ALL NOVEL Chapter 23: Chapter 23 : King Alaric of Eldoria
Emerging from the magical glow of the teleportation circle, the group found themselves in a stone-walled chamber, the air thick with the scent of old parchment and burning torches. There were no windows in sight, it was as if they were underground.
"Ahh we're lucky, we landed in the king's personal circle, even though we didn't set any coordinates. Must be because the circles are similar" Mathias announced as he saw the flag that hung on the wall. It was a sapphire blue background, with the outline of a dragon holding up the sun with its claws in the center.
"Are we alive? We made it? We made it!!" Dickson screamed as he ran his hands over his body, checking if he was truly in one piece.
"Haha, We survived, and it's all thanks to the chosen one!" Nigel added excitedly
"For a second I thought that demon was going to get us, it was so scary"
"It was so big, I can't imagine having to face something like that talkless of being left alone with him" Dickson said
"The village…Barnack…they're all gone" Imaya's cracked voice muttered
"Imaya, I'm sorry for your loss but we have to get to the king as soon as possible," Mathias said
"Does it matter anymore?" She said, her voice devoid of life and hope, she had just lost all that she loved, had, and protected all at once, in one night and all she could do was watch and cry.
"You!" She said, walking up to Elias, "Why did you stop me? I could have.."
"Could have what?" Elias asked sternly, "No tell me, What could you have done? Run into a barrier that would rip you apart? There was nothing you could have done" He said
Smack!
Imaya's hand landed on Elias' face, "How dare you?" She said, tears flowing from her eyes
Elias rubbed his cheek, "All this isn't necessary, tears and tantrums are not what you need now." he said flatly
"Stop there!" A voice echoed through the station, " State your name and your business here. You will be taken into custody for unauthorized use of the teleportation station"
The voice was coming from a man clad in full armor. The armor was a polished steel, decorated with golden patterns, and on one shoulder plate was the sigil of the Goddess Lira and the Eldorian sigil, which was the silhouette of a dragon holding up the sun in its claw on the other shoulder.
There were five more men clad in the same armor and one extra man wearing the same armor but with minor but obvious differences.
For one, his armor had a long flowing cape of deep royal blue draped from his shoulders fastened by ornate clasps and the most obvious difference was the sigil of a phoenix rising from flames engraved on his breastplates. His large and muscular frame did a good job of filling his armor, making each piece of the armor fit him perfectly.
Unlike the other men, he did not have a helmet on, so his face was visible. His silver hair was cropped short, it contrasted with the vibrant blue of his eyes. He had a look in his eyes that held a depth of experience, the same look that Priest Mathias had.
"Alan, tell your men to stand down" Mathias called out
"Huh? Priest Mathias? Is that you?" He said in disbelief
"In the flesh" He replied
"If you're back, then does that mean…"
"Yes I have found the chosen one, the child of light"
The men began to murmur amongst themselves, but Alan silenced them, "Show some discipline!" He ordered
"We must go to the King at once!" He said
"No, we must go to the High-luminary first" Mathias said firmly
"What? The king has the highest authority in this kingdom, he should be the first to know"
"And the High-luminary is the closest to the Goddess, she foretold the chosen child's coming. He needs to see her first, we have already wasted enough time" He insisted
Alan sighed, "You're as stubborn as ever, the High-luminary isn't even around. She went to Pangrea to give her blessing to the child of Black"
"Is that so? In the end, we were the last Continent to find our chosen…very well, we'll see the king" Mathias agreed
As they walked the winding corridors, the sound of their footsteps echoed off the old stones. Tapestries depicting heroic battles and legendary figures decorated the walls, illuminated by flickering torches. Alan's hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
The group ascended a wide, spiraling staircase, the steps worn smooth by years of use. Their journey ended at a pair of imposing wooden doors, carved with scenes of knights in battle and creatures of myth. With a firm push, Alan opens the doors, revealing the throne room beyond.
Inside, the room was vast, with high ceilings supported by stone pillars. Moonlight streamed through stained glass windows, casting dull-colored red patterns on the marble floor.
At the far end, atop a raised dais, sits the throne. Alan steps aside, allowing the group to take in the grandeur of the throne room.
Atop the throne sat a figure who wore a night robe, made of a deep rich velvet blue, trimmed with silver thread, his hair, slightly disheveled from sleep. The robe fell gracefully around him, draping over the sides of his throne.
Despite the informality of his attire, his presence commands respect. A simple crown, more a symbol of his station rested upon his head.
It was King Alaric, King of Eldorboth the continent and the city, a formidable figure in the world of Elaris.
At the sight of the king, everyone in the throne room bowed in unison, Elias was the last to bow as he wasn't used to their tradition yet. The king motioned for them to stand up.
"My lord, Priest Mathias has returned from his search and he claims to have brought a fruitful result," Alan announced, looking up at the king
"My King, I have brought the Chosen One, the child of light. The Kingdom of Eldoria will join the battle against the King of the Nether" Mathias declared
The king slowly stood up from his throne, scanning the room with his deep brown eyes that caught the light of the moon
"So which one of them is the Child of Light?"