[DragonSphere]

Part II:
In the morning, the main commander of the troops, Cain, woke Drake up with a vigorous tug at his foot. "My superior officer wishes to see you boy. Now, come with me!" Without alerting the sleeping Rick of Cain's presence, Drake obeyed his orders and followed him out of the dungeon. Once again, they encountered the tri-split hallway; but this time, going through the middle pathway, towards the castle. "What was with you back there, waking me up like that? I mean, come on, it's probably only like 6 in the morning!" Drake complained.

"Hush! My orders are to be carried out with strict responsibility! And if a child like you can't handle it, I'll force you to come along my self!" Cain roared.

"Fine, I'll stay quiet. But who exactly wants to see me?"

"Why, none other than the king himself! He gave me crucial regulations to bring you to him on schedule. I am also to escort you to the premises with critical protection…and to make sure you don't get lost."

"Heh…going soft on me already big guy? I never knew you had it in ya after all your stern practices with the soldiers. So why the change of heart?"

"Don't hold your breath. I am firm with my subordinates at all times. Heed my word, after your meeting with the sovereign I shall show you the true meaning of why I took the job of Commander of the Circa Dor army, and how much hatred I have for your kind!"

"Whoa, don't take it too seriously. I was only joking."

"Give ear to what I'm about to say boy since I'll only say it once: I am NOT a man of humor."
From then on, Drake stood quiet the rest of the way.

The duo continued to cross the pathway until they met up with a dwarf-sized door. Drake was a bit puzzled by this finding, but Cain soon showed the resolution. He bent down on his knees and spread his hand across the object and turned it at a 180-degree angle. It immediately sank into the cavern wall, setting off another device; which uncovered a large, hidden door that was previously in the semblance of hard rock. As it opened, a new trail appeared in their midst; but this time, spanning over dozens of different circular platforms, each marked with its own insignia.

"Man, this place seems like just one huge labyrinth. It'd probably take me days to just find a way to get out of here." Drake said curiously.

"That it is. For your information, these platforms are automatic lifting devices, or as you call it 'elevators'-one of the very few technologies that we accepted from your kind. Each of these instruments that you see here lead into different rooms of the castle, all 50 of them, and act as both escaping and daily routes to and from the castle itself. There are about 10 feet in length and 12 in width. The emblems that are inscribed on each platform act as labels to all the different rooms so that one won't get lost down here. But of course, only a select few know about these underground passages; something that you should be proud of having the privilege of knowing." Cain answered.

"Gee…Thanks."

"Now then, follow me. The one marked with a sword overshadowed by a bright crown is our destination."

Once they were both standing upon the selected symbol, a few mechanical noises could be heard from the background, and the platform shook and rattled its way up out of the castle's depths. Drake observed that 2 pieces of rope were attached to certain positions on the circle, thus indicating that these 'lifting devices' ran from a pulley system from somewhere in the palace. He also noticed two small, wood-made levers that stood at the end of the platform and assumed that it must have been some fail-safe device that would require manual labor for going either up or down if the elevator ever got stuck or broken during operation.

Suddenly, Drake and Cain's dark surroundings disappeared and were replaced with a great flash of white light as the elevator came to a stop. This new environment blinded Drake's eyes for a second, but upon opening saw many wonderful structures and paintings. He stood in awe as a soldier, noticing Drake's inquisitive look on his face, told him about the room that they were in.

"This grand chamber," he started, "is the throne room of His Royal Majesty, Ured Raidus. Built over 200 years ago along with the castle, this room has been retained and furnished as it looked the first time someone stepped foot on its glassy surface. The ground here is made up of a fine mineral called 'Ether Stone'-which I think is the counter part of 'marble' in your land- that were excavated from the nearby mountains. The paintings that decorate the wall depict Circa Dor's great kings and queens over the past few centuries. And the-" but was interrupted by Cain.

"Stand aside Lieutenant Rufus, this Chryonian is to be brought to the king upon his request. Until His Majesty or I declare him a friend to our humble kingdom, I highly suggest that you eradicate all communication between him and you or I will be forced to degrade you back to a simple soldier." he commanded.

"Yes Commander, I understand completely. I shall now report back to my post at the outer gate. If any new developments of the Chryo army whereabouts arise, I shall consult with both you and the king as fast as I can."
At once the soldier left their presence, scared stiff of Cain's strict warning.

"Now that all distractions are gone, let us proceed to the thrones up ahead. The king has been awaiting your arrival." Cain continued.

At this time, Drake noticed something he had not seen upon entering the room. Two magnificent thrones were positioned at the very end of the chamber on top of a small flight of stairs, carved with regal symbols and elegant decor. The throne on the left was empty and seemed like it hadn't been sat on for quite a long time, but the one on the right was occupied by a tall and somewhat strong looking man for his age.

Cain bowed down and spoke, "Your Majesty, may I present to you the rebel we caught in the forest." He jabbed Drake in the leg, signaling him to bow down. Once he did, he introduced himself to the leading Viceroy of Circa Dor. "Drake, Drake Jishad your Majesty."

After a moment of silence, the king rose from his royal seat. "Please stand; the both of you." he said, " I am King Ured Raidus of Circa Dor. I have been the sovereign of this land for quite some time and will celebrate my 50th year of rule this month. But a certain and crucial issue has arise within the past few weeks that involves your homeland young Drake. A nation that we haven't had contact with for over 10 millenias. Your leader has led a grand invasion upon my peaceful lands, killing hundreds and slaughtering thousands of innocents. This of course has come to my attention and was forced to declare war upon the enemy. That alone was not an easy task."

"With all due respect your Majesty, I assure you that I have nothing to do with the recent eruption in violence. I crash-landed here on the cause of system failures from my ship. I am in no way in direct relations to the President of Chryo nor involved in their resistance." Drake nervously said.

"Or so it seems King Ured. It is my humble opinion that this boy is hiding something from us…something that we need to know about. The information we can gather from him and many other of our prisoners can turn the tables in this war and thus gain the leading advantage. So I propose a proper interrogation of Drake Jishad to be scheduled as soon as possible. For all we know, he could be a spy that made an unfortunate timing." Cain answered.

Surprised by this harsh accusation Drake sneered and yelled, "I don't know anything. I'm telling you, I am NOT a solider or a spy! You're making an unfair decision just based on your opinions and not facts."

"I may be doing so young one but I know your kind. All ruthless with no heart; your all the same! Nothing but parasites and pests greedy for power! You do not deserve the same rights as us and should forever be punished!"

Filled with rage, Drake unleashed his anger upon Cain and started to strike him.

"Hmm…foolish. You wish to challenge me? Then so be it." Cain cried as Drake successfully landed a fist full of knuckles in his face. The commander quickly thrust his right elbow into Drake's stomach, immediately knocking him to the ground. "My family was killed because of the war you started; my brothers, sister, mother and father! All killed by the hands of your people!" Cain continued to kick Drake in the ribs and chest. "This is only the beginning boy! If you continue to resist, you will receive a much greater punishment!" Drake then faced another powerful kick into his body.

"AGHHHHHH!" he screamed as he spat out drops of blood, "You…damn…bas…tard!"

"Unrespectful little shi-" Cain roared but was interrupted by yet another, more stern voice than his.

"Commander Cain! Cease your crude and unjust actions at once! Drake is but a boy, he knows not of what he is doing; control your anger! I can relate to losing one's family but what good will it do if you unleash your hatred to this young lad? You're no better than our enemy themselves!" King Ured scolded.

Finally coming to his senses, Cain realized what he had done and deeply apologized for his attacks on Drake. "Your Majesty....I really am sorry for my unusual behavior. I have no idea what came over me…I shall be in my quarters if you need me." He fled the throne room in embarrassment.

"Guards!" the king ordered, "Treat the boy and let him rest in the one of the guest rooms for the remainder of this day and night. I shall question him tomorrow morning." Two soldiers arrived and followed the king's command. "Cain just doesn't understand. This boy could be the one prophesied to bring everlasting peace on Ura. It may be just a hunch, but he does fit the descriptions quite accurately. I guess only time will tell….." he muttered to himself.