Chapter 42: Successor

Everyone was at a loss for words, Sora and Zatanna included as the old man stayed on his knees.

"What the hell are you doing?" Sora asked, caught off guard as the man they previously fought rushed up to the old man.

"Master Lee, what are you doing!? Why do you kneel before these outsiders?" The man questioned furiously but respectfully.

"These outsiders as you call them, belong here more than even myself. Do you not see the artifact that lay on his neck?" The old man said, gesturing to Sora's pendant.

He hadn't paid attention to it during the fight but it currently held a golden glow as the symbol was clear through his shirt.

He had hidden it underneath his clothing but it had revealed itself on its own. It showed itself to those present as the looked in either awe it confusion.

"By the gods, how did I not recognize that mark." The man whispered shakily as he let go of his readiness to attack and joined the old man on his knees.

"Please forgive me, great one." He said pleadingly.

"Great one?" Sora couldn't help but ask in confusion.

'This is getting messy and awkward. It's sounding more cliché the more I see and hear.' He thought.

"Please, let us go inside." The old man urged respectfully as he ushered them in.

Sora gave Zatanna a look, silently telling her to be on her guard.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were led into the compound as the gates closed behind them. The compound was bigger than it appeared from the outside.

'This feels more like an estate than a mere compound.' Sora thought as his eyes darted around subtly, taking in everything he saw.

At the far end of the compound, he could see a lot of people standing in an arranged format as they went through a series of katas unfamiliar to Sora.

"What is this place?" Sora asked as he continued observing them, noting the numerous flaws and disadvantages in their form.

"This place is a fortress. A safe ground for the successors of different ancient styles to come and live in peace." The old man started as he led them into the giant building that resembled a palace.

The interior was much more elegant than the exterior made it out to be. The walls were colored white with what seemed to be actual gold lining it.

"Our founder was defeated many centuries ago, but not before he created this sanctuary. This organization, if you wish to call it that." He continued, his voice bringing Sora out of his thoughts.

"The Red Dawn, though once powerful enough to take on nations have been reduced to what we are now. The powerhouses had passed on without leaving powerful heirs to their legend."

"Those you see now are a remnant of what we once were. Our power has devolved so much that we are forced to hide ourselves and separate from the outside world." He finished explaining before turning around to face them.

"I knew you would come. My only fear was that I wouldn't be alive to see you arrive through those gates." He said causing Sora to narrow his eyes.

"Enough with the riddles. Why are you being so respectful? What do you know about us?" Sora asked the question that had been on his mind since the scene outside.

The man sighed before pointing to the necklace on Sora's neck. With it proving important to the entire situation, Sora had it on display on the outside of his shirt.

"That necklace belonged to our founder, Lord Aldous." He pointed out, causing Sora and Zatanna's eyes to widen but the man continued.

"It can only be worn by those who are his direct descendants, meaning you are his latest descendants. Anyone else who attempts to wear it either have their mind sent spiraling into madness or perish. " The man finished explaining, dropping the literal bomb of information on their heads.

'I'm the direct descendant…of some legendary warrior? Mom wore this all the time and nothing happened. Something's not right.' He thought as more questions appeared in his head.

"If all of that were true, then why did his descendants leave this place? I assume they'd be too important to be allowed to leave." He asked as the man let out a somewhat depressed sigh.

"That's because they never lived here." He answered, causing the two children to look at him in confusion.

"Years before his death, he fell in love with someone and they bore a child. Before his child could grow, she was taken hostage by the champions of the gods."

"Aldous, a mere mortal man, had grown too powerful for Zeus' comfort. He kidnapped his daughter and forced him into a fight with his champion and the champions of his fellow gods."

"Very few know this next part but it is crucial to history. Just before the fight, one of the champions set the child free and by the time the gods found out, it was too late."

"Out of gratitude for her actions, Aldous let her escape but soon after he succumbed to his wounds. He knew he wouldn't win the fight so he left a message before departing." The man finished as he passed an old scroll to Sora who rolled it open.

"Do not seek revenge against the gods for they will destroy you. No matter how tempted you become, do not venture into the outside world. My descendant shall find you and he will be the one to lead you to glory." The scroll read as Sora's eyebrows rose every few seconds as he read.

"Lord Aldous always seemed to know a lot more than possible. He predicted his own death before giving us this prophecy and it has clearly been fulfilled as you are here." The man said as he went down to his knees once again.

"The prophecy has come to pass and the necklace has acknowledged you. I pledge my eternal servitude to you Lord Sora, heir to the sanctuary." He said as his voice seemed to boom with an unforeseen power.

"What was that?" Sora muttered out, feeling the slight shake in the air.

"A vow of truth. Conditional magic meant to prove the truthfulness of one's words. He's telling the truth." Zatanna who had been silent till now spoke up.

Sora let out a sigh if exasperation as he looked to the old man who had yet to get to his feet.

"Enough with the bowing. It's weird and frankly it's annoying." He said, making the man rush to his feet muttering an apology.

"Is there anything else important that I need to know?" Sora asked as the man gestured for them to follow him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The trio now stood in front of a large golden door in a deserted hallway. So far all the corridors and halls they passed at least had someone walking around but this area was quiet and deserted.

"This is the forbidden room, or as it was once known, Lord Aldous' personal chamber. Nobody is allowed access inside and only this of his direct blood can enter. Observe." He finished as he stretched forward.

Before his hand got close to the surface of the door, a golden barrier became visible, stopping his hand from going any further.

The other two were slightly amazed by that but Sora was less surprised seeing as how he can do something similar with seals. The man gestured for him to give it a try which he obliged.

Unlike what happened with the old man, Sora's hand fully grasped the door handle. He looked at them both for a second before pushing the door open.

He walked into the large room that certainly didn't look like it had been unused for centuries. There were no cobwebs or dust that signified that.

"It's magic of the sanctuary." The man said as if reading his thoughts.

He raised his brows as the man and Zatanna stood outside the room.

"Only you are of his blood. No one else is allowed into those chambers." He explained with his hand on Zatanna's shoulder, holding her back.

'That's comforting.' Sora thought right before the doors to the room slammed shut on their own.