Three Kings Summit
Ryu's Perspective
Horns echoed across Hawkwood City, drawing the attention of its folks. I, Ryu, the King of Asgard, called a meeting with the King of Drakelene and the King of Perrin. The horn signaled their arrival.
The first arrival was a magical vehicle; a long, sleek vessel with a round, circular structure. Its front formed a smooth, wedge-shaped design with massive tinted windows. The sides of the vessel's wings held boxes that acted as the ship's thrusters. The engines let out a soft rumbling sound as they expelled energy from behind.
It was from Perrin, the Floating City.
The vessel flew over Hawkwood, approaching the manor where both Art and I stood waiting. The ship stopped in midair and slowly descended to the ground. The garden of the manor went from green grass to solid dirt within seconds, ruined by the expulsion of force from the thrusters and only spreading farther as the vessel descended closer to the ground.
I would have a clear area for him to land; however, current global issues outweighed the necessities of my wants.
As the vehicle touched the now ruined garden surface, the sound of the humming engine went quiet. Soon, one of the side doors of the vessel opened up, and a platform extended out towards the ground, allowing a walkway to form. Art made his way to where the platform touched the ground, and the smell of two individuals appeared from the ship.
Squinting up at the doors, an elderly man with grey hair and a wrinkled face walked down the platform, carrying himself with a sternness that conveyed authority while his blue eyes still burned with vitality. A long, well-maintained grey beard complemented his appeal. He wore a delicate smile despite his stern look as he walked with a cane in hand, steadying himself on his way down. He wore a militaristic-style, dark navy blue, tailored suit, with a blazer hanging over his shoulders. The suit was adorned with all sorts of medals and insignia that only the country, Herioes or Perrin would understand. I couldn't recognize any of the medals, even if they were close. The pants were sleek and matched the color of the blazer, subtly covering the polished black dress shoes.
Next came a middle-aged man with a scar-like tattoo etched down his eye, almost like a lightning bolt. Face cleanly shaved and hair slicked back. His face was stern and non-emotional, full of discipline. Unlike the elderly man, they didn't have a cane and had a slightly smaller build but wore the same uniform with just as many medals, albeit without a blazer.
Standing patiently with a smile on my face, I watched both men walk down the platform. Art gave a bow to both of them, but before he could speak, the elderly man spoke first. "Ryu, my old friend." He said, grabbing the side of his cane with open arms.
Smiling brightly, I opened my arms, moving towards the elderly man. "Lord Cerco, it's been too long."
Cerco kneeled down and gave me a warm hug, lifting me off the ground. "You're still just as light as ever. You make an old bag of bones like me feel mighty," Cerco said in a mocking yet playful tone while I squirmed.
"Put me down old man, before you hurt your back," I responded, letting out a loud laugh.
Cerco chuckled, finally putting me down. "Maybe you could give me your back." Patting my clothes, he placed his hands on my shoulders. "Look at you. It's been nearly sixteen years since we last met, and you haven't aged a day. I still recall being a little boy and you still look the same."
"Magic would be like that for some people." I answered, looking up at Cerco. "If our allies and alliances were on better terms I wouldn't mind you paying me. I do occasionally miss the Floating City."
Perrin's The Floating City was a sight beyond sight. Beautiful sight. A giant floating Ether Crystal with a city inside it and surrounding it.
Cerco seizes the head of his cane, placing his weight on it. "Even so, I would still come to visit your country. Asgard has always been an educational visit. One filled with spectacularly magical scenery." He stood up and motioned with his arm towards his companion. "I trust you remember Commander Ver."
Moving towards Cerco's companion, Commander Ver, I extended my hand to him. "I remember Ver. How's your siblings, Ver?" I said with a mocking tone.
Ver and his siblings. All eleven of them cause diplomatic problems. Especially the missing thirteenth.
"Better in Perrin than in Asgard," Ver answered. His voice was quick, unwavering, with no sense of doubt. He finally shook my hand.
Smiling at Ver, I apologize as best as I can. "I'm sorry about that; however, there was a law at the time. Only one hero every ten to fifteen years, and that's with a heads up with those who agreed to said terms."
After releasing our hands, Ver spoke up with a level of boldness that I thought I was getting interrogated. "And now you pressure Perrin for allying with the newly discovered Elven kingdom," Ver remarked harshly.
A vexed sigh came out of me as I gestured to both men to follow. Art was about to stand back up until I spoke up. "Art. You stay here and keep an eye out for others." Art understood and bowed, his armor shining bright under the sunlight.
Walking towards the manor, I turned to Ver. "I understand your 'frustration' over what happened with the Elven kingdom. It's been ages since a kingdom of High Elves was sighted. The kingdom was discovered near a magical anomaly that was tracked few years back. I simply only wanted what's best…"
"So you don't think my country isn't capable of handling an elven kingdom?" Cerco interrupted, his steps heavy with the cane clicking against the ground.
Taken aback, I grimaced at Cerco. "That's not what I wanted to imply," I answered with serenity in my voice. "Perrin promotes and practices human supremacy over all other species. Allying with a Elven kingdom would appear odd to your people I would assume. You remember how the Holy Empire responded to Lycans claiming The Lost City Silvate?"
Servants opened the door of the manor for us. Gesturing for Cerco to enter first, with Ver following behind. "The Holy Empire is right to be wary of Lycans, Lord Ryu." Ver stated. "Lycans are mostly wanderers and nomads who tend to be barbaric. And now, the werewolves that once occupied the Silvate now serve the Lycans."
"Yes however, I, at the time, didn't have the means or resources to exterminate the werewolves," I explained. "So I decided to give the tasks to the Lycan Clans, who have developed much stronger leadership. Doing so not only gave the united tribes land they can call their own, it gave way to one of the most flourishing silver mines we have ever seen."
And it kept the werewolves alive for extra security. The Holy Empire would've attacked Silvate.
Cerco turned his head towards me and expressed his opinion. "And in return, a shift in the market supplies. Countries and Kingdoms like Deimos are losing profit due to Silvate growth."
"And Herioes won't stay quiet forever, especially with the Elven kingdom," Cerco answered, giving me a mean, quirky smile. "You know Perrin is nothing more than a vassal for Herioes."
"Yet they give you such freedom to do as you please," I answered with a smile.
Cerco chuckled. "Indeed, they do."
Approaching the final set of doors, a loud roar echoed outside. The building shook as if the foundations were about to tear apart from the sound's vibrations alone. Cerco, Ver, and I all took a look outside the window and could have a faint glimpse of six flying figures approaching.
"Looks like the others have arrived," Cerco exclaimed, his face filled with marvel. "It's always ecstatic to see the Dragon King and his Lords and Titan riders from afar. They always seem so distant."
"But in reality, they are massive," Ver let out a sigh, his face unwavering. "They should be about ten miles out."
"Twelve miles to be exact, Commander Ver," I said, giving him a smile. "Two Titan Riders, three Dragon Lords, and the King. Overkill if you ask me."
Moving forward past the group, reaching for the door. Cerco followed behind. "Maybe they are trying to intimidate you, Ryu."
Sighing loudly, I pushed open the doors. "Most likely."
Deep in the manor, the war room where I waited with Luna, my diplomatic voice, one might call her. She was forced into it due to her crimes. She excelled in politics as the Queen of Liane. Casted out by her people, she now serves my counsel and aids Markus whenever they are together.
Her black hair was nicely tied up in a ponytail, and her face was well-kept. Very strange for a talking head. She rested on a silver plate, standing on her neck, which was cleanly cut off by my blade.
I remained standing, looking outside at the mountains that would be covering Asgard, while Cerco sat down to my left and Ver sat to his left.
The sun was blocked out by the size of the massive dragons that remained outside. All six of them. Their steps shook the foundation. The temperature around the manor rose with each exhale of the dragons, sending harsh winds across the manor's land.
The manor was quite literally on edge. Each step inside made a loud, creaking sound, as if the wood had been worn down by time, even though the wood wasn't old. The air stirred with an ominous tension that would send shivers down one's spine.
But that's only due to the Ether that's stirring up in the air around us. My magic collides with that of the Drakelene's top Dragon Riders. I could even smell their human-dragon odor.
Cerco couldn't sense them, but the magic power that we were giving off was something that any non-magic person could feel.
The doors swung open, Art walking in while being followed by Lord Kevlar, Lord Talia, and Lord Commander Barren. I can feel their gazes on me as they make their way to their seats.
Soon, two more figures entered the room. Zarel and Skylar. Neither of them wore armor. Why would they? Just by sensing their magic, I recognize them as Titan Riders.
I couldn't care less, since they are here to display power.
Lastly, Dragon King Narlis enters the room. He donned a maroon trench coat, treaded close to the ground, with a golden fleece ornamented around his collar, along with two spikes raked up and over both his shoulders. The coat itself looked like smooth scales covering head to toe, with each part of the coat, including the sleeves, which had golden cuffs as well. The lining was also ornamental, covered in gold. His pants were black like coal, gliding down with a smoothness that made my clothes look the same, as if we were having a contest. Narlis's boots also complemented his design; black and leather, they reached over his ankles and left a burning trail with each step.
Narlis's face was serious. Scary serious. At a glance, whoever he looked at fell silent. Age has taken its toll on him, leaving him with wrinkles on his forehead and around his eyes. A strong grey beard spread across his face, hanging down stiff and sturdy, yet nicely clean. His grey hair stretched down past the side of his head, shaggy-like, curling slightly back, but surprisingly maintained.
Turning to him as he entered, I stared at the floor underneath Narlis as each of his steps left a burnt footprint. "Is that really necessary." I asked with a disappointed look. I bet Narlis felt good about that.
What a punk ass prick.
The room grew hot and tense as each lord and Titan took their seats. Narlis wasn't happy, and I knew it. "Where is my daughter?" Narlis obviously didn't care about my floor.
"Markus is bringing her here," Luna answered, drawing everyone's attention, staring directly at her, puzzled and disgusted. But given that each and every lord has fought the Blight, they're not too shocked. "Now that we have everyone here, we can get this meeting started."
Narlis didn't like the sound of that. "You sent the God of War to escort my daughter?"
"Not self-claimed, God of War," Ver mentioned. "Markus was titled God of War by Liane's military. He's not really a true God."
The answer was good enough. I could understand. Markus's "given title" spread across Kalos, is allied with me. Since I am technically Narlis's enemy, having my personal ally escort his daughter would sound problematic.
But like I give a damn.
Narlis's dragon was reacting to our conversation. I keep forgetting that riders and their dragon are linked. The dragon moved close to the window, completely blocking out any light. Its scales were those of molten rock, dark, burning black with flaming yellow magma around each scale. Its burning yellow eyes, the size of the window itself, pierced in word.
Narlis turned to the dragon and gave it a command, whatever it was, I couldn't tell. But the dragon receded.
Soon, the door opened, with Markus accompanying Azrael entering. Narlis turned to her, making her tense up. She was nervous.
"Azrael, I see you are well. That's to be expected of you. Especially out here." Narlis's tone hasn't changed. Cold and stringent.
Azrael was stiff, unable to meet his gaze. "Yes, father."
Narlis gave a firm nod, then crossed his arms. "I am rather disappointed in you. You should've known better than heading here."
Soon, Gwyn and Dimmal entered the room, both invited by me. They watch as Azrael is demoralized by her father.
"I only did what I thought was the safest option, father," Azrael mumbled.
However, Narlis wasn't having it, keeping everyone's attention on him. "I dont want to hear your excuses."
If Narlis's words could cut, they sliced through Azrael, striking her to the core.
Was this necessary?
Gwyn, though, stepped up. "It was my fault, my lord," Gwyn voiced. "I thought it would've been best to travel to Hawkwood and use my connection with The Guild to bring you here and have us sneak back into Drakelene without running into trouble."
Gwyn, why would you openly tell them that?
"Azrael and her knight Sir Thomas are strong enough to deal with any minor blight forces. Azrael is my daughter and the daughter of a Titan Rider." Narlis scowled at Gwyn, shocked that someone like Gwyn would talk to him. Even more stunned, he wouldn't bow before a king.
Kevlar stared daggers at Gwyn, "how would we not know if you were actually trying to give Princess Azrael over to Asgard."
Lord Barren immediately cut Kevlar off. "I personally know Mister Hunter personally. I can assure he wouldn't do such a thing."
Talia hissed out, "Lord Commander Barren, isn't he the father of the boy that failed Kevlar's test to be a dragon rider. Maybe he wants payback on us."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
Gwyn didn't hesitate to retaliate and responded. "William is a dragon knight. He has bonded to a Dragon before manage to escape Hearthglen." Gwyn didn't stutter as he exclaimed.
Everyone took a moment to look at Gwyn. The already tense atmosphere grew more dangerous with his comment.
That was something that should have remained a secret. Dammit Gwyn. Too late now.
Zarel spoke out first. "That makes you and your son traitors."
Before Gwyn could react, Zarel was already in front of him, finger pointed at his face. Gwyn's eyes went wide, like he was seeing something beyond his comprehension.
"STAY," Ver's voice boomed, magic reverberating across the room at his command, freezing everyone in place. He was using his "hero magic", which I suspect to be an Eldril. It was strong. Even I felt its might.
That's the Hero Commander for you.
Zarel tried to move, but he could only shudder and twitch in place, along with everyone else.
"Hero Commander Ver, whats the meaning of this," Narlis demanded. "You dare get involved with my affairs."
"There's already enough bloodshed, King Narlis," Ver exclaimed. "And is the very reason why we are here. To prevent more. Hush." Ver smiled eerily, gesturing for Narlis to remain quiet.
Everyone tried to move, but struggled, except for Narlis, Skylar, Zarel, and Barren. They could move slightly, slowly, and shakingly. Like their bodies were many times heavier than they were supposed to be.
Zarel pulled his hand towards Ver. "Then I should kill you instead."
"ZAREL, FALL," Ver's voice boomed once more.
Zarel went from standing to his knees, struggling to stand up. His face was etched with frustration and discomfort.
I had had enough. I didn't invite everyone here just to ruin my home.
The very moment I snapped my fingers, the spell Ver used was lifted. A dooming silence filled the room as everyone who once struggled to move finally collapsed, except Zarel, Skylar, Narlis, and Barren.
"I didn't invite you all here just to have an execution or spill blood across my floor. We have much bigger things to deal with besides a simple thief and what if claims." I exclaimed, remaining calm. "Dragon King Narlis. You country of Dragon Rider's has now became an open threat this continent. Rider's have been reported and spotted all across this side of the world, and allied themselves with a rogue Titan Rider siding with The Blight."
Narlis, along with his lords, stared at me, slightly taken aback by my statement. I widen my eyes, staring menacingly at him. "You will explain yourselves here and now." I snapped my fingers once more, making chairs appear behind everyone, pushing them down onto said chairs, and pinning them up against the table.
"Maybe we should start something relevant," Cerco stated, out of breath and exhausted. "Lord Ryu, would you please?"
I tapped the table, casting a quick spell that materialized documentation of reports. I would prefer using magic rather than Arcane spells. Arcane takes more Ether to use than magic. Especially when Arcane spells don't follow the traditional way of how magic works.
Sighing loudly, I, along with everyone else, took up the documentation. "First things first, and it's obvious why we are here," I first spoke out.
Luna cleared her throat as Markus held up the documents and reports in front of her, repeating. "Roughly less than a few days ago, Blight activity was sighted and reported directly between Hawkwood and Hearthglen. A few weeks ago, suspiciously, Dragon Riders from Drakelene have been spotted all across the continent."
Thank goodness Luna was here; I wouldn't have been able to keep my tone in check.
"Dragon riders themselves only remain Drakelene to deal with the Blight, and yet Herioes and Perrin have encountered aggressive riders," Ver reported, slapping the papers on the table. He turns to the Titan Riders. "What's worse was that two Titan signatures were detected in Hearthglen. And the reports we received state that one of those Titan were killed and the other destroyed Hearthglen, siding with Blight." Ver's face tenses in frustration. "Few stray dragon knights and riders are one thing, but a rogue Titan Rider is a whole different level of problems."
Barren closes his eyes and sighs in frustration. Growing tense from the sudden reports getting to him. "We have been noticing sudden rogue riders occurring and fleeing the country, for reasons we don't know about."
"We do have some understanding of a motive." Dimmal spoke up. He told me about the incident of what he called Corrupted Riders. "These riders seem to be under the influence of someone claiming to be Omara, and have the power to control the Blight itself."
Everyone from Drakelene turned to Dimmal as if he had said something wrong. Barren looked even more tense than before, turning to Kevlar and giving him an interesting look. As if Kevlar knew what was happening.
"That's preposterous," Talia hissed out, exhaling smoke. "Omara would never side with the Blight."
"I agree. How do we know that what Dimmal says is true?" Skylar spoke up. "How do we know that you aren't just saying that to draw suspicion away?" Skylar squinted at Dimmal, tension building.
Luckily, I'm here; if I weren't, there would have been bad blood. Drakelene's people tend to be strict in their ways. But it makes sense in a way. Titans don't just appear or come into being. They are walking deities; entities with the power to pull their soul from the Astral World into the physical world and manifest a material body. Their existence in a physical body, rather than a ghostly one, distorts reality and gives them godlike powers. Drakelene has the easiest time making Titans via the dragon riders.
Ver turned to Dimmal. "Dimmal," Ver raised his voice, booming across the room and reverberating all around us. "Speak The Truth And Only The Truth. Are You One Of These Rogue Riders?"
Dimmal toppled over onto the table, gripping it as his body spasmed in place as if he was about to puke. His words stuttered out, "No…l am not…"
The magic that Ver used on Dimmal disappeared, allowing Dimmal to relax and breathe normally.
"And there you go," Luna said with a smile. "Continuing with the conversation, since a rogue Titan Rider appeared and sided with this so-called Omara, it is…. Uh, Markus, can you turn the page, please?"
"Sorry," Markus said.
I could only shake my head.
"Thank you," Luna responded sincerely. "As I was saying, siding with Omara. Now it is well known of Omara being a Dragon Goddess of Souls and was the one that allowed Drakelene to fight the Blight. It's possible these rogue riders are following someone using a power magic to pretend to be Omara. It would be for the best if Drakelene were to cooperate with Asgard and…."
Narlis immediately interrupted. "Like hell we will."
"Father," Azrael stammered, anxiety etched on the once bratty girl.
"Quiet," Narlis exclaimed, cutting any form of unfortunate decisiveness in Azrael. "Asgard was and is the sole responsible for the Blight's creation. And Omara was and is the only thing that has kept Drakelene alive and strong. Assuming there is indeed someone pretending to be Omara. It could be an asset of Asgard to dissuade us."
Kevlar followed up, staring directly at me, "We are better off dealing with this ourselves, then relying on others." His prattling meant little to me, though.
Cerco let out a loud cough, drawing Narlis's attention. "And whose authority do you have traveling across the land and bringing these riders in. You can't just go off and do whatever you want."
"They're our men, our problem," Narlis answered.
"That was until they entered our lands and beyond," I answered. "They have moved beyond your reach. Don't think you can just simply walk over us."
"You really think a bunch of lowlife peasants will stop us," Talia laughed. She was an extremist. Believing only those connected to the Dragon Force are true nobles and have the right to rule. "I rather sleep with a Drakonic then listen to you are."
I took note of Barren's reaction. Apparently, he didn't like what he heard about us being called peasants. I can smell his sense of disapproval. Is he against this extreme ideology?
"I second Lady Talia's," Kevlar responded. "You expect us to listen to the demands of those beneath us?"
Barren turned to Kevlar. "You do realize most of the rogue riders are your recruits?"
"Oh. Really now?" I answered, giving Kevlar a snarky smile. I wasn't expecting Barren to call out one of his fellow lords.
"I see how that has anything to do with this discussion," Kevlar defended.
I walked over to Kevlar slowly, as Ver answered. "It has everything to do with this discussion. How do we know you aren't working for this, "Omara"? How do we know if you aren't working with the rogue Titan Rider?"
I'm glad that Ver is pressuring Kevlar. I could use this as a way to show appreciation to Perrin. And maybe get in contact with the Elves. They are hiding something in their kingdom that only I could detect.
Before I can reach Kevlar, the doors open, revealing the stranger that William saved, Sanguine. No family name was told to me. He donned a dark red suit and pants that suited him decently. However, he reeked of odd magic. I was surprised to find out that he was from Perrin, which is strange, given that every time I got close to the Floating City, it smelled of Earth. Or what I was told to be. But Sanguine didn't smell of Kalos, nor of Earth, plus his mana was not of the heroes.
"Sorry, my lords," Sanguine expressed with a lavish bow. "I just heard you all were having a meeting, and thought it would be appropriate for me to join."
Cerco applauded as he stood up. "Sanguine, welcome. I assume your meeting with the nobles of Hearthglen went well?"
"Actually, no, the day I arrived in Hearthglen was the same night the Titan rider attacked," Sanguine answered.
"Then you can vouch for our current situation regarding the Blight and Rider's working together," Ver expressed.
Sanguine shook his head. "Sadly, I was unconscious most of the time. But the Blight was working with a Titan."
"Which has already been accounted for," I answered, soon standing next to Kevlar while he stayed seated. I could hear his heartbeat spiking, goosebumps climbing up his arm. "Is it true that the riders who gone rogue, trained under you?"
"I swear on my oath, I ain't allying with the Blight or this pretender," Kevlar said, his face remaining stern and serious while his breathing gets heavier.
Narlis hissed at me. "You expect one of my Lords to betray me? I can assure you they would never." His brows furrowed at me.
"I can vouch for that," Lady Talia spoke up. When our eyes met, she almost kept quiet but swallowed whatever trepidation she had. "Lord Kevlar has been under watch by us, fellow lords. If he was allying against our King, we would've noticed."
Tension continued, and my guests from Drakelene weren't happy. Sensing Luna's shaky breath, I assume she, too, could tell. I can barely hear the shaking of the plate she rested on. Letting out a sigh, I walked back over to my side. Barren eyed me down like he wanted to say something.
The doors slammed open before Barren could say anything. In marched one of my knights, General Autumn. His ginger smell always made me feel at ease, knowing he had things under control. But his steps echoed in my ears, telling me another story.
Autumn handed me documents. Reports from the border, allied kingdoms, guilds, and adventurers. Almost everyone.
"Thank you, General," I said, giving him a short bow. Turning back to the table, I gave a short cough. A hint of annoyance and anger that I tried to keep in spilled out. "For the last twenty-four hours, Blight Sightings have been reported all across Asgard and outside its borders. Magic sensors that have been placed at the far corners of the continent have detected Blight Magic rising. Many of the Guild's Adventurers have also been dealing with the threat. A total of 140 adventurers and 289 civilians were injured, dead, or infected, and the number was rising each moment. These reports also take place in Perrin, Cerco."
Tossing the documents to Cerco, he looked over them with disbelief and horror in his eyes. Ver placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulders, speaking out softly yet still looking stern. "We need to get back to Perrin and get our forces ready."
"Sound's like you all are having a bit of a Blight problem," Narlis chuckled.
"Lord Narlis," Ver said, his tone wavering not in hesitation but annoyance. "Drakelene is the only country in the world with the power to deal with the Blight."
"Not our problem," Narlis didn't even stutter. I wanted to break his face.
"You were just going on about crossing over our land without our permission and now you want us to deal with it," Cerco rebutted.
"Then how about an alliance?" Barren suggested.
All the lords looked at Barren, confused. "No," Narlis answered.
"My king," Barren egged on.
"No." Narlis answered.
"My King, we won't be able to deal with the Blight if it spreads past our borders." Barren replied. "A temporary alliance. Where we can spread ourselves out to track down any rogue rider's and deal with any major blight nests on the way. In exchange for assistant with any wounded, food and shelter. And accesss to the open market. We have plenty of dragon weapons and armors to give and there are more advance potions and magic outside of our country."
"Commander Barren, you go too far," Talia blurted out, her composure gone
"You all don't have a choice," Ver stated bluntly, much to my own surprise.
Cerco slammed a fist down and glared at Narlis. "Your country is being challenged from the inside and allying with your enemy and spreading farther than you can reach or deal with."
"The Blight grows stronger with every wave and now has a titan rider. Markus stated. "You have a choice."
"The King doesn't have to listen to a mongrel like you," Zarel uttered.
Mongrel?
Mongrel? Did he just call me a fucking Mongrel?
Before I knew it, my legs were moving towards the trapped rider. The air shifted immediately into a cold silence as I reached out to Zarel, not even bothering to notice how he looked.
"Ryu, don't you dare...." Luna shouted, but it was too late.
The back side of my hand skid across Zarel's face, ripping flesh and bone clean off. Blood slamming against the walls and table with a loud splat. Zarel went limp immediately, dead on the table.
Zarel Dragon let out a painful roar. It felt their rider's death. But before anyone could react, I snapped my fingers, pouring my magic out and onto Zarel's corpse.
To be more exact, his soul and mind haven't crossed the mortal plane yet. It would've taken a minute or two to do so. All I needed was the body to put them back. Which is what I have already.
Everyone watched as the blood, flesh, and bone moved back into place, slithering back in a grotesque way that would leave anyone sick. Sinews reattached and bone snapped back into place, letting Zarel exhale loudly as if he had lost all of his air.
I can hear the grinding of everyone's teeth, both in fear and anger. The other riders tried to get out of their seats, but struggled to do so. My binding spell wouldn't allow it.
There was a dead stillness; all eyes were on me. It was unusual until I sensed magic in the air. I could smell the metallic copper spreading across the air as it flooded my nostrils. It felt weird, like a part of me was slowly changing. Luckily, my own body's magic was responding in kind, neutralizing the intrusion.
Turning to Narlis, I marched my way towards him, ignoring the magic that was in the air. I spoke to Zarel one last time: "Call me a mongrel again, I'll paint your dragon in your blood."
Narlis grew tense, but never showed it. I could hear his heart beating loudly. "I could deal with the Blight," I uttered to him. "But the consequences of my forces and myself fighting them would be catasthropic and leave our land barren. A perfect place for the Blight. To Perfeat in."
Squatting lower, some Narlis and I were at eye level, and I uttered one last offer. "I offer you and your riders asylum in my country. Resources, food, money, and shelter for both dragon and rider. In exchange, get rid of the Blight on my doorstep. The terms can be adjusted, but these are guarantees. Do we have an agreement?" I asked my eyes widen as I stared fear into his eyes.
"And how would you accept this alliance.. My daughter's hand in marriage?" Narlis asked with a sarcastic tone.
"Father!" Azrael yelled in disbelief.
I didn't need to know what Azrael looked like; my own face told me everything I needed. I was in disbelief. I was confused. I was grossed out. Doesn't Narlis know me? I don't get married. Hell, I'm like what, a hundred times older than he is. I knew his great-grandfather before he was even changing his underwear. "Uhhhh, I don't do that here."
"Commander Barren," Narlis said hesitantly. "Stay here to discuss the terms." His voice held a disappointed tone as he lets out a sigh, both relieved and aggravated.
"Yes, my King," Barren nodded in agreement. I stepped away from Narlis and made my way back to my side. "Now we come to William."
"We know the laws, he is to be killed," Kevlar stated.
Barren hated that thought. I could tell. Gwyn also hated it; his eyes flared with anger, as if he were going to just outright kill Kelvar. Oh, I would love to see that happen.
Azrael, much to my own surprise, raised her hand. "Actually, I anointed William to be my Knight in replacement of Sir Thomas."
Narlis uttered immediately. "Absolutely not."
"Actually," Barren tried to articulate.
"No, that's final," Narlis stated, not having room to argue. "We know our laws."
I raised my finger. "Actually I do owe William and his dragon."
Narlis wasn't having it, much to my own surprise. "And I said no."
"That kid has a golden dragon, a dragon we haven't seen in the last thousand years and is bonded to a human, if you think I'm just going to let you kill them, no," I answered, moving behind Barren.
"We can't just let people break our laws and expect them to walk away free, especially commoners," Talia answered.
"He was chased by three Prophecy Breaker's, who were insistent about killing him," Markus stated. "We killing him would just do their job."
Luna spoke up, interrupting the argument. "These so-called Prophecy Breakers have been causing problems across Kalos. Killing nobles, slaying innocent children. Even letting demonic outbreaks. They could be responsible for everything as well. So far, we know they aren't working with any cults. So far we have countered a total of five Prophecy Breaker's."
"Dark Hero Anima, the Cane of Elyis. Then fallen S-Rank Adventurer Donivan the Painless," Gwyn named. "Serisa, someone who tamed a bunch of mimics."
"Along with Liora Isaacs," I added. "Thirty years old. Part of the Isaac family from the eastern continent. She has a Sigil called the Magic Eyes of Wisdom. She managed to evolve it into an Eldril." Moving a few papers to the side so Barren can see the documents regarding the Prophecy Breakers. "Gave me the run for my gold. Not without leaving her with something she will be regretting for a while."
"There's also the Kingdril user and his Kingspawn," I added.
Kelvar interrupted. "So, William can't be killed. We had our failure shall of problems with Prophecy Breakers as well."
Skylar sighed. "Then why not a servant mark."
Servant Mark? A special type of mark spell glyph that binds the individual to another, depending on the level. Servant Mark isn't as good as Slave Mark but is mainly used for servants who are bound to a master. Not a bad idea.
Gwyn was taken aback. "What?"
"I agree to that, we bind William to Princess Azrael, this will allow William to face a more direct punishment from the royal family," Luna added.
Narlis let out a loud sigh as he held his head up with his hand. "Fine..."
Magic was still in the air. Everyone became more reasonable. I should take advantage of that.
"I would like to bother him for a month though, I did promise to introduce him to someone," I asked. Turning to Azrael, I asked her directly. "If that's ok with you?"
Azrael was taken back and gave me a nod.
"Then it's settled, Luna I trust you can handle the rest for me?" I asked.
Luna let out an annoyed sigh. "Get out of here."
Standing up, I made my way to the door. "Art, you are to be assigned to Azrael as part of the deal me and her made. But before that, head to the library and start tracking someone named Aurelis," I ordered. "Luna, we do need to have a discussion later. Dimmal and Markus you both head out and take care of our guest. Ver, Cerco, and Sanguine, moment."
Barking orders was fun and all, however, looking around at the lords, they didn't bother saying anything to Dimmal, even after telling him what to do. Apparently they
I am not looking forward to telling Luna about her kingdom, Lianes, being destroyed.
There's also the magic in the air. I know what it is.
Art didn't answer; he just walked past me and made his way to the library. Ver, Cerco, and Sanguine made their way to me from behind.
"Ryu, you wanted to talk privately?" Cerco answered.
"To you companion," I responded, turning to Sanguine.
I flared my magic, filling the hallway like pouring water into a bottle. However, I redirected it to Sanguine, just as he was doing to us all in the room. Sanguine eyes went wide as he started to choke, dropping to the floor, grasping for air.
"Keep your magic out my head boy," I threatened while Sanguine pukes, being held up by Ver.
Sanguine magic was meant to sway our minds. To make us more persuasive. How many people has he done this to? How strong are the effects? Too many questions? Too many variables? I couldn't ask them all without being too hasty. I could only play it as a form of self-defense.
Ver looked frustrated.
He's concerned? How much does Sanguine mean to him? Sanguine isn't a summoned hero.
Sanguine had tears running down his eyes, snot dripping out of his nose, while saliva and vomit covered his chin and mouth. Releasing him from his torment, I finally turned to Cerco.
"As a sign of good faith, I'll pretend this never happened and won't say a word. Do it to me again, I'll start having questions."
I turned away and walked off, leaving them.
Demons, Prophecy Breaker, Blight, Heroes, Elven Kingdom, The Blood Cult, The Wolf King. An all-out war is happening. This awful game of chess is in play, and William, a child of prophecy, is now slapped in the middle of it all. I need to find Aurelis for him and fast.
