Chapter 19 : Closing the Air
It wasn’t until this very moment that I recalled the warning of my father, Galorde, and even that shadow of the snake—all of them, good or evil, had forbidden me to save Yisreal.
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Places mentioned:
Castle Katella
A self-sufficient, city-like castle where the King and the Queen and the unmarried Valrinos live.
Tyrannoson:
One of the three kingdoms on the Central Continent, ruled by the Valrino family.
Spring
The capital city of Tyrannoson.
Linsaidea:
One of the three kingdoms on the Central Continent, northwest of Tyrannoson, across a narrow sea, the Rustless Sea, to Mandia. A nomadic, rather savage people that tame mammoths.
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Creatures (that can speak and have names) mentioned:
Yisreal Valrino
A son of the King. Leopoldo met the young Yisreal in the woods while hunting. Then the King brought him back to Castle Katella and announced him to be his son.
Chester Valrino
The first-born son of King Leopoldo and Queen Evelyn.
Mr. Galorde
Ivan’s grandfather’s apprentice, having served both his grandfather and father as their assistant.
Princess Lorien
The daughter of the King of Linsaidea. She arrives in Tyrannoson to fulfill a marriage promise between the two nations, a condition for the Tyrannoson army to pass through the Mammoth Plain to invade Mandia. At this point, it turned out that she is not the real Princess of Linsaidea but a mysterious character who almost killed Yisreal (from Chapter 1).
Mitheran
One of the two guards and mammoth riders for Princess Lorien. At this point, it turns out that he is not from Linsaidea but disguised himself to infiltrate Tyrannoson in search of the “thief.”
Armoros
One of the two guards and mammoth riders for Princess Lorien. At this point, it turns out that he is not from Linsaidea but disguised himself to infiltrate Tyrannoson in search of the “thief.”
Apollos
A captain who was once inferior to Yisreal in his army, likely served as the leader of a cohort.
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19
“You!” Mitheran gritted his teeth.
Armoros burst out, pointing at them, “He was the thief! There was no other—she lied to us!”
Lorien jumped off Yisreal and protested, “No, I didn’t!”
Armoros shook his head with a sneer. “Look at where you’re standing.”
“Yisreal was not the thief,” Lorien insisted. “I told you, there was another man after him.”
“And you said you killed the first one,” Mitheran said, raising his chin, referring to Yisreal.
Lorien glanced at Yisreal, who remained silent. “He should have died,” she said.
“He didn’t—because he was the thief.” Armoros stepped forward, closing in on them.
Mitheran’s thoughts raced before his gaze snapped upward—to me, perched atop the mammoth. I tried to maintain my composure and an air of ignorance.
“You said I’d see your faces when it rains,” Yisreal cut in, standing his ground.
“Do you have time for this, Your Highness?” Armoros came face-to-face with him, tilting his head as if listening. “Hear that? The riot outside.”
“Or inside,” Yisreal countered.
I couldn’t see Armoros or Yisreal’s expressions, but Mitheran, standing behind them, scanned the area, alert and confused. Then the earth trembled as horses and soldiers—a cohort’s worth—poured through the broken gate into the arena’s backstage. In moments, we were surrounded.
“Can you ride the beast out?” Yisreal asked Lorien.
She looked up. Yisreal, as if suddenly remembering my presence, shouted, “Ivan, get down here!”
Well, how? I imagined gripping the reins and sliding down like they did, but—
In my hesitation, Lorien placed her hands on the mammoth’s trunk and whispered something. The mammoth threw its trunk backward, coiled around me, and planted me into the slushy ground.
The entire time, one thought consumed me: She didn’t even try to control the mammoth when the slaves escaped—was she part of the revolt? Or did she incite the mammoth’s rampage in the first place?
In the same way, Lorien ascended and filled my spot on its back. The soldiers parted as the mammoth walked through the broken gate.
Mitheran yelled out, “So you’ve chosen betrayal. You know what awaits traitors.”
Lorien glanced at them. “I was never on your side.”
As she directed the beast to turn around, Armoros looked furious and about to fly up to the mammoth’s top, but Mitheran exchanged a look with him, and he gave up—watching their hostage ride the beast away, this time easily toward the arena’s front gate.
“Seize them!” Yisreal ordered.
The army closed in, all blades pointed at Mitheran and Armoros. Armoros glared through the soldiers at Yisreal, while Mitheran—at me.
Two captains kicked them from behind, and they both fell to the ground, knees dipping into muddy puddles. As they were shackled and fettered, Yisreal came to stand before them.
“You coward!” Armoros spat at him—though he missed his mark. As a consequence, one of the captains—distinguished by his helmet—kicked him under the chin and cut into his neck, drawing blood before he could sit upright.
Yisreal lifted a hand briefly, and the captain stepped back.
Mitheran said, “If you are not a coward, challenge us one-on-one.”
“And who are you, to challenge me one-on-one?”
Mitheran didn’t answer.
“Take them away,” Yisreal said.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Wait—” Yisreal stopped them just as the two prisoners were lifted to their feet. “The dungeon is full,” he said, pointing to the left. “Throw them there—separately.”
Armoros turned, realizing that Yisreal was sending them to the bears and the giant tiger. He cursed him vehemently with strange curses—things like he would lose his eyelids, that his skin wouldn’t be able to breathe, and that he would be stuck in this weak vessel forever.
The captain who had kicked Armoros’ chin hesitated. “Your Highness, what if His Grace wants to interrogate them?”
Yisreal glanced at the captain, who quickly lowered his eyes.
“Apollos,” Yisreal said, without looking at him, “you should’ve known better—I’m not just your Highness.”
Apollos immediately knelt, head bowed. “Yes, Lord Commander.”
A few of the soldiers looked afraid as they escorted the prisoners to the den. After all, they had to risk being attacked the moment they opened the door—especially those at the front. In contrast, Mitheran remained silent, and Armoros—though still cursing Yisreal—didn’t seem aware of the more important matter. I couldn’t help following after them, while Yisreal remained in the same spot where he had first stood.
They threw Armoros in with the two black bears, then brought Mitheran in front of the tiger’s den. The tiger wasn’t in the open area; it must have been hiding in its cave from the rain. They opened the door and pushed Mitheran inside. As they chained the door again, Mitheran lingered by the bars and fixed his eyes on me.
When our eyes met, he pointed at his mask and tapped it lightly with his fore and middle fingers. Then he turned around and disappeared into the depths of the tiger’s den.