The Shadow Prince

3.
Baccora had always been regarded as a beautiful land, filled with diverse geography and terrain. To the south, the climate was hot and at times humid. It was there that the land was lush and rich with tropical and exotic plants and animals. The land ended at, what Baccorian’s called, The Break. The Break was the area of sea that separated Baccora from The Mainlands.

A thousand, thousand years ago, Baccora was once connected to The Mainlands, but after The Great Quake, the land shook so violently, a large sum of it disappeared into the sea, forming The Break, separating Baccora forever from The Mainlands.

The Capitol sat in the lower half of the massive island nation, partially protected by The Cascade River. Famed for its deep bay, The Capitol had been a seat of power long before The Great Quake and the formation of Baccora as a kingdom itself. Going farther north from The Capitol, the climate was more temperate, less humid and warm, but comfortable and serene.

Small villages and towns appeared here and there, separated by large expanses of countryside. Meadows gave way to thick forests, and rolling hills gave way to flat plains. Eventually, as you traveled further north, you were met with the awe-inspiring sight of The Sharpstone Mountains, and just on the other side of The Sharpstone Mountains was The Void.

For as long as Baccora had been unified as a Kingdom, and possibly even longer than that, rumors always swirled about the jagged mountains and what lay beyond them, mainly who lay beyond them. The Voidari were a race of people who once resided in nomadic tribes that dotted plains, meadows, and forests as far south as the headwaters of The Cascade River. Their nomadic way of life, culture, and traditions often clashed with the sedentary lifestyles of the early Baccorians. By the time the first Garai King came to power, The Voidari had been pushed beyond The Sharpstone Mountains into the virtually unknown.

“I heard a rumor that those of Lord Harrell’s line are direct descendants of the first Baccorians who settled the land after The Great Quake,” Kaius said. Rieka held the reins to her horse tightly in her gloved hands, twigs, and leaves snapping and cracking under the weight of their horse’s hoofs as they slowly trekked down a semi-wooded roadway.

“The First Baccorians will always be The Voidari, they are the ones who are native to these lands, it is our ancestors who pushed them off of it and sent them northwards.” Rieka corrected.

“What I meant was… I heard a rumor that the Harrell bloodline is Voidari.” Kaius said.

“Yes and no,” Rieka said as she began to think back to all her history lessons, “Shortly after King Luke Garai was crowned as the first King of Baccora he appointed Jacen Harrell as the first Warden of The Void. Jacen had been the bastard son of a wealthy southern merchant and a Voidari woman. He had dared to defy his father and swore allegiances to protecting the Voidari during the Great Unification. He remained neutral during the entirety of that time, seeking only to protect The Voidari, and for his neutrality, King Luke made him Warden under the condition that he keep the Voidari in line.”

“So the founder of the Harrell house was famed for his neutrality, yet his descendant Otto Harrell swore allegiances to The Chancellor?” Erix asked.

“A thousand years have passed between then and now, and much has changed,” Rieka said.

“We will be crossing the Forge River soon, once we are on the other side, they will know we are coming,” Cadoc said, his deep voice, thick with his Westerling accent from the south.

“How will they know?” Kaius asked.

“Watchtowers, upwards of six of them. No one sneaks up on Duskcliff.”

“None of the other holdfasts in the kingdoms have communicating watchtowers, why Duskcliff? I thought Duskcliff was a backwater fortress of little to no importance to the military.” Kaius said.

“Duskcliff is all that stands between us and The Void…” Erix began,

“You mean us and The Voidari.” Kaius chuckled.

“No… The Void. The foothills and beyond The Sharpstone Mountains are home to many a creature, not just The Voidari. The Voidari are the least of your worries when it comes to the beasts of The Void.” Erix said.

“Hush, stop spreading rumors.” Rieka scolded them as their horses continued to trod down the wooded roadway. In the distance Rieka could hear the sound of running water, they were indeed close to the Forge River just as Cadoc said.

“I’m not spreading rumors! The Void has never been properly explored. They say the last pack of Moon Wolves followed The Voidari when they were pushed over the mountains and that the population has thrived ever since. They also say that there are giant lizard monsters that live in the caves of the mountains, and man-eating birds that can swoop down and carry you off.”

“Rumors, no one has made an officially documented sighting since the formation of Baccora,” Rieka said. Then, the group began to notice that the woods around them were beginning to thin, and the sound of running water became louder and louder. Within a few more yards they were at the banks of the wide mighty river.

Forge River was the official boundary marker that separated Duskcliff territories from the southern territories. Not many people lived this far north, many favoring more population, access to the larger cities and trade centers, and better weather. Rolling deep green hills met bright the bright blue sky as the river separated their view. The river was wide and shallow at this point where the road crossed it; it was so shallow there was no need for a bridge.

Rieka glanced to her right up river, and in the far-off distance, she could make out the massive jagged Sharpstone mountains. So immense they were, that they could easily be seen for miles and miles and miles on a clear day. In front of them, Rieka could make out where the roadway began again, and following it uphill, she saw the very top of one of the first watchtowers.

“We’ve already been spotted,” Cadoc said. Rieka snapped the reigns of her horse and trotted forward, hooves splashing in the water as she made the crossing. Her companions followed closely behind as they continued on their journey, still a day’s ride away from Duskcliff.

***

They arrived at the village outside the fortress walls just before sundown the following day. It had been a long journey, traveling for days by horseback, sleeping out in the elements, and either hoping they’d come upon a village for food or having to hunt rabbits. As rugged as it was, the group thoroughly enjoyed it. They had grown accustomed to their lives of relative comfort in The Capitol, but being back out on the road again was reminiscent of their time spent together during the war.

Rieka immediately noticed the distinct features of the townspeople. It was clear that for many generations Voidari and Southerners intermarried and raised children together. The icy blue or emerald green eyes and ash blond or red hair were the main Voidari features that seemed to be the strongest.

“You there!” Someone called out, the group turned to see a Duskcliff guard approaching them.

“Where are you coming from and to where are you going?” The guard demanded of them.

“We are from The Capitol, we are here Hospitality Envoys representing Her Majesty, The Queen. We are here to bring tidings to the Lady Anya of Duskcliff.” Rieka said it was the lie she had managed to come up with to get inside the walls of Duskcliff.

“Lady Anya has no dealings with The Capitol. She remembers the oath of her ancestor Jacen Harrell.” The guard sternly said Rieka’s stomach dropped to her feet. This was something she wasn't expecting. Perhaps she had been foolish to think that Anya would welcome them to Duskcliff.

“We have nothing to do with politics, only hospitality,” Erix added.

“I’m sorry, but there is nothing I can do.” The guard said.

“We traveled all this way to bring tidings to your Lady, surely there must be a way for our message to be given to her.” Rieka pleaded. The guard looked around nervously, noting that a crowd of townspeople had begun to gather and watch.

“There is nothing I can do. Lady Anya opens the gates of Duskcliff to no one.” The guard said before marching off. Rieka was visibly upset, yet at the same time intrigued. Stepping out into the roadway she let her eyes follow the guard as he marched his way back toward the fortress beyond.

Sitting behind tall red stone walls, Duskcliff was a sight to behold. Tall watchtowers reached into the sky, and blue clay roof tiles peeked over the tops of the thick stone walls. For over a thousand years, this fortress held strong, through many a harsh winter, blazing summer, war, and peace.

“There is a woman…” Rieka turned to see an elderly man approaching her.

“A woman?” Rieka repeated,

“A woman named Moira has the ear of Lady Anya. Every morning Moira comes into town herself to pick up provisions for the household. Stay until the first light, you will see her beg for the audience from her.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Rieka asked.

“Things have not been the same since The Shadow Knight stopped coming to our lands.” The man said as he quickly scurried away.

The Shadow Knight

One of the many names Prince Kian went by…

***

The group found lodging at the local tavern for the night. It felt good to sleep indoors for once after days of sleeping outdoors, and have fresh ale and meat pie to eat. Despite the added comforts, though, Rieka could barely sleep. She stayed awake almost all night. As soon as the sunlight began to appear over the mountains, Rieka readied herself and fixed her eyes upon the Duskcliff gates.

A small door in the Duskcliff gates opened and out appeared a petite woman. Carrying a basket, the woman made her way down to the village. The woman did not look like a Southerner or Voidari, no… Rieka knew her kind. The woman was from The Western Isles, the same as she was. Although Rieka was never a native Western Islander, Southern blood ran through her veins.

The woman was older, grandmotherly, with thick salt, and peppered haired her eyes had that distinct slant to them that all native Western Islanders had. Rieka watched as she went about her business, gathering all sorts of goods from merchants in the town. Once it was clear that Moira was finished with her business, Rieka situated herself by the roadway so that she had to walk by her.

“Excuse me… are you Moira?” Rieka asked as the old woman passed her.

“Who’s asking?” The woman asked without stopping.

“Me… I am,” Rieka said, hurrying to keep up with her. “They told me I could talk to you. That you could talk to Lady Anya on my behalf.”

“Lady Anya doesn’t allow outsiders inside Duskcliff walls anymore.”

“Please… it is urgent… I am from The Capitol.” To that admission, Moira stopped in her tracks.

“WHO…. Are you?” Moira demanded to know.

“Rieka… I am Reika,” Rieka softly said, just above a whisper, lowering the hood of the cloak she wore so that Moira could better see her face.

“You are The Queen? Of course, you are, only the Queen herself would come all this way to speak to my Lady. You came alone?” Moira softly said,

“With my three most trusted guards, that is all. We are here to clarify events surrounding some of the last days of Prince Kian’s life.”

“Of course you are…” She said before starting to take a few steps, “I will see what I can do. If she will have you, I will send for you. Do not approach the fortress gates, a guard will come for you.” She said before walking away.

Moira had a pit in her stomach as she walked her way back to the fortress. She had not been at Duskcliff during the time of Prince Kieran’s frequent visits, but she had heard about them. The interior guards opened the door for her as she arrived back at Duskcliff. Hidden behind the great fortress walls, Duskcliff was an oasis. Flowering gardens, fountains, stables, and an armory existed between the walls and the main estate.

Moira found her Mistress where she almost always was at that time of day. In the kitchen. Gently leaning over, Moira whispered into the young noblewoman’s ear:

“The Queen has secretly traveled from The Capitol to speak with you.”

Anya Harrell immediately ceased the work she was doing with her hands and stood up. The chair she had been sitting in loudly screeched against the stone floor. She turned and looked at Moira, fear in her emerald green eyes.

“I suppose it’s time.” She said.

“As you wish, my lady,” Moira said, bowing her head before she walked away.

Anya slowly walked over to the kitchen window and looked out into the kitchen garden, a sea of memories beginning to flood her mind.