V2 Chapter 14: An Unexpected Visitor (1/2)

Karnage: Here you go...*fever* *fever* *coughs up a mouthful of blood on the chapter*....

V2 Chapter 14-

Sol calmly rode Nightmare toward the city walls of Earthernvale, Nightmaster Duke hurriedly looked below and yelled!

[Open the gates!] -Nightmaster Duke

A City Guard immediately yelled out to several other guards, who in turned called out to several others.

[Open the gates!] -City Guard

*Clink* *Clink* *Clink*

The sounds of chains moving around as the sound of heavy metal creaked and the gates of Earthernvale opened. The soldiers inside upon seeing Hydrian and Hydreas, grew several folds white! Many of the men present had never seen such fearsome creatures up close and could only take a few steps back in horror.

Many of them couldn't help but wonder why the h.e.l.l did they bother risking their lives to defend from humans when such terrible beasts walk through the front door? They sweated profusely but made no sudden moves as this order came from the higher ups and were possibly reinforcements.

Only when they noticed the twin Basilisks ignoring them did they release a slight breath but still remained frosty. With a flash of light the twins minimized themselves and became comfortable in their usual spots around Sol's wrist and neck, this released quite a bit of pressure off of the soldiers but the fear still remained.

Sol calmly entered riding Nightmare, with a few clicks of his tongue the black stallion picked up speed and shot forward. Nightmare was several folds taller than a normal horse, he had an imposing aura about him and a prideful demeanor which made Sol seem even more imposing as he rode it. Once it's master wanted to go forward, it would go forward without fear no matter the enemy, no matter the circ.u.mstances.

The guards at the front gate were heavily injured and wore full plated armor which meant the battle had been going on for some time, the fact that the King wasn't out here made Sol believe something was wrong.

*Gallop* *Gallop*

The sound of an approaching horse entered Sol's ears, but he ignored it as he knew it was Nightmaster Duke approaching him. Sol glanced to the side as he met up with Nightmaster Duke who descended from the walls.

[Haha! So you are alive! I knew it!] -Nightmaster Duke

Sol smiled lightly and nodded with a grin.

[It was the will of the G.o.ds! By the way....where is the King?] -Sol

As soon as Sol asked the question, Nightmaster Duke's face became dark.

[He's heavily injured, the Former King is at his side along with the rest of the royal family. We were fighting a war of attrition with them, The King and Former King as well as myself could only managed to hold a stalemate against 3 of the invading Kings.

One of them was even more powerful than the Former King, they took advantage of that and teamed up on the King and dealt a nasty blow. The only reason they gave us time alone is because they are expecting his death so as to drop morale! They were afraid of him doing a suicide attack and evening the odds! Those filthy dogs!] -Nightmaster

Sol hearing this didn't know what to think, as far as he was concerned, those guys were incredible weaklings. It was then he knocked himself on the forehead as if he discovered something.

(I completely forgot....how low the mana density is here...I couldn't even tell the power differences between those ”Kings” outside) -Sol

Seeing Sol's blank look, the Nightmaster was confused.

(...Is he really Sol?...Shouldn't he show a bit more care? He's smiling, yet he feels so detached like he doesn't want to be here..Could it be that he blames us for him almost dying?) -Nightmaster Duke

Sol was completely unaware of what Nightmaster Duke was thinking and stroked Hydreas' head as Nightmare quickly climbed the mountain. A slight smile on Sol's face as he rode leisurely and hummed a tune, it really disturbed Nightmaster Duke to see Sol so carefree.

He thought Sol would share his anger hearing the King was hurt, but Sol's expression didn't change and he didn't know what to make of it.

As he watched Sol's back from behind him, the old man looked at the way he moved, the way he spoke and rode his mount. Suddenly he had a feeling......as though before him an Emperor had appeared. Though Sol was more or less naked except for the beast skins that covered his lower body, the posture, the aura and confidence could not be mistaken despite his jungle garments.

For this old man that served two generations of Kings, he understood what sort of being Sol was. It wasn't that Sol had become cold or lost his empathy. It was that he had matured, he was no longer impulsive and didn't behave like a righteous child who didn't know anything. He thought for himself, made his own decisions and understood the best decisions were made when one remained calm.

Though he still possessed a hint of childish mischievousness, the lofty and overbearing nature could not be missed or suppressed. It was a pride hidden deep within the bones...It was the aura of a ruler. Nightmaster Duke engraved Sol's Emperor like presence into his heart and soul and decided to never ever forget this moment, as one day it may become the story he pa.s.ses on to his great grand-children.

**

After a short time, Sol had already appeared in front of Nightmaster Duke's mansion. The guards did not stop them, despite the fact that Sol was dressed like a slave boy which was obviously due to Nightmaster Duke's presence beside him. They quickly pa.s.sed through the gates and headed toward the Royal Medical Palace higher up the mountain, as Sol got up to this point he suddenly smiled with a look of nostaligia in his eyes.

With a flash of light Hydrian and Hydreas entered Sol's body as they had gotten fed up of the low mana density area and rested within Sol's soul. The latter upon entering the Royal Medical Ward saw quite a lot of guards and nurses moving about, Sol walked pa.s.sed them drawing quite a few stares, he saw Maria tending to a few wounded n.o.bles dressed in warrior's clothing and did not notice his arrival.

Sol decided to leave her to her job and come back later to pay a visit, he looked at her for a bit and thought that a woman who dedicated her life to medicine was quite attractive. He paid no further heed and followed Nightmaster Duke as they approached Renissa's Personal Room.

Nightmaster Duke opened the door and they both stepped in to see a few familiar faces. The King lay on a bed with a huge gash across his chest, his face pale as the prince and princesses sat around him with teary eyes. The three Queens all had teary eyes and they were as red as blood, Saint Renissa sat beside the King with a few vials in her hand and a downcast expression.

Across the Kings wound was a dark black substance, this substance Sol could recognize at a glance. It was poison, and not just any kind of poison but quite a vicious one and something that Earthernvale shouldn't possess. It had mana devouring properties and was something Sol had not come in contact with and was astonished to see it as he could feel it's properties from a distance - naturally this was due to Poison Affinity.

No one had noticed Sol entering the room as Renissa placed up a sound barrier and blocked off the single bed from the outside noise to give the King some comfort, there was still a bit of distance from the King's bed to the entrance and they were not aware of the newly arrived presence.

The King however, who lay on the bed with his head elevated towards the door was the first to notice Sol, his suddenly almost tired eyes showed an expression of surprise and his gaze s.h.i.+fted to Nightmaster Duke who gave a nod affirming his suspicions. Sol's face hadn't changed much but it became more defined and he started looking much more manlier, despite all this the King was easily able to tell by the bizarre colored hair and eyes.

(He's alive!...He's really alive! King Aereis was right!) -King Ironspine

Sol grinned as he looked at the frail looking King and made  sign language using Warrior's code with his fingers.

(You-//-Seem-//Well-) -Sol

The King upon understanding Sol's message almost coughed up a mouthful of blood as he stared wide-eyed at him. The Royal Family quickly stretched their hands to tend the King with worried looks on their faces as they screamed in horror, unaware of why the King suddenly had his wound flare up, they thought the poison was the reason for his reaction and had not noticed what his eyes were truly fixated on.

Sol chuckled and decided to milk it a bit, he sent yet another signal with his fingers.

(You-//-See-//-Ghost?-//-Or-//-becoming-//-one?-) -Sol

The last message almost made the King depart this life immediately as he coughed up yet another mouthful of blood. Sol laughed and then decided not to tease the King anymore before he really died.

Nightmaster Duke s.h.i.+vered as he realized just how much Sol had changed, he had become a total and complete little rebel and was incredibly mischievous. Nightmaster Duke was a man who was keen on his instincts and felt like Sol had a innate ruthlessness that he had awakened but was being hidden from him and he also decided it was best not to incur it.

Sol instantly stepped through the barrier, as he did so, only then did his aura and his rain-forest body smell that was quite pleasant to the nose filled the room.  Naturally this gathered everyone's attention but before anyone could move to see who it was, Sol had already appeared over the King, he stretched his right hand downward and cut his finger open with his nail and dropped some of his blood into the King's grave wound.

The drops of blood fell into the wound and instantly the black poison gathered near the blood as if it were food, Sol's right hand lit up an emerald color and instantly the black poison substance began gathering from the King's wound forming a ball.

After a short moment it gathered itself completely into a perfect black ball and condensed itself into a single drop. The black drop hovered beneath Sol's hands, drawing the attention of all present.

Before anyone could say anything, Sol popped the black drop in his mouth and swallowed it whole. He then placed his right  hand over the King's wound again and it lit up a golden-emerald color, he let out a few more droplets of blood on the wound and then pressed his hand on it with a bit of force.

King Ironspine grit his teeth as the pain was a bit severe, steam rose from Sol's hand and resonated with the droplet of blood within the King's body and instantly the wound began closing at an astonis.h.i.+ng speed! Even a Water or Light Mage would require some time to heal such a wound and that was only if they had the right antidote and administered it on time, but Sol had did it in almost a breaths time.

He cured the poison in an instant, and closed the wound just as fast. This was something only he could do as he possessed the medical knowledge, Light and Poison Affinity as well as highly mutative DNA. Sol wasn't sure what sort of after-effects the King would feel but he knew it would probably be something good and chuckled at the thought.

After a few seconds the steam stopped rising and the wound was completely gone, everyone around the King stared at the wound in astonishment; then shortly afterward their gazes landed on Sol. Sol grinned and then slapped the King's chest where the wound previously was.

[Long time no see Julius!] -Sol

[Argh! Sol you b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I should have let you drown back then and become Hydra excrement...wu...It's still tender!] -King Ironspine

The King screamed out as the power that Sol hit him with could rattle his bones, it was the same as when he had slapped Sol's shoulders before when he hadn't cultivated much yet. Only when his mind calmed down from the pain did he look at Sol dumb-founded.

(He's able to cause me pain?....and to this extent? It seems he had a fruitful year! Still what level of power is he at? I felt like my bones were going to break!) -King Ironspine

[Hahaha! Now you know how it feels!] -Sol

It was only then did the Royal Family react, at first they weren't sure if it really was Sol because of the changes but upon hearing him reply to name they immediately understood. The first one to act was surprisingly Regius-

[Big brother! Is this real?! Uwa!! Your alive!] -Regius

The little red haired boy didn't question anything and immediately clung to Sol's leg and cried bucket loads.

Salina moved over and looked at Sol with an expression of surprise for quite a while, it seemed the little girl had grown up some and no longer flew over to grab his hair. Instead she just stared at Sol, which was a bit disturbing and seemed to be her new trait. Sol didn't think anything of it as he let out a light chuckle, stretched out his hand and rubbed her little red head. She did not resist and lifted her nose to the sky.

Even though their ages were close, Sol had become much taller and became more mature in this year and was well able to a.s.sume an elderly role over these two. As a cultivator who possessed quite a ridiculous amount of strength, he was naturally able to act as an elder towards these two and by all extents, everyone here.

[Sol!...So you really did survive...uwaa..wuu..wuu] -2nd Queen

The 2nd Queen, Lieren, had tortured herself for quite a while being the cause of Sol's death. She had become aware of Liore's feelings towards Sol and seeing him alive was like spring during a drought for her and she immediately hugged him and shed quite a few tears. It had to be said that Sol was the reason she could be here with her family, a debt she would never forget.

After she calmed down for a bit, she released him; the other two Queens looked at Sol dumbfoundedly. Salira and Sophenia looked at Sol a bit warily as his appearance had changed much too drastically and were more cautious than the rest. They believed Sol to be dead as they themselves went to search but did not so much as find a corpse, they had refused to believe he could such an explosion.

[H-How can you prove that you are Sol?] -Sophenia, 1st Queen

Sol immediately showed them his runic ring and with it all doubts had been erased! Still the 2nd Queen looked at him a bit skeptically.

[H-How are you alive?] -Salira, 2nd Queen

Sol laughed and looked at her mysteriously.

[Death....is a friend of mine, and like all good friends; I can turn him away at the door] -Sol

This was a plain sentence, yet it carried a heavy weight and made the atmosphere stifling. Salira could see within Sol's eyes that strangely he didn't seem to be lying and it made a cold s.h.i.+ver run down her spine.

Finally Sol quickly moved over to Renissa, who looked at him with shock as tears welled up in her wrinkled old eyes. She grabbed his cheeks like an old lady would and rubbed them.

[It seems you...did good for yourself *snivel*] -Renissa

Sol immediately gave the old woman a warm hug and smiled mischievously as he rubbed his nose and placed a kiss on her cheek.

[Indeed Grandma, I did well. Thank you for taking care of me before when I was incapable of doing so] -Sol

Renissa wiped her tears as she looked at him, it seemed the old woman had always kept him in mind and though she was smiling widely, her tears didn't stop.

[That's good, no need to thank me you fool. What sort of Grandmother would I be if I didn't?] -Renissa

The group chatted for a bit as they were all digesting this new surprise, a figure hurriedly pushed in the door. As Sol had broken the noise proof barrier when he entered, naturally everyone turned to see the new arrivals.

[Father, we are here!!] -Sophia

[Father!!] -Liore

The two girls ran in hastily and ignored everyone else making their way to the King's resting bed, upon seeing the King's chest all healed they became confused as they looked around at their mothers for answers. They had expected the King to be gravely wounded and had just gotten the news, naturally they rushed right over but saw the King looked fine; albeit a bit pale.

[Y-You're fine?] -Sophia

[We heard that you had...] -Liore

It was only then Liore's pretty blue cold eyes landed on Sol, her shoulders trembled as she looked at Sol. An image of a golden-haired young man with golden eyes overlapped Sol. She seemed to have seen a ghost as her beautiful blue eyes opened widely.

[F-Father who is this?] -Liore