Chapter 18

Royal bedchambers, city of Blackvale, Kingdom of Neelam, Andor.

"Your Majesty?" a voice began to penetrate Neelam's sleep. "Your Majesty, it is first light. You asked to be awakened."

Neelam rolled over and opened his eyes as his servant set his breakfast tray on the small table in the dining alcove. Neelam yawned and scratched his chest as the servant returned to the foot of the bed.

"Will there be anything else, Your Majesty?" the servant asked.

Neelam shuck his head no and the servant departed the room. Neelam stood and stretched before wandering over to the table and lifting the lids on the various dishes. He sampled items from each dish and then sat down to enjoy his breakfast. There was a quick knock on the door to his bedchambers and then the door opened and Tsor entered.

"King Neelam, the army awaits," Tsor announced. "I will send in servants to dress you."

"I have not finished my breakfast," Neelam replied petulantly.

"You would hold your troop movements so you can finish breakfast?" Tsor asked incredulously.

"Fine! I will finish as I am being dressed," Neelam stood while munching on a piece of bacon.

Tsor nodded and left to find the servants, who returned moments later. Neelam snatched pieces of sausage and sliced hard-boiled egg while his attendants dressed him and buckled on his armor.

Neelam had taken a liking to the armor worn by Prince Velen and had summoned the city's armorer, then asked Lord Ragnar to describe it to the man. Neelam's only alteration was to the color, preferring the color of blood for his armor and had the armorer start on it at once. After taking Neelam's measurements the armor got to work and had finally completed the task the day before.

Neelam looked resplendent in the crimson scale armor with its matching crimson heater shield sporting a black sword, point down. His helm, a crimson bascinet, had a black plume from the top. He had a silver sword belt with Gor's plain looking scabbard on his left hip.

He speared a last sausage link before sheathing his sword and departing his room. Tsor was waiting outside of the door and fell into step with Neelam as he descended the stairs and made his way to the front doors. The guards at the door came to attention, reached back, and opened the doors as Neelam passed through, never having to break his stride. Neelam stopped where his and Tsor's horses were being held by grooms. The two mounted and Tsor led the way to the armies marshaling area.

General Maoauk had his army in marching formation and ready to move out by the time that King Neelam and Tsor arrived. Neelam noticed that Lord Ragnar was at the front of the army with his hand-picked and personally trained retinue. Behind the army's ranks were the support wagons and other camp followers. Neelam stopped next to Maoauk and signaled the order to move out. General Maoauk gave the order and the vanguard, led by Lord Ragnar, started forward. The field marshal in charge of the lead element of the army's main body waited for the vanguard to move sufficiently far away before giving the order to move out. King Neelam's army started forward.

Castle Daemongurd, eastern edge of the Thangdaemon Forest.

Prince Velen was once again leaning over a table researching spells in his study on the second floor when his man servant and head of the household, Thanos interrupted him.

"My Prince, scouts report that the army is marching toward our borders," Thanos reported.

"Well, let us go see," Prince Velen replied, setting the scroll down, and turning toward where Thanos stood.

Prince Velen, with Thanos in tow, left his study and started for the left hand tower. His destination was the top floor of the tower and the observation dome. Arriving at the top floor of the tower, Velen stopped in front of a locked silver-banded oaken door. He placed his hand on the door and after a brief flash of crimson light the door slowly swung in. The two entered the room which was bare except for a large round crystal ball set in a cream colored wooden tripod in the center of the room.

"Wait here," Prince Velen commanded, before crossing to the center and placing his hand on the crystal ball.

He looked up as the ceiling of the dome began to swirl with colors as a scene began to sharpen in focus. Velen was looking at the landscape to the east of the forest and saw an army began to materialize on the far side of the dome, marching toward the forest, which was situated on the near side. He could make out Lord Ragnar leading what Velen supposed was the vanguard of army, with the main body just coming into view on the dome.

"Vanos, quickly go and have the gates shut and barred," Velen ordered. "Drop the portcullis into place, as well, and then return here."

"Yes, my master," Vanos replied and took off for the main gates.

By the time that Vanos had retuned and reported that Prince Velen's commands had been carried out the vanguard had advanced to the edge of the forest, but had stopped short of the actual road. The main body of the army was floundering around several leagues behind, no longer moving forward.

"What is happening, Master?" Vanos asked, pointing to where the army was milling about chaotically. "Why have they stopped moving?"

"I am not sure," Prince Velen replied.

"It is almost as if..." Prince Velen began, and then started to laugh.

"What is it, Master?" Vanos asked, confused.

"The Orcs will not step onto the King's Highway," Prince Velen replied, in between fits of laughter.

"General, why have we stopped moving!?" Neelam screamed out. "Get my army moving!"

"The Orcs are afraid to step on the Old Kings' Highway," Tsor explained. "They say it is cursed."

"I will curse them if they do not get moving!" Neelam screamed, spittle flying everywhere. "General Maoauk, get my army moving, now!"

General Maoauk threatened, coerced, and even offered great riches but not a single Orc warrior would step onto the roadway. He was on the verge of bashing in heads when Tsor offered a possible solution.

"General, perhaps if you led the way and showed your warriors that there is nothing to fear," Tsor offered. "The alternative is to march through the forest."

Maoauk nodded and steeled his own nerves as he slowly stepped onto the stone road, expecting to die horribly. He visibly relaxed when nothing happened, and slowly walked back and forth, gaining confidence. He waited several more moments before barking an order in orcish for his captains to join him. They also stepped gingerly on the road and when nothing happened to them either, they barked orders for their lieutenants to follow. The scene repeated itself over and over until all of the Orc command structure were standing on the road demonstrating that it was safe to do so.

"Why are they fearful to step onto the road?" Vanos asked, watching the scene play out on the ceiling of the dome.

"The road was imbued with power when it was built and could be used as an obstacle," Velen replied, watching the army begin to move forward. "The knowledge to do so, however, has been lost. Now it is nothing but a road, but the Orcs remember well what it once was."

"Vanos, I will be leaving soon on an errand," Velen replied, looking away from the ceiling and addressing his servant. "I shall not be gone long. I will leave this up so that you can monitor their movement. If, for some strange reason, they actually try to lay siege to the castle simply call my name from here."

"Yes, Master, it will be as you command," Vanos nodded.

Prince Velen swung his hands back and forth and a crimson fire rushed up from the floor and encircled him within the flames. When the fire died down Prince Velen was dressed in his armor, with his sword buckled at his side. He walked over to his servant and clasped him on the shoulder for a brief moment and then disappeared. Vanos shuddered and then settled down to watch the events unfold on the ceiling.

An alleyway near the residence of Anastasia Whiterune, Aithen.

Prince Velen reappeared in an alley, close to Anastasia's former home and stepped out onto the street. He was surprised to see two guardsmen guarding the front door as he passed by and continued further up the street. Velen crossed the street and doubled back looking for any other watchers. He found two others loitering inconspicuously in an alley with an unobstructed view of the guards and the front door.

"Watchers watching watchers," he mused quietly, as he continued down the road, back toward the alley he had originally appeared in.

As previously mentioned there were several planes of existence that overlapped with the Material Plane. The Shadow Plane was one and so also the Astral Plane. Astral projection, or the ability to project one's spirit onto the Astral Plane and interact within the Material Plane, was one of the many arts that Thangdaemon Necromancers dabbled in.

Like the Shadow Plane, there are many and varied denizens that called the Astral Plane home, and similarly those denizens did not look favorably upon interlopers. The various Princes of Hell and their emissaries used the plane as a crossover between the Material and Hell and have been known to prey upon the spirits of astral travelers.

Prince Velen followed the alley until it opened up into a courtyard, accessed from several shops, and looked around for a secure location, far from any doors. He found a small alcove near the opposite corner and not near any doors, and sat down with his back to the wall. He warded the area with El, the Rune of Protection, interwoven with Caral, the Rune of Warding. Within the construct of the warding he added a spell of invisibility and his body wavered and disappeared. Now he was ready.

Velen concentrated his power, drawing Eldritch to force his soul back onto the Material plane. He continued to draw power and his spirit took on an almost corporeal state, allowing him to interact with his surroundings. Velen's form was fairly intact from a third person perspective, except light passed right through his body and objects could be seen through him. The more important distinction however, was that his body was outlined in crimson red, as if he was giving off an aura of crimson light, which one could suppose he was.

Velen was standing in an empty room, there was not a single piece of furniture or keepsake anywhere. He turned slowly around and cast a spell of revealing. A fine crimson mist filled the room, and settled to the floor, disappearing except several areas that were stained red by the mist. Velen approached a particularly large area and touched the stain.

Scenes flashed before his mental eye, as his mind processed the blood memories. He could see Anastasia's servants, both the butler and housekeeper laying on the floor dead. He saw Dark Elves attacking Anastasia as Rac-Nur was being carried out bound. He turned to the right and placed his hand in the stain where Anastasia's body had fallen from the previous scene. He saw two people stoop and turn Anastasia's body over and begin to administer aid.

"So, an Elfen Witch and a human Runesword bearer," he silently mused, continuing to watch the scene play out.

The scene finally ended with Anastasia sitting up and being helped to her feet by the human. Velen suddenly felt the pull from his corporeal form and stood up, took one more look around before dispelling the magic, and shifting to the Astral Plane.

The Rune of Life was particularly effective when dealing with beings of the Netherworld, just as its counter strongly affected the Host. Either could slay them outright if they were not powerful enough to block, even when they were not on their planes of existence.

Velen could smell brimstone and looked around, finding three demonoids with tridents attacking his wards.

The Annonals were pit fiends, demon lords of the abyss, well over six feet tall, scale covered monstrosities, with a horn coming straight out of each side of their reptilian heads. They had a prehensile tail and small leathery wings coming out of their shoulder blades. Their choice of weapon was a trident, the haft as long as the demons were tall, used to torment the unlucky souls condemned to the Abyss.

Sparks scattered from where the tridents struck Velen's wards. Velen drew his sword and then drew power in preparation for the battle that was sure to come. They might very well be powerful Lords of the Abyss and terrors of the mortal world, but he was a Thangdaemon Necromancer and no mere mortal to be trifled with.

Velen placed his back to the wall, dropped his wards, and hit the Annonal to his left with crimson bolts of lightning, causing it to flee the plane. The Pit Fiend to Velen's right struck with his trident, trying to foul Velen's sword and break it but Velen was able to push the attack aside. The one in front thrust forward with his trident, trying to gig Velen, who rolled into the vacated space to his right, popping back up onto the balls of his feet and cleaving the trident's haft in two.

Velen was down to just two adversaries, one of which was weaponless, so he decided to concentrate on the pit fiend directly in front of him, the one still armed. Darksoul flashed in the morning light as Velen cleaved downward at the exposed neck of the demon. The demon was not ready to give up the fight and swung his trident up deflecting Velen's attack. The deflecting parry left the demon exposed and it was unable to counter when Velen brought his left hand up palm out and hit the fiend full in the face with a crimson beam of Eldritch. The pit fiend fled the plane in pain!

Velen quickly pivoted left, facing the last remaining demon and slowly circled to his right. The demon, having seen his companions dispatched easily, nodded to Velen and fled after his brethren. Velen continued to stay on his guard waiting for one or more of the three Pit Fiends to return, but after waiting several heartbeats nothing happened. He took one last look around, shaking his head and shifted back to his castle.

Castle Daemongurd, Thangdaemon Forest, Eastern Realm.

Prince Velen reappeared in the exact same place he left from, startling Vanos, who had been following the army's advance per his master's orders.

"Forgive me, Master, you startled me," Vanos declared, catching his breath.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" Velen asked, pointing at the ceiling.

"No, Master, the vanguard passed by the approach to the gates a little while ago and did not even pause," Vanos reported. "They are giving us a wide berth."