The soft light of the blood moon cast a mystical glow on the serene waters of the pond.
It painted the surroundings in hues of deep red, making the night seem even more atmospheric.
Nestled on a plush sheet beside the pond, Rowena and Asher lay, their naked bodies covered by a soft fabric.
Every contour and curve of their bodies gleamed with sweat, making them seem like statues carved from moonstone.
After spending hours and hours exploring each other's bodies and uniting with each other, Rowena was the first to surrender under his relentless assault.
They started their battle early in the morning and now it was already night while the Eye of the Seven Hells had long since returned to its slumber.
She loved every moment of it, making her feel like she could feel his soul soaring high along with hers and becoming one with him.
However, she reluctantly had to stop him since she didn't want to get exhausted beyond consciousness and wanted to spend time with him awake.
Her breath came in soft, slow intervals, exhaustion evident in her posture, yet her eyes sparkled with a blissful afterglow.
Asher, propped up on one elbow, looked down at her with an expression of deep contentment, his fingers tenderly brushing around the crimson gem of her necklace.
With a curious glint in her eye, Rowena shifted to look at him better, "Just... just how do you have such... stamina?" she questioned, a curious and astonished hint in her tone.
She was stronger than him, and yet his stamina knew no bounds. She knew that each time they orgasmed, they would be expelling a lot of vital essence from their bodies, making them feel tired.
His chuckle was low and soft as he answered, "To be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Perhaps it's something to do with my bloodline?"
Asher also wondered if this was the same reason he had an insane stamina as a human in his past life as well.
Rowena nodded thoughtfully, "So much about you is a mystery. Haven't you ever wanted to know where you came from? Like...who were your parents? To leave a child near the Infernal Volcano..." She trailed off, concern evident in her voice, "Had my father not found you, who knows what fate might've awaited you?"
Asher's usually intense gaze softened, becoming distant as he contemplated her words, "I've always been disturbed by those questions. But since the moment I awoke in this world, I've been faced with challenges and trials, as you know. And even now, those challenges persist," He sighed, gently squeezing her hand, "Once I've taken care of all that binds me, I do wish to uncover my past. For, in this vast world, there's no one quite like me. So if I am not from this world, where did I come from," At first, Asher felt it strange that he was an alien in this world, the only one of his kind to exist, while there was this creeping sensation of loneliness.
However, now, looking at Rowena, he wasn't feeling any of it, and the fact that he was an alien didn't seem to matter, for he was no longer alone.
Rowena smiled softly, cupping his face, "No matter where you come from, know that you've carved your own destiny here and made my home yours as well. It might sound selfish of me, but I am grateful that things happened in a way that we got to meet each other."
"So do I…I have to thank your father as well for bringing me to you," Asher said with a gentle smile while inwardly, he was having mixed feelings about her father now.
He still hated her father's guts and wished he could see his face upon seeing his only daughter uniting with the boy he brought home to be tortured.
However, thinking about it again, if her father hadn't brought him home, he could have died out there. The chances of an alien child surviving in a hellish world like this on his own were basically none.
He had this nagging feeling that her father knew something, especially if he betrothed her to someone who was no different than a useless vegetable at that time.
But since her father died, he felt as if he might never find out the answers to his questions.
With a mischievous twinkle in his eye, he shot Rowena a teasing smile, "So, did your parents also choose this beautiful place for their Sacred Union?"
Rowena's porcelain face tinted a shade of pink as she pinched his little finger playfully for asking such an embarrassing question.
"Ow," Asher chuckled upon seeing her face.
Rowena then responded in a slightly defensive tone, "Of course they didn't. This place... they built it for me. Mother once mentioned that I could bring the person dearest to me here."
Asher let out a gentle sigh, "I wish I could've met your mother. From all you've said, she seems like she was an incredible woman."
Rowena's eyes took on a far-off look, shimmering with a mix of nostalgia and pride, "She would've been so happy to see us together like this. I can almost picture her smile, watching over us from the Seven Hells."
The gentle breeze played with her raven-black hair as she continued, "She always treated you as one of her own, you know? Even when you were... different. An alien to our world, without a soul to call your own."
Memories from the past surfaced in Asher's eyes. He recalled tender moments, the warmth of her mother's touch, "She truly was a special person. And you," he paused, tilting Rowena's chin up with his fingers, "You have her spirit. That same strength and warmth."
Rowena smiled, pressing closer to him while Asher's expression turned into one of determination as he said in a resolute tone, "I will find out what happened to your mother, Rona, and if Rebecca was involved, she wouldn't escape what she deserves," Asher already had no plans to let Rebecca go unpunished. Still, if she really caused the death of Rowena's mother, then he would make her life a living hell.
Rowena gently placed a hand on his chest, feeling the warmth and the steady beat of his heart, "I appreciate that, Ash. Truly. But right now, I need you to focus on the threat before us. The draconians see you now as their mortal enemy, even more so than just because you belong to our kingdom."
Asher's dark yellow eyes flared, the earlier serenity replaced with an icy ferocity, "I killed Agonon not just because he aimed to end me but because he disrespected you and our kingdom. I won't let anyone who does that go unpunished."
Rowena's gaze softened, deeply touched by his fierce protectiveness, "I would've done the same, Ash. In fact, I'm relieved that you eradicated him before his power matured further. But now we face the wrath of the draconians, especially their Queen Consort Lysandra. She's famously known for cherishing Agonon more than anything, even more than her eldest. In the past, she massacred a small kingdom for kidnapping a young Agonon just to demand peace for their kingdom."
"Haa…I can't believe all this happened because the Devourer had too many offspring," Asher said with a tired sigh.
"Ash…" Rowena gave him a chiding look, making Asher shrug and ask, "What? I am not disrespecting him…I am just saying…isn't it true? Since he had lots of children, they went on to create various branches of the family tree, acquiring unique abilities and characteristics. And one such branch, exhibiting the most dominant dragon traits physically, believed they were the true heirs to the Devourer's legacy instead of his firstborn's bloodline.
"So believing they were marginalized and treated unfairly despite the fact that their bloodline wasn't purely draconic as yours, they went on to form their own kingdom, which caused a war to happen at that time, causing so many deaths and losses. Isn't that why the Devourer's Pact came to fruition to prevent anything like that from happening again? The history records call it the darkest time of Zalthor, or am I remembering my history wrong?"
Asher felt that this Devourer guy was a tad bit too horny for his own good.
He could only wonder how many wives or mistresses this man had.
Rowena let out a soft sigh as she said, "No, you are right. But there is no point in blaming my ancestor for having too many children. The present reality is that the Draconian Kingdom is far stronger than us."
Asher's brow furrowed, processing this revelation, "If the draconians are as terrifying and powerful as everyone says, then why would they honor the Devourer's Pact? Why not overrun the Bloodburn Kingdom if they harbor such anger and disdain for us? I can't believe it's merely because of our dragons, the distance, and the potential loss of resources, which they can recover over time."
Rowena paused, her eyes reflecting her thoughts, "It's a combination of factors. Other than what you mentioned, there is also the fact that the werewolf clans won't sit still and let the draconians become more powerful. They are already outraged that they were blind in the past while the draconians greedily swallowed up territories and kingdoms to add to their own power."
Asher nodded and said, "That sounds like a viable reason, but…"
"But," Rowena said with a narrowed gaze, "The Devourer's Pact isn't just a peace treaty; it's a guarantee of mutual survival. To break it would unleash catastrophic consequences for both kingdoms."
Asher's brows furrowed as he asked with a curious look, "What do you mean?"
Rowena looked at him as she said with a grim look, "The myth is that one who breaks the Devourer's Pact will be annihilated by the ancient one that ruled Zalthor before all of us and the one who bestowed its power to the Devourer…the legendary king of all dragons, Drakaris."
