Saving the Lost Kingdom

by RainbowDragonCRITICAL

Summary:

A children's bedtime story turns out to be real as havoc spreads, causing lives to unravel. Mayhem and mistrust arise as a young wizard in training tries to find those who can stop it all... And the lost kingdom where the culprit lies, as well as the last to those who can end the misery!

Chapter 1: A Wizard Sets Off

Tales of long ago weren't normally studied in the kingdom of invention and magical sciences, but the teen still couldn't keep away from one the grand library despite this. On top of his other studies he would routinely come here to investigate a myth that moth didn't believe, a children's story they say, but something urged him on about it.

He would spend hours on his studies, both school related, and on this myth, leading to him passing out in his dorm, face first in notes and the only one unaffected by a terrible curse that was soon laid on the kingdom. He wakes up hours after its casting, to his horror! He at first thought people were dead!

However everyone was simply asleep. The people,the few of those of magic that were there, and the animals too. All in deep sleep, unable to be woken up.

He heads to grand library to find some sort of answers, upon arrival the young wizard in training finds the place trashed, books destroyed and thrown about, shelves toppled and papers all over! Scorch marks and puddles that tell a battle went on here. He has no idea about the piles of rubble though.

He scrambles to look for the section of magic to help everyone here, but he instead finds something else. A book he's never seen before, in fact this book couldn't have come from this library. Its style is completely different from the others, the culprit must have dropped it! He quickly pulls it over to him as he's crawling between shelves and proceeds to open it.

His eyes widen and he has be dreaming, a sharp smack on his left arm by the right tells him he's awake though. This isn't a dream, and he soon feels a chill under the bookcase.
He needs to leave. Leave and do what the so called children's story says to do. Find the chosen. He has to find them before its too late!

So he packs up what he can, some clothes, his staff, food, and other supplies alongside the book, and leaves the kingdom he has always called home, leaving it for the unknown and the start of a new story, a new adventure!

Chapter 2: Attack on the Kingdom of Arms

The nearest kingdom to his was a few days away, Jeremie was sure he had enough food. He just hoped he could get someone in power to listen to him about what was going on. With so many believing the tale being a story to tell kids about magic and knights, and many more not believing at all, its going to be very hard to do anything at all! He'll still try though!

First though he'll need to get supplies, because he really doesn't want to be berated while doing if this doesn't go well. News can travel fast and people can be very unkind, even those you know. Its worse to those they do not know, like him, so he must be extra cautious.

When he comes to the kingdom, the first thing he notices are the outer walls. The one he comes from doesn't have them. Nor does it have the guards at the gated entrance. He's keeps himself from showing his nervousness as he passes the knightly guards, finally calming down once inside. Now to the markets.

As he finishes shopping, he hears smells something he's smelled hundreds of times, burning wood. But no one else seems to be reaching to it, he decides to investigate anyway.

Heading up and around the backside of a building, but there's still nothing. Not even smoke and by now the smoke smell has faded.

He decides to continue back to the main path, to find someone to talk to. As he is half way to the castle, he must rest. He's tired, he's sore, and... there's screaming from the market area he was in before.  A fire has broken out, fully engulfing a stall. There's an explosion as another goes up in flames, then another, then it starts in the stone buildings, burning even the stone.

Its happening all over the kingdom from what he can see from what he can see. However, as he's watching the outer edges, the castle explodes om several levels! There's too many to fires to put out! He has to do something, he knows in kingdoms like this, if the rulers are lost, it can cause an very dangerous situation for those that live under them depending on who takes over next.

So he rushes to the castle to assist! He's blocked at first, but after he explains what he is, a wizard, and what he can do, he's let inside to help. He hopes he can help! He has a bad feeling about these fires...

Chapter 3: Fire and Stone

As Jeremie makes his way through the castle, he comes across people fleeing, some injured, some helping others while others ignore. Then there are the knights, working to get the royal and upperclass out.

He never understood that. Classes, they didn't have that sort of thing back home... just ranking for magic so no one did anything dangerous.

As he was slowed and thinking a teen who was definitely not part knights that he could tell raced past him and even pasted the fully suited knights, much to their shock.

"He's going to get himself killed!"

"Knew we shouldn't have let that man's son on..."

"I'm not going after him!"

Jeremie groans. Fine. He runs after the teen the best he can.

"Well, there goes another one."

"Wasn't that the wizard that was helping out?"

"Shit!"

The three knights attempt to go after the two teens but flames violently erupt in their path, blocking the way, sending one to fall backwards on their rear.

"We need to get out of here! Forget the others! That fire will roast us alive in these suits!"

The other two agree and the three leave, turning tail to evacuate the castle before the structure falls or is fully engulfed. Cowards.

As Jeremie follows the teen he notices he can't hear anyone else calling out for help. Besides the fire, the sounds of a falling and failing structure, and small explosions in other parts of the castle, its eerily quiet.

Just like his home... he doesn't like this! Jeremie rushes after the teen with newfound panicked energy, catching up to him as he reaches the entrance to the throne room, which was blocked off by fire!

But the door did not burn! Everything the other teen had tried to get the door open had burned though, the pile of weapons from the fancy decorative suits of armor lining the hallway were burnt to crisp as well as melted.

The only ones left were short ones... like the sword the other was about to attempt to use out of frustration until it and his hand was held frozen temporarily with a spell.

The teen starts to curse in some language Jeremie doesn't know after the teen had spotted him due to looking around.

Jeremie holds the spell as he comes over, he can't let the other do that. "I don't know if your stubborn, stupid, or just trying too hard."

The other teen doesn't say a word in response, he just stares at him, angry.

"The fire is magic, you're not going to be able to put it out without dealing with the source or other magic."

Maybe enough water, but this doesn't seem like normal magic given the look of those weapons... so no to the water. "I'll get the fire, you get the door. But we go in together. Deal?"

The other teen thinks for a moment then nods. He'll do it. They have to save the king and queen!

Jeremie releases the spell on the teen then steps beside them, giving the other a nod. He then works on the fire, but he's struggling. He's struggling a lot more than he should be! Who made this fire!? He manages to give them a path through, but thats all. "It won't hold! We have to go now!"

The teen nods to Jeremie and moves to push the door with his shoulders. Jeremie has the feeling he should do the same, these doors look heavy. So once both of them are ready to enter, they do! Its successful! The right of the dual doors opens!
Jeremie ends up falling to the ground, not used doing that at all.

The other teen is though and draws the sword he had grabbed before with precision and skill.

However no fight came.
In fact, the throne room was the one room in the whole castle untouched by fire or by smoke. It's beautifully decorated with paintings and suits of armor, the smooth stone floors. The royal colors, impressive decorations and designs, and gold in great degrees. Everything you'd expect.

Expect for the two statues of a king and a queen near the thrones. The king looking as if he was about to attack something with his sword while the queen was reaching out for him, as if asking him not to.

Jeremie knew these were out of place when he saw them as he started to get up, but when the other teen dropped his sword, Jeremie made a leap.

These two statues were the the king and queen, but turned to stone.

"Do something." The teen demands.

"What?" Jeremie questions, did he hear right?

"Do something! Help them!"

Oh. The other can talk the common language. That's good to know. It doesn't help the fact that he can't do anything.

"I don't know that level of magic. In fact, no one does. Being turned to stone like this unheard of." Unless... Jeremie glances at his bag now that he's up. The story isn't sounding as far fetched now. "Actually it has been heard of, but its what you'd probably call a children's story.

"What kinds of children story do they read where you come from?"

"It's an extremely old one. My point is. I know what we need to do!"

The floor starts to creak and moan, embers and smoke start to seep through the stone floor.

"And the first thing is to get out of here! RUN!" Jeremie races to the door as fire starts to enter through the middle of the room, the other teen right behind him.

They barely make it out of the room as the fire explodes in behind them, forcing them into the hall.

But its still coming. The fire doesn't stop, it keeps going eating everything in sight, and the two teens are racing to get away from it.

The fire barrier the knights were scared of from before was easy for Jeremie, the teen paid it no mind.

These two didn't stop until the had exited the castle and made it a good 10 feet away from its doors before they finally let themselves catch their breaths.

Jeremie sits down while the other stands up, hunched over.

They made it. They actually made it.

The castle however continues to burn, falling into ashes for all to see, with the king and queen still inside.

Jeremie glances back at it. Why them? Why turn them? Why do all of this? He doesn't understand!

"Hey... what now?" The other teen asks, standing up, seemingly ready to continue already.

"We rest then help out here." Jeremie lets out a sigh.

"Rest!? But you know how to stop this!!"

"Correction, I know who can stop it, but we won't be of any use if we don't rest or have supplies. I was only able to get so many things before the fires broke out."

"Great..." The teen takes a seat while everyone is else is busy working, propping his elbows to his knees and hands to either side of his chin. He's no pleased.

"What's your name anyway?"

"Ulrich."

"Well Ulrich, I'm Jeremie. Try to get used to this because I can't go as fast as you all the time."

"I'm not going with you if that's what you going on about."

Great. Just great, he's back to doing this alone again.