Chase groaned, leaning against the wall as Michael continued to yell at him.
"You are about to be a king, wear the damn crown!"
Michael bitterly suggested, holding out a simple golden crown.
"I'm not of age, I don't hold true authority until I am like twenty or something like..."
"Twenty-four."
Gabriel cut in, sitting on a bench towards the other side of the room.
"And I only govern The City of The Sun, because no one else is of living relation to Blaze or Orion, since Reinhart abandoned his right of claim..."
Chase continued, as Equan was drawing something on the board behind them.
They were using a classroom close to the grand hall as a sort of preparations room, and it was only the four of them, since everyone else was setting up the new throne room for the kingdom in one of the spare academy halls.
Gideon had been trying to fix up Leander's office in the previous couple days so that they had a place where they could begin war preparations in peace.
Plenty of students had actually returned to the academy once it became public information that Chase and The Unity had taken back the place.
"Don't we have several other problems that don't concern a coronation?"
Chase asked cocking an eyebrow.
Equan mumbled something about "Too much money..." and Gabriel scratched his chin while thinking out loud.
Michael shook his head.
"We are legally required to do the hole coronation thing... Just wear the damn crown for this, you gotta get a good public image..."
Chase slammed his fist on the desk, with one last whiny groan.
"Fine!"
He snatched the crown out of Michael's hands and put on his head.
"Happy?"
Then after ignoring whatever Michael had to say, he tilted the crown so that it was leaning on his head.
"That's better..."
He mumbled.
He was wearing his armor that Ricardo had fixed up, since he didn't really feel like putting on anything of actual royalty.
Speaking of Ricardo, he had also moved into The City of The Sun, and returned to being among the teachers at Phoenix Academy.
"How many people are in that room?"
He muttered more to himself.
"Probably around a thousand..."
Gabriel quickly said, sharpening his dagger quietly.
Chase finally turned around, growing annoyed by Equan's constant mumbling.
"Woah..."
He couldn't help but gasp at the insane drawing on the chalk board behind him.
It was an entire layout of the kingdom of Equus... The kingdom of Rider...
Chase stood up, and stepped up to the chalk board, picking up a piece of chalk as he put his finger on his chin, tapping it slowly.
"Their walls are far too protective... You would have to force your way through the outskirts just to get a chance at reaching the walls..."
Chase muttered.
"I know... But I heard... There is some sort of sewer system that runs underneath the kingdom..."
Equan replied as he jotted down a bunch of notes on the right side of the board.
Chase began to mark off different areas with little red X's, showing that these were points of no entry.
"It would have to be during the night, I plan on entering from beneath when Rider is not in the throne room..."
Equan raised an eyebrow and stopped.
"Why?"
Chase marked the throne room with a large red circle.
"He uses something called corruption, and has an artificial catalyst behind his throne room, and I was told I need to destroy it... And from what I have read and heard, if I destroy it, then the entire kingdom will come down with it..."
Equan nodded slowly.
"I can see the problem then..."
Chase nodded.
"I would need time to make preparations without Rider showing himself, then there is the civilians, which we would need to somehow evacuate..."
Michael quickly spoke up.
"And we free Gemini..."
Chase nodded and pointed the chalk at Michael.
"And that... As well as everyone else who was imprisoned, gives us more soldiers and more allies. Causes a big distraction as well..."
Chase frowned.
The door swung open.
"My lord, Zephyr is awaiting you outside of the throne room..."
Lithica said, with tiny wings fluttering on the back of newly made armor.
"Thanks Lithica, by the way armor totally suits you."
Chase said happily as he patted Equan on the shoulder and stepped out of the room behind Lithica.
Following his assistant, he pondered internally as they made their way to a small room that rested next to the throne room, where Chase could already hear countless voices inside of.
When he opened the door, Zephyr was sitting in one of two wooden chairs on the front side of a wooden desk.
"Makeshift office."
He chuckled.
Chase walked around the seat that Dorian was quietly spinning a pencil around his fingers, as he sat lazily.
Chase walked over to the other side of the desk, and sat in the opposite chair.
"As your war councilor, I uh- Don't really know, in all honesty boy, you couldn't have handled the retaking of Phoenix Academy with better strategy and outcome..."
Zephyr said with a slight grin.
Dorian rolled his eyes.
"Thank me later I guess."
Zephyr jabbed Dorian in the ribs quite hard, then continued smiling as if nothing had ever happened.
"thank you both..."
Chase said with an emotionless look on his face.
"You are stressed of the war to come, yes?"
Dorian asked, still rubbing his stomach.
Chase nodded.
"Don't fret it, I am sure it will honestly work out better than this whole mess."
Chase looked up at the slowly ticking clock, then turned his gaze back towards his greatest allies.
"What about The Grand paladin, I have a feeling he won't just let a new kingdom take shape without having some sort of say in it..."
Zephyr scowled.
"He would actually... You are not a Paladin, and that is your greatest strength, he underestimates you, and cares not if you don't have the strength to usurp him, if you ever even wish too..."
Chase nodded slowly.
"I see, so I have time before he makes an appearance."
Zephyr nodded.
"Actually allying with Zen would be your best bet..."
Dorian cut in, drawing strange looks from both Chase and Zephyr.
Chase leaned his chin onto his fist.
"The Grand Paladin wiped out my dad's entire side of the family, I doubt we could just forget that, since I will be next in line as heir of the continent of Vallmora..."
Chase began to trail off.
"Unless... I ally with him and betray him later on..."
Dorian nodded slyly.
A knock came from the door.
"My lord, it is time..."
Chase sighed and clapped his hands together, as he stood up.
"Kay, I suspect you both will be awaiting me at my throne?"
They both nodded, although one was a lot more caring and supportive than the other.
Chase left the room slowly, and stood by Lithica and the two new generals.
The City of The Sun had four generals now, and would probably have five soon enough.
If they reached six generals, which they probably would soon as well, they would need a commander.
Chase already knew who he would choose as his commander although it would take the convincing.
The two other generals also made their appearance in front of the door, both looking quite annoyed by their new armor.
"I really hate these flashy colors..."
Zelenna complained, pulling at the collar of her Chestplate.
"How come my mentor said no?"
Michael asked, tying together his cuffs.
Chase shrugged.
"He told me that he would serve in my army but cared not for the position of general. Same with Luke, who said that he needed a little time before making a decision like that."
Chase said, looking at Hans who looked quite uncomfortable in such a setting.
"Relax big guy, the army has gotten bigger and I need someone to lead a group of vanguards and frontline fighters, I couldn't ask Reinhart since he can't legally take on a position in an army unless he were to stay hidden in the low ranks."
Chase continued to blabber on, scratching the back of his head.
Equan on the other hand, was wearing a huge smirk on his face.
Chase was sure that the guy had a lot of pride for being the youngest general in history, but didn't think that the kid wouldn't stop grinning ear to ear since he found out.
"What about Neo, Leo, Onyx, and Poppy?"
"Onyx is serving as general already, same with Justin, they just haven't opted in yet, they said they would wait until the army grew bigger, let the younger guys get some reps in or something."
Chase thought for a moment.
"Leo said that he wanted to train more, and Poppy cannot become a general, and instead decided that she wanted to be the captain of a smaller force, she will stand be up there as well because of her status. And Neo is still recovering..."
Chase continued.
"It is time my lord..."
Lithica said, pushing the grand doors open.
Chase took a deep breath, letting the four of them step in front of him.
They walked in first as Chase could barely see over their heads as crowds of people erupted in cheers.
"Smile my lord, they eat that up..."
Lithica grinned, moving over to stand behind Chase as the new king began to walk.
It was strange...
Walking along a red carpet with a crown on one's head, Chase thought it a dream for but a moment, people cheered and screamed as the savior of Phoenix Academy took slow strides towards his new throne.
There were three steps that up to throne platform, only Chase, a seer, and Lithica were ever allowed to stand on it according to the rules of the royal etiquette, which Chase had no doubt he was going to break within the first couple of days.
He let himself grin as he continued forward.
Standing on the first step, was Justin, an injured Neo, and Luke on one side.
On the other side, The Faceless man, Dorian, and Onyx were standing all three with pale faces. One was a literal pale face because of that damned mask.
On the left side of the second step, stood Poppy and Leo, with Zephyr, and Gabriel on the other side.
Chase wondered how weird it must have been for Zephyr to have his daughter in the same room as him for once, but if it affected him at all, Zephyr sure as hell didn't show it.
The first step was occupied by the four acting generals, who all stepped in unison, causing the entire hall to quiet down.
Chase spotted plenty of familiar faces in the crowd, such as Kaylynn, Neveah, and even Ricardo's long beard.
Chase stepped onto the first step, then the second, smiling at everyone he passed.
Then the third step, and once his foot hit the surface of the final platform, everyone knelt in unison.
Chase slowly sat down in his throne, and immediately broke the first law of kings.
He leaned back, and threw his legs over the arm of the throne, as Poppy audibly gasped.
"First things first..."