Chapter 44: Chapter 44
As they neared the end of the mirror the darkness began to give away to a blinding white light. They could not see a thing. Lifting their hands in order to block the light from their eyes as they walked. Ground gave away at their feet causing them all to tumble forward. Bodies meeting instantly with the cold dirt and grass as the mirror spat them back out on the other side of the phoenix canyon. Shrieks from the phoenix could be heard from behind them.
"Are you two alright?" Tyson asked as he struggled to get up. The landing had each of them wheezing slightly as they tried to adjust quickly to the change in atmosphere once more. Looking around he could see a tall stone castle. Lush with plants it gave off an air of elegance.
"I'm fine." Chi answered first while Fae refused to respond at all. The vampire kept his silence as he just glanced over at the both of them quietly.
Hearing the crunching sound of approaching steps Tyson lifted his eyes. A ten foot tall armored knight wielding an black steel axe in its hands as it came swinging downward right at them. Reacting quickly Tyson jumped forward and grabbed hold of Chi tightly in order to move him out of the way of the oncoming impact of the axe. Both of them slamming into Fae from the side causing them to crash into the ground once more just as the axe's steel planted itself firm into the ground.
Reaching for his own dual blade Tyson prepared to climb to his feet and fight the armored knight. His actions halted by the sounds of more approaching. Glancing around he could see at around a dozen of the knights wielding weapons as they approached from all angles. Standing at around ten feet tall they towered over the three of them. There were no faces or bodies to the knights. Each one of them gave off a blue glow as they were powered by a wandering soul that had merely taken over a knight's armor.
"Careful now, we need them alive! Well.. looks like the mirror indeed did let a new face through for once." A voice called out to them as the knights gave way to an approaching man. With hair as white as snow and eyes as green as emeralds he gazed down at them on the ground. A long furred cloak wrapped around himself as if he hailed from royalty.
"Who are you?" Tyson asked him while gripping his weapon tight in case the man tried to make a move against them.
"King Sobek, though you may as well consider me a kingdom-less king." The man responded before pausing as if to consider something carefully. Snapping his fingers as he continued. "Bring them inside. I do not wish to stand about here all day."
"Wait!" Chi shouted as the sight of the knights moving in towards them.
"We aren't going with you!" Fae declared at the same time.
"Oh? I don't think you have the choice here. You may walk on your own or I shall have my men drag you along. Come now." King Sobek stated as his knights began to reach out and grab them. Closing his eyes calmly as he listened to the sounds behind him as he walked away from them.
"Very well." Tyson did not struggle with the decision. Following behind King Sobek they made their way for his castle. Knights followed behind them to ensure the safety of their king as the group moved along.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but.. are you alive?" Chi broke the silence after a while as they entered the stone castle's doors.
Looking around everything looked clean and well kept. Among the knights there were few who took great care of the castle in order to keep it kept up. A bright red and gold carpet lined the floor beneath them as they walked up a wide stair way. Entering a wide doorway to the throne room King Sobek went over and took to his seat.
"Alive? If one simply breathes does that truly mean he living? If one falls to something does that truly mean he is dead? By your standards I indeed died long ago." King Sobek smiled as he slouched back in his throne comfortably.
"Why did you bring us here?" Tyson did not dance around the question. He wanted to know why the kingdom-less king would pull them into his castle so simply without attacking them.
"It's simple really. A little bird spoke to me and told me you'd need refuge." The king said as he tousled his own snowy white hair. His eyes gazing over the three of them until his eyes landed on Tyson. A strange glint behind them that they could not make out.
"Refuge?" Tyson pondered the meaning behind his words. At the mention of a bird he could only think of one person who would have been able to with great caution, Tai.
"Quite simply.. This old king intends to aid you in the future you seek." King Sobek leaned forward in his throne and reached out his hand as if he was offering them something. "Surely you wish to unite everyone in a single place. I shall aid you in sheltering your revolt."
"You wish to help overthrow Numen." Tyson understood the meaning behind King Sobek's intentions.
"What king does not wish to aid his people. Mine and I have been trapped here for so long under his reign. No king wishes to see his people fall victim to another. Hearing of your intentions I simply wish for the same thing. I already lost my days as a true king. I have nothing left to lose at this point myself." King Sobek's voice broke slightly when recalling the life he'd once lived. Reaching his hand to the side over the floor a small vine began to grow from the floor as it quickly grew straight up to his hand. Grasping the vine in his hand a small yellow flower bloomed from it as he carefully plucked it and pulled it to his face. Closing his eyes as he dreamed of the days when he could truly touch the earth and see the many beautiful things he now could only long for.
"Very well." Tyson responded to the man as the other two stood close to him with caution for their surroundings. Knowing well that regardless of what the king said to them they still had to be weary of him since he was a spirit within Numen's Garden. They had never met the man before so they could not determine right away if he was truly a friend or merely wolf in sheep's clothing.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone