I stood in awe as the throne room was opened before me.
The purple carpet stretched all the way up the staircase ahead of me and beneath the king's throne, the eloquent gold chair cushioned with the same purple as the carpet. Massive gold and purple drapes with the kingdom's phoenix crest ran along the edges of the walls which had balconies above them overlooking the throne room.
The kingsguard wore armor similar to the knights that brought me here, yet their armor was gold in color with purple drapes to match the kingdom's color scheme.
I approached the throne and knelt on one knee before the king, lowering my head.
"Your majesty, it is an honor to be in your presence," I spoke as politely as I could, hoping that nobody could hear my heart beating wildly like I was in my own ears.
"Hero..." The king began to speak, his deep voice only making me more nervous. "Raise your head."
I looked up at the King of the Kingdom of Hana, King Arbert, and immediately noticed his face. I was kneeling before the king of the kingdom I was raised in, I was in the presence of the noble king who slayed two dragons, the same king who's ancestors not only founded the kingdom, but rose from its ashes to rebuild it after the Dragon King was sealed away.
Yet his face wasn't that of a powerful warrior who's seen countless battles. With all the respect I could muster, the king's face was that of a child; a child who was staring at an unbelievable sight like their favorite toy being handed to them on their birthday. He was astonished at what was before him, which happened to be me.
"Your eyes really do glow with the power of the sun, just as the prophecy fortold," he spoke in awe, his voice softer than before.
"My eyes haven't stopped glowing since the day I was born, your majesty," I replied, feeling a tiny bit more at ease thanks to his softer demeanor.
The king stood up from his throne and clapped his hands. I could hear the shuffling of the people behind me raising their heads as well, so I stood up with them. Even though I know why I'm up at the front, it still feels weird being the only one treated with more respect than the king himself, at least from what I could see.
"Now then, hero, I would like to explain what you are doing here."
"Yes, your majesty?"
"Please, use my name when speaking to me from now on."
"Of course, your- ahem, King Arbert. And you may call me Kai."
"The Legendary Hero Kai, huh?" He smirked from behind his gray facial hair. "Fitting for a young warrior like yourself."
"As is yours, King Arbert."
After the introduction, the king had me turn around to face the five behind me; the same people who greeted me when I first arrived in the castle, except for the fifth who I didn't recognize.
From left to right, I learned the names and background of each:
The leftmost one --the noble who greeted me upon arriving-- was Tiernen Hannes, one of the richest men in the kingdom. He was the lead supplier of not only funds, but also armor and weapons to the kingsguard's military.
Beside him was another well dressed man who seemed a bit younger than Tiernen. His name is Frederico "Rico" Ferdinand. He was a knight who got re-tasked to being the head researcher of the magic division, which from my understanding was the man behind the most powerful and complex spells on the battlefield.
Next up were two twin brothers: Jamie and Kristoff Gymes. Jamie is second in command to the kingsguard general, Kristoff. One leads the army to war whilst the other trains newbies to fight properly. Kristoff is the one I do not recognize from before, as his stature is much larger than the rest of the people in the room. He really seemed to scream "general of the army" with his broad muscles and lack of head hair.
And finally, the snow-wolf maid, who's name is literally just Wolfie. I assumed that wasn't her birth name considering she's a high functioning slave, however that is apparently what everyone calls her.
The king sighed as he sat back down leaned back in his throne.
"Sorry for the long introductions, Kai, but these are people you will be seeing often so I thought it would be best for you to get to know them early on."
"No worries, my king, I agree with your logical thinking. However, I think I should also introduce myself."
I look around at the five standing before me.
"My name is Kai Uta, son of Chleo and Rerdon Uta. My home town is the small Village of Cremaldi near the outskirts of the kingdom's borders." As I spoke with as much courtesy as I could, I placed a hand to my chest as I took a deep breath.
"And proud older brother of Suri Uta, my beloved younger brother who will someday be just as memorable as me." I smiled as I spoke his name, but a part of me also hurt mentioning him. Even though I knew I had to leave and that he wouldn't take it well, his reaction was still fresh in my mind. All I could hope is that he was okay, even if he hates me and believes I left him behind.
The king seemed surprised, as did everyone else.
"Brother, you say?" The king spoke, thinking for a moment. "I don't recall anyone mentioning a sibling in the prophecy."
"Ah, but they did mention someone born at a similar time as the hero, didn't they?" Tiernin spoke up.
"You mean the calamity?" Jamie asked softly.
"Then the boy needs to be found and sealed, yes?" The heavy and deep voice of Kristoff filled the room, leaving silence afterwards.
I felt a sting in my heart when a knight spoke up.
"I remember seeing this boy before," he spoke, stepping forward from his post near the entrance to the throne room. "When we arrived to grab the hero the first time, there was a younger boy with white hair and red eyes who ran away upon hearing his brother was leaving."
"White hair and red eyes?!" Jamie spoke up again, this time more worried than soft. "Isn't that the same as-"
"The Dragon King." Kristoff grunted as he spoke the words. Before I could say anything else, the king looked down at me.
"If what you're saying is true, then your younger brother must be found immediately, Kai."