Chap 13: The evidence
1676 Words
The corridor of the Palace was covered by the darkness of the night sky, the fire at each of the torch at the corridor’s wall kept dancing, followed the blow of the wind from the window, brought the burnt smell and cold atmosphere.
Kris was walking through this place, since this was his shift to guard the security of the castle, at Eastern Wings – the direction easily got attacked by the foreign conquest since it was fully covered by thick forest. This place required a skillful warrior who have a good vision in the night to defend the kingdom.
Then, he stopped his foot at a window. His eyes looked at the forest scenery far away near the horizon, being visible under the moonlight. In his head, there were so many questions since the war at Balony Kingdom.
It was him, or he just noticed that something wrong happened to the crown prince?
Kris remembered back, when Galen rescued him, they both seemed to be fine. Everything happened just so abnormally and suddenly that even the king said it was an accident, Kris wouldn’t believe it as well.
Kris shook his head. What the hell is going on with me? He though. That crown prince was totally useless person, even weaker than an elite warrior like him that he was out of control and ashamed him in public. For what that prince need to be cared about?
But the answer had been brightened in his mind immediately. Even if Galen was a weak, useless prince, Kris was the type who never tolerated the injustice.
Also, if Galen was weak, how could he notice that ambush so fast and rescue him at the war at Balony Kingdom?
At first, Kris doubted whether Galen could lead the army to flank the Balony Fortress, which was a super important team to decide Tredia’s victory. But he was wrong. During the war, Kris could see Galen being like another person: Very eventual, brave, with good leadership and never have any hesitation to kill people. He was totally different than the one that he used to think of before.
There was only a possibility that Kris thought about: Was Galen actually hiding his true power to treat him in the competition earlier? But why did he do that? Is there something wrong between the royal family members that Galen was urged to suffer alone, without being able to say anyone?
Kris was diving himself into limitless questions. His mind got driven back to reality when he heard the voice of the royal guards, coming to him.
“Sir Leerstrom.”
“Say.”
“We’ve found a suspicious thing being dropped near the king’s bedroom area!”
The royal guards kneeled down, both his hands rose up to Kris and showed him a magic box, which was magic devise with high security – human’s own aura energy locked in order to keep the evidence for the investigation. And this item was only used by the members in the Palace area only.
Kris received the box. He stayed quiet, he pressed the button of the lock. Inside the box, there was a magic pattern being drawn for the seal, to keep the evidence being in its initial state even as time passed by. Once the box was opened, the seal disappeared, shined a weak blue-colored light and vanished away afterward. Despite it was being in the nighttime, but Kris could see the mystery inside very clearly.
It was a gorgeous feather having rainbow-colored, shining a fanciful light inside the box, highlighting the darkness that the surrounding royal guards got caught attention by its strange light and their face strangely went mindless.
Kris rushed closing the box. That feather has hypnotizing magic, he guessed!
“This is not good, this thing is dangerous!”
As Kris closed it, the guards just got back their consciousness. They looked at each other, then discussed in confusion.
“Why is there this thing near the king??” Kris interrogated the guards in anger.
“We don’t know, sir Leerstrom.” The guards answered, their bodies trembled as they were aware that how scary Kris would be if he was angry “We deeply apologize if we tell you our investigation result. But we know the owner of this feather, it was from…”
The team leader of the guards hadn’t finished his line, yet there was someone who came close by from afar, bringing the cold atmosphere that gave anyone in this scene a chill to their spine. That person walked from the darkness of the corridor, walked fancily with the high heels like the model. The costume was weird yet familiar at the same time, made by countless black feathers. It was like that person didn’t wear anything besides the feathers to cover the gorgeous white skin on the curve of a woman’s body.
That person came from behind Kris. Her hand equipped with many of rings, caused a spooky ‘klang, klang’ sound as her fingers smoothly moved. She touched Kris’s shoulder pad with that hand, whispered beside his ears with seducing voice.
As an experienced warrior like Kris, he could feel the threat slowly cover his back, like a poisonous snake slithering to seek the fear deep down from his heart.
“Well, well… the precious thing you are keeping was mine. Can I have it back?”
***
Meanwhile, far away from Tredia Kingdom...
When Galen woke up, he just realized that he had been carried away to another unfamiliar place. But was so dark, but very warm.
It was right, he just noticed that he was lying on the bed with a warm blanket covering from the legs to his neck. He questioned himself, how long had he not felt being lying down in the warm bed like this, since the day he decided to go adventure…
Galen tried to look around. It seemed he had been sleeping in the room made by crappy and unrefined wood. Thanks to the lamp on the top of the room, Galen could see that this room had the shape of the cone, so most possibly that this place had been built inside a tree or under the ground.
But completely opposite with that crappy construction way, the bed, the working desk with so many bookshelves had been well arranged. Only the experienced blacksmith could craft this such beautiful furnishings, this fact even confused Galen more.
Galen then remembered his first priority: Where is Liana? Where is Frank? He rushed himself waking up. But suddenly, the headache tortured him that pushing him back to the bed.
“Galen..!”
It was Liana’s voice. She just opened the curtain of the room and found out Galen waking up. She held her tears, rushed to him.
“Uwahhh!! Galen!!! I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you!!! I thought that I have already killed you!!!”
Galen then remembered everything that happened before he fell into the come due to the toxicity of the miasma cloud.
“No, it’s not your fault, Liana. Don’t blame yourself so please don’t cry…”
At this moment, Galen noticed that Liana also had a new dress. It was a pretty and simple dress in red, very ton-sur-ton with her pinky hair color. Compared with the white dress she had, this one looked more elegant with the length almost reaching to her ankles. Galen then looked at the sleeves reaching Liana’s wrist, which were well made with the high exactitude sewing lines.
In Galen’s eyes, Liana was currently looking like a princess in a pretty pink dress.
Knowing Galen was going to ask her where this pretty costume came from, Liana ‘ehe’:
“It was made by Saeza.” Liana answered with a happy face “He is so cool. He not only saved us from Dark Faerins, he also can definitely craft everything!”
Saeza? That name sounded too unfamiliar and did not belong to any kingdom Galen had ever heard. So most possibly that this guy came from another land or an undiscovered country that Galen never knew?
“Yare, just called me?”
Galen got startled. Right behind him, since when…
…since when there was already a man sitting behind him. As if he intentionally did teleport magic just to jump scare Galen.
“WHAT?! YOU ARE…”
“Yare, how rude you are. You just called my name, why are you so surprised when I responded to you?”
After calming down, Galen just noticed that weirdo guy.
Despite having the very deep voice of a middle-aged man, that guy looked very young that Galen guessed he might be between eighteen or twenties years old. He had messy hair with the color of the ashes, which had been tied half-up style, revealed his dedicated face with a pair of soulless eyes. Saying they were soulless, they were beautiful, look like two aquamarines. But their color was so plain as if it had been faded away from the color, leaving the color of an old jewel…
When that guy stood up to introduce himself, Galen was fascinated by his height. He came next to Liana and he saw she just stood at his shoulder. If that, Galen’s height would just reach his neck!
Galen’s attention rapidly changed to how that guy and Liana talked so friendly toward each other as if they were close friends. He immediately got the answer, that guy also got the dragon ears. Also, hidden behind his black long coat, there was a severe scar located at the center of his collarbones.
And Galen could find at the center of the scar, there was something sparkling like the jewel. With a similar design like the one being attached to Liana’s nape, there was no doubt, Galen could be sure…
…this guy is also a weredragon.
“Yare yare, my apology for scaring you earlier. So, have you calmed down yet? I’ll introduce you…
…my name is Saeza, the unique civilian on this island.”
- Writer
