After the final battle, everyone was being treated and rested. Using too much power exhausted them. Back to Grim, he woke up first. Grim said weakly:
"Ha, I'm still alive."
Grim looked over to his side and saw Belle sleeping beside him. Grim said with surprise:
"Oh, this is so confusing."
Suddenly Belle also slowly opened her eyes to wake up, making Grim also a little worried. Belle said half-asleep:
"You're awake? It's still early in the morning."
Grim replied:
"Well, I don't want to sleep very long."
Suddenly Elastor came in and said:
"Hey idiot. Are you up?"
Seeing Grim lying next to Belle, Elastor released the darkness and said:
"What the hell is this?"
Grim sweated nervously and said hastily:
"Hey, hey, hey. Wait!"
Belle quickly sat up and said:
"Wait big brother, we haven't done anything yet."
Elastor replied angrily:
"Yeah, today is his execution day."
Belle hastily said:
"Elastor wait. I'm already in love with him, you can't stop it."
Grim replied with confusion:
"What the hell? What are you saying?"
Elastor unleashed the darkness even more out of anger, he said furiously:
"I already knew this was going to happen. The two of you stay close and together like that, and you'll love each other very soon."
Grim hastily transformed into a half hyena and flew away while Elastor chased after him and Belle hastily stopped them. And today was the most important day, the day of the coronation of Eva. Everyone dressed up and stood solemnly in front of the throne to welcome Eva's ascension to the throne. All the people of all four kingdoms were invited to attend this important ceremony. They put aside prejudices about skin color, place and social status to honestly attend the ceremony together. The members of Crusadia were present, they stood on the steps to the throne and waited for Eva's arrival. The musicians began to sing in unison, the trumpets were blown, the drums were struck. The large door opened, and Eva slowly entered in a white dress with diamonds and gold. She looked radiant and beautiful as she walked up to the throne. Eva passed everyone, they all knelt down to greet her. Eva saw Exos, Laura and Emanda, they bowed to the new queen as if wishing her a great mission. Eva also bowed to them out of respect to her mentors and seniors. Then there were members of the Crusadia team. Eva looked to her left at Alata and Sansa, they smiled happily and waved to her, Alata took the Skeletor along and pretended it was waving. She also slowly waved her hand after them for fun. Eva looked to her right at Grim and Belle, they bowed to her gently. Eva also respectfully bowed to them. Then Grim slowly reached out and took Belle's hand, she smiled happily and squeezed their hands tighter. Eva looked to her left again and saw Lamalia, she nodded to congratulate Eva. Eva blinked her left eye meaning she has successfully become queen. Eva looked up at the throne, where Elastor and Julia stood on either side, the two who had been with her the longest. Elastor said with excitement:
"Well, it seems we're honored to be crowned Eva."
Julia replied excitedly:
"Yeah, we are."
Eva sat on the throne with new hope for the Highland Continent. Elastor took the crown and put on Eva's head. Then he shouted solemnly:
"Kneel and greet the 22nd queen of the Gloria kingdom, the great queen Eva Gloria!"
Everyone in the Throne Room knelt before Eva, and they said in unison:
"Hail queen Eva Gloria, we will serve you forever."
Outside the people clapped and cheered for Eva's ascension to the throne. They held a great festival all over the streets and the whole kingdom. That night fireworks were shot into the sky and a huge party was opened for Queen Eva. That day was an unforgettable day. Eva looked very happy to have become queen, but she still felt empty and sad, partly worried about the enemy to come. The next day, the Crusadia team, including Exos, Laura and Emanda returned to The Dream Workshop, and it was still there and always had been. Eva, Elastor and Julia felt very nostalgic here. Elastor sighed and said:
"Let's go in."
Elastor pushed open the door and they both entered. This place had been dusted even though they had been gone for a few days, or this place had already been dusted. Elastor and Grim pushed the weapon racks to a corner to leave some space on the floor. Then Laura drew a necromancy circle on the floor and lit candles around. Eva took out the glass vial and said:
"Please talk to me."
Eva poured green flame into the circle, it slowly turned into a smoke and took the form of King Arthur. Arthur and Eva met again, he immediately said:
"Daughter, you have..."
Suddenly Eva quickly cut him off and said angrily:
"Stop it father and tell us the truth, what happened fifteen years ago? What is the Kraton Empire?"
Arthur tried to say:
"But..."
Eva replied even more furiously:
"Tell me! You've always been the best king for a long time and such shocking news you plan to hide from everyone. Urizen told me all about them, please tell us the truth."
Arthur sighed and had to tell the truth about the journey he left the kingdom to find new lands. He recounted everything:
"Fifteen years ago when I set sail and sailed for new lands, I took you on that journey. We went out into the ocean and after a week at sea, we landed on a new land. We explored that place and met a new kingdom outside the continent, it was very peaceful and the people there were very nice. We seem to have a new belief in world peace. But the Kraton Empire came and destroyed it all. They brought soldiers and slaughtered them all. Children, the elderly, women. Oh, that's terrible!"
Arthur created a smoke and it showed images of the evil of the Kraton empire, at the same time the image of the seven Grand Generals, the most powerful warriors of mankind. They were extremely shocked by the brutal scenes and nightmares before the soldiers of the Kraton Empire. They locked all the old people in a barn and burned them to the ground. The children were separated from their mothers and forced to become soldiers for the war. Women were turned into slaves and laborers for their factories. The surviving soldiers, half executed and half carried away as meat shields, take the lead in new battles. The iconic flag of the empire in the shape of a black dragon spreading its wings was raised with a burning kingdom behind. Screams, cries, and curses were everywhere. Arthur continued with weakness in his every word:
"We were captured, all of my followers were killed. In order to protect you, I had to shamelessly sacrifice my own honor. I made a terrible proposal and haunted me forever with the strongest, that I would do anything to save you. He agreed and I didn't know I made a deal with the devil. He said I must sacrifice my kingdom, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people if I want to be free. I had to agree and we were allowed to leave. I sold my kingdom in defeat and shame.
At the same time he also wanted something, which he called the Eyes of Horux. I didn't know what it was so he told the legend of the God Horux. The god Horux created this life, time, reality, and the universe. He created the Celestials, his angels, to preserve his legacies. He then created the first humans and gave them four of his sacred body parts before dissipating into nothingness. They are the Eyes, the Brain, the Heart, The Spine. Those parts were scattered throughout the world and were protected by kingdoms awaiting the day when God Horux would return to rule them all.
The Kraton Empire wanted to obtain the divine powers of the God Horux, so for hundreds of years they searched for them everywhere. They destroy all the kingdoms they see to find the pieces. They have found three, but their Eyes still can't find them. Since they know us from a far away Continent, they are more suspicious and think that the last piece is there. I showed them the way back to the kingdom, but in a storm in the middle of the sea, we got out in time and rowed a small boat back to the Continent. All those who led us died in the storm, but only one survived, the Exos Warth. He was a general of the empire but had a plan of betrayal, he saved us and brought back the kingdom in that storm.
After returning to the kingdom, I didn't want you to remember the horrors of the Kraton Empire so I erased that memory from you, I'm sorry, my daughter. But I still couldn't become king again, so I sneaked Exos into the castle as a mighty warrior and won Vansing's trust. Exos used his rich position and fed us for three years. In the meantime I have searched for the Eye of Horux and indeed, it is here, in the heart of the Highland Continent. Urizen asked me where the place is and it's in his diary. Then I hid the truth and returned to the realm, pretending the journey had found nothing and banishing Vansing's family from the Continent for the crimes of The First War. But I didn't expect them to be captured by the Kraton Empire and only Urizen was left alive. But Urizen returned to the Highland Continent in secret and began a plan to protect the kingdom. He killed me and trapped my soul with green flames. Then he wanted to create the strongest warriors of the four kingdoms so he let you begin the difficult journey to defeat him. Looks like he was right about you, you and your friends are ready. And that's all, I've said it all. I'm sorry for what I did."
Everyone became very shocked at Arthur's story except Exos and Laura because they already knew. Then Arthur said one last time:
"Daughter, I ask for nothing more than your forgiveness for me. I sold my kingdom to the devil for you and I regret it. Farewell, Eva."
Arthur disappeared and Eva tried to touch that smoke to say goodbye to Arthur because no matter how bad his sins were, he was still her father. Eva said in sadness:
"Farewell, father."
Julia replied:
"Woah, the whole story... I won't be able to sleep tonight."
Alata said with concern:
"So there's a huge army out there that will likely come here at any moment. What should we do?"
Exos said to Eva:
"Queen, what's your plan?"
Eva took Urizen's diary and skimmed it, everything was written down. Eva held up the diary and said:
"It's this, Urizen's diary will help us. Urizen said he used to be one of the most powerful generals. So he knew everything about the Kraton empire. Tactics, numbers, weapons, equipment, machines and everything, we have all information about the Kraton Empire here and we can really fight them back to protect the Highland Continent."
Everyone smiled excitedly except for Exos with a cold face. Lamalia excitedly said:
"Then I'll follow you, let's protect our beloved home."
Julia said:
"Just one more war and we'll make it through."
Alata said:
"Fighting with friends is number one!"
Grim said:
"Fighting again? I like it now."
Belle said:
"Now what do we do, Eva."
Eva replied strongly:
"Let's prepare the army, upgrade our weapons and create new weapons of war."
Elastor smiled excitedly and said:
"So The Dream Workshop has reopened."
Elastor rotated The Dream Workshop's closing sign back to open. Their preparation began. First, Eva, Lamalia, Grim and Belle informed the people about the imminent invasion of the Kraton Empire and they needed to prepare quickly for a future battle. The people unanimously agreed to the words and joined hands to protect the Highland Continent together. Returner sword was hung up again in honor of Zed and Edengaz. But Eva needed to fulfill her promise to Zed first, helping the poor with a difficult fate. Eva built an orphanage where orphans have to beg on the street have a loving roof. It was named "Orphanage of Friendship" and was run by Alata and Sansa. Then Eva helped the poor at the bottom of society to a new life by building new houses, providing money and a job to help them settle down. Society in Gloria kingdom had been peaceful and better than before as Zed always wanted. In the Sandx kingdom, Lamalia also gave the people a better life than before when the general needs of the kingdom were fully provided. The rate of poverty and theft gradually decreased, the streets and houses were repaired and renewed. As for the food, Belle used magic to create a large lawn in the desert and give them seeds to cultivate for a more prosperous life. The dwarves participate in the weapons creation process and forge many new weapons through Urizen's realistic drawings. Then they had new weapons of war such as: fast firing and loading catapults, flamethrower boats, ballista harpoon launchers, cannons. They succeeded in making steam machinery and making it easier to transport goods in the mines. The simplest Zeppelins were first created for air attack, more than a dozen were already ready for battle. And one of the most powerful weapons that was made were the muskets, they also made gun powder by mixing salt, mercury and coal. Thanks to that, explosives were also made at that time. The strongest armor of the dwarves was made for the hundreds of thousands of soldiers of the Highland Continent. Soldiers worked hard day and night to train and practice battle formations. Rock ramparts were erected outside the beach along the continent's ocean-facing west side. All of the enemy's moves were clearly recorded in the diary by Urizen. But ultimately with the specific location of the Eye of Horux, the Crusadia team went to the center of the Highland Continent, where the four kingdoms intersected at a single point. They then dug up there and unearthed a huge crystal with a deep blue color, inside it had golden veins. Then they built an underground fortress and put the crystal in the deepest place with many soldiers guarding it on many floors in that rift. Then a mysterious tunnel was dug from within the castle of the four kingdoms, they dug out through the east coast where the commoners would flee and hide. In the worst case, there would be a lot of large ships to evacuate from the Continent. The Crusadia team stood on the castle balcony watching their mighty army prepare for the greatest war on the Highland Continent in half a year. Never before have people worked together in such a difficult situation. Eva looked across the western ocean, through the white smoke. She seemed to be able to see the flag of the Kraton Empire fluttering again with another kingdom engulfed in flames. Beneath it was a big knight with dark armor. He revealed his long white hair and turned his back. Then he turned his head to look at the ocean like he was looking at Eva. A black dragon flew up and roared in terror. The War Was Coming.
-THE END?-
The journey will continue in The Dream Workshop: Journey To Celestial