Arkalia

Chapter 5 - Ceravios Empire

She was happy here and she knew it. Lilia and Jae had been laughing, talking and joking around for the past 2 hours. Soon, clouds appeared. The blue sky got hidden by thick clouds.

Lilia could feel their surroundings become dryer and dryer. The color of the sky started turning yellow as the shore drew nearer and nearer.

An old wooden sign that had already rotting said 'Nioki Port". Huh. It was the port that the old cobbler had told Lilia about. A worried look appeared on her face.

"Is the Ceravios Empire supposed to look like the Sahara Desert?" She asked Jae.

"The what desert? Anyways, yea. The Ceravios Empire is ruled by a ruthless king, my brother. I used to be one of the most highest-ranking thieves until I betrayed him." Jae stared at the ominous castle.

The castle had wooden pillars and above them were logs that were placed between them. The castle was the only thing that caught her eye. The wooden platform looked unsteady as the duo neared it.

They got off the boat at a nearby beach and left the boat in the sand before walking to the castle. They had to walk past a few houses before reaching the peak of the hill.

"Alright, so how are we going to get a piece of the sword?" Lilia asked as they entered the busy city.

"Well, you're going to turn me in. I'm a wanted criminal in here." Jae looked around to see if anyone had noticed him before pulling up his mask further up his face.

(the mask is like a cloth that covers the bottom half his face if you're confused about which type of mask)

Lilia followed Jae and pulled her mask up higher. They had reached the center of the village as people were shoving each other around and squeezing past to get to a store that was having discounts.

"Why were... you even... a criminal?!" Lilia whisper-shouted.

"I betrayed and sabotaged my brother. I managed to escape into the forest before his men could capture me. Anyways, once we're in the castle, he will invite you to stay over." Jae explained as he shoved more people aside.

"Once everyone is asleep, the guards will be gone after midnight. Sneak your way into the treasury, find a golden chest on an altar and it should be in there. The key to it is around his neck, get it and unlock the chest. Once you're done, come free me and we'll escape before I get executed." Jae muttered the last part.

Lilia could hear him just fine as the crowd slowly disappeared behind them and so did their loud chatter.

"You're going to get executed?!" She gasped with a look of horror.

"I won't. Well, I trust you. Don't make me misplace it." He smiled and patted her head. She flinched and brought her hands close to her face, embarrassed.

They made their way over to the castle. The murky waters below them contained dangerous creatures like alligators or piranhas of some sort. Lilia used the rope Jae had given her and tied his hands behind him.

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Lilia asked again, worried for him.

"Trust me, I'll be perfectly fine when you get me out," Jae reassured her. He had complete confidence in her while she didn't think so.

They entered the castle as the guards stood still at the entrance, staring into the void. The king sat on his throne, filing his nails.

"Ahem, King of the Ceravios Empire. I have something you might want." Lilia cautiously said as she shoved Jae to walk quicker.

"Do not disturb me, peasant. The things that I want, surely you cannot possess, so get out of my sight." He paid no regard to her as he continued filing.

Lilia pulled down his and her masks, she stared right at the king's eyes and told him, "Are you sure you would not like your younger brother?" This had caught his interest and he looked up from his nails.

He stood up and walked down the stone steps to Jae and Lilia. His eyes squinted as he checked if it really was his brother. His eyes widened and a sadistic grin came into his face.

"Guards! Arrest my brother at once! Throw him into the dungeon, for his execution will be at dawn tomorrow!" He waved his hand and half a dozen guards escorted Jae. They gave each other a last look before Jae entered the basement.

"So, my king, what... would my reward be?" Lilia asked. She tried to be as seductive as she could but, a shy girl could only go that far. Her efforts had somewhat worked though, he smiled and looked at her as she started to circle him.

Her hand was placed onto the back of his neck as she pulled her face close to him, close enough he'd be distracted by her when she unclipped the back of the necklace and dropped it onto her other hand before tucking it away safely in her belt.

"How about, you stay at my castle for a few days? I would love the company, especially if it's you." He chuckled as Lilia smiled. Jae was right! He was such a gullible man!

That night, when Lilia was escorted to her room, she followed the King back to his room to check the distance between their rooms before walking down the hallway to find the treasury.

There were no signs and the castle was huge. Lilia muttered to herself, "Crap, I can't do this by myself. I need Jae's help. Sorry, Jae for screwing up the plan." She made a face that said she was worried and apologetic.

She slowly crept down to the dungeon, right there, in front of her was a sleeping guard, his eyes were closed as he snored loudly with drool dripping from his chin. His feet were rested on a wooden table next to him. Above him was a ring with many keys attached to it.

"Oh goody, now I have to get the keys without waking the sleeping guard. Thanks, Jae!" Lilia sarcastically whispered to herself before making a stink eye towards the hallway of cells.

~ To Be Continued ~

A/N: Thank you so much for reading this chapter! This is only part one of the adventures in the Ceravios Empire! There will be a second part to it!

Will Lilia be able to get the set of keys without waking the guard? Or will she get caught and get thrown in the jail with Jae? Is Jae alright? Stay tuned to find out!

Follow me on Instagram @chloe.cwrites for sneak peeks and updates! Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoy this story!