CHAPTER 02

LANDON'S POV:-

I was sitting in the living room with Raymond. I was on a chair and Raymond was sitting across the table. We were playing chess. I never really liked playing chess, it was not my game. But I started playing it for Raymond as it was one of the things my father and Raymond used to do when he was alive. He said it calmed him down whenever he played chess. He was one of the most loyal people my father had.

Suddenly, the kettle started whistling. We both looked at each other's faces as none of us set the kettle on the stove. We stood up and made our way towards the kitchen. The kettle was settled in its place. It was not on the stove. I sighed as I understood what was going on. It was a message from some friends who were still living in the kingdom along with my brother.

Raymond went towards the kettle and opened it. Red flames appeared in front of our eyes. It was the messenger of the kingdom. Raymond bowed his head and she did the same but for me. "Greetings to our king. I hope you are fine." She said and I nodded my head.

"I am fine, Natalie. How are you? How is my brother? How is my kingdom?" I asked her and she narrowed her eyes. 

"Everything is the same, my Lord. Everyone is worried about the mighty heart. If you will not find it soon, the whole kingdom is going to die and this island will sink into the deep ocean. I am sorry but I can not lie to you, my Lord. Your brother is also worried and trying to figure out a way so we can save our kingdom." She replied and I sighed. Things were getting worse and I was totally helpless. I could not do anything until the mighty heart would give me a signal.

"What made you contact us, Natalie?" Raymond asked as he noticed me again drowning in the ocean of my thoughts.

"Oh yes! My Lord, our king just received a message from some friends. The mighty heart is lost from the hands that were keeping it away from us. He asked me to send you the message immediately. They said it is now in the hands of some stupid scourers. All you have to do is to find them and get our mighty heart back to the kingdom. He said he can not wait to see you back home." She replied and I nodded my head.

"Tell him that I promise I will not be back empty handed. I will bring the mighty heart home. Only then I will visit the graves of my parents. Please tell my brother not to worry about me too much. I will take care of myself." I replied and she bowed her head again. The flames disappeared and Raymond again covered the kettle. He turned towards me and pulled me in a fatherly hug. I hugged him back as we both were happy. It was time to be back home.

After getting dressed, I looked at myself in the full view mirror. It had been long since I went out like this. The cart was ready and waiting for me. I stepped out of my bedroom and went towards the main door of my mansion. Raymond was already in the cart, waiting for me. I went towards the cart and the driver opened the door for me. I thanked him and stepped into the cart. As we got settled, the cart started its journey towards the city of sorcerers.

I could not wait to get the mighty heart back and go back home. I had spent three hundred years away from my home. And because of a selfish bastard, I was not even able to attend the funeral of my parents. If it was not for that bastard, we all would have been living a happy life. Me, my brother and our parents. But sometimes, we are tested in the meanest ways. I was the very child who never slept without his mother. And that night, Raymond took me away to save my life.

The cart finally came to a halt and Raymond quickly stood up. I chuckled seeing his enthusiasm. He was equally excited to go back home as I was. We both stepped out of the cart one after another and looked around. I frowned as everything looked quiet. As I could remember, the city of sorcerers was never this quiet. Unless there was something that made them sad for some reason. 

Raymond and I looked at each other. His face looked as puzzled as I was. We both started walking into the city. There were no guards on the gates to guard the city. It made me more worried. 

After about ten minutes of walking, we saw people. I sighed and we all walked faster to meet anyone who could help us. People were gathered around something. I could hear some people crying and some were sobbing quietly. We pushed past the crowd and reached the house that was the center of attraction. Both me and Raymond gasped as we saw bloodbath in the house. There were body parts of a few sorcerers. Impossible to court how many, the body parts were piled up as they were nothing but stones. 

"What happened here?" Raymond asked as I looked around to understand what had happened. 

"We told them not to jump into someone else's fight. But they never listened to us. They were too busy admiring that miracle box, they did not realize that their deaths were dancing on their heads. It all happened in a few minutes. None of us get a chance to know who came here and killed them." One of the men replied while crying. I found a few claw marks on the walls and on the ceiling, to my surprise. As if they were murdered on the ceiling, not on the ground. There were few hair on the ground. It was evident that they were attacked by some wolves.

"What miracle box? How big was it? Can anyone tell me what was inside that box?" I asked as I heard the reply of that man. 

"No one knows what was inside it. But they started to become rich ever since they have found it. It was about four feet tall and big enough for a cow to fit in. A month ago they were called by a man who gave them this task to find this box. They found it but did not return it once they learned how powerful it was. Then they came back and hid it in their cabin. Everything was fine till now, but this morning we found them dead and the box is gone." The same man replied to my question. I gritted my teeth as I knew whoever was behind the incident in the kingdom, they took the box away. As I could smell the mighty heart in that cabin. As it was connected to me. I could feel how weak it was getting. It would not be long when the mighty heart would die.

I signalled Raymond and he nodded his head. We both stepped out of the cabin and went back towards the cart. We stepped into the cart to go back home empty handed again. Just like I had returned home every time in the last three hundred years.