The Fated Curse

Chapter 2

I hardly slept last night. In the last year of their life, the firstborn is plagued with nightmares about their impending death. My father had told me his elder brother Joseph suffered them before his end too. It wasn't enough that we were forever alone and destined to die. We had to suffer too.

I wish I could have despised the witch Elisa, whom my great-great-grandfather had scorned. But, I understood her agony. That was what she wanted, for her hurt to be shared. Forcing it on innocents, not so much, but wanting to be understood, that is what I get. I had no one around who was experiencing what I had to endure. It was, admittedly, lonely.

I needed to get the negative thoughts out of my head, so I decided to go for a run. My wolf, Kore, was itching to be let out. She was my rock. From the day I got her I was sad that she was stuck with a cursed wolf like me, but she has been my biggest supporter. She told me that not once has she regretted being my wolf. She was mostly white with the tips of her ears and paws being black. She had emerald green eyes just like me. While her fur was white, I had jet black hair. She was my perfect foil. My family were all natural blondes, the cursed children always had black hair though. Symbolic of the dark magic that infected our bloodline.

We ran through the forest for a good hour before joining everyone for breakfast. Emily didn't join us. I am sure she had a lot on her mind. I still wonder how my mother was able to endure knowing her first child was destined to die. She was a strong woman and I loved her dearly.

"How long will you be staying dear?" my mother asked.

"Until I get my next call, it could be weeks or in a few minutes."

She frowned at my response. "Couldn't you just stay this time? It is almost..." she couldn't say it.

"I know you want me to, but it will only be more painful for all of us if I sit here for the next few months waiting. A part of me wants to leave and not return. You will know what has happened without having to witness it. But I know that is selfish of me. I will make sure I am back a few days before my birthday, I promise."

My mother nodded but couldn't say anything. I knew it was breaking her inside, but I couldn't stand to watch her in pain every day as she looked at me knowing I was about to die.

Then, as if fate agreed with me, my phone rang. It was the foundation.

"Hello?"

"Hey Val! I know you just got home, but we have received a request from Dragon King Edgar. Demon armies have been forming along his borders and war is coming. He needs medics."

"I will be there." I ended the call.

My mother's face fell. I hated seeing her hurt. Father rubbed her back in comfort.

"I have to go, but I will be back. Right before, I promise."

I left in a hurry. I was never good at saying goodbye, as my whole life was a giant goodbye. As much as war sucks, it will be a great distraction for my last few months.

Gideon

War was at our doorsteps. Father had been calling in allies and sent a request to the SARF to assist with medics. We didn't have enough doctors to heal the wounded we knew we were going to have. Typically, dragons don't have difficulty facing enemies. We can attack not just on the ground but in the sky. Our scales are also incredibly hard to penetrate. But the demons also have wings and their claws carry a lethal poison for dragons. They are our natural enemy. One on one, we can beat them, but demons reproduce like fruit flies, there are hundreds of thousands of them, while dragons number at a couple of hundreds. When they swarm us, that is when we are in trouble.

Generally, we are a peaceful species. We seek knowledge rather than land and power. But we are also not to be trifled with. We often act as peacekeepers, rarely getting involved in wars unless we act as a neutral party for negotiations. That is why the demons don't like us. They try to sow destruction while we push for peace. They must have been preparing for this attack for a long time. Their goal is to wipe us out, so they can reap havoc across the globe.

Small groups have been attacking our eastern border off and on for the past 3 days. They are likely testing our defenses.

There was a knock on my office door. "Come in."

My father's right hand, Charles, entered the room. "My prince, the king has called for you. The SARF just arrived, and we need to strategize where they will be needed most."

"I am impressed with how quickly they reached here."

"They are an impressive group."

I followed Charles to the throne room where they were meeting with my father. In the room, it was about what I expected. The foundation mostly consisted of retired shifters or people who had lost their fated mates and needed a new purpose in their life. They all dedicated themselves to the healing of others. I was surprised to see a younger woman, maybe in her mid-twenties. It was uncommon for someone so young to be part of the foundation.

"Ah Gideon," my father gestured for me when he saw me enter. "This is Gertrude, the current head of the Supernatural Aid and Releif Foundation." He pointed to an older woman with grayed hair and kind eyes.

"Your highness, Prince Gideon. It is an honor to meet you."

"The honor is mine for you coming to our aid."

"Thank you for your kind words. Wherever you need us, we are here to help." the group with her all nodded in agreement.

"We are expecting mass injuries. We will need several aid stations just off the front lines, close enough that we can get to quickly but not so close that you will be caught in the cross fire."

"Yes, from the map King Edgar was just showing us, we will need 4 stations along the front for immediate attention, then a larger encampment further from the battlefield for the injured to be moved to once the emergency first aid has been administered." Gertrude said.

"That sounds good. We will need a system and a coordinator for the injured to prioritize injuries."

"I agree, your highness, and I have just the person. Let me introduce you to Val." The younger woman I had noticed earlier stepped forward next to Gertrude.

She gave a short bow. "It is a pleasure to meet you, your majesty. Anything you need, I am at your service." When she raised her head, I fell into her eyes. They were emerald green, and it felt like I was staring into a forest. She had curly, long jet black hair and hips for days. She was beautiful. I hadn't had a good look at her before when she was mixed into the crowd.

At your service, she said. I can think of some ways she could serve us. My dragon, Hades, said in my head.

I rolled my eyes at him. Now was not the time. But maybe later...

"This is Valencia Kavanaugh," Gertrude said. "She is brilliant and our head of triage. She has several effective systems for mass casualty situations. She's been with us since she was 18, and we are lucky to have her."

"Miss Kavanaugh and I will meet in my office to discuss the triage system then. The rest of your crew can begin setting up the aid tents."

Alone with Miss Kavanaugh, Hades purred. And if dragons could wiggle their eyebrows, I am sure he would be doing so.