Chapter 2: Revelations

The knock upon the door Lancing had been waiting for resounded firmly throughout the study. Since the time of the King’s announcement, the sky had become an orange color that dyed the furniture into a similar evening hue. He pulled himself from the novel, whose story only reached its climax, as an annoyed expression appeared on his face. Standing up with a stretch, he returned the book to its bookcase as he walked towards the door. He caught his own eyes in a mirror as he reached to pull the handle. 'Presentable enough,' he thought.

Once the door opened, a soldier in armor fashioned with gold stood ramrod straight, arms crossed behind his back. The middle-aged man had long served his father and was known for being stern, but an excellent instructor. His skin had long become dried and crusted from the weather during his long campaigns, but his overgrown beard protected at least part of his face from the seasons. He was the man responsible for all the swordplay Lancing was familiar with.

The mustached soldier released a cough before he began. "Your Highness, His Majesty King Balking requests your presence at his quarters before the hour is up. He claims it is of the utmost importance." After finishing his piece, the soldier took a step back from the doorway, indicating he would escort the Prince to the meeting.

Lancing locked eyes with the man as he stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. "Sure thing, Uncle Alden. But why are you still so formal after all these years? You've knocked me on my ass more times than I can count, only to then scream at me to stand up again. I can assure you, there was no respect in your voice then. " Lancing let out a playful smile as he moved towards his father's room. The trip would take a few minutes at a leisurely pace, but it didn't feel long enough to speak to his old instructor, whom he seldom saw nowadays.

A slight blush appeared on Alden's face at the memories of assaulting the young Prince, but let nothing else show on his face. "Your training was the duty assigned to me by His Majesty so of course I tried my best in the matter. Though It's a shame I couldn't convince your father to allow you to become a warrior. Your swordplay would've made you a great knight in battle."

Lancing laughed at the thought of his father, always so lenient, refusing to let his son lower himself to a knight. Despite all of the struggles caused by his lack of talent, Crusius never once yielded when it came to the study of magic. He was determined to make a mage out of Lancing one day.

"To be fair Uncle, a life like that just isn't for me. Too many calluses to soak after a long day of sweating under the sun and enough pain to turn my pale skin black and blue. Neither of those is fit for a noble, now is it?" Lancing shuddered as he thought of those painful days in the sweltering, mid-summer heat. He swore half of the water in his body soaked his clothes after each day of practice.

Captain Alden's face sharpened as he looked at the Prince who in many ways still resembled the rambunctious child of back then. "Nobility is not an entitlement, but a status that is earned. Your father did not only practice magic while he was away but also the arts of various native and foreign weaponry. His success is built upon years of sweat and rivers of blood. It is not something to take for granted."

Lancing, of course, knew of this. Although the King never went into too much detail of his time away from Empire, he had alluded to the countless battles he had participated in. Stories told to him as he sat on his father's lap, were ones filled with bloodshed rather than myths and tall-tales. Long days of training took the place of leisure between every life and death experience his father had gone through, but it only served to make him stronger. It was also towards the end of this period of brutality that Lancing was born, while Apolla followed only a couple of years after.

After the quick few minutes of walking, the duo of men had made it to the door of the King’s quarters. Alden turned towards Lancing and grabbed his hand with strength, to which Lancing reciprocated. He looked at the boy who had become a man in his eyes and soon gave a satisfied nod along with a rare smile. After the handshake full of unspoken meaning, the two saluted towards one another and Alden turned back towards the way they had come. Lancing stared at the departing figure for a moment before he opened the door with his now bruised hand that would without a doubt be blue by the time the sun left for the night.

No soldiers guarded King Balkin, who at this moment quickly wrote on a sheet of fine, off-white paper. The oak table he currently wrote on was decorated with all sorts of oddities and baubles, each with a long story behind them. A large window lay behind the King's back which shrouded the man in an orange tint that added yet another color to the robes he wore. The room's walls were decorated with classical paintings, heads of various animals, and even scripture that the man in the center of the room would often recite. The room was devoid of any mirrors which were placed in every other room in the castle. In their place, paintings of the magnificent King of Balkin took their place, along with similar paintings for each of his children. Lancing still remembered posing for the painting that sat beside the one of the King. His muscles seemed to remember much more vividly than him as they cramped up almost on reflex.

Crusius finished writing the letter only a moment after Lancing's entrance as he capped the golden ink pen and placed it somewhere inside his robe. He raised his head from the paper and locked eyes with Lancing. Despite the countless times Lancing has met eyes with his father, he never got used to the passive feeling of repression those eyes gave off. Yet, as the years passed by, the feeling only got stronger as his father’s power grew to the point where Lancing could no longer tell what he was capable of. It would be easier for his father to flick out the light of his life, than for Lancing to kill an ant. Despite the uncomfortable feeling flooding into Lancing’s body, the radiant smile which appeared on his father’s face seemed to wash away his ailments.

“My boy! It seems like you arrived right on time, but you really should knock before you walk into someone else’s room. You almost caught me off guard.” Crusius finished his words with a laugh as he stood from his seat, welcoming Lancing to sit in the chair opposite to the desk.

Lancing took a few steps forward and sat in the seat indicated by his father. He enjoyed everything about this office from the tasteful decorations to the padded chair that was more comfortable than his king-sized bed.

“Like someone like me could surprise you, even if you weren’t paying attention. You probably knew my exact location even before I left the study, to say nothing of walking into the same room as you. Speaking of which, you’ve grown even more powerful since last time haven’t you?” Lancing refuted the King’s words before asking about the question he was curious about.

“Ah! So you noticed, too? It seems like I had another breakthrough recently. Reaching the second stage of Emperor isn’t too far away.” Crusius was always humble when he spoke about his talent, but his progress was indeed monstrous. His ability to reach his current level would surprise even those who protected this world with their power beyond comprehension. Usually, becoming an emperor took upwards of a hundred years even for those with top-tier talent. The King of Hearth was soon preparing to celebrate his 55th year, not even half the time it took other humans to ascend if they even managed to at all.

Surprise was evident on Lancing’s face after hearing his father’s words. His breathing soon began to turn rugged as he thought of the infinite possibilities his father would have in the future. Even taking over the Titan Empire, to which Hearth was a part of, was not out of the question. As his brain continued to turn as he continued this thought process, soon his darker thoughts began to set in.

Seeing a shadow fall over his son’s face, Crusius tried to smile even further, “But I’m serious about you catching me off guard. I wasn’t certain if you had walked off with Alden or not until you placed your hand upon the door.”

Lancing rolled his eyes. His father always tried to make him feel better, but oftentimes he would exaggerate to try to lighten the atmosphere. “Anyways, what’s in that letter you’re writing, old man? I’ve seen better handwriting of yours in birthday cards to our second cousins.”

Crusius muttered to himself, ‘I’m only 54, how is that old?’ Shaking his head, he said, “Well it happens to pertain to why I called on you today.” Suddenly, the smile on the Crusius’ face disappeared as turned serious.

Seeing his father’s change in demeanor, Lancing also began to focus as he narrowed his eyes, “Does it have any relation as to why Apolla and Uncle Alden were acting somewhat odd?”

Crusius sighed and looked at the painting of his daughter. The solemn expression on her portrait set her apart from the other two who both smiled, even if the one on Lancing’s face looked somewhat stiff. “I had hoped they would have hidden their emotions better, but I suppose that’s unfair of me. This letter is for the High Mage of Alundrel, the leader of our neighboring Kingdom. You know we are allies with them, but they are only interested in furthering the studies of magic, not in war, so they have refused to help us in the coming battles. In exchange, the High Mage has agreed to protect you in their capital city and even take you as his disciple so he can attempt to figure out a way around your ‘condition.’ I trust in his protection and I'm sure you will be far safer there. Even the Haguls would be hesitant to take action in another country’s capital whom they have peace with.”

After the King finished speaking his part, he looked towards Lancing, expecting a little resistance from the youth. However, Lancing remained quiet and without rebellion towards the plan. Once the prince had heard the news of the coming war, he knew the capital was no longer safe, especially for someone like him who couldn’t protect himself. Lancing was prepared for this meeting with his father, as he knew it would be his last for some time. The intentions of the King of Hearth was not only a war with the Hagul Kingdom but rather a large-scale expansion. The reason given in his speech was just the Casus Belli to be told to the people as an official statement. After defeating the Hagul Kingdom, he would then turn towards its allies under the pretext of retaliation. By that point, the Kingdom of Hearth would far exceed the size of a Kingdom and, with its new consolidated power, would state itself as a new Empire, backed with the power of Crusius Balkin. At least, that was the plan discussed at the war council. If everything went according to it, he may not be back home for at least a decade or perhaps longer.

After a minute or two, Lancing finally spoke aloud his thoughts. “Father, do you truly believe the High Mage will be able to find a way to cure my condition?”

“Lancing, there is a reason he is hailed as the High Mage. Their laws are much different compared to ours; strength is not enough of a reason to become the leader of their nation. High Mage Kastrel is said to be a genius born only once in ten-thousand years and after seeing his research in person, I also believe this to be true. I have full confidence he will find a way to cure your affliction, or at least find a way to work around it.”

Lancing listened to his father’s words as he thought about what he knew about the Alundrel Kingdom and its leader. He was very familiar with the rumors surrounding the man but had never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. Unknown to his father, Lancing often browsed the library and even delved deep into the research conducted by Alundrel. Hundreds of years of fascinating discoveries were held in the Royal Library and the most interesting and practical of them were the projects undertaken by Kastrel Flemming. From his youth to his current age that surpassed the lifespan of most normal humans, the man displayed brilliance in many different fields from the study of alchemical reagents, the composition of magical arrays, and even the correlation between willpower and its ability to affect the natural world. Lancing would often stay up for days at a time attempting to comprehend his theories and results but was unable to further his understanding without any practical application

Being sent to the Kingdom of Magical Study was far from Lancing's original expectations. His melancholy towards leaving the city he was raised in washed away as his lust for knowledge momentarily took over. Having the opportunity to study in Eligrace, the capital, was already enough to fan the flames of desire in his heart, but being able to study under the greatest researcher of the modern era was enough to make him light-headed.

“Father, this is unbelievable! When do we set out towards their capital?” Lancing spoke with haste as if he had no time to spare. “I have so much to prepare, from books to research scrolls of our own. I’ll need to scavenge the library from top to bottom and even prepare a whole list of questions to ask the High Mage! Not to mention I’ll also need to pack my belongings and enough supplies to prepare for the journey.”

In Lancings excitement, he jumped from his chair and grabbed a paper to begin creating a list of what he planned to take on the expedition. Judging by his estimations, the trip would take three days of travel through Hearth's territory, followed by eight more once in the Alundrel. However, when he reached over to grab a pen he saw an awkward expression on his father’s face.

“What?” Lancing asked as a bad feeling began to expand in his heart.

With a cough, Crusius spoke once more, “Unfortunately there won’t be enough time for that. Tonight, Duke Richmond’s daughter has stopped in Rendhall as they head towards the Alundrel Kingdom as well. She is extremely gifted, as I’m sure you are well aware, and her father hopes for her to succeed the Duchy in the future. The Duke hopes she makes progress in Alundrel as she is only a Baroness now, but everyone knows she has great potential. Duke Richmond will be an important force among my army, so Elise, his daughter, will also be studying under the High Mage with you.” Crusius paused a moment after seeing the impatience on his son’s face. Realizing he was skipping over the issue, he finally went straight to the point. “You will join their caravan in secret as they leave tonight. No one can know that you left the capital and looking at the time, you have about forty-five minutes before their departure.”

Silence descended upon the room after this information was unveiled to Lancing. Lancing cared little that he was unable to prepare the books and research he had wanted to take with him as he was sure Alundrel would have plenty of texts and records that would keep him preoccupied. What truly distraught him was that he had no time to say his goodbyes before he left as it would take him more than half an hour by itself to reach the caravan, even without the crowd currently swarming the city.

Crusius stood up once more as he walked around the desk to approach his son. “Lancing, it pains me to say goodbye on such short notice, but this is the safest way for you to travel. There is a low chance our enemies will expect you to leave, and even if they do find out, you should be in Alundrel’s capital by then. This will have to be goodbye, son.”

Seeing his father approach him, Lancing also stood up to meet him. Without needing to say any words, Lancing extended his hand, awaiting the powerful grip the man has shown before, but Crusius looked at the outstretched hand as if he was offended. A genuine laugh left Crusius' mouth as he pulled his son into a forceful hug, tightening his arms so he wouldn’t be able to weave himself out of the embrace.

“Love you, kid. Take care of yourself and come back stronger than ever.”

Lancing felt a pang in his heart after these words. He had currently spent more than a decade attempting to advance even an insignificant amount but had yet to make any progress. However, in front of his dad’s hopeful words, Lancing couldn’t help but swear deep in his heart that this time would be different.

“Thanks, dad. I promise I will.”

As the powerful King of Hearth released his firm grip on Lancing, he passed a sealed envelope into his son’s hand. Lancing took the important letter from the hands of his father and placed it in his jacket as he walked out of the room. After leaving one of the many exits of the Heart, Lancing hurried under the cover of night to the caravan that would soon be leaving towards his brighter future.