King of Shadows: Of Blood and Tears

Chapter 13: Solus

The castle in the mysterious land Max had stumbled upon was much larger on the inside than it had appeared on the outside. As he entered the large gate, he was standing in a vast courtyard, full of blooming flowers and trees bearing fruits varying in size and shape. Max took notice of one that had resembled a peach, yet its color was turquoise and was at least two times the size.

There was a large fountain of glimmering water in the center of the yard. It very much resembled the water Max took notice to outside of the castle, frothing white with the splashes of the questionable mermaid. The surface of the water shone, scattering brilliant rays of light across the sky with a faint, rosy tint as it splashed in the air.

As beautiful and pure as it had all seemed, the emptiness looked to take a toll on the place. He could see the crumbling and deterioration of the castle itself. The grass in the courtyard overgrown, and many of the blooming flowers were slowly being devoured by black rot. The fruits still looked delicious and peculiar, but from all the rot-devoured fruit on the ground, Max was sure the fruit was rotting from the core out. As he gazed closer, he could see the mushy texture and the fluttering of insects around it.

I need to fix this...Fix them. They are tied to me. Loyal. Max pondered, watching his reflection in the fountain.

The feeling of water splashing on him cooled him off, his reflection rippling. Maximus looked away, still puzzled by so many questions, knew that hopefully one day it would all make sense. As of now, he needed more clarity.

"The water of Solus." Melancholy approached behind Max, now standing side by side with him.

They watched as the glimmering water splashed into the pool. As drops of water touched his skin, he could feel the same tingling sensation he got when he would cry.

"Why does it sparkle like that?"

The red beast sighed and led Max to a bench under a large tree, growing red leaves with black veins.

"A war raged within this place. A century ago, your ancestors learned to travel by using a mixture of blood and tears. The Elven Mages discovered this, being able to use the mixture to grow in power, wealth, and the control of people, as well as the longevity of ruling. Thats how they ensure Malgorog stays king. Soon after, they found that the blood of the Higher Elves, The House of Elibor. The house in which you belonged was much stronger in its magical capabilities. They are of the Woodland realm. The realm in which your mother had grown up in. Ruled for some time, and then she met your pa'. "

Maximus's eyes struck open, feeling the cool soft breeze whistle through his hair, sending goosebumps down his tingling spine. The Woodland Realm. The White Tree. He thought, remembering what Amaris had said. Max, wanting to interrupt, listened on to Melancholy's story. Maximus no longer feared them, but they were still intimidating, and Max was unsure of how they dealt with being interrupted, nor was he willing to chance it.

Melancholy paused for a moment, watching a large black raven fly above them, landing on a tree branch, pecking at the decaying fruit.

"The House of Elibor had stayed in power for a hundred years or so, with the help of their alchemy and magic. Knowing this, Numaneria, and the whole of Findara was under attack from a fierce enemy that went by the name of Mirgahnaeth. His name, in Eliborian, meant vampyre. He wanted to imprison your people, feeding off of their blood and tears. That is where this place, Solus, comes in."

Max listened intensely, jotting down everything he could in his long-term memory.

"King Lethivian was able to defeat him with his armies. He knew he could not keep his enemy chained up for long, so he, as well as the help from the dragons he served, created Solus. The evil was confined here, completely isolated from the outside world. Though they could not strip him of his strength. His power and his ability to control the darkness helped him in forging an army of shadow only loyal to him. As they came knocking on the fortified walls that guarded the portal back to Findara, King Lethivian gave his preserved Stones of Chaos to his army and they traveled to Solus, engaging his enemy in one more battle. A battle that would shake the ground beneath your feet. A battle few survived."