Chapter 244 - Rylaic the Lich of Drustenvar

"Nothing just wonder how you beat Scarlet," I answered him as he began to place food and drinks on the table.

"Ahhh that question everyone has when they find out. Sadly that's confidential and a secret between the both of us," Paul chuckled.

"So I head you guys missed dinner, sadly I couldn't make anything in a pinch so I just grabbed finger food." Paul smiled, "I also have, beer, ale, wine red and white, water and lemonade." Paul smiled pointing out each jug to us, but personally passed me a bowl of warm pasta in pesto topped with crunchy nuts and onions. "Sorry, the only thing I had in a pinch." He whispered to me "So King's Guard Themaer what brings you here?" Paul questioned curiously pouring out a cup of red wine for him, "Sorry for I don't have any fancy dishware worthy of your status." He chuckled handing the mug to him.

"Black Dragon Slayer Sir, between you and me I was never a fan of the luxury life," Themaer smiled grabbing the mug holding it up to clink with Paul's.

"Please Paul will be fine." Paul smiled.

"My apologies Paul." He apologised with a bowed head.

"A humble royal, you have my respects." Paul held up a mug clinking it with his. "Oi Daisy, don't think I can't see you, you're having the lemonade." Paul quickly warned her noticing she was reaching for the ale near the lemonade.

"Ow... but I've had some before!" She objected, making the rest of us chuckle.

"That may be true but not on my watch," Paul answered her like a parent to a child.

"I'll drink a lemonade with you." I smiled so Daisy won't feel left out.

"Don't you try sneaking her some," He warned me with a smile.

"What? I would never," I laughed as he gave me the, 'I am watching you' gesture with two fingers.

"SoPaul from one guardian to another I wanted to personally ask you if Lady Aiyonyora could keep a pet on the institute's grounds." He requested.

"Aiyonyora.... that's Helen or Grace right?" He questioned looking at both of them.

"That would be me," Grace answered him with a raised hand.

"Ahh gotcha," He nodded, "Um, if you don't mind me asking what sort of pet is it?" Paul asked.

"It's an Eagle," Themaer answered.

"Oh! that might be a small problem," Paul answered, "From what I understand Eagles are meat eaters, we do have normal animals that live on campus they are all herbivores, sadly we can't have an Eagle flying around hunting the other animals here." He explained to him.

"Well, she is a well trained Eagle." Themaer tried to explain.

"Okay, I can't guarantee anything but how about this, I'll take Lady Aiyonyora we'll visit the druid division along with the local dryads and see if we can come to an agreement or maybe they can do something to calm its more predatory instincts." Paul offered him.

"That sounds brilliant to me." He smiled holding his mug up for a toast.

"Then it's agreed then." Paul smiled clinking mugs again. "So from what I understand all guests have been assigned a room on the same floor to avoid confusion and mingling with Atlantis students. If you'd like I can request Ashley to add a temporary room to Lady Aiyonyora and Lady Helen's room. I'm sure you all would like time to catch up and things." Paul offered with a giant smile.

"That if the young miss' would accept me." He smiled looking at them.

"Of course! Time with Uncle is always a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e." Helen smiled.

"Young Miss Ashera how are you doing?" Themaer smiled.

"I'm doing very well thank you uncle, and yourself?" She smiled back.

"Things are going well, I'm also considering going back into adventuring." He informed her with a jolly smile.

"Oh? Uncle aren't you a bit m.a.t.u.r.e for such a life." Helen chuckled.

"Cheeky as always." Themaer chuckled.

"You do know King's Guard Themaer has quite of a lot of Accolades himself." Paul grinned, "Isn't that right Slayer of Rylaic the Lich of Drustenvar." Paul nodded to him with much respect making Themaer look at him with a surprised look.

"How? that title is so old and before your time?" He looked at Paul utterly surprised and lost for words.

Paul just grinned in return, "Rylaic the Lich of Drustenvar I would say that quite the notch on your belt." Paul smiled.

"Whos Rylaic the Lich of Drustenvar, Drustenvar is a city isn't it?" Jay questioned.

"A very long time ago, Rylaic was a self-proclaimed King of Drustenvar, unbeknownst to the whole world he was also a Lich." Paul explained giving Themaer a nod.

"Yes at first we were tasked to investigate his city, everyone's utter complete subservience to Rylaic was a little concerning. "We discovered Rylaic controlled the city with a city-wide mind control spell that he must recast every day at dawn giving all the inhabitants only 10 mins of self-control before being controlled again." Themaer began to tell the story.

"Is that a thing?!" I asked in shock.

"Yes sadly, so whatever happens we have to slay him before dawn or be out the city before dawn or doomed to be under his control for the rest of our lives," Themaer answered.

"He was even cunning enough to entice adventurers with rares and riches into the city just to control them as well giving him a very formidable army, even the citizens would be acting against you," Paul added causing Themaer to give him a shocked look. "But what the stories don't explain is how did you know he was a lich? He managed to have the whole world fooled he was a righteous king." Paul questioned curiously.

"It was fate that led us to that truth, we Elves live a long time, and by chance, we scouted Rylaic outside the city walls. Although many years have passed, we will always recognise that once young ambitious wizard anywhere." He answered Paul.

"So you knew him before he was a Lich?" I questioned curiously.

"Yes before, Human and Elves were close, close enough that we took in talented casters to learn and study from Elven cultures and our ancient libraries," Themaer answered me.

"He was quite cunning also, the main body he moved around the city pretending to be a good king was actually a simulacrum, while the real him operated in the darkness away from the world's gaze." Themaer described.

"What's a simulacrum?" Daisy whispered to me quietly.

"It's a clone or a copy of a person," I whispered back to her.

"Ohhh." Daisy nodded in understanding.

"Not only that but also a Lich can only truly die if you destroy their phylactery or they will simply be reborn after a short time," Paul added.

"Wow, so how did everything go down?" Jay questioned.

"Well lucky for us, Young Miss Aiyonyora's mother, Queen Shalana or Princess Shalana at the time, as you may know, is a very powerful sorcerer and was able to identify our initial target was a simulacrum," Themaer explained.

"So was his simulacrum like a fake to trick potential threats?" Grace questioned.

"We assumed so, if anyone targeted him and defeated his simulacrum, the real Rylaic would go into hiding," He explained.

"Wow, and on top, you have to find the real Rylaic, defeat him them somehow locate his phylactery?" I questioned.

"That's not all when we managed to locate and challenged the real Rylaic, he summoned his simulacrum meaning we essentially had to fight two liches at the same time," Themaer added.

"Really?" Helen asked absolutely astonished.

"Yup that's what the stories say, must have been quite the encounter, facing off against two master wizard liches simultaneously." Paul smiled.

"Yeah, that was one of our most dangerous encounters." He smiled looking back in the past with joy.

"Did you have a paladin with you?" Daisy questioned a little sheepishly

"I wish we did, but sadly Elven Paladins were kinda rare at that time, to my understanding paladins are very effective in combating undead abominations and unholy things correct?" Themear replied.

"You should have seen her fight a demon, most of us was almost ineffective but Daisy was able to go toe to toe even hurting it," Grace answered excited to tell him.

"Impressive." Themear looked at Daisy nodding with respect. "What is this stuff by the way? It's tastes amazing!" He said eating food Paul laid out.

"Well, sadly this stuff is only the snacks we have, delicacies from many different places," Paul answered with a giant smile.