Chapter 6: The Echo in the Keep
The ride back to Adraels Keep was starkly different from their clandestine departure. The morning mist had burned away, revealing a sky of endless blue, but the air still held the metallic tang of blood and ozone. The Black Horned Lions and Caria's White Tiger, their powerful forms now stained with dust and the grim evidence of battle, moved with a quiet, satisfied power. Don, on Onyx, rode in grim silence, the Flamebound Medallion a steady, warm weight against his chest, a subtle hum of contented power within him. Caria, beside him on Blizzard, her staff secured, her face serene, carried herself with the poise of a queen who had just proven her worth on a battlefield.
Leinara, astride Umbra, glanced back at the terrified, babbling Tidorian scout they'd left behind, whose screams had faded into the silence of the pass. "He won't forget that message," she murmured, her voice tight with a mixture of grim satisfaction and lingering unease. The power Don had displayed, the silent, invasive terror he'd inflicted, was as unsettling as it was effective.
Dvrik, on Thunder, simply grunted, his broad shoulders squared. "Better him than us. Tidor will know the lion answers."
As they neared Adraels Keep, the massive blackstone walls seemed to loom larger, more formidable than before. The outer guard, initially rigid at their approach, visibly stiffened as they recognized the bloodied figures on their monstrous mounts. Whispers, quick and sharp, spread like wildfire along the battlements. This was no ordinary patrol returning.
The clang of the inner gate as they rode into the main courtyard felt heavy, resonant. Servants and off-duty guards paused, their chores forgotten, their eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear. The air in the courtyard, usually filled with the sounds of training or daily life, was unnaturally hushed. Every gaze was fixed on Don and Caria, and the silent, imposing beasts they rode.
Earl Dunnel Adraels was already waiting at the top of the steps leading into the keep, flanked by Lady Lyanna and Countess Daela. Asdrin, Medrin, and Jassa stood behind them, their faces a mixture of apprehension and dawning understanding.
Don dismounted Onyx with a fluid grace, the large lion settling beside him with a low growl. Caria, elegant even in her battle-stained attire, dismounted Blizzard, her white tiger taking a position opposite Onyx, as if they were ancient, powerful guardians. Leinara and Commander Veyeb brought their mounts forward, the rest of the Black Horned Lion cavalry fanning out behind them, forming an imposing backdrop.
"Father," Don said, his voice calm, yet carrying a new, undeniable resonance that filled the courtyard. "The serpent has been struck. The message has been delivered."
Earl Dunnel's gaze, sharp and assessing, swept over the grim faces of the returning party, lingering on the subtle, undeniable shift in Don and Caria. He saw the faint traces of power clinging to them, the hardened resolve in their eyes. He saw the bloodstains on the Lion cavalry's fur, and knew the price of this message.
"Come inside," Dunnel commanded, his voice tight with a mixture of pride and unease. "The war room. Immediately."
---
The war room was even colder than before, the chill seeming to sink into their bones. Don laid out the tactical maps, indicating the exact ambush point in Shadowfen Pass. Caria recounted the sequence of events with sharp, military precision, her voice betraying no emotion as she described the lightning volley that had incinerated the Tidorian vanguard.
"They were a forward observation team, perhaps forty strong in total," Don explained, tracing a finger across the map. "We split, drawing the road force, while Commander Veyeb and his team flanked their ridge positions. No one escaped, save for one. He will carry our message."
He then described the 'message' he had left in the sole survivor's mind, the invasive, soul-shattering terror he had implanted. As he spoke, a palpable aura of dread emanated from him, a chill that made the seasoned warriors in the room shiver.
Silence followed his report, thick and heavy.
"You... broke him," Medrin finally whispered, his eyes wide with a mix of horror and grudging awe. "You shattered his mind."
Asdrin, ever the pragmatist, leaned forward, his brow furrowed. "A bold stroke, Don. And effective. Tidor will undoubtedly receive the report, however garbled, and understand the warning. But such power... such methods..."
"Are those of the Black Flame," Lady Lyanna finished softly, her gaze fixed on her son, a profound and complex expression on her face. "It is a power that shapes, my son. Not just steel, but souls." Her hand went to the Flamebound Medallion, still faintly visible beneath Don's tunic, and she offered him a small, knowing smile.
Countess Daela, however, looked distinctly uncomfortable. "This is... barbaric. We are Adraels, not monsters who haunt the minds of men."
Caria stepped forward, her voice calm and firm. "We are Adraels, Countess, who are prepared to do what is necessary to protect our lands and our people. Tidor began this with an insult. We have replied with a promise. Let them call us monsters. Let them call us barbarians. We will call ourselves victors." Her words, delivered with a cool confidence, seemed to align perfectly with Don's actions, a terrifying unity of purpose.
Earl Dunnel ran a hand through his beard, his eyes heavy. "The cost of such a message is clear. Ekarvel Tidor will not merely respond. He will retaliate. And he will do so with a fury you have yet to witness."
Don met his father's gaze, his own eyes burning with quiet resolve. "Let him. We are ready." He looked at Caria, at Leinara, at Dvrik, and at Commander Veyeb. "The Obsidian Court has made its first move. Let the enemy tremble."
The meeting concluded with grim efficiency. Orders were given to bolster defenses, prepare the garrisons, and send scouts further south. But as they dispersed, a new undercurrent ran through the Adraels Keep. The return of Don and Caria, and the chilling tale of Shadowfen Pass, had cemented a new reality. The young lord was no longer simply a prodigy. He was a force, terrifying and absolute, and he had found his queen.