CROWNS I: Of Desolate Hope | ✔

13. Jace Fran

It was late morning. The gargantuan Agris halted with a shudder as her anchor hit the seabed. Jace Fran looked up as the sun slowly rose. The colours it produced danced across the sky becoming more vivid as time went by. Despite its beauty, Jace knew that today would be miserable.

"Alright! Listen up!" screamed Captain Sarep, standing on a box and interrupting the numerous conversations of all the men on the deck. "You will step off this ship and onto Holy Ground but you better pray you don't end up six feet beneath it."

We're really here... 

"You'd better believe it, boys," said General Hichin, noticing the looks on everyone's faces."This is it. When all is done, we will build a new city here and erect a church. The sad thing is...not all of you will live to see it." 

"There are three ways you leave this Sacred Land," continued Captain Sarep, stroking his short ginger beard, "Number one: if His Royal Highness calls you back, number two: if His Holiness calls you back and number three: in a coffin."

His words hung stalely in the dry air.

"We have landed at God's Heart," shouted General Hichin. "This was the first place we stepped foot a decade ago to retake the Land of Our God. It has been hard but this may very well be the last push." He paused to scratch his balding head. "You will be greeted with the essentials and dispatched to different locations ranging from right here to our furthest occupied area which the locals call the Nightlands."

Jace didn't know what to think. He had never wanted to join in with this everlasting crusade. He recalled the day the Friar had told him that he was to join them despite only just turning seventeen. So this is the price you pay for being the best Church Watchman in Goodwood. Jace had not been able to refuse the Friar so as to please God but he did think it was very unfair that Jaessa didn't have to travel with him. After all, she was the best swordsman in Goodwood and she had even come to the small church a few times.

"Jace Fran!" shouted General Hichin, with a hint of sympathy in his voice, "Did you not hear me? You're on the first boat."

The General double-checked his list, thoroughly.

"Strangely, you're the only one on the entire ship going to the Nightlands," he continued in disbelief and pity. 

Jace acted as though he was ready, trying very hard not to make a scene in front of the other men. Inside, he was shaking and terrified. I'm going to die here, aren't I God? He slowly and solemnly followed the small group of men entering a rowing boat. The short journey to the shore felt nearly as long as the weeks spent on the Agris. The silence was haunting.

As soon as he touched the sand, relief filled him and the sand, his shoes. At least I'm on land, he thought, trying to rid his mind of fear. He did not miss the rough, murky sea. In front of him were well over a dozen horse-drawn carriages and wagons as well as numerous large crates. Jace made his way to one of them, trying to discreetly kick the sand out of the small hole in his shoes as he did so. He was swiftly given a large brown sack, a sword and a shield with a sigil - a golden, blazing sun. I hope I never have to use this but at least I know where Wint Tax goes.

"Nightlands," said the woman who had handed him his gear.

"How did you know?"

"It's written all over your face," she replied, appearing from behind the crate, "hence, I gave you the shield with the sun."

The woman couldn't have been too much older than Jace. She had black hair and dark brown eyes, similar to Jace but she also had dark skin- a sight that was rare in Goodwood besides the few travellers - and a small scar on her neck.