King Who Fell From Grace

Chapter 17: Wykes on the Stand

POV: Arthur Leywin

"-eally?"

I heard voices speaking as my consciousness returned to me. My head felt as though it had been bashed apart, but I pushed through it. My eyes started twitching and Tess seemed to catch that detail.

"Guys! I think he's waking up," she said. I finally opened my eyes to see her face right on top of mine. My head was on her lap and it seemed as thought she had been taking care of me after I was treated.

"Agh... Tess, I'm sorry," I apologized as I tried lifting my head from her lap.

"Don't worry about it Art, think of it as a thank you for that time years ago when I slept on your lap," she chuckled at the end.

I snickered too and turned my head to see the people in this metal dome.

Jasmine and Samantha were seated across a wall facing Elijah, while me and Tess were on a wall in the middle of them both.

"Thanks Tess, but I think I should get up now," I said. She smiled but her ears drooped a little.

Augh... I grunted as I got up, Tess helped me up, since my body still felt sore.

"What happened," I asked.

"The dungeon started to collapse after you defeated the Forest Queen. I think her body was supporting the dungeon," Elijah said.

"I see... so I can assume this dome was your doing?" I asked as I knocked against the metal.

"Yeah..." he said as he trailed off.

"How long was I out?" I asked.

"Only a few hours." Jasmine said, "Art... you could've died." She continued, tears lining her eyes.

"..." I stayed silent for a moment, "I'm sorry Jasmine,"

"When you fell off that cliff years ago to save my life, I was broken until I found out you were alive." She paused, "how do you think I'd feel if you died while under my watch before you got to reunite with your parents," she asked. Her eyes slightly pink and wet.

"I know, but I couldn't just stand by and watch and let you all die. Knowing I could do more.. I just had to."

She sighed, "it's ok, but you're not doing anything reckless like that again," she scolded.

Haha... are we in for a crazy ride.

"I never expected the great Ivy and Note to be kids..." Samantha said.

"Oh, my mask," I said as I reached for my face.

"I have it right here. I think we can trust these 2 to keep a secret," Tess said.

"Thank you. You all stayed with us even in the most dire situation. It's always a blessing to have loyal people around you," I said.

Samantha and Elijah smiled.

"Now that my identity is revealed, I think I now properly introduce myself. My name is Arthur Leywin, I'm 7 years old, nearing 8. I come from humble origins and only came to the Beast Glades for the purpose of training for the upcoming tournament," I said.

"7 years old?! You're much younger than I thought you were," Samantha exclaimed.

"Hahah..." I awkwardly scratched the back of my head.

"Elijah," I said to get his attention, "what mana did you use to create this metal dome?" I asked. It's definitely corrupt mana arts... the ones the Vritra use. But why can he use them.

"Truth be told... I don't know. As you guys can see, I am a human. But I was raised by dwarves for as long as I can remember. One day, when I awoke, I was surrounded by sharp, metal spikes. It wasn't hard to tell that I was the cause for it. On that day, the elder who took care of me told me that I needed to go out and make a name for myself, which is why I'm here now. I decided to become an adventurer and participate in the tournament on behalf of the kingdom of Darv." He explained.