Chapter 3

News spread far and wide about the unnatural magical tree which was brimming till the top with celestial magic. Though many people wanted to see it, it was off-limits by the command of the higher authorities. It was a very grave matter as according to all the surveys after the war with the Sycamorian Empire, all sources of celestial magic were destroyed as it was the unique magic only wielded by the Sycamorians.

Three weeks had passed and now without notice, His Majesty, the King had arrived in that little town to personally see to this matter. The royal carriage was stopped in front of the main city hall and all the townspeople were gathered around it to see why suddenly the King himself had arrived. Soon after a messenger was sent in, The mayor came running out. Then from the carriage dismounted a young man who was in black armor. Murmurs started to rise in the crowd.

"Isn't that the famous General Bort Hematite?!"

."Yes, Yes the one who was the chosen personally by His Majesty as a bodyguard!".

He strode towards the mayor.

"Wouldn't my lords prefer to take a break from all the travel exhaustion??" The Mayor requested.

"Nay, His Majesty wishes you escort him straight to the 'Tree'". Bort replied.

"A-as you wish" The Mayor stuttered.

Then Bort went and opened the carriage door. Out stepped a middle-aged man. His build was muscular, His height was tall. He had ebony silky hair tied in a loose pony and fell below his shoulders till his waist. His eyes were thin, piercing, and black. His face had strikingly defined features and his nose was slender. His lips were pale and thin. His expressions didn't waver a bit and his gaze remained cold as ice. He was suited in his royal armor which was black and magenta. He had a thick velvet cape that slung from his shoulders.

All the townspeople immediately fell in prostration and the Mayor bowed.

"Your Majesty, can I have the honor to remain by your side in the escort?" Bort requested as he bowed.

The King nodded and started following the mayor. Soon enough they reached the forest, the mayor pointed towards the sky, when they looked up, above all the forest canopy, they saw a huge tree who stood in the middle of the forest. It was probably the biggest tree in the whole kingdom. They soon made their way towards the tree and finally reached there.

Around that tree, everything was flourishing with life, nearby trees, plants, flowers, animals, and even birds and nearly all the sounds of the forest were seemed to be coming from the life around the tree. Bort immediately thanked the Mayor and requested him to leave.

"Search any signs of unnatural phenomena in the forest" The King ordered.

"Yes, Your Majesty" Bort immediately bowed and left.

The King silently stood there peering at the tree. He then walked towards it and touched it. He flinched and his brows gave a slight bend.

" Yatsa Ha'la Rukenabad"(Come Forth Rukenabad) The King uttered.

As soon as the King said these words, the forest fell into utter silence. All the animals and birds ran away and the flowers withered. The vines and ivy quickly retracted and the trees nearby became lifeless. The air hung heavy and the atmosphere became dark

"Unexpected Unexpected! Why have you summoned me, Master??" A heavy and chilling voice spoke from behind the King's back.

The heavy mist started circling the tree, engulfing everything in opaque clouds. Then from the mist suddenly emerged a huge head. It was a huge skull that had no sockets for eyes or any nostrils, which narrowed into a thin forehead. Only a set of jaws was grinning from one end of the face till the other. From the sides of his head grew downwards two huge black horns, one of them was broken. It emerged near the side of the King's head.

"Rukenabad, I sense celestial magic of higher class, Can you specifically tell which one is it."

"Specify? It's from one of the most powerful elite celestials you would have ever imagined. This is just a slight show of his power." Rukenabad chuckled.

"You speak as if he is acquainted with you?" The king enquired.

"Indeed he is an old acquaintance of mine, and we have some little unfinished business," Rukenabad remarked.

"Who is this Celestial exactly??" The King demanded.

"He is Sechocris, The guardian angel of the fortress of Criostalan deàrrsach, and his specific class is Divine Elite class," Rukenabad told.

"You know that in the great war that every sycamorian and their celestials were erased from existence and only the whereabouts of the King of Sycamore is unknown " The King stated.

"You mean King Achorite Chalcedony? Well, no doubt he is a man of great power. Hiding in shadows with his celestial who is such a great celestial is no easy job." Rukenabad said.

"Yes I have been informed about Achorite's celestial but why didn't we have any records of this Sechocris you are talking about in the Great War?" The king turned and gazed at the eyeless skull.

"Ahahahahaha, Master you are gravely mistaken, Sechocris has been summoned after millenniums, He is no mere celestial which can be summoned by any common mortal. Do not doubt his powers for he is the one who broke my horn." Rukenabad laughed.

The King's face darkened. "He broke your horn? And how?" The king asked.

"Hm..... I wonder how did all that happen?" Rukenabad said thoughtfully. "O Yes! It was a very long time ago......" He trailed off.