CHAPTER 186
THE NIGHT IN THE DAY (2)
Before the capital was shaken and the higher authorities called at Knight Association Fort. The morning of the last day of the Glory Wars festival was calm. Hans overexcited, was jumping like a child to go to the fair. He slept like crazy after facing the mind-wreaking chaos and when the mess stayed away from him, he finally got the chance to enjoy the festivities on the last day.
“let's go out..” Hans suggested to his team, all resting in the hall, “Now…” He stressed, but the people were far more disinterested. “What the heck is wrong with you all? It's the last day.” Hans complained to his lazy team members.
“Captain, as much as I want to go, today is the last day we get to meet our parents till the holidays.” Cherrina, the amber-haired healer stated.
Chris added, “Dean Rudolf called for me, so it's a pass for me too.”
All had different excuses prepared, some had to meet their parents, some had a date, and some wanted to sleep. Hans couldn’t even find Vanir because his uncle had called him out of the city and he already got a leave yesterday. “What is wrong with them?” Hans asked Delimira who was the only one free.
“They were like you two days before. But they almost saw and did every possible thing.” She responded, “What’s the point of revisiting them with a psychotic kid like you? I wouldn’t want that either.”
“So, there is something interesting? Wanna come with me?” Hans asked.
“Didn’t you hear what I just said?” She said furrowing her brows.
“I have selective hearing Deli, and it's filtering out NOs,” Hans said, shameless.
“Haa…” she sighed, adding, “Well, someone has to keep an eye on you. So you won’t cause any trouble.”
“I promise.” Hans nodded excitedly.
“Ha.. this ominous feeling,” Deli muttered as she followed Hans outside while a shadow kept following them from the distance.
Hans and Delimira strolled through the bustling streets of the Royal Capital. His face adorned with smiles as he soaked in the vibrant atmosphere of the last day of the festival. The air was filled with the sweet aroma of street food, and colourful banners and decorations hung from every lamppost and building, creating a kaleidoscope of hues overhead.
He had decided to make the most of this last day, putting aside his worries for a while. They explored the numerous stalls that lined the streets, sampling exotic dishes from various cultures and sharing their favourites. Delimira’s laughter echoed through the crowd as Hans tried a particularly spicy dish, and started to jump up and down on the spot, waving his arms frantically in the air as if trying to cool down his burning mouth.
“I told you not to eat it.” She remarked.
“You also said it was the best dish you ever tasted. How can you eat that abomination? Haa..haa..” Hans rebuked.
"Because it's fun annoying you." She giggled.
As they continued their leisurely walk, they stumbled upon a street performance featuring a person showing aerial acrobats as he flew here and there. Mesmerized by the spectacle, they joined the gathered crowd, “I can do that too.” Hans pointed out then the performer began to spin like a top in the air, abruptly changing his opinion, “Fine not that.” Hans nodded, clapping and cheering for the talented performer.
When the sun hung high, casting heat on the summer noon, they found a quiet spot in a nearby park, under the shadow of a lush tree. They sat on a bench, basking in the tranquil ambience, and watched as children ran carefree amid the crowd. And all of a sudden, Hans broke the silence, “Thank you Deli.”
“For what?”
“For saving my butt,” Hans responded, only gratitude in his eyes.
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“People die if they change all of a sudden. Stay the way you are, Hans.”
“Can a guy don’t even say a thank you?”
“Yeah, but not you,” Delimira remarked.
“Fine, give me back my ‘thank you’, I’m not giving you any.” Hans pouted, prompting a laughter out of Delimira.
“So we have a royal banquet to attend this evening. Would you be able to hold the crazy inside?”She asked.
“Don’t know, but I sure am not dancing,” Hans said, nodding.
“Yeah, you are a terrible dancer.”
“Who told you…” Hans rebuked, “No, I’m not it's just… I don’t get the point of learning something so trivial that it is never used in any practicality, you know.” He excused and Delimira was going to argue back, but her instincts went haywire.
In a moment that felt surreal, the world around them shook with a thunderous roar. It was as if the very earth beneath their feet had awakened in fury. People screamed and scattered in all directions, their joyful laughter turning into panicked cries.
Hans and Delimira caught off guard, stumbled and clung to each other for support as the ground beneath them quivered. They looked up in astonishment, searching for the source of the disturbance. And then, their eyes widened in sheer amazement and disbelief.
From the heavens above, a blazing meteor hurtled toward the capital. It was a breathtaking spectacle, a celestial wonder that seemed both beautiful and terrifying. The meteor-like body streaked through the sky like a falling star, leaving a fiery trail in its wake.
The impact, although far from where they stood, sent shockwaves through the festival grounds. The ground shuddered beneath their feet once more, and a powerful gust of wind blew through the area, tousling their hair and clothes. Dust and debris were thrown into the air, creating an eerie haze that obscured their vision.
However, that was not all. The sun, once radiant and full, was now being gradually engulfed by a dark celestial body—the moon. It was no ordinary; it was an ominous solar eclipse that defied explanation.
The festival-goers, who just stabilised by the shock, began to notice the sudden change in daylight. Murmurs of unease spread through the crowd like wildfire, and a palpable sense of foreboding hung in the air. Hans and Delimira, too, gazed upward, their expressions filled with awe and anxiety. The sun's corona, obscured by the moon's passage, emitted an eerie, ethereal glow, casting an otherworldly pallor upon the city.
As the eclipse progressed, something inexplicable and chilling occurred. Hundreds of undead, once dormant in the hidden corners of the royal capital, began to stir. Their ashen, lifeless forms slowly emerged from their hiding places—dark alleyways, hidden catacombs, and forgotten crypts.
These awakened undead, fuelled by the unnatural phenomenon in the sky, lurched and staggered into the streets of the city. Their hollow, vacant eyes bore an insatiable hunger for the living. Moans and groans filled the air as the festival-goers recoiled in horror and disbelief.
Hans and Delimira, their expressions now shifting from awe to alarm, stood amidst the chaos. They watched as the once-vibrant festival transformed into a nightmarish scene of pandemonium. The living raced to escape the relentless advance of the undead, their joyous celebration now shattered by the malevolent forces of the undead unleashed by the eclipse.
In the midst of the ominous solar eclipse, Hans and Delimira found themselves thrust into a battle, not of their choosing—an unforeseen clash between the living and the undead, with the very fate of the royal capital hanging in the balance.
ROYAL CEMETERY, THE PLACE OF CONTACT
One after another, the powerhouses of Grimgar and each present nation landed on site. The cemetery, protected by several artefacts and spells was devastated. The meteor had left a trail of devastation in its path, displacing earth and stone, and revealing the remnants of long-buried graves.
“It's not a star,” Samwell commented, pointing at the grave on the side, where the object had made its crater.
The previous meteor, now something else, lay at the heart of the crater, a magnificent fusion of rock and metal. Its surface, scorched by the intense heat of atmospheric entry, shimmered with a metallic sheen, reflecting the light like a sword.
Curious mages, drawn by the unearthly arrival, had gathered at the cemetery's periphery. They watched in awe as wisps of smoke and steam rose from the impact site, one stepped further, but his action triggered something, and everyone witnessed a spell, originating from the Earth-stabbing sword. As the dark-coloured circles grew, people counted, “It's nine.” One mage shouted while another added, “It's a ninth circle spell—”
“Return” a voice echoed under the sun's corona in the commanding voice. The fallen kings, the ever-powerful legends of the Grimgar family began to stir. Slowly, they clawed their way out of the earth, their skeletal hands and bony fingers emerging from the soil like nightmarish spectres. Tattered burial shrouds clung to their emaciated forms, and their hollow eye sockets glowed with malevolent, otherworldly light.
Soon the necrotic skin began to grow, covering up their skeletal structure, providing them mass and power. “Alliance, attack before they transform completely,” Norwin commanded, he knew the degree of this situation quite well. The royal guards, who had been stationed nearby to ensure the sanctity of the cemetery, would be ill-prepared for this unholy onslaught if the Grimgar kings completed their transformation from undead to death knights.
However, it was not the former kings that troubled him that much, but the once mighty King of Parv, who also lay there, waiting for the spell to resurrect him.
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