Mega Dragon: Harbinger of Death

PREPARATION

The day of the ball came and nowhere was busier than the palace. Like an army of bees, workers moved swiftly, preparing for what was to be the biggest ball in all of Maori. The Croft, Aae, Lo, and Caldron kingdoms would all be present. It was the first time since these kingdoms were formed that so many would come together to feast. Even the Northwestern region that housed four kingdoms never had more than three come together. Bohive kingdom was never one for such frivolities. Many believed that they have been plotting for decades to take over all of Maori, and the appearance of the mad wizard – Yuri from Bohive kingdom further fanned the flames. The Croft kingdom was one of the few kingdoms to believe that the Sijjil was real. Officially that is. People all over Maori would peddle these rumors irrespective of which kingdom they came from.

Ara spent most of his time in the Laboratorium. The king would have preferred if he took the time to prepare himself for the great ball. He never liked to polish his nails, or trim his hair, or take an extra-long bath. But the king would prepare all these for him nonetheless.

Zenon did not return to Lo kingdom because of Yeelva. His father was not so pleased about it, but he understood. Zenon had spent quite some time in Croft kingdom, a lot longer than usual not just because of Yeelva, but Adamas as well.

For Kiro, all this was a new experience. Unlike Ara, he had no say in what preparation he had to undertake. As Ara’s student, he would be treated as though he was a knight. As such, he needed to look the part as well. The news of Ara taking a student had spread farther than the borders of Croft kingdom. Many people would be curious as to who he was. And so, it was extra-long baths for him, and whatever hairdo it required to make him look high-born enough. And of course, extra lessons on etiquettes as well.

It was a day off for the healers, who looked forward to days like this. The king treated them with honor, as he did his soldiers. Vela took the time to take good care of herself. She didn’t have a date, so she decided to scout for single men instead. It wasn’t that she didn’t have offers, but the one she wanted was already taken – Ara. She knew she would have to get him out of her head eventually. But she was biding her time.

Zhiyi was taking her time to touch herself up as well as to get some well-deserved rest. She was a pretty lady, but the stress from the past few days made her look weary, as it did the others that were involved. She had asked Aroha to join her in having the maids scrub her extra, but she opted to meditate instead. Zhiyi wondered if Kiro was putting as much effort as she was. Well, she was certain that Ara would arrange something, but would her name cross his mind somewhere along the line. She wondered if he even remembered that she was his date to the ball. Since she asked him, they had made no mention of it. There were many more things that occupied their minds during that time. But hopefully, this ball would be a great chance for them to unwind.

Aroha spent most part of the day meditating in her room. She knew how excited Zhiyi was. At the moment, they had both returned to the Renoff Manor. Most, if not all of the healers had done the same. It was better to prepare for such events with their families. Of course, there were some whose only home was the healers nest. Just as Aroha and Zhiyi came from outside the capital, many girls came from the other towns within the kingdom as well. Some bothered to get a house in the capital, while others either had family there or got married. The rest stayed in the healers nest. It was a large place after all. It was capable of accommodating over a thousand healers comfortably. King Reagan Croft spared no cost when he designed that place. Healers were the backbone of the army as the army was the backbone of the kingdom, he would say.

Aroha was troubled. The others simply assumed it was because of the situation at hand, but it was a bit more than that. Her nightmares had gotten worse since her encounter with Yeelva and even her parents’ charm was no longer helping. Every morning, she would revert to her usual meditation, but because of the threats she faced, she was confined to her quarters, be it within the healers nest or the Renoff Manor. Ara crossed her mind occasionally, as did Zenon. She wondered who his date was and a part of her wished he had asked her first. But there was one thing she was certain of. She was not going to let anyone spoil her night. Not Yeelva, not Adamas, not anyone.

Yeelva certainly was enjoying the liveliness around the kingdom. But even on such a pleasant day, her guards did not let up. They were changed in a four-hour interval so that they could remain as sharp as possible. She didn’t complain. If she wanted to escape, she could. But she didn’t need to at the moment. After all, things were going according to plan for her.

Jerome never went to balls with a date as though it was a wizard thing to detach themselves from the world. Neither did Pan who had lost his wife years ago. Even if he hadn’t, his duty was to guard the king, especially at such lax moments. For Delilah, it was a time to enjoy the sights and the energy the young ones often displayed. She spent most of her youth at war, so unavoidably she envied them. And it only made her desire to protect them a lot stronger. No one had to through what she did.