DAJ: epilogue 1

A handful of soldiers stood guard outside castle Kastaan. The castle which only needed to be defended on one side because it stood on a cliff. The sun shone high and the men in the guard house chatted away as another set came through the gates to relieve them.
“There’s someone coming up the road.” A man shouted from the parapets. The guard house emptied to see the stranger. A lone man with strange armor made his way up to the castle. The soldiers grabbed their pole arms and stood at the ready as the man came within casual speaking distance. It was a young man with blond hair, strange armor with the right and left gauntlets of different design.
“What business do you have here, stranger?” One guard spoke up as he stepped forward. The man glanced over each soldier’s equipment and then replied.
“I have come to speak with the lord of this castle.”
The guard eyed him suspiciously, noting that the stranger had a sword handle on his hip. “On what subject would you seek his council about?”
“The surrender of his castle to me.” The men broke into laughter.
“Surrender to you and what army?” the guard replied while holding his gut with laughter. He glanced up at the man just in time to see him draw a weapon from his back to his face. The other guards watched, stunned, as their companion rolled to the edge of the cliff.
“Just me, Aesthre.” The man announced.
“Stop him!” the officer on the parapets yelled. The three remaining soldiers still stood in awe of what just happened. Aesthre smirked as he set his huge serrated blade onto his shoulder. The man on the wall stepped out of view and called more men to the gate. The outside recovered from their shock as another six joined them. They formed a half circle in front of Aesthre pointing their pikes at him. He broke into laughter as they stood ready, but feared any movements from him. He lowered down, making them back off expecting an attack. Instead he leapt all the way up onto the wall where the captain had been standing. The man turned his attention to the sound behind him to find Aesthre right next to him. Attempting to draw his sword but with no quarter, he yelled.
“Assassin! There’s an assassin in the castle!” Aesthre responded to this with a push sending the man tumbling off the wall onto a wooden roof below. Nearby another officer rounded up a few men with bows and launched a volley at Aesthre. Aesthre returned Vengeance to his back and held out his right hand to the incoming arrows. The few that would have met their mark turned to dust while the rest flew by harmlessly. Aesthre calmly walked along the wall towards the main keep as the archers reloaded in unison. More men with bows assembled below, while a second officer gathered a group of soldiers, leading them onto the wall a ways behind Aesthre. Just before he reached an opening a second volley of arrows flew at him, which met the same fate as the first. As his attention was on the missiles, spears appeared from the doorway in front, and the group behind him caught up. Aesthre looked both ways then smiled again.
“Halt we have you surrounded!” a guard yelled. “Surrender or face our might!” another shouted.
“I think you may want to revise that thought.” Replied Aesthre as he grabbed hold and swung Vengeance. It was bathed in dark mist as it tore through the top of the archway. Stones fell onto the spears, pinning them to the floor. The group behind saw him vulnerable and charged. A web of spines and barbs blocked their path breaking a few spear heads. It retracted leaving only Aesthre’s bladed arm, and he leapt up to the gallery window of the main building.

The lord of the castle sat on his throne accompanied by his champion and magister. A few soldiers lined the hall with many more servants attending the bureaucrats that were seeking his validation. Shouting could be heard throughout the castle, echoing the sounds of armor and weaponry. A servant had approached earlier him to give word of an assassin within the castle. But he figured the man would be stopped since every soldier knew he was here.
A guard threw open the doors and a captain with six others armed with bows rushed in. “He’s on the gallery!” he yelled. The lord stood and looked up at the railing above the doorway. Servants and politicians alike fled as more soldiers rushed in. A lone silhouette appeared on the balcony, obscured by the sun. “You dare approach a king on his throne with every man he has on your tail? Hold bold! Say your name so I can mark your grave with ‘the foolish’.”
He stepped out of the light revealing his face. “It’s Aesthre.” He drew his huge sword, “only a fool challenges a son of Auburn.”
“Son of Auburn…” a guard muttered. Armed men lined up around the throne, all aimed at Aesthre.
“That would make you our ally.” The lord replied to the young deity.
“It would if your god-king hadn’t tried to be rid of me.” Aesthre shouted “now I am his and your enemy!”
“He’s a charlatan, fire!” the champion commanded. Bows twanged sending arrows at Aesthre, who with one sweep of Vengeance deflected them all. Splinters showered the room, forcing the closest guards to cover their faces. The magister let loose a ball of energy, hitting the bottom of the balcony, destroying its supports. Dust and debris fell with a crash onto the floor. As the smoke clear laughter filled the room and Aesthre emerged unscathed.
“Weak, you’re all so weak!” he mocked. The soldiers broke ranks in fear as he walked towards them. The champion charged through them with great sword, engulfed in white light, ready to strike. He brought it down towards Aesthre only to have it cleaved in half by Vengeance. The champion lost no courage and brought his broken sword up at Aesthre’s chest.
“Enough!” a commanding voice stopped them. The severed metal clattered to the floor breaking the sudden silence. The lord stood in front of his throne. “Why are you here son of the Divine?
“I want your castle.” He replied.
The lord took a moment to think. “Well we can’t beat a son of Auburn or what ever you are, abandon the castle.” He commanded.
The champion turned to his lord. “But your lordship…!”
“You heard him.” Aesthre interrupted. The champion turned a fierce look at Aesthre who simply smiled in return.
“I won’t have men dying against someone we cannot defeat, even if it means abandoning an entire castle.” Guards started to exit the room, staying away from Aesthre. The champion escorted his lord out the main doorway leaving with one last angry glare at Aesthre. Now that the room was empty Aesthre sat down on the throne leisurely.
“Finally I can take a break.” He spoke.