A/N: Special thanks to Aevari, Rave, Tin, Nico and Luna for your edits and feedback! Thanks for your patience, I just couldn't get this chapter to come out right and it took several rewrites to reach the final product you see today. The previous versions of this chapter were much different but I'm glad I scrapped it for this one. Yes, its the beginning of the story and yes there's a bit more introduction and world building that goes around but it'll be worth it. Comments and feedback on the story's development so far would be a big help and is greatly appreciated!
They had traveled as far as Irim could take them. The entire day was spent flying over the blindingly white mountains that separated Senace Kingdom from the expansive dunes of Sander's desert. By the time night had fallen, the mountain range had vanished in the horizon, putting the king and his accompanying guardian deep in unfamiliar territory.
Chung never imagined how eerily similar the dunes and snow-flooded mountains looked under the pale half-moon light. Had it not been for the king's ability to direct Irim with nothing more than a dated map and astronavigation, they would never have found the tradepost his father used to visit many years ago.
Finding the tradepost, unfortunately, was the only good news for the weary travelers.
Just as Denka had warned, the demon infestation that befell Senace gave the tradepost little reason to remain functional and it had been abandoned for many years. All that was left was a dusty, crumbling husk of wood and stone, worn out by frequent sandstorms and disrepair.
Chung managed to find only a simple signpost directing them towards villages and other general points of interest hundreds of kilometers in the distance; an impossible task on foot but manageable on dragonback. With a tough decision to turn back to Hamel or to continue on in search of one of these landmarks, Chung ultimately decided to at least attempt to search for one of the closer villages with Irim's assistance. It seemed Garpai Village was the closest option for them.
The largest of the Hamelings was more than happy to assist with the extended trip, but the King knew the ice dragon's limits when it came to heat. If they had not found a village among the expansive sea of dunes by midnight, then they were to turn right around and head back to the frosty mountains before daybreak.
And so they flew.
With exhausted eyes glued to the horizon and a time limit in their minds, Chung, Irim, and Zuzu scoured the seemingly endless desert for any sign of civilization. Even with the unhindered light of the moon, searching for a blemish against pale-grey desert was an astoundingly difficult task.
It was only when they reached what Chung assumed was Garpai Rock that they eventually found the village that they had been searching for.
Standing out like a dark, jagged bone protruding from the sands, it would be hard to miss Garpai Rock. Its jagged rocks shot straight up into the sky, tall enough to kiss the gathering clouds high above it. At least, the travelers initially thought they were clouds. As Irim drew closer, however, a narrow vertical funnel was visible connecting the mountain with the build up of dust. Drawing closer, gusts of wind assaulted the travelers as dust and sand peppered them and obscured their vision. It was an unnatural sandstorm. The way it formed in a disk at the mountain's narrow peak proved it to be anything but natural. The Hameling wisely veered away from Garpai Rock, instead taking them around to the otherside of the natural landmark. Once on the other side, however, a light caught the travelers' attention in the distance. Flying towards it revealed exactly what they were looking for.
It was a town large enough to support a population nearing the thousands protected by a hexagonal-shaped wall. Nothing stood over two-stories tall with the exception of a single three-story building that clearly functioned as a seasonal hotel for Garpai Rock tourism. The rest of the town consisted of basic residential and commercial necessities required to support a village in the middle of the desert. The market square, which stood at the center of Garpai Village, was oddly lit up despite it nearly being midnight by the time the three arrived.
As they drew closer, Chung identified the lights as a gathering of torches around the square's center stage. Out of uncertainty of what would happen should the Hameling be spotted, he ordered Irim to drop them off beyond the village's walls.
As he disembarked, Chung felt a strange unfamiliar thickness that hung in the air. He had imagined the desert to be drier but the air was humid with this strange scent.
"You know how to get back from here, right?" Chung asked the dragon who grunted in acknowledgement.
"Good, If you hurry you should be able to reach the mountains before sunrise if you don't stop. Thanks for bringing us all the way out here―"
As Chung turned away from the Hameling, the beast caught him by his scarf, nearly causing the young king to fall over.
"What?"
The dragon looked into the young man's puppy paw eyes and tilted its head, snorting quietly before motioning at the village. If the king had to guess, Irim was concerned about him.
"Don't worry, Irim, we can handle ourselves from here. We'll find our way to Sander and be back here… in maybe a week's time… Yeah. Just come back to this village after a week and we should have finished our business by then."
Irim's lips were pulled downward into a clear frown as its focus turned to the distant crag and its swirling sandstorm that the king obviously wasn't interested in acknowledging.
"Just fly around it."
The Hameling shook its head and butted his nose against the king's chest, bringing the concern back to him.
Chung sighed and stared up at the swirling pillar of dust. He was curious about it but he knew there were far more important matters to attend to. "That thing doesn't concern us. Our business is with the capital and nothing more. Come back in a week, alright?"
Irim let out a whimpering growl as it backed away.
"Alright?" Chung asked again, his voice more commanding this time.
"King Seiker!" Zuzu whispered as he peeked around the rock, "They spotted us! They got a patrol coming over right now!"
The king gritted his teeth and shooed the dragon away. "A week, got it?"
The dragon expanded its wings, giving him an angry snort before taking to the skies. The sight of the white beast's scales gleaming in the moonlight startled the five guards who immediately took to aiming their crossbows at it.
"Don't shoot!" Zuzu leapt out from behind the rock, bringing all the attention to him as well as the wooden sights of the guard's crossbows.
"That was our ride," Chung added, calmly as he rounded the cover of the rock with his arms raised, "It's just us two."
"What are you doing here? What the hell was that thing?" One of the guards asked, motioning the others to keep their distance. It was five in total, and two scanned the surrounding area for an ambush.
The guards were on edge. Chung could see it in their wide-eyed expression and the way their hands shook as they held their weapons. Even under the dim torchlight, Chung could see the heavy bags under each guard's eyes. Zuzu caught this, as well and nodded at his king in acknowledgement. This was a situation that could end badly if they so much as took a step towards them.
Slowly Zuzu raised his arms as well, showing he meant no harm. "We're just weary travelers from Hamel looking for a place to stay. That thing you saw was a Hameling."
"Hamel was lost years ago. There's no way one of those beasts still exists," the guard replied, motioning the two guards flanking him to inspect the visitors.
"Well, Hamel came back," Zuzu said.
"Yeah, that's a load of shit," another guard grunted, stepping closer and poking at the large white bags slung over each of their shoulders with the tip of the scimitar.
"Open it," the one next to Chung ordered, stepping back as the king unslung the bag and set it down carefully on the ground.
"Just so you know, it's a weapon. So don't be ala―"
"A weapon?!" the leader of the patrol shouted, prompting all of the other guards to stand back.
"Hands off the bags right now!"
Chung and Zuzu found themselves staring down the wrong end of several crossbows once more as they backed away with their arms raised.
"It's a cannon!" Zuzu replied, "Two of them! I don't want to get in a shouting match so―"
"These two are armed!"
"We're not armed! The weapons are sitting right there in front of you. We don't have any―"
"Don't move! If either of you move we're going to shoot!"
"We're not moving! Holy El. Look, we're not moving! You can see for yourself. It's our personal protection."
The leader of the patrol gave the order and one of the men inched closer to the large wrapped weapons on the ground. All the while the crossbows remained trained at both of the Hamelian's heads.
"Tell them nothing but the truth and it only ends up making the situation worse," Zuzu grumbled under his breath.
"You think it'd be better if we lied?" Chung whispered back.
"No. But I find it strange that we've lived in our own little world just trying to get by and the moment we step out of it, we learn that we don't even exist to our closest neighbors."
It was true. The guards thought Senace to be a lost kingdom although it had been almost a year since they had been liberated. Chung may have sent a handful of Velder soldiers home but he never considered the story the Velderians would leave on their report. Did anyone outside of Hamel even know they were alive?
"Just keep quiet for now," Chung sighed, "I'm sure after they're done with their inspection we can get a good night's rest and continue our journey first thing in the morning."
"Lock them up!" someone in the crowd shouted.
"Hang them!" another jeered while the two Hamelians stood trial at the village's market square.
A woman dressed in the reddish brown guard's uniform stood between the Hamelians. The golden sash wrapped around her torso clearly designated her rank above the standard soldier. She did nothing to calm the crowd. Rather, she encouraged it, nodding at each suggestion as she took them into consideration.
"If they're working with the harpies, I say we skip the formalities and lop off their heads here and now!" a third villager suggested, getting a resounding cheer from the rest of the village.
Chung wrestled with the ropes binding his wrists together. He could feel the threads beginning to snap under his strength. At any point in time, he could break it if he so chose to, but the king knew that if they were going to earn the people's trust, it wouldn't be through breaking out of captivity and fighting their way out of the village.
As long as they weren't under any immediate danger, the king had to keep the illusion that they were under their mercy.
"For the last time, we are not working for the harpies," Zudrich shouted over the crowd, "We're not working for anyone! We're travelers looking for a place to rest for the night!"
"Lies!" the crowd shouted back.
"Kill the bandits!"
"No matter what you say you can't convince them otherwise," the captain whispered as the crowd continued to call for their deaths, "You're outsiders. We don't trust you."
A large man wearing a black mask stepped onto the stage. The glint of steel caught the king's eye in the form of a giant scimitar. If he were going to do something it had to be now. They seemed far too eager to have them executed to wait for a formal sentence from anyone.
"But they want to kill us! That's too much!" Chung reasoned, "We did nothing wrong."
"You flew in on a harpy. That's more than enough reason for us."
"We are not bandits!" Chung said, keeping a close eye on the blade and holding the rope taught, ready to break, "My name is Chung Seiker and my friend Zudrich and I both hail from Hamel. What you saw was not a harpy but a Hameling! We only ask for a place to stay for the night. If we are not allowed to stay, then let us see ourselves out. Even if we were bandits, an execution is far too extreme."
The mention of Senace caused the crowd to erupt in a louder wave of jeers and mocking laughter.
"The thieves take us for fools!" the captain shouted. She drew her scimitar, pointing it at Chung accusingly, "What other lies are you going to spout? That you're the King of Hamel? That Senace somehow, by some miracle, survived that slaughter despite being destroyed years ago?"
Chung gritting his teeth as he looked the woman dead in her eyes.
"Yes," he answered in a defiant manner. What else could he say? As ridiculous as it may sound, she was right.
The captain's face contorted in clear disgust as she shook her head. "Unbelievable." She looked at the executioner and gave him a nod.
The weight of the wooden boards under them shifted as he felt the man wind up for a swing. Chung tugged on the rope, forcing the threads to rip from his strength.
"Silence!" a voice boomed louder than the crowd of people gathered at the market square. All eyes immediately turned to the source. It was a grandiose-looking two-story estate tiled with jade greens and reddish brown marble. A gate separated a small but densely forested garden of exotic blooms from the market square. Standing at a balcony, overlooking the stage, was a figure engulfed by a soft glowing white aura no brighter than the surrounding torchlight. To the king, the speaker was only a shadowy silhouette with glowing yellow-golden eyes. "You all chose a perfect time in the dead of night to form a rambunctious mob. I will have no more of this. Disperse immediately. Some of us are trying to get some sleep."
The volume of the individual's voice was magically enhanced in such a way that, for Chung, it sounded as if he was speaking directly in front of him. It was clear, and drowned out the voices of the rest of the crowd as he spoke.
"Well?" the man continued, seeing as no one was willing to move, "I said disperse!"
"Master Lewry," the captain of the guard bowed deeply and kept her head lowered as she spoke, "These men have been caught just outside our city walls. Reports say that a winged beast had carried them here."
"Yes, as if I couldn't hear all of you shouting. Release them."
"But, Master Lewry, they're clearly working with the enemy―"
The shadowy figure set his sights on the captain. The action, alone, caused the crowd surrounding the stage to cower in fear as some immediately fled the scene.
"Set them free," the captain ordered in a panic, prompting the executioner to cut the prisoners loose. Upon releasing the two of their bindings both the captain and the executioner stepped back, bowing graciously as they made themselves scarce from the stage. Chung and Zudrich were the only ones on the stage at this point and the man at the balcony eyed them for a long moment.
"King Seiker, correct?"
Chung nodded, "I swear to you, I speak the truth."
Another long pause. The glowing eyes narrowed as he judged the young king. Finally the figure motioned them to approach.
"Come. I'll allow you my hospitality for tonight."
The gates to his estate opened by some invisible force as the plants itself parted to reveal a pathway. The pathway led to two large wooden doors where two servants waited to welcome them. Before Chung could even begin to ask questions, the shadowy figure had already left the balcony. The two Hamelian's looked at each other.
"Should we take his invitation?" Zudrich asked, apprehensive about the whole thing, "The entire village seems to fear him."
"He just saved our lives and I don't think we'd be safer staying anywhere else in this village, honestly," Chung replied, gathering his things.
"Saved our lives? I would've handled the situation had your life been in any real danger."
"I know you would have, Zuzu. Thanks. But fighting Garpai Village wouldn't be an ideal scenario when we're trying to form an alliance with Sander. That's why we're here. Remember that. We'll just see what this guy is all about and if we don't like it we'll just leave."
"As you say, my king."
"And please, just call me Chung. We're not in Senace anymore so you won't have to worry about Denka hounding you on how you address me."
"Right."
As they crossed the gates onto the estate grounds, Chung became acutely aware of the existence of the invisible weight in the air once more - or rather the lack of it. As soon as he stepped onto the mysterious man's property, it was as if the humidity of the air vanished. There was a quality of freshness about it that existed beyond the scent of exotic flora. Zudrich followed close behind, all the while scanning the thick foliage of the garden for any signs of an ambush or trap. After what had happened, Chung couldn't blame the guardian's hesitancy. Despite what their mysterious savior had done for them, Chung couldn't trust him right away, either.
Through the double doors, past the servants that gestured them, was a beautifully decorated grand hall. On the first floor were potted plants that flanked either side of the stone stairway. The walls were lined with a dark wooden finish and hung with paintings depicting exotic landscapes from all over the world. Rooms leading to a dining room a kitchen and a study could be seen from the first floor. Two stone pillars supported an upper loft area and from where Chung was standing he could see shelves lined with a collection of expensive looking vases and statuettes of varying degrees of value. Pearly-white tiles glimmered from the bright glass chandelier that hung above the dome-shaped room.
Just as notably impressive as the decor was the amount of security that occupied the room. From the entrance alone, Chung counted six guards, armoured more heavily than the ones that patrolled the streets of the village. They all stood rigidly at their posts with an air of discipline that exceeded the common soldier; a cut above the rest. They didn't even appear to belong in this region as the materials for their uniform were of a thicker thread than the thin layers of the desert guards.
A man robed in dark, exotic silks descended the stairs. He was tall; almost as tall as Zudrich in height but very thin in comparison. His hair was a sun-bleached greyish-silver that looked as if it used to be black many years ago. Faint wrinkles were visible along his face and, if Chung had to guess, he looked as if he were nearing his forties. Perhaps the most striking in his appearance was his yellow-gold eyes, and he looked upon them with the piercing gaze of a hawk. He was wary of the two, and his guest were wary of him.
"Welcome! And good evening, your majesty, to my estate," The man descending the stairway stopped at the halfway point, spreading his arms in a practiced warm gesture, "I'm certain you'll find my accomodations far more suitable to your regal tastes than the ones offered at that commoner's hotel of theirs."
"Your… majesty?" Chung repeated, baffled to hear those words after being labeled a liar by the rest of the village, "So you believe my story?"
"But of course. You are, without a doubt, the son of the White Colossus," Gerard continued as he descended down the remaining steps, "You're the spitting image of him, minus the shorter hair of course. But where are my manners? My name is Gerard Lewry, Archmage and former member of the Seven Tower organization. I'm honored to stand at the presence of Hamel's newest king." Once at the bottom he gave Chung a deep bow.
"Uh… it's a pleasure to meet you, too… Master Lewry?" Chung dipped his head in a small bow, unsure on how to properly address him.
Gerard's lips were pulled to the side as he tilted his head at the way Chung greeted him. Then something dawned in the man's eyes as he straightened himself, smiling. "You're new to this, aren't you?" Chung winced after being called out so quickly, Gerard continued, "No matter. I'm sure it'll all come to you in due time. But I digress. You must be exhausted from your journey."
"Yes, we've been traveling for almost a full day," the king chuckled.
He clapped his hands together, "Servants! See to his majesty's needs. A proper guest room and a warm bath, if you will." With that, the maids bowed and began the preparations.
"Have you eaten, your highness?"
"I had a ration a few hours ago so I should be fine," Chung waved, dismissively.
"That's hardly a proper diet! Servants? A hot meal, too," Gerard added.
"Your majesty," a rather pretty maid curtsied before him and offered to lead him to the guest room. She extended a hand for his large bag slung over his shoulder and he shook his head.
"I doubt you can carry it," he said, not mentioning the cannon hidden underneath the wraps.
"As you wish."
"I'll have the meal sent to your quarters after your bath," Gerard said as Chung was led away.
"What about Zudrich?" Chung asked, stopping at a doorway on the first floor that lead to another hall.
"Your servant?" Gerard turned to the fury guardian who smiled at the archmage as he scratched his head. The archmage didn't return the gesture and merely turned his head away. "Find a place for that one, as well."
Chung had forgotten what it was like sleeping in a proper bed. Since he left his home years ago, he was lucky to even have a roof over his head that didn't leak when it rained. Even when he was detained in his room during the fight for Hamel, Chung found it difficult to find comfort laying on the dusty, rusted springs of his mattress. Since the reclamation, Chung was only able to find comfort in an old moldy mattresses found among the piles of trash within the waterway.
Naturally, sleep was quick to find the young king as soon as he touched the soft down cushions. The food that was left for him at his door was all but forgotten as he slipped into a deep sleep. It was the best rest he had in years. Half the morning sped by and it was only when the warm rays caught his eye through the cracks of the curtain that he stirred.
He sat up quickly, startled by his unfamiliar surroundings. It took him a moment to remember where he was. Resting on a stand by the doorway was his freshly laundered clothes. The food that had been left for him overnight had been replaced with a pitcher of freshly brewed coffee and a hearty assortment of potatoes and eggs. This was new to him - not that he was complaining about it - but the luxury felt a bit too foreign for a king who spent most of his life worrying about whether he'd even have food on the table to begin with.
The king changed back into his travel clothes and checked the contents of his cannon case before looking over the breakfast that was prepared for him. The coffee was still hot to the touch.
As he poured himself a cup, the sound of a child's laughter could be heard beyond his door followed by two pairs of feet running down the hall. They stopped at his door and proceeded to whisper among each other. Chung quietly ate his meal as he listened. They were there for some time and it seemed they might have been waiting for him. He crammed a few more mouthfuls of the filling breakfast and slung his travel case over his shoulder before opening the door and nearly running headlong into three people just outside: Zudrich and two children. The eldest was a girl roughly in her early teens. She had short, mint green hair tied into a small ponytail by a white ribbon. Sage green eyes stared up at Zudrich with curiosity and wonder at the man's tall and muscular frame. She wore a flowing white robe with a green tribal-looking mantle on her shoulders. The youngest of the two, a young boy no older than five stood next to her. He had messy dark grey hair that was only half combed while the other half remained unkempt and forgotten. He wore dark blue silks laced with gold that were one size too big for him as it fell well past his feet. Yellow-golden eyes stared at Zudrich not with curiosity but with a mix of confusion and discontent.
It was when Chung had appeared that Zudrich turned his attention to the young king, giving the youngest of the two children the opportunity to give the guardian a hard kick to the shin. Having experienced far worse trauma before, Zudrich was largely unfazed. Still it didn't stop the boy from taking off laughing down the hallway.
"Edwin! Come back here! Apologize to the man, this instant!" the girl scolded. Unfortunately her reprimanding fell on deaf ears as the boy was long gone before she even had a chance to finish. She turned to the guardian, giving him a deep bow, "I'm sorry! I'll tell him off!" And with that, she quickly chased after the boy.
Zudrich was leaning against the wall by the bedroom door, dressed and ready to go. From the looks of it, he had been waiting by his door for some time.
"Good morning, Chung," he said, ignoring what just happened to him, "Sleep well?"
"Haven't had a proper bed like that in ages," Chung yawned, "How about you?"
Zudrich shrugged, "It wasn't anything special."
"You seem to be getting along with the kids. Who were they?"
"Probably Master Lewry's kids," the guardian grunted, "Are we ready to go?"
"Hold on, Zuzu. I haven't had the chance to thank him for the hospitality. He did save our skin, afterall."
"As you say," the guardian sighed.
Chung proceeded down the hallway of Gerard's estate, taking in the old, rustic view of the village shadowed by Garpai rock just beyond a large window he passed. The king hadn't noticed last night due to the other more pressing events, but now that he had time to think, he felt that this hall - or rather, the entire Lewry estate - was… out of place. Garpai village, overall, seemed like the typical backwater town living off the lifeline of tourism. Buildings looked run down and its inhabitants seemed worse off than some of the homeless in Velder. Yet despite all the poverty in Garpai Village, the Lewry estate stood at the center of it all like a giant middle finger to the surrounding civilians. Why would someone with that much wealth choose to live here? How could they even earn that much money by living here? Gerard did mention something about being a former member of Seven Tower, though Chung wasn't sure what this Seven Tower organization even was. He felt as if he should know; as if he had heard someone mention this organization to him years ago, though he couldn't remember who.
He noted the slight orange tinge of the mid-morning sky attributed largely by the swirling cone of dust at the highest tip of the craggy mountain. This was the same pillar of dust that threatened to knock Chung and Zudrich off Irim during their initial arrival. It looked larger now; more rampant. He remembered last night's mention of harpies that had put the villagers on edge. "Did the storm on top of the mountain have anything to do with it," he wondered. That was something he had to ask the archmage about once he found him.
It wasn't difficult to find Gerard. A maid had been waiting for them when Chung and Zudrich entered the grand hall and ushered them to a second level room. Its walls were covered from floor to ceiling with books and scrolls from different regions, each written in their own native tongue. Desks and tables dotted the wooden tile floors with notes sprawled messily over each and every one of them. Master Lewry was found sitting on a lounge chair next to an unlit fireplace, scribbling on a well-worn journal with a feather pen. The maid that had guided the two Hamelians to her master quietly stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind them.
A woman stood over Gerard's shoulder, leaning on the backrest as she watched him write. She had long, raven hair, and wore a mix of sage green and white linens typical of Caluso's tribal style. Much of her tanned skin was visible on the waist up and left little to the imagination with how transparent some of the layers of clothing was. Under those layers Chung noticed visible scars that lined her torso and arms. The initial thought was she was abused but looking at the way she held herself - the sharp, almost glowing green eyes, the toned body and the calloused hands - revealed anything but that. She was a fighter… and a pregnant one at that seeing as there was a noticeable bump in her belly.
"Ah, good morning, King Seiker," Gerard greeted, closing his journal and rising off his seat, "The maid's say you were sleeping soundly. I trust you are well rested, then?"
"Best sleep in years, honestly," Chung smiled, "And the freshly made breakfast was good, too."
"Excellent. Good to know time magic still has its uses."
"Erm, time magic, Master Lewry?"
"A stasis spell: harmless and practical in controlled cases, unpredictable and dangerous to the ill-prepared. In your case, your breakfast was actually made hours ago. But proper application of El can make it seem as if it were fresh off the skillet."
"You practice time magic?"
"Used to, your majesty. But no longer. Not after I quit the Seven Tower."
"Why'd you quit?"
"Several reasons, really. You don't earn the title of archmage by studying the harmless or mundane. What the Seven Towers sought from my expertise was a bit beyond my moral threshold. That… and I met this lovely lady," he gestured to the woman standing behind him, "This is my wife, Nerin. Nerin? This is his royal highness, King Chung Seiker."
Nerin half-curtsied towards the king and Chung regarded her with a bow.
"Her way of dress… is she from the Caluso tribe?" Chung asked.
"Very astute of you! Yes, she is. The daughter of the Great Chieftain."
"Karu," Nerin added, a thick accent easily noticeable from the single word she uttered.
"Wait, the Great Chieftain? As in the leader of the Caluso tribe?"
"The very same," Gerard nodded.
"I thought the Caluso shunned outsiders, especially those from Sander. The same goes for Sander nobility, don't they hate Caluso?"
"Therein lies yet another reason why I left Seven Tower."
"And my father thinks I've eloped with another Caluso man," Nerin chuckled she turned to Gerard, "I imagine he's furious under that assumption. He'd kill you on sight had he learned it was you I've run off with."
"Such is the price of love," the archmage sighed.
Just then the doors to the study burst open and the young boy from earlier charged in, screaming in laughter as the girl chased after him.
His running came to a screeching halt upon seeing the two guests and his laughter died just as quickly.
"Ah. And here are reasons number three and four for leaving the organization," Gerard said, "Your majesty, this is my son, Edwin. Edwin, show some manners. You stand before the King of Hamel. And the lovely young lady behind him is Anduran, my wife's niece."
"Yeah, we met already." Chung knelt down to the boy's level and giving him a smile, "Hello there."
The boy scrunched his face at Chung, as if he were judging him on how young the king was. He bowed, nonetheless but then turned and pointed at Zudrich.
"Daddy? Why is this commoner in your study, as well?"
"I ain't a commoner, kid," Zudrich growled.
"Then why were you sleeping in the stables?" Edwin retorted, sticking his tongue out at him.
Chung's brow furrowed as he rose to his feet, "What were you doing sleeping in the stables?"
"They ran out of guest rooms, apparently," Zudrich replied.
"No, that's not right. I saw a few open rooms on the way to the one I was staying in."
Zudrich shrugged, "Nah, don't worry about it. I'm used to roughing it. I'm just glad to have a place to rest."
"That's no way to speak to his servant, Edwin," Gerard scolded, "And, King Seiker, surely you understand: my guest rooms are reserved for nobility only. I'm sure he didn't mind, anyways. As he said sleeping on the ground is what he's used to after all."
Chung dropped his head slightly, clearly unhappy with the way they treated his guardian. "Everyone has had to sleep on the floor at some point. Even me―"
Edwin giggled, "What kind of king has to sleep on the floor!"
Chung ignored him, "He's not my servant. He's a guardian of Hamel. He's laid his life on the line for the good of our kingdom and I demand you treat him with the same respect as you would towards me."
"So no respect, then, since you're poor!" the child laughed.
"Edwin!" Gerard scolded, causing the boy to scurry out of the room giggling, "Forgive him, King Seiker. He's… had a life of luxury up until now."
"I couldn't tell," Zudrich said through gritted teeth. The man's patience was wearing dangerously thin.
"And watch your tone, guardian," Gerard's eyes narrowed, "He may be a bit cheeky now and again but he is my son and I won't have anyone speaking ill of him."
"Let it go, Zuzu," Chung whispered.
The guardian clearly wanted to speak out against the child's insolence. But his king's words were law and Zudrich merely turned his head with an audible snort.
"Gentlemen," Gerard said in a forced laugh, "I believe we're getting off on the wrong foot here. Come now, we have the day ahead of us. Shall we begin our tour?"
"Actually," Chung interrupted, "We were just about to leave. Zuzu and I have business at the capital city and I was hoping maybe we could somehow bum a ride from here. We may not have much in monetary possessions but any help you can offer would be paid back graciously once we get back on our feet."
"Transportation to the capital?" Gerard rubbed his chin in thought. The king could already see a frown beginning to form on the man's lips.
"If… it's not too much to ask," Chung bowed his head deeply.
"I'm afraid that's beyond my power, unfortunately."
"Please!" Chung begged, "As I said we'll repay our debt to you in due time."
The archmage ran his hand over his face grumbling to himself before speaking to the king. "I don't doubt your word, your majesty. Though it's not a matter of money."
A heavy, banging on the door caused the people in the study to jump.
"Master Lewry! A moment of your time, please!" without a chance to grant him permission, the door swung open and his personal guard stepped through, "Master Lewry, if you'll excuse my intrusion! It's an emergency!"
"Yes? What is it?"
"It's the harpies, sir! Garpai village is under attack!"
Gerard and Nerin looked at each other. The archmage turned back to the guard, "How bad does it look out there."
"It's as you feared, Master Lewry. We've already begun making preparations to leave."
Nerin made for the door and Gerard grabbed her by her hand.
"And where do you think you're going?"
"I will fight," she said in such a way that sounded almost disappointed in him that he had to ask.
"Not in your condition, dear," Gerard shook his head, gesturing at the bump in her belly.
"I can fight the beasts. They are nothing," she insisted.
Gerard pulled her closer, gripping her tightly by her arms. He whispered in a voice just loud enough for Chung to hear. "You know perfectly well the implications of this attack. We had a plan in case this happened. Find Edwin and Anduran. Make sure they're safe on board the transport and wait there while I pack our things."
Nerin nodded slowly before exiting the room and leaving Gerard to organize his things.
"Are we evacuating the village?" Chung asked as the archmage stowed away a few of his books.
"We are, yes. If the attack is as serious as I believe, we have to leave now. Would you care to join us? I know the accomodations is only made to fit my family and I but for you, I believe we can squeeze in two more passengers."
"What about the rest of the village?" Zudrich asked.
Gerard paused in his work and sighed, sliding the last of his books back into its assorted spot among the vast library. "Their sacrifices will be remembered."
"Wait… we're just going to let them die?" Chung responded.
"Believe me: there won't be any point in trying to convince them otherwise," the archmage stated, "We're better off leaving them be."
"An entire village," Zudrich stammered in disbelief, "You're talking about sacrificing an entire village while your family escapes?"
"King Seiker, I highly recommend you leash that dog of yours before he learns it's bad manners to speak out of line. And might I remind you these people tried to kill you not a full day ago."
"Zuzu, calm down. I know what you're trying to say, but we first need to think of this rationally and think of why we're here in the first place."
"With all due respect, my king, I am oath sworn as a guardian not to abandon those in need. I would be bringing shame to my newly earned title if we turn and flee," he gestured towards Gerard, "Especially under his order."
The oath of a guardian; Chung remembered reading the Guardian's Codex to the point of remembering most of the giant book by heart. He understood Zudrich's stance on the matter and, had the king been who he was before the fight for Hamel, he would have easily sided with the guardian.
But the guardian's code was written by a naive fool who had never seen the truth in a life of conflict.
"Grab your things. We're leaving this place."
"No," Zudrich responded defiantly, "Not while there are innocent lives at stake."
"Zudrich, was it?" Gerard began, "Your feeble little mind might not have been able to comprehend the overarching situation here, but in the likely scenario you haven't noticed I'd like to point out that what you're asking for is impossible. Us magically-intuitive types have the innate ability to sense minor disturbances in the air and I can assure you, apart from the poverty of this area this place is foul with a malicious miasma."
"A miasma?" Chung tilted his head.
"No official name for it, just yet, but I've come to simply call it: 'corruption'. I believe it to be demonic in origin. You've had a taste of its lingering effects on the human mind just last night. The entire village wished to have you executed, after all. All except those within the safety of my estate."
"That explains the change in air when we stepped through the gates," Chung muttered.
"Again, you astound me with your innate observation skills, your majesty. That being said, this 'corruption' seems to have affected not only the people of this village but the once good-natured harpies residing in Garpai Rock. If my assumptions are correct, they'd want nothing more than to rip each other's throats out simply because they are not like one another.
"You can try to convince them to leave, but… well, wishing you 'good luck' would be fruitless."
The king had found himself stuck in an impasse between Zudrich and Gerard. Both looked unwilling to budge in the matter and the added possibility that this may be a demonic-influenced ordeal only bolstered Zudrich's resolve to save the people in the village. Chung understood him entirely, the wish to save thousands of innocent lives, especially after the scars of a demon invasion were still fresh in both of their hearts. But the king knew better.
"We're going with Master Lewry," Chung ordered, though his voice held an air of hesitation that brought his own resolve to question.
"Thank you," Gerard said with a roll of his eyes.
Zudrich turned to his king, now, his eyes wide in a mix of shock and anger, "King Seiker! Do you realize what you're saying?"
"I do," Chung muttered, "The guardian's code states that we are not to abandon those in need. Do not forget the people we have back at home. Remember they are desperate for help as well."
"Is that so?" Gerard inquired, "Pray, tell me the details once we've safely left this backwater of a town. I've been meaning to ask how the old King Helputt has been."
The sound of glass breaking in the grand hallway caught their attention as inhuman screeching echoed through the entire estate.
"We'll talk about that later," Chung sneered, gripping the case slung over his shoulder. He undid the wraps of his weapon, unveiling his destroyer and armor set, "How long until you're ready to leave?"
"It shouldn't take long at all," Gerard surmised, "But I'd prefer it if the harpies weren't in my house while we finish things on our end. I suppose it's only polite to ask, but since you seem intent on doing so, would you kindly see to it that those vile beasts stay out of my estate? I'll have my servants load your belongings while you're out."
"That'd be helpful," Chung agreed as he strapped on piece after piece of his brand new armor set, "Zuzu. Suit up. We'll hold the line while Master Lewry finish their business here."
The guardian said nothing and merely glared at the archmage who wished to sacrifice an entire village for the safety of his family.
"Zudrich!" Chung barked, prompting the fury guardian to begin suiting up. He did as he was ordered but with a directness in his actions that showed he was less than pleased with his king's decision.
Fully armed and armored for battle, the king slotted his father's guardian stone onto the armor's chestplate. The two Hamelians exited the study with Gerard waving them off.
"May the El lady watch over you two. I'll send someone to call for you once preparations are complete."
Neither of them replied and as they descended the steps to the grand hall, they witnessed the bloody aftermath from earlier: a harpy with a wingspan almost as wide as the room it came crashing into, lay dead on the floor. Its body, one that roughly resembled the shape of a female humanoid, was riddled with stab marks on the torso with the killing blow planted right on the jugular on its neck. Its head was covered with brown and blue feathers where a woman's hair would have been and its mouth hung open in a macabre attempt at screeching its last breath. Its legs, thick and powerful, held large talons capable of slicing an unprotected human in half with the mere squeeze of its claws.
The body of one of Gerard's personal guards lay under her, appearing to have fallen prey to said talons just moments ago as his bottom half had been flung to the other side of the room.
Through the smashed window above them, the two could see a thick cloud of sand had encompassed the city. The screeches of both man and harpy could be heard just beyond the walls as well as the clash of steel and claw. From the sounds of it, it was just as Gerard had said: the entire village was fighting. If this corruption had affected every single one of these people, Chung expected to see even the children up in arms against the beasts.
They stepped through the double doors, arming their cannons as the blistering heat of a midday sun hit them like stepping into a literal furnace. Through the pelting cloud of sand that made it almost impossible to see, Chung bore witness to a one-sided battle. High above the village, amidst the protective veil of sand, were thousands upon thousands of harpies, their cries were a deafening roar to those who waited below. Men stood alongside women, children, and the elderly, each armed with anything moderately weaponizable from shovels to pitchforks. They sacrificed themselves willingly to combat the bird-women, only to get scooped up and torn limb from limb by an enemy who was more than happy to oblige. Each side acted with such murderous intent. Even though the humans were greatly outnumbered, they threw all caution aside for the sake of fighting. If this was the extent of the corruption, then Chung could only imagine its effects on a population of a much larger scale. He wanted to save them; to prevent another victory on whatever the demons had planned, but Chung had other business to worry about. As much as it pained him to leave these people behind, he had to make a choice… and he chose to act for the sake of his own back in Senace.
"This is wrong," Zudrich muttered, "These people are all going to die, and we're going to sit here and let it happen."
"I know, Zuzu. But there is nothing we can do. You heard it from Gerard."
"I will not listen to some pompous noble who thinks he's above others! You've seen how he regards those 'poorer' than him! You've seen how he's treated me! He is unworthy of our assistance and if anything he deserves to be fighting here with everyone else!"
"That's enough, Zudrich. I understand how you feel. But if there's anything I've learned up until now: it's that the best move is to cut our losses and save who we can."
The guardian snorted, "Very well, my king. I'll follow you to the grave if I must."
"I know you will, Zuzu. And I appreciate it-"
He was interrupted by a harrowing cry directly above them. A harpy, unnoticed through the chaos of the storm, was already upon the king, giving him absolutely no time to react. In the split second of feeling the blade-like claws closing in around him, the dull thump of heavy Hamelian steel colliding with feather and bone was his savior as the bird beast was sent upwards in the opposite direction. Zudrich sailed over Chung, his cannon completing its upward loop that caught the harpy right in the gut.
Zudrich hit the ground in a roll and stood, dusting the dirt off his shoulder.
"It's the outsider!" a voice screamed through the dust. Before Zudrich could turn and react, the woman leapt on his back. A sharp object glinted in her hand and she attempted to drive it into his chest. Thankfully the thick armor plate protected the first strike, giving him enough time to grab her by the wrist in an attempt to wrestle her off without hurting her.
"We're on your side!" the guardian yelled, doing his best to pull her off him while at the same time keeping her from trying to bite his ear off.
Chung leapt into action, putting the woman into a full nelson before yanking her off his guardian's back.
"Outsider!" another voice yelled. Chung turned, with the woman still under his hold just in time for a pitchfork-wielding man to drive the three prongs into the woman's chest.
"King Seiker!" Zudrich snapped the pitchfork in half with a strong front kick and he turned to the man, grabbing him by the head and snapping his neck before he could bite his thumb off. The body flopped to the ground and Zudrich stood over it, staring into his hands as he realized he just murdered an innocent victim. Remembering his ward, he turned to Chung who was in the process of laying the woman's lifeless body carefully on the ground.
"Was that your first kill?" Chung asked, catching his breath.
"I've slain beasts before. But never a fellow man."
"Yeah… yeah," Chung nodded, stepping away from the bodies, "It was either them or you. Gerard said they would be impossible to reason with."
"To hell with that bastard," Zudrich snarled.
Chung let him be. This wasn't a time or place to argue morality, not when they had a job to do with lives on the line.
Chung fell silent as he picked up the sound of a familiar voice shouting over the cries of battle.
"What is it, Chung?" Zudrich held his weapon at the ready.
The king held a finger to his lips and trained his ear around as he tried to find its source. It was easy to decipher the voices as it wasn't a fit of frantic rambling. No, it was… direct, controlled. These people weren't under the influence of this corruption nor did it sound remotely like Gerard or his family. Furthermore, it was beyond the gate, at the town's center.
Chung pulled away from the estate, cannon at the ready as he ordered Zudrich to keep watch. "I'll only be a second," he said, shielding his eyes as he walked through the sandstorm. Men and women charged past him and he was only given a second to react with each encounter that he nearly ran headlong into each of them as they passed. A harpy flew in, scooping up an unfortunate merchant right next to the king and the shopkeeper responded by madly jabbing the sharper end of his walking stick at the beast's gut as he disappeared from view.
All the while, Chung drew closer until the silhouette of the stage, the same one he and Zudrich had stood trial at not a full day earlier, appeared. Two shadowy individuals could be seen, each nothing more than a tall, thin figure standing in the sandstorm.
"This feels wrong," a female voice said, "Many things are wrong here."
"Don't question it," the male voice growled, "You said you're here for me, aren't you? That you're willing to do whatever it takes to help, right?"
The female didn't answer and as Chung drew closer, he could see one of the figures pat the other on the head, "You have your orders. Find the girl. Bring her back alive."
"And this… will help you get better?" the female asked.
There was a long, uncomfortable pause before a rift was torn behind one of the figures. It turned away from the other.
"Don't fail me," the male said.
The second figure bowed deeply as the partner stepped through the void.
"I will not fail you, brother."
The void vanished, leaving one of the two alone on the stage. By then Chung was close enough to feel a weight in his gut. He recognized the speaker just by staring at the long black hair that cascaded down her back. She wore a short black and white combat dress that hugged her body but gave her limbs enough free range to move. Long black gloves covered her arms with a black fluffed fur mantle resting on her bare shoulders. But perhaps the most defining feature about her was the long wicked spear she bore and a white fox hairpin.
He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He felt his hands trembling as he was hit with a sudden surge of anger and grief. His heart was racing now as the person turned around and, for the first time in what felt like centuries, he stared face to face with the very person took his dear friend Aisha from him.
He wanted to cry out; to scream at the top of his lungs. His mouth did so with the intent of shouting out the person's name.
But despite his intent; despite the will of his mind a single, different word was uttered.
"Traitor!"