The next day, after the guard came to me, I headed to the kingdom of Unandir, following my father's orders.
My father, the king of Unandir, Alduin, was an imposing man. He fought in past wars, brought peace to the kingdom and our clan, but at the same time, the two branches of our clan became an obstacle for him.
So, my father did something terrible: he used the blood of the leaders of the other two families and, with the help of a sorcerer, Alduin executed the blood pact.
My father took the freedom from the Shi and Sui families, imprisoning them under the absolute control of the Shisui.
He was a monster, over six feet tall, and merciless to his enemies. How could I face such a being?
The kingdom of Unandir was a little north of the barracks, about half an hour on foot, not too far. I passed through a small forest between the barracks and Unandir until I reached the main gate of the kingdom.
Along the way, I saw several carts heading toward the kingdom, filled with wheat and fruits. They must be merchants supplying the great city.
After some time walking, I finally reached the great kingdom and was confronted by its towering walls, more than twenty meters high, made of rock and cement. As I got closer, I noticed marks all over the walls, and I wondered how many wars those walls had withstood.
Upon crossing the walls, I thought to myself: "After I speak to my father, I'll rush to see my mother." That was my greatest goal, after five years without embracing my mother. The loneliness had become unbearable.
Although the kingdom was beautiful, the inequality was evident everywhere I looked — how did it come to this?
The main street of the kingdom led to the royal palace. Walking slowly, I observed the city and noticed something... there were slaves serving the rich, but not in an honorable way. They were humiliated.
To my right, I saw a slave on all fours, carrying a fat nobleman on his back. It was a disgraceful sight, and it churned my stomach. There were slaves of various races, but what had brought them to this state?
After a while, I finally reached the massive royal palace, white and gold, and not just painted gold, but real gold. Even the gates were made of gold, and the guards, with armor and spears in their hands, were prepared for anything.
I approached one of the guards and said:
Sir, I am Zenoir Shisui, I come to meet my father.
I was a little nervous, as the guard was massive. The guard looked down at me and replied:
Get out of here, kid, this isn't a place for beggars.
Was it because of my clothes? I was wearing my usual outfit: shorts, a shirt, and boots.
Sir, what I'm saying is true, the king is my father – I insisted, raising my voice.
Then I heard a voice behind me:
Let him through, can't you see he's the king's son?
When I turned around, it was the man from the previous night. Where had he come from? I hadn't sensed his presence.
And who are you? – asked the guard.
I am Din, I work for the king – the man replied.
He showed a piece of paper to the guard, but I couldn't tell what it said. The guard looked at the paper and replied:
Let him in, kid.
The guard opened the gate, and Din gestured for me to follow him.
Let's go, your father is waiting for you. Don't worry, it's probably nothing serious – Din said.
That man was very strange. I didn't trust him, but I had no choice but to obey for now.
Inside the palace, I saw two long spiral staircases, one on each side, and in front of me, a giant white door.
Let's go, your father is waiting – Din said.
When I passed through the door, I saw my father sitting on his throne.
Din and I walked toward the king and knelt.
Hello, sir. As requested, here is your son – Din said.
Very well, your mission is complete. You may leave – King Alduin replied.
As Din left, my father looked at me and said:
I've heard that you've made great progress in your training over the past five years. That's why I called you. I want you to face one of my warriors in an individual fight.
"I knew this was coming," I thought.
I stood up and said:
Yes, sir.
This will be your opponent – the king said.
Suddenly, someone appeared behind me. When I turned around, it was none other than my brother Heith.
Why was this fight happening? Even though I didn't understand the reason, I couldn't back out. My brother also seemed nervous, not even able to look me in the eyes.
Then, the king gave the order:
Fight!
Heith rushed toward me. I had no choice, I had to fight.
I started dodging his punches. He was fast, and we were the same age, with similar builds.
Then, I began to counterattack, faster and faster. I had to surpass his speed or I would perish...
"I found an opening on his left side. Maybe I can land a kick. I'll wait for the right moment."
I kicked his ribs with all my strength. I'm sure he felt some damage.
My brother stepped back, still not looking me in the eyes. He said:
We need to take this seriously.
He stretched out his hand, gathered mana, and materialized his soul into a black bow. He wasn't playing around; I knew he was ready to kill me.
My brother aimed the bow at me. For the first time that day, he looked into my eyes, and his face had a vacant expression.
"He's going to shoot that black arrow at me. I need to dodge."
I jumped behind a column, but my brother destroyed the column with his black arrow. It was really powerful. How could I fight against this?
I rushed at him, but he quickly aimed another black arrow at me.
"I can't let myself be hit."
"Damn it, there's no time!"
The black arrow struck my thigh, tearing through my flesh. The pain was unbearable, and it burned from the inside.
"What do I do? Is there any way to defeat him?"
My leg was bleeding, and the pain was excruciating... I had to think of something.
If you don't materialize your soul, you'll die too – my brother said, aiming the black arrow at my head.
"Close your eyes, feel your soul."
In my left hand, I began to feel my mana. I concentrated all my energy into that hand, focusing intently.
"By the surprised look on my brother's face, it's working."
I stood up and gathered as much mana as I could into my left hand. Then, a great burst of light emanated from my hand.
A beautiful sword appeared, silver and gold, radiating light. It was dazzling, shining like the sun, with tiny electrical sparks coming off the blade. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, reminding me of the Aurora Borealis.
The king stood up, furious.
I knew it! Your mana is light. Besides your uselessness, you insult me with this filthy mana. Call Din now! – the king shouted angrily.
At that moment, I didn't understand what I had done wrong...
to be continued...