As He walked across the palace courtyard, the clacking of his shoes was enough to instantly alert all the servants nearby. The roses growing around him all seemed to sway in his movement. A female gardener tending to one of the flower patches looked up to meet his gaze. Her spade fell out of her hand and landed on a rosebud.
He didn't stop walking and the gardener silently returned to her work.
The brick under his shoes seemed to brighten in colour as he walked by. He was walking peacefully when another man appeared to his side.
"May his majesty live a blessed time."
"What do you want Carish..."
The elf named Carish simply chuckled and looked to the sky with his turquoise eyes. He then let his own mind be known.
"We have heard strange sounds from the Dark forest for the past half hour...signs of battle and powerful magic."
"And that involves me because?..."
"You're a king."
"Tch."
Carish chuckled and stretched his arms outwards. His king watched him with obvious dissatisfaction. He was a servant and yet he acted so relaxedly around his own king. Carish noticed his king's expression and grinned.
They had made a complete walk around the palace courtyard with almost all of the servants standing still in the presence of their own king. Carish escorted the King to the palace doors which were immediately opened. The golden doors were silent and two elven knights held the door handles. Carish and the king stepped through and the knights bowed at their approach.
Carish increased his pace and turned to the left hall going towards the direction of his sister's quarters. His black suit caught the King's gaze before he decided to continue his walk through the palace. He was headed to the throne room with the red carpeting swallowing the bottom of his shoes. He placed his hands behind his head and started his singing. An old habit Carish forced on him.
The king had reached the doors to the throne room, the giant emblem of a tree with seven roots entwined was now in front of his face. He waited for 10 seconds before the doors were opened.
The grand throne room was now in front of him. The golden throne with several tree roots wrapped around its legs, the steps to the throne were made of marble with two golden candle holders on each step.
He climbed up each step and sat on his throne. The brown roots wrapping around the legs of his throne flashed green with a pleasant scent filling his nostrils immediately.
{Here we go again...}
The scent completely filled the spacious throne room and the pillars seemed to vanish and all that was left was the king sitting on his throne.
A grey fog obscured the king's vision yet it didn't go any higher than the first step to the throne.
{I greet his majesty}
{How may I help you, King Gorlad...}
{As you know my people, the druids, are the keepers of all nature and the representatives of the forests...recently we experienced large amounts of energy coming from the dark forest...which we had abandoned some time ago.}
{And you came here because?}
{We would like it if his majesty would be kind enough to help us with our investigation of who would be in the dark forest.}
{You druids are strong on your own...surely-}
{You know as well as I do that we can't spare the resources for that...}
{You're still at war with the Bracols?}
{Yes...and it seems they are receiving outside help from the wyverns.}
{Wow...the wyverns? wouldn't those brats have learned the lesson to keep their heads low after I killed their royal family in a public execution?}
{well, it seems they returned.}
{Fine I'll help with the dark forest...you can finish your war...but take note, if those wyverns so much as reach my territory...all of the races of nature shall experience my anger.}
{That makes this the two-hundredth time you've said that.}
The elf king didn't bother with the druid king anymore and waved his hand. The fog completely disappeared and all that was left was the king sitting upon his throne. He was not in any mood to organize an expedition or here from his knight of who was most suited to explore that damned place.
So he decided...he would go there himself. Death was often associated with that forest and the dark elves had built a large kingdom underneath and above it. The elf king knew this yet he never attempted to do any hostile movements against them.
Why?
It would be too much trouble to go at war because of racial differences. Of course, his advisors and friends thought differently but he always told them he was king and they weren't. He didn't care whether this would possibly start a betrayal to dethrone him or murder him.
He walked to the entrance doors of the throne room and yawned while stretching his arms.
'Eclus-grandios'
He opened his right hand and a solid object landed on his palm. It was a cold curved dagger that was beautifully ornamented with stunning purple gems.
He was gonna go all out.
********
Kyle and Myrac walked back to the other two with their weapons in hand. Neither of them looked tired and their breathing was normal just as before. Hannah nodded to herself admitting that Myrac was skilled and Kyle was much stronger than she remembered. Alicia was ecstatic and went ahead to say.
"With this strength, we're sure to complete this mission successfully."
Myrac was silent and walked over to Hannah. He was really close yet Hannah wasn't flustered in the least.
"May I be excused, master"
"That's fine if you want to."
Myrac nodded and disintegrated before their eyes. His body turned to red dust as he disappeared and a mark was imprinted on Hannah's left backhand.
She acknowledged this as Myrac's decision to dismiss himself and returned to her current issues to deal with.
"I guess this counts as having completed our first objective."
Kyle and Alicia looked at Hannah. She was thinking to herself and pointed in a direction to their east.
"Let's try to leave the forest in that direction...if you guys are ready to leave now that would be great."
"Sure."
"Ok."
The three friends unanimously agreed on going in that direction together. Kyle placed the sword back in its scabbard and it clicked into something, strapping it to his backside. Alicia moved the bow to her backside and it also strapped on.
Hannah was fine and turned to the trees with her arms stretching out.
"Let's go!!"
Alicia skipped to the front and Kyle walked to Hannah's side. They all went into the trees and left the damage in the clearing behind.
They had walked through the forest for seven minutes. Talking of all the random stories they often read at the public library back at heaven. Kyle retold stories of the Asgardian faction that controlled 9 thousand worlds, apparently in the book he read there were four worlds that had engaged in a war that somehow involved 70 other worlds and a black hole generator.
"They all died it seems."