The Burning Kingdom

Bow to the King

Two figures shuffled quickly through the snow and ice, one with fire in her hand, the other wielding a torch. They had been traveling for quite some time, and were very far from home. However, now they had reached their goal. The frozen, barren wasteland the skeleton King called home. 

"Damn it, couldn't this so called 'King' live somewhere more accessible?!" The taller figure growled to the raven haired woman by his side. 

"You know, Adam, i would be more worried about the king himself killing you, than the cold." The woman quipped as she surveyed their surroundings. 

"Look, Cinder, i know you think this guy will ensure everything we need to go to plan will do, but is he really worth all the hassle?" 

"We're about to find out." Replied Cinder as she glared at the black Castle in the distance. 

Eventually, the two of them reached the Castle, and were greeted by two vaguely human figures clad in dark suits of armor, brandishing vicious blades. 

"Who dares enter the lands of the skeleton King?" One of the two figures growled to the two intruders 

"We are here to discuss an alliance with your leader." Cinder replied

"You think you can just gain the allegiance of the most powerful being in this universe?" The second demon scoffed 

"You think the two of you can hold us back?" Adam answered back with a grim look on his face. Both of the demons exchanged glances with each other before chuckling. 

"Very well, then. Come this way." 

A few minutes later, the two demons escorted Adam and Cinder to the throne room. 

"Adam, i cannot stress this enough, let me do the talking." Cinder whispered to Adam as they made their way up a frozen set of stairs. 

"Or what? You think this so called King is a threat? You bought me along in case this goes south, so if i think it's going south then i'm not hesitating to fight back!" Adams reply made it clear to Cinder he was more irritated rather than worried. She'd expected nothing less from the leader of the White Fang. 

The four of them entered the throne room, which was dimly lit by flickering torches that lined the walls. The two demons shut the large doors behind them as they left the pair in the room with the King. Now, without the light from the outside, the throne room became even darker, the throne itself barely visible. Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. 

"Why have you come to this place?" Cinder and Adam were both shocked. The voice didn't sound remotely like what they were expecting. Instead, it sounded as if the one who had spoken was a young man. 

"Ah...yes..my King. I am Cinder Fall, and this is my associate, Adam Taurus. We wish to discuss with you a potential alliance that i am certain will allow us to rule over this world." 

"And you believe i cannot do this on my own because?" The voice replied. The one speaking to them still not visible, but the two of them assumed it came from the throne itself. 

"My King, although i know you are truly a powerful being, i believe that with our aid, you will not only rule this world, but also grow stronger." Cinder was trying her best to remain steadfast in the face of potential death. She had heard the legends of this 'skeleton King' and was skeptical of their truth. But now she saw that the legends are true, she was almost fearing for her life. The king remained silent for a few seconds, and then suddenly, the room lit up as every torch in the room flared up with an ethereal light. Both Cinder and Adam were in shock when they realized that the whole room was filled with giant demonic warriors, much different from the ones at the gates. Each of them near seven feet tall and covered head to toe in dark, heavy armor emblazoned with ornate skeletal designs. Each one of them armed to the teeth with shields, swords, spears, halberds, and a variety of other weapons. The dimness of the room had hid them from view the whole time. The King himself then moved from his throne, and began making his way towards the duo. They were confused at the sight before them. The King seemed as if he was only on the verge of his twenties, and looked like a regular human male. He too wore a set of black ornate armor, with a longsword sheathed to his side. He was fairly tall, though not to the extent of Adam, and had short raven black hair similar to the color of Cinders. His eyes were a dull shade of turquoise, and as for his physicality, it was rather...skeletal.