Chapter 2: signs and reckonings
"Give me a moment " Chris whispered "I'll be rite down, summon my personal guard and shut the door on your way out."
"Time to go be the king" Chris said smirking .
Marcell noted his nephew's sudden panicked expression and unsteadiness for later discussion and walked toward the doors.
The temple of time ,as the palace was called sat on an impossibly tall plateau over looking a vast and flat landscape, so anyone approaching could easily be spotted for dozens of miles away.
Chris's personal guard was almost as impressive as the view as they stood on the landing ,that protruded out over the thousands of feet to the ground. All of them dressed in crimson and gold, carrying swords bows and axes of the highest quality. Pikes and Lance's polished to a mirror shine.
Marcell assumed that from the ground there party must shine like a second sun in the early afternoon light.
"Give me a report" Marcell said to a passing general "what can we expect when they reach us?"
Looking indignant the general snarled "I answer to the one true king of Alced, not some pampered advisor, learn your station and stay there."
In a flash Marcell had the man by the throat lifted a clear six inches off the ground. "you will watch your tounge or I will snatch it out along with your throat, do you understand me"? Marcell growled
"Enough" Chris bellowed "you'll make us look weak."
Regaining their composure the small company scanned the horizon watching the rather unimpressive contingent approach.
"According to my scouts they are a small but strange force", whispered the general
"Strange how?" Chris asked "and speak plainly if you will"
Marcell beamed with pride at his nephew he seemed to be taking to his new role well.
"Well sire" the general began "it's the damndest thing, they ware virtually no armor ,mostly soft leather, they carry a curved sword strapped across their back ,as well as a long and short knife at their belt. If I may sire it's the demeanor of these men that made my breath pause in my chest. we approached them with two contingents of our best ,and not one of them blinked an eye. They number no more than fifty but even with three hundred archers trained on them they had no care on this earth. until we addressed the one woman among them, all fifty men took up arms and I never saw one move just swords glinting in the sun. In that moment every instinct I had told me that if we attacked we would fall to a man. I bow to no god my lord but would bet my own mother I just met a demon."
"So shes finally come." Marcell said under his breath, everyone turned to look at him waiting for an explanation.
"She is Sarata of the rose blossoms" he continued "one of the last true oracles on this plane, she is a descendant of an ancient warrior race that ruled this country before humans arrived. You are absolutely rite my friend if your men would have attacked you would have been slaughtered before an arrow was notched."
"Why would she come here?" Chris asked.
"she would have seen the same omens as I did." replied Marcell "she would know the spacial shift had begun."
Everyone within ear shot looked at Marcell as if he were a mad man
Chris knowing his uncle waited for an explanation.
"sire you can't really be listening to this" the general rumbled in his deep baritone "This is lunacy "
"Mind your tounge before you lose it Duwall" command Chris, "that man you have been so casually disrespecting is not only my uncle but most likely the most deadly man in the kingdom. "
Duwall eyed Marcell with a new found respect "lord Marcell" he began "please forgive me if I had known"
Marcell silenced the man with a wave of his hand "Chris we should finish our talk from earlier, but Sarata cannot be kept waiting".
The silence seemed to stretch forever as they watched the small party approach the gates, When they had almost reached the mechanical bridge that led to the palace plateau Marcell whispered," Whatever you do dont lie to her".
With that the entire party made their way down the grand staircase to the great hall with Marcell and Duwall in the lead.
"My lady Sarata" Marcell began, "What do we owe the pleasure? "
"Cut the shit Marcell " Sarata barked her eyes flashing angry "I've no need for you pleasantries or you false charm, and you'll have plenty of time to grovel later."
Chris could have sworn he saw his uncle go from caramel to crimson.
"yes my lady " Marcell said as he shrank away.
"So this is him?" Sarata asked no one in particular "the boy king whole can save us or kill us on a whim, isn't that amazing" she said sarcastically
Duwall began to step forward but Marcell put a restraining hand on his shoulder and dissuaded him with a shake of his head.
Chris stepped closer to her "My lady of rose blossoms" he said
"Now his charm is genuine" Sarata smiled, " I may not need to speak to you later after all Marcell" she said slyly.
Chris blanched at a loss for words as Sarata chuckled.
"Dont worry your excellency fate has other plans for you" she whispered more to herself than him. in fact Chris never saw her mouth move, he couldn't be sure if he heard her in his head or out loud.
Confused he replied in his head to gauge her reaction.
she smiled seductively and looked at him from head to toe.
"This one is not as innocent as he looks" she snorted "Suwally will be pleased when she arrives."
Seeing the look of confusion on his face or maybe sensing it from his thoughts she turned to Marcell. "Has he no knowledge of what is to come." she asked not condescending but in what sounded like genuine surprise. "Marcell what is the meaning of this, why has he not been taught?"
"Give me your hands" she said to Chris, he slowly reached out to her.
as soon as their fingers touched there was an explosion of light in his head.
He felt a voice rather than heard it say "what I will show you is only for you, it must never be repeated in company that is not trusted with your life."
Time stopped for Chris, he wasn't sure if it had been a second or a year but suddenly his entire young life seemed to snap into focus.
Things from his childhood seemed to mix with dozens of lifetimes worth of knowledge and flooded into his consciousness.
So many things made sense , and at the same time raised even more questions, he turned to his uncle weeping and fell into his arms.
Chris woke to the faces of his inner guard, distantly he heard Marcell and Sarata speaking in low tones.
"it's too soon" whispered Marcell "he can't be tested yet, the boy doesn't know his ability yet"
"that boy" hissed Sarata "is the only hope for a future "
Chris watched as his uncle seemed to deflate as they noticed Him get to his feet, the look in Marcel's eyes nearly froze him in place.
"how is your sword play" Sarata asked the look in her eyes almost sad.
"Passing fair" Chris retorted
"Show me" she said in a voice that seemed to shatter his consciousness
In a flash the room erupted into chaos, thirty of sarata's men drew their blades, almost as fast the home guard was at attention.
"Tell your men to stand down" Sarata bellowed "else they won't make it to their next breath".
Chris looked to his uncle who ashen faced gave him a nod, Chris stayed his men with a wave of his hand.
"uncle" chis whispered
Marcell seemed to be far away lost in his thoughts.
suddenly Chris's mind became perfectly still, any emotion seemed to leave his awareness.
His entire being seemed to focus on one thought "cut", Chris's form seemed to shimmer then the room bloomed in a mist of red.
Faster than it started it was over, all thirty of Saratas men lay unquestionably dead many missing heads or limbs.
Chris stood sword in a white nuckled fist his eyes wild staring at nothing waiting for his next target.
Sarata whispered a word that no one in the room could comprehend and the trance Chris was in shattered as he dropped to his knees still clutching the sword.
immediately the home guard surrounded him, Marcell stood glaring at Sarata "if it means anything" she said, "it was necessary".
Still shaking even hours later Chris sat in his room, knight had fallen hours ago he was just glad Angie wasn't there to see him in this state.
Chris yelled "come in" seconds before the knock came, Marcel came sweeping in stone faced and pale.
"If it helps I believe her about it being necessary " Marcel whispered.
Chris glared out his uncle. " you knew" he shouted " everything she showed me you knew?" Tears streaming down his cheeks in hidden.
Marcell simply walked over and held Chris the tears came from both men in rivers.
When both had composed them selves they returned to the study where sarata waited grim faced and silent. Chris felt as if the woman was looking right into his soul, the look in her eyes was odd almost as if she were too focused in him.
"Some would say you are cursed" she stared without preamble " some say you are part demon, others say your a reincarnation of those fallen gods lost and forgotten. And still others say you are the only hope of the world. In proficiency you are an enigma, a void in creation, a being who should not exist. You are known as the wise one, the destroyer, the light, and the great nothing, the chosen one and the great betrayer."
The room seemed to go perfectly quiet.
She continued "you have the potential to usher this world into a golden age, or rule it and all the other realms as a tyrant, you are so named the rightful ruler of not only alcede but the one who will champion earth against the threat to come, beware the reverse is also possible for in you is great darkness and the ability to use negotiation of magic to rule the realms I so dub you lord Astana heir to the grown of alcede".
She passed him a smoking herb warns in bandoo leaves and Chris blacked out
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