The Stonehearted Knight
Chapter 342: An old ally (1)

Chapter 342: An old ally (1)

The dust swirled up in the air as the wind blew across the barren lands.

No matter where his eye went, only soil and wind existed. Not sand. Soil. Dried clay, mixed with sand and other materials Edward couldn’t name.

He didn’t know why they came here, but the Divine Lord insisted Ericka and Solos be around him, wherever they went. As such, Edward, as the Queen’s Guard, had to tag along. He wasn’t complaining.

The absence of anyone trustworthy caused Ericka to rely a lot on him and his company. As a result, they grew close to each other. There might be even more to it than pure companionship, that much even someone as insecure and dense as him could tell. But he was afraid to act upon it. As was she.

Edward didn’t wish to ruin whatever trust and reliance he had built with her. And, as he glanced at the handsome young man’s back, he feared losing his head.

The Divine Lord never insulted or abused anyone. Not that he had noticed it. But He seemed too controlling to allow someone close to Him to act according to their own will.

His behavior toward Ericka was casual and uncaring until someone else tried to get close to her. In that case, that person would be beheaded. Like the former Queen’s Guard. For some reason only Edward seemed acceptable.

’Perhaps I am too average in his eyes to make a difference.’

Infuriating as that feeling was, Edward accepted it as the truth. He was but an average person, destined to follow others and live the life as required of him.

Edward marched with the small team forward. For a while nothing changed. The same barren lands as far as he could see. Ericka, as the Queen, was carried in a palanquin. Even beasts wouldn’t last too long in this forsaken piece of nowhere.

The others, just like Edward, walked in utter silence. He imagined someone like Ella would have used a palanquin too. But she wasn’t around. It was a trend lately. He saw fewer and fewer people around the Divine Lord.

’Perhaps doing His bid in secret.’

Edward was used to being ignored. In a way, his presence was even less noticeable than that of the sentries who had become part of the palace. He didn’t mind it. He was used to it. It gave him the opportunity to observe, to listen, to experience things others ignored.

They crossed the land, following the lead of the Divine Lord. He seemed immune to fatigue. As did the woman following behind him. Her feathers were retracted and Edward didn’t see any traces of lightning snaking around her body, but he hadn’t forgotten the terror he felt in her presence.

To this day, they remained in the dark about her true identity or name. She was the Field Marshall, the most powerful post in their group, just below the Divine Lord himself. Even Solos, officially the King, had to settle for third place in terms of power and importance.

’I am at the bottom.’

Edward had no say. No, he did have a say, only no one who would be willing to listen.

After some time, Edward noticed the group slowing down until they halted. He stood beside the palanquin, at the center of the group. He peered through the people in front of him, trying to see what lay ahead.

He could tell they stood on top of a hill, overlooking a great piece of flatland. The land, like everything else they had seen so far, seemed devoid of life and vitality. Nothing more.

’More barren land? Is this why we are here? Land...wait. Something is different.’ Edward stood on top of his toes, giving the land a better look. "Holes. A lot of holes."

He looked confused at the others, who, for a change, looked as stumped as he did. No one dared to question the Divine Lord. Almost no one.

"Why are we here, my Lord?"

The trusted aide of the Chief of Court asked. The young man wasn’t braver than the rest. He only struggled to stifle his curiosity. A flaw overlooked so far by the Divine Lord. He didn’t reply to the young man’s questions but he didn’t punish him for asking questions out of turn.

Waiting for an old ally.

Gasps rang in the group. Their fear failed to suppress the shock they experienced. Edward understood them. He didn’t gasp but his fear was often stronger than any other feeling he was capable of.

’Ally!’

Edward had been near the Divine Lord since his birth. After all, he had been closest to Ericka who birthed him. No one had been worthy of being called an ally. Even Elsa, who later turned out to be Frost Dragon Queen, was considered an old acquaintance at best.

Just as everyone wondered what or who could be considered worthy of being the equal of the Divine Lord, the sky turned dark. Shocked, Edward lifted his head with a start and looked at the sky. There were no clouds. But the sun had disappeared.

’How?’

Just as he tried to grasp the reason behind the darkness, he sensed the air around him and the land below his feet trembled.

Only then did he realize that he was shivering. Not only had it turned dark, the sweltering heat had disappeared and cold filled the world. It wasn’t just any cold. It was a cold that made one shiver to the core. It was almost as if the cold reached his soul.

He is here.

He heard the Divine Lord’s voice in his mind. Looking up, they sensed something approaching. The darkness prevented Edward from seeing clearly what it was. But they all could tell something coming their way, filling the sky.

The rumbling intensified. Some of the weaker ones among them fainted. Others held their ears and mouth, trying to withstand the pain. Edward felt his ears ring and his blood boil but he pushed through with gritted teeth. He hoped Ericka could push through. No matter how much he wished to help her, he couldn’t. All his energy went to keeping himself on his feet.

YOU! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!

The sky thundered, pushing Edward to his limit. The Divine Lord however, stood upright, with a smile on his lips.

Hello, old friend.

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