Beating (Book 1: Acts of the Hearth)

Chapter 15

The citizens of the Kingdom of Hearth all gather in the throne room of the castle. Outside the shadowy vines have begun their indiscriminate destruction of the towns. The assault on the kingdom comes to an unexpected quieting stop after some hours.

     Vivian, Grantham, Logan, Ode, and the band all stand at the storm gates; awaiting the coming threat.

     “Did it suddenly get quiet?” Ode questions as he looks around for any traces of the shadows. “Well, I guess that means he must have stopped that spirit.” one of the men from the band adds.

     The dust finally settles from the attack that was initiated by the spirit of a man named Derrick. The group divides up into three separate groups.

     The first group is made up of Ode and Vivian: they are to go in the direction that the dust cloud had arrived from. Hoping to assist Travis or retrieve his body if he has fallen in battle.

     The second group is Logan and Grantham: who was to station themselves outside of the storm gate and warn the band inside of the potentially living assailant.

     The third group of men from the  band: were to stay in the throne room with the citizens and guard them.

     Vivian and Ode make their preparations for the journey to meet up with and possibly assist Travis. The two walk ahead and out through the storm gates. Before reaching the last of the steps, they spot a figure approaching in the distance.

     They both stand their ground. Vivian unsheathes her saber, Symphony’s End as Ode readies his great sword axe hybrid for a fight. The figure gets closer and more visible.

     Before them enters Travis who is equipped with a loose fitting, long sleeve-hooded robe; lined along the edges of the robe and cuffs are a closed pattern of parallelograms.

     The robe is a royal blue that reflects with a scale like design at the shoulders. The parallelogram patterns are of silver, green and outlined in red.

     “Thank The Only, you scared us! We didn’t know who was going to come from that dust!” Ode shouts to Travis. The robed young man continues to walk forward to the Kingdom.

     “Where are my people?” he ask without looking at either of the two as he walks pass them. “They’re all safe in the throne room… I got a bigger question, though. Where is Damen?” Vivian ask him.

     Travis scoffs at the question. “The troublemaker is unconscious in one of the towns behind me. He’ll come to his senses eventually.” Vivian grabs his shoulder. “So, you just left him there? Why did you do that, exactly?”

     Travis turns to her, looks her directly in her eyes with the robe’s hood on his head and responds back. “Why? Because, I have more important matters to attend to. Or rather, that I have an announcement to make to my people.”

     He shakes off her grip on his shoulder and continues walking. “Retrieve him, if you want.” the young man adds as he leaves in the direction of the castle.

The Entities of Calamity…

 

     Vivian and Ode split up to search the farthest town from the direction of the conflict with the spirit of Derrick.

     “What is wrong with him? He was the one who wanted no harm to come to Damen. Now he suddenly doesn’t give a shit?” Vivian says to herself as she walks around the area hurling heaps of debris behind her.