Einar stood before the deck, his knees were scraped and his eyes clouded with sadness. As the gavel slammed on the table, the loud chatter of the onlookers died down.
The highest platform in front of him had jewels and gold spread across it, intricate architecture all over which made it look regal.
Banners of the Valeriant family with their sigil-a golden sun with twelve radiant rays, crowned above by a thin circlet of gold.
In the middle was a chair befitting of an Emperor with all types of jewels, crafted of the softest silks and cushions known to the Empire. On the left was a small chair slightly pushed back for the Empress Regent. It was similar in design to that of the Emperor.
The Emperor-Elsinar IV made his way to the platform, two maids behind him, lifting up his blue and golden gown. Behind him trailed The Empress Regent, she wore a red and golden dress adorned with gold flowers of different types.
Just below that platform was another platform, smaller with three chairs. On the middle one sat the Chief Justice, on his left was the scribe and on his right was the prosecutor. All of them wore a white robe, with the sigil of House Valeriant on the chest.
A white cloak yanked him upright, Einar turned and glared at him, anger in his eyes. The knight wore golden armor and a white cape. Indicating that he was from the "White Cloaks", the capital's stationed knights and soldiers.
Einar staggered a bit before standing straight in front of the Emperor-his father, the Empress Regent-his stepmother. Both of them looked down on him with disgust.
He was wearing brown pants and a matching brown shirt, both tattered in places. His hair was messy and his beard wild and unkempt. The once great strategist of the Aurion Empire, now reduced to a criminal with an unknown fate.
"SILENCE! EVERYONE," the Chief Justice slammed his gavel on the table and shouted.
The chatter died down as the onlookers of the trial went silent. The Emperor looked at the Regent who nodded.
"Commence the trial of this...traitor." The Emperor ordered.
"As you wish, Your Majesty.
Let the court bear witness of this trial.
Einar Valeriant, you were accused of colluding with the enemy and for subordination. Both of which could have caused the empire a great loss, be it military personnel or finances.
What do you have to say for the things you've done, you traitor?" The Chief Justice insisted.
The word "traitor" felt like a thousand swords stabbing his body, cutting him up in pieces and burning them all. He frowned, a few days ago he was hailed as a hero, today he was in chains-stripped of any and all power he had.
He looked up, not at the Chief Justice but higher. On the highest platform sat his father. He was ignorant and believed the words of others rather than his son.
Einar glared at him, he held his father in high regard. Now, his eyes had a deep hatred rooted in them. He gripped the wooden frame of the deck, making cracks form on it.
"I am guilty." Einar gibed.
"So, you agree to these charg-" Before the Chief Justice could finish he was cut off by Einar.
"No! I'm not guilty of whatever charges you have set upon me.
I'm guilty of far worse crimes than these. I'm guilty of being born into this dysfunctional family.
I'm guilty of always doing the right thing, even if it meant subordination.
I'm guilty of always giving it my best as the strategist, not sleeping for days during wars.
And lastly, I'm guilty of being Elsinar Valeriant's son." Einar snorted.
"How dare you utter the Emperor's name with that foul mouth of yours.
Looks like you inherited your lowly mother's disrespectful attitude and nothing from your father." The Empress Regent mocked as she put her hand on the Emperor's shoulder.
"Keep my mother out of this, it has nothing to do with her. Let the dead rest peacefully.
I wish I were the traitorous bastard you say I am, I would have poisoned the whole lot and laughed while all of you choked on your final breaths.
That would have given me more satisfaction than a thousand lying whores" Einar growled.
The Chief Justice slammed his gavel once again on the table and a sudden silence followed. Einar was fuming, anger, distrust, disgust and other emotions welled up in him.
"Let's not soil our tongues with his name anymore, prosecutor hand the Emperor's verdict to the Chief Justice." The Empress Regent ordered.
The prosecutor handed the Chief Justice the Emperor's verdict. He grabbed it and removed the seal.
"As per the Imperial Decree sealed with the sigil of The Emperor, Prince Einar Valeriant is found guilty of betrayal against the throne, of insubordination unbecoming of his station, and of conduct unworthy of the house he was born in.
From this moment onwards, let it be known:
1 - He is stripped of all titles: prince, commander, noble of any rank.
2 - He is relieved of all holdings and wealth granted to him.
3 - He shall carry no banner, no sword and no seal which bears the sigil of house Valeriant.
As is the Emperor's mercy, and not the crown's appetite for blood, he shall not be executed for his crimes.
Instead, he shall be exiled, his life forfeit should he ever return.
As a final act of generosity, I grant him dominion over the land equal to his worth:
Blackvale - Scarred. Broken. Forgotten. Just like him." The Chief Justice declared.
Einar looked away from his father and moved his head to the right, there standing in front of a few white cloak knights was his oldest brother, Arik Valeriant. He stood there with an indifferent face.
Behind the knights, blending among the other people was his younger sister, Inara Valeriant. She wore a black robe covering her face but Einar knew it was her. She was the only one who visited him when he was in prison.
The white cloaks grabbed his arms and pulled him out of the courtroom and took him back to his cell so that the necessary preparations could be done to throw him out.
*****
The wind howled as the cart moved on the bumpy road. Einar was sitting inside along with two white cloak knights. He wore some leather armor and had a nearly blunt sword on his hip. His beard was gone and his hair was cut and not as messy as the trial.
"We're here, take the bastard out already." The driver shouted.
"Alright you bastard time to move." One of the knights ordered as he got out.
As soon as Einar got out, the view came into his field of vision. The Wyrmbreak Wastes were a vast, blistered expanse of land. It had blackened ridges and jagged bones that stretched for miles.
No trees grow, no rivers run. Only petrified roots and long-dead streams remain. Across the horizon, fused into the earth was the skeleton of a colossal dragon. Half-buried and half above the ground. He shivered slightly as he looked at the vast expanse. Humans always had feared the unknown.
"This is where you're on your own, traitor." The other white cloak chuckled as he threw him a map.
"Take this map, might be useful or not." The other one laughed in mockery.
Einar opened the map as the white cloaks got on the cart and went back. He stood there with the map open, trying to navigate where he needed to go. Wyrmbreak Wastes were on the northeast side of Blackvale. This meant that he had to go straight, no turning left and no right.
He unsheathed his sword. His eyes shone and a light aura spread on the blade. He closed his eyes and steadied his breath. Then he vertically slashed the air, an aura blade formed and cut through the dust swirling around and cleared a path for him.
He fell on his knees as sweat dripped down on the ground. One move and he was this exhausted. He was born with only the bloodborn element, but it amounted to nothing. He was weak, he worked hard to learn the sword technique of the family but he had no talent.
He didn't give up, he swung the sword until his hands were sore. He looked at his hands, they were calloused due to years of continuously swinging the sword. But his talents shone somewhere else, for things like strategies and war tactics.
From a young age he had started to give inputs on political decisions and he was praised for being a genius in this department, but his father was indifferent. He could always make more heirs, so a dunce like him who had no talent with the sword was a useless bastard in his eyes.
Using his sword he stood up, emptiness showing on his face and eyes. He looked back one more time and turned his back and started to walk into the dangerous and unknown Wyrmbreak Wastes.
He would remember this betrayal, his abandonment and how his father watched silently as The Empress Regent got rid of an obstacle in the way of Arik's succession.
And if fate willed it, he would take revenge against each and every one of them. He would become a true monster. But for now he had to somehow cross this place, overflowing with monsters, all alone and with a blade about to break.