The Mer-King's Departure

A story from my archive the Loametic Historical Compendium

The Mer-King’s Departure:

A Literary Documentation of the Final Hours of Median Rule

Chapter One:

Medius heard the loud clattering of heavily armored feet against the marble floors. At once the heavy maple doors of the throne room flung open, revealing General Tarnak adorned in the ornate golden armor typical of a man of his rank, with arms outspread so that his plated fingertips all but bored into the now displaced doors. His crimson cape quivered in the air behind him. The elite sentries at his flanks stood stern, but nervous.

“I come bearing unfortunate news,” he said.

“Indeed?” asked Medius in a less-than-surprised manner, so that his inquiry seemed more a statement than anything else.

“The slave-folk are rowdy again.” Tarnak lowered his gaze toward the floor, his tone softening. “M’lord, I fear the worst…”

“Explain yourself,” demanded the Mer-King, his flaxen-skinned fingers tightening around the arm rests of his throne.

The tense silence of the room was broken momentarily by the indiscernible shouts of rioters somewhere outside one of the tower windows right of the doorway.

“The streets are overrun with slaves. They have taken to violence, m’lord, and not only here in Welkyn… I was recently informed that Lord Eimill was murdered, and his plantation guards have been overthrown.”

“Nonsense!” shouted Medius.

“I’m afraid he is not the only one. We have received word of similar situations throughout the countryside. A badly wounded guardsman just arrived at the city gates moments ago claiming that Commander Vallyus became the captive of his own plantation workers sometime last night. They are bedecking themselves with the contents of his armory and preparing to liberate the slave-folk of other plantations.”

King Medius' eyes widened, followed by the furrowing of his brow. He slammed his fist down upon the marble arm rest of his throne.

“Call the legions up from the south! The Euphonian rioters must be disregarded for the time being, Elysium is clearly in need of defenses,” he shouted.

“I’m afraid it's too late for that,” said General Tarnak solemnly. “It would take weeks for the southern-based legions to reach the city, and we cannot hold out for that long. Welkyn’s lower districts have been lost to the rioters already, and soldiers are falling back as we speak. We’ve just barricaded the palace gates. My primary concern now is getting you out of the city alive.”

Medius’s face paled, his eyes widening again.

“How could this have happened so quickly? I thought we were prepared!” he yelled, panicking.

“I’m afraid not, but it is no matter now. Come, the sun is setting. We must go,” said Tarnak, walking left across the room.

“Through the mountain pass?” inquired Medius quietly, regaining his composure and rising to his feet.

Tarnak’s sentries walked towards the throne and took their positions behind the Mer-King, guiding him toward the general.

“No, the end of the mountain pass is still under the occupation of Bergian troops; we would be trapped in the snow. We go atop the city walls, under the cover of the shadows. A troop of guardians await us above the city gate; they will guide us southward from the city so that we may get you to safety.”

Tarnak reached upward and grabbed hold of a candle stick protruding from the wall, pulling it down with a sudden thrust of his arm. He stepped back slightly as the wall before him popped forward and began to slide to the left slowly, accompanied by the sound of clicking gears.

Within the slowly forming crack in the wall, Tarnak placed his fingers inside a small, shadowy crevice and tugged forward. Another, smaller segment of the wall swung open, revealing a large mass of brass gears and cranks. Tarnak took hold of the handle connected to the main crank and pulled it towards him. Gears on either side of the crank began to turn, and the mechanism rolled down a series of metal shafts until it emerged into the open air, allowing for easy access.

With one final click, the moving segment of wall fell into position, revealing a small elevator inside a shadowy stone shaft. Tarnak’s sentries lead Medius onto the elevator and turned to face the circular throne room.

“Quick, lower us down!” Tarnak shouted, beckoning to the squadron of royal guards standing nervously at their stations against the walls.

The guards ran to the crank as Tarnak stepped back onto the elevator. The sounding of clicking gears was heard again as the crank began to turn. The elevator began to lower slowly, and Tarnak stared outward at the elven guards turning the mechanism just beside the secret shaft.

“You find your own way out,” he said solemnly.

Chapter Two:

The elevator stopped with a metallic screech, followed by a loud click. General Tarnak felt around in the dark momentarily before grabbing hold of a large metal latch and lifting it upward and to the side. At once he kicked at the makeshift door before him, flinging it open.

The group dashed out atop the stone wall before them. Beneath them to the left was the city of Welkyn. Corpses lay upon the ground in piles, illuminated by flame. Masses of slaves marched through the city, torching each building they came across and killing all Mer in their path, both guard and citizen alike. Medius winced at the sight of his murdered subjects, strewn about the streets of his now burning city.

“Quickly, this way!” Tarnak shouted, pointing down the curving city wall. “There’s no time to waste!”

The sentries nudged the Mer-King, who had been unable to take his eyes off the gruesome sight below. He moved, awakened from his horrified trance by the guardians behind them. The three started running, following General Tarnak, who beckoned to them a few yards ahead. As the gap between them closed, Tarnak turned and moved quickly forward again, approaching the curve in the wall.

Suddenly, the air was split by a swooshing sound. Time seemed to stop for a moment as all became silent. Medius’s eyes shot open, and the silence was broken at once by a horrible, blood-curdling scream. Before him, the Mer-King watched as his most trusted general raised his hands to his face to clutch the arrow which now protruded from his eye socket. Somehow surviving the dart tearing through the tissue of his brain for a few more moments, Tarnak’s body began to twitch violently as he stepped backwards, losing his grasp on life. The general fell back against the low stone railing behind him, only to be sent twirling through the air as he fell over the side of the city wall.

“By the Gods…,” Medius began, horrified. But he was quickly interrupted by a clap on his shoulder.

One of  Tarnak’s sentries had grabbed his arm and started to pull him forward. Medius moved his feet as fast as he could, still shaking from the sight of General Tarnak’s death, etched into his mind. The group ran along the curving wall for a short time before being again interrupted.

“Watch out!” screamed the sentry behind Medius, who followed his guide in diving to the ground and taking cover behind the low lying railing at their side. 

On a rooftop, only a few yards away, stood a slave armed with a bow. Smiling, he pulled an arrow from his quiver and nocked it. 

“The king! Atop the wall!” he shouted over his shoulder to his fellow rioters below before refocusing on his imminent kill.

The slave archer pulled back his bow string and promptly let fly the arrow which he had nocked only a moment before. The air was split once more, and the arrow tip connected with the heart of the petrified elven sentry, who had not been as swift in taking cover as Medius and his comrade. He let out a cry, falling backward and slamming his head against the stones.

Before the archer could reach into his quiver and nock another arrow, Medius and his guardian climbed to their feet and dashed forward behind a tall building, out of the sight of the archer. Ahead was a wall-tower, illuminated by torchlight. Inside the archway was the silhouette of an elven guard helmet, which the remaining sentry quickly took note of.

“There!” he said to Medius, pointing. “That must be the platoon sent to rescue us! Quickly, let’s go!”

Medius followed him as he dashed off toward the tower. The Mer-King smiled evilly, gleeful that he had survived his flight from the palace. He reached up and readjusted his crown with pride, and continued to run on. As he and the sentry neared the tower, the guards within beckoned to them.

The sentry stumbled through the archway first and was met with a horrifying sight. A look of shock crossed his face as he saw the corpses of his kin lying upon the ground. He looked to the faces of the guards that had beckoned for him and Medius, and his heart sunk. In the dim, orange torchlight he saw not the faces of elves, but the faces of men.

Medius ran inside the tower only a few seconds later, and was met with a powerful thud as a heavy, wooden club connected with his face. He fell quickly to the ground, slamming his head down against the wall, blood running down his face. As he began to lose consciousness, the Mer-King saw his protector slammed against a wall by two of the impostor guards and stabbed repeatedly in the stomach. Then his vision was swiftly obstructed as the figure of a liberated slave stepped in front of the hideous scene and smiled down him. Then, all went black.

Chapter Three:

Medius awoke to blurry vision and searing pain in his head. Around him, he could just make out the angry faces of a crowd of men, adorned by the orange glow of many torches waving through the air. After a moment, his vision began to clear, and he saw before him a tall figure, whom he quickly recognized as the man he had seen just before losing consciousness. He realized that the searing pain he felt was the man holding him up by his hair. The pain worsened as he felt himself rise up off of his knees and onto his feet. His head jerked backward as his hair was released, and his captor moved his hand just long enough to clutch the Mer-King’s throat.

“My name is Farwaine,” said the liberated slave. “For twenty-seven years, since the moment I was born, I have watched my people suffer hideous injustices. We have never known freedom. We were but possessions.”

Medius cowered and winced, trying to pull away. He stopped as he felt the white-knuckled fingers around his throat tightening and was forced to look into Farwain’s hate-filled eyes once more.

“Never again will my people suffer under the rule of the Mer. Your time is at an end, Medius… Remember this: whatever torture you find in the afterlife is only a fraction of the pain and suffering my people endured at the hands of the Mer.” 

And with that, Farwaine charged forward, still clutching the Mer-King’s throat. He stopped abruptly and pulled his hand away from the fearful elf’s throat as he reached to his belt with the opposite hand, drawing a dagger and quickly flinging his arm upward. The blade moved swiftly through the air before finally meeting the Mer-King’s throat, cutting cleanly through his flesh. 

Medius went limp as he was tossed through the air. He tried to scream, but found that he could make no sound. He could see his own blood following him through the air as he plummeted from the side of the city. His vision was fading rapidly, but he could still make out the gurgling white where massive falls flowed into the tarns beneath him. And suddenly there was a thunderous clap as the Mer-King’s body met the water. One last time, all went black.

Author's Note

Pointing out any errors in spelling or syntax would be great! Also, all feedback or suggestions is appreciated.

Reviews

[Weaver]

comma after "doors of the throne room flung open"
no comma after "General Tarnak"
"plated finger tips" - "fingertips"
"all but bore" - "bored"
"a less than surprised manner" - "a less-than-surprised manner"
"such that" - "so that"
"flaxen skinned fingers" - "flaxen-skinned fingers"
Just a few paragraphs into this, and I'm already impressed by the quality of the writing.
"country side" - "countryside"
"King Medius’s eyes" - "Medius'" would be the preferred form, although the way you have it written is also acceptable.
comma or exclamation mark after "in need of defenses"
"its too late" - "it's"
comma, not period, after "We must go"
"sentrys" - "sentries"
period or semicolon, not comma, after "occupation of Bergian troops"
period or semicolon, not comma, after "atop the city gate"
"ran to the crank quickly" - delete "quickly"


no comma after "in the dark momentarily"
no comma after "large metal latch"
"Quickly, he kicked" - delete "Quickly"
"He began to move" - "He moved"
no comma after "twitch violently"
"By the Gods..." comma after ellipses
"a clap on his soldier" - "on his shoulder"
"began to pull him forward" - change "began" to "started" - means the same thing, but is a bit more active a verb
"began to move" - "moved"
"which had become etched into his mind" - I think just "etched into his mind" would sound better
no comma after "for a moment"
You use the word "moment" a lot. Try to use something else that means the same thing sometimes, and always ask yourself if the word in needed in a particular sentence.
comma after "only a few yards away"
no comma after "stood a slave"
"knocked it" - "nocked"
no comma after "fellow rioters below"
no comma after "his bow string"
"knocked" - "nocked"
"knock another arrow" - "nock"
"towards the tower" - "toward"
"an evil smirk" - Y'know, the word "smirk" just doesn't fit with this character. Try "smiled evilly" instead.
"readjusted his crown pridefully" - I'd be the last person to insist on the "No Adverbs" rule, but it is possible to use them too much. In this sentence, I think "pridefully" can be omitted. Whenever you consider using an adverb, ask yourself 1) Is it necessary? and 2) Is there some other way to say the same thing without an adverb?
"began to beckon" - "beckoned"
"for he and Medius" -"for him and Medius"
no comma after "imposter guards"
"However, his vision was swiftly obstructed" - change "However" to "Then"
"hideous seen" - "scene"
"Then, all was black" - "Then all went black."

"searing pain atop his head" - You use the word "atop" a lot. In this case, it doesn't work. Try "searing pain in his head" instead.
comma after "Around him"
"adorned in the orange glow" - "adorned by" - "adorned" may not be quite the right word here
"who he quickly recognized" - "whom"
"begin to rise up" - "rise up"
comma after "hair was released"
double-quote before "For twenty-seven years..."
comma after "at an end"
I know it isn't in the dictionary definition, but "tarn" always seems to suggest a fairly still body of water, not one fed by a waterfall. Maybe "pool" would work better. (Yeah, I know "tarn" has more atmosphere, but nevertheless...)
no comma after "And suddenly"
"One last time, all was black" - "went"
Good set-up for a longer story. Good writing. One thing you need to be on the lookout for is using "began to -whatever" instead of just saying that they did it. (The only time that's appropriate is if they begin to do something but don't complete the action because of some interruption.)
Something that's confusing is that you sometimes refer to Medius' people as Mer and sometimes as elves. Which is it? Are those the same people, or two groups both under his rule? Whichever, it needs to be clarified.