Descent of a God

The Council

|Jude|

As soon as I expressed my willingness to go to the Council, the two male lances' tense expressions relaxed. I sensed their relief, perhaps because they were worried I would resist. My mother was stunned by my decision, but my father stepped up and calmed her down.

As we were getting ready to leave, Arthur approached us and offered to accompany us. I was going to refuse, but then I realized that Arthur had a bigger reason for joining us. Normally, he would have stayed behind with our family. I nodded in agreement, and the Lances didn't dare object.

Before we departed, I went to Curtis and asked him to keep the true reason for my visit to the Council a secret from Kathy. I wanted to protect her from knowing that I was being accused of a crime. Curtis understood my request and nodded solemnly. Then, we made our way towards the Council's location.

The Lances flew effortlessly without the use of spells. I was able to fly using my own white core, which surprised the Lances and Arthur. Arthur followed us by riding Sylvie, whose true form had already been revealed when he brought her to the Academy. We flew over the Grand Mountains, which divided the Continent of Dicathen in half. It was impossible to tell how far we had traveled, but eventually, we landed in a small clearing on the edge of the Grand Mountains, facing the Beast Glades. We decided to rest for the night.

During our rest, I used my evolved X-Ray Eyes to see particles of mana and strange purple particles. The purple particles were different from mana, heavier, and didn't move together like mana. Just as I was about to share my discovery, Varay held up her hand and searched the air for something. Suddenly, the sky split apart, revealing a metal staircase.

A piercing light seeped through the crack of the wall that had split apart, blinding me momentarily. As my eyes adjusted, I could finally make out what was ahead. A brightly lit corridor with an arched ceiling stretched from where we were, walls covered with mysterious designs carved onto every visible facet and corner. The engraved runes gave the impression that the corridor was more like a memorial etched with names of the deceased than a luxurious decoration, each engraving and design holding a purpose and meaning. Simple chandeliers hung from the ceiling every few meters apart, but while the hall was brightly lit, the white light gave off a cold, emotionless feel, reminding me of the hospitals back in my old world.

Varay broke the silence. "Now that we're inside the castle, it is best not to converse with us or any of the lances," she whispered with an unusual chill to her voice as we entered through the rather crudely-made door.

We walked in silence, with only the echoes of our footsteps filling the hall. Doors of different colors and materials lined either side of the metallic corridor, each distinct from one another. The corridor seemed to stretch on indefinitely, but thankfully, Varay stopped us at a seemingly random door to our left. She knocked without pause until the door swung inward, revealing an armoured man the size of a bear.

I took a closer look at him.

"My Lords," the guard immediately knelt down with his head bowed.

"Rise," Varay replied cooly. The guard stood back up but did not make eye contact with either of the two lances. Instead, his gaze was fixed on me, regarding me both curiously and cautiously.

"Tell the Council of our arrival." Olfred waved the guard away impatiently. The armoured man took another quick bow and disappeared behind a hidden black door that looked to be a part of the wall.

After a few minutes, the guard came back out and fully opened the door for us, allowing us in. "Lance Zero and Lance Balrog have been given permission to meet the Council, along with the prisoner named Arthur Leywin."