Merlin’s eyes gazed upon Laila. His look was that of a man in love, but he was too stupid to realize it. He thought back to the stories he heard on his long journeys, stories of a child whose soul was so beautiful that it would frighten both the gods and the demons. The story about the return of the hero of man, one who shall free everyone from the oppression of the gods.
"What are you looking at, Merlin?" Laila asked. Her cheeks were red from blushing, but she also couldn’t stop staring at him.
"Oh, I’m sorry for staring," Merlin said. The beauty of her soul mesmerized him, and the purity of her Uzu was scary. "Why are you this beautiful?" Merlin asked. Alexander and Dante just looked at each other, confused.
"Huh? Well, when my mother and father were in love, they got into bed an-" Merlin cut her off before she could say anything that would take away Dante’s innocence.
"No, no. I mean, why is your soul so beautiful? It’s like I’m staring into the soul of an angel," Merlin said. Laila blushed even more. The warmth she felt towards this strange man was so different from the noble men her father tried to force her to marry, and the feelings that were slowly growing inside frightened her. Why fall for a strange man like this? She thought to herself, but no one could easily change what their heart desired.
The ride to the Deneos kingdom was an uncomfortable ride for Alexander and Dante. The two watched as Merlin and Laila flirted until they reached their destination.
The carriage came to a stop and a voice echoed from outside. "Lady Laila, we are home," the guard driving the carriage said.
"Thank the gods," Alexander said as he let out a sigh of relief. Dante was the first to exit the carriage, and Alexander followed right behind him.
The sweet smell of fruits overwhelmed Alexander’s nose as soon as he stepped out of the carriage. He finally felt the changes within his body, and he knew he would have to get used to his new Nergal body.
The world seemed different as a Nergal. The beauty of the world made him appreciate everything, and he felt joy within himself for the first time in a long while.
"It’s truly beautiful," he said to himself, and it made him desire his dream of a better future for all even more.
He looked upon the kingdom of Deneos, and it was unlike any kingdom he had ever seen. Above in the sky the kingdom was floating, and it left him in awe.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?" Commander Dagon said to the boys as he rode on his horse. "It’s the safest kingdom on this continent. No one would dare attack us here."
"The only way to get up to the kingdom is through the teleportation gates placed around the area. The gates are guarded by knights," Dagon added.
But Merlin was still doubtful of the words Dagon said because he knew they weren’t dealing with normal humans. "Alright commander, I will trust you," Merlin said.
The teleportation gates were made from a soft limestone, and the strange carvings made Merlin curious about their origins. The language Written on them was from a dead language, and it was a testament to how old these gates were.
The magic they produced could be felt as soon as they all stepped into the huge gate. With a simple chant from Dagon, everything started shifting, and reality began to bend.
Before they even knew it, they were standing in the middle of an hall filled with knights . "Welcome to Deneos," Dagon said, and no one was more excited than Alexander and Dante. Their eyes shined bright from excitement excitement, and Merlin could see it.
"Can you point us to the inns? I fear my little brothers might run away to explore before we have the chance to settle down," Merlin said to Laila, but she just smirked at him.
"Nonsense. You guys will be our guests. I wouldn’t want my saviors staying at an inn," Laila said. "I don’t think my father will mind having the great wizard as his guest."
Merlin tried to refuse her offer, but he changed his mind right after looking at Dante. No child should be raised in an inn, he thought to himself. "Thank you, Lady Laila," Merlin said.
"Don’t mention it. Plus you still owe me that date you promised," Laila said.
The hall they stood in was covered in so many statues and carvings on the walls, but the one that stood out the most was a tablet displayed on the wall. It had words written in an ancient language. "What does this say?" Alexander asked.
"This is a prophecy given to mortals by the old gods. It tells of the stories to come. But this is only half of the prophecy," Merlin said.
"It mentions the return of the hero," he said. "In a kingdom of creatures with power that rivals the gods, a child shall come. The child shall appear when great evil arrives. On the right the strongest mortal shall stand. On the left Destruction shall smile, and behind them Time will follow with joy." Merlin read from the tablet.
"You can read the language of the First People?" Laila asked, amazed by the knowledge possessed by this man.
"Yes, I can. I spent some time with the descendants of the sun people, and they taught me a lot about their ancient culture," Merlin said, and the blushing was clear on his face.
The hall seemed to have gone silent. When Merlin and Laila looked around they saw a finely dressed man entering the hall, and he was covered in gold from head to toe. His prideful walk made iy clear that he was a noble man. "Laila, honey. I’m glad you are safe," the man said.
"Father!" Laila said with excitement.