mean it, did you?" said Jonas, keeping a close eye on Uly's reactions.
"I will not send you back to Kroyto, no," Uly said, bowing his head in an unspoken apology.
"Even if I still refuse?" said Jonas.
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"Then the answer is still no, even if you do still refuse," said the king, smiling at Jonas's sternness. "Walk with me. I have something I wish you to see."
Uly and Jonas strolled side by side down a stone path through the palace grounds. Calming water features and shapely hedgerows lined their walk. They both placed their hands behind their backs at the same time without even noticing. Jonas had never walked alongside his father, in fact everything they did together would be a first. He decided not to over think his current situation. Jonas had no idea where it was leading.
"Is our prisoner recovering well?" Uly said, filling the silence with small talk.
"Prisoner?" said Jonas, having not thought of Willow in such a light.
"She will stay with us until Calyx is released unharmed."
"She tells me Calyx is angry," Jonas said to his father, in the hope that he would begin to see sense and consider rescuing his other son.
"He will understand," the king said. "Just be careful."
"How careful?" asked Jonas.
"Willow owes you her life. I am sure she’ll not forget that. But she is still the enemy," Uly said, with an annoying tone of righteousness in his voice.
"She is not my enemy," Jonas replied.
Uly stopped and turned to his son as Jonas stopped and turned to his father. Jonas stood still waiting for more advice that he wouldn't listen to. "Do not trust her so easily," Uly said, looking down at his son with unease.
Jonas didn't want to get into it. He turned his head to the side and looked up at a temple that stood a short way in front of them. The entrance was guarded by a line of open pillars wrapped in creeping vines. The king took the hint and dropped the conversation. He walked on to the temple and Jonas followed. They climbed a few stone steps and beyond the vine strangled columns Jonas saw two rows of rectilinear statues facing each other, carved with realistic detail from a clean white stone.
"The line of Krestwell," Uly said. "From the first king, Valdoor, up to your grandfather, Shardwey," he added, pointing out to the statues.
Jonas moved to stand in front of the statue marked "Shardwey Krestwell". He gazed up at his grandfathers tired old face. "My grandfather? What was he like?" said Jonas.
"An honourable man, and a story for another time perhaps."
Jonas moved along the line admiring the faces of kings before him, "These are all my ancestors?" he asked.
Uly was pleased that Jonas was taking an interest, "Every king for over a thousand years that has protected the Elementis from the Zohr and other evils."
"Others?" Jonas said, finding that he wished to know more of the history of these men.
The king walked past a few statues along from where he stood and looked face to face at a striking warrior king, "In the reign of Krow, the 8th king of Enterra, an entire race of draka attacked and were destroyed. One of the bloodiest battles our history has seen," Uly said, turning to Jonas, whose face was full of intrigue. "The protection of the Elementis grows an ever more important task as the story of the stones power filters amongst the galaxies." He paused to make his final point. "Evil will forever seek this power. However, the greatest threat remains on our own doorstep."
Jonas looked down to the ground, the intrigue on his face turned to remorse. "I cannot do it, Uly," he said, realising that this was all about persuading him to play along.
Uly looked down into nothingness, towards the ground, "Yes, I had a feeling you’d say that." He looked up and gazed at his sons handsome face. "There is so much pain in the eyes of these men. I do not blame you for refusing. Who would really want such a life, if it were a choice? But call me, Father, won't you?"
"Okay, Father" said Jonas, staring
"I will not send you back to Kroyto, no," Uly said, bowing his head in an unspoken apology.
"Even if I still refuse?" said Jonas.
"Do you?"
"Yes."
"Then the answer is still no, even if you do still refuse," said the king, smiling at Jonas's sternness. "Walk with me. I have something I wish you to see."
Uly and Jonas strolled side by side down a stone path through the palace grounds. Calming water features and shapely hedgerows lined their walk. They both placed their hands behind their backs at the same time without even noticing. Jonas had never walked alongside his father, in fact everything they did together would be a first. He decided not to over think his current situation. Jonas had no idea where it was leading.
"Is our prisoner recovering well?" Uly said, filling the silence with small talk.
"Prisoner?" said Jonas, having not thought of Willow in such a light.
"She will stay with us until Calyx is released unharmed."
"She tells me Calyx is angry," Jonas said to his father, in the hope that he would begin to see sense and consider rescuing his other son.
"He will understand," the king said. "Just be careful."
"How careful?" asked Jonas.
"Willow owes you her life. I am sure she’ll not forget that. But she is still the enemy," Uly said, with an annoying tone of righteousness in his voice.
"She is not my enemy," Jonas replied.
Uly stopped and turned to his son as Jonas stopped and turned to his father. Jonas stood still waiting for more advice that he wouldn't listen to. "Do not trust her so easily," Uly said, looking down at his son with unease.
Jonas didn't want to get into it. He turned his head to the side and looked up at a temple that stood a short way in front of them. The entrance was guarded by a line of open pillars wrapped in creeping vines. The king took the hint and dropped the conversation. He walked on to the temple and Jonas followed. They climbed a few stone steps and beyond the vine strangled columns Jonas saw two rows of rectilinear statues facing each other, carved with realistic detail from a clean white stone.
"The line of Krestwell," Uly said. "From the first king, Valdoor, up to your grandfather, Shardwey," he added, pointing out to the statues.
Jonas moved to stand in front of the statue marked "Shardwey Krestwell". He gazed up at his grandfathers tired old face. "My grandfather? What was he like?" said Jonas.
"An honourable man, and a story for another time perhaps."
Jonas moved along the line admiring the faces of kings before him, "These are all my ancestors?" he asked.
Uly was pleased that Jonas was taking an interest, "Every king for over a thousand years that has protected the Elementis from the Zohr and other evils."
"Others?" Jonas said, finding that he wished to know more of the history of these men.
The king walked past a few statues along from where he stood and looked face to face at a striking warrior king, "In the reign of Krow, the 8th king of Enterra, an entire race of draka attacked and were destroyed. One of the bloodiest battles our history has seen," Uly said, turning to Jonas, whose face was full of intrigue. "The protection of the Elementis grows an ever more important task as the story of the stones power filters amongst the galaxies." He paused to make his final point. "Evil will forever seek this power. However, the greatest threat remains on our own doorstep."
Jonas looked down to the ground, the intrigue on his face turned to remorse. "I cannot do it, Uly," he said, realising that this was all about persuading him to play along.
Uly looked down into nothingness, towards the ground, "Yes, I had a feeling you’d say that." He looked up and gazed at his sons handsome face. "There is so much pain in the eyes of these men. I do not blame you for refusing. Who would really want such a life, if it were a choice? But call me, Father, won't you?"
"Okay, Father" said Jonas, staring
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