Perfect silence.
Despite the excitement and ambivalent emotions in the air, no one spoke in the massive court that they were in. It was a massive, luxurious space, filled with several gems and glowing crystals that gave it a bright and extravagant vibe.
No one paid their pristine environment any special mind, though.
They were used to it.
Instead, they shifted in their seats as they sat around a circular table, waiting for the arrival of the last member to complete their meeting before they could begin. There were a total of six seats in the room, each of different sizes and forms, being filled by members of various races except for one
A seat was occupied by Fae, representative of the Fairy King.
She was a couple inches tall and had bright yellow—nearly golden—hair, along with gem-like eyes that glowed with varying colors. Translucent wings stood upright behind her, gleaming like precious stones, and her outfit was a combination of golden armor and a shimmering white dress.
She currently represented the Fairies in this meeting, possessing more than enough qualifications to sit among the other leaders around her.
Esme represented the Elves, and her calm demeanor showed the maturity of a leader.
Her silver-like white hair was long enough to nearly reach her feet, and her ocean blue eyes displayed a range of emotions that she kept within herself. With pointed ears that twitched slightly at intervals, and smooth pale skin, she donned her white and blue gown with grace.
Serving as the representative of the humans was none other than Brutus, the Head Warrior of the United Human Alliance. Since the meeting would dwell mainly on affairs relating to warfare, the Royal Council's presence was hardly necessary.
Besides, this meeting was a gathering of the strong.
As a result, only the most powerful of each side was gathered in the circle.
Representing the Dwarves was none other than Grandmaster Finn.
Dressed in his traditional Dwarven attire, with an expensive cloak covering his stout body as well as various precious stones for rings and beads. If they were in another place, his appearance would be considered extravagant. However, due to the space they all occupied, his dressing seemed pretty tame.
Finn, formerly a mere Councilman, was specially selected to lead the Dwarves by Ater after he conquered them. It was a method of Indirect Rule, and even though every member of the Council was under his control, Ater preferred a more streamlined system of power.
The Council reported to Finn, and Finn reported to him—or rather… his pawns.
The Giants were represented by none other than Ater, who was now their Chief. He smiled broadly as he closed his eyes, enjoying the silence in the hall. He liked the decorum that everyone offered due to the absence of the one central figure they were all waiting for.
'Can you see, Master? They all honor you, even in your absence.'
His grin widened.
Behind each seat were two entourages standing. This was an alliance, so they couldn't be considered guards. Still, they were present as a sign of prestige from each racial standpoint.
Behind Fae were two smaller fairies who were covered in bright golden armor from head to toe.
They were the Royal Sentries—an elite force among the Fairies.
As for Brutus, he had both Clark and Trisha standing behind him. They were the strongest cards that exclusively sided with the United Human Alliance. Noah Sherlock was also a strong contender, but he did not serve the Royal Council and was only a leader among the Adventurers.
That made him exempt from political matters like this.
Esme had two of her Elder Elves behind her, all of them appearing solemn as they maintained sheer silence.
Ater on the other hand had Justin and Belle behind him—no Giant at all, despite representing the Giant Race. Some would frown on this, but since Ater was an overlord that completely dominated the group of savages that were the Giants, there were none who offered any complaints.
Grandmaster Finn had Automatons accompany him.
He could have enlisted the presence of his Councilmen, but they were too occupied with other pertinent matters in preparation for the imminent war. There was no need to have them present, so the machines would have to do.
With everyone on each side gathered, they waited patiently for the doors to open and their Champion to enter.
However, that wouldn't happen until a while later.
After all, this Champion was having a very important meeting at the moment—one of equal importance, if not more—with the Monarch of the Fairies himself.
The Fairy King!
***********
"Rey Skylar… you have no idea how long I have waited for your arrival."
Rey smiled as he sat opposite the Fairy King, seeming as an equal despite the glorious splendor that the latter oozed. He was slightly shorter than a human child, but his wings were massive—about five times larger than his whole body. They radiated a host of colors, causing Rey to squint his eyes when he first saw them.
The Fairy King was dressed in the most magnificent pure-white apparel, adorned with silver decorations and gems, with a glorious crown of gold that hovered around his head. His body glistened like he was made of the most precious ore, shining bright enough to illuminate the entire hall without much effort.
Needless to say, his presence was overwhelming.
However, Rey remained calm as he sat before the Fairy King, his face stoic as he received his words. He heard heard all about this entity from Ater, including what he had to say and what his intentions were.
Still, listening to his words for himself wasn't a bad idea.
"Will you do it, Rey Skylar? Will you prevent the destruction of this world and save our existence?" The Fairy King asked, a grave expression on his beautiful face.
For a few seconds, Rey shrugged.
It almost seemed like he was nonchalant about the conversation, but it was quite the opposite.
"Isn't it already a given? I came back here despite knowing the fate of this world."
H'Trae was a ticking time bomb.
This world was fated for destruction one way or the other: if not at the hands of the Dragon Emperor, then at the hands of the new overlord of the world.
The self-proclaimed Primarch of H'Trae.
"I didn't expect Adrien to take things this far… especially after being lowkey for so long. He must be in the endgame of his plan… whatever it is."
The Fairy King sighed and nodded.
"I have had a dream that this world will be bathed in blood and ash. Perverse creatures will roam the land, replacing the terror of the Dragons with an even bigger threat."
Rey sighed as he absorbed more details about the current state of H'Trae.
'It's been a few years since my disappearance from this world, and in that time a lot has happened…'
Currently, the Dragon Empire was no more.
It fell after Rey's battle with the Dragon Emperor, prior to their banishment at the hands of Adrien. It seemed Adrien repurposed the land and the casualties for his benefit, turning the entire continent into a land of death.
'Lucielle and Adonis are still unaccounted for, but everything else in that continent has become filled to the brim with an aura of death.'
The situation was dire.