Running through the smoke filled hallways of the castle Will sees destroyed window panels and broken walls all around him. Wiping his tears he focuses on the path towards the inner meeting room where he thinks his family is located. While running past the destroyed pillars and walls he notices that the painting of Tíriel Cad Marlow, untouched by the surrounding destruction. Looking at the painting Will notices that the soldiers surrounding Tíriel are replaced by monsters and shadow creatures and in the background a large obsidian obelisk is towering over the characters in the painting.
Will stares at the obelisk in confusion but is quickly snapped back to reality with the loud explosion coming from the city. Will leaves the painting and runs towards the room. Running for a few moments he finally arrives at the small wooden door seperating the ruined hallway and the meeting room where the royal family are supposed to retreat to in case of invasions. Entering he sees the familiar room which is filled by book cases covering the walls filled with books concerning history, geography, magic and other subjects. at the other end of the room there is a large oak table covered in documents and scrolls and at the centre of the room is a small table and two dark brown couches where a young man is laying with bandage covering his chest and left arm.
Before Will even can utter a word his vision goes dark as he feels the varm embrace of his mother, her hair is unkept and her eyes are red with tears flowing down her cheeks.
" Thank the light, you are safe!" Diana exclaimed, her tears still flowing but there is relief in her voice.
" M- Mo- Mother, I let Sabine die! I could save her but she wanted me to run. What is happening?" Will's voice broke as his tears began flowing, his composure at last broken by the events.
Crying into his mother's embrace his emotions are released, the pent up sadness and confusion finally taking it's toll on the young Will. After a few moments he is calmed down by Diana and she wipes the last tears away from Will's cheeks. Releasing his son from her embrace Diana stands up again and goes over to the man laying on the couch. Will takes a proper look at the man and sees that its his father laying there. He runs over and embraces Johann with a tight hug.
"You little Wolf, you can't hug to tight, my wounds may reopen if you hug any tighter" Johann says and lets out a small chuckle towards his son. adjusting himself on the couch he lifts up Will with his good arm and places him on his lap and embraces Will with his arm.
"Father, how did you get injured?" Will asks his father, concerned by the numerous injuries on Johann's body.
"Well, When it felt like the seven hells themselves invaded the courtyard I took control over the royal guards and with the help of them and the capable nobels we created a distraction to let the women and children escape towards the inner parts. But one of the monsters came from the side and landed two strikes on me before I could cut it down." Johann explained.
Talking with his father about the events during the initial outbreak he was informed of the death of several nobels and the missing or unknown whereabouts of several, including his brother and sister-in-law. Discussing their current situation Johann explained that Will have to escape Aclan and head south with other refugees where its hopefully safe.
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Johann lifts of Will from his lap and stands up and walks towards Diana and embraces her. Will looks at his loving parents but before he can say a word his father returns to Will and goes down on one knee, holding a silver longsword.
"This sword was Mathil's sword when he reached adulthood, but now you are bestowed it instead. This sword is one of the family heirlooms of the Marlow family and signifies any noble from the northern continent about its role as the rightful heir of Ascalon is the wielder of this blade." Johann explains with pride in his voice, but regret that this responsibility has befallen such a young child.
"You need to go towards the southern continent and amass an army to one day reclaim your home. Your mother and I will stay here and save as many people as possible. I love you very much son, and always remember, Sol is always there for you, for even in the darkest of moments there will always be light." Johann exclaimed and hugs his son for perhaps the final time.
Johann released Will from the embrace and stood up to the side and Diana went over and hugged Will also for perhaps the last time.
"Will dear, There is a secret tunnel from here to the servants kitchen where Artír is hiding with other survivors. Head there and escape with them. I also love you very much, but you have to survive for the sake of the future. As your father said, him and I will rescue as many survivors as possible before escaping towards safer lands. You need to hurry, Artír said that they will leave soon." Diana said and stood up besides Johann.
"Mother, Father, I love you more than everything, I promise that I will return to you and reclaim our home from these monsters." Will promised, determination in his voice and a fire burning in his eyes.
He embraces his mother and father for a final time before heading into the secret tunnel. looking back one final time.
After several minutes of crawling through the tunnel he sees the exit and opens it, but suddenly several spears are held against him.
"Stand back" Stand back I said! Can't you see its Prince Will, not a monster?" A tired but vigilant dward shouts at the soldiers wielding the spears. Will looks at the all to familiar dwarf, Artír Dunason, the royal blacksmith and one of the former tutors of Will. Standing around 145 centimetres tall, with a shaven head and a large light-brown beard which is braided into a single braid with silver and jewels embedded in the beard. In his arms are two short axes, thirty-five centimetres in lenght with runic symbols along the two shafts.
"Artír, The king and Queen of Ascalon has issued the evacuation of the capital towards the southern continent, we are leaving as soon as possible with the survivors we can find along the way, do everyone understand?" Will explains and asks the group of people surrounding him.
"Yes your highness, we are preparing to leave, we have secured wagons and horses to the south and are just waiting for a group of monsters to leave the road towards the Tash'mal Gate." Artír explained to the prince.
After about twenty minutes of planning with the more senior soldiers the group of around forty people sneaked towards the wagons were another thirty were located, Will counted the heads and they were seventy-seven people that were leaving. jumping untop one of the horses he and a few soldiers take guard alongside the wagons which houses the women, children and a few who were injured in the initial attack.
Taking a final look at his former home, which now is no longer ablaze, instead several colomns of smoke rising towards the sky, he says a small prayer towards Sol, the god of light, to protect his home and family from danger, and they leave into the might towards an unknown future.