~•~
"We have no choice, if we leave his highness locked in this room, plaques will befall the kingdom..." Eryndor said...
"Oh no! Is there something sort of time limit?, where done even find the book?" The king asked
"Yes we only have 48 hours 23 minutes and 34 seconds, your majesty and we will find the book in the forbidden forest" Eryndor replied
"Forbidden forest?! That might take years to look for and we may never come back alive, you know what lives in that forest?!" The king shouted
"Your majesty this is not my doing, nor do I have a right to that book " Eryndor said almost raising his voice.
"I know... Just shut up.. I mean continue.. AHH... Let's go then" the king said angrily
"Let's? You're majesty, I am not coming along " Erydor said, looking suprised
"I'm not making a request!" The king ordered
"But your majesty I'll have to watch the seal" Eryndor lied.
"Oh shut up , the seal doesn't need watching, you're just afraid of dying in that forest" the king spat out.
"I'll have to-" Eryndor said trying to come up with something
"Are you lying in my presence" the king said
"I'm sorry your majesty, of course I don't want to die, there are so many dangerous creatures in that forest, there's no record of anyone that goes in and come out alive" Eryndor confessed
"Do you think I'm immortal and I can't die?, well you should have thought about that before you said it" the king exclaimed.
"Your majesty I repeat this is not my doing?!, I'm not the one who wrote that book neither did I make all this happen?" Eryndor shot back, shouting.
"Are you complaining before me?" The king asked.
"No your majesty" Eryndor said and bowed.
"Good" the king gave a satisfied reply.
"But your majesty why must I follow you're the king you should make sacrifices for your people" Eryndor said trying to defend himself
"Oh really aren't I making a sacrifice by risking my life?, And you're the people.. be loyal to the kingdom" the king shot back.
"But why is it me?! There are other prophet in the whole kingdom of Safara" Eryndor exclaimed.
"Yes but you were the first and last prophet to witness the born of the red prince of eternity and to even hold it and say the prophecies, so you're now one of a kind, don't worry you'll be rewarded" the king answered sincerely.
"In that case you majesty you would have to carry the princess along" Eryndor added.
"My daughter?! Why?" The king asked confused
"Just for appealing and assurance, I've read books about the forest" Eryndor said.
"What assurance and appealing" the king asked.
"Your majesty it said that the the guarding the book will only spare the alpha royals at the first sentence" Eryndor explained
"What do you mean?" the king asked.
"Your majesty, the one guarding the book is unknown, the book itself don't know because no one lived after seeing it, but it's said that because of the pact.. i can't really remember... I'll get the book" Eryndor said.
"No wait I'll send someone to fetch it, where's the book?" The king said.
"It's in my house in the east, address **** " The prophet said.
"Okay commander Kael go and fetch that book" the king ordered
~•~
Kael Arrived with the book and gave it to prophet Eryndor, while Everyone including the king waited for what he would say from that book
Prophet Eryndor cleared his throat as he knelt down, opened the book and read it out loud
~In the shadows of crimson, where secrets dwell,
The forest guards what no tongue dares tell.
Through haunted paths and veils of night,
Where death itself fears to take flight.
The book of curses, bound in flame,
Speaks of a prince and his eternal name.
A guardian waits, its wrath untold,
A pact with royals, forged in days of old.
The bloodline's bond, the child foretold,
Unlocks the forest's secrets of gold.
Yet blood alone cannot pay the price,
For lies bring doom, and truth cuts twice.
To the brave who dare tread this forbidden land,
The forest yields not to mortal hand.
Royals may pass by ancestral grace,
But the guardian's wrath they must still face.
If the curse proves true and fate aligns,
The guardian follows, through darkened signs.
Yet should deceit or error be found,
The forest's vengeance will tear the ground.~
As the last words left Eryndor's lips, the air in the throne room thickened, heavy with an oppressive force. The book began to glow faintly, its dark crimson light casting eerie shadows across the grand chamber. The ground beneath them trembled as if the kingdom itself was reacting to the ancient prophecy being spoken aloud.
The king, his expression one of suppressed fear and burning determination, steadied himself against the trembling walls. "What… What is happening?" he demanded, though his voice carried a rare flicker of unease.
Eryndor shut the book with trembling hands, his face pale. "Your Majesty… The guardian has heard the prophecy. It knows we seek the book."
A deafening crash of thunder boomed across the sky, followed by streaks of crimson lightning that illuminated the kingdom of Safara.
The seal on the birthroom door glowed brighter, as if resonating with the ancient power that had been awakened.
The king turned sharply to his trusted soldiers. "Prepare for the journey to the Forbidden Forest. We leave at once."
Kael, always the cautious one, stepped forward hesitantly. "Your Majesty, if I may… This journey is fraught with peril. Should we not send scouts ahead to—"
"There is no time for cowardice, Kael!" the king barked. "The prophecy speaks of a time limit. We have less than forty-eight hours, and I will not risk my kingdom, being lost to this curse."
Prophet Eryndor, still shaken, spoke softly but firmly. "Your Majesty, we must not delay. The guardian will test us not only with its strength but with its judgment. If we are to succeed, we must approach with unwavering resolve and clarity of purpose."
Dravok turned to his daughter, Princess Evalith, who had been silent but observant through the ordeal. Her striking resemblance to the late queen was a painful reminder of what had been lost. "Evalith, you will join us on this journey. Your presence may help sway the guardian if the prophecy is true."
Evalith's eyes widened, but she bowed gracefully, her voice calm despite the tension. "As you command, Father. I will not fail our bloodline."
The palace continued to shake as the storm outside intensified. Every crash of thunder seemed to echo with the weight of destiny, and every flash of lightning illuminated the solemn faces of those preparing for the perilous journey ahead.
Eryndor gripped the cursed book tightly, its ominous glow a constant reminder of the danger that awaited them. "The Forbidden Forest does not forgive trespassers," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the storm. "May the Crimson Prince truly be our salvation… or we are doomed."
The king, Evalith, Eryndor, and their retinue of elite guards departed the throne room, their footsteps heavy with the weight of impending fate. Behind them, the castle walls seemed to whisper warnings of what lay ahead.
And so, the journey to the Forbidden Forest began—a journey that would test their courage, their loyalty, and the very foundations of the prophecy they sought to unravel.