They were seated around the table, though the Caelumteral wizards maintained some chairs distance from the hand and the king, who was seated close to each other. An awkward silence followed, disturbed by the flickering flames around them.

History played in their heads. It seemed like they watched the same play together. All of their thoughts synchronized on one event which had happened eight years ago.

Atavarus.

They remembered their past hostilities, how they had declared the Kingdom of Immortalia an enemy of the realm, and weighed sanctions on them. However, they were not even effective, having the Kingdom of Algard on their side, their 'sanctions' were limited to Vercretia and Flarantes Archipelago.

Besides, Immortalia was self-sustainable.

They held King Jonathan Kaisen guilty for not abiding by the Caelumteral laws and acted on his own during the Maluma-Zandertian war that took place at the city of Atavarus, causing a devastating number of casualties, including the Queen of Immortalia.

Even in the other parts of the world, Caelumteralis never had a good reputation. They would just invade a territory whenever they want and claim that it be 'Magic-Related right to invade.' That pact was signed by the world's nations a Millennia ago. 

The recent government of Caelumteralis abused that ancient pact.

The king leaned backward with his wooden chair with a creek, laying both his hands on the table, then decided to blaze the silence with his fiery words.

"I recognized your presence by the aura of yours, Master Zantine Astralis," The King revealed. He could sense the Magic's radiation (or called 'aura', but it actually was not that simple) in people if its intensity made up for its distance from him.

Zantine was the fellow Wizard's name. Astralis Inhilare was the magic he had mastered, and so titled to him.

"Then?" the king mumbled. "What brings you here, master?" The King asked so sarcastically, that the sound of the fire around them turned into mocking giggling.

"I would like to show you around the city since it's your first time in a hundred and fifteen years here," The king paused, then his brows gradually reduced to a frown.

"But considering you do not pay unnecessary visits, I would like to ask you, what is happening out there?" the king commanded Master Zantine.

Zantine maintained silence. King Jonathan tilted his head to his left annoyed.

One of the sorcerers who accompanied him intervened, "It's about Andern Senatus".

The king's frown was withdrawn to its position immediately. He made a blank face instead of a negative one when he was about to do something drastic.

"What of him?" The King commanded for answers.

"King of Immortalia, I would like to lay down that we will need to keep aside out past conflicts in order to-"

"What of him?" The King laid down his question more strongly than before, not heeding to the Caelumteral Sorcerer. The Wizard was dumbstruck annoyed.

"Yesterday, major signs of Anhilare activity were detected across Western Kaisenia," The other wizard intervened carefully. "So tremendously high, that for the past millennia not even a dragon managed to unleash such intensity of radiation when they attacked us,"

The King did not bother. He had already felt that coming. "That is not the reason why you are here." he established strongly. "Why is it that the master himself is here?" the king's tone turned completely hostile.

"Jonathan, it is a must that your children shall realize what power they pos-" Zantine was cut out sharply by the King again

"They will when they need to."

"This is the time they need to realize what they exactly are!" Zantine's voice turned to beg.

"My children deserve to live a life free from your corrupt order," the king paused; fuming with his Magical powers, ready to turn them into ash right then and there.

But it would start a war between the Nations inside Zander's domain of humans. They already had the Malumian threat to deal with.

"Yo Zantine," The King called out for him, like a farmer calling his cattle around. He responded with a convulsed reaction.

"I would listen to whatever you say like I am your pawn, because I had such tremendous respect for you in the past," The king gruffed.

"Look at you now; you come in as a pawn of Caelumteralis yourself!" The king scoffed.

Zantine showed reluctance on his face; even when he was the King of Flarantes Archipelago, He was never as powerful as Jonathan. His words were true indeed, and he realized it.

"Can a pawn have its own pawn is a question you need to ask yourself, King Zantine!" The king pointed at Zantine's medallion, one which probably represented the Caelumteral order, stressing deeply on the word 'King'.

Zantine went all silent, unable to utter a word again to King Jonathan. He would roast him otherwise.

"The responsibility rests on the Kaisens Jonathan! You were the ones who started it! You have done your part in keeping YOUR kingdom safe for a century, but you are doing this at the cost of the rest of the world!" The wizard beside Zantine rose, accusing King Jonathan, shouting at the top of his voice.

Grimkifell drew his sword instantaneously at the wizard. Both of the sorcerers charged their hands with their Astralis Inhilare Magic. "How dare you yell at the Dragon King of Immortalia like that, you Caelumteral scum!" Grimkifell spat out.

The king turned his voice so threatening that it sounded all dead, without any life, he still conveyed anyways, "Don't you see I am leaking my damned life force away in here," King Jonathan spelled each and every word out slowly, "For that damned Zander's barrier preventing that guy from reaching the outside world; redirecting him right here," The King paused.

"TO ME AND MY PEOPLE!?" He rose from his table, launching it to the ceiling, shattering it into pieces. The wooden pieces burned down before they could reach down again. Zantine did not flinch. He was already dead inside. The other two stepped back in reluctance unable to attack the king.

He possessed greater power and strength.

"I have my responsibility as a king to protect the people of my kingdom who believe in me. Your condemned Caelumteral laws do not bind me," The king declared indignantly.

"Any Inhilare Wielder who earned their masters in the Caelumteral academy is bound to it!" The wizard quickly spoke out of his raging adrenaline.

"Not me," King Jonathan's body arose with flames of silvery-white radiation all over him. "I am no slave to your order, I am free," He announced. "No one shall follow the fate of my brother." The King appended.

"And the Kaisens themselves are almost responsible for that!" the other wizard yelled.

The king, Jonathan of Immortalia stopped his attack and remained silent, realizing his statement. Indeed, it was their fault, he thought. Silence prevailed for some time.

"Of course, I know it's my freaking mistake, mortal. How dare you mention it to me,"

"Zantine the hell is wrong with you, stand with us!" The wizard standing to his left stuttered, looking at King Jonathan's Kaisen form.

"Ah, I see," The King interrupted, completely engulfed in his own white flames. "You both are no ordinary Flarantian soldiers. Members of the high council, trained Xaferdians, slaves of the Caelumteral order," He appended with a cold, lifeless voice.

A Xaferdian's aura was hard to detect since they were well balanced.

"You should use your words more carefully, King of Immortalia. The Caelumteral Xaferdians are to be given respect! It does not matter if you are the damned king of this damned kingdo- - aargh-ugh---Ahuh-eheh" The wizard was lifted up in the air, with his throat surrounded by the mist of Imor Inhilare wielded by Master Jonathan Imor.

The other Wizard stood in awe, activating Astralis magic in his fists, and stood there reluctantly to attack the King. Grimkifell already had covered him. Either way, he knew, he was no match for Jonathan. Attacking him will only provoke him further, and all of them would be dead.

Zantine realized the situation, and yet; he only sat down in his chair hopelessly. There was nothing he could do.

Guilt prevented him from siding with the Caelumterals, Fear prevented him from siding with the King of Immortalia. I felt sorry for him for a long time. My feelings tend to synchronize with his for some reason, but what else could I do than observe these events.

A freaking powerless spectator, just like always.

"Go on, Slave of Caelumteral Academy. Enlighten me with the consequences of my actions," The king said sarcastically. The flames around him rose to great heights, boiling the room. Every word of his was huge rocks thrown at their heads.

It was at that moment, the Caelumteral order was reminded, that they were not to mess with the Kaisen King.

"Can you defeat me in a battle of Magics? I believe that you are not stupid enough to take on a Kaisen who had mastered three Inhilare magics; freaking mortals!" The King asserted further dominance.

"Just a gentle reminder because you are so high into the sky, Don't mistake this to be Caelumteralis. This is Immortalia, or in other words to which you are so used to - The Kaisen's domain!"

The king stared at the wizard choking out of life and was mildly satisfied, Grimkifell noticed the King's sarcastic smirk at them.

It had been a while since the unwelcomed guests left. King Jonathan Kindheart Kaisen with his right hand rested his face, sat comfortably on his throne, though uncomfortably thinking about what Master Zantine said to him by telepathy the entire time what it seemed to be an argument outside.

"I am sorry for what I have done to Sertia, but certain constraints bind me to do this Jonathan. My kingdom is not as powerful as yours and is susceptible to Caelumteral attack. Neither am I a wizard willing to extend my life for this damned cause nor a Kaisen like you who can live for an unspecified amount of years. I just... wish to be free from all of these. I have led my hundred and sixty-seven years learning about the magics and the more I get to know about it,

Jonathan, I am both relieved and afraid that,

Queen Sertia Helen was right.

She was the best of us, yet I have failed her. I have failed you. I have failed the realm. Now I am convinced I must share with you my life's knowledge, and for that, you must visit Flarantes Archipelago unofficially, not as a Kaisen but as a servant to the Ancient Order of Xaferdia.

King Andern Senatus is growing in power every single day, and we could expect an attack anytime soon. We must be ready for it. This is why I had to visit you all the way through here, in person, and these dummy 'Xaferdians' wouldn't allow it alone.

I am waiting to see you there, Jonathan, You and your children are the final hope to prevent the disaster of the Devastus."

"I wonder why they visited us in the first place," Grimkifell asked

"Yeah, I wonder too. Maybe you should wonder more to it," the king replied, hoping that he would figure it out himself, after all being Zantine's apprentice

No matter how many times I observe these events. They are all the same. All of this happens the same way it did before. They all lead to the same fate. I cannot fathom what I can do by observing these events again and again over and over. Screw that Kaisen Grandez!

"You made the wooden table rickety on purpose, right?" Grimkifell asked the King.

"Yes, I did. Quite a show, wasn't it?" 

The conversation was quite confusing in the last draft. I believe this one does it better. I am probably revising this again but, here is a better version than before :) 


Chapter word count: 2021