The Beginning of the End

No time to mourn, no time to say goodbye. Maybe Eleanor was right. Maybe we should have stayed back and—

“Verity, we’re here.”

I jolted upon hearing Imryll’s voice and took a peek outside our ride. We had just arrived at the castle’s front gate. As we were guided to the king, I took note of the security. It was more than tripled the last time we were here, be it along the walls, towers, or even the once tranquil gardens.

Nothing, however, could have prepared me for the king’s chamber. Esmadians were banned from visiting the capital with the rare exception of cultural and sporting events. But with the conclusion of the Fossilium World Championship, nothing permitted their visit.

And yet, here there was a platoon of Esmadian soldiers. Taking center stage was a peculiar man, his cape bearing the symbol of Esmad royalty. He swung around and locked eyes with me.

Hubert.

“You… What are you doing here!?” he yelled as he treaded toward me, chucking his steel helmet aside. His red cape fluttered in the air like a dragon’s tongue.

“That doesn’t concern you,” I replied.

“Easy for you to say! You took everything from me! That was supposed to be my victory! Do you know what happened after I lost; what father did to me or what it feels like knowing you have to confront an entire nation?”

Hubert grabbed me by the throat, lifting me into the air as he readied his fist. I let myself go limp in his vise.

“Verity!” Eleanor, Imryll, and Alear cried out before hurrying over. I motioned for them to stop with my hand, allowing the Ragosian guards to detain Hubert unabated. He thrashed around like a baby having a tantrum, kicking and screaming to no end.

“I’m fine,” I said as I dropped to the floor. My reassurance went unheard as the Esmadians unsheathed their weapons in synchronization.

“Unhand the prince!” one of the Esmadian soldiers ordered.

“Pfft, some prince he is,” an opposing Ragosian mused before handing Hubert back. Just as things were about to turn ugly, King Jervis III quelled the commotion by getting to the heart of the matter.

“Prince Hubert of Esmad, as you are well aware, there was an attack within the capital. A shadow figure riding a bull causing havoc, undetected at first, even through our border security.”

“And what about it? We Esmadians have nothing to do with that. We were preparing to sail back when a messenger bird delivered the news and your request for a hearing.”

The king’s face tightened as he leaned forward. “Where is your father?”

“Attending other business. Get to the point; what do you want?”

“The enemy that Lady Verity defeated; hidden in his cloak were documents linking Esmad to his motivation. According to it, this was the first wave of many raids set to weaken Ragos in preparation for a full-scale invasion.”

Ragosian reinforcements swarmed in from all corners of the chamber, trapping the Esmadians in.

“If you have to, run. I’ll buy time for the escape. There’s an old friend on the outskirts of the city that can hide you two. Alear can show the way,” Imryll whispered to us.

“But, s—sister! If we do that, then that means we’re—”

“I’m well aware. If that’s how it is, then so be it. Our utmost priority is to serve the people of Ragos, not the king,” Imryll replied to Alear, hugging him. Their bonding was cut short as Hubert refuted the claims levied against him.

“The documents have no merit! They were planted on the man to entrap us!”

“Per Ragosian law, you can challenge the findings in court. Until then, you are hereby under arrest!” King Jervis III solemnly declared. A split second after he finished speaking, a spear was hurled through the air. Time slowed down to a crawl as it traveled, inching closer to its target before exploding midair, revealing a magical barrier enveloping the king.

“Attack!” Hubert directed. All hell broke loose. With the Ragosians and Esmadians in full conflict, we enacted our plan.

“Hurry! I’ll meet you at the rendezvous!” Imryll yelled as she engaged a pair of Esmadians. With her mace, she pulverized their helmets, sending them crashing to the tiled floor in a heap of metal.

“Sister!”

“Go, Alear! Remember your training!”

“A—Alright! Verity, Eleanor, follow me!”

A troop of Esmadians came marching toward the battle. We hid behind a pillar before making our way outside by scaling the garden’s walls. Following Alear’s direction, we were led to a small fishing shack nestled in the capital’s port. Strangely, the entire area was a ghost town.

“Gilbert, are you there?” Alear asked.

“Sure am! Come on in!” a voice replied a moment later, unlocking the door. Standing in the doorway was a young man with tanned skin and dark brown hair. He must have been cooking, as his apron was spattered with stains and the aroma of shellfish.

“Is this a restaurant?” Eleanor asked, rubbing her stomach.

“Aye, but I’m closed for business today. I go out with my boat and catch everything myself before cooking. I was whipping up a meal for myself when—By the gods, is that Verity!?” Gilbert blurted.

“I know, right? When she signed my…” I stared at Alear as he spoke. “Never mind, let’s stay focused! We need to lay low until my sister gets back. Can they take refuge here?”

“Not a problem at all! Everything’s on the house! Show them to the basement, and I’ll have a seafood feast for all of us!” Gilbert affirmed with a smile. As we headed inside, a man in the distance ran towards us, screaming at the top of his lungs.

“Wait! Wait! Wait for me!” he shouted, nearly slipping off the docks into the ocean.

“D?” I asked. “What are you doing here?”

After catching his breath, he finally responded. “I was hunkering underground as you told me to, so I decided to continue working on Eleanor’s card when it surged with energy! It produced a noise almost like a melody as it guided me. To here! To Eleanor!”

“To me?” Eleanor whispered.

“Wait, D, are you aware of the red crystals that King Jervis III has?” I asked.

“Those? Why, of course!”

After informing D of the current predicament, we brought him downstairs into the basement for a round of questions over Gilbert’s seafood.