ENTER-WORLD: The Dark Age

CHAPTER 12 - THE HEIR OF HAREN

It had been a week since the Ancestor's Test had been completed, and by now the boys were becoming masters of the magical arts. This week, however, was dedicated to a special event; it was the birthday of the king's eldest son, Idris. The big party was held in the castle gardens. The boy was celebrating his 16th birthday. All his friends and thousands of other people from all over the city had come, including the new Guardians, who took a break from training to celebrate the occasion.

Meanwhile, Tycar watched the party from the palace terrace with his wife, Queen Isabel. She was a beautiful woman with delicate features, long straight hair, and an elegant gown with gold trim. They watched as their only son had the time of his life.

"Look how happy Idris is, I'd like to see him like this all the time," she said.

"If he had been so enthusiastic in his training, he would be great in the magical arts by now," said the king dejectedly, not satisfied with his son's progress. He was fearless, quite intelligent, and also a great fighter, but apparently he had never managed to learn how to use magic, even though he had read numerous ancient books on magic in the castle library. Tycar knew that the crown would pass to Idris when he turned eighteen, but he feared that his son would not be able to lead Haren. For the first time, the birthright would not be respected, and Idris could not become king until he was able to practice the magical arts.

"You must stop pressuring him," he said.

"I was a prodigy at his age, what's holding him back?" asked Tycar, "I know he's good with a sword, but magic is essential for a king."

"Forcing him to become what he is not is not the right choice," "Perhaps he can become a different kind of king."

"There has never been a king who did not know how to use magic, and certainly no one in the palace would support such an idea," the king clarified, "if he is incapable, I will have to stay in office longer."

"You're being too hard on him." And with these words, the queen left. Tycar looked dejectedly at the horizon, then a shiver ran down his spine, something had happened, and it was certainly not a good feeling.

The three Guardians were celebrating the successful Trial of the Ancestors in Logan's room upstairs, from where they watched the party and entertained themselves with video games and chips.

"We should go downstairs and celebrate with the others," Sarah suggested.

"We don't know anyone," Logan said.

"And then there are the video games," Dice said with a child's enthusiasm.

"It's amazing that with all the magic you have, you haven't created a single video game," Logan admitted.

While the private party between Logan, Dice and the console was going on, Sarah, very bored, ventured down the hall to the ground floor terrace to smoke a cigarette.

While she was smoking, she saw a boy climbing the stairs to the top floor. He was a stocky boy of average height, with dark eyes and a bright smile. He looked like a nobleman: it was Idris.

"Are you Sarah?" he asked the girl.

"Yes," she said shyly.

"What are you doing here all alone?" "Where are the other Guardians?" Sarah took him to Logan's room to introduce him to the others.

"Boys," Sarah said, getting their attention, "this is Idris."

"The birthday boy?" asked Logan.

"That's right," he replied.

"Happy birthday," Dice said as he mentioned a bow.

"No need to bow, I'm not the king."

"What brings you to my room?" asked Logan.

"My father was stressing me out with his constant pressure to train. I took the opportunity to meet you."

"Would you like a Joystik?" asked Dice, inviting him to play with them.

"What is it?" the prince asked.

"Trust me, you will like it," Logan assured him as he handed him the controller.

Dice and Idris stayed in the room to play while Logan and Sarah went downstairs to the party.

"What are we doing here?" Sarah asked abruptly as the two of them looked at the majestic Lake Haster with a drink in their hands.

"You mean at the party."

"Here in the Intra-World. We don't have to be in high school to prepare for college."

"I like it here, and then there will be time for college. First we have to save the world."

"Yes," said the boy, smiling.

The prince's party continued unabated as Cyrus made his way to the Hall of Artifacts, which housed the oldest magical relics in the universe. There was the infamous Gauntlet of Dimensions. It held infinite power dating back to the creation of the universes, could transport the wearer to any place and any dimension, and could even bypass the Seal of Dimensions, a seal that blocked access to the Dark Realm, so that the Dark Lord could be freed once and for all.

Cyrus charmed the guards that guarded the Hall of Ancestors and entered.

The room was immense; it did not look so from the outside, but inside it was truly gigantic. The room had been built with a magical material that made it small on the outside and large on the inside. Cyrus walked into the room, past the most powerful artifacts in history, to the object in question. It was purple in color, with gray streaks around the handle, and looked as good as new even though it was billions of years old.

Cyrus took the magical artifact and used it to travel to Hazcar and deliver it to Myzfer.

The two met near Hazcar's castle, and Cyrus observed how the dark beings had changed the once majestic, vibrant city.

"You kept your word, old man," Myzfer said in surprise.

"I always keep my word, your master knows that," Cyrus said as he handed the glove to the dark being, "I have paid my debt, so do not contact me again."

Myzfer smiled, showing his sharp teeth, and nodded, and their paths parted.

Shortly thereafter, a royal guard arrived in Tycar with news of the theft at the palace; the king was saddened and ordered the guards to assemble.