Al d'Rien

Prince Luke stood on the hilltop overlooking the kingdom of Al d’Rien. His blue eyes scanned the horizon while a cold wind sweeping down from the north caused him to stiffen. His muscles tensed and he tried hard to relax. His right hand instinctively rested on his sword. So this is it, he thought. Al d’Rien. Hmm. It’s not what I imagined. Luke set his eyes on a speck in the distance. Located a few miles from the foothills of the Western Mountains was the capital city of Fairhaven. It was said to be similar to the brightest star in the sky, for it could be seen from anywhere. He stood in awe as he watched it sparkle in the setting sun.

Luke’s mother had told him stories of Al d’Rien and that of the capital city, Fairhaven. He had never been there, but he could still remember his mother’s words as she whispered soft tales of a place so wonderful it couldn’t possibly be real.

Fairhaven is one of the most beautiful cities you will ever behold, my son. It is a sparkling empire in the light of day and a beautiful illumination of tranquility in even the darkest of nights. It is composed of tall beautifully constructed stone buildings that can be seen for miles. I will take you there one day, and I know you will love it as much as I do. Her voice was low and soft as it always was. Luke closed his eyes, envisioning his mother and smiling to himself.

As his eyes reopened he looked out to the mountain range. The Western Mountains protruded out of the Earth like giants. A magnificent display of natural earthy colors, the white of the mountain’s peak in contrast with the gray of the rock and the greens from the trees was a painted picture for all to see. But he had not come here to admire the landscape, at least not officially.

Since his mother’s death Luke had come to face the true reality of this world. He knew the truth that his mother never dared speak of in her fairytales. His eyes narrowed and he stifled a sigh. As beautiful as the land was it was still just a place, no different from any other and just as vulnerable to attack. That was his real purpose there. He was his father’s scout. Nearly ten other men sat hunkered down in their tents waiting for his command, the command of the Prince. Pushing that thought aside for a moment he turned to the north to look at the great Longwood Forest. His mother’s voice drifted back into his head as he recited her words.

Longwood Forest she said pointing to a map. That is where all the tall oaks have been growing for centuries. With arms reaching towards the heavens as if calling out to their maker.

Luke smiled to himself. His mother always had strange ways of describing things. He knew Longwood Forest was known for its abundance of trees that extended far across the countryside. It was a sea of green in the spring and summer that stretched far across the land. While in autumn it was an artist’s color palate of reds, oranges, and yellows. However, everything must come to an end and the forests’ majesty was quickly swept away by the unforgiving breath of winter. First stripped of its colors, leaving nothing behind but bare and tangled branches, twisted sinisterly, waiting to be covered by a blanket of pure white snow.

This kingdom had been a land of dreams for Luke, a place of incomparable beauty. Now it mattered little to him. Whether he believed that the land provided what seemed to be a flawless picture of a pure and rustic landscape or not was irrelevant. Thousands called this place home, and it was the people that had made the land what it was. They were the ones who had created this simple homey life, building it up from nothing and making it into one of the most prosperous cities in the nation.

And I’m the one who is going to destroy it, he thought. He could feel the darkness growing inside him. The footsteps of one of the commanders broke him from his train of thought.

Your highness? Nick said, touching the Prince on the shoulder.

Luke turned to face the man. What? he asked, his voice a low hiss of annoyance.

The men are getting restless, we should head back to Ka d’Aar soon.

Luke nodded in understanding. Very well, tell the men to start packing up.

~

As the mountains to the west turned an array of violet, the sun set in the east, casting a greenish blue glow upon the night sky. A soft wind blew through a nearby field as seeds and flower petals flew upward towards the dark blue night sky. The leaves rustled in the forest to the east while the howl of a black wolf rang out. The moon was full, casting an eerie glow upon the great castle of the north.

Standing on the dark stone balcony of the great castle, Luke looked out into the clear night sky. Stars twinkled dimly in the light of the moon as a cold breeze passed through the city. A change in seasons was fast approaching. The leaves on the trees had already begun to fall and winter was on the horizon. The balcony was the one place he liked to go to think; ever since he was a child he had always loved to go out there and stare out at the stars. It was, however, his father’s castle located in the heart of Ka d’Aar. Many times when Luke was just a boy his mother would sit with him and point out the constellations, or if the sky was cloudy she would just sit out there and sing him to sleep with her soft lullaby.

Luke loved Ka d’Aar, for it reminded him of his mother. Her life had been too short and now that she was gone his father’s unquenchable wrath had worsened.

But tonight held no peace, even though he had his whole future ahead of him. At the young age of twenty he was living a life of promise and privilege. Not only that, but he was one of the leading military commanders in Ka d’Aar’s new army known as the Dark Riders. The Dark Riders were a team created by the king as a result of the ever-growing number of rebels that would soon arise when his father took over Al d’Rien.

Luke’s rise to power in his father’s army was not something he was blessed with because of blood or privilege. He had worked for years to prove his loyalty to his father. He was treated no different than the men he served with, if not worse. His father hated him and had since he was a child. Luke was no ordinary child instead he was gifted with a second sight. The king had become aware of it when Luke turned three. The visions as his mother called them were a gift from the goddess. The king however, saw it differently. It would have been attribute to exploit had Luke let him. However, Luke never shared his visions with his father. This only evoked the king’s rage further. If the king had it his way Luke would be dead. The queen was the only reason he was still alive. The king loved her and despite how much he hated his son, he was not willing to hurt her by killing the boy. Instead he made the young prince’s life miserable. Luke thought back to the lonely nights he spent in the dungeon. His mother had no idea of the torment he faced, and she never would. After her death things got worse for Luke. The only peace he found was when he was out scouting with his men or on the battlefield.

His restlessness tonight was due to the onslaught of continuous nightmares that had haunted him for weeks. Now all he could do was stand in the chilly night air looking up at the stars, trying to make sense of it all.

A loud pounding broke him from his thoughts. Barefoot, he walked across his room, throwing the door open quickly to find one of his fathers most trusted advisors.

Claus? the prince asked.

Sir, I’m sorry if I woke you but you’re needed in the war room immediately.

Of course, Luke said. Hard footsteps could be heard echoing through the halls of the palace. His left hand rested comfortably on his sword as he headed to the war room.

All of Ka d’Aar’s great military commanders and spies of the Dark Riders were already standing around the table, each having side discussions trying to figure out what to do next. They were stationed across the nation but Al d’Rien was determined to be the best outpost due to its close proximity to the Western Mountains. The Dark Riders were planning their attack on the rebels in the west and it was only a matter of time before they would all ride out to crush the traitors once and for all.

As Luke walked down the long hallway, he reminisced about the events that had taken place a little over a year ago. His mother’s death had struck the castle hard. He knew his father would never get over her loss, yet Luke had never dreamed things would get this bad. Luke knew if his mother were still alive things would be different. They would have never planned on invading Al d’Rien. The people his father tortured and killed would still be alive. But in his grief his father had gone mad, lost to his lust for power; he searched for anything that would end his pain.

Luke was jolted from his thoughts as he almost ran into one of the other commanders. They entered the war room together; it was a large room filled with men. Maps and papers were strewn across the large rectangular oak table that stretched from one end of the room to the other. Luke took his place at the head of the table and the meeting commenced. It was a meeting that would set into motion events that would determine the fate of both Ka d’Aar and Al d’Rien forever.

Luke listened as his father’s men discussed strategies. He made no comment, as he knew his place and that his presence was more for show than anything else. After their plans were finalized the men set out for one of two destinations: the capital city of Fairhaven and the Temple-Palace. Most would think that Luke would have led the charge on Fairhaven; however, his father had other plans for him. Luke rode out with his men to the Temple-Palace.

PART 1

Chapter 1

The forest was still as a cold wind passed through it like a ghost. The leaves rustled in the trees, breaking the silence of the night. Alana looked up at the black sky, lit only by a crescent moon, which would make it easier for her to travel more inconspicuously during the night. She had escaped the persecution of the Dark King, who had killed every last one of her sisters. She was alone, her sisterhood had been destroyed and all that remained in its place was ash and ruins.

By some miracle she had made it out of the Temple Palace alive, carrying nothing with her but the clothes on her back, a small pack of supplies, a sword, a dagger, and her mother’s journal.

Alana flashed back to her escape. There was nothing but chaos as soldiers slaughtered her sisters. They had always been a peaceful people who worshipped the goddess and had no need for weapons. Alana was one of the few among them who was trained in the art of war and self-defense. When her brother dropped her off there, his only request was that