Genesis Code: The Genetic Awakening-Chapter 135: Meeting The King (2)

The knights who stood guard outside the door immediately bowed their heads, paying their respect to the king and commander. They attempted to follow behind, but the commander raised his hand to stop them.

"You’re excused."

"Yes, commander." They had no place questioning the decision of their commander, bowed again and walked in the other direction.

"It’s him, isn’t it?" King Gray asked without looking back, his steps hurried and purposeful.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Commander Lance replied. "The priestess was the one to make the call. The decision on where to meet has been left to your discretion."

"Then tell the priestess we will be coming to her in the late hours of the night." The king instructed and then came to a sudden halt. Looking over his shoulder, he added. "Make sure no one finds out about this."

"Of course." Commander Lance nodded. This was his cue to leave; he had to make sure everything was ready for their nightly outing.

King Gray turned to look outside the window of the hallway and towards the sky. ’You brought this man into our lives... And I vowed to never doubt you again.’

As a king, this line of thinking was dangerous and could even lead to his ruin. Still, he was willing to take that leap of faith. Anything was possible.

.......

In the dead of night, two figures wearing black cloaks disappeared under the noses of the tight security of the Royal Palace, taking a secret path known to very few that led straight into the heart of the city.

Even at this hour of the night, some parts of the large city were alive with bard tales and the rowdy laughter of drunk adventurers and workers.

Despite the recent uproar and decrees announced, some people didn’t bother to be... well, bothered. They still went on with their lives like everything was normal.

Regardless of who sat on the throne, their lives weren’t going to change much. They would still go on with their business, fighting to live just another day.

"Hmm?"

A drunk nobody lying in the dark corner behind a tavern noticed some movement from the corner of his eye. It was too dark for him to see anything clearly.

With the fingers of both hands, the drunk tried to open his heavy lids to see clearly. That was when he saw two dark silhouettes moving towards him.

They were tall and very imposing, and with each step they took, it felt like the ground shook. Their cloaks fluttered around them, leaving what appeared to be a dark and smoky aura.

"I must be seeing things..."

Unfortunately for him, figures continued approaching. Had he been sober, his heart would have jumped out of his chest. That, or he would not be seeing what he currently seeing.

The imposing figures came to a stop when they reached him. The drunk gulped slightly, not sure what to do. He couldn’t see their faces under their thick hoods.

"For your troubles..."

One of them said and tossed a coin to him. The drunk man managed to catch the coin and looked inside his palm. His eyes lit up in pure delight.

’Gold coin!’

When was the last time he saw one of those? He didn’t know, and he didn’t care. He finally got his next roll of cash to get wasted.

Of course, the intention was for the money to be used for something productive, but the drunk didn’t know that. He raised his head to say thank you, but they were gone.

"Eh...?" Like ghosts that appeared out of nowhere, they disappeared. The only proof of their existence was the coin in his hand.

From the dark alley of the tavern to the temple was a couple of hundred meters away and was the closest hidden path to the temple.

The dark figures whizzed through the city streets at high speeds, leaving a sudden but brief gust of wind that took some people off guard. Some jumped in fright while others believed it was the wind, which was true, in a way.

Within a few seconds, the two figures were at the gates of the temple, wasted no time and rushed inside, once again leaving the temple knights and a few nuns guessing.

"I’ve been waiting."

Celistra, priestess to Goddess Myrris, said when she felt a sudden breeze wash over her. She had been in her office per the arrangements of the commander. Turning around, she saw her guest covered in dark cloaks that made them look imposing.

"Come with me..." Without delay, she walked towards her guest as they made way for her to pass. They quickly followed behind her like her personal guards.

"How long has he been in the city?" A question was directed at her. She recognised the voice as the king’s and wasted no time in replying.

"Less than two days..."

She led them through a series of corridors, making sure to stay hidden from anyone who might still be awake. They arrived at a secluded end of one of the hallways, where they came to an apparent dead end.

"..."

For a moment, the three stopped and made no movements. The king and commander exchanged subtle glances, not sure why they were facing a dead end.

"You’re not the only one with secret compartments, Your Majesty." Celistra answered the silent question. "This temple has been standing for hundreds of years, you know?"

She raised both hands with subtle glows and made some gestures, pressing the bricks in an unfamiliar pattern. The bricks shook for a moment before parting to reveal a stairway leading downwards.

"Quickly." Celistra stepped aside, gesturing for the two to enter.

The men did as they were told. However, they turned around when they noticed the priestess was coming down with them.

"I have no place in whatever you wish to discuss with him, Your Majesty." She said calmly. "And you have no reason to fear him..."

"I’ll be the judge of that."

Commander Lance replied as he retrieved his sword to his waist, hiding it in his cloak. The two men stared at the priestess as the bricks moved back into place, plunging the stairway into deeper darkness.

"Are you really sure about this...?" Commander Lance had to ask again. "Meeting in a dark space like this..." He didn’t complete his sentence.

"It will be fine, Lance." King Gray replied confidently, the two turning to look down.

Still, the commander chose to be on the side of caution, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

As they began their descent, eventually reaching the base of the stairs, they noticed a singular pillar of light in the distance, revealing a crypt-like chamber with the extremes buried in darkness.

A few tens of meters ahead and past the systemically arranged stone pillars, they approached an altar-like structure. They spread their senses but found no one around.

"There’s no one here," The commander muttered, coming to stand by the altar. "He’s probably not here yet. Also, why didn’t the priestess say anything?"

"Because I can appear at any time."

A deep voice suddenly echoed in the crypt. The commander’s body shuddered for a moment, but he swiftly acted and came to stand by the king’s side, his sword drawn and pointed in a certain direction.

The two men stood in silence as they watched a pair of turquoise glowing eyes move towards them. Those eyes instilled an eerie sense of unease that the commander had never felt before, making him gulp subtly.

Out of the darkness, the man of the hour stepped into the light, his imposing presence commanding respect. His outfit was completely black, just like they heard.

But his long-sleeved and tight-fitting shirt was a bit unusual as it gripped around his neck, almost reaching his chin.

"Caleb Zane..." King Gray couldn’t help but call out. The man before him was everything he was told and then some. For instance, he was better looking than he imagined.

"In the flesh..."