Forgotten-ENG

4. Hearing and good evening

Ori woke up with a pounding headache, but he felt surprisingly well. He was in a bed, rather soft, and most importantly, on a mattress. It was a far cry from the piles of straw at the orphanage. There were about a dozen of them! Indeed, Ori was in a large, high-ceilinged room with magnificent stained glass windows filtering the orange light of late afternoon. There was a row of bunk beds on each side of the room, each with a small, intricately carved bedside table adorned with decorations. Clearly, the owner of this place was rich, very rich, and Ori had no business being here.

As he regained his senses and started to get up, Ori saw a young man enter from the far end of the room.

Ah! You're awake, that's perfect. They were getting impatient, and honestly, I'm surprised they haven't started a brawl yet.Where... where am I? Ori asked, a bit disoriented.In the palace infirmary; you took a little nap. Come on, they're waiting for you; it's better not to upset them too much after today.

Ori got up and followed him out of the infirmary. They traversed several corridors, climbed a good hundred steps, and arrived in front of a large double door adorned with golden handles and balance symbols. Ori didn't quite understand where this man was taking him, but he obediently let himself be led, so entranced by the surroundings. At that moment, nothing mattered more than what he saw through a window: a magnificent panorama of the entire northern quarter of Potalu. An orange light ran along the terraces and walkways, casting their shadows on the winding streets below.

Are you coming?

The man snapped Ori out of his reverie by pushing the double door open at its center. They entered a large circular room in the middle of which was a skylight, illuminating the few people Ori had met earlier. In front of them was a U-shaped desk elevated by a meter, with hidden bleachers behind it. Seeing Ori arrive, the Valkyrie approached and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Are you well, my sister? Thank you for earlier; you saved us.Uh, I... I don't think I'm your sister, madam.Please, call me Ylva. And we are all sisters.

At that moment, a door at the back of the room opened, and those who emerged completed Ori's sense of wonder.

A Valkyrie in her fifties entered first. Her wings were not bronze or silver, as Ori was accustomed to seeing (well, "accustomed" was a big word), they literally shimmered. Platinum?! They emitted a grayish glow that filled the room. As soon as she sat down at the desk, Ylva knelt, head bowed. Following her, a young man entered, walking at a rather... reduced pace. He was covered in fur and had long, curved claws. Ori knew that some Animagi could maintain a hybrid form between animal and human rather than partial and temporary transformations, but that must require a lot of training. He gently but surely took a seat opposite the Valkyrie. After him, a man in his thirties entered. He was surprisingly normal compared to the others, except that he was shirtless and excessively muscular. But that was a detail compared to a Valkyrie with platinum wings and an Animagus in hybrid form. He took a seat next to the Valkyrie, which seemed to exasperate her as she rolled her eyes with a sigh. Finally, an old man with graying hair entered, accompanied by a fifteen-year-old girl. The old man took a seat in the middle of the others but had to struggle with the long blue cape he wore. He was very elegant, wearing a set of lace around his collar and sleeves, adorned with numerous jewels. His face seemed familiar to Ori, but he couldn't remember where he had seen it. He continued to struggle with his cape for a long minute, which amused Ori a lot, but given the situation, he refrained from laughing. He lowered his head to try to hide his laughter, and once calm, he raised it again and met the eyes of the girl behind this clumsy man. She stood straight, head held high, but she glanced at Ori and stifled a little laugh at seeing him. Once comfortably seated, the old man spoke:

Well. Now that all our witnesses and their representatives, at least the majority, are present and awake, we can begin this hearing.Wait, we've been waiting here for hours just for this kid to participate? exclaimed the muscle-bound man with a small head, pointing at Ori. We could have done without...Here in Potalu, answered the old man, we attach great importance to the right to speak and equality...The least you could do before complaining is introduce yourself and bow before your champion: Drakus. No manners these days... The other fighter stood up abruptly, arms crossed. The Valkyrie sighed.Yes, Drakus, the courtesy to interrupt King Hector...It's nothing, Lady Lola, he's not entirely wrong. It would be a good thing to start with introductions. What is your name, my dear?Nochi. A pure product of the Raï arenas!Odd, I've scoured all the arenas in the country, and I've never fought against you, Drakus replied.Of course, I wouldn't want to overshadow our national champion by spanking him. Drakus pounded his fist on the table, a murderous spark in his eyes. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the champion's reaction. After a few seconds of silence, Drakus sat back down.Hahahaha! I don't know if it's insolence or audacity, but I like this guy. We'll have to face off someday.Yes, Drakus, interrupted Valkyrie Lola. Could we see that after? Without waiting for an answer, she continued. My daughter here is named Ylva. She's a very good soldier, and I trust her blindly.You honor me, mother, but I didn't manage to catch that villain.Don't blame yourself; you helped the civilians; that's what matters.Speaking of an excellent soldier and blind trust, Hector resumed, your marshal left us a note before leaving, General Kuwanger. He also expresses his trust in you. He told me this morning that he wouldn't linger here. The Animagus then raised his hand before speaking:As for you, young magus, the Supreme Sorcerer refuses to participate in any meeting and be part of all this. So, I am here to represent you. What is your name?Uh... my name is Ozan, sir, he said hesitantly.Which brings us to you, young lady. What is your name? King Hector leaned toward Ori before the girl behind him came to whisper in his ear. He cleared his throat before continuing. Young man... sorry. Now that he was sitting, Ori remembered where he had seen this man... During ceremonies! He was the king of Potalu, of course. Ori awkwardly bowed before answering:Oh, don't worry, Your Majesty; everyone tells me that. And, well, it doesn't bother me that much. My name is Ori; I live at the Light orphanage in the northern quarter. And honestly... I don't quite understand what I'm doing here...A man attacked the city, destroyed a barracks, injured dozens of men, and finally fled by destroying a portal, disrupting all the others in the process. You all pursued and fought this man, so we're trying to find out more, that's all. Don't worry, Ori; you're not in danger.

The king made an effort to appear welcoming, but a serious air was easily discernible behind his smile.

Disrupted all the portals, what do you mean by that? Ori asked. General Kuwanger stepped forward, hands behind his back, and spoke.Well, while fleeing, this rogue somehow managed to destroy the portal he passed through. That's when you got hit on the head, Ori. And right after that, all the other portals started flashing.And the few people we sent to cross after that haven't reported back yet, continued the Animagus. That's why the leaders started heading home by more... conventional means. A long journey awaits them.Indeed, Folivor. And that's why we're trying to gather as much information as possible, the king continued. What do you know about the man who attacked? Everyone answered at the same time except Ori.He is fast.He is cowardly.He is powerful.He is cunning.

The king sighed.

And are you sure this attack was premeditated? One person at a time, please...Yes.Yeah. The general and Nochi had answered simultaneously and were now glaring at each other. Ozan continued:Indeed. I am the first among us to have seen him, and he had just blown up the barracks. He was fighting guards when I arrived. And he kicked their asses... barehanded.Barehanded? Drakus added. He certainly comes from our side.Impossible, replied Nochi. He fled when he saw we were about to engage in combat. The cyborg general continued.It pains me to say it, but he's not wrong. Raï's fighters are recognizable. And he was rather tan, as if he lived in San.And he had these weird writings all over his body, Ozan added. Ori, as usual in a group, hadn't said a word and had been forgotten. When he spoke, everyone stared at him strangely, but he didn't know if it was because of what he said or simply because he was supposed to let the adults talk (although the magus named Ozan didn't seem much older than him).Those are runes. The same as the ones on the portals. King Hector seemed astounded by this information.How can you affirm that?Well... I've lived in Potalu forever, and... we have a portal next to the orphanage. So I spent a lot of time observing it. And well, isn't it obvious? Everyone stared at him, some shrugged, some rolled their eyes. This situation lasted a good minute before Valkyrie Lola spoke.These runes haven't been deciphered even after centuries of study, and this man has them all over his body? Folivor, do you know anything about this Man H? The latter lowered his head, looking disappointed.No, I've never seen such a man. And considering his actions, I doubt he's on our side. Lola twitched, and Drakus seemed intrigued. An expression Ori had never seen on a Rai, he was thinking?! King Hector continued.Well. I think we have all the information we needed. We'll create a wanted poster and notify when he returns. You may leave. The king began to stand up with difficulty, followed by his counterparts. Valkyrie seemed quite bothered by the king's decision. So did Folivor. Unlike the champion Drakus, who was whistling happily. Perplexed, Ori spoke up.Uh, excuse me, Your Majesty...Yes?With all due respect... is that all? I mean, aren't we going to pursue him, prevent him from doing it again, etc...?Firstly, there's no guarantee he'll do it again. Secondly, once the wanted poster is in place here, it will be communicated to the other world leaders who will implement the measures they want at home. And finally, thirdly, if you want to try to catch this man and track him down without even knowing exactly where he is, feel free. I won't stop you. Kuwanger replied a bit embarrassed.The kid's not wrong... this man is dangerous, and we had to stop him before he caused more victims.General... it's not news to you that as a leader, you have to make quick and effective decisions. I won't repeat myself.Very well, Your Majesty.Flore, escort these people to the main courtyard, let them organize themselves, then accompany those who need it with a guard.Yes, Grandfather.I've told you not to call me that in public! The girl laughed, then opened the doors behind Ori and said:If you would follow me.