Chapter 36

The air of this region never touches the green fields of Ouskerus. People thought of the place. This is where Wernh’An lives. This is where he hibernates. This is where he sharpens his sword.

Every kid had heard such things at one point of time or another. And all of them believed it was true. Yet nobody had been bitten by the mite of curiosity. Mostly due to fear about what could exist in Hilastle Range of Ouskerus.
“When the sky is clear and summer is at its peak, you may be able to see a small light from the top of mountains.” The inhabitants nearby Hilcastle Range had this myth surrounding them. But nobody knew if it was a blip of fire from castle or just another star in the sky. Irony of life: they never got to see Wernh’An but nobody like a thief did, hundreds of miles from the mountain belt.
Wernh’An had smelled the change of air in Ouskerus from his castle on the top of tallest hill in Hilcastle Range. The long wait was over for him. At least he thought it to be because Wukte was getting stronger.
Wernh’An had thought wasting time was not a wise thing to do, so he had vanished with some of his soldiers for a Chosokabe whom he had sensed in Pryeg. Since then, the castle’s responsibility was on one man alone – Ser Akimitsu of Shiver Fault.
Ser Akimitsu watched the sand clock, realizing Wernh’An would arrive in the castle anytime soon. As the sand grains began slipping through glass gap, Ser Akimitsu realized how honored he was for being given knighthood by Lord Wernh’An himself.
We are minutes away from initiating Great Invasion. Ser Akimitsu moved his eyes from the clock for some time. He heard whistling of snow-storm outside the castle. Weather hadn’t been merciful to them since last few days.
While watching snow twirling in wind like dancing on wind music, he noticed the last grain of sand had left upper half of the clock.
Ser Akimitsu slid the veil shut and moved for deeper region of the castle. Wernh’An’s welcoming was not something to be missed. Not by a knight in particular.
Listening to violent storm outside, he walked till he reached inside a room from where Wernh’An had zapped along with his forces.
A bunch of people were standing in a circle in the middle of the room with their hands on each other’s shoulders. The ones who had back faced towards the door turned back to see who had entered inside the room. Some of them were higher ranked men of the castle while the others were mere sorcerers.
Even after realizing he was none other than Ser Akimitsu, none of them moved their heads. Padoreigu didn’t need to twist his neck for the knight. He could see him coming towards them.
Counselor Padoreigu knew whom Ser Akimitsu would share his first words with.
“Time has run out.” Ser Akimitsu walked around them.
Those people didn’t loosen their grips.
“I watched at the clock which this sorcerer had given me.” Ser Akimitsu pointed at the man in robe near Alchemist Genzou.
“We know, Ser Akimitsu.” Counselor Padoreigu said.
“So what does circling around this emblem mean?” Ser Akimitsu said by looking at the yellow painted circle.
“The ritual needs to be completed no matter if Lord Werhn’An of Hilcastle arrives or not.” Genzou said, being the first one to escape from bring tangled by arms.
“Did Lord Wernh’An botch it?” Ser Akimitsu was anxious.
The council went into state of deep silence. From there on, everyone began to have thoughts of their own. But yet nobody decided to share them with anyone in the room. Ser Akimitsu heard men in armor murmuring from near the door.
Amid of chaos within the castle, tramps and sound of armor clattering began echoing from somewhere in the palace. A guard ran inside the room few seconds later.
He was gasping, “Something just landed infront of the gate.”