In a brightly lit room, former King Brylon attended to documents about unimportant matters concerning the Prismerian Kingdom spread across his table.
The door suddenly swung open, revealing a figure clad in brown, carrying a stack of documents. The person approached the wide table and laid down the pile.
"King Garnet has ordered that you take care of these documents before tomorrow so that you can attend the royal engagement and stand as the representative of the Crystalforge Clan during the engagement," the figure informed.
Without waiting for a response, the brown-clad individual turned around and exited the study room, leaving the room to fall back into silence.
Witnessing the continuous demands of his duties in the study room, former King Brylon couldn't suppress a sigh of defeat.
Since the Gemheart Clan seized control of the castle and defeated the Crystalforge Clan, Brylon was chained to the study room instead of imprisoned in the dungeon, like his wife.
His days were consumed by resolving numerous non-trivial issues plaguing the Prismerian Kingdom, preventing it from crumbling, while Garnet managed political matters and other crucial affairs.
Garnet's reasoning was practical; in his view, imprisoning them would squander resources. Rather than seeking alternative assistance to handle the kingdom's affairs without risking instability, Garnet chose him.
In return, he got to cling to his life and his wife's.
Knowing this situation was merely a temporary reprieve; former King Brylon understood the imminent danger awaiting him once Garnet learned about the trial.
Garnet would likely launch a search for everyone who gained the unknown power to defeat the White Flame, including his daughter. This was the key to escaping the mountain and returning back to the world outside the mountain.
Moreover, the mysterious artefact Garnet placed on him weakened his strength to that of an ordinary Prismerion, slowly deteriorating his skin and flesh.
In essence, his death was inevitable; it was only a matter of time before it happened.
Despite the looming threat, Brylon felt a pressing need to ensure the escape of all participants who obtained the unknown power, especially his daughter, before the inevitable end.
Despite the heavy chains tightly bound around his four limbs, Brylon extended his hand, firmly grasping the black crystal-enchanted ink pen. He refocused on the documents sprawled across the table.
Meanwhile, in the recesses of his mind, Brylon couldn't shake the hope that Elysia had conveyed the plan to his daughter and successfully got together with the warriors who had succeeded in the trial.
Their escape from the mountain before the forthcoming engagement depended on this coordinated effort. Once outside, they would have to rely on their fortune to confront the challenges awaiting them.
Despite the weariness creeping through his body, Brylon recognized the necessity of persisting to ensure a favourable outcome.
…....…...
Outside the mountains
Morning
After tirelessly navigating through the night, Orion sighed in relief at the sight of several large mountains stretching out for miles before him.
The mountains formed a curve, each displaying unique sizes that extended into the distance, creating a captivating panorama that briefly captured his attention. However, he couldn't afford to linger on the scenic view. Shifting his gaze downward to the immense, jagged rock formations at the base of one mountain, he asked, "Is that where you found me?" Orion turned to Fifi for an answer.
Fifi nodded in confirmation, "Yes, we discovered you lying in Vylkr Warrior mode over there," she replied, gesturing toward a specific large stone.
Her eyes focused on the countless one-star and two-star Vylkr vines slithering aimlessly around it.
Orion nodded in understanding before silently gesturing for all of Orion's skies to move towards the mountain. Upon arrival, they spent some time locating an entrance, eventually finding a cave that caught Orion's eye at first glance.
Surprisingly, this cave turned out to be the same one he and Saria had discovered when seeking an escape from the swarm of one-star and two-star Vylkr vines. Reflecting on this coincidence, Orion couldn't help but sigh in remembrance. If the current him replaced the version from two weeks ago, he would have found his previous situation much easier to handle, despite knowing he would still lose to Stronghold Leader Drakar.
"So, what's your plan?" Fifi asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.
Orion responded, "We can't land the Orion's skies on top of the mountain due to the snow, so our best option would be to touch down somewhere below it."
Despite the toughness and strength of the Orion's skies, he didn't want to risk their only means for a safe and swift return to the village by exposing them to the harsh mountain conditions.
Orion surveyed the area and quickly identified a suitable spot, sparsely occupied by Vylkr vines, making it an ideal landing place.
Once on the ground, the warriors disembarked from their respective Orion's skies one by one, armed and carrying provisions. Only two warriors remained behind to pilot and attend to any emergencies or potential increases in Vylkr vines in the area.
"You can still take the Orion's skies back into the sky if the situation becomes too much to handle. Just keep your eyes sharp to spot us at any moment once we make our way off the mountain," Orion advised the two middle-aged men who would be staying behind to watch over the Orion's skies.
Both men nodded silently in agreement.
Satisfied they understood, Orion turned around and locked eyes with the warriors. "Let's go," he commanded, charging towards the direction of the cave with the rest of the warriors beside him.
With their incredible speed, they reached their destination in less than ten minutes. While Orion lagged behind a bit, Fifi helped him keep up.
The others, all three-star warriors, overlooked it, understanding that Orion couldn't match their speed even with his full strength.
Grasping his cutlass tightly, Orion surveyed the eleven warriors present as he spoke, "Remember, follow my lead. Until we get to the Prismerian Kingdom, conserve whatever energy you have. And lastly, if you see a White Flame, do not engage. Quickly inform the rest of us and run as fast as you can," he said.
