Dark Armor: Arrival at Marinul

By the time the carriage returned to the ground and rolled to a stop, the Black Knight was ready. The armor still recognized him, even with his initiations changed; it obeyed his will as it always had. He had no doubt that it would still follow his father's commands before his own, but that had always been the way of this. 

He left the gauntlet sword at his belt and the shield across his back, and stepped down from the carriage to find himself well back from the gates of the city, behind the gathered forces of Teregor and Edrias. The helmet picked out sounds for him: the rush of the wind across the plains, the murmurs of the soldiers, the whinny-and stamp of a horse as it shifted nervously. 

The Black Knight came forward slowly and deliberately, passing through the lines as the soldiers made way for him. Inside the armor, Pallian fought the urge to shake his head; it was strange to be back here, especially so soon. Marinul was where he taken the Spear of the First, after -- barely -- defeating the city's champion, who had been armed with it. Marinul was where his sister had died, slain by the Shadow of Edrias, and so sealed his fate; his father the Wizard-King blamed him for Rebka's death, and had ordered him sealed in the Tomb of the Living until preparations were complete for his execution. 

It was only the appearance of an Emissary from the Tomb of the First that had saved him, its presence forcing an alliance between the royals of Teregor and Edrias in the face of a greater threat. 

So, so very strange to be back here now, already, so soon after what he'd thought was victory had turned to disgrace. He'd broken the lines of the enemy defense in front of the gate, faced their champion and nearly died, claimed the spear, and been ordered back to the crypt while Rebka took the rest of the city. 

The earthworks were still largely intact before the gates; the gates themselves stood open. The city itself was utterly silent, at least from out here. He emerged from the last of the Teregor troops and stopped, looking around until his helmet highlighted his father's figure at the juncture of the two allied forces. He turned and walked that way, keeping his pace controlled and deliberate; the Black Knight did not hurry except in actual battle. 

"Very good," said the Wizard-King of Teregor. "You will face the Emissary from the Tomb of the First. You will kill it if you can, but you will keep it distracted while our forces deal with whatever it has brought. The rest of us will support you as we can."

The Black Knight bowed, straightened, and looked around. Of course I am to lead the assault and draw fire. That is what the Black Knight does. His father was -- inescapably -- there. His brother Ravaj was there. The High Magister of Edrias was there, as was her leonine body-servant, now armored with an enchanted steel chestguard and skirt. The second-princess Arwidden was there, now holding a bow and with a quiver of arrows set at her hip. Another young woman, perhaps a bit older than Arwidden, was also there, wearing armor and holding a poleaxe. Was this the first-princess of Edrias, his future bride? 

And where was Ashmiren? He would have preferred that she was away from all this, but it was hard to imagine that such was the case... especially if she was what he suspected.

Straightening, he lifted a hand. Order me. 

"Lead us into the city," his father said.