Legend of Arcadia: Battlefield Ometin
-III-
The jovial man looked knowingly, "Didn't I tell you that you were foreigners? Such being the case, let us feast! It's not every day that we receive foreigners!" He grinned and motioned for the people Duloc to welcome the strangers with open arms.
Several people stepped forward with wide grins while the others disassembled from the crowd and returned to working. Being ushered towards the tavern, the group stepped inside. After being guided up the stairs and to their separate rooms, the group found their surroundings to be more than luxurious.
Grinning from ear to ear, Kenneth remarked, "Wow…I think I'm gonna like this…"
The group nodded in agreement and began to plan how they would spend their day when Alexa interrupted, "Pardon me, guys, but…we're lost…we don't know where we are and Matthew is somewhere unconscious while we're planning on our day…I think we should figure out where we are first of all then go see how Matthew is doing." The group nodded and stepped single-file down the stairs.
The earlier jovial man was now behind the bar of the tavern with an apron but still wearing a smile. He asked, "I hope you find your rooms accommodating?" The group thanked the barkeeper and gave him their praises. He continued the conversation, "Just offhandedly…do any of you have any…magic power? We've been in need of mages ever since the elder mage passed away a few months ago."
The group looked at each other and shook their heads. Since when had any of them had magic?
"So then you must be warriors in training? Tell me…what techniques have you mastered?"
"None," replied Kenneth, irritably, "We're not from around here. We don't know magic and we don't know how to fight. We're just lost and we want to get home."
The barkeeper looked deep into Kenneth's eyes and then looked around suspiciously. Silently motioning to them to stay noiseless, he quietly whispered, "The supreme ones have minions who can listen through walls, follow me." He glanced at the door then ducked behind the counter and opened a hidden trap door. He guided the group around the bar and into the hole while motioning for silence the whole time. Gwen, who went down first, found a ladder hidden in the darkness of whatever room she was descending. Shivering slightly, she kept crawling down. By the time the group had finished assembling at what seemed to be a hidden chamber; the barkeeper nimbly crawled down and closed the lid of the trapdoor, shutting out all light.
"Ignis Illumis," he whispered and the torches that had been shrouded in darkness came to light. The group gazed open-mouthed and wondered to themselves What place is this?! Are those voice-activated lights…? Or did he just light them with magic? Kenneth opened his mouth in preparation to ask a question but was cut even before the first syllable as the barkeeper-magician ushered them urgently down the newly-illuminated hall. Making their way through the winding labyrinth, the group finally met a dead-end and groaned.
"My feet hurt…can someone carry me for a while?" asked Jessica. Robert nodded nonchalantly and hoisted her into a piggyback position.
"Rumpavis," the barkeeper whispered and the wall in front of the group shattered into nothing but pebbles and stones. The group, now fully aware that they were not in an ordinary world, briskly stepped forward into what was an ancient room used for planning military battles. Maps littered the floor and a table sat in the middle of the room, upon it, a scale model of a kingdom of sorts. Several feet of parchment were tacked onto the wall and yellowed with age. Torches, burning brightly hung from the walls. The group finally took this time to ask the barkeeper the questions that had been wildly racing in their minds.
"Alright, where are we, barkeeper?" barked Kenneth, "I don't want to be left in the dark anymore." Clearly irritated, he tapped one foot impatiently.
The barkeeper responded, "You are in the land of Ometin, the principality of Scientia under the rule of Empress Naso, one of the supreme ones. However, the supreme ones are not the rightful rulers of Ometin. In fact, Ometin used to be ruled as one kingdom, without principalities, under the Good King Bolton III. Yet, in a series of catastrophes…the kingdom was lost and thus the Sect of the Honour Guard was founded. We are the last hope of a shattered kingdom, you see?"
Robert drawled, "What's that got to do with us?"
"Exactly the point I was getting to. You seven are clearly a prophesised group of warriors come to set our land free. I realize you must not be of our land but with some instruction from the tutors of the Sect, we can hone your natural skills. If you will turn your attention to the writings upon the walls, you will see that they tell a prophecy in which seven warriors from a foreign land will save our own." The group murmured to themselves as their read the descriptions, occasionally gasping at the details about them that were so accurate.
Caitlin piped up, "These…writings…they talk about seven people…but we've got eight!"
The barkeeper grimaced, "I've wondered that…perhaps the writings missed one a person? I don't know…" He looked away and muttered under his breath.
Finishing reading the writings, the group assembled and spoke softly to one another.
"Guys…we seriously are in a dream or something…we're hallucinating," argued Robert, "There is no such thing as prophesies and warriors and magic. This is all just some day dream."
"It doesn't matter where we are! Let's just get this thing over with and maybe things will be over…you know…like a video game," mused Gary.
"We've got to know more about this…all the writings said were descriptions of each of us…" informed Gwen.
The group turned back to the barkeeper and Jessica stepped forward. "Barkeeper," she started, "tell us more about the supreme ones…"
"The supreme ones, you say? Well, long ago they each were commanders of a war against Ometin…as the most powerful leaders and possessing the most powerful magic, they divided the land into principalities. The strongest, Empress Naso, rules this central principality of Scientia while Sir Velescig, Lord Copeland, Dame Eisner and the Duke of Knight rule the outlying provinces. Each with a fearsome power and large armies, the Sect has been awaiting your arrival since the great Dama Fortuna foresaw you and formed this secret faction. "
"If this 'Dama Fortuna' foresaw us, do we get magic too?" Gary asked.
"Of course! Each of you hold an untapped power, waiting to be harnessed with training. However, your powers will have to be found by yourselves…the prophecy, as you can see, shows nothing of your powers."
The group looked at each other in a mixture of amusement and pride. They had powers! Untapped…and their counsellor never believed that they had potential.
"So then…how did you know we were the right people, eh? What if we were spies?" challenged Kenneth.
The barkeeper nodded, "Anyone who has no magic nor battle abilities would have been exiled by your ages. In Ometin, magic runs along the bloodlines of mages and warriors."
Still stunned, the group couldn't wait to tell Matthew the amazing news. Suddenly, it occurred to them that they had no idea where Matthew was to begin with.
The group nodded and Alexa stepped forward to ask, "Where's Matthew, by the way?"
The barkeeper grinned, led them further into the court and muttered, "Rumpavis", revealing the chamber hidden in, yet, another wall. Matthew was standing in robes of navy blue and cherry red while at his side hung a sheathed sword.
Smiling weakly he asked, "So how do I look?"
Robert rolled his eyes and asked, "Matthew…we were worried about you…and all this time…you've been trying on clothes?"
Frowning, Matthew looked dejectedly at his shoes. "I didn't know where you guys were…those nurses brought me down here and told me change so that the Empress' Guard wouldn't notice me…"
Alexa asked, "So you know about all this? Did someone explain it to you?"
"Explain what? I don't really know who the empress is or who her guards are…but they seemed anxious…so I quickly changed…" He blushed and looked away. "I didn't really wanna see you guys in this get-up… I was planning on changing back after I saw how I looked…"
Kenneth chuckled, "So you were trying on clothes, eh?"
