Chapter 22

Brethan 2.1

His majesty the king was staring at the letter that had just arrived through the window with an ugly frown upon his face. Brethan wanted to know what were the contents inside the letter as to understand the change in his majesty the king. But it was as if Robert read his thoughts and ask the question he wanted to ask. "What does it say your majesty?" The king crush the letter in his hand and threw it over his shoulder, towards the fireplace behind the main desk.

Brethan thought that the king look weird and mad actually, when that Crow came through the window. It was as if a grave news soil his eyes but looking now at his expression, Brethan knew that he would tell none of what was inside.

And just as what Brethan thought the king would do, he did. "Robert, tell me exactly what is going on in the southern border?" See, he didn't even dwell on Robert prior question. And Robert may seem to look like a drunkard idiot sometimes but he was incredibly sharp for what matters. Just as what's going on back at the southern border.

"That war has been going on for more than a few years your majesty." Robert look up at the chandelier that hang in the middle of the room and said. "We are just like those burn out candles. We will be left hanging in the middle of the night with no one to rekindle our flames." His dark eyes later stare straight at the king who sat across the desk in the main chair. Brethan couldn't figure out where this was going but he lean forward, putting his elbows on the table and crossing his fingers under his chin. His lady wife sat right beside him holding a frown upon her face.

He decided to not think of what's the cause of that frown as it may. Brethan could tell the doubt that clouded her face, it only took a glance and he read her like a book.

Robert continue and said, "it started fifteen years ago. Two teams of scouts found some abnormally while patrolling the inner depths of the Haunted Forest. They found these grotesque organic like nests all around the Forest." Brethan stare at Robert as he fumble under his cloak. He seem to find it difficult in looking what he wants inside his cloak.

Brethan didn't even need to stare hard to understand as to why he founded so difficult in searching for it. He could see rows of empty glass bottles strap on his outer garments under his cloak. He needed to search under his clothes and into the leather vest to reach a bunch of wrinkle paper.

He spread it on top of the desk and Brethan caught a glimpse of what was drawn inside. It was a drawing of some sort, oily and fleshy, like organs coming out of the earth. It was painted black with bubble around the body colored red as blood. It stood in the middle of the forest in between dry up land and wrinkle up trees.

Robert pass it along towards the king and his majesty stare hard on it. His eyes blink from time to time and he couldn't stop caressing his puffy bear. They stood silent like that for what Brethan could have sworn to be about half an hour.

Finally the king look up at Robert and said, "continue, there's more to it, right?" Brethan knew that Robert was waiting for this, he saw it as how Robert took that long, drawn out, deep breath filled with emotions. "Twelve years ago, the first wave of attacks came. It all started in the Wildlands after the Haunted Forest. Tribal wars erupted because of some sort of treasure." The king eyes glimmer at the mention of that word.

It seems that part of him hasn't changed, even though so much seems different after the incident. His love for relics was beyond anyone Brethan knew. Anything and everything about the ancient world intrigue the king. The first time he met the king was in his teenage years, right after his name day. That special day when a boy is thrown into the world outside for experience.

What every youth do after stepping outside of their homes is to enlist for an Mercenary Badge. That's a most for anyone who wants to truly experience the world. The Mercenary Guilds are independent organisation that serve the populace for any work and quest money can pay. It didn't matter if you are a Noble lording over a castle or a commoner who own a house beside the slums. If the money was there the Mercenary Guilds would take any job. Most are hunting jobs for some specific Beast who has cause trouble others and the most sought out is the cleaning of forest, doing such quest would not only Garner the pay of the quest but the Mercenary could sell the spoil that they have acquire. The jobs are dangerous and more than half that apply always end up dying but it was a job that pay well and one that didn't discriminate. No matter if one is a low born or a higher born, no humans after the appropriate age is denied the benefit of such opportunities.

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In one of the quests he came upon Albert Kylong, a youth from the uprising Kylong Household. This new Household wasn't originally from Ashkavir. They say that they came from the Western Continent. A place that Brethan knew none about and a place that the Maesters have little in records of.

The House took root in Ashkavir for Three-Hundred years. They became a High Noble Households in only one generation when the first House Lord of the Kylong family bond with the Red Lions of the Wildlands. After that year the Kylong family became the twelve High Noble Household in Ashkavir.

His golden mane caught his attention since the first moments he saw him in the shade between the trees. They were about the same age in appearance but after Brethan stare at those eyes, he thought otherwise.

The quest was for cleaning a forest filled with beasts. The most common and the highly sought after mission in the quests board.

Beside Brethan was a burly Beast cover in dark as night fur. The eyes of Night Blur were more red than the blood moon at night. Brethan could still remember that feeling of his skin prickling all over. Beside him Night Blur fur also stood on end, his fore legs spread in front and his lips parted open. Showing those terrifying fangs that could rip a human in half. It was then that Brethan found another shadow behind Albert, even though it was taller than Albert, until it appear Brethan still didn't notice it.

At that moment it was the first time that fear grip his heart, a feeling he never knew until that day. Night Blur later not feeling malicious Intent from them calm down and stood up with straight limbs. It rose it's head and look at the side, Brethan eyebrows twitch when he saw it throwing side glances at him. He understood it without even using the mystical bond.

He was saying that he should resolve the issue fast and let it go out hunting.

"Hello there! From which house may this young noble belong to?" Brethan pause and stare at the youth before him. He was tall, more than half a head taller than him. His golden mane now threw rays of light that coated his head with a golden halo. Even though Brethan knew that it was only the effect of the sunlight hitting his hair, he couldn't get out the magical feeling that swirl in his heart.

Brethan quickly snap out of his thoughts and put a fist on his left chest and said. "Am the youngest son of House Ashcold of the northern lands. Nice to make an acquaintance with a man from the Kylong Household." Brethan caught that sigh of surprise from Albert at that time.

The Northern Lands were far away of a place for the people of the south. The lands there are more difficult and harder to travel and the mountainous regions held more beasts than the forests of the south. The people of the advance culture of the south wouldn't want to live in such desolated place.

"Ahh shit, guess everyone now can guess my identity before letting me introduce myself! Didn't you know that I have never introduce myself since stepping out from my house?" He grab his hair and started to twirl it in a desperate manner. "Any way I am going to introduce myself to you even if you know my name or not." Actually at that time Brethan knew no more than his family name and it was because of two simple reason.

His golden hair and the Red Lion walking behind him. These were the only quality that distinguish the other eleven Households from the Kylong house.

"Am Albert the second of his name, House of Kylong and wielder of the Great Sword." There was one thing that Brethan founded weird ever since he meet him and that was that he has actually never seen his Great Sword, Sun Fire. Even after going through war with him, Brethan has never seen him wield the Great Weapon he always boast about.

He heard rumors that his weapon was actually a Divine Ancient Weapon of the past world. To this day Brethan could roam the streets of the great capital and heard stories about say Divine Weapon.

It was because of this same weapon that Brethan learn about his weird habit of collecting antiques from the ancient world.

Looking at the king sparkling eyes Robert continue and said. "I don't know much about what was the spark that started that war but I heard from some of the capture outlanders that the cause of such all out war was because the treasure was actually a living being. I try preying on more information but that's how much everyone knew about the treasure." By now Brethan lean his back on the cushion of the chair and went into deep thought.

Fifteen years ago... He felt a tug on his sleeve and look beside him at his lady wife. They share a look and Brethan could figure what was going through her mind.

The king stood up from his chair and went to the windows and gaze outside towards the south. His eyes show deep contemplation and confusion as if he wanted to unravel the answer himself.

"Ten years ago was the first appearance of the Dragons. After Ser Wellmist manage to capture a dragon alive he send it to the Mages of the Holy Isle to gather the information about the Demons from the Dragon's Mind." Brethan tilted his head in confusion and his lady wife ask, "how's that possible?" Doubt clouded her voice and Brethan could understand her thoughts because he himself also felt the same.

At this time the king answer with his hands behind his back, looking like the warrior who once lead the war against the mad family. "The Mages of the Holy Isle are the followers of the Eternal Flames and can bend fire at will. There's an old phrase that say that 'Dragons are fire made flesh.' And reading into the flames are the followers of the Eternal Flames expertise."

Eternal Flames...huh. This group of worshippers are just the same as the Church of the Nine Divines. Only that they worship the entity of Fire while the Church believes in the Nine Divines. After their arrival the world has turned into a much, much, more complicated place.