The Pure Ones

Chapter Eighteen

"Well, I would much rather vaporize my lungs than be torn apart by those blood thirsty-" I was saying before we were both interrupted by a sound. The knocking sound echoed lightly through the room, I was alarmed at first, but then I relaxed when I realized what the sound was. Another unique feature of the houses was that they had pipes on their exteriors that led down to the underground spaces; trained crows would deliver messages by dropping them in the pipes, it was our only way to communicate during those times.

I rushed to pick up the scroll tube, Pascal and I shared a glance before I opened up the intricately designed tube marked with the royal seal. We read the contents of the letter together, it was an urgent summon to the palace.

...

After a change of clothes, Pascal and I begin to travel through the tunnels with lanterns in our hands. The narrow and dark path stretched a long distance and in different directions, the air was thick and each movement or sound echoed loudly through the passage. A few other people travelled through the tunnels with different destinations in mind, there was a silent dread in each and everyone's eyes, a mutual realization of the horror that was now our new normal. After several minutes of navigating the tunnel, we reached the large wooden door also with the royal seal, it was protected by two large guards who asked for an invitation before granting us access. Pascal handed the scroll tube to one of them and after inspections, we were allowed to enter.

Almost immediately after entering, we came face to face with another person with a lantern, we shun the light on each other's faces and I was relieved but also surprised to see it was Magnus. He had on his military uniform and had gained some new scars from the last time I saw him, scars he gained when he saved my life, his face still lit up as he saw me.

I cleared my throat, "Well, have any idea why we were summoned?" I asked him as I noticed the scroll tube in his hand as well.

He sighed before he responded, "A meeting with his grace the prince, the king's advisor and our newly selected minister of war"

I raised an eyebrow, "Who?"

"That would be Otto Barrington"

"What?!" I asked baffled. Most of the kingdom did not even know this man existed until about a month ago, and yet he had managed to climb every social ladder possible and even political. Stopping a rebellion dead in its tracks had clearly pleased the king beyond words, it had pleased him so much that he had appointed his long-lost nephew a position that nobody had held for decades.

"Just one more thing before we go in there. I know you Matias, I know you like to run your mouth, but you have to be careful with Otto, it's best not to upset him" Magnus warned me ominously. For Magnus of all people to warn me about someone, it piqued my curiosity and aroused my stubbornness.

"Promise me you'll behave" Magnus pleaded.

I chuckled, "We'll see" I said as I waltzed away.

As I entered the room where the meeting would hold, all three other men were already waiting. Prince Reinhard anxiously rumpled the quilt on his laps, he was a splitting image of his father, only a couple decades younger. His blonde hair cascaded down his back; I likened him to a fragile piece of glass, because ever since his accident, he had been frail and weak. The war had not only taken his legs but it had also taken some of his confidence too. His shoulders lowered with relief as we stepped in. Otto and Stephan were already deep in conversation, a conversation the prince was clearly left out of, they both turned to us and pointed us to our seats.

The room was adequately lit by a large number of lanterns, so we could all see our faces very clearly, but it also made the room quite hot. I had seen the royal seal for the third time that day, the golden tiger head was painted on the wall behind Otto, majestically sitting in a sea of green. Pascal and I sat directly opposite Otto on the long table, Magnus sat alone to the left and Stephan and Reinhard to the right.