Zephyrus Elway’s P.O.V

Metal clanged against the cold marble floors of Vintess castle as we knights walked. Today was the day of the summit, and we were adorned in full armor, as was customary in our kingdom. This event was unlike any other on the continent, so our normal uniforms wouldn’t suffice. Armored attire was necessary for every knight of every kingdom.

King Stellar stood tall on the warp gate, waiting for us to step on. Apollo stood coolly by his side, dressed in a dark suit that matched his father's cloak, signifying his royal status. Platinum trimming decorated his shoulders, and tassels hung from them. Although he carried a sword, Apollo was no swordsman; it was merely for show, a symbol of nobility's strength that I never really understood.

As the Warp gate began to glow, Audrey whispered to Vincent, "Try not to act foolish and embarrass us."

Vincent clicked his tongue, and we were transported.

The warp gate stopped channeling power, and we stepped off onto the ancient stone floor of Summit Castle, which despite its age, still shone like new marble. We were escorted to the meeting room by a knight, and I was greeted with faces I hadn't seen in a while and some I had never seen before.

Tables of food were laid out, far from the actual meeting table, so the kings and their representatives could indulge in good banter before the meeting.

“Help yourself to whatever food you like until the meeting starts, make conversation, and don't come off as disrespectful to anyone,” King Stellar said, his tone serious.

We nodded, and he went off to greet the other kings and queens.

From afar, I locked eyes with Gallak, and he shot me an ugly grin. After that, he didn't seem to pay much attention to be and began indulging in conversation once more.

As I picked at the fruit and ate some grapes, Audrey, Vincent, and Apollo went off their separate ways. I grabbed a plate of cake and sat back, watching everyone chat and talk. I locked eyes with a man who was in a conversation, and he quickly ended it to make his way over to me. I had never seen him before, so I was confused.

The Elven man extended his hand for me to shake. "You wouldn't happen to be Zephyrus Elway, would you?" he asked.

I shook his hand and replied, “Yes, I am. And who are you? I don’t recall we’ve met before." As I assessed his figure, I noticed he didn't carry any weapons. He was tall and thin, which led me to assume he was a caster since this physique was common among them.

“I'm Valdun Faedi, a Worthie of the Thezmear Kingdom. We Worthies of Thezmear have heard stories of your valor, and I just thought I should introduce myself,” he explained.

“Yes, I am familiar with King Nillion and his family. Although I have never had the honor of meeting one of his Worthies. I’ve also had my fair share of adventures and battles in Thezmear, and I can say you guys have your work cut out for you,” I responded. Although I had heard details of these types of events from Apollo, I had never actually attended myself. I just took charge of the Knights of the castle while the king was gone, so I had never actually met any other Worthies besides the ones of Vintess and the Demie territories, and honestly never really cared to either. It's not like they could whoop my ass anyway.

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Valdun chuckled at my words, “Yes, indeed.”

However, my attention was drawn to two more people headed in our direction, both elves, one male and one female. The male was bulky and muscular, with cropped, short hair that accentuated his pointy ears. The woman was of average height, but her aura reminded me of Audrey’s.

Valdun turned his head back to them, “My fellow Worthies were also interested in meeting you.”

“Oh? I had no idea I was so famous,” I said.

“Well, it's not every day you hear someone decline the offer to become a Worthie,” the bulky Elven man said as he approached.

“Well, it's just not my thing,” I replied.

“Despite that, I can see your strength is no myth. We might as well be saying Vintess has three Worthies as well because you no doubt have the ability to be one of us,” the woman said.

“I’m sorry, I never got your names,” I said.

“Orrian Kephlar,” the bulky one said.

The woman gave a genuine smile, “Leanna Caimys. I’ve mostly heard about you from the princess. It's quite relieving to finally get to meet you in person.”

I was surprised by her words. “Princess Nillion told you about me? That's a surprise. I assumed she still hated my guts.”

Leanna’s smile didn't vanish as she spoke. “Oh, she still does, but not everything she said was bad.”

I cringed and looked around trying to see if the princess was present, “Well, then I assume you don’t see me in such a good light.”

“Correct,” she said. “And if you're wondering if she is here, rest easy. She is with the dwarven resource team helping out with the announcement crystals, far from here.”

“Well, that's not surprising. She always was testing her new contraptions on me,” I laughed, thinking back to the warm memories.

I really should visit more.

“Well, enough of that,” Orrion interrupted. “After this meeting, what do you say we have a spar, Zephyrus? I’m dying to see what the great dark knight is capable of.”

I hesitated for a moment, knowing that this was an important gathering and I didn't want to cause any distractions. "As much as I appreciate your interest in sparring with me, Orrion, I don't think it's the right time or place for it," I replied, with a smile on my face.

Valdun chimed in, agreeing with me. "Orrion, you can't just ask everyone to spar with you. It's rude and unbecoming."

I wanted to change the topic and keep things moving, so I gestured to the front of the room where the kings were taking their seats. "Shall we take our positions? The meeting is about to start."

As we made our way to our positions, I took note of the arrangements. The Worthies, attendants to the kings, stood behind their monarchs. The Royals, the kings' closest advisors and family members, sat beside them. I was a knight, and I assumed I would stand behind my king, but to my surprise, the king beckoned me to sit down beside him. It was clear that the only reason I was brought here was for the information I knew and the story I was to tell.

King Stellar's face turned serious as he addressed me. “Zephyrus, please start. Tell us what happened and what was said on that day.”

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As I stood among the throngs of people in Vintess, I couldn't help but feel a sense of foreboding. The giant glass-like panel that channeled magic through it like a garden of life was mesmerizing to watch, but my mind was preoccupied with the upcoming announcement.

The chit-chat through the capital square was deafening, with more than a few thousand people in attendance. The atmosphere was tense, with businesses shutting down and the capital city transformed into a bustling crowd.

Although everyone else in the crowd was in the dark about what was to be announced, I knew the truth. And I knew that it would have a significant impact on every citizen's life, regardless of their social status or occupation.

The weight of the responsibility felt heavy on my shoulders, and I couldn't help but feel powerless in the face of such a massive change. All I could do was train and pray that my strength would be enough to make a difference when the time came.

As I looked around at the sea of faces, I wondered if anyone else shared my sense of unease. But for now, all we could do was wait for the announcement and brace ourselves for the inevitable changes to come.