An Unabridged Memoir - Part 04

Part 4 – Gabriel

Not much I could remember starting the second half of the high-speed journey aboard the elfish troop’s amazingly agile horses, only that when I finally regained my consciousness I was already lying on a bed, covered by such luxury silk blanked and decked in an amazingly intricate tunic, my wounds treated and cleaned. The first sound that caught my ears was that the sound of waves crashing, and to the swaying feeling I felt I was certain I was aboard a ship. Looking around I saw Sir Joshua sitting by a window overlooking endless sky that he, too, had the garment I saw him in previously removed and replaced with an almost similar type of clothing to the ones I am wearing. What a surprise. Did those group of people…or…elves brought us here, onto their ship…?

“Good grace of God, Young Gabriel. You are awake,” a familiar voice surprised me from behind that forced me to turn around, to which I found myself looking at a man with beautiful long silver hair and eyes the colour of fiery dusk and of course, a pair of pointed ears elves were known for. It took me quite a while to recognize him. He was the man with that black and gold armour back then, his appearance so glorious and enigmatic that it terrifies and intimidated me. But before me now stood a man wearing a beautiful long tunic, with heavily embroidered velvet jacket thrown on top and half of his hair pulled back and tied with delicate looking golden strings. He gave me the same sort of soothing smile he threw at me back in the Capital and I could feel how quickly the tension eased. “You slept the longest, Gabriel. Your father had been dead worried for your well being.”

“I’ve slept for long? How long exactly?” was what I asked him, surprised to hear his little revelation. The elf man smiled, and his gaze diverted to somewhere else.

“A little more than a day and a half,” another voice interrupted. A very familiar voice. I spun around and saw Sir Joshua smiling at me. He placed his huge palm onto my head and his smile only grew wider and more brilliant. “You are an amazing child, Gabriel. For a sheltered child to be able to pull all this, and save your father from the hands of the kingdom itself…”

I could not reply to Sir Joshua’s little praise as I was paralyzed by countless thought. My mind raced around, and I realized, the little antic I pulled back then was indeed a little on the extreme side. A little extreme for someone like me, like Sir Joshua had noted, a little sheltered child who grew up very much protected from the harsh surrounding of the outside world…

I closed my eyes.

So, this was never a dream…

“Forgive me; I have yet to introduce myself. I am Ladir, the Brigadier General of Norath’s External Special Task Force. We were dispatched by our former king upon his death, answering to his Executive Will that we must go to your kingdom and rescue Lord Admarith Noel. Our wise late king had foreseen this when he was still alive, thus…this…” his face grew dark as his explanation continued and sadness was very well inside his eyes. I took that he was trying to explain things further, deeper to me in maybe but a simplified manner, when he was robbed off his words and his lost ways of trying to tell me the severity and lethalness of the situation without all the awful details. I really do wish he would just tell me, because after my very brief stint into reality had opened my eyes and shocked me, forced me to wake up and accept that outside Lord Ban’s lush estate existed such cruel, dark world. Yet being a stranger that he was, I found it hard for me to immediately connect to him and thus encourage him to be frank with his words.

“This is something that extends beyond a young child’s imagination, Gabriel,” Sir Joshua chirped in and I realized that he was trying to ease the tension. “I’ve learned little of the conspiracy, and yet with that much I could no longer hold true to my pledge of loyalty. One day, you will understand.”

Of course, that day was far from forever. I realized that very much, too soon, much to the later dismay of these good lords, and of course, my lord father himself. The weird conversation came to a premature halt when I jumped off the bed and dashed to the door as the thought of Lord Ban slipped into my mind. When I opened the door I was greeted by a wave of amazingly refreshing sea breeze and my eyes perceived the one person I truly missed, the one person I’d give my life protecting.

Lord Ban.

There parched up by the edge of the ship’s deck’s railing, sight thrown to the sea, although still a little pale and sickly, he looked better than when he was locked inside the cage. He was quick to turn toward the banging sound I made when I pushed the door with all might that with one brilliant smile, he spread wide his arm and welcomed me into his tight, warm hug. What started as a joyous little reunion caused me to sob almost immediately, and only a while later Lady Freiya joined us. After more than a week of being separated, we were finally together, and it was such a precious moment.

Of course, you may ask, exactly what part was the story being so tragic? Yes, the story did not end here with our reunion. The elders had cited that life was a lot like a wheel, where there will be ups and downs in one’s life. That was indeed one delighting moment in my life, for Lord Ban perhaps, and of course, for Lady Freiya. What more can be beautiful then for a pair of lovebird finally reuniting? But of course, every reunion will end with a separation. In the end the two weren’t meant to be in each other’s arm.

Shortly after our arrival in Norath, Lord Ban married Lady Freiya in a closed ceremony only known to those close to him, attended by me, Lord Seth Harris and Sir Joshua, Lord Ladir and a few others. In a week from the date of the wedding, Lord Ban was made the new King of Norath by the name Admarith the Returner and immediately the kingdom was brought into a state of alert with the rampaging army of Revelia, led by the then King of Wrath, Darius, who had just ascended the throne. He killed Lady Freiya, Lord Seth Harris and Sir Joshua’s family in return as they were said to have resisted Darius, accusing them of being traitors. My family was not spared either. They were massacred under Darius’ insane rule and the entire kingdom, in merely two weeks, was brought into a state of chaos. Lord Ban, then King Admarith had decided to wipe the evil pursuer that wished for the clash of the two races, and in the long way of journey discovered that his uncle, the previous king of Norath as well as the king before Darius that was his very own father was murdered by conspirator from both sides. The traitor from Norath was captured and beheaded, and for the first time in few hundreds of years the elven army battalion will be sent out again to face the invading army of men. History finally repeated itself, and this time, the elves’ life will be at stake. Norath was their last standing ground, and should this, too, be wiped out, all elfish legacy will be wiped out, and like that of a thousand years ago, the sea will be the witness to this epic clash of two of earth’s last humanoid races.

In that war, Lord Seth Harris and Sir Joshua was sent to lead the elven battalion of soldiers to face off Darius who was leading his men himself at sea, while Lord Ban devised another battalion to leave for Revelia via another sea route and secure the kingdom while Lord Seth Harris and Sir Joshua try to block their invasion head on. This battalion was led by, surprisingly, Lord Ladir and Lady Freiya, who reluctantly left her beloved husband in order to pursue her mission of restabilising the currently chaotic kingdom of Revelia. Her sense of duty as an heir to the throne of Revelia did not let her to turn her back on her land of blood, much else with the news of other kingdom’s advancing army that intended to seize control of the extremely wealthy kingdom while its king was absent. It was a very brave decision since the move actually bared the kingdom’s security, with a majority of Norath’s forces being sent out. I had chosen to accompany Lady Freiya, and our perilous journey back to my land of blood felt so long it almost wreck my sanity. Along the way we never failed to pray to God so He will protect those remaining people that we loved, and grant those who had perished under Darius’ evil rule peace. And being the 15 year old child that I was, I couldn’t held back my tears every time I was reminded that my beloved family had all died in a massacre as decreed by Darius, said to be the punishment for my traitorous act. It was such a painful moment of my life, but as much as the pain it caused me, I decided to use it as a fuel that will drive my will and strength in pursuing this campaign. During one of those days, I discovered a new strength and decided to pursue it. I never looked back from since.

to be continued in part 05