Soul of a Human

Luckily, Mor and his friend didn't have to wait long. The arrival of the prince was announced long before they could see him by a curious murmur of the surrounding crowd.

Dinothom purposefully strode along but still exchanged a few calming and friendly words with the curious onlookers while an imposing figure seemingly made of black stone followed closely behind.

"There they are," Mor said, detecting them first.

°And your dad looks ready for trouble.° The human added.

°Yes. But it's smart. He has all the power ready, looks menacing, and hides his identity.° Mor marveled.

The prince's gaze fell upon the waiting group, and he directed his gate towards them.

"Thank you for waiting, Lady Sapphire, Lord Obsidian." He loudly declared, and both of them bowed a little.

"And I see you have brought your servants, my Lady, as it is only proper." Dino continued with a smirk.

Mor wanted to protest, but when he noticed the looks from the crowd, he didn't. The prince was putting on a show so no panic would break out.

A royal prince meeting with two future high nobles to visit another noble family is not that outlandish. It is a bit strange, yes, but nothing more.

Dino fixed Sophie with his gaze, and if Mor interpreted Dino's facial expressions correctly, his mother was repeating her findings, painting quite a grim picture.

Just a moment later, though Dino was all smiles again, he turned to his towering guardian and asked,

"My dear knight, would you please knock? We left Lord and Lady Celestite waiting long enough.

With the sound of grinding stone, the Black Knight moved to the grand gate and slammed his stony fist against it. The gate reverberated with a loud boom but was otherwise unmarred.

Mor was almost disappointed that his father hadn't smashed through it but realized that this probably wasn't the plan.

Once again, the gate opened, and the woman from earlier looked out. The last bit of remaining color vanished instantly from her face at the menacing figure before her. She looked the imposing black knight up and down and only then noticed the prince standing there.

"Your Highness!" She stammered.

"There is no need for formalities. Thank you for opening the gate, " Dinothom said, and he strode right by the woman, the black knight, behind him.

The rest of the group joined him, but the servant woman shook out from her surprise and protested against that.

"I'm very sorry, but I can't allow you back in. Lord Celestite ordered me to not let you in again."

"They are with me," Dinothom said in a stern voice, and the woman shrunk back a little.

"As you wish, your Highness. I will inform Lord Celestite about your arrival." She said, but Dinothom waved it off.

"No need, I will announce myself."

"But…" The woman started and then thought better of it. "As you will."

"Very good. Now, please get back to your tasks. I don't want to distract you from your duties." Dinothom dismissed her.

Saphine managed to hide her triumphant grin, instead nodding to the prince. The boys, on the other hand, didn't. Not at all. Still, this unusual display and probably Morokhan's blatant display of magic alarmed the guards, and again, Dinothom and his entourage were stopped.

"Lord Diamond?!" The seeming leader asked in disbelief.

"Yes, indeed. I have business with your Lord, so please make way." Dinothom ordered, and the guards milled around for a second before making way.

And again, their way to the estate continued, but their "followers" had grown substantially with the guards. When they reached the entrance door, Dinothom looked expectantly at one of the guards, and after a hot second, the guard understood, hustling to open the door for the prince. Dinothom gave him a friendly nod and entered the estate propper just as Lord Celestite rushed down the interior stairs.

"Your Highness, what an unexpected..." He started until he noticed his previous visitors.

"Why are you back in?! I told that useless servant to not let you in again!"

"Please don't shout in my presence. It makes my bodyguard nervous," the prince said coldly.

"Yes, of course. Sorry, your Highness. But the people in your company displeased me with their last visit, so I don't want them on my property." Lord Celestite explained.

"I see. Then, to show some goodwill, I would ask my companions to leave, but my bodyguard will stay," Dino said, and visible relief appeared on Celestites' face.

Everyone else, except Morokhan, wanted to protest, but the prince raised a hand to silence them.

"But that will get me into trouble. I'm indebted to the Sapphire and Obsidian families, and I know that they would like nothing more than to chat with their friend. A friend I'm told, that is engaged to your son. Congratulations are therefore in order." The prince stated, and now Celestite got nervous.

"Wait. A second! I thought that someone made a law against this for kin below adulthood, and remind me, what was that age again?" The prince asked in an innocent voice.

"Eighteen, my lord." The black knight answered.

"Right. How old was your son?" The prince continued questioning Lord Celestite, and Mor had to marvel at the imposing presence Dino had taken on.

"Sixteen." Lord Celestite mumbled.

"Sixteen, interesting. Correct me, but sixteen is younger than eighteen, right?" The prince's voice grew cold.

"Yes." The cowed noble answered.

"So that shouldn't have happened." The prince continued.

"But! We need to secure our family's future. That law is an affront!" Lord Celestite tried to defend himself.

"An affront? My dear knight, could you tell me who made that law? To protect young kin against their parent's tyranny?" Dinothom asked his bodyguard.

"You did, My Lord." Came the rumbling answer.

"Right! I did that, and now it is an affront? Maybe even unfair? Because you can't rope your children into something they may regret?" The prince mused aloud.

"Listen, Celarn. I will give you one chance. Bring that girl to me right now, and my companions will leave. Then we can talk about what you want."

"Of course, I will get her as soon as possible. Please take a seat in the waiting room, and I will get her and some refreshments to you-guh." Celestite said, but the prince wouldn't have it.

Dinothom growled. "I said right now!" Unleashing a bit of his magic, Mor could feel a pressure on his shoulders.

Celarn got pushed down to his knees by an invisible giant's hand, whimpering at the pressure.

"Yes. As you wish!" He cried out, and the pressure stopped.

"Then go one, and don't let me wait. I might get bored and redecorate a bit. This room might need more light." The prince added, smiling. Then, as if the idea had just struck him, he continued.

"My knight, please go with Celarn so he doesn't get lost on the way or try something stupid."

Mor thought he could hear the scolded noble whimper, but it might have been wishful thinking.

°I think he shat himself.° The human said, giggling.

°Probably. I only felt the outliers of Dino's spell, but facing the full brunt of it? No, thank you.° Mor answered.

°How much energy do you think he expended on that?° The human asked.

°Your guess is as good as mine, but somehow I think that was almost nothing for him.° Mor answered.

Under Morokhan's watchful eye, Celarn was led away to find Clare and bring her to Dino. After a few short minutes, Clare was led back in. This time, she instantly rushed towards her friends, throwing herself crying into an embrace from Saphine. Dinothom looked at this display a bit surprised, then at Morokhan.

"Did he do anything before you came back?" He asked telepathically.

"No, but the lady was with her. She might have ended the effects." Morokhan answered.

"Dear girl, could you spare me a second of your attention?" Dino asked Clare, and without letting go of Saphine, Clare nodded.

"Great, I just want to make sure of something," Dino said with a smile.

"That's not necessary, your Highness." Celarn interrupted but got shut up by a stern look.

"I'm not as versed in this, but it should be enough," Dino said and began to concentrate.

A side effect of prolonged magic blocking is a swelled reservoir, and indeed, he could see that in the girl. This is something only one with excellent magic senses would be able to pick up, but in all his humbleness, Dinothom Diamond was such a mage.

"Lady Sapphire, Lord Orth, would you and your servant please take this young lady and leave the premises?" He asked in a calm voice.

"But!" Orth wanted to protest.

"Do. As. I. Say." The prince ordered, and with a cowed nod, the three young ones left.

At the halfway mark to the gate of the premise, they could feel the earth shake, a low rumble followed by a loud crunching sound.

°Holy fuck! Please remind me to be very, very nice to your Uncle.° The human said in amazement.

°Yes indeed.° Mor agreed.