I still can't sleep. Ariel opened his eyes, the tent's ceiling covered his view.
It's been days... The images of the corpses flashed in his brain.
I wonder what were the mutants doing...
He sighed. I'll have to meet the king tomorrow, I can't afford not to sleep.
His eyes shifted to his armor, the golden crown engraved on it shone.
The king... The mutants...
"Ugh!" Ariel scoffed, turning on his other side.
The tent's walls boxed him in.
Those white flowers... I can't remember their name. The head chef used a lot of those.
The cooking headquarters lit in his brain, his failed attempts on cooking, the head chef's loud teaching style. A small smile formed on his lips. His eyes slowly started to close. He remembered the white, vanilla smelling spice.
A drop of blood spilled on the spice bag, the white dust rose and twisted into an amalgam of a statue, a fox's head and a minotaur's head had fused.
It was staring at him.
Ariel kept his eyes closed.
The statue leaned closer, and closer.
Then it got covered in blood.
Ariel jerked upwards in sweat. He looked around, he was still in his tent. The crown gleamed.
A few days later, the Grand City rose in front of Ariel exactly as he remembered. Tall houses with a wide first floor that branched up to multiple houses like a tree and open air churches only marked by two arches adorned the skyline.
They walked towards the main gate.
"Halt! Make thyself known." The guard shouted.
"I didn't know they changed the uniforms... Last time it was all red now it's black and starry." Ariel muttered.
The guard pointed his spear at Ariel.
"Make thyself known now!"
Ariel put his hand over his chest. "I'm the heir of the Sun house, Ariel Sun. The ex-commander of the Right Arrow."
"You shall have a better bluff to pass through my gates!" The guard smashed his spear to the ground.
"Bluff..." Ariel repeated.
Amy and Peter exchanged looks.
"It's time to change the shift." Another guard walked towards the gate.
His eyes turned to Ariel. He instantly stiffened. His right arm snapped itself to his own chest.
"My commander! It's an honor to see you in your grace." He shouted. His eyes snapped to the first guard, ordering him to the salute.
"Sorry for his ignorance. He's new around here. Please forgive him." Beads of sweat formed on his forehead.
"Are those the new Arol unit uniforms?" Ariel pointed at the first guard.
"Yes, my commander. The queen herself designed them."
"Interesting..." Ariel muttered. "Anyway, we will talk later, I have a job to be taken care of."
Ariel walked through the gates, on the wide streets. A few paces later, he turned to Peter and Amy.
"Even the mention of the Sun house used to get any soldier to salute." He sighed.
"Don't take it personally, Ariel." Peter said.
Ariel paused for a moment.
"The quest is completed now, what will you two do?" He said.
Peter spoke first. "I have a few places to visit here, I want to write down the old Urian stories." He shifted his gaze to a far away point. "Then I'll leave." He muttered.
"I want to go to the Jade Empire." Amy spoke. "The silent jade style was more important than I thought, I would like to learn more."
Ariel gave a small nod.
"Good. Be careful over there."
He turned over, the palace stood cleanly in front of them. They walked towards it.
Peter glanced around, noting the houses made with black stone and reddish wood supports all around him. Multiple chimneys let black smoke rise from one structure. The conversations in the branching houses bled into the city.
The metal clinking overlapped with lengthy haggles while the children played hide and seek at the streets.
Amy covered her nose.
A bitter scent. She thought
The alleyways weren't clean, unlike the main street. The rotten scents were covered up with flower beds that hung at every window in the city. The trio walked through them unbothered.
"It's awe inspiring no matter how much I look at them." Peter muttered.
The Hallow Palace came into view, it did not branch upwards unlike the other houses but it was five times the size of a regular house, dominating the skyline. The main building had five flags of the Varsian Kingdom on top of its ceiling.
On either side of the main building secondary buildings arose, which faced towards a black fountain in the center. Four statues stood on either side of the fountain, resembling the Ariel constellation. Ariel glanced at the statues, one of them was his grandfather's statue, looking down at him.
Peter turned his gaze ahead. A tall tower stood next to the Hallow Palace, the tower tilted toward the north. It was detailed with star constellations.
Walking through the main gate, high ceilings and arches every few paces greeted them. The walls and the ground were made of black stones with golden linings.
The corridor split in two before them. Ariel turned right, Peter and Amy followed.
Guards opened a detailed gate. The creaking sound echoed throughout the corridor. The eyes of twenty courtiers snapped at them, ten on each side of the room.
Ariel walked in first, then Amy, lastly Peter.
The king sat on his throne where Ariel last remembered. He was around the same age as him yet his hair had already turned gray. The queen sat next to him, she had not aged even a bit since Ariel and her first met.
His gaze shifted towards the trio. Ariel stopped at a respectable distance then bowed down without thinking.
"I've come with my reports on the mission," Ariel said, placing his hand on the cold stone, "The King of Varsians."
"You're always this stern, Ariel," the king replied.
"We are cousins after all, aren't we? You can be more relaxed," he added
Ariel raised his head, two banners rested behind the king and the queen, It had three celestial bodies, two moons on either side of a sun and a gradient of the celestial colors behind them at the bottom stood the motto of the kingdom.
He shifted his eyes to the banners that hung on a nearby column, it bore one sun and his house motto.
"Shine bright like ever," he muttered.
Turning to the king, he spoke.
"No trace of cult has been found." Ariel stopped for a beat. "Though an underground civilization has been uncovered."
The king leaned closer.
"The civilization seems to have advanced technology and of a half-human descendant."
The courtiers muttered to one another.
"Silence," the king ordered.
After rubbing his beard, he spoke.
"Good job, Ariel."
A pause.
"Though I'm sorry, your reward has to wait a bit. The kingdom is in a dire situation now." The king leaned back.
"As an apology, what about staying here for a while, with your party?"
Ariel stared at the king for a moment.
"I'd gratefully accept, king of Varsians." The words tasted bitter in his mouth.
"Just call me by name, Ariel."
"As you please, King Gerald."
Gerald chuckled. "Better, now go rest."
The trio rose, and walked towards the gate. A few servants followed them. Then the guards opened the door once again.
Without a word, the servants led them to the luxurious dormitories. Then the servants left.
Silence stretched between the trio.
Ariel covered his face.
"I cannot believe the fact that he takes me this lightly," he muttered.
He turned to Amy and Peter.
"Sleep with one eye open."
He entered his room.
Ariel scanned the walls and the bed.
It doesn't seem unusual.
Walking towards the furniture, he opened them one by one and checked inside.
Nothing... He's planning something else. Ariel sighed.
He walked out of the room.
Let's worry about that later. I have someone that I want to see one last time.
Ariel left the palace. He heard footsteps behind him but he paid no mind. He kept walking.
Twenty, twenty-five adults ran towards Ariel.
"Mister Ariel!" one woman said.
"We've been waiting for you!" another exclaimed.
"Please tell us about your adventures."
"Y-yeah! Please..."
Ariel raised his hand. "I have to rest after what I've been through, I'll tell them later okay?"
A disappointed exhale escaped from a few of them, some of them whispered to another, others nodded as if this was expected.
"We understand Lord Ariel, please rest to your heart's content!"
With a small nod Ariel continued on his way. After a few minutes, his mansion appeared in front of him. It was a miniature of the Hallow Palace, with much less grandeur. He stared at the mansion for a while.
He walked towards the stables nearby the mansion.
Reinhard!
Her black coat, white dots and lustrous hair was the same as he remembered, though older.
She tried to get up on the sight of Ariel but failed. He pet Reinhard's head.
"Don't force yourself." A small smile formed on Ariel's lips.
An authoritarian voice rose behind him. Ariel's smile dropped.
"Ariel, I see you are going to your horse rather than your family."
Ariel turned back. A man in heavy armor stood before him. The Sun House's banner was engraved on his chest. He had a halberd and side weapons.
"Father..."
"You don't even have an excuse, do you?" he growled.
"The king invited me to the Palace for a few days, I'll be staying there."
"Speak to your brothers, that's the least you can do."