Chapter 16: The Blue-Eyed Kid
1400 Words
“Two hundred and seventy-eight knights…”
King Terrowin’s loud voice echoed around the throne room.
He stood on his ice throne and slowly stepped down the staircase. Kael was in front kneeling with his head looking down on the blue floor.
“One grand knight…”
The king continued as he walked towards Kael.
“And one of my high councilors…”
Kael closed his eyes in shame. He did not want to look at the king’s face. He knew that he already triggered the beast and it’s about to go wild as hell.
Silence filled the throne room for a few seconds. When Kael raised his head, a sudden strike hit him on his right cheek. His skin was scratched by the sharp nails of the king like a talon.
“What more did it f*****g cost?!” the king’s voice thundered and struck Kael’s ears.
Kael swallowed hard as blood was already dropping on the blue floor from his wounded cheek. He just closed his eyes and breathed heavily as he endured the irritating pain on his cut.
“A disgrace! A f*****g disgrace!” King Terrowin pointed at Kael’s face.
“Your Grace, I-“
“You are skilled, Kael. But you’re a fool,” the king cut him off. “And how dare you step into my throne room empty-handed?!”
Kael sighed heavily before speaking. “I’ve found the kid, your grace,” he said in a low voice.
He noticed that the king didn’t answer so he raised his head again to look at the king. He saw Terrowin’s eyebrows stormed while looking at Kael. He knew that the king was speechless and seems like he wanted to hear more.
“The blue-eyed kid you’ve been searching for all these years, I’ve found him,” Kael continued. He knew that this was the only way so that he can save himself from getting replaced as the divine knight. The king will need him to search for the kid.
“b****y hell,” King Terrowin massaged his temples out of frustration.
“So that brat’s indeed alive,” the king muttered a curse as he turned around and walked back to his seat. “Where the hell is he?”
“He was on the tournament, my king. But it turned out he’s one of the members of the Forgotten Winter,”
Even if their plan has failed, the tournament still served a purpose to Kael of seeing the blue-eyed kid. Probably it was the most valuable thing for him than protecting the councilor and hunting the Forgotten Winter. The king had always been looking for that kid for almost eighteen years now.
“So he already knew? The reason why he joined the rebels that aimed to kill me?!”
“I’m not sure, your grace,” Kael replied. “But he still hasn’t been… awoken. That’s what I presume.”
“If he finds the sword, it will all be over,” the king said as he sat on the ice throne. “Don’t take our advantage for granted. Bring that f*****g kid to me alive.”
“My team is now tracking them, your grace,”
“You’ve failed countless times already, Kael,” the king said ferociously. “As much as I want to remove you from your position, the kid matters the most for now. Don’t waste it.”
“I will, my king,” Kael replied and then the king dismissed him.
He wiped the blood from the cut on his right cheek while walking out of the throne room. He saw a knight standing in front outside the black doors and seemed to be waiting for him.
“Your presence is requested in the headquarters, Sir Kael,” the knight told him. “They’ve got some information from the enemies you encountered.”
Kael nodded and walked past the knight towards the dark and cold hallway of the castle. As he went outside it was already late in the night. He passed on the high garden and directly walked towards the headquarters in the west wing of the castle.
It was a three-story structure that has its walkway and crenellations on top connected to the fortified walls surrounding the castle. The two knights on their silver plate armor and blue cape opened the two metal doors of the building for Kael when they saw him coming.
Kael went inside and there he saw the usual offices of the grand knights on the ground floor. The busy women who worked and managed the files still managed to greet the divine knight as they encountered him.
The headquarters was an official place for all the grand knights and generals who plan and get daily reports from the knights assigned under them. And tonight was not a normal working pace for them. All of the people were so busy after getting the report of the number of knights who died from their encounter with the Forgotten Winter just this night.
He went to the second floor through the staircases where the command function room was located. The whole floor was only composed of one huge planning room space.
The place has a wide square-shaped glass table in the center. And on that table, Kael saw the former miniature of the whole Ice Crown Citadel surrounded by the upper and lower ring.
At the end of the room was another long table with chairs where they conduct their plans and meetings. It was now filled by the eight grand knights that were now having an important discussion.
The order of the grand knights was usually composed of ten members and one divine knight leading them. But now, there were only eight knights present since Grand Knight Bryle and Sadon who were protecting the councilor wasn’t there because of the fight earlier.
“How is Grand Knight Sadon?” Kael asked immediately as he sat on his big chair at the end of the long table.
“His condition is not that critical, Sir Kael,” one grand knight replied. “But for Sir Bryle Veillantif, I’m afraid there is nothing more the grand mages can do.”
“I never would’ve thought his sister would really kill him for that,” another knight said as he shook his head.
“Alice from the noble family of Veillantif is a prodigy, Sir Simon. She excelled when she was studying in the Academy here in the capital and was already capable of mastering the art of magic on her own now,” the other grand knight spoke who seemed to know the family well. “It wasn’t a doubt that she could take down her brother by herself.”
“What about the two swordsmen?” Kael asked. “Any background information about the blue-eyed kid?”
“We already asked about the details he submitted on the tournament when he joined. His name is Arth and it turns out that he’s from Frostwood village,”
“We couldn’t identify the name of the other one who has dark skin and brown eyes, Sir Kael. But one of our knights have recognized him,” Grand Knight Simon replied. “He’s the son of Gregor Doran, the chief of Frostwood village.”
Kael raised his right eyebrow. “So they both came from Frostwood?”
Grand Knight Simon nodded. “We’re still checking if they have some travel history in Casterfall City. They might be hiding there.”
“Is that all?” Kael asked.
When the grand knights on the table all nodded in response, Kael stood up.
“I want the entire lower ring searched. Every building, every basement or underground chambers,” Kael announced. “I know it’s a big task, that’s why I’m sending all of you. Take your knights and spread out the search.”
The grand knights nodded again. After Kael dismissed the group, he immediately went straight to his team chamber. Now he knew what to do.
He saw all of his members in the long table at the center. He joined them on the table and asked about any updates.
“My beast which was tracking the scent of the Forgotten Winter was killed in the west entrance of the white forest, Sir Kael,” Ryia reported.
“That confirms it,” Kael nodded. “They really are hiding somewhere in that forest.”
“Your orders, Sir Kael?” Cedric asked him.
“We can’t let them escape… but we need to be patient,” Kael said. “Dain and Ryia, search further in the forest. But don’t let them notice you. They will surely flee and run away. If something happens, I need you to give a signal. My grand knights and I will be coming there to back you up.”
“What about us?” Tristan asked.
Kael now turned at him. “I have a mission for you and Cedric,”
Cedric raised a brow as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Where?”
“Frostwood village,” Kael’s lips formed a smirk.
- Writer
