Rya had absolutely no idea what was going on. Somehow, she'd been invited to take a group photograph with a bunch of sorcerers, and the whole situation had left her too bewildered to even think of refusing. When Skyl beckoned to her, she pointed at herself in surprise. Once she realized he really was talking to her, she shuffled over in tiny, hesitant steps.
Everyone lined up together.
"All right, I'll count down from three!"
Skyl set the camera's timer and hurried back into position. The flash went off, capturing a single fleeting moment in the endless torrent of history.
On the far left of the photograph, Thops stood behind his young apprentice's wheelchair, while Doniel puffed out his chest and held his Twinsage Glintstone Crown in his arms. The three members of the little conspectus wore smiles of pure, unrestrained happiness.
Melina stood perfectly straight with her hands folded neatly in front of her, looking rather stiff and reserved.
Millicent obediently offered Skyl her hand, intertwining her fingers with his. Rather than looking at the camera, however, her gaze drifted toward him, and an unconscious smile spread across her face. Skyl himself stood tall and looked straight ahead, resembling a spirited young college student.
On the far right edge of the photograph stood Rya of Volcano Manor.
Dressed in an old noble's robe of fresh green, she was a slender young woman with blonde hair, a fair complexion, and a pronounced stoop. Her startled, flustered expression made her look exactly like an innocent passerby who had accidentally wandered into someone else's photograph.
Skyl posted the picture to his social media feed with the caption:
"Rykard, you big snake! And you too, Primeval Sorcerer Azur! I've arrived in Altus, and I'll be knocking on your doors before you know it. You'd better be ready!"
It wasn't long before numerous old friends began liking the post and leaving comments.
Morgott sent him a private message.
Morgott: "You're in Altus? 🙂"
Skyl: "Yeah. I'm planning to visit Mt. Gelmir."
"You saw my post?"
Morgott: "My father is also at Mt. Gelmir."
"He took an army there to subjugate Rykard. 🙂"
"They reached the eastern foothills yesterday evening and set up camp."
Skyl: "And?"
Morgott: "Just thought you should know. 😱😱🙂"
Skyl: "Can we please stop using emojis?"
Morgott: "All right. 🙂"
"Sorry. 😂"
"Never mind."
"Morgott has gone offline."
Skyl sighed.
Morgott was practically an old man when it came to using the internet. His awkward online conversations, inability to go three sentences without inserting an emoji, cryptic messages, and occasional accidental texts all combined to give his communication style the peculiar charm of a technologically challenged senior citizen.
Meanwhile, the others were busy examining the photograph and commenting on their appearances.
Doniel approached Skyl with considerable restraint and requested a smartphone identical to his.
"I believe this device possesses considerable practical value."
"And?"
"If it's possible..."
Doniel took a deep breath, then lowered his voice and made his request with uncharacteristic humility.
"Could you get me one, too?"
Naturally, Skyl had no objections. He had always handed out smartphones in bulk.
His apprentice, Moli, also raised her hand and asked for one.
"Here you go."
Skyl casually handed another phone to Rya as well.
"Th-this is far too valuable!"
The girl in green instinctively accepted the device, only to panic and try to return it.
"It's just a product of the Doubling Charm. I can make as many as I want, so it's practically worthless," Skyl reassured her.
Then he asked, "You're Zorayas from Volcano Manor, aren't you? Who are you waiting for out here?"
"How do you know who I am?"
Rya stared at him in astonishment.
Her true name was indeed Zorayas, and she wasn't actually human. She was a Man-Serpent.
The Man-Serpents were descendants born from the great serpent that had devoured Rykard. They were intelligent serpentine creatures with four limbs, roughly the same size as humans. Their bodies could stretch and contract freely, making them extraordinarily flexible.
"I'm a prophet."
"I'm waiting for a champion," Rya explained. "She helped me a great deal, so I invited her to Volcano Manor. If you'd like to go there as well, you can take my hand."
Skyl smiled and shook his head.
"We'll see each other again, and very soon. Stay here. Your champion will be arriving shortly."
With that, he led the sorcerers away.
Rya stood rooted to the spot, watching their departing figures as they traveled along the ancient highway of the Altus Plateau.
Only when they had shrunk to little specks in the distance did she suddenly raise her voice and call out.
"Wait! Where are you going?"
The young man's voice carried back from far down the road.
"I'll be knocking on your front door before you know it!"
...
Their destination, Mt. Gelmir, was hardly a picturesque vacation spot.
Describing it as a place littered with corpses was simply stating an objective fact. Calling it hell on earth was actually putting things rather mildly.
At the Bridge of Iniquity, on the volcano's eastern foothills, Skyl and his companions encountered an encamped army from Leyndell.
This was the royal army Morgott had mentioned, led by King Godfrey himself on an expedition to crush the rebellion.
A Crucible Knight was patrolling outside the tents. He recognized Skyl and courteously invited the group into the military camp.
"Hahahaha! We meet again, young man!"
Godfrey's booming voice reached them before the man himself appeared.
The old king came rushing out of his royal tent, so eager to welcome his guest that he hadn't even bothered to put on his shoes. He looked like a man greeting his most honored visitor, which showed just how highly he regarded Skyl.
Of course, Godfrey had never been particularly concerned with royal airs and graces.
"Greetings, King Godfrey."
Skyl nodded politely.
"Judging by the size of your army, I take it you've come to put down the rebellion?"
"That's right. I've come to bring the sons of Leyndell home, and then I'm going to kill that bastard Rykard."
To demonstrate the brutality of the war raging across Mt. Gelmir, Godfrey took Skyl to an open area several miles from the military encampment.
The bodies of the fallen had been collected and placed inside enormous jars.
Many were little more than fragments of flesh and bone. Not a single corpse remained intact.
It was difficult to imagine how devastated their families would be when they saw what remained of their loved ones.
"Young man, do you think this world will ever get better?"
Godfrey asked the question with a weary, disheartened expression.
"Since when did King Godfrey become so softhearted?"
"I'm not softhearted. I'm just tired. Damn this war."
Godfrey sighed.
"Of course, I don't fear death. We Tarnished have all died once already. I just hate seeing fine young men throw their lives away.
"In the old days, we fought for a better world. We fought for something we believed in. Back then, dying on the battlefield was an honor.
"But these soldiers? They're dying because a handful of bastards want to fight over Great Runes to satisfy their own selfish ambitions."
He gazed at the jars containing the fallen soldiers and continued.
"Back before the Erdtree existed, I wasn't even twenty years old. I was a thickheaded, hot-blooded young fool who could think of nothing but fighting and women.
"All I wanted was to find myself a beautiful woman, have a damn good time with her, and make a few dozen babies. I figured that would be a fine way to spend the rest of my life.
"Then I met Marika.
"She was the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on. But you know something? I never once thought about marrying her or having children with her.
"Do you know why?
"Because she told me that if I fought for her, we could create an age without war.
"And that foolish young man, Hoarah Loux, believed her.
"I followed her into battle, fighting wars in the east and west. Eventually, I took the name Godfrey, meaning 'God's Peace.'
"My dream was to see the Lands Between become a place where war no longer existed."
Godfrey paused, his voice heavy with emotion.
"But look at things now. The dynasty has fallen into the same old cycle of rise and decline, as though history itself has condemned us to repeat it.
"Even so, my dream hasn't changed.
"I still hope that one day, there won't be any more wars.
"Let my axe rust, for all I care. I can always use it to chop firewood.
"Once I've dealt with Rykard, the Lands Between will finally be at peace. Then I'll return to Leyndell and enjoy my retirement."
Skyl nodded.
He shared the First Elden Lord's dream.
However, he couldn't resist reminding the old king that making such confident declarations about the future was practically inviting disaster.
He really shouldn't jinx himself like that.
"So, where are you headed, young man?" Godfrey asked. "Things are pretty dangerous around Mt. Gelmir. Why don't I have my army escort you?"
"We'll make our own way, thanks."
Skyl shook his head.
"But we can meet up at Volcano Manor."
"Then it's settled! I'll see you there!"
Godfrey broke into a hearty grin.
He was still the same foolish young Hoarah Loux he had been all those years ago.
Simplehearted, innocent, and utterly unstoppable.
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