The balcony of the royal Draconis palace presented a stark vista of the vast crimson skies. And on this balcony, a menacing beauty with silvery-lavender hair and dark silver wings stood with a cold gaze.
Her posture was rigid, her eyes unblinking as she surveyed her domain, or maybe she was imagining something with cold eagerness.
As she stood there, lost in her thoughts, a tall, bulky figure approached her with measured steps. Despite his stocky build, he had a youngish and chiseled face with long black hair.
The figure exuded an aura of strength and menace and had gray-scaled wings.
He stopped beside her, bowing his head briefly in a show of respect, "You asked for me, mother?" he inquired, his voice a deep rumble that resonated in the still air.
Lysandra, without shifting her gaze from the horizon, responded, "Rhygar, you have made the right preparations to avenge your little brother, right?"
Rhygar's dark red eyes, mirroring the skies above, lifted slowly. A confident glint sparkled within them as he assured her, "You can leave it to me, mother. I won't disappoint you or my brother's soul. I will make sure to satisfy your wish."
"Good. In the meantime, make sure the Dreadchamber is ready," Lysandra commanded, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Once he is defeated, I can't wait to claw out everything he cherishes inside his heart."
"It's already done, mother. I knew you would be telling me that," Rhygar replied, his lips curling into a cold smile.
But he then asked with a furrow of his brows, "But what if he chooses to not go ahead with what we planned initially? It seems Father thinks there is a real chance he wouldn't."
Lysandra waved her hand and said, "Even if that was the case, he would suffer either way. Now that you mentioned it, I would prefer if he chooses the alternative."
"Of course. There is no better way to torment a soul," Rhygar said with a sadistic glint in his eyes.
After a brief pause, Rhygar's expression softened as he gazed upon her figure, "In the meantime, you should rest, mother. You have not been sleeping ever since that day. Do you perhaps... want me to give you a relaxing—"
"That will be all, Rhygar. You may leave," Lysandra cut him off indifferently. Her dismissal was abrupt, leaving no room for further conversation.
Rhygar winced slightly at her cold response but nodded in acknowledgment, bowing his head before turning to leave the balcony.
However, just as he stepped outside, his body suddenly froze as a large shadow enveloped him, "F-Father," Rhygar mumbled with his brows raised as he briefly bowed his head and added, "I wasn't—"
"Expecting me to be here at this time?" Drakar asked as the gaze of his piercing red eyes fell on Rhygar and then added in a deep voice, "I remember telling you not to come here unnecessarily, especially when your mother is grieving. Or did you forget that?"
Rhygar's eyelids shook briefly before he shook his head and said with a deeper bow, "Mother asked me to do something for her. I hope you will understand."
"I will, but next time, you will ask for my permission unless you want your wings skinned and cut off. Do you understand me?" Drakar's voice was like a low, thunderous rumble, making Rhygar's expression stiffen as he readily nodded, clenched tight, "Forgive me! This son overstepped."
"That is what I wanted to hear. You can leave now."
Rhygar again bowed quickly before leaving with quick footsteps.
However, as he stepped out, his fists were shaking as he turned around to look back.
As the Skycrawler descended, the atmosphere in the Draconis Kingdom began to fill with a tension akin to that of a tightly drawn bowstring.
It landed smoothly in the center of a large clearing, and at the same time, the collective footsteps of boots stomping against the ground echoed.
A frightening army of draconian soldiers surrounded the ship with their weapons, ready to draw.
Hundreds of soldiers, their steel-like wings catching the crimson light of the sun, stood in formation, their presence overwhelming.
The Skycrawler's massive doors opened, and Eradicator stepped out first, her stance protective and vigilant, acting as a shield for her king, who followed closely behind.
Naida, exuding an aura of grace even under such pressure, walked just behind Asher.
They were followed by Silvan, Leonidas, Caelum, and a visibly unsettled Oberon.
The Draconians watched the bloodburners with scornful expressions, their eyes particularly fixated on the alien who was also the king of the bloodburners. The air was thick with unspoken animosity and the tension of a long-standing enmity.
Asher scanned his surroundings, noting the sheer number of guards encircling them. Each guard was at least a Soul Purger in strength! And this was merely a "welcome" party of soldiers.
He understood that this display was a calculated demonstration of power by the Draconians, meant to intimidate and assert dominance.
Oberon, unable to hide his trepidation, glanced nervously at the formidable soldiers. For a moment he thought they had surrounded to attack.
Leonidas and Caelum held their breaths, feeling the oppressive weight of the Draconian army's collective aura. They weren't used to standing before so many powerful draconians.
In contrast, Silvan and Naida appeared calm and composed, maintaining their dignity and standing their ground alongside Eradicator.
The Draconian soldiers then began to part, creating a path through their ranks.
A tall, bulky figure emerged, walking forward with a commanding presence. He had dark red armor adorning his stocky build, and his fiery red eyes looked as if they could ignite a person alive with just a stare.
He was followed by a couple of Draconians clad in heavy armor, distinctly standing out from the rest of the guards.
The tension in the air thickened as the bulky man, Prince Rhygar, fixed Asher with a cold, contemptuous smile. His voice dripped with disdain as he addressed Asher, "So they really sent a boy here to die, huh? Don't tell me the mere title of 'king' gave you enough confidence. I can also grant the title to any pig in a mud pool, and it will be more feared by the people here than you."
"HAHAHAHA!"
The Draconians surrounding them erupted into raucous laughter, relishing their prince's brutal mockery of the Bloodburn King. The sound of their scornful mirth echoed across the clearing, amplifying the tension.
Leonidas, Caelum, and Silvan frowned, their expressions a mix of anger and disdain at the blatant disrespect shown by the Draconians. But they could do nothing but swallow this insult helplessly.
Oberon, in contrast, seemed to take a perverse pleasure in the scene, a gleeful glint in his eyes at the sight of Asher being demeaned. It was the least pleasure he deserved after getting trapped by him.
Eradicator's fists were clenched tightly, her blade slightly humming with her simmering emotion, but she remained stoic and unmoving beside Asher.
Asher, however, responded with a light chuckle and a disarming smile, "I'm sorry... who are you? I don't remember any draconian whose job is to go around declaring pigs as kings. You must really have too much time on your hands," he retorted, his tone casual yet pointed.
Naida, standing just behind Asher, subtly covered her lips with her hand, her eyes betraying amusement at Asher's response.
Rhygar's smile suddenly froze while the expressions of the other Draconians, instantly darkened at Asher's bold retort.
They were taken aback by his audacity to feign ignorance of Prince Rhygar's identity, the eldest son of the queen consort! Who in this world wouldn't know him?
Saying he had too much time on his hands was just another way of calling their prince, whose job was to deal with pigs, a good for nothing.
Nobody had ever dared to blatantly insult him like this, and even they felt their skin sting upon hearing these words.
The atmosphere became charged with a new intensity, as the Draconians grappled with the bloodborne king's blatant challenge to their pride and authority.
The tension escalated as some of the Draconians, reacting to this bold retort, unsheathed their blades, their movements swift and threatening.
The metallic sound of drawn steel resonated in the air, adding a dangerous edge to the already charged atmosphere.
Unperturbed by the display of hostility, Asher glanced around at the armed Draconians, then turned his attention back to Rhygar, "I am disappointed by the hospitality of your people," he said, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of reproach, "I came here to honor the pact. Shouldn't you people have some basic courtesy of respecting it, at least for your ancestors' sake?"
Rhygar deeply furrowed his brows. But he then realized there was no point in showing a dead man his place. He thought about his mother and how she would want things to proceed perfectly, and as her only son, he should see to its success.
That was the only reason he personally showed up here. Otherwise, his mother would have sent some nobody to accompany these bloodburners.
And so, with a menacing smile, Rhygar decided to shift his approach, "Since you lack knowledge despite being a king, let me introduce myself to you first," he said and added with arrogance booming along with his voice, "I am the 1st Prince of this kingdom, Rhygar of the Dracan Bloodline and son of the Queen Consort. And sure, we are going to show you every bit of the hospitality you deserve. Why don't you follow me for now, and then we can discuss how you are going to honor the pact on behalf of your kingdom."
