Alix slept long into the next morning. As he rolled from bed, he couldn’t understand why he felt so heavy and sluggish, until he realised he had forgotten to deposit the Iron Ore before going to bed. Tifayn was already gone when he awoke, so he made himself a cup of coffee in silence, preparing himself for the day. He expected it to be long but satisfying, so he treated the coffee the same way while he had the time.
Alix checked his map as he savoured the dark brew. The Ringtails were all huddled in Brant and Ophenia’s room, while Brant himself was out in the grounds, most likely practicing with the claymore. The Dark Elves were still where they had set up camp. Brant was probably keeping an eye on them more than the sword. The gargoyles were dispersed throughout the castle, repairing the stone everywhere they went. The skeletons were just as equally spread out, working on smaller jobs, while the hounds patrolled the walls and into the woods. Evory was nowhere to be seen. Tifayn appeared to be talking with some of the Dark Elves, while Mr Bones was pacing in the corridor outside the door.
Once he finished his coffee, and made sure to savour the time cleaning it in the sink, he went to greet Mr Bones.
“Good morning, my lord,” Mr Bones said as soon as Alix appeared. At the sight of Alix he seemed to relax as much as it was possible for a skeleton to do so. “I take it your journey was a success.”
“Yes, but not in the way I was expecting. I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but it looks like we are going to have to focus on fixing up some of the other rooms for the Dark Elves to stay in. They can’t camp out in the grounds forever.”
“I will set the skeletons to it at once. If there are Dark Elves here, I take it you met with the Revenant?”
“I did. He was an interesting guy. I hope I will be able to count him as an ally in the future. Come and see me later, Mr Bones, after I have a chance to talk with the Dark Elves,” Alix said before the skeleton turned to leave. “I think it’s time I gave all the skeletons back their names, and their memories. If they can teach me what they once knew, I will have a much better chance of surviving here.”
“Of course, my lord. I think that is a fine idea.” Mr Bones walked him to the front doors and then left him as Alix first made his way to the forge.
The Iron Ore seemed to weigh on him the longer he carried it but he felt a hundred times lighter once he had deposited the load in the forge, almost filling the place to overflowing. The few skeletons that spent their time there quickly got to smelting it down, a process Alix hoped he could speed up with a quick trip to the library. He would have to make a stop there later anyway, before he met with Mr Bones. He would have to find something to write with as well. He was beginning to feel the need to write down his own story already.
Once the ore was unloaded, he took the back exit to the grounds and went to meet the Dark Elves. Brant was glaring at them from a distance, while Tifayn spoke with a pair of them.
“This is the leader of the group, Vindel,” Tifayn said as he arrived, motioning to one of the pair.
Alix held out his hand to greet the man, but when he showed confusion at the gesture, Alix awkwardly withdrew. Tifayn didn’t introduce the girl, and she kept silent. She was as tall as the men, but more lithe than the rest, and held a regal bearing. Alix almost felt like a child in their presence.
“I’m sorry, I forgot the castle was not yet fit to house so many. I have rooms being prepared for you now, but it might take a day or two. If you need anything before then, just ask.”
“We are fine to camp out here, Darknight” Vindel said, bowing his head slightly. “We are eager to get started though, if you could show us where to go.”
“The forge is just through the door I came from, but it will not fit all of you. Feel free to go explore the castle as you wish. I’m sure the skeletons and the gargoyles would appreciate your expertise anywhere. Is there anything else that you need?”
“With the iron ore that you carried here, and the extra materials we brought with us, we have everything we need, apart from the forgehammers.”
“I am going to start looking into the forgehammers today. If I am able to create them, I will bring them to you as soon as I am able.”
“Then there is nothing else we require. Although we would appreciate it if that man would stop watching us so fiercely.”
“Of course. Brant can be a difficult man but he won’t give you any trouble, I will see to that.”
Vindel headed off to find the forge and a handful of the dark elves followed him. Most of the others began to wander while a few remained behind to guard their camp, while Alix went to join Brant. The soldier looked like he had been practising, but Alix only saw him staring at the dark elves with contempt.
“What’s the problem, Brant?” Alix asked him.
“I didn’t realise you were going to be harbouring Dark Elves. They have been exiled from Galdea.”
“I’ve been exiled as well, but I never catch you glaring at me like that. The Dark Elves won’t be a problem. They have come here to help us. They are masters of the forge.”
“I have seen you do some incredible things already. Why can you not do their work in an instant with the ring?”
“I probably could, if they taught me, but I can’t spend all my time here in the forge or crafting things out of wood. There are more important things I need to learn, things you should be teaching me.”
“If you vouch for them then I will trust them, but a Dark Elf does nothing for free.”
“You will need to get used to them soon, they will be moving into the castle as the rooms are readied. For now they have begun working in the forge so I should be able to get us some new swords to practise with in a few days.”
Suddenly Ajugor fell down from the sky beside them. Brant instinctively turned his sword towards the sudden presence, and the dark elves all picked up their warhammers at the sight of the gargoyle. Alix had to admit he was pretty intimidating. He could have sharpened his sword on the gargoyles jaw.
“Sire, the hounds have informed me of someone approaching the castle,” Ajugor boomed.
“Who is it?” Alix asked. Brant lowered his weapon as he recognised the gargoyle, but he didn’t sheath it entirely. It was taking him a long time to get used to all the strange sights in the castle. He still twitched at the sight of the skeletons.
“I do not recognise them. There is one man on a horse leading a dozen others.”
Just then Mr Bones arrived. “My lord, there is an Imperator at the gates.”
Brant looked towards the gate with a sudden look of fear at the name. Then his glance turned towards the castle, to Ophenia. He still worried someone from Galdea would come for him.
“What the hell is an Imperator?” Alix asked. Could he not be left in peace for one day?
“They are elite members of the church’s private army. They are dangerous men.”
Alix headed towards the gates, cursing the fact that they were still falling off their hinges, but when he reached them he saw that the newcomers hadn’t stepped beyond them. The dozen and one mounted men had stopped just outside. He quickly read the words that hung over them. Their lead was simply named Imperator while the others were revealed as Imperial Guard of varying levels. They were heavily armoured, apart from the Imperator. He wore a long black coat, and a silver mask concealed his face.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“What are you doing here?” Alix called to the newcomer, trying to sound as calm as possible. He itched to draw Xilian but thought it was best not to threaten any Galdeans so soon.
“I have come to warn you, Darknight,” the Imperator replied cooly, feverish eyes staring at him from behind the mask.
“Warn me about what?” Alix replied, his anger rising. “I was abandoned here without any explanation and now you bring soldiers to my home? I’ve had to deal with enough of the King’s nonsense already so I would appreciate it if you would just leave. I don’t have time to waste on his shit.”
“Do not attempt to influence the Solknight again,” the Imperator replied as if Alix hadn’t spoken. “We are forbidden from bringing you harm, but that does not extend to your…followers,” the Imperator said in a monotone voice from behind the silver façade, staring pointedly behind Alix.
Alix suddenly realised that Brant had followed him to the gate, as had Mr Bones, Ajugor and the female dark elf that had been speaking with Tifayn. The Imperial Soldiers weren’t able to keep their eyes off of the imposing gargoyle, but Alix couldn’t help but notice the hatred and contempt they directed towards the dark elf.
“What do you mean? I have done nothing to Leon. I haven’t seen him in ages. As for my followers, they are under my protection and any harm done to them will be returned in kind,” Alix said, although he didn’t know exactly what that meant. He only knew he felt an overwhelming desire to distrust the Imperator and a need to defend himself. “The king exiled me to these lands, so as far as I see it, they are mine, and I can do whatever I wish on them.”
“Do not let the ring fill your head with grand ideas. Your only purpose here is to die.”
“We will see about that. If that is all you came here for, then I think it’s time you left.”
“That is not all, Darknight. Your arrogance has already caused enough trouble. You gave the Solknight a potion, which has caused him to ask questions that are interfering with his training. He has no need to learn of your filthy arts.”
Alix couldn’t help but laugh at the accusation. The potion he was talking about had to be the hangover tonic. Leon must have tried asking how he could make such potions for himself, training that wasn’t part of the Church’s guidelines. They probably had an army of potion makers themselves, crafting only approved potions for Leon to take.
“I completely agree with you,” Alix said after he regained his composure. “I promise I won’t help Leon again. Maybe try doing a better job yourselves next time.”
“You would do well to heed our warning, Darknight. We will only give it once.”
For a moment Alix thought the silver mask turned to stare at the dark elf, but the Imperator turned his horse without another word and led the soldiers back down the mountain. Gargoyle hounds appeared out of the woods and followed them at a distance to make sure they left their masters lands.
“Well that was weird. Couldn’t they have just sent a letter?”
“It is strange indeed,” Mr Bones said, watching the Imperator leave intently. Alix thought he could almost see his skull frowning. “There must be more to warrant sending an Imperator. You should be more careful from now on, my lord. I would advise against any more trips to Galdea.”
“They can’t be that pissed off that I gave Leon a tonic, but I can’t think of anything else it might be. I feel like I barely knew anything back then.”
“Maybe it is what we did in Mortlake?” Brant said, fearing the Imperator had come for him.
“Unless the Ghosts were the king’s men, I don’t see why that would rile him up so much. I guess there’s no point worrying about it now. The most important thing is that they have shown they are willing to bring soldiers this far, so we should think about replacing the gate as soon as possible, and setting a watch on the walls. I’ll have to clear more trees as well. Maybe the Dark Elves will be able to help with that while I look into the forgehammers.”
Alix was eager to get back to work, suddenly filled with renewed energy. The church had said their piece, and nothing had been said of Brant or the Ringtails, but he should have thought to tell the dark elves to stay out of sight. Likely the Imperator was rushing back to tell the king and the cardinal that they were here. If they returned, Alix meant to be ready for them.
Alix started with a visit to the library. Part of him wanted to grab an axe to get back to work cutting back the forest, while another wanted to work on building a new fortified gate immediately, but he had put off learning the skeletons names for long enough. He knew at least some of them had to carry memories and knowledge that could help him in ways he didn’t even know he needed. He asked Mr Bones to join him and they left the others to return to their jobs.
Astrid greeted him as he reached the library, the room feeling more organised with every visit.
“There doesn’t happen to be a list of all the previous Darknights in here somewhere?” Alix asked the librarian.
“I’m afraid not. There are many books written by them, but there has never been one complete history of the Darknights written,” Astrid replied. By the tone of her voice, it sounded like she thought that was a terrible thing.
“Well then I guess I better do it myself. Could you find me something to write with?”
Alix took a seat with Mr Bones and waited for Astrid to find him the tools. It only took her a few moments to bring him a blank book, and a selection of pens that looked remarkably advanced. He had expected a pencil, or a quill and ink at best, although he didn’t know how to use one, but as he picked up one of the pens he saw that it was a rollerball.
“Where did these come from?” Alix asked. The pen was made of metal, with a comfortable grip.
“A previous Darknight crafted them after finding a quill too difficult to use, and a pencil too impermanent. The words they write are spelled never to fade, and they never run out of ink.”
“This will definitely make things go faster. Let’s get started then. Mr Bones, can you tell me the names of all the Darknight’s you remember?” Alix was unsure of just how many Darknight’s there had been, but going by the number of skeletons there had to be a few hundred at least. Babyl had to be a lot older than that. He wondered exactly what had caused the Terminus Ritual to start in the first place?
“I can try, although I am sure we will have to consult at least some of the books here to compile a more complete list. I can remember some that are not counted among the skeletons as well, but I will list them anyway, so as to honour their memory.”
Mr Bones began to list off the names of the Darknights he could remember, and anything notable about them. The one common thing among them all was their grim fates. The majority had met terrible ends, some so brutal that there weren’t any bones remaining. After several hours, Alix had over a hundred names, the pen allowing him to work faster than a quill would have.
“How many of these are counted among the skeletons?” Alix asked when he had to stop to rest his wrist. He hadn’t done so much writing in years.
“Most of those I can remember are here,” Mr Bones replied.
“How do the skeletons end up here anyway?” Alix wondered aloud.
“I have brought many of them here myself. I counted most of them as dear friends. Some begged me to leave them to return to the earth, and I granted those requests, but I felt like the others deserved better fates than that. Skeletons do not dream, but I had a hope that one day they could be granted a second chance at life. The Terminus Ritual is a cruel game that I would wish on no one.”
“Well tomorrow I will give as many of them back their names as I can. I will ask Astrid if she can help identify any of the others as well.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
For another few hours they went through the list, finding the ones that matched those in the castle, and Alix wrote up a separate list of those that he felt might be able to teach him something, those that had mastered an obscure art.
By the time they were finished, the sun had set. All the talk of death and how each Darknight had met theirs had drained all of his energy and left him feeling depressed. He longed for a drink and a comforting bed, to forget everything that he had heard, but he knew it would only begin again in the morning.
“Thank you, Mr Bones, I will get to work on this tomorrow.” Before he left the library he also had a quick word with Astrid. “The Revenant told me about something called forgehammers that a previous Darknight forged. Do you think you could have a look for some mention of them? The Dark Elves have agreed to help us but in exchange I need to recreate their ancient gift.”
“I will have a look. I will come to you if I find anything.”
Alix also had a backup plan if she wasn’t able to find anything. Several of the Darknights Mr Bones had mentioned had been blacksmiths in their old lives. Some even sounded like they came from a future version of earth. He hadn’t considered that the forgehammers might be a product of future technology instead of magic until then. Those were on his list of skeletons to name first.
After leaving the library he quickly returned to Tifayn’s warm rooms and poured himself a glass of wine from one of the barrels Leon had left. He wished he had a smoke to go with it, but he had forgotten to look for anything in Galdea, and so far he hadn’t encountered anyone that carried anything. He would have to learn some illusionary magic soon so that he could return to the city without alerting the king.
Tifayn returned after he had finished a few glasses. She told him she had been checking on the repairs and helping with preparing some rooms for the Dark Elves. She wanted to get at least the women housed within a few days. The Ringtails had taken all the habitable rooms, and it wouldn’t be fair to ask them to move. They had already gone through enough.
With the days wearing on him, Alix called it a night, and Tifayn followed him into bed, her warm curves helping him forget the fate that awaited him.