It was morning when Cormac and the rest of the freed slaves slowly woke up, a slight drizzle of rain had started, when everyone had fully awakened and started eating old bread crusts for breakfast. Cormac and the weaker slaves started out in front, Cormac helping the old man and the others along, the rest of the slaves walked after them.
After reaching the crest of a hill, they stopped to let some rest."Why are you being hunted by Eldred?" asked Cormac "and how did you become a prisoner if you have such power ?"
"We are threats to him, we are the only ones in the kingdom who are experienced enough to challenge him. So we must be put down, many of my friends and some family have been murdered over the years, just because they had some part of power. That is why many have never even heard of us, they have lived life knowing nothing." said the old man.
"So the only reason, Eldred wants to kill people like you, is because you're a threat to him?" asked Cormac
"That is the main reason, yes, there are some other reasons, but not as important."the old man replied.
They started walking again, down the other side of the hill, in the distance a forest loomed, dark and foreboding. Even the sun seemed to darken, with the dark forest in sight. The slaves started to form a group, huddling together in a tight formation around Cormac and the Old Man.
"What about getting captured, how'd that happen?" asked Cormac persistently.
"I was being dumb, that's all and of course, I let my guard down because I met another Storm Mage, he was young and was needing training. So I trained him as much as I could, then he betrayed, he ran at the first sign of danger. I never stood a chance against anyone, because I was sleeping when we were attacked." The old man said bitterly.
"I'm sorry hear that sir." replied Cormac
"My name is Simon StormCrag, not sir. I don't deserve to be called Sir, I've done some terrible things in my life, so don't call me Sir or anything noble." Simon told him. "Yes Sir... I mean Simon" answered Cormac.
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Trevor stared in amazement as the crack in the ice started to widen and chips of ice started to splinter off. Black and Oily, a dark substance crept out of the ice, destroying and melting the ice away. Achlys smiled, as the ice withered away from his head, moving down his body. Achlys was now able to step out of it and he did, Trevor kneeled down, bowing his head and placing his fist-ed hand on his chest, he re-pledged his allegiance to his now mighty lord and emperor.
Achlys released a pure torrent of Darkness up through the ceiling and out into the night sky. Achlys let it continue, let his son and everybody else know that had betrayed him, that Emperor Achlys is free and will be coming for them.
Achlys finally looked down, noticing his supporter for many years knelling before him, "Stand up Trevor, there's no need to do that, in fact it's me who should be saluting you for strength and bravery for standing strong in the face of peer pressure and choosing to stay with me".
Trevor stood up, smiling, because in the first time in a long time, he was going to have a lot of fun. Before the Emperors imprisonment, here in this castle, thousands of servants served him, there was a magnificent city, outside the palace, stretching for miles, each street with children playing, people working, and building. There was a great wall that stretched around the city, also dividing the city into districts. Tens of thousands of soldiers, patrolled the walls, guarded the gatehouses, guarded the palace, and even do service to the poor. There wasn't a big gap between the poor and the rich because most of the wealth of the city was shared between everyone. The City offered baths, education, and service's to everybody every single day, there wasn't an ounce of laziness in the city, so everybody did their part.
The young Prince Eldred, although was lazy, snobbish, and very spoiled. He enjoyed making fun of the less privileged servants and treated them like the ground he walked on. Now where did this come from, his mother who was just like him, except for having any special ability of power.
She died in childbirth of her second son, who died with her, Eldred was six years old when it happened, and he was only close to her, when she died his anger would flare, he got in more fights and caused many in the city to hate and they even formed a faction against him. The group died out, due to Eldred getting angry and killing them. In the first time in almost 100 years, the royal family was feared and hated, people were dissatisfied with Achlys's son. The city was still the most prosperous in all the land so no one left, but riots would break out and violence would fill the streets. That was when Achlys captured his former captain of the guard, Bryce the Red, who was trying to rally the people against him in a revolt. Then Achlys was imprisioned, Bryce the Red was injured, but able to get away, and his son Eldred took his kingdom and destroyed in a matter of months.
The only thing left standing in the city was half the palace, a monument to Achlys Grandfather, Alaric the Proud, and the bath house. That was all that was left standing in that great city, Armethliam.
Trevor caught Achlys up on what had happened during his imprisonment, and who remained in the city, and who would most likely be willing to help them fight Eldred, when they heard the gatehouse door to the palace being ripped off its hinges, and a loud voice " Achlys it is Simon and we are here to help you fight!"
YOU ARE READING
The Emperor's Son(ON HOLD)
FantasyBrutus comes home from a trip to the market and gets pulled into an adventure he's tried to avoid. His life is turned upside down when soldiers attack his village and he himself discovers new things about himself and those he loves.
