Aine walked into the ginormous room, feeling smaller than an ant by a lake, and followed the middle of the room to the raised dais. He stopped at the velvet rug that draped over the stairs and then climbed to the top of the platform.
His eyes stared at the gold chair as he came up to it. Reaching out he touched the smooth embellishment along the arms of the chair and then turned around so he faced Westerlee and Hirens.
He almost laughed at the shock on Westerlee's face as he let himself onto the red cushion. It was firmer than he had thought it would be.
"Aine..." A warning sharpened Westerlee's voice.
"Who can stop me?" Aine asked. The chair, almost as if it had a power of its own, made him feel strong. He felt powerful. He looked down at the stone he had seated in his lap and a grin unfolded across his mouth. He could do anything. He could be king.
Thoughts began pouring into his mind, one after another and bigger than the one prior. What he could do was endless.
For the moment the room was empty with only the three of them in it. But then footsteps pounded from outside the hall and burst inside. Ten people entered the room like a stampede. They were all dressed in similar attire. Dark colored chest plates, black undershirts without sleeves, dark shorts and a skirt of steel tassels. The tassels were all interlocked with steel rings creating a chain skirt. On their heads were the distinguishable Aries horns, two horns, one on each side curling around their ears.
Thick-poled spears with glittering sharp points like teeth of a beast were brandished at Aine, Westerlee, and Hirens.
At the sight of the royal guard Hirens let out a low squeal of terror. He dropped to his knees and prayed to the stars they wouldn't kill him.
The Aries parted as a tall man with dark hair and tan skin entered the room. He was draped in a red fur cape with black feathers sewn into the left shoulder. He wore a gold chest plate that was painted with a black ram in the center and a gold circlet rested in his black hair.
But it wasn't his outfit that scared Aine it was the piercing look from his black eyes. The man was lean but looked as if his right hook could drop a barban at racing speed.
The king and Caedra's father.
Aine stood on shaky legs.
The king strolled into the throne room, taking large strides with his long legs. An easy gait for him, but one Aine would have to jog to match.
"Who are you?" The king's eyes moved from Hirens, taking in the grey outfit of an Ophiuchus. A frown fell across his square chin. The dark eyes moved to Westerlee, catching the white and purple colors of a Libra student. And then finally Aine met the black eyes of the king who came to a slow stop a few feet from where Westerlee and Hirens stood. A glare so strong it had Aine taking a step back. He felt the backs of his knees hit the edge of the chair seat.
Silence dropped like a hammer and with it the king's frown deepened a scowl that looked scarier than a loose barban.
"My name... is Aine."
"And?" the king said. "What are you doing in my throne room?"
The king didn't look old at all; in fact, he didn't look past early thirties. Aine looked over at Hirens reaffirming. The king looked to be younger the Hirens.
"I am here because of this," Aine held the stone for the king to see.
A chill flew down Aine's back.
"Where did you find that?" The voice lashed out like a roar.
"Call the Clan Leaders here," Aine said ignoring the rage in the king's eyes, and ignoring the demand.
YOU ARE READING
The Zodiac Stone
FantasyThe kingdom of Heilakaa was built with magic from the Zodiac Stone, a stone very few know about; its power gives the holder impossible magic. The stone was given to the first king by a dragon as he and his people escaped a tragedy in the north. They...
