THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS

The Fated Encounter

 Chapter X

Qionar is all set to prepare the arena for the upcoming tournament. Six more months until the said event 

 “What?” Qardolan yelled after receiving his sister’s order

 “You heard me? Go to Qionar and know what are they up to, why would they organize a sudden tournament?”

“Why do I have to do this?”

“Because I trust you more than anyone else here”

The queen knows that her brother Qardolan will accomplish this task she is giving him. But for Qardolan, he is being taken too lightly again by his queen sister. Why can’t she just give him the Lauran and not sending him to elsewhere. Everything would be so easy for him if he have the Lauran “will you? I know you are the only one who can do this” Qardolan can’t refuse the queen’s order. He always wanted to disobey her order, but would end up doing it. And he is starting to hate it, nope, he hated it. He walks at the corridor bearing his angry attitude

 “set for a new adventure again?” his uncle meet him with a deriding greeting

 “I’m tired of this” said the prince 

“I don’t think you are. maybe you will meet your destiny out there. Who knows” he bluff

 “don’t drag me into your nonsense uncle” oddin stopped, allowing Qardolan to go straight to the doorway. 

His uncle is being unreasonable again. Why is the world conceding them, both his uncle and his sister? The guards open the gate for him

 “oh let’s see” says oddin, while watching his nephew setting off, before turning himself back. 

The Elves. they are not only good in battle or superior in speed, but, Elves have the ability to transform themselves into human. However this ability alone wont get him inside Qionar, so he prepared an amulet called kithar a powerful item that can control or alter people’s memory. But the Kithar’s ability limits only to those people who can see its first glow after taking it off from its small case, thus Qardolan made sure that he wouldn’t waste its ability and quickly proceed  to the first group of soldiers passing towards the palace walls.

His plan worked perfectly, and joined the group of men inside the palace

 “APPLICANTS!” 

It was a surprise when an armored soldier commanded them to form a line in groups. Realizing that the group he joined at are no officials, the situation galled him even more.  No wonder they’re not wearing uniforms, nor badges hanging on their clothes. This must be the dumbest thing he ever did. 

The troupe leader brought them in, but they skipped the entrance gate towards the main castle and instead, they were lead directly to the left entrance gate where the leading soldiers gears up the new trainees to become more suitable armies for Qionar. 

“All of you align ” The man with the uniform and symbolic emblem of great position commanded the new students. Qardolan was pushed by his fellow applicant into the first row. He obediently followed the others and prepared himself for all the possible outcome of the mess he got himself into. On how to get his way out and finish his purpose quickly.

 The commander examined them one by one. From the first row to the last, then back to the first row. The commander took noticed to Qardolan. who is suspiciously unique from the usual soldier type. He has a pale soft skinned, and his eyes are blue and round. His clothing is also neat, perhaps as neat as his facial outlook 

“I’m sorry your highness, you must be lost or—Has your king father vanished you from the kingdom?” the commander laughed, pulling him in two trigger of whether he is a spy or just a plain attractive individual who’s appearance has nothing to do with his social status—which is very unlikely to be—and the rest is just to make fun of him 

“I believe my kingdom is in need sir---In need of soldiers” the commander was impressed by his answer. He smiled at him satisfied by such a rhetoric response. This man stood before him is wise, he might be up to something, but he couldn’t be caught easily 

“I’m sorry I’m late sir” another person came, and this time he is convincingly more suspicious that prince looking one. For he reminds him of a woman and his body slimmer than the rest of them. He certainly have met him somewhere, but he couldn’t figure out where. And if it wasn’t because of this dumb adage this i***t soldiers put up, which inanely states

‘For a man with courage and strength to brag, this place is open for all plain thug’

 Qardolan would’ve mistaken him as a girl. The boy faced them chasing his breath and salute them by placing his right arm on his chest while standing still 

“Men, he is one of my best student, and an honored warrior, son of Arman. Lamon”

The rest of the applicants murmured but Qardolan. He was shocked that Arman has a son, and is now taking the same mission as he is. There is no mistake, or else he wouldn’t have any reason to be here. But why would Qionar allow that to happen? Either way, his presence could is a threat to his goal and he can’t just allow that, now that he traveled so far just to obey his sister’s command and acquire Lauran for himself. He must eradicate all the hindrance to his mission, including Arman’s son.

The applicant's assembly is over. Qardolan pursued the boy named Lamon to confirm his suspicions “stop” he whispered, the boy stopped as well, he tried to see who ordered him but Qardolan drag him to act casually. They continue to walk towards the newbie quarters “what is your deal? Are you really a child of Arman?” Qardolan asked, feigning to have a friendly conversation with the boy  “Yes I am, why do you ask?” the boy is starting to feel uncomfortable with Qardolan’s arm all over his neck

 “then what are you doing here?”  

“this is all a misunderstanding, I am looking for someone and ended up in here” Qardolan though that it could be Arman he is looking for, the forest of Asca is not far from Qionar and he saw Arman at the forest of Asca 

“Is that your father Arman you are looking for?” Arayan turn her head towards Qardolan. It seems that this person beside her is not aware of her father’s death. for the goodness of the godless warriors she is in critical situation again, she couldn’t just tell him she was actually looking for her brother the real Lamon and screw things up 

“Yes my father, Arman” she lied, Qardolan reacted to the boy’s answer 

“Oh, is that so” Qardolan let go of her and attempted to smile without too much pressure

 “I am qar---qaron” Qardolan said while reaching his hand to the boy 

“nice to meet you Qaron” said Arayan, while accepting the man’s hand and deal with it in a friendly grasp                                                                  

 “So you are new here as well, it seems that your bloodline really gives you superiority among us here huh?”  

“No, not really, they only sent me here because I luckily defeated the Mouhrak they set me up to” Qardolan was amazed for such a small body to defeat  a monster. He is no doubt a Gathom at all, too cute for a Gathom. Damn! What was he thinking; this boy is incredibly similar to a girl’s features, aside from being tall and slightly bulked   

“Yeah! You-clearly-would defeat any monster” Arayan started to feel uncomfortable again 

 “why? don’t you think so?”                                                                                                      

 “Because.....you are a Gathom right?”                                                                                     

 “Ahhhhh......right!” the two entered the quarter where everyone is waiting for the next instructor to arrive.

A few days earlier.

 Arayan accepted the challenge from the queen as the proof of her claim. Quamran and Magnus has to remain under prison until Arayan succeed. 

Arayan flustered over the overwhelming size of the Arena. Although her audience were only the Queen and her guards, and of course, the keepers that would release whatever she is going to fight with—hoping for a feeble goblin or anything she can win easily—She was authorized to choose any of the weapons displayed at the corner of the arena to help her defeat her opponent. 

The queen ordered to release the Mourhak which is estimated at least 5 feet taller than her. After seeing the mad Mourhak, she craves to fall back and just admit her real identity, surrender everything when there is still a chance. It would be safer to die in a human’s hand perhaps. She was an active venturer during her childhood, and is used to fighting goblins and human size ogres. But Mourhaks is too much for her given that she really is not Lamon but Arayan the younger sister, and by that, she means the weak version—WEAK—she feared the Mourhaks ever since she got abducted by one of them. To think that she will once again encounter one, and worst, she will have to defeat it on her own.

Growing up, people always tells her how lucky she is, that the gods are on her side wherever she goes. That thought remained to her, and if it is true, she will let that luck save her from this giant monster. She took the long hammer and heedlessly throw it on the beast, praying that it would do the trick, BUT… it certainly didn’t affect him at all. She tried the spear and this time she will do it with full force. She exhaled a few breath and throw the spear aiming for the heart....yet—still a failure. 

The troll began approaching her in tremendous speed, as she bout to outrun him as fast as she could; stopped caring whether she will look heroic or puny. All the few people who'ere watching were wondering, including the queen; why is the strongest warrior of the tribe of Ligayun, the renowned son of the last Gathom is running away from a single Mourhak? Some of them believe that she’s just playing along with beast, and not taking it seriously

—But seriously!—

Arayan is already fighting with her life, and she can see them being amused by what is happening. The beast nearly had her when she noticed that there is a huge chain attached on the beast’s left foot. It was in there all this time. She maybe not as strong as her brother, but she is smart and the beast is just mad, so, there is no chance that he can distinguish her plan. Beasts always goes for the kill. So she figured, it will just focus on catching her, without realizing that he is slowly being tangled down by his own chains.

 Arayan’s plan worked. After all the running, she landed herself to the ground to ease her panting. Although there are some concerns the queen bothered to consider such as; why did Lamon has to perform all the hassles and can’t just take a sword and slay the Mouhrak directly. But then, he managed to defeat it, anything that is beyond that is out of their deal. The very scene gave the queen an idea on how to handle her problems with the scroll.

The queen ordered to dispense them on separate places. As Arayan goes to the soldier training camp Quamran will work as a servant inside the palace, while Magnus was dumped into the kitchen doing dishes due to his overbearing manner.