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Aurelion cursed, wading through the mud. The convoy had been destroyed, but the Rose Knights were stubbornly resilient. He was sure that Lord Samuel would sooner eat his own weapons than even give a thought of surrender. Even Gideon had trudged all the way through Angvik’s Forest and defeated the damned Runecaster.
Not for the first time, Aurelion’s thoughts lingered to his family. Curse this stupid Rebellion… Though he loved his father, none could deny that Kaethis was failing as a king. The Stygian Plague had ravaged the nation, while he ran around with mistresses. Aurelion doubted Kaethis even knew Mortimer was his own. Not when his ignorance blinded him to truth.
Perhaps it was treason to think that Alasdair would be a better king than his father, but Aurelion knew it to be true. He had trained his Nightbringers to cut through the Steel Knights, had trained the Duskstalkers in their stealth and lethality, had trained him personally in the sword. Even now, disgraced and outcast, he still fought for the Lightbringer’s.
And what had Kaethis done? Stayed on his throne as his nation fell to ruin? He hadn’t even noticed when Starfall had been taken, not until it was in Aurelion’s hands. Aurelion loved his mother, but her love for his father, even as he slept with other women constantly, was destroying her.
And the Shrines, built by their ancestors, the Lightbringer’s gift, and Kaethis wanted nothing to do with it. Not when Alasdair foresaw the Tide of Steel, not when it was their greatest weapon to be wielded, not when it was keeping Aurelion alive.
So Aurelion stepped up, while Thorgrim charged into battle, Aurelion took the place of his father, leading the army while he stayed cooped up in Malthrak with the Royal Army. Perhaps if he had seen what Aurelion had…
“You must be what’s left of the so called Matriarch…” Aethra, her wisdom and authority helpless in the face of battle.
“She will not be the last. I’ll avenge you all…” Kaelith, she spent day and night trying to live up to her father. To outshine her lineage.
“If it’s a dog's death you seek…” Lyrion, his archery rivaling even House Ring, heaving from just lifting his bow.
“For you to grovel on the floor like that…” Lucian, perhaps the most honorable man and dedicated leader, leaning on his spear in defeat.
"Please, make their deaths swift" Ayla...
“Is this your idea of justice, Steelborn? Parading me in front of your dogs?” No…..
“Now fall for me.” NOO!!
“Aurelion, dear?” Eloria stared up at him, hand on his shoulder, worried and sympathetic eyes far more tired than they should be. “Are you okay?”
Aurelion took a beat to compose himself, it would do no good to stew in anger. Especially not now. “I’m okay, I didn’t enter the field myself”, Aurelion sucked in his breath, the Prince of Andaron everyone! Losing to a single Noble house. “But Gideon and his convoy made it through the forest”. Eloria softened, clearly at ease.
“That’s ok”, she soothed, her voice calm as always, never as erratic as his. “There will be more battles, and more chances at victory.” Wasn’t that the truth. Aurelion had been fighting for years… Something steeled within Aurelion. Something he had been considering, that he had agonized over, that was…. necessary.
“Eloria, fly us north”, he commanded, he felt bad at how he had to commandeer her, but she couldn’t understand his plight. “There’s something I must do.” Eloria’s face turned quizzical for a moment, but Aurelion didn’t back down, wouldn’t. Seeing this, she resigned, and pulled the reins.
“Of course, My Prince”, she said, shooting off into the air with grace. The mystique of pegasus flight would never fully go away for Aurelion, but tonight his mind was elsewhere. The Great Sage… all knowledge of him had been practically erased. Even Raquiel knew little, but something Aurelion did know was that ‘The Ritual of Fading Light’ was not a name to take lightly.
They flew through the night, quiet directions leading them, until Aurelion spotted what he was searching for, dreading. So the temple is real….
“Thanks for flying me here, Eloria. I’ll meet you back at the shrine”. This would perhaps be the most reckless thing Aurelion had ever done. More than sneaking out of a political gathering to fly over Florian’s lake with Eloria. But if done right… This is it. This is how we win.
“What? You don’t want me to wait?”
“The one I am about to meet with is highly unpredictable. It’s much safer if I go in alone.” Eloria’s face contorted, it was clear she knew something was up, but she would not be willing to push further.
“Are you in danger?”
“It’s always a risk to come here. Father specifically forbade it. However, I am willing to take risks for the sake of this war.” That he won’t was left unspoken, but rang loudly between the two of them. Neither of them liked the burden placed upon his shoulders, but Aurelion would carry it all the same, dwelling on what ifs only served to distract the heart and mind.
“Please be careful…” Eloria trailed off, not knowing, or perhaps not willing to think, that this would be the end of him.
“Of course. Now get going. Don’t come back here.”
“...I’ll see you later, love.”
Eloria was off, and Aurelion alone. At last, he pulled Dawncaller from its sheath. His father wouldn’t do what he would, hadn’t done anything before the Rebellion. But Aurelion was a different man, a different leader.
Even as he walked up the path, he knew the Great Sage could mean his demise, that there were a million and one ways it could all go wrong. But still he ascended, for the future of House Lightbringer.
Long Live the Lightbringers, Aurelion thought one last time, before preparing for his fateful confrontation.