It’d been three days since Aric left the safety of his castle walls. The journey beyond the outer edges of Vicedonia had been fairly uneventful, much to Aric’s dismay.
“Captain Izik, how much further is it till General Arges’ encampment?” asked Aric impatiently.
“Another two days ride my lord, just beneath the foothills of the Dark Forest.”
“Two days too long in my estimation. We need to move faster.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Aric had set out from Vicedonia with only his personal Royal Guard, in order to minimize any suspicion of his intentions. He even told the gate guards that he was going hunting to celebrate his upcoming eighteenth birthday, and would be back shortly. That was three days ago, and suspicion should be growing by now. It didn’t faze him though; soon, Aric would have General Arges and the Third Unit at his disposal, and would be marching towards the battle at Lake Raphia. The wheels were already in motion, and there was no denying Aric the glory he so longed for.
“Captain Izik, are you a religious man?”
“Yes, I pray to the Creator and His family nightly, my lord.”
“And what is it you pray for?”
“For the safety of my own family, and for the glory of Vicedonia.”
“And do they answer you?”
“Not immediately, my lord. But when I look back upon my life, I can see their hands moving in it. Revealing to me things that I would never have known before.”
“You believe what you have in life is a gift from the gods?”
“Yes.”
“Then you truly are as simple-minded as I thought you to be.”
Captain Izik remained silent, unsure how to respond.
“You see, Captain. I also believe in the gods, but I believe that they have chosen me for a higher purpose—to be the savior of this war. I believe I am destined for greatness, and that in this moment here and now, is where my name will become a part of history forever. My name will live on as stories are told from generation to generation of my great achievements. Mothers will sing lullabies of my heroic deeds to their babies. Fathers will want their sons to grow up to be like me. My name will live forever; I will never be forgotten. You, Captain Izik, your name will die with you in the grave, and you will cease to exist because nobody will know who you are. To be forgotten is to never have existed. Remember that.”
“Much like the king and Prince Xander… my lord.”
At the mention of their names, Aric’s blood began to rise. He was angry, not because of the captain’s subtle jab, but because what he had said was true. King Maximus Agiad II and Prince Xander Agiad would be heralded in the annals of Vicedonian history for ages to come. They had already performed deeds beyond greatness, and had always had the love of the people. Aric’s name was only mentioned on the lips of the people as the punch line for a joke or a synonym for spoiled children. They wouldn’t dare say it to him directly, but his ears were more attentive than people believed. But that would change quickly with his forthcoming victory. He collected himself before answering.
“Yes, exactly like my father and brother. My father was a hero of the Second Great War, during a time in our history when we expanded our kingdom beyond the Great Sea, and colonized the kingdoms of the Gokstads and the Pilgrims of Fate. He led the charge at the front of the vanguard, and cut down the Great Gokstad Lord Harald with his mighty battleaxe. He had only been king a few years after the death of my grandfather, King Agiad I, but he showed his people why he was fit to wear the crown. Many believed that victory to be glorious in and of itself, but men of greatness do not settle, so he looked south to where the Pilgrims of Fate ruled, and continued his assault. King Lionheart proved a worthy adversary, wounding my father with a vicious scar across his face, but it was not enough to stop him. My father, King Maximus Agiad II conquered lands beyond the Great Sea because he wanted to.”
Aric’s face and voice reverberated with praise as he spoke about his father’s accomplishments. But the mood quickly changed as his thoughts turned to the present.
“But my father has grown old, and heeds the council of those who have become afraid. I will bring him a victory that even Xander cannot deliver. And I will show him that I am indeed of his holy blood. Xander’s name will soon live in the shadow of mine, I swear it.”
Aric’s small contingent of twenty Royal Guards continued their march towards the Third Unit encampment. Moving beyond the Hydas River and into the Disputed Lands, Aric could feel the energy in him rising. To actually be beyond the walls and into the battlefield invigorated him in a way he never thought possible. You will see how much of a coward I am, Illiana. I relish the day of my triumphant return, to watch you bow down and call me your true prince.
They marched for another two days using the blackened tree line of the Dark Forest off in the distance as their guide. The Dark Forest was to be avoided at all costs; every soldier in all the kingdoms of Eos knew that. Something malevolent resided there. Some even claimed the Black had rooted itself in that place, whispering evils too sinister to speak of to passersby. People foolish enough to enter were never seen again. However, the foothills of the Dark Forest also served as the closest route to the heart of Vicedonia, and so General Arges and his Third Unit had been stationed there, in case the Renzai Empire decided to utilize the shortcut. Those were Xander’s orders. Xander knew that only the incredible strength of the Third Unit could withstand the evil of those torturous woods. Aric though, knew it to be a waste of time. To station the most decorated fighting force in the army to baby-sit the path of the Dark Forest was ridiculous. Aric knew General Arges was a man of honor, and if he were ordered to guard that site, then he would execute that order perfectly. But he also knew that General Arges was the youngest soldier ever to be commissioned of such a rank, and his youth and desire for battle could be used to persuade him into action. That, at least, was Aric’s hope.
As dusk fell, the tips of the blackened trees had gotten closer and loomed larger than before. Aric could see off in the distance the torches of the Third Unit, better known as the Krakens. He rode his horse to the cliff’s edge, overlooking the valley where the army was stationed. An incredible force, indeed, ten thousand soldiers strong, consisting of only the most hardened and battle-ready soldiers in the kingdom. Led by a general whose two falcata swords were famous throughout all of Eos. All of this was at Aric’s disposal.
A smile appeared on his face, grin piercing from cheek to cheek.
“Captain, let us go and collect my army.”
Chapter 12