Chapter 12
The journey continues: an untimely demise.
Aldric, the firstborn secret child of King Gawain, embarked on a quest alongside his trusted companion, Mordred, a skilled archer. Their mission was to find his long lost half-sister, Lysanna, who bears the fabled dragon mark. He believes that she might hold the key to understanding their family's hidden past. A year and a half passed since the duo set out on their journey through treacherous terrains, facing various challenges that tested their friendship and skills.
Their journey led them to the enchanting City of Tri-goh, renowned for its mystical population of mages. In Tri-goh, they began hearing stories of the death of Zed, one of the 13 elder mages who were highly respected for their wisdom and power. Zed's death sent shockwaves through the mage community, sparking uncertainty and fear.
As Aldric and Mordred delve deeper into the city's secrets, they uncover a connection between Zed and Lysanna. It was revealed that Lysanna had sought refuge with Zed after she left home with Alara, seeking to understand the meaning behind her dragon mark and harness her latent magical abilities. Zed became her mentor and protector, nurturing her potential.
The duo's investigation reveals that Zed's death might not have been natural. Suspicions arose about a power struggle within the mage council, as some sought to claim Zed's position and his vast knowledge. Aldric and Mordred navigated the political intricacies of the mage society to find the truth about Zed's demise.
As they uncover more about Zed's past, they also learn about the complexities of Lysanna's abilities and her dragon mark's significance. The mark holds a connection to a long-lost prophecy that speaks of a time when a marked one will bring balance to a world teetering on the brink of chaos.
Aldric and Mordred's investigation takes an unexpected turn when they find themselves in the midst of a plot to manipulate Lysanna's powers for nefarious purposes.
Just then did a soldier messenger arrive from Tri-goh to Albion's castle, bringing news of the whereabouts of Lysanna. King Edmund had earlier sent a number of men to search for the whereabouts of his half sister as he planned on erasing every trait of threat to his claim on the throne.
"My king, I bring news from one of the spies in tri-goh". He said. Edmund was drinking wine, fresh from the castle's vineyard, discussing royal matters with his mother at that time.
"The whereabouts of your sister, my lord, has been found" on hearing this, he angrily walk up to him saying "spill the news". As the knight was telling the king of the information, Edmund slowly walked back to the throne and sat with anger and uneasiness in his eyes.
"Our informant has made us to know that she was in the kingdom of Tri-goh"
"Tri-goh?, why would an enemy kingdom house a blood of Albion?" He asked, his face full of fury and anger. "This is war, they plan to use her as a claim to my throne!" He retorted. His mother, queen Talisa, now queen regent, tried to calm him down and urged him to take things slow.
Blinded by his ambition, he hastily assembles a massive army of 200,000 knights and soldiers, he then tells the guard to ready his saddle for his dragon to launch an attack on Trigoh. It was held that king Edmund would not live his life long. He was convinced that the enemy kingdom aimed to use Lysanna against him and saw this as a chance to eliminate both his sister and any potential threats. Unbeknownst to King Edmund, Lysanna had sought refuge beyond Trigoh's borders following the death of Zed.
As King Edmund's colossal army advanced towards Tri-goh, the tension within his ranks becomes palpable. Some knights and soldiers questioned the legitimacy of the assault, sensing a lack of evidence to support the claim that Lysanna is a threat. Nevertheless, fear and loyalty kept them marching forward, even as they grew uneasy about the extent of the violence King Edmund was willing to unleash
Edmund led the army himself riding the back of his dragon, Vhamor because he had earlier sent his army commander, Ser Ector to kill Aldric.
The journey to Tri-goh was not without its challenges. It took the army 4 months to get the the border of Tri-goh. As the army reached Tri-goh. The army camped at the border of the kingdom and king Edmund sent a message ordering the release of Lysanna. He was met with a counter message stating that nobody of that description was in the kingdom. Edmund also counter sent another message giving them three nights to bring her out otherwise he would attack the kingdom. Queen Talisa, his mother had begged him not to be rash before he left the castle, as there was a trite law that stated that other kingdom was not to set foot in each other's territory.
Blinded by his ambition, he forsook the counsel of his mother and ordered the mages of Tri-goh to deliver Lysanna into his custody.
King Edmund, fueled by an unquenchable thirst to secure his throne and driven by belief of his hidden half-sister, Lysanna, bearing the forbidden Dragon Mark, marshaled his formidable army to wage war against the mages of Tri Goh. Little did he suspect that his journey into the heart of the mystical land would set in motion a cascade of events that would challenge his very identity and reshape the destinies of two worlds.
As the forces of King Edmund amassed on the fringes of Tri Goh, whispers of ancient prophecies and dire admonitions swept through the air. The Archmage of Tri Goh, an enigmatic figure steeped in arcane knowledge, in appearance of the archmage, earnestly beseeched Edmund to reconsider his aggressive intentions. "King Edmund," the Archmage's voice carried a weight of foreboding, "what you seek may lead you down a treacherous path, one that reveals more than you are prepared to comprehend."
Blinded by ambition and distrust, and bond between him and his dragon, King Edmund dismissed the Archmage's cryptic words as veiled attempts to thwart his goals. Unbeknownst to him, the Archmage had sensed the latent power of the Dragon Mark, a potential harbinger of both greatness and destruction, during the saga of the death of Zed, which he also coveted as means to wield the fabled sword. Meanwhile, hidden among the labyrinthine streets of Tri Goh, Edmund's half-elder brother Aldric , his true purpose cloaked in shadows, as he was in the city secretly unraveling informations of his sister's whereabouts and waiting for the opportune moment to make his presence known.
As the imposing gates of Tri Goh barred Edmund's entry, the resolute king concocted a daring stratagem. With a covert cadre of trusted warriors, he infiltrated the formidable walls of the city, his heart a symphony of determination and uncertainty. In the midst of this clandestine mission, Edmund chanced upon his half-brother, Aldric, a figure whose very existence he had long harbored disdain for, since he also considered him a threat to his throne and the son of the traitor- Lady Isabella.
Masking his disdain behind a facade of camaraderie, Edmund extended a hand of feigned warmth to Aldric, masking his true intentions beneath layers of deceit. Yet fate, like an unseen hand, wielded its influence with the subtlety of a masterful puppeteer. Just as Edmund's blade poised for a treacherous strike, a swift arrow from the vigilant Mordred cleaved the air, severing the illusion of harmony.
Aldric's anguished cry rang through the air as the arrow's intervention spared him from Edmund's blade. Sibling rivalry that had simmered for years dissolved into insignificance as the weight of their shared lineage emerged from the shadows. Aldric's complex emotions, a volatile mixture of fraternal love and lingering resentment, struggled for dominance.
In a climactic twist, the Archmage emerged from the shadows, his gaze heavy with melancholy. He unveiled a prophecy that had long been whispered by the winds of destiny, unraveling the threads of fate that intertwined the lives of the two brothers. The enigmatic Dragon Mark, rumored to be Lysanna's legacy, bore the potential to reshape reality itself, transcending the boundaries of kingdoms and magic.
Amidst the tumultuous battleground and the clash of spells, the legacy of kingdoms and the fate of brothers hung in precarious balance. Through unforeseen alliances and heartrending sacrifices, the truth behind Lysanna's enigmatic disappearance was gradually unearthed, a truth that had the potential to mend fractured bonds or further sunder them.
In the heart of Tri Goh's war-ravaged landscape, King Edmund and Aldric, Armed not only with weapons and magic, but also with the power to rewrite the tapestry of their intertwined destinies. As the impromptu final battle happened, the world held its breath, waiting to witness the culmination of an epic tale that would forever alter the course of history.