“This is where the hidden documents of the Armalon and Avatasc history lie,” she said and pulled out a crested scroll. “The king had all of the copies of this scroll burned when he usurped the throne, but I managed to save this one copy.”
“If you’re the queen of Avatasc . . . why are you helping us?” Nathan asked in suspicion, puzzled as he studied the focus in the queen’s beautiful eyes.
She didn’t reply, only unrolled the scroll on top of the desk and placed a loose brick from the wall on each corner so it wouldn’t roll back up again. The writing on the scroll was small and faded, but the light from the basement window shone down on it so it could be read.
Aisic looked at the writing on the scroll in confusion. “A family tree, huh?”
“The Armalon family tree,” she clarified.
Aisic’s eyes widened as he quickly leaned over the table to study it also. “Melkairen, it is! Look up the top, Armalon the First and his two sons, Ramannon and Armalon the Second.” He ran his finger down the parchment. “And there’s Cullen Armalon, Armalon the Fourth!”
Nathan continued to stare as Aisic announced each Armalon’s title, connecting the two houses of Armalon and Kimberling as the queen continued to gaze at Nathan.
“Armalon the Eighth, Ninth, and his brother Kissick, second to the throne.” Aisic hesitated, looking up at the queen. “You’re sure you want him to know?”
The queen nodded gravely. “Please, read on.”
Nathan turned back to the scroll and pointed. “But here, it says that the last in line was Owen Armalon.”
“And below him . . . it’s not very clear, but it states that he had two offspring before the throne was usurped,” the queen continued desperately. “Look!”
Her finger came to the end of the scroll, pointing to the faded scripture at the bottom which led from Owen Armalon’s courtship line. There, at the base of the family tree were two names. Nathan gasped, and his hands began to shake.
It read: Nathaniel Armalon—Laine Armalon.
He gasped and stared more closely at the script. Wait . . . what? Laine!
“Long ago there was a lasting peace between our kingdoms,” the queen said. “It was proven by dividing the ownership of the Kairen Key, one half of which you now hold.”
Aisic’s eyes grew wide like he’d just had some kind of internal epiphany.
That’s why I have one half of the Kairen Key, which means . . . Laine has the other.
“No, no, it can’t be. I’m Nathan, not Nathaniel!” Nathan exclaimed, stepping back in shock. “I’m not anyone important . . .”
The queen advanced on him and hooked her finger under his chain necklace, pulling it out from under his collar. “This proves you are.”
“But . . . if I’m the son of Owen Armalon and Laine is his daughter then . . . we’re siblings . . . my sister! And if you’re the queen . . . then you must be . . .”
The queen nodded, tears building in her eyes. “I’m your mother, Nathaniel. I’m so sorry . . . I had to marry him to protect your sister. He would have killed her!”
He took a deep breath and looked at the woman again. Back when he was a child, the King of Terratheist had once shown him a portrait of his mother as she had looked as a young woman. The king had kept it in his secret gallery and finally brought him there to show him after he and Michael had climbed through a window in order to get in. Although much had changed, the strawberry blonde hair was the same as it was in the painting.
Nathan looked to Aisic for confirmation. The man’s face had grown solemn again, sympathetic almost. He recalled his loyalty, his dedication to protecting him on his way here and began to wonder.
“Did you know?” Nathan asked him.
Aisic inclined his head. “I sensed in you magic similar to one I’ve wielded in the past. The object which possessed it was also forged and passed down by the Kairens, so I felt sure that you descended from that lineage. Now I know that it was the key I was sensing.”
His shoulders slumped. He was the rightful king of Avatasc.
“My father?” he asked.
“Kissick had him poisoned before he usurped the throne.” Her happy tears became sad. “He began his reign just after you were sent to live in Terratheist.”
The king . . . took everything from me.
“Does Laine know . . . about me?”
His mother covered her mouth. “I intended to tell Laine all this when she was older, but as time passed . . . Eventually, the king forbade me from talking to her.” She wiped a tear from her cheek. “After every conversation she had with the king, she became so cold and distant, even when the maid snuck us out to talk in secret. And . . . and now . . . he’s sent her away to . . .”
Kissick had killed his father, had manipulated his mother and his sister, and now was using her to get the Kairen Key.
And I’ve brought the other half right to him . . . I have to end this before he gets his hands on them!
“Laine must have arrived in Terratheist by now and learned what you have about the key.” His mother closed her eyes in contemplation. “But at the same time, using them to seal the barrier would be almost pointless so long as someone as powerful as Kissick is still planning to use them to begin his war.”
Nathan stood. “The moon hasn’t turned completely red yet, which means we still have time. Therefore, my immediate priority should be to deal with Kissick first and then return to Terratheist to find Laine when things are set right here.”
“No, Kissick is far too dangerous to face alone. With his Melkai, you’ll simply be walking to your deaths. Listen, many knights still remain loyal to me,” the queen said. “They will help you regain the throne if need be. They will fight for you.”
“A rebellion?” Nathan ground his teeth. “No, that will lead to too many casualties. I will do this on my own.”
“I won’t allow that.” Aisic stood. “I’m your protector, after all. I’m sworn to fight for you.”
Nathan’s brow furrowed. “Alright then . . . but after what he did to my father, I want to hear his confession from his own lips. I must confront him.”
Chapter 14: The Snake King
Nathan had been freezing in tough situations all his life. From when he had first met the prince, to being confronted by bullies, to being attacked by the second-circle Melkai, it was all the same. He would become paralyzed and detach himself from reality, leaving his body behind to deal with the threat.
Not this time. He had the blood of kings in him and knew he had to kill this part of himself if he was ever to become who he was meant to be.
“I’ll be back soon,” he said to his mother.
Aisic followed him as he made his way out of the hidden room. He strode through the secret passage and out of the cavity left by the fireplace. Focused on the task at hand, he walked through the doorway of the furnished room and down the corridor toward the throne room. Nothing was going to stop him from taking back his father’s throne.
“Nathan, I must warn you now,” Aisic said as they moved briskly down the green throw rug. “If the situation comes to it, if the circumstances become too dire during this fight, I may have to change.”
“What do you mean change?” Nathan asked.
“I can’t explain it to you,” Aisic replied. “But if I happen to change at any time during this fight, you must not panic. Be sure to remember that it’s still me and that my vow to protect you still holds true. Accept what I am, and I will continue to be your protector, no matter what form I take.”
Nathan didn’t know what to make of what he was saying, but nodded in agreement. He trusted Aisic.
Guards appeared in the hallway ahead of them, pointing and drawing weapons. “It’s them, the intruders!”
“Crap,” Aisic muttered. “Stay close!”
He drew his sword from the scabbard on his back and raised it in a fighting stance. Nathan looked at the glove on his left hand that he now knew
belonged to his sister. He was going to clear the path for her, too.
Aisic ran toward the first guard and struck down at him. The armored man fell, and Aisic parried an oncoming blow, forcing his next opponent’s blade down and back-fisting him in the nose. The man fell to the green throw rug; spots of red sprinkled across it. Nathan strode ahead, not having enough physical bulk to take care of the lackeys, and so, just left them to Aisic.
As soon as any of the guards came across his path, Aisic swooped in to take them out. Nathan wondered if he could take out any of the soldiers himself with the moves Aisic had taught him. He wanted to help, to show Aisic that his lessons hadn’t gone to waste. However, as he moved to assist him, Aisic growled at him and waved him toward the doors. He then spun and slashed at another striking sword before countering and moving to the next one. Nathan didn’t pause, and Aisic continued to remove guards from his path until they finally reached the throne room.
Aisic took out one final guard with an elbow before kicking him to the floor. Nathan rushed to the ironwood doors and heaved them open. They both walked inside the incredibly and immensely massive hall. On his throne atop a high dais, Kissick glared down at them.
Nathan studied the man. He was slim with a hooked nose and a thin smile. It was strange to see that the man who had been the most destructive keystone in his entire life also shared his green eyes. It also sickened Nathan that he shared the same lineage as this man, showing clearly that blood wasn’t everything.
“Warriors from afar, welcome.” Kissick laughed. He was holding a green scepter at his side.
Nathan knew it was no ordinary scepter because as soon as Taiba spotted it and sniffed the air, he began to tremble.
“It appears my chancellor is absent,” Kissick continued, “so if you would be so kind, please introduce yourselves.”
Nathan halted on the green throw rug, noticing the large statues of golden snakes that hung above his dais. “My name is Nathaniel Armalon! I have come to take back my father’s throne, my birthright!”
Kissick’s eyes widened. “A son? I could have sworn I ordered my brother’s only son killed. Where have you been hiding all this time?”
“I have not been hiding!” Nathan bristled at the accusation. “I was handed over to the King of Terratheist as a child. My father was the one who created the treaty with Terratheist, and now you’re the one undermining it!”
Kissick smiled. “Your father didn’t have enough ambition to be a true king. With the help of the other lords, it wasn’t hard to claim his throne.”
“At what cost? Have you not stepped outside and smelled the corruption?” Nathan’s jaw clenched. “If I have to take your place to fix things, so be—”
Kissick raised a hand. “I can’t see why you’re so certain, nephew. Your allies are so few. Whereas mine . . .”
A dozen personal knights revealed themselves from the shadows of the hall, coming from behind pillars and doors and even the very dais Kissick sat upon. These ones were different from the guards outside, larger and wearing high quality plate.
Aisic moved to Nathan’s side in a low fighting stance. “I can’t fight all of them without changing,” he whispered. “I’m sorry you have to see this. Just remember what I told you.”
Nathan nodded. “Do what you have to do.”
Aisic grinned and rose from his fighting stance, sliding his sword back into the scabbard on his back. Nathan was about to ask what he was doing, when suddenly the scabbard began to move on its own. It straightened on his back and then broke apart.
The guards hesitated, watching as the scabbard pieces covered his skin like giant scales. The blade stretched out like a long tail, extending from his growing body. The hilt, which was shaped like a pair of wings, stretched out on Aisic’s back. They spread and grew, wrapping around him.
The hilt of the sword appeared to open up and swallow his head, revealing its growing shape as the wings spread out. Aisic and his sword had somehow combined to become a massive dragon.
“A dragon?” Kissick’s voice sounded like he didn’t believe what he was seeing.
Aisic roared.
Kissick’s soldiers either began to flee or run screaming at Aisic with their swords drawn. Aisic made quick work of the knights that advanced on him, slashing them with claws, biting at them, his tail swatting at those behind as they slammed into to the walls and doors, some hitting the very dais the king sat atop.
When he was finished and the rest of the knights had fled, Aisic, the dragon, opened his wings and roared before peering around to see if there were any more challengers. Besides the king, Nathan, and the ones left unconscious around him, there were no more people in the room.
Nathan’s whole body shook. Aisic had told him that he and Michael had run into a Melkai in the forest after they had separated. Was he the Melkai? Did he just want to separate him from Michael? Had Michael known this and that’s why he tried to attack him?
If Aisic had wanted to, he could have transformed and killed him at any time, yet he had remained to protect him. Even now, he was revealing himself for what he really was in order to help him fight Kissick. Did they somehow make a pact without realizing it, or was it something deeper still?
Nathan calmed himself. He couldn’t let this distract him—not now. Aisic had asked if he trusted him, and he did. That’s all that mattered. It was as his protector had said: the dragon was still Aisic.
Kissick arose from his throne, still clutching his scepter. “I see.”
Nathan and Aisic both turned to glare at the king as he stood above them, his face no longer under the shadow of the parapets. He was Nathan’s dark uncle, just like Ramannon had been to the Armalons of the past.
“I admit it, you have a powerful ally. Well . . . that’s good.” He still sounded amused, or more likely, in denial of his defeat. He raised his green scepter horizontally up in front of him, his eyes peering over the length of it. “Let your hope of victory rise so that I may crush it!”
“Give up!” Nathan yelled.
The scepter in the king’s hand began to transform.
“They call me the Snake King, but let me introduce you to the true King of Snakes!”
The scepter grew in both length and size, and Nathan now saw what he hadn’t noticed before: the snake head at the end of it. He could feel a sudden presence, like a weight on his shoulders. Just as Taiba had warned him, the staff wasn’t just the king’s walking stick; it was his pact item.
“Come out and play, Serraba,” the king hissed.
With a sudden wave, the scepter grew exponentially, swelling and changing in texture, until its final form was revealed: a giant viper.
Chapter 15: The King’s Folly
Nathan now knew why King Kissick was called the Snake King. His serpent Melkai was large enough to make that clear, taking up nearly a quarter of the hall.
Nathan watched in horror as the thing continued to grow in size, its head rising toward the high ceiling, its forked tongue hissing out of its mouth. Nathan shook his head, trying to control his fear. It made sense to him that Kissick would have the blood of the Kairens in him, but he had never seen or even heard of a Melkai being this big in his entire life.
However, after studying its shape, Nathan nearly rolled his eyes at it. Despite being extremely large and horrible, Serraba wasn’t impressive at all, at least by Nathan’s standards. He had run into bears with ram’s horns, aquatic bulls, and a giant, cloak-like bat with talons the size of swords, yet Kissick’s second-circle Melkai was just a snake. Terrifying as it may be, it was so boring in comparison to a dragon, and strangely, this thought alone conquered his fear of it.
Aisic ground his teeth, raised his wings and flapped them down twice, lifting himself into the air. Thanks to the absurdly high ceiling of the wide throne room, he flew about the massive hall with ease.
The king smiled and raised an arm to one side. The snake, Serraba, drew back and struck toward t
he dragon, easily able to cover the distance in one strike. Aisic swooped to the side, evading the strike, and released his flame upon the mighty beast. His fire streaked the scales black, however, without warning, he was struck by the snake’s thick tail and flew back.
As his protector fought the giant Melkai, Nathan advanced on Kissick, digging around in his rucksack for his knife, the same one he used to stab the first Melkai. He bit the inside of his cheek, hard and tasted blood, determined not to freeze again. While Kissick and Serraba were focusing on Aisic, Taiba crawled out from under his hood. His lizard friend flashed onto his forearm, and Nathan brought him around to face him.
“You want to fight, too?” Nathan asked.
The lizard, dog-like, let his tongue fall from his mouth with a tiny sound. Nathan set the fast little Melkai on the floor, and Taiba crawled from him and up one of the walls, making his way to the ceiling. Nathan then pulled free his blade from its sheath and ran at the king.
A loud thump his only warning, one of Aisic’s massive claws snatched him up and threw him to the side as Serraba’s giant head launched itself, jaws wide, past where he had just been. Nathan landed on his side but quickly rolled onto his feet. Aisic flew overhead, spreading flame over the massive thing’s scaly skin. It was no more than a light scorching to the viper.
Nathan dodged to the side with another dive roll as the snake’s tail struck at him. The king laughed from above them while he watched the fight. Nathan grabbed the dagger, which had fallen from his grip, jumped over the giant tail of the snake, and ran toward the dais, meaning to kill Kissick where he stood.
“Nathan, watch out!”
He turned to see the snake was right on his tail, its sole intention appearing to be to kill him before he reached its master. The great head of the viper shot forward and Nathan winced as the giant fanged mouth rushed at him. There was a loud crash, but nothing touched him. Nathan opened his eyes and saw that Aisic was holding back the massive Melkai. The viper’s giant fang had pierced the thick scales on the dragon’s leg.
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