Steeds of Hell

A trip-Chapter six

The next morning after the men were all buried in the forest’s soil and the supplies were ashore, king Bryce wanted to waste no time. He commanded the army to start their march, with the great devil of Deaths Cave constrained by seventy chains. The beast was dragged by ten spare horses while all of the way in the back of the convoy. Isaac and his black stallion rode beside it, watching its every move and hearing every hiss, growl, and scream. The white dead eyes watched back. The beast stayed alive with light like an ever-lasting fire. Its head held two horns, and the points faced its back like a ram. The black horns where neighbored by scales, the scales spread through out its back, shining in the sun that seeped pass the surrounding trees. Its body shape was that of a large horse, at least two times larger than Isaac’s war stallion. Sir Miles rode next to Isaac. He rode a white horse. So puny, it looked like the wind would blow it over. Isaac always bragged about how pretty and great his stallion was. But this time he just rode, looking at the beast in chains.

“Do you think I can ride ‘em?” Isaac asked Sir miles.

“Oh, I think you can ride it alright, but not with out burning your balls off.”  Sir Miles replied, and then he laughed, frightening Isaac’s horse. The two front legs flung into the windy air as the long hair on its hooves waved in the wind like a flag. Isaac held its reigns firmly when his horse’s hooves smashed into the ground “I think not, I’ll have one of the prisoners that we’ll capture test it out. I’ll prove you wrong, knight.” They returned to their watch at the beast. “Don’t you think we should name it, if we win this war they’ll sing about us teaming up with a beast, a nameless one.” Sir miles said

“When we win this war,” the prince corrected sir Miles, “And they named him already. Verioth is its name. It means punishment.” Isaac said

“Oh, sounds like the people of the Hinge named it, they named something they never knew existed. Foolish,” Sir Miles said as he started up a faint chuckle.

“People at the Look named it, you idiot,” Isaac said

“Hey, I’m no prince, I have no time for reading.” Miles said in his defense. Isaac just laughed at him, and then rode ahead to the front lines, where king Brice was, riding on his white stallion. “Oh! Brother, perfect timing,” the king said.

“I have a question, your grace,” Isaac said while wrestling his horse so it could stay at the same speed as Bryce’s.

“No, I need you to do something. Get a rider; make sure he is fit for the job of delivering this message to Goldenville, where we are headed. See to it that he rides ahead of us, and he will only give the message to Lord Simon Dane.” Bryce handed Isaac a scroll with his seal on it. “What was your question?” the king said.

“Oh, you’ve already answered it. And I will do as you said.” Isaac rode off to obey his brother and king. He ordered Walter, a man fit to carry out the king’s quest. Then rode back to Bryce. “Where do we head after we leave Goldenville?” he asked,

“I was under the impression that you had no more questions.” Isaac just looked at him, waiting for an answer

“When we get the Dane reinforcements we’ll ride further north, no point in going south then riding all of the way back up there.”  House Dane was the Alards closest ally for many years; it was guaranteed that they would join the ranks of king Bryce.

“So we ride through the northern dark woods?” Isaac said

“Yes.” Bryce answered

“And to Wendell’s Keep?” Isaac kept on; he was trying to make sense of what his brother was saying. He began to get louder. Wendell’s Keep is the dwelling of the barbaric house of Biden; they united with the Weston’s during Elis Weston’s rebellion and made it possible for his great success.