The Red Moon Chronicles Book 1: The Crown Of Xenthos

Downfall

It was late at night. Upon his golden throne, in the obsidian room. Stilphius sat there, patiently. In his mind he was thinking. Suddenly footsteps began to echo as they drew in closer. By the sounds Stilphius knew it was more than one man.

"Brother... returned have you..." the wise old sage sat tall in his throne.

Four cloaked figures came into view of the dimly candle light. And from behind them a tall thin silhouette began to emerge.

"..how was your mission..." Stilphius calmly spoke, making his eyes dart back and forward, "...I didn't expect you and your company to return yet."

"..where is prince Keenio?"

"Eager to see your nephew are you?"

"I heard he made X rank.." he removed his cloak, his dark hair was a mirror image of Stilphius, only slightly younger.

"..yes . He did.." he scratched his long well kept beard, "..he also... brought back... hmm... I guess you can call her an old friend."

"..her?.. wait.. you allowed him to bring an OUTSIDER into our home!?" Lemos's face was five shades of a deep angry red, "..Are you SENIAL? Big brother .. are you STUPID?!!!"

"...silence your tounge!!" He pointed, as if scolding a toddler, "You may be my brother. But I am STILL you're KING!!"

Lemos closed his eyes, and breathed. Commanding his emotions to subside, as all Xentidos are trained.

"...Forgive me brother... I mean only that having an outsider can," Lemos quietly spoke, holding back his anger,  "Can also bring unforseen plagues against us... Nothing more... I am your ADVISOR after all..."

"..yes I understand..." Stilphius leaned back in his throne, still retaining his noble posture, "..but I have reason to believe that this is the girl he was looking for, all those years ago ..."

"Are you still troubled by that mission, all those years ago?"

"...So what if I am, brother we are old, maybe we shoul-"

"NO! What happened could have been stopped, if we jus-"

"Just What!?"

Silence fell over them. Their raised voices began to soften.

"What if we just what?" Stilphius softly but slowly began, "we did the right thing... we always do... Do you not remember the sooth Sayer, not the prophecy she spoke, nor the visions we shared.."

"My brother, I mean only that we could have prevented the Incident that followed, if we just would have killed the boy..." Lemo's serious tone matched Stilphius's sound, "we could have prevented so much lose in the town square, if you would have just done what the contract said.."

"..you helped me raise him.. how could you stand there now? After all these years of if training, all these years if growth... it is highly unlikely that the incident will ever happen again. That power is gone.. he's just a child now... my child.."

"You always say that," he quiet anger began to resurface, "..What if it DOS happen?! Or worse, what if he finds out what happened?! You know He-"

"QUITE!.." Stilphius stomped his fist in the arm rest of his golden throne, "Lemos! DO NOT ANGER ME!"

His calm tone turned into a loud godly cry. His grey green eyes flashed with bolts, as lightning struck the ground around his brother. This was the anger of Stilphius, king of Xenthos, Grandmaster of the Xentidos, the man who raised Keenio. Stilphius Agnemson.

"...forgive me my brother... I am a fool..." Lemos bows before him, his body trembling at Stilphius microscopic glimpse of his power was enough for him.