"The light was still bright above our heads even when the shadows crept up on us"

  Kael, Lyra and Gray rushed outside at the sound of Bolt's death, the figure that was responsible for it vanished like a ghost in the smoke, there was scant they could bury or in this case burn. All around them as the morning sun peaked into the city, countless dead. Small moans from ruined homes and buildings seemingly crushed others, Bolt had assured them that the Royal Guard would arrive but they never did, there was no fanfare but even the dead seemed to take over the fresh corpses. They had no choice but to gather as many as possible and turn them into a bonfire, the smoke billowed for hours. Those who survived mourned not only Guildmaster Bolt but their families and friends. Hope here was not abundant nor was there joy.

  "Why did this happen?" Kael wasn't really asking anyone, it was a retorhical question but Gray with a heavy sigh answered anyway

  "There are people in this world Kael that only want to see it burn. Silverhaven is just the start of this madness" said Gray, Kael didn't want war or witnessing scores of people being slaughtered

  "Gray, if the Royal Guards didn't show. What are we going to do? This whole city is within the kingdom. Someone has to care" said Lyra optimistic

  "We'd have to go to the capital, Redwall. Not the nicest of places for those who have nothing. It could take months or even years to get an audience with the king, he's a very petty man" said Gray

  "You act as if you know the king of our kingdom" said Kael

  "I did, he was the one who exiled me. I was becoming too powerful and too influential, he feared insurrection and rebellion and on the word of the council they had me exiled. My house, my books, even my familiar were destroyed. They feared the one thing they couldn't use, magic" they listened as Gray recounted his days as a court wizard "In the end I still failed. Couldn't save Eldrin nor could I save this city" the burden of failure hung on his shoulders, the weight was almost too much to bare The silence that followed Gray's revelation was heavy, broken only by the crackling embers and the soft whimpers of the wounded. Kaelen and Lyra exchanged a look, their faces mirroring the same despair that gnawed at Gray. The king, the very figurehead of their kingdom, the one they were taught to trust and respect, was the man who had cast Gray aside, who had likely condemned Silverhaven to its fate. The hope they had clung to, the belief that someone, somewhere, would come to their rescue, was now a shattered illusion.

  "So," Lyra said, her voice barely a whisper, "what do we do now?"

  Gray looked at them, his eyes filled with a weariness that went beyond physical exhaustion. "We do what we have to," he said, his voice regaining a measure of resolve. "We survive. We find a way to warn others. We find a way to fight back."

  "But how?" Kaelen asked, his voice laced with desperation. "We're just… us."

  "We're all we have," Gray said, his gaze hardening. "And that has to be enough." He looked around at the ruined city, the smoke still rising in thick plumes, obscuring the already dim sunlight. "Silverhaven is gone," he said, his voice flat. "But it doesn't have to be the end. We can't let it be the end."

  He walked over to a pile of rubble that was once a shop, rummaging through the debris until he found a tattered map. He spread it out on the ground, the edges frayed and burned. "This is a map of the surrounding region," he said, pointing to a series of markings. "There are other settlements, smaller ones, scattered throughout the forests and hills. They might not have much, but they might have heard whispers of what's happening. And some of them might be willing to help."

  If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

  "Help us do what?" Lyra asked, her voice tinged with skepticism.

  "Help us survive," Gray replied. "Help us find answers. Help us fight." He looked at them, his eyes burning with a renewed fire. "We're not soldiers. We're not heroes. But we're witnesses. We saw what happened here. And we can't let it happen again."

  He folded the map, tucking it into his robes. "We leave at dawn," he said. "We'll head to the nearest settlement, a small village called Oakhaven. It's a few days' journey, through the forest. It's dangerous, but it's our only chance."

  As the last embers of the fires began to die down, casting long, eerie shadows across the ruined city, Kaelen, Lyra, and Gray huddled together, their faces illuminated by the pale moonlight. They were tired, wounded, and grieving. But a spark of determination had been rekindled within them, a refusal to surrender to the darkness. They were just three individuals, facing an overwhelming threat. But they were also the last hope for a world teetering on the brink of annihilation. The road ahead would be long and perilous, filled with dangers they could scarcely imagine. But they would face it together, carrying the memory of Silverhaven, the weight of their loss, and the flickering flame of a hope that refused to be extinguished, even in the face of despair. They were all they had left, and that had to be enough.

  The next morning, as the first rays of sun broke through the smoke-filled sky, they prepared to leave. Gray, ever the pragmatist, reminded them of the dangers that lay ahead. "We'll need to be careful," he said, his voice grave. "The roads will be crawling with those creatures, and who knows what else is out there."

  "We should probably try to find some weapons," Lyra suggested, looking around at the ruined city.

  "Good idea," Gray replied. "But don't expect much. Most of the shops are probably looted by now."

  They spent some time searching through the rubble, managing to find a few usable weapons and some basic supplies. Kaelen found a slightly better short sword, and Lyra managed to salvage a sturdy hunting knife. Gray, of course, still had his staff and his innate magical abilities.

  With their meager supplies gathered, they set off, leaving the smoldering ruins of Silverhaven behind them. The journey was arduous, the road rough and treacherous. They encountered several groups of the mutated creatures, but Gray's magic and their combined combat skills were enough to dispatch them. The journey was also emotionally taxing, the sight of the dead and the lingering stench of decay a constant reminder of the horror they had witnessed.

  After four days of travel, they finally reached their destination: Redwall, the capital of the Solaran Kingdom. The city was a sight to behold, its massive walls, built from solid stone and infused with copper quartzite, gleaming red in the sunlight. The walls, Gray explained, were designed to withstand sieges for months, the city itself built into the side of a massive mountain.

  As they approached the gates, Gray pulled his hood up over his head, a subtle gesture that spoke volumes. Kaelen and Lyra, despite their exhaustion and the lingering trauma, tried to maintain an air of optimism. They were finally in the heart of the kingdom, where surely they would find help and justice.

  Four guards, clad in gleaming armor and brandishing halberds, stood at the gate, their faces stern and impassive.

  "Halt!" one of them commanded. "Where are you going, and what is your business here?"

  Kaelen cleared his throat, trying to project an air of confidence he didn't feel. "We come from Silverhaven," he said.

  A murmur rippled through the guards. "You lie," one of them said. "Silverhaven has no survivors."

  Gray narrowed his eyes, his hand instinctively moving towards his staff. "We saw no riders on the King's Road leading here from Silverhaven," he said, his voice dangerously low. "So how did you know about Silverhaven? It's four days from here."

  "None of your concern," the guard retorted, shifting his weight, his hand tightening on his halberd. "State your business. Now."

  "To see the king," Lyra said, her voice firm.

  "The king sees no one without invitation," the guard sneered.

  "He'll see us," Kaelen insisted, trying to sound braver than he felt. "We are the last adventurers alive from Silverhaven. He has to see us. We're part of this kingdom!"

  "We'll be talking to Sir Garrett to see if you are worthy of seeing the king," the guard said, dismissing them with a wave of his hand. He sent one of the other guards on horseback up to the castle.

  Sir Garrett. The name hung in the air, heavy with unspoken tension. He was a Royal Guard, the Lord Commander, to be precise. And he was one of the reasons Gray had been exiled. Gray's hand tightened on his staff, his knuckles turning white. He forced himself to remain calm, but the air crackled with barely contained anger. This encounter could turn ugly very quickly.