----( The chapter is a long one.)
The brilliant silver walls of the city of Cintara, shined bright against the light of the setting sun. On the day of being drunk on wine and stuffed with meat, life flowed through the city's veins.
The common danced and sang ging while drunk on wine and beer dregs, celebrating the year's harvest, the best in many years.
The wizards using there mana to cast fire and water into the air to entertain the folks, while the soldiers fought fistfights, arm wrestling and drinking contests were also remarkable sites for the people, but they did not entertain some the same way.
"Small and weak subjects, sometimes I wonder how they do not realize that I could kill all of them if I wished." Looking from his chambers, Warlord Arya {Surname} looked down on all the minor subjects. He was dressed in his silk woven dress and wore his ruby-ingrained amulet.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he revisited his red eyes, small nose and sharp chin. Some
He looked great, or much better than those who sat on the council of kings. "Tch..." he let a hint of anger slip from his mind.
"She must have seen me." There was nothing you could hide from the king, her serpent knew everything before it ever happened, Arya knew he was always being watched just like everyone else in the city, he clutched his ruby amulet, remembering a memory of the past and putting it back inside his dress before walking off the today's urgent meeting.
The warlords are gods and saviours who rule the world, granting unimaginable powers a birth; they can control all elements, defeat any danger, and rule over any man. They had rights over every other human, and their presence sent shivers down any man's spine.
Controlling time, manipulating the minds of people, looking at people's lives without their consent, using any human for their pleasure, turning stone into gold, and burning griffins and giant lizards into bones in a second all come at their rights.
But even among them, there was disparity, Arya was a lower warlord. Unlike the warlords who were praised highly, he did not have the rights like all the other warlords, he was more of a slave then those minor subjects. Forced to work against his wishes, being looked down by other warlords.
"You can't do anything about it. You are the weakest warlord in the truth, just keep working and maybe one day you can get somewhere better. Don't try to poison yourself and take the easy way. You are our dearest treasure hunter and librarian after all." Dia Mantha(the observer warlord) told him yesterday.
The sad fact was Arya didn't even tell anyone about it, she just knew that he was planning on doing it, his life was not his, just trapped in the loops of weakness and inferiority. Even if he wanted to die, they wouldn't let him.
He entered the grand hall of the castle Astran, the thousand-year-old castle, but the windows on the walls let the little sunlight enter the castle and the rest was lit by the large round chandelier on top and torches all over the walls, the halls illuminated well.
"All hail the council of ten." Arya looked to his left as spoke , getting on one knee and looking at the 10 warlords sitting on their thrones, side by side.
Dia Mantha ( the observer), Alone Rias ( the believer), Winka Elkara ( the fist) were the ones Arya knew by name and in person, the rest of the 6 mostly stayed at different ends of the country. So, Arya remained less known to them.
9 of them were on equal footing but the throne of the king was elevated higher than the others. Arya lifted his eyes to look at the King of the country.
"All hail, Lord Mathers." The man sitting with his straight back, the body of a young man, sharp red eyes and brisk ashen hair, in his royal doublet and pants. Not a sign of an 80-year-old of life on his face. He nodded at Arya to get up and take his seat.
Arya walked to his left and climbed the stairs, to his seat in the audience with the other 7 lower warlords on the left. All the other warlords did not greet him, and neither did he. There was no place for false formailites.
Arya's eyes scanned the gallery on the top of the walls, searching for something, or someone. Once, he looked at Dia Mantha who was sitting on her seat, with a stoic look instead of her mischievous smile, but he quicking turned to see the person he was looking for.
"Eliza..." The lady standing in the gallery with her white silk grown, was beautiful as ever, her fair skin, violet eyes, brisk body and gentle demeanour. She had gotten these from her late mother, but one thing Arya loved most about her was that she didn't have her father's attitude.
The love of his life, the only thing that was stopping him from killing himself of this miserable life. She was gentle and treated him as an equal, Arya's highest goal to ever achieve her hand in marriage.
But his dream will forever be a dream, because Lord Mathers would never let his daughter marry less than a council warlord or, even let her marry in that regard.
「Don't look at her too much. Lord Mathers is looking at you.」
The voice called out to Arya, and he reverted his vision to incoming financial advisor and military generals, arch wizard and king's regents all bowing to the council of the 10 before they took a seat.
The voice would come and save him from unwanted embarrassment. He never learned what it was, maybe it was his muse.
The voice was his partner ever since he was a teen. Arya was told by the voice that he was a warlord and his father had sold him to the king's service... which he later researched and found to be true.
"..."
Coming back to the court, never had more people gathered in one place in Arya's life except on Eliza's birth. Arya was young when it happened, but remembered how happy the world was that day.
When everything was settled on their seats, Lord Mathers got up from the throne to address the seated guests. The light was not adequate to see him, the size of the hall was far bigger than the torches could ever light, but everyone would be guaranteed to hear him clearly. Sofia Miska ( the voice) sitting in her violet dress at her warlord throne, used for her powers for the scene.
All of the court was smiling and cheerful, most of them, like Arya, were expecting another grand announcement of a feast and festival for Eliza's 18th birthday, or maybe an economic breakthrough... Maybe a gifted warlord who was born and raised in secret was going to be revealed today.
"Dear one and all members of the court who are here today at my word, leaving behind their celebration of the harvest have my uttermost gratitude. I have called you here on a very serious matter of interest that concerns us all."
There was not a hint of a smile on anyone's face after the king's starting words. This meant only one thing...
"Has the Dynasty broken past treaties and declared upon us once again?" It was Alone Riza (the priest) who asked the question. It looked like, instead of Dia, none of the members of the council of 10 were told of the purpose of the meeting either.
"No, Sir Alone. Threat has come to us, but you are looking in the wrong direction. In the west, we have the Dynasty, the real threat is in the north, towards the destroyed Snow Lands."
Chaos wiped itself into the entire hall, disbelief, whispers, and threat all began to pass among the audience, the northern kingdoms were destroyed 500 years ago, and sealed by the wizards and warlords of the past. If a threat was to come from the north...
"Yes, the great northern seal is finally weakening, under our noses this entire time. While we were busy living our lives in leisure. It would not hold out for much longer. Soon, the wind serpent Alsana and her army of creatures will come to take over humanity." Lord Mather's words were heavy, so he took his seat once again.
"Your Highness... Could I know how you came to know of this? Like you said it was happening under our noses?" a regional prince raised the question.
" The voice of the fire lords has woken once again. And the message has reached us." Dia Mantha answered the question.
Another wave of surprise reached the audience. The lands of the fire or flame gods were worshipped by the known priests and residents who lived there. Known earlier for never-failing prophecies.
Coincidentally they were also destroyed 500 years ago. On the very same day, both lands were destroyed, and now, fire and ice have reincarnated and brought human grave danger.
"How? The prophecy of the fire gods is nothing more than a myth. How come the message reached us?" the prince raised his voice.
"..." This raise did attract a lot of eyes on him, but the man was firm in his resolve.
"There are no myths and lies in our world, Lord Leach. But, our Highness does believe that there is a need for more than just his word. Present the messenger of the Flame gods to the court. Witness, members of the court of Uro, the flame priest of the Lava lands." Alsana directed her hands to the main entrance of the hall.
From the darkness of the hall walked a man-like creature. He was as tall as a normal man and wore blue clothes on his body. But the special thing under the clothes was his skin was pale red. Like Redstone, his skin resonated more in the light of the torches. His presence alone raised the temperature of the entire hall. It was just like the books Arya read.
The iris was yellow and the pupils blue, his head was bald. He didn't look anywhere but at his ground. He walked with dignity, but when Arya enhanced his senses to look closely, he was trotting. In his hand he carried a vellum, and a light flame in his other hand.
He stopped near the king's throne, and looked at his vellum and began to read it out aloud.
"The last cycle has began. This is final message to humanity, soon the north will unleash will breakthrough all of your seal in 50 days after his message if forged, and this is just the beginning. The ravens will come and cut people alive and it will only get worse...There is only one way to prevent all of this. Somewhere, in the world, there hides a grave of a sleeping monster, an enigma. That is your only hope find the hidden grave and save your in the last game."
The message ended right there. There was stale silence, the words didn't feel like a prophecy at all, it was like a threat or maybe a prank. There were eyebrow raises in the entire court.
"I have already verified the words of the message, monster have began tearing through the wall already. I know you feel like this is no divine message, but it is true. All this message tells us, that we have to find the grave of the enigma to save us from the upcoming. The task is nothing short of impossible, but we have to try."
「This is your chance go and take it.」
The voice called to Arya that very moment, but Arya was already thinking about what he do. This was his chance to change everything, to become everything he ever wanted.
"I will take on the task to find this grave." Arya voice rang in the halls of the castle. Arya walked down the stairs and stood right beside the flame priest.
"My highness, I have spent countless hours working for finding orbs of power for all the warlords present in this room. I am chief librarian of this kingdom, I have read countless books and gained knowledge of the unknown. My entire life has been to service of you, please approve my request of this heroic task."
With not much words, Arya put up all his worth. Arya did not look up, but he feel the pressure of the eyes that were looking at him, judging and waiting for the only person who's reply mattered.
"That is true that you are most qualified with your ability to discover and detect things. I believe this task can be promised to you. But first, what do you want to as your prize?"
"The hand of your daughter in marriage." Again, Arya did not look up and kept his eyes fixed on the ground.
But his blood was boiling from the 5 warlord's weapon that were present on his neck. There gossips and whispers in the entire halls, there no limit to the amount of air of surprise and confusion.
"Granted." This was the only thing that mattered, when the king of the kingdom answered the wish. The blades vanished and enter another wave of confusion and surprise.
There was a smile on Arya's face and when he raised his face to look at the high isle. Eliza smiled too. This was his time, to shine, the moment when the stars align.
"My story begins now."
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