[3] The Hunt

King Alec Diarnov's POV

Limited.

The minds of those around me were limited. Gouging my own eyes out would be more interesting than explaining the reason to these so-called kings. Oh, their kingdoms suffer at their stupidity.

Limited and brainless mutts.

I felt the air beside me sway as King Damian turned to face me, something he could have done even in his seat, or better... kneeling.

The disgrace of a king. Couldn't even save his own mate from the claws of his blood-crazed son, now he stood before me a shell of a man he once was. With or without his royal beast, I would pay to see him squirm beneath my fangs.

The thought made me purr slightly, the image of blood on snow, made me shiver.

I watched him chuckle as he met my gaze as if reading my mind.

He was an idiot of a man. I'd crumble his kingdom beneath me had it not been for the laws, laws I deemed to break once the magic is diminished,

                               "Why on earth am I standing here? " he asked.

I could see the amusement in the eyes of his beast. Did be believe just because he was the great Lycan king he would scare one whose blood runs ancient? He was a formidable foe, strongest amongst the lot,  but he was not the man he once was after his little mate, Queen Kivara passed and he banished his son into the lesser realm. 

Pity.

He didn't even deserve pity. Death. Yes, at my hands he would fall. After the dragons of course.

                                                    "Clearly you are wasting our time, " He spat. He couldn't even put on his crown properly, sitting on his head at a tilted angle " You can't be serious right now, "he turned to the other useless kings  at the table, "friends, clearly King Alec here has drunk a little too much and I have more important things to do than to talk about a ten thousand year prophecy which no one here has heard of."

                                       "What better things do you have to do? Spy on your cursed son?" I chuckled out in amusement.

He scoffed his eyes turning back to me, seeming to ignore my previous statement but matching my gaze with his own,  

                                      " The Dragons are dead, they are gone. Poof! Extinct. After the great battle, we smote each one of them to the ground, there aren't any left. We would have known if they were. Dragons cause great destruction, there's no way even one dragon could live in Paria or any of its lands without us knowing, the dragons are extinct." he finished, seeming to be confident in his speech.

Pathetic.

                                                   "Do I strike you as a person here to waste people's time?" I asked, my burning glare resting in his own pitch dark eyes that revealed his beast. So the dog wanted to be let out.

                                        " Do I look like I have nothing else to do that I should seek the company of a werewolf or Lycan or whatever kind of dog you are?"

His Lycan, Zerth, growled at me but he would not attack, no, far be it he does something without honor. He made me sick.

Hypocrite.

Where was that honor when instead of waiting for his so-called moon-kissed mate we went ahead to have an affair with a dark witch? He deserved all he was getting. Stupid dog.

                                "Damian, "I began casually,

Titles were for those who could actually lead. 

                                       "I wouldn't care less for the likes of you, however,  I know what I'm saying, and as the prominent ruler of the five kingdoms I suggest you listen because I do not delight in repeating myself, " I gritted out, my tone clear and stable.

I could feel his burning gaze on me, Zerth threatening to reveal himself as I used my throne. It wasn't my fault they were too weak to protect themselves from the Demons and Devils of Viagra. Instead, they needed help from those who bare no soul. Thus they pledged allegiance and I became the King of Kings. Either way, all this could be changed in a breathe that I know, that is why I shall see each kingdom crumble before that ever happens.

The table shook and I sighed, knowing fully well Fat King Rodrick of the Witches And Wizards  was about to open his cowardly mouth, 

                                   "so.." He dragged, a hint of amusement in his tone, "you mean to say that...uh.. how can I put this...?" He asked, chuckling as if it was the joke of the day, " You believe the dragons are still alive?" he mocked.

Stupid.

I adjusted my sitting position raising a careless eyebrow up at the stupid question, did I always have to repeat myself?

I trailed my eyes lazily around the table listening to the idiot speak. I had planned his kingdom would be first to fall anyway,

"Alec.. "

"King Alec " I growled at the disrespect, my rage, flaming in my bloodshot eyes.

"King Alec" he corrected, clearing his throat nervously.

Coward.

"Yes, Rodrick" came my irritated reply, waving a dismissive hand allowing him to go on.

"I understand why my fellow acquaintances have doubts. There's so much going on in our kingdoms and this news does not seem to help,"

                                           "get to the point, witch"

                                      "Do you have proof that the dragons still exist?"

I  paused for a moment actually impressed he had a question that made sense, who would have known such a phenomenon was to take place today?

 "the witch " I replied.

The fat man raised his eyebrows,

                                                 "what witch? "

                                                 "Emma"

                         "you mean old wrinkled Emma?" he asked, a hint of disgust in tone. I approved of it, I disliked the mother witch, but she was powerful even I had to admit.

                                     "I mean your great witch Emma," I responded carelessly.

The fat man chuckled at this,

                               "I should have known you got this from her."

                                        "You should have listened you fool, " I replied, leaning in.

                                                           "She lost her mind!" he gritted out leaning in as well, "rumbling on and on about some prophecy, Writing across walls and shit."

                              "She's the oldest, most powerful, and wisest witch you have Rodrick, and the keeper of Magic, " I can't believe I have to explain it to this fool..

                                             "she's also a pain in the ass," he growled back, "her and her followers and now she betrays me by going to you behind my back !"

                                          " I don't blame her, since her fool of a king didn't have the mind to listen!!" I roared.

King Rodrick bit his lip,  fear written on his features. He was a weak king. I would soon relieve him of this burden.

I turned my gaze to the one king who hadn't said a word and just watching us like a fly on the wall.  

                                         "Ariah, do you have something to say? "

King Ariah looked up, out of all of us he was by far the most handsome and breathtaking creature on earth, he and his people,  the winged men, that is after the dragons became extinct. The thought was bitter in mind. 

the winged men were weak really, but their ability to fly gave them a huge advantage and the strength and agility that came with it. Their wings were nothing less than deadly weapons, they were deadly opponents.

                                       " I believe you, " he finally said.

My eyes stayed on him at this. He definitely was the wisest among these brainless bags, the most secretive but also the most attentive. His kingdom would be last to fall.

                           "That dragons exist? " Damian asked almost choking with laughter, "If a dragon existed they would have shown themselves by now. One has so much pride and now your talking of a family? Where could a dragon possibly live in Paria and the northern lands without a soul knowing? "

                                      "Ignere, the dark forest" King Ariah replied casually.

The air was stiff at this revelation. I knew for one that was the only place capable of hosting dragons. Easy access to animals, adequate fly space courtesy of the ghost mist that haunted the trees of Ignere, and privacy as all he who ventured near die.

Dragons could most likely be the creatures that snatched unexpecting people any time anyone went close to the forest at night.

The possibility was there.

No one ever visited the dark forest.

No one. Not even I.

King Damian shook his head very slowly trying to let out a laugh to cover up his nervousness,

                                  "oh stop it already, "king Damian began. "Stop this mad thinking, Dragons? No one has said that word for thousands of years. Why now? We have too many things to do. Too many disasters to tend for, mysterious magic in the Galatia mountain. A mountain disappeared yesterday. Poof! Vanished and all you can think about is a prophecy that has never been fulfilled and probably will never-"

                              "What did you say? " my undead heart seemed to want to beat in that moment. An unnatural nervousness settling in.

I never felt nervous. I never felt anything.

                        "The mountain that vanished-" King Rodrick looked at me in surprise,

"You're supposed to watch over the four kingdoms. How can you not know when a big ass mountain disappears? It disappeared last night. The people want answers and are shocked at such a sight. I honestly thought that was the reason you summoned us. Now you're telling me you don't know? " he rolled his eyes, "clearly you have lousy informants, But even so I mean look, Your kingdom just faces it, " he said pointing to the large stone windows

I didn't have to look to know, my sense told me it was true,

                                      "the second prophecy" I muttered.

"I'm completely lost. What the hell is going on? " King Rodrick asked, watching my every move attentively. 

My gaze settled down on them, "three prophecies, two already fulfilled." 

                                    " The first, the day without sun at conception."

                    "You mean the lunar eclipse that happened a year ago?" King Ariah asked leaning back in his throne.

 

                            "Conception" King Damian uttered as if trying to put the pieces together.

I sat in my throne, turning to them,

                                                "the breaking of the barrier at birth "

                                           "The barrier? The mountain wasn't a barrier, I mean it did proceed the Devils  hole but the barrier is hardly broken," he eased

      

                                  "Legend has it that was the dragon's sacred place,  The dark hole confirms it, " I rambled, trying to put two and two together.

                                      "My mother used to tell me stories about dragons the first species to go extinct, poor fairies, fae, and pixies they all died after the dragons, " Rodrick added though his tone was far from concerned or sad.

                                        "probably because the dragons scorched their homes," Damian said rolling his eyes, "that forest was their home, when their magic went, Ignere became bitter,"

I  turned to all of them,

                       "We need a solution, or all of us are going to lose our thrones and everything else, as the last prophecy foretells, and 

"in his due age the dragon and power within him will smite the last of his enemies and with him holds the power of their permanent extinction. 

Thus the king shall rise"

I spoke as if reciting from Shakespeare. 

They all paused for second exchanging glances seeming to have a very short debate before they all nodded. King Rodrick's eyes met mine, 

                                          "let's say we believe you, What next? " King Damian asked, leaning back in his seat.

I smiled, my fangs throbbing for fresh blood, laying my palms on the table and leaning forward

                               "summon Emma for a location spell, " I replied, " Then, we shall begin the hunt."

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