" Hello brother! I thought you would be drowning in your tears of regret by now, but no. I find that you are in fact enjoying your time here. How romantic. A broken heart, reigniting your old passion. "
It was Lucian. He had just dropped in through the windows.
Draco looked up at him.
" I thought you would never show up. But finally you did. "
Draco remarked, seemingly unbothered by his taunts and kept going with his carving works.
" What are you making? "
Lucian suddenly snacked the marble up in his hand. Draco knew Lucian was definitely in a mood to pick a fight but he wasn't feeling like giving that to him.
" Is this supposed to be your consolation prize Dragon Lord? A Liana made of stone? Are you satisfied with that? "
Draco leaned forward to take his unfinished work back from Lucian but he swished it out of his reach.
" You must be Draco. You must be... But I am not. "
Lucian came dangerous close to Draco's face,
" You know I loved her as well. Don't tell me you didn't know. You did the same with Kiara back then. And now Liana is also gone. "
Lucian never owned up to his feeling before in front of Draco but Draco was not naive to have not sensed that.
Draco remained silent. Then after a few moments where only the sound of their beating hearts were audible, Draco spoke.
" You know what she meant for me Lucian. You know that I would do anything I could if it meant she would come back. Even if I kill that m*th**cker Nemesis, it would do Liana no good. " He rammed both his hands on the table so hard and it cracked into instantly.
" She is gone Lucian. And we will have you find ways to live with that. "
Lucian took a deep breath.
" You know I am not at all like you. I am not going to make the same mistake that I did with Kiara. I am not going to give up. I am not going to stop till I find a way to bring Liana back, even if it means that it's my life that I need to give up. "
With that Lucian stormed out of the same window that he had come in from.
Draco watched him go in silence.
Then he nodded to himself,
" Even I would do the same Lucian. I swear I would do the same, if only Liana could come back. "
...
Lucian smiled as his sharp ears caught Draco's confessions.
He was waiting , just for that confirmation.
He went straight towards the cave where Nemesis was.
Nemesis was fast asleep when Lucian arrived. He stirred in his sleep as Lucian killed him,
" You little... How dare you sleep while I do everything. Do you think I am your labour? "
Nemesis hurriedly sat up and cleaned his face. He looked up at Lucian, rubbing his eyes,
" I am half dragon, Lucian, but I am also half human. I need my sleep. Besides, I didn't have anything to eat. My body is not perfectly functioning. "
Lucian threw something at him.
Nemesis lifted his head up to see an apple rolling over towards him. He picked it up and took a big bite. He was in the middle of chewing it when he suddenly stopped and looked at Lucian's face, who was smiling.
" Did you... Did you poison this? "
He was almost choking on the fruit as he vigorously shook it at Lucian.
" Finish eating that you little coward. Why would I need to poison you when I can rip your throat off with one finger... "
His claw was pointing right at Nemesis's jugular vein.
" Okay. Okay. I understand. Thank you for feeding me. " He immediately lifted his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
" So, where had you gone? Did you find a way out to persuade that Dragon Lord? "
Nemesis asked, chewing the apple.
Lucian rolled the Forbidden Pearl out from his pocket as it rolled towards Nemesis, just like the apple had done.
*********
Nemesis's POV- into the King's Den
I crept through the streets as unnoticeably as possible.I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Every passerby seemed to stare at me suspiciously, their eyes lingering on my features. I had to keep my head down and blend in with the crowds if I wanted to avoid drawing attention to myself.
The sounds of the marketplace filled my ears as I made my way towards the Royal palace. I could hear merchants shouting out their wares, the clinking of coins as they exchanged hands, and the flapping of wings as the dragons flew overhead. I looked around in awe. This world had always intrigued me. I remembered jumping around with my mother on the same streets when she was still alive. With her gone, I had given up on these light enjoyments that life had to offer.
I shool my head hard, trying to ignore the distractions and focus on my mission.
As I approached the palace gates, I spotted a group of guards came right in front of my path. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to think of a way past them. I couldn't afford to be caught now, not when I was so close to my goal.
"Hey you, halt!" One of the guards called out to me, pointing his spear in my direction.
I stopped in my tracks and turned to face him, trying to look as innocent as possible.
"What's your business here?" He demanded, his eyes scanning me suspiciously.
"I-I'm just a humble traveler," I stammered, hoping to convince him with my words.
The guard narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to me. "You don't look like any traveler I've seen before," he said, his tone growing more menacing.
I felt my heart sink as he reached for his weapon. I had no choice but to act fast. With a sudden burst of strength, I summoned my dragon fire and let out a powerful blast, sending the guards flying backwards.
I didn't waste a moment as I darted past the gates and into the palace. The halls were grand and opulent, filled with sparkling gems and intricate carvings. I followed the twists and turns, hoping to find my way ,straight to Draco's chamber.
I had to rely on my nose, bare instinct and the rough mental map that Lucian had narrated to me, back at the cave.
As I neared the door, I could hear the muffled voices of the guards outside. I took a deep breath and stepped forward, steeling myself for what was to come.
"Stop right there!" One of the guards shouted, drawing his sword.
I raised my hands in surrender, hoping to diffuse the situation. "I come in peace," I said, trying to sound as calm as possible.
The guards looked at each other uncertainly, but before they could make a move, the door to the King's chamber swung open. Draco himself stood before me, his piercing gaze scanning me from head to toe.
"You dared to come right inside my palace?
What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, his voice like thunder but it was barely above a whisper.
I swallowed nervously and took a step forward. "Your Majesty, I have come to speak with you," I said, hoping that he would hear me out.
Draco's expression changed slightly as he looked at me with a gaze that was more intense. "Speak then," he said, gesturing for me to enter.
With a sense of relief, I stepped inside the chamber, ready to make my case heard.
As I stood before Draco, I knew that I had to tread carefully.The wound that I had opened, was still raw.
"Your Majesty," I began, my voice steady despite the tension in the room. "I know that my actions may seem unforgivable, but please hear me out. I never intended to harm your human. She was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Draco's eyes blazed with anger as he stepped towards me. "You dare to speak of forgiveness after what you've done?" He snarled. "You conspired to kill your king. You are a traitor and a murderer, and you will pay for your crimes!"
I held up my hands in a gesture of peace again, trying to calm him down. "I understand that what I did was wrong," I said, my voice soft. "But please, let me explain my reasons for coming here.It might be beneficial for both you and I. It could be the only way you could bring your human back. "
Draco froze for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. "Bring Liana back? ," he repeated, his tone still filled with suspicion.
I took a deep breath and began to explain my true motives for seeking an audience with him. As I spoke, I could see the shock and anger in his eyes giving way to curiosity and interest.
"You seek to overthrow me and take my place as ruler of the Dragon realm," he said, his voice cold.
I nodded, not daring to look away from his gaze. "Yes, Your Majesty,I will not deny my actions. But you know it was for my mother, who was wronged by her own family."
Draco studied me for a long moment, his eyes unreadable. Finally, he spoke. "Why did you come here now? You talk about bringing Liana back. What is your gain here? Why did you risk your life to come and see me? "
I felt a surge of hope in my chest as I listened to his words. Perhaps there was a way for me to convince him easily.
"You know that my existence is against the law of the Dragon realm. Being like me have the indoctrination under the Divine Law and it forbids me from killing humans. "
Draco kept looking at me with his eyes fixed.
" We dragons cannot harm humans without any reason as well. It's highly not recommended. We need a good reason for that , otherwise we loose from our souls. What is new about that? "
I cleared my throat, " Ahem... Your Majesty, I know the rulings for Dragons but for Halflings like myself, the Divine Law is bound to search us out and end us. There is no place where I can hide, unless... "
Draco, kind of, was understanding my desperation, " unless...? " He asked.
" Unless we can correct our wrong. "
I added.
" And how exactly can a dead be brought back?"
I had hit his soft spot.
" Since, ahem, my original target was not the human but... Ahem... A dragon.... Ahem..... The human soul can be retrieved inexchange of that Dragon soul... Ahem... "
My coughs made it impossible for the statement to make sense and that was my motive. I didn't want him to kill me on the spot.
However, Draco came right for my throat.
" Scoundrel! You dare to come here and ask me to give up my life in pretex of some fake temptation? Do you think I am that naive? You son of a.... "
But he stopped before calling my mother names.
" Your Majesty... Your Majesty... " I was literally choking.
I struggled to pull the Forbidden Pearl out of my pocket but finally I was able to shove it in front of him.
I dropped on the ground as he snatched it from me and let go of my neck.
" What is this thing? " He asked, examining the stone intricately.
" It's... It's the Forbidden Pearl. The mythical stone that can bring the dead back. "
This time Draco's expressions were much more serious.