The Realm Of The Abyss

Chapter 17: The Unwelcome Guest

Quinn's POV.

"Protect His Majesty!" Alvaro commanded with great authority before unseating his sword.

I sprinted as fast as I could towards the king, staying in front of him to protect him. He was surrounded by other soldiers who were holding armor in case the enemy rained arrows from the sky. My heart was racing from nervousness, and I had no idea what to do.

This was my first encounter with a life-threatening situation. I swallowed hard as I counted the nearly innumerable men in black in front of us today. They were the ones who attacked Alfaro and me a few days ago, as far as I recall.

Everyone fell silent when all the men in black stepped aside to make way for a man in his late forties who looked horrific due to the fierceness of his stare.

"I wasn't expecting their early invasion," His Majesty murmured behind me.

I was flabbergasted when I realized the frightening man was King Philip of the Kingdom of Corax.

"It was nice to see you again, Alfredo," he laughed in a sarcastic way as he walked around the palace.

I went pale when he locked his gaze on me. I avoided his stare by looking down at the floor and wiping the cold sweat that threatened to drip from my brow.

"I can see you have a guest..." he said, a smug smile on his face. "If so, then I happened to come just in time because I've got to see such beauty. May I ask what your name is, young lady?"

Before he could move any closer towards me, Alvaro swung his sword to block him from approaching me.

"You may leave," he said, his voice as cold as ice. His eyes lost all clarity.

Everyone's attention was riveted to him. As usual, a dark aura engulfed his entire being. He had a solemn expression that no one could bear looking at. I couldn't trace or sense any nervousness in him. King Philip, on the other hand, refused to budge. Instead, his grin grew even wider.

"I just got here, Alvaro. Why are you in such a rush to get me to leave?"

"If I were you, I wouldn't go ahead with what you're planning because you won't succeed either," Alvaro said bluntly, causing King Philip's smirking face to fade and his jaw to clench in annoyance. "I'm giving you a chance to get out of our territory while I'm being nice. You may go. Now."

"I don't like the tone of your voice, Prince Alvaro. Are you kicking me out? Have you forgotten that I'm older than you and that you're speaking disrespectfully to the king?"

Alvaro scoffed and looked down for a few moments. When he turned to face King Philip again, he had a wide smirk on his lips.

"King..." he corrected, leaving King Philip puzzled. "I am the new King of Narva..."

He was bewildered when he heard it. The King of Corax was speechless and appeared to be fumbling for words.

"Accept your defeat, Philip," interjected King Alfredo. "Be content with what you have and stop involving other people."

Nothing was as piercing as King Philip's gaze on the two. "You know I never lose, Alfredo. Warriors, attack!"

When he yelled, his men rushed at us in an instant. The fighters with Alvaro prepared their swords and arrows to signal the commencement of the battle. I kept my breath held. I was on the brink of fainting.

Is it happening? Is this the battle I saw in my vision? IsIs this the beginning and ending of that bloody war?

When I looked around, something sprung to mind. Alfaro wasn't here. For certain reasons, I let out a sigh of relief. I focused my attention on Alvaro, who was dealing with King Philip. I was astounded by how fast he moved to avoid the king's sharp sword.

I crept down as arrows flew at breakneck speed in our direction. Fortunately, King Alfredo and I were protected by large shields, so we were not hit.

Anxiety surged within me when I remembered Alvaro fighting out there. I took a brief look at them and was astounded to see that the arrows thrown by the opponent were only returning due to his alertness and prompt response. His reflexes were on full alert, and he managed to abstain from them.

My eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. My mouth hung open in amazement, and at the same time, in concern. I'd always thought Alfaro was the best of the best, but I didn't expect Alvaro to be three times as strong as everyone else. I was amazed by his ability to dodge the attack at such a rapid pace against his opponents. On the other hand, I was concerned that he'd be hurt. His Majesty did not make a mistake in appointing him as the new leader because people like him are demanded by the people of Narva.

I was rooted to the spot and felt my world slowdown for a split second when I noticed the arrow coming at him like a whirlwind. He must have sensed it right off the bat because he turned to his side and fired the arrow into the ground. King Philip waggled his sword, causing Alvaro to step back a little. He took advantage of the situation and attacked him. Alvaro withdrew every time the king charged at him.

King Philip was taken aback when Alvaro slashed his sword and hurled it away from them. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. He couldn't move in an instant because Alvaro's pointed sword was now aimed at his neck.

I took my focus away from them when the one who arrived caught my attention. My eyes widened in shock and horror when I realized it was Alfaro on the horseback and vaulting.

He shouldn't have come here!

He rode down the horse, looking at ease. No one else noticed him except me because he was far away from everyone. In a flash, he raised his bow and aimed it at King Philip's head without hesitation. He was about to release it when I pushed the warriors who were guarding us away and stopped him.

"D-Don't!" I shouted, closing my eyes.

I think I've made the wrong decision by interfering. I grabbed everyone's attention in an instant. King Philip frowned when he realized Alfaro intended to shoot him. I became even more tense. As much as possible, I don't want Alfaro to get blood on his hands. I don't want bloodshed, but at this rate, it seemed inevitable.

"How have you been, Prince Alfaro?" Even though King Philip was exhausted, he managed to annoy Alfaro.

He attempted to emphasize the word "Prince" to annoy him, but he failed. Alfaro remained silent. Instead, he raised his lips, and without saying anything, flung his crossbow at Alvaro, who caught it with one hand in the air. He calculated the target's range and released the arrow, striking his opponents as quick as lightning.

Bullseye. They all dropped to the ground one by one, their mouths swelled up. The arrow must be infused with poison. When we witnessed how skilled Alvaro was at shooting, even the King of Corax was blown away.

What else is he incapable of?

"Leave if you want to live longer," King Alfredo said, which surprised me because I hadn't noticed him standing next to me.

King Philip balled his fists. "Our fight isn't over yet, Alfredo. If you think I'll back down after this, you're mistaken. Expect and wait for my return. I'll make certain that everyone is finished by then!"

His Majesty drew a sword from his buckle and pointed it at him. "Enough. Stop right now, Philip."

"You're only brazen because your children are backing you up, Alfredo. Thank them for their abilities. I could have taken over the entire kingdom if it hadn't been for them."

He gave Alvaro one last glance before signaling to the rest of his men and passing us. He exploded in rage at their stupidity on the way. He wasn't expecting Alvaro to knock down all of his skilled fighters.

When the king and other Corax warriors left the palace, the two princes immediately went to check on His Majesty, while I stayed put and watched Alfaro from a close distance.

I don't understand. Why is it this way? Why doesn't he appear to be hurt? I don't want him to be hurt, but why is it different from what I saw?

Have I prevented the catastrophe? Or is this just the start of something bigger?