1

“I’ve lied to you Elwin,” Jax said while they rode on griffin back once more. He added slyly. “Somewhat.”

In the distance the City of Verant came into view. They had been flying since early morning. The sky was overcast, but it had not rained. The sky over the city looked like it was clearing. It was almost mid afternoon. The griffin was getting tired. The peaks of the wizard towers and the Temple of The Fire Lord were a welcoming sight.

Jax statement made Elwin a little anxious. He squirmed a bit in the saddle. Should he be worried? He wondered.

Jax laughed at Elwin’s anxiety. “Not to worry Elwin, it’s not bad! I didn’t deliver your message to the guild, or any other government bureaucrat for that matter. They wouldn’t do anything anyway! I had something much better in mind.”

“What did you do with it then?” Elwin questioned. He never fully understood the government stuff, but as an imperial officer Jax probably had a much better understanding of the inner workings.

“I gave your letter to my second cousin,” Jax said casually as if making conversation across a dinner table. “My full name is Jax Emmett Frey. Emperor Xander is my cousin. I delivered it to him personally. He read it and then asked me to come back and get you. Now he wants to meet with you.”

Elwin was stunned by this revelation. His mind was reeling from the mere thought of it. The Emperor had read his hastily scrawled note? He wanted to meet him personally! This was mazy! He thought. Could it even be possible or was Jax just joking around with him?

Jax continued oblivious to Elwin’s bewilderment. “We know what’s going on Elwin. Or at least we know the basics. Several griffin riders were dispatched to the area of Domara days ago and they are using magic to report back on what’s been happening. The cloud of ash has steadily spread eastward. Nearly one hundred miles now and the volcano continues to erupt!”

“That’s unbelievable!” Elwin gasped.

Again, Jax laughed. “Believe it! This isn’t some nightmare. It’s really happening. The Emperor has been talking to the council about it, but I doubt anything can be done. The town is completely lost. This is nature’s fury at its worst! If there’s one thing that I’ve learned over the years, it’s that you can’t stop nature!”

“Could it be the work of the Gods?” Elwin questioned. They worshipped the Fire Lord of course, but there were plenty of other Gods and Mother Nature, the God of the druids was one of them.

“Ha! The Gods?” Jax replied laughing. “Are you a God-fearing man then? I won’t deny it. The Gods are real, but sometimes these things just happen. The Gods aren’t as powerful as you think.”

“I’m sure the priests would disagree!” Elwin joked.

“How would I know? I don’t talk to priests. They probably prefer it like that. I’d be too immoral for their tastes!” Jax laughed again.

He brought the griffin into a gentle glide over the outskirts of the city. Below them Elwin could see tight streets, high walls and buildings. The creature banked and headed straight for the Imperial Palace. The white gleaming marble columns shone in the afternoon light.

“What’s the Emperor like?” Elwin asked. His mind was eager and filled with nervous tension. He was very curious, as most people would be in his situation. The Emperor had only been ruling for about six months and few people had met him in person. This was the chance of a lifetime for anyone of Elwin’s lowly stature.

“Oh, you’ll love him, everybody does!” Jax explained. “He’s a great man and a great leader, but he’s not what you might think. He maybe highborn, but he’s not some stuffy aristocrat. He’s very genuine, not unapproachable like some past Emperors!”

Elwin could not imagine what it must be like to be a second cousin to the most important person in Verant. Damn! What was it like to be part of the oldest and most important family in the history of the Verant Empire? The family that built the Empire from the ground up. Elwin sometimes wished he had come from something more than peasant stock.

The Imperial Palace grew closer and closer. Elwin looked at the ground. He could see all the individual buildings with there red tiled clay roofs and people going about their business below. The War Wizard’s Tower rushed past them on the right side. Elwin gawked in wonder at the black marbled surface. The copper dome of the temple dominated the view in front of them. The griffin for all its size flew with incredible grace as the ancient building past by them. Minutes later they were approaching the Imperial Palace.

“We have to land at the stables,” Jax told him. “The old girl here needs to rest. We’ve worked her hard the last couple of days. I’d say she’s earned it!”

From above it was clear that Imperial Palace grounds were divided into three sections: the stables, the palace itself and the gardens. The stables were at the south end while the gardens were on the north side.

Elwin did not own a horse. He learned to ride at the Emery Estates, taught by Emery himself when he was a kid. He had not seen many stables before, but this was the largest he had ever seen. From the outside on the grounds, high walls blocked everything from view, but as the griffin glided in, Elwin could see two very long stables. One was for horses and carriages, while the other one was for griffins only. Jax explained that they had to be kept separate because they griffins would be inclined to eat a horse or two if they got the chance. They could not even be brought out at the same time since it would incite too many problems. Between the stables was a long narrow field. It was the perfect place for the griffin to glide in and land. It did so gracefully.

Once on the ground again, Elwin had a chance to stretch his legs after the long journey. A young stable boy came rushing out to take the reigns from Jax Frey.

“My Lord Jax!” The boy who only appeared a few years younger than Elwin said. “Does she need to be feed?”

“Maybe a light snack, young squire,” Jax replied. “She ate a whole stag the other day so she should be fine for a few days.”

“As you wish, sir!” The boy said with a salute. He led the griffin away on foot, leading her by the reigns. She trotted along with her head held high as if the creature had its own concept of pride and honour.

Jax clasped Elwin on the shoulder as he led him away from the stables and towards the palace. “So, what do you think of griffin riding?” He asked with a chuckle. “Exhilarating, isn’t it?”

“Yes, indeed my Lord!” Elwin said. He could not have agreed more. At first, he had been very frightened, but after two days of riding he had grown use to the motion of the creature and really enjoyed the trip by the end. “That’s the most incredible creature!”

Jax laughed and shook Elwin hardily. “They are indeed! They can travel almost three hundred miles in a single day. Let’s see a horse do that! Ha! You have a taste for griffin riding now, don’t ya boy!”

They laughed together and talked about the finer points of traveling by griffin back as they walked to the vast stairs leading up to the palace above. A beautiful young woman dressed in a light airy sun dress approached them. She had long silvery blonde hair, deep blue eyes and the clearest marble-like complexion Elwin had every seen, aside from Myra-Lynn of course.

“My Lord Jax,” She said in a musically feminine voice. “We have been awaiting your arrival. I have orders to escort the boy to the gardens. You’re dismissed for the day my Lord. The Emperor implores you to relax and to see him later in the evening after dinner.”

“Of course, my dear!” Jax said with a broad smile and a deep sweeping bow. “He’s all yours!”

Jax ascended the stairs and entered the palace.

2

The young woman gave Elwin a sweet smile and beckoned him to follow her. They walked in silence. He wanted to ask a bunch of questions, but he was not sure how to phrase them without looking an ignorant fool. She was so pretty. He did not want to say anything that would embarrass himself.

They walked past the palace which towered above them. It was over four stories high and completely faced in white marble. Gigantic, fluted columns lined the palace on all sides. They were old and weathered having been in place for hundreds of years. Every door they passed had a set of armed guards who stood in silence, eyeing them carefully.

When they got to the north end of the palace and stood over the Imperial Gardens, the woman finally spoke. “Have you been to the Imperial Palace before?”

“No, my Lady,” He did not know how to address her, so he used a formal term that he hoped suited her.

“This is the Imperial Gardens,” She explained sweeping her arm out pointing to the walled gardens. Before them was a beautiful park filled with various trees which seemed very old. Delicate pathways meandered through different flower beds and ponds. Elwin could even see a few statues scattered here and there.

“My name is Livilla and I have been instructed to see to your needs while you are staying here at the palace. Is there anything I can get for you?” She spoke it in such a tantalizing and sensuous way that Elwin was at a lost.

“Ah, no I’m fine thank you!” Elwin replied. He could not think of anything that he really needed at the moment. Besides, he did not want her to go out of her way on his account, even if that was her job.

“As you wish my Lord,” She replied with a seductive tilt of her head. “The gardens are yours to enjoy. I suggest you wander around and take it all in. The Emperor will come to see you when he is ready.”

She gave a slight curtsy before drifting off into the palace. Her light dress fluttered in the breeze. Elwin watched her leave.

Elwin descended the stairs and walked through the gigantic wrought iron gates that had been left open. He made his way down one of the stone tiled paths. Elwin estimated that the gardens were several acres in size. As part of the Imperial Palace, they were for the Emperor’s exclusive use.

His stomach was aching, but he knew he could not eat. He was far too nervous about meeting with the Emperor to eat or drink anything right now. He looked up at the sky which was starting to clear up. The sun peaking out from behind the white puffy clouds teasingly.

He found a small stone bench beneath a stand of poplars, near a pond where he could sit down. The summer humidity had gotten to him. He removed his cloak and slung it across the bench. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply taking in the fresh air. He could hear the birds in the trees and felt a slight breeze upon his face.

He must have sat there for a half an hour before he heard laughter coming towards him. From out of the trees appear three men. Two were dressed in light chain mail armour and carried swords. They were obviously guards, but the third man was dress completely different. He wore skin-tight black leather pants with high black leather boots. He also wore a light white ruffled shirt unbuttoned revealing a strong hairy chest. He was clean shaven and had a wild main of sandy colour hair exactly like Jax. In fact, Elwin noticed just how much like Jax the man looked. The man was laughing and joking with one of the guards.

“On your knees before the Emperor boy!” The other guard barked at him.

Elwin had leapt to his feet when they approached, but now he immediately sank to his knees and cast his eyes down on the ground. His face flushed red with embarrassment.

I should have known! I should have acted faster! He cursed himself for his slowness.

“At ease soldiers,” The Emperor said in a light offhanded manner. To Elwin he asked. “So, you are the boy from Domara? The one who wrote the letter, right?” The Emperor questioned looking down on Elwin.

“Yes, my Imperial Majesty!” Elwin answered without hesitation. He shook with fear. He kept his eyes on the ground.

“You may arise boy. Be at ease, this is an informal meeting,” The Emperor said. He turned to his guards. “You are dismissed. Meet me at the entrance later.”

“My Lord, He’s still armed…” One of the guards began. He was referring to Elwin’s sword which hung off his belt.

“I’m not concerned,” the Emperor said flippantly.

The two guards gave Elwin one final look before quickly retreating back into the gardens and disappeared.

Elwin studied the Emperor closely. He appeared to be about forty years old. His skin was weathered and wrinkled, like a man with a great weight upon his shoulders. He was also incredibly handsome in a roguish way and without speaking, it was obvious that he exuded charisma. It was in his dark eyes. It was in the way he carried himself. It was the swagger in his step.

“Walk with me boy,” The Emperor commanded. They sauntered down the pathway taking in the beauty of the gardens.

“My Imperial Majesty, I’m humbled to be in your presence,” Elwin stammered nervously. He did not know why but he fell he must say something to show his gratitude for this meeting. If his friends could see him now, they simply would not believe that he was meeting with the Emperor of the Verant Empire, the most powerful person in the known world! He still could not believe it himself! He walked in the company of the Emperor.

The Emperor merely nodded at Elwin’s words and held up a hand dismissively.

“Of course, you are, but there’s no need to impress me,” Emperor Xander said. Then he asked. “So, I can’t keep calling you boy, now, can I? So, what is your name?”

“My name is Elwin, my Imperial Majesty,” Elwin replied.

“Elwin, is it? That’s good Verantian name if ever I heard one!” The Emperor replied with a slight smile of amusement. “Do you have a last name Elwin?”

Elwin was totally caught off guard by the question. He was not sure how to answer because he was not sure if he did have a last name. Although family names had grown in popularity over the last three to four hundred years, not everyone had a last name. Often people would use their father’s name or the place they came from in place of a last name.

“I don’t think I have a last name,” Elwin answered honestly.

“Well then, we need to change that. What was your father’s name?” Emperor Xander Frey asked him.

“Lepidus.”

“Ah, another great Verantian name. I had a cousin named Lepidus. Hmm, I don’t think it would suit you. Where are you from Elwin?” The Emperor enquired.

“A small village called Salome Hollow. It’s in the Militar province, my Imperial Majesty,” Elwin replied. His mind was fogged by the surreal experience of talking to the Emperor. He kept looking up at the man as the walked. Elwin hoped he was not gawking too much.

“I feel you need a last name, but none of the names seem to fit,” the Emperor stopped before a long narrow reflecting pool. “What did your family do for a living?”

“They were simple farmers.”

“Your family owned a farm?”

“Yes, my Imperial Majesty.”

“Did the farm have a name?” The Emperor questioned.

“Indeed, it did! White Birch Farms,” Elwin replied. It was the first time he had thought about the place in many weeks, but he could still picture it clearly. In his mind he saw the old wooden sign by the road swinging in the breeze.

“Hmmm,” The Emperor was thinking. “How about Elwin White Birch?”

“I like it, but it seems a little cumbersome,” Elwin replied. He wondered why he needed a last name. He had gotten along fine without one this long. What was the Emperor getting at? He asked himself.

“You’re right. How about just Elwin Birch? Ah, I love it! It has nice ring to it. It sounds strong and respectable, doesn’t it Mr. Birch?” The Emperor asked trying the name out for the first time.

Elwin had to admit that he did like the sound of it. It made him feel proud of his origins, his family and original home. He felt like he was more important. “Yes, my Imperial Majesty. I like it very much.”

“Very good! Its official then. By decree of the Emperor your name is now Elwin Birch of Salome Hollow. A fine upstanding citizen of the Verant Empire!” The Emperor said proudly. He began walking again and Elwin followed quickly beside him.

“So, Mr. Elwin Birch, I see you have met my cousin Jax,” The Emperor commented.

“Yes, my Imperial Majesty! Jax is a great man!” Elwin commented.

“Indeed, he fought bravely during the war,” The Emperor added. “He’s not just my cousin, but one of my closest friends as well. Do you have family?”

“It’s just me and my brother Rith, but we have an adopted cousin Anna as well,” Elwin told him.

“Family is a valuable thing,” the Emperor told him. “Mine has been of the upmost importance to me.”

They walked a little further down the path until they came to a large statue. It was carved from marble and depicted a young man holding up a sword and wearing a torn toga. At the base of the statue, it read Septius III. It was a relatively new statue maybe fifteen years old.

“He was a great Emperor,” Elwin said hoping to show respect and loyalty. He could not have been more wrong.

The Emperor looked at him like he was mazy.

“The man was an asshole!” The Emperor said darkly.

“Really?” Elwin said taken aback by the Emperor’s response. The casual way he swore caught him off guard. Elwin was confused. “But didn’t he sacrifice himself for the Empire?”

The Emperor laughed, then he roared. “The only thing he ever did right was to stay and fight to the death against the Elvin horde. Let the cowards run!”

Elwin looked even more confused, but his expression was not lost on the Emperor.

The Emperor shook his head. “You don’t understand Elwin because you hadn’t been born yet. He was insane and a murderer, among other things. He never should have been Emperor. He was an evil and twisted man. In the end he got what he deserved. As for the rest of the family… they fled like rabbits to Palantine rather than defend the City against the invaders. In the end they got what they deserved as well, the bastards.”

Elwin was completely stunned by what the Emperor was telling him. This was not what he had heard about them. Not only that, but the Emperor was talking about his own family, his cousins and his aunt. It took a moment before Elwin realized that they were also the very people that Emperor Xander II had fought against when he seized the throne. Clearly the family had become bitterly divided even still.

The Emperor decided not to dwell on it and began walking again. “So, let’s get to the real reason you’re here Elwin. Tell me about Domara.”

Elwin took a deep breath and began to explain exactly what happened. He related every detail that he could think of from the assignment that his party had taken, to the survey of the town and the reaction of everyone in Domara when the volcano finally blew up. He explained how they had saved many people by encouraging them to go to the south rather than the river. He explained how his party guided people down the road until they found Jax flying overhead.

The Emperor never interrupted and listened intently to every word. He seemed honestly concerned with what happened in Domara and never questioned any part of Elwin’s story. He took Elwin at his word. At the end of the story, the Emperor did ask a few questions about the help Elwin’s companions had provided. Elwin was eager to explain that his friends were just as brave as he had been and deserved just as much credit.

“It must have been a very terrifying experience,” The Emperor commented when Elwin was finished with his story.

“Many people were in shock. Even I was in shock for a short while afterwards. The experience still seems like a surreal nightmare to me, my Imperial Majesty,” Elwin told him.

As they walked, they finally came to the gates that lead out into the city’s main square. The orator was standing on the raised platform in the center of the square, reading the day’s news to an enthusiastic crowd. The gate itself was shut tight and guarded by four soldiers, two inside the gate and two outside. They saluted when the Emperor approached. He stopped and stared at the people through the bars of the wrought iron gate.

“I understand your pain,” the Emperor said.

Elwin didn’t know why, but he doubted him. How could anyone understand what he had been through? He spoke up and out of turn. “My Imperial Majesty, with all due respect, I and all of my friends were almost killed. Thousands are dead, maybe more. I don’t think that anyone can understand that kind of horror.”

Elwin regretted it immediately thinking he had overstepped his bounds. That he was too harsh and now he was in deep trouble with the Emperor.

But the Emperor did not appear to be offended. He merely pointed to the square. “You see that orator standing there?”

Elwin merely nodded fearfully.

The Emperor spoke with a cold deep voice that resonated with memory and sorrow. “Two years ago, my brother Titus Garrem Frey, was impaled through the chest upon a giant spike on that very spot. They left his body to rot for ten days before my men were finally able to sneak into the city and recover it.”

Elwin swallowed hard, but wisely he said nothing further. He did not want to dig a deeper hole for himself.

The Emperor continued in that cold deep voice. “My father was killed in battle. So were half of my cousins. When my sister, Tiberia Thessa Frey was captured, she was gang raped and then beheaded. They nailed her head to the front gates of Golden Meadows where it rotted for weeks. Until the day I arrived with my army, and we kicked those fucking gates in. Don’t underestimate me Elwin, I understand horror. I have seen some of the worst that men can do. Mother Nature… She pales in comparison.”

“I apologise my Imperial Majesty,” Elwin said hanging his head. “I spoke out of turn.”

The Emperor dismissed it with the wave of his hand. “Nonsense Elwin, you’re what? Eighteen? Twenty? You speak from inexperience and nothing more. Don’t worry about it. You’re forgiven. You will find I can be very generous. The hardest thing I ever did was to forgive everyone who fought against me. That included the murderers of my family, when I issued the general amnesty.”

“If I may be so bold, why did you forgive them, if they committed such horrible acts?” Elwin asked.

“The Empire needed peace. I did what I had to for the good of the Empire,” the Emperor said matter-of-factly. “It was the house of Thaine that was responsible for most of what happened. I stripped them of their house status. They no longer have power anymore. They no longer have ruling family rights or title.”

“You’re more generous than some people deserve,” Elwin commented trying to get onto the Emperors good side.

“Indeed!” The Emperor snorted. “You don’t know the half of it! Besides there is more going on then you know about, but we will educate you while you are here. We have much to discuss.”

Finally, the Emperor relaxed again and laughed. He began to walk back to the palace. “Come along Mr. Elwin Birch! We have one more important thing to do before dinner is served.”

3

Elwin had no idea what the Emperor had in mind, but he followed closely behind as they walked the pathway back towards the palace. When they got to the steps of the palace, two guards were standing with a third man. This new man was much older roughly sixty years or more. His hair was completely grey. He was dressed in formal robes and held out a long sword in an ornate jewel-encrusted scabbard.

The Emperor walked right up to them as did Elwin. The Emperor grabbed the sword from the scabbard and held it up. It glinted in the shards of sunlight that escaped the clouds. The sun was low. Evening was almost upon them.

“No, this doesn’t seem right,” the Emperor said to himself. He returned the sword to its scabbard. To Elwin he said. “Can I see that sword of yours?”

“Of course, my Imperial Majesty,” he drew out the sword and offered it hilt first.

“Ah, a soldier’s long sword! I love it, and finely crafted. It’s perfect,” the Emperor said.

The two guards grabbed Elwin without warning. They forced him to his knees. Elwin shook with fear. His mind reeled. What was going on here! Why did the Emperor need his sword? They were not going to kill him, were they?

The Emperor leaned down and drove the point of the sword into the ground next to Elwin. He grabbed Elwin by the back of the neck and leaned in close. He spoke slowly and clearly.

“Swear your loyalty to me and the knightly order,

Always be courageous in the face of evil and death,

Protect the weak and uphold the laws of the Verant Empire,

Be brave and let the Fire Lord guide your hands and mind,

Always speak the truth, for it is the way of the knight,

That is your oath Elwin Birch of Salome Hollow,

The oath of the Order of the Red Dragon!”

Elwin’s eyes were wide with fear. He did not know what to do so he just stared up into the Emperor’s eyes dumbfounded. He struggled to comprehend what was going on. The Emperor stood up straight and taking the sword he tapped it upon Elwin right shoulder than his left. “Arise Sir Elwin Birch, Knight of the Order of the Red Dragon!” The Emperor said before thrusting the sword back into Elwin’s hand.

Elwin’s knees were too weak his mind was dazed. The guards grabbed him roughly and drew him to his feet. He was shaking uncontrollably. Finally, he stammered. “M-m-my I-Imperial Majesty! There must be some mistake!”

The Emperor looked at him indignantly. “I think not Elwin. I don’t make mistakes.”

“But I-I’m just a lowly farm boy, I’m no knight!” Elwin insisted shaking his head.

The Emperor would not hear him out. “Nonsense Elwin! You were never a lowly farm boy as you put it. Besides I’m the Emperor, I’ll knight whomever I want.”

“But my Imperial Majesty, I’m not much of a warrior! I have seen very little combat! I have no proper equipment or armour!” Elwin continued in his denial. “I’m not meant to be a knight…”

“And I was not meant to be Emperor,” Xander Frey replied matter-of-factly. “And yet here we are, two people thrust into roles not meant for us.”

“But my Lord…” Elwin tried to say.

“Listen, Elwin,” the Emperor was calm, his voice low and soothing, the look in his eyes reassuring. “Heroes are not born. It doesn’t come from you blood or family tree. Forget the story books, they won’t help you here. Heroes are forged under pressure, from hard work with tough decisions that have no easy answers. Heroes seize the moment and act when others hesitate.”

This can not make any sense, he thought. How can I be a knight? Really? Just like that!

“I’m not looking for warriors Elwin,” the Emperor continued. He shook his head. “I have plenty already. What I need… What the Empire needs… is leaders. Despite your youth, it’s obvious that you, Sir Elwin Birch, are a leader!”

“But I don’t know anything about being a knight of any order!” Elwin continued to protest, but it was a losing battle.

The Emperor laughed and looked to the sky. The clouds had parted revealing a beautiful hue of blue. “What do I know about being an Emperor? It was supposed to be my brother standing here, not me. We are at the mercy of the Gods. All of us.”

“Not to worry,” The older man finally spoke to Elwin. “We’ll fill you in on the details and see to it that you’re properly equipped.”

“Sheath your sword on Imperial Grounds,” one of the guards said to him. It was only then that he was aware that his sword was in his hand. His mind was in a fog as he tried to understand what just happened. Hastily he put his sword away in its sheath on his belt.

The Emperor began to walk away up to the palace steps. He turned back to say one final thing. “By the way Sir Elwin, this here is Kindeller. He’s my right-hand man and he is in charge of the Order of the Red Dragon. He’ll explain it all to you. Now I insist that the Hero of Domara spend the night in the palace and that he be given the best guest room we have available. Am I understood?”

Kindeller snapped to attention. “As you wish my Imperial Majesty!”

The Emperor turned around and continued up and into the palace’s main front entrance. The guards followed closely behind him.

Elwin was left standing with Kindeller, his mouth agape. His mind still grasping what had just happened. He simply could not understand how he had just become a knight, without warning, without some special ceremony or party. Just like that, at the behest of the Emperor he was a knight of the Order of the Red Dragon. Whatever that was supposed to mean! He thought.

“Still finding it hard to believe boy?” Kindeller asked him once they were alone.

Elwin merely nodded.

“Not to worry Elwin. I know the Emperor well and he knows what he’s doing. Now come along to my office. I’ll explain how everything works in this new order the Emperor has recently created,” Kindeller said. His voice was gentle and kind.

He led Elwin inside the palace through a different entrance.