DRACO

Twenty Three.

A male in black armor comes in sight as my vision brightens. He is seated on the throne, his sharp eyes arrowing through me... On the stairs lays King Ruther while golden blood flows from beneath his lifeless body.
The man on the throne places the crown on his head and roars like thunder, "bow to me or perish!"

"All hail King Eleanor!" People from nowhere chorus in defeated voices.
People I have never seen before except one... Cain.
He is in chains right beside me, his wholly face bloody and one eye missing.

"Bow to me you bloodsucking demon!"

Cain spits blood towards the throne which ends up only at the foot of the stairs.
"Never!" He snarls.
Immediately, an axe swings and Cain's head rolls to my feet. A scream from my lips pierces my own ears.

My body jerks up, sweat making the t-shirt cling on me like a second skin. That dream, it felt so...so real. Or was it a vision? Thinking it through now, a piece of the dream that I had almost missed was, myself. While I stood there watching Cain being slain, I was wearing a...wedding dress. As if I was this Eleanor's bride.

I quickly rush for the shower.

*. *. *. *.

"I'd like to have a word with the King!"

"Sorry Lady Aries, but he does not wish to be disturbed," says the guard outside the king's library.

"Listen here! I've something important to-"
The brown door behind him swings open. He gives a nod and the guard steps out of my way.

The second I'm in the room, King Ruther shuts the door.
His face betray of the worry lurking in him. The usual bright glow is fade, and I can see the bags under his eyes.

"Is everything okay?" I enquire, holding back my information, offering an ear to him.

"I'm not sure... You seem rattled, any problem?" King Ruther asks proceeding to sit behind his large shinny desk. A few books are carefully stacked to his left, so neat.

"I saw something terrible. I saw who leads the revolution, but it doesn't make sense since he is dead."

"The prince was never dead!"

My brows raise, firstly, how has he known whom I'm referring to? Secondly, the prince isn't dead?

"Sorry what now?"

He sighs deeply, as if regretting something.
"Have a seat Aries."
It has been a while since he called me by the simple version of my name. All the same, I take a seat facing him, ready for anything he's about to throw my way.

"Prince Eleanor never died as I made everyone believe."
Damn! More lies? Is anything here even real?
"Two hundred and fifteen years ago, my very own son turned against me. Ever since he was little, he had grown up hating humans, thinking that they don't deserve to live with us or even be free.

"Eleanor started a revolution back then, he burned down villages, slayed our own people whom disagreed with his opinion. I was forced to do the unthinkable to save every innocent soul...lock him away."

My mouth burns with questions, but I let him finish, I have a feeling the tale is about to get more interesting.

"That painting that was always on the wall, that was Eleanor's prison. Which, I've been informed is missing as from yesterday." A frustrated sigh charges the room with pity. It's one thing someone betraying you, but when it's your flesh and blood, it hits differently.

"How did you imprison him in a painting?"

King Ruther runs a hand down his exhausted face, debating whether to tell me or not.

"His mother...she made a deal with a warlock. He'd imprison him and in return, she would pay a price." The air saddens further. Whatever she paid must have been too high for the King to shed tears in front of someone like myself.

"What...what was the price?" I push, though giving my sympathy.

He shuts his eyes,two teardrops roll down his cheeks. "Her life... It was a sacrifice to save the all races. Had I known, I would never have agreed, but she kept that secret from me till she was on her deathbed. Now...now it's all to waste if they manage to get him out of there."

Words fail me. Apart from pain, the King looks helpless.

"We'll stop him. Good always wins in the end."

*.             *.             *.              *.  

      "You're way too fast!" I shout at Dajos who's barking up ahead. "But I love the challenge." I groan and increase my speed as we run in the woods, a good exercise to help clear my head a bit.

By the time we get to this clearing, I'm panting my lungs out. My body cannot go no more, so I beg Dajos to let me catch my breath. He gives me a single bark and walks away, probably to relieve himself.

      Wind blows from the the south.
It flattens the grass to one side before moving on.
With it, it has brought the sound of the falls somewhere down there. And God knows I can use a swim after running under the scorching summer sun fixed above there.
My white bra top is all wet, so annoying.

       "Dajos?" I shout getting up.

My eyes dart from one end of the clearing to the other, they penetrate into the woods but no sign of him.

  "Dajos?" I call starting to worry.

Just as I am about to go searching for him, a man walks into the open from the further right side of the clearing. He waves at me smiling, his long black hair dancing to the light breeze now blowing in the space between us.

I'm unable to make out his features, but the aura he's emitting is horrifying.

Immediately, something swooshes from behind me before four figures appear from my side of the clearing, all possessing the royal badge on their arms.
 
    To be graced by their sight out here only means that a threat has been detected.

But the person I had seen a minute ago is gone and Dajos is still out out there.