LADY AURORA-LEENA VANTGAURD
Quick footsteps echoed behind her bouncing off the cold stones and the even colder silence. She looked back quickly as she ran, her heavy cloak fluttering behind her as a cold wind swept through the damp air. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest.
A man in chain mail and gilded armour followed her through the torch lit secret hallways of Vantgaurd Castle. Why was she running from him? He was no match for her? But even as she thought this her feet carried her faster further forward through the stone gray curving passageways.
A door! At last! She yanked it open and gasped as a bone chilling breeze pushed her back and saved her from a drop into the indiscernible darkness below. The dark night sky thundered angrily and sheets of heavy rain emerged maddeningly to soak her through to the marrow.
How could this be happening to her? She whipped around. The dark Knight stood but a mere few feet away, his sword unsheathed and at the ready. She could not make out his face. She laughed like a madwoman throwing her head back.
“Foolish Knight! You think you can stop me?” She raised her hand to unleash her magic . . . Wait! What was this?
She turned her palm to face her and then turned it back on the Knight . . . Nothing! . . . She shook her hand violently . . .
“W-What's wrong with me?” She asked him dumbfounded.
“Judgement is upon you.” Spoke the Knight's gruff voice “Pray The Five have mercy upon your soul.”
. . . And then he raised his sword.
Aurora woke with a start as her scream filled her chamber and reverberated through the large room.
Her heart pounded viciously.
“What in the God's name was that?!”
The doors to her room burst open as Ser Sedrick and Aurora's Lady's in Waiting came rushing through clad in their nightgowns.
Sedrick scanned the room and went straight for the balconied window doors.
“Who was it my Queen?” He asked in his rough barely used voice.
“Out! All of you!” Aurora commanded taking the irritation she felt towards herself for being frightened by nothing but a silly dream, out on her servants. “Not you Sedrick.” She said calmly pinching the bridge of her nose as the guard bowed and was about to take his leave with the other servants.
Her brain was ticking away now that shock had subsided. She had been chased and almost killed by a Knight . . . Impossible in reality . . . Yet the dream . . .
“Tell me Sedrick whose God's be The Five?”
“The Five my Queen?” Sedrick asked perplexed at the random question.
“Yes,” Aurora said as she slipped on her thick fur robe and headed towards the open balcony and pulled the thin vial back to stare out at the bright moon lit night. “The Five.”
“There is only one place I know of and that is the Kingdom of Gallosor. Much further up North into the Ice Lands my Queen. We share borders with them and the safe keeping as well from Cattle Thieves and such.”
“Gallosor . . . ” Aurora mused as her mind put pieces together.
Her mother always said not to take dreams lightly. The woman maybe losing her mind but maybe she was onto something here.
Enemies came in all shapes and sizes . . . and if growing up and living at Court taught her anything then it was this Keep your enemies close but your friends closer because they were the ones who would stab you in the back first. Foe's one may see coming but friends they came with smiles and poison in your wine.
“Why the sudden interest in The Five?”
Aurora turned to the only man she trusted with her plans, her unearthly eyes settled on the dark bald figure before her.
“It is not the Five that which interest me Sedrick but those who worship the God's of the Ice Lands.” Aurora said with a calculating smile as she stroked her fingers over one of her silvery braids. “Tell me Sedrick, are many of the subjects of Gallosor Knights of the Holy Order?”
Sedrick brows scrunched into a V. He did not understand how his Queen's mind worked all he knew was not to question her motivations and do her bidding at her will.
“Many a Knight my Queen. I've heard rumours – this being a many a years ago – that even one of the Princes of the Royal Family of Gallosor is a Knight of the Holy Order.”
“The Prince?” Aurora reiterated with one raised brow. “How very uncouth. I suppose he is a younger son? So one can not blame him. What else is there for a younger son to do, except wait for his brother to die if there is no legitimate heir or wait for the nephew to die if there is . . . What is the name of our poor Prince?”
“I do not know my Queen but I can find out, if you so wish?”
Aurora waved his query away with the flicker of her wrist. This whole business was another inconvenience, yet she would rather nip this inconvenience in the bud right now before it became a man eating flower that would devour her.
How did that old saying go? Slay thy enemies before they slay you.
“He does not interest me, at least not solely. No, what I need you to do Sedrick is find every single Knight of the Holy Order that hails from the Ice Lands of Gallosor. I want a list of names, then I wish an interview with each and everyone. Not an easy feet I know, but let us start with the one's currently on duty in the North Lands. If I can not find the one I wish to seek here then I will have to branch out my search further.”
“Consider it done my Queen.” Sedrick bowed.
“Oh I do.” Aurora said with a wicked smile.
LADY ASTRA-LEENA VANTGAURD
Quick footsteps echoed behind her bouncing off the cold stones and the even colder silence. She looked back quickly as she ran, her heavy cloak fluttering behind her as a cold wind swept through the damp air. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest.
A man in chain mail and gilded armour followed her through the torch lit secret hallways of Vantgaurd Castle. Why was she running from him? He was no match for her? But even as she thought this her feet carried her faster further forward through the stone gray curving passageways.
A door! At last! She yanked it open and gasped as a bone chilling breeze pushed her back and saved her from a drop into the indiscernible darkness below. The dark night sky thundered angrily and sheets of heavy rain emerged maddeningly to soak her through to the marrow.
How could this be happening to her? She whipped around. The dark Knight stood but a mere few feet away, his sword unsheathed and at the ready. She could not make out his face. She laughed like a madwoman throwing her head back.
“Foolish Knight! You think you can stop me?” She raised her hand to unleash her magic . . . Wait! What was this?
She turned her palm to face her and then turned it back on the Knight . . . Nothing! . . . She shook her hand violently . . .
“W-What's wrong with me?” She asked him dumbfounded.
“Judgement is upon you.” Spoke the Knight's gruff voice “Pray The Five have mercy upon your soul.”
. . . And then he raised his sword high above his head.
She screamed and put her hands up in defence above her face and waited for the striking blow . . . it did not come.
Breathing heavily, she lowered her arms slowly. What? What was this magic? She thought confused as she stood staring at the blurry image in front of her but then the Knights sword was coming down and she screamed “No!” from in front and behind him.
Sweat dripped down the curve of her spine as she shot up, dazed and confused. Astra rubbed her eyes as her heart beat unnaturally fast. The dying embers of the once great fire flickered in the night.
Astra looked around. Both Thorin and Zaldir seemed to be asleep. Zaldir was sat however. He must have fallen asleep keeping watch Astra guessed as she got to her feet. And dusted her pale silk dress. Her cloak lay on the ground, she had slept on it. However she did not feel the need to put it on. The nights in the South Lands were unbearably hot. She felt sticky and in need of a cool bath.
Although she avoided water at all costs at times like these she knew there was no avoiding it. Astra breathed in a shaky breath as she began towards the ravine she had sensed earlier. Her elemental magic allowed her the ability to make out the elements when she was near them. But the dream still haunted her thoughts.
She had to calm down and figure it all out . . . for it was no normal dream. She knew she had reached the ravine when the full Moon's ghostly reflection shimmered in the dark water.
Astra crouched on a large pebble and splashed her face with the cool liquid. The chilled water soothed her heated skin as it trickled and ran down her neck and into her fine dress.
Refreshed Astra folded her arms around her knees as she sat silently at the shallow waters edge. It was about time she faced her fears. Yet the pool of water did not dominate the thoughts in her mind.
The dream repeated itself. How strange, she thought with a frown. She was running through the secret passageways of Vantgaurd Castle, the same ones she and her sister used to play in as children . . . But then there was the Knight . . . of the Holy Order no doubt. She could not see his face, it was a dark blur.
Astra's frown grew deeper at the thought of the Knight's of the Holy Order. She did not trust them, not one bit. She did not like their Holier Than Thou attitude. The way they looked down on those above them. Astra had seen many a Knight of the Holy Order growing up in Vantgaurd Castle. They were constant visitors of her father.
Alas, what did it matter to her now except that the Knight chased her in the dream and tried to kill her, except . . . when he had lifted his sword, she suddenly found herself behind him . . . yet when she looked beyond him, she also stood there where she first was by the open door . . . except the whole image in front of her – the Knights back and the woman – her – stood in front of the open door – was a blur. She was in two places at once. It made no sense. She did not hold the ability of astral projection.
Nor had her magic worked in the dream, that frightened her most.
It confounded her. What could it possibly mean? Did actually mean anything at all? Or was it just that a dream and nothing more? Astra pondered all this and more as she sat there hugging her knee's as the water spirits danced lights across the surface of the ravine and the Moon hug high in the night Sky.