The Cult Of The Forgotten Ones

"Books? And about The Demon Lord Xanteria?" Kael said.

Nizara replied, "I'm intending to get some information about him. Are there any books about The Demon Lord Xanteria?"

Kael nodded. "If I remember correctly, my dad has one, but it's off-limits to everyone except for him and my mom."

Nizara asked, "Do you know where it is?"

Kael replied, "It's inside his room, but currently he's visiting The Solandria Kingdom."

Nizara then said, "That makes it easier for me to get the book."

Kael shook his head. "Actually, it makes it harder. The room is heavily guarded by the top guardians in this kingdom."

Nizara thought for a moment and said, "I have an idea." He headed back inside the bar and went over to the table where Kai, Captain Zane, Leon, and Princess Thalia were having their challenge of who could drink the most beer. They were all drunk; Kai and Captain Zane were already sleeping. Leon kept drinking with Thalia, both determined to win.

Nizara declared, "And that's it! The challenge ends in a draw!"

Leon and Thalia stopped drinking. Thalia asked, "Oh Nizara, where did you go?"

Nizara said, "You both reek of alcohol! Come on, Princess, let me walk you back to your room."

As Nizara tried to help Thalia get up, she refused, saying, "No, I don't want to go!" She started to kick Nizara, one kick hitting his face and making his nose bleed.

Nizara stood up, "Your Majesty!" Thalia then stared at Nizara as he yelled out, "Please be my girlfriend!" Even Kael watched from outside through the window. Nizara thought, *This is the only way to convince her to help me in the mission.*

Thalia said, "Prove it!"

Caught off guard, Nizara stammered, "HUH?"

Thalia repeated, "Prove that you love me!"

Nizara quickly thought of a way to prove his love. He grabbed a glass, poured alcohol into it, and drank it in one go. He then walked towards Thalia and kissed her on the lips. Everyone was shocked. Captain Zane and Kai woke from all the commotion, and Kael watched with a shocked look from outside.

Nizara finished the kiss and, with a blush, asked, "Do you believe me now, Your Majesty?"

Thalia had tears in her eyes and hugged Nizara. He smirked, his plan a success. He helped Thalia out and walked out of the bar with her. Nizara told Kael, "Let's go! I need that book."

Kael smiled, "You really did that just for a book?"

Nizara said, "I'd do anything to achieve my goal!"

After some time, the three of them stopped right outside the Royal Family House and discussed their plan.

Nizara said, "So here's the plan. Firstly, we'll have Thalia walking around the hall drunk, and then she'll fall. Then Kael walks in and yells for help, saying Thalia has passed out. All the guards will come to help, giving me an opportunity to get inside the King's room."

Kael asked, "How will you get out of the room then?"

Nizara replied, "Leave that part to me; I'll handle it."

Thalia, still a bit drunk, asked, "What are you guys planning to do?"

Nizara said, "It's a secret. Just do your part, Your Majesty."

Thalia asked, "Is it dangerous?"

Nizara answered, "Yes, it is dangerous."

Thalia suddenly started to cry, "Don't go! You will die!"

Nizara reassured her, "Don't worry. Have some more trust in your boyfriend."

Nizara then said, "Anyways, I'll be going, Prince."

Kael nodded, "Be careful, Nizara."

Nizara ran towards the Royal Family Palace. Kael and Thalia hurriedly ran through the halls of the Royal Family's quarters, but Thalia suddenly collapsed. Kael panicked, shouting for help. "Guards! Someone help!" His cries attracted the attention of nearby guards, who rushed to check on them.

Amidst the commotion, Nizara sneaked inside, making his way to the King's room door. Carefully, he opened it and slipped inside, finding himself in a grand room with a massive bookshelf lined with thousands of books. Recalling Kael's earlier tip, he thought to himself, *The book isn't on the shelf.* He headed straight to the King's bedroom table. Just as he entered the bedroom, Nizara's eyes widened at the sight of a masked man in a long black coat, brandishing a sword.

Without hesitation, Nizara challenged him, "Who are you?" The masked man responded with a powerful blast of magic, causing a huge explosion that blasted the roof open as he attempted to flee. Nizara pursued him relentlessly, calling out, "You won't escape!" The man hurled streams of Hellfire Aether at Nizara, who skillfully dodged them. As he closed in, Nizara realized with a start, *He's using Dark Magic!*

Kael and Thalia heard the explosion along with the guards. Nizara was still trying to catch the man, but then two others started to attack Nizara, who seemed to be allies with the guy Nizara was tailing.

"What the hell is going on?" said Nizara. One of the two stayed behind to battle Nizara while the other two ran away.

Nizara asked, "Hey, who the hell are you guys?"

The guy stood there, putting up a defensive position. Nizara speculated, *He's trying to fight me? Oh well, I might as well fight him here and go after the other two.* Nizara took out his sword and said, "Swiftstride, ON!" He activated Swiftstride, which is a Zephyr Aether move that increases speed and agility.

As Nizara pursued the masked man, another figure emerged from the shadows, blocking his path. Without hesitation, Nizara lunged at him, his sword moving rapidly with the help of Swiftstride. "You won't stand in my way," he declared, his blade slashing through the air.

The adversary dodged smoothly, countering with a swift strike of his own. Their swords clashed, ringing out in the night. Nizara, feeling the pressure, pushed backward and shouted, "Winds of fury, gather and unleash—HURRICANE STRIKE!" A wave of water surged forward, trapping the man's legs and immobilizing him.

With precision, Nizara placed his hand on his sword, murmuring an incantation that cloaked the blade in crackling lightning. He brought the sword's tip to the water, electrifying his opponent, who convulsed in pain. Nizara seized the moment to strike, but suddenly, a massive fireball struck him from behind, sending him flying through the air. As Nizara soared, he caught a glimpse of the masked man standing at a distance, his hand still glowing from the fiery attack.

Nizara crashed down in the middle of the town, the wind knocked out of him as he struggled to regain his footing. "This isn't over," he vowed, determination blazing in his eyes. Then Nizara fainted.

The next day, Nizara opened his eyes and saw Thalia sitting right beside him as he lay on a bed. Nizara thought, *I must've fainted. Maybe I drained my magic energy. Where am I?*

Thalia noticed that Nizara opened his eyes and quickly hugged him. Nizara, in pain, said, "Wait, don't hug me too tightly, Thalia. It hurts!"

Thalia started crying, "Thank God, you're okay!"

Nizara reassured her, "You don't need to cry. I am all right." Then Kael, Captain Zane, and the rest of the Black Squad entered the room.

Kael said, "Thank goodness, you're okay. Nizara, what on earth happened?"

Nizara answered, "I'll tell you, but first help me get up." As Nizara got up, he explained, "Inside the king's room, there was a guy trying to steal something. I saw him, and then he blasted the roof, but I chased after him. Suddenly two other guys came out of nowhere and attacked me. At that point, I thought they were probably comrades of the first guy, and I indulged in a fight with one of them, as the other one ran away with the first one, or so I thought."

Captain Zane asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Nizara explained, "The other guy who ran away with the first one actually stayed behind just in case. His decision saved the first guy's life because I was about to kill him. Then he caught me off guard and used a Hellfire Aether technique on me, which sent me flying into the middle of the town."

Captain Zane said, "Dark Magic? I see, this could be problematic."

The King suddenly entered the hospital room with the Queen, where Nizara lay recovering. "Nizara," he said warmly, "I'm grateful for your bravery in fighting back and trying to retrieve the book." Nizara, still weak from the battle, managed a nod. "Thank you, Your Majesty," he replied, his voice filled with resolve. "I will continue to fight and protect this kingdom."

The Queen stepped forward, her eyes filled with gratitude. "We owe you a great debt, Nizara," she said softly. "Your courage and dedication are commendable." She turned to the gathered group, her expression serious. "This incident underscores the need for vigilance. Dark Magic is a grave threat, and we must remain prepared."

Captain Zane spoke up, his voice determined. "We'll strengthen our defenses and increase patrols. We'll find those responsible and ensure they cannot harm our kingdom again." The others nodded in agreement, their resolve matching his.

As Nizara lay back down to rest, he knew that this was just the beginning. The battle against the Dark Magic users was far from over, and he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. His determination to protect the kingdom and its people burned brighter than ever, and he knew that he would not rest until the threat was eliminated.

*To Be Continued…*