The Kingdom To Kill For

Chapter 3 - Hidden Secret

“Prince Ryujin?”

Persis was stopped from flying, keeping back her wings away, and Ryujin said, “Don’t, you can’t fight with that kind of dragon,” to which Persis surprised he spread his wings, but this was made of white ice. She could feel the coldness and tiny snowflakes swift through her.

“Call for help, tell them, it’s a blue longhorn,” his voice was more authoritative then he flew away towards the skies.

“Blue Longhorn?” the senior officer wondered, “how did you know this is the blue longhorn?” he asked Persis, when they met her at the grand hallway.

“I don’t know, but Prince Ryujin said so,”answered Persis, shrugging. She felt a little regret of not studying so much about dragons before ‘because she has a dislike of learning about them. Now, she felt like she can’t help at all without even knowing what kind of dragon is capable of.

“Impossible,” he muttered, “guards,” he called, and came forward ten guards in his same guard suit. “Come with me and capture the dragon, and I want it alive.” he ordered.

Their set of armor has a circled helm of the winged dragon - this made of silver - with a face guard. Attached to its side are two small horns which curved downwards. The shoulders are rounded, tall and average size. They are decorated with a single dragon's tail running across each shoulder. The upper arms are protected by rounded, layered metal rebraces which sit quite well under the shoulderplates. Persis seems to notice they have daggers attached on the outer sides at their lower arms that are covered by vambraces. The breastplates are made from many horizontal layers of leather with round edges and decorational pieces. It covers everything from the neck down at the groin.

“Yes, captain,” they said in chorus, and they marched out from the hallway. Their legs are protected by leather greaves which have a small shield on the outer sides, containing a sigil she can’t see.

Persis can’t see the captain’s face under his face guard, and managed to gather her courage to take a grab on the captain’s long red cape before marching away from her sight, and said, “Please, sir, let me come with you, my friend was captured by the dragon,” Persis pleaded, “I can’t let my friend die in vain and by the dragon,”

The captain turned, glancing at his cape where Persis is holding it, then glanced back at her with his deep green eyes. Persis quickly moved away her hand from the hold. 

“No, you’re still young to go for a dragon, princess,” he said, “you must tell the others to return to their chambers at once,” he turned his back on her as his cape swayed in harmonic motion and he walked away.

Persis stares blankly at the captain’s back, following his figure until he turned to the other side of the hallway and disappeared. How did he know she’s a princess?

As the evening dwindled the tension in Persis grew. Sekhmet should have been okay and be back by now, since the prince of Niflheim had come to rescue. But what if the prince had also been hurt by the dragon? Will the captain of the guards be able to make it in time? Could they fly?

“Persis!” Jethro called in a worried voice, came forward along with Morpheus, “What happened?”he asked.

Quickly, without even looking up, Persis didn’t stop herself and throw herself to hug, and said, “I didn’t make it to save her,” she sniffed, “its presence is so frightening,”

A huge arms wrapped around her, “she will be okay,” patted her shoulder. His voice was different and his body is more slender but hard underneath its uniform. She moved and stepped back and realized it was Morpheus she was hugging. Her skin tingled where he wrapped his arms around her and her heart beat erratically in her chest so hard that she thought it might fly out. There were butterflies - no, griffins - in her chest, but it felt good.

Persis felt her mouth go dry, “I’m sorry,” then this time she turns away and hugs Jethro. Her cheeks are burning in red and she wanted to bury her face in her cousin’s shoulder. This is too embarrassing. 

“Who is this person you are talking about?” asked Jethro. He was serious this time.

“It’s Sekhmet,” Persis still buried her face out of shame, “she’s with me in the library, and found this egg. First, we didn’t know that it was a dragon, and...and…” her voice trailed off.

Jethro held her up, pressing his fingers into her uniform and skin of her forearms, and said, “what are you talking about? What egg? A dragon again?” he asked,his dark hazel eyes dancing frantically in panic.

“We found this egg hidden in the old library, we don’t think it was a dragon. It came out as a small one, and it grew bigger in just minutes. It took Sekhmet when this creature escaped. Ryujin came and went after them. He told me that it is a blue longhorn,” she explained. She knows she’s anxious, feeling the wind more keenly in her eyes; it’s that tearless stage when the eyes take on a sheen of water and the tension builds behind them. She needs to shake this off. Now isn’t the time to get panic or to cry.

“Someone has stolen that longhorn,” Morpheus muttered under his slender red lips.

“What is this longhorn all about? Why does it sound so important?” Persis asked.

Both men were quiet.

“Have you met the headmaster?” Morpheus asked. Convincing himself not to say much about the creature.

“No,but the captain, he said, all of the students should go back to their chambers.”

Immediately, Morpheus was more obedient to deliver the message at once, and leave them in the hallway.

“Let’s go back, Persis,” said Jethro, wrapping his one arm to her back, “don’t worry, the captain and the others will rescue your friend,”

“Ryujin went to save her,”

“That was strange, that the prince of Niflheim came to rescue your friend,”

“Why is it strange?”

“How did he know first before anyone came to aid you? Is he with you all along?”

“What? No--” and she wondered how the snow prince knew about and came to them at once?

Feeling the gush of wind, slowly she opened her eyes. She gives herself a moment to shed the nap from her brain, to allow the visions of the day to give way to the night. Feeling the wind blowing her hair into a tousled mane, shoving it away under her hair, but failed to tie it up. She tried to adjust her vision. From so high up every home was like an autumn leaf lying gently on the Earth. Around them was the green of the trees and the roads shining silvery stems on a frosted morning. The clouds move in a breeze she couldn’t feel through her suits. She lifted her eyes, the mountains lay in the distance like a camel humps under the moonlit night.

Sekhmet looked above her. Her heart twisted and sunk with nerves as she realized she was held captive; hung out of the dragon’s long limb wrapped around her waist. Her arms and legs were dangling out in the cold air. Her body shook, bones rattling in the constant fear of the time that loomed before her.

She wondered where this dragon was taking her. This is a blue longhorn and how did this one grow so fast in minutes? It was magically flying in the air without having wings and it was just more like floating and gliding magnificently.

If she could make herself free or have wings like Persis, but, in this condition and reality, she would fall and die. She doesn't want to wait for someone to come and rescue her or this dragon will make dinner out of her.

Maybe she will try to climb on its back and take control?

But-- there’s no other way.

She touches the dragon’s limb, and using her mind she emitted a blue light under her palm, making the dragon feel so warm around his limb. Somehow it loosen its grip, and Sekhmet quickly put the light away. She got the chance to hold onto its scales, pulling her body up with her shoulders and climbed on the back.

The dragon was scaled in delicate bluish shields, much thicker than her fingernails. Yet strong and fanned like aggressive blooms from its slender long body. 

The dragon suddenly shrieked. It almost lost her balance and fell if she didn’t hold on tight. It did noticed she escaped from its grasp.

Holding onto the back of the dragon, she managed to get back on her feet, not losing her balance. She moves fast, waving her left arms and creates a long blue fire whip. Before the dragon could make a roll move, in one giant leap, she tossed the tip of the whip encircling the neck of the dragon, she started grabbing its handle once it caughts the target  and she gave all her strength to pull the whip so hard that it made the dragon put to stop and flinch.

The dragon, with the whip on his neck, roared, opened its long mouth and let out a huge fireball and fired it out through the forest.

Sekhmet’s eyes widened from what she had done. She tried to lose her one hand, raising it to the air, as she tried to take the fire away from the trees, but she couldn't take it all out. It’s way too big for her. Instead, she made out another whip and encircled the dragon’s mouth to shut.

Sooner, she saw the horn at the top of its forehead. It was a golden horn. She didn’ see the horn before until now. Blue Longhorns are popular to any wizards in town. It has that golden horn that holds important power. If she could take a hold of it, maybe she could have taken control of the creature.

Climbing towards the neck, the creature’s moonstones’ iris rolled to the corner of its eyes. It suddenly rolls over its body in the air, making its body tremble and shake it into crazy motions.

Sekhmet was quick to notice, and hold onto its neck. The rolling makes her dizzy but she can’t let it happen what it wants. She’s almost there. She reached for the horn, until she took a hold of it.

Grasping the golden horn, she could feel a heavy thumping of her heart, its horn was like beating the heart that lives. In a matter of seconds, an inevitable light grew out from the horn and blew her away!

“Sekhmet!”

She looked over to her shoulder to see a guy standing steadily at the back of the dragon, and he was holding her back.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“How do you know my name?”she asked, wondering why and how he came here. And she saw his wings melted away from the wind.

Snow?

He’s… and she remembered him at the dining hall.

She seemed hesitant, and said, “Prince Ryujin?” she asked. He nodded.

Sekhmet didn’t say anything more as she noticed something from her hand. She raised and saw she was holding the golden horn and still gleaming under her hold. The dragon grew steady and calm.

“Thank you,” she said to Ryujin.

Ryujin helped her to sit for her to rest. She was breathing so hard trying to steady it after what had happened. She did take the golden horn and take control of the creature. She thought she was thrown away and dead.

“Keep it,” his voice was stern but with concern as he was looking away. He meant the horn was her right to keep it and he is here to keep it as a secret.

“But, I can’t do that,” she said. Sekhmet looked up to him. He had this silvery blue long hair tousled with the wind, which was thick and lustrous. His eyes were a mesmerising deep ice  blue, flecks of silvery light performed ballets throughout and framed by thick but graceful brows. And he had a face that could stop you in your tracks.

“It seems this Blue Longhorn was stolen from our kingdom and fed by a forbidden magic to let it grow fast,” he said.

“But, this dragon was belongs to you and your kingdom, prince,”

“It was thanks to you, you take control of it before destroying the island.”

“But it did destroy some part of the forest,”

The dragon turned around, going back to where they passed and Ryujin used his elemental power of cold nature, letting out a rain of snow throughout the burning forest. Sekhmet just watched and let Ryujin do the rest. 

He is indeed the crown prince of Niflheim. The kingdom of cold. Somehow she doesn’t want to let him know where she came from.

Until they return to the school grounds, they are escorted by the guards whom they meet along the way back. The captain has thanked them for returning the dragon alive and it has now taken care of the high guards.

“Thank goodness, you are okay, Sekhmet!” Persis hugged her friend so tight.

“Yes, Persis,”

The captain said, still in his face guard, “I would like to extend my thanks to you, dear ones, without your effort, we will lose the dragon or even worse what will happen to it,”

“Who owns that dragon?” asked Persis.

“I don’t know, but we suspected that it was stolen illegally, hiding it in the old library is way too unsuspected, until you guys discovered it. We are going to investigate this. Longhorns with golden horns are so important that their horns could make a powerful potion ingredient and could only be found in the Niflheim.”

Sekhmet glanced at Ryujin who was just standing, leaning against the open window, keeping himself silent. She won’t tell anyone about the golden horn unless the prince would give an order to give up this to the authorities. But, he seems serious and was given to her. 

But why?

“Even love potions?” Persis continued.

The captain smiled, and said,“That’s way too easy, no need to use that kind of ingredient if that's what you want, and school rules, it is forbidden to use such love spells,” and he added, “If I may, let’s keep this quiet. I don’t want to stir any suspicions around the school grounds until we didn’t catch the culprit,”he required.

“As you command, captain,” said Persis with a quick salute.

“Thank you,”

The next morning, Sekhmet and Persis were having their recess time in the grand canteen, while making their assignments which they missed yesterday. 

Persis was a bit sleepy and lazy to do her homework. “I want to order a matcha latte, but it was the school rules that we have wait for weekends, argh,”

“Then, we wait,” Sekhmet said calmly working on her notes on the screen.

“I’m a princess, they should have let me order it outside and deliver it here,” she muttered, “this is so unfair, I want donuts, too,”

“Here in this school grounds, you’re not a princess, and while I’m here-” she bent over to her side and grabbed something out from her backpack and handed over to Persis a black glass tumbler.

Persis eyes widened by sensing it was the drink she craved for so long. So excited, gripping the cup and taking it out from the tumbler. And she was greeted with the sweet green scent of aroma.

“Oh my, this is matcha!” quickly Sekhmet covered her mouth with her palm, “Will you stop screaming and talk in a very low voice,” Sekhmet hushed her as Persis nodded before letting her go.

“How did you make the order for this?”

“I talked to someone and asked for a favor, and it went. Poof!”

“Oh my-- thank you, but you should let me talk to that someone of yours to have my favor, too, okay?” as she batting her eyelashes, appealing to begged with puppy eyes.

“Nope,”

“It will be better if---” she paused and took a wondering look at Sekhmet, “What did you say?”

“I said, no,”

“And why not?”

“Will you please just thank me and drink your latte?” she insisted, “there’s no way you could make favors, since it only delivers a message and goes off. And I'll be waiting for another two weeks to arrive.”

“Your messenger?”

“The messenger in our village,”

“Oh, I thought you have your own messenger, well, okay, thanks,”

There came dwarf dragons carrying rolled papers and just dropped them on each person on the long table.

“It’s a newspaper,” Sekhmet said, rolling up the papers. The light beams out from the paper, and a recorded moving photo pops up and appears in three-dimensional. 

As she searched for something more interesting than politics and news from the different kingdoms, the incidents from the academy yesterday are all stated here. She scanned her eyes through the texts but none was what was written about the blue longhorn instead it was just a school dragon who happens to go crazy and was already given proper care and medicine.

“They did try to hide the Blue dragon, don’t the academy give us the reward of saving the dragon?,” Persis said as she reads the news, too. 

“They wanted that, and we follow that order, is not big deal, anyway, but maybe you can have a favor from the headmaster to have your latter everyday,”

Persis lighted up her face with a big smile on her face, “that’s a great idea, Sekhmet!”

The moment they finished reading the important news, the light beams went off and the paper rolled to itself.

“By the way, you were with Ryujin yesterday,” Persis said, “did you ask him how he got to know what’s happening before anyone else?” she queried.

“No, I didn’t ask him, maybe he just passed by, and heard the dragon,” and indeed, Sekhmet did forget to ask him about that last night, but there’s no way to ask him now or later.

“Maybe or maybe not,”Persis chewed some food snacks and took a sip to her latte, when two young men and a girl with round eyeglasses came over and joined them at their table. What was special about her was that she is cute to her cat’s face with her curly lolita hair. Her eyes are unique, the black parts in the center of her orange eyes are vertical and can open and close like the aperture of a camera.

“Hi, I am Melissa,” she introduced, “and these are my assistants,” waving her hand to the guys behind her.

“Hi, what do you want?” Persis asked with an uninterested look on her face.

“I am from the Morrow Times, I would like to interview the two of you,” she said, still smiling in a tight lip.

“Like what?” Sekhmet asked.

“I am not-” Melissa paused for a moment, then continued, “but, a bit-- I just wanted to ask you about last night’s event! You know how you really find out about the egg, the dragon on its way back, and others,”

Persis burped from drinking her latte, and said, “Nah, it is all written in the newspaper already, why need to interview us again?”

“We all heard about the dragon, and I’ve heard that you two saw it, what kind of dragon they are capturing it, and I heard it was the blue longhorn,” Melissa was still smiling, but was gritting her teeth.

Sekhmet give out a heavy sighed, “You just heard it everything,” she said, “Actually, it’s the school dragon who happens to be trapped inside some small space, went crazy as s**t and was calling to its masters,”

“Hmm, good excuse, but I do not believe that was the school dragon, that sound is way too different from the school dragons.”

“Well, it’s up to you, if you don’t believe us, you can ask the headmaster anyway,”

“Ha! The headmaster. Did he tell you not to say anything? I bet he did.”

“And I even wondered why would the headmaster is not trying to pull you out from this school,”

Before she could say something, someone stepped in.

“Will you, Melissa, stop bothering students who were studying,” it was a guy wearing the senior uniform, neatly fit to his slim body.

Melissa lost her posture and her smile turned into an ugly frown, “Oh, it is you, better leave before someone else is going to get pissed,” she snobs, turning her back at him.

“I can see you are,” he teased her with a smirk, as she walked away without any saying goodbye.

The new guy turned to Sekhmet, and said, “My apologies, my ladies, it’s just Melissa, the daughter of the headmaster’s sister, so, the reason is kinda reasonable yet not, to let her pull out from the school,” he apologized.

“And why would the headmaster let her do her doings? Melissa seems to like to reveal everything is hidden,” Sekhmet said.

“I don’t know about her reasons, but she loves to brag and gossip,”

It was both Sekhmet and the guy having a conversation, while Persis’ eyes were all glittering and shining with stars as she stared at the new guy.

“Another cute guy, what’s your name?” she hummed.

“I’m Blaze,”

Persis grabbed his extended hand, holding and shaking it excitedly, “Oh, your hand is so soft, and I’m Persis, nice to meet you, Blaze,”

Sekhmet rose, keeping her books and notes in one pile, and said, “Sorry, but we need to go for the next class,” grabbing Persis’ arms.

“Oh, sure,” he waved his hand.

“See you later, Blaze, ” Persis waved back goodbye to the guy and walked beside Sekhmet.

His eyes followed them with a smile -- until their backs were closed behind the door -- slowly fading and turned to a serious face. 

“Do you think they know the dragon?” asked the girl behind the guy.

“Of course,” he smirked, “and Sekhmet did make it to control of the dragon,”