Martye. He grabbed his sister's hand. 'Follow me and be quiet.'

'What's happening?' she asked, softly.

'Be quiet and follow me,' said Martye, pulling her along the way through the dark, damp tunnel.

They climbed up out of the sewers and opened the hatch that led them to the city street. Scanning the empty, black city ahead, Martye saw that it was safe. He bent over and pulled his sister out and up onto the street.

'Smells like smoke,' said Julias.

'Never mind that now, sister,' said Martye. 'Follow me.'

They went left, bringing them to an alley between two buildings. The alley stopped and came to a large pasture that sat on the outskirts of a large forest. Martye and his sister ran as fast as they could across the pastures towards the forest. When they got to it, Martye pulled Julias and shoved her behind a large log.

'They shouldn't find us here,' Martye said to her.

'What is going on?' Julias asked, in panic.

'Let's not talk now,' said Martye. 'Go to bed, sweet sister. Ill explain to you in the morning when it is safer.'

His sister started to cry.

Martye grabbed her and laid her down on the forest floor. He then got down and lay there beside her, pressing her body close to his for warmth.

'Quiet, Julias,' said Martye, tears now bursting from his eyes. 'Go to sleep sweet sister.'

The two of them lay there for hours in the cold night air. The forest was quiet.

Hour's later Martye awoke.

The sun was just about to come up. It was early morning and Martye knew they were safer now. Julias was sleeping soundly. Martye grabbed his shabby jacket, pulled it off himself and put it over his sister. He looked into the deep forest and realized that they were in a lot of trouble. The cellar Martye and his sister had been staying in had been burned to the ground and the nice bookshop owner had been murdered.

Martye felt nauseous. This was almost too much to bear. Images of Mr. Thimes's severed head ran through his mind. Martye thought about how nearly he had escaped his own death. This was almost too much to think about. Martye began to shake from anxiety and confusion. He sat there for hours with his back against a tree, thinking on their desperate situation and what they should do next. They had nowhere to go.

Julias woke up awhile later.

'Martye?' she called softly.

Martye came running up beside her.

'Sweet sister, I am here.'

'What is happening?' she asked.

'The bookshop has been burned to the ground,' said Martye. 'The men we heard above us did it.'

'Oh my god!' exclaimed Julias. 'Did you get a chance to see these men?'

There was a long silence.

'Yes,' said Martye, softly. 'I saw the men.'

'Did they see you?' asked Julias, slowly.

After a tense, silent moment, Martye nodded his head.

Julias broke into tears then began screaming and hitting Martye.

'You idiot!' she screamed. 'You idiot!'

Julias punched her brother in the arms and then in the face. Martye grabbed her arms and tried to calm her.

Julias roared in a mad fury.

'Shut up!' said Martye. 'You're going to get us killed. Shut up!'

'You idiot!' she wailed. 'You idiot!'

Martye then pressed the palm of his right hand firmly against his sisters' mouth.

'Shut up!' he yelled at her, pushing her head into the ground. 'You stupid, silly little girl. I'm saving you, you know that?'

Julias started screaming under his hand. Clawing at him violently.

Martye had had enough. With his left hand he slapped his sister hard against the right side of her face.

Her fury turned to sadness. She wailed under his hand as tears rolled down her cheeks.

Martye looked at her and started to cry himself.

'Oh you stupid girl!' He cried.

He mounted her and grabbed her head with both of his hands.

'You're the only thing I have,' Martye cried to her. 'You understand? You're the only thing I have.'

Both brother and sister cried in each others arms

'You understand?' Martye asked her again, softly through his tears. They embraced each other as brother and sister and cried hopelessly.

It had been years since they had interacted with anyone but themselves. The two of them had only each other. No home and no family. They had spent most of their lives running from danger and now it seemed that they were in more danger than before.

'What if they see us?' Julias whispered in her brother's ear. 'What if they see your face?'

'We have to leave the city,' said Martye.

'Where are we going to go?' asked Julias.

'We'll go south,' said Martye. 'Vanak is no longer safe without the queen. I'll explain to you later. We must leave.'

Julias said no more.

The two of them lay there in silence for an hour more. Then when they were ready, they gathered themselves and left the forest. When they returned to the city streets they found crowds of people gathered together. Both Julias and Martye knew that everyone was rushing to the burned down bookshop.

In all the madness, Martye and Julias crept off to the stables behind an old mill. The horses there were unattended. The stables were empty of any people besides Martye and Julias. It was still early morning and the commotion of the burned bookshop was distracting most people.

Martye untied a horse and quickly slid a spare saddle onto its back. After he had prepared the horse, he grabbed his sister by the waste and placed her on its back. Afterwards, he jumped up himself and quickly the two of them were gone.

They rode quickly through the outskirts of the city and up towards the rougher roads that led to the far reaches of Vanak.

After riding hard for hours they found themselves far from the city. Dense forest and scattered creeks surrounded them. After a long ride, once they knew they were far away they decided to stop for a short rest.

'Where are we going?' asked Julias, as she climbed from the horse.

'As far from the city as we can get,' said Martye.

It took a moment for Julias to process what her brother had said.

'How do you think we'll do that?'

'Just trust me,' said Martye. 'And don't be so loud. We don't want anyone to see us.'

'If you had just minded your own business we wouldn't have to be running.'

'We've been running for years,' said Martye, furiously. 'I don't know where you've been, Julias. We've been running since our mother and father were murdered. Or do you not remember?'

Martye then collapsed to the ground and buried his head in his arms.

His sister looked at him in pity. She walked over, knelt down and touched his shoulder. After a long moment, she asked him, 'so, what do we do now? Where are we planning on going?'

'Maybe we should head for Anjord Trench, I once heard father say that it was a fine city.'

'Anjord Trench is hundreds of miles away,' said Julias, hopelessly. 'There isn't anything beyond Vanak besides empty desolate land, crawling with murderers and thieves.'

'There are small settlements I am sure,' said Martye. 'We could find a farm maybe. Ask for jobs. You're old enough now to work, sister. How old are you?'

'I've already told you, I am seventeen, Martye,' said Julias.

'You're growing up so fast, sweet sister,' said Martye, tears slowly falling from his cheeks.

The two of them sat there in silence for a long while. They ate some of the small amount of food they had on them and bathed in a creek. Afterwards, they gathered their things and continued on down the road.

'Does this take us out of Vanak?' asked Julias, after a long while.

'It has to,' said Martye. 'I'm sure if we keep heading in one direction we are bound to leave.'

They kept riding until suddenly, Martye pulled the reigns and the horse came to a halt.

'What is it?' Julias whispered.

'I see riders coming,' said Martye, nervously.

Two men on horseback approached Martye and Julias.

'Good evening,' said one of the men. 'What could two young people at this hour be doing so far from the city? Have you got lost?'

'No,' said Martye, firmly. 'We are not lost. Now if you don't mind, we will be on our way.'

Martye kicked his horse and put it into a trot.

The men followed.

'Are you two hungry?' asked one of the men. 'I can get you some food.'

'No, we are fine, thank you,' said Martye, not looking at the man.

Julias turned around to face the man who had spoken. The man was bald and had a large beard that covered most of his face. He looked to be in his mid thirties. His clothes were torn and dirty.

'I have a camp close by,' said the bald man, staring at Julias. 'We are roasting some pigs. There will be plenty to spare.'

'No, thank you,' said Martye. 'Now, good day sir.'

'How about just your girlfriend then?' asked the man. 'She looks hungry.'

'Yea,' said the other man. 'She looks like a girl that can eat a lot of meat.'

'Get away from us,' screamed Martye, turning his horse around to face the men. He pulled out his small knife and waved it in the air.

The men laughed.

'Calm down kid,' said the bald man. 'We aren't going to hurt you. Shit, I've got kids of my own. We aren't outlaws. We work in the city. I'm just a little curious as to why two young people like you are traveling down this road so late at night.'

'We are lost,' said Martye. 'Will this road take us out of Vanak?'

'Why would you want to leave Vanak?' asked the bald man, surprised.

'It's my business,' said Martye, coolly. 'Not yours.'

'You better calm down kid if you want me to help you,' said the bald man. 'Put down that little blade of yours too.'

Martye lowered his knife.

'Now listen,' said the bald man. 'If you keep taking this road you're going to wind up at that goddamn haunted sea, or whatever it's called.'

'The haunted sea?' asked Martye, in surprise. He then remembered what he heard about the queen. 'Yea, that's fine. Now just keep going the way you were. We are fine.'

Julias looked at her brother, confused.

'Oh you're fine are you?' asked the bald man. 'I don't know. Seems like if that little dagger of yours is the only thing you have for protection, you're not fine.'

'What's it to you?' asked Martye.

'Listen boy,' said the man. 'My name is Romerick. This here is my friend Deara. We aren't any kid killers or anything. If you just come over to where we are staying, we can feed you and then you can be on your way.'

'We're fine,' said Martye, firmly. 'Goodbye Romerick.'

Martye then turned his horse.

'Don't get too lost,' called Romerick, after them. 'It's a dark world out here. No place for kids to be on their own.'

Martye and his sister rode hard all day and into the night.

The cold air started to numb their hands and bodies as they continued down the dark forest road. Martye put the horse into a slow trot when it had become too dark to see the road any longer. The moon was hidden beneath the trees.

Martye felt his sister asleep with her head resting on his back. Every few minutes he had to keep her from falling off the horse.

'Wake up,' said Martye.

'I am tired,' called Julias. 'Can we stop somewhere to sleep?'

Martye looked at the dark forest that surrounded them.

'I think it will be safer if we wait until light,' said Martye. 'I have a feeling those men are following us. Let's just wait until the sun comes up. Try to stay awake.'

Martye's sister quietly wept as they rode further down the trail.

After hours, Martye had had enough. His body was numb from the cold night air. His stomach was empty and he could no longer fight to keep his eyes open. The early morning light was starting to creep over the mountains. Martye looked behind him and saw his sister's eyes both closed. She kept a small hold on his back as they rode but he could see that she was fast asleep.

Martye pulled the reigns and let his horse come to a stop.

'All right, Julias,' Martye said with a yawn. 'Let's stop here.'

The horse stopped. Martye sprang off it and grabbed his sister in his arms and placed her on the ground.

'Wake up,' said Martye.'

Julias small eyes opened and she looked at her brother.

'Where are we?'

'Stop asking me that,' he said. 'You know I have no idea where we are. As long as those stranger's are out of site., we should be fine'

He looked around. The forest was still dark and unwelcoming.

'Let's just lay down over here for a couple of hours,' he said.

Martye grabbed his sister's hand and the reins of the horse with his other and led them off the path. They walked for a small while into the brush of the forest and found a large fallen tree.

'This looks fine,' said Martye.

He let go of the horse and slowly fell to the ground and made himself comfortable.

'Alright,' he said. 'Let's sleep.'

'What about the horse?' asked Julias. 'What if it runs away?'

'It won't,' said Martye, with his eyes closed and his head rested upon a log. 'It's trained. Now get some sleep.'

Julias looked around at the grim setting and finally settled on the forest floor against her brother. The two of them lay there in silence and both fell unconscious almost immediately.

It felt like a dream for a couple of seconds. Then, Martye realized that it wasn't. He woke suddenly to the sound of his sister screaming.

Two grown men were dragging her. Martye reached for his knife but it wasn't there. Suddenly, an arm came around his neck and squeezed hard. He tried to fight but it was no use. The man had him and there was nothing he could do about it. Martye looked at the horse. A rough looking man stood by it, closely examining it.

'Nice horse,' said the man, brushing it. 'Very nice.'

The man unsheathed his long sword and with one stroke took its head off. The horse's body crashed to the ground. Martye screamed. It was the last thing he remembered before a fist sent him plunging into darkness.

He felt the ropes first. The tight ropes that wrapped around his small wrists and ankles. He opened his eyes and the world had gone very cold. First he saw a fire, and then he saw the men. There were eight of them and each held daggers in their hands and other small weapons. Martye saw them look at him with a smile as they realized he had come to consciousness. He then looked to his left and saw his sister. His dear sister was tied up as he was. Both arms and legs tied against a large trunk of a tree.

'Please,' said Martye, slowly and softly. As he spoke, blood came pouring out of his mouth. 'Please. Do anything you want to me. Just leave my sister alone.'

'Your sister?' asked one of the outlaws. 'But she's so pretty. Why would I want to leave her alone?'

'Please,' said Martye, again. 'She's just a child.'

Another man came walking towards Martye and then turned his head towards Julias. 'She look's like a woman to me,'

All the men laughed.

Martye scanned each face. He didn't recognize any of them.

'Do you know Romerick?' he asked.

'Who is Romerick?' asked one of the men.

These men were low class, Martye could tell. They're clothes were torn and filthy. They were almost all barefoot. All they had were their daggers and missing teeth.

'I've got no coin,' said Martye, defeated. 'We are just trying to leave the city. Please, let us go.'

'We're not letting you go,' said another man.

'We know the queen,' said Julias, desperately. 'If she finds out about this, we'll have you all killed.'

Martye closed his eyes in fear. Why did she have to say anything?

'The queen?' asked the same man. He raised his small dagger and walked over to Julias. 'You mean the same queen that deserted her city?'

'She can't be talking about the queen?' asked another man, walking slowly towards Julias. 'You are friends with the queen? Well, we have to run boys. These two know the queen!'

'Seriously?' asked another man. 'You know the queen? Hell, we better get out of here quick boys. She knows the queen!'

The men all laughed. Martye hung his head in despair. He tried pulling as hard as he could on the ropes that held him, but it was of no use.

The closest man to Julias walked up to her.

'This is what I think of the queen,' he then spat in her face.

Tears erupted from her eyes but she bit her lip to keep silent.

The man grabbed Julias by the jaw and then pressed his tongue against her cheek and licked her.

'Leave her!' yelled Martye. 'For god sake's, take me instead.'

'You?' asked the man. 'Why would I want to lick you?'

Just then a dagger suddenly came flying towards the man and struck him right in the chest. All the outlaw's eyes turned in disbelief.

The man looked down at the dagger lodged deep in his chest.

'Well,' he said. 'I'm done.'

He then fell to the ground, dead.

Two men came jumping into the scene. It was Romerick and the other man Deara. They had long swords drawn and braced themselves for battle.

'Go ahead,' called one of the outlaws. 'Get em boys!'

The seven outlaws rushed Romerick and Deara. They had only small, cheap daggers against the two men with swords. A man charged Romerick. Romerick dodged the blow and pushed the man to the ground. He then stomped on his face and plunged his steel into his chest.

Two men came running for Deara. Deara blocked the men's daggers as they came rushing towards him. It was his turn to strike. He charged the men, waving his sword to and fro. The men defended themselves by dodging each strike. Then Deara sliced through one of the man's arms to counter another attack. The man's arm fell to the ground and he screamed violently. Deara dodged another attack from the other man and when he found him open, he plunged his sword into his stomach.

Then the rest of the outlaws came charging for them. Romerick ran over to the fire. He grabbed a large stick that was engulfed in flames at the tip. One the men followed Romerick and attacked. Romerick dodged his blow and then swiped hard before the man could defend himself. The blade sliced through his left thigh. The man fell to the ground screaming for an instant before Romerick smashed the flamed stick into his face.

Deara sprang at the remaining three outlaws. One of them threw their dagger. Deara tried to dodge it but he was struck in the upper chest with it. He fell to the ground.

'No!' yelled Romerick.

Another outlaw threw his dagger at Romerick. Romerick hit it out of the air with his sword. The two men standing there defenseless took off into the forest. Romerick was on them. He caught one of the men and dug his sword into his back. The man fell dead. The other outlaw ran far into the forest. Romerick caught up and brought him to the ground. He then ran his blade across the outlaws' throat.

All was silent.

Romerick ran back to the fire and saw that the remaining outlaw had Julias in his arms with a dagger held closely to her throat.

'Another step,' called the man. 'And I spray her blood across the forest.'

'Julias!' yelled Martye, still tied to the tree helplessly. 'Stay calm my sister, everything will be alright.'

Julias was crying in the man's arms.

Romerick looked to his friend Deara who was dying on the ground.

'It's been a pleasure,' said Deara, looking up at Romerick and coughing up blood. He then began to cry and after coughing up more blood, Deara died.

'Come any closer,' said the man who had Julias. 'And she will suffer the same fate.'

'It's just you and me,' said Romerick. 'Fight me like a real man you coward.'

The man backed away slowly with the girl in his arms. He looked at Romerick with uncertainty but then suddenly, the outlaws' eyes lit up and a grin crept across his face.

Martye was confused, and then he saw the two new men that had approached the camp. They were standing behind Romerick without him knowing.

It all happened quickly.

One of the two men grabbed a large rock from the ground and smashed it against the back of Romerick's head. Romerick fell to the ground unconscious.

'Finally,' said the man holding Julias. 'I thought I was in trouble.'

'Oh, you are in trouble,' said one the men. 'I leave you alone for one night and I come back and all my men are dead.'

'It was him,' said the man holding Julias and pointing at Romerick's unconscious body on the ground. 'These men came and killed everyone. We only have daggers you know.'

'Who is the girl?' asked the man in darkness.

'We found some lost kids.'

The man who had knocked Romerick with the rock, looked at Martye.

Martye's stomach dropped as he recognized the faces of the men. They were the two men who had broken into the bookshop and had left Martye for dead.

'This can't be,' said the man who was called Cease. 'You're a slippery little one aren't you?'

'Do whatever you want to me, just leave my sister alone,' Martye said.

'Your sister?' asked Cease, his eyes turning towards Julias. 'I see. Well, Surk, let the girl go.'

The man holding Julias seemed confused. 'Let her go?'

'Yes,' said Cease. 'Let go of her.'

The man named Surk let go of Julias.

'How old are you girl?' Cease asked her.

'Seventeen,' said Julias, softly. 'Please, just let me and my brother go.'

'Go stand by your brother,' said Cease.

'Is this necessary?' asked the man named Shilov. 'Let's just kill them and be done with it.'

'Silence, Shilov,' said Cease. 'I am teaching these kids a lesson, a cold hard lesson that will train them for the cold hard world that's ahead of them.'

'You're the worst, Cease,' said Shilov. He then took a seat on a log.

'Go over there,' said Cease, to Julias. 'Go stand by your brother and if you try to run, I'll kill him.'

Julias slowly walked over to her brother who remained tied to the tree.

'Good,' said Cease. 'Now stand there and watch what happens to heroes in the real world. You see, heroes from the stories you've been told, aren't like the heroes in the real world. Out here, what happens to heroes is much different.'

Cease nodded his head towards the man Surk.

Surk grabbed Romerick and dragged him over to the fire. The man was still unconscious.

'This man was going to save you,' said Cease. 'If this were a story, he would have. But it's not a story, sadly.'

Cease pulled out his long sword and drove it into Romerick's left thigh. Romerick snapped out of consciousness and screamed in agony.

Cease pulled the sword out from the man.

'I am sorry,' said Cease. 'But if you think this man is going to save you, you're not ready to live out here.'

Cease dug his blade into Romerick's other thigh.

The man screamed.

Julia burst into tears, clutching at her brother who remained tied to the tree.

'Please,' Martye screamed. 'Let us go!'

'You should have never left the city,' said Cease. 'Now look what you've done. You should have stayed safely in your little homes. I never had a home growing up.'

Cease nodded towards Surk. Surk dragged Romerick towards the fire as the man screamed in pain, clutching at his butchered legs.

'This man killed my men,' said Cease. 'Lay him down, Surk.'

Surk laid Romerick face down on the ground and dragged him towards the fire.

'Please!' screamed Romerick. 'Please for god sake's! Let me live.'

'You didn't let my men live,' said Cease. 'Why did you kill them?'

'Because,' said Romerick. 'I was set up. I was set up. Please let me explain.'

The flames started licking closely to where Romerick's face was.

'Please, god!' he screamed desperately.

'You didn't want to save these kids?' asked Cease.

Romerick looked up at Martye and Julias, who were crying softly.

'No,' said Romerick. 'I've never even seen them before. Kill them I don't care. I have money. I can pay you if you take me to the city.'

Cease started laughing. He looked at Martye and Julias.

'You see,' said Cease, with a grin. 'You see children, there are no heroes in the real world.'

Cease leaned down, grabbed Romerick by the back of his coat and dragged him into the fire. He pressed Romerick's face into the embers with his foot and stomped down. Romerick screamed something ugly as the flames consumed his face and body.

'My god,' said Cease. He stepped out of the fire. 'I nearly burned myself.'

They stood there, as Romerick's body lay lifeless in the fire.

'That stinks,' said Shilov, from a distance. 'Alright, I'm tired can we get some sleep now?'

'I'm not finished,' said Cease.

He walked slowly over towards Julias. He grabbed her left arm.

'Don't touch her!' called Martye.

Cease frowned at him.

'What's the matter?' he asked.

Cease turned to look at Surk.

'Did anyone touch her?'

'No.' said Surk. 'Not yet anyway.'

'You say you're seventeen girl?' asked Cease.

Julias was shaking.

Yes,' she said softly.

'Have you ever been with a man?'

She hesitated.

'No,' she said. 'Please, let me and my brother go, I beg of you. I'll do anything.'

'Anything?' asked Cease.

'Yes.'

Cease dropped his sword to the ground. He took off his large coat and walked slowly towards Julias.

'Please,' said Martye, desperately.

Cease grabbed Julias with both hands.

'You're pretty,' said Cease softly to Julias. 'I am not going to hurt you.'

She remained still, crying softly.

'Please!' screamed Martye. 'Please, just let us go!'

'Get me some rope,' called Cease.

Surk grabbed at the rope that had held Julias to the tree and handed it to Cease.

'Here you go boss,' he said.

'If you fight, I'll kill him,' said Cease, tying the rope around Julias wrists.

'Run Julias,' screamed Martye. 'Just run!'

'What are you doing, Cease?' asked Shilov.

'We're taking her with us,' said Cease.

'Why?' asked Shilov.

'She could be worth something. Perhaps there's a reward for her,' said Cease. 'Her parents might pay a good sum. Let's go boys.'

Martye was tempted to tell the men that their parents were long dead, but he was frightened as to what they would do to her if they found out she was worthless. So instead, he said nothing and cried desperately.

The three outlaws began to walk away, leaving Martye tied to the tree. Romerick's lifeless body continued to burn in the fire. Julias looked toward her brother as she was getting carried off. Her face was covered in tears.

'What about the boy?' asked Surk. 'Should we kill him?'

'No,' said Cease. 'The girl will make things hard for us if we do that. Just leave him there. That way there's still hope for her. The reality is though, the wolves will get him.'

'Let him go,' said Julias.

'Tell you what,' said Cease. 'If you be a good girl and come back to the city with us, then we'll come back for him and set him free.'

Julias said nothing.

'That's what I thought,' said Cease. 'This way.'

Soon enough the outlaws were out of sight. Martye stood there with his back against the tree. He tried his hardest to free himself from the ropes that restrained him but it was of no use. His eyes watched as his young sister, the only thing he had left in the world, was taken from him. All became silent, until he heard the distant howling of wolves.

Chapter Seven

The Dead Men

The gray sand lay as a wasteland for the dead. Bodies scattered like leaves on the forest floor. Blood soaked the shore. The air was crisp with the smell of smoke, sweat and death. The land was silent, besides the sound of the crashing waves. His eyes opened. At first the light was unbearable. The sudden rush of a deadly chill crept all along his body. The cold lasted for no longer than a standard blink, but in that moment the man had never experienced anything so cold.

When his eyes had finally adjusted to the light of day, he surveyed his surroundings. The man had problems interpreting what he saw. His mind wasn't working and he couldn't remember anything. His sense of touch and smell were gone. What had become of him?

This was the first thought he understood. It was the first thing he asked himself. After sitting there for minutes in a foggy daze, the man slowly started to recollect himself and survey everything around him.

The first words to squeeze between his crusted, swollen lips were, 'my god.'

The man looked around him and saw all of his men lying there, scattered across the sand. All of them were soaked in water and blood, as well as he. His men lay there, lifeless.

It didn't make any sense. Why was he seeing this? Why was he alive? Images of a sword being put through his chest flashed behind his swollen eyes. He remembered the final explosion of pain that followed and then... and then the blackness that turned to nothingness.

The man looked down at himself and then screamed when he saw the fatal wound in his chest.

'What in gods...' the man whispered.

He dug his finger into the deep wound. It was no longer bleeding. There was no pain. He should be dead.

The man looked back at all his men. Each of them filled with their own wounds that had brought them to their own deaths.

'This shouldn't be happening,' the man said.

Suddenly, Sir Vyak, who was lying near him on the right, slowly started to rise from the sand.

The man sat there and watched his man rise from the dead.

After a long moment, Sir Vyak recovered back to a somewhat conscious state and looked at his man Sir Jorcy.

Sir Vyak began to scream.

'It's OK,' said Sir Jorcy, trying to calm the man.

'What is happening?' asked Sir Vyak, in pure shock and disbelief.

Slowly, the rest of the bodies scattered across the shore began to wake and come back to life. Each man screamed in terror as they looked around at each other and remembered their deaths.

'Calm down,' roared Sir Jorcy. He tried to stand but was too weak.

His men continued to go crazy.

'Listen to your man!' came a loud voice in the distance.

All the men's eyes turned towards the water and saw a large man walking towards them all. When he got close enough, everyone saw that it was Captain Mourn.

'I thought he was dead?' came the voice of Sir Pato.

'I thought I was dead!' said Sir Warr, loudly.

'I suspect you have something to do with this?' asked Sir Jorcy, as the captain approached.

'How does it feel to have died?' asked Captain Mourn, with a smile.

'This is madness,' said Sir Torrith. 'I feel... Actually, I don't feel anything. This is absurd.'

'This is absurd,' Sir Pato, agreed.

'Absolutely absurd,' came the voice of Sir Ardo.

'What is happening?' roared Sir Warr. 'This makes no sense.'

'What the bloody hell?' asked Sir Vyak in shock.

'Quite strange,' said Lord Etin softly.

'Will you all shut it?' yelled Sir Jorcy.

'Thank you,' said Captain Mourn, coolly.

'Men, get it together,' Sir Jorcy, called. 'It seems we have died and have been brought back.'

'No shit!' called Sir Vyak.

'Captain Mourn,' said Sir Jorcy, firmly. 'Do you have anything to do with this?'

'I have everything to do with this,' he answered.

'Why did you do it?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'Why did you bring us back?'

Captain Mourn gave him a cool look and said, 'I wasn't the one who brought you back. But I was the one who gave you to her.'

'Her?' asked Sir Pato.

'The mother of the sea,' said Captain Mourn.

'We want this to get published,' said Sir Torrith.

'Give it a chance,' said Sir Vyak.

'The mother of the sea?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'Yes,' said Captain Mourn. 'She lives deep within these waters. She is the keeper of the dead and the one who gives the dead back their lives. But for a price.'

'What is the price?' asked Sir Pato. 'Are we truly alive?'

'Do you feel alive?' asked Captain Mourn.

'I feel nothing,' said Sir Pato, seriously. 'Too numb to even feel numb.'

'You are dead men,' said Captain Mourn. 'You were all down at the bottom of the sea with me. All of you, we stood in front of her together. You asked for life, she accepted. I did the same thing all those years ago. I thought life, as a dead man would be better than death. I was wrong.'

'I don't remember seeing anyone,' said Sir Jorcy.

'Of course you don't. Not yet,' said Captain Mourn. 'But you and all your men were there. You belong to her now and you must pay her price.'

'What price?' asked Sir Ardo.

'The same price I had to pay,' said Captain Mourn. 'You must give the mother more children. I gave her you and now I can truly die.'

Captain Mourn began to walk towards the water; he turned around and called to the knight's, 'the reason I asked for life, was to see my wife and children again. All they saw was a dead man. Nothing killed me more than that.'

The men looked at each other.

'Do you know why you asked for your lives back?' asked Captain Mourn.

The men were silent.

Lord Etin whispered, 'Daloa.'

Captain Mourn nodded.

'Go save your queen,' he called to them. 'She's been taken to the city. In the clearing over there is a road that will take you there. Save your queen and find your way back to death as quick as you can. The living world is no place for the walking dead.'

Captain Mourn turned to face the sea, walked out into its depths and disappeared, forever.

'You heard him,' said Sir Jorcy. 'We still have a job to do.'

The dead knights looked at one another with blank expressions.

After they found the strength to stand and walk again, the dead knights gathered themselves and their things.

'Look at this,' called Sir Pato.

Everyone walked over to him.

Sir Pato was pointing to the bodies of the cloaked men who had killed them.

'I should feel angry at them,' said Sir Pato. 'But I don't.'

'This is mad,' cursed Sir Warr, from behind.

Slowly the men shuffled off shore and found the road that led into the deep, black forest.

'I always imagined Auran being some sort of dessert of ash and dust,' said Lord Etin. 'It's worse.'

'The land here looks dead or dying,' said Sir Vyak. 'Like the trees are sick or something.'

'We should have never left Vivus,' said Sir Torrith.

'Indeed, this place is much worse than our land,' said Sir Vyak.

'It's strange to think that we are dead,' said Sir Pato. 'It's strange to know we can never go home.'

'Nor lay with a whore again,' said Sir Warr. 'This must surely be hell.'

'Quiet,' said Sir Jorcy. 'We got to move through this place silently. We don't want to be spotted.'

'Why do we care?' asked Sir Vyak. 'We are already dead. We can't be killed again. We are the most dangerous people in the world right now. We're dead men.'

Sir Jorcy thought about it.

'I guess you're right,' he admitted. 'But still, we don't want to be seen by whoever has our queen. She's safer with them that way.'

The dead men began their journey and walked down the long, dark road that led far into the forest. They moved silently and quickly. All around the dead men was dense, thick bush that seemed to have no life or color. They saw no animals and heard no sounds besides their own footsteps.

They walked for hours and slowly the day turned to night.

'We have no light with us,' said Lord Etin. 'No torches or lanterns, surely we must stop and wait till morning?'

'I don't feel, tired,' said Sir Jorcy. 'We will be fine as long as we keep walking on this road and not into the brush. We don't need light or rest. We are not the men we were before.'

'He's right,' said Sir Vyak. 'I feel no cramp in my legs or shortness of breath, nor hunger. I can keep going.'

The rest of the men agreed and silently they kept moving forward.

Each of the men thought about their lives and how it had been taken from them.

'What did you think about when you knew you were going to die?' asked Sir Pato.

'The hell should I know?' asked Sir Torrith. 'I got an arrow through my eye. I didn't really have time to think about anything.'

'Who was the first one down?' asked Sir Ardo.

'I was,' said Sir Vyak. 'That I can remember.'

'Yes, I remember seeing you get killed first,' said Sir Torrith. 'I think I was next.'

'It's strange to know that there is nothing after death,' said Sir Ardo. 'I remember being told all my life that after you die your soul travels to some paradise. It's nothing like that. In fact, its nothing at all.'

'Its like when you go to sleep and have no dream,' said Sir Vyak. 'It's like the time in between when you forget you fell asleep and then you just wake up and it's morning. That stretch of nothingness.'

'Indeed,' agreed Sir Torrith. 'But death is just nothingness for eternity. There is no morning.'

'I suppose that means there really are no gods,' said Sir Vyak

'A woman's breasts are god enough for me,' said Sir Warr

'Keep quiet,' said Sir Jorcy. 'I see something.'

'Me as well,' said Sir Vyak.

'What is that?' asked Sir Pato.

To their far right, the dead men saw a light in the distance.

'We can't leave the road,' said Sir Jorcy.

'What if that light will lead us to Daloa?' asked Sir Vyak.

'How about a couple of us stay here,' said Sir Torrith. 'And the rest of us go check it out. We can follow your voices back.'

'That's not a bad idea,' said Lord Etin. 'It's within earshot and it won't take long to reach.'

'Alright,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Sir Torrith and Sir Pato, you stay here. The rest, follow me, listen to my voice, I can't see a goddamn thing.'

The five men left the road and took off slowly into the thick brush of the forest, heading straight towards the light they saw in the distance. They saw that the light was moving. As they got closer they heard a voice call out to them.

'Come any closer and I'll cut you to pieces!'

'Stop,' whispered Sir Jorcy to his men. 'We've been spotted.'

'What do we care?' asked Sir Warr. 'We're already dead. We have nothing to fear.'

'What if he has Daloa?' asked Sir Jorcy, aggressively.

'Come here and drop your weapons,' called the voice. 'And no one will be harmed.'

'Let's listen to him,' offered Lord Etin. 'Perhaps he can help us.'

Sir Jorcy thought on that.

'Fine,' he called to the voice. 'We will do what you have said. We are dropping our weapons.'

The dead men threw their swords and daggers to the ground.

'We are coming now,' called Sir Jorcy.

'Very well,' said the voice. 'You may approach.'

Slowly, the five dead knights stepped into a small clearing and met a very odd looking man holding a lantern. The man had slicked back blonde hair and his face was very pale. He wore a black suit that was well kept and his left arm was stretched out and holding the lantern. In his other he held a sword with a thin blade.

The knights could tell that the man was very suspicious of them and for a good reason. The dead men could only imagine how they looked to this man. Each bearing fatal wounds beneath what was left of their damaged and blood stained armor.

'What is this?' the man asked. 'Who are you men?'

'Have you seen a young girl?' asked Sir Vyak, in desperation.

'A young girl?' asked the man.

'What is your name?' asked Sir Jorcy.

The man kept his sword pointing towards them.

'Maybe you should start,' said the man, threateningly. 'Start by telling me who and what you are.'

'We are men looking for a young girl,' said Sir Jorcy. 'She has long blonde hair. We come from the city Aurank. We are men of the king.'

'The king?' asked the man, in wonder. 'You're from the city? This is all confusing. I thought you may have been wild men, but I can tell by your armor that you're no savages. But still, you all look as if you have been through some terrible battle and did not survive it.'

'We've been through some serious shit,' said Sir Vyak. 'Have you seen this young girl we speak of? She may have a friend with her as well, who is also a young girl.'

'I always dreaded this day happening,' said the man, under his breath. He lowered his sword. 'How long has she been missing?'

'A day now,' said Sir Jorcy.

'Just a day?' asked the man, in sudden shock. 'This makes no sense, only one day? Are you sure?'

'Yes,' said Sir Jorcy. 'She has been gone a day. What have you seen?'

'It's time,' said the man. 'Come with me. I think I know what you are looking for.'

'Have you seen her or not you little twat?' roared Sir Warr.

'Quiet, Sir Warr,' said Sir Jorcy.

'Trust me,' said the man. 'It will make sense, if you follow me for a little while.'

'How far?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'This man is toying with us,' said Sir Vyak. 'I don't think we should follow him.'

'It's up to you,' said the man. 'Follow me or not. See if I care.'

'Lead the way,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Take us to her.'

'He didn't even say he knows where she is,' Sir Ardo, protested.

'Quiet,' said Sir Jorcy.

The man began to lead them down the path and further into the blackness of the forest.

'What about Sir Pato and Sir Torrith?' asked Sir Ardo. 'Shouldn't they be informed?'

'Go back to them,' answered Sir Jorcy. 'Stay there with them. The rest of us will return once we find something.'

'Yes, I shall do that,' agreed Sir Ardo, relieved. 'Good luck.'

The knight turned around and left the party.

'This better be worth it,' said Sir Warr.

'What do you care?' asked Sir Vyak.

'You're right,' Sir Warr said.

'You men seem very strange,' said the man. 'Very strange indeed.'

The six of them walked through the forest, with the man at the head guiding the way with his lantern held high.

Suddenly the forest was lit with a dim light that streaked through the trees. They came to a very large wooden house that sat in the middle of a clearing in the forest. Outside there were many horses that were tied to trees and parts of the building. The windows had curtains with candles lit behind them, emulating a haunting glow.

'What is this place?' asked Sir Vyak.

The man looked at the five men behind him.

'This is a place where our kind gather,' he said to them. 'My name is Deacon. Stay close to me and try not to say too much.'

'Very well,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Take us in.'

They approached the doors of the odd building. After a few knocks, the doors opened. Behind them, stood a very large man with long black hair slicked back and wore a black suit that was very similar to Deacon's.

'Deacon?' the large man asked. He then noticed the five strangers behind him. 'Who are they?'

'They claim to be men of the kings,' said Deacon. 'They are here for a small girl.'

The man turned his eyes to the men standing behind Deacon.

'My name is Walter,' said the large man. 'What happened to you men?'

'We have been through a lot,' said Sir Jorcy, firmly. 'If you know where she is, please show us. We are unarmed.'

'You men look very rough,' admitted Walter. 'I am afraid you're not going to find much here. We have no food or drink to spare.'

'We don't want your damn food,' said Sir Warr. 'We want the girl.'

'Come,' said Deacon. 'It's safer to talk inside.'

As they all walked inside, they saw that the place was busy with other men and women. All their eyes turned towards the doors and focused on the five men who had entered. The place was very well kept. There were tables and chairs scattered about the place. Bookshelves littered the walls. It looked to be a home for a very wealthy family.

'Quite a nice place,' said Sir Vyak.

'What is this?' asked Sir Jorcy, confused.

'It's a meeting place,' said Deacon. 'See, all of us, we aren't normal folk.'

'That's good,' said Sir Vyak. 'We aren't exactly either.'

Walter led the five knights' into a large room that was filled with shelves packed with jars. There were strange paintings on the walls and candles littered about. Bits of paper and feathers were scattered among the black stone floor.

'The girl you seek,' said Walter. 'What is her name?'

'Daloa,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Please, if you know anything.'

'How long has she been missing?' asked Walter.

'They told me only a day,' said Deacon, entering the room before any of the knights could answer.

'Just one day?' asked Walter, confused. 'Well that doesn't make any sense; there is no way she could be here. We haven't had a fresh catch in over a month.'

As Walter and Deacon spoke, Lord Etin suddenly realized that all these strange men in suits had large, sharp teeth. Slowly each knight noticed this.

'Well,' said Walter. 'I guess you've come to the wrong place. Your little girl is not here.'

Two men walked into the room.

'Who are these men?' one of them asked, threateningly

Both men had large swords at their wastes. Each wearing the same black suits and slicked back hair.

'Victor,' called Walter. 'Get out of here. These men have been mistaken. They are lost.'

'We aren't just going to let them loose,' said Victor, drawing his sword. 'What if they come back with more men?'

Walter thought on that.

'I am sorry men,' he finally said to the knights. 'My brother is right. We can't let you go.'

'This doesn't need to happen,' said Sir Jorcy. 'We won't come back. We just want to find Daloa.'

Just then Sir Vyak yelled in surprise. A man had taken him from behind and bit into his neck. Sir Vyak felt no pain as the teeth sunk deep into his flesh. He fought the man until he let go.

'There's no blood,' said the attacking man, taking a step back from Sir Vyak in disbelief. 'This man has no blood in him and his skin is ice cold.'

'What the hell was that?' asked Sir Vyak, clutching at the wound on his neck. 'Why did you bite me, you freak?'

'Isn't it obvious?' asked Walter. 'We are Vampires.'

'What is a vampire?' asked Sir Warr.

'Just go with it,' whispered Sir Vyak.

'We live within the city,' said Deacon. 'We have families and homes and jobs of our own there. Every few weeks we must return to this place to feed. No one knows what we truly are. Our lives in the city are a prosthetic lie that helps us try and live like the others. Here in this place we can live like our true selves before we go back to our families and jobs to carry on the masquerade of our cold reality. We are the walkers of the night and the drinkers of blood.'

'I've read about these creatures,' said Lord Etin. 'They are supposed to be only a myth, but after what I've seen, I'll believe anything.'

'I thought vampires only existed in stories and really shitty movies,' said Sir Vyak

'We've told you what we are,' said Walter. 'Now tell us where you all came from.'

'Enough of this!' roared the vampire Victor. He then pulled out his blade and stabbed it into Sir Jorcy. The knight screamed in fury and grabbed Victor by the throat. Sir Jorcy squeezed his hand tightly around the man's throat. The man's face turned purple as he gasped for air. Sir Jorcy didn't know his new strength.

A dark substance gushed from the vampires' mouth until Sir Jorcy finally let go and threw him to the ground.

'My brother!' yelled Walter. He pulled his sword from the scabbard that hung at his side. 'You leave me with no choice.'

The scene turned into chaos. The dead knights scattered as more vampires burst into the room with their weapons drawn. Each of the dead men took a couple blows, but it did not stop them. They punched and kicked their way through many. Eventually, each dead knight had his own weapon.

The dead knight's frantically cut their ways through the vampires all except Lord Etin who had no weapon and was being trampled by many on the ground. The dead men were confused to how none of the vampires were dying.

Victor arose from the ground, clutching his ruined throat.

'They're not dying,' said Sir Vyak. 'What is this?'

Just then a hideous shriek filled the ears of everyone. It was one of the vampires as he was being stabbed in the heart by Sir Jorcy. The vampire fell dead.

'Their hearts!' yelled Lord Etin from the floor. 'Stab them in the heart!'

Each vampire looked around in fear. The dead men began their slaughter.

The vampires' sword work was very sloppy compared to the dead knights. From each angle, the knights cut and stabbed at the vampires hearts. The floor of the house was soon littered with corpses.

'I yield!' yelled Walter. He ran over to Sir Jorcy and knelt before him. 'I just want to see my family again. I don't want to die.'

The rest of the living vampires threw their swords into the air, hopelessly and began fleeing the house. They untied their horses and fled into the forest.

Sir Warr pulled his sword out from the heart of the man who had been Deacon. He fell to the ground, dead.

'I am not going to ask you again,' said Sir Jorcy, pressing his blade against Walter's throat. 'Have you seen the girl?'

The vampire looked deep into Sir Jorcy eyes, his face expressionless.

'You expect me to help you now?' asked Walter in disbelief, examining the scene. 'You killed my people.'

'And we're going to kill you too,' said Sir Jorcy. 'If you don't tell us where Daloa is!'

'I have not seen your precious bitch,' spat Walter.

'Search the place,' called Sir Jorcy, to his knights. 'Check every room and every corner of this house.'

The dead men all went searching the house frantically, everyone except Sir Jorcy who remained behind with Walter.

'You're not going to find her here,' said Walter. 'She's not here.'

'Sir Jorcy, over here, I found something,' the voice of Sir Vyak came calling.'

'Get up,' Sir Jorcy said to Walter. 'Lead the way.'

Sir Jorcy kept his blade pointed at the defeated vampire.

'Very well,' said Walter. 'But you're not going to like what you see.'

Walter walked slowly towards the room where they had heard Sir Vyak call. The vampire and Sir Jorcy found themselves staring at Sir Vyak who was standing near an open door.

'Where does this lead to?' asked Sir Vyak.

Sir Jorcy peered behind the open door and saw a staircase that winded down far beneath the house.

'Answer him,' said Sir Jorcy.

Just then, the rest of the dead men came rushing into the room.

'It leads to our feeding quarters,' said the vampire.

'Your feeding quarters?' asked Sir Vyak.

Sir Jorcy found a lit torch hanging on the wall of the stairwell.

'After you,' he said to the vampire, taking the torch in his hands.

'Very well,' said Walter.

The vampire led the dead men down the stairs. After a long march down, they came to a dark room that stank of death. The walls were brick and the floor was made of stone. Scattered everywhere among the black dungeon were chains and steel cages.

'Oh god,' said Lord Etin in a haunting tone.

On the walls hung bodies of people. There were some who were old and some who were very young. Their arms and legs hung to the wall by chains and ropes. The cages were also full of people, all of who were naked and wounded badly.

Long rubber tubes were dug into each prisoner's arms and legs that ran into a large vat. The vat was full of a dark substance.

'What is this?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'This is where we eat,' said Walter.

'Dear god,' whispered Lord Etin.

The tubes were full of the prisoner's blood that was being slowly sucked out of them. The blood was led through the tubes and poured into the large vat that sat in the middle of the room.

'Who are these people?' asked Sir Vyak, putting his hand to his mouth in repulsion.

'Some are just city folk,' said Walter. 'Others are people we grabbed along the road.'

'You monsters,' said Sir Warr. He saw three children tied in a cage, also with tubes that stuck into their skin that led into the vat.

'We have no choice,' said Walter. 'We didn't choose to be born this way. If we don't eat, we will starve. It's better this way.'

'Better?' asked Sir Jorcy, furious.

'If we only have a small amount of people here to feed off, it will stop us from being hungry in the city,' said Walter. 'It's safer for us and everyone in Aurank if we do our eating here and then return to our homes.'

'What about them?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'They are innocent people you have chained here to be your dinner,'

Walter said nothing.

Some of the prisoners were looking and listening to the dead men. All of them looked too weak to say anything.

'These people are dying,' said Lord Etin, softly.

'How can you treat people like this?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'There's children here for god sake.'

'It's the only way,' said Walter. 'It's safer for us and everyone in the city.'

Sir Jorcy punched the vampire in the mouth as hard as he could.

Walter fell to the ground.

'What are we going to do?' asked Sir Vyak.

'We should kill them all,' said Sir Warr. 'Put them out of their misery.'

'These are innocent people!' protested Lord Etin.

Sir Jorcy looked around desperately at the prisoners. Each of them looked to be on the verge of death.

Suddenly there called a soft voice.

Sir Jorcy went over to where he saw a young man hanging from his arms. The man mumbled, 'water.'

'Plus we don't have a key,' said Sir Vyak. 'How are we suppose to unlock these people without a key? I don't know about you but I am not sure how to cut through iron.'

Lord Etin walked over to Sir Jorcy and put a hand on his shoulder.

'I am afraid, he's right,' said Lord Etin. 'We can't get these people free; besides, their wounds are too great for them to be saved. I am afraid these poor people are doomed.'

Sir Jorcy thought on those words.

He then examined each of the prisoners closely.

'Daloa is not here,' said Sir Vyak, desperately. 'What should we do?'

'Even if we did get these people free,' said Sir Warr. 'What then? We don't even know where we are. We have no idea where this bloody city is and it's not like we are going to be welcome there. A group of dead knights with a bunch of dying people, what an entrance that will be!'

Sir Jorcy stood there in silence, contemplating what to do for these poor people. His eyes scanned the dark room. He could see that Lord Etin and Sir Warr were right. The prisoner's wounds were too deep. Each man, woman and child looked too weak to be saved. Their skin was rotting and they looked as though they could hardly even hear or see what was happening around them.

'How long have these people been here?' asked Sir Jorcy after a long silence.

'We restock this place every few weeks with fresh blood.'

'Restock?' screamed Sir Jorcy at the top of his dead lungs. 'You treat these people like items in a shop or cattle on a farm. These are people for god sake, you monster.'

'I was born a monster,' said Walter. 'There is nothing that my kind could have done. We were born to drink the blood of man.'

'Be that as it may,' said Sir Jorcy. 'You could have found another way to feed. Not like this. You say you have a family of your own. Are they like you as well?'

'No,' said Walter. 'They are not. They do not know what I am. This is why we have this place. To keep our family and friends safe from us.'

'And murder other innocent people?' asked Sir Vyak. 'You selfish prick. Why do you feed on children? You say you have some of your own. Can't you drink animal blood?'

Walter hung his head in defeat and then said, 'children are easy to capture. A quick catch.'

Sir Warr slammed his fist into Walter's face.

'Let's slit his throat and be done with it!' Sir Vyak announced.

'We will,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Men, I want this place burned to the ground. No trace of this forsaken place shall ever remain.'

'What about the prisoners?' asked Lord Etin.

Sir Jorcy turned his eyes to the stone floor.

'There is nothing we can do for them,' he said. 'Burn it down with them in it. Death will be better for them than this.'

After those words, the sound of groans and muffled coughs from the prisoners echoed across the dungeon.

'They're trying to say something,' said Sir Vyak. He then went over to an old man hanging by his arms on the wall. 'What is it, poor man?'

The old prisoner opened his mouth and tried to speak but couldn't. Sir Vyak got closer to him and then stepped back quickly.

'His tongue has been cut out!' said the knight in horror.

'All of their tongues have been cut,' said Walter. 'Would you eat a pig that talked to you?'

Sir Warr gave Walter another punch to the face and the vampire went down hard.

'Sir Vyak,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Chain this creature up with his prisoners. When this place burns I want him to burn with it.'

'My pleasure,' said Sir Vyak, walking towards the vampire.

Lord Etin cleared his throat.

'What is it?' asked Sir Jorcy. 'You have something to say, Lord Etin?'

'Well,' said Lord Etin. 'Perhaps Walter can be more useful to us if he were kept alive.'

'How so?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'I am sure Aurank is heavily guarded,' said Lord Etin. 'Perhaps this man could get us in without any trouble.'

'Why would I help you?' asked Walter. 'You killed all my people. Besides, you told me you're men of the city. You said you were men of the king.'

'Well, we aren't,' said Sir Vyak.

'Do you want to see your family again?' asked Lord Etin.

The vampire turned his head to the ground.

'Perhaps you are right,' said Sir Jorcy.

'What!' said Sir Warr. 'Let's slit his throat.'

'How far is it to Aurank from here?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'With horses,' said Walter. 'It's only a couple hours ride. On foot, another day, if you let me see my family, I will take you beyond the city gates.'

'You really think you can trust us?' asked Sir Vyak.

'What choice do I have?' asked Walter. 'It's either I help you or I die right here and right now. But you men are not normal. Your bodies are covered with fatal wounds. Your blood is rotten and smells of death. What are you?'

'None of your business,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Now let us leave this place.'

The dead knights gave the helpless prisoners one last desperate look before climbing the long stairwell and back to the main floor.

As they each ascended, the horrifying moans and screams of the prisoners down below, echoed through the brick walls.

The dead knight's found a room full of combustible waxes and liquids. Before long, the entire house was up in flames. The light from it radiated through the dense woods. The knight's stood there watching the house burn as the vampire stood by them uttering curses under his breath.

'Funny,' said Sir Vyak, softly as they all watched the flames engulf the large house. 'I can't feel the heat.'

Sir Jorcy saw a horse frantically neighing as it was tied to a tree.

'Is this your horse?' asked Sir Jorcy.

'Yes,' said Walter. 'Her name is Durna.

Sir Jorcy took out his sword and cut the horse free. He then placed the reins in Sir Vyak's hand.

'We will bring the horse with us,' said Sir Jorcy. 'Now let us leave this god forsaken place.

The dead knights, Lord Etin and Walter the vampire walked the path that led them back to the brush to where they had first met the vampire Deacon, whose body was left to burn with the other slaughtered vampires and the poor victims that were chained underneath.

Finally, they got back to the main road and there they met Sir Torrith, Sir Ardo and Sir Pato, who had been waiting impatiently.

'What happened?' asked an annoyed Sir Ardo. 'We've been waiting for hours. And who is this?'

The vampire looked at the knights in disbelief. His eyes scanned the men who were also covered with fatal wounds.

'We have a long way until we reach the city,' said Sir Jorcy. 'We will explain everything as we walk.'

'Boy, are you guys in for a story,' said Sir Vyak. 'Get ready for some weird shit.'

'Anything about Daloa?' asked Sir Torrith.

'No,' said Lord Etin. 'But this man will help us get into Aurank.'

'He's no man,' said Sir Jorcy, coldly.

'You're right,' said Walter, with a slight grin on his face. 'And neither are any of you.'
