Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 74: Development

BLACKTREE HOLD

1014 AF SEEDMONTH

DAY 78

Dak!

Dak!

The sound of footsteps echoed through the otherwise silent hall. Arial marched with his men, all sporting golden armor with an impressive dragon design.

Arial stood out, his breastplate encrusted with rubies, his long white hair flowing behind him, his blue eyes piercing looking at the people inside the Hall and there is a slight smile on his face, a look of satisfaction.

Standing there, taller than most men around his age, he seems to ooze charisma and every movement that he made exudes authority

Derrick suddenly understood why so many men had bowed down to the young lord; he emitted the air of a king and a warrior.

He walked, strutting to his seat, prideful and powerful, domineering in the most natural form. His eyes don't view this like a glory, more like a trifle

Derrick sighed and gesture to his son.

"Gerrick, do you see that?"

"See what?" Gerrick stood beside his father, watching Arial in awe.

"Look at his eyes," Derrick muttered. "That is a man with purpose. That is a man with a will."

He had seen such gaze from many great men in his younger days. Hadrian eyes was like that. Henry eyes was also like that.

Even the Duke of Arouen, Alderam Alan is also like that.

Some old sages once said that the eyes are the window to the soul. There is intensity and a burning will in the eyes of great men.

And Derrick could see such intensity and a burning will in the eyes of the young lord. This man has a purpose. And such Will are usually accompanied with greater cause that fuels the fire.

Whatever the problem he would face, he would thriveat least that is what Derrick feel seeing the young lord

The Blacktons were a proud family, but Derrick knew that pride could destroy them like it destroyed the Whitetree.

They had raised their banners with the Whitetree's when Arial and his troops had marched to the south.

But the Whitetree's were dead, their castle occupied by those loyal to the Vermont's. It would be unwise to challenge the dragons, and follow the Whitetree's to the grave.

Of course, they can claim revenge but dead people do not rise from the grave as the sun would not rise from the West.

What is dead, stay dead. Is it wise of his family, to tread the same path as House of Whitetree and perish by the anger of the Dragon?

Was it worth it incurring such anger? This is what he is determined to know. Is Arial Vermont, worthy of his fealty?

"Lord Derrick," the young lord said calmly, taking his seat after greeting his fellow knight.

His presence among them were like he was their brother, the loyalty he could inspire in his men is infectious but when he sits himself on the seat, no longer the Knights around him treated him like a brother.

They all stand straight and the relationship between them is now of liege and his subordinate

This kind of discipline is hard to foster and even harder to maintain but this young lord is capable of training such unit.

The young lord looks at Derrick, looking up and down like he was evaluating him.

His gaze was cold, and not a single man in the room dared look him in the eye, and they bowed their heads.

Arial's knights stood beside him, their swords at their sides.

They stood there, ready to protect their young lord with their lives, unmoving like a mountain that could not be budged.

They were allowed to bring their sides into the Hall.

It was a dangerous but necessary show of trust, allowing them to keep their weapons; the young lord was not one to offer his trust willingly.

A cautious person but a bold attacker in the battlefield. From what Derrick had heard there was a few assassination attempt on the young lord life.

However, evidently they failed considering that Arial the Dragon is here in his Hall

"Lord Arial," Derrick nodded. "May I offer you some salt and bread?"

"I have no time for salt and bread," said Arial abruptly. He looks none too pleased with the offer.

Instead he asked Derrick, his tone is cold and demands no rebuke. "Why have you called me? Have you decided? Will you swear fealty to the Crown?"

Arial the Dragon, Derrick thought. And like a dragon, he was fierce and impatient. But very capable, Derrick reminded himself.

"You truly live up to the rumors, Lord. Clearly you don't like to waste time and people twisting words all day. Articon advises must be unbearable for you."

"Yes, my lord," Arial said, his face unimpressed. "And right now, you're delaying and twisting words just like those Articon from the Papnoticon. Precisely the things I detest. I have been in the south for far too long. Are you planning to fight us, like your friends the Whitetree's?" Arial gave Derrick a look of warning. "Or will you bow?"

His tone is a tone of ultimatum. The threat is clear in his voice. Even in the territory of his enemy he is fearless and bold.

"Are you sure you wouldn't like to have dinner? I hear you're quite handy to have at a feast," Derrick said jokingly.

Angry blood filled Arial's face.

The young lord shot like lightning from his chair and in a split second he was in front of Derrick, the tip of his blade pointed at his neck.

It almost appeared like he was gliding through the air, like a bird flying in the sky

Suddenly the atmosphere turns tense.

Derrick knights and guard quickly pull their swords, so does the Vermont's Knights and bodyguards

It took only one move to start a bloodbath in this Hall right now. The servants that is on the background trembles in fear, looking at this scene.

The young lord is unfazed as he said to him

"Lord Derrick, say it again and I swear by all the Gods I will sever your head from your neck," Arial snarled, his eyes feral like a wolf in winter.

He is angry.

No, not anger. Regret. Derrick forgot. He was at the feast. It was then that he noticed his son unsheathe his knife and he rushed to the young lord side, aiming the knife at the young lords vitals.

"No Gerrick!" He yelled and Gerrick is startled, and drops the knife. At that time, the Vermont knights nearly were about to enter but Arial gesture with his eyes not to move.

The sound of the knife falling were the only thing that one could hear in this tense silence.

Arial didn't even bother looking. Does this mean he already knows that his son was behind him and was about to attack him?

His cold blue eyes are trained at him, the sword on his neck is still there, steady and calm.

"Lord Arial, I was only jesting," Derrick stammered. Arial's icy eyes pierced him. A dragon, Derrick reminded himself.

After a frozen moment, the look in Arial's eyes returned to a still blue sky. He lowered his sword from Derrick's neck.

"Never jest about the lives of men," Arial spat. "Many died that day. Good men. Their families crumbled, their houses destroyed. Their wives and children still grieve for them."

Arial returned to his seat, the fury gone from his face.

The Knight seeing their young lord, calm and sheathing his weapon also does the same and sheathe their weapon.

He also signaled his knights to also sheathe their weapon

He had the countenance of a king, thought Derrick.

His old ancestors used to fight under the Golden Guard of the Vern Empire and the countenance of Kings were said to exist in people who have the great fate of ruling

Not caring about anything but pushing through with his own ideals, carving his influence to this land by the strength of his will.

Charismatic, able and brave.

He will change this era.

If Derrick challenged him in battle, there was no doubt in his mind that he would perish, and his house would be lost in time.

He decided he had no other choice. But he also need to know something else.

"Lord Arial, I will kneel if I'm satisfied by your answer," Derrick said, looking closely into Arial's eyes.

Suddenly one of his Knights shouted.

"You old man. Our Lord is generous enough that he did not kill you. Kneel fast so we could return home. If I have to waste another day in the South I-"

"I don't think he will kill me" Derrick said cutting of the young Knights word, while smiling looking at the young lord

"Your Lord is an honorable person. He might be angry but he will not kill me, not when I have already provided shelter and food." he said

"I don't know if you heard, Lord Derrick, but laws of hospitality are not practiced on this Kingdom" he said hinting to the feast. One of his Knights spoke

"Yet, I'm sure your lord is not like that." Then he continued his words, asking the question he wanted to know from the famous Lord Arial of House Vermont.

"What is your play here, Lord Arial of House Vermont? You have more power than this so-called King of yours, yet you want me to believe you are doing this for the sake of the Kingdom. Are you really? Or are you installing a puppet King with the Vermont's acting as puppeteers moving the King from behind the curtain?"

"Your accusation is groundless" said a man who is wearing a dragon brooch stuck on his shirt

Angry muttering from Arial's knights shook the room, and Arial lifted a hand to silence them and they obeyed instantly. He eyed Derrick curiously.

Then there is a smirk on his face as he said

"Will you bend your knee, or not?" he asked after a moment of silence. There was a hint of finality in his voice, and Derrick understood what he meant: kneel or die.

"I will bend my knee," Derrick replied, and the men of his house gasped.

"Father!" cried Gerrick, his mouth hanging open.

"But," Derrick continued, "I will bend my knee only to you. I will give my loyalty to you, not to the crown."

"Why is that?" asked Arial, genuine surprise flashing across his face.

"I do not bow to weak people, and certainly not to a King who doesn't win his own battles. It's you who fights. It's you who conquers. By my honor, it is only you who deserves my loyalty. Let it be said that we lost to the Dragons, not the Sword and Shield. We, the Blacktons, respect strength," said Derrick firmly, and kneeled before Arial.

He then said the oath and ended it with the words "By God, I will defend you from your enemies and follow you into battle."

The air was deathly still as every man stared at Derrick on his knees.

"Are your oaths true?" the young lord asked

"Yes, my lord"

Arial considered him and his words carefully, before turning to one of his knights.

"Hugh, pacify the rest of the noble houses with the Blacktons. Summon the banners of your brothers. It must be done by the end of the year. I must return to the east. My attention is needed, there is much more to prepare. Do not fail me," he said, giving his knight a hard look of warning.

Hugh Ales nodded and gestured to another man wearing a dragon brooch.

"Give the Blacktons ten thousand gold pieces and have supplies sent here from the keep. The Blacktons must be ready for battle," said Hugh, and his man nodded.

"My lord," said Derrick in surprise, "I did not expect I am not worthy."

"You are under my protection," said Arial.

The young lord has always been merciless to his enemies buy he is generous to the people that bend their knees to him

"It is only right. Will you be ready to deploy your troops in a week?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Good. I will leave you with five thousand men to help subjugate the other houses in the South. Whether it be by negotiation or by force, I need the South to be completely under the crown by the end of the year," said Arial firmly.

Derrick nodded

"Where will you go my lord?"

"I will depart for the East. I need to govern the city. It has been so long that I left the governance to the large House Council"

Large House Council. Another term he did not understand. So, he just nodded

Nodding to Derrick and the men behind him, Arial stood from his seat and left with his guard.

Derrick contemplated his conversation with the young lord after he had left.

He kept his words short, precise and then he moved to his next objective. A young lord that Derrick believe without a doubt that he will rose to fame and greatness.

He would rather swear fealty to such a lord then to swear his fealty to a Northron noble.

The Vermont's are from the East, while Adrian no matter his quarrel with his brother he is still a Northron lords.

And not only that.

It is not Adrian that fought me, it is not Adrian that strikes fear to his hearts, or awe him, it is that young lord.

In order to judge a person, he believed he had to meet them.

Now that he had met Arial, he held no doubts about his leadership skills. Strength alone would not guarantee victory.

Leadership. Something that inspires loyalty

That is what important. Strength fades like beauty. But leadership? Now, that will last for a long time.

If the strong governed the world, Levitia would have taken Alexander the First's place as Emperor, instead of remaining a commander.

Strength alone was not enough, but great leadership commanded respect and loyalty, and that would last a very long time.

Outside his castle, the banner of the Blacktons, a Stone in back with a white background flutter side by side with the Dragon banner of the Vermont's

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