《Records of a Grime knight》


 Prologue

    It is said that there was a time when the sky had only one moon to shine. But the stories began from there, tells the tales of how the beings from a land called Earth ended up in an unknown land called Necrogan.


    When it happened, nobody knew what actually occurred. All but confused and perplexed, humans were left on the land¡ªalone and cold, standing in the middle of a huge landscape overgrown with thick forest. Everyone stood under the night sky, illuminated by the shine of three moons.


    However, humans soon learned the dangers of this new land and adapted. The first thing they created was a stronghold. They cut down surrounding trees, marking the first act of artificial destruction in the land, and built a wall surrounding themselves from the outside dangers. Then, slowly, they built their society from the ground up, creating the place today known as Albion.


    Land of Kings, Heroes, and Villains


    With the birth of Albion, humans created a place to call home and a refuge to keep them safe. From there, they began to gather knowledge about this new land. Men with bravery in their hearts ventured out alone or in groups to explore and understand the world around them.


    Humans called these brave men the "Pathfinders."


    Soon, throughout Albion, the stories of the Pathfinders'' discoveries spread like wildfire. A man named Alexander Won, great figure among the first batch of Pathfinders, recorded his experiences in the outside world in his journal.


    "We are in the middle of a deserted land, an empty land surrounded by a forest. It took us three whole weeks to get closer to the layer of trees we saw from afar. By the time we arrived, we had already run out of our supplies. With only one can of beans and a little water left on our side, we decided the correct choice was to head back home."


    It was the first knowledge humans gathered after the birth of Albion, teaching them to be better prepared before venturing out.


    Sir Alexander Won¡¯s story could have continued¡ªif only he had returned from his second journey. Even after countless Pathfinders followed the first one''s trail, they never managed to discover what actually happened to the first Pathfinders.


    With the passing of years, Pathfinders ventured deeper into the world¡ªand deeper into the forest, where they discovered a land called Featherland.


    The first to discover this land of feathers was the lone adventurer Rodrik Veymar. His notebook, which had passed through many hands, recorded his experience:


    "At first, I thought it was a land of clouds¡ªor perhaps heaven itself. Some places were pink, some were gold, and others were pure white, like the feathers of a swan. Although curious, I did not rush to dive in. First, I observed my surroundings. The more I searched, the more I realized that this place was a vast and unimaginably massive feather from some kind of being. After a moment of astonishment, what overcame me was fear. The feather alone was larger than our home, Albion. And I couldn''t fathom how much larger the beast to which this feather belonged must be."


    Sir Rodrik Veymar¡¯s tale would also come to an end with his last note:


    "We are not alone."


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    His notebook was found years later by the Pathfinders who followed after him. The group that became the first to witness another intelligent life form beyond Albion.


    When humans first arrived in this land, the dangers they faced came from the environment and mindless beasts. The poisonous air, the deep-sinking mud puddles, and the forests with knife-like branches. Tiny bugs that carried unknown diseases and wolf-like, flesh-hungry creatures forced them to come together and build Albion.


    But only when the next batch of explorers followed Sir Rodrik¡¯s path did humans discover another being like themselves.


    "They came from within the feather and seemed to live inside it. If there''s one thing I noticed when I saw them, it was their unbelievable beauty. It was hard to recognize which one was male or female, and I even wondered if these beings had different genders at all. But after observation, we saw that they showed affection to each other in a way similar to how we show our love."


    After this report reached Albion, it was revealed that the world as they knew it had changed. Since there was now another intelligent species, Albion decided to send an envoy to these unknown beings.


    At the same time, Albion named them "Plumaris."


    The envoy sent to the Land of Feathers did not go as planned. Though they appeared outwardly pure and beautiful, the Plumaris reacted with violence when they saw humans. With great difficulty, a report was sent back to Albion, stating that the Plumaris ate human flesh as a delicacy.


    Knowing the danger of the Plumaris, humans soon took action. The Pathfinders'' journeys temporarily ceased, and an army was formed, filled with brave men and women. It was proven and widely believed that the first Pathfinders must have encountered the Plumaris and met an unfortunate fate. Rodrik, the one who discovered Featherland, likely suffered the same end.


    Encountering their first true enemy in this new land, humans waged war against the flesh-eating monsters.


    From then on began the Age of War and Heroes. Clearing the land, humans marched toward the Land of Feathers, where the Plumaris lived, starting a war that would last an entire twenty-six years.


    During this battle, humans realized that the Plumaris used unusual methods of fighting. Some had the ability to change into different shapes, similar to giant bears or wolves. Humans called these Plumaris "Shapeshifters." There were also those who could speak with trees and dance with the wind, slaughtering humans by stealing the air from their lungs and cutting them down with the razor-sharp veins of trees.


    Named Thryssian, these were among the most formidable opponents to face in battle. Other than them, there were Mawborns, who could silence the space around them; Throne Walkers, who could grow sharp, thorn-like limbs from their bodies; Hollowkin, who could create decoys of themselves; Palawhisps, who were invisible to the human eye; and Latticids, who could slip through anything.


    These were the same beings that humans named "The Unusual Ones." Along with their danger, these new beings also brought the knowledge of the supernatural to humanity. And, as it was a time of war, humans became more focused on wining the ongoing battle while pursuit of knowledge about the supernatural.


    In these Times. Sir Garrick Throne and Selene Throne, a lovely pair who also happened to be scientists from Earth, became the leading figures of studying the aspect known as the supernatural.


    As time passed, the tough times created strong humans. Sir Garrick and his partner, unfortunately, didn¡¯t succeed as they had hoped. However, as a result of their experiment, the first great figure among the humans was born. Named Arthur Pendragon, the man became a symbol of the future of humankind. He had strong willpower, which, along with his courageous words, boosted the morale of every human on the battlefield. With him, they moved forward, crafting the first batch of human knights.


    Soon, more and more great figures were born: Sir Lancelot, who became the second-in-command to Arthur; Sir Azrial, who had exceptional skill in sword wielding; Sir Gabriel, Sir Uther, Sir Abraham the Third, Sir Jonathan, and Sir Vlad, who became known for his heroic deeds after the Battle of Bloodvalley.


    Strong men create easier times in war, and after twenty-six years of conflict, humans and Plumaris came to a standstill. Throughout the war, humans continued to push back the Plumaris who emerged from the forest, but afterward, the advance ceased, and the war continued between the two for ages.


    The forest is the home of the Plumaris, and their powers were greater within their domain. When humans tried to enter, the trees acted as the best defenders. When the Plumaris tried to enter, the spears and arrows of humans served as their best defense.


    Seeing the inability to advance, human leaders and Plumaris leaders ended the pointless war and came to a treaty. As long as humans never bothered the Plumaris, and wouldn''t invade there territory, they wouldn''t bother humans either, and neither would they eat the flesh of humans. That was the first and most important rule of the treaty.


    What followed was an age of silence and peace.


    Humans began to develop the land outside the forest, strengthening Albion and expanding its area. The Plumaris continued to live in the forest and never bothered humans afterward.


    As years passed, knowledge of the Plumaris and their extraordinary abilities became tales shared only by the fireplace out of boredom or to increase the curiosity of humans.


    However, the upper tiers of Albion continued to stay in contact with the rulers of the Plumaris, the Crown God of Feathers. After agreeing to another treaty, the Crown God of Feathers and human ruler Arthur Pendragon started the journey of the Pathfinders again, with the assistance of supernatural beings, to explore the land beyond the Great Forest of Feathers.

 Page one

    An unexpected journey


    Onto a six-foot-deep hole in the ground, Thalric threw the body of his adoptive father. For it was now just a hollow shell of flesh, bearing only his appearance. The liveliness it was supposed to possess had long since faded away, and now even that appearance was gradually succumbing to the same fate.


    Around the graveyard, there was no one to weep for the loss of Thalric, for he had lived a life of loneliness, untouched by the outside world. Not much could be said about that outside world except it was dark and gruesome, for Thalric had been born in a place called Prison Gap.


    Right after Thalric was born, he was placed in an orphanage by his unknown parents. He lived there until Lucus came, adopted him, and became his father figure. Thalric did not know the origins of his father, except for the small fact that he did not have the face of a criminal like the others in this place.


    After the adoption, Lucus and Thalric bought a piece of land at a far corner of the Prison Realm, away from those with the minds of maniacs. There, they planned to build a beautiful wooden house. Unfortunately, after paying for the land, Lucus had little money left to buy more wood for their house. So, the two had to scavenge wood from nearby abandoned places. And unexpectedly, other than the necessary wood, they found more.


    Soon, the two built a house in the lonely space. It was a beauty, just as they had planned, with a tall wooden door at the front. Painted green, it led to a round space that served as the living room. It was very spacious, featuring a chimney and a comfy cushioned sofa nearby.


    Leading away from the living area were the personal rooms of Lucus and Thalric. Other than that, there was a kitchen and a storage room where they stored the things they had found in those abandoned places. They had more than enough clothes in their storage and the tools needed to grow anything they wished in the field.


    In his early years, Thalric lived with his father in their cozy, small house. In his memory, it was a time of warmth and happiness. His father taught him many things, including skills that ordinary citizens would never be able to teach their children. How to run in silence, how to steal, how to wield a sword, and how to ride a horse¡ªthese were things only someone like a knight from White Castle could learn. The place somone like thalric coud never hope to reach and didn''t even know about it yet.


    Thalric knew nothing about such things before, and he learned everything his father taught him. But as the years passed, Lucus fell terribly ill and became bedridden. With poor medical care they had, it did not take long for Lucus to say good riddance to his son for ever.


    Back at his father¡¯s grave (which Thalric had built a considerable distance away from their home),he wept until the sorrow in his heart faded. But When the light began to dim, he had no choice but to return home.


    Since then, Thalric had lived alone in his little house, but he found it enjoyable, as he was already used to solitude. He had stored more than enough food and supplies to last at least a few years and did not need to go outside to face those with crazed minds.


    As mentioned earlier, he lived in Prison Gap¡ªthe home to the worst criminals in Albion.


    Albion¡ªthe land of humans. It was located in an unknown land, yet well known by its own citizens, who were called humans.


    Unlike other animals, they could stand upright on their back paws while moving their mouths to communicate. They could also create wonderful things using their front paws¡ªjust like the very place called Albion itself.


    Long ago, these humans appeared in this world out of nowhere and began living there without the permission of their neighbors, who lived in the deep forest nearby. Called Plumairs, these neighbors initially gave the humans scars of war deep enough to thicken the walls around Albion to be more than twenty feet wide.


    Through that war, later named the Great Beginning War in the history of the new humans, figures of greatness and heroic deeds were born.


    Such as Arthur, who had named himself a great king in ancient history, one such figure emerged. He was brave, great, and courageous, soon becoming the leading figure of Albion.


    Just after the war, he declared himself king and built a great white castle in the middle of Albion, atop a pile of rock.


    He built it near Prison Gap, though the reason was unknown to many. Much said it was to show off his greatness to those who had committed crimes, making them regret their horrible deeds. While less believed it was an act of kindness.


    You see, Prison Gap wasn¡¯t just a hole in the ground¡ªit was surrounded by tall walls to prevent anyone from ever escaping. Because of that, sunlight barely reached inside, except when it was directly overhead at midday.


    But when sunlight fell upon Arthur¡¯s great white castle, which stood far higher than even the walls of Prison Gap, it reflected the light back into the deep hole, allowing the criminals to see the light throughout the day.


    Arthur was a king but the land of Albion was unlike the kingdoms in old human history, where the land was ruled by a king¡¯s sole order. Instead, for that purpose there was another place bearing a name from history: the Round Table.


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    Once in a while, when the time was right, figures of great honor and wisdom gathered to decide where the future of Albion lay.


    After many years of silence, whispers began to spread across the land of Albion that the Round Table would gather once again. Around this time, a giant golden eagle flew across the sky of Albion. It soared around King Arthur''s white castle, following the reflecting light, and then dove into a deep pit leading to the ground beneath to the Prison Gap.


    On this particular day, an occasional time when Thalric had slept past his usual schedule, he heard a keen knock on his door. It was a sound Thalric, who had lived alone, had almost forgotten.


    Getting up, he put on a shirt, a clean one because the one he already wore showed himself as someone lazy and dirty. His room is also on the messy side; the pumpkin pie he ate two days ago is still rotting on the table, and a few flies are already considering it their home. If living alone taught him one thing, it¡¯s that cleaning should be done regularly, not once a year as he does.


    But Thalric still remembers his manners well. His father always taught him that what¡¯s most important to a person when meeting another is the first impression. And whoever this stranger knocking on his wooden door might be, Thalric would make a good first impression of himself infront of this person.


    "In a minute," said him in the midst of putting on a pair of new pants. They were new to him, but to his home, they had been on the shelf for years without being used.


    With a new shirt and pants, Thalric came to his door. The vertical red-painted door had a round doorknob in the middle. To the side of it was a tiny hole, which Thalric peeked through to the other side. He saw the lower half of someone who was abnormally large. Pondering who it might be in his memory, Thalric opened the door¡ªonly to have his expectations broken upon seeing the person.


    As a young man living in the underground world of Albion, Thalric was already used to seeing the crazy and maniac, foolish ones in the streets as ordinary people, and he expected to meet someone of that sort. But at his doorstep stood a woman with an otherworldly charm. What made her charm otherworldly was her abnormal height¡ªshe even had to lower her head to avoid hitting the roof while approaching his door.


    "Pardon my delay," said Thalric,remembering his manners while looking up at the woman''s face. She wore a long grey robe covering her entirely and a grey scarf around her neck, which managed to cover half of her face like a mask. Her revealing face felt pleasant to look at,with deep, dark eyebrows and green, gem-like eyes. Her hair was tied tightly, resembling snakes coiling around a giant egg, and it was the same color as her eyebrows.


    Witnessing her stunning figure, Thalric stood in silence.


    "Oh... where are my manners? Good morning," said Thelric again, erasing the awkwardness in the air, As He remembered another one of his father''s lessons¡ªto greet someone before speaking to them.


    "Lucus?" enquired the woman in her deep, aged voice.


    "No, my lady, you¡¯ve got it wrong. Lucus was my father, and he was buried beneath the soil a long time ago..." said Thalric, but in the midst of speaking, he remembered another lesson his father had taught him¡ªnever reveal too much about yourself so easily.


    "Ahem." Thalric then wiped his mouth and stood straight. "Pardon me, ma''am, but if I may, who are you to ask?" he said in the most respectful way.


    She was a woman of beauty, and someone like her didn¡¯t belong to the underground. That meant she was from above, where one could see the bright sky during the day and shining stars at night. Because of that, she deserved to be respected by underground people like him.


    "I''m someone very dear to Lucus, but I must have misjudged him, for it seems he didn¡¯t told his son about me," she said. While speaking, her large hand reached for Thalric¡¯s face and touched it all over.


    "Weird. You don¡¯t resemble him in any way. By any chance, did his lover...?" The tall woman fell into thought.


    "I''m not his own blood related son," Thalric said in hurry, taking a step back away from her hand.


    "Oh, his adopted son. Now I remember¡ªyou must be Thalric, then." She looked at Thalric with a sweet smile.


    "Indeed, Thalric would be me. But you still haven''t answered my question, ma''am," said Thalric, growing very curious about the origin of this lady who had suddenly appeared at his door. It''s not once that he felt the urge to invite her inside for tea and a talk, as he was growing fond of speaking with someone new¡ªespecially someone of the opposite gender. But he had to put that thought aside once he glanced back into his house. It was messy, dusty, and in no condition to welcome a guest in any way.


    "My, my... It seems my dear old friend kept a tight seal on his past from his son," said the tall woman, lowering her head to gaze at Thalric. "You can call me Belladonna, for that was the same name your father and my old friend used to call me."


    "Belladonna... Belladonna... BALADONNA!!!" Poor Thalric felt a chill down his spine as he recalled her name through his messy memories. There were very few things he was truly cautious of in life¡ªthe neighbor''s dog, Barky, who had once almost ripped his neck open when he was still a child; the old man Bill, who had tricked him not once but twice into stealing from the downtown market; and a name his father always warned him about¡ª"Belladonna."


    "Did you remember now, little boy?" asked Belladonna, noticing the change in expression on the little (to her) Thalric''s face.


    "Kinda..." said a frightened Thalric, taking a step back.


    "Kinda what, little one? Mind telling me how your father, my dear old friend, introduced me to you?" she asked. As she spoke, her tall body began to shrink just enough for her to stand under the roof without bumping into it.


    "He said you''re a shapeshifter..." muttered Thalric, growing even more frightened.


    "As you can see," said the woman after her little magical display. "What else did he say?"


    At her words, little Thalric''s mind drifted away into the past¡ªto a time when laughter still filled this home. Sitting on the floor in front of a dimly lit fireplace, surrounded by its warmth and glow, Thalric remembered listening to his father''s old tales.


    "Not that I remember the last time she told me to rest, but even then, she would work me like a slave she owned. I brushed her dirty, long, and large toes¡ªyou don¡¯t know, but she was someone who traveled a lot barefoot, Through the Featherkin Forest and lands beyond, she has countless tales in her arsenal¡ªenough to inspire even a child to wander off to the unknown.


    After those journeys, as a sign of all the lands she visited, her unconditional body bore the marks of her travels, and I was the one who took care of them. I remember one time I cleaned a gallon of mud from just one of her toes. And another time, I helped brush her back when she had taken the shape of a bear¡ªround-backed with thick brown fur. I helped her as a friend, but the moment I brushed past some of her long brown fur, those things turned into long wriggling worms and jumped onto me like leeches. Ahh... still gives me chills.


    If we humans are afraid of strange and grotesque things, then Belladonna is the devil we need to be careful of."


    As a kid who inherently afraid of such abominations¡ªjust like his adoptive father¡ªlittle Thalric had wanted nothing more than to curl under his blanket and hide whenever he heard those tales. His father¡¯s stories didn¡¯t stop at just one; they went on, countless horrors, all about Belladonna¡ªtales Thalric didn¡¯t want to remember but also couldn¡¯t afford to forget, for they were the only glimpses he had into his father¡¯s unknown past.


    Those tales were not things he could tell to anyone¡¯s face, especially not to Belladonna herself. Fortunately, among those, there were some things his father mentioned about her that would not frighten him.


    "That you''re a person with strict words and one who keeps her promises, even after death," said Thalric, mustering all of his courage to look at her face again.


    "Oh, interesting, interesting. So that old friend of mine finally told you something useful, and it''s the same purpose I came here to visit. Like he said, I''m someone who keeps my word, even after death, and even now I should abide by those rules. since my old friend is already buried underground, as his son, you should be the one to uphold this promise," said Belladonna as her hand reached for Thalric once again, and this time, she caught him in her grasp.


    Poor Thalric, frightened to his core, stood like a stone statue, closing his eyes without moving.


    Her giant but slender hands reached under his clothes, like wriggling worms in Luther¡¯s tale, tapping onto his skin as if tasting him. It was only after she withdrew her hand that he felt alive again.


    "Well, toned muscles without any disability, and getting enough nutrition even in a poor place like this¡ªremarkable. As for the promise, I will be back to bring you there. You have enough time to prepare."


    It was the last time Thalric heard her voice that day, and it was some time after, when he opened his eyes, that he realized she had disappeared. Wondering if he was dreaming or not, he stepped out into the front yard

 Page two

    Little Thalric and Luther had built their house at the edge of the underground, atop a somewhat hill-like place. It was meant to be a lone and peaceful spot for them, and it was for quite some time. But as time passed, more and more people saw that place as habitable, and soon enough, poor Thalric and Luther had a few new neighbors in their surroundings.


    So Lurthor and Thalric built a fence around their little house, which was now overtaken by a yellowish bunch of growing grasses. Coming to his yard, Thalric did something he rarely did and gazed at his neighbor''s house. The red-painted little house had smoke rising to the sky from its chimney. In its front yard, Thalric saw the owner of this house, the deaf gray Larry, laying on the leaning chair, sleeping very comfortably. His darn dog, Barkey, who had almost bitten off Thalric''s neck when he was little, also slept nearby on the floor.


    From there, Thalric''s eyes moved a bit ahead to another wooden house, where he also saw smoke rising to the sky. All those smokes rising from the nearby houses gathered up in the air, creating a thick layer of gloomy clouds that sometimes lost their ability to float and fell down upon everyone below. The end result of that was the severe breathing issues almost everyone had.


    That house, painted in yellow, had an old man watering some plants nearby. That was all Thalric looked at, for that was all he could remember in his memory as neighbors. And to him, there was nothing out of shape in the surroundings.


    "Doesn''t look like a dream at all," scratching his head and feeling a bit perplexed, Thalric turned around to get back into his house but saw a few bird feathers in front of his door, in the exact spot where Baladora stood before.


    "Pretty!" he said, picking one up before going inside the house. Closing the door tightly as if to never open again, he walked back to his room, placed the feather on his table, and looked at his messy room. He decided to do some cleaning that day.


    After hours of hard work, with cleaning that started from his room to his father''s room, then to the kitchen and storage, somehow the task ended up with the whole house being cleaned.


    After all that, at the end of the day, Thalric had three large bags of trash in his hand.


    At that point, Thalric was tired from all the work he had done during the day, and after throwing away the trash bags in his yard, he somehow managed to take a nice bath and prepare dinner before curling up into his bed. After a night passed with sweet dreams in his clean house, he woke up at his usual time with a pleasant face. He had already forgotten the trouble he faced the day before morning.


    The floor of his room was very, very clean and had a cherry-colored carpet. He had placed all the messy things in their suitable places, the clothes into the closet, and knives and spoons like utensils into the kitchen, and the pumpkin pie with a bunch of flies into the trash bag.


    Out from his room, Thalric gazed at the rest of his house. His living room had a giant blue round carpet with a soft and comfortable cushion chair on top of it, placed close to the fireplace. After preparing himself a beverage and a new pie, with a book in his hand, he came back to lean onto the chair when he heard a knock on his door.


    It was the same as yesterday, and Thalric somehow felt a chill at the sound of the knock.


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    Begging in his thoughts it to be someone else, he put the thing on his hand on the seat and went up to the door. Without even looking through the hole to the other side to check who it was, Thalric directly opened the door to see the one person he didn''t want to see¡ªBeladona.


    "You¡ªYou''re real!" he exclaimed.


    "Of course I''m real, how could I not be? Now, did you prepare? It''s almost time," said Beladona, than she examined Thalric. "A better outfit than yesterday, very good. Let''s go then."


    "Pardon me, I don''t quite understand what you''re talking about¡ªarhhh!" In the middle of his words, without letting him chance to resist, Beladona grabbed Thalric with her large and soft hand and pulled him outside from his house.


    "By the gods, please don''t kill me! All those stories are what Father said; I said nothing to anyone else!" Thalric screamed while struggling in her grasp, but his weak strength is nothing compared to her hand, which to him felt like an immovable rock.


    With Thalric in her grasp, Beladona jumped high into the air, and in the middle of Thalric''s scream for his life, her tall body changed its shape into a giant and majestic eagle that flapped its large wings and flew up into the layer of dark clouds above.


    In the grasp of the eagle, after he came to agree that he was indeed not dreaming, Thalric closed his eyes out of fright and grabbed hold of the eagle''s leg, holding it as if to never let go.


    "Hold your breath, little one," he then heard the slightly changed voice of Beladona and opened his eyes to see the approaching cloud of darkness, like a group of black bees that used to live nearby their house a long time ago. But here, the darkness was far greater than those of the black bees. Looking up at the golden eagle and seeing no sign of slowing its flying speed, Thalric took a deep breath just a moment before they went into the dark clouds.


    The little Thalric and Beladona (now in eagle shape) entered the dark cloud, and just like Thalric, the eagle showed no sign of breathing. In the darkness, all Thalric felt was a burning sensation, like he was standing close to a giant burning fire. And he put all his attention on holding his breath while waiting, hoping to hear the voice of Beladona again, for he deeply believed that once they were out of the dark, she would inform him.


    Moments passed in the darkness, and breathlessly, Thalric got anxious as his lungs immediately needed fresh air. Grabbing hold of one of the claws of the eagle, Thalric tapped it, causing a little sound that was enough to resonate a few feet away from him. He hoped the sound would reach Beladona and she would realize he couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. While in the midst of doing that, Thalric started to hear the beating of his own heart like a death cry. Poor Thalric tried to hold on as much as he could, but when the beating of his heart began to resound in his head and his body started to lose its energy, he gave up and opened his mouth, exhaling before taking a deep breath. He cared poorly about whether he would suffer any breathing problems from this, as long as he got to live.


    What he felt was something dusty and itchy entering his nostrils, but it soon disappeared as the air became fresh, and Thalric saw a shade of light through his closed eyes.


    "Now you can breathe." Thalric opened his ears to Beladona''s words and saw that they were flying above the dark clouds and approaching a light shining even above that.


    That light was what kept the underground world in brightness, and Thalric had heard of stories about this light. People from the neighborhood called this light the shadow of the true light, and they also said that beyond that light was the grand land of humans¡ªAlbion.


    Beladona reached the bright light with Thalric in her grasp and flew through it, appearing in a new land filled with humans and their crafts. It was beautiful, down to the last bit of sand Thalric could grasp. There was a blue sky above the white clouds with a giant burning ball of fire in the middle. The brightness of the light was way more than what he had ever seen in his life, and it even felt warm to his body. There were people with all in perfect shape going in and out of their houses, some doing their own work and some helping others work.


    Thalric looked down and saw the deep hole he came out from. He did not see anything inside the hole as the darkness had already covered his vision there. But what he saw was the source of the light they had gotten all these years ¨C the white castle that stood in the pile of great rocks.


    It was white in color, just like those clouds in the sky, and had armored knights guarding the surroundings around it. Thalric was completely mesmerized by the beauty of the castle and did not notice that the eagle was reaching towards the castle with him in its grasp.


    When he noticed it, they were already above the giant white castle, and like a predator that saw its prey, the belladonna circle above the air of the castle and slowly descended in and landed on a giant tree growing in one place.


    At that moment, she let go of Thalric, and falling, full of hitting and scraping of tree branches, he landed below the tree. And not soon after, he was surrounded by a couple of guards who pointed their sharp spears at him. Frightened, Thalric did not dare to move and stayed just the way he fell on the ground while cursing for this terrible day he was having.

 Page three

    "Careful, careful, he''s not to be harmed and escort him to the round hall," came the voice of Belladona from above. The knights lowered their sharp spears to her word and lifted up Thalric from the ground.


    "Much thanks," said Thalric, sweeping away the dust and dry leaves hanging on his clothes. But then the knight grabbed him by both of his hands.


    "Excuse me," he said, but they showed no heed to his words and lifted him up like a child and went into the great white castle. From there, they entered a corridor, one where nobody was around to see Thalric''s struggling display, and only their footsteps could be heard. The ash coloured walls on both sides added an extra coldness and silence to the corridor.


    Thelric hung in there, grasping without much of a mess. Now, he was somewhat numb to these surprises and decided to see what was going to happen to him next.


    Clamp! Clamp! Clamp! Clamp! came the sound of knights'' footsteps. Then, Thelric saw another group of knights appear in the far corner of the corridor. They all had at least one lamp in their hands. After a while, they all stood in front of the giant white door placed on the right side of the corridor. It had some sort of art carved into it¡ªart of a giant circle with a few strange marks above it.


    With a push, one of the knights opened the door easily, revealing a giant hall filled with pillars. On all those pillars were words (as Thalric recognized) that he did not had the knowledge to read.


    In the middle of all the pillars was a large round table with thirteen thrones around it. The table and thrones were all made from white rock, just like the material in the white castle walls. Placed in the middle of all those pillars, the round table and thirteen thrones seems to have held their positions for ages, remaining unmove.


    The knights came and went. The ones with lamps in their hands lit them up in numinous colors¡ªsome red and blue, others yellow and purple¡ªand hung them on each of the pillars. After they had done their job, the place, which had once been a lonely and gloomy hall, now looked like a magical chamber, with numinous colors surrounding the giant round table.


    While the knights with lamps carried out their task, the knights with Thalric led him toward the round table¡ªonly stopping when they reached the field of pillars, never stepping into the area clearly meant for the round table. Once in that position, they placed Thalric on the ground.


    "Others will be arriving soon," they said before turning around and walking away.


    Thalric was too confused to say anything to them. The simple fact that he had been out in the real world, then brought into the white castle and led into a giant hall with colorful surroundings and unknown words, left the little knowledge Thelric had in a state of confusion and perplexity¡ªuntil he heard a loud sound.


    The sound of the large doors closing.


    Thedor did not move to run, for he was too late¡ªthe door had already closed by the time he looked anyway. So, he stood alone in the strange hall, looking around at those wondrous colors and the weird language carved into the giant pillars.


    For the first half hour, he tried to read those languages but failed terribly. Then, he began to wonder what would happen to him now and what had happened to him before. But with little knowledge of what was going on, he had no real understanding of his current situation.


    And while lost in those thoughts, he came close to the large round table¡ªand saw the fearsome carvings on it. As art, they were just random depictions of individuals'' heroic deeds, yet Thalric felt an immense sense of respect and pride when he looked at them. So much so that he instinctively took steps back out of reverence.


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    "Strange," he said, unable to figure out the action he had taken.


    But he was a cautious guy and knew enough not to get close to the table again. So, he went back to the giant pillars and started the pointless, time-wasting task of trying to read the unknown language¡ªhoping that something would happen soon.


    And something did happen. When Theador spelled a few words in pillars (in a language he had just made up), suddenly it shook, frightening Theador, and opened a part of the pillar like a secret door. He had heard of the tales where some lucky fellows stumbled upon treasure after saying a keyword in front of giant rocks or statues. He began to wonder whether he was just like them and had stumbled upon some treasure by saying some keyword from things he just mumbled.


    As his thoughts ran wilder, someone stepped out from the piller. Someone wearing a long coat made from the skin of a silver wolf¡ªthe head of the wolf rested like a hood over his own. He was tall enough to make Thalric look like an infant and had bulky, flashy muscles exposed to the open air, as he was bare-chested.


    "Who are you?" he asked, looking at the stunned Theodor.


    With a shaky tone, Theodor muttered a few words. "I... I was just hanging... around."


    "Hanging? Oh... here." Saying that, he removed his coat and placed it over Theodor, completely covering the smaller figure with the long cape.


    Too confused to say anything, Theodor stood still with the cape covering him entirely. The large man went and sat on one of those stone thrones around the round table¡ªthe same one Theodor had been afraid to approach.


    Then, the two waited for a few moments in silence. The large man closed his eyes after settling into the stone seat. Theodor wanted to say something to him but wasn¡¯t quite sure how to start.


    As he pondered, he heard a sound coming from behind. Another pillar had opened like a door, and a man wearing a long green robe stepped out. He wore a straw hat, and under his robe, Thelric noticed a short curved sword resting against the man''s wrist.


    He had a fair height¡ªnot as tall as the first man, who had made Thelric look like a child in comparison¡ªbut there was a pleasant aura around him. Perhaps it was because of the green color of his robe, similar to tree leaves, that Mordred did not feel oppressed by him.


    He also walked to the round table and¡ª"Oh"¡ªhe saw the silver wolf coat but not Thelric underneath it. After looking around, he also removed his robe and placed it on top, adding even more weight for poor Thelric to bear.


    "Ah, excuse me..." He tried to reach out to the slender-looking man, but Thelric saw that he was already seated in a stone throne around the round table.


    "What is going on here? Did they bring me here just to hold their coats?" While Thelric pondered, the large man, who had already been sitting in one of the seats, opened his eyes when the slender man arrived.


    "Kaito, I thought you died a long time ago," said him.


    "It''s better to keep a silent presence," said Kaito, calmly sitting in his seat while closing his eyes.


    The two didn''t talk much after that, for they did not have much of a common friendship between them. And they didn''t have to wait long in silence, as more and more pillars opened, and soon two more people stepped out.


    One was a woman wearing a glamorous red and blue dress that fitted her body perfectly. She had long hair like burning fire, gleaming with bright red and orange mixed colors. The other was a man wearing full knight armor with a long coat. For some reason, he had snow on his coat, and just like what Kaito and Kaelen (the tall man) did, he placed his coat over Thalric, not noticing him under the coats and capes.


    "I thought there were supposed to be seven of us," said the knight, looking at the three sitting around the table.


    "There is, there is. I was a bit late," came the voice of Beladona as she stepped out from another opened pillar.


    "But with you, it''s only five. Where are the last two?" said the glamorous lady Riven. She was an extremely popular figure throughout Albion, and her tales of heroic deeds were second only to those of Arthur and his sons. One of those very son of the Legandery Arthur''s are also among this group.


    "What nonsense are you talking? There should be six¡ªcount again. The little first member arrived here before anyone else," said Beladona, but she did not see Thalric among the figures around the table. "Now, where did he disappear to?"


    It was then that the large man, Kaelen, looked at the pile of coats and robes standing close to a pillar. Without a word, he stood up, walked over to it, and took his coat off, revealing Thalric¡¯s face buried underneath.


    "By the gods, Thalric, who put these things on you?" Beladona said, looking at the others. Kaito and the armored knight peacefully stood up, took their coats, and walked back to their seats.


    "I thought it was just a coat hanger," muttered Kaito to himself while going back to his seat.


    "Lucky fellow didn¡¯t get suffocated under those smelly and sweaty pieces," said Beladona, giving Thalric a light pat on the back and looking into his eyes.


    "Good, good, nothing happened. Now, where''s the last...?" while asking She then lifted thalric up like a child and placed him on one of those thrones around the table¡ªin the one close to her.


    "I''m already here," they all heard, and there he was¡ªa man sitting in another seat around the table. Thalric did not see how he came or when he came. But the others showed no confusion about those questions, unlike him.


    "Now, Since all of us are here , let us start the seventeenth round of the round table," said the man in the knight armor.


    It was right that the innocent and clueless Thalric finnaly realized that he had somehow managed to get involved in something terrible¡ªterrible enough for him to stand among all these grand figures. Just moments before, he had been a lonely man in his tiny, cozy house, ready to enjoy his breakfast in his comfortable seat, not minding the business of the outside world. But now he stood in the outside world and couldn¡¯t imagine, nor did he want to guess, for he feared what would await him in future.

 Page four

    Up stood all seven from their thrones at the words of the knight in armor. Little Thalric, although scared and bewildered, followed their actions and jumped down to the floor from his high-seated throne. He felt the coldness of the stone floor against his bare feet and found it somewhat comforting (and also a bit sleep-inducing).


    He then looked up and saw that all the others were looking at him, as if expecting him to do something. They all held something in their hands¡ªsomething specific and different from one another.


    Kaelen held a brass button, and Kaito held his beloved short sword, named Katana. When kaelen saw Kaito unveiling his Katana, he showed a smug look on his face, which Kaito clearly caught onto. Kaelen, a muscular and large man, was famous in Albion for his immense strength and his refusal to use any weapon other than his bare fists. "Those toys are for the weak. Real men use their muscles,"is what he would say whenever someone questioned his choice. And with those words he lived by, Mr. Kaito, sitting next to him, became the man he truly despised.


    Unlike kaelen, Mr. Kaito was a man of honor and efficiency. He hailed from a traditional lineage and was much like a historical figure from old human history. He usually wore a long robe and a garment called a kimono, with a straw hat on his head.


    For any threats, he always used his short, curved sword called a katana. And he had a specific way of wielding it. Those who were lucky enough to witness him use it said he was like a gentle wind in the summer¡ªcalm and graceful, yet deadly to those who got too close


    But unlike kaelen, who liked to show off his strength and seek praise for his work, Kaito was a quiet and shy man who kept his presence hidden from most ordinary folk. Nobody could find him when they wanted to, and he appeared only when he needed to¡ªjust like on this occasion.


    However, he felt regret about this occasion and began to doubt whether to disappear again or not because he greatly disliked the flowery scent coming from the woman seated next to him, who was holding a saber up front.


    In name, she was Riven, daughter of one of the great figures in Albion. She dressed nicely and smelled pleasant to others, but everyone at this table (except Thalric, of course) knew it was all to hide her terrible temper and behavior.


    That was one of the reasons Kaito kept his mouth shut without complaint¡ªnot out of fear, of course.


    Next to Riven sat the thin and gloomy-looking man, Azren.


    He was holding a glistening scale from an unknown animal. Unlike others who were holding weapons or something symbolic, his was different, and there was a very good reason for that, which could not be told to anyone. He was extraordinarily thin and had long legs and hands. He stayed silent, closing his eyes without much of a presence, just like his origin, which was only known by a few figures in Albion. Some only knew that he came from the same place as Belladona. Next to him stood the fully armored knight Vaelis. In terms of respect, he was the most important one among all here, having the blood of King Arthur running through his veins. His physical capacity was famous for being second only to his father''s. And He was holding a greatsword with both of his hands.


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    Right beside him was the friendly Baladoan. She was large as usual, occupying the whole sitting space of the throne as she observed all those at the table while holding a golden feather up front. Thalric noticed that the feather looked similar to the one from the great eagle she had shaped into before. She was also famous and known by all of those great figures in Albion, and her origin was not as hidden as Azren¡¯s.


    Seated right next to her was little Thalric, who currently felt like an ant among giants and was really wondering what was going on.


    "Is our guest unaware of the traditions of the Round Table?" said Vaelis at last, looking keenly at Thalric. "I have never seen you before. Would you perhaps be kind enough to introduce yourself to us, sir?"


    His words spoke for all the others at the table, and their gazes landed on little Thalric, expecting his answer.


    Poor Thalric hadn''t been in the presence of a human for a long time, and suddenly, a group of respectable figures was looking at him, making his thoughts twist each time he tried to answer. Looking for a way out of their gaze, Thalric glanced at Baladoan, the culprit responsible for all this.


    "He will be our seventh member. He may not appear like much to your eyes, but he''s a good guy and has been taught by a good mentor," came the answer from Baladoan.


    Thalric felt a little flattered by her words but couldn''t fully understand some of the things she had said.


    However, the others were not as satisfied with that answer.


    Thud! The first to outrage was kaelen as he struck the Round Table. "This is not some fun little journey to bring along kids," he said.


    "I agree," spoke Riven along with him. "Although I don''t dare to doubt the great Baladoan''s ability, please explain to me how this little one is going to be any help to us¡ªexcept for being a burden."


    "Indeed, the journey we are taking is unlike anything we have ever undertaken before. It''s the land beyond, after all. And I''m not even sure if we will return safe and sound. Knowing that, I cannot bring myself to agree to bringing someone innocent and powerless like him," said Kaito in his gentle voice, showing his concern.


    Just like that, one after another, they raised their voices against little Thalric. And after hearing all their gloomy tales about a very dangerous journey, Thalric¡¯s little heart also began to waver, a slight fear creeping in about what he had stepped into.


    "Hush, hush, young ones. You shouldn''t ask too many questions right off the bat," said Baladoan, waving her large hand. She was calm and peaceful, unlike the others, who were very serious about their business.


    But then the Knight broke his long-held silence and spoke. "This is sacred business. If, by any means, this mysterious young man causes a disturbance in this task, I don¡¯t want anyone to blame you for it."


    His words carried much more weight at the table than the othe rs¡¯, and even Baladoan fell silent for the time.

 Page five

    "If you''re uncertain, I would be honored to take on the task of escorting him out of sight, and I don''t think our guest here would have any discomfort with it," said Vaelis again, interpreting Baladoan''s silence as an answer.


    "The honor is all mine," said little Thalric quickly, seeing the opportunity to escape. He was back on his feet with an energetic face, getting ready to leave and return to his cozy little house, hoping to forget all those gloomy, nightmarish memories he had.


    "No, you won''t," said Balladona with a grumpy look, and there went Thalric''s joyful face in an instant, and placed his butt back in his seat in a second.


    "I said he''s our seventh member, and that¡¯s the last of it. If any of you want to continue murmuring and get rid of the little fellow, then go on without the two of us." Her words were harsh, and her eyes were those of a beast, shutting almost everyone up, except for Vaelis.


    "Ahem, if you insist, but what about his right of passage item? If he doesn''t have one, even if we agree, he won''t be able to join us. And by the look of it, he doesn''t possess any of sort with him," said him.


    "Of course, he doesn''t have any with him. It''s all with me," Beladona said. Then she took out a long sword from under her robe. It had a dark, shining blade that stuck tightly to a hilt curved with star patterns.


    "By the gods, don''t tell me that''s the lost treasury¡ªSilent Night!" Vaelis exclaimed in shock, his words drawing all others'' eyes to the blade, and Azren''s eyes twitched upon seeing it.


    "Indeed it was, a fine craft of your ancestors and wielded by one of the most ingenious assassins I had ever seen, who also happened to be the mentor of our little Thalric," said Baldoan, handing the sword to Thalric.


    Thalric grabbed the sword without question (although he had many on his mind). The previously harsh words were still enough to scar him into obeying anything Balladona ordered him to do. In his hands, the sword felt light, but what he felt even more was the weight of the gazes from all those looking at him.


    "The previous owner of Silent Night... I never heard his name," said Kaito, gazing at the sword in little Thalric''s hand.


    "How could you have known? He''s an assassin, after all," Baldoan said, lifting Thelci up from his seat. "Let''s begin, then."


    After that, they placed their specific items on the table. Thalric noticed that in front of him, there was a specific sword mark that looked like a perfect fit for inserting his sword. Looking at the others, he saw that they also had something similar in front of them on the table, and they placed their specific items in it. However, Baldoan and Azren did not; instead, they casually placed a feather and an animal scale on the table.


    The objects melted upon contact with the table, and the liquid flowed into the specific slots where the items needed to be inserted in their respective sections.


    It was well-known knowledge in Albion that the Round Table held thirteen thrones to honor thirteen great figures who appeared during the time of the Great Beginning War. Only someone with the acknowledged item from those figures could sit at the Round Table. The only other option was to offer a sacrifice as a sign of respect, which was especially done by individuals who did not belong to humankind.


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    Following the others'' movements, Thalric inserted his sword into the table until it hit the end and stopped. After a few seconds, a burst of fire erupted from behind, spreading throughout the area glowing in numerous colors.


    While Thalric panicked, the others calmly sat back in their thrones. Baldoan waved her hand for him to sit down, and so he did, though his mind was in total chaos. The temperature of the room was gradually rising, and the smoke from the fire was slowly overtaking the air in the hall.


    "Try breathing slowly and calmly," whispered Baldoan, leaning onto Thalric''s side of the throne.


    "By placing an acknowledged item from the thirteen heroes who appeared during the time of the war, or a sacrifice item from someone like us, the Round Table would stay lit by igniting the sacred fire around it. The sacred fire makes the Round Table a more secure place, preventing anyone from prying into what goes on in the Round Table. It also tests those who sit at the Round Table, so try to stay awake as much as possible," she explained to Thalric.


    And then it started¡ªthe seventeenth round of the Round Table.


    The first one to talk was Vaelis, who started his words with a grateful greeting to those all who were at the table, one by one.


    "Mighty Solren from the East, and the gentle Kaito from the West, Riven from deep within these walls. Great Azren and Baldoan from beyond those walls of Albion. Our new unknown guest from somewhere hidden, and I, the blood of the great King Arthur, are here today to light a candle and brighten the once prosperous legacy of knowledge seeking and, if one would perhaps introduce it as, adventure-seeking, brave, and benevolent Pathfinders."


    Then he paused for a breath before starting again.


    "For the first business," said him, while taking out a large scroll tied to his knight armor. Placing it on the table, he revealed it to everyone. "This is what we have gathered until now, with the efforts of our old curious pathfinders and the new empowered oathfinders." (He especially nodded at Brladoam and Azrel when mentioning them.)


    The map stretched across the table, and much like the others, Thalric also peered into it. He saw a gray depiction of a fortress with thirteen people surrounding it, and in the middle was the name Albion. To the front, it was a wide-spread forest, and that was all there was on the map. There was nothing behind Albion except for a massive deep rift, which was written in surprisingly understandable language.


    "We are all done exploring to the north of Albion and have met with the never-ending deep chasm. Although our brave men are still exploring, trying to reach its bottom, none believe it would be possible. As we go deeper, the temperature becomes unbearable for us." Vealis explained, observing others. "That would leave us with only one path to explore." While saying this, he moved his finger and placed it at the edge of the map, beside the forest. "The land beyond the Great Forest of Feather God."


    "There isn''t much knowledge of that area to us right now, but I believe wise Beladona could help us with that." Afterward, he turned to Beladona.


    "Although I did go beyond the forest, I cannot say all the road ahead for a certain reason, and bear in mind that I do not intend to tell you this reason, for it holds a valuable secret. All I can tell you is that after passing the Feather God''s forest, there was a shallow land filled with rocks and other things. There were no intelligent living beings there, so I didn''t have to worry much about threats, except for those mindless blood-sucking beasts. But it was years ago that I went to that area, and this information of mine couldn''t be completely trusted now," said Beladona, looking at the map.


    "What about the area beyond the shallow land?" inquired Kaito, who had gotten much interest when talking about lands he didn''t know.


    "It was a swamp, green in color, but no beast could get close to it. I believe it was highly poisoned, so it would be better if we have any means to resist that poison."


    "That would bear a problem. Without knowing what the exact poison is, we are unable to determine what poison resistance to bring with us. Is there any knowledge about that?" vaelis looked at Beladona.

 Page six

    "None, I did not get closer to that area for it was literally a death ground, but there was a path that went around the swamps, avoiding its deadly poison. I don''t know much about the road, because I never followed it," added Baladona.


    "Shallow land and a poison swamp, right off the start it''s going to be difficult," remarked Riven, taking note for herself.


    "Whether it''s difficult or not, we must pursue a path ahead, from the shallow land to the unknown road ahead than, avoiding the poison swamps. If we are lucky enough, we will meet a better end of that unknown road; if not, we will simply turn back with a sample of those poisons from the swamps, which will help us prepare better for the next time," reassured Vealis, who was more cautious of the journey than anyone else.


    "One thing to notice is that we must have plenty of food supply. In the past, I had to hunt in the sky in the shape of an eagle, and it was not easy. If not for the sudden change in weather and the hidden prey being forced to move from their safe location, I would have died of starvation there," said Baldona in a warning tone.


    "I was already considering that option," said Vaelis. "We can all bring at least a few pounds on our backs. Unfortunately, for reasons of efficiency and speed, we cannot bring any other supplies. Otherwise, I would have liked to get a carriage for the ride." While speaking, he looked at Baldoan as if seeking her opinion, but all she did was shake her head.


    "Well, that is all for the first business. The second business is the purpose of this journey, and as you all know, it was to seek new land, find new resource points, and gain knowledge. There must be more to it, but we all value a little privacy, and it is not polite to pry into the affairs of other races, I believe." At his words, both races at the table nodded their heads.


    "There is no third business for now. If there is an emergency, that will become the third business. As for any serious injury or life-threatening situation, Albion will offer any and all help to heal if possible. If not, and there is a loss of life, we will bury you in a clean place that is respected by others. I believe everyone now understands." Vaelis looked around at the others to see if anyone had any questions.


    "We should hurry, the air is becoming thinner," said Kaito at that moment, and it was the truth. They all spoke less to conserve what little air they had.


    "Last, does our newcomer have any confusion?" asked Vaelis, turning to little Thelric out of kindness. But poor Thelric had already passed out on his throne.


    "Oh my, when did he pass out?" Baldoan grabbed him by his coat, lifted him up, and shook him. "He needs air in a hurry! Are we over?"


    "I suppose," said Vaelis, and he went on his own way, grabbing the sword from the table and pulling it out. The others did the same, lifting their items from the table and vanishing the fire around them. Baladona rushed out with Thelric in her hands, through the door and the corridor, to the fresh air outside.


    "Is he really the one we need as our last?" asked Riven, gazing at the giant door blasted open by Baladona.


    "If she takes care of him like that, I don''t see any problems," said Vaelis, stepping away from his throne.


    "Then, gentlemen, today we will rest and prepare for the journey ahead and meet at the foot of the Great Feathers God Forest," he said, and the others agreed as they stepped away from their thrones.


    The pillars reopened like doors for them, and one by one, they went inside. The pillars led them to the closest place to each one''s whereabouts.


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    Among them, the pillar Sir Vaelis took ended up at the bottom of the White Castle, where he got off and was surrounded by a group of hooded figures. Some Among them were old men who needed the help of others in the group to walk ahead.


    "How did it go?" asked one hooded man from the group. He was old, but not enough for his face to become wavy and wrinkled. Only his hair had turned a bit white.


    "Excellent, better than expected," said Vaelis, walking past them. "Oh," the hooded ones were delighted and moved along with him.


    "Although I sent her the invitation and wrote it like begging, I never thought Baldoan would actually show up," Vaelis continued as they moved out of the room and stepped into a circular staircase leading them to a high place above in the White Castle.


    "Did the Plumaris agree?" asked one of the robed figures, hiding behind the others that followed Vaelis. "They did, for they also have their own purpose for this journey. I don''t know what it is, but that doesn''t matter as long as we manage to achieve what we want. By the way, be careful with that word. Don''t call them Plumaris anymore. If they hear you, it won''t end well. That word is like sprinkling salt on a slug for them."


    "Understood, Your Highness," came the voice of the hidden one behind others. Then they went up and up while talking about what had happened in the round table until they came to the end of their staircase, to a stone door. When they got closer, it opened without a push and revealed a large hall. In the middle of it was a stage the size of a human, and indeed there was a human above it, seemingly asleep. Surrounding him were women in their younger years, all attending to and cleaning him.


    If anyone from Albion saw the figure lying on the stage, they would immediately recognize him and bow before him, for he was none other than the highly respected and praised King Arthur himself in the flesh.


    He was wearing nothing but a long veil through his body, but his figure was like a picture painted by a great artist, his muscles refined to the pinnacle¡ªnot like someone such as Solren, whose appearance looked barbaric and rough. Instead, Arthur was a gentleman with the top-notch quality of a man.


    "Leave," said Vealis as he arrived, and all the women stood and left in a hurry while bowing to Vealis and those who stood beside him.


    After they left, the door closed, and Vealis walked to his father.


    "You''ve been in slumber for thirteen years, Father, as a result of that one mistake to pursue the greatest dream of us humans," he said, standing a few steps away from the stage.


    "Don''t worry, Father. As your son, I will pursue that dream and achieve what you couldn''t¡ªthe power of the supernatural.


    It''s your biggest regret that no matter what we did, even after the research of Sir Garrick and his partner, we were only able to achieve slightly superior strength compared to an ordinary human. But the hope is still not lost, Father. I will obtain the power of our dreams by the any means. And afterward, I will be able to rescue you from this eternal damned state."echoed his voice through the a hall as Vealis bowed his head to his unmoving father, and so did the other robed figures. After a moment of silence, one of them spoke.


    "Prince, there''s always the other available option," said him.


    "I''m aware," Vealis said. "By combining our science and feather kins supernatural knowledge, maybe there is a very likely solution for this. But doing so would expose our greatest miracle to them. Science is the miracle of ours; only with its help did we manage to overcome that great beginning war. Although we didn''t manage to achieve the destructive power of it because of the lack of something called gunpowder, it''s still what kept us alive and safe. If I obey my selfish desire to heal my father and expose those secrets, the history of humans would curse me from their graves."


    "It was a long time ago. Maybe right now, they have also started to figure things out," said another among the hooded group. They were like another aspect of the mind of the king and provided many possible ways of thinking to Vealis.


    "Not quite, not yet. Thanks to the trick at the round table, they still call the inability to breathe just the loss of air, not the substance called oxygen," Vealis added in a confident manner.


    "Bless our ancestors for inventing that trick," the hooded group said in unison.


    "By the way, there''s a seventh figure, brought by Beladona. His origin was unknown to us and needs to be found as quickly as possible. Since he came with Beladona, I was about to let him be, but possessing one of the thirteen legendary artifacts forgotten in the beginning war is something we need to consider. And I would also like to know how Beladona came to possess it. To think someone like her would touch an item like that¡ªshe''s indeed different from others," Vealis said with a commanding tone. The hooded figures all bowed in unison to him, then each one stepped out to carry out his order in a hurry.

 Page seven

    Twitching, Thalric opened his eyes from deep slumber, to a beautiful sound of humming. He turned on his bed and saw that it belonged to Belladona. She was rustling through the kitchen¡ªfor it seemed they were in a small space that only had a sleeping bed and a kitchen to cook. The smell coming from whatever she was making made him hungry.


    Graa!


    Screamed his empty stomach at last, failing to bear the yearning for food any longer.


    "You''re awake, timely," said Belladona. Then, she brought a plate of roasted eggs and bacon to his bed.


    "Eat in a hurry; we''re getting close," she said, handing the plate to Thalric. "You eat these things, right?"


    "I do, yes." Thalric sliced the egg and tied it together with the bacon before stuffing it into his mouth. While eating, he looked up at Belladonna.


    "What''s happening to me now?" he asked.


    Belladona, who was preparing to leave, turned around and looked at his puffy face. She stayed there for a few moments before saying, "Nothing, you look fine."


    "That''s not quite what I asked," said Thalric. He was going to clarify what he really meant, but in an unexpected turn of his head, he saw the very sword with a dark blade and star-patterned hilt¡ªthe one Belladona called Silent Night¡ªresting against the bed.


    "Did you say my deceased father held that sword?" he asked.


    "Indeed. A fine sword, fitting for a fine man. I remember it like yesterday when your father slaughtered a group of opposite assassins in the dark of the night. It was silent, and no scream came with their deaths¡ªthanks to the sword''s ability, of course. But it takes a specific man to wield that sword like that, and your father was the perfect match for it," said Belladonna, taking the dark blade into her hand.


    "And now, it''s ownerless, awaiting its next exceptional wielder." saying this, she looked at Thalric.


    Then came the cry of a bird¡ªnot an unpleasant one like the sickly crows Thalric used to hear in Prison Gap, but a pleasant sound. And Belladona stood up after that.


    "Well, that''s all for now. Hurry up and finish eating, then come to the place I marked on this map. I could bring you with me, but if I did, they''d all think you only survived because of me. Now, I can''t let my old friend''s legacy be shamed like that. So, giddy up and come as soon as you can. And here¡ªI already packed a bag for you," said Belladonna, handing Thalric a bag and a map.


    Then, she opened the door and flew away as a bird¡ªjust as Thalric was looking into the bag.


    "Pardon me, perhaps clarify that one more time," he said, taking his head out of the bag. But Belladonna was no longer there.


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    "She even took the blade with her," he muttered, placing the bag where Silent Night had previously rested. For some reason, his heart began to race, although he was cluless and really wanted to go back to the comfort of his house. After hearing that little bit of heroic description of his father from Belladona, a raging fire had risen in his heart. He really wanted to redeem that sword back from her and swing it like she said his father did.


    Then, Thalric hurried through his food, stuffing it into his mouth and swallowing the egg whole. Afterward, he cleaned himself up and put on the new clothes Belladonna had prepared for him¡ªa leather jacket, leather boots, and a cozy shirt and pants. They fit him perfectly.


    With the bag on his back, the map in his hand, and the hat on his head, Thalric opened the door and stepped out.


    Alas, there was no ground beyond the house to support his step, for Belladonna''s little house was built upon a large oak tree, standing in the middle of the Featherkin Forest.


    There fell Thalric, hitting and screaming against the branches of the trees and struggling for his life to catch onto something to save himself¡ªwhich he failed to do miserably. Pointy branches assaulted him like an enemy; some hit him in the eyes, some in his nose, all over his face, and some on his head. Among those, large branches stood in his path, and as he fell, they gave him excruciating pain. And His scream was like never before, for it even managed to scare away all those wretched creatures from the sarounding.


    Assault was not the only thing he suffered, for as he got closer to the ground, the tree branches began to rob him of his things. First, it was the hat he wore. The nice little hat was grabbed and torn away by a thin tree branch as Thalric passed by. Then, it was the coat, which was yanked away forcefully from him by another branch, followed by the bag. Only after they had taken everything, and the earth was getting really close, did Thalric finally manage to grab onto a herd of vines hanging down from the branches. Although it wasn¡¯t much of a grab, instead of mangling into it, at least he was safe now. When he halted, he was inches away from the ground, and his backside almost felt the touch of the earth.


    Thalric¡¯s whole body was covered in bruises and swallow marks, and it took him a certain amount of time before he could lift his head again. With a grumpy face , he looked up at the tree and saw all of his belongings hanging from the branches. Shaking bit by bit, he loosened the vines wrapped around him and jumped to the ground, which unexpectedly had sharp thorns waiting for him. But he was safe and sound, thanks to the boots he wore, which were the only thing those tree branches failed to steal.


    Task! Then came a sound from above. Thalric looked up to see his traveling bag falling from above, probably because the tree branch that had grabbed it wasn''t strong enough to hold it any longer. It fell right onto his back. Than once again, Thalric fell flat on the ground.


    Thalric got up again, this time irritated and frustrated¡ªfor one, it was toward Belladonna, who hadn¡¯t warned him at all about this wretched tree or anything about being in high above, and for the second, it was about his bag. If not for its falling, he wouldn¡¯t have gotten pierced by the thorns on the ground.


    Thankfully, though the other things were lost, the bag was finally recovered, which was enough to satisfy Thalric¡¯s funky ego. And because he held the map in his hand, it was safe until now.


    Putting the bag back on his back and looking at the map, he strode forward, knowing he was too powerless to do much about this misfortune. But before that, he once again looked up to see his newly gotten hat (which sadly torn to pieces) and coat hanging high above in the tree, never to be returned to his hands again.


    Up in the sky, high above the clouds, flew the golden eagle of Belladona. She flew gracefully through the air, letting her wings carry her to her destination. Then, she flew down like a meteor and fell straight into the area, a bit devoid of trees. There were already a few people there, all looking at the eagle that descending.

 Page Eight

    There was Vealis and his company, Kaelen with his bare chest, Kaito with his katana, and Riven with her saber. There was also Azren, but he was not alone; he had a few friends with him.


    One was an extremely beautiful woman, but something about her was odd. If one were to describe her, she was like a turning page of a book¡ªone moment, she possessed a gorgeous beauty, and the next, she appeared completely ordinary. When she was in her beautiful form, it was nearly impossible to look away from her. As proof of this, Kaelen and Kaito, who would have otherwise been opposites in some way, were both gazing at her in secret, like children looking at sweets in the market. But not Vealis ¡ªhe was much older than they were and had the good temper to restrain himself.


    Another was a man with a metal lock around his mouth and sharp eyes that focused intently on everything. Wearing a long silver robe, he stood like a protector behind the beautiful woman, towering over her with his height and shielding her from the sun.


    "En yer kr (about time)," said the woman with beauty. She wore a long, slightly green dress that blew with the wind and had long braided hair that fell to her waist. She was indeed a Feather Kin, and the words she spoke were in the language of the Feather Kin.


    "Na mai (as promised)," said Beladona after shifting into her human form.


    "Where''s the other one?" Vealis asked, a moment faster than Riven, who had the same thought and was about to ask the same thing.


    He was getting impatient, for he was the first one to arrive and had been in that place for more than a few hours.


    "How should I know? I''m not his caretaker," said Beladona, growling at Vealis. This was, of course, an act, for she needed to show them that Thalric wasn¡¯t dependent on her. "But we should wait a bit longer. We cannot start a journey without all the members."


    "Nobody said we cannot," came a voice¡ªa female one at that. Fortunately, Beladona had not seen who it was.


    Then they waited. Despite Vealis''s grumbling and Riven¡¯s nonstop nagging, they all stayed put, for Beladona prevented them from moving ahead without Thalric. He will come, just you wait," she said to assure the others. But it did no good.


    After a while, when the sun tilted slightly west and the air grew warmer, Vealis finally spoke. "There¡¯s going to be only six of us on this journey, it seems. The little one must have taken my words to heart and run away. Can¡¯t blame him for valuing his own life," he said.


    Then he turned to the woman with beauty and bowed in respect. "If the generous Feather God royalty won¡¯t mind."


    The woman once looked at Beladona, then smiled at Vealis and nodded back to him before turning to the man behind her. The man nodded back at her and stepped up, walking toward a giant tree nearby and tapping it a few times in a lyrical way.


    In the meantime, Vealis looked at the others in the group.


    "Does anyone have an objection?" he asked. Riven shook her head and stepped up as if she had been waiting for that moment, then followed Kealen and Kaito, who had the same opinion as Vealis. Beladona glanced at the frost once again and did not move. Vealis tried to talk her out of her persistence, and in the middle of it, suddenly, a rustling sound came from the frost, and Thelric jumped out from behind a bush. He was half-naked¡ªno shirt and no coat or hat either¡ªbut still had a bag and boots with him.


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    That jump of his nearly frightened Kealen, Kaito, and Riven, throwing them into a scream. The three were already prepared to thrust their hands and swords at whatever dark thing it was.


    Luckily for Thelric, Vealis was fast enough to recognize him and stopped the three before death befell him.


    "My good fellow, what had happened to you?" Beladona asked, more perplexed than concerned about Thelric. And she wasn''t the only one asking about it; Vealis was also curious about what caused Thelric to appear like an escaping prisoner from a jail (not from the prison gap, for those who were put in there would never be able to escape).


    Thelric stood still, as if he hadn''t heard anyone''s question, for he himself was still processing in his tiny head what had happened. When he was done, he could only mutter that he was safe from all those wretched things. He was clearly talking about tree branches that had robbed him of his things, but the others never knew that, and what they imagined was the danger in the forest.


    "Vernra! (Remarkable)" said the Featherkin princess. "The direction from which the frost he came is crowded with dangerous predators, that even we have a hard time facing, but he still came out alive." Although she said it in a feather kin language and only Beladona and Vealis understood what she said, everyone could see that she was really praising Thelric. And Thelric himself had no idea of it. He was very glad that he saw Beladona again and also the others, though he didn''t have many familiarity with them.


    It was then that Beladona came and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "You did good." Although she appeared to be smiling, in truth, she was sighing, for she had no knowledge that the area near her house had been crowded by those beasts. It had been a long time since she had come to her house, at least a decade. And it was only to take care of Thelric that she had come back.


    "Thank you," said Thelric, who thought it was for following the map.


    "Did he really defend against all those dangers and arrive here?" Velais was doubtful, for he himself knew how tough the beasts in the Featherkin''s forest were. And he was not alone. Kealen and Kaito, who had once entered these forests with brave hearts, had faced those fire beasts and honed a pretty good skill for themselves from their experience.


    When they heard Thelric had done the same, they saw what Beladona¡¯s words meant¡ªthat this little guy was not what he appeared to be.


    Riven was clueless, as she had never stepped into these forests to settle and only roamed through the Albion lands to hone her skills, but she had heard stories of those fierce beasts and knew well enough how terrifying they were. But of course, all of them were wrong, and Thelric was not a killer at all¡ªif not for his scream. A scream that was loud enough to scare even the fiercest of those hunters to run away without looking back.


    Fortunately, for the two sides'' misunderstanding, none knew what truly happened, and Thelric were able to keep a little bit of false respect for the time. After that, Beladona took the chance to treat Thelric''s injuries. They were only slight bruises and scratch marks, but among them was a deeper ones he had gotten from falling onto those thorns under the tree. Then, he put on a new coat that had been in the very bag he had carried along the way. It was unfortunate that he never bothered to look deeper into the bag before and only saw a few things to eat in it.


    "This way," called out Azren in his slow voice to all. They all then looked and saw a hole in the trunk of a giant tree. It had been opened by the man with a metal lock on his face by his hand. He kept holding it as the tree seemingly tried to close it again constantly.


    "This will lead us to the end of the forest," said Azren.


    "Thank you," said Velais, as he once again showed respect to the Featherkin royalty (the woman) with a nod. Then, he was followed by Riven, Kealen, and Kaito, and they jumped into the hole in the tree.


    They instantly disappeared as they jumped, going deeper into the hole. Looking at it, Thelric became fearful and tried to ask about its safety, but alas, Beladona grabbed him and jumped along with him at once, and screm Thelric the same way he had done when he fell from the tree.