The Edelin Chronicles: The Search for Cindias

Chapter 15: A Welcoming Ceremony for the Ages... I Think!

I'm just gonna ask this outright. How many of you have been on long road trips or had to go somewhere that took hours to get to? And no I'm not talking plane rides that took two hours or more. Well for those who said yes, try to imagine taking one of those road trips, and sticking it near an active volcano, and you just imagined my trip through Dracinis after stopping in Cinifumus.

For starters, yes we were traveling next to an active volcano. Why we decided not to take another, yet far safer route is beyond me. But the trail by the volcano was the quickest to Arce de Fumus. So of course, we had to go super slow, avoiding lave spills, rocky terrain from past eruptions, and having to go through quakes when the volcano gets the rumbleys. So what would originally take us a day, took us three days of crossing the land, trying not to die from Mr. Volcano.

Nevertheless, we did make it to our destination. A glittering castle similar to Viritore Castle back home, but it's a lot... shinier. We rode through to the entrance to be greeted by a fanfare. The national anthem of Dracinis played by a brass band, soldiers dressed in red, orange, and black standing by the doors, keeping watch of the grounds as we step out of the carriage.

Servants appear as if from out of nowhere and start to take in our items. As a stuffy man in a dark grey suit, wearing a bright red cravat. He steps out into the light and bows before each of us.

"Hello esteemed guests," he responded in a deep cockney accent. "We are welcome to have you here at our esteemed household, I am Alexander Vulcan, the head of the household if you shall need anything. Feel free to let me or any of our illustrious staff know," he continues, ok is he from Dracinis or Victorian London?

"Come now, I assume the Royal Family is expecting your presence," Alexander leads us through the halls. Vast and elaborate, coated in shades of grey and gold. Yet the room felt colder and emptier compared to the halls of Viritore Castle. Nevertheless, we wind through the halls, armored men seemingly at every corner or in every hallway. Until we reach the main attraction.

Unlike the outside halls, the throne room was elaborately decorated, or at least more so than the other rooms we saw. thousands of people in the room, seemingly either noblemen and women or people that worked at the castle. But at the head was the Royal family. King Ignis sitting on a dark red throne in the shape of a dragon, Queen Alinta sitting on a bright orange throne shaped like a phoenix. While their two children stand next to each throne.

Walking down the hall everyone was cheering for us, yet while the mood was happy, the environment feels suffocating as we approach the thrones.

"Ah welcome, I hope your travel was relaxing," King Ignis stands to greet us.

"While not what I expected, I did have a pleasant journey here," I smile, trying my hardest to not make a snarky remark about the volcano, like earlier.

"Wonderful, and I hope your stay shall be most comforting to you," he exclaims before turning to the crowd.

"I welcome the Princess Dawn of Viritore to our grand castle, along with her associates. I hope you all praise the young hero for her first expedition and applaud her for her journeys to come," the crowd erupts in more cheers and applause, I turn to see Princess Adriana and wave at her. She waves back slightly until she gets a look from her mother to which she immediately stops.

"I think best you should depart to your rooms, I believe your items shall be there," out of the corner of my eye I could see a few of the servants rushing out the door, assumingly to complete their tasks.

"We shall discuss matters more at dinner," he replies turning to me. I nod as we are escorted off as I hear King Ignis continuing to entice the crowd.