42 The Crimson Knights (2/2)
”This is why I have brought us here. I wish to awaken our sleeping king to the atrocities committed in his name, and I am not the only one.” with another wave of his hand, the bowl emitted a bright red light. Instead of cycling the knights through to the bowl, he allowed them to move freely once again. None left the formation, instead they hovered in front of the basin.
”Your Prince, William Ragnos the Second has returned to Crystallia.” the sage said matter of factly. As he was talking, the bright red focused to make out a pillar of gold and crimson though it was hard to determine exactly how big the pillar was until a silhouette came into focus. At first it only looked like a blotch of black within the massive storm of the royal colors until a form of a single man came into focus.
”Is that man flying?” one of the guards asked incredulously. Christopher couldn't blame him, he was having a hard time believing it himself.
”Forget about that,” another guard shouted in amazement. ”Look at what he wields!” sure enough as he spoke, the line man's sword came into view. ”That's the royal lineage blade!”
Recognition flew through the hundred men as if a live flame had passed through them. ”What you see here is through a pendant I passed on to a knight I sent ahead of us. Everything you see here is happening at this very moment.” the sage said as the basin zoomed out to the surrounding area. Along with the Prince was a woman with an aura as dark as the night sky levitating a little lower than him. Her long dark hair made it seem as though her whole body was made of the darkness around her.
”I have never seen such an aura before.” a knight from the front voiced. ”If you look closely at the dark aura, you'll see flecks of light within.” Christopher and a few other knights nodded in agreement.
”I think I recognize her from somewhere.” another knight exclaimed as he leaned in for a better look. ”I believe I saw her exit the advisors quarters a few times.” he said as he pondered. ”If that's true, Aremesis would have known Prince William had returned.”
The sage zoomed the image out the rest of the way. ”Given your ranks within the kingdom's defense, wouldn't you also know of this?” the men stood in shock as hundreds of flame wielders came into focus.
”What in the..” Anthony trailed off. ”How could we not have known of this?” he couldn't seem to trust his eyes. ”Why weren't we informed?” Anthony backed away from the basin.
”The answer is easy if you look closely Anthony. If you look below the woman with the dark aura, I believe you will find what you are looking for.”
Every eye dropped below the dark lady to the men below. Every aura was red except one. ”This can't be..” Anthony heard an older knight draw in a breath. ”How could that man have a silver aura?”
”It's not just that,” the sage continued the mans thoughts. ”That aura is lined with gold, which most of you know is a mark of a true advisor to the throne.” he said as his gaze swept the crowd. ”I'm sure most of you know the impossible truth of this sight by now.” some nodded. ”Then put words to it!” he let his voice ring out around them.
”There can only be one true advisor to the throne.” Anthony said almost in a trance.
The sage looked at the young knight. ”I ask you once more Anthony,” he said in a somber voice. ”Who is your king?”
King William Ragnos.” Anthony said without pause.
”And who is the kings advisor?” he asked with a gentleness in his voice that was absent up until then.
Anthony looked back to the basin with a confused expression on his face, as if his entire world had been flipped upside down. He gazed at the man with the gold embroidered silver aura with a look of understanding and acceptance. He knew once the words were spoken aloud, everything would change. ”That man is.”
The sage allowed a cocked eyebrow as he looked at the circle of confused knights. ”Then I ask you, the Crimson Knights, who is Aremesis?”
The one hundred man formation went silent while the sages gaze swept over them. ”Aremesis is a pretender in your court. A man who has used his closeness to the king to dictate the land. He is the one responsible for the taxes that have become too unbearable for the citizens of your kingdom.” he said in a loud tone, which carried over to the men and women who were travelling the path to the gates. Most of the travellers had only made the journey to request an audience with the king about the very problems the sage was now putting words to.
”Taxes,” he muttered almost under his breath. ”What are they for?” a group of twenty more travellers were caught in his words. ”Are they not paid in order to repair roads? To feed the knights? To repair homes and defend the borders?” he cast his hand over to the basin symbolizing what the knights had just seen. ”Tell me, just how much repair and defense have you men just seen?” he looked back at Anthony. ”Tell me, just how much do they feed you? How much do they pay you in order to support your families?”
Anthony cast his eyes to the dirt. ”Its true, he muttered as he felt wetness form within his eyes. ”We get fed three meals a day, but since I've been a knight it's always been bread and cheese, if we wanted more we would have to hunt for it ourselves.” his eyes went back up to his brothers. ”But how much of our game are we allowed to keep? Only a leg. The rest goes to the court for their feasts.”
”We get one silver every month.” Christopher pitched in. ”When our king was well, we were given ten silver a month and a feast in the dining hall with our families!” He hadn't meant to yell, but it seemed that particular emotion had been smoldering inside him for some time.
The sage nodded his head in understanding. ”Your words ring true Sir Christopher, I remember those days well when I once dined with you along with our king.”
”This man,” the sage pointed to the basin where Will's image held in front of a pillar of light. ”Has grown in a world where actions have just cause.” he screamed into the now overwhelming crowd of men and women. ”He has learned fairness and compassion the likes of which I have rarely laid eyes on. He would give shelter to a stranger even though that very man could potentially be an enemy in the future! He has saved the innocent from a fate worse than death! He awakened his gift by showing bravery in the face of defeat countless times! He has shown that even fate must bow before him!” the sages voice boomed with every word, but then took a more gentle tone. ”I have watched him grow before my eyes and seen the potential he would one day have when he returned here.” his eyes grew soft as he stared into the basin.
”Elder knights, do you remember me?” his voice rang out amongst the crowd that had now tripled the original hundred.
”YES SAGE!” they rang out as one.
”Do you remember who trained you?” the sages voice rang over them.
”YOU!” they roared in unison.
Anthony's eyes went wide in recognition when he looked upon the older man with new sight. ”You are that sage?”
”My boy,” the sage said with an endearing tone. ”There has only ever been one earth sage to visit Crystallia.” Jonathan said with a wink.