The Veredor Chronicles: Book 02 - The Journey West (8 page)

‘Of course
there’s a Sword of Darkness, and there is also a third Astarian sword called the Sword of Midlight. Can you see why this is significant? The Prince of Shadows wants to take the Sword of Light from Eben because the sword was used against him successfully in the Forgotten Age. He wants to remove the one weapon that can stop him. That’s why Azagord said he wanted to cast the sword through the Cosmic Gate, because if he can remove the Sword of Light from Veredor there would be no weapon powerful enough to be used against him.’

Th
ey all looked across at Eben. Eben felt his heart thumping in his chest. The idea that he held the only weapon that could stop the Prince of Shadows conquering Veredor was overwhelming. A silence fell upon the company for a few moments.

‘Don’t worry, Eben. What
ever happens you can be sure we will stand by your side,’ said Stella kindly.

Sudden
ly Sir Norman entered the room. ‘I have informed the cook to prepare a roast dinner, and my butler has informed the house staff to prepare your rooms. For the next hour I suggest that you enjoy the books and the gardens around Stonehaven. I will send someone to find you when dinner is served.’

‘Thank you. You have made us feel very welcome,
’ said Red.

‘It is an honour
.’ With this Sir Norman left the room. They turned to face Eben again.

‘Of course we will all stand by you no ma
tter what happens,’ repeated Stella. ‘We’re all in this together until the end.’

Red and Cassiel bo
th nodded. Eben felt his confidence return at knowing his loyal friends genuinely cared about him. He knew they would be there by his side no matter how events eventually turned out.

**

Sir Norman served up a mighty feast in the grand dining room of Stonehaven as he had promised. Roast chicken, potatoes, pumpkin, peas, gravy, and the finest red wine Eben had ever tasted.

‘
This is an excellent wine,’ said Cassiel.

Sir Norman smiled and a glimmer of pride could be seen in his eyes.
‘Stonehaven’s wine is famous throughout Veredor. We have even sent barrels as far as Scaldonia. Irvarians have always loved wine; winemaking is a highly regarded craft in our country, we take it very seriously.’

They continued with the meal
and the house staff continued to bring dish after dish and finished with a lavish date pudding covered in fresh cream and strawberries. They stared wide eyed with delight.

‘You will find the road to
Faircastle is safe and very pleasant. It will take you through the lowlands and several forests. The road will then return to follow the Adira River before you arrive at Faircastle.’

‘Is
Faircastle as magnificent as they say?’ asked Cassiel.

‘
Indeed it is. The castle is said to be the most marvellous in all of Veredor. I’m sure that when you come to see it you will agree. Faircastle was built by Jerial the Just and the Ecorian Emperors who followed him. Now Faircastle is the home of King Edric, who of course is a direct descendent of the Irvarian Ecorian Arbiter.’

‘We look forward to meeting your king,’ said Eben.

‘I am sure you will be impressed by him,’ said Sir Norman. ‘King Edric is dearly loved by his people.’

After dinner they were shown to their
charming rooms on the upper floor. They rested and slept peacefully under the roof of Stonehaven.

CHAPTER EIGHT

The following morning they gathered in the front garden of Stonehaven. The house servants had prepared their horses and brought them to the front gate.

‘It has been a mos
t pleasant stay,’ said Red, bowing to Sir Norman.

‘Pl
ease come again if you pass this way on your journey home. You, Lady Stella, and your friends are always welcome to lodge at Stonehaven.’

‘
It’s been an honour; thanks again,’ said Red, climbing up on his horse. They all mounted their horses and prepared to leave. Sir Norman waved them goodbye as they rode through the front gate and turned their horses westward. The day was bright and a gentle breeze blew from the east. They rode quickly away from Stonehaven.

For several hours the company
kept a swift pace. The land about was simply splendid, a picture of enchanting beauty. Spring flowers filled meadows of lush green grass and colourful butterflies could be seen flying all about. Occasionally the road would take them through golden elm forests, but always within a few minutes the forests would clear and they would once again come upon beautiful meadows in full bloom.

‘
Irvaria is even more beautiful than the stories make it out to be,’ said Eben.

‘
Superb,’ said Cassiel.

A
s the afternoon advanced they entered a forest and left the grasslands behind. The forest was also beautiful and mostly populated with majestic elm trees. Gentle sunlight filtered down from the canopy above. The road was well maintained and small arched bridges crossed many crystal clear streams throughout the forest. As night approached they stopped in a forest glade beside the road and set up camp.

‘I don’t think
I’ll ever want to leave this kingdom,’ said Red as he gathered some wood at the edge of the glade.

‘I feel the
same. There is a sense of peace and joy throughout this land,’ said Cassiel.

The four of them sat around the
campfire and enjoyed the peaceful evening.

**

The next day they rode out and came back upon the river. Within an hour of setting out they found themselves approaching a small settlement. The village was mostly made up of humble stone houses and a few larger farmhouses dotted the fields between the river and the forest. A large wooden sign read: Welcome to Easthome.

‘
Look at that; they actually have a sign welcoming people to their village,’ said Red, smiling as they passed by.

As
they rode through the village the village folk walked up from the riverbank to greet them. The atmosphere was very welcoming and the locals invited them to stop for tea.

‘We appreciate
your invitation, but unfortunately we cannot stop. We are urgently on our way to Faircastle,’ said Cassiel.

The villagers followed them all the way to the edge of the village and waved them farewell
and continued to watch until they were out of sight.

‘The people in
Irvaria are so friendly,’ said Stella.

‘
It makes me realise how suspicious everyone is in Ortaria and Silvor,’ said Red. ‘No one at home would ever invite a stranger in for tea and biscuits.’

‘They wou
ld in Clemensdale where I come from,’ said Eben, remembering the kind-hearted people of his home village. For a moment he felt a pang of nostalgia. At heart he knew he was a simple villager. No one in Clemensdale cared much for what happened beyond the valley. They were simple folk with happy lives. He missed his home and looked forward to the day that he could return.

**

For two days they rode onward. The river road took them northwest and they passed through many beautiful villages along the way. Most of the villages were similar to Easthome.

On the morning of the fourt
h day from Stonehaven they came out of the forest into cleared farmland. As they progressed the land became exceptionally beautiful and undulating. The road followed the river as it wound its way through various valleys and shallow gorges. Often they would pass lovely farmhouses, and regularly they saw shepherds with flocks of sheep on the slopes of surrounding hills. The further they went the more frequently they saw barges, boats, and smaller canoes on the river.

In the mid-afternoon the road turned away fr
om the river and led them up along a lengthy final ridge. The far side of the ridge descended downward to an emerald green plain below. From the height of the ridge they could see far into the distance.

T
hey caught sight of a majestic and magnificent castle about seven miles away across the plain. The castle was built on a solitary hill with incredibly high walls. Twelve soaring towers rose at intervals along the outer wall. Irvarian flags flew at the height of each tower. In the centre of the city stood an enormous palace, rising high above the level of the outer wall, with its own seven towers ascending a great distance into the sky above. The Adira River curved around the base of the city on the northern side. They could see many villages and towns outside the walls. It was difficult to make out the details from the ridge, but they were all sure the castle was far greater than any they had seen before.

‘There it is,
Faircastle! The pride of the Aecorisians,’ said Cassiel, wonder lighting up his face.

‘
Is it really so big, or are my eyes playing tricks on me?’ asked Red.

‘Faircastle is s
imply amazing,’ answered Cassiel. ‘The outer walls are at least two hundred yards in height. The Palace is a city in itself. At the pinnacle of the palace is the Ecorian Hall. Within the hall is the Sapphire Throne of the Ecorian Emperor, a throne made completely of blue sapphires, a treasure beyond all treasures. Faircastle is the heart of Veredor.’

There was a long silence as they stared into the distance.

‘Let’s go closer,’ said Eben. He started moving his horse quickly down the slope. The others followed him, and before long they were galloping across the plain with their eyes fixed on the high walls of Faircastle. After little more than half an hour they were approaching the towering outer wall. They turned toward the southern side where they could see a great gate. Villages were dotted all about on the plain surrounding the enormous castle. They rode on toward the great arched gateway. Seven armoured guards with long spears stood on either side of the gate.

As they approached they slowed their horses to a trot. Ahead of them stood a figure in a long green robe
waiting just outside the gate.

‘Meara,’ cried Cassiel with delight, being the first to recognise her.

‘Welcome to Faircastle,’ said Meara as they rode closer. ‘I am so happy that you arrived safely. Baftel told me that you were drawing near, and I thought I would come to greet you at the gate. We heard news from the border when you entered Irvaria.’ They all embraced her happily. ‘I was very worried when I learned that you had decided to cross the deserts. I knew you weren’t aware the Skatheans had moved north through Vastoria. I feared that you would be walking into a trap. Thankfully you have arrived safely and just in time for the council.’

‘We have had
quite an adventure,’ said Cassiel.

‘
I think you will find that the adventure is just beginning. ’ said Meara. ‘Please, follow me. I will take you to the palace where all the guests of the council are staying. We have much to discuss.’

They dismounted and le
d their horses through the great arched gateway. The main street led in a straight line up a gradual rise to the majestic palace at the top of the hill. They were all amazed by the beauty of the city. They passed hundreds of splendid houses as they ascended the gentle rise. Street lanterns and flower beds lined the way, and all the people of Faircastle seemed joyful. The Irvarians obviously took great pride in making all things look beautiful.

In wonder and silence they ascended the gentle hill and arrived at a large and
almost perfectly flat square at the top. There were many people all in the square; groups of men and women were talking, and various street performers played pleasant music. Eben couldn’t help but feel happy. The palace towered into the sky above. An enormous golden arched door stood at the entrance; thousands of carvings were etched into its surface.

‘The Ecorian Gate,’ said Cassiel
. ‘The engravings tell the story of the rise of the Ecorian Empire. We are blessed to have this opportunity to see it.’

T
hey led their horses across the square to the gate. Three guardsmen in shining armour stood on either side of the arched entrance. The gate started to open and the guardsmen moved aside. The guardsmen at the gate took their horses. They then stepped forward into the palace.

Directly b
efore them was a magnificent hall lined with white marble pillars that rose up at least eighty yards to the ceiling above. The polished marble tiles of the floor were a mixture of blue and white. At the far side of stood a large obelisk that was painted purple with a depiction of a white unicorn. Three well-dressed men approached from the far side of the hall, each with a sword at his side. One was much older with greying hair and a friendly open face. The two younger men followed closely behind.

‘Greeting
s, Sir Red, Lady Stella, Eben, and Cassiel. My name is Earl Evander; these young men are my sons: Gelson and Tom. We have been sent to welcome you to Faircastle and make sure you are comfortable and aware of the proceedings of the council. My sons will show you to the guest chambers on the upper levels. If you require anything you can ask any of the palace staff to bring a message to me and I will see to it. The council will commence at noon the day after tomorrow. We are very glad that you arrived safely.’

Gelson and Tom looked like identical twins. They were both conventionally handsome with light blond hair and bright blue eyes.

‘We are pleased to meet you, Earl Evander,’ said Red. ‘It has been a long journey across Vastoria. Thank you for your welcome. Will we meet King Edric soon?’

‘
Yes, you will. At the moment King Edric is very busy preparing for the council; this is the reason why he has sent me to greet you. You are the last of the envoys to arrive. Thus far we have received envoys from Dravania, Iarthar, the Tabarian Knights, Everdon, the Desert Knights, Ateria, The Isles of Dawn, Scaldonia, the Takalian Knights, the Fire Order, the Fiorian Knights, and of course Meara, Arlen, and Baftel from the Irilian Order. Unfortunately we heard word that the Silvorian envoy’s ship was destroyed by the Skatheans in the Southern Sea.’

Red looked horrified at hearing that his own countr
ymen had been killed by the enemy.

‘Please, follow my sons to your chambers,’ said Earl Evander. The Earl then bowed and walked away leaving his two sons to show them
to their rooms.

The
young men led them across to the far side of the hall. They entered an adjacent corridor that took them into a large room with a perfectly square wooden door.

‘The top lev
els of the palace are so high that the wise men of our city had to devise a way for us to reach the upper levels without having to climb thousands of steps,’ said Gelson as he opened the large door. Before them were two seats suspended in mid-air by ropes that were tied to a chain above. On their right was a large lever beside a bell which was hanging from an oversized hook. Eben stepped into the room and looked up to see a long shaft that ascended directly upward for hundreds of feet.

‘Please, Eben, take a seat,’ said Tom. Eben sat in one of the seat
s and Cassiel sat in the one beside him. ‘This will take you directly to the Ecorian Hall.’

‘How does it work?’ asked Cassiel, amazed by the ingenuity

‘I am really not sure,’ answered Gelson, shaking his head slightly. ‘I think it’s something to do with springs and tension. Whatever you do don’t let go. When you reach the top and are safely off simply ring the bell and pull the lever to send the seats back down.’

Gelson proceeded to ring the bell loudly
, and for about five seconds nothing happened. Then suddenly there was a heave and a moment later they were both ascending quickly. After about a minute they arrived at the top of the shaft; a stone landing allowed them to disembark.

‘These
Irvarians are amazing folk,’ said Cassiel, a look of wonder in his eyes. ‘I always thought that the Zyranians were the craftiest people in Veredor. I’m starting to have doubts.’

They
disembarked and rang the bell. Cassiel pulled the lever and the chairs quickly descended. They then opened the door before them. They were amazed by the sight. The upper hall was not as large as the lower entrance hall but instantly struck them with its outstanding beauty. The pillars were pure white marble with intricate carvings and rose up to the ceiling above which was painted blue like the sky. The floor was covered with large marble tiles that formed the picture of a white unicorn in flight. Great stained glass windows lined either side of the wall; each window showed scenes of the ancient history of Veredor. By far the most astonishing sight before their eyes was the large Sapphire Throne of the Ecorian Empire. The throne was made entirely of swirling crystal blue sapphire. It seemed to glow; the light from the windows above reflected in a manner that made the sapphire glisten. Standing on either side of the throne were five fully armoured guardsmen.