The Crimson King's Visit
Azula
[I smell Coffee….] He grumbled, sitting up, and rubbed his eyes…. I understood his sleepy snarl.
We passed out around first or second hour… but I didn’t feel tired at all when I woke up. I felt… refreshed. [Damn… I want to go back to sleep….]
“We can’t go back; the curtains need to be drawn.” I complained.
[OR you could stay in bed with me.] he offered with a grin… I think since he was still waking up he hadn’t realized I was conversing in common to his draconic.
“But Drozo we’ll have company soon…”
[Wait….] “You understood that?” he said sitting up. [Elvish] “What about that?” He asked.
“No…. no elvish.” I mumbled. He pressed me to his chest, and kissed me on the top of the head.
“It doesn’t matter. My native tongue is phonetic, meaning it sounds how it means… so that’s one less language you need to learn.” He beamed. [What time is it?] He asked the guards outside. The door was pretty thick… but if they heard his casual request… everyone heard me….
[Half past noon my lord.] One called back.
“Have our guest wait in the War Room now that I’m up.” He commanded.
He got out of bed and lead me to the tub this time, however the bath we took was pretty quick and simple. We dressed ourselves. We also stripped the bed for the maids, but I don’t remember any dragon ever doing that…. Their beds were substantially larger too….
“Do you still feel lonely?” I asked, walking behind him. I put my hands on his sides…. It felt good to feel the strength he held.
He laughed. “Fuck No.” he said cheerfully. “Though… it probably isn’t a bad idea to refresh. Restreos if you’re to be at my side today.” He said waving his hand over my head.
I felt recharged again, and I hugged him. “…. That feels nice.” I hummed. He rubbed my back.
“That’s good… but I don’t think I’ll do that again. You’re too small for it.” He smiled…. “Come with me little wife… I would like you to meet my family… and the other kings.” He said as if he didn’t want to see the others.
“I would Really like that.” I beamed… I could tell by his mannerisms that they were good people... his father was the Great Reformer… he was responsible for all the good laws that benefited mankind in this dragon run world… but that came with a cost….
Like how here on our continent… there were dragons who did Not want to comply. They Lied about it… but now he lived here. I believe that may be a deterrent for the others…
“Come with me.” He said happily, taking my hand.
I walked past the guards, who bowed as we walked past them. It didn’t bother me anymore… The adjustment to being the wife of the King was fast… it had to be. I don’t think he’d be able to handle all that’s going on in the city and all that’s happening under his watch with the world otherwise.
He made his way to the war room, being passed a mug filled with I assumed was coffee…. It was something from another world, and it thrived here in the tropical climate. I don’t think I’d ever had the luxury of even knowing the smell of it until now, but the man with crimson hair was the one who passed it to him… His father looked almost like a slightly scarred version of his son.
“Father I assume you carried multiple bags… since I haven’t had the time to order any… And mother with you?” He asked. He sipped the strong smelling brew in a metal cup that said ‘don’t talk to me yet…’ it was very fitting.
“Son, you know I wouldn’t bring only a cup’s worth of it… or my Only mug from the mortal world.” He beamed. “Consider it a wedding gift.”
“Someone get me some metal.” He said rolling his eyes…. I don’t think I’d seen him do that before.
“Will these silver coins do master, I mean your highness!” Bowed a guard. It was the Same dragon who was tasked with guarding me, the taller one… he had a fresh cut on his face now that I noticed.
“Yeah. Multiplos.” He said turning the silver into a copy of the mug. He poured his brew into the new cup, and handed his father back the old one. “You’ve used this thing every morning for 25 years. And now that your antics are thwarted, this is my mate, Azula.” He said proudly.
“Nice to meet you.” I curtsied.
He bowed by leaning forward a little. “My my, so polite, unlike my brutish son.” He chuckled.
“Brother!” Shouted the Crimson Prince, Rainath. He looked like my mate, only he was shorter than the three of them by about three or four inches? The only real thing that separated them was the difference between their hair colors. The intensity in red was in order by Drozo, and his father, then the brother’s was the lightest. It was still darker than any other red dragon around, because they were of royal blood though.
Rainath’s wife…. She made me feel like I was underdressed. She looked like a Queen, and so did I assume the King’s mother… she smiled, hugging my mate, then me.
“You’re so Little!” She exclaimed, oddly enough… she was Just as short. The princess was the same height as her husband… but of us all, I was the palest and shortest of them. They were mighty dragons and high born elves… descended from legends.
I was just a former surf… but I would not let anyone know I felt this way.
Today, no for the rest of my life, no matter how long… I Need to Be a Queen… I walked as they did to sit at the head of the table… but the only two who sat in thrones were me and my husband. I needed to be the support that he doesn’t have here… in the North, he has family… down here I could bet gold that there are at least two or three people who would love to see him dead…
He sat with a stern face too. Each king got a glare and they bowed their heads… even his father.
“Now that I have all of you here, know that there is likely going to be War.” He growled. “Nox too is on his way, but he wanted to secure his husband. However, I don’t know if I can rightly wait for him. I’ve sent each of you magical light-o-grams. The Scale Snatcher, Harbon is real, and I’ve already heard of undeath roaming the outskirts of Cambell Village.”
“Your highness, Plemteth only held about 50 humans, and I dispatched of them while in the air on the way here.” Said the Crimson king.
Drozo snarled. “And you did that while holding mother?” He questioned.
“No brother… if I may speak. I had mother and her broom. Grandmother protects the north… please be calm.” Said Rainath.
“Alright… I know I added the addendum to yours, but mortals Cannot be exposed to him. Harbon is like a plague. He turns whomever he bites into mindless walking undead. Mother is half enchantress, as most of you know. She will be unaffected. My mate is not human either, just already cursed. I suspect she’ll get sick, but that’s about it…. But normal humans, ones not bound to a dragon will die.” He mumbled.
“What of our skilled labor?” Asked Hellion. “I changed my kingdom to teach them… they work with a fire in their belly… surely They will not die too?”
“What of the …unable?” Hissed the ice dragon, Ghast. “In my cold lands, we barely have room to accommodate additional non contributors….”
“They are All susceptible. This mortal figured out immortality, And resurrection… but to do so, he traded everything that he was. I don’t know where he is either… if I did, we may not even have had this meeting. He steals your life essence. It is why I want all of you to stay here.”
There were groans.
“We’re needed in our kingdoms sire.” Said Ghast. His hiss made any ‘s’ sounds longer by a little.
“I don’t want any more dead kings.” Growled Drozo. “Entrassi is Dead.”
They were silent a moment.
“I have a human that may know more.” He snapped his fingers and the human from yesterday appeared. “That’s Earnest. Sit.” He commanded. “You will be given One chance, an opportunity really, to tell what you know willingly.”
He did as he was told. “Yes your highness.” He mumbled.
Again, even without the armor on this time… the dragon kings who lived on this continent looked like they were going to eat him…
“Now mortal, I give you the opportunity to obey without force. Tell us How Entrassi was killed, and what’s their next move?” My husband interlaced his fingers.
“Well… first we had to find someone who looked feminine enough to put in a dress, and let their hair grow long. My cousin Taja fit. He let his hair grow out, and practiced speaking and behaving like a female. Herbs from the kitchen and oils from the laundry masked his scent…. Sneaking in was easy. ... so was the poison. Oil from the scorpion pine gave the dragon steel enough sharpness to cut through him swiftly. You dragons are So Proud… no one Ever thought a human could Ever take on a king.”
He was interrupted by draconic snarls. The only thing that stopped them was my mate. He raised his hand.
“Continue without side comments.” He commanded sternly.
“Once Taja killed him, we did the spell in the chambers. They rendezvoused with the village and used once Harbon was able, he used some spell to run away…I’d never seen it before… he was there and then he Wasn’t…”
“Great he can teleport.” Grumbled Drozo. “Did he look sick?”
“No sir… he looked like the Man King I’ve dreamed of since I was a boy….” He mumbled.
“So long as I live and breathe, this will not be a world where humans rule anything.” Growled Drozo.
“Is there a place where re rule and you don’t?” asked the man with an attitude.
Before anyone could say anything, I snapped at him. “If there is, they probably don’t exist… Read the Room. You’re Surrounded by not Just dragons, but the Kings.” I hissed coldly.
Drozo looked impressed.
“Like You would know what it means to be a slave.” He commented under his breath.
“You little-” I put my hand on Drozo’s. He was about to raise it, and likely kill him.
“I actually Do.” I countered. “But that doesn’t give me some prize. What metal do you wear for it?” I asked. “Where has holding onto your hate gotten you? Through his Love I am Free… and with his Mercy, you breathe to talk back.”
He stared at the table, while I felt winded… I think I might have overdone it, because my legs felt tired…. Like I Should from having sex with a dragon.
“Well said my lady.” Said the blue dragon Hellion.
“It’s simply is the truth. This monster is not a man, but one that feeds on your people. One that YOU HELPED unleashed. With a fate WORSE than being eaten…” I pointed at Ernest. He gave me a nasty glare.
“I don’t need a lec-” With my husband’s free hand… he snapped his fingers, and Ernest fell to his knees Screaming.
“Take him to the other new servants. Maybe after 24 hours of no senses surrounded by his innermost fears, he’ll find some. Maybe I should make him feel the torment too? Make time move slower for him in his mind…. I think I will.”
…My mate…. Seeing him smile at what he’d done unsettled me. However, since drakes smell fear, I kept it to myself as best as I could.
“…Son you should just kill him….” Said his father.
“And ruin my fun with my new pet?” He asked. “See… I swore off laying hands on the innocent, but here I have a mortal responsible for a world ending event. I Said I wouldn’t eat any more dragons, but speaking ill of my little Azula makes me forget those oaths.” He rested his knuckles on his cheek. “On top of that I’ve Already been to hell. I would Gladly again for my wife.”
The guards hesitated to take him away he screamed so loud.
“Clesnsos.” Said King Nox. “Drozakrahth stop toying with your mortals.” He complained.
“Oh Whatever, Mr I literally just picked a spouse for my bed, yet I’m going through all the trouble of making a demi-realm to keep him safe.” Said my mate.
Nox… he looked a little perturbed. “Oh Shut Up… I really like Rill’Lithen alright? He’s an Actual Pure Soul. You KNOW how rare that is!” He yelled. “But regardless,” He sat, “I have closed the border to my kingdom. I suggest you all do the same.”
“Yes, but he can teleport.” Said Drozo.
“Then make entry invitation only. Oh right… teleportation is Royal Blooded Elf Magic, since it is 20th tier…With an invitation only border, the spell will only take him to the edge of the last territory he walked. I haven’t taught You that Zeshava.”
“Teach me how to teleport.” Said my mate and Lady Zeshava at the same time.
“…. This is a bad idea… but I can’t have humans undead…. It spreads too fast.” He mumbled. “Since my slumber, I’ve seen glimpses of multiple worlds, but none are more unsettling than ones ruled by decay.”