Chapter 17: Hidden Powers

After Selin woke everyone, Rin was still outside the tent until they all stood up. Events then moved quickly: Mona and Lina gathered the bedding while Selin and Aretha teamed up to prepare breakfast. Once breakfast was ready, Selin called Rin to eat before they set off to continue their journey.

Everyone sat in a circle around the makeshift table—a wooden plank laid across low supports for their dishes—while they ate. When the meal was finished, the girls cleaned up the mess left by the food, and Theron, carrying the rolled-up mats on his back, began pitching the tent again in preparation for their departure toward their nearby destination: the city of Arian.

By midday, the sun's blazing heat intensified, and the golden sands trapped every ounce of its warmth, causing those accustomed to the green plains to sweat profusely—they weren't used to this kind of heat, unlike Oran, Theron, and Selin, who had grown up here. Even the breeze they hoped would relieve their thirst was so hot it only dried their mouths. They paused again and again to drink water, and at last breathed a sigh of relief when Oran announced a stop for lunch.

Theron returned to finish setting up the tent while Selin laid out the mats. Everyone filed into the small tent; in its cramped space, the heat of the sun mixed with the warmth of their bodies, making them feel as though they were inside a furnace. They all lay on their backs, trying to lessen the impact of the heat, while Oran, Theron, and Selin were still busy preparing lunch—with little success, for each effort they made to cool off was met by the relentless heat they inhaled.

When Selin finally finished cooking, everyone ate quickly and eagerly, eager to resume their march—even though the break inside the tent did little to restore their energy and instead heightened their discomfort. Once they'd eaten, all those from the green plains dashed out of the tent as Theron disassembled it and caught up with them on the road.

It wasn't long before Aretha collapsed unconscious, overcome by a heat she'd never endured before. Erinnor lifted her onto his back and pressed on with the group, sweat pouring off him constantly. The situation remained like this until the sun's intensity gradually waned with the approach of afternoon; high noon gave way to its descent.

After Aretha regained consciousness, she resumed walking under her own power. At that moment, Leon came up beside her and asked anxiously,

"Are you all right? Can you keep going? If you feel you can't, I can carry you on my back."

She smiled and replied,

"Thank you, Leon, but I'm fine now. I can continue by myself."

The group pressed on toward the city that had come into view before them—yet no matter how many steps they took, the distance remained the same, as if the city stepped back with each advance. This continued until, at last, they felt they were truly drawing near to their destination, rather than chasing a mirage.

Eventually, they arrived at the gates of Arian. Silence enveloped the place: shops were closed, only a few passersby wandered the empty streets, and soldiers patrolled, guarding the city against the demonic beasts. As the sun neared the horizon, Oran approached one of the soldiers to ask why the city was deserted and its shops locked.

The soldier recognized Oran at once and greeted him with a smile; they shook hands. Oran asked,

"Why does the city seem empty? Did something happen while I was away?"

The soldier answered sadly,

"My lord, King Valkor has imposed a curfew—everyone must be in their homes before sunset to keep safe. We've suffered heavy losses: wolves have vanished, replaced by the Silent Harish. Though weaker than wolves, their silent method of killing and their seemingly endless numbers pose a grave threat. We, ten elite soldiers with our finest weapons, can barely slay a single Harish. If this continues, this city may disappear in no time—perhaps forever."

After speaking, the soldier asked, "Do you need our help?"

Oran replied, "No, thank you for explaining."

But as Oran turned to leave, the soldier called him back:

"Wait. King Ethan has commanded that I bring you to the castle as soon as you are spotted in the city. Can you come with me now?"

Oran looked at the soldier in surprise, then motioned to his friends:

"These are my companions—I will not go without them. Please inform the king that I have many friends with me."

The soldier sighed and said, "Very well. The king will welcome them if he knows they are your friends. Let us go at once to the castle, for the crisis is about to start."

Oran nodded in agreement and relayed the news to his friends, who all agreed to go. Erinnor was overjoyed at the prospect: he took his sister Aretha's hand and said, "At last, I will meet the king!"

They followed the soldier to the castle and arrived at the door leading to the main hall where the king sat. The soldier knocked, and a voice from inside called,

"I'm a guard on the night watch—may I enter? I have urgent news."

"Come in," came the reply.

Slowly, the soldier opened the door and entered, closing it behind him as the others waited. He stood before the king, offering his respects. The king quickly said,

"State your business; I am busy."

King Ethan sat at his desk, reviewing documents on his empty throne. The soldier reported,

"My lord, I saw Oran walking through the city with his friends."

The king's expression hardened. "Are you sure it was him?"

"Absolutely, my lord. Shall I fetch them?"

The king arched an eyebrow, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Bring them in. I want to see them myself."

The soldier left to bring Oran and his friends inside. Once they stood before the king, the soldier was dismissed to continue his duties, and the king addressed Oran:

"I am pleased to see you back, Oran. I see you have brought companions this time. Did you learn anything on your journey?"

Oran replied,

"Thank you for your hospitality, my lord. When we went to the green plains, the devastation was far worse than I expected: an entire city was wiped out, and some villages suffered relentless attacks by the demonic beasts. I met my friends there—they, too, are strong. Although there are four of us wielders of a mysterious power, there are demonic creatures we cannot contend with; we nearly perished in one battle, but we prevailed in the end. We have come here to find a solution to this catastrophe. It seems this was not the first appearance of these creatures—they first emerged in the Western Desert, though the details remain unclear."

Oran paused and asked, "Do you understand, my lord?"

King Ethan nodded. "It must have been a hard ordeal. Very well—I will add you to my retinue tonight, and you may explain more then."

At that moment, Erinnor stepped forward, still holding Aretha's hand, and knelt before King Ethan, apologizing:

"Forgive my interruption, my lord, but in truth I am Prince Erinnor, son of King Valoran, and this is my sister Aretha. We seek your aid: the royal family of Valinor has fallen, and the city was utterly destroyed. We alone survived. Our goal is to help you rebuild the city after we cleanse the world of these demonic creatures."

King Ethan was stunned, his face showing shock that swiftly turned to resolve. "There is no need for formalities between us. Your father was my dearest friend, and it pains me to hear this news. I will do all I can to support you in rebuilding the city. I cannot forget the kindness King Valoran showed me."

He then called out sternly to the guard at the door, "Summon the minister at once; we have honored guests to receive."

The guard saluted and departed. The gathered party looked on in amazement. Erinnor was about to speak again, but King Ethan cut him off:

"As I said, no need for ceremony. We have much to discuss, and there's no rush—you are under my hospitality now."

The attendees exchanged complex looks. Oran stepped forward and said,

"Thank you, King Ethan, but we will not be a burden."

Ethan smiled. "There is no inconvenience at all; it is my duty to you."

Oran smiled back. "Then let us thank you for your generous hospitality."

At that moment, the minister entered, escorted by the guard the king had summoned. The minister was balding on top, the remaining black hair streaked with white at the temples, and his large nose gave him an ungainly appearance. All eyes turned to him. The soldier addressed him,

"I have brought him, my lord."

The minister asked, "Did you call for me? How may I serve you…"

Ethan bade the soldier to depart and turned to the minister,

"As you see, I have many guests to honor. Proceed, and tell the servants to prepare dinner and ready the guest chambers."

The minister nodded and approached the servants. "My name is Laurence, Minister to King Ethan. I'm pleased to meet you."

Everyone replied in unison, "We're pleased to meet you as well."

Laurence then instructed the group to follow him on a tour of the castle. The castle was immense, each corridor lined with at least ten rooms, and everyone craned their necks, astonished by its grandeur.

They next arrived at the kitchen, with Laurence leading the way. Inside, a great number of servants—young and old—stood in uniform. Laurence addressed them:

"As you know, we have guests in the castle. Prepare a grand table for them and King Ethan, and ready their rooms. Understood?"

The servants answered together, "Understood, my lord."

Laurence then led the party toward the main hall. At last they reached it: a long table surrounded by many empty chairs, with King Ethan seated at its head. He smiled and gestured for them to be seated in anticipation of dinner. Everyone sat, including Laurence, while Ethan rested his head on his hands atop the table.

As the servants set the dinner, Ethan said,

"Now we may continue our conversation."

All fell silent for a moment before Oran broke the quiet:

"As I mentioned before, this was not the first appearance of these creatures—they first appeared in the Western Desert. But the details of that event are completely obscure, as if that era were erased from history."

Ethan responded in surprise,

"And how did you learn of that? There's no clear evidence that this is their second appearance."

Oran answered,

"In truth, I apologize for my earlier words. These weapons we carry actually contain a mysterious power: all the data about the demonic beasts' past is engraved within them, sorted—but the records of that era are entirely absent, as is any record of their forging."

Ethan nodded in understanding. "I see—but it's still hard to believe this is the second event rather than the first. Are there higher‑ranked beasts within the demonic portal?"

Oran replied,

"My lord, not only higher ranks. For example: the Lightning Wolves we slay constantly once had a king as powerful as ten thousand of them combined. We nearly died in that battle, and were fortunate only after we finally defeated him. Afterward, the wolves vanished with him, though some lingered across the world; killing their king cut off their reinforcements. But then another beast emerged—the Silent Harish. They are weaker than the wolves but more dangerous: they can assassinate silently, and their numbers are beyond imagination. Yet they, too, vanished when we reached the Western Desert, where we fought their king, also as powerful as ten thousand, on our way to the city."

Both Ethan and Laurence were astonished by Oran's description of demon‑beast kings a ten thousand times powerful. Laurence asked,

"But how did you defeat him on your own?"

At that, Rin interjected challengingly,

"In fact, these weapons have their own system: the more we kill, the stronger we become. Do you understand now?"

Laurence fell silent in surprise. Ethan then said,

"So does this mean that other types of demonic beasts will begin pouring out of that portal?"

Rin answered,

"Most likely, yes; after we kill one king, another wave of a different type follows."

Ethan nodded in comprehension. "I understand now. Thank you for telling me these truths we could not have known without you. So, what do you plan to do next?"

Oran, Rin, and Leon exchanged glances with the others. Oran spoke:

"In truth, we came here to achieve our goal and to protect you as well. We will stay here for a long time and camp along the way to seek more information. Is there any problem with that?"

Ethan laughed. "On the contrary, you are welcome anytime and anywhere you wish."

Then he added slowly,

"But did you know I have some news that might completely change your mind about staying here?"

The group, even Laurence, looked surprised—they clearly did not know what the king knew alone. Ethan raised his voice in astonishment:

"In fact, I received a message from King Leo Falconer, stating that a force is eradicating all demonic beasts in the Southern Forest. He indicated they are a mysterious presence, not appearing publicly. I have corresponded with him for a long time regarding the region's conditions and losses, and I received his reply a week ago. I kept the matter secret from everyone, but now I tell you."

Oran, Rin, and Leon rose from their seats, shock on their faces. Oran turned to Rin and said,

"Perhaps this is the organization behind the weapons."

Rin replied,

"I was about to say that as well—it could indeed be behind everything."

Just then, Ethan cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention; anger flickered across his features. Oran, Rin, and Leon bowed apologetically. Ethan calmed and said,

"So, what have you decided to do?"

Oran looked at his friends and said,

"In truth, I will speak my mind—with my friends' agreement: perhaps we should stay here a month to secure and protect the city, then head to the Southern Forest. Do you all agree?"

Rin and Leon hesitated briefly after conferring, then Rin said,

"I see no problem with that; we can do as you say."

Oran expressed his relief and thanked Rin and Leon for their support. Ethan smiled,

"You are welcome for the entire month."

Shortly afterward, dinner arrived on three moving tables pushed by young maidservants, the dishes laid out over the fully set tables with every kind of food. Ethan gave the order to begin eating, and everyone stepped forward to dine.

When they had finished, an elderly maid entered and said,

"We have already prepared your rooms."

Ethan looked at her and said,

"You may depart; you must be tired. We will continue our conversation later."

Everyone rose from the table and followed the elderly maid down the corridor to the guest rooms. She stopped them and asked,

"Each room here has two beds, except one has three. Choose whom you wish to share with."

After a long discussion, Rin, Leon, and Erinnor chose the room with three beds to spend the night together, while the other allocations were:

Oran and Theron

Mona and Lina

Selin and Aretha

The rooms shared walls between them. Exhausted by the heat of the Western Desert, ever

yone lay down and fell asleep, while Rin alone stayed awake, gazing at the ceiling and reflecting on the long events of this evening.