The Dawn of Silklon

By: Lila DeJessa

A lone hawk screamed across the sky. In the village, merchants bustled and chickens skittered. A young boy bobbed and weaved through the crowd. Small braids trailing behind him, he darted, carrying a small envelope. He broke through the gates of the castle and hurried into the halls. In the hallowed halls of the Red Palace, he heard murmurs behind the closed doors. With a moment of hesitation, he burst into the meeting. “Damian. We’ve been waiting.”

”I’m so sorry sire, my sister’s cloak caught aflame and I—“

”No need to explain,” interjected Sir Ralph, “Just sit and do as you are told.”

The other knights shuffled in their places as they awaited the news. Sir Ralph sighed and looked around.

“We have caught wind of a disruption in the West. The high sorceress Michelle has foretold a prophecy of great war.”

”Of what sort?” Lady Lila twisted in her seat, “We’ve had a semblance of peace between the lands for quite some time. I do not see how her prophecies have a way of being the truth.”

”I see no reason to think her prophecies untrue, Lila. She has foretold many a damage before the first stone thrown. She has a reputation, and be it different than ours, she will be criticized, but we must look to her for guidance. It is good we have such a force on our side.”

Lady Lila sighed and looked away. “I suppose.”

Sir Dusty tossed a large scroll and let it sweep across the round table. The map, however dirty and pale, showed the lay of the land. Mauch Chunk was a winding mountain kingdom. Its lands held farmers and coal miners, blacksmiths and witches, dragons and goblins, friends and foes. A large majority of the villagers within the kingdom lived on the East side of the realm. The opposite was few and far between. However, the few, the prouder, were the residents of the West. They went as far as to have their own leading Lord and Lady; Lady Matt and Lord James. The high sorceress of the land resided on the West with her young mage, Sophia, and there she studied her mother’s high crafts. While cut apart physically by the long and winding Avon Lehigh, the two sides of the kingdom were drastically different. The East, with its traditional villagers and goblins and farms, found themselves unable to break bread and hold time for the people of the West. The West held many markets, foreign travelers, and important people. It is uncertain if the two would ever split their differences to unite for the common good. It was yet to be fully known. With this, Sir Paulie was first to bring it up. ”How must we unite the two to send help up North? How will we bring the sides together?”

Sir Ralph put it bluntly. ”We will show them what happens if they do not wish to aid us. How the fighting out on the mountain will sweep down like spring mud and cover us all.”

The round table grew quiet. With that, they urgently drew up plans for aid to be sent, troops to follow the knighthood up North, and plans for battle.

Lady Lila trekked into the dungeons. “I’m here mother!”

A large beast swept down from the corner of the cave. Rearing at eighteen feet tall, she spread her wings. Long ago, Lady Lila’s mother had been like you and I. Cursed by a traveling warlock at a very young age, she was able to bear three magickal offspring; on the condition that she be turned into a dragon, sacrificing her own unique human powers. However, what seemed like a curse only aided her mother in life. She had found this life to be incredibly more simple than her last and enjoyed it thoroughly. Lady Lila often came into her dungeon to ask for advice.

”Mother,” she inquired, “What if I do not trust the high priestess as everyone else does? What then? How can I blindly travel North if I do not know the cause? If this is simply some type of passing dream, how does one truly know?”

”Lila, the truth is, she is our one true source of magick.”

“But mother, why”

”You will see of it when the time comes, my child. For now, you must follow with courage and a brave heart.”

”What if I’m not as brave as I must be?”

”Do you trust Sire Ralph?”

”Yes,” responded Lady Lila.

“Then there is no spot for a knight to be sitting at a square table.” With that, she flew away.

The troops moved Northbound, and by that night, the many nights of the round table sat by the fire. Sir Dusty stoked the flame, while Sir Paul split more logs. The men and women told stories, long foretold in the days of sun gods and moon men. Sir Paul interjected, with his stories of dancing fae and lone sirens draped on rocks. It captivated the knights for long enough until they all turned in beneath the stars and the old growth.

Sir Dusty kept his eyes open for a little while longer than everyone else. He stared at the stars and thought of home. His amazing skills and devout loyalty have earned him a forever seat at King Bill and Sir Ralph’s round table, but aside from Sir Paul, he felt no camaraderie with any of the other men or women. Perhaps due to the fact that Sir Paul and he had always been close, and the new people were quite an adjustment. The jokes, the plans. Sure, he had been able to provide aid to the Round Table, cooking, drawing maps, and fighting in battle, but he felt he didn’t bring something to the job that he felt that everyone else did. He stared at the stars longer. He wondered about the little messenger boy, back at the palace. With no place to stay with the knights gone, what had happened to wee Damian? The boy had often stayed with Sir Dusty. With his family turned out, the boy had to fend for himself. His stomach churned, and he had no choice but to roll over and face what the armor staring back at him truly meant.

The sun rose on the troops, and they further traveled North. The chummy songs sung when on the trails, walking through golden trails, and over high cresting mountains echoed around them, creating a golden bubble around them, just as the high priestess said their joy would. Immune to evil, the troops of Mauch Chunk marched on. The break in the trees was coming up upon them, the bright sun blinding what lay just beyond. Creeping through the brush, expecting the town up North to be at their feet in front of them, Sir Ralph looked up. The town was destroyed. In shambles, smoldered buildings rose no more than knee height. Lehighton was gone, just as the priestess foretold.

The knights observed the ash, still smoking from the pillage that just occurred. Whether it be a dragon or a man, they had to figure out what caused this destruction. They could not find a living soul amongst the charred ruins. A lone hawk screamed across the sky. This was just the beginning.