The Forge Of Kings

Chapter 29: A Close Call

     I began to laugh, almost uncontrollably. The man kept the same serious look on his face. He seemed unamused, but I couldn't help myself, Me? Dead? The thought seemed farfetched.

     "Are you done? Cause I only have so much time for this visit before you have no choice." He let out a sigh and turned away. He waved a hand for me to follow. We walked through the darkness, I looked around to see something, anything, but instead it was just black. So dull. "Choice? What choice?" I asked. The man stopped in his tracks, "We'll get to that in a few minutes." The man reached a hand forward and turned it, as if he was turning a doorknob. The darkness opened in a door shape, The man led me through, I walked in and the door closed and the man poofed into existence in front of me.

     "Watch." He said, I looked around and saw that we were in the room I was in before falling asleep. The door flew open and the woman with platinum blonde hair walked over to the window, she threw open the curtains and light filled the room. "Come on, up and at 'em." She said, she walked over, threw off the blanket and sat me up, I looked horrible. My eyes had sunken in their sockets, my hair was clumped together and I had a dead look on my face, I stared through the woman, she sighed, "I wish I could do something to help you, but I can't if you don't accept it." She sat down next to me, and placed a hand on my left hand.

     She stood up and left the room, I continued sitting there, staring out the window, but it wasn't long before I fell to the floor, my face landed with a thud. I let out a gasp. "What just happened...?" I asked the man, he looked to me and said, "Your heart stopped. The starvation put stress on your body, and the grief certainly didn't help." I shook my head, "No, people don't just die like that. I wouldn't just die." I said, the man shook his head.

     You did, He walked over to the door and opened it, He motioned for me to follow, but I couldn't help but gaze at my corpse, lying face down on the floor. I reluctantly followed. We exited and ended up floating above The walls of Rhín. An army, marched on towards the walls, "This is two weeks from today, Two weeks after your passing." The man said, I watched as imperial troops lined up along the giant walls, firing into the invading troops forces with flaming arrows, the troops stopped, they raised their shields, and the arrows bounced off, the crowd split into two, allowing a figure to pass down the middle, but it seemed to big to be a man alone.

     The man led me closer, and as we approached I saw the man had on a tiger print cloak. I gasped when I realized it was Atlas. "King Verath of Cîron, recaptures Sylhalin from your forces, he then captures Sarnawen, The Kingdom was abandoned by the armies, the civilians surrendered to him, The kingdom of Khofte was spared for being an isolated kingdom. That leaves Kishak. His final conquest.

     "The imperial soldiers of Kishak were able to hold off the ambush, Lord Roldan ordered all able bodies in Rhōva to serve the king, his men traveled the land and took them by force, but they have the numbers on their side. Verath's army was split in two, only the worthy, the pure could enter the kingdom after the walls were blessed after the coronation."

     "Coronation?" I asked. The man nodded, he led me towards the palace, in the center of the kingdom, Kishak was large, I could see why it was called the biggest Kingdom in the world, it spanned on for miles. The man led me into the palace, until we were met by a woman with long brown hair, she had perfect features, almost porcelain. She sat on the throne and examined her nails. "Queen Calinië of Sarnawen, and soon to be of Rhōva. But if Verath's attack lands as defeat, she claims Cîron as well." The man seemed to know what he was talking about. He led me out of the palace, and showed me to a court yard, decorated in preparation for the coronation.

     The man snapped his fingers, Time flew by, until it stopped just before the moon reached midnight. The court yard filled with people, and Calinië walked up the stairs to the stage and knelt down before the crowd, who seemed to be enthused by her arrival. A man came up behind her, and placed a golden crown on her head, she stood and gave a bow, the moon centered in the sky, it released a beam of light on the new Queen. She took a deep breath, and looked straight up and raised her hand.