"The kingdom is burning."
"Let it burn. I told the King such was inevitable."
Two knights stood firmly on the battlements, watching over the merlons. They gripped their hilts, glancing over a city that was once alive. A gust of wind suddenly rose, and with it came suffocation and restlessness. Both knights coughed up blood.
One of them grabbed a demonic gargoyle, pressing his ash-stained hand hard against the stone.
"Is it true then?"
"What is true?"
The knight eyed him, choosing his next words carefully. "The King betrayed us?"
"Why wouldn't he? The ancient gods corrupt those who seek them. And you know our King, Foren. He was mad. He cared only for power, not for the people, and not even for the Queen Mother."
A few more knights came clambering up the narrow, steep highway. Their scabbards rattled against the granite parapets, which were now stained a shade of black by the high columns of smoke rising from the tattered city below. All of them drew their swords and threw them down beside the two knights.
"We are of the Third Regiment of Scar Apas; we are in charge of the artillery and cannons," one of the newcomers said, mustering the courage to speak.
"Does this mean you are fleeing the battle?"
"We are lesser knights; we did what we could. I understand that noble knights like you would have the utmost difficulty choosing a side, but we have decided."
"Such is war," the two knights said in unison. One of them still had blood oozing from his mouth, a fresh, warm trail staining his chin.
The group glanced through the merlons. The sky was dark, yet faint blue lights still drifted toward them.
"Very well. You have my permission," the knight said.
The retreating soldiers bowed gracefully and disappeared back down the steep highway.
"My mistake," Gennis said, "was to trust that whore, Amberia."
"Good old Foren was obsessed with two things: the ancient gods and Amberia," Janeran replied ruefully.
"Sometimes I think I shouldn't have accepted a place in this kingdom," Gennis muttered. "Maybe I would have lived more peacefully, and certainly with less hurt."
"It was your folly to think King Foren was a friend," Janeran said with a hint of anger. "He was not. He was not even a good king, let alone a good friend."
Gennis eyed him, and memories came rushing back. He remembered his recruitment from his home village. He remembered Foren's insistence and false promises that he would be the greatest knight to ever live. He recalled meeting a young Janeran during their travels and the three of them making a pact: Foren would be the greatest king, Gennis the greatest knight, and Janeran the wealthiest man in Sumaka.
But that hope was short-lived. Gennis turned his eyes back to the city. Dozens of common folk were dying. They were burning alive or being butchered by the hands of King Aramzir, a tyrant known for his brutality.
"Ready yourself," Gennis said. "It is time we honor ourselves."
Janeran nodded. The noble knights drew their swords one last time. Someone had to honor the kingdom, even if the King had abandoned his people.
Gennis and Janeran had fought many battles with confidence and skill, but they had always had a king supporting them. This time, they had no king. They knew they would not return.
For the final time, they leapt from the battlements and rushed toward their end.
The World of Sumaka: Through the Eyes of the Common Folk
It is said that Amberia possesses many abilities. She can change her appearance and seduce kings to their downfall. But one thing interests me. Amberia never stays for long after a kingdom falls. Where does she go? Who gave her these powers? And why does no kingdom refuse her arrival?