《The Godly Protector》 Chapter One: The Summoning Within the Kingdom of Light, one of the Great Powers of the Continent of Estau, the main landmass of Aethion, much work was going on in the Castle. In the castle proper the numerous slaves and servants and other people were running about in a scurry finishing last minute preparations for the day. It was a rather important day, the Day of the Summoning. Most of the nearby countries on Estau had conducted their Summoning¡¯s many months prior. The Kingdom of Light had to take additional time to prepare as they were ordered by their Patron, Tamara, Lady of Light. They were attempting to common a very specific individual, though they did not know that. They, like all the other countries would attempt to bring many Summoned to their side. The Summoning Chamber was located deep within the bowels of the Castle. Once the Summoning was held the Throne Room but after a certain incident when they summoned a rather inhuman being, that practice was changed. Now the Summoning was held in a circular room, many feet below ground. It was large, more than 40 feet across; the floor was stone with an intricate magic circle engraved into it. The magic circle had branches leading off into adjoined rooms, each with heavy metal doors. The rooms all had a magic circle similar to the larger one in the Chamber, which they were all connected to. The rooms were all secured and reinforced, there were 5 rooms in all, some larger or smaller than the others. In the Chamber 10 holy men were arranged around the large magic circle. 9 of the men were Priests; they were all on their knees, silently channeling their magical power into the magic circle. The 10th man was standing, while the Priests were dressed in plain white robes, he however was wearing more ornate garb. His robes were a brighter white, with gold trim along the fringes of the robes, his headpiece was rather ornate as well. He was reading aloud from a large golden tome weathered with use and age, its pages were frayed and dog-eared/ ¡°Oh Tamara, Lady of Light, our Patron, we beseech thee and your fellow Gods for their Blessings in this Summoning. We shall need Your Champions, Your Blessed, to survive against the heathens that seek to bring ruin to your Children, WE BESEECH THEE!!!¡± As the Bishop¡¯s words ended, they echoed about the room, during this the magic circle glowed brighter and brighter. An accompanying glow could be seen emanating from the smaller separated Summoning Rooms. The others attending, looked on with expectation, among them were the current members of the Royal Family. There were 4 of them; the most important of them was the King, Richard Luminus, a shorter jovial looking man, whose weathered face bore the stress of leadership. To his left stood his eldest child, his only son, the Crown Prince Julius Luminus. He stood nearly a foot taller than his father; he was in his early 30¡¯s. He was thinly built, and rather handsome to boot, most members of the Kingdom called him Julius the Blessed, which was one of his titles granted to him by the Lady. He gained the title nearly 2 decades ago when the Wildmen of the North pushed south with a massive army. The Wildmen were mostly disorganized barbarians that roamed the Northern countries of Estau. Occasionally a Champion would be crowned, one Blessed by Aslak, the Old God of the North who held dominion over Survival and Winter. It was one such Champion who organized the Wildmen, his name was Moldof, a giant amongst men. He alone united them through sheer force of will and the power he possessed. They swept across Estau like a plague, they dealt much damage before Moldof fell assaulting Drakon. The remains of his army fled west into the Kingdom of Light. It was at this time that Julius, who had been visiting a border village, earned his Title. He only had a few Knights with him at the time, just as the Prince and the village were both about to fall a pillar of Light descended from the heavens and enveloped him. From there the tide of the battle turned with the Prince rallying those with the will to fight and held out until reinforcements arrived. Behind the King and the Crown Prince stood the Twin Princesses, they were widely regarded as being the most beautiful women in the Kingdom. On the left stood the Crimson Princess, the general of the Kingdom, she stood at around 5 foot 8. She possessed long crimson hair with hung down her back like some wild mane. Her hair was not what gave her that title however, it was her actions during an event only 5 years ago that did that. It was when an OverSpill happened, they were similar to the Overflow, but localized to only one dungeon, usually ones inhabited by weaker faster reproducing Monsters such as Imps, Goblins, or the inhabitants of the rare Dire Animal Dungeon. The young Princess Emma, only 15 at the time, was at the estate of an Earl, visiting a friend when it happened. She had been in the town below the estate when they showed up, the Krystalou. The Krystalou, were mutated Dire Animals, which were animals corrupted by magic, the Krystalou however, took that a step further. They were rare beings, they could only come into existence when a powerful Dire Animal consumed a Dungeon Core, or a portion of it. They could however be coerced into being formed, a Dungeon Master or Dungeon Lord, could feed a piece of the Core to a Dire Animal with a large Brood. Just as in humans, drugs could affect a feeding child; the power of the Core mutated the Mother and the Children, as they fed. There were many Krystalou, around 50, more than had been seen since the First Overflow, where they were first seen. They attacked the village, along with thousands of other animals, Dire and otherwise. They killed most of the villagers, but ignored those that escaped; they marched on the Estate, which was manned by only a few hundred soldiers. Emma was trapped in the village; she was attacked as she tried to flee back to the Estate. A Krystalou in the shape of a massive wolf lunged at her; the Princess fell back and dropped the dagger she had been holding. She scrambled to recover it, she let out a cry of pain as the Krystalou latched onto her leg, she strained to reach the dagger, finally grasping it before she was dragged back by the monster grabbing her. The beast let go of her leg as she flew through the air, she impacted against the ground, somehow still holding onto her weapon. It pounced towards her once again, this time aiming for her throat, to finish its pitiful prey off. The princess was trembling as the world seemed to slow and the deadly teeth inched closer and closer to her. Suddenly she heard a sharp yelp and a massive weight collapsed on top of her. She opened her eyes after a time, the Krystallou lay dead atop her, she was covered in its blood. As the body vanished into dust, her wounds healed and she picked up her weapon, a voice echoed within her mind. ¡°Rise up Warrior, Rise up, slay your enemies and become forged through blood, become my Crimson Warrior.¡± As the words of Denek, the Crimson God reverberated about her mind, more and more Krystalou and other Animals showed up. They gathered around her forming a circle with her and the fading pool of blood from the Krystalou in the center. There was a silence and a tranquility that descended, it vanished as swiftly as it descended as the animals all rushed towards her. That was how her Trial began and how she became the Crimson Princess. Whereas Emma was a warrior, a fighter through and through, Caitlin, was the more societal of the two. While Emma was brash and prone to violence, she was also rather honorable and virtuous, Caitlin was cunning and manipulative. Truthfully, Caitlin was the only Princess, of the two of them; Emma gave up her claims when she gained her Title. Caitlin was the more suited for the role, but those of the Kingdom still liked to call the two of them the Twin Princesses. As the light from the ritual grew brighter shapes and figures started to form. The King and Julius watched on with expectation in their eyes. Emma looked on with apathy, being relatively uncaring about those that would be summoned. Caitlin waited and gazed on with anticipation as the figures became more solid amidst the aura of light. During this the glow in the accompanying rooms died down, in all except for one that is, which glowed slightly brighter than the Chamber itself. ON EARTH The City of Cross Timber, is home to many criminal organizations, this is a left over from its roots in the 30¡¯s. Many notable criminals and organizations have operated in the city, even after the heyday of organized crime ended, they still persist. One of the more notable groups that are a part of the criminal underworld of Cross Timber is the Nicoletti Family. They are one of the major members of the La Cosa Nostra, the Mafia. The Nicoletti¡¯s once ruled Cross Timber back in its heyday, and even now, so many years later, they have great influence. Their leadership was based out of the Nicoletti estate in one of the older sections of Cross Timber, built before the Great Depression. It was a gated estate, that held many buildings, surrounded by impressive wrought iron fences, a relic still standing from an era long past. The buildings ranged from a gardening shed next to a walled in Vineyard to the multi-story brick house that dominated the Estate.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Near the front door of the Mansion, a massive figure was standing; he was waiting at the door. He gazed around at what had once been his home, his dark gaze taking in the bricks bearing the cracks and patina of age, as well as the vines obscuring a portion of the front wall. He reached out with one massive hand and gently stroked the brick, as he did so the door opened. The person standing on the other side of the door was an older man with mostly silver hair, far past his prime, yet he exuded the youthfulness of a man less than half his age. When he spoke it was with a polite and cultured accent, colored by his Italian roots. ¡°Grazie Victor. Your father has been awaiting your arrival, follow me please.¡± The larger man, Victor Armstrong nodded, before ducking slightly, so as to not hit the door, as he followed the much smaller man inside. As he entered, one of the two guards, suited mobsters that served Giovanni Nicoletti, closed the door. The foyer of the house was elaborate, yet another sight from times gone by. The foyer led into a wide open area, with a spiral staircase leading to an upperfloor, above the staircase, centered in the room was a massive crystal chandelier that cast its light on the laminated flooring below. Scattered throughout the room, numerous Mafioso could be seen, most were standing at attention, though a few could be seen conversing here and there. Victor¡¯s attention returned to the butler who began walking soon after the door closed. The older man was a friend of his fathers, he had served the family for many years, his name was Constantino Milani, and was born in Sicily, much like Giovanni was. Instead of heading up the staircase, or through the wooden double doors at the other end of the room, Constantino instead led Victor down one of the side hallways. Though he was several feet behind the other man, Victor¡¯s large strides enabled him to catch up pretty quick. He did not really need to follow the older man, he knew where they were headed it was the only room on this floor in this section of the house after all, his father¡¯s study. The floor of the house was wood, oak in fact, with a beautiful veneer to it. The double doors were large and wooden, they were strong, not even Victor¡¯s impressive strength could shake it, a feat many metal doors failed at. Standing to either side of the doors to his father¡¯s study were Large suited men, standing nonchalantly, yet cautiously. As Victor and Constantino approached the study the two men stepped forward and opened the doors inwards to the study. Within the room there were 8 men stationed around the room along with 2 more stationed next to the doors, like the 2 outside the room. The room was dominated by a massive desk, behind it was an indent that framed a mirror, in front of which were several trinkets. The back wall behind the desk, on either side of the indent had cabinets and bookshelves, full of more trinkets and books as well. The man sitting at the desk was not imposing, not physically like Victor, but he held an air about him that told you to listen or else, nonetheless. As Victor and Constantino entered the two men closed the doors and the man at the desk, Giovanni, looked up. He spoke and gestured to the men stationed around the room. His accented voice was smooth and mellow, calm, but carrying a tone of solemn authority with it. ¡°All of you but those at the door, I would like to speak to my son in relative privacy.¡± Following his words the 8 men vacated the room with swift silence, after which he turned his attention back to Victor and Constantino. He then gestured to the chair in front of him, and spoke. As he spoke Constantino moved from Victors side and took a position behind Giovanni. ¡°Please, sit my son, we have much to discuss.¡± Victors response was swift, his deep voice carried a cold formally to it. ¡°I think not father, I will remain standing. Speak your piece so that I might hasten my departure before one of the staff alerts her, undoubtedly she still has contact with some of them.¡± A flash of annoyance briefly crossed over his father¡¯s face before he responded. ¡°Actually, that was what I wished to speak with you about. She knows you are here, she arrived in secret not two days ago. I only found out she arrived this morning myself, I don¡¯t know who her source was. She has gotten quite industrious since you two were separated, my son. Due to her persistence in chasing you, and other things, I have arranged for evidence and testimony to remove the charges pinned against you all those years ago when-.¡± Whatever else he was about to say was drowned out by a derisive snort and Victors rather loud, heated reply. ¡°You need to make up your mind Father. You brought me into this family as your Son, when I saved Her life, then you Disowned me because of the accusations of your wife.¡± Following Victors disdainful response, Giovanni was silent for a moment, the calm before the storm. The next moment he yelled, no bellowed, his response. It was accompanied with a fist to the desk, which impacted against the heavy oak desk with a thump, but it held. This was a rarity for him, Giovanni Nicoletti was not a man who needed to yell to get his point across, but he always had been emotional in matters concerning his children, especially his daughter. ¡°HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO REACT, HUH!?!?!?!?.¡± Giovanni fell silent once more and ran a hand over his face before continuing, his voice much more mellow, and more sorrowful. ¡°I knew what that woman accused you of was false, even with your capacity for violent and terrible things, Terrie was too enamored with you for what she suggested to be a possibility. Regardless, I had killed men for less, and I could not afford to let my feelings for you to get in the way of protecting my Daughter.¡± Victor gave a cold laugh in response before he spoke. Though he did not shout to start, each word he spoke carried about the study. ¡°You brought me into your family because I protected her once from an attack, all those years ago. I will always be grateful for that, you were the first real family I ever had, but...¡± There was a pause following those words, and he started shaking, his fists clenched in barely controlled rage. His next words were shouted out loud, following his raised voice the two door guards tensed up, one of them more fidgety than the other. ¡°Everything, EVERYTHING, THAT I HAD DONE SINCE JOINING YOUR FAMILY WAS FOR THE SAKE OF PROTECTING HER!!!!¡± Whatever else he was about to say was interrupted as the fidgety guard went into action. He brought his concealed handgun from beneath his suit and leveled it at Victor, stepping forward as he did. Considering the tension in the room, and the fact that Victor had been barely controlling himself, the action was foolish. The minute the gun was pressed to his back, Victor acted on instinct, exploding into action. For such a largely built individual, Victor moved with surprising grace and speed. He twisted around, swinging his left arm like a club, both knocking the gun from the goons hand and knocking the man off balance. In the same smooth motion his right arm shot out and he grasped the man¡¯s shoulder, pulling him down, as he did, his left arm grasped the arm that held the gun and wrenched it upwards. The unfortunate goon gave a brief gasp of discomfort, which soon turned into a pained disjointed grunt as Victor¡¯s knee met the goon¡¯s body as he was pulled down. There was an audible crunch as something in the goon snapped at the forceful contact. Victor used his hold on the man¡¯s shoulder to toss him back a short distance, he fell down with a loud thud, impacting against the double doors to the study. Giovanni had watched impassively as Victor decimated the goon, he had no use for foolish, impulsive individuals. Constantino was the same, though his silence had stayed the same throughout the confrontation between Giovanni and Victor. His silence was broken as he called out in an intense, short burst of Italian. Following his words the two men outside the study opened the doors and carried the unfortunate goon away, who was luckily still breathing. Victor gave a heavy sigh before continuing. ¡°I have been shot and stabbed while protecting her, I have killed for her, to keep her safe. I care for her deeply, even now, but back then I would not have done what she suggested, or even what you were worried had actually happened. I could not take advantage of Terrie like that, I was too selfish to, for the few years I was with you guys I was happy, for the first time I had something akin to an actual family, despite your nature, you guys did not disdain or seem wary of my, welcoming me with open arms.¡± Victor paused as he gave another equally heavy sigh before continuing, his voice calmer and much mellower, but still carrying a deep solemnity to it. ¡°I will take my leave, but I will give some thought to returning, should I truly encounter her at Darkholme I will speak to her, but it is ultimately her decision.¡± Victor gave a curt nod before turning away and exiting the room, Constantino followed behind him. Victor swiftly made his way through the side hallway and out into the foyer, despite the spectacle that took place in the study, most of the people, goons and servants alike were still going about their jobs. More than a few of them were covertly glancing at him and whispering to one another, though few present worked in the estate when Victor lived there, they had all heard of him, Victor Armstrong. He had just exited the front door and had begun walking along the path to the gate when Constantino called out to him. The older man¡¯s words were lighthearted with a hint of praise, he had been the first to notice Victor¡¯s potential and was the first to train him all those years ago. ¡°I see that you are as skilled as ever in combat, Victor.¡± Victor paused for a moment and raised his massive callused hands to look at them, they were scarred and marked. He clenched them for a moment, the veins popping out in his forearms as he did. He responded to the older man, his tone mellow and calm, much more so than it had been at any time in the study. ¡°I guess there are just some things you can¡¯t grow out of, that you grow into. Even before I came to this family, before you taught me, I was a fighter, I had to be.¡± Following his words a silence fell between them and he continued walking. It was a relatively short distance from the main house to the gate of the estate, but time seemed to stretch as the silence grew. Soon enough they reached the massive wrought iron gate that marked the entrance to the grounds of the estate. The guards swiftly opened the gate, which swung slowly, giving an ancient creak as they did, just before he left the Nicoletti Estate Victor turned back as Constanito called out to him one last time. ¡°Victor¡­ No matter what happens, even if the two of you don¡¯t reconcile with Gio, keep her safe will you?¡± Following the older mans words there was a brief silence before a loud booming sound rang out, one which had not been heard for some years, Victor¡¯s raucous laughter. Before responding Victor wiped some tears of laughter from his eyes, the obvious amusement he felt tinting his voice. ¡°Always have Tino, always have, keep the old man safe.¡± Following those words Victor left the Nicoletti Estate, his first visit to occur for the better part of a decade ended as the massive wrought iron gate closed behind him. Update, not a chapter I have the second chapter mostly ready to be posted, However, last weekend i was rather sick, but during that time i got to thinking. As those of you that have read my updates and comments and such know, i have numerous other story ideas and concepts. A good portion of them take place in Aethoin, or worlds that become connected to it/or that it was or will be. What i plan to do is to create a Forum thread, either here or on one of the other numerous sites i sort of frequent, that will serve as a hub. It would not just be for the Aethionverse, but that is the one in which the story concepts are the most numerous (13 so far, just from my phone notepad alone )Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. It will most likely look something like this: Pahara: (the world before it becomes Aethion MAgic is considered supreme and most tasks that would require knowledge or such, such as making fires, skinning animals, etc, are accomplished by magic, so culture and products are minimal. Additionaly, though there are no people singled out as being blessed by one god or another, near everytone has a blessing or such, that just unlocks their base ptoential. There are no heroes, and no need of them. Aethion: There are heroes, gods take a more active role and are more picky in who they support. MAgic is more advanced, but certain arts have been lost, etc. Iseth: Gods are greatly changed, as are the races and the magic wielded. Then i would gone to put the stories and their premises that would take place on what world or such, under their appropriate heading. Chapter Two: the Arrival (part one) To anyone of those watching who were truly paying attention, Victor and the others would have instantaneously vanished, in reality, it took far longer, especially to those experiencing it. Victor instinctually fought against it, which made it worse for him. Pain tore through him as he was drawn from Earth to another place, another plane. Everything he experienced was magnified to extreme levels, even breathing hurt, the closest experience he could compare it to would be being electrocuted with broken ribs, but the pain was spread everywhere. Suddenly the pain vanished and he found himself in a void, a blank unending abyss devoid of anything else, light, sound, everything. Soon enough the ever-present silence was broken by an ethereal voice belonging to an unseen woman. ¡°You are different from most of the usual rabble summoned by the Races. You are a protector; you do not needlessly break your foes, though you hold the power to do so easily. It took great effort to intercept you, though you are not the Hero the Kingdom wants you are the one their Goddess wants.¡± A melancholy sigh wafted about the expanse before the female voice continued. ¡°The others cannot go against her, not yet, not while the threat to Aethion persists. Even among all the summoned heroes, you will be exceptional, but not without a cost. You have suffered much my Hero, and you will suffer more, but you will become a champion without equal, Heroes such as you have rarely graced Aethion. I am sorry for what you must go through, but go Victor, do what you do best My Protector.¡± After the voice finished speaking the darkness around him started to dim, as the bright light that had initially enveloped him returned. As light grew stronger, and the magic enveloped him once more the voices words faded, but a sense of worry filled him. Soon enough his final destination came into view, a small circular room made of stone. He could not see much of the room due to the blinding light being emitted from the intricately engraved magic circle that dominated the room. ~~~~~~ The look on Theresa¡¯s features could only be described as anxiously excited. She was about to meet someone she owed so much to, but as she took notice of the changed surroundings, that look bled away and morphed into something else entirely. For but a moment there was an indescribable rage on her face of such intensity that had they been able to see it Tyler and the others would have been shaking from fear. That look was only momentary however, when she took in the strange sights around her that look fled from her face, replaced by a peculiar calm. She and the others were all standing in what appeared to be a large white room, though no walls or ceiling could be seen, just a massive white expanse. In front of them stood an utterly breathtaking woman, clad in a white dress that clung to well, everything, from breasts to hips. Tyler and his cronies froze just as Theresa did, but theirs was due to a much more primal reaction than shock. The three of them were staring at the woman with undisguised passion and lust etched into their features. Though Magnus and Francis were usually less polite and controlled than Tyler when it came to attractive women, it was still a rare occasion for them to be so blatant in their admiration of a females form. A brief nearly imperceptible smirk crossed the woman¡¯s lips at their reactions, moments later her lips parted and she spoke. Her voice was as beautiful and enchanting as her appearance, it held a lyrical quality to it that made one want to just spend all their time listening to the voice speak. ¡°I welcome you my heroes. I cannot speak with you for long, the other fools are wary of my plans for you. You have been summoned to a world so very different from your own, but for a very honorable purpose, to save my people.¡± Following her rather brief statement, their surroundings changed once more. Rather than a featureless room, they found themselves in a barren yet ornate room, with intricately carved murals and mystical runes everywhere one could see. The only thing marring the intricacy of the runes and murals were the heavy metal doors that could be seen spaced out around the room. The first to recover was Theresa, if you could call what she did recovering, she had not been able to rant and rave about the unfairness before, while the woman calling herself a goddess was present. In this new location however, she was free to act, but she didn¡¯t, no matter how much she wished to scream towards the heavens. Instead she calmly and coolly observed the room and began to take note of those present. It was not the soldiers, the knights, those who had killed, that drew her attention. Even in modern days those that have fought or killed were not so rare a sight, no what really drew her notice was the elaborately garbed holy many and the four garbed similarly to royalty. The shortest among the four was an older man, bearing an elaborate crown and a regal, noble demeanor, presumably the king.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Though he was notable due to his demeanor, it was the other three that drew her attention more. The three were all good-looking, not in a normal way however. The king was handsome, despite his age, but the other three were on a whole different level. The first one she appraised was the taller man to the Kings left, he held a head of short blonde hair. That alone was nothing exceptional, but when coupled with his fair features it gave him a near angelic countenance. Although the man was thinly built, it was a lithe, toned thinness, rather than the thinness of someone who was just small. Despite holding a handsome appearance one could see that he was quite capable, he held himself like a warrior. His beauty was not the pampered carefully sculpted kind like Tyler Logan Jefferson possessed. Regardless of how handsome he was, Theresa held no real interest in him, she for one preferred less pretty men. In her experience such pretty men were weak and their personalities were less pleasant than their outward visage. She looked away from the beautiful man, the Crown Prince, and observed the other two who caught her attention. They were women, twins near identical in appearance who looked older than herself by a few years. The two were unquestionably beautiful that was certain, but their mannerisms and way of dress set them apart from one another easily. One was undeniably a warrior, she was clad in formfitting leather armor of a crimson hue, not too far from the shade of her hair. Her body was not largely built, she was no Amazon, but had rather lush curves which only barely hinted at her strength. She had two visible blades on her person but seemed like the type who would have more than a few hidden weapons. She wore a crimson mantle which hung from her shoulders and acted much like a cloak would though more adorned. The appearance of the other woman was refined and regal in appearance and though holding a similar appearance to the crimson warrior she seemed softer, more svelte and elegant. She was clad in a flowing dress which covered much of her form while hinting at her form. Theresa bit down a derisive snort, most would think her reaction was due to envy or jealousy, in truth it was derisive. She had met many like the elegant woman before, behind her gentle smile here was a barely contained sense of superiority and righteousness. As she appraised the royalty, Tyler and cronies were recovering as well. Francis was glancing about the room at the various soldiers and guards, trembling all the while, his gaze not even lingering on the two princesses. Magnus on the other hand was nearly the complete opposite to how the smaller man was acting currently. He calmly looked at all those present, only briefly lingering on the soldiers, he paid much attention to the princesses, his eyes caressing their forms. Tyler was reacting in a similar way but in more wary yet simultaneously composed manner. His gaze barely took in the guards, registering their presence but it was the women which caught his eye. Tyler had always had a deep appreciation for the female form, but the two forms in front of him were especially fine. They drew his attention equally, both being roses in his eyes, one just had more obvious thorns on display. While the Heroes appraised their environment, the Princesses did the same to them. Caitlin indifferently glanced over most of those summoned, barely taking notice of Theresa, with Magnus and Francis getting even less attention. The only one who got more than a cursory look was Tyler, and even then only due to his looks. Caitlin gave a slight smirk of pride at how Tyler and Francis had gazed at her, she worked meticulously to ensure that she drew more gazes than her sister. Emma meanwhile appraised those summoned with a much more critical eye. She cared not for their looks, she preferred those who could fight more so than how pretty they were, no what she looked at was how they held themselves. She could tell only two of them had real fighting experience, the only girl among them as well as the larger of the three males. She could not tell how skilled the two were with a simple glance, they were from another world after all, but she knew they had combat experience. After recovering from his shock and appraisal of those unfamiliar to him Tyler cleared his throat and began to speak. As he spoke one of the soldiers present whispered a message into Caitlin''s ear, before delivering the same message to the other royalty in turn. Caitlin was somewhat annoyed by the disturbance, Emma was intrigued while the King and Prince Julius were more passive. They were there for show after all, Caitlin was the hook to draw the heroes in before they had their turn. "My name is Tyler Logan Jefferson. I apologize if this seems rude, but who are you and why have you--" Shortly after Tyler began to speak he was interrupted by Caitlin, her clear enchanting voice cut through his polite tone. "I apologize for interrupting in turn, but I think it would be best if we delay pleasantries. While you have recovered something has happened in a sub chamber which we must attend to." Her words were accompanied by a gesture towards the room Victor had been summoned into. "You can follow if you wish, Heroes." Following her brief words she sauntered towards the sub-chamber she had gestured at not moments before. ~~~~~~ While Theresa and the others summoned had been able to adjust to their surroundings, Victor was not so fortunate. He appeared at the same time the others did, but the guards in his chamber had been expecting something less human. When they did see him, one of the guards present reacted much as the Mafioso from his father''s estate had, he panicked and acted out in a violent and foolish manner. The guard in question was holding a halberd and brought it to bear as he charged the short distance towards the massive figure. Normally the guard would be more composed, but the figure was more fearsome than any orc or Weseh-Kin, it had an aura about it which told him if he did not act he would be the first to die. The halberd whistled through the air as it pierced towards the large figure.