Septerra Inframagus: Claim Of the Invictus. [REWRITING]

[25] A Man's Strength Lies in his Mindset

"So. . .is the magic blanket/carpet ready?" I asked.

"Yes. Of course!" Al said, spreading the carpet over the floor of the store room. Me, Julie and Aaron sat down. Julie sat next to Aaron, and I sat behind them both in the end. I was always at the end but I kind of liked it that way.

"Go!" Alaska whispered and the carpet sped out of the window.

"Warning?" Julie yelled and I laughed, holding her so she wouldn't fall off.

We were riding towards queen Elana's castle. I had my backpack on which safely held a stone that had immortal powers inside it. We were all dressed in our armour and the sun shined right above us in the afternoon sky. There were hundreds of trees below us. Forests went on for miles and miles. The blanket went really fast and it felt like I couldn't hear anything anymore.

After two hours of flying like that Alaska finally said, "We're here!".

We all immediately looked down at the majestic castle that stood before us. It had only a single tower. Different birds were perched on top of the tower. It was situated right in the middle of a densely grown forest. The guards at the front gate were already lighting the torches for the evening and the night. Al hovered the blanket over the ground and we all hopped off.

"This is as far as I go" said Alaska still sitting on the blanket.

"What?Why?" asked Julie.

"Well, I'm a princess from the land of Bruman. I'm the daughter of Queen Nevada" she said.

"So?" Julie asked.

"You don't know. I keep forgetting that you're new here. When Heinrich died, the lands were not united anymore. They often made war with each other, trying to become the new leaders of Inframagus. They were all too afraid to fight an Invictus to claim the throne of Aquáera. So, I do not think Queen Elana will appreciate my presence inside her castle" she said.

Me and Julie nodded.

"Good luck Philosopher. Try not to get eaten" Al said, waving a goodbye as she took off flying into the skies. I gulped and waved back.

Aaron walked up to the guards and I followed.

"They're with me. We're here to see the queen" he said, holding his sword's handle as it sat within his sheath. Both the guards nodded.

"The queen is in the main chamber, on her throne" I heard one of them say.

Then, they opened the huge wooden gates. The wall's insides were made of tree trunks. Their branches intertwined forming a strong bond that held the palace together. A long red carpet was laid down from the throne to the gates. On the throne, was a beautiful lady wearing a long green extended dress. Her eyes were emerald green and her hair was chocolate brown just like Aaron's. As she saw us enter, she smiled. Aaron led the way and we all walked behind him. When he reached the steps leading to the throne he stopped and bowed. All of us did the same.

"My queen" he said.

"Aaron. What brings you here this time of the year? Shouldn't you be at school?" she asked, her voice as sweet as the chirping of lovebirds.

"We bring news mother. Terrible news. But we have a solution for it" he said.

"Speak, dear son. What is this terrible news you bring?" she asked.

"Magnus Prognatus is back from hiding and has declared war with the students of Camp D'Hiver seeking to claim the treasures of the land for himself and kill our protectors" he said.

"That is indeed terrible news my son. The sad thing being that we cannot do anything about it" she said holding powerful grief in her eyes as she envisioned a possible future.

"That's what we're here for, mother. A new student claims that he is the son of Heinrich" he said pointing towards me. Alaska pushed me forward making me trip a little as I went to stand in front of the highness.

"This boy?" she asked laughing right at my face. "Please Aaron. Candidates more powerful than him have and more like Heinrich have failed. I will not allow a petty mortal boy to lose his life unnecessarily".

Aaron stepped forward. "Mother. . ." he started but I held a hand up to him, telling him to stop.

"Queen Elana, it is my honour and pride to be able to stand in front of you and talk to you. But A man's ability, I believe does not lie in his strength nor weapon. It lies in his mindset. I know of my origins and am sure of the risks I face if I try to tame an Invictus. But I know that I must try. If Inframagus gets back its leader. And if the kingdoms come together under his leadership. I am sure of the fact that we can defend our protectors against Magnus. It'll buy us more time and let us know what other plans Magnus has" I said. The queen smiled.

"I see, you're a man of your word. Heinrich, more than anything was a man of his word. I accept your proposal. You will face the monster at sunset tomorrow, at the ocean's ends where it sleeps inside it's lair" she said, getting up to leave the chamber. We bowed down walking backwards making way for her. She walked towards Aaron and placed a small kiss on his forehead.

"Remember, although I am queen I am also your mother. Come visit often. It gets lonely here without you" she said.

"I appreciate the morality son, but do call me Elana from here on" she said to me as she placed a hand softly on my cheek.

She then turned to Julie "Congratulations on the early acceptance protector. Use your knowledge for the good". Julie nodded and bowed.

"Enjoy the stay" she said. Then, the queen left us alone in her chambers where we waited, till two more guards escorted us to a room upstairs to spend the night.

I still needed to know what it meant to be ripped of a part of your soul.

I pondered over what the queen had said.
You will face the monster tomorrow at sunset.

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hey!
He's going to face the Invictus tomorrow. Soul ripping. Blood running. Keep reading to find out what happens next.
Love,
Carla Brook