To the Kingdom of Nothing 3
The stone became as bright as the sun. My energy feels like it's draining . . . It's coming back? No, it created a circuit with the stone.
A force greater than my own, going through me, mixing with every fiber of my being until every particle was turned into a foreign mix. Memories and thoughts that are not my own flood my mind.
Pictures of traveling vehicles and contraptions that one could only think of to be other-worldly fiction, architecture that possessed infinite amounts of power that lit up entire continents. It was wonderfully utopian.
My eyes went back into focus, and I saw that man and Milo's eyes nearly popping out of their heads.
I glanced at what they were looking at to find that my clothes have changed to a dark grey and black color palette with blue highlights and added crystals that seemed to be made from the crystal that the man handed to me.
Compared to my simple design mixed with comfortably and flexibility, this was much more intricate.
It had a delicate lacing on the pants, creating a gear design made with smaller diamond patterns. Small pieces of jewelry trailed the sides of my legs from pocket to pocket. My boots became sandles that were made so thin, that I could feel the very earth beneath my feet.
My eyes traveled back to Milo's, noticing that he had started looking back at me intensely, as if to say 'you will be king.' His eyes were so . . . certain, that I almost believed him.
Almost.
They both got back to their senses and the man cleared his throat.
"Are you also going back to the Castle, my prince?"
"Yes!" Milo replied in his usual fiery manner. "Would you like to join us?"
"I would love to!"
It took 30 minutes to get there, and for every minute, they talked.
We learned that Sage, his name, was working with a group of miners to mine silver. They stumbled upon a cave that was full of beasts, but they were all engulfed in crystal powder, which seemed to make them much stronger than the same monsters that weren't.
They called in some hunters that could deal with the problem, and Sage overheard them talk about how many sightings have been appearing across the continent and how they all have different strengths according to the region, and how you could tell they were different from the color they illuminated.
---------------------------owu---------------------------
As we walked into the castle grounds, we noticed many getting ready for battle.
I saw Dien, the captain, talking to one of the advisors. He seemed stressed in my eyes, and yet somehow, he seemed confident anf level-headed.
Although from a distance he seemed serious and ..... well, distant, he is actually very caring when it comes to anything that isn't his job. Sometimes though, his kindness shines through.
One of his jobs in the past was to teach me how to defend myself. He was supposed to be extremely strict. He took one look at my 6 year old self, however, and swooned at my "cuteness." Soon after, he became more of a father to me than my actual father ever could be. He was present for most of my life and watched as I became the person I am now. He saw me hold a sword for the first time, taught me how to wrestle and throw a punch, we ate lunch together and ran from the castle to enjoy the markets. He knows me more than anyone else.
I ran to him to ask what's going on. As soon as his eyes met mine, his harsh demeanor melted into a warm embrace. He hugged me tightly and whispered words that only my ears could hear.
"Thank goodness you are safe."
"What's this all about?"
"Monsters keep raiding cities with the same force and organization of a well built military. Smaller cities are being engulfed right now, but who knows what will happen when they finish the rest of the cities."
"Who did they take?"
"Tez, Monolith, and are currently taking Zeal."
Tez: the main city in charge of agriculture. Most food imports and exports from there, and it is the main city state that takes care of water purification and animal farming.
Monolith: the city state with the most raw materials such as metals, crystals, and coal. Industrial factories cause most of the business there, either mining the materials or creating them into more useful products such as cement and armor.
Zeal: the city where all of the main decisions are made. It is the "brain" of the Omphalos Kingdom, holding most of the ports and markets. It is our current location.
"Sir!" A young soldier yelled out to Dien. "They have broken through the first barrier and are currently working on the second, soon they will get through all of them, sir!"
"Shit." Dien's eyes were full of self-loathing. He looked back at me with regrets.
"Author . . . Come with me."
We ran to the underground wine cellar. It was a decent size, and it also had many of the emergency rations for the entirety of the castle staff.
He opened the door and stared at me with eyes that make me worried. Suddenly, he embraced me even tighter than before.
"I am so proud of the man you have become, son. You will make a great king one day, I know it . . . I love you."
He shoved us in and quickly locked the door from the outside.
"You will be safe here."
I felt a ball form in my throat and tears run like rivers down my cheeks.
"FATHER!!" I felt my voice get muffled by my cries and the scratching that my hands were making on the door as a desperate attempt at trying to stop the inevitable.
"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME TOO!"
I feel my body being held back by Milo. I could hear him saying something, but my mind is static.
Dien is gone, and Milo is stopping me from saving him.
I felt a sting from my hand, and I notice my sudden contact with Milo's face and the impact it created.
"CALM DOWN!"
My mind went numb.