Mega Dragon: Harbinger of Death

TRAITOR

Vela and the other quickly approached the healers nest. But as they got closer, something worried him. It was faint, but he could sense a suspicious movement not too far off from them. Everyone other than the guards should be indoors. And he was certain he knew the movement of the guards well enough. He trained a handful of them after all. As much as he wanted to check it out, Ara instructed him to stay with Aroha and the others. If anything happened to them while he was away, he would never be able to forgive himself.

Vela could see the worry written all over his face. “If you need to leave, we’ll be okay,” Vela said.

Pan shook his head. “The prince’s orders come first,” he said.

“Then let us reach the healers nest first. We’ll be fine there. I could accompany you back while the grand healer examines Aroha if you don’t mind?”

“I appreciate that, but that won't be necessary. My guts tell me that the presence I sense is one of them. That is the only reason I’m considering leaving you at all. Healers nest or not.”

“We’ll be fine. Go do your thing,” Vela said.

Pan nodded his head gratefully. There was no way he would let the enemy escape. He would apprehend them as quickly as he could and head back to the healers nest to check on the girls. That was his plan. But before him, stood the biggest obstacle he could fathom.

With rage in his eyes, he charged at the intruder. “You traitor!” he cried.

Pan took his steps carefully. It wasn’t unexpected. In fact, it was something they all feared – that Yeelva would cause an incident that would lead to an all-out war. “Turn back and leave now,” he said.

Yeelva stood before a door that was ordinarily hidden in a hedge. It was a passage known only to the nobles of Croft kingdom. Even Zenon was not aware of this passage. However, it was no exit, but an entrance to Croft kingdom’s most valuable artifact – the druid key. An artifact that had been believed to be lost for decades by most of Maori’s population. A well-guarded secret they believed it to be. But there Yeelva stood before its gate, an outsider who knew not only the location of their most guarded secret but how to get in as well.

After the humans betrayed the divine creatures – the druids and the beasts, the druids cursed Maori, sealing everyone inside. To date, not a single person had ever stepped foot outside of Maori. But that was not all about the curse. It also sealed the bloodline of the mix-breeds – humans whose bloodline has been mixed with the druids and beasts, such that they would never be able to use their full abilities. The druid key was one of the three items used and they were split within the three domains knowing well that the humans would turn against each other in the end. It was probably the basis upon which these domains were formed in the first place, but as time passed, they got lost in the stories that fashioned them to be nothing but myths.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Yeelva said without sparing Pan a look.

“I believe I am the one supposed to tell you that. Leave now and the Croft kingdom will pretend like this never happened,” Pan said. Any other person and Pan would have dropped them dead where they stood. So, he tried his hand at diplomacy, which was far from his strong suit.

“I know what you’re trying to do, Pan. It won’t work,” she said, finally looking back at Pan. Her eyes were different. Gloomy almost, but Yeelva was never gloomy. Not since she became who she was.

Pan’s eyes widened as he realized the folly in his plans. He was a beast type. One of the strongest on Maori. A title that earned him his place as king Reagan’s right-hand man. But even that was not enough for him to escape Yeelva. Before he could run to alert the others, she moved swiftly, effectively cutting off his path.

She walked slowly towards him as Pan readied himself for a battle that might well cost him his life. “Do you think it was a coincidence that San got invited at the last moment? It was to make sure that he could effectively erase any presence that would be a threat from Zenon and Ara’s radar. Isn’t that right, San?”

From the shadow, San emerged. It was a beast’s worst nightmare – to face San Loku. Unlike other beasts, he was gifted with the ability to nullify certain senses – sound, smell, and presence – all that was needed to track a person’s existence. As long as he was within a certain radius, he could turn anyone into a ghost. It was similar to Adamas’s ability, except that he could only cast it upon others, whereas, Adamas’s ability was upon himself.

“Why?” Pan asked. He expected that much from Yeelva, but San’s betrayal came as a surprise. Apart from the person he was, he respected him for the beast he became as well. It was a hierarchy thing for powerful beast humans.

“Wrong place at the wrong time. Nothing personal,” San responded with the usual apathy about him.

Pan took a deep breath. It was going to be a long night. He had hoped to stall for time and hoped that either Zenon or Ara would pick up on his presence. But all that was through the window the second he sighted San. Any one of them would be too much for him to handle. Both of them was certain suicide. But his mind was clear, as was the task before him. He would rather die than watch them walk into the sacred chamber. His eyes opened forcing Yeelva to jump a few steps back. His eyes were sharp, and his resolve was written all over his face.

“What a pity, old man. I actually liked you,” she said. She conjured lightning in her hand, a move she used in assassinations. She was quick, and one thrust through a person’s heart was all she needed to kill a man. Although, she was certain that Pan would be tougher than that.

“We don’t have much time, Yeelva. I’ll handle this. And if there are any surprises, I’ll handle them as well. Just focus on your task. It’s my job to make sure you don’t worry about any disturbances,” San said.

“Okay,” Yeelva chuckled. “Make it swift. I don’t want him to suffer,” she added. She moved past him before he noticed, but it would take some time before she could unlock the gate beneath the hedge. Pan moved to stop her, but San was the faster one as he kicked him through some distance.

“I’m your opponent,” San said.

“She’ll never be able to open it. She’s not of Croft blood. And no one can draw blood from Ara or the king. Brute force will only alert the kingdom. You’re the one at loss here,” Pan said in a bid to dissuade them.

“Then why do you look so worried? You don’t believe it yourself, do you? Yeelva is a master of the elements. The gates were made of the elements. If there was any other person, it’s her. Too bad you won’t be here to see it,” San responded.

Pan tried many times to bypass San but was repelled every time. Each time, was more painful than the last. It was almost as though he had reservations about killing him. Or was he opting to break Pan instead?

It became obvious that there was no shortcut. If he wanted to get to Yeelva, he needed to deal with San, as impossible as that was. He switched to his more berserk self – a sort of transformation by beast humans called an awakening, similar to what Ara did before. By triggering his beast awakening, Pan would be able to power up. His eyes were slit like a beast and his fangs grew. Claws sprouted from his hands and feet as he crouched in a natural beast form. The only things that were left to transform into a full beast were the fur and the transfiguration. But he was currently at his strongest. Only high-level beasts were capable of awakening. It brought them closer to the ability of the original beasts. There were three levels to it, but the third one was mostly theoretical. It was rumored that only Ara could reach that level, but even he was yet to. Possibly because he never needed to. He had shown his second awakening once, but not because he needed to. A third awakening would put him on par with the original beasts, something he wasn’t sure he was capable of, but everyone believed he was. Other than him, San was the only other person to reach a second awakening. But against Pan, he looked unlikely to trigger even the first. He could handle him in his normal form.

Yeelva ran her hands through the many symbols, altering them with her control of the earth element to find the right pattern. Croft blood would normally trigger it, but it was as though nature wanted it sealed with the birth of Ara. He had never bled once and it was likely he never would. This was why sealing him in the Sijjil was the only way to take him out of the equation. The only other Croft was king Reagan. While it might have been possible, even San couldn't mask his presence. Taking him on was difficult already, and any attempt on him would be noticed by Ara in a heartbeat. That was the one thing they needed to avoid. The longer route was what they took, but it was the only available route.

The fight between San and Pan grew more intense. San was finally forced to get serious. Pan might be the more experienced of the two, but it was not enough to bridge the gap in strength between them. San had the upper hand, and already had several chances to finish Pan.

It hurt Pan’s pride. The last thing he wanted was to be spared by the enemy, a traitor at that. “You look down on me so much. Is that what this is?” he asked.

“You are yet to make it worthwhile. This can’t be all the great Pan is worth?” he teased. Pan, like king Reagan, wasn’t on the list of the top five most powerful individuals, but they were highly revered for their strength. Naturally, Pan posed a threat even if he was pitted against San Loku – one of the five.

“Can you stop having fun while I’m stressing over here!” Yeelva exclaimed. The gate was starting to annoy her and hearing San’s voice, as casual as it always was made her even more annoyed.

“Don’t get carried away. Scream like that and they might actually hear you,” Pan goaded. Yeelva knew he was teasing, so she ignored him altogether.

Pan lunged at San with more intent this time, almost catching him off guard. But this time, Pan had drawn the last straw. San went for a killing blow. Pan couldn’t evade it. Life really flashed before your eyes before you die. So much that he hallucinated a young Ara coming to his rescue and forcing San back. His form was just as he remembered. The stance and the breathing were just the same. Of course, before Ara discarded it all. He no longer needed any of that to survive. He simply overwhelmed his opponent with his inordinate strength. He could hear Ara call to him. Was he dead? He was at least certain that Ara was alive.

“Sir Pan!” he heard the voice beckon to him one more time. What he thought to be a young Ara was in fact his student, Kiro Ner. He thrust Pan’s swords at him. “I thought you might need this,” he said.

***

*A few minutes earlier*

Ara and Zenon searched frantically for Jerome, but there were no signs of him. The entire ball had been thrown into a state of panic and Aroha had lost consciousness.

“I’ll take Aroha to the healers nest. She’ll be fine,” Vela offered. She waited for Ara to give a response but he was still in a state of shock. “Ara!” she beckoned one more time. She never called him by his name alone in a public gathering, but the seriousness of the situation forced her hand.

Vela’s voice sprang Ara back to focus. He hadn’t even realized how tightly he was holding on to Aroha. Right before he disappeared, Jerome had thrown Aroha to him. He was glad that he was able to do that much. Having to protect Aroha and fight off an enemy like Adamas at the same time would have been herculean. There was no telling what type of trap Adamas had in store for Jerome, but for some reason, Ara wasn’t so worried. He felt certain confidence that Jerome would be able to take care of himself.

“Pan, please accompany them as well,” Ara said. Pan had left the king to oversee the happenings of the ball on the king’s orders. And just as he feared, their enemies did not relent. Pan agreed without any question and he left with Zhiyi, Vela, and Aroha.

“Kiro, you’re with me,” Ara said. “Where’s Yeelva and San?” Ara berated. The accusation in his voice was clear for all to hear.

“We’re right here. Relax,” Yeelva said without a care in her voice. She was enjoying the show. However, if she could contribute to making things worse for them, she would have. But certainly not under the close watch of Zenon Lo. He had barely taken his eyes off either of them the whole night. San simply nodded his head to show his presence. There had been nothing suspicious about him the whole night, which in a way also felt suspicious.

“Good. Help me see the rest of the guests back to their quarters, will you?” As polite as that may have sounded, it was no request. Nonetheless, they all obliged without question. The guests were divided into groups of four. Each person was responsible for one group, while Kiro scouted through a more general area. The safety of the guests was paramount. If searched anything happened to them while they were in Croft kingdom, it would trigger an effect opposite to what the king was working towards. The entire capital was on high alert. Guards patrolled the streets in search of Adamas, who they were all certain they would never find. But they for him all the same.

It had only been a couple of minutes since Ara and the other three – Zenon, Yeelva, and San stood watch of the Croft Palace. Ara prayed that one of them was the target. There was a team that was in search of Jerome, but Ara wasn’t too worried for some reason. Jerome was the sorcerer supreme after all.

Kiro approached Ara. The same thought ran between his mind and Ara and Zenon. “We can’t all be pinned here,” he said.

He wasn’t wrong, but it was a slight oversight on his part. “Look at those two,” Ara said, indicating to San and Yeelva. “Do you trust them? I certainly don’t. While Adamas is certainly a big problem, if those two decide to betray us, it would pose an even bigger problem. I can’t have them patrolling cause they could slip from my watch, or even worse, team up with the enemy. And it also wouldn’t be wise to leave one of us to watch those two. Hence our situation.”

Ara did little to lower his voice. Yeelva and San would hear him anyway and even if they didn’t, he was certain they were aware of his true intentions. Not that he cared. He would expect the same treatment anywhere else on Maori save for Aae and Lo kingdoms. The Southern domain was a unified one after all. Some of the soldiers deployed were of Aae and Lo origins. The Croft kingdom’s military power was stronger than usual with their input and their reach was wider. But would it be enough?

Kiro was terse. Perhaps it was because he was new to all this that he did not understand the amount of distrust that lived within the kingdoms no matter how frivolous they might have seemed in the ball. With Yeelva, it was expected. He had seen enough of her to be wary. But San had shown no sign that he was a threat. Other than he was the fifth strongest person on Maori and he was not from their domain. But Kiro didn’t question Ara’s opinion. It was different from the time they met. At that time, he hated anything royalty and could not be bothered if they rose in power or they burned to crisps. But spending time with possibly some of the only few good ones that exist had given him a different perspective.

Especially with Ara. He had grown to trust him more than anyone else. His pure, selfless nature, despite his tact to seem otherwise, had made him respect Ara to no ends. So, he simply nodded in response.

Ara, however, did not disregard his opinion. “Can you do something for me, Kiro?” Ara asked.

“What is it, master?”

“I need you to go on a special patrol around the capital. Wherever your guts lead you to.”

“What am I searching for?” Kiro asked.

“Anything that’s out of place,” Ara replied sternly.

Without another word, Kiro was on his way, just as Ara instructed. Zenon looked a bit wary. He wasn’t as convinced as Ara to send Kiro on his own. After all, Ara had spent more time with Kiro and was a better judge, but he was yet to see the signs that would convince him that Kiro was ready for such a task.

“Are you sure about this? He could get into serious trouble,” Zenon said. But all through that time, his eyes remained fixed on Yeelva and San. Yeelva, in her usual ecstatic self, smiled back cheekily.

“Oh, I’m sure. He’s become quite dependable lately,” Ara replied proudly. Kiro was his student after all. There was a sense of accomplishment seeing his student become so reliable. But deep down, he worried a bit. A teacher’s concern perhaps. One that wasn’t hidden from the keen eyes of Zenon Lo.

***

Kiro raced to Pan’s quarters first. Pan had not carried any weapon into the ball and as such, was guarding Aroha unarmed. Many a time, beast humans would fight unarmed. Their sheer strength and speed were enough. Ara, being such a mix-breed trained Kiro that way as well. But many carried weapons like Pan. He would be able to hold his own unarmed, but he certainly was a more formidable foe with his trusty swords. Kiro was sure why he felt that way, but there was a certain urge for him to retrieve them for Pan. Perhaps it was the intuition that Ara spoke of, or he was simply worried about Aroha… and Zhiyi of course. The girl he was starting to get attracted to. He couldn’t stay with them, but he could do his bit to make sure they were alright.

He got to them as quickly as he could. He had little trouble with the guards. Being prince Ara’s student had its benefits. Even though his destination was the healers nest, he watched his surroundings as keenly as he could, just in case he stumbled upon something. But all he could see were guards patrolling the width of the capital. He found it hard to understand how someone could stay hidden with that amount of scrutiny. Even the other wizards who were certainly not as powerful as Jerome were tracing whatever magic they could find. The enemy might have long since left the capital after the stunt he pulled. But he knew better than to let his guard down. Adamas was a tricky foe, but even more tricky was his friend, Ray.

A feeling of guilt crept within him as he hated not telling Ara about Ray. They would have to face each other eventually and it would be no easy task. Other than the people he met – Ara and co, Ray was the only other person he could call a friend. Even after spending years in the market, he had more customers than acquaintances much fewer friends. And he rarely ever had customers! He sparsely spoke with anyone. He troubled no one and in exchange, no one troubled him. Except for the entitled royals who always felt they had everyone hooked at their necks. But not him. He cared little for their approval or disapproval. Their pleasure or displeasure. And as such, he had been punished many times but never broken. That happened years ago and Ray was a part of it. To see him again, knowing that they would have to cross swords with each other hit Kiro hard. But his allegiance was with Ara and now maybe Zhiyi as well – both of whose interests align with that of Croft kingdom. In other words, Ray was his enemy.

The journey to the healers nest was an uneventful one. Kiro noticed nothing that was out of place. That is not to say that nothing was. Once he dropped the sword with Pan, he would scrutinize every nook and cranny of the capital. Thanks to Ara’s training of running around the capital, there were very few places he didn’t know and those places would be the homes of the noblemen which he was sure was secure at the moment. But to his surprise, Pan was not with them. From what he heard, Pan was an inflexible man. Ara was very specific when he told him to stay with the healers. What could have been so urgent that he left?

“He said he sensed something,” Zhiyi said. She looked less distraught than before. It said a lot about Aroha’s condition.

“I’ll go check it out then. He might need this after all,” Kiro said, waving pans sword in his hand.

“Wait,” Zhiyi said, holding Kiro’s sleeve. He was yet to remove his jacket. It wasn’t because there was no time to change to a more comfortable outfit, he simply relished it. And he had no problems moving it as well. Kiro turned to look at Zhiyi. Her usual gleeful self buried somewhere underneath her sadness. He hated seeing her that way.

“Be careful,” she said.

“You know me. I never get myself into fixes that are beyond me,” he paused. “Well, except for when I struck prince Ara. But he made me do it. And with Aroha. I now know that I was not a match at all. Well, at the time, of course. And maybe…”

“Kiro!” Zhiyi snapped. “Be safe. I don’t want another person I care about hurt,” she added.

“Care about as a friend? Or maybe…?”

“What? What is wrong with you? How is this the right time to talk about any of this?” Zhiyi scolded.

“Fine. When I return, maybe?”

“In one piece, of course,” Zhiyi teased.

“I guess I have more of a reason to return then,” Kiro chuckled.

“Weren’t you planning on returning?”

“Well… of course. But it’s something prince Ara would say. I’ve been learning other things as well.”

“I noticed.”

“How?”

“Kiro!”

“Fine, fine. I’ll be on my way now.”

Kiro ran to the area Zhiyi mentioned they split from Pan. There wasn’t anything out of the ordinary but there was an eerie feeling he couldn’t get rid of. It was faint but traceable, and Kiro did just that. As he got closer, he could detect the faint presence of Pan and shockingly, Yeelva and San! Weren’t they supposed to be at the palace with Zenon and Ara? Did something happen between the time he left and now? Certainly, they couldn’t have overpowered those two. Neither could they have escaped their watch. Kiro didn’t need to think hard to know how all that was possible. How Yeelva and San could be at two places at the same time without people like Ara and Zenon noticing something was amiss. He knew something they didn’t, someone they did not know existed. Kiro’s friend, Ray.