Chapter 5

The next day is the beginning of the festival of the sword. Ryder spends the first day wandering about the festival, studying the city's layout. After that, he ate and bought many different types of food, storing them in the storage to retain their freshness.

He also found several shops selling different ores. He bought several different types to experiment with. Then the day ends with parting outside his window.

He sits on the windowsill with his hand on the glass. He smiles, the angry look softening for a bit, enjoying the sight of happy people dancing through the streets. Then, he falls asleep propped up on the window till the next day.

The morning arrives, and after filling breakfast, Ryder makes his way through town to the city square. The sword drawing ceremony begins in the morning, with a speech given by the king. 

Ryder arrives during the middle of the king's speech, with the royal family standing a few feet behind him. The princess has a pretty familiar look. She has an uncanny resemblance to the girl he saved from those unsavory types a couple of days prior.

Upon concluding his speech, the king, and the royal family tug at the sword. It shows no sign of budging. They take a seat and watch as the nobles in attendance attempt to unsheathe the sword. 

Then commoners began to line up to try and pull the sword. Several hours pass, the lines die down, and Ryder walks up to the sword. The crowd is curious about the kid in the black hood and scarf covering his face and the two wolves following him.

He wraps his hand around the hilt of the sword, and his heart trembles. But then, his ears start ringing, and his consciousness is overrun with images bursting through his mind. A mountainous cave leading to a labyrinth and a sci-fi stasis pod. 

The sword gives off a white glow, and letters begin shining a bright golden light. The earth around them begins to tremble, and the air becomes thick. The sword releases a power that exerts pressure on the surrounding people.

Words come forth into Ryder's mind like a chant, no, more like a poem. Losing control over himself, these words pour out of his mouth like an aria, "Come forth, the darkness rending sword, grant me the light that overcomes all darkness. I call upon you, lord of light," The sword comes loose from its stone sheath, revealing an elegant blade that shines a bright white light, and he shouts its name, "Raphael."

Ryder holds the sword above his head, then lowers his arm to his side. The people look at him with awe as he stands in the middle of the square, his head and face still covered by the cloak and scarf. 

As he stands there, a massive beam of light strikes Ryder. Ryder begins to float into the air, and his hair and eye color change to that strange blonde and purple again, and a pair of white wings like an angel appears on his back. His face softens, and the angry look that he has faded.

His left arm reaches up, his hand opens wide, and a black ball starts to form. Then Ryder's hand clenches around the ball, and he shouts, "Come forth, Rygazelle." Another sword appears in his hand, a single-edged, black blade with a blue lightning pattern etched into it.

He then gently sinks to the ground with his head and face uncovered. Immediately, the king approaches him and bows. "Please, Lord Raphael, please accompany us to the castle. I wish to speak with you." Ryder looks around at the crowd gawking at him. He then looks at the king and nods.

The Knights with the Royal family guide them to the carriages. Then, riding through the streets, the people separate and bow as they pass. The closer they get to the castle, the nicer the houses become.

Staring out the window, Ryder sighs. He had tried not to make a scene and remain hidden. He is not one to enjoy the spotlight. The event at the festival was just the beginning.

Ryder is taken to a room for those seeking an audience with the king upon arrival. Some time passes, and a maid enters the room and guides him to the throne room.

The king is seated on the throne, and to his right is his wife, the queen. His son and daughter are in two smaller thrones left of the king. Ryder passes through the tall room's doors, approaches the throne, and kneels. 

The king takes a deep breath and sighs, "Lord Raphael, please rise. If I may ask, why is it that you have come to my kingdom." 

Ryder stands straight and addresses the king. "Your Majesty, my name is Ryder, not Raphael. It is the sword that is named Raphael. Why I am here is complicated, and you may not believe me. I would prefer not to speak openly."

"I see, Lord Ryder, but I can not allow you to go free until I know you are not a danger to my kingdom. I had a background run on you and found nothing." He says, giving a stern look.

Ryder wonders if he can trust the king with his story, so he asks Rai's opinion. She thinks he's trustworthy, so Ryder agrees. "If you don't mind, your Majesty, could we talk in a more private area? If the wrong person heard my story, it might cause trouble. So I ask if it could be you, the queen, and the prince and princess."

The king ponders Ryder's request, then agrees to his request with a nod of his head. The group of five makes their way to a private meeting room. Ryder then has Rai set up a soundproof barrier around the room to prevent eavesdropping. 

They sit down, and the four with Ryder have a shift in attitude. The noble and proper family becomes more relaxed and casual. "Well, I guess I haven't properly introduced myself. I am the monarch of this kingdom, Errold Crestailia. My wife is Queen Elizabeth Crestailia, and my eldest son Ernesti, and Arphonia. I have a younger son and daughter, but they are sick with a cold."

Ryder starts glowing at the end of the introduction, and his appearance reverts to normal. His hair, eyes, and face shift to their original state.

"I knew you seemed familiar," Arphonia says, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. She recoils from the sharp pain welling up in the palms of her hands as they turn red. "You are the one who scared off those creeps in the alley. He is the one I was telling you about."

Her mother gives her a stern look only a mother can muster, and she sinks back into her seat. "So, what is it that you wanted to tell us privately?" Queen Elizabeth says with a tender smile. So he tells them the story of how he is from another world, that he arrived at the city, the two small wolves with him are Mythic Beasts, and that the sword called to him. Ryder left out the part about Rai and specifics about his previous world.

"I see, so what of your parents from your world?" The king puts his hand under his chin, with his chin between his thumb and pointer finger. Ryder shakes his head slightly, "I'm sorry I asked. How about this? What are your thoughts about us adopting you?" His wife, son, and daughter shoot him with peculiar looks.

"Father isn't this kind of sudden," Ernesti says. "Not that I'm opposed. It just seems out of nowhere."

"That would mean that the name of the royal family would act as a shield for me, and it would increase the kingdom's and the Royal family's reputation. That newfound hero who possesses the legendary sword has been taken in by the Royal family. So there forth, it would give me access to things that normally wouldn't be possible for me." The four in front of him blinked, processing what Ryder had just said.

"Yes, that was what I had in mind. You are quite observant." The king says, crossing his arms and looking away. Then Arphonia interjects, "Liar. You just said that on a whim. Like you always do, just say the first thing that comes to your mind."

"Yes, you're right," Errold said with a defeated look and a sigh. His face takes on a rugged, stern look, "but what Ryder said does make a lot of sense. It would quite benefit both parties if we were to adopt Ryder. If no one disagrees."

"Would you prefer to use this form or your other look?" Elizabeth asks, and Ryder gives her a confused look. At this point, Ryder was unaware of his physical change, other than the wings that appeared after that beam of light struck him. "Do you mean you didn't know? When you came down after the light struck you, your hair was blonde, and your eyes were purple. Now your hair is black and your eyes red."

"I see, this is fine."

"Addition, in the other form you face is. Oh, how do I put this nicely? Oh, I don't know, softer, you don't look as aggressive." Arphonia adds. Ernesti thumps her arm, whispering, 'That was rude."

"It's fine. I'm used to it. I have looked like this most of my life." The four smile at him, and they conclude the meeting.

The king has one of the maids show Ryder to a room and hand him a set of pajamas. He enters the wolves following behind him, and shuts the door. By this point, the sun has almost entirely set. Ryder changes and lies down on the bed. As he lies there, he whispers, "I'm worried."

"Worried about what master, do you not trust them," Luna asks, sitting on the right side of the bed.

"No, it's not that. Nothing bad has happened yet."

"I am confused. Is there something wrong with not having anything bad happen?" Kurai asks from the left.

"No, not exactly. What concerns me is that since I have arrived here, nothing but good things have happened. Meeting both of you, being adopted by a royal family, and obtaining two powerful weapons. Something is brewing; I can feel it, or it could be that I'm just paranoid and overthinking it." After saying this, Ryder let out a big yawn, turned to his side, and fell asleep.

But what he didn't know was how right he was. Something had begun brewing in the wilderness, and soon the city would be in imminent danger.