《Garden of Ash》 Prologue: The Sun Princess In the kingdom of Alessia, the largest monarchical state on the continent of Oro, sits the quaint village of Midwater. It is not unlike most other villages its size: in fact even a well traveled merchant may have trouble telling it apart from any other village of less than a few hundred people. Most of the peasantry that inhabited it were farmers or craftsman, men and women who toiled the land and worked with their hands to provide for their families and loved ones. The one thing above all else that the lowest class in Alessian society shared amongst themselves in the year 1145 was their reverence for the Queen, Sophia of the Sun. Bedtime stories we told frequently of her heroic acts that stabilized the kingdom both from external threat and internal inequality. This is one such story. - Vorn - ¡°Alright kids, time for sleep. I¡¯ll need Mika¡¯s help with the Vanu in the morning, they have to be let out to pasture and you know your mother hasn¡¯t been feeling well.¡± Ignoring the annoyed look my twelve year old gave me as he trudged down the hall to the room he and his sister shared, I turned and crouched in front of my Shel. My darling daughter, hard to believe she¡¯ll be five soon. ¡°But Dadddddyyyy¡­.I want to hear the story about the Sun Princess!¡± She pouted. She knows exactly what face to make to make me crumble. ¡°Hmmmmm, ok fine. Promise me that you¡¯ll be a good girl and not bother your brother tonight if I tell you?¡± ¡°Yes Daddy! I Pwomise I won¡¯t bawther Mika allll night!¡± I swear she¡¯s doing that on purpose at this point...anyways, ¡°Ok which story do you want, the one where she fought the mountain troll all by herself? Hmmm, perhaps the tale of her forming her contract with the Ghost Panther, Silva? Or maybe¡­¡± I catch the glimmer in her eye that tells me she already knows where I¡¯m going with this. Time to sell it. ¡°Maybe, you want me to tell the story of the Summer Plains, where she led ten thousand brave Alessians into a hopeless battle against the wretched horde of the Abomination, Ulag?! No, you couldn¡¯t possibly want that?¡± As I watched her face change from elated to a scowl I let out a boisterous laugh. ¡°Are you sure that¡¯s the one? I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve already told you more times than I can count!¡± I said while tickling her sides. In between wheezing laughter and prying my hands off her sides, ¡°You know it¡¯s my favorite, Daddy!¡± Quickly snatching a coin off the desk in what passes for our kitchen, I motion for her to come sit on my lap. Putting my hands around her I hold up the coin. ¡°Do you remember why we put her on our coins, even when she doesn¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°Without Queen Sophia, Mommy and Daddy would still have to pay lots of Texas to the mean men with lots of money?¡± Trying to stifle a quick laugh, I responded. ¡°That¡¯s close enough! Ok so where to begin¡­¡± Trailing off into thought I couldn¡¯t help but enjoy the look of unbridled joy on my young one¡¯s face. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°It was the year 955, so almost 200 years ago. Our kingdom, and many others, fought each other over silly things like where one country ended and another began. Over who should be in charge and where people should be allowed to live. They fought and fought and fought, while people like us paid for it. They taxed us and made us fight for them. It had been going on for so long that it seemed like it may never end.¡± ¡°Well that¡¯s just silly!¡± My adorable daughter threw in her own commentary. ¡°Silly indeed, but do you know what happened while all the silly humans were fighting each other?¡± I paused for dramatic effect¡­ ¡°There was nobody left to fight the monsters! So in the dark corners of the world monsters fought each other and grew strong. The grew bold with their strength and eventually started to attack human towns. They had never done anything like that before, do you know what changed?¡± ¡°Ulag the Abomination!¡± She said as she triumphantly raised her fist in the air and growled in the most menacing voice a five year old could muster.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right my brilliant child! Ulag the Abomination was something that shouldn¡¯t have ever been allowed to happen. He started off as a goblin, evolved in a specialized orc species, before finally he became a royal ogre. Something no one had seen before. No matter what the humans sent against him our resistance was crushed. When things seemed to be at their dimmest, and all hope was lost, the human kingdoms overcame their hatred and performed a ritual that summoned five mighty heroes from another world!¡± ¡°WOOOAAAHHHH! I wuv the five heroes.¡± Indeed she did, I¡¯d told their story almost as much as Sophia¡¯s. ¡°Mary the brave, Tol the calm, Michael the wise, Lena the steady, and Victor the kind. Together, they trained the human¡¯s how to fight and led us in victory against Ulag. Or so we thought, but soon after Ulag was defeated the five heroes mysteriously vanished, and after 80 years of peace Ulag returned with a new horde!¡± This part was always Shel¡¯s favorite, and quite honestly mine too. ¡°This time though, when Ulag showed up and attacked the first town town, we were ready. The brave princess Sophia, leading an army trained specifically to fight monsters, met the horde on the Summer Fields. She was at the front of the fighting, glowing with heat and pushing her outnumbered soldiers to fight with all they had. They still say that when she fights it is as if the Sun itself resides inside her, and if you fight willingly on her side then you can¡¯t feel tired or scared. When the battle ended, She stood at the center of the fighting and raised her sword into the air with powerful yell. On her sw¡­.¡± I never made it to the end. ¡°And on her sword was the head of Ulag the Abomination!¡± Shel smiled up at me with a look that clearly indicated smugness. ¡°Daddy I want to visit the shrine¡­.¡± Visiting the shrine to the Sun Princess that resided on the Summer Fields was something of a right of passage for young women in Alessia. ¡°We¡¯ve talked about this sweetie, we will go when you¡¯re ten just like everyone else.¡± That was clearly not what she wanted to hear, but the joy of hearing her favorite story was overwhelming her annoyance at the lack of getting her way. Flipping over the coin that I still had in my hand, I felt the circular grain of the vines that lined the outer edge of the back of the coin. ¡°Do you remember what I told you about the vines on this coin, Shel?¡± I asked. She scrunched up her face as if in deep thought. ¡°The are for Queen Sophia¡¯s teacher? Master Vic?¡± Ruffling her hair in appreciation of her good memory. ¡°That¡¯s right! Nobody is quite sure who he is, and for some reason he doesn¡¯t get any fancy stories, but just like I¡¯m telling you, I want you to remember to tell your kids about him. He taught the princess everything she knows and before their final fight against Ulag some say that he even sacrificed himself to assure her victory. Just stories told amongst old folks like me, but I believe they¡¯re true.¡± I smiled down at the little girl as she nodded to me very seriously. ¡°Now off to bed, it¡¯s way past your bedtime!¡± I sent her off with one last tickle. ¡­.Just stories huh...I¡¯m sorry Vic, I wish we could tell everyone the truth. The truth that Sophia¡¯s story truly is only one half of the coin. Chapter 1: Escort This was supposed to be a routine escort mission, Mox thought to himself. Escort minor noblewoman A to and from the Bruxian Capital to attend the wedding of her younger sister. That was what they had been told when he and the rest of his fifty man unit had been integrated into a larger force of two hundred and fifty. It had smelled a bit fishy, but he hadn¡¯t been able to able to put his finger on it until they had left the spires of Lycanter well behind them; when they were met with a sudden rendezvous with the most elite knight order in the Alessian kingdom. Known simply as the Aegis Knights, they immediately briefed the hybrid unit on their updated mission. Turns out minor noblewoman A was actually Queen Synthis. The Queen was a Bruxian who had married into the Alessian royalty, and it was well known that her younger sister was marrying soon. Also turns out that he and the rest of their escort unit had been hand selected both for their martial skill as well as their loyalty. Of course his first reaction had been to ask why the need for all the secrecy. As he was about to ask his question he suddenly thought better of it; if they had declined to tell us until now they surely had a good reason. A good reason they¡¯d had indeed. Everything had been fine on the away trip, no bandits were foolish enough to attack a large military convoy and the monsters along the Central Road of the Dreamer¡¯s Forest were regularly keep in check by patrols from the two countries that shared the enormous forest as a border. Upon their return to the forest entrance however, they¡¯d been been set upon by no less than 1000 soldiers. Unmarked, they seemingly appeared out of nowhere as they leapt from the trees surrounding the caravan. How had they managed to suppress that much aura?! Rumor had it that the Aegis Knights had a master sensory mage in their ranks too. Trying not to think about how potent a mage would have to be to suppress the aura of a 1000 trained soldiers, he shouted orders at the fifty men and woman under his command. As he and his unit were fighting for their lives, waves of magic and martial powers crashing into each other, he saw three Aegis Knights fighting their way to his location. Well...fighting wouldn¡¯t have been an accurate word for it truthfully, slaughtering maybe? Regardless, they wore silver armor with black trim, and that meant only one thing. Commander Roson and his elite guard. Upon reaching his location the elite guard split to either side of him and kept a clear ten foot perimeter around him. Roson approached and reached out his hand to initiate the clasping of gauntlets. ¡°Captain Mox, I won¡¯t waste any time seeing as we may not have much left.¡± The staunch man said. Up close the atmosphere around the man was immeasurably oppressive, and again Mox had to wonder what in the seven hells could scare a man like that. Clearly his face had been more expressive than intended. ¡°Good, I¡¯m glad you understand how serious the situation is. I¡¯ve been led to believe that as a child your father used to take you through the forest with traveling merchant caravans?¡± ¡°Yes sir, but we would take the old road. Made for a much shorter trip¡± Mox responded with as much confidence in his voice as possible. ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m counting on.¡± He looked around with a very serious expression on his face before casing a sound barrier around the two of them. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. ¡°The queen is pregnant. While these vermin are unmarked, I have an good idea of who they are and that they don¡¯t intend for the infant to survive the trip home. If I am right, then it¡¯s likely none of us would survive a prolonged battle here.¡± At that moment Mox felt a terribly confusing mix of terror and curiosity. ¡°What do you need from me sir?¡± He asked. ¡°I would have you and your unit backtrack down the central road and enter the forest via the old road. I understand that it has been closed for nearly fifty years now, but the dangers there may aid in your escape. If you are able to make your way into the forest, you will find that the road is cleared after roughly fifteen minutes of riding.¡± As he was speaking he reached into a small pouch on his waist and retrieved a small seed. It was roughly the size of a copper coin, but it was pitch black save for a red line that ran down both sides of it forming a loop. He reached out and handed it to Mox. ¡°You may or may not meet a man who lives in that forest. He is¡­¡± The Commander looked Mox in the face with a look that warned of danger, but ultimately shook his head. ¡°If you meet him, give him this seed and he should provide you safe passage.¡± Mox nodded as he took the seed. ¡°Recall your men and fight your way to the carriage at the eastern end of the fighting. We do not have much time so don¡¯t tarry.¡± With that he released the barrier and he along with the two elites rode off. Mox collected himself before mumbling to himself ¡°Whisperwind.¡± The spell connected his voice to a predetermined group of people that had to be set ahead of using said spell, in this instance it was each of his ten man squad leaders. ¡°Orders from Commander Roson, pull all forces back to my location. Mounts will be necessary so if you have lost yours then commandeer one from somebody. Make haste, we will be falling back with the Queen.¡± There was no need to wait for confirmation, the five were all trustworthy individuals. So Mox began organizing his men as they arrived. Somehow the fighting had lessened in his area and through the crowd he thought he caught glimpses of the blue trimmed silver armor of the regular core of Aegis Knights. ¡°Must be trying to give me some space.¡± He spoke softly to himself. As quickly as possible he and the 44 surviving members of his unit made their way to the carriage the queen was in. It had been reinforced with a number of protection spells, but the attacking forces had been battering it for duration of the fight from range. ¡°Hurry, we need to get that carriage out of range of their mages. I don¡¯t know how General Roson plans to create an opening for us, but we need to be prepared to move as quickly as possible when he does.¡± Mox communicated through Whisperwind. No sooner had they arrived and encircled the carriage than General Roson rode up next to Mox, looking straight down the road they¡¯d come down. ¡°I don¡¯t find it likely that either of us survive this, but know that if you manage to save Synthis, you¡¯ll have my gratitude in whatever form I can give it. Be that from the comforts of home or the afterlife.¡± The two men glanced at each other and once again clasped gauntlets. Roson then rode forward and after a brief moment of meditation, a tower of solid light appeared above the battlefield. Every soldier on the Alessian side suddenly felt empowered. They were invigorated, especially the Aegis Knights. After undergoing special attunement training each of them was a dervish of death under the effects of Roson¡¯s image. They rode forward cutting a swath in front of Mox¡¯s knights. It was not an opportunity they would get again. The carriage and 44 knights sped through the opening, reaching the open road just as the effects of the beacon wore off, having moved out of it¡¯s range. They fired counter spells and watched as a hail of magical and physical projectiles cut down their unit by a dozen, attempting to stop their retreat. Finally out of range, Mox spared a look over his shoulder. At the edge of his vision he could still see the Aegis Knights blocking the road, fighting for this one chance. ¡°I won¡¯t let you down Sir¡­¡± They raced towards the old road, and a new danger. Chapter 2: The Old Road As the world began its descent into the pitch black of night, Mox opted not to have any of his mages cast orbs of light. They were running away and having the only source of light visible in every distance wouldn¡¯t exactly help them remain undetected. They had been fortunate so far, they hadn¡¯t seen any pursuers, but ultimately it was just a matter of time. To add both to their fortune and misery, the light drizzle that the day had carried along was quickly becoming torrential. At least they won¡¯t be able to track us as easily now, the man thought to himself. He had begun to think he¡¯d forgotten where the entrance to the old road was and was silently cursing himself for having ridden past it in the rain and darkness. Just as he was about to order them to turn around, a decision he wasn¡¯t going to make lightly, he noticed what he had finally been looking for. The only remaining designating feature of the deserted path were two rows of trees that extended out from the main road into the forest. The path itself had long been erased by the elements, but the trees had only grown more prominent. ¡°Everyone listen up!¡± He shouted. ¡°Two rows of trees ahead on the left side, we will head straight into the forest at that marker. Clarissa and Tyse will alternate cone of fire casts to clear a path through the trees. Anyone with wind magic available to them will focus on keeping smoke clear of the path. The rain should keep the fire from spreading. Understood?¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± His unit responded in unison. ¡°Sir, Tyse and I won¡¯t be able to keep that up indefinitely, and we will leave a pretty obvious path to follow. Are you sure this is wise?¡± Clarissa voiced her hesitations. ¡°I¡¯ve been led to believe that the path will open up a ways in, so there should be no need to continue with our trailblazing for too long. As for our pursuers, speed is of the essence, even without making it too obvious anyone with tracking magic wouldn¡¯t have any problems following us. We will be rendezvousing with an unknown once in the forest proper.¡± Ignoring the few whispers regarding his last statement, they rounded the corner and slow their convoy down to face the wall of trees in front of them. After forming a double file line, the two fire mages began burning their way through the thick brush. They alternated using the large area of effect fire skill to allow for mana regeneration, and after a much shorter time than anticipated the woods opened up and the road seemed to appear from nowhere. The most shocking thing was the state it was in. It was...Serene. Double wide from what Mox remembered, the road was now bisected by a lane of floral decoration. Even in the dark the brilliant flowers had a soft glow to them, as if to intentionally guide the way for lost travelers. The trees as well had vines that wrapped themselves around their trunks in a way that almost seemed...prearranged. Small bulbs on the vines gave off a soft iridescent glow that just added to the strange and mesmerizing scene. Tyse had been the first to enter and he had never seen anything so beautiful in his life. Even soaked in rain and exhausted, he couldn¡¯t help but lose himself in it. ¡°What..what is this place sir?¡± Mox didn¡¯t know, and being asked a question had shaken him out of his stupor. ¡°I have no idea, but we can¡¯t just stand around gawking. Clearly Commander Roson knew of this place and intended for us to follow the road. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± Tearing themselves back into reality, the 30 men and women left alive alongside the carriage carrying the pregnant Alessian queen silently and quickly began to move forward along the road. Everyone was being particularly careful to avoid having their horses tread on the flowers. Something about the whole scene seemed supernatural to them, and no one wanted to disturb the peaceful setting more than necessary. It normally took two days to make the trip between Brux and Alessia via the Central Road. This was entirely because of the roundabout way that the Central Road curved to avoid the center of the forest. Mox now has a sneaking suspicion that whoever had designed it that way had done so because of whatever strange phenomenon was happening on this road. Regardless, he remembered that it had only taken half a day of leisurely riding to get through the forest with his father. If they were lucky, they may make it to the other side by sunrise and would be able to send a rider for reinforcements in case they were pursued further. With Mox lost in his thoughts and everyone else so distracted by the unnatural flora, they failed to see the figures that had been following them since they¡¯d entered the road. The only thing noticeable in the trees above being the occasional flash of dark fur as their watches maneuvered to maintain an optimal distance. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Sable Apes weren¡¯t extraordinarily threatening to a group of knights under normal circumstances, but like everything else in the forest this particular shrewdness had several distinct characteristics. To be specific, they had excellent night vision alongside an innate ability to move without making much sound. For such large creatures to suddenly be so stealthy would normally be a very concerning prospect. However, Mox and his unit weren¡¯t currently in any danger. This group of Apes happened to also have a heightened intelligence, and they had been asked to keep an eye on this area of the forest for their benefactor. As the knights continued to move along at a rather rapid pace, a shrill scream pierced the serenity of the glowing forest road. As everyone came to a quick stop and began to draw their weapons, Mox was already moving. He had a guess as to what had happened, and was currently praying that it wasn¡¯t the case as he made his way towards the carriage. Before he made it however, a low rumbling sound could heard in the direction they¡¯d been traveling. Mox shook his head, one damn thing after another. The sound was getting louder, and closer based on the vibrations in the ground. He turned to face this new threat. ¡°Dismount, form a shield wall. Protection spells up now! You all know what to do!¡± He shouted orders at his squad. Their location became a flurry of action as the more sturdy members of their group made their way towards the front side of the caravan. Whatever was heading their way, they would be as prepared for it as they could possibly be without any information. Mox continued to the door of the carriage without opening it, exchanging a greeting with the driver. The Queen had two servants with her in the Carriage, and Mox chose to address them. Best not to offend anyone¡¯s sensibilities if he could avoid it. ¡°This is Captain Moxon Curolis, Commander Roson has put me in charge of the surviving escort party. May I be of any assistance to the Queen?¡± As he asked his question he knelt on one knee and bowed his head. There was some commotion inside the cabin and a young girl emerged from the now slightly ajar door. There was a clear look of anxiety on her face as she spoke, ¡°Master Moxon, the Queen has begun the process of childbirth. This is much earlier than expected and we think it has something to do with all of the extra anxiety over the past half day. Do you have anyone skilled in healing that could aid us?¡± Mox was stunned silent. Both because of the news that the Queen would be having her child in the middle of the mess they were in, and because of the young woman. Due to magic granting longevity to one¡¯s life, Mox was considered rather young for his position and was in his fifties. The young woman was clearly younger than he was, and was a maidservant to the Queen, truly asounding. Yet it was nothing on her beauty. Dark hair that framed her face and fell gently past her shoulders. Soft eyes that told a story of someone who exuded kindness. He was entranced. ¡°Master Moxon...is everything ok?¡± the young lady responded. Coughing and turning his face to the side to hide his blush, ¡°Yes, my apologies. I¡¯ll fetch Tara, she is a water mage skilled in healing. Will that suffice?¡± Smiling, the young woman responded, ¡°Yes, thank you! And please hurry, the Queen is in a lot of pain. If you need anything else please ask for me by name, I am called Saria.¡± ¡°Lady Saria, as you can hear there is an unknown entity making its way towards us. Please remain in the carriage and try to keep her majesty calm. I will send for Tara immediately.¡± Mox said this and stood to go deal with this newest threat to their survival. Activating whisperwind again he contacted the water mage know as Tara. ¡°Report to the carriage with haste, the Queen is in childbirth and needs the assistance of a healer. Before you protest, I know how inappropriate it is for me to order you to do this, but please¡­¡± There was a silence that lasted for more than a few seconds before she finally responded, ¡°Fine, but when we survive this you¡¯re buying me a damn beer.¡± He had to suppress a chuckle as he drew his sword and approached the shield wall. ¡°Alright men, we don¡¯t know what¡¯s coming for us, but we won¡¯t be making the first move. Don¡¯t get jumpy.¡± He shouted. Mox stood at the center of the formation, attempting to look like the commander he was supposed to be. Looking into the darkness, his eyes following the illuminated path as much as possible, he finally saw the creature. It was the largest Sable Ape he¡¯d ever seen. No...this thing had clearly evolved. He didn¡¯t even know Sable Apes had a further evolution available to them, but he couldn¡¯t deny what he saw in front him. Jet black save for crimson fur on its chest and ridge of crimson that ran from the top of it¡¯s head halfway down it¡¯s back. It was easily twice the size of their horses. As it barrelled toward his men it was all he could not to order his men to attack the thing. There had to be a reason it was here, plus he wasn¡¯t convinced they could even beat the thing with the twenty nine men he had left. It slowed until it was no more than thirty feet away from their line. The ape was the epitome of composure, there was none of the posturing that Sable Apes normally exhibited. As it stopped, it stared at Mox with eyes that spoke of an intelligence far beyond any creature he¡¯d ever seen. Slowly it lowered itself down on it¡¯s left elbow and lowered it¡¯s head. Mox was stunned at first, thinking that the creature was bowing to him, but as the ape lowered itself a man slid off it¡¯s back and landed in the mud. The man turned to face the group and walked straight towards the terrified man. Not only had this person somehow pacified this enormous monster, the man himself simply oozed power. He towered over Mox, looking down straight into his eyes before speaking. ¡°Why are you in my forest?¡± Chapter 3: Roots Mox just stood there, some mixture of fear and admiration creating a debilitating speech impediment in his brain. The man in question had to have been some giant half breed. Not a single man in their convoy even reached his shoulders. Short cropped hair and a beard that was long but seemed to have some semblance of tame to it. His eyes were a deep emerald color, as if the forest itself permeated his soul. Wearing leathers that at one point probably fit him more comfortably, he was dressed rather modestly for someone so intimidating. Muscles radiated his power while he somehow maintained a slender and athletic frame. As he regained some semblance of active thought, he remembered what Roson had given him. While it may not have been a smart decision to reach into your pocket when presented with a threat, the man was so clearly above Mox¡¯s level that it was as if the idea of him being a threat never entered his mind. As it was, Mox finally managed to retrieve the small seed. He placed it in the palm of his hand and reached it out to stranger. The man reached out and took it before turning it over in his hand a few times. A slight blue glow started to appear on the seed and he closed his eyes, his face contorting as if in some sort of pain. Just as suddenly as it had all started it came to an abrupt end as he looked up at Mox and eventually let his eyes travel to the carriage. ¡°This is a memory seed, it absorbs the memories of the one who carries it. This one was tied to Roson, he is a¡­friend.¡± The man finally spoke. His voice a deep baritone that matched the vigor of his body. ¡°I owe him a debt, and fortunately for you all he has decided to cash it in tonight.¡± Mox audibly sighed before collecting himself. ¡°I¡¯m Capt..¡± He barely started introducing himself before the man held up his hand. ¡°I know who you are Captain Moxon. There is no time. I¡¯m not happy that you lot are here, but I don¡¯t intend to betray Roson¡¯s trust. Follow Rudy, he¡¯ll take you to mother. She¡¯ll take care of the Queen. I¡¯ve got some intruders to take care of.¡± As he said that the man looked back the way they came and began jogging. ¡°I¡±m sorry but I never got your...name?¡± Before Mox could finish the man had gotten into a sprinting form and within four giant steps was out of earshot. Turning to face the giant ape that was staring him in the face, Mox spoke. ¡°You must be Rudy?¡± The Ape snorted and turned back down the road, nudging with his head to indicate for the rest of the convoy to follow. As they trudged down the muddy road in the pouring rain, all everyone could do was try to endure all of the shocking events that had unfolded in their lives over the past half day. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other; right behind the giant gorilla. --- Ethissen was old, old enough to remember what the Alessians had done to the Bruxian kingdom before Ulag¡¯s incursion had forced the two kingdoms to reconcile with each other as well as the three other main powers on Oro. As far as he was concerned however, not old enough to put the past to rest. The late Alessian King Varigen led campaigns of slaughter in Bruxian territory, often attacking undefended villages. He wouldn¡¯t forgive them¡­.couldn¡¯t forgive, especially with the man¡¯s cowardly son on the throne. The Lion had given birth to a snake, and his position as an advisor to the current Bruxian royalty had given him a front row seat to the man¡¯s nefarious political tactics. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. So as he seethed in the shadows, he gathered supporters. Those who, like himself, still held resentment towards the old regime. This wasn¡¯t sanctioned by the Bruxian monarchy or elder council, and if everything had gone to plan there wouldn¡¯t have been any risk of things getting back to the Alessians in regards to the specifics of the death of their heir. Unfortunately, their intel hadn¡¯t mentioned that the Aegis Knights would be included in the escort party. That meant Commander Roson, and that meant a potential for his discovery. The two had a long history of violent interaction followed by begrudging cooperation. After the ambush and subsequent departure of the Queen¡¯s carriage, Ethissen finally made himself known on the field. While he was never one to employ stealth combat tactics, Roson wasn¡¯t his target and any head on attack he could launch likely wouldn¡¯t have inflicted enough damage to grant his men passage past the wall of knights. So while under the influence of a dozen different mages casting dampening spells on his location, he conjured one of his strongest attack spells, Seventh Tier: Magma Lance. In a throwing stance the spear formed just above his hand, the heat radiating from it almost too much to bear. As the Lava spear materialized it hardened almost instantly turning into a semi solid magma as he launched it with both physical force and magic manipulation. As it flew through the air the spell caused the magma to superheat, and a mere 20 meters from the Aegis Knight¡¯s formation it exploded outward in a shower that sprayed across anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in its radius. The result was as devastating as one might expect. Most of the knights lay dead or dying, and although Roson wasn¡¯t one of them, his armor was melted away in several places showing nasty burns across his arms and chest. With that one spell Ethissen had created an opening for his army to move in pursuit. They did so with much haste, leaving 200 men to clean up the remaining Alessian forces as well as Roson. They hadn¡¯t been following the escapees long when the rain picked up and washed away any signs of their tracks. Ethissen hadn¡¯t been a fool however, and had kept a Clairvoyant in reserve as a failsafe. So it was that a blue line extended down the road ahead of them, indicating the clairvoyant''s path spell was still working. Tracking magic had a tendency towards inconsistent results, but the more recent the magic signature the better. What was confusing was that the path was leading them into the Dreamer¡¯s Forest and not back towards the Bruxian Capitol. True, it was likely they wouldn¡¯t have made it before being caught from behind, but it would have been the most likely chance at survival they had. Aside from that, the old mage was no stranger to the rumors surrounding the old road. It had been closed years ago, deemed unsafe for merchant travel regardless of extensive efforts to secure the route. It was a small matter though, his prize was in there and so he would follow. Barking orders for his men to tighten up and form lines, they proceeded down the road. There were signs that the trees had been burnt away, further emboldening the group as their pursuit picked up in pace. When the first wave of soldiers entered the clearing where the road began, their reaction was similar to the Alessians. As more and more filed in they were awestruck at the unnatural beauty of the place. As the last of the pursuers made their way onto the road, the gap in the forest behind them suddenly closed itself. Trees sprung out of the ground, appearing to achieve several years of growth in a matter of second. The soldiers all drew their weapons and prepared themselves for combat as they looked around for any sign of danger. Ethissen however had his eyes forward. He felt...something. Something that by all rights shouldn¡¯t exist. As his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting of the vines and flowers he saw a man walking towards them. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have come here old man.¡± A deep voice resonated in the tight forest corridor. Ethissen was visibly shaking at this point, and he pointed his staff at the man in question. ¡°You...you shouldn¡¯t be alive!¡± He shouted. Terror began spreading in their ranks as they¡¯d never seen the old man so shaken. He was widely known for his strength, so who could cause him such fits they all wondered. The voice resounded with a deep laugh, full of malice and intent. ¡°Well, life¡¯s a bitch aint it?¡± The only remaining sound in that part of the part of the forest was a singular ¡®¡¯THUNK¡¯, as each and every one of them was met with a root spear that found the gaps in their armor, killing them instantly.