The Journey West

by E J Gilmour

  THE JOURNEY WEST

  BOOK TWO OF THE VEREDOR CHRONICLES

  By E J GILMOUR

  The Journey West: Book Two of the Veredor Chronicles

  Copyright 2013 E J Gilmour

  ISBN: 978-0-9923750-1-0

  Hero Pages Publishing

  www.heropagespublishing.com

  www.ejgilmour.com

  The Journey West: Book Two of the Veredor Chronicles by E J Gilmour is subject to copyright. All rights reserved. This publication must not be altered, printed, resold, shared, copied or redistributed without the written permission of Hero Pages Publishing. This publication is a work of fiction. All characters and situations in this novel are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to real people or situations is coincidental. Cover image: © depositphotos.com/Sari ONeal

  This novel is a direct continuation of The Sword of Light: Book One of the Veredor Chronicles. It is recommended that you first read The Sword of Light to fully grasp the characters and events of this story.

  MAP OF THE EASTERN LANDS

  MAP OF THE WESTERN LANDS

  CHAPTER ONE

  The sound of galloping hooves echoed in the night. A flash of white light hastened through the dark woods. Eben could not see clearly because of the murkiness of his surroundings. A light in the distance caught his attention. He watched as a glowing unicorn approached through the gloomy forest. The beast was surrounded by shining light that lit up the tangled trees at the edge of the clearing.

  Eben awoke and abruptly sat up. He felt so wide awake that it could have been the middle of the day. The vivid dream remained clearly imprinted in his mind. He leaned over and lit the oil lantern beside his bed. His chamber was situated on an upper level of the palace and was adorned with all manner of royal luxury. King Ignis had been generous in rewarding him and his friends for all they had done for the Kingdom of Ortaria. He put on some clothes and then went to the window and looked down to the palace courtyard far below. Across the far side of the courtyard was a large gatehouse. Several guardsmen stood just within the walls and kept a watch on the night.

  A moment later Eben caught sight of movement at the top of the wall. A cloaked figure emerged from the far side. The shadowy man quietly lowered himself down a rope to the courtyard below and then edged along, keeping to the shadows, until he arrived at the palace wall. Eben kept his eyes fixed on the dark figure who had carefully avoided being seen by the palace guard. The cloaked man quickly climbed up the palace outer wall. A few moments later he slid through a lower level window and was gone from sight.

  Eben drew a deep breath and picked up his sword. He dashed out of his chamber into a long lantern lit corridor. Moments later he was descending a stone stairwell that led down to the great hall on the first floor. The hall was only dimly lit by a single oil lantern that was set beside the main entrance door. His eyes scanned the area; there was no one in sight. Across the hall he could see the open window. Eben slowly walked out across the marble floor into the centre of the hall. Suddenly the dark figure came into sight from behind one of the large stone pillars that lined the outer walls.

  ‘Who are you?’

  The hooded man walked forward and did not respond. Eben drew his sword. The man stopped about twenty feet from Eben and stood still for a few moments; his face was shrouded by the shadow of his hood. His hand went to his side, and he drew a sword.

  ‘Getting by the guards was too easy. I see you have saved me the bother of finding you,’ hissed the man frostily.

  ‘What do you want?’ asked Eben firmly.

  ‘The Sword of Light; you will give it to me or you will die.’

  Eben shook his head at the man’s words. He knew that one man was no match for him whilst he carried the Sword of Light. ‘I don’t think you know who you are dealing with.’

  ‘Yes I do,’ hissed the cloaked man. ‘You are the one they call the Champion of Ortaria. You are nothing without the Sword of Light.’

  ‘I’m not going to give my sword to you,’ said Eben, turning the blade to point it at the cloaked man. ‘If you want the Sword of Light you’re going to have to take it from me.’

  ‘With pleasure,’ said the cloaked man, suddenly launching himself at Eben.

  Eben quickly parried and stepped back as his opponent swiftly advanced. The clash of blades rang out, shattering the eerie silence of the hall. Eben was forced back toward the stairwell and had to focus to hold off the attack. For a moment Eben felt that he was being overwhelmed. He struck back again and again, and with great effort he pushed the cloaked man back across the hall. Eben pressed forward with all his skill and experience until his opponent was forced into the far corner. With a quick circular motion his enemy’s sword was sent bouncing across the marble floor.

  The man, now unhooded, stared at Eben with piercing dark eyes. His skin was deathly pale, and a sneer was etched deeply into his features. Eben knew in that moment he was dealing with a powerful Skathean. He held his sword at the Skathean’s neck, ready to finish him. The doors of the hall burst open and a large group of palace guardsmen rushed toward them.

  ‘What’s happening here?’ cried a guardsman.

  ‘An infiltrator!’ replied Eben as the palace guardsmen approached.

  ‘It’s Eben the Champion,’ shouted one of the guardsmen.

  ‘This man is a Skathean. Bind him and then take him to the dungeon. We must inform King Ignis. I am sure the King will want to question you.’

  The Skathean scoffed and laughed evilly. ‘You will find that I give you no answer but this: the Lord of Veredor wants your sword. He will soon come south to take the Sword of Light from you. You are a fool if you think you’re safe in Ancora; there is no place in Veredor where you can hide. Every servant of the Master is hunting you. You may escape the servants, but you will never escape the Master. Your meagre hands will tremble in his presence and in that moment all your hope will fade. You will soon see what real power is.’ His voice hissed, and his evil eyes were fixed on Eben.

  ‘The shadow will never overcome the light,’ replied Eben firmly. The Skathean’s cold eyes stared at Eben as the Ortarian guardsmen placed him in manacles. Eben watched as the guardsmen dragged him away across the cold marble floor. He then returned to his chamber and pondered what he had heard from the Skathean.

  **

  Eben sat with King Ignis, Cassiel, Red, and Stella around the table in the royal guest chamber.

  ‘It would be best for you to make a move soon,’ said King Ignis. ‘It’s not safe for you here if Skatheans can so easily sneak by my palace guard. I will have to double the guard as we simply can’t accept an intrusion like this. You should know that I had the Skathean questioned. He refuses to speak.’

  ‘He said enough last night,’ said Eben. ‘You’re right; we should leave for Faircastle soon.’

  ‘The council will be held on the first day of summer,’ said Cassiel. ‘We must make a move if we hope to arrive on time.’

  ‘This council is of great importance to us,’ said King Ignis. ‘King Edric of Irvaria sent a messenger pigeon and requested a representative from Ortaria be present. Sir Red has graciously agreed to be our representative.’

  ‘It is an honour and a privilege,’ said Red.

  ‘Most importantly we need you to ask the Irvarians for help. This is a desperate time. We are in great need of assistance. I received word from Duke Egil yesterday. He marched his army north to liberate the far northern Scaldonian town of Aldokan. He found the way blocked by large armies of muckrons. He also said that there are other unknown evil creatures lurking in the north. He has returned to the relative safety of Orelin and has asked for our assistance to liberate Scaldonia. I plan to send him several thousand men, but we still must als
o deal with the Zyranian Order.’

  ‘You should wait for Meara to return with the Irilians and then set sail for Zyran,’ said Cassiel ‘I believe breaching the walls of the Citadel would prove impossible without the help of wizards. Even if you had one hundred thousand men you could not capture the Citadel of Zyran.’

  ‘You must speak with Meara about this. Tell her that I hope to cross the Sea of Zyran soon.’ King Ignis looked sadly around the table at the four of them. ‘I will miss the four of you. You have become very important to me. I feel that you are like my own children.’

  ‘We will return as soon as we can,’ said Stella, smiling kindly at the King.

  ‘I look forward to the day,’ he said, his sadness melting away. ‘You must be careful. We have taken back Ortaria, yet there is still much evil in the land. The Vastorian Wastelands are particularly dangerous; you must always travel cautiously. The Vastorians are a fierce people; you should be cautious about giving your trust to them. If there are Skatheans in Ortaria there will surely be some in Vastoria.’

  **

  The following morning they galloped away leaving the walls of Ancora behind. Eben rode Swiftwing and led the way along the highway as they entered Altus Forest. The day was bright, and the sky was perfectly blue with not a single cloud in sight. The birds of the forest were singing, and a feeling of joy permeated their surroundings.

  As the evening approached they arrived at the small town of Lantern Hill. They stopped their horses at the edge of the forest and looked at the town ahead. Lantern Hill was set on the hill at the far side of a large field. The sunset sent long golden streaks of light through the smoke that drifted upward from the many chimneys. Eben remembered back to when they were last in Lantern Hill and the experience of fighting the group of Skatheans. He replayed the events in his mind; the memories made him slightly lightheaded.

  ‘Do you think we should stay in Lantern Hill?’ asked Eben.

  ‘King Ignis said the town is safe. There is a small brigade of Ortarian infantrymen based here. I think we should be fine,’ said Cassiel.

  ‘I agree,’ said Red. ‘Once we leave Ortaria we’ll have to do a lot of camping, especially when we pass through the deserts of Vastoria.’

  They rode across the field and two guardsmen greeted them as they approached the base of the hill.

  ‘I’m Sir Red, and this here is Eben, Champion of Ortaria, Lady Stella, and Lord Cassiel.’ The two guardsmen bowed and saluted them.

  ‘We were informed that you were coming. We will tell Baron Sabin of your arrival,’ said one of the guardsmen. He then turned and ran up through the town toward the manor house which was set at the pinnacle of the hill. Eben dismounted Swiftwing and led his horse up the main cobblestone street. The people stared as they passed by. Red was outfitted in the elaborate armour of a knight and looked the most dazzling of their group. Most of the villagers watched Red, and he enjoyed the attention, a wide smile crossing his face. Eben preferred less armour and wore only a light chainmail shirt, a leather overcoat, and gloves. He found it was much easier to fight with less weight.

  A short man approached them and was followed by about a dozen Ortarian guardsmen. He was a thickset man with dusty brown hair and bushy eyebrows. A big welcoming smile crossed his face as he reached them.

  ‘Welcome my friends. Champion Eben, Sir Red, Lady Stella, and Lord Cassiel, I am overjoyed you have come to Lantern Hill. You probably don’t remember me; I fought with you in the Battle of Scaldonia and the Battle of Ortaria.’

  Eben thought he recognised Baron Sabin’s face from the many faces of the knights who had travelled with them from Scaldonia to Ortaria.

  ‘We are just passing through on our way west to Galdir,’ said Cassiel. ‘We will stay in the town inn if you have no other lodgings for us.’

  ‘The town inn...no, you can’t stay there,’ exclaimed Baron Sabin, horrified at the suggestion. ‘I have guest rooms in the manor house. Please follow me and be my guests.’

  They followed Baron Sabin up the hill and arrived outside the rather large house. The manor house didn’t have any battlements and was simply the largest house in Lantern Hill. Two guardsmen in full Ortarian armour stood by the front door and saluted them as they approached.

  ‘I will have the stableboy take care of your horses,’ said the Baron. ‘Please, come in and meet my wife and family.’

  **

  Baron Sabin had his chef prepare a banquet to honour their arrival. The Baron proved to be a gracious host and made sure that they were completely comfortable. Red and Stella had wanted to explore the town, but Baron Sabin had planned the entire evening. He insisted that they attend his banquet; he had entertainers and musicians perform for them, and he introduced them to a host of noble families who lived in and around Lantern Hill. By the time they retired to bed they were all very tired but also in good spirits.

  The following morning they set out early and rode west along the highway, heading in the direction of Riverside.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The town of Riverside was set on the banks of the Merus River at a place where the river widened and slowed significantly to form what looked like a lake. The river was about five hundred yards across at its widest point. The surface of the water was completely still and reflected the trees on the far bank with almost perfect accuracy. The town was much larger than Lantern Hill with hundreds of houses lining the waterside south of the river. They sat on their horses and stared down from the top of the hill above the town. Twilight was fast approaching; the sun had already set in the western sky leaving a faint blue glow above the horizon. The evening was growing cool and dark.

  ‘Wouldn’t you prefer staying in an inn?’ asked Red. ‘It sure is nice staying in a palace or manor house and being treated like royalty, but I’m starting to miss the cheerfulness of a bar and the smell of ale.’

  ‘You will never make a good noble if that’s how you feel,’ said Cassiel.

  ‘I think the novelty of nobility is wearing off. I like the idea of being a noble much more than the reality.’

  ‘I once stayed in a nice inn down by the river,’ said Cassiel. ‘I’m sure the Lord of Riverside will invite us to stay if he knows we are here. I agree with you, Red; I think I would prefer to stay at an inn as well. We simply won’t announce our arrival. The Lord of Riverside won’t even know we are here.’

  They entered the town through the eastern gate and followed the lantern lit cobblestoned streets down to the river where many large and illustrious stone houses lined the waterfront. The cobblestones were paved all the way down to the water’s edge. There were various small piers and hundreds of boats and barges anchored beside them. The sound of lively music could be heard from the numerous small inns which were set along the riverbank.

  Cassiel led the way toward a fine looking inn that was right at the water’s edge. It looked very welcoming and was a two levelled wooden building with a high gabled roof. The inn was painted completely white with ivy climbing up the walls on every side. Sweet music could be heard from the common room. Cassiel led them up to the door where they handed their horses to a waiting stableboy. Eben looked up and saw the sign above the door: Welcome to the House of Einin.

  The common room was warm and almost completely full. Two men were playing flutes in the corner as a crowd of men and women laughed and conversed loudly and cheerfully.

  ‘Perfect,’ said Red, a wide smile crossing his face. His eyes sparkled as he looked at the crowds of merry people.

  ‘I’ll see if I can get us some rooms,’ said Cassiel. He approached the bar as the others found a table beside a window. They could see the lake through the window; the moon was rising up over the line of trees on the far side. The moonlight shimmered on the still water.

  ‘This is a beautiful town,’ said Stella. Red put his arm around his wife and held her close.

  ‘We should move here to Riverside one day and settle down,’ said Red. ‘You could move here too, Eben. We could all live he
re happily beside the lake.’

  ‘That sounds lovely,’ said Stella.

  Cassiel walked over from the bar. ‘We have rooms. I especially chose rooms with a view to the lake.’

  ‘We should have a good meal tonight because there are no towns from here all the way to Galdir,’ said Red.

  The evening was pleasant and merry. They enjoyed roast chicken and a few too many mugs of ale. They were all welcomed like they were old friends. The locals were a happy group of people and were still celebrating the liberation of Ortaria. They heard stories that Riverside had seen some terribly evil times until the arrival of the Ortarian army only three weeks earlier. The Skatheans were all gone, and the town was in the process of cleaning up and returning to the joyful peace of former days.

  Eben retired to his room late in the evening and felt happy and full of cheer. His room was small but very pleasant. It was situated on the lower level. The lake lapped at a rock wall only several feet from his window. He placed his sword beside his bed and sat down on a cushioned chair by the window to watch the moonlight shimmer on the lake.

  Something caught his eye outside the window. There were large ripples crossing the surface of the water. He leaned toward the window and peered outside. Whatever was causing the ripples was moving closer. He strained his eyes to see if there was a boat, but it was too dark. A few moments later the ripples abated, and the lake became still once again. He thought nothing more of it. After a few minutes he stepped back across to his bed and pulled back the covers. His eye caught the movement of a dark shadow passing by his window. A feeling of apprehension was growing in his chest.

  Suddenly the glass shattered; the frame of the window gave way as a dark shape smashed inward. The face of a furious wyvern snarled as it crashed forward toward Eben. The beast wasn’t like the wyverns he had seen on the battlefield; its head was much larger, and its scales were a glimmering dark blue. The wyvern howled and whipped its head from left to right, tearing a huge hole in the side of the inn and ripping the entire outer wall away. Eben grabbed the Sword of Light and drew the blade. The beast pounced forward as he cut downward, but the wingless wyvern raised an edged arm and deflected the blade. Eben stumbled and fell back away from the fierce beast.