Book 2: The King's Adventure

A/N” HI!!!! In case no one saw my comments, the new books, the Dragon’s Grace, Rise of the Wolf King, and Willow’s Wolf will be out November 1st or 2nd. The issue is that I have a new book out Right Now called “How it Started’ a prequel to The Wolf Prince Series… yet I know if I don’t see it available, you guys don’t either…It’s already published and everything… I sigh…. But I love you guys. Fall is still my favorite season, and I swear my most creative.

Drozakrahth

The church chimes rang Fourth Hour… the sun wasn’t even up yet, though I could scent the surprise that awaited me downstairs. I got dressed quickly, and looked in the mirror one more time….

I did not tell them that now, I looked as I did back then… it was strange to see my old face, and hear my original voice this morning when I passed the guards, telling them hello… I could only guess it was deemed I return to my true form and visage, since such a great threat walked this world until we took him out of it…

Though now three days had passed since I’d come home, and I finally felt like myself… I let my mate sleep. I think since it was Second Day, she had a test when she went to her studies today…. I hated that part growing up…

I hated my studies, so I felt for her. I almost made good on the threat of eating my tutor at least three or four times as a child, but the witches held no fear of me. Since my grandmother put them at ease, they would give me the more difficult exams. She would threaten to turn me into a frog if I did… and she could… and did.

I don’t know if she could Now, but there was no greater fear than being a wet little amphibian in a bowl of water… forced to listen to lectures I already knew. I sighed at that fond memory, getting a hug from the fearless little lady.

“My my you’ve grown.” She beamed. Grandmother… looked like she was 90…

“Hello grandmother. I suppose you didn’t bring me any sweets. I have not been very good.” I chuckled to jest… I wouldn’t mention the aging just yet.

“Oh shush… I got you a bag of lemoncrackle you little shit.” She hugged me, though she held no vibrance… mother nor father were up yet… they did not see this… but I know she didn’t look this way when I saw her 2 months ago…

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“If you recall, I was a threat to this world… and your grandfather is human…” She said looking down.

“I could make him my familiar.” I offered.

“No. I will not have you do such a thing. It’s selfish.” She growled. “I’d rather share my lifeforce with him.”

“No… if not my familiar… then at least let me make him immortal… You look… Older than your age… soon you will begin to Actually Be mortal. I will not allow this. I don’t see how father does.” I said sniffing out grandfather. He was only a few yards away at the castle’s entrance…

“Hi son.” Said my grandfather cheerfully. He looked his age, late 70 something… fuck mortals age so fast…

“Morning Martin. You age so fast… partake of my blood, so that you may live With grandmother… Julie ages with you… and likely means to die with you as well.” I said truthfully.

“What do you mean by that?” He asked, looking up at me… I think I’d grown these past few days. As it was, no one was at my eye level anymore.

“She ages with you because she sustains your health. Should you partake of my blood, I will make you immortal… at the cost of possibly losing your humanity if I use too much magic…” I mumbled the last part.

“… into What exactly?” He asked with crossed arms.

“Well… a lizard man…. But I would mold your visage to remain as you are.” I said the last part swiftly… “Walk with me. Before I attend to my throne… we have much to discuss grandfather.” I said nudging him forward gently.

“Alright.” he said shaking his head. I took him to the courtyard. All the rain had made it extremely lush and floral… there were even fireflies out of different colors on the morning dew… but this was serious.

The dawn was here, yet not the sun… not yet…

“All those you love will not age.” I said flatly. “I out right have lost the ability to die altogether along with Lord Nox…. you remember him? The high elf with star skin.” I asked and he nodded. “Juli loses her life essence for Your sake…. But this world does need her… as she is the last of her species.” I said truthfully.

As much as I loved mother, there really kind of isn’t a such thing as a half enchantress… she was just a normal witch by now with incredibly high magic ability… she’d aged out of the mortal nature of grandfather’s genes…It oftentimes also happens with half drakes if their parent was strong…. Half elves too now that I thought of it…

It is why Razvitear, father’s half high elf, half purple drake advisor can transform into a normal dragon… but his skin is purple.

That was how this world worked. Science didn’t really exist and solid rules anywhere else could be bent with magic here.

It was also why human innovation would kill this world if left unchecked…

“Is she dying for my sake then?” he asked in silence.

“Frankly yes.” I said looking him in the eyes… he was unsettled by them.

“What would happen if we just tried to wait it out?” He asked.

“She will not live beyond another half decade… I can smell it. Right now, she has the flu, an impossibility with her people… yet she endures illness and mortality for your sake, that you not feel left out…. That you not be the Only being with wrinkles in the royal court…” I said biting my wrist. My blood is black, and smells of tar, but if he could stomach it, I’d share my life with him. “I think it best you both share my blood… I’ve never done this before with anyone… but I do not wish to see my loved ones age.”

“Selfish.” Grandmother chuckled. She caught up to us, and the fireflies of many colors swirled around her… the souls of the dead welcomed her, as her spirit was calm….

“I am a dragon. What did you expect?” I asked summoning the sterling silver ‘don’t talk to me yet’ mug… and I let them sip mu blood. They looked about as old as mother now… and I made sure he didn’t grow any scales or anything.

This was different from Harbon… he Stole the essences of drakes, and used it to practice dark, undead magic…. I willingly gave, and allowed only a small amount of my power to sustain them…

“I feel better… thank you.” Said my grandmother. I flew off before they got too sentimental. I did it out of selfishness, nothing more. Death was something I didn’t want for them. It wasn’t fair that she protected this world now, yet the pain of mortality sting an immortal…

I enjoyed this time waiting for my mate to wake… plus watching the sunrise from this high up was nice… and I dived into the entertainment district without warning.

They thought I forgot… But that they did not scramble and run when I entered the brothel told me they had nothing to hide.

Straight down the hall, to the back of the place, then through another door was the back of the Black Market…. They tried to stop me from finding it, but I Already knew something like that existed.

No one stopped shouting their haggling, and the scent of goat’s grass filled my nose… I remember when I invented it. It mellows the spirit, and it was probably why no one screamed and ran. I went past the Debtor pens, and down the stairs below that was where they fought them… that was the illegal part.

They ran, and I freed the mortals. That was simple enough… I was looking for the bad drugs…. The urchins…. Those who Still made and sold things that ruined the mind, those who sold Mermaid to the desert dwellers, knowing full well they thirst to death with its use out there…

My eyes being the way they were, now I no longer needed light to see… I could see souls…. I could see them in the pitch black, with strange goggles on their faces and they wore uniforms… they saw me as well… they were lean and boney.

Little…fuzzy Beaver people… they looked like they were patching up the wall down here until they saw me, and screamed. They ran, dropping their tools, but I caught the smallest one. All of them were about 3 feet tall… this one was probably a teenager. He wasn’t Quite 3 feet, but it didn’t matter.

“Now You’re something I don’t see every day, little beaver.” I said holding the little beaverkin pup by the scruff. “Why are your people so far south?”

“I’m not a beaver! I’m a Nutria!” He squealed. That was a kind of large rodent I think… it’s all the same.

“Whatever. Where did your parents run off to?” I asked the boney beaver boy.

“I may be a rodent, but I’m not a snitch!” He said biting me.

“Be thankful you cannot mar me, our I would have squeezed you until your insides were outsides Boy. Where Are Your Parents?” I snarled like the disrespected drake I was. I didn’t hurt him, but he made noises as if I had.

“Help! He’s gonna Eat Me!” He screamed bloody murder… it was so high pitched.

“Stop Screaming!” I yelled.

He somehow screamed Louder… it seemed to summon his people. They all came with whatever they had.

“Let Ynflin Go!” They cried.

I rubbed my left temple with my free hand…. “If I don’t get answers… Why and Where are you shipping the illegal drugs or so help me I will flood these tunnels with flame and magic.” I growled.

“We don’t do that anymore… not for at least 2 decades.” He said truthfully.

“Then My city isn’t the source of the drugs above in Hellion’s city?” I asked.

“No sir… no one goes that far to trade with them in over 20 years as I said… plus… since then most of us plumb the sewers…we wouldn’t have the Time to Make and ship that kind of thing. It’s enough honest work down here as it is…” He was telling the truth in that too… many wore the same outfit, with My crest on it.

Oh how I felt like an absolute horse’s arse…

“Then why did you all run?” I demanded.

They looked at me as if I’d asked a Stupid question.

“You’re a Dragon.” Said the Chief…. I could tell he was in charge because he had on a little wooden hat. “Your people stew us.”

I had to admit… they were kind of cute, even though they were so mad at me… they were really fluffy.… Had they not been a people… I think I would have taken a pup or two… For Azula of course.

“That I did not know.” I said looking at the boy as I put him down…. They looked so boney… how could they Possibly taste good… but as my people I can’t just eat them… not without reason… damnit… they did smell good now that I thought of it… like rabbit.

“Your people are herbivores, aren’t they?” I asked…. Those who weren’t thin were Plump…. They probably taste like rabbit… so living in the tunnels was safer than being caught outside and put in a pot.

“Nutria and nutria-kin don’t eat meat.” He said firmly.

“Then is there anything I can do for your people, or are there any drug dens down here?” I asked.

“Besides the human group a level down…” he said rubbing his nose.

“Then I’m headed down to the lower levels. If you can, block any exits except the one that leads to the brothel above. The Guards there will handle any who flee my claws.” I said as they parted way for me….

I could scent it… they weren’t lying… Men and drugs were down a level below…. And Dragon Slayer Steel…

Oh now it was time for a Feast. I got to be a monster And a ‘hero’ at the same time. I whistled as I went down the steps.