The prince reclaimed his torch and strode away from the cave, seeking the man he had left behind at the enemy camp. He noticed all the prisoners had been released and all weapons had been turned over in surrender.
Summoning a strong voice despite his queasy nerves, the prince hailed them. “I have returned! What transpires here?”
The man who had served for years as the prince’s chamberlain stepped up to him and spat at his feet. “What sort of ruler are you? You found the heir and then you murdered him!”
“I—what? No! It was not me. The scepter—”
The chamberlain shook his head. “I’ve always known you brought them there to test them to see if they were the heir, but I didn’t know they were all killed off. I believed you were sending them home. But now we know the truth. All of us do. And we will not hear your lies anymore.”
“What would you do with me?” the prince asked hesitantly.
“You will share the fate of those you’ve killed,” the chamberlain said, pulling out his sword.
“Stop there,” called a deep voice nearby. “That will resolve nothing.” Terrian strode over and stared at the prince in disdain. “I see you have dealt the death of the heir and of my son as well. You will certainly pay for such crimes, but death is too easy and too quick to teach you the error of your ways. We will find another means of educating you.”
An unfamiliar warmth spread over Terrian and he glanced to the side and saw a strange shimmering vision. The image of a tall noble boy stood nearby and Terrian recognized it as Tomli. His soul had been released to the land and now he was free to roam it as he would. Tomli seemed pleased with Terrian’s decision not to coldly murder the prince and to have him seek retribution for all the damage he had done.
The land had no monarch now. The king was denied his power by all his subjects and the prince made no claim to seek the throne. The king’s other children hid themselves away, not daring to pursue their own paths to power.
But the land needed leadership and so it was that the Daggerfists, who had for years been protectors of the land, nominated their founder, Terrian. Garinor’s father was placed in charge of the happenings in the kingdom. His family moved into the castle, where the entire estate was revitalized with true nobility. He ruled well and his other children carried on his legacy for years to come.
And whenever times were hard and things seemed to be tilting out of control, there stepped in the ghost of Tomli to help set things right. He offered guidance to those who were lost and companionship to those who were lonely. The people came to cherish his presence and honored him as their protector, regretting only he hadn’t had the chance to be as such in life.
Thus it was that Garinor’s sacrifice was the seed that allowed the land to grow and prosper for years to come.
You have come to the end of Garinor’s adventure, but there are other paths to explore. Start over and guide Garinor again along his journey.
The End…