//------------------------------// // Kingly Matters // Story: Avatar of History // by Chemtest //------------------------------// The airship lands, and I am shook awake by it. I shake my head to get the sleep out of my system, disappointed that I fell asleep when I could be surrounded by enemies. I look over at Erwin, who is still asleep, and tickle his mane with a breeze of air, “Hey, mate, it’s time to go.” Erwin slowly wakes, and grumbles, “I was just about to catch that rabbit!” I wave my hand, “You can catch the bloody rabbit later, we got something to do.” The unicorn leader walks into the room, slamming the door open, “We’ve arrived, and the Storm King does not enjoy waiting!” I stand up, and brush past her, “You told me to stay in there, love, and I intended to until told otherwise.” She turns to face me as I start to stretch in the hallway, “If you take orders that literally, then this little arrangement will be short.” I smile at her, with as much charm as I can summon, “Come on, love, Storm King doesn’t like waiting.” She storms past me, and growls, “Just follow me and keep your mouth shut.” I shrug, and fall into line behind her. She marches through the airship, and three guards come out of the different halls to accompany us. Erwin smiles at the guards, only to lose that smile as they return nothing but cold shoulders. I follow as we exit, and I get my first view of Storm City. A giant castle sits upon the top of the hill that makes up the island. It is a dark grey metal, like that of a particularly strong storm. Spires poke up from it, all of which have lightning rods that seem to have wires that converge in the center of the castle. The only color on the castle are teal, horn like shapes, the same as the ones on everything else. There is a main gate on the first floor, where many creatures enter, a harbor where airships take off and land, and the military dock where I currently walk. Soldiers rush around, either to their airship, or taking prisoners into the castle. The village stretches all around the castle, spreading through the entire small island. The road system is easy. Four roads spread out, each with different branches every so often that meet with the other main streets. Then, there are the littlest roads that connect these secondary roads and keep every house boxed in. The island is split into three by these roads, and it seems like each area is a dedicated area. One is where the people live, another is where the markets are, and the final seems to be industrial. Everything is organized, and the majority of it seems very clean. We walk through a gate, exiting the military dock. The inside of the castle is very much the same as the outside. The only decorations are flags, and one or two tapestries here and there. What lines the walls, instead, are weapons, armor, and what appear to be traps. We eventually stop at a big door, and the unicorn opens it, “Be respectful.” We walk inside, with the guards staying at the doors. I look up, and see my first look of the Storm King. A yeti, such is the best way to describe him. He wears robes with his nation’s flag imprinted on it, the rest of it black. Two black horns come off his head, each one with teal energy rushing through it. And his crown is simple, only a grey version of his symbol. His eyes glow teal and he smiles as we enter, “Well, what have we here? Another bipedal creature?” He claps, “Oh, Tempest, you sure know how to please me!” Tempest nods, “Thank you, your majesty.” Storm King looks at me, “Uh, what does he do, exactly?” I smile, and create a ball of fire in my hand, “This, your majesty.” He nods, “Ah, a pyromancer. Intriguing, but is that really all?” I shift my foot slightly, causing a rock to come out of the ground. I use an air current to keep it up, and create a shield of water from the air around me, “A lot more, Storm King.” He leans forwards, “Ah, so a creature of many tricks!” He looks at Tempest, “Who is he?” I speak instead of her, “Avatar, Storm King. I hail from a far away land. The land of the Sleeping Giant, Land of the Eagles,the Third Reich, the Graveyard of Empires-“ He interrupts, “Wait, wait, can you say the last one again?” I slightly nod, “Graveyard of Empires.” He shakes his head, “No, the last last one!” I tilt my head a slight bit, “The Third Reich?” He nods, “Yes, that!” He smiles, and leans in, “Please, tell me more about this Third Reich, and I will allow you to become one of my top generals.” I ignore the shocked gasp of Tempest, and nod instead, “That’s a bloody good deal. Sure, I’ll take it!”