When they approached the palace, they stopped in front of a massive gate decorated with ornate carvings, guarded by armed women.
After a few moments, the gate opened and they entered inside, where they were amazed by the beauty of the palace architecture and its intricate details.
The servants welcomed them kindly before Ateen said firmly, "Take Basil and Hamza to the waiting hall."
After they entered the waiting hall, Basil and Hamza noticed that the hall was strangely quiet, despite its large size.
The walls were decorated with ancient paintings depicting battles between strange creatures and warriors wearing traditional clothing, which gave the place a feeling of awe and mystery.
In the middle of the hall, they noticed pillars surrounded by chains that extended into the ground, as if they were used to move something. In the center of the hall, there was a mysterious circular mark on the floor.
After a while, one of the maids said to them politely, "Please follow me."
The maid then escorted them forcefully through the corridors.
As they approached the throne hall, they saw a man speaking loudly while the guards dragged him out , which made them feel a bit uneasy.
Basil and Hamza arrived at the throne hall, which was huge and luxurious, decorated with royal colors and ornate pillars that gave the place a sense of majesty and grandeur.
When they entered, they slowly walked toward the throne where King Gudea was sitting.
The king had a strong and charismatic presence. His skin was blue, and his body was covered with scales. On his face were traces of old burns that gave him a majestic appearance.
Beside him stood an elderly man who resembled him in features and skin color. In front of the throne stood a beautiful woman wearing elegant clothes that indicated her high status, and beneath each eye was a distinctive line.
As they approached the throne, Basil and Hamza bowed slightly in respect to the king.
The king slowly raised his hand, signaling them to come closer. Then he smiled with dignity and said:
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Anomazon. Tell me, what brings you here?"
Basil stepped forward and spoke to the king humbly:
"Thank you for your generous welcome, Your Majesty. We are here on an important mission through which we are searching for the precious stones known as the Babrios Stones, which are said to possess extraordinary powers."
The king raised his eyebrow slightly and said:
"Babrios Stones? I have never heard of these stones before. But I know about mysterious powers that exist in Mount Ishida inside a small island. Years ago, a huge dragon with red eyes and black scales emerged from that mountain. It destroyed and ravaged our kingdom without mercy."
Then King Gudea continued while looking into the distance as if recalling the past:
"But during those dark days, a man from outside the kingdom appeared. His name was Taij Lee. He fought the dragon in the middle of the city using his bare hands with a unique fighting style. His combat techniques were astonishing, and his strength was unmatched. After a fierce battle, he managed to defeat the dragon and drive it back to the mountain."
The moment the king mentioned the name Taij Lee, Hamza immediately jumped into the conversation with excitement:
"Excuse me for interrupting, Your Majesty, but I am looking for this man."
Basil looked at him in surprise and said:
"You know him?"
Hamza nodded and said:
"Yes. He is one of the commanders of the Knights of Salvation."
The king looked at Hamza and said in surprise:
"Knights of Salvation?"
Hamza replied:
"Yes. He is one of the knights of the Kingdom of Arabaya, the kingdom that Basil and I come from. Taij Lee was one of the great knights who served the kingdom. He left a great mark in our history."
Then Hamza asked:
"Do you know where he is now?"
The king thought about Hamza's words for a moment and then said:
"After he defeated the dragon, Taij Lee did not remain in our kingdom for long. He left, saying that he had to continue his search… for someone he knew."
Basil and Hamza were surprised by this information, and Basil asked:
"Do you know who this person was that he was searching for?"
The king shook his head and said:
"He told no one. All we know is that he had been searching endlessly for someone for many years. Perhaps you will find the answer if you continue your search."
After a moment of thought, the king smiled and said:
"But let us leave these stories aside. We are approaching a great celebration called the 'Marriage of the Firstborn Virgin'."
Then he pointed his finger toward the woman standing in front of the throne and said:
"This year, my wedding to Princess Ateen will be part of this event. I hope you will stay with us for two more days to be my guests and participate in this special celebration."
The surprise was clear on Basil and Hamza's faces, because Ateen was the princess who would marry the king.
Hamza said in astonishment:
"Ateen?"
The beautiful woman standing near the throne smiled and said:
"Yes, I am Princess Ateen."
Basil looked at Ateen in confusion and said:
"But how? How do you look completely different and smaller than the form we saw you in outside?"
Ateen smiled and explained:
"I am from two races: the Mazi race and the Estrason race. The Mazi are known for their massive bodies, while the Estrason are distinguished by the lines that decorate their faces. Because of this unique mixture of blood, I can change my size whenever I wish."
Basil and Hamza were surprised by this new revelation about Ateen's identity. Then Hamza looked at King Gudea and said with appreciation:
"Thank you very much for your invitation and generous hospitality. We are grateful to be your guests at this great celebration. We will make sure to respect your customs and traditions, and we hope we can contribute to this event in a positive way."
After Hamza finished speaking, the king ordered the servants to take Basil and Hamza to their rooms so they could rest.
While they were walking through the corridors leading to the rooms, they noticed many pictures hanging on the walls. The pictures were of figures who seemed important in the history of the kingdom, with features resembling King Gudea, with blue skin and scales covering their bodies.
Basil asked the maid who was accompanying them:
"Who are these people in the pictures?"
The maid answered respectfully:
"They are relatives of the king."
They continued walking until they reached a large portrait near a door. The portrait was of King Gudea, and beside him stood a woman and two children.
Hamza asked curiously:
"Where did the rest of the king's family go?"
The maid replied hesitantly:
"I cannot answer that, sir."
At that moment, they heard a violent knocking on a nearby door and the sound of shouting coming from behind it. The voice sounded like the same man they had seen when they entered the king's hall.
The man shouted loudly:
"Tell the king that we must fix it before they appear!"
They looked toward the door and saw a picture of a man wearing glasses marked with the number 357 and holding a large sheet of paper covered with plans filled with ancient symbols.
They felt curious about what was happening, but they could not learn more, so they continued their way toward their rooms.
Finally, they arrived at their spacious and comfortable rooms, decorated with warm colors and luxurious furniture, after a long day full of mysterious and surprising events.