Mega Dragon: Harbinger of Death

The Discovery

The streets were filled with soldiers and an entourage that welcomed the heroes of Croft. The citizens wondered who those might be and they came out in large numbers to witness it. They were delighted to see Delilah, the grand healer and Pan, the head of the Royal guards return after a long time. Delilah looked a lot older than she used to. It must have been a difficult one. Many condemned Vela for letting an old woman take on such a mission, grand healer or not. But Delilah had personally requested that Vela stayed behind. Vela was the future. As was Ara. It was for that reason that the older healers partook in this mission as opposed to the younger ones. It was the same reason that Pan accompanied them as well instead of Ara. Although in Pan’s case, Ara was the sole heir to Croft’s throne.

Vela went with Aroha and Zhiyi to welcome Delilah. It was a delight to see her again and she felt that way. “You came with the little ones,” was the first thing that Delilah said when she noticed them. She was in her early eighties but she had the strength of a forty-year-old woman. She stood firm as opposed to her mates who were all hunching. Some couldn’t work properly. Others had lost most of their vision or hearing. The war was tough on the older generation. They had to live with the consequences in their later years. But perhaps because of her druid mana, Delilah was able to preserve herself despite her appearance betraying her. Her gray hair was a mess. On a normal day, it shone as though it was silver. Had she been a Renoff, she would not have had to deal with grey hair – a pure-blood Renoff at least.

They exchanged pleasantries and quickly let them freshen up. Pan was glad to see the girls as well. He was a big fan of their parents - Gero and Miya Renoff. Kiro and Ara had gone to wait for them at the palace. They had just returned from training and they knew that the king would waste no time in receiving a report on the outcome of their mission. It was of top priority, especially with the latest developments within the capital. Zenon had gone to meet up with them as well.

“I don’t see prince Ara. I expected that he would come to see me immediately,” Pan said. He looked displeased as he was worn out.

“He must have returned to the palace to await your return. He was occupied all through the morning,” Vela said in Ara’s defense.

“Occupied this early? It’s still morning. I presume the Laboratorium then?” Pan asked.

“No. He was training his student across the capital,” Vela said.

“Student?!” Delilah and Pan chorused. Of course, they didn’t know. So much had happened in their absence but Ara having a student might have just been the biggest surprise of them all.

“Ara has a student? Interesting. I look forward to meeting him,” Pan grinned.

Poor Kiro.

***

Kiro marveled at his room. It was the grandest living space he had ever set his eyes on. If someone like him had such a grand apartment, how much so those of noble blood? In truth, Kiro's room was moderate at best. Each room at the Renoff's manor was at least five times better than it. It had no jewelry but the colors were bright – very unlike all the other places he had lived. In a way, it was Ara's way of ensuring he didn't get too comfortable by making his room luxurious. But it was luxurious enough for Kiro. Perhaps Ara had forgotten what life outside the capital was really like. Or maybe he just felt that Kiro deserved that much comfort. It was going to be a herculean training process for him. Somewhere comfortable, but not too comfortable would be perfect for him. While both looked plausible, the truth was that Ara just arranged the first available room he found. He hadn’t even looked through it to see whether it was suitable or not. But Kiro appreciated it immensely.

He had little time to be engrossed in his surroundings. Ara gave him ten minutes to prepare. And the set of clothing that was kept for him in his wardrobe, when did Ara have the time to prepare all that? It was less than a week and it looked like Kiro was a newlywed wife who had been provided with everything she would need. That way, she need not bring anything herself. That was exactly how he felt. When Ara said bring what you think is important, he certainly already had everything covered. It didn't matter if Kiro brought anything or not.

Kiro could understand why Ara went through the trouble. In a way, Kiro would become Ara's image. As his student, there were certain expectations and he wouldn't be surprised if Ara began to teach him etiquettes and the likes. It was only a matter of time.

Kiro was soon to join Ara and Zenon – both of whom stood behind the King; Renold Croft. He was wearing a silver tunic, similar to Ara’s except for the gold embroidery that highlighted the tunic’s finer design. Zenon wore a silver version of his usual blue attire. It was as though he would never wear anything else. He took the code of a warrior to a different level.

It was a warm reunion between the King and Pan. Pan was more than a commander to Renold, the king. He was a friend. Ara might have been trying to create such a bond with Kiro. Certainly, Zenon would eventually have to return to Lo kingdom to handle matters. He might not be the heir to the Lo throne – a fact that has allowed him to spend more time in Croft than in his own kingdom, but his allegiance was to Lo first. He would always have a place there and in time a duty to perform.

Delilah was warmly welcomed as well. As urgent as the matter at hand was, the king admitted that they all needed to rest. The briefing would be adjourned till the evening. The sound of that meant only one thing to our new trainees – a free day. But how wrong they were. Seeing as they would be involved in a lot of meetings, Ara thought it was best to teach them the ways of the palace – in order words, etiquettes. The most lacking of them all was Kiro. Not like that was any surprise. Many were still yet to accept Ara’s decision of bringing him into the court even though the king had no objections. He trusted Ara’s judgment completely. It was more understandable with Aroha and Zhiyi. Their parents were legends and it was only fitting that they were duly represented by their daughters. But it had to be more than all that. They needed to be able to provide real value anywhere they found themselves.

Zenon had suggested that they put off those training till after the tournament. It was getting closer and what they were offering them was a crash course. They could decide to stall till the next year, but Ara and Zenon were eager to see them in action as were they to participate as well. Actually, Aroha was the only one that was gung-ho about it. But Zhiyi and Kiro were interested as well. And they would be entering the contest as the students of prince Ara, prince Zenon, and the vice grand healer Vela. It was more than just about themselves. Their images were also on the line.

Pan’s eyes caught Kiro’s as they were about to leave. Kiro felt a shiver run down his spine as returned Pan’s gaze. It was different from Ara or even the king. The aura wasn’t just everywhere, it was in his eyes. His stare was intimidating. Staying close to the king made him remember how poor a beast he was. Seeing Pan only made it worse. But at the same time, it drove him to want to be better.

Pan on the other hand was seeing something different. The king had given his approval nod when he laid his eyes on Kiro. Pan could see why. “Impressive. You could even surpass me someday,” Pan said as he observed Kiro. He needn’t be told who Kiro was before he knew he was Ara’s student.

Pan always did have a good eye for spotting things. It was something like a special ability. Something unmatched even amongst the beasts, and he took pride in it. It was Pan who first discovered Ara’s immense potential at the age of five. Normally, princes would be scolded for running around at that age, but not Ara. Pan had decided that he was to begin training at that early age. Many thought him to be insane. There was a war and he needed to learn how to survive, especially with the type of gift he was born with. He was also the one who brought Ara and Zenon close to each other when they were kids. This, of course, they have no idea about. Pan could see how much potential Zenon had then as well, even though he was no beast.

His face went pale when he saw Aroha. What he saw should not exist was all that ran through his head. But upon a second gaze, he saw nothing out of the ordinary anymore? Was he seeing things? Or should he be concerned?

Ara wept for Kiro within his mind. Pan taking interest in someone was as good as it was bad. In time, Kiro would understand why. Somehow, he understood what Ara was thinking. Kiro sunk even further at the thought of two reckless men at the helm of his training.

“I look forward to that day,” Ara teased. But the one to suffer it would still be Kiro. He was made into a challenger after all.

***

The day ran as slow as it possibly could. Who would have thought that having to sit for lectures would be worse than physical training? There were not sure they could even remember anything they learned. At least Aroha and Zhiyi had basic training. Kiro had none of that and he was going to be the one under fire the most. The Renoff girls could get a hard pass if they needed to, but it was unlikely.

Aroha and Zhiyi laughed at all Kiro’s attempts at being a proper gentleman. The first thing that needed fixing was his face. He was always gloomy. Even Aroha who mostly wore an angry face knew had to don a pleasant face if necessary. It was at times like that that Zhiyi realized how great an actress Aroha was.

They moved swiftly to the meeting room as the time the king set drew near. Ara was prepared to tackle anyone who had something to say about his decision to include Kiro in the court. It was only for that mission, however. Ara had concluded that Aroha, Zhiyi, and Kiro had somewhat become involved in the incidents and it would be unwise to leave them out of the planning phase. The grand healer’s mission and the incident that occurred in the capital were not far off. In fact, it was a similar event that prompted the mission to take place in the first place.

For subsequent issues, unless their statuses had been elevated, there would be no need to include Aroha, Zhiyi, and Kiro. But at the moment, they were not only key witnesses but baits as much as Ara would hate to admit. He needed them to draw them out. They had already shown interest in Kiro and no doubt they would be observing Aroha after she sensed the man without a presence.

The meeting started promptly. Alex looked ready to tear at Ara for adding yet another unworthy individual to the court but was glad his nieces were included, so he said nothing. But his jaw dropped upon hearing the first thing Delilah said.

“How many of you are familiar with the myth of the Tempest?” she said.