Chapter Two: The Dragonslayer

CHAPTER TWO: The Dragon Slayer

Three days later...

Archer is up for another hunting game. He traveled on the western part of Gaedrillon to the dangerous woods of Grilux. He certainly doesn't wish to pass through the heart of Grilux, the castle but destiny had brought him there. After days of traveling, he finally reached the center capital of Grilux which he once visited, and accidentally made a vow he never wanted to take responsibility. Curiosity ate him when he came across the main road only to find burned houses, dead people and knights from Waecomor disposing dead bodies. He knows what kind of hell Grilux had been through hence, he has to rush to the castle and find his mate, the Princess of Grilux.

"Hey, you there! Come here!" he signed the guard to come closer to him. The guard was terrified when he recognized the man calling him.

"The dragonslayer!" he spilled with fear.

Archer, being fed up with his sobriquet, scoffed and groaned. "Do come closer or my sword will end up in your heart," he threatened the guard into submitting to his demand.

"What in hell happened here?" he asked.

"King Felix of Waecomor now rules the Kingdom of Grilux after he killed King Aldeon." Archer lost his temper and rushed to the guard as he put his hand around his neck and raised him inches from the ground. The other guards were alarmed and pointed their swords at Archer but they made no further action.

"Dare to move an inch and I'll send you to meet your creator, you pests!" he furiously growled. Breaking the guard's neck and tossing his body on the bloody ground, he rides in his horse and made way to the castle with eyes burning in anger.

"Dragonslayer! What made you come to my new kingdom? Be my guest and tell me what you want, do you want women? Money? Or my young daughter, Beatrice?" King Felix welcomed Archer with his arms spread wide open. The vile expression on Felix's face stirred Archer's anger even more.

"Where is the Princess of Grilux?" Archer asked, putting an emphasis on every word he uttered. Archer, being short-tempered doesn't wish to play charade with the vicious king. He just wants to know where the princess is.

"Why don't you ask my daughter, Beatrice? Beatrice, come and join us in here!" Felix called his daughter who, at the moment, is busy with replacing the portrait of the late king and queen of Grilux.

“For fuck's sake, Felix! I won't buy what shits your selling, tell me where the princess is," Archer asked with a hint of wrath.

King Felix ignored the raging Archer and called his daughter once again. ”What did I tell you, Beatrice? Do come here this instant! My friend, Archer here badly needs to know something from you.“

"I'm yet to replace Vivienne's portrait with mine. Her face infuriates me! If only those useless knights slit her throat then I would be at peace by now!" Princess Beatrice screeched with her brows formed into a thin line.

"Good lord! I shall leave both of you to talk, I'll be right back after I consult my advisor," Felix announced as he exited the room but the nasty smirk on his lips didn't escape from Archer's eyes.

"Bastard!" Archer thought.

"So, you're the dragon slayer everyone is talking about. Hmm... You got a perfect charm enough to be my husband and the future King of Grilux," Beatrice declared as she was running the tip of her fingers on Hugo's broad chest. “Do you find me attractive? I can open my legs wide open just for you," she added before flaunting her exposed legs.

Disgusted by the princess' touch, Archer caught her hand and pushed it aside. "You got the audacity to touch me, you nincompoop. Apologies for hurting your feelings when I called you stupid, I really thought you already knew. And here's what you should know, never will I marry someone like you, put that in your bird-sized brain you have!" Archer raged before making his way to Vivienne's portrait hanging ten feet away from him.

Beatrice, angered by Archer's statement followed him in rage and displeasure. "I hate her hair!" the vicious princess commented with disgust while looking at Vivienne's portrait.

"Show me the angle where you look lesser of an ogre-looking bitch and I might start thinking you're a human. Stay out of my sight before I could forget you're a young shit, you ambitious little bitch!" Archer reckoned after scanning the princess from head to toe.

"You dare to talk ill of me, dragon slayer! I shall tell my father about this and he will make your life a living hell! I won't let this pass!" Archer, unfazed by the princess' threat started to laugh his ass out. "Do you know how many beasts and monsters I killed? Your dear old father won't get the chance to touch my shit before I slay him, stupid! Now, let's stop this nonsense charade and tell me where's Princess Aurelie," Archer reversed the threat and cornered Beatrice on the wall with a dagger ready to slit her throat.

"Shout and I shall send you to hell. I don't hold back when I'm about to kill but lucky for you, I don't have any speck of desire to slit your throat. You see, the blade of my sword isn't designed for little bitches like you. This is me at my merciful state so, speak and don't let me ran out of patience. Perhaps you should try to find your patience before I lose mine." Archer mastered the art of inflicting fear on anyone and this is just a simple threat from the dragon slayer but the princess is trembling in despair, making her look pitiful.

"The k-knights t-told me s-she ran t-towards the northwest w-woods t-three days a-ago a-and they c-can't find her up u-until n-now," the threatened princess stammered.

"Withdraw your order and tell your knights to go home or I'll butcher every single one of them when they interfere with my business. Tell your bastard father that Grilux looks shitty for rulers like him and you don't fit to be the princess. Just wait and I'll forcefully take your ass off from the throne." Archer then left the castle to search for the runaway princess before anyone could find out she's been mated to him since she was still a grain-looking fetus inside her mother's womb.

"Damn it! Now I'm left with no choice but to find that damsel in distress and keep her by my side," he scoffed as he made his way to the northwest woods. "Let's find the princess before she could even cross the border and turn into an exquisite dinner for the lions and wolves. You know what's in the deserted border, Panther."

*

"Are you hungry, Marcellus?" Vivienne asked the horse when they stumbled upon a creek. They've been traveling for three days without having proper sleep and enough food to eat. This is the very first time Vivienne could ever experience how does it feel to starve. All her life, she had been sheltered and provided all the things she could ever need. Now, all the things she once possessed are gone, she's on the run and the Waecomor knights are surely searching for her. "Do you want to drink? Let's rest here for a while, I think we're safe for now," she added.

Pulling Marcellus' lead to the creek, Vivienne is moving with caution to avoid stepping on the hem of her dress and falling into the water. "There you go, please drink and recover. I'm sorry for dragging you out with the mess I've been through but you're the only one I have right now. You're the last gift I got from my father and I promise to take good care of you, Marcellus," she swore right in front of her father's horse.

Marcellus neighed and brushed his head on Vivienne's shoulder. "Thank you, Marcellus. Father would be so proud of you," Vivienne uttered as she remembered her late father who fought for the kingdom until his last breath. "You're a fighter like him," she added.

Vivienne had no idea where she is nor where to start finding Archer. She's nothing but an eighteen-year-old runaway princess, traveling alone in the woods, and has no concrete clue about the man she was tasked to search. Three days in the woods is enough for her to feel the absolute paranoia whenever she would hear spooky sounds most especially the eerie caw of the crows.

"Do you think we already crossed the border between Grilux and Geopiterra?" Vivienne asked Marcellus but he made a protesting sound as if he's warning the princess not to there. "Why? What's wrong, Marcellus? Are you not feeling well? Let's get you under the tree to rest," the clueless princess muttered, misinterpreting Marcellus whining.

"You know it's quite comfortable here, we can take a nap and continue our journey later. I really really need a very comfortable sleep..." Vivienne quickly fell into a deep slumber just after a minute of lying on the grass. Marcellus had to stay awake and ensure the princess' safety as she rests to recover her strength.

The moment Vivienne opened her eyes, the moon is up in the heavens, it's a lucent orb in the cloudless autumn sky. She's so amused and elated in staring at the myriad stars painted brightly in the night sky. "This is the first time that I would find bizarre tranquility between the woods and the sky. There are no eerie sounds, just the serene sound of the flowing water. The thick mist is long gone and replaced by a clear sky where I could freely see the stars. Everything is in harmony, this is the kind of peace I've been looking for," she marveled with her hand reaching the stars.

The serenity of the place was soon replaced by the sound of running horses and screaming soldiers. "There she is! I spotted the princess of Grilux! Seize her before she could even get away!" one of the soldiers roared and the others moved closer to her.

"Let's get out of here, Marcellus! They're coming to get me!" she cried. Vivienne had no more option other than crossing the creek and getting on the other side. She and Marcellus hustled on the opposite side of the creek and when they got there, the Waecomor soldiers didn't follow them.

"Fall back! She crossed the border and won't get to live any longer!" their commander announced and the soldiers did step back before leaving the place.

"Come on, Marcellus. Let's get moving before they would change their mind and seize us again," she suggested but Marcellus couldn't take a step forward to the woods.

"We can pass through the woods, trust me," she whispered.

After minutes of persuading Marcellus, they finally entered the Geopiterra woods. The thick mist and the uncanny sound of the wind, slapping the trees welcomed them. Vivienne looked in the sky, hoping to see the moon but the tall trees are preventing it from casting its light. Not even a faint moonlight can be seen in the forest, everything is pitch black and misty.

"It's cold in here. Are you still fine, Marcellus?" Vivienne asked while rubbing her palms together to produce heat.

"Stop walking, Marcellus. I think I saw something in the woods," she whispered. Vivienne had been silently observing the surrounding since they entered the woods.

"Something is really out there, watching us," she added while taking a good look at the gigantic shadow not far from them. Her eyeballs almost popped out from her eyes when she realized what it was.

"It's a lion! Run as fast as you can, Marcellus!"

The lion roared and started chasing them at high speed. "Faster, Marcellus! It's so close to us!" she shouted. The lion got so close to them and took its first attempt to bite Marcellus' leg but he dodged it as he increased his speed.

Angered by the failed attempt, the lion once again roared and kept on chasing both Vivienne and Marcellus.

"Stop! It's a cliff!" Vivienne's heart nearly ripped out from her ribcage when they were about to fall on the cliff. Marcellus managed to stop but the ferocious lion is on their back, taking few steps closer to them.

"What should we do, Marcellus?! I can't fight without any swords, we don't stand a chance against it! " she shrieked.

Just when the lion is about to attack again, Marcellus jumped off the cliff as high as he could.

"AHHHHHH!!!" Vivienne screamed in terror when she lost her balance and fell from Marcellus' back.

The fear of dying too soon dominated every single part of her most especially when she saw the lion jumped off the cliff to devour her. Vivienne closed her eyes tightly because she doesn't want to see her cruel death, she wants to die with her eyes closed.

"Damn it, I thought it was raining mammals," a baritone voice sarcastically mused.

That was Vivienne's cue, she opened her eyes and found herself in the arms of a white-haired man wearing a pitch-black hunting suit. Her back didn't hit the dirty ground but her crown did and the lion is lying on the ground with a silver sword stuck in its chest.

”Be sure to have a pair of wings before flying in the air," Archer mumbled after witnessing the young princess' stunt. Scanning the man's appearance, Vivienne noticed something about his hair and clothing.

"White hair and pitch-black hunting suit. You are--"

"Yes. I am Archer Grigoras, you ginger-haired runaway kid! Now, get your ass down before I'll throw you on the ground. You don't wanna get your pretty little dress dirty, aren't ya, princess?" Archer cut her off by introducing himself in the most offensive manner before pushing the princess to the ground.