Norikai: Destiny Foretold

Chapter 6: Familiar Places, Familiar Faces

Eve ran out of the Markone Palace. "They were the Legendary Warriors." She repeated to herself. "So, that's what I'm up against." She smiled slyly and went to the shade behind the palace. She sat in the shadow and made a pathway in the darkness. She stepped through it and was surrounded by the darkness.

She arrived outside a castle. It was made of black stones and situated in a small valley between towering mountains. There was a giant chasm surrounding the building. The only way across was an old stone bridge. The doors were dark oak wood with steel reinforcements. Around the perimeter there were five watchtowers. All of them had overlapping views. No blind spots. Inside the castle, there was a large foyer with a blood red carpet running further inside. It was dark. Only a few torches scattered on the walls lit the way to the throne room.

The throne room was even larger than the foyer. Leading into it, there were two staircases, one on either side. There were huge tables on each side of the room. In the back of the room, there was the throne. It was made of black stone with grey leather on the seat. It was empty. The tables were full of men and women dressed in black robes and jackets. One of the guys stood up. He was much younger than the rest.

"Eve. You're back." He said. His hair was black and short. His eyes were brown and had a weight to them. He was much taller than Eve. He was lean built. His black jacket had two silver stripes on each sleeve, right above the elbow. There was also a symbol on his chest. It resembled the number 2. His cargo pants were dark grey and baggy.

"Artemis." Eve glared at him in disgust. "You're still around."

"Yes I am." He chuckled, "Have you completed your mission?"

"I got the stupid ball." She held out the glowing orange orb.

"Good. The king will be pleased." He smiled, "You're next mission is to eliminate the leader of the Legendary Warriors."

"Andrew?" Eve asked.

"That's right. It won't be a problem, will it?" Artemis asked.

"Of course not."

"Then get close to him, and when he turns his back, kill him." He smiled.

"Yes sir." Eve bowed and turned to leave.

"First, celebrate your completed mission. Eat, drink, and be merry." Artemis suggested.

"I'm not hungry. Not as long as you're around." Eve left the castle.

Meanwhile, Andrew and his friends were on their way to the next destination. They were following a path heading South-West. It was slowly getting colder the farther they went south. "Where are we going anyway?" Ava asked. "And how long will it take before we get there?"

"Turtle Cave." Conn replied, "There's always been a strong dark energy inside. There was only one oasis of light. It remains, but it's shrinking."
"Okay, but what exactly are we supposed to do about that?" Kendra asked.

"Yeah, it's not like we can just blast away the darkness." Laura added.

"Or can we?" Andrew asked her.

"No way," Jason said in disbelief. "Is that really how easy it is?"

"Dark and Light are not tangible entities. They exist within something. Whether sealed or free is the only thing that matters. There is darkness in every heart, how much varies on how much was let in. Although it can be sealed, it is increasingly difficult with greater amounts. The same can be said about Light." Karr explained.

"The power of the heart, is there any greater?" Andrew repeated. "The prophecy never said whether or not that power was on or side."

"Of course it is." Carlos said, "We're the good guys."
"The world usually isn't so black-and-white. The world can often be grey in some areas." Andrew said, "To our enemies, Darius may be the rightful king. They may see Narius as an oppressive ruler. Maybe they have a reason for such loyalty to him that we may not know."