Seal of the King by Ralph Smith

Author:Ralph Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2014-01-29T23:00:00+00:00

Tartaros

When they awoke the sky was grey and cold. It was an ominous reminder of what lay ahead. They ate a small meal and sat quietly next to each other. They both knew today was the day. Even though they felt apprehensive, waiting weeks to make this last leg of their journey would have been worse. They hadn’t had time to contemplate what they would face, but were resigned to the fact that whatever it was would come. They couldn’t change it, but soon enough it would be over one way or the other.

They gathered their things and loaded the horse. David turned to Aurora, placing his hands gently on her arms. Then taking her hands in his he said, “I just want you to know that no matter what happens I love you with all my heart. In case I don’t get to tell you again, please don’t forget that.”

Aurora wrapped her arms around him, and melted into his embrace “I love you too, and I’ve never been so happy.”

David looked at her and smiled, “Are you ready then?”

“Yes I am.”

They mounted the horse and headed out. Once out from under the canopy of the tree the air was damp and cold, but they did not hesitate. They headed north along the road towards Tartaros. They rode through another war-torn forest, and found themselves entering a desolate plain. It was littered with small rocks and very little grass. The further on they went life seemed to have abandoned the area completely. After a couple of hours, they reached the top of a barren plateau and could see their destination.

They looked down into the valley of Tartaros. It was smaller than they expected, and they saw in the center a rough-cut rock tower. This was not something forged by the hands of men. It looked as if it was forced up through the ground, like the head of a stone arrow. Jagged and uneven, its cold black color was anything but inviting. A swampy bog wrapped around it in a perfect circle, as if it grew out from the keep. The blackened landscape was darker at the center and became slightly lighter by degrees. It was spreading out like the rings of a tree until it met the desolate plateau above. The evil inside appeared to be poisoning the ground. It was devouring all life in its path and seeping ever farther outward from his lair, a stain spreading across the land. The road wound its way down the bowl of the valley to the bog, where a barely distinguishable land bridge provided a path to the center. At the edge of the bog, where the road pierced the ring, stood two enormous figures, its gatekeepers.

David turned to Aurora, and said “I think we should go on foot from here. We’ll let the horse go free. Bringing him down there can only mean his death.” She nodded her agreement and dismounted. David followed her. They grabbed their packs and weapons, leaving the bedrolls and extra supplies.

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