Sentria: The Age of Adventure (Book 2)

Chapter Two: Downpour

After breakfast, I had my history lesson with my tutor Taron Keene. He acted like a wizened old man more than a vital one in his thirties with his long tangents on historical figures from centuries' past. They were tedious demonstrations of royal bloodlines and timelines of major events, and yet this was a welcomed escape from being imprisoned in a room with my father and mother.

As I walked around the stony castle grounds with him, surrounded by expertly cut shrubbery and well-dressed guests of the court, I looked up at my home without sentiment, the highest castle in all the land. I once thought that its many pointed towers could scrape the sky and how the shorter towers that looked like they wore giant crowns, and yet it somehow felt smaller in my older age. After being in the clouds, kingdoms didn't seem as grand.

Taron noticed my distraction and was quick to remind me of my grandfather's reign in veracious detail.

"High King Olivar Colress was known for his brute strength and military strategy," said Taron, his long brown hair blowing in the soft wind. "He was entrenched in combat against Cordath for decades. They went back and forth firing figurative and literal arrows at one another. There were messages of warnings between both sides and trespassings into enemy territories until it erupted into the Dynasty Wars. It was King Orelius of Cordath versus High King Darren II, from whom you receive your namesake. His father, your great-grandfather, High King Olivar was sick with the cold fever and his son had to wear the crown to save Sentria from its darkest hour. He took into consideration the strategy of every kingdom and their soldiers: the realm of Rainn lacked in numbers but they made up for it with conniving schemes, the realm of Kilgore was violent but their form was lacking, and realm of Maren had overwhelming numbers, but they were not obedient. High King Darren II was so skilled at thwarting their offenses, that the Mountainlands came to our aid in defeating Cordath."

"Impressive," I said unenthusiastically.

Taron looked down at me with a smirk. He was a tall man in a bronze loose robe and somehow hadn't gotten tired of my insolence. That was perhaps the skill that won him the prize of tutoring me. "You know, there are more ways to valor than being a knight. I've seen how you look at the gates as if you long for the trees and rivers, but your place is here, leading thousands of men with fierce specialty. You aren't just another soldier lost in a sea of metal. You are above them, commanding them in a manner that will save all the realm. It's the most important role in all the lands and you mustn't forget that."

I agreed politely and returned to my chambers and rested before my trip. A part of me was relieved to get away my castle, even if it was for royal matters. I could convince myself that this would be an adventure even though it wasn't

I woke up bright and early the next day and left for breakfast as my valets packed my bags. Stargon was only a day away, but I had a feeling that it was going to be a long trip. Breakfast was silent after the previous days' excitement, and I kept my gaze away from both my parents in case I stirred any undue reactions from them.

Four knights waited for me in front of the castle to lead me on my way and a crowd had gathered outside of the castle gates to bid me farewell. I waved at them as my valet placed my bags and the supplies into the back of the silver carriage. They cheered louder for me upon my noticing them and it brought a brief smile to my face. I entered the carriage and waved back to my parents atop of the white stone steps and they waved back at me expressionlessly. I didn't believe that they would miss me, they saw me as a hindrance impediment to their reign.

We rode by carriage through the town and out of the castle gates and I remembered how much I loathed to travel that way. I would always look out at the riders around me and wished that I could be one of them. Rough and rugged and covered in mud. Smelling more like a horse than man. That was how life was meant to be lived, not kept safe and away from those I was chosen to protect. Seeing the knights on horseback made me miss Brio, my beautiful fallen horse...

We traveled northwestward on Silver Road, a clear and mostly straight path thanks to Sentria's attention to transit maintenance. Cows and goats grazed on the side of the road and we passed by small and happy towns that lived their lives as if danger wouldn't be on their front steps soon. I saw a group of boys playing a game of catch with a rubber ball and I tossed them each a gold piece. I appreciated their freedom.

By mid-afternoon, it had started to rain and then pour shortly after. The captain of the quartet, Knight Richard, commanded the company to take refuge in the nearby Red Oak Inn and begin again in the morn. He was a skilled fighter, born and bred in the Sentria kingdom with bright red hair like fire. Knight Richard was with me on that day I had gotten lost, and I saw that he carried the shame of it with him.

The innkeeper was more than happy to have us stay and refused to take our gold. I went to the hall to eat as my valet put my things away. I made myself a plate of steaming potatoes and a thick turkey leg and sat with Knight Douglas next to me. The latter was the smallest of all the knights, shorter than even I was, but he made up for it with a try-hard spirit, working twice as much as everyone else to measure up. He hardly ate any of his food, he was more concerned with looking out for any possible dangers.

As soon as I finished my turkey leg, three men entered the inn looking haggardly in dusty brown jackets and pants and swords fastened to their belts whose make I couldn't identify. I had an eye for such things and it bothered me that I was unfamiliar with their weapons. They didn't seem Sentrian, Stargonian, or Summerlandian, which only confused me further. There was a heaviness to them, like an invisible ball was shackled to their souls. 

Knight Douglas grabbed my shoulder, as if to tell me to be on alert and I stopped eating. They stood by the entrance of the log-built room and scanned the area as if they were looking for trouble, then made themselves food—two plates for each person and stacked higher than necessary. Disrespectful and greedy. 

They sat at the next table over and ate their food as if they had never had it before. Chewing with their mouths opening and burping after drinking. One of them, a man with a square face and dead eyes looked up at Knight Douglas and asked, "Are you a knight of the royal guard?" Half the food fell out of his mouth as he asked.

"That I am," he answered. "And proud of it."

"So you guard the royals then?" he asked, then looked over at me with a sharp smile. "Is this the High Prince Darren himself?"

All three men stopped eating and turned to me. They stood up together and made their way over. Knight Douglas stood up and grabbed the silver hilt of his Sentrian sword in preparation. He had a heart twice the size of this body, but I knew that he couldn't take on all of them alone.

"What luck," the square-headed man said. "What divine providence from Cinnai himself."

They were from Cordath.

"You dare speak that name in these lands?!" Knight Douglas said, stomping his foot.

"Well, why not?" he laughed. "They're soon to be owned by Cordath."

"Vile creature! I would have your head!" Knight Douglas unsheathed his sword and I looked around for a weapon. I saw a steak knife at the next table and I grabbed it. High prince or not, I would not back down from a fight.

"You southerners, you're all so superior aren't you? It's time someone brought you down!" The man lunged at Knight Douglas, but the Sentrian knight was too quick. He ducked the attack and flipped him over his head. With my knife, I cut his throat clean and quick and he bled out on the floor. When I got back up, the other two men had already grabbed Knight Douglas by the arms. I approached to retaliate, but one of them kicked me hard in the chest and sent me  to the floor.

I heard the yells of men entering the dining hall and I knew them to be my knights. They engaged in battle and made quick work of the men, slashing their bellies and throats until they were just two bodies on the ground. This was the efficacy of Sentrian knights. They came to my side and checked me over, making sure there wasn't a scratch on me. I told them that I was fine, but they wouldn't heed. Knight Richard was noticeably worried, as if any sign of distress would strip him of his rank and title and his life and it made me feel more like a precious jewel than a person.

That wasn't who I was. I was far more than that.