The council was summoned. The country's police have found the fifth body of the player hanging from an oak tree in the countryside. A grand funeral of the five other worlders was kept at the castle of the four Magi.
"Lucrezia!..." I shouted as my wife ran up into our room to find my bolo tie for the solemn occasion.
'Eligor! Wait a minute…wear this. In Pantheon, it is important to wear Lapis Lazuli at the time of deaths." She chided as she pulled up my collar. The tie was a gift from her for our first anniversary. Something I treasured and kept safety in my drawer. Although It seemed that Lucrezia forgot about its significance in this ruckus.
"Fine…I shall be coming home in the evening." I smiled and kissed her forehead.
**
The Grand Hall belonged to the fourth Magi Lazarus Keres Samaritan who was also the religious leader of the country. The sixty feet tall ceiling was donned with frescos and melted gold. The hall was supported by seventy marble columns carved with hyacinths and orchids embellished with precious stones. There was only one large door to enter the hall leading to the center stage where four grand thrones were placed for the Magi. At one end of the hall close to the five tombs, the holy choir was singing hymns for the deceased. Their faces were hidden behind the delicately carved marbles separating them from the whole noble society. At the center, in a line were the five coffins.
"Duke Ducante!" Duke Alvah signaled from the end of the long processions of chairs. It was far from the Magis' seats in the grand hall and closer to the line of coffins of the players.
"Son-in-law father." I hugged him.
Duke Alvah was a huge man with brown eyes. He had a bulky built owing to his post as the head of the royal military. Brown hair just like his daughter with the brightest tint of amber on his cheeks. He was an ichor or the purest born noble in Pantheon who have golden blood flowing in their veins.
"The whole country is in an uproar," he said as he seated himself on the first seat right next to the tomb of the fifth player. The players would be buried according to the rituals in the royal graveyard. Their coffins made with obsidian had a full-body effigy, holding the weapon they most famously used. First and the second players held longswords, third a bow, fourth was most comfortable in using incantations and spells while the fifth had a claymore which he moved in such a grace that it was difficult to predict his movements. Their bodies which have ceased to decompose would be buried without any embalming or perfumes, not even a change of their coarse adventurer clothes into silk or linen shirts. Just shoved into a beautiful casket without any respect for their mortal remains.
"It must be, five of the twelve fated travelers have died."
"Well, the peasants of Pantheon were foolish to believe that these aliens can save us whenever the need arises. Nobody in the Ichor bloodline believes that these men carry powers stronger than us Elemental Shamans." Duke Alvah scoffed.
"That might be true father…We Shamans were born to be strong, able to rule the land of Pantheon. " I said.
Ichors, with the blood of melted gold and eyes shining brightly with the elemental magic they possess, were the people who ruled high society. High in pride for their bloodline, they were the direct descendants of the Magi.
"This might confuse you but hear me out on this one …" he whispered.
"Hmm…"
"As you already know son that my Elemental power is earth and how I can deduct the presence of magic traces left on earth ."
A small smile escaped my lips …my ears tingling with every word Duke spoke. Heartbeat increasing ever so rapidly.
"Go on father…" I whispered trying to hide my excitement.
"You also know Ayden…Lucrezia's brother has blood Elemental magic. I…no we…came to the same conclusion that someone has killed them ."
"Is it because of the bodies not being able to decompose? Lucrezia also came to the same conclusion long ago."
"No…no…their bodies not decomposing has nothing to do with their murder or even death for that matter. Since they belonged to a different world when they would die it is natural for them to not decay. Our and their composition are different…. The air is different…blood is different…everything is different! But these children…especially the fifth one…I felt a different kind of magic on his body. Something so powerful… so terrifying ." Duke Alvah's voice quietened as he remembered the sensation he first felt when he touched the remnants of my power.
"If this is true then it provides unprecedented harm might befall upon not only the remaining other world travelers but for us too…"
"Yes, my son…I feel that this wielder of the power also belongs from another world…" Duke Alvah sighed.
'Then we should inform the Magi of Administration right this instant."
I stood up from my seat but was stopped by my father.
"Listen Eligor…" his face stiffened the brown eyes looked darker. Lines that earlier were not present on his forehead started forming as if carved on his skin.
"Yes, father?"
"I will tell the Magi and use my influence to put you on this case. The fact that another alien is killing his kin shall not be disclosed to anyone." Duke smiled, his face convoluting into a snarl.
"Just think about the prestige our family would be bestowed with if we were able to find that bastard! The blind faith of the people in these idiots would cease to exist and the names Alvah and Ducante will gain power next to only the Magi ."
"Yes, father…I will do anything to make this dream of yours a reality ." I smirked.
**
"Master….Lord!...Your highness!!..."
"What is it?" I snapped, Virgil's voice was giving me a headache.
"What shall we do now?" he cried.
"What do you mean?"
"Since you were busy with the funeral processions I thought I could hunt more players for you hower….however …"
"However what Virgil ."?'
"There are no more players my lord !.... Not even a single player exists in this world. There were only six of them including you that is"
"And?"
"What my lord! We are in trouble !! Big …Big trouble. No more players mean no more world traveling!"
"Ha…." I sighed.
"Virgil? There are no more players in this world. The law of twelve travelers is only half true. We need to hunt the other travelers who live outside this world."
"What?... What does that mean my lord ?'
"Now…Don't make it troublesome for me. I need to rest ."