Restart Again: Volume 2 by Adam Scott (best adventure books to read .TXT) 📗

fowl, and game covered the large wooden table. Although it was by far the most impressive meal I had ever indulged in, I noted with some amusement that nothing tasted quite as good as the meals Hana had made for us.

As I stood to inspect the nearest dessert tray, the doors at the end of the dining hall opened to reveal Val and her party of five guardsmen. “You’re a bit late for lunch, but I suppose there’s enough left for a few of you,” I called out to them, grabbing a small apple cake from the pile.

“The King is ready to see you,” Val replied, unphased. “Please follow me.”

I took a bite of the pastry, humming in delight at the sweet cinnamon flavor. “I guess it can’t be helped,” I said through a mouth full of food. “You ready, Lia?” She stood and quickly scanned the table, then dashed down a few chairs to grab another sweet roll before returning and giving me an affirmative nod. I grinned, grabbed a second apple cake, and made my way to the exit. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”

The guards formed a perimeter around us as we traversed the keep once again, making sure to keep us blocked off from any of the adjoining halls we passed. While the men were clearly nervous at our presence, they walked with their hands at their sides instead of on their weapons, which was a welcome improvement from our last visit. After a few minutes of walking, we reached a large set of double doors painted with the sigil of the Golden Throne and guarded by another half dozen men, one of whom I recognized.

“Commander Savitz, it’s nice to see you again,” I said enthusiastically. “How’ve you been?”

He looked at me through squinted eyes, his face somewhere between a scowl and a grimace. “Lux,” he replied with a tiny nod, his gravelly voice barely audible. “The King is ready to see you.”

“Yes, I’ve heard,” I mused. “Will you be joining us?”

“No.”

“I see. That’s a shame.” The double doors swung outwards as two more guards opened them from within the chamber, and our party moved into the throne room. “Well, it’s been lovely chatting with you again, Commander, but the King is ready to see me,” I called back to him, smirking.

Entering from the intended door for the first time, I was able to fully appreciate the massive size of the throne room; I could see the full scope of the towering stained-glass window on the opposite wall all at once, and the golden throne that sat beneath it was appropriately dwarfed in comparison. As expected, Virram Yorrell was seated in the chair, flanked by three white-robed figures I assumed were his councilors. Apart from them, the room was strangely empty, missing the guards posted at every pillar along the path to the throne that I had seen on our last visit.

Our footsteps echoed out across the silent, cavernous room as we made the long journey to the throne. I found myself chanting a simple mantra in my head, attempting to force myself to remember the phrase no matter what happened in the coming meeting: Don’t antagonize him. We just want to leave. While it screamed counter to every fiber of my being, I knew it was the best course of action. If stroking Virram’s ego could be the deciding factor between walking out and fighting our way out, I could swallow my pride for an hour to make it happen.

The soldiers surrounding us came to a sudden halt, forcing Lia and me to stop as well. “Thank you, men. You may go,” Virram commanded, his voice full of the lazy confidence I had tried to forget. The guards saluted in unison, then spun and made the trip back to the far exit. Val continued forward to the base of the raised platform that supported the enormous golden throne, taking her place as a shield between us and her King.

“It would seem that congratulations are in order!” he proclaimed, raising his hands to us. “When I tasked you with this mission, I could never have guessed that you would return with the country’s most wanted criminal as a prisoner.” He shook his head, laughing. “And the General, killed in action? It’s almost impossible to believe!”

Virram looked back and forth between Lia and me for a long moment in silence. “With a task force as capable as this, Kaldan would never be in danger again.” I gritted my teeth and said nothing as I waited for him to make his offer. “Based on the report from my Shield, you two were imperative in this mission’s success. I was surprised by how highly she spoke of you, given your initial...reluctance to accept.” He grinned arrogantly as he let the statement linger.

“Despite our previous history, I would be foolish not to offer you a place in my Royal Guard. After a recent incident in Shadowmine, I have found myself in need of competent soldiers once again.” He motioned to his closest advisor, who hurried over and handed him a scroll. “You would be heavily compensated, of course: your own private estate in the city, a handsome salary, and full access to the many amenities offered here in the keep, to start.”

“While that is a truly gracious offer, I am afraid that we must decline,” I answered, bowing deeply. “After our experience in Attetsia, we are looking to live a much less adventurous life.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Such manners! My Shield, you’ve done an excellent job in taming this one.” He chuckled to himself for a moment. “While I am disappointed, I cannot say I expected you to agree. As per our original agreement, you are hereby granted a full pardon for any crimes committed on Kaldanic soil leading to your arrest.” He lifted a hand lazily. “Gullen, fetch his payment.”

The small man nodded profusely and disappeared behind the throne, returning a moment later with a lockbox. He hastily crossed