Journeys Chapter One p14
The seventhday found the remaining knights of the Holy Rose, all five hundred of them, gathered in the central courtyard of the keep. If the other four hundred hadn't already left for the various chapter houses, the courtyard would have been so packed that they couldn't move an inch. The last time all nine hundred had been gathered there, was when the knights had gone to war against the brigands that had sacked and burned their farmsteads down.
With a final look around the keep, Patryg raised his right hand and gestured for the Knights to move out. Since they couldn't take everything with them, and there were somethings that they didn't want anyone to have access to, they had sealed certain parts of the keep with powerful magics, cunning traps, and complex puzzle locks. Most of those precautions had been placed around the Libraries, since the Shroud Knights definitely didn't want anyone to get hold of all of the information that they had gathered.
Patryg sat astride his horse and watched as two hundred wagons filled with books, food, leather, fabrics, iron, steel, and gold coins, as well as families pulled out of the courtyard, went through the front gate, and headed westwards. When the last wagon had pulled out, the Grand Master signalled for the mounted knights to head out. Rank by rank, they filed out, leaving the only home they had ever known. After leaving the Keep, they gathered in groups of forty and spread out down the double lines of the wagons. After looking for Samael, and finding him just outside the wall, along with the Masters of the other orders, he looked for Eva and Jaymes and found them. Eva was standing beside Larena, who was waiting, and Jaymes was further down the file of wagons, where he had been assigned.
When the next to last person had left the courtyard, Patryg casually reigned his horse in the direction of the gate and then rode through the wide entryway, then dismounted and watched as the portcullis was lowered down the inset grooves and the heavy grated steel barrier blocked the entrance to the Keep. At another gesture, the massive inner gates were closed, then the outer gates were closed and locked. Anyone wanting inside the keep would need seize equipment to get inside, and would waste days doing so. He turned and looked over at the smaller door to the side, and watched as the door-warden made his way out and looked over at him.
“Seal the door.” The Grand Master ordered, then watched stoically as the door warden reached up and removed a crystal globe from the sconce. He solemnly handed the globe to his assistant, and then turned and traced the doorway with his fingertips.
“With the light now gone, the way is dark.” The door faded from sight, hidden behind a simple illusion spell. To anyone that didn't know where to look, the door looked just like the stones around it.
The door warden took a step back, head bowed and the Master of the Crown Knights stepped forward and intoned, “With the coming darkness, defense is needed. Come Arael.” Upon the utterance of that name, two flames stirred in the ornamental dragon skull that sat on the apex of the gatehouse.
Here am I. None shall enter, save they be of the blood. A hollow voice called from the dragon skull. Skin shall wither, soul shall perish, blood shall boil, and bone shall shatter. Through it all, I will hold my course.
The door warden drew his sword and saluted the dragon's head. “So mote it be.”
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Great post and I wish steemit had a sticky or pin option because this is one of those special posts. ??
And the journey begins. Wonderful story telling there @josephlwiess.