Upon leaving the prison, Aiden and the others walked out to a gated yard and were greeted by a unit of guards that had been assigned to guiding them up the streets to the plaza. The trial would be held at noon and the sun was just starting to break through the dark misty veil overtaking the skies. Aiden stared out beyond the prison gates and noticed how separated this complex was from the rest of the city. The prison itself was part of the warehouse district near the lower end of the city by the ocean.
This area was one of the busier sections of the city since it was used as the major trading point between other cities. Large wooden buildings dotted the land around the docks, they were around thirty feet tall and many of them were in dire need of repair. Some were lopsided and rickety and looked like they could fall over at any moment.
The workers there didn't seem to mind and gave no attention to the water-soaked roofs above. Many of these workers wore dirty trousers and open leather vests or jerkins. Their lifestyle consisted of unloading ships and storing crates in the large warehouses.
One of the guards was talking to the prisoners, but Flora noticed that Aiden was distracted by the dock workers and seemed to be in his own little world.
"Aiden! The guard is speaking, we should listen to what he says." Flora said shaking Aiden's shoulder.
Aiden shook his head and turned to see Flora trying to get his attention. "Sorry, it's just that I used to work at the docks when I wasn't training with Huren. Its just nice to think back to those times."
Flora didn't comment any further as one of the guards approached them to stay quiet. When the guard giving the orders finished speaking, he whistled to a man to open the gates. They creaked open with loud hissing sound and then finally came to an abrupt stop.
The guards marched them forward and onto the dirt roads outside the yard. People were walking past and gawking at Aiden and his unit shackled like dogs. As they moved through one of the narrow streets across from the prison, it became apparent that many of the citizens already knew what had happened last night.
'An unregulated return through a warpgate, out of forty thousand only the six of us made it back. How are we supposed to win against these odds?' Aiden thought to himself.
As they made their way through the streets and alleyways, the guards made sure to take the paths less travelled as to avoid attention to the prisoners. Some of the citizens were following behind the parade of guards hoping to see what would become of these so-called traitors.
The streets themselves, were a mixture of wood and stone buildings painted white that had deteriorated over time causing paint to chip and wood to rot. Some of them reached over ten stories tall and others only two.
As Aiden glanced up, he saw the smoke rising from the chimney stacks and dissipating into the air. Aiden watched the shop owners and townsfolk were preparing for the day. Opening doors and windows and setting up their wares and signs for customers.
Eventually these tight passageways and streets opened up and Aiden and the others made it to a large open space just before the plaza. This is what Aiden had feared the most because now his unit and the many guards surrounding them stuck out amongst the many people dressed in robes and commoner clothes.
Aiden cocked his head to the side and peered at Flora, her usual smile had completely vanished, and she looked frightened. They were moving at a much faster pace, so Aiden couldn't turn to comfort her.
Suddenly, a piece of rotten fruit hit Aiden on the side and before he could see where it came from another one hit him in the jaw. Their group started to get bombarded with small rocks and vegetables which caused all of the guards to push into the crowds and forcing them back.
"Get back, all of you!" One of the guards said.
The people around them started to group up and form mobs trying to get towards Aiden and the others. The guards started hitting the people with batons knocking them back into the crowds. "Traitors!" someone in the crowd said. "How could you leave them?" Another shouted.
Their group finally made it to the steps leading into the great plaza. The guards managed to push through and get everyone up the steps and once they reached the top it opened up into a massive staging area. Long rows of green hedges were placed along the stone ground and there were many statues arranged around the plaza depicting knights and maidens holding swords and shields. Some were placed at the centre of fountains and other in front of the buildings around the plaza.
At the front was a larger space used to deploy the armies of Riffendow through the warpgate. The warpgate itself was carved out a large block of light blue crystal and formed into a large ring. It stood a bit higher up on an elevated plane at nearly forty feet tall and wide.
The guards unshackled the binding chain that held the six of them together and pointed towards a spot on the ground in front of the warpgate.
Now they stood side by side awaiting the king's arrival. A crowd of hundreds started to gather around the plaza and were also anxious to see what would become of Aiden and his unit.
…
"This sure is large jeering audience, we've got gathered up here." Lochlan said looking out behind him.
"The king really wants to make an example out of us and by the looks of it he's going to get it. Just another reason for him to push for a larger military effort." Huren said.
"Do you really think he's going to achieve what past king's have failed?" Lochan asked. "With the number of armies, he's sending through the warpgate, I believe so. He already has this realm united under his banner and nearly half of realm two subjugated." Huren said as he stroked his beard.
"I used to believe in this cause Lochlan, uniting all of the realms together under the All Spirit. The people I had to kill and the towns I've had to burn." Huren said looking down at Aiden who stood next to Flora.
"This realm used to stand for something just and fair, but I fear we've lost our way and what happened out on those fields is our punishment." As Huren said this Aiden looked back at him and Huren smiled and nodded.
"You never did tell me why, you, a soldier would be taking care of a child throughout these wars." Lochlan said curiously.
"I made a promise a long time ago, to keep him safe and I had to give up nearly everything for him. They wouldn't let me leave the army, so I had to raise him in the barracks and train him as best I could. He was a punishment but also a blessing and I wouldn't have it any other way." Huren said.
'I just wish I could tell him the truth,' Huren thought.
…
The clouds started to part, and beams of light were coming through illuminating throughout the plaza. The light felt good on Aiden's skin as he stood there waiting for the king's arrival. He looked over at Flora to his left and noticed how the light made her alluring light green hair shine in its radiance. It cascaded down in curls going down to her neck. He never really noticed how pretty Flora was - the two of them were always busy and he never really had time to converse with her. Being a nymph, she was fawned over by many of the soldiers in our unit, but Aiden couldn't see her beauty until now.
"What are you staring at?" Flora said glancing at Aiden. Blushing at her, he smiled then quickly turned to face the warpgate ahead.
"Do you think that we'll make it out of this…I hope we do. That's what this society was built on right?" Flora said unsure of herself.
"You would think so, but Huren believes these people have last their way." Aiden said looking up towards the castle of Riffendow. A dark cloud rolled over the castle as he said this, but light still tried
to break through.
"Flora, nymphs are from realm four, right?" Aiden asked.
"Yes, but we don't use numbers to name our realms. My home is called Nadur, land of evermore." She said softly.
"Can you tell me about it?" Aiden asked. She looked at him with that captivating smile, pale green eyes and nodded.
"My home is a land where the lakes shimmer in the sun's light and glow under the pale moon. Gentle breezes roll over meadows that stretch beyond hills of green. The forests are a sight to behold, trees almost touching the sky and flowers of bright hues cover everything." She trailed off but eventually glanced back to Aiden. "I miss my home." Flora said quietly.
"If we make it out here," Aiden said, adjusting his shackles, "I'd like to visit those lands with you."
Flora smirked, and lightly nodded in agreement.
A loud cacophony of bells began to ring in the cathedral higher up the mountain like kingdom. It was already noon and the king's profession were soon to arrive, this caused the entire plaza to go very quiet. Off to the right of the plaza, two very large white wooden gates opened up to reveal several oath knights armoured head to toe in silvery white metals. They wore light blue tabards with the symbol of the white warpgate on it.
Just behind the rows of the marching knights, bannermen held flags with a multitude of insignias consisting of the four kingdoms. Aiden noticed that the king seemed to be absent from the procession.
"Huren," Aiden said looking puzzled, "where is the king?" He asked as the knights marched up the elevated platform in front of the warpgate.
"Strange, usually the king is supposed to be at these grand spectacles. If he is not here, then that can only mean..." Huren paused, then saw him, an older man who stood nearly seven feet tall clad in golden armour with a red cape pinned to his breastplate.
"Marshal Tarsin," Huren said muttering under his breath, "So, the king couldn't make it, so he sends his lackey in his stead." Huren gave the man a grimacing expression.
Tarsin walked, hands clasped behind his back and gave the prisoners and the growing crowd a stern and emotionless glance. The enmity he emitted was almost palpable and with a nod to the knights around him they stood at attention - hands at their sides.
"Citizen's of Riffendow, as many of you already know I regret to inform you that our failed attempt at freeing lands in realm two turned disastrous as nearly forty thousand knights and soldiers lost their lives in a heroic attempt to save the heretics of realm two. But their heathen armies overwhelmed our forces in battle, so it is with great sadness that we honor those who have fallen.
Before you stand the only six remaining survivors of that conflict. The reason that no one else survived was because they betrayed their men when they needed them most. In dire circumstances, when a retreat is issued all remaining forces are to be sent back here. That unfortunately did not happen."
Tarsin walked down the steps from the warpgate and pointed at the prisoners.
"These are the men, meant to watch over the warpgate and activate it only when a knight is present and gives out the order. That didn't happen and instead, they locked out our men to be slaughtered by our enemies!"
The crowd began to rile up with revulsion and booed Aiden and the others. Some threw fruit at them and managed to land hits furthering their disgraced appearance in front of everyone.
"This would've been a treasonous act where the punishment is death! It shatters the very foundation for which our proud nation was built on. But men cannot judge such heinous atrocities, so we will let the All Spirit decide their fates!" Tarsin raised his hands, and the crowd began to cry out with a mixture of cheers and bitter outrage.
'He's a liar.' Aiden clenching his fits in anger. 'We didn't have a choice, if we only got the chance to explain ourselves. If they saw what we witnessed, they would have done the same.' Aiden thought to himself.
Aiden watched Tarsin call upon two knights to activate the warpgate. The two knights went to opposite sides of the structure and used a process that involved setting crystals into open slots in the warpgate itself. Aiden had seen this process before, but the crystals used were always of a white colour but for some reason they used black crystals this time.
Once all the black crystals were in place, the warpgate began to hum and then up from its base a black substance started to grow. Slowly working its way around the ringed structure to form a solid black portal.
"Huren, what is that? They're not really going to send us through that?" Aiden said.
Aiden watched Huren turn to him and he seemed anxious and saddened by what was happening.
"Aiden," Huren paused but then began to speak again, "they plan to send us through an aimless warpgate. The destination will be random, and I don't know where we will end up."
"So, your saying that we might have a chance to live through this?" Aiden asked confused.
"You have a chance to live through this, but for the rest of us I can't say for sure.
"That doesn't make sense, why am I the only one…" Aiden tried to finish but Huren cut him off. "I can't say anymore; they are watching us."
Aiden was more confused than before but before he could figure out what Huren was talking about, a guard started pulling all of them forward and removed their shackles. Flora was the first one to go through, she tried to resist but the guards managed to restrain her enough before throwing her into the empty void.
Calum and Leith also resisted and managed to knock down two guards until more came and subdued both of them. They screamed and shouted before getting tossed into it but were quickly silenced as they passed beyond.
One of the guards grabbed Aiden and dragged him forward and Aiden turned his head to see Huren one last time. Huren looked at him and shouted, "I'll find you Aiden! I'll find you!" Aiden resisted against the guards, but it was too late. Aiden was thrown into the empty void and began to fall rapidly into a shadowy realm. Trying to see the entrance from where he was tossed, it began to shrink and all he could see was darkness.
Falling endlessly through this empty black void was like falling from a great distance in a dream but one Aiden couldn't wake up from. During his descent, Aiden couldn't stop descending no matter how hard he struggled.
Then Aiden began to feel a rush of liquid surround his body and envelope him. As Aiden hung there in the endless oblivion, he sensed a presence directly in front of him almost inches from his face. He couldn't hear, smell, or see it but it gave him a feeling of fear and absolute dread