The Call to War

Chapter 3

Windsom and Arthur walked down the long hallway through the Indrath clan's castle to the throne room, Arthur keeping half a step behind.

Just a few hours ago Arthur had been woken up, and taken to a lake for a rare opportunity to bath. Windsom and the other asura didn't seem to care about him bathing much, so it was often months between his baths. This time was different though, as afterwards instead of putting on the same old torn, blood stained, worn out clothes that didn't even fit him anymore, Arthur was given a fresh cream colored tunic with brown pants, and a black cloak. Arthur had joked, asking what the special occasion was, only for Windsom to reply simply that he was returning to Dicathen. Arthur was completely shocked by this, and quickly got dressed, as well as removed his necklace from his dimensional ring and put it on. He had known that the war had started shortly after he had left, so for him to be leaving now meant that something had changed, since he didn't believe that he completed the training they had planned for him.

As Arthur approached the massive doors to the throne room, he finally felt a very familiar feeling again.

"Arthur you're here!" Sylvie cried happily through their bond after being apart for over two years.

In this moment Arthur's heart ached a bit, as he had not realized until now how much Sylvie calling him papa meant to him.

"Yeah I am. How was your training? I can already feel that you've gotten a lot stronger," Arthur replied as he hid his small pain.

"It went great! My grandparents are really good teachers!"

"Happy to hear it. Do you know what's going on? I was told that we're leaving."

"You know as much as I do. I was training with my grandmother this morning when my grandfather came and told me to get ready to go back to Dicathen."

Unlike when Arthur arrived, the guards immediately opened doors so that they were completely open by the time they arrived. Windsom and Arthur entered the throne room and they both immediately took a knee. In front of them was Lord Indrath in his white flame throne, with his wife Myre, looking much younger than the last time Arthur saw her, to his left, and Sylvie in her own throne to his right in her white fox form.

"Lord Indrath, I have brought Arthur Leywin as you have commanded," Windsom announced as his head remained down.

Looking out of the corners of his eyes Arthur could see the rest of the Indrath clan, or at least most of them, standing there looking at him. On the contrary to the last time he was in the throne room, the clan looked at him with concern and worry, no doubt either concerned that he was not ready, or concerned about whatever reason Arthur's training was cut short.

"You have progressed quite far for a lesser, almost impressive," Lord Indrath stated.

"Thank you lord Indrath," Arthur replied, hiding his annoyance at the back handed compliment.

"However, as I suspect you are aware, your training is not yet complete. Unfortunately the Virita had made a move, and a large portion of their army of lessers is already on its way to Dicathen."

Having confirmed what Arthur saw as the most likely scenario, Arthur asked for more information.

"How long until they arrive?"

"A matter of days now. Because of this you must return to your council to prepare and aid in Dicathen's defense." Sylvie then jumped down from her throne and ran to Arthur. "My granddaughter will join you in your battle." Lord Indrath's eyes narrowed in Arthur. "Do not allow anything to happen to her," Lord Indrath warned in a dark threatening tone.