章 19: Debut of the Meeting
Lucas's Perspective:
Today marked the momentous occasion when every faction in Ashan would unite against a common adversary. Such alliances were rare in Ashan's history, with the only precedent being the united front against demons during the First Eclipse. This time, even the demons were willing to engage in discussions. Whether they would join the alliance remained uncertain, but their willingness to participate was a significant step.
"Feeling nervous, Malarion?" I inquired of the young clan Chief of the Darkblade clan as I rose from my seat, the meeting approaching.
"A bit," he replied, tapping his hands nervously on the bench where we sat. I smiled at his honest response, gazing outside Falcon's Reach castle at the sprawling landscape of greenery and buildings.
"It's normal to be nervous considering who we're meeting," I reassured him. Two pairs of footsteps approached rapidly, and I turned to see George and Thaum, the individuals accompanying me to the meeting, as Malarion had chosen Lianna as his companion.
"Your Majesty, we are ready," George announced, clad in his Knight armor, while Thaum donned his Cleric attire. Thaum's ascension to a Cleric, akin to my past journey, invoked a sense of nostalgia.
"Then we are ready to depart," Lianna's voice joined the conversation, surprising me, as I hadn't heard her footsteps.
I nodded, flanked by the two dukes, while Lianna stood beside Malarion. In an instant, we activated our stones, creating a green portal that engulfed us, transporting us to our destination.
The teleportation was disorienting, with a myriad of details flashing before my eyes at an abnormal rate. The images changed too swiftly for me to adapt, resembling the hyperdrive effect in Star Wars. Upon landing, we found ourselves on our feet, a slight nausea quickly addressed with a touch of Light Magic to heal ourselves.
"We awaited you," a frosty feminine voice greeted us. I looked up to see a beautiful woman with black hair, maroon eyes, and lips adorned in red, clad in intricately crafted armor representing the Spider Cult.
"I am Zakera, disciple of Lady Anastasia and Necromancer of Heresh. I will be your guide in Heresh during the three days of this meeting," she declared, bowing her head.
"I welcome you personally, King of the Falcon house, the Leader of the Darkblade, and their aides," she continued, a brief silence following her declaration as I accepted the greeting with a nod.
"I greet you too, Daughter of the Griffin, and servant of the Mother," I replied, acknowledging her origins, earning me a narrowed gaze.
"I am just an adopted daughter of an abandoned lineage, undeserving of a title or your attention," she calmly asserted, though the venom in her voice betrayed her composure.
I observed her pale face for a moment before smiling behind my helmet. "The mistakes of my peers do not reflect my opinion on your Mother. She was an extremely courageous woman who stood up to avenge her death," I said slowly. Contrary to my expectations, she briefly smiled before returning to her frosty expression.
"Well, if my Mother were here, perhaps she would have laughed at you, King of the Reach. But I am not my mother, so thank you for your words," she replied, ascending toward the top of the black pyramid.
"Follow me; the meeting will commence in thirty minutes," she said, prompting us to follow with a gesture.
"Do you know her, Your Majesty?" George inquired, eyeing the young vampire suspiciously.
"Yes, she is the adopted daughter of Anastasia Griffin," I confessed, earning shocked stares from Thaum and George.
"The killer of Duke Slava, but wasn't she killed?" George questioned, his gaze still fixed on the woman.
"The entire assassination was a betrayal orchestrated by Uriel to reignite one of the oldest wars that plagued Ashan. Anastasia was manipulated to carry out the Archangel's bidding," I clarified, aiming to dispel any misunderstandings before the Alliance talks began.
The two nodded as we started to ascend the pyramid, the two dark elves following promptly without a word. I could sense an enormous chaotic energy at the tip of the Pyramid.
Soon, we arrived at the top of the Pyramid. What greeted us was an enormous door made of black metal with strange green glowing symbols. A skeleton guard took hold of the door's handle before pushing it open, his voice resounding in the room.
"King of the Reach Lucas Aldaric, Chosen of Elrath, and Malarion, Darkblade Chieftain and Malassa's Chosen."
Inside the room, a round table with chairs of different sizes awaited, designed to accommodate the various invitees. One delegation was already present—the Sanctuary representatives. A stunning snake woman with white hair and golden eyes, adorned in verdant green-blue attire, looked at us with an excited expression. She bolted toward us, her aides—a fellow snake woman and a strange fishman—trying in vain to stop her. She halted in front of us, her attire floating in the wind.
"Hello! My name is Lyza, the Queen of the Meridian Sea and Chosen of Shalassa," her jovial tone surprised us all.
"Hello, Queen Lyza. I am the King of the Reach, Lucas Aldaric, pleased to make your acquaintance," I used a more formal tone, considering the gravity of the situation.
"My name's Malarion, a pleasure to meet you, my Lady," replied Malarion, looking stunned at her. But his girlfriend, Lianna, promptly delivered a blow to his feet with her high-heeled boot.
"Ouch," said Malarion, looking accusingly at Lianna, who huffed and looked away.
I sighed as I observed the Sanctuary Queen being dragged back toward her chair by her aides while the snake woman gave her an earful.
I felt a strange connection to the young queen, perhaps due to the blessing of Shalassa. We soon found our places and sat down in a religious silence, waiting for everyone to arrive to start the meeting.
"The Ranger Lord of the Great Forest of Irodan and blessed of Sylvanna, Jenova, and High-Thane in the Thunderous Peak, King Tholgar Olafsonn blessed of Arkath," came the voice of the skeleton once again as the door opened. A beautiful elf with black hair entered the room, but the dwarf accompanying her exuded an atmosphere akin to a volcano.
An azure blur passed by me as Lyza engaged in a greeting with our fellow kings. Tholgar seemed to like her, smiling as he engaged in a hearty conversation, while Jenova appeared displeased. However, the real tension began when we heard a dreaded voice.
"What are you looking at like that, you bitch?" Lianna's furious voice rang out. "Are you eyeing my man like a lump of meat?"
"How can you think that I'll have eyes for a filthy traitor like you?" retorted Jenova, and her guards drew their bows in a blitz. Yet, in an instant, their bows caught fire, forcing them to drop their weapons as they looked toward the door from where the flame originated.
"Lord Vagran, Lord of Chaos, Tyrant of Ur-Ganash, blessed of Urgash, rightful heir of Kha-Beleth, and Lady Nur, chosen of the Seventh and rightful ruler of Al-Solah, the city of magic."
I heard the voice of the demon clad in black armor. "Well, it seems that tensions are already quite high, don't you think, Lady Nur?" said the demon, looking mockingly toward the two rangers who had lost their bows.
"Don't talk to me, demon," replied the beautiful Djinn. "I only tolerated your presence due to the Alliance. Don't worry; I'll be one of the first to smite you for your blasphemous existence."
I saw the demon recoil a bit as he looked at her before glancing behind him at what I assumed was Veyer, one of Kha-Beleth's aides.
"You see, I try to be courteous, and this is how I am treated. I start to comprehend Kha-Beleth's anger at the mortal races."
Veyer grunted as he went to his place, leaving his Lord alone as his tirade was not even answered, earning chuckles from the Wood Elves, looking a bit mad after the burning of their bows. But this didn't stop two of us from going toward the demon. The azure blur, Lyza, as usual, lunged toward him and greeted him. Reciprocated by me, it was strange; Urgash's blessing seemed to speak to me, urging me to help this demon who truly seemed lost amid everyone else. I knew what it felt like to be mocked, so I genuinely wished to help him. Just as I was about to speak as I reached him, Belketh appeared.
"It seems that everyone is here. Let's start this meeting," he said, leaving silence in the room as everyone saw who was in the Necropolis chair. It was not Belketh but Zakera.
"Start the first meeting to decide the fate of this world," intoned the angel as he tapped his staff on the ground.
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A very little chapter as I came back from the gym absolutely demolished
Enjoy everyone
See you soon :)
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