Where Is Your Loyalty?

Seoden looked down at the deformed and mangled bodies that lay at his feet. He bent down and looked into the face of the former queen. Her eyes had stayed open even after her death. The eyes were a dazzling green. Even in death, those eyes seemed to dance with life. And then it started. Her hair turned ghostly white and began to fall from her head. The queen's skin also began to change. It dulled and wrinkled and took on a yellowed hue. The smell of putrid rotting flesh engulfed the room, making Seoden lurch with the desire to vomit. He quickly took out of his breast pocket a sack and scooped up the stone. Before leaving the room that now served as a secret tomb he turned and stared at the mural of the Fazarath. Emotions swelled inside him as he remembered training long hours into the night, flying on the back of his faithful beast.

"Soon, the time will come when you will rule the skies again." And with that, he grabbed a torch and lit the blood stained bodies and left.

Revelations

Salvania gazed at the gem with great curiosity. The gem was roughly the size of a grown man's fist, it looked as though it had been moulded into a perfect sphere, and it had grooves that ran throughout the gem and converged to make a symbols that the queen did not recognize.

"What is this?" She asked her husband.

"It is the Metsiash, the stone that transformed the great king- our ancestor. For centuries it slept here and has been kept safe by the first-born son of the royal crown." Trebor walked over to the gem and layer his hand on the stone. It glowed gently at the touch of the king. "This stone must never leave this land, for once the stone leaves the boundaries, all those who have its power within their blood will die."

"Then how does Lord Sharfteh know where the stone is?" Sylvania asked.

"He does not know yet." The king and queen turned toward Seoden, but he had already pulled out his sword and slit the throat of the king. The queen screamed, but there was no one to hear her and, like her husband, she perished.

The Past Becomes the Future

Salvania followed her husband down the dark passageway where the walls seemed to emit a coolness that could pierce a blazing fire. Rats scurried back and forth across the dirt covered floor. A shiver crawled down her spine and she griped her husband's hand tightly. "What is this place? Where are we going?"

"You will see, my darling." Trebor said. They walked on and on in the dark shadows of mystery. Seoden's face revealed nothing to the queen and neither did Trebor's. Finally, they reached a doorway made of a solid, sturdy wood and barred with a single iron lock. Trebor produced a key and after unlocking the door he turned to Salvania and said, "Whatever you see beyond these doors must remain a secret. We do not know how much the enemy knows of this, but it is imperative that they learn no more, at least from us." And with a gentle look he added, "These secrets must be kept even unto death. Do you understand?"

"Yes, my husband. Even though I do not know what you are speaking of, I will keep whatever secrets must be kept and I will follow whatever orders you have given." Trebor smiled slightly and opened the heavy door. Salvania gasped with wonder. The walls were covered in an ancient text. It seemed to swirl and flow like water or smoke. The text was unintelligible to her, but at some points she thought she could almost understand their meaning even though she didn't speak the tongue. The floor was littered with gold, silver, and precious gems of all colors and varieties. The treasures reflected the light of the torches onto the walls and the lights danced joyously among the text. The floor was as smooth as stone and in its center was a silver pedestal of which sat an enormous red gem.

The Secret Weapon

Salvania saw her world spinning faster and faster. The news of this ancient danger brought back dark memories of burning villages, bodies soiling the ground, the raping of innocent women and young girls. The queen took her husband's hand and leaned against his shoulder. Why did this demon from the north come back for? Did he run out of women? Did he run out of money? Did he just want to have some fun? What did Azarathia have that was of any value to the Dark Lord?

"My Lord, I have seen this force. Three hundred thousand strong in forces, machinery that dwarfs your own, and many fazaraths trained for battle." Seoden looked at Trebor and pulled out a parchment. "They are coming for the stone. Sharfteh has heard that the stone has powers. He wants it to make his men and his animals stronger, faster, more agile. He also wants the blessings of your people."

"He will never find it!" Trebor was breathing hard.

"He will once he has purged the kingdom of its people. He will turn over every rock, hut, and castle until he has found what he is looking for." The messenger turned back to the wall and stared at the image of the gem.

"My darling," Salvania turned to Trebor and looked into his eyes. She loved those eyes. Light blue orbs that reflected years of experience, wisdom, and a love for her. Now, she saw fear in those eyes. "What is hidden here? What is happening?"

Trebor ran his fingers over Salvania's cheek, brushing a stray hair from her face. "I should have told you about this gem a long time ago."