Chapter 461: Chapter 461- Unity

Darrell’s gaze flicked wide in realisation before a sigh escaped his lips.

“The trial.” He muttered softly as he palmed his face.

“How could you have forgotten something so important?”

Nicole folded her arms with a slight frown. Not exactly pleased nor impressed by his response.

But Darrell couldn’t care.

She was never impressed by anything he did.

“Tsk. Tsk. We can’t have our next King forgetting important events, Darrell.”

Darrell whipped his gaze at his uncle with a slight frown.

“It was a minor setback. Don’t dwell on it.”

Derick smirked slightly at his son’s reaction, while Collan erupted in heartfelt laughter.

‘It wasn’t even funny.’

Darrell flinched slightly as his lips formed a wry smile.

He turned back to his father, while zoning out the laughter.

“Isn’t this trial just a farce? Rhabanz leadership didn’t just threaten the lives of high Nobles… but direct descendants of the Great Family as well.”

Derick nodded slowly.

His arm clasped behind his back while his Regal attire of a green, sleek robe swerved with the wind that blasted against the high branches and trees.

At the same time, the Wind Wyvern snarled.

Prepped fully by the Guards who now hold their guard safely and firmly.

“It’s like you said. Rhabanz will be publicly killed today.

Though the true details lie between the King and the Merlin.”

Darrell frowned slightly.

A flash of a memory came to mind, and the news announced resounded in his head, fresh and young.

‘Raph is dead.’

He curled his fist instinctively and lowered his head.

Enough for the others to notice it and for his father to question it.

With a deep frown, he raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder.

“Do you still think of him?”

Darrell flinched under the weight of the gazes etched on him, but more so under the pressure his father exuded.

It was calm. Still as a lake, but within it… deep under the shades of tranquillity, he portrayed… the growing Volcano churned.

“Ye–Yes, Father,” Darrell replied in startlement. “Raph had been… a pain. A cause for concern… but he was… he was real.”

Silence.

The heads of everyone present, including the guards, had grown stiff.

A 360 turn from the earlier delicate vibes they had worn.

It didn’t take much for Darrell to feel it.

The Great displeasure they had with his words… and worse yet, the Volcano within his father had begun to crack. Once more.

‘I–I won’t be able to take another.’

Memories flashed in the back of his head.

The first few days of their return.

The previous day’s festivities had been a world of comfort… but right after that. When he had spoken about Raph and his plans to his family… the contempt. The distress. The wrath.

The looks he got that day were something he had nearly forgotten… and his current predicament was simply a punishment for that.

With that, he prepared himself for what was to come, but… it never did.

“I see.”

Derrick said with a sigh as he dropped his arm and turned towards the wyvern.

The tension died instantly as everyone turned to the King, who was ready to depart.

But before he departed, he stopped by the beast.

Stroking its hardened scales and broad neck that easily dwarfed him and everyone present.

Wyvern were referred to as Lesser Dragons… but they never truly were.

They were weaker. Slower and tameable, but that didn’t make them less ferocious.

After all, these beasts of the elements were very large.

And this one was especially adamant as its shadow had cast itself over their heads.

Derrick pulled the reins slowly as he glanced at his son.

“I do not know what that boy… Raffaelo Jun had said to you or any other members of the Household, and quite frankly, I do not care.”

Darrell flinched as he raised his head.

“Such delusions shall not be allowed under my reign, Darrell and you know quite certainly how I handle such cases of stupidity.”

‘Ouch, Dad.’ Darrell thought to himself as he clasped his arm around his back.

“The boy is dead now, thank Gaia’s blessings. His presence would have been more troublesome than helpful to the lot of us, and I’m sure the rest of the Great Families think the same.”

With that, the man mounted the beast with one swift and skilful lunge.

He landed on its enlarged, lengthened neck where a Sable was clasped.

“For now, focus on your strength. Your assignment.”

With a slow turn, he glanced down at his son.

“The future of our race lies in your hands, Darrell. Don’t let impulsive goals like uniting the Great Families pull you down.”

He tapped the wyvern once, and the large beast cooed softly before it spread its wings and flapped them with a powerful ease.

The wind swept under its scales as it lifted into the air.

“Have a safe trip, Your Highness.”

“Please return soon, Father.”

The greetings of Collan and Nicole reached Derrick’s ears as he waved at them.

“May Gaia guide the way.”

“May Gaia guide the way.”

They bowed in unison… Darrell, included before the Wyvern screeched and blasted off into the sky in a pillar of air.

BOOM!

The air crackled for a moment as a small wind torrent rose in the air before everything settled.

Then, standing to their feet, the guards departed to their positions while Darrell was left standing with the others.

Collan glanced at him, his gaze devoid of the earlier amusement and playful maturity.

Now, it exuded the harshness of a General. A veteran of war.

Darrell couldn’t help but gulp.

‘Welp.’

“Training starts in ten.”

With that, the General turned and walked down the wooden path, headed to a creature prepped by a Guard.

A Tree Climber.

They were terrestrial creatures with bear-like features, and powerful limbs which aided movement both on trees and land.

They climbed through trees and jumped branch to branch with an ease that came naturally to them, and their purpose as mounts in the Eastern Forest had been a common thing.

With that, the General climbed over and headed down the World Tree.

Darrell watched in silence before sighing at the man’s complete departure.

“Hah… seems like training is going to be hell today.”

Nicole frowned as she walked past him towards the same direction.

“And whose fault is it?”

Darrell chuckled lightly as he followed after her.

Soon, Rowen had joined in.

A moment of silence lingered between them until Nicole slowly shifted her gaze behind her, and locked eyes with her elder brother.

Her eyes narrowed as she said.

“You’ve changed, brother.”

With that, she hastened her steps and quickly rushed off.

Rowen hesitated for a moment, but quickly matched her pace to catch up while Darrell lingered behind for a second.

He lowered his head as a heavy sigh escaped his lips.

‘With the things I saw and experienced… why wouldn’t I?’

***

Darkness.

In a world of silence, darkness, and ancient and foreboding lay waste around.

Its tendrils quaked in a feral dance of hunger as it stretched across the walls, reaching far into a space hidden from man’s eyes.

Within this place, the darkness was alive and it consumed everything that was thrown at it.

The sound of mice squeaking and chains rattling were a daily hymn to this world.

A stark reminder of the predicament of those foolish enough to be thrown into it.

And sadly, a figure– a man, worn and torn from a week of untroubled humiliation had begun to grow dim in the unghastly horrors that replayed in his head.

His body had been hidden in the mist of dark, and his face, empty.

What made his presence accountable was simply the shallow breathing that seemed to pulse with the tight walls around him.

Shallow breathing that was soon drifting out of focus.

Little by little… he had begun to slip into an eternal form of his dilemma, but sadly, peace never came easily.

A loud, iron bang cracked with a burst of light as a door slammed against a wall.

“Well, you’re looking good.”

A voice, familiar yet alien to the man, echoed as his dim eyes pulsed with life.

The man shifted his eyes to the dim light, unable to react to the sudden intrusion due to the weakness that plagued him.

The bars came into view.

Silhouettes of prison bars that tightened the walls around him, and further ahead, two figures who approached with uncanny silence.

“Tyson…” the words slipped out of his bloodied, chapped lips as the sound of footsteps bounced against the walls of the dark room.

The King whistled.

“This place is as hideous as I could remember.”

Behind the King, Kira Merlin sighed.

Her expression and demeanour were the same as always as her gaze landed on the man.

“Today is his Trial… putting him under these conditions was unnecessary.”

The King chuckled as his gaze darted to the man riddled in chains.

His body, now illuminated by the bright light soon came into view, and with it, the ghastly creatures that roamed his body like home.

Worms of darkness. Blood suckers of mana wiggled their way through his body, causing grotesque protrusions against his flesh.

They squirmed like slippery eels in a tight bottle, and delighted themselves in the man’s essence.

“Deathworms”

The King muttered with great delight.

“Blood suckers for mana and aura… they’ll suck your life and its essence if they have to.”

Chuckling silently as he observed, his lips slipped into a tight grin.

“This fool had acted all mighty because he was the Headmaster of an Academy.”

He whipped his gaze at Kira.

“Did you seriously think I would let that go?”

Kira remained silent.

Her dark eyes were devoid of emotion or response.

She wasn’t one to read, and the King would be blind to see that.

But, he tried anyway.

Everything and everyone belonged to him. So, therefore, everything… and everyone was an open book to him.

‘Even this sly bitch.’

He turned his head away as a satisfied sigh escaped his lips.

“You will treat him and bring him to the Castle.”

He turned to leave.

“I simply came to delight myself in his punishment after his capture… do me the goodwill of preparing him.”

King Tyson stopped at the door for a second as he clasped his arms at his back.

“Be joyful, Rhabanz… for you will serve as my first scapegoat for the fools against me.”

Immediately, he departed.