As they entered the city, all could not help but be in awe, yet, on edge somehow. The city walls were amazing, Aedan and Isibeal had never seen anything like it before, and even for the others, who had seen such wonders before, this city amazed them. Crimthann marveled at what before had only been stories from his old friend Conall of his birthplace and home. He had not at all exaggerated about the “Jewel of the North”. The walls were essentially a highway unto themselves, higher and thicker than anything he had ever seen before. Detric was perhaps the least impressed, having grown up as a boy in the militaristic south, fortresses were commonplace to him, in fact, he seemed more on edge than in awe, he had an innate distrust of military power from his old homelands obsession with it. Upon entering the main gate however, the true jewel of the north revealed itself to them. The entire city was clean, almost sparkling. Markets the size of cities, farther in lay large palatial districts, everything about this place seemed majestic, like a true capital city should be, more than just a military stronghold, so much more, the beauty of every single building they saw impressed even Detric.
The city was built in planned districts, cities within cities, nearest the gate was primarily marketplace, with housing here and there, most likely the abodes of merchants and such. They would explore the rest of the city later, but first, to find an inn, it wouldn't be very hard, there were inns and taverns scattered about everywhere.
They decided on one called “The Blue Stallion”, it had a nice location within the market region, and looked reputable, although everything in this place looked reputable.
They entered and arranged for a few rooms, none noticed the elderly man at the bar, though he certainly noticed them.
“The blessed child!” he exclaimed loudly “not since the days of old has prophecy moved so! Source be praised! The Blessed child!”
“Oh stop your prophecy ballyhoo old man ye''ll frighten the patrons!” the barkeep answered, then turned to Detric, “he's been in here constantly the past few weeks, claiming he's a pilgrim, drawn here to see a 'Blessed Child' of the Source or something or other about some great prophecies, pay him no mind my friend”
But Detric couldn't ignore this, perhaps the man was crazy, but Detric had seen prophets and pilgrims in many forms, what could it hurt to speak with the man?
He approached him, sending the rest of his group on their way
“Grandfather, what prophecies do you speak of?”
“Why, the ones of old, of the rising of the evil one once more, and the Blessed of the Source”
“Yes, I've heard them Grandfather, what do you know?”
“Evil will arise from an unseen direction, and bring the loyal of the Source to distraught, life shall follow death, and peace shall follow war, the fury of the innocent shall frighten the wicked, darkness shall face light, one shall flee, and one shall rule, one shall bow and one shall die, and the war to bring peace or conquest shall be upon us, the darkness before the dawn draws near”
Detric took this all in, he'd heard it before, and yet, as often as he heard it, he never could understand all of it, what was the Source intending?
He sat and talked with the old man for hours, Jaci attempted to pull him away to explore the city, but he would have none of it, he was focused, and Jaci knew that look, so she left him be.
The rest of them wandered off on their own, Jaci and Isibeal went to explore the clothing shops, such amazing garments they had! Aedan and Crimthann went to the temple district, Crimthann repeating story after story he had learned from Conall about the wonders of Caley, while Alsandiar and Caoilte went to the weapons shop to see what new things they could find.
Aedan stood in awe, occasionally listening to Crimthann rattle on about this or that, as he took in an entire city within a city dedicated entirely to worship of the Source, monastic complexes, prayer shrines of saints and clerics at every street crossing. Never before had he seen such a thing, oh shrine and temple complexes sure, but never an entire city complex devoted entirely to the Source!
Then he felt as if his very heart stopped, he saw her, the girl in his dreams!
A royal caravan, or he guessed as much, was leaving one of the temple buildings, heading for the palace district, and she was in their midst.
He began to follow, not even noticing if Crimthann came along or not.
Crimthann saw his friend seem to go into another world, and begin to trail after a group of nobles and guards headed for the palaces. What had gotten into the boy now? Crimthann ran off after him, wondering what all this meant.
As they entered the palace district, Aedan stopped, he saw movement on the rooftops, something was wrong. Suddenly from seemingly everywhere, armed, hooded men appeared. They overwhelmed the royal guards easily, and seized the girl. He didn't even stop to think, he drew his sword and ran into the fray, taken by a blind rage, driven to defend this girl he had never seen before outside his dreams.
Crimthann could not believe his eyes, first that such a group would have such audacity, in broad daylight, and then at Aedan's reaction, what had gotten into that boy? He watched in awe as first one, then two, then three, no, five hooded men fell before his blade. He had just about broken through, reached the girl, when arrow after arrow struck him! Crimthann ran to help, but it was to late, the hooded men were off over the rooftops, carrying the girl with them, leaving Aedan and the guards to die in the street, taking their fallen with them. Only Aedan had felled any of them, the guards had been entirely overtaken by surprise, this sort of thing was apparently not commonplace, and they barely unsheathed their weapons before they had all fallen. Crimthann ran to Aedan, amazed to see that he still breathed, six arrows protruding from his chest, a pool of blood forming around him.
“Aedan! Aedan, stay with me boy, your father is going to kill me for letting you get into this mess, stay with me! Don't go to the fathers!” Crimthann cradled the boys head, applying what healing skills he had learned over the years, but he had no idea what to do about six arrows, it was amazing the boy was still conscious, let alone living.
Palace and temple guards flooded the street, to late to stop what had just happened, but reacting just the same. Some began to go off in the direction Crimthann and other onlookers pointed out, while others began to seal off the street and remove their fallen. 5 royal guards had been killed in the battle, only Aedan remained clinging to life. He began to fight Crimthann and the two monks who had arrived to help him,
“let me go! I must save her! I must go!”
“Boy, you're not going anywheres for a bit, not with six holes the Source didn't create ya with!”
“amazing he lives, let alone still fights”
“Let me go! Gabriella needs me! Let me-” He passed into unconsciousness, though fight still remained in him, as Crimthann caught a swift blow when he tried to remove Aedan's sword from his grip
“By the Source, this ones tough, and how does he know the princess' name?” one of the monks asked. Crimthann shrugged, and they carried Aedan back into the temple complex and into one of the monasteries.
*********************************************************************
Detric and the rest had been staying at the monastery now, days had passed since the incident, and temple guards were posted at the monastery gates. None knew where the men had come from, or where or why they had taken the princess. Legend had already begun to grow and spread of Aedan's action, and the five kidnappers he had felled grew in tale to dozens, the six arrows to 15, 20. The street brawl in the marketplace gossip turned into a pitched battle, the unknown half elf standing brave before hundreds of masked soldiers, and a theory of a hidden love affair explaining his bravery and knowledge of the princess.
Even among the monks and priests of the temple complex, rumors abounded, silenced none by the knowledge that the boys father was Source touched, and amongst the junior priests and monks, rumor of a new messiah were whispered here and there.
The senior clerics and monks, along with Detric and Caoilte gathered daily to discuss what was going on, and what actions the Source willed.
Detric's heart was heavy, he sensed a growing darkness gathering over this city of light, darkness before the dawn, or mere darkness, he couldn't know, the Source had grown quiet, his questions remained unanswered, only the worry for his boy remained vibrant in his mind.
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