Eli had trouble sitting still. Following Curtis's interaction, he became aware that Ilkama may try to put him under the same spell as the other guards. Knowing his strengths, especially given his ability to use glyphs, Eli understood Ilkama's rule would be indefinite if Eli were to fall mindlessly under his command. And though Eli did not find Ilkama to be as tyrannical as Albert had mentioned, he could not discredit Curtis's warning. Looking out at the crowd, Eli noticed Curtis eating. Watching the boy, Eli noticed he had been avoiding drinking from his glass.
"Master Sholam," Ilkama snapped Eli back to reality. "Is something the matter?" his gaze followed Eli's, though he could tell who Eli was watching in the sea of guards. Eli shook his head.
"No, everything is fine," he replied with a smile. "I am still finding it difficult to adjust to the life of a king," Eli laughed.
"Give it time; it has only been a week since you joined me," Ilkama joined in laughing. "It will grow on you," he insisted. The two stared at their empty table before Ilkama begrudgingly called to the guards. "Guards! Where is our food?" As if on cue, two guards hurried into the room carrying a large tray with three plates on them. The two larger dishes each held a massive turkey surrounded by greens, while the third contained a white dipping sauce. After placing the tray on the table, they presented Eli with a turkey, and Ilkama took the other. Ilkama quickly prompted them to bring out what he called "The Elixir." The two guards rushed back inside, and one reemerged with a large glass pitcher filled with a light-blue, bubbling fluid. The guard filled up Eli's glass first, then Ilkama's.
Eli stared at the glass uncomfortably. While Curtis had not been drinking from his liquid, Eli knew this was a different drink from the color; it was a beverage he could likely trust. After all, Ilkama had the same one. Had it been the one to give control over others, how would it know who to give authority to? Surely, the drink had no intelligence. Eli looked up at Ilkama, who had already drunk half his glass. "What is this?" he inquired.
"I promise, it tastes much better than it looks," Ilkama stopped briefly to explain but continued after. When he was done, he showed no signs of dissatisfaction. Eli looked down, contemplating the consequences of drinking The Elixir. Perhaps it gave Ilkama a way into Eli's mind and vice versa? Eli's mind became a jumbled mess of thoughts as he tried to predict the outcome. He looked back at Ilkama and saw his friend's appearance change; his skin became smoother, and his body looked slightly more muscular. Eli furrowed his eyebrows. When Ilkama noticed Eli's confusion, he explained, "The Elixir brings your body to a more youthful state. I do not know how it works, but it unlocks some of your hidden potential, bringing back what time has taken from you. While I do not have experience with lost memories, I am hoping this will bring back yours," Ilkama's smile was warm.
Eli swirled the glass in his hand a few times, careful not to spill a single drop. Hesitantly, Eli brought the beverage to his mouth. It smelled like lavender. Eli closed his eyes and downed the liquid, just as he'd seen Ilkama do. It was cool and soft; he could feel the liquid trickle slowly down the back of his throat. Though Eli enjoyed the taste, he grew uncomfortable with the small amount of liquid stuck in the back of his mouth. He gulped a few more times before it finally subsided.
At that moment, Eli's body strengthened. He lifted his hands up and realized the Elixir worked wonders, having done precisely what it did to Ilkama. Furthermore, his mind felt more at peace. He wondered if his memories were hidden at that point and began focusing on the portrait in his chambers. Eli remembered the details leading up to the picture being made and tried remembering what happened after. When he failed, he sighed. Though his memories had not resurfaced, the sea of thoughts that clouded his mind became much calmer. "No luck?" asked Ilkama with a worried expression.
"No, unfortunately not," Eli shook his head melancholically. "You will just have to teach me yourself," he grinned at his friend jokingly.
"Alright, what would you like to know?" asked Ilkama.
"Tell me more about the kingdom. What was it like?" Eli asked, reaching for a turkey leg and taking a bite out of it.
"Our kingdom was a prosperous one," Ilkama started, taking a bite. "The buildings were much more beautiful than the ones here," he explained. "This castle's materials closely resemble the materials used for every home."
"Wow," Eli gasped, impressed. He looked around the room and tried picturing a city of homes with those materials. Though he'd seen the city in the memory, he did not take time to look at the buildings.
"And while it was beautiful, much of our culture revolved around fighting," Ilkama continued, bringing Eli out of his trance. "Every two years, the king held a tournament for anyone. If you get knocked out of the ring or surrender, you lose. If you die, the other person is disqualified. The winning family would live in the castle, and the winner would be trained by the king for an entire year. This made the winner ineligible to rejoin that tournament. However, they would gain access to join a separate tournament, the prize of which has always been kept a secret."
"Did we ever partake in it?"
"Naturally, we did. From the first year we were allowed, we participated in it. Each year, they would put us against one another early on; I suspect our parents did something to ensure that. Neither of us ever won the tournament, though you came in second place once. Our goals had always been to simply beat the other. We were rivals in that regard," Ilkama joked. "Some years, you would beat me, while I would win others. We were evenly matched most years."
"I reached second place?"
"Yes. To be quite honest with you, you should have won that year. Your opponent moved too quickly for the eye to see," Ilkama explained. The two men continued eating in silence for a moment; Eli took in the idea he had almost trained with the king of all Mienards.
"And what of the Mienardos Conquest?"
"We did not always wish to rule the world," Ilkama sighed. "However, our kingdom had been growing rapidly. We did not have enough masons to build quickly enough to keep up with the ever-increasing population. When the king discovered that we were almost out of room, he declared we would attempt to take over the world. Not only would the conquest bring us new land and potentially new people to join under one rule, but the warriors we lost would also make room for others at home. It is a little barbaric, if you ask me, sending people to war just for them to die."
"Why not simply invade a single kingdom?"
"As I am sure you are aware, the other kingdoms fear us. They do not accept us as one of them, as they are much more peaceful. Had we only attacked one, the rest would undoubtedly have seen us as a threat and avenged the fallen kingdom by attacking us all at once. Yes, we are much more powerful, but without sufficient numbers, we would lose. Instead of waiting for other kingdoms to attack us, it was decided we would attack them first. Kingdoms could no longer assist one another because they all fought against us simultaneously. You and I fought together in many battles and stopped at this kingdom. Kevras is among the weaker kingdoms, so we did not need many Mienards stationed here to help."
"What happened? How did the Great Revolt work?"
"Several years after the conquest, an isolated territory known as Solimey had developed weaponry capable of dismantling our empire. They caught us off-guard by infiltrating our kingdom and timing their attacks based on the day-night-cycle. It was now the reverse; pieces of our empire could not help one another because we all had the same problem. Most kingdoms fell and returned to their rightful owners; Solimey never controlled the land they won. The Mienards, who survived the battles, fled. The Great Revolt here, however, failed, and Kevras continued to live under my rule."
"Why did we not simply live in other kingdoms as citizens?"
"Our culture is too incompatible with others'. Violence is in our blood, while many others frown upon it. We would give up too much of our identity."
"If fighting is engraved in our blood, how have you maintained that culture?" Eli had finished eating the turkey and began dipping greens in the sauce.
"You know the arena at the top of the castle? I hold tournaments among our guards when I have nothing else to do. If I am generous, I reward them with a week of intense training under my rule, similar to what the king gave back home. Otherwise, their reward is simply the satisfaction of winning the tournament."
"They feel satisfaction? I thought they were mindless and controlled by you," Eli gasped, surprised the guards had acted the way they had, despite their free will.
"No, of course not. I am no monster," Ilkama laughed. "Do you see their drinks?" he pointed at some of the guards as they drank. "That simply makes them more cooperative. They may do as they please. Surely, you see them walking in the halls. I do not command that. If I tell them to do something, it will be a small task, like how I told the boy to bring you for this feast. Master Sholam, I could never control all these people perfectly. Had I been able to, I would be able to begin my own conquest," he finished. Eli chuckled calmly, relieved to hear Ilkama's rule was better than the others had believed. However, a thought crossed his mind.
"Why not allow the guards to go home?"
"Who says I do not?" Ilkama rested his elbows on the table and placed his chin in his hands. Eli felt the room get hot briefly.
"N-Nobody," Eli hesitated. "It's just that—since entering the kingdom—I have only seen guards in the castle and at the kingdom's entrance. I simply assumed they were stuck here," Eli tried to save himself, quickly glancing at Curtis then back to Ilkama, who sighed.
"To be quite honest with you, I have no idea. While each guard should be capable of doing as they please, the guards do not leave the castle. I have given no such request to stay here. I never considered it, though it perplexes me why they do not leave," Ilkama scratched his chin slightly.
"While we are on the topic of 'home,' I heard the Mienards fled their own kingdom, but the Bronze Foxes did not know where. Have you heard of their new kingdom?"
"Before our conquest, my father would always tell me the same thing. 'If anything should go wrong in this kingdom and we can longer stay here, there exists a secret home to the Mienards. It is a safe haven, unknown to the rest of the world. To find it, travel west until you see the ocean. Once you arrive, travel south until you reach the Etoum Forest. Hidden there lies our new home.' Why do you ask? Do you plan on traveling there sometime?" asked Ilkama.
"Yes. I would love to travel home and discover more. Perhaps someone there could help me regain my memories. Why not join me? It could be a fun adventure!"
"While Mienardos is my home, I have nothing there. I know not if my family is in the Etoum Forest. I have not heard anything from them since they went to the next battle during the Mienardos Conquest. Yet, I have everything I could ever want here. My best friend is feasting with me in the castle, having all the space we could ever need, eating the best food we could have, looking over a kingdom that belongs to us. I would not trade this life for anything. Is it not perfect?" Ilkama said with a smile. Eli looked down at the floor and blushed slightly, remembering the portrait from his room. Apprehensive about sharing everything with Ilkama, Eli decided to withhold the memory.
"If anyone can help me regain my memories, it would be you," Eli complimented his friend. "If we were as close as you said, you would know everything about me," he chuckled. He considered Curtis as well, who claimed to recognize Eli from his last stay in the kingdom. "Perhaps it would be best to stay here."
"That is a wondrous idea!" Ilkama cheered, waving a carrot high in the air. "There are plenty of adventures to be had around here. We can discover new glyphs together and become the best fighters this world has ever seen! Since we are fast learners, we will constantly push each other to improve quickly," Ilkama was enthusiastic about their future. Eli liked the sound of that idea. Going on adventures with his childhood friend would be a lot of fun, and spending time together would surely shake some of his memories loose.
"Lord Ilkama, if I may ask, why do you despise the Bronze Foxes so much?"
"Where do I even begin?" Ilkama leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Charles and his guild were the first recruited against me during the Great Revolt. While they faced us, they had been destined to fail. They became arrogant when you fell and tried to attack me with the same tactics. When I defeated the rest of the revolution, the Bronze Foxes did not back down. They have, since then, tried organizing two more revolutions to overthrow me but have failed each time. I do enjoy watching them struggle; however, it is highly entertaining. They attack with everything they have, but thanks to our glyphs, they will never be strong enough to face us."
Eli opened his mouth to warn Ilkama of their quest to enchant their weaponry but was also uncertain of the best course of action. While he did not fear being controlled, Curtis's warning echoed through his mind. Do not trust everything Ilkama says. If his friend proved not to be evil, he would inform Ilkama of the artifact. If Ilkama showed malice, Eli would escape and join the Bronze Foxes to get the artifact.
"They would be foolish to believe they could take us out," Eli agreed, his heart sinking as he spoke. "Even if they were to have access to the glyphs, they do not know how to use them."
"Precisely," Ilkama waved his food at Eli. "As I have said, they are destined to fail," he laughed. Eli joined in, forcing himself to laugh. As their laughter died down, Eli had run out of things to ask. The two ate in silence, scarfing down food until there had been nothing left. While eating, Eli processed all that he'd learned, from the conquest's timeline to the kingdom's tournament to the idea of improving quickly with Ilkama.
"I am itching for a fight," Eli said. "What do you say? Tournament rules on the roof in an hour?" Eli extended his arm across the table.
"I accept your challenge!" Ilkama took his hand and shook it. Eli was confident this would be a fun duel.