Chapter 56: The Dark Sages

"What did you say?"

The palace shook at the force of his demand. Everyone present kept their face to the ground, unable to face the raging king.

"Your majesty, the slaves you wanted. They were taken away by some unknown people. We do not know how it happened but all the men who helped us... They are dead..."

"Shut up!!"

Daemon dropped the throne beside his in anger. His blood boiled furiously as he stared down at the man who had delivered the news to him.

"Seize him!" He commanded, to the shock of the unexpecting man.

His orders were adhered to at once, and before the man could say another word, he had been seized by the soldiers around.

"My alpha! I did not know anything about it!" He begged for his life. But everyone knew that he would most likely die at this point.

"You dare walk into my palace and tell me something like this?! You deserve to lose your head!!!" He yelled, sending a wave of fear across the room. Everyone present was in trembles, including his ministers who no longer had any say in the affairs of the kingdom.

"My alpha!! Please!! Forgive me!!"

The man pleaded as he was dragged out of Daemon's presence. But his pleas made no meaning to his ears. He did not even act as though he heard a word from him. His anger and his frustration was up and beyond the world.

"Your majesty," another voice said, to announce the presence of some royal guests. "The great sages of the dark are here to see you."

The sages had come for the ritual. The human sacrifices were supposed to be around by now. But they were not. This was all thanks to whatever had happened on the way and to whomever had dared to hijack king Damon's own goods.

"Let them in..." He muttered in frustration. Even though there was nothing he could offer them.

"Your majesty." The five sages began, speaking in turns one afte the other. Their leader stood at the front of the remaining four, just like they had done the day they first arrived. But this time, they did not have a friendly gesture in their approach.

"We have waited for the number of days you gave to us. But you have not called us. What might the issue be?"

"There is no issue." He lied. "I will call on you when I am ready."

"If there is no issue, why is it that I can not smell any human meat anywhere in this palace." One of them noted, sniffing his nose around the entire room.

"But there is an issue." One of them said. "The king has just decided to tell us lies."

"How dare you?!" Daemon got angry listening to their disrespectful statements.

"We might be dark sages, alpha Daemon, but we do have our ears all around the world too." Their leader said, backing up the words of the others. "If you do not have the humans you need for the great ritual, then we can not wait in your kingdom any longer. There are other places we need to go. Other people who need our services. You cannot keep us waiting."

Daemon was annoyed at this point. How dare they question him? How could they speak to him like that? Questioning his ability?

But no matter how angry he was, he could not show it against them yet. They were the ones who would help him harness the power of the five claws. If he would ever take revenge on them, it would be after he had acquired his full strength.

"Give me a few more days, the humans will be here."

The sages turned around and discussed among themselves. When it seemed like they had come to a conclusion, they faced the king again.

"A few days it is then. We give you five days, one for each member of the dark sages. If after five days and you do not have the humans, then we shall continue on our journey. And if you try to stop us, alpha Daemon, it shall be your head on the line."

With that, they turned back towards the door, leaving Daemon to fume and curse within himself. He was ready to unleash his rage on them, but that would be foolish. He had to be patient. He had to wait for the right time.

"Your majesty!" Another announcement was made just as soon as the dark sages disappeared from his sight.

"The leader of the fox wolves is here to see you!"

"Let him in!" Daemon ushered. If he needed the service of anyone the most at this moment, it was no one but Frey, his most vicious and most loyal general.

"Your majesty." Frey went on his knee, bowing before Daemon.

"I am certain you have heard about what happened."

"It came as a shock to me too."

"I need your help now, Frey. I need you to retrieve those slaves no matter the situation. I need them back at this palace. Anyone who stands in your way, remove them!"

"Definitely, my king. I shall do whatever you want. But there is something I must say!"

"Is it about the attack!"

"Yes my alpha. I think I know who did it."

"Who dares to do this such of a thing?! Give me a name!!"

"Whoever has done this had help from within the palace. No one else knew about the slaves apart from the ones who live in this palace, the one I told you about..."

"The slave boy?"

"Not just him anymore." Frey raised his gaze and stared directly at Daemon. "Your daughter, princess Shereena!"

A loud wave of gasps swept through the room, and everyone stared at one another in shock. Daemon could not believe his ears, and he was ready to question Frey's suspicions the door opened from behind.

"Liar!!" Shereena came out from behind the thrones. She had been there all along, listening to their conversations. "How dare you tell lies to the face of his majesty!! How could a princess plot against her own father?!! How dare you try to cause chaos between a father and his daughter?!"

Her voice was contained in pain and it could be heard by everyone present.

"If you do not believe me, your majesty, you can check the claws presented to you by the both of them. They are all fake! Only one of those claws is truly a claw of power!! They had done this to deceive you!!!"

Daemon stared in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"Do not believe him, father! He is a liar and a fraud!!"

But Daemon had heard enough. He did not know whom to trust anymore. On one side was his most trusted soldier, Frey of the foxes, telling him the root of all his troubles was none but his own blood.

On the other side was his daughter, ridden of all evidence, telling him that his most straightforward fighter was a liar and a fraud who was not worthy of his trust.

"Bring me the claws of power!!" He commanded the servants behind him. He had made up his mind. If Frey was telling the truth, if he was lying, he would know the answer to that as soon as he tested the claws provided to him.

"Bring the claws to me! I have to see their powers for myself!!!"