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Crystals Of Tame

Chapter 13

The South

10 years ago

“Dear, is it really necessary for you to go to the south?” Emira, the king’s wife said, as she caressed his cheek. Feeling the ruggedness of his stumble on her hand.

“Yes, is very important,” the king said,

trying to reassure her that it was going to be fine. Besides, there was nothing to worry about. The South and Traneria were now a part of the Association, it was safe.

“I heard rumors from the maids that the south had something to do with the crimson beast,” she said, her light grey eyes looking at him with earnest.

The king placed his hand on Emira’s cheek,

feeling the warmness of her in his hand. A warmness he had loved since they were both kids bethronged to one another.

“Don’t listen to baseless rumors by people who are frightening and ignorant,” he said, it was bad enough that the South and Traineria had a rocky relationship. He didn’t need rumors to make it worse.

“Just promise me you will be safe, for both me and your heir,” she said,

Of course,” the king said, kissing her hand.

“Now, where is that rascal,” he said, wanting to say goodbye before he made the journey to the south.

“His sleeping peacefully in his crib, being guarded by a Lightingteer.”

“A lightingteer?” the king said, taken aback, why would there be a monster partner by his crib? He was only a year old, not ready for a monster partner yet.

“Oh! I forgot to tell you, Villa came earlier, he gifted a small Lightingteer monster partner. A gift for the boy. His quite nice, and it seems Octavian has taken a liking to the young monster partner as well.”

“So Villa came to visit,” the king said, not liking that Villa had been here without him knowing.

“And what did the newly appointed director want,” he said, referring to him as his new title. The director of the Monster Tamer Association.

”Nothing much, he just wanted to visit us, he’s such a charming man,” she said.

“That’s one way to describe him.” The king thought.

There was something about that man that the king didn’t trust completely, perhaps it was the fact that he was amassing quite the power already. Being weary of him and his great aspiration that the king didn’t trust completely.

“What’s wrong, honey? “Emira said, noticing the king’s worried expression.

“Nothing dear,” he said, kissing her forehead.

‘Shall we go see that son of ours.”

***

The king caressed the warm cheek of his son, his blue hair already coming in just like Emira’s own.

“Sleep tight, my son,” he said.

“I’m doing this for your safety and the safety of all the people of Monsterra.”

He looked down and saw the small lightingteer monster partner sleeping next to the crib. It was the novice form of a Flashelk, it had the blue head top, hoofs, and yellow fur of its species.

“My king, the Gryphons are ready,” a knight said, opening the door to the royal nursery room.

“Excellent,” the king said, kissing his son’s forehead, as well as Emira’s, leaving them behind and ready to head down to the yard, where the Gryphons were waiting.

The yard was vast with knights standing on each side, there was a concreted road that led to the flying zone, where the Gryphons were waiting.

The Gryphons had brown fur with the head of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the hindlegs of a bird. Their bodies were

big and sturdy, able to support any human rider. Their sharp yellow eyes with black irises and long feather-like eyebrows were ready to traverse the sky at speeds few other monster partners could rival.

“My king,” one of the riders next to the king said,

“Whenever you are ready.”

“He’s a strong one,” the king said, petting the feather of one of the Gryphons. It was wearing a breastplate and a helmet custom-designed for it.

“Shall we partner,” the king said, getting on the beast.

As soon as the king got on top of the Gryphon, the rider blew a whistle, and all the Gryphons took flight.

The rider whistled again and the Gryphons flew in unison with the king in the middle and two riders on each side, protecting the king from any harm as they made their way toward the south.

The ride toward the south was peaceful the king noticed. Something he wanted to keep for not only his reign but his son’s future reign as well.

***

“I heard the king is coming.”

Roth looked up at saw a fellow Rock Shield guild tamer enter his chamber. She had light green hair and a fair complexion.

“So I heard,” he said, putting the letter the king had sent him to the side, which had alerted him of his visit. He looked outside his window and could spot the royal Gryphons making their way toward his guild building.

Roth was sure the king was here to talk about the latest developments of the Association building. More precisely, about the attack on one of the buildings that happened a few weeks ago. He had punished the guild tamers that had attacked the building, but even he couldn’t blame them. After all, the south and the kingdom of Traineria had been at odds since the first king took the taming crystal for himself. That’s what started it all, according to the stories of the South he heard as a kid.

“Shall we go greet them,” Roth said as he got up from his large stone desk.

***

The Gryphon rider blew his whistle and the mighty Gryphons began to descend upon a stone field, all in unison without missing a beat.

“Were here, my king,” the rider said, as the Gryphons stood on the stone floor of the Rock Shield guild garden.

The rider took his whistle and blew again, making the Gryphon that was carrying the king,

bow and allowing the king to get off of it.

“This is a pleasant surprise,” Roth said, almost in a sarcastic manner as he greeted the king. The king picked up on it but chose to ignore it.

The knights looked at Roth with apprehension, he looked like a giant monster to them, almost as tall as a full-grown Gryphon.

“Roth, is good to see you,” the king said, extending his hand at Roth.

Which made the knights cringe in disgust. To think the King of Traineria would shake hands with a Southerner as an equal was blasphemy. Roth noticed their leering eyes but ignored them. Trainerians custom were not his own, and in the south, they bowed to no man. Not since the fall of the only southern kingdom that sat in the south many centuries ago. Some say that’s where a lot of the Southerners' disgust for kings came from, or so the stories read.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

“Stay here with the Gryphons while I and Roth go inside the Rock Shield guild building and discuss things in private.”

“My king?” one of the knights interjected, not feeling comfortable with leaving the king along with the Southerner. He was, after all, the king of Traineria and it was their job to make sure nothing happened to him.

“Is fine, “ the king said, nodding at them.

“Roth is a friend, aren’t you ?” he said, teasingly.

“Of course,” Roth said,

The Rock Shield Guild building was a stone fortress, The king noticed,

“It almost looks like a castle,” he said, looking at it.

“A castle with no king,” Roth said,

“of course, the southern ways,” the king said, smirking at him.

“That’s right the southern ways,” Roth repeated. Not taking a liking to the King’s joke. For he was a man of a few jokes.

“Here we are, my guild chambers,” Roth said, opening the stone door to the guild leader's room, his room.

“After you,” Roth said,

“Thank you,” the king said, taking a seat in front of the large stone table.

Roth sat at his massive stone chair with two monster helms made of stone on each side.

“Is this visit about the association building?” Roth said, inspecting the king.

“I already told Villa that my guildmates are looking into it, and when I find everyone that is responsible, they will be punished. “

He lied, he already knew who was responsible for the attack, and he had dealt with it in his ways, the Southern ways. But he wasn’t going to tell the king that, or more importantly Villa, the newly appointed association director.

“Well, that’s good to hear, the association cannot succeed if any of the three major guilds oppose it.” The king said, folding his hands and studying Roth. Trying to see if he was being truthful, but finding nothing.

He was like a stone, giving only a hard exterior to go by with.

“If that’s all your business here, then I’m afraid the trip was in vain,” Roth said,

“A letter would have sufficed to be honest, I’m sure the king has better things to do than to look after the association now that Villa has been chosen director. Unless the association is under your rule?”

“The Association is for the good of everyone, “ the king said

“Besides it's better if I, as the king of Traineria, don’t intervene with matters of the Association. Villa is the one that handles all matters of the association.”

“Villa,” Roth said, not trusting the man at all. At that moment, both Roth and the king found some form of comradery between themselves, and it was a fact that both of them didn’t trust Villa completely.

“If that’s the case then I’m afraid there’s nothing to talk about with the king of Traineria, “Roth said,

The king studied him, trying to decipher if he was someone he could trust, but he had no choice, he needed him, and more importantly, he needed his knowledge of the South and its secrets.

“I’m here on another business that is separated from the association,” he said,

Roth raised an eyebrow, what other business did the king of Traineria have with the south that didn’t involve the Association, raising Roth’s suspicions?

“Last time a king of Traineria said that the crystal of tame was stolen,” Roth said

“Ah! Yes, the crystal of tame,” the king repeated, recalling the reason for the animosity between the two lands, according to what he read from all the books he had amassed. He didn’t need a history book to learn about it since it was a story quite known in both the south and in Traineria.

“The crystal of tame, where all of taming crystals come from,” the king said, caressing his brown hair.

“As you know, the crystal of tame does not belong to anyone in Monsterra, it belongs to every tamer that tames monster partners.”

“But only the kingdom of Traineria has been able to harness the power of the crystal of tames through the power of taming devices”

Roth said, taking out a white and blue taming device with a red crystal in the middle.

“Traineria does not keep anyone from getting a taming device,” the king said, acknowledging the fact that the crystals of tame were enhanced by the taming devices created by Dr. Spark, a fellow Trainerian. Was it their fault that they were the first to harness the power of the crystals, they had taming devices before but they were too unstable and couldn’t tame monsters beyond a certain level.

“But I digress,” Roth said, growing bored with this talk. He had never been a man of much talking, he preferred action.

“I’m sure the king did not make the journey to the south to talk about ownership of the crystal of tame.”

“Not at all, I came for another reason,” the king said, Roth raised an eyebrow, wondering what other reason the king of Traineria was alluding to. He didn’t like to waste his time, nor did he care for secrets. Secrets were for the cunning and not for the brave, in his eyes.

“Well, if you excuse my rudeness, I have a busy day, “ Roth said, standing up from his chair.

‘I don’t have all day to humor a king, especially one that is not of the south.”

“My apologies,” the king said, seeing Roth up close reminded the king of how imposing Roth was. He wouldn’t be surprised if he fought monster partners himself.

“I will make it quick, friend,” the king said.

Roth looked at him, inspecting the king of Traineria, the kingdom in the center of Monsterra, as it was called. Or the ruined kingdom as some were beginning to whisper, though he couldn’t care less about what name it went by.

“What do you know about the South’s creation myth? “

Roth looked at the king, confused as to what a myth had to do with him coming to the south.

“I’m afraid I’m not much of a reader,” Roth said sitting back down,

“If you want to discuss fairytales then that old cook of mine would be more your company.”

“Old cook?” the king repeated, confused by his word.

“Pardon me, I don’t quite follow.”

“That's what I call my mother,” Roth said, nonchalantly.

“Is a term of endearment. ”

Despite Roth being a man of a few if any jokes,

the fact that taking the King to meet his mother would be quite a humorous sight to him, and he couldn’t deny taking quite joy in it.

“Can I meet her?” the king asked, he wasn’t sure if that would help, but Roth was more muscle than brains.

“Why not, I’m sure she has nothing better to do.”

The king raised an eyebrow, confused yet intrigued. He had made the trip to the south, and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste.

***

The two men exited the Rock Shield guild building, walking back to the stone garden, where the Gryphons and the Traineria’s knights were waiting for them.

“Gryphon,” the king said, calling his winged beast partner.

Roth looked at the winged beast and let out a smirk.

“Am I missing something?” the king asked confused at Roth’s expression.

“I’m afraid that that large beast won’t last the way there, “ he said,

“For she lives on top of Turtle Mountain.”

He pointed his finger at the tallest point in the great Turtle Mountain, its top quite visible to the skies.

“Then how are we to get there?” the king asked,

“With a Bulquake,”

“A Bulquake?”

‘I’m sure the king of Traineria has seen a Bulquake monster partner before, though I fear not everyone can handle a monster partner like them, they can be quite rowdy,” Roth said, taking out two taming devices with an orange crystal in the middle. A light shot from them and two large bull-like monsters appeared from them.

Their front black body was covered in a grey stone armor and it had two red pupils as eyes.

“The way up the mountains is very windy and the Bulquake’s armor and rock front hoofs allow them to not get blown away, as for the tamer, well, that’s another story,” Roth said letting out a grin.

“Bite your tongue beast,”’ the newly appointed Tamer knight commander, Kein. Said Growing tired of Roth’s rudeness toward the king.

“Want to say that again peep squeak,” Roth said,

towering over the knight.

“Enough you too,” the king commanded.

“Sorry my king,” Kein said, bowing before the king, but shooting daggers at Roth with his stare, which Roth took great delight in.

“I don’t suppose you have other Bulquakes for my men,” the king asked,

“No, and even if I did, the armor from your pets would only bother the Bulquakes.”

“Very well, the two of us will go, “ the king said.

“Sir,” the knights said almost in unison not liking the fact that the king would travel such a dangerous road, especially with a southern peasant, which Roth was in their minds.

“I could go and fetch what you need my king,” Kein said,

“Hurry up my king,” Roth said, mimicking the tamer knights, which they did not find amusing.

“ I don’t have all day.”

Roth let out a yawn, the heat from the south was making him sleepy.

“It is fine, I will go,” the king said,

“Understood sir,” the knights said, it was no use in fighting with the king’s words, what he said was the law.

“I’m in your care, Roth, my friend,” the king said,

“Let’s get going, it’s quite the travel up there.”

The knights watched as Roth and the king left, not liking it one bit.

***

The way up the mountain was so windy that the king thought that he would fly at any moment like a piece of paper. He looked over to Roth, who was lying as if he was on some nice beach enjoying the sun.

"Doesn’t it smell so good?” Roth said, taking a full breath of the harsh winds,

“Smell?” the king said, grabbing tightly to the Bulquake.

“Bahahaha!” Roth said bursting into laughter. He was enjoying this. There was something freeing about being so close to the sky. Plus seeing a person from Traineria so out of their element, brought great joy to him.

“Don’t worry King we're almost there,” Roth said.

The king looked at Roth, and it was the first time he had seen the man lose his harsh exterior, he almost looked like he had a hint of softness underneath that stone-like face.

The king couldn’t remember when they had arrived,

but in a blink of an eye, he closed his eyes and when he opened them, they were standing in front of some kind of shrine. It had two large stone pillars on each side with strange markings on them, and an archway made of grass.

“Welcome to Turtle Mountain shrine,” Roth said,

“Hey, you old cook! The king is here!” Roth yelled, which took the king by surprise, finding it quite amusing. He almost wanted to laugh, maybe being close to death had made him appreciate Roth’s eccentric ways.

“Mewa,” a white color three-eyed bipedal cat monster with pink markings on its body appeared almost as if out of thin air.

“There you are,” Roth said, looking at the white bipedal cat monster. No matter how many times he saw it, he still found them quite unsettling, it and their type.

‘Is that a mystic type?” the king asked, he had seen a few of them, but they were quite rare.

“They're creepy,” Roth said, shivering as if he were on the frozen lakes of the farthest corner of the east.

“Meowa,” the white bipedal cat monster said, signaling them to follow it.

“What a strange type the mystic is,” the king said, it almost had the expressions of a human.

“Sure, that’s one way to look at that unsettling type,” Roth said,

“Anyway, I’m sure the old cook knows where here, she always knows everything.”

The king looked at Roth, finding his words quite strange.

“Is that how you greet your mother, brat? ” a woman with white hair and pink hair beads on each side said, as they came into view of a small shrine-like house.

“Sorry, “ Roth said, lowering his head like a child.

“I brought a guess.”

“I know who you brought, “ the old woman said,

“Is nice to finally meet another king of Traineria, my name is Mystizia.”

“Another king?” the king thought, wondering if she had met his father before, she did look to be quite old, so it was possible.

“It's nice to meet you, Mystizia. Did you perhaps meet my father?” the king asked, as he walked toward her, and extended his hand in front of her. But she didn’t take it, which he didn’t find disrespectful at all, in a weird way. He had learned that the southern people did not give great light to kings.

Roth let out a hearty laugh,

“What’s so funny?” Mystizia said,

“Nothing, “ he said

“Oh yea I forgot to tell you, she’s blind,” Roth said,

The king blushed in embarrassment.

‘I’m so sorry,” he said,

“Is alright child, “ she said,

“I see what I need to see. Now let’s get down to business.”

“Mentacat come,” she said as she walked inside the shrine, and the bipedal cat monster followed right behind her.

‘Well, let’s get going,” Roth said, slapping the king’s back,

“R-right,” the king said, almost questioning himself as to why he was here.

***

Mystizia sat down on the tile floor of the shrine and her monster partner sat between her legs.

To the king, it looked strange and unsettling in a way he couldn’t quite explain. Especially since inside the shrine was filled with candles and weird, creepy-like statues and strange markings on the wall.

“You must be confused as to why I’m here,” the king said, he didn’t have time to focus on the strangeness of the shrine, he was here for a reason. A reason he didn’t quite know, yet.

“Sit,” Roth said, sitting on the stone floor.

“Y-Yea,” the king said, almost laughing at the thought that if anyone saw the king of Traineria sitting down on some stone floor, the murmurs that would be unleashed would be quite the sight.

“Not really,” Mystizia said, petting her cat monster partner.

“So you like legends, huh,” she said,

“How do you- ” the king said, confused as to her saying that, yet he couldn’t help but feel a slight chill run down his spine.

‘Why do you say that?

“The creation myth is quite an old tale not told much in the south these days,” she said, petting her monster partner.

The king stood in disbelief.

‘See, creepy type,” Roth said, cleaning out his ear

nonchalantly.

“You have the same expression as the other king I met.”

The king looked at her, he couldn’t explain it, but there was something odd about her.

The king almost wanted to demand that this prank be stopped at once. She wasn’t blind, how else could she know how he looked in this moment? Yet, he couldn’t explain how she knew about the reason for his visit, did Roth tell her? But how?

“Is not a prank,’ Mystizia said.

The king let out a shiver, almost as if the woman was reading his mind.

“Like I said, I see what I need to see.”

“Would you like some tea,” she said, gesturing toward the small table that was next to her, the king saw a strange marking on her hand, it almost looked like a birthmark of sorts, but what was peculiar was the shape of it. It looked like the head of a monster.

“I’m alright,” the king said, taking a seat back down. There was no point in trying to figure out what was going on, he had already made the trip, so he might as well see it through.

“it is said that the mystic type has great power over the material world,” Mystizia said,

“Some say is the closest type to the ancient one.”

‘The Ancient one,” Roth said, yawning,

“I did my job and brought him here, not in the mood for a lesson,” he said, getting up,

“This concerns you as well,” she said,

“I had a feeling it did,” he said, letting out a sigh.

‘Well don’t keep us waiting old cook, tell us what this is all about.”