The Kingdom of Liticea: The Sorcerer Prince

Chapter Twenty: Rengle Fallaner

Locke's voice was booming and pompous, especially when he sang of his grandfather's triumphant destruction of the Spartican flank. It was one of the many battles that was fought around Brother's Crossing that took place during the Spartican and Corasian Wars. The biggest ever was the Battle of Blue Bank Ford, when a young Yorod Dayvey led a daring assault against the Spartican general for King Aiden Heflite. The spear of the attack was young Desmond Guale, and the tip of the spear was Loyde Horcaster. The battle was not going well for the Litici army, until Loyde's army smashed into their ranks and forced them to flee. Since then, the Horcasters have been known as great warriors throughout Liticea, but they remained Desmond's thugs in the Swamplands.

Her father's expectations weighed heavily on Eliza's shoulders as she drew closer to her first battle. Her elder brother was born lame and her mother never birthed another son. And so, she was the warrior child of Markus Elenor. She had never wanted to be a warrior when she was younger. But the Elenor's were the guardians of the southern border, and the Kingdom had no shortage of enemies in Useria. There must always be one to lead the battles against Userian raiders. Since her brother could barely walk and her father was approaching the end of his prime, she had to take up the sword and swear to defend her family, her duke, and her country. It was five years since her father sent her to the school. After this battle she would return to Noor and take the place that should have belonged to her brother. He would become Duke, but she would be the Sword of Elenor.

Gor also rode in silence. House Velrock was among the most powerful forces in Liticea, second only to the Heflites. It was no wonder that the two houses were bitter rivals until Amos and Austin reconciled that. And now his father is the Archduke, the family legacy was even more precious and it now was carried by Gor and his brother. Father always told Gor that it would be he who carried on the legacy of the Velrock family. Helg squandered it at every turn. He was a teacher at the school of Chivalry, but he chose to go off with men and make mockery of a bloodline that has flowed through the veins of Velrocks since the days of Rannos Litikus. Helg would inherit the lands and titles, but it would be Gor who would be carrying on the legacy. Amos did not expect Helg to have children.

For Bart, as with many of the others, it was his time to prove his family's honor. The Brunowil family has never been a well-known house. His family had no lands and not much wealth. The only reason Bart ever came to the school is that Ulysses Cassius owed a debt of gratitude to his father and ensured he got in on merit alone. Artor Brunowil died at the Battle of Brother's Crossing, and his wife Lana passed while giving birth to Bart. If not for his friends and the mercy of Ulysses Cassius, Bart would be alone in the world as the last survivor of an unknown and unremarkable house.

After two days on the march, the Army of Tauron Heflite came to the small town of Rushka. It was a tiny collection of Hamlets and farms. The tallest and only notable structure was Carell Keep. It was a unique specimen as it's walls were extremely tall for its size. The keep was almost as tall as the walls of Blackfield, but only a third the size. To this day, no one quite knows how it was built, only that it dates back to the time of the First Empire, when almost anything was possible.

Tauron, Yorod the fourth, Lord Nicholi, Jon Malken and the Cassius' rode at the front of the army. Ahead on the road, through the tiny jumble of buildings was the keep, and waiting for them outside the gates were the people of Rushka and Carell Keep. They all met the Prince in the courtyard that came right before the gates of the keep. At the middle of the group, standing right beneath the path that led to the doors was a man with a long flowing black cloak and hair and beard to match. His eyes were small and dark and the Prince found them piercing as he rode into the courtyard to meet the Lord of Carell Keep.

"My Prince. My Lords," he said in a deep, gruff voice as he and his subjects bowed, "Welcome to Rushka. The hospitality of Carell Keep is yours."

"Baron Rengle Fallaner," said Prince Tauron, "We thank you for your warm welcome, and your willingness to take us in," not like he had much of a choice, the Prince thought to himself. Even being the Prince of Liticea, Rengle Fallaner had a look and carried himself that sent a message that he was not a man to make angry. The Prince did not want to test those waters.