Rise of the Forgotten Sun (The Sun and the Raven Book 1)

by Jon Monson

  Another crack sounded as another black robe fell to the ground. Aydiin summoned another whip, commanding the two in their fury. After only a moment, the path was littered with a dozen black robes.

  Before he could enjoy his victory, a winged creature of shadow landed with a surprisingly deep thud that reverberated through Aydiin’s entire body. An even deeper sorrow filled his chest at the sight. He again didn’t know why, but the sight made him want to weep.

  Aydiin knew he had never seen such a creature before, yet he somehow wasn’t surprised. Memories seemed to seep into his brain - memories that weren’t his own, telling him of the horror creatures such as this had inflicted on the land.

  Shaped like a man – if a man could grow massive wings - the creature seemed to be made of pure darkness. Its mouth opened, revealing row after row of jagged teeth. He knew that those teeth had caused the death and suffering of thousands.

  Something akin to a smile spread along the creature’s face as he prowled towards Aydiin. He strode fearlessly, and Aydiin somehow knew that his powers would be useless. Still, he would have to try.

  Commanding both streams of water, the two whips crashed onto the creature. The water dissipated into steam inches from its blackened flesh. A deep rumble of laughter emanated from the creature’s chest.

  Aydiin gulped. His time was up.

  The ground rumbled once more as the clouds above opened. A thin ray of light descended, defying the darkness that had encompassed the world. The beam slammed into the creature’s flesh and a howl of pure agony escaped that terrible mouth.

  Then, it dissipated. There was no corpse. There was no dust. There was no evidence that it had ever existed at all. It was simply…not.

  Chapter 21

  Aydiin opened his eyes to find himself flat on his back in the exact spot where he had first touched the Stone of Katala. Only now, he looked up to find himself surrounded by not only Edona and the other members of the Council, but by what looked to be the entirety of the monastery. It was rather awkward.

  His entire body felt sore unlike anything he’d ever experienced. The muscles in his legs had already been protesting the climb up the mountain. Now, the rest of his body joined in, creating what felt to be a symphony of chaos in every muscle.

  Dozens of faces stared down at him. Men and women craned and pushed to get a better view of the pilgrim who had caused such a scene. Of course, he had no idea what had happened or if there really had been anything to see.

  In the sea of faces, a particular set of eyes stuck out from the rest. Like emeralds in a riverbed, he couldn’t miss them even if he had tried.

  “Byanca,” he whispered. He couldn’t force the words out with any more strength, but in the silent room, the single word seemed to echo and reverberate. The monks standing in front of his princess – well, not a princess, but the title still fit – moved out of the way, revealing her entirety to his view.

  Her hair was pulled back, and she wore plain brown trousers and a white shirt. The clothing was obviously meant for travelling on horseback and not to impress the Genodran socialites. She looked just as beautiful as the day he first saw her. Then reminded himself that day had not been very long ago.

  Those eyes – it felt like he was seeing them for the first time. There was confusion in them, confusion mixed with hurt. These days had been difficult for her, he could tell just from the expression on her face.

  He couldn’t believe she was here. They were so far from Palmas, yet she had somehow tracked him across the countryside. He was suddenly very glad he had a good excuse for being here. This reunion would be much more uncomfortable if he’d actually been trying to escape the marriage.

  “Everyone, please return to your duties,” Edona called out, her voice somehow both calm and authoritative. “The last person I see dawdling in this room will receive lavatory duty for a year.”

  With plenty of mutters, the colorfully dressed monks filed out of the room with an alacrity that surprised Aydiin. Their curiosity seemed to battle with their desire to avoid the gentle wrath of Edona and the other members of the Council. As he watched them leave, he realized that lavatory duty must be truly terrible indeed.

  “Can you move, My Prince?” Edona asked, moving into his line of vision.

  “I believe so,” Aydiin said, lifting himself up onto his elbows. The priestess offered her hand and he rose to his feet.

  “You two had better come with me,” Edona said, nodding to Byanca as well. “I’m very interested to see what the daughter of the Doge is doing so far from home – I’m afraid my sources are entirely outdated.”

  They walked in silence as Edona led them through a hallway and into a small room. Aydiin didn’t quite know where to start with Byanca. He wanted to tell her he hadn’t abandoned her, and that he should have explained his adventure with the Stone in the Lonely Spire from the very beginning. Yet now, there were too many other questions running through his mind.

  The room was the exact opposite of the chamber they’d just left. It contained only a narrow cot along with a rough wooden table and two chairs. It was a sparse room meant for a minimalist life.

  Aydiin’s eyes immediately focused on a plate sitting atop the table. It contained a few small loaves of bread and chunks of cheese. His stomach rumbled as if he’d never before tasted food, yet he restrained himself.

  “Go ahead and eat,” Edona said, taking a seat on the bed and motioning for Aydiin and Byanca to sit on the chairs. “You’ve been through quite the experience, one that has never been seen before. I can only imagine the hunger.”

  Aydiin sat on the chair and immediately ripped off a piece of the bread and popped it into his mouth. The loaf was dry and plain, but at that moment it tasted like a fresh piece of artisan bread. His mouth began to salivate and he forced himself to chew thoroughly before swallowing.

  “First of all, I need to ask Lady Byanca what she’s doing here,” Edona said. “I’m assuming you two know each other.”

  “Aydiin and I are engaged to be married,” Byanca said. “After he disappeared in the dead of night, I tracked him here.”

  “Impressive,” Edona said. “May I ask how you followed the Prince across such a distance - and to a rather obscure location?”

  “I have my methods,” Byanca replied. “I would appreciate it if you would let me leave it at that.”

  “As you wish,” Edona nodded. “Now Aydiin, what happened after you touched the Stone?”

  “I’m not exactly sure,” Aydiin replied, reaching his mind back to the strange vision he had lived. “I was on a mountainside, fighting off madmen in black robes. A shadow creature appeared and nearly killed me. Then rays of sun came down through the clouds and destroyed it. Is that normal?”

  “There is absolutely nothing ‘normal’ about anything in this situation,” Edona said. “What we just witnessed was unique in the history of the world. Aydiin, you just absorbed a Great Stone. It resides in you, filling you with its power.”

  “That was the Great Stone of Katala?” Byanca nearly shouted. “A Great Stone can’t be absorbed – it just isn’t possible.”

  “Until today, that was true,” Edona sighed. “That Stone has rested on my chest for a hundred years, never showing a sign of the power held within. However, after today, I fear our very concept of reality is unravelling. These are exciting times – dark, yes, but exciting.”

  “What is happening?” Aydiin asked. “You and the members of the Council kept referring to the Rise of the Forgotten Sun – what is that?”

  “Well, for lack of a better term, it’s the end of the world,” Edona sighed. “Or at least, the beginning of the end. My Prince, you are the Heir of Alarun, the reincarnation of the God of Gods. In his life, Alarun controlled the sun, the source of light and life for this world. He was the master of all the Divines – not just the eight you know of, but of the hundreds who helped him create mankind. In death, he has been forgotten – scorned even – by the very people he sacrificed him
self to save. Yet in you, he rises again to save us from the evil he was unable to vanquish.”

  “How can Aydiin be the Heir of Alarun?” Byanca asked. “What could that even mean?”

  “Well, I think our Prince has a story he needs to tell us,” Edona smiled.

  “Remember when I told you about going into the Soulless Desert?” Aydiin asked, turning to Byanca.

  “I do,” she replied. “If I recall, we were interrupted before you could tell me what you had found.”

  “Well, in the depths of the desert, I found the Lonely Spire of legend,” Aydiin said, the memories flooding back to his mind. “Within, I discovered a Stone, more beautiful than any other I’d ever seen.”

  “At the time, I thought it was a Great Stone,” Aydiin continued. “It was certainly larger than any normal Divinity Stone, and it seemed to contain every color imaginable. I thought it would be safe to take with me back to Maradon, to show my father I’m not a waste of royal blood. Yet when I touched it, I somehow took it.”

  “When I returned to Maradon there were two separate attempts on my life,” Aydiin continued. “My original plan was to come straight to Mount Pietra. I wanted nothing to do with marriage. I only wanted answers. Then I saw you at the docks that very first day. I couldn’t get myself to leave.”

  “So you didn’t run away,” Byanca said, the words acting as more of a confirmation of something she already knew than a question.

  “Not on my own,” Aydiin smiled. “I was attacked in my rooms. A group of men ambushed me before I fell unconscious. An old soldier saved me just as they were about to load me onto a ship bound for some Divine-forsaken place.”

  “What exactly did he find in the Lonely Spire?” Byanca asked, and both she and Aydiin turned back to Edona.

  “A power so ancient that it has been forgotten by mankind. We on the Council have worked hard to make sure it has remained that way,” Edona said. “You found the Stone of Alarun.”

  “But Alarun didn’t make a –,“ Byanca began, but Edona cut her off.

  “I know what you’ve been taught,” Edona snapped. “That lie was first told by my own lips. If the world knew of the Stone created by the God of Gods – the only Stone created by him – what do you think would have happened?”

  “Everyone would be looking for it,” Aydiin whispered, realizing what she meant as the words poured from his mouth. “It would be an object of legend. Kings would make it their lives’ work to bring it to their courts. Dictators would seek it as a divine mandate for their rule.”

  “That’s only a fraction of the harm that would have been done,” Edona said. ”By finding and taking the Stone of Alarun, you have weakened the power that binds the Undergods to their prison. I’m afraid that you have set in motion a chain of events that cannot be stopped. Like it or not, your actions will result in either the salvation or destruction of the world.”

  Aydiin didn’t know how to respond. He had resisted positions of authority back home, and now he was supposed to save the world. The price of failure would be high.

  “So the Undergods weren’t destroyed in the Final Battle,” Byanca, asked, breaking the silence. Edona nodded.

  “Alarun had lost the War of Divinity – he knew that without a doubt. His last desperate gamble resulted in the death of the remaining Divines who followed him. It also resulted in the imprisoning of the Undergods. Most importantly, it resulted in the Divinity Stones.”

  “In sacrificing himself, Alarun didn’t just imprison the Undergods, he gave mankind the key to their eventual destruction,” Edona continued. “Like it or not, you are that key.”

  “But this Stone doesn’t do anything,” Aydiin shook his head. “At least, not that I’ve been able to manage.”

  “On its own, the Stone grants no divine abilities,” Edona said. “However, it allows you to absorb the Great Stones, giving you the power to command Divinity itself. You have the potential to become more powerful than any Divine that ever walked this earth. You have the potential to destroy the Undergods.”

  “So all I have to do is locate seven more Great Stones, five of which have remained lost to mankind since the Last Battle,” Aydiin sighed, realizing what her words meant. “Sounds simple.”

  “I realize this is a difficult task,” Edona replied. “Some may say it’s impossible. Yet remember that you are the Heir of Alarun, and for you, all things are made possible. I’ve waited a thousand years for this day – I can’t believe it is here at last.”

  “A thousand years?” Byanca gaped, leaving the rest of her question unanswered.

  “I, along with the other members of the Council, have been granted the ability to see our missions through to the end,” Edona replied. “It was one of the last acts performed by Alarun. In the Age of Divinity, I was the personal handmaiden of the Goddess Katala. Now, I serve her by watching over the world she helped to create.”

  “So you’ve been alive all this time,” Aydiin said. “And you’ve just been preparing for this moment?”

  “Among other things, yes,” Edona said. “The Council has always had its fingers in world events. Very little of importance happens without our acquiescence – or our aid.”

  “So you’ve been directing world affairs,” Aydiin said slowly. The thought didn’t sit well with him.

  “We were given the charge to watch over this world until the Rise of the Forgotten Sun – the return of Alarun’s powers through his Heir,” Edona said. “Now that is has come, our time here will pass quickly.”

  “So you and the others – you’ll die?” Aydiin asked.

  “To those who have lived as long as we, death is nothing to fear,” Edona smiled. “I will embrace the Beyond with the entirety of my soul. There, I will have peace. There, I will have rest. There, I will once again be with my husband and the gods I serve.”

  “Wait - you can’t abandon me to do this alone,” Aydiin nearly shouted.

  “You aren’t alone, My Prince,” Edona replied, ignoring Aydiin’s outburst. “You have more friends and allies than you could possibly know. Besides, I’ve told you all that I can - Alarun was quite strict in his orders given to the Council.”

  “So you can’t tell me anything else? Not even my first step in the right direction?” Aydiin asked. “You must have thought this through – you’ve had a thousand years.”

  “First, I believe there is the matter of your wedding,” Edona smiled.

  “Our wedding?” Byanca asked. “That’s not for several weeks yet – not to mention we’re a hundred leagues from my family.”

  “For what you will be facing, I think it best that you two be bonded in matrimony,” Edona smiled. “And what could possibly be more romantic than to be married by a millennium-old immortal on her last day of life?”

  “We can always do another ceremony for show back in Palmas,” Aydiin shrugged, looking at Byanca. “This is going to happen one way or another. Why not travel with your husband instead of your betrothed?”

  “Alright,” Byanca said. “It’s not as if I didn’t know this day was coming. Will it take long to prepare?”

  “Not at all,” Edona said. “Byanca of House Cavour, do you take Aydiin to be your husband?”

  “I do,” Byanca nodded, the shock evident in her voice.

  “Prince Aydiin of Salatia, do you take Byanca to be your wife?”

  “I do,” Aydiin said, turning to look into her eyes.

  “By the power given me directly by Alarun, I proclaim to the world that your lives are now bonded in matrimony,” Edona said. “On behalf of the Council and the Divines, I wish you a long, happy life.”

  “Assuming we survive the next few months,” Aydiin replied.

  “That’s not such an outlandish assumption,” Edona said. “I can see who you really are, My Prince. You are of the most royal blood. The fate of the world rests in your hands, and I do not worry about the world for even a moment.”

  Chapter 22

  Barrick squinted against the sunlight a
s the Maiden approached Maradon. The city’s buildings glowed a brilliant white in the sunrise, a sight that was almost beautiful. However, the sight also meant it was time for some very unpleasant work.

  “Oh boy, it’s good to be home, ain’t it Master Barrick?” Deidrick said at his side.

  Maradon isn’t home, Barrick thought to himself, although he understood the man’s sentiment.

  Deidrick was a devoted family man, a rare trait for men employed by his father. Men like Sanborn, perpetual bachelors with no commitments and even fewer morals, were the norm when working for a man as cunning as Arathorm Fortescue.

  Barrick’s relationship with his father had always been less than ideal, even as a child. His mother had died during childbirth, leaving the prosperous merchant to care for Barrick on his own. That meant he’d been raised by a series of nannies and servants.

  The Fortescue family dynamic almost made Aydiin’s family look healthy by comparison. Yes, Aydiin’s youngest brother Jabari was a twit and Oosman was a terrible excuse for both a father and a ruler, but Aydiin at least had two loving siblings. Barrick had been alone, and was reasonably confident that his very existence was due to carelessness rather than a desire to bring children into the world.

  “Yes, Deidrick,” Barrick replied, “It’s good to be back.”

  “If you don’t mind me asking,” Deidrick began hesitantly, “Do you plan on seeing your father?”

  “I wasn’t planning on it,” Barrick replied, trying to keep the edge out of his voice. “I haven’t seen him in months. A few days in Genodra didn’t change anything.”

  Deidrick nodded. Nothing more needed to be said. Barrick had moved out of his father’s home months ago, even before the trip to Oltu and the Soulless Desert. There hadn’t been a fight or anything – Barrick had just left. He didn’t have a reason for not speaking with Arathorm other than he just had no desire left to pretend they had anything to say to each other.

  Barrick had enjoyed his time spent with Deidrick, but the man’s loyalty to the Fortescue family was a bit trying at times. Besides, his thoughts were on Sanborn and the message he was carrying. Following the man would be beyond difficult.