Adventures Beyond The Void [Season 1]

Chapter 29: Calm Days Before the Storm

3RD POV

The training hall of the castle trembled, as stone pillars rose and fell. King Asher stood at the center of it all, his robe set aside in favor of lighter training garments. His feet were planted firmly on the floor. Around him, jagged pieces of earth followed the movements of his hands. He exhaled, and with it, the floating stones slammed into place with thunderous precision. One large stone remained floating in the air as brown-colored magic enveloped it. He took a deep breath, fingers twitching like he was trying to close them into a fist. The boulder was visibly vibrating now, constantly being condensed.

   King Asher: - Come on... come on...

BOOM!!

The rock exploded into pieces. He sighed. As king, he already had enough to worry about. And now, he had even more. Four days ago, he'd assigned Selin and three members of her squad to deal with the bandit attacks near Nachtsen Village. The mission weighed heavily on his mind even now, not only because of the danger they had faced, but also because of the people involved. It was true that there had been no casualties on their side. However, the situation had escalated far beyond what anyone had anticipated. Selin's report had detailed everything from the underground base, the missing children, to the stolen treasures. He had also been informed of their secret associate: a woman named Maren Roseberen. They would have to be on the lookout for her.

But what frightened him most was the involvement of the two humans. Due to unforeseen circumstances, they too had been caught in the crossfire. Tree-troopers. So many of them. They were unbelievably lucky to have survived. It was only thanks to Sirius and his team, showing up at the last minute that the mission hadn't ended in tragedy. By the end of that day, they'd secured another hard-earned victory: the entire bandit settlement in that region had been destroyed, and hundreds of those wooden monstrosities were reduced to ash. It should've been cause for celebration, but Asher was far from relieved.

There were still too many unanswered questions. Chief among them was the Tree-trooper that had latched itself onto Nicholas. When he heard about that, his reaction was anything but composed. His shout was loud enough to nearly shatter the stained glass windows of the palace. Not to mention, he'd woken up the entire castle. What did it mean? Why him? Was it because he was human? Then why was Hunter attacked? Was it because he had magic?

   King Asher: - Nicholas... Hunter...

His train of thought slowly quieted down, when his eyes landed on the stone fragments; a small amount of smoke rising from them. His eyes widened. Could it be...?

   Deren: - My king. Are you in here?

Deren entered the training hall, carrying a bundle of scrolls in one arm and a tired expression on his face. His silver bob swayed slightly as he walked, and the sharp glint in his eyes remained as focused as ever. Honestly, the king sometimes wondered if the advisor's expression was stuck like that.

   Deren: - Your Majesty, I've been looking everywhere for you.

   King Asher: - Apologies, but I really needed a break.

   Deren: - You can't run off like this without informing me! There are some serious matters you need to attend to!

The stone mage pouted like a teenager.

   King Asher: - I understand. Now then, what do you have to tell me.

   Deren: - A few matters from the western province, merchant disputes mostly. There are also the updated reports from the northern patrols. Still no sign of enemy forces, but the scouts are requesting reinforcements. They encountered a few grown Tree-troopers near the Nameless Forest, but dealt with them swiftly.