Long oak tables lined the center of a vast hall surrounded by red banners with a dragon symbol on it in the shape of a scythe. There was an abundance of berries, wine, and mutton, and their aroma filled the entire throne room—the smell of banquet."To King Longdon Egbert XIII"s victory!" a younger Imogen with a short, curly, blond hair said.
"Long live the King!" the other members of the court said. They then clinked their golden goblets with each other.
In the middle of their feast, the two giant oak doors swung open. A female with long white legs in a red coat entered.
"Lady Leva! Look at you! Where have you been all this time?" Talos, in his cla.s.sic red scale armor, said. Seating beside the King, he stood from his seat.
"Get lost, Talos," Lady Leva said. She walked past the royal members of the court, and the other Reapers like they did not exist. Arriving beside the King, she bent and whispered something to his ear.
"Hey, Leva! You"re dealing with-"
King Egbert raised his palm, cutting Imogen. His face then turned grim. "Excuse me. I have something to check. Enjoy the feast!" The King moved out of his seat like he was about to pee and proceeded to his room.
Lady Leva sat on the King"s chair.
"You wench!" Imogen stood from his chair and slammed his goblet on the table. Then there was silence.
"What?" Lady Leva said, popping a berry to her mouth.
Imogen smiled. "You may have been doing special missions for the King, but know that I"m still in command of the Reapers. From here on, this man will join you!"
"I"m Floyd Stark, the new member of the King"s Reaper. Let"s work hard together!" a man in his early twenties with gray hair and black knight armor said.
"You look weak," Lady Leva said. She then emptied the goblet of Imogen and strolled out of the table.
Meanwhile, inside his private Room, King Egbert sat on a table and poured tea in two golden cups.
A hooded figure masked in gold materialized from King Egbert"s velvety wall.
"Igur. I knew you"d come. Let me-"
"You did not keep your word!" Igur said.
A blue barrier enveloped the entire room. Anyone who dared to eavesdrop would find a strange silence.
"It was a hard choice I had to make."
"Hard choice for what? When was ever the slaughter of innocent women and children been justifiable, huh? Tell me!"
"They"re harbingers of destruction! You"ve read your history books and the prophecies, right? And that crone told me that a Dragon Hunter would bring an end to our world!"
"So you"ve slaughtered their kind because a crazy, withered woman told you so? Have you lost your mind, Longdon?"
"Watch your words, Igur. I"m now a King!"
"A spineless King!"
King Egbert took a sip from his cup. "Are we done? I have a court to entertain."
"You should have been a jester, not a king."
The tea in the untouched cup spilled as King Egbert stood up and prepared to leave.
"We"re done, Longdon. I will no longer do your works in the shadows," Igur said.
"And the girl you"ve sent under my care? Will you abandon her, too?"
"Leva has a mind of her own. She"ll be able to take care of herself and be of good service to this Kingdom."
"Hm. Once you leave this room, you"ll be known as the King of Thieves. And as the King of Soden, I"ll use everything within my power to protect my people from you and your kind."
Igur disappeared from the shadows.
...
"Scarlet River, take Valfern! I"ll hold them!" Moon River said. He then broke the deadlock between him and Talos as he backed away.
The hooded figure with a scarlet mask backed away from the Reaper with knee-length leather boots and a sickle linked to a chain. From the cloak"s pocket, Scarlet River took out three brown b.a.l.l.s.
"Old tricks! No one can escape Luv Sranger"s pursuit!" the Reaper with a sickle said. She then whirled her weapon at an insane speed that a gust formed and blew away the b.a.l.l.s. Then the sickle swiped at Scarlet River, but the chains suddenly snapped. A blurry figure cut it into half—Moon River!
"Move!" Moon River said. A white aura coated his daggers.
"Don"t let them escape, Luv! Leave Moon River to me!" Talos said as a fiery red aura coated his spear. "He"s a magic user like me!"
Luv and the other three Reapers wielding a battle-ax, a broadsword, and a polearm charged after the other hooded figures, but Moon River blocked their way. They then found themselves unable to move, including Talos.
"I won"t be able to hold them long. Hurry now!" The four hooded figures nodded and darted out of the platform.
Imogen, who watched from above, clenched his fists. "Knights! Don"t let Valfern leave the coliseum! Lock all the gates and man the walls!"
Meanwhile, in the western tower, King Egbert"s forehead creased as he gazed at Moon River. "Igur."
Suddenly, a knight covered in sweat came out of the stairs. "King Egbert! We"ve got a problem! Everyone in the northern tower has been slaughtered!"
King Egbert and Mister Piorquee gazed at each other.
"And the representatives from Belsar? Where are they?" King Egbert said.
"They"re not among the casualties-"
King Egbert"s heart skipped a beat. "Piorquee, any update from your scout?"
...
In the southern part of Soden, the knights stationed on the parapets of the twenty-five feet wall casually did their rounds.
"Are you seeing what I"m seeing?" one knight said.
The other knight squinted. Outside the walls, a wave of purple banners marched towards Soden. "Ah, we"re-" He never got to finish his sentence as his head fell off his neck in a clean slice. And the other knight suffered the same fate.
"This is disappointing. Two knights only to handle the walls?" Viscera said. She then licked the blood away from her pair of black rapiers.