He felt the warmth of the sun's gentle touch, but the hard concrete floor beneath him caused pain in his back and neck. Despite this discomfort, he was comforted by the warm golden rays shining through the bars of the small window in his prison cell. The dirty concrete walls were covered in graffiti, and his clothes were stained with the blood of the dying soldier from the day before.
Suddenly, a loud thumping sound echoed through the room, growing louder by the second. The door to his cell opens, revealing a soldier dressed in new, shining attire, with a silver white wolf emblem on their chest.
The soldier approached Luke and whispered, "Your choice is to join the Liberation army or face Death. What's your decision?" Luke remained silent, which irked the soldier. Luke was shackled, with his hands in chains and his legs bound by a heavy black iron ball. The two soldiers prodded him forward with their spears, directing him to walk.
As Luke trudged ahead, he saw that the surroundings had undergone a drastic transformation. The banners displayed the image of a white wolf and a red carpet ran the length of the hallway. There was no sign of the bloodshed from before, but the walls remained unchanged. The only difference was the bright light filtering in from the sky. But the sight of a woman being dragged forward in tattered, royal garb caught Luke's attention. Her hands were bound by heavy chains and one of her legs was similarly shackled. She was pulling a young girl, who appeared to be her daughter, with her. The small child was dressed in ragged, colorless clothes and had unkempt hair. The noise of hundreds of men grew louder as they approached the grand hall.
The Great Hall was a magnificent rectangular room that was three times longer than it was wide. The walls were made of gleaming stones and were lined with windows on both sides, reaching towards the high ceiling and grand architecture. Suspended in mid-air were shining balls of light, held by thin ropes that were barely visible. On either side of the room stood a group of men forming a walkway that led to the end of the hall, where a large and shining throne made of gold, silver, and other precious stones was situated on a raised platform. The new King sat upon the throne, his white hair a stark contrast to the regal attire he wore. He looked different than yesterday, much younger, the same age as Luke, with long flowing robes made of silk or velvet that shimmered to match the dignity of his crown, which was made of precious metals and adorned with gems and an unknown symbol of royalty. The King held a silver shining sword with a unique design, and something was written upon it.
As they walked down the hall, a chained Imp was being pulled along. In the centre of the hall stood a man, adorned in full metal armour that gleamed like a dull gold and a matching cape. The man was speaking with someone, saying, "Yes, my king, we'll send the letter to Lord Takahiro as soon as possible, but it will still take two to three days to reach the kingdom of sky mountains, my lord."
As the conversation ended, a soldier approached the armoured man to inform him of Luke's arrival. The man smiled and commanded the soldiers to leave, but one stayed behind to whisper to Luke, "A blade will always kill, sooner or later."
The armoured man spoke aloud, "My lord, this imp has sullied our land, and he may have served the previous ruler. I suggest we burn him alive to celebrate the rise of the new king." The imp began to cry and beg for mercy, causing the men in the room to start muttering and making noise.
The armoured man then said, "This reminds me of this witch, who bedded the previous ruler. This woman should be given to the soldiers to be raped, along with her child, my lord." The crowd started to comment on the situation.
But Luke remained unsettled so the man in golden armour spoke "This brat was spotted aiding an enemy soldier and refused to identify himself. He's clearly a spy working for our enemies. He should be executed immediately by having his head severed, my lord," he declared, falling to his knees. The noise in the room grew until the king raised his voice.
"I commanded you to find my mother, not to find my traitors. Do you think I have time to waste on this filth?" the king replied.
"No, my lord," the man started, but the king cut him off.
"Throw this imp into the river. I want no trace of him on my land. As for the man who," the king was interrupted by an old man in white clothing and a fancy cape, wearing a cross necklace and a head covering matching his attire. The old man whispered something into the king's ear, and the crowd was silenced by the king's response. The old man then presented the king with a gold coin with an emerald-like gemstone in its centre. The king smiled lightly and spoke to Luke,
"You are suspected of being an enemy. If you reveal your true identity and purpose, you will be freed and given a chance to become my slave."
Luke struggled to keep his silence, but the events of the previous day forced him to speak up. "I won't follow your orders," he said firmly, but calmly. "If I had been the one to pass judgement yesterday, you would have regretted every drop of innocent blood that was spilled." The king's expression changed at Luke's words, and he glowered at the young man. "Very well," he replied haughtily.
Just then, an older man entered the hall, dragging his wet clothes behind him. He wore an imperial outfit similar to the king, but his crown was missing, and he appeared to be much older. Despite his age, he exuded strength and power. The king stumbled forward, and the old man caught him, revealing a man in golden armour at their side. The great hall was silent, and everyone could feel the immense power radiating from the three men.
The old man spoke to the king, who was now in his arms. "Aiden, my son, you're alive. The harpies must have shown mercy. Why did you leave me to drown?" he asked in a deep voice. "It's alright, we'll find your mother, my son. I have no regrets that you didn't save me," he added. The king looked up at the man and replied, "Neither do I, Padrick." With that, he unsheathed his sword and severed the old man's head with a swift slash. The body fell back, and the head rolled to Luke's feet, its eyes still open in shock. Despite the power and strength that had been present just moments before, now fear had taken its place.
Iron legs could cripple anytime, just wanting to run, maybe provoking the king was not a good idea.
"Sir Reus, prepare the burial of my family," the king said quietly.
Luke was escorted back to his cell, stumbling and feeling the weight of his shackles as he was dragged along the same red carpet. The iron ball attached to his feet was leaving marks on the already soiled carpet. The bright light from the torches was now scorching his skin. The dwarf was still nowhere to be seen, and the woman and her child were taken to another room, where the sounds of women could be heard. Luke was thrown back into his cell.
But the door is open.
To Be Continue...
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