Vasilikos, the capital city of the Human Kingdom. If Chrimata was the Coin Purse of Aleria, then the capital city would be known as Aleria's Crown Jewel. It was much bigger than the trade town they had left and seemed to be refined while still growing. The words that came to mind when Darren first saw the city were sophisticated, for what he expected a fantasy medieval kingdom to be at least, and defensible.
The eloquent words that conveyed Darren's surprise at the pleasant sight were-
"Holy shit."
A lake, the largest that Darren had ever seen, stretched out miles wide with mountains on the far side of the body of water. The capitol building was a very large and European looking castle built near a cliff that oversaw the lake. Three large towers formed a perimeter around the castle with a large Magi crystal floating above each of them. There was a wall built in a triangular shape that connected the towers together to help protect the castle itself.
As the city was built further down the ridge, it gave way to military and government buildings. Next were commercial and residential areas. There were also some grandiose looking manors that Darren assumed to be for the upper class that lived in Vasilikos. Finally, near the beach of the lake, there was a dock that had canals of water branching off into the city limits where small boats floated along in the lower areas of the city. This area seemed to be more of a hodgepodge of shops, homes, and other such things.
A protective wall with fortified battlements surrounded the city and kept the inner areas safe. Soldiers dressed in armor made of almost entirely metal were seen regularly patrolling the walls in pairs. Around the walls were flat and fertile farmlands with cottages dotting the area. As Darren's group had progressed through the farmlands, they were waved at by the people working the fields.
"I take it you haven't seen the capital before now?" Jones asked Darren with a grin, hearing him earlier.
"Yeah," Darren replied. "I have to say, it's really something."
"In the short time that humans have become a somewhat unified group," Aenwyn said, "it truly is impressive. However, I would say that it pales in comparison to the forests of Ayi Thalore." She finished with a small smile on her lips.
"I'd love to see it when I get the chance," Darren said with a nod. "But anyway, it looks like we're here."
At the moment, the group that made their way to Vasilikos consisted of Darren, Cooper and Declan, Aenwyn, Abraham, and Jones. Before leaving Chrimata, it was decided that Gilbert and the rest of the knights would be left behind to keep the town in order now that the guard's corruption was laid bare. Abraham mentioned how he was glad to have made it faster than predicted.
As the elder knight led the group forward, they bypassed a line of people and wagons waiting to enter Vasilikos. At first, the guards that kept the line in order were about to stop them, but when they saw that it was Abraham, the guards stopped in their tracks. Also, instead of the glares that Darren expected from the people still waiting in line, they were met with looks of awe. Some turned to Darren and his zerglings with slight apprehension while others looked at the cloaked Aenwyn with curiosity.
I guess it's not every day they see people like us, huh? Darren mussed.
They made their way to the large gates of Vasilikos and stopped themselves in front of a more decorated guard standing watch. Instead of plain grey metal, this guard had some red trimming on the sides with a short red plume on his helmet.
"Halt!" the decorated city guard said. "State yourselves and your business."
"Knight Captain Abraham and Knight Jones, returning after confirming a Wildling report in Counter," Abraham replied. "Alongside us are guests."
The guard looked at Abraham in shock and disbelief. "Knight Captain Abraham? That's impossible." Everyone in the group took a moment to look at each other in confusion.
"What do you mean?" Abraham asked as he lifted his helmet's visor. The action only served to make the guard's eyes nearly bulge out of his head.
"I-I-" the guard stuttered for a moment before swallowing a gulp. "Magi Cael, milord. When he returned alone, he spoke of how you and your knights were overtaken by bandits. A funeral was to be held in your absence soon."
"That coward!" Jones snapped. "He ran the moment trouble showed without turning back."
"Calm yourself, Jones. We'll clean this up easily," Abraham assured his nephew. The knight captain turned to the city guard. "Send a runner ahead to announce us. I have information that King Indulf and Queen Catherine need to hear privately."
"Yes, milord!" The guard snapped a quick salute and turned to find someone but stopped. "And your guests? Shall I have them announced as well?"
Abraham thought for a moment then shook his head in rejection. "What they know is confidential. Their identities will be kept secret until further notice."
"Understood, milord." The guard snapped another salute and went to look for a messenger. Taking this as a sign, the group made their way into the city unobstructed.
First impressions of Vasilikos, Darren saw that the streets were nearly just about as crowded as Chrimata was, though he supposed that since he was in the lower area of the city it was to be expected. People passed by hurried to wherever they were going and didn't give more than a glance or two to Darren's group. The only thing that really interested Darren was the canals of water that passed through the lower areas.
From what Jones had told Darren about Vasilikos, the city was once a small fishing town that had grown in popularity soon after. As more people started to live in the town, it grew and became the capital city Vasilikos of Aleria once the royal family was established. The canals were naturally formed from the lake and then reinforced by the people to help the docks. Now the canals were used as a form of transportation and entertainment for the city.
"Hey, listen up."
Everyone turned to Abraham who had spoken with an authoritative tone.
"We're going to be seeing the king and queen soon. I want everyone to be on their best behavior," the older knight said. "I'll do the talking unless you're addressed individually, understand?"
He was met with assurances from the rest.
With a nod, Abraham looked forward. "Alright, let's head out then."
As Darren's group made their way to the castle on the cliffs, they passed by many types of people and places. The quality of the infrastructure was much better as they made their way to the castle, dirt and wood giving way to brick and mortar. It was also apparent that the place was richer as the clothing that people wore was cleaner and had distinct styles and colors.
Starting from the lower parts of the city, it was definitely a more poor area, but the people there were clear with their intentions. There was a large variety of people, Darren even spotted a few dwarves and elves in the area even if the population of humans outnumbered them greatly. From what he saw, those citizens just lived day to day and dealt with things as they came. It was very different as the group got closer to the castle.
For example, as much as those in the upper parts of the city tried to hide it, there was a sense of veiled interest in Darren's group. Gossip seemed to follow their every step as people started to whisper about them. Darren could overhear some of the things they said as they passed by due to his zerg physiology.
"Who is that?"
"Knights perchance?"
"What of those behind them, have you seen their clothing? So drab."
"And those… things, what kind of creatures are those?"
"I wonder if those brutish animals of his are for sale…"
That last comment made Darren see red at the corners of his vision, but he pushed those feelings down. His Swarm would react to his emotions and he couldn't risk an incident before meeting the human monarchs, no matter how much the thought of selling any of his Swarm offended him. A tap to his side pulled him out of his thoughts and he turned his head.
"I assume you can hear them," Aenwyn stated.
"How can you tell?" Darren said quietly.
"Your posture. It is slight, but you seemed angered."
The human turned zerg let out a sigh as they walked. "Yeah, I can hear them pretty easily. It's frustrating."
"I understand how you feel."
Darren looked at her.
"I can hear them speculate what I am," Aenwyn huffed. "I do not… appreciate how so many believe I am a servant of sorts."
"Sorry that you have to hear it."
"Do not be sorry, you are not responsible for them. It is best we ignore them anyway, they will only serve to distract us."
They walked in silence, doing their best to ignore the whispers and stares. Thankfully, they made it to the castle quickly and were admitted past the walls and into the marble castle itself. While the outside of it was a nice blend of nobility and overall defensiveness, the inside was really a thing of beauty.
The group entered a long and wide hall through big reinforced doors. Painted windows of past battles and revered heroes were set along the high areas letting in a rainbow of light. Columns held up the ceiling where marble statues of lions watched over the premises. Locked doors in the hall led to unmarked rooms. Guards stood side by side along the walls and were all dressed in the same fashion as Jones, each standing at attention with spears in hand. At the end of the hall was a dais with two thrones sitting next to each other.
In the throne on the right sat a woman with long, curled brunette hair. Her features were European in nature and would be described as stunning to anyone who saw her. She wore a turquoise dress with golden edges and blue to complement the clothing. It hugged her figure and showed off her curves, but it did not detract from her authority. In fact, it only heightened it. Finally, she had a golden crown sitting atop her head and an intricate gold staff resting in her left hand. This was probably Queen Catherine.
Another woman, a lady-in-waiting Darren thought the title was, stood off to the side of the queen. She had straight blond hair that reached to her shoulders with features that showed that she was a touch older than the queen but still radiated beauty. She wore a long pale green dress that fell to her feet and positioned herself in a way that showed her support of the queen.
In the left throne sat a man with an imposing physique that commanded respect. His brunette hair was well kept but styled like William Wallace in Braveheart along with a shortly trimmed beard. Strong German features and the steely look in his eyes would make people describe him as ruggedly handsome. He wore chainmail armor that covered his torso, arms, and legs. A red tabard was over the chainmail with a lion embedded in the middle of the cloth. Plates of steel reinforced the other areas that were vital to the body along with metal gloves and boots to complete the armor. A gold crown, larger than the one on the queen but not overly so, was placed on the head of the king. Lastly, a sword in hand that rested across his knees. Overall, King Indulf was not a man you screwed with.
Those three stared at the group that walked up to them, but Darren noticed that the lady-in-waiting focused more on Abraham than the rest. Starting from Abraham, the group kneeled as a servant walked to the edge of the dais and spoke.
"Your Majesties, this one claims to be…" the announcer hesitated for a moment before continuing. "He claims to be Knight Captain Abraham and he asks for a private audience."
The air was suddenly heavier than before. Darren's blood froze and he saw the announcer nearly repress a shiver of fright. The two monarchs had barely twitched, but what little movements they made had made Darren fear for his life and, if Darren was right, he saw the others in his group do the same. There was an underlying feeling of power that came from the two people that sat on the dais. He was tough himself, sure, but Darren had no doubt that if he were to fight the king or queen, he would be hard pressed to win.
He looked to the side and saw the woman standing next to the queen. She wasn't as successful in keeping her emotions in check. She stared at Abraham with anger, but there was also a grain of hope in her eyes.
"Oh?" King Indulf said. "Was Knight Captain Abraham not declared dead just days ago? A day where we as a kingdom grieved the loss of a man who was a knight and friend of Aleria?" The king's voice reverberated around the hall with an almost indescribable quality to it. If Darren had to explain it, there was just something royal about it.
"It is a bold statement to claim that you are our knight captain," Queen Catherin stated calmly, voice as smooth as velvet. "We have seen others foolishly declare the same with armor similarly crafted in his image along with magic to hide their true identities. Each were dealt with swiftly. We will not be so easily fooled and we only hope that for your sake that you speak the truth."
Abraham let out a chuckle and stood up. The older knight began to take off his helmet and those watching waited on bated breath. Once it was off, Abraham tucked the helmet under his arm with a resolute smile on his face. "Then I hope I don't disappoint then when I say that I am indeed Abraham."
Murmurs erupted from the nearby guards and servants that were watching the proceedings as they reacted with shock at Abraham's reveal. King Indulf and Queen Catherine leaned towards each other and began to whisper a conversation. The one that acted the most was the lady-in-waiting.
The moment Abraham's face was revealed, her hands shot to her mouth in shock, tears puckering in the corners of her eyes. She slowly made her way to Abraham while the older knight's smile softened into an expression that Darren would be hard pressed to describe other than contentedness. Once the woman was close enough, her hands moved to cup Abraham's face.
"Abraham," the woman said shakily. "Is that you? You're alive?"
The knight brought a hand up to hold one of hers and kissed it. "I'm back, Ida."
As if that was the signal she needed, Ida threw her arms around Abraham's neck and hugged him with all she had. Abraham dropped his helmet and wrapped his arms around Ida. The woman pulled back for a moment only to press her lips to Abraham's in a searing kiss of relief and joy.
"Oh, right. I forgot about that," Jones mumbled.
Darren and Aenwyn turned to the young knight.
"Abraham and Ida are lovers," Jones whispered without further prompting. "They're basically married but haven't found the time to hold an actual ceremony what with Uncle Abraham being the knight captain and Ida as the queen's lady-in-waiting."
The two travelers gave a silent nod of understanding. On the dais, the rulers finished their conversation and went back to sitting regally in their thrones. Upon seeing Abrham and Ida still holding each other, Queen Catherine let out a small cough to catch the lovers' attention.
"Ahem. While it is wonderful to see the two of you reunited, we believe that Abraham has requested a private audience with us?"
As the lovers separated, Abraham spoke up. "Apologies for my overzealousness, my queen. As you mentioned, I asked for a private audience. The information I have is important and those I brought with me are part of what I have to say."
"We understand," King Indulf said. He looked to the guards guarding the hall. "Guards, leave this hall at once and-"
BOOM
At the end of the hall the doors were slammed open, interrupting King Indulf. Walking in with his head held high, a rotund man uncaringly made his way to the dais. A servant ran to the two rulers and bowed as some others tried to dissuade the man walking at a sedate pace behind him.
"Your Majesties, I apologize for the interruption but we tried to stop him from coming-!"
The round man brazenly walked by Darren and his group while pushing the servant out of his way. He was dressed in expensive looking cloth and silk with lavish designs decorating the clothing. There were puffs of silk around the man's thighs and long white leggings that lead to leather slipper-like shoes. The fur of some sort of animal was draped over his shoulders and a fancy cap with a feather completed the look. To summarize, Darren would say the man looked like a fancily dressed blobfish with a slightly smaller nose.
"Your Majesties," the man said with a short bow, his fat jiggling with each word. "I heard through the grapevine that another peasant foolishly proclaims themself as Knight Captain Abraham. Please tell me who it was and I, Duke Caedman, shall have them dealt with appropriately."
Indulf let out a nearly imperceptible sigh, though Caedman seemed to miss it. "Hello, cousin. It is… good to see you again."
"Please cousin," Caedman huffed, "refer to me by my title, it is only proper. But that is not why I am here." The duke waved a hand around to emphasize his words, "I believe that I have mentioned how Abraham has returned from the dead. What fool claims to be the knight captain?"
"That would be me, Caedman."
The duke froze as Abraham spoke up. He turned around robotically and when the knight captain was in view, Caedman gaped like a fish. After a few moments, his expression went through a multitude of emotions ranging from disbelief, shock, and anger until it settled into an ill-conceived grimace.
"Knight Captain Abraham," Caedman said slowly, "it is wonderful to see you alive and well." The duke's words were welcoming, but his tone said otherwise. "I hope that you had a pleasant trip?"
"Your concern warms my heart, Duke Caedman," Abraham said monotonously. "And yes, I am quite well."
"Hmph. In any case, it seems I will have to have words with my son later today. "
"Oh, do be somewhat lenient to the boy Caedman," Queen Catherine spoke up. "We are sure that Cael was simply stressed from his trip." The words were kind, but the tone was... off.
Darren's eyes shot to the queen then back at the duke. From what little he remembered of the cowardly Magi, Cael looked nothing like Caedman. It was like saying that a giraffe was born from a hippo, but, then again, there were weirder things he's heard of.
"My son is a fool, but I suppose an order from the queen must be fulfilled." Caedman bowed and growled under his breath, "Just like you to say that too."
It looked like Darren wasn't the only one to hear the duke say that as Darren saw Aenwyn's ears twitch for a moment. Her minuscule frown told him just what the elf thought of the duke at that moment.
"While this talk is most enlightening," King Indulf said, "Abraham has requested a private audience of us and we must ask that you leave us, cousin."
Caedman straightened from his bow so quickly that Darren thought the man was about to snap his spine. "Leave!?" the duke yelled, affronted. He quickly looked around and spotted the rest of Darren's group. "And what of them?" Caedman whined as he pointed at Darren. "Why are these peasants allowed to stay when I cannot!?"
Abraham stepped into Caedman's space, looming over the shorter man and glared. "These peasants, as you put it, are part of my report and are thus necessary. Something that you aren't," the knight captain growled out.
Caedman shook in rage at the taller man's disrespect and went to retort, but held his tongue after a quick look at the king and queen. He swallowed and turned with a nod, walking away with what little pride he had left intact. Once the duke left along with the guards in the hall, the doors closed behind them. King Indulf let out a sigh after a few moments of silence and brought a hand to his forehead.
"I apologize for my cousin's lack of respect," King Indulf said to Darren and the rest. "Caedman's title of duke allows him certain privileges that make him a hassle to deal with on the best of days."
"You mean it makes him a pain in the ass," Abraham snarked.
Ida swatted the knight on the back of his head. "Abraham, manners!"
The knight took the hit with a self-satisfied grin.
"She is right, Abraham," Queen Catherin admonished. "It is not polite to insult those of royal blood."
Abraham schooled his features with a nod. "Of course, my queen. I will endeavor to do better."
Queen Catherin smirked mischievously. "That being said, some harmless fun directed at a certain pompous man would not be untoward today." A short round of laughter erupted from the four for a moment before everyone's attention was directed toward the rest of the group. "Abraham, would you mind introducing us to the others?"
"Of course, my queen," Abraham said before pointing out each of the members. "Firstly, my newest knight and nephew, Jones. He's shown promise and, while there are things that could be improved on, I hope that he continues to impress me." The younger knight beamed at the praise and bowed. "Secondly, this is Aenwyn of Ayi Thalore." At the introduction, Aenwyn pulled down her hood.
"An elf?" King Indulf questioned with interest. "Are you a delegate sent by your Hero Queen Thalia Farthana by any chance?"
Aenwyn shook her head then spoke, her words unwavering. "No, King Indulf, I am not a person of such importance. The reason I am here is because I was a victim of Serenity."
King Indulf, Queen Catherine, and Ida reeled in shock. Abraham bringing anyone here for a private audience had to have some significance about them, but hearing that the rumors of a shadow organization rang true was not something they expected.
As King Indulf fell deep in thought, Queen Catherine turned toward Darren. "And you, young man. Who are you?" Taking that as his cue, Darren took off his helmet and spoke up.
"My name is Darren and I helped defend Counter from a Wildling attack. My summoned creatures are Cooper and Declan." The two zerglings presented themselves proudly in front of the group with a bark.
After observing the zerglings with interest, Queen Catherine stood up and stepped off the dais. She brought a hand down to pet Declan but stopped herself, looking towards Darren. He nodded to her unspoken question, giving his permission. Slowly she brought her hand the Declan's snout, her eyes sparkling with child-like wonder as the zerling let out a satisfied purr.
"I have seen many kinds of summoned creatures, but never ones such as yours. Tell me, Magi Darren, what are they?" Queen Catherine asked as Ida came over to see the creatures herself.
With pride evident in his voice, Darren replied, "They're called zerglings. They are probably some of the most loyal guys you'll ever meet."
The queen went to ask another question as she started to pet Declan more enthusiastically but was stopped by the king.
"Ahem." Everyone turned to King Indulf as he stayed seated. "While I'm sure we would all love to hear more about Darren's zerglings, I believe that he was brought here for a reason?" At that, Queen Catherine walked back to the dais and sat on her throne with Ida following her.
"Right," Abraham said with a nod. "This may take a while so I suggest you get comfortable. My report begins with our arrival to Counter…"
A/N: Finished around September and I finally have a way to continue this. Why does it have to be so hot in summer?
P.S. Thanks for being so patient with me and I hope you enjoy reading these chapters and future ones as well.