Zavier, Olivia and Chloe had started making plans to look for the weapon which was hidden in earth. They packed food cloths and things needed for their survival, Chloe had this intuition that this was all lies but she would always wave off the thought since a lot has already happened to make her believe it was really happening.
They readied their horses and was getting ready to leave. Olivia went over her grandma's grave scooped up a hand full of sand and slowly poured them back down
"I promise grandma, I will bring you to justice" she said.
********
GONDOR;
The sky rumbled and the lightning flashed, the weather was dull and not so optimistic. A storm was coming at Gondor and it looked heavy. Gondor is a very magical place, unlike Earth.
The castle was towering and very high with a golden statue whose left hand seemed to have been melted off. Inside the castle was darker and it seemed as if the night was upon them but it was due to the storm and the dark gaze it cast. The castle was illuminated by candles held by well-designed candelabrum and sconce fixed to the walls.
The castle was big and well-decorated red carpet running along the aisle to the far end where the throne was situated.
There on the thrown was Deman Kingstone the one true heir to the throne of Gondor but now king, Ruler of two realms and the conqueror of the mighty killer of titans.
The castle doors opened as a huge structure entered, his steps echoed as he walked towards the throne throwing his helmet under his left arm and his right hand on the handle of his sword which was well placed in its sheath. He had blonde hair and his iris though brown but appeared darker than usual.
"You summoned me, my lord," The man said, going down on one knee.
"Murray Regnald" He called his voice deep and cold, though ran smoothly through the echoes.
"Yes, my lord" Murray answered.
"You are going on a little trip for me take a hundred men with you and bring your brother Dermot to justice, I believe you know who killed him" Deman ordered his lips curling into a deadly smile.
"Yes my lord I won't fail you" Murray replied getting up.
"No, you MUST not fail me, Murray," Deman said bluntly and dismissed him.
Murray walked out of the castle with a mixed expression no one better stands in his way and no should kill Zavier except from him that was what he wanted.
Deman was not alone in the castle. He was surrounded by guards and several others he called the Rebbels—mysterious women with the power to conjure portals, granting him swift passage across realms.
"Bring in the Eleons. It's time for our little chat," he commanded smoothly, lounging back in his throne. He plucked a grape from the silver bowl held by a silent slave beside him and tossed it lazily into his mouth.
A crackling hum filled the air as four of the Rebbels conjured a portal. These women were striking and strange—completely bald, with black paint streaking from their temples, across their lips, and ending at the opposite cheek. They wore ceremonial wraps, one strip of cloth draped from the left shoulder across their chests and mirrored on the right—a stark contrast against their ebony skin.
Moments later, the Eleons arrived through the portal—noble representatives from Agorah, stepping cautiously into the castle. Fear lingered in their eyes, as they dreaded what happened the last time they were at Gondor.
"Please, have a seat, my councilmen," Deman said in a calm, almost musical voice—soothing, even seductive. One could easily wish to hear it all day… if only the threat behind it wasn't so palpable.
They sat around a circular table in silence.
"As your leader," Deman began, plucking another grape—this time with arrogance, "I've summoned you here to collect my tributes, and to ensure that my cleansing plan is proceeding… as ordered."
He let his words hang in the air.
When no one answered, his gaze darkened. "Have you all suddenly gone deaf? Or is it that your grey hairs have finally dulled your brains?" His eyes narrowed. "Lord Zexus, I'd like to hear from you."
Zexus swallowed hard, clearing his throat. "Si—Sire," he stammered, "the cleansing plan will commence once the collection of hair and blood is complete."
Deman's voice dropped to a deadly chill. "Did I hear you say commence?" The words felt like ice Berge searing down Zexus's spine. "Who ordered the delay?"
"N-no one, sire," Zexus stuttered, his legs trembling. "It's just that—"
"One week," Deman snapped, cutting him off. "You have one week to complete the cleansing. And four days for my tributes."
There was a cold finality in his tone. "You are dismissed."
The Eleons began to rise—until Yorenburg, an elder elf, stood his ground. Wrath shimmered in his ancient eyes.
"This is unjust!" he roared. "This throne is not yours! You have no right to rule two realms!"
Deman's lips curled in amusement. His eyes gleamed like a storm." Is that so?" he whispered. "I'm all ears. Continue—you were saying?"
But Yorenburg never got the chance.
Suddenly, his mouth vanished—erased completely from his face. His features contorted into a silent, agonized expression.
His robe dropped to the floor as his body began to disintegrate, bit by bit. One limb. Then another. Until there was nothing left.
Dead silence fell over the room.
"Any more ideas?" Deman asked, his eyes scanning the pale faces. They all shook their heads wordlessly.
"You are dismissed."
*******
Zavier, Olivia, and Chloe had moved past the small town and were now deep within the woods—an area marked The Expanse on the magical map. The sun was setting behind them, casting long golden shadows as the air began to cool. the woody and long trees set patterns of shadow on the dry leaves on the ground. They were exhausted and needed to catch their breath—or even rest their heads from the stress of their journey, which had only just begun.
Eventually, they reached a small clearing and decided to stop for the night.
"Let me go get some firewood for the fire. I'll be back soon," Zavier said, stepping away.
But Olivia called him back.
"I think someone's been here," she said, her gaze scanning the area with unease. Chloe nodded in agreement, her expression tense.
"Well, whoever was here is long gone now," Zavier replied with a reassuring shrug. "Just keep an eye on each other. I won't be long." He turned and disappeared into the woods.
Back at the clearing, Olivia began unpacking their bag. She and Chloe pulled out some extra clothing and laid it on the ground as makeshift bedding, then sat down to rest.
"I hope he doesn't take forever. I'm starving," Chloe muttered. Her tone was light, almost teasing—she had started to enjoy Zavier's company more than she expected. His energy had made the journey feel less heavy.
Olivia narrowed her eyes at her.
"What are you smiling at?" she asked, jolting Chloe from her thoughts.
"Nothing," Chloe replied quickly, almost too sharply. "Just—just hungry," she added, clearly flustered and trying to recover from her slip.
Meanwhile, Zavier was whistling softly as he gathered firewood. Every dry branch he saw, he sliced off cleanly using the sword he had crafted from his elemental powers. He was about to pick up another stick when something unusual caught his eye—two freshly killed squirrels lying oddly still in the grass.
Without thinking, he stepped toward them and reached down.
The moment his fingers closed around them, a net sprang out, below the dry grasses—wrapping around him in an instant and yanking him high into the air hung down from a tree.
He dangled upside-down, groaning.
"Great. Just great," he muttered.
He was just about to free himself from the crude net—clearly a trap set by humans—when he heard voices nearby. What he heard next made him pause and stay hidden, listening carefully.
"Come look at this! Our small meat caught us a bigger one, Chuck!" a scratchy voice called out.
Zavier tilted his head to get a better view. The speaker stepped into sight—short and wiry, with messy hair that ringed the sides of his head, leaving a bald patch in the middle like a plane field. Zavier sniggered loudly . The man's clothes looked like they had been stitched together from old rags and hung off him awkwardly. If Zavier wore them, they'd barely reach his chest—yet they were still oversized on this man's scrawny frame.
"Wait, hold on—a bigger meat?" Zavier repeated, suddenly realizing what the man had said. A chill of disgust ran down his spine. "You eat... people?"
The man grinned, revealing jagged yellow teeth.
"Ahh, it's the best meat there is! You should try it sometime—oh wait, you won't be able to." He chuckled darkly. "Because I'm going to eat you."
At that moment, another man—presumably Chuck—stumbled into view. He was just as small and grotesque as the first, with a twisted face and a nose that looked like it had been broken several times over. A crude spear was clutched in his hand.
"Curry, we made a big catch today!" Chuck cackled, raising his spear to plunge it into Zavier's heart.
But before the weapon could strike, a surge of black energy rippled through the air. In an instant, Zavier tore through the net, shattering it with raw force. A shockwave burst outward, sending both Curry and Chuck flying through the air, crashing into the trees several meters away.
They scrambled to their feet, groaning, their eyes wide with fear as they stared at Zavier like he was some vengeful god.
"What… what are you?" they asked in unison, their voices trembling.
Zavier smirked, his eyes dark with intensity. "Someone who kills those that eat people. "He spoke calmly, almost casually, even as he calculated the best way to end their lives.
As Chuck and Curry cast a look at each other.
"Oh—well—we know some people who eat… well, who eat people," Curry stammered, trying to sound helpful.
"Clearly, you don't think it's us," Chuck added quickly, a nervous smile stretching across his twisted face.
Zavier narrowed his eyes. For a second, their words caught him off guard—but then it clicked.
"Oooh… now I get it," he said, as two sharp daggers formed in his hands, shaped from swirling dark mist.
Before they could move, he flung the blades forward. The daggers whistled through the air and pierced both Curry and Chuck in the forehead. They collapsed on the spot—dead.
Without another word, Zavier gathered the firewood, picked up the two squirrels, and began making his way back to Olivia and Chloe.
Zavier returned to the clearing to find two pairs of eyes fixed on him.
"What?" he asked, dropping the firewood and the meat he had gathered.
"What took you so long?" Olivia asked, walking over to collect the firewood.
"Nothing much—just a pair of human eaters I had to kill, that's all. Not like you two missed me or anything," he replied, plopping down on the ground with a tired sigh.
"We've been freezing here, and we needed to get food ready," Chloe said, a hint of a smile on her face. "So yeah... we missed you."
That last part made Olivia glance sideways at her."You missed him, not we," she said pointedly.
Chloe ignored the jab and and moved over to help prepare what they will eat.
Together, Olivia and Chloe prepared a simple soup, while Zavier roasted the meat. He stared at it curiously—it was unlike any animal he had ever seen before in is world. Still, he figured, as long as it wasn't a person's meat, he was willing to give it a try.