Age Of The Red Demons

The Princess Hath Done This!

The avian chaos had stopped in the mid of day, but a lot of things had been said while it lasted, and would go on long after it had stopped.

The people were talking about what they had witnessed the night before. It had been a night of merry, a night when they celebrated their Prince Daerys’ turning of age. It was a joyous occasion and the people of Meredith stayed up all night to wine and dine.

Until they saw bats in the sky. Until they saw the blue moon grow dark and the skies turn red. Until they saw a cave light up in the middle of the mountain and red figures float out of it with blistering speed.

All these were the gossip of the day.

Some said it was nothing, maybe just some random wild birds brought by the wind.

Some said it was more than that, they said it could be a warning about an impending danger. “Animals can sense danger,” they said.

Some, however, knew exactly what it meant though they dared not believe it.

Those who were learned and those who had knowledge of the Red King and his red era as well as the prophecy foreseeing his return could not clear their thoughts that day. In their mind was fear and despair, reinforced each moment by the deadly suspense.

Even in the royal palace, the king had summoned his most referred historians to lay their thoughts before his council and bring forth solutions so that the people could forget about that incident and dump the exaggerated rumors.

But even the historians thought that the problem might not be jobless people spreading false rumors, it could be far worse, so much that the rumors might be true.

“That the Red King has returned?”

“Yes, your majesty"

“Rubbish,” the king said, “That cannot be!”

“I’m afraid that seems to be the case my lord,” Lord Roberts, Lord of Security, tried to explain, “I have words from my men from over the mountains, they all said the same thing - the birds all came from a single source. A cave they called it”.

The throne room grew cold, lords and historians looked at one another and murmured.

"A cave?... Could it be the blind cave?"

Lord Rivers, right lord adviser to the king and one of the most learned lords rose, “The cave of shadows, or the blind cave as you all call it, is indeed blind to the sight of men. No man can locate it, not even a wizard of our time. This is a cheap rumor with no ounce of truth, am I right?”

“Yes, yes,” echoed voices of lords and historians alike.

“Nay,” another voice said.

It was the personal historian of the king, Sa Greith. He was said to know more about the history of Albane than any other living man, reaching to knowledge from witches, wizards and even common sorcerers.

"It is written," the historian continued, "in the book of shadows and concealments, stored in the wizards' keep - ‘The sight of the cave that holds Zathryon, the king of blood, is given to no man, but on the night of the blue moon, man shall behold, for the light of the moon removes all shadows casted by sorcery’..”

“The night of the blue moon?”

“Yes my king, it is so. The secret was kept away by the wizards in the deepest parts of the keep to prevent petty men from looking for the blind cave under the light of the moon. I am only honored to have possession of this knowledge”.

Again, there was a wave of murmur in the throne room. The night before was the night of the blue moon.

Could someone have found the cave and freed Zathryon?

The rumors had started to seem true and fear gripped the hearts of some lords.

“What more do you know of this cave?” The king asked.

“He who enters shall die!” Sa Greith continued, “Except if protected by the ancient armor of kings," he paused for a moment. "Which is to say that whoever might have done this, they had access to the royal armor.”

“No one would dare!” the king said.

“That is the only way my lord, but that is not the end".

There's more? His listeners grew more attentive.

“The sera that boils," explained Greith, "it was rounded with a magical barrier. Formed and enchanted by the great wizard Vur Acticus with the blood of the prince of that time, the man whose throne you now sit my lord - Arnold the great, for Arnold’s blood was distasteful to the Red King.”

Everyone nodded in agreement, then he continued, “This barrier can only be broken and passed through by such blood of the same power. Arnold himself or someone of his bloodline.. You, your majesty, or one of your children.”

The king frowned at this, “What is it you mean? That I have freed the beast?”

“I dare not, sire, but it has been written in the hall of prophecies that the Red King would be freed by he who wears a crown, you are not the only one of your bloodline who wears a crown, my lord” The historian ended with a conclusive look on his face as if hinting at a culprit for others to grasp.

“The prince was at the tourney all through last night”, Lord Roberts retorted. He understood the historian's words, and he would not have them admitted. "It was his birthnight and his highness was the star of the show. A man does not do two things at one time”.

These words were truth, and now they were left with only one answer, one more person who fit into the description of the prophecy.

“The princess, Daella,” the room grew quiet, each lord pondering over the suggestion.

It was Primelord Benifer, the prime lord who for the first time had talked.

He was among the first people to witness the ascension of the bats the night before, and he had glimpsed the red sky. Also, he had made his conclusion, but had remained quiet until this moment.

"She is of royal blood", he declared. "And last night, she left the tourney in fury, walking so fast her guards could not keep sight of her. She is the only one..”

“You dare accuse my own daughter of such atrocity?!” King Morrys had a furious look in his eyes as they sent a glare to the prime lord.

“Not that I intend to, my lord,” Benifer replied in his ever calm nature, “but I am certain that if you would think about it, you will find in my words some sense.”

But that was it. The king called off the meet and demanded that the lords and scholars leave, but he added that they should be on rest before the night as he might summon them again for a resolving discussion till daybreak.

For now, he would like to be alone and ponder over the matter.