"They all become guinea pigs, experimented on, mutilated, used as feeders, women who were captured are tortured, raped and used to give birth to more guinea pigs for their experiments! Now tell me captain, which of us is really inhuman?!" Arthur shouted face to face on the captain.
Horrified, the captain suddenly dropped to his knees. Speechless on what he had just heard. He was just a newly assigned captain for the 12th squadron who guards the army on a marquess's domain further to the south west of the kingdom, which was near the Gluttire Forest. Most of the Captains were already informed through investigation in the selected few that Arthur had chosen.
The Invidian Palace was known to experiment on humans, trying to modify their genes. Their goal was to create beings that could be considered as deities but failed again and again. After the War which caused the Palace most of their lands to the Avaritian Kingdom they started creating mercenary units. Which they utilized to kill those who would hinder their experiments and kidnap humans to turn them into slaves.
"Commander… we are short on time and our topic is swaying too far. Let us proceed with the planned meeting"
Lyon suddenly spoke out, the mask had altered his voice thus none of them except the King and Arthur knew of his real voice. He gradually made his way towards his post which was beside the King's throne.
"Yes, yes. I apologize, your highness for losing my temper" Arthur said.
The king nodded and gestured his hand towards two of the other captains who watched silently as the comotion between Arthur and another captain occured. The two stood in front of the King with stiff postures, they gently knelt their knees and lowered their heads. Other captains stood behind them with a straight body. A frozen statue with their silver helmet was held beside their waist guided by their arm.
Arthur stood silently amongst the knights with an ominous aura surrounding his body, eyes still fixated on the captain who he had argued with. His fierce glare had caused the captain to wet himself, water slowly gushing out from the spaces of his armor. The king sighed and spoke.
"Arthur, quit terrifying the child. You know better that he isn't well-informed…"
Arthur closed his eyes and faced the King who gave him a look of displeasure. He lowered his head and placed his hands to the side. The room had once again turned into its quiet state where only the breathing of the knights could be heard. One of the two knights who stood in front of King Charles took a white sealed envelope from the small brown leather bag he had hanging from his waist.
"This is a letter from Captain Frederic…" The knight spoke.
He stretched his arm and he reached out to Lyon, who took the envelope without hesitation. Lyon stared at the letter before glancing at King Charles, he immediately nodded upon having eye contact with the king. He gently pulled the envelope's seal and opened it. There was a handwritten letter from the Captain who was not present at the palace. Lyon scanned it with his eyes before taking a deep breath and started reading the letter. It read;
"Your Highness, it is I, Captain Frederic Rayer of the Frontier Knights 7th Unit. I deeply apologize for not being able to attend this month's Royal Knights meeting. Although I will be sending a few men to deliver this message. Furthermore, I am here to report that Superian Soldiers have been sighted a few days ago building a barracks 2 miles away west from Marquess Jamisons Domain where we are currently located.
Despite the barracks hastey speed on being built there is no sign of hostility from the soldiers, it was only yesterday that a Commanding Knight was sighted. We tried to send a few knights to try and spy on them but the moment they stopped on the boundary that separates our kingdom and theirs… they said that it was too terrifying to even speak of.
I also felt that ominous presence. Thus I am to stay here and ready the troops for a possible attack. If possible I would like to request assistance from either "The Reaper" or "Commander Arthur"
Lyon continued to read the whole message to both the knights and the king which led to Arthur giving out an unprecedented laugh which caught everyone off guard. The king raised his brows to his laughter and stood up.
"Commander, what's so laughable about his message?" the king asked.
"I-I'm sorry your highness. But you see- both him and I will not be going there, Lyon is to participate in the Magic Tournament, and I will be visiting the plateau at the south. Instead I'll be ordering 100 knights to support them if ever a battle breaks out" Arthur spoke, his voice still laughing.
The King sighed before sitting back on his throne and shooing the knights away. The meeting had ended as midnight was drawing near. Lyon was on his way to his own chamber which was next to the Princess's room, as he walked the silent corridors glancing at the empty garden light by a few lamps. His foot suddenly hit someone's shoe, as he turned his head to see who it was he saw a person kneeling on the floor holding her foot barely holding in her scream.
It was a woman with long braided black hair who had suddenly appeared in front of him. He looked at her with confusion as there should be no one wandering around the palace at this time of the evening. Even maids were not visible in the corridors, guards would march around the outside of the palace with few others roaming the inside bare footed.
He kneeled as well and tapped the woman by the shoulder, as she raised his head then meeting eye to eye Lyon immediately lowered his head and suddenly lifted the woman without peeping a single word. The woman was speechless, it was too sudden for her. In a matter of minutes they had reached a pair of wooden doors painted in white, the silver knobs reflected the moon's bright shine that passed through the large window panes.
She stared at his crimson eyes, her heart thumping at a rapid pace. His face looked dim as the moon light showered behind him. With a beet red face she suddenly leaned her face closer to his. Hypnotized by his alluring eyes that reflected the moon from the past. Its bloody color refreshed her memories from the war, a chill ran down her spine before their lips could collide, pulling her back to reality.
Lyon slowly guided her legs so she could stand up. He gently opened the white door that was much taller than them, head facing the floor and an arm on his stomach. Lyon waited for her to enter the room. It was silent, except for the sound of bird chirping outside of the glass panes along with crickets.
She nodded before entering her dim-lit room, a cold breeze of wind had suddenly blown upon her as she walked in. As the doors closed she walked straight towards the balcony that was covered by red curtains with silving linings. Gracefully brushing by the waving curtains she stood at the balcony head facing the black sky lit only by the stars and moon.
Smiling as started humming, her hands waving gently as if she was performing a ritual. But her smile disappeared aa abrupt memories started popping up from her mind. The horrendous events that occured in the war she had fought made her tremble and fall on her knees. Tears dripped from the side of her eyes as she felt nauseous. She ran back inside gasping for air, twitching and bending into strange positions that no human should be capable of doing.
Walking once more in the seemingly endless halls of the palace glancing at the bright light of the moon. Thinking about the cold shoulder he showed the princess, wondering what he should do to ease her from overthinking.
He sighed and brushed the bridge of his nose when he saw a figure further away from him blocking his path. He continued to walk this time a bit more slowly, his hands clenched tight on his sword's handle. The figure stood in front of a wall that blocked the moonlight from touching him. Eyes focused on the figure not blinking even for a second. His breathing had turned heavy as he got closer to the black thing in front of him.
The figure suddenly started walking causing Lyon to stop. Walking out from the shadows of the halls was Arthur who looked confused. Wearing a long light colored bathrobe made of cotton, there was a reflective lining that was stitched on the shoulder part that reflected the light from the moon. Lyon sighed in relief to see Arthur with still wet hair.
"Why are you still up?" Arthur asked, his hand brushing his hair causing the water to drip on the white tiled flooring.
"I stumbled upon Lady Mei, when I was about to return to my room. I seemed to have injured her feet so I picked her up and accompanied her to her room" Lyon explained.
"I see… then why don't we have a quick chat"
Lyon nodded as they both started walking, Arthur placed his hand on his head and brushed his hair.
"Time passed by rather quickly, didn't it?-" Arthur said.
"Yes…" Lyon replied.
"When I first met you, you were just a little six years old boy wandering a large forest near our camp. Who would've thought that the young boy I picked up would become my disciple and one of the most powerful knights in Avaritia-" Arthur smiled and cackled a bit as he spoke.
"How's your academics going?" Arthur asked.
"It's fine as usual. I'm trying not to stand out too much but it seems that I blew up like fireworks at the trials. Trying not to stand out has been problematic ever since the princess won the Tournament two years ago"
"Is that so? well as long as you don't cause much trouble to the school then I don't care. But then again, how were the trials? any possible recruit among the students?" Arthur spoke as he glanced at the bright moon that shone upon them.
"There are a few notable people from the magic academy, but then again they wouldn't amount to the new recruits from last year. But news has it that the Royal Academy's student council president is about to participate in the tournament" Lyon replied.
The Royal Academy was known to be the main producers of Royal Knights and Frontier Knights. Most students were nobles by birth or lesser nobles who had raised their ranks in society.
"I see. But will you be winning the tournament?"
Lyon paused and stood frozen. Arthur grinned as he continued to walk forward leaving the boy alone. Lyon knew that his identity could not be released to the public, since he was the only fire mage within the kingdom. His name as a knight blew up as The Reaper or Masked Reaper, thus his true identity was not revealed.
Although a few nobilities have known him since he was young. Then again Lyon closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, he gave out a strong exhale before speaking.
"I will win, both my pride as a mage and a knight will not be defeated by anyone, may it be a nobility!" He said as his voice echoed throughout the empty halls.
Arthur from afar clapped his hands as he as well hand stopped walking. At the end of the hall were two paths where the two would walk towards a different path. Lyon hastily walked and caught up to Arthur who still had a grin on his face.
"If that is what you want then do as you please, but then again Lyon. Don't ever forget that you're a Royal Knight, don't exert too much magic on unnecessary things. You heard about it earlier, Superbia… They're starting to rebuild their force. Sooner or later a war may break out, keep yourself and the princess out of danger. You understand right?"
Lyon stood there silently, he knew what his official duties were. Of all the humans his age has the heaviest burden of all. He was set as a pillar that will both support the kingdom and military when this goes wrong.
"Then again don't forget to enjoy your life, m'kay?... I'll be going this way now, bye!" Arthur spoke as he walked towards the right path with his hand waving in the air.
Lyon bowed his head before walking opposite to Arthur. As he thought about the war the more his body began to shiver, Superbia was a super powered empire that was supposed to have won the war. But because of Arthur their downfall was unpredicted. Lyon clicked his tongue before walking back to his room.
"I hate wars…"
Chapter End.