Dawn of Darkness

by Kran Sanon

  “The Arkhenians and the elves chose Selux to be the one true leader of the realms of men thousands of years ago but Solas chose……… I ……….. I chose that every other kingdom should be given the right to rule themselves. This gives equality to everyone but you want us to go back to our tyrannical beginnings. I cannot agree to that” said Solas.

  King Morrigan ignores his words and says that Seluxhas only built this world based on lies.

  “The truth is that you together with your powerful elf and Arkhenian allies have always treated us northerners inferior. Especially kingdoms which grow in power like Vrailan. Those times are gone. We do not fear you. We will establish ourselves as the most powerful kingdom in the midlands, and there is nothing that you can do about it” replies King Morrigan.

  Solas angrily replies him that whatever he is believing and making his allies believe is a lie.

  “First and foremost, the Elves and Arkhenians are not our allies but only our friends, those friends which I made only after when I was ambushed at Wovia. So do not bring them into this. Yes, they chose my kingdom to be the leader of these lands thousands of years ago and not yours, but they are wise and experienced men so they definitely made that decision based on something concrete. Seeing you like these, I now fully believe what they did was correct. I cannot imagine someone like you were the leader of all men. You let your selfish ambition and lust for power cloud your judgement. You can go to any lengths to win. You are not fit to be anyone’s leader” said Solas.

  Morrigan challenges that blame by saying that he is not driven by power but only the rights of his people. Solas though still says that he is lying and that if that were not true then why else would he try to kill him at Wovia trying to make it look that someone else was responsible for it. Morrigan again defends himself by swinging the blame onto Solas.

  “You are the one who has powerful allies. You are the one who brought a dragon here and it is me who would try to impersonate a mythical race to kill you — a species whom I have not even seen in my lifetime. You are the one who has allies who have seen these monsters before. Maybe it is you who is responsible for the attack at Wovia. And do not forget it wasn’t just you who got attacked, I also went through the same thing. That gives me the right to blame you as well. I know my wife knows magic but she is still not that powerful to pull off something like that. So, for the last time it was not I who attacked you at Wovia” said an exhausted King Morrigan.

  King Morrigan then drinks his glass of water as Solas contemplates everything he has heard. He tells himself that maybe Morrigan is telling the truth since his reactions show that he really might have not been responsible for what happened at Wovia.

  “It is not I who is responsible for the events of Wovia, but if it is not you either then it could mean only one thing. The Necros might really be back” says Solas.

  Morrigan tells him that is not the reason why they are here. He says it is better for Solas to agree to his terms so that this civil war can end.

  “This civil war will end Morrigan. You do not worry about that but it is you who have to agree to our terms” replied Solas.

  Morrigan says if Solas is pointing towards a war then they will not win but Solas is really confident that they will.

  “I know you will tell me that your people possess more strength or are more ruthless in battle just because they are northerners and also have elephants and wolves so that gives you an upper hand but it does not. Be realistic Morrigan. I have the biggest army. You simply cannot win” said Solas.

  Isabela then places her left arm on his soldiers and confidently says that they also have a dragon.

  “In case you did not notice, but we also have Noxa who can end a war in just a few moments. My husband is a dragon tamer!” said a confident Queen Isabela.

  Solas then adds that it is important to end this war now so that they can concentrate on finding out the truth of what really happened at Wovia.

  “I know I sound a little overconfident because I have to. You need to understand how important it is to end this war right now. If the Necros have really returned, then this no longer is a war for our rights but the war for the survival of this race. You said the Arkhenians and Elves are my allies when they are not but I will make them defeat you if need be. I need to find out the truth about the Necros meaning I seriously do not have time for this civil war. So, I will ask you again. Do you agree with our terms or I create a war to end this once it for all? If you choose war, then I give you my word I will come at you with both the Arkhenians and Elves to make sure this is over in no time. None of you will survive. So what is it going to be?” Asked Solas.

  Morrigan takes some time to contemplate everything. He knows Solas for a long time and also knows that Solas never gets overconfident. He realises that something is really wrong. He knows that he cannot beat him if Solas brings the Arkhenians and the elves so it might be better to agree to his terms on this day. He needs a different plan to have a chance of beating him.

  “I agree with the decision of King Solas and at this moment end this civil war on this very day and in this very moment” said Morrigan.

  His armies look stunned as his wife tries to say something but he completely ignores her words. He also says that he will only make truce on one condition. When Solas asks what the condition is, Morrigan tells him that whatever happened with the civil war should not have any consequences on the freedom of the northern kingdoms. He asks for his kingdoms to stay independent. Solas agrees and tells him that freedom is why he wanted this civil war to end, and that is what everyone will get. King Morrigan knew Solas would say that, but he still made up that condition to make his decision look realistic. Since everyone has now agreed on the decision, they all eventually make their way towards their kingdoms.

  Once King Morrigan reaches Vrailan with his allies, they all ask him if he really believed King Solas and that if he has really given up on making Vrailan the one true ruler of men for which Morrigan says no.

  “Before we departed, I said that Solas might have played a part in what happened at Wovia, and now I am sure that he did. That plan of his failed, but now he looks like he would go to any heights to end this civil war, and he did. If we went to war against him with the Arkhenians and Elves helping him, then we definitely would have lost. Everything that we worked for would have been lost just like that. We needed a better plan. Now that everyone believes this war is over, all of his allies will return to their respected kingdoms. This is the time that we will attack when all of them are separated. We need to wait for a little while then show what we can do. They will not even see it coming” said a confident King Morrigan.

  King Rodelfus asks what if the Arkhenians and the Elves find out that they have ambushed and destroyed their allies. Morrigan tells him that they understand the game of survival.

  “Once they see that is us who deserve to rule then eventually they will also understand. Right now though, we do not need to worry about that. We only need to think about our battle plans. My wife knows magic so we will use that to our advantage. I know magic is banned but this time we are desperate. We need to win this war by any means necessary because if these fails then none of us will survive. We will use the element of surprise and finish them once and for all. King Solas has disrespected me and my kingdom for the last time. It is time to burn Selux down to the grounds!” says King Morrigan.

  END OF CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  War of the North and South

  The armies have now returned from the meeting. The armies belonging to other kingdoms have returned to their respective kingdoms as the civil war is now over. Solas and Isabela are informed that their daughter has already gone to sleep as it is very late in the night. Isabela says that she is going to have a bath before going to sleep while Solas tells her to go on as he needs to see Leliana before he can go to sleep. Solas goes to Leliana’s room and sits on a stool beside her bed. He can see her feeling the cold so he places the blanket p
roperly over her. He is feeling a significant amount of guilt inside for having to lie to her. Ever since he has arrived here, he has attached himself to everyone at Selux but none greater than Leliana. He now really regards her as his daughter, maybe more. He then makes his way towards the terrace of the palace where he sits on the edge taking in the cold breezes of the night winds. He contemplates what to do next since the civil war is now over. He is also still not over the fact of having to lie to everyone. He is in a lot of dilemmas as he really wants to tell everyone the truth, but he knows he cannot. Not until he finds out about what happened at Wovia. He knows that can take years but does not think that he is capable of lying to them for that long. Then suddenly Isabela comes and joins him.

  “What is troubling you?” she asks.

  “It is what I told you some days ago. I may have ended the civil war but I am still at the same place where I started about what happened at Wovia. King Morrigan did not look as if he had something to do about it. If it was not him then who was it? Is it really true that the Necros have returned? I do not know where to go after this” replied Solas.

  Isabela tells him that it is better to do things one step at a time and focus on the tasks in hand.

  “I think it is not right for you to say that you are still at the same place where to begin this mission. I know the civil war, and the truth about the Necros are two different things but remember that you blamed King Morrigan at the beginning for what happened at Wovia. Now you think that he had nothing to do with it. I see that as a progress. At least now you can look at other options as well. You ended the civil war meaning mission one of yours is now complete. Since you also now know that King Morrigan was not responsible for the events of Wovia means that you have also progressed in mission two. It is better to do what is at hand first. If you think you are stuck, then try to go back and focus on your previous steps with a different point of view. In this case, you are not seeing King Morrigan as the culprit. I am pretty sure you will come up with something new, something else to progress with” said Isabela.

  “How can you make everything sound so easy? You always help me make see a path where the only thing that I previously saw was a dead end. You really are a great inspiration to me. I just hope Leliana also grows up to be exactly like you” said Solas by giving Isabela a charming look.

  “She will. She will grow up and not just be like me but like you as well.” replied Isabela.

  She then adds to say that she knows that there is something else bothering him for which Solas says that she is right.

  “There is. There is something else bothering me. You were right that night when you said that I was hiding something from you. I am just not hiding something from you but from everyone else as well. Something that no matter how much I want to let all of you know, I cannot share. At least not right now. If I share it now then it will destroy everything I have worked for since returning. I cannot tell you until I have found out who was responsible for the events of Wovia. It is a great burden to carry but I must carry it alone. It is not about trusting you or anyone in this family but because it involves every one of you. I am sorry for this. I can only ask you to trust me until I finish my mission. I promise you that I will tell straight after all of this is over. I do not know how you or anyone else will react, but I need to tell everyone, eventually” Solas tells her.

  Isabela gets closer to him, holds his hand and then places her head on his shoulder. She then tells him that she trusts him.

  “I trust you. This family trusts you. The people of Selux trusts you and all of your allies trust you. A king should never hide anything from his people but you are the king who has always been there when the people needed you the most when I needed you the most. So if you are hiding anything from the people or me, then I am very sure that it is for your own good. You do not need to feel any guilt. If it is something that I will not like when you eventually tell me then still it does not need to matter because I know you are doing this for the greater good. I am with you. Everyone in this kingdom is with you. We will always be with you. Deep down I know that when the time is right, you will tell us what we need to know” Isabela says to Solas.

  Solas remains silent and listens to her voice. He might be in distress but listening to Isabela’s word makes him feel a lot easier. It makes him be for trustful for what he is doing is right. He becomes a lot more determined.

  “I love you” said Isabela.

  Solas still stays silent not knowing how to react to it.

  “Love, I said I love you” Isabela said again.

  “I love you too” replied Solas while kissing her on the forehead.

  He realised that he should not disappoint her, so he also told her that he loves her or as he thought. Maybe he meant it. Perhaps he has started loving her. That is just another conflict he is facing within himself.

  It has now been some months since the meeting of the kings took place. The Alistair family are having their lunch after the return of Amos and Solas after their short journey west to find something new about what happened at Wovia as Isabela suggested. They are joined by Robin Geoffrey and Bernard Carver together with their wives.

  “Did you find out anything new about what happened at Wovia?” Isabela asks her husband.

  Solas informs her that they still do not know who was responsible for Wovia.

  “We could not find out anything new, but as you said last time, we should take this one step at a time and go back and repeat our previous steps if need be. If we continue to do that, then I am sure we will eventually find out the truth. Besides, at least now we know that no one from the south had anything to do about it” said Solas.

  Isabela just gives him a half-smile. Amos then adds that the northerners also seem not to have any hand in this.

  “King Morrigan also looked like he was only a victim of the attack just like us. If he had nothing to do with it then the same can be said for the rest of the northerners, but we can never fully trust him or any of his allies by word alone. I think we should also visit the northern kingdoms to find out the truth ourselves” said Amos.

  “I do not think that is a good idea. Not at least now” said Bernard Carver.

  “It has only been a few months since the meeting of kings. We still do not fully know if King Morrigan was true to his word. He might be, but we need to take more time before going to the northern territories” he continues to say.

  Amos says that it might not be right to waste any time but Robin Geoffrey also supports the advice of Bernard.

  “I completely agree with Bernard. I also do not think it is right to go near any northern territories right now. There would still be security concerns. Like Bernard said, it has only been a few months since the end of the civil war so I also advise against it” Robin says in support of Bernard.

  Everyone looks at Solas for his decision as he also agrees with Bernard but says that the northern territories might not be the only place he would need to go.

  “Bernard is right. We should wait a little longer before going to the northern territories. Amos is also right. We should not be wasting any time, but the security of everyone here is also as important. We will eventually go there, but that is not the only thing concerning me. If the northerners did not have anything to do about it, then I am afraid the fear of the Necros returning will only increase. Then I will be left with no choice but to go the ruins of the Necros Empire to seek the ultimate truth” said Solas.

  Everyone is stunned by this as Isabela says that his plan is a stupid idea.

  “Are you even hearing yourself? You want to go to that haunted place. Only ghosts of the past and monsters live there. Everybody who goes there is never heard of again. You will not survive even a single minute there, so throw away this stupid plan of yours” said Isabela in a furious voice.

  Solas tells her it is crucial for him to do that if he is to get to the bottom of this.

  “You were the one who said to take this a step of the time, and I a
m afraid the next step is for me to go to that place. Try to understand. I need to solve this before it is too late” says Solas.

  Isabela, though is still far from convinced.

  “I know it is important to find the truth, but if it is required to go to that forbidden place, then ask any one of your supernatural friends to go. Ask the Elf King Samven or the Arkhen King………………whatever his name is, to go. They are capable of doing this, not you. With all due respect, do not try to pull off this stupidity” she tells him.

  “It is not their responsibility to do so. I am the leader of this realms. This responsibility is only mine to fulfil. What happened at Wovia happened on the lands which I had sworn to protect, so I need to find out who or what was responsible for what happened on that night. With all due respect to your concerns as well, but I need to do this and will do this” replied an adamant and commanding King Solas.

  He does not want to hurt the feelings of Isabela, but he knows she is not aware of his powers. She only sees him as his human husband and not an Arkhenian.

  Isabela says to him that if he has already made up his mind, then she will not oppose it but she will also go with him this time.

  “If you will not listen to me then I will go with you. I will be needed more than most of your men” said Isabela.

  You will not go. You cannot go. It is very dangerous” replied Solas.

  Isabela though is very adamant about her decision.

  “If you can be resolute about your decision then I am with mine. Besides, I think you forget that I am the best sword fighter in this land. Better than you, better than anyone. My presence is needed during such a dangerous trip” said an adamant Isabela.

  “It is not about that. You know Leliana is still very young and you need to be here with her while I am away” replied Solas, this time in a soft tone.

  Isabela though, says that Leliana can stay with Janie until they return.

  “The Queen is right. I will not have any problem looking after her. She is like my own daughter. I will take care of her” said Janie Geoffrey.