Solomon prepared to ride for Zorvath, his mind consumed by the mysterious disappearance of their parents. Henry approached, Ariel by his side.
"Brother," Solomon called out.
Henry nodded in greeting.
"Solomon will help you choose your personal guards," Henry explained to Ariel.
Solomon presented his best men, lining them up before Ariel.
Ariel selected Enoch and Kurt – majestic warriors with broad shoulders and unwavering gazes.
"Can I talk to you for a minute?" Solomon asked Henry, leading him to a secluded spot.
"I thought we were supposed to ride together to Zorvath, leaving this evening?" Henry asked, concern etched on his face.
"You don't have to ride with me, brother," Solomon said. "You have a woman to look after."
Solomon's gaze drifted toward Ariel.
"I'll ride with ten men to Zorvath and report any suspicious findings when I return."
Henry nodded, reluctant to leave Ariel.
"Alright, brother, ride well," Henry said.
As Henry departed with Ariel, Solomon chose ten trusted men: Luke, Ray, Callum, Conny, Annias, Goro, Han, Chulo, Li, and Seidon.
"Get ready, lads. We leave in five minutes," Solomon ordered.
The soldiers readied their horses while Solomon sat in his tent, lost in thought.
He sipped wine, his eyes burning with a mix of worry and anger.
"Please be alive," he whispered.
Luke entered.
"We're ready, sire."
"Tell the guards to open the gates."
Solomon's voice hid his turmoil.
Luke departed without inquiry.
"Open the gates!" a soldier shouted.
Solomon mounted his horse, and with his men, rode toward Zorvath.
As they departed, the castle gates closed behind them.
Little did they know, darkness loomed ahead.
Solomon's men rode in silence.
Their king's troubled expression unsettled them.
As night descended, they camped near Zorvath's borders.
Solomon's restlessness grew.
"Please be alive," he whispered.
The stars above seemed to echo his plea.
The next morning, they continued their journey to Zorvath.
An eerie silence enveloped the land.
Solomon's instincts screamed warning.
"Something's amiss," he whispered.
His men drew closer.
As they approached Zorvath, the air thickened with tension.
Solomon's blue flames flickered.
A sense of foreboding settled.
Solomon's gaze locked onto Luke. "What do you see?" he asked.
Luke's eyes narrowed, his exceptional power as a scout allowing him to see beyond the horizon.
"Your Highness," Luke's voice trembled.
Solomon's eyes never left Luke's face.
"A large army approaches from Zorvath," Luke reported.
Solomon's expression remained stoic.
"They're marching to war," Luke added.
Fear crept into Luke's bones as he met Solomon's gaze.
But Solomon's eyes revealed nothing.
Only a flicker of blue flames danced within.
A spark of knowledge.
A confirmation of his deepest fears.
Solomon already knew.
He had sensed it.
Felt it in his bones.
The disappearance of his parents.
The silence.
The stillness.
It all made sense now.
The army's approach.
Their armor glinting in the sunlight.
Their banners flapping in the wind.
The thunder of hooves.
The earth shaking beneath.
Luke's voice barely rose above a whisper.
"Your Highness, what do we do?"
Solomon's jaw clenched.
His eyes burned with determination.
"Ride back to Avalon," he ordered.
"Warn Henry."
Luke nodded.
"Tell him Zorvath marches to war."
Solomon's voice dropped to a growl.
"Prepare Avalon's defenses."
Luke's face paled.
"But, Your Highness, what about you?"
Solomon's gaze never wavered.
"I ride ahead."
Luke hesitated.
"Then we ride with you, Your highness"
Luke turned his horse.
"Li, ride back to Avalon, and warn king Henry to prepare for war."
With a swift salute, Li turned his horse
And rode back to Avalon.
Solomon watched Li disappear into the distance. Unknown to him, there was an ambush set by the king of Zorvath for him on his way back to Avalon, to prevent him from reporting to Henry.
Solomon's eyes returned to the approaching army.
The blue flames within him danced.
A fierce determination burned inside.
For his family.
For Avalon.
For justice.
Solomon's grip on his reins tightened.
He spurred his horse forward, His men behind him followed without hesitation into the unknown.