Chapter 18 – I am royally f****k

The corridor opens up into a grand throne room, illuminated by the soft glow of luminescent moss that clings to the walls. The room is adorned with delicate tapestries woven from threads that seem to shimmer like moonlight. At the far end, a majestic throne carved from the same stone as the seat outside commands attention. It's not empty – a tall and regal figure is seated upon it.

Luna bows, and I follow suit.

The moth king sighs at my view, bored. His wings, expansive and resplendent, flutter gently, casting a soft glow around him. They bear a majestic pattern that mirrors the constellations scattered across the night sky. The Moth King's tan skin complements the ethereal glow of these wings. His brown hair cascades in gentle waves, framing his face with an air of sophistication. The obsidian eyes, deep and inscrutable, seems to criticize my very existence.

He is wearing a meticulously tailored waistcoat in deep hues of burgundy, I recognize his clothing as the style in the Laesta Kingdom. He must have been wearing the clothing the moth people looted from the helicopter and the corpses scattered around the first layer.

Flanking the King on either side are two Moth Attendants, each wielding large leaves to create a gentle breeze. Their movements are synchronized, their breasts jiggles at the harmonious dance that serves to provide the King with elegant fresh air from the ambient warmth. I can see sweats glistening on their bodies, and I am in trance by watching their soft movements.

The king waves at the two moth-women and they stop in their movements. The trance is broken and is like I have woken up from a mesmerizing dream.

"King Mothr, Luna has brought to you the human man Adonis,"

King Mothr acknowledges Luna's introduction with a nod, his eyes focusing on me with a discerning gaze. I offer a respectful bow, uncertain of the customs in this enchanting realm. Luna, standing beside me, seems to radiate an air of both reverence and protectiveness.

"You've ventured far, Adonis," King Mothr speaks, his voice resonating with a measured authority. "What brings you to the realm of the Mothkin?"

I straighten up and meet the king's gaze. "I seek passage through the layers below, toward the crystal that lies at the heart of this colossal expanse."

Gasps spreads through the throne room. The dancers, who stood each to a corner of the stone room looked around bewildered, their luminous wings fluttering in an agitated dance.

Luna is nibbling on her hairy fingers, looking back and forth between the king and I. King Mothr raises his hand, a signal for calm among his subjects. The gentle hum of wings slowly subsides, leaving a tense silence in its wake.

"Adonis seeks the Crystal of Desires," Luna announces, her voice carrying a mix of excitement and reverence. The Mothkin look at me with a newfound intensity.

King Mothr leans forward, his gaze piercing through the subdued atmosphere. "The Crystal is a passage to the heart's deepest yearnings, but it is also a gateway to the shadows within. Many of my kin has sought to find it, the kings and queens before me have sent many to find it and yet they never came back to tell their tales. What makes you think a mere human can?"

"I have nothing to lose," I say.

"Many have nothing to lose, what do you have that my kin did not?"

I don't answer, instead I lower my gaze to the ground and stay quiet.

King Mothr observes my silence with a contemplative expression. Luna shifts uncomfortably beside me, sensing the weight of the moment. The king, after a prolonged pause, speaks again.

"What is that you seek from me, Adonis?"

"I have lost my gear to descend further into the layers… I need to find a new one to get to the next layer."

The king looks uncertain at my words, that's when a mothkin I have not noticed from before steps up and whispers into his ears. From the little I am able to hear, the mothkin whispering is explaining what "gears" are to the king. It didn't even cross my mind that they wouldn't know what a gear is.

When the mothkin is done explaining and steps back, King Mothr leans back on his stone throne, considering my request. His gaze is inscrutable, and the room remains hushed as the moth-kin await his decision.

"Your request is not without consequence," he finally speaks, "as anything in this world, nothing comes cheap."

I nod.

"You may have as much gear as you want, if-" he takes a big pause, glancing around his people. "If you manage to kill our biggest threat."

My blood chills, the world spin around me as I already can tell what he is going to say next. "You must slay the spider king and queen,"

I am completely…

utterly…

royally…

fucked.