Grand stained glass windows stretched from the soft, velvet carpet on the floor to the masterfully sculpted ceiling above. Mesmerising patterns of colours danced across the wall opposite the windows, flickering like ripples in a pond that shimmers with sunlight. At the end of the hallway was a set of beautifully carved dark wooden doors; the materials were a gift from the elven tribes that reside deep within the forests to the north. Scenes of battles and dragons adorned the doors, and at eye level, crossing both doors, read the words, "Long live the King". The messenger hurried towards the doors, though he would have taken slightly longer to admire the luxury that filled the royal palace. Once he reached the doors, the two guards, who could have passed as a display of armour, crossed spears to block his path.
"Who goes there?" Called out the guards in unison, their voices distorted within their helmets to the point that it took everything the messenger had to keep a straight face to answer.
"I am a messenger from the Lord of Mount Emberheart. I have come to deliver dire news to his Royal Highness. I'm afraid this matter cannot be delayed."
"You may pass. The king is expecting you."
The messenger bowed his head in thanks to the guards as they opened the doors for him into the Royal Courtroom. The Royal Courtroom was the most impressive room within the palace; a glass dome in the ceiling let in beams of light that illuminated the room with an ethereal glow. Opposite the doors sat the King on his golden throne. He held his head in his left hand, and the knuckles on his right hand were white from gripping the arm of the throne.
"What news does the Lord of Mount Emberheart have to give me?" Asked the King, his eyes were slightly bloodshot, and his voice wavered almost unnoticeably.
"Your Highness, the flame dragon of the mountain has disappeared completely; in its stead, there is a glowing ball of light that the scholars and mages claim to be a portal of sorts. There is no indication as to where it leads, and there is a very real possibility that the flame dragon died upon crossing through it." Announced the messenger breathlessly.
"Thank you for this information. You are dismissed." The king waved his hand towards the door, and the messenger swiftly backed out to safety.
"Shit!" Yelled the King, slamming his fist onto the arm of the chair and making his advisors jump out of their seats in surprise.
"Your Majesty, I suggest that we keep this matter strictly within the bounds of this room. I believe that it would be beneficial to avoid a mass panic within the Kingdom." Called out one of the advisors timidly. "I would also suggest that we send part of the army to the base of Mount Emberheart to assist in the prevention of the possible expansion of forces behind the portal."
The King glared directly at the advisor who gave the suggestion, and he instantly shrank back under the intense heat that emanated from the King's eyes. To the great relief of the advisor, the King's eyes softened slightly, and he took a deep breath.
"Yes... Yes. That would be a reasonable precaution. Send 25,000 infantry and 25,000 mages from the Royal Army to assist the loyal knights of the Lord of Mount Emberheart. Let no living creature exist within a 20-mile radius of the base of the mountain, and ensure the safety of the Kingdom and its people. This session is adjourned. Dismissed."
With that, the men in the room solemnly filed out one after the other out of the Royal Courtroom and left the King alone with his thoughts. The King's shadow flickered and disappeared into the darkness.
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Harvey had had enough of the constant complaining that he was getting from the army representatives from each country. Recently, almost every meeting eventually descended into a mini-warzone where he was the "enemy", as it were. It wasn't his fault that none of them had actually read the documents that he handed out, and it also wasn't his fault that the projects that they agreed to take part in cost billions to accomplish. It had been a month since Sergei Stalnoy had been sent off to train with the special forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Russia, and finally China. Harvey glanced down at his watch before making slight adjustments to his suit and entering the new meeting room. Sergei Stalnoy was due to land in the United Kingdom within half an hour for the last leg of his training.
"Good morning, all." Began Harvey, as he swung open the now normal door into the same depressing, dreary room that was in the last bunker. The same mahogany table now stood proudly at the centre of the room. "For once, there will only be good news from me in this meeting."
The four men at the table looked up at him as if he were insane. Harvey typically had bad news of some shape or form, and they had grown to expect some sort of catastrophic failure.
"He's gone mad, hasn't he?" Duncan asked the other men.
"I think he's had a bit too much vodka." Joked Nikolai, shaking his head in utter disbelief.
"Harvey Wilson, are you sure you're alright?" Asked Zhen Wu, a tone of serious concern in his voice as he stood up to assist Harvey in some way.
"Oh, for fuck's sake! I'm not drunk; I'm not high on drugs; I haven't hit my head in an accident; and I'm certainly not an alien!" Roared Harvey, snapping around to Arthur and pointing at him just as he opened his mouth to speak. "As I was saying," continued Harvey in a now calm and composed manner. "Sergei Stalnoy has now entered his final week of training, just in time for the first official military expedition into the world behind the portal."
"Speaking of unofficial, how did that expedition go?"
"Very well, Zhen Wu, very well indeed. There was a battle between the expedition force and the presumably local military force. The details are in the file I have with me now." Harvey pulled out the files from the folder from under his arm and handed them to each of the four men. Silence echoed off of the walls of the room as they read the report.
"Harvey, doesn't half of this sound... extremely unrealistic? I mean, don't get me wrong, the outcome is brilliant, but this kind of thing... sounds like... magic." Arthur's face was dead serious as he said this, and there were nods of agreement from the rest of the table.
"What? What's wrong? I haven't properly read it yet; tell me." Harvey looked at each of the men in turn in confusion, looking for any hint that it was all a joke. Instead, there was the press of reality as he finally concluded that magic was a thing of the world behind the portal.
"We're in deep shit, aren't we?" The four men at the table nodded solemnly. "Fucking hell. When will we ever get to catch a break now?" Harvey sighed deeply. "Well, I still maintain my role as the harbinger of terrible news don't I."