Dawn broke out. It has been at least three hours since they left the capital for the volcano, the so called gates of Hell.

With each hour passing, the view in front of them changed slowly turned redder in time. The smoke being emitted from its massive chimney grows thicker and thicker, blocking out the bright morning sky.

From a distance, a town can be seen. It is not as large as the capital, the reason being is that it is a countryside town made by the people of the kingdom themselves in the past when Ardrasthrur was still beginning to grow.

The town is made even more inviting by the fact that the sun rises behind it, bringing this warm feeling as if you've returned to your home after being away for a long, long time. 

The various structures are dimly lit. Some of the lamps can be seen going out as morning comes. But rather than the normal residents present outside, there seems to be others in charge.

"So we've arrived. And it seems that the residents have noticed as well."

Luke speaks with his normal stern voice. It is as he said. The garrison seems to be in high alert as the soldiers roam here and there with a fixed timing, cycling from position to position. Though sloppy, it is quite effective for detecting enemies nearby.

The effectiveness in their scouting shows dividend as they detect us from a distance. The iron clad soldiers scramble to form a small rank, shielding the front while archers line up behind them.

"Halt! Entrance beyond your current position is prohibited. Turn back now!" A horseman wearing a quite well designed and intimidating armor shouts from afar. He seems to be the one in charge as he raises the flag of 'Arakthur' the former kingdom's banner.

"Lower your arms. The king approaches!" Luke yells out, stopping his horse from advancing any further as not to antagonize the men, forcing them to attack due to pressure.

He slowly trots closer towards us, spear drawn, but pointed downwards. The man inspects us a few meters away. He then descends from his mount, kneeling suddenly and going completely silent. "My apologies Lord Kal-Ardonia, I had to make sure. Punish me however you like for my impudence."

He makes himself the antagonist at that very moment, his dignified and intimidating demeanor goes away.

"Please, rise. There is no need. I have recognized this as a great show of duty, and I will not punish you, rather I will acknowledge your act. Now, please escort us into the town. We have not the time to waste."

"I do not deserve your kind words my lord. Then, if you'll excuse me. I shall prepare the town for your arrival."

"No, please do not disturb the people. I will have to leave in a short while. All we need is a bit a rest and we'll be on our way."

"Very well. If that is what you wish."

The man leaves, galloping as fast as he can towards the town entrance. He shouts commands to his soldiers, and in response, they scatter to many different directions. The only word that could be heard clearly as we followed him was 'Tighten the security around the town, the king is here.'

It seems that a strict and forthright commander is in charge of this town. Gram wouldn't know as he gives Luke the authority to appoint the various guards and commanders who'll be in charge of the fiefs in the kingdom.

Though the only thing that was odd was that a soldier was governing the security of the town, not a noble, or an aristocrat. Nothing was odd about that, not at all. But something feels off about this town, as if there's an unrest. 

We follow the commander in charge, dismissing my doubts of this place and making our rest a priority. 

He brings us to the governor's mansion, the very place where are the things concerning the town, city or village takes place. 

As I expected. By the entrance stood two guards saluting us as we pass by. The rest of the room is dark and empty, devoid of any other person's presence except us and the guards. It's as if we are the only people in the town. 

"Please explain this. Everything around here feels odd, and I don't think I'm the only one disturbed by this. I assume that you know the truth, correct?"

"A great redeeming quality of a king is figuring something out with his smart discerning eyes. You are correct. There is an unrest in the town. A man named by the citizens 'the liberator of Rydia' came by, warning people to evacuate the town as something dangerous will happen soon. People believed him straight away as some knew who he was, and they trusted him. Though some remained, their hearts began to believe in what he had said, terrorizing their minds."

The intrigue grows with each word. Our suspicion rises once the title 'liberator of Rydia' was said. There could only be one after all. But besides that, there was something missing. 

"What did the liberator tell the townspeople exactly?" Fiol spoke out, taking the words right out of my mouth. It seems that together, we were all on the same page. 

The commanding soldier casts his head downwards, as if in a state of deep thinking. Then he releases a great sigh, shifting his sight back at us.

"At first, he told them to evacuate the town because of the impending eruption. But they did not believe him, the people of Rydia knowing that the volcano is dormant and will remain dormant until the end of their third generation. Some were just stubborn to leave.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

He took another attempt, this time even more desperate. He began saying that he would destroy the town if they did not evacuate right at that moment. It terrified them greatly, and some even began to flee from the town that very moment. What made him very convincing was his display of unnatural power unlike anything I've ever seen in my life. A blue fame igniting from his hand.

Even more believed him. Sure enough me and my men were also enticed by the idea of evacuating, but I wasn't to be fooled by that. I had to drive him out of the town, lest he wanted to face our wrath. To my relief, he left peacefully, taking the path that leads towards the volcano.

But I tightened security just in case what he said about destroying the town was true."

I begin thinking about everything the soldier in command had said. But then the soldier interrupted my train of thought, adding more to his statement "If you want to know more, maybe the barkeep might help you. I think her daughter knows the man who came here. Ask for Deliah."

Following the soldier's instruction, we head outside, sightseeing around town before going to the inn. 

The town was quite peaceful, given the fact that most of them already went somewhere else. Still, maybe I'll stay here someday in the future... Given that there's still a future. 

"Hey don't look too gloomy. It's not good for the morale of your two companions," Fiol tries to comfort me, realizing my downcast expression. It works at the least. But it worries me that they aren't nervous at all about what is to happen soon.

Finally heading to the inn, we are greeted by the sight of a near empty building with a few soldiers silently drinking as they look at the well-crafted wooden tables in front of them. 

Suddenly, their depression leaves them as they glance to the side, catching a glimpse of me. They stand in attention, whereas the other guards who wake up, confused, also follow suit once they realize the reason.

"My king! Welcome to the inn. What brings you here?" a guard speaks out heartily, filled with vigor all of a sudden. 

The barmaid seems to have taken notice as well, stopping her daily duty of cleaning mugs. "The king? You don't say. This young man?"

"Watch your tongue for all our sakes. And it's true Deliah. This is the new king, Gram Kal-Ardonia," a soldier presents me with more admiration than the last. 

The adult woman named Deliah opens her eyes wide, as if seeing a ghost when Fiol and Luke emerge beside me. Her mouth is agape, and she bows her head fervently. 

"Forgive me for my loss of manners my king. I had doubted your presence," she becomes formal, apologizing greatly for a mistake that I don't see as bad as it is made out to be.

"Please everyone, calm down. I did not come here to be praised. Treat me as you would a normal man, or a friend perhaps," we inch towards a vacant table, resting there almost instantly as we sigh together in unison.

"Oh, is it just me or did I just see Luke Galehearth, the impregnable, sigh?"

"... Don't mind me. Worry about yourself if you have time to make jokes."

"You're no fun as always."

As we talk amongst each other, is see Deliah from the corner of my eye, helping two women fill a tray with an appetizing selection of food. The two helping her look quite alike from each other. The other works efficiently while the other stares blankly at the tray.

"Rhiannon, get a hold of yourself will you. We are in the presence of the king, show some modesty."

"Oh, ah, sorry, I was lost in thought."

"For goodness sake, you have to forget about that. He threatened to destroy the town. It's the very town you lived in, so why would he do that anyway? I thought good about him when he rescued me, but this is different."

I overhear their banter with each other, and sure enough the pieces are starting to fall in place. I rise from my seat, taking the attention of Luke and Fiol with eyes of confusion. 

I approach the counter to where the two women are preparing a meal of some sort. 

As I get closer, I notice that the girl named Rhiannon has somewhat of an allure to her, captivating my sights without my notice. Fortunately, I avert my gaze instantly before she met my sight. She wore a white shirt paired with a skirt, basting her very well proportioned body. Thinking about how I averted my gaze somewhat disappointed and relieved me greatly.

Now looking at the other one, she seems to emit a strong aura of forcefulness from her. But besides that, she looks like she possesses a degree of maturity, making her look quite older and attractive to the eye.

She wears the same thing as her sister beside her, but much more effectively, overshadowing her with mature charms. 

"Excuse me, but I happen to overhear your conversation earlier. If it's not too much of a burden, could I ask you to tell me about that person who threatened the town?" 

Almost instantly are their attentions taken by surprise. The girl called Rhiannon still blankly stares at the counter upon hearing my sudden request. But on the other hand, the mature looking one speaks out with a harsh tone against the person in the story. 

"Of course my king. You see, long ago the town was infested with bandits. They took control of the town. But then came a kid, maybe ten or eleven years old from what I could remember. He saved the town by defeating an army of bandits by himself. Though he possessed a strange power, people didn't mind him, rather they revered him. 

Then he came back after a few years, trying to drive us out of town for some apparent reason unknown to us. What a fiend. I think his name was Fafnir?"

I look behind me, and with my correct intuition, Luke and Fiol's attentions have now been grasped as well, paying close attention to us. 

I look back at the two women, Rhiannon was tightly clutching a piece of cloth as if wanting to say something, but refraining from doing so. But unable to hold it in anymore, she lets out a raging remark.

"He was not a fiend! I'm sure he had his reasons. You know that too sister. He would have not saved this town if he would only destroy it in the end. There has to be a reason, I'm sure there is."

She sinks into a deep silence, casting her head down as her ferocity dies down. 

The sister on the other hand, looks quite dazed to see her own younger sister bursting out like that. Her eyes of shock showed that it is the first time she'd seen her like that.

"You seem to know him."

"Well, she knows him an awful lot. She likes him after all. She was the only one that sided with him when he came to town."

Rhiannon grows beet red, her eyes opening wide as well. She shrinks in embarrassment, but instead keeps her head down, refusing to look at anybody else. She murmurs ever so silently "There is a reason as to why he did that. I'm sure of it."

At that moment, my mind thought of only one thing. She knows about Fafnir.  

"Please tell me what you can about him. "

She shies away from me, distancing her herself. But she speaks softly and gently.

"He told me about how armies of monsters would come out of the volcano, and the first to be attacked was the town. No one believed him, but I did. There has to be a reason. Then the volcano turned red, and he threatened them more the next day. Some left, but some remained. When smoke flared out from the volcano, he rushed out with his horse, galloping towards the volcano in a frenzied manner."

As she finished speaking, a thundering sound erupted into our ears. The earth shook, and an explosion could be heard from our location. 

Loud yells could be heard from outside. Then came a slightly armored soldier rushing in, panting profusely. He composed himself however he could and started saying...

"The volcano erupted! Get out of the town while you can! It's spewing out something big and it's heading towards us!" 

The bells started to ring. The remaining townspeople left in the town started panicking and yelling altogether. I look to Fiol and Luke, ready and waiting for orders.

I on the other hand, scramble to think of my next move. 

At that moment, an object fell through the roof of the inn, flattening the soldiers that sat there in the center. Whatever it was created a hole in the ceiling that was still seething with flames. 

The smoke began to fade away, and it revealed a being with two horns on its head, wielding two weapons, a sword and a battle axe. Dressed in foreign looking armor. The being is engulfed by red flames, looking at my direction menacingly. Its face was pale dark in color, almost deathly.

"Gram, Draw your sword!"

I hear an advice from my two companions as the monster begins rushing towards us. Dazed and confused, and draw my sword from my sheath, unleashing an attack on the monster. 

It blocked my attack with only one weapon. It then swings its sword from the left, hitting me, and slamming me towards the wooden wall to my right. 

Then two more meteor-like projectiles came blasting through the ceiling near Luke and Fiol. They instantly engage battle with each other, looking to be almost on par with them.

The monster that sent me flying then raises its sword towards the two sisters. 

As if possessed, I move my body and intercept the attack, then kicking the monster a few meters away, enough to catch my breath. 

Turning to the two sisters, I warn them.

"Take your sister and call Deliah. Stay close to us and we'll get you out of here safely."

Just what is happening anyway? An erupting volcano, spewing out monsters made of fire... Wait... Maybe he was telling them the truth. Is this what he meant?