Chương 10: [Ancient King]

There was some strange stiffness in the man's movements. Like if his muscles and joints were extremely rigid.

After turning his head in their direction, he didn't do anything else. Only stood there, silent, waiting for something.

Captain made one step back and the man lost all interest in him returning to his initial position.

Step forward, and the man was alerted once more.

After this short test, John directly dashed forward.

In the next moment Captain and the mysterious man disappeared from their positions.

*CLANG*

Two swords clashed in the middle of the square. A gentle breeze caressed the two fighters. John slashed another time, but the man was able to keep up with him. In few seconds they clashed more than thousand times.

Sparks illuminated the whore square.

Nameless couldn't follow their movements and was able to see them only during the single clashes. The man appeared in the air and his fingers rapidly tapped his blade which started glowing with a blue light. He rose his sword and abruptly dived towards John.

The space itself trembled when their swords connected. Captain frowned.

The next moment the stalemate situation broke. From behind the man's back appeared an enormous three-armed phantom. In each arm he was holding a sword identical to the one held by the man.

"That's bad! Careful Cap!" – Shouted someone.

The swords started glowing with blue light. The next moment both the phantom and the man stuck towards John.

*BAM*

Suddenly a black energy ray ingulfed the man and hit the giant figure behind.

At first Nameless didn't understood what happened but after seeing Captain everything became clear.

John was holding a gun in his left hand. While the man was preparing his next attack, Captain was doing the same. At the end he simply shot him in the face. Some black light was still dissipating from the barrel.

A headless body was lying before him. He looked around. – "Well, let's go."

While passing near the corpse, Doctor commented. – "Poor guy. Even as a puppet he was still slightly better when Cap at swordplay."

"To be shot like this."

Nameless didn't care about the not very heroic ending of the men, but then he was near the body something caught his attention. 'That emblem…'

On the man's right hand there was tattooed the image of three swords surrounded by a circle of vines.

'Captain is…impressive! To be able to fight the Third Sword of Shurika without losing ground…Wait! Who is the Third Sword of Shurika?'

Some new memories were appearing in his mind, but he couldn't understand why.

This city already seamed very familiar like if he was here many times before, but he clearly knew that it was impossible. Still now, then he saw the mysterious man, he was sure about his identity.

One of the thirteen protectors of Shurika, The Third Sword, Gray Jagerlock. Or at least this already dead thing was him many years ago. Now It was only a mindless puppet, for some reason paced inside the already abandoned city.

'At least he was still faithful to his duty…'

Nameless kneeled down near the headless corpse and touched the sword he was still holding. Suddenly the gray ring-shaped mark on his hand blinked and the sword disappeared.

The boy didn't notice the reaction of the mark, but the disappearance of the sword right under his hand startled him.

"Ah!"

The sword was nowhere to be seen.

'It disappeared just like that…maybe it was connected in some way to his master's life?'

Still thinking about the strange things that were continuously occurring to him he followed the rest of the huge group

The huge city was empty. Only wind traveled along its infinite streets. Still Nameless time to time noticed some shadows lurking in the darkest corners, inside some houses, in the shadiest of the alleys.

They were circling around them. Trailing and waiting for some one to be left slightly behind.

Nameless shuddered thinking about how he stayed for some time near the corpse. 'If I remained there any longer probably…'

At least these things weren't aggressive and only waited passively.

After some hours they finally arrived before the Royal Palace. It was exactly in the center of the city. Built in the white rock like the rest of the buildings, it was heavily decorated with gold.

The main entrance was six meters tall and on top of it was written a row of strange symbols. Two warrior statues were guarding it by the sides. Nameless this time wasn't so surprised to discover that he knew exactly how to read it and what the phrase meant.

'Through ethereal glory to eternal sublimity.'

He didn't understand the meaning of this sentence, but still his heart for a moment started beating faster.

In this moment both statues moved. Simultaneously two four meters long swords were unsheathed. – "I'm break something artistic now…" – Said James cracking his fingers but before he could do anything another voice interrupted him. – "[Dispel]" And both statues crumbled. Only two small sand hills remained.

"Damn you, your family and all your ancestors Kleid! Why should you always steal from me?!"

The one named Kleid was a middle age man. He had short black hair and brown eyes. Until now he could be the most normal person that Nameless knew of the Sorrow's crew, if it wasn't for a massive mechanic left arm.

Green symbols and lines rhythmically glowed on its surface, and some strange clacking sounds could be heard if one was enough attentive.

"Just stop it James. You know that I can't restrain myself that some constructs are attacking me…" – He had a very calm and peaceful voice, but James wasn't even listening to him. – "…and that mechanical dragon? Do you remember then your constructs smashed it right before me? And the dark golems? IT WAS AN ENTIRE ARMY!! And what did you do? You dispelled them all…Couldn't you at least wait for a few minutes!?"

Kleid looked at him like if James was an idiot. But seeing his seriously offended expression he could only sigh. – "Ok, I'm sorry…you know that then we are talking about constructs I really can't control myself…"

James stopped complaining after seeing the Kleid's extremely apologetic face. – "Ok. The next time I'll just smash them before you dispel everything."

Kleid grinned. – "You can try!" – Nameless noticed, other than simple arrogance, a somehow hidden but not a bit less extreme pride and trust that Kleid had in his own abilities.

James could only sneer to this challenge.

Meanwhile everyone went inside the palace. At first inside was completely dark, but suddenly a huge number of symbols started glowing with a suffused yellow light.

Captain followed only the corridors illuminated by the symbols. There were a lot of other dark rooms, but no one had enough curiosity to risk their lives inside this abandoned palace.

In some of them Nameless heard some strange noises, like if something was chewing a piece of flesh. 'No one else noticed?' But he immediately noticed that Captain was frowning slightly every time they passed such rooms and corridors.

"What are in these rooms?" – Asked the boy to nearby Kleid.

Initially he was completely ignored by the man but after being gazed for some minutes Kleid could only surrender. – "Some are empty, and some have creatures which are better not to be disturbed."

"What creatures?"

The man didn't answer and instead a few runes on his arm started glowing more intensely. The corridor ended and they arrived into a huge hall.

It wasn't illuminated by symbols but there was a huge round aperture on the celling which let in some daylight.

Opposite to the entrance there was a huge throne. Then Nameless got nearer to it he was surprised. 'It's charred…'

The throne was black and broken in some places. Even if it was glorious in the past, now it was only a piece of charcoal.

John stepped forward towards the throne!

"I require the audience with your Majesty!"

Immediately everything became silent. A ghostly figure slowly materialized on the throne. Nameless was horrified to see it.

It should've been humanoid but now it was only a skeleton with some deformed and burned flesh crudely attached to it. Even if it was a phantom the boy could imagine the stench of burned and rotten corpse.

The ghostly one, still silent, looked towards Captain.

"I humbly ask your Majesty to let us go towards the next Star Island." – Saying it he even slightly bowed.

The figure continued to gaze calmly on the intruders. – "You kill my guardians, and then ask me to let you…" – Suddenly he saw a small boy among the group. He paused and his pupils imperceptibly trembled.

"I will let you pass." – John, who already placed his hand on the sword's handle, immediately relaxed. But a surprised expression appeared on his face. – "I'm thankful to your infinite benevolence!"

Si signaled to everyone to step on the platform.

Once everyone was ready, the ghost looked towards the boy and that gaze made him shiver, and he snapped his fingers.

*Clack*

The golden light engulfed the platform.

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