Agartha met me in the Royal library that morning, her face drawn with concern.
She closed the door softly behind her before approaching the large wooden desk where I was poring over old scrolls.
"Damian," she began quietly, her voice a mere whisper. "I need to ask you about something... something important."
I looked up, curious. "What is it?"
She took a deep breath.
"Your mother... Queen Sussana. She had a stone. Remember you promised to give me the stone. Apparently I need the stone to recharge my powers."
I frowned, trying to recall what she was talking about. "The stone?"
"Yes," she nodded, her expression serious.
"Without it, I'm running on borrowed time. I can feel my powers weakening with every passing day. If we're to have any chance of stopping the beast, I need that stone to rejuvenate my strength."
I stood up, my heart racing. My mother's stone... it was vaguely familiar. I motioned for Agartha to follow me. Together, we made our way to my late mother's chambers.
When we arrived, I hesitated at the door. The room had been untouched since her passing, her belongings covered in white sheets to protect them from dust. It felt like intruding on a memory.
I pushed the door open, and the soft creak echoed through the halls. We stepped inside.
"Where do we even begin?" Agartha asked softly, her eyes scanning the room.
I started rummaging through her drawers, pulling out old letters, jewelry, and trinkets. But there was no sign of the stone. Just as frustration began to creep in, something caught my eye—above the fireplace, a portrait of my mother.
Her gentle face smiled down at me, and I remembered. The stone… It was fashioned into a necklace. A sudden, sinking realization hit me.
"The stone," I whispered, "was buried with her."
Agartha's eyes widened.
"Buried? You mean... we have to exhume her?"
I nodded slowly. "Yes. If we want that stone, we'll have to unearth my mother's grave."
Her disappointment was palpable.
"Damian... without that stone, I'll be of little use against the beast. You know that."
I sighed. The thought of disturbing my mother's grave was unsettling, and I knew the court would object to it. But what choice did we have?
♤♤♤
"What!? It will bring about a bad omen!"
My father, King Gario, shouted, his voice reverberating through the grand hall. He stood from his throne, eyes wide with disbelief, as if what I had suggested was the gravest of sins.
The court erupted into murmurs, gasps, and whispers, all eyes on me. I stood tall, refusing to back down. I had expected this reaction, but it still stung.
"It's impossible for the sorceress to help us without the stone that was buried with my mother," I said, my voice strong, though inside I felt a gnawing uncertainty.
An elder rose to his feet, his voice dripping with disdain.
"If she can't help us without that cursed stone, then why did we bother bringing her here in the first place?"
The court roared in agreement, voices overlapping in a chaotic wave of doubt and fear.
"Silence!" I bellowed, my voice cutting through the noise.
"I was the one who was sent to find the sorceress while your sons stayed here, safe and warm in their bunkers, hiding from the beast! I was the one who risked my life, enduring hunger and danger, to bring her back to Akrifous. And now, you would question her worth? Without her, it's only a matter of time before we all fall prey to that monster!"
The court fell silent, though the tension was still thick in the air.
I turned to my father, whose expression was conflicted. He looked at me, his face etched with worry.
"I just need your permission," I said, my voice softer now but no less determined. "We have no other option."
King Gario looked out over the court, his eyes sweeping across the faces of the nobles and elders. He stood tall, his voice carrying the weight of his authority.
"If anyone has a better solution to defeat the beast, speak now."
The silence that followed was deafening.
"Then I give my permission," he said, his voice steady. "Prince Damian will unearth his mother's grave and retrieve the stone." He waved his hand, dismissing the court.
As the courtiers filed out, whispering among themselves, I exchanged a glance with Agartha.