The Royal Knight Academy

Chapter 31: The Memory Stone

I was so overjoyed that we had finally gotten the fourth ingredient needed for the potion. The assignment from the King was nearly completed. There was just one more ingredient remaining, the Sun and Moon Stone.

After a long week of training, late one evening during practice in the courtyard with the others, I was in the middle of a duel against Xavier. Out of the castle a royal messenger appeared, quickly walking straight over to me.

"Ahem," he started, trying to get my attention as we continued to practice.

I didn't hear him over the clanging of the metal swords.

Getting a little frustrated, the messenger repeated, "AHEM!" a second time, but even louder.

My eyes widened when I finally heard him. I turned to the messenger, putting my sword down, signaling for Xavier to do the same.

"Yes?" I asked.

"Duke requires your presence at once on floor four," he declared. "He says it's very urgent."

Then he dismissed himself. At that, he hurried across the courtyard, and went back inside.

"I guess we'll have to continue this later," I said to Xavier as I turned to him, disappointed. "I better go."

I turned around and ran for the doors. Just before going in, I thought to myself, "What does Duke want from me?" Curious, I pulled open the door and walked inside.

Once inside, I headed through the empty corridors, up three flights of stairs, and finally made it to the fourth floor. It was very different from all of the other floors in the castle. Instead of tapestries and beautiful paintings lining the walls, there were portraits of people hung across the dark green painted walls and pedestals holding trophies kept safe in little glass cases. When I got to the very end of the corridor, there was a door. At the very top was a golden plaque that read:

Head of the Royal Knight Academy

"This must be the place," I thought to myself, reading the sign. I grasped the silver door knob, twisted it, and slowly opened the door.

The room beyond was quiet and resembled the library, but much smaller. The walls were covered with more portraits. The room had a small shelf with a few thick books on it in the corner. There was a fireplace against one wall that was burning brightly, the flames providing flickering light. What really set this room apart from the library was the giant dark wood desk in the center. Sprawled across it were quills and parchments and other odds and ends. There was a small simple chair for visitors to sit, but behind the large desk was an elegant brown leather chair, and Duke was sitting in it. He looked at me with an intent expression on his face, his hand stroking his short gray beard.

"Hello," I greeted, entering the office. "You said you wanted to see me sir?"

"Yes. Please sit down."

I shut the door behind me and did as he said by taking a seat on the other chair in the room.

"So..." I said, sitting down in the eerily quiet room with the clock ticking being the only sound. "You wanted to talk to me about the next mission?"

He nodded.

"Well, I am guessing we need to talk about who I'm going with on the next assignment. I've already gone on one with everyone once. If we're talking about who I'll be paired with, Blake would be a good choice, or even Xavier. He would be really good for-"

"Leo. You're not going with anyone."

He was staring at me when I asked, "Why?" very confused.

"Well, I thought that this mission would be best suited if only one person goes," he responded, straightening himself up in his chair.