The King's Game - Seven Calamities Arc (Part 2)

Chapter 27: Royland Meets the Shadow Queen & Stain Faces Newgate

Two vrots before Stain made his way to Wolfthron Sanctuary with Senegas, Royland awoke in a bed with his body heavily bandaged. Pain seared through his chest as he tried to sit up.

"It would be wise of you not to move if you value your life. You were severely injured and lucky that you didn't puncture a lung with your shattered ribs." A voice said to Royland, yet he could not see where it was coming from.

An elven female appeared next to the bed from Royland's blind side. A vertical scar ran across the right side of her mouth, yet it somehow only added to the beauty of the dark elf.

"Who are you and where am I?"

"I could be an ally, depending on your answers to a couple of my questions."

"Doesn't look like I have much of a choice considering my current condition; so I will answer your questions."

"Were you really sent by the Gods or are you just using that to scare people?"

Royland closed his eyes, he pictured being sent down by his father on this important mission; then he remembered his father calling him a traitor and trying to kill him, "Yes, I was sent to Ejitope by my father Judesis, God of Messages."

"Interesting." The elven woman said as she gave Royland a questioning look, "Then it is safe to assume you did something to displease him or he simply betrayed you."

"As much as I want to defend him and say that isn't true, I simply cannot deny the facts; my father tried to kill me and when he saw the condition I was in, he didn't even think it was necessary to deal the finishing blow. As a warrior it hurts to be discard by your master; as a son it hurts to be abandoned by your father."

The elven female said nothing for a while, whether out of respect for Royland or simply because she had yet to think of her next question, Royland could not tell.

"Do you have any idea why the Calamity of Greed and the Calamity of Envy attacked you?"

"No, I have never met them prior to this, nor have I interfered with their business as far as I'm aware. All the Calamity of Envy told me before his friend showed up was that I was an obstacle to their master and I should leave before I got hurt."

"I'm beginning to see a bit more of the bigger picture now. I have one final question for now; what is your relationship with the man that was present in your castle."

"If you are referring to Stain, then he is an ally. I have no idea where he comes from, all I know is that he claims the stars told him to find and aid me."

"Do you trust him?"

"Right now he is the only person I can trust; now that my home has severed their ties with me."

"If that is the case then I'm afraid I have bad news."

"What do you mean bad news? What happened to Stain?" Royland shouted as he sat up, fighting the searing pain.

"Relax," the elven female said as she gently pushed Royland's chest, "my little birds told me that he was seen with a man by the name of Slash, who is the right hand man of the leader of the Iron Dominion. They were entering Wolfthorn Sanctuary which is home of the Iron Dominion."

"This is bad, I told him to handle the business he had with the Iron Dominion, but if they simply lead him to their base then that means it's a trap. There is no time I have to go save him!"

Before Royland could even move a muscle, he felt a needle enter his neck. He looked to his side and saw the elven female holding the needle.

"Don't worry, this is just going to help you sleep, can't exactly trust that you will sit still. Leave it to me, I will rescue the damsel in distress and bring him back here." The elven female said with a wink before walking out of the room.