Sonavr
"A bit sudden", said jemriah. "I know that ...but, have had this urge to tell you. I know you are my son. I should not keep secrets with you but realize this that... Some secrets are worth protecting, sometimes for your sake or for mine".
Sonavr looked at his father, who as always stood tall despite his locks which were mussed by constant shifting of his hands over them.
"It is true... Unfortunately. I am an exiled Prince", jemriah continued. "Your mother... She is a princess as well from another kingdom, that is pretty much only secret I can tell you of her".
Sonavr stood frozen, confusion knotting his thoughts as shock washed over him in a cold, suffocating tide. What he heard refused to settle into sense; disbelief hollowed his chest, leaving him staring as though the world before him had burned. For a breathless moment, he could do nothing but gape, caught between what his ears heard and what his mind could not yet accept.
Sonavr sighed. A long, heavy one...
"What else?", sonavr scoffed. "What else are you hiding?"
Jemriah closed his eyes shut. "Your real name is Aldran... Aldran valemount".
"What? Vale? Creature from legends?"
"Legend for you. They do exist... Mounts of our family. Hence the name".
Sonavr nodded. "Of course. Why would they not be? I was told everything that exists in this world is either a legend or a rumor..."
"Told you about dragons, I did not lie in that", jemriah smiled.
"You should not smile," sonavr said quietly, though the weight of his words pressed harder than a shout. "Not now. These are not circumstances meant for mockery. Too much has been said, heard. Too much stands on the brink. To smile here would be to deny the gravity before us, and this moment deserves better than that. I deserve better than that. Why did you withheld the truth from me?"
"I can only tell half of it. The other half of the story is for your mother to tell", jemriah looked at his son. "Should I then?"
"Neither do I have the patience or nor do I have the courage to hear the full story. I will do it anyway. I have always done things that I dislike".
"A hold on your tongue would be better for both of us", jemriah frowned. "You sound like I torture you".
"No you do not, for that I am grateful. I have seen brumen countless times getting beaten for silliest of things. Only god Aravan knows how much I am grateful for this life".
"Then why you sulk? Why do you throw tantrums? Why must you make me and mom worry?"
"I...", sonavr turned, looking away...
"What is it boy? You can talk to me, you know you can!"
Sonavr glanced over his shoulder, towards his father.
I might regret this... Sonavr thought.
"I... Father I want to...", sonavr blinked. "I want to travel. I want to see everything. I want to be like uncle jorath. Adventurer!"
"You'll grow out of it", jemriah hissed. "It is an infatuation... Nothing more".
"I thought the same thing... I had these dreams where-"
"It was my mistake", jemriah interrupted. "To let you travel all the way to captial. Why did I even do that? I question myself everyday".
"No father... It wasn't a mistake. I learned a lot from that trip of ours. We traveled and you told stories... Many of them, I was fascinated... All of the things that has happened in my life, that trip was the best experience i have ever had in my otherwise boring life".
"Just because something isn't happening does not mean it is boring ", jemriah said. "Trust me on that. Ihave lived. I have lived that life that you want. Nothing good comes out of it, I am sure even your precious uncle jorath has told you that much?"
Sonavr shrugged. "Sounds true to family then. An immature son with a lying hypocrite dad!"
Jemriah gritted his teeth and raised his hand in blind fury only to stop halfway from completing the blow.
"Do not test my patience sonavr".
"Aldran, father... You said it yourself... I am Aldran valemount, am I not?"
Jemriah gave a bitter smile. "Your mother was right. I should have listened to her instead of iken. You are not ready, probably never will be".
With that jemriah strode off with hurried footsteps.
Air of tension still hung around sonavr's shoulders.
"I shouldn't have said that", sonavr muttered under his breath.
Josen forheil
"How is my precious dog doing?", haldren smirked.
Somehow his words hurt josen more than the gigantic chains that still wrapped around his arms, swallowing him whole.
"What are you doing here instead of celebrating your new title?", josen asked.
"Got bored of it. Too much of anything makes me want to lose interest in it. You on the other hand, I am enjoying every moment of it...", haldren laughed.
"Interestingly... I have something to tell you".
Haldren did not react to that instead he sat.
Outside of prison, holding the bars and smiling.
"So what of it that a dog wants to bark?"
"Humourous, how you call me a dog while you sniff and lick around king so much. Begging like an actual dog to make him fetch you the title and that abomination of an armour".
Haldren laughed. "I honestly miss this whenever I sit on feasts. Having fun with you is the only thing that makes me interested in living".
Josen smiled. "King or your brothers not treating you good?"
"They are alright. No need to worry over them dog", haldren pursed his lips. "Tell me now? What piece of information you wanted to share?
"I want something in return".
"Of course. What do you want? Except for your freedom or something that I don't have rights to, I can give you anything".
"Kill jorath for me".
Haldren smiled. "Now why would I kill my brother?
"You would... After hearing the news".
"What of it?"
"Promise me you will".
"I am not an honarable man who keeps his promises. Now it is upto to you to trust me or not".
Josen smirked. "Jorath is planning something. Something huge. Ever heard of Aravan island?"
Haldren nodded.
"Jemriah lives there with his family. Jorath has gone there... To find a tomb... Of old gods".
Haldren's grip on bars tightened. "Jemriah? Why is he there? He wants the tomb too?"
"I only tell you what I know of".
"Why should I believe you? Who even gave this information to you? You are in a dungeon, locked. Nobody but me and your father talks to you".
"Amberia..."
Haldren blinked. "She came here? Why?"
"I do not know!"
Haldren looked at josen narrowing his eyes. "If you lie, I would torture you worse than father tortures mother".
"You can do whatever you want. The truth remains. Amberia won't lie to me".
Haldren raised his eyebrow. "Hopeless fool? Still in love with her? I can see that, she is quite the beau-"
"hold your tongue there! Do not utter her name in disrespect".
Haldren raised his hands. "Fine dog... Stop barking now".
Haldren stood smiling. "Jorath is looking for a tomb? To do something huge... I am now sure of it. To tell you the truth... It makes me want to kill him all the more".
"I want another promise from you", josen said. "Do not harm jemriah and his family. He lives in peace, let him be".
Haldren frowned. "Still worried about your dear friend I see. Sure, i would not harm my brother. He is the only brother that I like honestly".
Haldren strode off with long, weary steps.
I wanted to kill jorath myself but that ship has long sailed...
My freedom would not return to me...
The more days i spent in this Rotten prison, the more I lose my will to live...
Haldren
Haldren walked on, and the great grey walls rose around him. The stone was old and unyielding, it's surface scarred by time and war. Along the heights ran steady battlements, granite parapets cut sharp against the sky. Catapults stood at their posts, their long arms poised in silent threat, while heavy cannons and iron-shod rams rested along the inner edge of the capital's defenses, waiting for a command that might never come.
The air smelled of cold stone and oil. Far above, banners stirred lazily, snapping once before falling still. The red banners had a longsword driven point-first into the ground.
A sigil of valemounts, haldren recognised them very well.
He caught sight of the captain of the Second Regiment near the stairway, a dark figure framed against the pale sky. Haldren crossed the yard and climbed the narrow steps, each footfall echoing as he rose higher, until the city fell away beneath him. At the top of the wall, amid stone and steel and wind, he met the captain's gaze, two knights standing where the fate of the capital was meant to be held at bay.
"Captain. I want you to ride with me".
"It would be my honour to ride with first sword of capital", the captain bowed in respect. "Might I dare ask the purpose, my lord?"
"Heard of Aravan island? A tomb is there, just want to see it myself".
The captain shifted his gaze down towards other knights. "How many of them you need?"
"Not much. Perhaps hundred or so".
"I will make necessary arrangements".
"Good. We ride on morrow", haldren sighed. "Will take few weeks to reach there but we'll ride hard".
World of sumaka through eyes of adventurer-
This world is big. Absurdly big. I have seen half of it but still feels like I have seen nothing.
There are many species that make no sense.
Several tombs which scares me. Several good ones too.
Swords and Armour beyond my imagination are sprinkled here and there. Very rare to find them. Worth the fight.