(Adventure Adrian and the Kings) The Herald Quest

Chapter Twenty Six

TWENTY SIX

Everything was suddenly different. I could feel a warmth on my cheeks that I’d almost forgotten ever existed. It was the amazing and comforting glow of the morning sunlight. I struggled to open my eyes yet as my sight eventually cleared, I could make out the silhouette of someone crouching down next to me.

“Adrian,” the familiar voice said softly. 

“What? I groaned. “What’s going on?”

“You did it!” Grace said as she shook me out of my weary sleep. She had run on in front of the rescue party to greet me, looking refreshed and…well…beautiful. 

“I did what?” I muttered with slight confusion before blinking a few times and trying to clear my woozy head.

“You must have been out cold for hours!” she replied with a huge grin. “But you actually did it.”

“What!” I shouted.

“You saved us all. You saved the kingdom!” Grace yelled with sheer excitement and slowly helped me to my feet.

I scooped up Utopia from off the floor and slotted her back into my belt loop before brushing down my chainmail vest. I eventually looked around to see that I was still on the cliff edge. But something had definitely changed.

The weight of Moargart’s hatred had finally disappeared and the Shadow had gone too. I could feel the light shining through my body and giving me a new energy. The Kingdom was bathed in a stunning blanket of light too and for the first time, you could look out over the mountain range to see the whole of the amazing landscape below.

Grace grabbed my hand and helped me properly to my feet. My legs were still weak from the battle and as I tried to walk, I stumbled straight back into her. She managed to catch me and for a moment, I suppose we were hugging. Our faces were close together but she didn’t seem to mind this time and so we stared into each other eyes a little longer.

“Well now!” the Professor cried with a chuckle and walked out onto the cliff edge to join us both. From behind the two of us, Izanbar and the other noblemen strolled up the rocky hillside to meet us. It was a great surprise to see Doctor Oozermire and Father Valliant walking with the group too. It was fantastic to see all of their faces.

“Professor!” I shouted and couldn’t contain my relief any longer. It was brilliant to see him and the other teachers venturing towards me. At one point I thought I might never see any of them ever again.

“Well I tell you one thing,” Izanbar laughed with a soft and cheerful grin. “Even I didn’t see this end coming?”

“How did you all make it to the Shadowlands so quickly,” I wondered. “You couldn’t have travelled here on foot in one night.”

“Once you defeated Moargart then the Shadow was lifted,” he explained before pointing up to the crystal blue and cloudless sky. “Our griffins are now free to fly across the Noblelands without fear of attack.”

“Noblelands?”

“Why yes!” Izanbar exclaimed. “The Shadowlands are gone. This is a land of light now and forever more!”

“So I guess you all finally know the truth about me?”

“Gracey told the Guild everything,” the Professor assured me before stooping down and placing his hand on my shoulder. “And when your Aunt Edna’s memory spell was lifted then the truth about your identity found its way back into my mind. You see when the Heretics attacked Heraldry…”

“So the Heretics did get as far as College?” I gasped before looking across to Father Valliant. “Just as you feared Father.”

“Yes…yes,” Izanbar interrupted and seemed to wave away my worry casually. “But no sooner had the Dark King been defeated, then his entire army retreated and fled back to the black mountains.”

“They won’t get far. I’ll make sure of it,” I said with determination. “And so the whole kingdom knows who I am too?”

“Of course,” Doctor Oozermire cried with a huge smile. “Good news travels fast your Majesty.”

Suddenly Izanbar noticed an object on the rocky floor by his feet and picked it up for closer examination. He wiped the dirt from the item and slowly spun it in his fingertips. And as the sunlight glittered all over the object, the Professor instantly realised what it was.

“It can’t be,” Izanbar gasped.

 “Is that what I think it is?” Grace asked.

“A unicorn’s horn. Of course!” the Professor replied excitedly and remembered the words in the legend. “The purest weapon wins the war!”

“It was Jay’s,” I said. “So the Legend was true all along?”

“Of course it was!” Izanbar chuckled and gave the horn back to me. I gazed at it for a moment, smiled at the thought of my friend and then put it carefully back into my pocket.

“So what now?” I shrugged.

“Ah,” Izanbar grinned before nodding towards Grace who strolled back towards the noblemen. Hox stepped forward and passed an object to her and then she skipped forward towards us both again. “Now comes the most important part.”

I waited patiently as the Professor approached and stood over me for a moment. The Knights, Father Valliant and the Doctor then all knelt down behind us and rested onto one knee. Grace spotted that I was totally unsure what to do next. So she coughed a little and tried to catch my attention. I glanced over towards her and she was nodding her head towards the ground and gesturing that I kneel down. So I quickly crouched too and lowered my head.

“And so King Adrian the Adventurer,” Izanbar announced proudly before drawing his sword and tapping the blade lightly on both of my shoulders.

Grace stepped forward and handed her father the amazing crown. The Professor slid his blade back into its holder on his belt, took the royal trophy in both of his hands and raised it into the air. He then placed the crown delicately on my head.

“Now arise your majesty,” the Professor continued with real pleasure. I stood upright and then Izanbar held out his palm as if he was guiding me to move towards the cliff’s edge. “Your kingdom awaits.”

And so I turned calmly and took in a deep breath before beginning the slow walk towards the mountain top. My mind was racing with a thousand new thoughts yet I was ready to face the future.

In the days that passed, the Kingdom would slowly return to its former glory. I immediately commanded the Knight School troops to round up and destroy any of the remaining weakened Heretics that had survived the tremendous light blast from Moargart’s destruction.

I reinstated the noblemen too of course and welcomed them back into the royal castle. I instructed the Professor and Hox to remain at Heraldry College and continue their important work. I also offered an old family friend, Doctor Oozermire, a chance to take back his old job as my adviser and he happily accepted. The Kingdom was once again in the hands of good and the Light was thriving.

And so after what seemed like an endless yet very exciting walk, I eventually reached the edge of the cliff before peering down into the great valley below. I was overwhelmed to see at least a thousand people had heard of my victory, travelling through the night and across the lands to greet their new King.

I could see travellers from the shores, peasants from the villages and townspeople alike. All of them were standing below with anticipation, staring upwards to the mountain peak and awaiting my appearance. I emerged from over the cliff edge and it was as if I could feel everyone taking in a deep breath together to witness this new dawn. 

I drew Utopia and raised it high into the air. The blade burst into light and shone brightly with its spectacular white glow. The crowds immediately erupted as one with an almighty cheer. I stared down across my Kingdom and in that amazing moment, I knew that things would never be the same again.

Little did I know however, what an adventure being King would be.