Calvin

Meanwhile, back in the castle...

From the doors of the throne room, he marched to his seat. To his left was a sheathed blade, the one that thirsts to kill Elicit. Before him were several of the royal 'birds' and 'shadows'. He assembled them shortly after talking to Elicit.

"milord" one of the kings's shadows said. "is it really okay to let that man go?"

"it's fine." the king replied

"milord, he is an assassin by trade! He might-"

"You." he pointed at one of the shadows. "Summon my generals. Entropy is on the move" the king ordered . "Now!"

"as you command!" the shadow said, gesturing respect and his leave , then vanishing quickly into the silent halls.

"where is Calvin?" the king asked.

"the Heir is still at the Excavation site, milord." one of the birds said.

"Order a forced regroup." the king ordered. "We need him and the stahlritter"

"as you wish, milord" the bird disappeared, melting into the castle floors.

"The rest of you, contact all the castle's forces." the king said, then rose from his throne. He unsheathed the blade beside him and held it with his left.

"the entire Castle must hold until Calvin returns."

---
The excavation site was not open to the public or other diggers. The harsh climate repelled most intruders, and the harsher royal guards blocked everything else.

It resembled an abandoned city, with most in ruin. The once prosperous civilization that thrived was said to have instantly disappeared, leaving most artifacts lying in-wait for new masters.

The ruin walls were surrounded by barricades and roving guards. Near the rubble's main gates was Calvin's study; a small house filled with musty tomes, stained archives and several artifacts with unknown use. A simple misstep might mean damaging the articles due to the orderly disarray.

The king's messenger, A bird, knocked upon the heir's doors. The eccentric structure was out of place in the middle of the deathly desert.

Calvin wore his usual excavation threads. His rather average and pale physique resembled that of an average explorer, but his title as 'the runic fencer' says otherwise.

"what?" The king wants us to return?" Calvin said.

"Yes, milord" the bird said. "he says it is an urgent matter"

"We're almost done here anyways. Gather the knights." Calvin ordered, pointing at one of his trusted aides. He removed his hard hat, revealing his silver hair, then donned his helm. he then walked to a drawer, took out a pair of gloves, and wore them. "He must've gotten too close to another one."

"to what, milord, if I may ask?" the bird said. "the king mentioned something about an enemy called 'Entropy' "

"this is serious business." Calvin said. "Do you know how important these ruins are?" he asked.

the bird shook his head. "I do know they are part of history, milord"

"the world was made in seven days" Calvin said. "that's what the ruins said."

"With all due respect, milord. I believe that is basic information."

"And yet so few of them remain. Why do you think that is?"

The bird did not answer

"the world was destroyed in seven instances."

"Milord!" the bird was surprised. "then why are we still here?"

Calvin went around and picked up several scrolls.

"Man knew no rest. He was forever bound to his desire to learn." Calvin pointed on the floor mural. It looks unscathed even after being recently excavated. It showed several men at arms, and a war that was being waged against an unknown being.

"Man had built walls to remove threats of beasts. Little by little, even from his kin." Calvin activated a small device that projected moving images. It showed how the ancient cities started to fall.

"Man was never contented, he wished to be free from the sky, and eventually turned to the creatures of the waters." Calvin said, pointing to an old portrait hung on the wall. It showed machines that flies with birds and devices that allowed travel underwater. The sky was rather red, though it was clearly morning, and the water's surface did not reflect anything, not was it clear.

"He pursued the heavens, and the bodies in them. It remains his greatest frontier." Calvin looked up the study's ceiling. There were several circular objects assembled, arranged and hanged. One peculiar piece was a large metallic object that continuously revolved around every hanged object.

Calvin took something out from his pocket. It seemed like a low-class artifact. He pressed what would seem to activate it. It showed the earth and it's lands shifting, slowly turning from green to brown, and the eventually a rusted color. "The lands could not satisfy his thirst. Drained, it could no longer bear the abuse and eventually left man."

"Man had thirsted knowledge, and led his greed. No patch of light nor dark corner was out of his reach" Calvin counted. Calvin opened one scroll that depicted what he said. He placed it on his study table. It was slightly torn, and evidently recently restored. It showed a beast that devoured both the heavens and men in a desperate battle.

Calvin placed his empty palm in front of the Bird before him. He gathered several spirits in his palm. The unnatural gift he was blessed was his last demonstration.

"Man's hubris was innumerable. No longer was there night or day. It was void. Mankind's desire was put to an end."

Calvin fashioned every spirit into deadly spikes. He laughed maniacally for a second after he finished his display.

The bird was eagerly listening to every word he had said. Calvin's display would rouse much curiosity that even sages would be dumbfounded by the discovery.

"Milord, is this... what you've been gathering from the ruins...?" the bird asked.

"Yes" Calvin nodded, spirits still set on kill. "But you already know this, do you not?"

"Milord? I don't understand." the bird denied.

"You are no royal bird" Calvin smiled. "I do not kill messengers. Or are you here as an assassin instead?"

"That is preposterous, milord!"

"No one but the king, his generals, and my personal birds know that I'm the heir. And there is no one that knows that I am royal. I am but the king's archeological team." Calvin reasoned.

"Rumors fly around, good sir."

"You mock me, servant of Entropy?"

"wh...what? Madness, Milord! I would never....!"

Calvin's spikes came closer to the bird with deathly speed and accuracy. It had stopped nearly a few millimeters before a regular man's vital points.

"Move" Calvin ordered. "This whole room is Glyfaginning's murmur. One false move and I -might- damage the articles."

The fake bird cackled. "I will relay the message, your highness."

The fake bird slowly faded and turned to small fragments of silver light. Calvin only gave it gave a murderous, paralyzingly stare.

"Mankind ill needs a savior such as you...!" Calvin shouted, as he calls off his summoned spirits.