A Warrior's Dance

XXXI - Bloodline

Commander Riz was just a lad when he first saw Thaeros, a warrior sent by River Lights to settle some issues inside the palace. He knew that King Jarius personally asked support from the heaven fairies so he could maintain the first few years of the civilization. That was when the first king invited more tribes to be part of the kingdom. That was when Captain Rakin and his son Raq first visited the palace.

The commander was trained by Thaeros and he looked up to him since then. So looking now at the man he considered a brother by sword and his master, he was beyond surprised, knowing he had been killed and dead long ago.

“Bring me to your king,” Thaeros said.

Riz embraced the man before nodding and led the way, not even asking questions. Nobody stopped the commander as he went inside the King Tower. Once they reached the King’s chamber, a knight gestured for them to stop.

“Knight Gimor,” the commander greeted. “This is urgent.”

The knight stared at them through his metal gear.

“The King is expecting this guest,” he said, motioning to Thaeros. “He’s a Silver Neraida.”

After a second, the knight knocked on the thick door. Lord Yuric opened it and saw the commander. When his eyes shifted to Thaeros, he tensed, unable to hide his horror.

Thaeros walked inside, an authority in his aura, silencing the king’s adviser. “Leave us,” he said.

Darius turned to him and mirrored the same ashen face of the old man. Lord Yuric kept his ground, awaiting dismissal from the king.

When Darius realized it wasn’t a dream, he waved his hand, allowing Lord Yuric to go. His heart thumped wildly, eyes wide, seeing a dead man came back to life before his eyes.

“How?”

Thaeros headed toward him, observing the wide room. A large bed was placed at the far end and a balcony on the right, with long windows lined the wall. At the corner was a table and a shelf filled with liquors instead of books. There was horse’s head on one of the post, an odd decoration for Thearo’s taste.

“Raq missed my heart,” he said. And that he couldn’t be easily killed. “What is going on here, Darius? What did you do to your sister?”

He shook his head and created a distance between them. He seated on an elegant chair, feeling cheated. “I am protecting her!”

“Protecting,” Thaeros repeated. “And what exactly do you mean by that? By locking her in a cellar? Why does she need protection? From whom?”

Darius had to look away. Even before, he always minded his distance to the Neraida Warrior.

“The council wants her head! That’s the punishment for traitors. But do you think I will let that happen? She’s my sister!”

Thaeros crossed the room in just a blink, closing their distance. He bent down to Darius, his calm façade melting away. His warm green eyes seemed to burn, fiery like his hair. “You want me to believe that?”

Darius held his piercing stare. “That is the truth!”

“You are protecting yourself, Darius, not your sister,” he replied in disgust. “You are protecting your seat, not your family!”

The king stood up, pushing him away, anger started to boil in his head. “Why don’t you look at yourself first before you accuse me of that nonsense?” he challenged. “You said you love my sister but you left! Even you cannot protect her. You just brought her more harm than good. She’s better off without you. Maybe, she’s better off marrying the valkan!”

Thaeros’ nose flared, his hands balled into fists. “Your father is willing to kill her if she’s not going to marry Raq! Your king father made me leave!”

The memory flashed before his eyes, striking him without warning. Thaeros saw how Raq fell in love with Rainlee the moment their tribe set foot on the palace, but who wouldn’t? She was beautiful and brave, her strength was no match to all the ladies. But they already shared a strong affection before the valkans came into picture and Rainlee was known then for being a hard-headed princess.

She refused the king’s order.

That was when Raq challenged him to a battle, seven fights to win Rainlee’s hand. King Jarius and Captain Rakin allowed them to their games but a fortnight before their seventh fight, the king went to Thaeros.

“I will kill my only daughter if you win, soldier. Your mission here is to maintain the civilization not to ruin it. I didn’t build these walls for nothing. You had your fun. Now you have to stop your little games with the valkan boy. Know your place.”

Darius aggressively pour a wine to his glass and drank it, the clanking of the metal brought Thaeros back to reality.

“I am here to protect her now,” he said, emphasizing each word. “I will make it my mission.”

The king laughed until he coughed, gasping for air. “She’s mine to protect.”

“How will you protect her, then, Darius?” Thaeros asked. “Send her to a faraway place again? Hid her like a criminal? Exactly what you did to her when she was carrying my child?”

His eyes grew wide at his accusation. “My father will kill your child once it’s born,” he spat. “He feared for what will be the child’s bloodline.”

Thaeros shook his head, not believing any word he uttered. “She told me all that. The abomination. But thinking of it now, why would Jarius fear my child’s bloodline? Once he found out that the union of our races is safe, he would be delighted. He can use my child because I am certain my Light will be passed down to the baby. That’s what matters to your king father- power.”

Darius shook his head, not wanting to hear any of his words. “You don’t know my father.”

“I know very well your father.” The reason became clear to him now. “He wanted the Valkans because of the power and strength they hold to the seas. But in the end, I know the Valkans will never bow down to him as their King, more so, as their God. So when he learned about our child, he should be elated, shouldn’t he? He realized it’s possible to join our bloodline. Then he can control his grandchild’s power, making the baby as his heir.”

Darius drank another glass of wine, letting the alcohol take control.

“And where it will leave you, Darius?” Thaeros asked, eyes gleaming with fire. He stepped forward and glided toward the king, colliding himself to Darius, pinning him on the table, sending the parchments and glasses down the floor. Leaning down, he clutched the king’s throat. “You’ll be forgotten. So you planned on killing my child!” he hissed, sending chill down the king’s spine.

“I didn’t kill your child!” he gasped, prying his hand from his neck to no avail.

“You better not,” Thaeros replied, slowly loosening his grip. He pulled him up and stepped back. “Free her from the chains. Don’t be like your father, Darius. You can’t control power. It will ruin you.”

***

Hilmer was hammering a steel when Captain Raq approached him. He stopped, acknowledging the captain’s presence.

“My spy told me that there is boy named Raiden in the palace.” He took a seat opposite the blacksmith. “He said the boy is a Valkan.”

Hilmer looked up to him, surprised.

“He said the boy was adopted by Rainlee as her child.” He took a deep breath, punching his own palm. “She lied to me. She had my son, Akilah.”

“Had?” Hilmer asked.

“The boy went missing. He disappeared with the witch.”

Terror dawned on Hilmer’s face.

“I kept a secret from her too,” Raq said, face still unreadable. “I didn’t tell her that her kid is alive.”

Hilmer shook his head, anxiety swirling in his head. “Sanne could also be in danger,” he whispered.

“You worry too much for that child,” Raq uttered. “You’re forgetting who her real father was.”

Silence chirped, momentarily freezing them.

“You know I don’t want to hurt that girl,” Captain Raq said after a while, his face solemn. “The hurt they did to her did not come from my order.”

The blacksmith swallowed the lump in his throat, blinking back his tears. “I know, captain. I know.”

The Valkans didn’t have the word sorry in their vocabulary. That was the closest apology he could get from the captain for hurting Sanne.