The Hidden Orphan (The Chronicles of Mistar - Book 2)

Ten · · · Jadon (.2)

Jadon grabbed Ella's wrist before she kept walking. "I'm ready!" she exclaimed, pulling her wrist free from Jadon's grasp as she jumped up and down.

"I know you are," Jadon replied sounding annoyed. Really, he was frightened. Jadon gulped when he looked up at the tall gate. Its bars were a silver constant metal with Lotna's crest symbol smack dab in the middle. They were giant, which made Jadon think that they stretched to the sky. Suddenly, they creaked open as if expecting them. Looking to the sides of the gate, Jadon didn't who or what had opened them. All he knew was: "Looks like I have to be ready," he muttered.

Ben puffed out his chest. "I am. Come on, don't chicken out now." He started forward, instantly making Ella follow with Jadon in the back.

Jadon thought he would have been more prepared. After all, his family gift helped him to anticipate almost everything and the fact that he had been dreaming of this moment his entire life, it all felt like a letdown. He wanted to be ready. He wanted to feel ready, but he just... wasn't. He was scared. Unprepared. Unfocused. Sick with the anticipation of the journey ahead. Part of him wanted to go home. Sleep for a few more hours. Spend another hour in his Wishing Tree. Most of all, he wanted Tapalla. That was the only thing that urged him forward, plus the help of his friends. Jadon knew they always had his back. That was one thing he could count on.

As their group got closer to Piccorock Castle, the Royal Guard started to line the streets. The men and women wore their required armor mostly made from crafted constant metal or constant metal fabric. Each soldier wore a wooden piccoula helmet with the Lotnan crest carved on the sided lined in gray constant metal for padding. Their breastplates were also made out of piccoula wood and sculpted into small wooden rods that were preserved in liquidized constant metal to make them impenetrable. Jadon could tell who were the women since they wore constant metal fabric skirts and the men wore trousers instead. They also wore long boots made of silver constant metal that traveled up their legs and to their knees. As more of the Royal Guard came into few, Jadon was in awe. This was what he was striving to be ever since he entered his training schedules at Boulder Arena. He had seen them many times before, but not so many at once. Trying to put on a determined face for show, Jadon couldn't hide his admiration for the soldiers and could feel his face turning red, almost orange.

In only a few minutes, as they came up to the two double doors that led into the Grand Hall, a Royal Guardsman stepped in front of them. It was a woman, her face stern and serious as she asked, "What are you here for?"

Jadon cleared his throat and gulped before he said, "We are here on the request of the king, King Cole. We require to see his presence immediately."

The guardsman pursed her lips and hummed. "Jadon Mackel, I presume."

Surprised, Jadon only gave her a nod. So they were expected.

Jadon watched her look to the watch strapped on her wrist. Putting her arm back down, she said, "You're an hour and a half early, but that's better than never." Turning to leave, she added, "Will you all follow me."

From the back of her helmet, the guardsman supported a long, bright blonde ponytail reaching her hips. It blew in the early morning like strands of gold. When Jadon looked at Ella, he saw her tugging at her own hair, probably jealous that her own curly hair couldn't produce golden locks of hair such as the guardsman. Ella spied Jadon glancing at her and quickly let go of her hair. Her hands returned to her side as she elbowed Jadon in the arm and then acting as if it never happened.

Before them, the Grand Hall was magnificent. Though Piccorock Castle was mostly made of silver constant metal, piccoula wood fixtures, chandeliers, and other decorations flooded the hall. Long curtains made of heavy constant metal fabric in colors of magenta, violet, and bright, along with dark, amber draped the hall from ceiling to floor. Silent winds seemed to blow what looked like gold flecks of glitter from the ceiling that never reached the lower parts of the hall. Jadon thought they looked like glowing lightning bugs. Natural light flooded into the room from the ceiling where large holes were cut into the constant metal. Jadon could see clear bowls next to each hole that could be slipped over each one when it rained. On the floor, orange and purple lights bounced off of the silver constant metal walls making the whole room glow.