Age of Heroes

IN THE LAND OF SHADOWS

The stone table is illuminated by the candles all around the room, twelve people can be seen surrounding the stone table, all wearing a gloomy expression.

Gabranth can be seen sitting on one of the seats surrounding the round table with twelve other people, waiting, expecting, their heart is fill with nervousness, none of them speaks anything. 

Silence fill the room, sometimes the wind comes from one of the windows and give some sense of time flowing. 

Gabranth sit still. He is waiting for someone. They are all waiting

The other look at Gabranth, no longer can they stand this waiting without saying something. 

Something needs to be said. Actions needs to be taken in these dire times yet here they all are, holed up in a room…. waiting.

'This is a disaster, Gabranth! A disaster! What say you!' The man said, indignation in his tone, no doubt blaming Gabranth.

The man who is shouting is quite comely, young and lean, his face is free from blemishes, a quite handsome man with green eyes, and hair with locks on his left and right side of his head, touching his shoulders.

'Wait, Rowan. We will wait for Claudio to explain to us. Then all will be revealed' Gabranth said trying to mediate the situations before it became uncontrollable.

'What else need to be explained? He fails. The ship sank! The ship sank! Our last hope…our last measure…. turns to nothing!' Rowan said screaming, he is already stand up from his seat in anger, looking at Gabranth with vehement hatred.

'We have been betrayed! Betrayed by our own brothers!' Another man said.

This man has a scar on his left cheek, his left hand is nowhere to be seen, his arms shows that it has been chopped, his left eye is blind. 

'Galahad, we have to listen first. I…could not believe that he would take this too far. He is still our brother' Gabranth said, his face shows that this is beginning to become more problematic.

'Orval has betrayed us, betrayed the Round Table. The Code of Honour must be upheld. He must pay and be tried by the Court of the Twelve' Galahad said,

'Or maybe he is doing what is right for our brotherhood.' 

Another man interjected the speeches of Galahad

He is an old man, with muscly appearance and his body is decorated with leather armour, on his left hip one can see a light sword sheathe strapped around it, long and thin, his face exudes confidence.

'You entertain thoughts of treason much, Ervin?'

'Treasonous thoughts? On whom? You? Or this Round Table? We have no King. No government! We have no leader. Equal, our ancestors say. The problem with being equal is that we tend to bicker a lot and nothing gets done, Galahad.'

'We all have agreed to invite the chosen one to lead us into battle.' 

Another man spoke, a young man in shining armour, his blonde hair is long that it reaches past his shoulders; some are tied into a lock.

'Oh, is that so Wells? And what! Unleash the weapons of the First Generation? Oh, my brothers, do not contend with powers you do not understand. We are the protector…not revealer. The chosen one walk his path. Destiny have plans for him. We have no right to hinder his path!'

'We… have plans for him!' Gabranth said defiantly.

'And mercy to god, your plan failed.'

'You…. You are happy this happen aren't you!'

'Happy? On the contrary, my brother. I am aggrieved. But I have long believed that the existence of the weapon must be kept secret. The Chosen One…. if he is…. the chosen one will find it eventually, like the prophecy about him has stated.'

Gabranth look at his brother in arms and shakes his head.

'We have no choice, my brothers. Darkness is threatening us. The Darkly Ones are arising. The fog of Evil is spreading, the clouds turns black, the forest turns vile. We have to act!'

Ervin shakes his head and sighed.

'You are stubborn Gabranth. I have no courage to defy your moods. Alas, I am not as brave as our old friend Orval.'

'You mean to rebel then? Like him! Rebel against your own brothers, those that once fight by your side!'

'Rebel? Oh, my brother, with what? What armies could we spare? Every man and woman of these plains is protecting this piece of small land from being invaded by the force of darkness, protecting the world from such evils. Such thankless job if you ask me.' 

'You seem to feel overjoyed hearing our failures, and somber hearing of our successes, Wells.' Galahad noted

'I am not overjoyed. I just don't think it is right to use the weapon we were charged to protect. That is all.'

'The weapon is our only hope and the blood of the chosen one will lead us to it. His blood is needed.' Gabranth said.

'It is a sad day for humanity when our last hope.... is a weapon.'

'What use is the weapon if not for destroying the Darkly Ones? I believe that the first generation built it to destroy Him.'

'If they really did that, if that is truly their noble intentions, why would they seal them, put it in the Erath, center of the Darkly Ones, protected by ancient magic and natural fortifications, so uninviting, so dangerous? Or do you think the First Generation just like to see us struggle, long after their demise?'

Gabranth just said nothing.

Then with all the tense atmosphere bubbling in the room the door opens with a creak and light shines the stone table.

'Claudio' the people in the seat of the round table said as they turned to look at the man entering. The man they are waiting for has finally arrived.

'You have returned, brother.'

'In failure' he said, his face is gaunt, his eyes have baggy sacks.

'Tell us. What happen out in the Sea? Is it true?' Claudio nodded.

'Brother Orval attacked us.'

'Why would he?' Gabranth asked

'They said we have perverted the pure noble ideals of our Brotherhood and he will stop us from unleashing the weapon.'

'How could that be? He was once our brother. Wait? Did you say they? Are you saying he has allies?'

'He is with a demon kind. I recognized the demon. Mikael the brother of the Queen of the Dark Lands. Orval has turned from our brotherhood. He has set on his own journey'

'What did he say? He must send you a message considering he let you live. I know Orval. He is not soft to his enemies' Ervin said, his eyes show no sign of despondency like the others in the room.

'He said He is coming.'

Gabranth smash his fist onto the stone table, and the table shook violently, angry at the provocation.

'Let him come! Does he think the Round Table fears him! I fear not him and not his perverted ideals.'

'I'm not finished Gabranth.'

'What?'

'He said he is coming…. with an army.'

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