Chapter 2 I am a queen

Alright, let's move on. In the very back, there was a Satyr, a creature with a human body but goat ears and horns. Additionally, there were Harpies, mythological creatures with women's heads and bird wings.

"Greetings, Your Majesty," the white Pegasus said, approaching me and bowing like a knight.

"What's the matter?"

A clear expression of surprise was evident on my face, mixed with a hint of fear, of course. After all, I was the only full human form here.

"We, the Eternal nation, have awaited Your Majesty for over a thousand years. We are delighted that you are here with us now," he asserted firmly.

"Then what is the purpose of my arrival in this world?" I asked. To be honest, this was the question I had been wanting to ask all along, but it had always been interrupted by the strange occurrences I was experiencing.

"Your Majesty, you are the chosen human to lead the Eternal. Waiting for so long has been our only option to strategize the plan to reclaim our rights, the rights of the Eternal nation, and to restore King Alpha Piter!" he answered with determination.

"Yes, reclaim our rights!"

"Destroy the realm of darkness!"

"Destroy the realm of darkness!"

"Destroy the realm of darkness!"

Their cries filled the room. I didn't know what had truly happened in this world during that time. Anger, sadness, and despair were vividly etched on the faces of these beings. They seemed furious but powerless. And for some reason, I felt as though I was sharing their emotions through my own soul right now.

Could it be that my newfound role as their queen allowed me to sense the same things they were feeling?

And who is this King Alpha Piter?

"Actually, what has happened? What rights are we trying to reclaim from the realm of darkness?"

"Our rightful ownership, Your Majesty. The beings of the realm of darkness attacked the citizens of the Eternal with the pretext of wanting to rule this world. They mercilessly slaughtered our people, forcing us to flee and hide in the Evergon Forest castle," the Pegasus explained.

Unconsciously, that explanation ignited a strong emotion within me. Suddenly, my hands felt warm, and a burst of energy emanated from them. When I directed my hands towards the castle wall, an unexpected...

Crack

Thud

The wall cracked, luckily not breaking through. If it had, I couldn't even imagine the reaction of these creatures.

"Do I... do I possess power?" I stuttered, gazing at all of them, and what I saw were smiles and hopeful gazes directed towards me.

"Your Majesty does indeed possess power, and that is what we have been waiting for all this time," a Centaur interjected.

"Very well, I will accept this destiny, and let us discuss the impending war!" I exclaimed loudly, met with enthusiastic cheers and spirited shouts from every creature around me.

Suddenly... "Welcome back, my descendant," the whispering voice resonated clearly in my hearing, a voice so firm, hoarse, and almost enchanting.

I searched and scanned all the beings around me, looking for the figure behind the whisper I had heard earlier, but I couldn't find its form.

"Strange," I thought, then refocused my attention on the creatures who were cheering enthusiastically around me.

Unbeknownst to Catharina, her presence had long been awaited by the great ruler, the figure behind the whisper that greeted her. He deliberately concealed his form, for the time had not yet come. There were still many tasks to be carried out by his descendant in this world.

Amidst the joy and jubilation that welcomed the Eternal nation, far away in the desolate Deadwood Forest, which belonged to the realm of darkness, they were engaged in a discussion about tracking down the remaining members of the Eternal nation to be eradicated.

"Up to this point, we haven't been able to locate where the Eternal nation is hiding," Medusa remarked. A humanoid figure with snakes for hair, or one might say, her hair was made of snakes.

"Summon our entire force to search for them. Eliminate the entire nation without leaving a trace," she growled.

"Very well, Your Majesty," the entire forces of darkness, all followers of Medusa, echoed in unison.

Terrifying creatures with eerie bodies and ghastly faces, along with the Rogues, gathered in this region. They were the forces of darkness, seeking to dominate the world, and Medusa was their leader.

During their discussion, they were startled by a gleaming light from the sky. This certainly was not a good sign for them. The radiance pierced through the dark night sky, originating from the Evergon Forest.

"What is that light?" one of the creatures of darkness there inquired.

"No... it can't be!" Medusa snapped, her eyes emitting a fiery red aura akin to blackened flames.

"Your Majesty, it seems that the descendant of the great ruler of the Eternal nation has returned," the advisor remarked. Cloaked in black robes, he was a creature of the elf kind, but of the dark elf variety.

"Quickly, locate the owner of that light, find them, and bring them to me. If they prove difficult to bring, eliminate them!" she commanded, and the creatures of darkness immediately set off towards the Evergon Forest.

"No, my plans cannot fail if the descendant of the ruling power appears. I must kill them before they can kill me," she pondered.

Restless, indeed. For more than a thousand years, she had exterminated entire nations in this world. Now, it was the turn of the Eternal nation to be razed, yet they proved to be not as easily toppled as she had assumed.

The ruler had locked away most of the citizens of the Eternal nation, sacrificing his own power to do so. This act had kept the Dragon ruler subdued for over a millennium. And now, the descendant of that very Dragon had reemerged. This further hindered Medusa's efforts to dominate the entire land.

"The bearer of the light has returned, and it could endanger us, Your Majesty," explained the elf named Miraz. The cunning and deceitful elf.

"I am aware. Hence, we must quickly locate the remaining members of the Eternal nation. It is the only way for us to conquer these lands. So, do not question me, fool!"

Her anger flared, and Miraz could only bow his head in response.

"Everything must become mine. It must!"

Medusa's malevolent laughter reverberated throughout the dark palace chamber. She embodied towering ego, a personification of a darkened vendetta that made her lose touch with herself. Despite her somewhat beguiling appearance, the snakes that adorned her head made her undeniably terrifying.

As for Miraz, upon hearing the laughter, he shuddered in dread at the realization of what his leader truly looked like. Nonetheless, a delighted smile spread across his face, for they were on the cusp of becoming the sole rulers of this vast land. They would undoubtedly be the strongest and invincible. He could hardly contain his eagerness for that imminent victory!

Yet, would they truly emerge victorious, or would the tables turn against them? It all depended on the courage and strength of the Eternal side. The tactics they would employ to overcome the forces of darkness and reclaim their stolen homeland remained to be seen.

Back in the Evergon Forest, the Griffin leader suddenly let out a loud shriek, capturing the attention of everyone present.

"Your Majesty, allow me to introduce myself as the leader of the Griffins, and you may address me as Raph," he began.

"Alright, Raph, what's the matter?" Catarina asked, her gaze fixed firmly on the Griffin leader.

"The forces of darkness are rushing towards the Evergon Forest. It seems they are aware of your return," he explained.

"Then, how can we avoid them at this moment? We are utterly unprepared to face them," she inquired.

"There is only one way, Your Majesty: to become unseen once again."

"Indeed, Your Majesty, it's better to hide for now."

"Open the book again, recite the mantra to render the visible invisible," the Centaur urged.

Catharina tried to remain calm. If she succumbed to anxiety, everything would fall apart.

"Alright, Catarina, find a way to reach the upper floor quickly," she mumbled to herself. Her eyes widened and she shouted, "Chief of the white Pegasus, Zard, take me to the upper chamber of the castle as swiftly as possible, now!"

Zard immediately soared into the air with Catharina on his back. Meanwhile, the others waited anxiously, observing the surroundings outside. Fortunately, the castle was situated in the heart of the Evergon Forest, which somewhat hindered the advance of the forces of darkness toward their location.

With a powerful slam, Catharina swung open the door and dashed towards the round table. She gently blew on the surface of the book of mantras, causing the roots of the tree to open once more. Page after page, she read, searching for the necessary mantra. Meanwhile, the forces of darkness were closing in on the heart of the forest.

"Hasten, Your Majesty," Zard urged. Was she afraid? She wasn't afraid of the forces of darkness. She simply didn't want to experience defeat like this, even before engaging in the true battlefield.

"Be silent, Zard! You're disrupting my focus," she retorted.

Catharina read through each page of the book as quickly as she could. Her head was spinning, and finally, on the fifth-to-last page of the book, she found the desired mantra.

"The mantra to make the visible invisible. THERE BUT NOT THERE, ASLEEP THROUGHOUT TIME, SHADOWS VANISH, NO CONCERN ON THE PITCH BLACK, LIKE EMPTINESS WITHOUT A GLIMMER OF LIGHT," she recited, her breath racing. In an instant, the castle disappeared without a trace, as if it had never existed.

This occurred simultaneously with the arrival of the dark forces, just fifty meters away from the castle. Fortunately, they reacted swiftly.

Huft.. huft.. huft..

Audible sighs of relief echoed in the quiet room as Catharina and Zard exchanged glances and exhaled deeply.

"That was a close call," she whispered.

"Yes, very close," Zard mumbled.

Meanwhile, those who had been transported with them also let out collective sighs of relief. They all gazed out of the window, witnessing the newly arrived dark forces scouring the area, searching for them with a significantly large army.

Up in the upper chamber of the castle, Zard and Catharina approached the window. Down below, thousands of dark soldiers were searching for their presence.

"Come, Zard, let's return to the castle's hall," she commanded.

"Very well, Your Majesty."

Zard slightly bowed his body, allowing Catharina to mount him. He then took off and flew back to the hall, while the door to the previous room closed on its own.

Outside the castle, the thousands of dark soldiers combed through the entirety of the Evergon Forest. Yet, there was not a trace of the Eternal beings to be found. Despite having reached the heart of the forest, all they saw was a vast expanse of untouched tall grass, as if it had never been touched by anyone.

"Hey, they're not here!" one of the dark elves exclaimed.

"There's no sign of their presence, even though the sensed aura led us to this tall grassland," the giant creature with horns and fangs pondered, his expression grim.

"Return to the Deadwood Forest, and report this to Her Majesty!"

Hearing the command from their superiors, the thousands of soldiers slowly left the Evergon Forest area. As the dark forces receded from the Evergon Forest, the remaining beings quickly began to discuss and formulate their attack plans.

"Now, tell me how the Eternal nation could fall under such a spell?!" Catharina demanded.

"Your Majesty, please allow me to recount a tale from nearly a thousand years ago," the Centaur began, bowing in deference to Catarina.

"And what is your name?"

"You may refer to me as Heruz."

"Very well, continue, Heruz."

Catharina glanced at the Centaur chieftain, a brave and gallant warrior who was rumored to be a descendant of the gods.