Chapter 106: Beneath the Sun of Solaryn
For the first time in months
Kael wasn't preparing for a battle.
He wasn't standing before a Devourer.
He wasn't being interrogated.
He wasn't fighting for his life.
He was simply walking.
And strangely enough.
That felt more unfamiliar than any battlefield.
The Royal Capital
The city of Solaryn stretched far beyond the palace walls.
When Kael had first arrived, he had only seen fragments of it.
Training grounds.
Guard barracks.
Audience chambers.
Stone corridors.
Now he was finally seeing the city itself.
The capital of the Kingdom of Eryndor was enormous.
Far larger than Eryndor City.
Far older too.
Massive white stone structures climbed the hills surrounding the royal district.
Golden banners carrying the crest of House Solvayne fluttered from towers and rooftops.
Merchants filled the streets below.
Children ran through crowded marketplaces.
Artisans worked openly in public squares.
Travelers from dozens of regions moved through the city.
For the first time in a long while
Kael saw people living.
Not surviving.
Living.
The Kingdom Beyond the Walls
Astra walked beside him.
Today wasn't training.
Today was education.
"You've seen battles," she said.
"You've seen monsters."
"You've seen politics."
She glanced toward the city below.
"But you've seen very little of what you're actually protecting."
Kael remained silent.
Listening.
"The Kingdom of Eryndor isn't just one city."
Astra pointed toward a large map carved into stone near one of the public plazas.
"There are seven major provinces."
Solaryn Province
The royal domain.
Seat of House Solvayne.
Political center of the kingdom.
Ironreach
Mountain territory famous for mining and blacksmithing.
Many of the kingdom's weapons originated there.
Verdantia
Vast farmlands and forests.
Responsible for feeding most of the kingdom.
Frost mere.
Northern province.
Cold year-round.
Known for hunters and beast tamers.
Storm Coast
The western coastline.
Trade ports.
Naval power.
Foreign merchants.
Emberfall
Volcanic southern region.
Rich in rare minerals.
Harsh environment.
Hard people.
Outer Ridge
The frontier.
The place closest to the Devourer Domains.
The kingdom's first line of defense.
Kael immediately recognized the name.
Outer Ridge.
Where they had fought Dravok.
Where Kade had vanished.
Astra noticed.
But didn't comment.
The Three Great Kingdoms
"Most people think Eryndor is the world."
Astra laughed softly.
"It isn't even close."
That surprised Kael.
"The continent is called Aetheris."
Aetheris contained three major human kingdoms.
Kingdom of Eryndor
The Kingdom of the Sun.
Ruled by House Solvayne.
Kingdom of Valkyra
Strength earned respect.
Weakness earned contempt.
Kingdom of Lunaris
A kingdom of scholars, mages, and researchers.
Known for magical advancement and ancient knowledge.
Many believed they possessed records older than any living civilization.
"And they all know about you now."
Astra said it casually.
Kael frowned.
"I wish they didn't."
Astra laughed.
"So does the King."
The Aegis
Later that day
Kael was brought to one of the oldest buildings in Solaryn.
The Hall of Oaths.
Every member of the Aegis swore their vows there.
Every King's Guard member had stood there.
Even King Godfrey himself.
The walls were covered in names.
Thousands of names.
Warriors.
Commanders.
Protectors.
People who had died serving the kingdom.
Kael stopped before one section.
The names were ancient.
Worn by time.
Some were over a thousand years old.
"House Solvayne has ruled for nearly fourteen centuries."
Seris spoke from nearby.
Kael looked up.
"Fourteen hundred years?"
Seris nodded.
"The kingdom wasn't always united."
A pause.
"Neither was humanity."
Legends of the Old Age
Many stories existed about the era before the kingdoms.
The Age of Fractures.
When monsters ruled vast portions of the continent.
When humanity survived in scattered settlements.
When the first Devourers appeared.
No one knew how much of those stories were true.But everyone knew one thing.
Something terrible had happened.
Something large enough to reshape civilization itself.Even Lunaris didn't possess complete records.
And that fact alone frightened historians.
Because history didn't simply disappear.
Something had erased it.
The Common People
Over the next week
Kael spent less time fighting.
More time observing.
He visited markets.
Training schools.
Temples dedicated to the Sun Deity Sol.
Libraries.Craft districts.For the first time
He began seeing the people behind the kingdom.The blacksmith who worked eighteen hours a day.The young recruit dreaming of joining the Aegis.
The elderly veteran who still polished his armor every morning despite retiring years ago.The child pretending to be a King's Guard while chasing friends through the streets.These people weren't warriors.
They weren't heroes.
But they were the reason heroes existed.
The King's Guard Watches
The Guard noticed the change.
"He's thinking less about fighting."
Rael remarked.
"That's dangerous."
Kaelen replied.
Everyone looked at him.
Because they expected criticism.
Instead "It means he's finally seeing the whole picture."Silence followed.Because praise from Kaelen was rarer than gold.A Quiet Evening
As the sun began to set
Kael stood atop one of Solaryn's highest towers.The capital glowed beneath him.
Golden rooftops.
Lantern-lit streets.
Crowded plazas.
Distant music.
Life.
For so long
His world had been survival.
Monsters.Battles.Power.
Now he was beginning to understand something Kade once tried to teach him.
Strength wasn't valuable because it destroyed enemies.
Strength was valuable because it protected everything beneath it.
Kael looked toward the horizon.
Toward the distant provinces.
Toward the kingdoms beyond Eryndor.
Toward the unknown world that still awaited him.The world suddenly felt much larger than before.
And for the first time
That excited him.
Far away, beyond the borders of Eryndor
Ancient forces continued to move.
Devourer Lords plotted.
Kingdoms maneuvered.
Secrets slept beneath forgotten ruins.
But those problems could wait.
For now
Kael simply watched the sunset over Solaryn.
And allowed himself a rare moment of peace.