Chapter 31: Royal Capital Castle, Night (1) (Patreon)

“Spears and crossbows, stand down!”

Disorientation blinded me as I found myself lurching where I stood, as if pushed and pulled by opposing forces equally hell bent on making me vomit. But whereas my eyes were made useless by the dizzying mirage of new surroundings being rapidly and forcefully spun into my mind against the natural order of things, my ears still more or less worked.

Sound flooded my ears. Plated boots on a stone floor. Swords released from their sheaths. Crossbow bolts being notched into place. And the desperate shouting of panicked men.

“I said stand down! Do you see horns sticking out of any of their heads? Stand down at once! I'll have no more of our dead tonight!”

The first thing I saw after the blinding light washed away from my eyes was the sight of a curtain of spear points being slowly lowered to the ground, heckled by an armoured soldier in full knightly regalia, minus a helmet.

What I also saw, much less to my delight, were the crossbows behind them being lowered at a much slower rate. The knight's moustache twisted from the force of his yelling as he wildly motioned for them to stand down, before turning to our group.

“Friendlies arriving! What's the situation, Captain? This is a bad night to not be following protocol. You didn't telegraph your use of the waypoint. Who are these people? Civilians?”

“Ordained heroes. And it's about Blackrose. The city was assaulted. The Demon King's forces have breached the southlands. The king must be notified at once.”

“Blackrose? Dear Goddess … then it's true. The Ley Palisade has been breached. It's not just the castle.”

“What? The castle?”

We had arrived in a small, circular stone room, marked by glowing engravings etched into the walls and floor. Powerful runes so impressive that even as someone not blessed with magic, I could feel it against my skin. This was magic of the highest calibre. These were teleportation markings.

The work of mages far beyond any that I had ever worked with before.

Mages whose strengths were so great that they would never reduce themselves to adventuring. They were employed directly by kings and emperors.

Or perhaps even the Demon King himself.

Among us, in the centre of the room, was a blue crystal, glowing with such intensity that heat could be felt radiating out from within. The light and heat both faded slowly, as if the residual magical energy used to teleport us to this location was so strong that even while not in use, it wouldn't be easily extinguished.

I tried taking a step forwards, only to immediately stagger. The teleportation had not been gentle. As my vision swam, a hand grabbed my arm as I fell.

Coarse and powerful, I knew immediately who it was that'd just saved me from stumbling like a drunkard.

Turning to my side, I opened my mouth to utter a quick thanks to Magnus. Instead, my mouth remained opened as I also saw he'd caught Iris as she staggered also. Except that unlike me, he'd caught her in the hand.

For a moment, I saw the sight of him gently hoisting Iris solidly back on her feet no differently than if he were a gentleman aiding a lady after stumbling during a dance. Iris nodded in gratitude, her eyes similarly disorientated.

Magnus let go of my arm. He didn't let go of Iris's hand.

And yet … she made no complaint, simply accepting the warmth holding her up as she sent her gaze around the circular room and towards the encirclement of gradually relaxing soldiers. The ease at which she could casually allow Magnus to hold her hand knocked what little breath remained out of me.

“Aye, the castle,” said the knight, beckoning towards a door leading out of the room. A door which was hanging loosely off its hinges. “You're a hair's breath too late, Captain. The Demon King's forces have already been subjugated.”

“What?! Then, not only Blackrose, but … ?”

“They stood where you are. Those that made it through, at least. It was a bold attempt. Had the mages not realised that the Ley Palisade had been breached, they estimate with the size of the portal being summoned, the castle would have fallen within an hour. The war within a night. You gave us a fucking scare by coming in just now.”

Stunned silence met the knight's statement as we each took in the gravity of what was just said.

Almost simultaneously, we looked down to our feet.

There, the clear markings of battle were present. Or perhaps an execution. The fresh stains of dark blood, still yet to be fully scrubbed, seeped into the cracks of the stone floor. A black scorch signalled where a blast of magical fire had been conjured, disturbing the stonework but not the engravings.

And then the realisation fully sunk in.

The Demon King's forces were fully on the advance.

While I had little knowledge of how the kingdom's vaunted Ley Palisade worked, I knew that it formed an integral part of the realm's defences against magical attacks by the Demon King's dark sorcerers.

If it had fallen, then that spelled potentially devastating consequences for the kingdom. Indeed, it explained perfectly how the Demon King's forces were able to penetrate into the heart of Blackrose far to the south. And it would also explain why a ring of heavily armed soldiers had met our arrival into the castle.

As the silence grew longer, I finally took a step forwards, all the while still knowing that behind me, Magnus's hand was easily wrapped around my girlfriend's. It was a moment of deep envy that I had to push aside for now.

I looked at the captain, whose face was white with horror at the permutations of what he had just heard. He thought the biggest thing he'd need to worry about tonight was the size of the report he'd have to write.

Then, I looked at the knight, still waiting for our response. Our commands. I did not know his rank or his standing, but I knew the look in his eyes. They spoke of a man wishing for orders where there was currently none.

I took in a deep breath, then nodded towards the half-broken door.

“Take me to the king.”

~~~

The castle's interior was so richly furnished that both the Renfont Estate and the private auction site looked like pale imitations of a nobleman's palace. And perhaps that's because that was true.

This was not the home of nobility. Even the highest kind. There was unlikely any home, even that owned by a duke, that could compare to the home of the kingdom's ruling nobility.

This was the castle in the heart of the Royal Capital. The most important stronghold of the realm. The beating heart of the nation of people whose attempts at withholding the onslaught of the Demon King were now being pushed to its limits.

It was the seat of the royal family. Here, the oldest and most prestigious founding family of the kingdom took their place as kings and queens, hoarding treasures and wealth beyond the likes of which even nobility could only gawk at. And it showed in the halls that we walked.

An escort of royal guardsmen hurried us through the richly decorated maze that made up this castle. The luxurious ornaments, carpets and paintings were without blemish. History weighed down on us, and for the first time, I felt both the power and the weakness of the kingdom.

Here was enough wealth to bury other nations or buy them out right. And yet what was it, when compared to the zealous madness and rage that caused the Demon King's forces to hurl themselves against shields and spearpoints with no regard to themselves? Coin could not buy the enemy's soldiers. If it could, this war would have long been ended.

Beside me, Magnus let out an impressed whistle.

He was no longer holding Iris's hand. Instead, he busied himself with casually tossing his spear between his hands as he walked. Only when one of the guards glanced at it did he instead clasp it like a mage gripping a staff, as if to make his point perfectly clear regarding its ownership.

However, for the brief moments that the spear was not at the forefront of his mind, his thoughts clearly wandered towards the rich furnishings surrounding us.

What caused him to whistle, however, was not any of the invaluable portraits and decorations. It was a passing window. And the sight that lay beyond.

We were high in the castle, further causing a disconnect between where we just were and where we now found ourselves. Beyond the darkness of the night, the reflection of the moon could be seen upon unseen waters. The sea stretched out beneath us, lapping at sand and stones hidden at the foot of the castle.

And in that sea, the silhouettes of warships could be clearly spied, their sails illuminated beneath the moonlight.

“Big ships,” said Magnus, nodding in simple admiration. “With big ballistas.”

For a moment, he surprised me by being able to admire something which wasn't a spear or a woman. But then, I supposed that the bolts being launched from a ballista could more or less be considered a spear of sorts.

“They'll need them,” I replied. “For the times ahead.”

“They need them now. Not tomorrow. Guess the sailors got lost heading out of the bay. Their eyes are too busy looking up their own asses.”

His comments immediately drew a short, appreciative round of chuckling from the guards escorting us. It wasn't like Magnus needed affirmation to lambaste other people. But when encouraged, he was quite happy to fulfil his part as the vulgar man in any scenario.

“Shit, now I know where all the kingdom's tax money goes. A thousand windows and I still feel as warm as a baby in a crib. King hires a fucking army of woodchoppers to keep this place toasty? He should send them north. Demon King will be axed in the head and then billed for it.”

At once, a generous round of easy laughter ensued around the corridor that we walked.

These were men that had likely seen battle within the last hour. And yet they were immediately put at ease by Magnus's carefree demeanour.

I couldn't help but feel begrudgingly impressed. For all his loud mouthed nature, it was one to which drew soldiers and adventurers to him at both the best and worst of times. That fearlessness was something which could be his finest feature.

Although I often disagreed with his battle tactics, or rather, his lack of one, it could not be denied that his approach to life was as much a positive as it was a negative. And when the Demon King's shadow loomed high, that was when his courage shined boldest.

Even Iris, often quick to chide his open nature, let out a small smile. It opened up a fresh pang of realisation in my heart that at times like these, it wasn't a tactician that people wanted. It was a leader.

Not for the first time, I wondered again what my role in our party was.

If I wasn't inspiring the people around me, then what exactly was it that I did?

“You'll have to get them out of their hammocks first,” said one of the soldiers. “The woodcutters lay claim to the beaches for most hours of the day.”

“No shit. King actually has his own woodcutters?”

“More than soldiers, I reckon. Would be a fearsome army. We dread the day they rise against us, mostly since that'd mean even less of the beaches to us.”

A round of easy agreement leapt from soldier to soldier as the mood instantly lightened. Suddenly, we were no longer strangers being escorted during uncertain times. We were comrades laughing in a tavern.

I kept my silence, marvelling at the ease to which Magnus drew these soldiers to him. And though it pained me to admit it, there was much I could learn from it.

Then again, there was also a lot I shouldn't learn.

“Damn, wouldn't mind heading to the beach,” he said, looking intently out of the next passing window as if to spy it out in the darkness. “It's all been mud and shit for months now. A bit of home and sand would be a good sight.”

For a moment, I was confused at the sincere tone he used. Then I remembered that his home, where the Ten Dragons Clan was situated, was located on an isle surrounded by sea. He would be as innately familiar with the beaches as he was to the sunshine, hence his naturally tanned skin.

I looked outwards again.

It was a beautiful sight. Perhaps it would be more beautiful still in the sunlight. The waters which lapped upon the Royal Capital's beaches were said to wash up pearls and sapphires. Whether or not that was true was irrelevant. The beaches were still widely famed for their aesthetics.

And would remain utterly invisible to us.

“As good as it'd be, I have a feeling we won't be going to any beaches any time soon,” I said, breaking the jovial mood at once.

He responded with a grin filled with confidence that I most certainly didn't share.

“We can make time.”

“As tempting that is, I suspect we'll have other matters to attend to that our schedules won't allow for. Besides, haven't you seen another golden sand for a lifetime?”

“Fuck golden sand. It's the other thing I want.”

“What other thing?”

Magnus cracked open his biggest grin yet.

“Swimsuits, legs and tits.”

I let out a groan as I remembered who I was talking to.

But as I formulated the best reply to his latest outburst of desires, I couldn't help but glance to the beautiful girl in our midst.

Iris, who true to her public nature, showed no obvious reaction to his latest comment. She looked ahead without blinking, politely taking in the surroundings.

For a moment, I thought about the sight of Iris in a swimsuit, parading amongst the golden beaches and the sunshine. It was a beautiful delusion that could send any man drooling.

Sadly, that delusion was soon dispelled by a great set of doors coming ahead.

The escort of guards stopped, but the officer in charge nodded at us to continue.

The throne room lay ahead. And also our destiny.

~~~

The king sat not on his throne, but in an inauspicious chair.

There was no grand hallway around us, filled with flowing banners and moving servants. Instead, we were in a small office furnished like a simple library. Desks, chairs and shelves surrounded us where paintings and statues before. Instead of chandeliers, functional candlelights lit up the desk and the face of the man sitting behind it.

This was not a throne room for ceremony. It was the king's private meeting space.

And that meant today's business was most serious indeed.

“Ordained heroes,” the king spoke, sitting back in his chair as we stood before him. “I thank you for your great service to this kingdom, and to the people of Blackrose. Hearing the report of my captain, I have no doubt that your valour saved the lives of many innocents this night.”

I held back a smile. I wasn't sure when or how he'd received his report so fast, but as the captain hadn't walked with us here, I could only imagine that we'd been given the long detour to this meeting.

The king was, frankly speaking, not someone who looked like a king.

He wore no crown and carried no sceptre, instead wearing unadorned silk and holding a quill. Beyond this, he held neither the great stature of a warrior, nor the old age of a sage. Were he to wear a commoner's clothing, he would be lost amidst even the smallest of crowds.

Yet there was no denying that when he spoke, it was with the authority granted by unbroken generations of leadership. His voice was etched with confidence, as if every word he spoke was a statement that could be nothing but true.

This, more than anything, was what made him king.

Even Magnus had stopped tapping at his spear, although I had no doubt that this would change if and when the king decided what should come about it.

“These are black days, my friends. And yet they grow blacker still. The citizens of Blackrose have felt fear, and I suspect that before the hour is up, I will have heard that those of other towns and cities to the south will have also. The Ley Palisade, which has kept the Demon King's sorceries at bay just as much as our swords and spears, has been breached. The magic which lay at the foundation of our kingdom is now being used as a weapon against us. We are imperilled.”

The king looked at each of us in turn, assessing us as though he was reviewing a line of soldiers.

“But there is hope yet. Felling a high officer of the Demon King is no small feat. And I am told that you have accomplished this twice.”

I held back a flinch as memories resurfaced of the first battle, although truth be told, neither fight could be considered victory by traditional feats of strength. Against the Demon of Lust, we'd out-planned it. Against the Demon of Greed, we'd out-Magnus'd it.

As if reading my thoughts, the king looked at the man in question, before turning thoughtfully to the spear.

After a brief moment of consideration, he relaxed his posture and nodded.

“... So rest, brave heroes, for your night has been long, and the nights to come will be longer still. I will send for you in the morning, once you have broken your fast. I would offer you duty, and should you accept it, rich rewards to suit your courage. There is much to be done in the nights to come.”

Without any prompt, the door behind us opened. A royal guardsmen stepped into the office, bowing politely to each of us.

“You will be assigned private quarters. As the castle is in a state of alert, guards shall be posted outside your rooms this night as a precaution. Should you wish anything, you may request their assistance.”

The guardsmen stepped to the side, indicating towards the corridor outside.

And just like that, our meeting with the king was over.

Without a word being said towards the direction of the man behind the desk.

And that is probably how it'd be, if not for the large man looking between all the faces in this room as if he'd missed a hidden conversation.

Magnus frowned towards the ruler of the kingdom, then shook his weapon like a barbarian. Both Iris and I looked at him in horror.

“Yo. This spear. It's mine now, right?”

The king appraised Magnus with a raised eyebrow. He did not glance at the holy artifact again, even as it was being jiggled alarmingly before him.

Instead, he merely smiled.

“What spear?”

It was all Magnus needed to hear.