Chronicles of Messallóvaria: Dark Deception by L.R. Engle

Author:L.R. Engle [Engle, L.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-06-28T16:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Six

“Treat nature as you would thy children, for both will need to provide for others beyond thyself.”

—Zhoreya: Valkan Goddess of Sustenance, Weather, and Materials

It was still dark when an elf soldier rode in from the east. He was quickly allowed through the front gate and greeted by the Royal Guard of Cyrin. His face was blackened with smoke, and dried blood covered much of his armor.

“Wake the king!” he demanded immediately, his voice heavy with grief and frustration. “Wake him now!” The guards escorted him to the king, who was quickly accompanied by Prince Tauriel in the hall as they made their way toward the front of the castle. The king looked deeply concerned as the elf soldier approached him.

“Sire . . .” the exhausted soldier began, “Uriel has fallen. Most are dead; not many made it out.” His eyes began to swell with tears, his hands visibly shaking.

“DunnChester?” the king asked frantically, raising his hands to grasp the forearms of the sobbing elf.

“No, sire.” He shook his head as he tried to find the words to describe what he had seen. “They were not of this world, my king . . .” He whispered the words as he forced them through terror and sadness. The soldier brushed away a tear from his eye as he had become frustrated, overwhelmed by his thoughts. “Beasts!” he shouted. “They were something out of hell itself—dark, disfigured monsters . . .”

King Ezren looked on curiously, studying the soldier. Confusion settled deep within his face as he grabbed the soldier by his dirtied shoulder. “Come,” he said, looking over at the other guards, “let’s get you cleaned up and fed. We’ll discuss more in the Great Hall with the council’s presence.”

Prince Tauriel immediately sent for a gathering of the council to the Great Hall, where they all met a brief moment later. The soldier from Uriel was not yet in attendance, as he was still settling in. The king was accompanied by his wife, the beloved queen, as he walked into the Great Hall where the prince and remaining council were already waiting anxiously. The sun had finally risen, sending bright waves of light pouring into the windows high up along the walls of the large room, showing the vibrant colors of the banners.

King Ezren walked hurriedly to the large council table. He took in a deep breath as he reached its edge, where he rested his hands on top of the tall chair at its end. “Just an hour ago we received word that Uriel has been attacked.” Multiple gasps broke out through the hall, followed by whispers, before Alownis, the mayor of Uriel, stood up at once, his fists clenched.

“We must send all of our forces to destroy the humans at once!” the old mayor demanded furiously. Ezren sighed deeply, lowering his head in frustration toward the councilman’s understandable demand.

“It was not humans . . . Alownis,” he said, before looking up at the confused elf with an expression of great disappointment. “The messenger informed us that Uriel was attacked by thousands of some sort of .

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