Chapter 33

Aureus

We’d flown to the Grandia border…. And we were already being shot at. The inconspicuous wooden cottage would not cause a single ounce of suspicion. The wooden home looked cozy and warm. It was only a square box to be honest, nothing one would expect of something so dangerous. They too mastered the art of concealment. The only issue with this, was that since it blended in so well, we had issue with actually finding the exact location initially.

Giant Spears missed my heart. They zipped past my head with a speed that told me that they had upgraded their weaponry since last I encountered any hunters. They were so powerful, that those that impacted the pine trees exploded splinters on the ground, assaulting the hunters below like shattered bullets.

“Fire!” Said whoever their leader was, in the obvious, selfish safety of the interior of the cottage.

They all shouted, being bolstered by the rallying of their leader, even though he was making no obvious effort to put himself in the situation he had them in. They were pulling out large wooden chunks out of their arms and reloaded with a fervor of dedication that I had only seen in the past when I was young.

It made me wonder did these hunters come from one of the original lines. It wouldn't necessarily be surprising since I had to dodge a handcrafted spear while I was contemplating this.

[Let’s split formation.] I roared.

I did a barrel roll to the left to dodge a spear made especially for drakes, and to be safe, I landed in the courtyard of their lair. I shifted, using my wings to flap for speed, rushing inside through the double doors. Saiyoken caught any outside, while I snapped the neck of a hunter.

It was not their leader unfortunately, he scampered through a secret door in the cozy interior cover but left the secret hatch open. It was a stereotypical large bookshelf door. When looked at, one would not suspect that it held stone stairs and radiated a coldness that sent the shiver down even my spine…

“I am Rodrick, Hands of the Light!” Shouted a human voice…. A priest.

“Begone! This is my prey! It is my right as King Aureus, the Mighty One!” I shouted, turning to feel the presence of another King…the agent of the Lord Of Light…

What's surprised me about this priest that held such a high title, was that he was not old. He looked no older than 20, sporting thick light blonde hair and vibrant green eyes. His olive skin was healthy and free of any signs of age, which made me wonder how old he really was. The look on his face was one of a veteran, despite the youthfulness of his visage.

“…You hold no sway over me and mine. I have come here to aid, not be in the way.” He said this as firm as iron but as soft as cotton wool.

“Then accompany me.” I said firmly. I could sense we were equals…. It would not be Wise to start war with the XIII Sect. They were priests designed to cull all supernaturals, though with the treaty, they only targeted law breakers now of All races…

Saiyoken was outside still, helping the priests, as the hunter humans were Rogues to their own people.

I could smell the torture below as much as I could feel it in my bones. I knew that there would be untold horrors down there. I also knew that I would have to likely confront an old demon that I had held in my heart for a long time, but for the sake of my people, I did not have room to confront this issue.

With a heavy heart, I left the few outside to Saiyoken. I walked proud, head high down the spiral stone staircase. I dragged my claws through the stone as I walked. It was carved by the look of it, and the torch lit way told me there wasn’t electricity. This likely was one of the first hunter lodges on the continent.

Among the great stench of rot and death, was also that of silver and doused fire. They have their own twisted version of the punishments the church implemented. However, with the church, they had rules and regulations. Even if they did not follow them like they should have at times, they at least had a written distinct code that they could not break. The threat of excommunication kept most in line, however, with hunters they could do as they pleased.

Because their end goal was not to destroy the darkness; their goal was revenge. Hunters are the descendants of those who have been attacked by my people, as well as other supernaturals. Their goals align more with destroying everyone but humans regardless of innocence. That is the difference between the church and hunters. That was why hunters were illegal, and not the 13th sect.

“I thought they would only send agents or guards, not someone who has to be at least a Lord.” Chuckles their leader.

He was an older man of silver fox hair, holding only one grayish blue eye. The other had a patch over it, as if it had been permanently wounded at some point from some random creature or another, yet the fire in his eyes told me that this was going to be a real fight.

He had a sword of pure silver in his left hand, and an egg in the other.

“Remove your hand off that egg. It is the property of the Dragons.” Said Rodrick sternly.

“You Side With A Monster?! You call yourself a Human after all they’ve done to us?!” Shouted their leader angrily.

“… I Know what it means to be human.” He hissed. “But how’d you like it, if one of them held a merciless babe in one hand, and a blade in the other?” He said with crossed arms.

The Hunter Scoffed, but remained silent.

“You fight dirty and low if you think that will stop me. I will do what I must, even if it means that I have to do the unthinkable." I said this firmly, hoping that he would call my bluff and lower his sword, however he gently tapped the egg once.

Because the sword was silver, the egg bruised. Its white simple exterior held a black blotch where the sword had touched it. It made me hesitate my words which made him grin. He knew I was bluffing before I even said my statement….

“I do what I must for my people. I know the moment those eggs are secured, that this lodge is as good as gone. Your people think that all we do is murder, however, we protect our own. The church is too soft, and softer still are the people who know nothing of the dangers that lurk around them at all times.”

“That is why the Church of the Light sat With supernaturals to lay strict rules.” Said Rodrick. “It is why you break the law for caging up these people, and the Rogues who attacked your family is Already in our custody.”

“Don’t come any closer.” He said still holding his blade near the egg.

Priests and rallied rogue drakes flooded the chamber, but they didn’t advance.

I had to stall. Keeping him talking prevented him from smashing and killing…... /I am in the basement, if you can secure any supernatural children, peoples, or eggs, do so. Unfortunately, I may only be able to save all but one should this go South./

I clicked this firmly, because regardless of second sight, they would not be able to hear the message. It was too far below the hearing range of regular mortals, even a hunter.

“I don't know what you're planning, but behind me is everything that you desire. Should you try anything lizard, I will make sure that there is nothing left for Anyone.” The grin on his face told me he was not lying and this was no bluff... I had to raise my hand to silence the other dragons. These were Their children….

But I only had one question for their leader.

“Why do this? Why attract the attention of not only me and my fellow Lords, but also the Church?” I demanded this was crossed arms, because there is no way in hell someone wanted to do this.

“You stall for your friend outside, but what you do not know is that this was not done out of spectacle. Your people, the ones that are in these dungeons right now, are responsible for the deaths of half of mine. 50 people. Half of which were under the age of 18. Our chapter bothered no one who did not bother us first. Our people are hunted by both the soups as well as the church. The only home we have is the home that we make, yet time and time again we are the villains while our lives are disrupted.”

He sounded like a broken man for only a brief moment, likely remembering something that was dredged up from deep within.

“You say this as if I'm supposed to hold sympathy for you.” Said Rodrick. “You say this while you torture an unborn in your hands.”

“That doesn’t matter.” He hissed.

“It Does.” I growled. “In your eyes, we are a means to an end. Animals. It does not occur to you that you're essentially harming a baby. I can hear its pained squeaks through its shell, and it will hatch prematurely because of your aggression toward it.”

The hunter mulled over my words, realizing the hypocrisy to his. That he wanted sympathy for his people while he was actively harassing mine in front of me made no sense. It took all I had to be the king I needed to be versus the Beast I wanted to become right now.

“…. For you to say it that way, you likely mean to offer me some sort of death?” He said taking three steps forward, and he looked me in the eyes without any fear in them.

“I see we go in circles… I think I have a solution.” Said Rodrick.

“Go ahead…..” I grumbled.

“I will offer you this bargain. Release everyone that you have captured, and whoever is still alive will be allowed to join the 13th sect. There will be a place for you there since you already hunt their kin. Because of this, your people will Never know peace. I Know you know that.”

He was silent. Rodrick continued. I didn’t Like his offer, but I didn’t want the children to be harmed.

“The trade off, however will be that you will have to abide by laws. If you truly value the sovereignty of your Lodge, you will at least consider this.”

He again stood there silently contemplating the offer. To merge with the Church of the Sun would end their bloodlines, and the lodge. The males would become priests in the females nuns. The church technically does not allow them to have wives and children, however their orphanages always seemed fairly full.

Though, it would also give them more freedom to hunt actually guilty supernaturals. Those who were marked as dangerous, or turned over to the church by the police, had to have done something to initiate the aggression. Gone were the days of blindly hunting. That was also the true issue of headhunters. They still try to hold on to ways that no longer held merit.

“For the sake of who was left, I think it's best that we joined XIII…. It's not something that they will want at first, but for you to be so calm and casual, I feel as though it would be a mistake to try and fight the church….. I don't know why you both set off my gut feelings either, but I’m going to trust it like I always have.” He said almost angrily.

“I'm glad you did, because as the new king of the Dragons, I honestly was coming here to kill everyone. I was going to burn this place to the ground with you and everyone else in it well the supernatural children escaped now however, now only the building will be destroyed.”

“We only took the eggs because we knew they were worth something. We were at first just going to get revenge… but here, take the damn thing.” He complained.