Summoning the Kings

Meanwhile, King Harold hurried out of the throne room towards a secluded corridor with Elion right behind him. There was no one around them. The entire place was deserted, and the two men entered the room they had in mind with ease.

It wasn't that no one dared to enter the place. It was that no one could enter the place as they wished. The power the place held was enough to make them kneel the moment they even stepped into the corridor, let alone enter the room the two men were in. If they nevertheless forced themselves in, then what awaited them was nothing but death. Only the truly powerful ones could enter the room, and there were only a handful in the kingdom of Meadel who could enter the place and remain unscathed.

While Elion stood by the door, Harold rushed to the pedestal towards the center as he summoned all the power within him. At first, there was no reaction. But soon, a white light shone over Harold, and the next instant the faces of the other eight kings in Azuvar appeared around him.

"Why have you summoned us without prior notice, King Harold?" One of the kings, King Caius, questioned him, and Harold looked at the oldest king among them.

"Please forgive me, King Caius. If not for the urgency of the situation, I would never have summoned you all on such short notice." Harold trembled as he thought about what he would be saying next and wondered how everyone would react when they heard him.

"What is it that you wish to inform us?" King Caius gave him a curious look, and Harold swallowed in fright.

"The Lord of the Dark is back." Harold waited for the other kings to react. But all he got in return was a stunned silence before laughter burst out in the room.

"King Harold, are you playing tricks on us?" One of the kings, King Carlos, who had a tense relationship with Harold, spoke, and the others nodded in agreement. "The Lord of the Dark is gone forever. How can he come back?"

"Please trust me. The Lord of the Dark is back. I am not playing any tricks here, nor am I lying to you." Harold tried to explain, but when he saw the other kings' expressions, he understood that he had failed to convince them.

"What evidence do you have to support your claims, King Harold?" King Darcy, the wisest of all, inquired, and everyone went silent as they waited for his reply.

"You must have heard about the dreadful incident in Meadel."

"Are you referring to the demise of your sorcerers?" King Carlos was quick to interrupt, and if not for the dire plight they were in and Harold's rush to find a solution for his problem, he'd have rebuked him for sure. Carlos was a mannerless man, and Harold felt nothing but disdain in his presence.

"Yes, I am."

"Do you intend to say that it was all orchestrated by the Lord of the Dark?" Carlos smiled in disbelief, and Harold felt nothing but hatred towards the man who was making things difficult for him instead of helping him.

"Yes. It was he who killed my people." Harold held his gaze on Carlos as he enunciated each word slowly.

"What a joke!" Carlos chuckled, and Harold narrowed his gaze as he glared at him with hatred. He had never abhorred anyone as much as he did Carlos now.

"Do you think we will believe your claims?" Carlos questioned, and Harold licked his lips as he ignored him and glanced at the other kings.

"Please trust me when I say that the Lord of the Dark is back." He begged. He was desperate, and he needed their help to deal with the predicament he was in. He could never handle the situation himself. The Lord of the Dark was a formidable sorcerer and would defeat him in an instant.

"Fine. For a moment, let us consider that you are telling the truth, King Harold." King Luca, the youngest among them, said, gaining everyone's attention to him.

"How did you conclude that it was the Lord of the Dark? Did you see him?"

"No, I did not."

"See, I told you that he was playing tricks on us." Carlos raised his hands in anger, and Harold felt defeated.

"Elion, tell them I am not lying to them. Tell them." Harold turned to Elion, who had not spoken a word since the kings had appeared.

"King Harold, you do not have to bring Elion to help you. He is after all your trusted man. He will do as you say." King Osric, who was close friends with King Carlos, remarked, and Harold felt miserable.

"King Harold, why did you feel that the mishap that fell on your kingdom was related to the Lord of the Dark? What made you think of him?" King Everard, the strongest one among them, asked all of a sudden, and Harold felt a boost of courage and hope in him.

"King Everard, it was one of Elion's disciples who dreamt about the Lord of the Dark," Harold revealed.

"Dreamt, you say?" King Caius questioned with his eyes narrowed, and everyone scrutinized Harold. From their expressions alone, it was evident that they did not believe him, and Harold did not know how else to convince them.

"Yes, King Caius. He dreamt about the Lord of the Dark, and... and..." Harold hesitated.

"And?" King Luca probed.

"And, according to him, this is just the beginning. It is not just Meadel the Lord of the Dark is aiming at, but the entirety of Azuvar. He wants to destroy the entire world."

This time, everyone except King Darcy and King Everard burst out laughing, and Harold's stomach dropped in worry.

"You are an amusing man, King Harold." King Luca shook his head, and the others agreed.

"Can you call your disciple here?" King Everard said all of a sudden, stunning everyone into silence. Even King Harold was astonished by his request, and he looked at him, puzzled.

"Let me check if he is telling the truth or not."

King Harold's eyes widened in realization, and he recalled that King Everard had a gift for reading dreams. Moreover, he could even plant himself in the dream and watch it happen before him.

His eyes lit up immediately, and he smiled widely as he darted a look of gratitude towards King Everard. But just when he was about to order Elion to summon Zevan, a thought entered his mind, and his smile vanished instantly.

Seeing him hesitate, King Thalor, who had remained silent all along, spoke up. "What happened, King Harold? Is something the matter?"

"I am afraid I cannot summon Zevan here." Harold felt defeated, and he did not know what to do.

"Why, King Harold?" King Thalor quirked his brows, and Harold glanced at Elion, who held a similar expression as his.

"Zevan is not powerful enough to enter the room. He will die the moment he takes a step in here."