Sentria: The War for Askeran (Book 3)

Chapter Four: Together Again

I got up and walked to the bars of my prison cell. Eldwyn stood before me, a beautiful vision in a gray tunic, loose pants, and sandals. For a moment, I forgot every bad thing that had ever happened. It was like we weren't in this sad, desolate prison, but on some beach paradise, far away from humanity and the problems that society forced upon us. That scene broke away though, and reality returned in full force. I had to make decisions based on that, not my own emotions.

"Eldwyn," I said, "you need to leave."

"I cannot," said Eldwyn, "I'm breaking you out of this place."

"Eldwyn, they will kill you if they find you. Stargon has been hunting relics out of their anger for Lucas."

"I know," Eldwyn said solemnly. "I've been saving as many relics as I can from their attacks. Northern soldiers have been roaming these lands. The darkness is growing in Askeran and if we don't cast it out with light, I fear that it will grow too strong."

I turned around. I didn't want to hear that. It wasn't my duty or destiny. I had failed and the fate of Askeran was no longer in my hands. "I'm awaiting trial, Eldwyn. It's up to the kings and queens of the southern realms. I'm just a boy."

"We are no longer just boys, knight," Eldwyn said strongly. "We have been through too much and too much has been sacrificed. We are the protectors of Askeran. It is something even deeper than destiny, it is the truth itself. Let me portal us out of this wretched place. Please, knight, come with me." 

I turned my back to him and spoke to him forcefully. "I said no, Eldwyn. I have made up my mind. This isn't like before. Everything has changed and I can't go on another ill-fated quest. If you want to save the realm, you can do that, but I can't do this any longer."

Eldwyn didn't speak. He wasn't hurt, he was pensive. "Lucas wouldn't have wanted this for you. He would have wanted you to fight for what was right."

I frowned, then walked back to my cot. "Lucas isn't here."

Eldwyn ported away and I tried to get some rest in before the time came to return to the court. To my displeasure, it didn't work.

When I returned to court, the feeling was much the same...only the Marbury family was in attendance. King Marbury sat in a middle row with his wife Queen Anne, and their three daughters. All of them looked upset. They all wanted me to pay for what I had done.

For this trial, I had to sit next to the judge on a lower platform, looking out at all the Stargonian faces glaring back at me, and answering the questions from both lawyers. My lawyer lobbed soft questions at me, focusing on the idea that I was youthful and didn't know any better and that I had the best intentions. The opposition described my character as someone who was madly in love with another and loathed Lucas. That I had schemed this plan since the first time I came to Askeran and broke Eldwyn out of the cells. That hurt the most. I didn't mind the blame, but I hated the idea that anyone thought that I had any hatred for Lucas.

"That simply isn't true," I told them, after a particularly nasty claim. "I understand your ire, but Lucas was a dear friend and I had every intention of marrying him. Had everything gone to plan, this wouldn't have happened. It did and I will take the blame for that, but put it on record that I cared for Lucas Marbury. Dearly."

"This is how you show your love?" asked the lawyer. "By sending him to his death?"

"I didn't mean to..."

"You didn't mean to?!" screamed Gwendoline from the audience, coming to a stand. She was small and blonde and had an innocent face, but it was red with anger directed at me. "My brother is gone because of your lies! You...you are a monster!"

I opened my mouth to speak, I wanted to somehow make them feel better, but a blast in the center of the room stopped me before I could A a plume of black smoke followed and when it cleared, a dark wizard with a pale-faced and a long black robe appeared. He held his hand out to the judge and electrocuted him, frying him alive and everyone shouted in horror. I had to stop this. I had no weapons, but I could keep him distracted him long enough for others to get away.

Everyone rushed for the doors, stepping over each other trying to get to the door at the back of the room. The dark wizard looked at me with black eyes and lifted his hands at me and sent a blast that was too fast for me to dodge. Right when he did, a portal opened between us, and out came Eldwyn with an ice shield in front of him, blocking the electricity. When the electricity stopped, Eldwyn lunged at him, sending ice spikes that cut the dark wizard all over. The dark wizard came back at him and clawed at Eldwyn with hands charged with electricity. Eldwyn dodged every one with swift ease, then pushed out his hands, sending an icy blast that knocked the dark wizard against the wall. He sneered on the ground, obviously injured, then smoke surrounded him and he disappeared.

"Eldwyn..." I said.

Eldwyn came back over to me and created a portal, taking us to a field outside of the Stargon Kingdom.

I looked around in disbelief. "Eldwyn, what have you done? Take me back at once."

"I cannot, knight." Eldwyn stood firm.

"I must pay my penance. I must make things right."

"Punishing yourself won't make things right. You saw the dark wizard and you know that this war won't be won with just swords and shields. The southern realms will perish if we don't have the help of the relics. The north has the numbers, dark wizards...and dark dragons." He stepped closer to me and held my hands. "You taught me how to think about strategy and you've always done what needed to be done. That's what I'm doing now. We have to get the relics to fight, otherwise, Askeran will be corrupted."

"Eldwyn...I just don't have it in me to do this again. What if you get hurt? I wouldn't be able to live with myself."

"Knight, I will not fall," Eldwyn said, as if my concern was the most impossible thing he had ever heard. "It's our story. You and me. Saving all of Askeran as we were meant to. It's written in the stars."