The Exiled King | ✔

Chapter 13 - A King's Conundrum

Garyth Herus sat cross legged on the ground, arms crossed and a petulant scowl on his face. He glared up at the sibling gods.

With a stare that could kill, Garyth dragged in a deep breath and said with a deadly calm voice, "Care to explain to me why in the Abyss I have been dragged here, Pelos?!"

The silver haired god was visibly taken aback, but Garyth was far too annoyed to care.

Pelos replied sheepishly, "Well... I thought- since you've already faced the creator god before, maybe you'd know how to save-"

Something in him snapped. He'd never particularly liked Pelos, but now that simmering dislike boiled over into a seething hatred for the god.

I've never wanted to punch someone so badly before, Garyth thought furiously as he stood up and met Pelos' crimson eyes with an unrelenting gaze.

"I SPENT TWO HUNDRED YEARS RESHAPING THE TIMELINE OF THIS WORLD... all in the hope that Dargon could be saved!" Garyth yelled, then he added in a quieter voice, "I ruined my own life so that all of Dargon might live! I became the evil that brought all of Dargon together... that brought you and Dargon together."

He continued his tirade with a voice rising in volume—a voice filled with raw anger and pain and held a slight tremble, "I've done my part, Pelos... I passed on the torch, damn you!"

The god looked almost ashamed. Aeliyas watched silently with an unreadable expression and Gialan had a slight frown on his face.

Pelos tried to say something, but Garyth interrupted him, not giving him a moment to speak.

"I died knowing it was no longer my burden. And you... you dare tear me from the beautiful peace I have just found? You dare summon me because you don't know what to do?"

Garyth's voice lowered, cold and bitter.

"I am a dead man, Pelos. I earned my rest. Go to your siblings. Go to the people of Dargon... the Guardians blessed with your powers. But do not—"

He jabbed a finger at the god's chest, eyes blazing.
"Do not ask me to fix this mess that you gods are too afraid to face."

Pelos' typically calm face twisted in anger and Aeliyas quickly stepped in.

She placed her hand on his arm—a reassurance as much as a firm hand to stop things before they got out of hand—and said, "Brother, send him back. He has already given enough for Dargon."

Pelos protested and Aeliyas cut him off smoothly, "Garyth Herus has already given us the key to saving Dargon. Trust me and send him back, Pelos."

Crimson eyes met crimson ones as the two siblings shared a glance before Pelos reluctantly nodded and released the summoning in a burst of mana that he drew back within himself. Garyth's form began to flicker, then fade away.

A small but genuine smile played on his lips as he simply said, "Thank you."

Just before he disappeared, Aeliyas addressed him, her intense red eyes boring into his and her mouth curled up into a half-smirk, half-smile.

"Your blood will save Dargon, Garyth Herus."

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When Adrian was a child, he'd often thought that a king could do whatever he wanted. Now that he bore the mantle of rulership, that childish dream was nothing more than an illusion.

He let out a long sigh and shuffled through the parchment on his desk. Reports had been consistently coming in from all the major northern cities, all detailing the frozen Eruen ocean. There were complaints of frozen boats and halted trade and concern for their elven neighbours.