2022-12-15 00:04:46The bird returned to Zussorader and perched gently on his hand. Zussorader looked into its eyes and immediately saw everything the bird had seen and heard.
He smiled and said, “You have done a great job, my dear,” then kissed the bird softly.
Turning to the mercenaries, Zussorader announced, “The bird has located where the Mind Crystal will be. The Light Army is guarding that place, which means the crystal is there.
We will be heading into Lythridite and finding a way to infiltrate the palace. During that time, everyone must be on their best behavior. No one is to act without orders from Philip or me".Zussorader paused before adding, "Sooner or later, we will face the Light Army. Do not underestimate them—they are far more powerful than they appear, and they can only be killed through the heart. Is that clear?”.
“Yes!” the mercenaries answered in unison.
---
LYTHRIDITE
King James continued, “The five crystals were given to each kingdom to protect, and Marcelos was put into an eternal sleep. The reason I am telling you all of this is because you have come of age to know about it. Every royal blood in each kingdom knows this story — even the wizards.
King James paused before adding, "And one day, you will be my successor,”.
He said that while looking at his daughter. Then Princess Tracy said with a smile, “Thanks for trusting me, Father".
“You are the only daughter and child I have. If I don’t believe in you or trust you, my princess, then who should I trust?” King James said, smiling warmly.
“Thank you, Father. There is something I need to ask you though,” Princess Tracy said.
“What is it?” asked King James.
“Who are those guards outside? I’ve never seen them before, and they look different from the others,” she asked.
King James smiled, saying, “That is why I love you — you never let anything get past you. They are not regular guards; they are called the Light Army.”
“I heard you mention them before,” Princess Tracy said.
“Yes. They were created by King Hope from a powerful stone, forged with the help of the wizards of that time. The stone now lies within a crystal, known as the Light Crystal. They were once human like us, but they volunteered to be made immortal so they could protect the kingdoms against any evil forces that might rise", said King James.
“How old do you think they are?” Princess Tracy asked.
“I have no idea, but they are very old. Back then, before the reign of King Damon, the Light Army could only be seen in Axrax because that is where the first king resided. After Marcelos was defeated and the five crystals were distributed among the four kingdoms, King Damon assigned five Light Army soldiers to each kingdom to guard the crystals and ensure they never fell into the hands of evil...", said King James.
He paused before adding, "One more thing — the Light Army can only be controlled and commanded by the king of Axrax. However, they know well to respect the other kings".
“Why can the Light Army only be controlled by the kings of Axrax, and not other kings?” Princess Tracy asked.
“The kings of Axrax are from the bloodline of magic. Magic runs in their veins, just like their forefather, King Hope. That is why we also call them the Great King", said King James.
Princess Tracy nodded. King James continued, After the Light Army was created, King Hope made a ring and linked it to the souls of the Light Army. Whoever wears the ring has control over them and is spiritually linked to the army. The ring has been passed down through generations. If you were to wear it, you must have magic; otherwise, the ring will enslave you".
“So everything with power has a positive and a negative side,” Princess Tracy said thoughtfully.
“I guess so. One of the reasons the other kings can’t even think of wearing the Ring of Command. That will be enough for today. Let’s return,” said King James.
---
NIGHT
Zussorender and the two royal princes arrived at Zussorender’s house and climbed down from the wagon. The princes looked around, surprised and confused — the house was small, far from the grandeur they expected.
“How come you live in a house like this, Master?” Noah asked, watching Zussorender busy packing his things from the wagon.
“Get your belongings and meet me inside,” Zussorender said, dismissing the question, and walked into the house.
The princes followed him inside, carrying their things. They found Zussorender, his wife Lythia, and a nine-year-old boy, Gabriel, sitting at the dining table.
“Show them their room so they can put down their things, and don’t take their belongings from them,” Zussorender instructed his wife.
“Drop your things and come back to eat,” he said to the two princes.
Lythia stood and guided them. “Follow me.”
After placing their belongings in the room shown to them, the two princes returned to the dining table where Zussorender and his family waited.
They sat down and were served food.
As they ate, Lythia asked politely, “I’m sorry to ask this… what are your names?”.
“No need to apologize. We’ll gladly tell you. We are the princes of Axrax,” Noah replied.
“I know you are,” Lythia said with a smile.
“Noah is my name, and my brother’s name is Ramsay,” Noah added.
Noah continued, turning to Zussorender, “ Master, you are the wizard of Axrax — the greatest wizard of all. But I don’t understand why you would choose to live in a place like this, in such a small house. Far from the kingdom".
Zussorender and Lythia exchanged a look. Then Zussorender turned to the two royal princes. He said firmly to them, “First lesson, boys: don’t ask questions from strangers".
“But you’re not a stranger — you are our master,” Noah replied.“Then don’t ask me questions that don’t relate to your training,” Zussorender said, annoyed.
“There is something I need to ask, Master,” Ramsay said cautiously.
“What is it? I hope it relates to your training,” Zussorender replied.
“Ever since we arrived, I haven’t seen anyone coming in or out. I thought wizards train apprentices with magical powers, but I haven’t seen any of yours around. Do you send them on errands?” Ramsay asked.
“I don’t have any apprentices. No more questions,” Zussorender said sharply, now clearly angry.
“But…” Noah started.
“Dinner is over,” Zussorender cut him off.
“But we’re not done eating,” Noah protested.
With a flick of his hand, Zussorender used his magic to rot the princes’ food. Then he said, “Now you’re done eating. Go to your room.”
The two princes stared at him in disbelief, unsure what to say.
“Come, Your Highnesses,” Lythia said, guiding them.
“This is my home. Your title and power do not exist here. And Lythia, you shall address them by their names,” Zussorender instructed, and the two princes followed her silently.
---
Meanwhile, King James of Lythridite sent a letter to King Raynold requesting permission to raise more soldiers and improve the army’s standards.
---
Zussorader, Philip, and the mercenaries entered Lythridite disguised as merchants. Zussorader even transformed his staff into an ordinary stick.
They began living as merchants, selling drugs and clothing, while secretly gathering information about the palace. Zussorader also sent the bird to survey the palace, mapping its layout and security measures.
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KYLIE TRIAL
No matter how much Hawk tried, endured, or held on, he still couldn’t win. He couldn’t land a single point on the shadow. His sword never touched its body even once.Yes, his supernatural hearing helped him know when the shadow appeared, but that wasn’t enough to secure victory. The shadow’s skill was fierce—far more incredible than he had imagined. Because of that, he spent most of the fight defending, barely having a second to breathe.Hawk didn’t have the time to showcase his fighting skills at all, nor could he use his last resort technique. The shadow kept disappearing and reappearing unpredictably, forcing him to stay on constant defense. In the end, Hawk was defeated—wounded—before the shadow struck him hard enough to send him flying toward the others.His body was soaked in his own blood. With his healing ability blocked by the crystal, every cut the shadow left on him remained open, stinging and burning. He suffered wounds all over his body from the shadow’s blade.Now, Hawk
THE SHADOW TRIAL
Ragmus’s facial expression showed pure annoyance as he glared at the beast, now motionless, with the surrounding fire completely dead.Ragmus sat next to Esther, who held his hand while magically healing his wounds. Her injuries had also fully healed.Ramsay, seated beside Esther, couldn’t stop laughing. The others, standing nearby, couldn’t understand why, but Esther ignored him, and Ragmus, furious, didn’t even notice.Ramsay’s laughter grew irritating, prompting Lilia to kick him in the leg as she asked why he was laughing. That finally made him stop, then he asked, “Why wouldn’t I laugh? Don’t you all find it funny?”.The others simply scowled, which only deepened his disbelief. Ramsay continued, “Don’t you see the crystal playing with us?” With me, the crystal was straightforward—maybe out of respect for who I am. But what it did with Esther was the same as what it did with Ragmus. It gave them hope that they could win, that they could become the chosen one—a hope that reached a
TRIAL OF ENDURANCE
As the flames licked higher around Ragmus and the beast, the heat threatened to scorch the edges of his cloak. His grip on the spear tightened, knuckles white, every nerve on edge. The mirror beast crouched slightly, eyes glowing with a predatory focus that reflected Ragmus’s own determination. One misstep—into the fire, or under the claws of the beast—could be fatal.They moved in slow, deliberate circles, each testing the other, waiting for an opening. Ragmus’s mind raced, calculating, anticipating. This was not about striking first; it was about endurance. He had to survive.He reminded himself of the truth: the beast mirrored him perfectly. Every swipe of its claws, every flick of its tails, every sudden lunge was something he himself would do. To survive, Ragmus had to fight as he knew he would fight—defending, countering, and wounding with a spear he had never mastered. This was not a fight to dominate, but a battle to endure against himself.Ragmus shifted slightly, feeling the
TRIAL OF BLADES
The conjured lady lunged first, her sword slicing through the air toward Esther with deadly speed. Esther raised her blade, parrying just in time, sparks flying as steel met steel. She countered with a quick thrust, but the lady twisted, avoiding the strike and striking back with a flurry of punches and kicks that rattled Esther’s defenses.They moved like shadows across the chamber, each step precise, each strike fast and lethal. Esther ducked under a sweeping kick, rolled to the side, and swung her sword again. The conjured lady deflected it, stepping closer with fierce precision, driving Esther back inch by inch.Then, in a rare moment, the conjured lady miscalculated ever so slightly. Esther’s eyes widened as she seized the opening. She swung her sword in a wide arc aimed directly at the lady’s head. For a heartbeat, it seemed as if the strike would land — the swing was fast, clean, and precise.The others watching at that moment felt that was the moment everything was going to co
CAN SHE BE?
Esther tightened her grip on the sword, the crystal’s light faintly reflecting off its blade. Across from her, the conjured lady stood poised, calm and confident, her stance unshakable. The chamber seemed to shrink around them, the air thick with tension, as if the walls themselves were holding their breath.The lady struck first, lunging with a speed that made the air hiss. Esther barely parried in time, feeling the shock of the blow vibrate through her arms. Each swing of the conjured lady sword was precise, deadly, and designed to test her skill, not merely to kill.Esther countered, stepping lightly, her movements fluid despite the lack of magic. Every clash of steel sent sparks flying, illuminating the fear and determination in the eyes of her friends watching from behind. They could only observe, powerless to interfere, and the crystal had sealed off magic.The conjured lady pressed the attack, forcing Esther backward, testing her reflexes, her timing, and her will. Esther’s str
THE TRIAL OF THE CHOSEN ONE II
All of them could not believe what they had just heard. It sounded like their ears were having a fault, which made Hawk ask Esther to confirm if they all heard him right. He said, "Did you just say that any one of us could be the chosen one?".However, it was Ramsay who answered, "Yes. Esther is right. I being the Great King doesn’t make me the chosen one. The power inside the crystal was not made for royal blood, but for the chosen one. It was meant for whoever the crystal itself chooses.""And how did both of you suddenly know that, after we all believed that only Ramsay could be the chosen one?" asked Kylie, looking at both Ramsay and Esther.It was also the way the others were looking at them, which meant one of them had to reply. Esther said, "It became obvious. There’s no way the chosen one would have to go through so much to get to the crystal. The crystal wouldn’t make the one it has chosen fail multiple times as a test to reach it.""So you’re saying there was no test?", aske
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