Chapter 29

Aureus

[I Challenge.] Said Father. {Because you will not bend the knee…. I must kill my own son.]

[I challenge, because I Refuse to be bent.] I said as we both circled the ring… [What we have said and done, cannot be undone. I will Never know peace as a challenger….. So, I also do this for peace of mind.] I said firmly.

If I would have just bowed…

I shook my head of that thought.

We really were the same stature… this was the Worst Case, because at this size, we wouldn’t submit. Had one of us been higher or lower, one would kneel… but like this, only death awaited one or both of us.

That I was not worried of, because no matter what, I was bound for Hell, as was he.

We both roared at the same time, pouncing at each other…. And I slashed his chest while he got my wing.

He did not hesitate to clamp down, but since we were both still moving, the spiked club of my tail bashed him in the neck. He growled letting go, choosing to jump into the air. I did with him. The fire we breathed was so hot, that even as a dragon with metallic scales and bones, the areas touched glowed red hot.

He was targeting my vital areas it seemed, but I was no idiot… I’d lived almost as long as him, and he seemed to be a bit rusty, fighting flies for so long….

We headbutted in the air, making shockwaves that could be felt, but neither of us made any real ground.

[Defiant little fucker!] He snarled as I slashed him. My claws seemed to be sharper, as his scales were softer…. The copper content in them seemed to be less than the hardened silver and gold in mine…

He grabbed my claws, and we plummeted, playing chicken. The arena wasn’t high enough for the fall to be fatal, but we spun, getting closer to the ground. At the last moment I used the spin to make him land on his back, and as he slashed my face, I bit down on his neck.

He slashed my chest, and grabbed my heart. It was the most painful thing I’d ever experienced, but as he tried to subdue me, I broke his arm by using both my free claws to stop pinning him.

[If you’re meant to be King Prove IT!] he snarled. He no longer had any hold on me, as I had him pinned by that broken arm.

The crowd screamed as if a thousand people were here. All the supernatural staff had swarmed down, the kitchens were closed as I saw the uniformed kitchen staff… Yet, without Grace here, I felt a little hollow.

[I will take care of our people.] I said firmly.

He wiggled, flailing like a fish out of water as I snapped his neck. It took all my might…. He became limp but to kill him I now had his heart… I ate it, feeling almost high from the slim victory.

He hesitated. It was how he died… How I won. All he had to do was try and get his free hand in my broken ribs….

[Saitoh’ Frahg’Naw My son… my first born from the only woman who said she loved me.] he said as his dying breath… his fire seeped out his mouth as he lay there, and there was silence…

What was he going to say after that… no one knew but him.

“All Hail the King.” Shouted Atlas, having his microphone in hand.

Though there were not many claps. After all, only about 300 people were in the crowd. My 17 clapped excitedly, though the Council who witnessed felt their time was up. The Omegas and servants were too scared to, because they had no power. They didn’t want the ire of Royal Bloods their way.

I shifted, though I was still covered in my scales where I was wounded, as well as father’s blood.

“Is there anyone who opposes me?” I questioned.

Everyone was silent.

“In the first war, I Failed Both Sides.” I said walking into the center… in death, father lost his form. I closed his eyes. He held a smile… I didn’t know what for…. But his peace gave me a bit as well. “Though now… there Are No More Sides. The All King chose to not only spare this world, but to live With it, not against… I do as well. The Side I pick is What’s Best for my people…” I said firmly.

Silver clapped, and the rest followed. I could hear them all clearly…. They were unsure of my words or convictions….

“What are your orders… King Saitoh’Frahg’Naw ….?” Asked Sainevvi, the Second Seat of Dragons. His purple eyes were submissive.

“I wish for my father’s remains to be respected, and I will do that myself.” I said picking up his body… I could still smell the magic off him… His blood on my hands and in my mouth smelled as tar… and I rode my private elevator alone.

I healed on the way up…. Terra was gone for the day, so when I walked past the empty desk, I could shed a bitter tear for him.

Why was he so Stubborn? Why did I give a Fuck that I killed him… He did nothing for me after I didn’t side with him. I was a whelp in the snow, alone and afraid until I left the wilds… thousands of years, knowing only a dead language, stuck in time…

Not even remembering my mother’s face…

But when I got to the roof, it seemed all the dragons in the area were already up here… They’d used the escape hatch below to shift and be up here. We all stood silently in the rain a bit. They were waiting on me to speak.

“I release you father, King Saiyoken the Eternal One, The Mighty One… my father. May you rest within the First Layer, and fly above the City of Hell in peace.” I said firmly.

We all rhythmically stomped our feet…. And the Symbol of the All King glowed red under us… The scales inside a circle flashed, while the equal Sun and Horned One symbols teeter-tottered, ending up with the Horned One’s symbol winning.

His soul was taken away, though I don’t think the others could see the blue haired, sapphire blue cloaked God of Death… Father said nothing as he took the hand of Asanguis…. A portal of red was made and he left with a peaceful smile…

One I still did not understand… but as he’d said.. he’d lived since the beginning… That’s a long time of fighting with no end… The Kindest Mercy given to him was death, as bitter as it made me. I was so selfish…. But bending the knee would have never given me peace.

They would likely want increasingly more shows of loyalty to the crown, which would have eventually caused this fight anyway….

Having lived as long… I must say… as traumatic as it was to be for me, lonely and isolated, I don’t think repeatedly dying was any better… If it were a contest, I think I’d still choose my fate over his….

Now I would have to do right by my words… It was my turn to protect my people.

Saiyoken looked stoic, while his brother shed the tears for him…. I would possibly keep him as Crown Prince. To be honest, he seemed to have a level head for a whelp… as now… the King’s titles belonged to me. Unless by fair combat for the crown, I could no longer die….

The wailing scream in the distance told me that his mate felt his death… That was Silver’s mother. They held her when she landed, and she cried on her son’s chest.

I set my father ablaze without shifting. His flesh became ash, while his copper hair melted into a pendant…. I thought it best to keep this…. With my grip and flames I melted it until it was purified, being only copper now. There was no magic within it.... but I would still keep it. I did not want it to get into the wrong hands just in case…

“What do you wish now sir.” Said Saiyoken.

“I think it best all of you come to the den, and rest… mourn…. He was a Piss poor father, but he was a good king. He really did care about his people, and I think that’s why he hesitated that split second…” I mumbled.

They all shifted and left me on the roof, still holding the pendant. I flew home…. I put what was left of him on the table, and I crawled into bed. My mate was still shifted, but thankfully I could fit in the center of her doughnut shape. She hummed in her sleep, not knowing that she would awake a Queen…

A title I hesitantly bestowed on her, since I didn’t Want to be king… I Wanted To Be Left Alone, but they made it clear it would not happen….