After walking for hours through the verdant fields of Enyo, the small party followed no particular road while leaving the setting sun on their right; until suddenly they bifurcated north-east and followed the sound of the sea.
"I know as a 'prisoner' I shouldn't be allowed to ask much questions but... Where are we going exactly?" Talj asked. "It doesn't seem like we have a set objective and I feel like my feet are turning into coal."
"I remember you more perseverant." Kinfol replied in her slow unemotional voice.
"Might I remind you that this morning only I was on the other side of the island, and not to mention last night I could barely get any sleep."
Night settled when they came across Lekta, the giant river separating the two main islands of the kingdom. The wind brushed their necks as they heard the tranquil murmur of the water.
"We're not gonna swim to the other side are we?" Talj frowned.
Salzeka laughed loudly at his remark.
"What kiddo? Scared of wetting your pants?" The giant warrior teased.
"More like scared to fish your fat frame every time you'll drown on us."
"You little-"
"Now now Salzeka, let's not harm our valuable prisoner. Especially not since he's just refuting your failed provocations." Kinfol said with a small drop of amusement.
Talj could hardly see her dark short hair and sombre eyes in the obscurity, but the heels below her robe gave away her steps forward from the noise they made against the fertile soil. Suddenly, the sound died. Talj glanced at her figure, he could see the vague motion of her white combat robe going forward into the darkness but could not hear her footstep's sounds.
"You're using wind magic to cross the river." He said matter-of-factly. "Aren't you afraid using spells? It might attract unwanted attention."
When a mage hones their magic over years of training, they develop a sixth sense of some sort, where they can detect the magic flow around them, and if they train this new perception, they might even recognize natural magic from human spells and their casters.
Without any answer from Kinfol, Talj felt the wind around him dense and gather around his skin and clothes. Slowly, he felt the ground part from his feet as he felt himself going forward without moving a muscle. Her familiar magic signature was imbued into the spell.
Surprisingly, it was Salzeka who answered in an unfamiliar grave and mature tone:
"We're valuing speed over efficiency right now. We took too long to fish you from wherever you were."
'Valuing speed ey? If they don't care about discretion then thing sure got worse than I anticipated... Well, if they haven't told the public yet of any imminent catastrophe then I suppose there's still hope.'
They crossed the river silently, all to weary and deep in thoughts. The darkness cloaking their journey and the cold to keep them awake. Talj didn't even realize he was back on land until he spotted some trees nearby.
After stomping on the grass for over an hour, they made it to a beach stretching on both sides beyond where sight could reach. The sea was calm, almost soundless. Afar, the lights of Enyo's capital shone like small stars who fell from the night. The young blacksmith looked at them with a pained look, his thoughts drifting to his final moment there. Painfully facing away from the city, he noticed a small barque was stationed near their destination, the Dali's emblem painted on it.
Kinfol and Salzeka gestured him to embarque. Once they were all settled, the wind started pushing the barque further into the sea. Talj started analyzing their expression.
Kinfol's face seemed as hard as a rock, but Talj had spent years as her friend and learned how to read her overall mood. Kinfol wasn't devoid of emotions; quite the contrary. It's her contentment in spreading peace and resolve that got her to the position of one of the strongest sorceresses of the grandest military organizations of the continent. While she did drop the mask slightly around people she trusted fondly; on a usual basis, she hid them, kept her feelings known only to herself for reasons Talj didn't fully know. All she ever told him is that people in the past saw her emotions as tools for their gains and she promised herself not to let herself be weak again.
And even as she hid her emotions in that moment, Talj recognized the familiar 'tapping' -it's the name he gave to when Kin tapped her knee repeatedly with all her fingers at once- with her right hand while her left one slowly adjusted her robe. It's a sign that his friend was thinking profoundly about something she did not wish to think about.
As for Salzeka, his eyes were closed as he pretended to try to sleep, but his unsteady breathing was audible enough to betray him. And his huge leather battle tunique made rubbing sounds, meaning he was trembling from the cold, leaving him unable to catch a wink.
'They're nervous... Slightly afraid maybe. But whyexactly?'
He gathered all he knew about the meeting with Queen Lin. The Dali got infiltrated, they arrested him with two of their highest ranked generals; presumably since he was an ex-member of The Spear so they had to make sure all resistance from me could be handled -or at least to give the impression to do so. The infiltrators know about him and they're the ones who gave away his whereabouts, and they arrested him under the pretext that the prophecy warned The Spear would cause the end of the world, even if prophecies don't actually exist.
'So either they're uneasy to arrest an innocent man or... They know they're playing by the enemy's rules'
Talj cleared his throat to grab their attention before asking.
"So... Let's be real here, you guys aren't okay with any of this."
Kinfol sighed.
"Of course we're not, but we don't have much of a choice neither, and that's what bothers us." She answered.
"Why? Can't you shoo all the spies in your ranks or something?"
Salzeka and Kinfol exchanged a glance and nodded at each other.
"Look kiddo," The big soldier started "Kinfol trusts you, so I'll trust you too. Here, between us three, we can talk. After this boat ride tho, you act like a prisoner, got it?"
"And how do I know if you're not spies neither? Won't you try to get information out of me?"
This time, it was Kinfol who replied:
"We won't. As much as there's questions I'd like to ask you, for now, it's better if only you asks the questions you want, because later you won't have the luxury of freedom of speech and as to show you we mean no harm."
"Sounds awfully convenient to win my trust. Will you guys bring me a cake later too?"
"We're not doing it just for you, Talj. If the other Generals find out we have more information than them, it might lead to a dire outcome."
"Huh? Why's that?"
"For safety purposes we agreed to not interrogate you until the full Council is present."
"The full Council..? The Council is in Enyo!?"
The Council, the kings and queens of all of Ylbunish and the Dali xxx of their representative kingdoms.
"No."
'What? Then where the heck is this boat taking us!? Don't tell me...'
"We're not heading for Enyo's Dali headquarters then..?"
"Nope, the other generals got their hands too full to swim all the way here. We're going straight for the big tower. You're probably gon' be the youngest fella to ever walk there." Salzeka answered.
Talj's face suddenly became empty of colors, his heart tried to break free from his chest, pounding into his rib cage. He was being sent away from the archipelago to Rolmea, the far away base of The Dali.
"Time out, why go through all these length to jail me? Isn't it easier to simply lock me in one of your under-the-sea vaults or something?"
Kinfol smiled a bit.
"That's an idea, but let me ask you this: If The Darkness is hunting you, won't you wish to be as far away from your loved ones?"
Touché
"So you deliberately put distance between me and my kin to protect them?"
"That was my intention. However, on paper I had to say something else. Something that's best I keep secret for now. Just know that there's another reason why we might want you in The Tower. Some generals did not fully agree with the idea but I managed to convince them to bring you in."
Talj's expression merged a bit of wariness and skepticism. Kinfol noticed it and sighed again.
"Talj, despite the circumstances, you're my friend. I know the situation is peculiar, and of course I don't doubt you're uneasy about leaving all you've rebuilt in your life so suddenly but please, for this one, I'll ask you to lend me your trust like you did in the past."
Talj looked into her eyes and was surprised to find an expression that showed something he never saw in her: Pain.
He understood slightly better then, Kinfol was doing her best to ease the weight off his shoulder despite being forced to become his foe, and she was probably scared to lose a friend in the process. Come to think of it, Talj realized that when she wasn't on missions on foreign kingdoms of Ylbunish, she didn't have many people on Enyo she could spend time with.
'Loneliness and silence usually come in pair'
"Okay fine." The blacksmith said, "I thank you for your consideration, Kin."
The warrior nodded with a smile.
"Anything else you'd like to know?"
"Yeah, two things for starters: What am I gonna find at The Tower and who gave me away?"
Salzeka scoffed.
"We just told you we ain't saying what's waiting for you there." His expression darkened. "And it's best you don't ask again, kid."
"Was a worth a shot." Talj replied in a bored tone.
"For your other question... Well-" Kinfol got cut by her colleague.
"That dog crap Kroll was working for The Darkness."
"Salzeka!"
"What? You were gonna take too long to explain it as you usually do!"
"That's called 'breaking it slowly to someone'."
"And why would ya need to break it slowly to him when time isn't really betting on us?"
It was Talj who answered him in a calm voice:
"Because, I am supposedly currently panicked to know that the second highest authority figure of one of The Six Kingdoms has been a spy for years now."
Kroll was the Dali General of Ylbunish's third nation: Jibal. Since The Dali were an important military organization founded by the Six Kings as a whole, their Generals were highly ranked in the hierarchy. In fact, the only authority above them are the kings and queens of the nation they serve or reside in.
So if one of the heads of the safest and most powerful force of our era has fallen into the wrong side, it means things devolved way faster than I anticipated...
Talj suddenly felt a small ache settle in his chest. A bit of guilt tingled within it. The Dali being under the control of The Darkness, even partly, endangered all lives in Ylbunish. And in his eyes, he may be partly to blame for that. After that night, 7 years ago, he had chosen to let go of his duties as a member of The Spear. He had sworn to fight The Darkness and keep Ylbunish safe, even if he had to live his whole life on the battlefield.
Fight the battles the world cannot, so that we burn and that world does not... Yet, we lost this battle, even if I continued to resist against the invaders, I was alone... There's nothing I could do...
But despite all his attempts to put his own worries at ease, a faint voice creeping behind his head always told him he was wrong, he should not have given up.
"No one can see all ends, and if you yield, you shall never know if you could have won." Is what his old mentor used to tell him when Talj questioned whether their efforts would be in vain or not.
Taking a deep sigh, Talj contemplated the starry sky for a moment. He used to love doing that with Xara while she talked to him about her crafts or told him that he was too harsh on himself.
Well, there goes these times now... What am I thinking, focus! I only have a few instants before we reach the ship.
But as he parted his lips to ask a new question, Kinfol stood up and gestured towards a direction behind him.
"We're here." She declared as Talj pivoted to see the frame of an impressive ship anchored in the sea, hidden by the fog's disguise, making it impossible to see the delicate carvings and paintings he perceived on its hull.
"Well then Talj," Started Kinfol. "This is where our amity is put down My last advice is for you to catch rest and sleep, you've had a long day and the journey ahead is uncertain. From now on, you're a highly dangerous prisoner of The Dali, and any form of resistance shall be met with sanction."
"I understand... Thank you one last time... For everything."
Kin simply nodded and summoned the winds one last time to carry all three of them on board of the giant ship. Once on his feet, the first thing that met Talj's vision is the amount of Dali soldiers on board. It seemed that despite the night's blanket, no one on board dared to sleep.
Probably to keep the maximum amount of eyes on me.
Talj speculated that, since The Spear was mainly a fairytale of warriors with legendary strength and power, they didn't know how much security an actual member of this old organization required to stay subdued.
The young blacksmith felt a huge push from behind, scattering his thoughts like a mist before sunlight.
"Stop slacking of!" Salzeka shouted. "Off to your cell! Hey you two! Escort him there! And get me something to drink!"
As he was escorted to his cell, Talj overheard the two soldiers behind him whispering to each other.
"So this is the supposedly great menace that might end the world?"
"Doesn't seem that impressive to me to be honest."
"Yeah, but remember what General Kinfol used to say?"
"The greatest foe is the one whose strength is beyond our sight. But still... He's looks really young to be an actual threat, no?"
"Even more of a reason to be wary. General Jokra joined the council at the age of 23, remember?"
"True true... But she's an exception to all rules, you know anyone as strong as Jokra?"
"It's General Jokra."
Talj suppressed a smirk as the two continued their chit-chat oblivious to their own indiscretion.
Even in a top ranked military force, there's bound to be unprofessional it seems.
They finally arrived in front of a barred cabin. It was very somber and poorly decorated: A blanket sheet on the ground, a chair and an old looking copybook with a pencil.
Did they think I'd like to write a diary or my final will?
After being shoved inside, Talj heard the metallic sound of the lock sealing the world away from him. From this instant, he's alone. Truly alone. His fiancé, his friends, his comrades... None of them could reach him where he stood right now. And it was in his loneliness soothed by the darkness of the cell that he realized how weary he was. His knees slightly shook, his arms could barely move. As he felt the weigh of mountains forcing his eyelids shut, he crashed on the bed and let all the emotions he bottled up break free. A single tear skimmed on his cheek as he felt the sadness Xara had felt during their goodbye, the final sight of the city he grew to love and cherish, Kinfol's desolated smile on the barque... And how a part of him still believed he should have either died during that night or continued fighting until death found him...
And his tempest of remorse and regret, sleep found him and slowly opened its arms to him, letting him forget his pain for a moment, and blissfully enter a dreamless rest.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A heavy sigh escaped Chionizo in the form of a steam trail that died second after its flight. The king of Jaleed leaned back on his chair and took a moment to admire his office.
A rich assortment of white vases, portraits with pale frames, cyan sculptures decorating his desk... All to respect the never ending snow that covered his kingdom. Somehow, this assortment was relaxing to the eye, despite its brightness. Relaxing... A word of rare purpose these days. Jokra had told him a month before that The Dali had identified The Spear's last member and she went right away to intercept him.
"All five Generals against one man?"
"We... Don't know his strength, and if even half the tales were true, the weakest member of The Spear could be enough to stand against one General."
However, her posture and demeanor were odd. Jorka was the king's niece, he watched her grow up, he knew her better than anyone else. The word that described her best was: Bright. Her prowess in magic, her enthusiastic demeanor, her high intelligence... She always gave the best of herself and made sure all the people around her felt no ache or discomfort.
Yet, during that conversation he could feel her unease. Her smile seemed fake, plastered on a forced cheerful face. When he had asked her about it all she said was:
"Please... Don't ask."
It was the only time where Jorka hid something to Chionizo. And so he had reluctantly chosen to trust her and believe that if she had something to hide, it was for a good reason.
"Let's just hope I wasn't wrong."
Nevertheless, ever since that incident, strange reports stormed to his palace like children after a candy trail. The Darkness opened portals to their world more and more often, some people have disappeared without leaving a trace, servants started to act strange.
"Just what is going on...?"
The answer came to him in the form of three knocks, each brief and stern, echoing from behind his office's door. He believed it was his head officer coming back from his patrol.
"You may enter, Kaokaje!"
Only silence followed his words. As several seconds passed before another set of three knocks came from the door.
"I said you may enter!"
No answer again. With a tired sigh, the king of Jaleed got up from his chair and marched purposefully to the entrance. However, when he opened the door to the room, nothing but the long corridor was behind it. A puzzled frown wrinkled his face.
"Kaokaje..?" He called out uncertainly.
The reply though, came from behind:
"Hello, your majesty."
Chiniozo quickly pivoted in surprise. On his office's desk was sitting an elegant woman. She looked very young, but also very mature. Her eyes were dark purple, contrasting with the blue and bright hair cascading behind her neck. She wore a simple but fancy dark dress, with purple and cyan streaks around the waist and the collar, and a dark pinkish rose ornated the middle of the belt. Her legs, covered by long black hoses and purple sandals, were crossed as she shot him an amused and mocking smile.
He had never seen this woman in his life, yet he knew with utmost certainty who she was, a name spoken only in legends and old stories, yet that still carried a terror among men:
"Queen Dallaam..."
"Oh my, the King Of Jaleed himself knows me?" She let out a small chuckle. "Quite the honor..."
A million thoughts rushed through Chiniozo as he considered his options. The most powerful and dangerous creature in all existence sat there, in front of him like an amused parent in front of a child's tomfoolery. Sweat raced through his neck. He clenched his fist, expecting the worse. Noticing his stance, Dallaam giggled like a child before waving away.
"Oh please, don't tense yourself. If your death was my objective you'd already be dead ages ago. Although I won't deny, this is the closest you've ever been to death." She added after hopping off the desk and arranging her skirt.
"How did you get here?" Simply asked Chiniozo.
"Ah yes, ever so humble, so caring. The king of north, known for his fondness for his subject's safety... Worry not, I harmed no soul on my way here." She turned around to face some of the portrait. "But even if I did, what would you have done? It's not like you can even lay a finger on me." Her tone was mocking and nonchalant, as if she knew per nature how deep the gap between them extended.
"Why are you here?"
"Oh..." She feigned a disappointed voice. "Why so forward? And me who hoped to talk a bit more with you, your majesty. Making the famous Chiniozo slowly break and falter has been one of my latest selfish dreams I'll admit." She turned to face him again, her superior smile never leaving her predatorial face. "For now, I guess I should settle with the terrified expression you can't refrain."
After another giggle, she snapped her finger, and a sudden purple mist rose up from the floor. Chiniozo tensed and readied himself for combat, but he noticed the smoke didn't reach out for him, but rather spun into one spot before slowly forming a figure, a figure of a young man.
"This is Talj Horsh." Said Dallaam. "If the name is familiar to you it's probably because his feats in blacksmithing gave him renown through all Ylbunish."
The king only listened and watched as his interlocutor joined hands.
"I want you to order all your forces to hunt him down."
Hunt down a child? A random blacksmith?
Despite all his questions, he didn't let himself show signs of weakness.
"And why should I heed your word?"
Dallaam raised her eyebrows before saying in a suggesting manner:
"Oh, I don't know... Maybe because I could kill you right here and right now?"
Upon those words, Chiniozo felt a sudden squeeze in his chest and a coldness spread through his veins. All his nerves stopped working and he could feel nothing but this unpleasant pain coursing through his blood. The sensation lasted only a moment but it burned itself in his memory: The memory of dying.
Dallaam started to laugh. A cold laugh, devoid of glee and joy, filled simply with the perverse will to dominate.
"But that'd be boring no? And quite inconvenient too... Well, let's see. Do you not wonder how I am currently inside your castle, and no alert or detections signaling the presence of someone with a high magical signature?"
Chiniozo realized it. Normally, his palace had all sorts of magical devices or systems that should prevent anyone from coming in unnoticed. And yet, the Queen of The Darkness herself was in front of him, without even hiding her own magic.
"You do not realized how many cracks this continent has, and obscurity always infiltrates the cracks."
Impossible! It can't be!
"Oh but it can be and it had been! Quite the handful of The Six's power have been poisoned by The Darkness. Inhabitants, soldiers, guards, stewards, nobles... For aeons the troops we sent here were but a fluke, a mere distraction to occupy your hands while we slipped through behind. And today, The Darkness and Ylbunish are close to be one. Oh, close to be one... Does that ring any bells, your highness? About a certain poem announcing our victory hmm... Oh yes! But no need to remind you, right?"
She walked up to him, her smile still on her. When at his height she put a dark pink flower that seemed to have appeared from nowhere on his ear.
"Here, no you look less grumpy hehe..." Her footsteps rose again as she exited the office. "Find that man, I want everyone on him, or I'll force all our forces to start cleansing your kingdoms from the inside out. I will make Ylbunish burn and turn all you and your pathetic Dali fought for so vigorously into a pile of dust. Understood?"
Without waiting for an answer, her footsteps died behind the king who, in shock, lost his grip and fell to the ground.
She must be bluffing! There's no world where all of The Six have fallen already!
And yet... The risk was not worth it. One life in exchange of millions. That's what Dallaam had asked for.
But why..? What's so special about that man that would make the Queen of The Darkness go to such length.
"Your majesty..?"
Kaokaje's voice appeared from the hallway, stirring him from his thouughts.
"Are you alright, should I call a doctor..?"
Chiniozo realized he was still on the floor. Rising up, he eyed his officer. Could he be a traitor? Could he be one of The Darkness's servant? How to know who to trust and who to jail?
No... Not him...
Kaokaje has always been his most faithful and honorable guard. If he was in a situation where he was unsure who to trust, he'd still rely on him without hesitation.
"Your majesty-"
"Kaokaje... Do you know anything about a certain Talj Horsh..?"
"The Hammer? I've heard some tales about an incredible mage blacksmith who knew how to fight well in Enyo despite his young age... Why does his highness wish to know about him, if I may ask?"
Without even hearing the question, the king of Jaleed closed his eyes.
Talj Horsh... Whoever you may be... I'm sorry for what future awaits you.
In the meantime, thousands of miles south from Jaleed's royal palace, on board of a ship sailing upon the sea, Talj woke up to the sound of a missive crash hitting the flank of his vessel, and the inhumane scream coming from below the water.