39 The King of Parthun Arrives

The king dismounts and rests his hand on the hilt of his sword. His stern demeanor is framed by long, graying hair, and wrinkles that mark decades of commanding a kingdom.

I've only met him once when I was first assigned to safeguard Parthun. I swore both my fealty and my head, yet he didn't say a single word to me then. Now his towering presence overshadows me once again.

First king of Parthun, Marcus Verner shakes his head at my pitiful sight.

"Stand."

I obey. The invisible shackles that bind me to his will compels me to my feet. Even at my full height, he stands a full two heads taller.

Headmaster Anora told me King Marcus was a warrior before becoming who he is now. In his prime, the very presence of his colossal figure was enough to strike fear in his foes. He could probably give orcs a run for their money.

"King Marcus, Your Majesty… I wasn't expecting you." I speak softly, hoping not to draw his ire.

"Farrowghast," he begins with my last name. "I trusted you to protect my precious Parthun. Yet I see here, you have gathered an army of demihumans at its border."

"I-I have. But it's not what it looks like— I'm only sheltering them from the creatures emerging from the towers!" I swallow hard coming up with a suitable response.

He glances at the orcs and kobolds at the ground, and then at the human women who have come to witness the commotion.

Semyon grimaces at the sight. "What degenerate mockery of humanity is this? Aren't these the women who were taken captive by the demihumans?"

"Let them go!"

Ana tosses a stone that clatters off a knight's breastplate. They retaliate in kind, drawing their weapons at the unarmed women. Seeing their women in danger causes the orcs to struggle against their restraints.

"Look at them. Prolonged captivity with these foul creatures has left the women sympathizing with their captors." The magistrate spits on one of the orcs.

At this rate, both the kobolds and orcs are going to be killed. All my efforts will have been for nothing.

I drop down to my knees but this time of my own volition. "King Marcus, I beg you! They mean no harm, they seek only refuge. I haven't forsaken my loyalty to Parthun— to its people or you."

I keep my head to the ground, and only see Semyon's feet move closer to the king. I'm able to hear him whisper in his cocky and callous tone.

"These monsters are what have been kidnapping Parthun's citizens. We can end their reign of terror here. The witch claims to protect us, but because of her incompetence, we lost nearly a hundred soldiers that were sent here."

Semyon continues to feed lies until King Marcus raises a hand to silence him. I can only imagine he's made up his mind on what to do.

What more can I say that will save everyone? Was my first mistake helping the demihumans to begin with? I just want everyone to be able to live in harmony.

The footfalls of almost a hundred beings approach behind me. The knights, Semyon, and even King Marcus are taken aback. All of the orcs, kobolds, and even the harpies descend from the tree to kneel alongside me.

"What is the meaning of this?" Semyon demands. "Soldiers, form a line. Prepare to defend your king! Be careful of a second witch—"

"Belay that order."

To my astonishment, it is King Marcus who commands the army to stop. An open palm drops into my sightline. Before I can take his hand, he's pulled away by the knights. A shrill scream echoes across the forest.

"Dragon!"

A massive reptilian beast of shimmering red scales dives into the clearing, scattering both demihumans and soldiers alike. Fire surges from its mouth directly at the king and his men.

"Ventus vas o'rea!" The blast of wind connects in time to save them, but the flames batter the abundant kindling around the forest. "Adias sleuth."

The flames are quenched, stifled into a single ball of fire I throw back at the dragon. It does nothing but extinguish against its metallic chest.

"A dragon at a time like this… wait a minute… a dragon is filled with valuable ingredients. This is my chance! Rio, attack!"

My familiar launches from the ground at breakneck speed and slams into the dragon. He knocks it back, but there's little damage from the impact despite Rio's increased strength.

The harpy sisters shoot into the air, clawing at the dragon, but succeeding to be little more than pests in its face. It curls up in the air, and then whips its tail around in a circle, swatting Red and Green from the sky. Blue swoops Rio away just as the dragon's enormous jaws snap down on them.

Think, Ellori. How the hell do you kill a dragon? Not only are they high in magic resistance, they are incredibly resilient to physical attacks.

Right now, most of us are sitting ducks. I'm the only one with the capacity to cast spells, and Rio and the harpies are the only ones who can engage in midair. If only I had Eudora's power, the way she used her blood to—

Wait… pride.

Deep inside me dwells necromantic magic; magic resistance means nothing to mortis spells. But how do I use it?

"Mistress!"

Gurk shoves me out of the way as large claws clench around him.

"No! Give him back!"

I grab a handful of magic crystals from my pocket.

"Thundra vas— " I stop short of incanting the spell lest I wish to kill Gurk. "Damn it."

The knights and soldiers have foolishly formed a defensive perimeter around the king. They're going to get slaughtered if they stay like that— one breath of fire is all it takes to turn them into charcoal.

Red and blue have recovered enough and fly to my side. Their injury gives me an idea. I hand them each an elixir of strength to drink, and entrust two more to them.

"Give one to Gurk and Red. Hurry!"

Clem and Luugen hustle over and ask to be of help.

"We need to ground the dragon, but I don't have rope large enough to entangle something so large. Maybe…" My eyes fall on the plot of anoragrathi nestled in the ground. "Pull as many of the tentacle plants up as you can and bring them to me."

The orcs are too strong to be immobilized by the anoragrathi. They can rip the plants out without getting stuck.

Meanwhile, Rio and the harpies are giving the dragon a run for its money now that they've been strengthened. Though, despite the increased strength, they're still no match for it.

The orcs return with a plant in each hand. I'm in awe at how long they are, extending all the way here from the plot and have yet to be uprooted.

"Wait for my signal." I tell them, and then I look up. "Lure it here!"

The harpies break away, letting Rio batter the dragon to catch its attention. Gurk is able to free himself from its clutches and is safely brought to the ground by Red. The dragon unleashes a deafening roar before dive bombing my familiar.

"Now!"

Clem and Luugen hoist the tentacles into the air, the plant-like appendages latch onto the dragon, coiling around its massive body. It's dragged across the dirt. The other orcs and kobolds rush in, pulling taut the tentacles to keep it grounded.

They won't be able to hold it for long. I have to do something before it breaks free.

I push my staff under the dragon's scale at the base of its neck. "Mortis vas o'rea."

Something else spills out. A dark mist drifts from my body and skitters from my arms and onto the staff before seeping into the dragon. The giant beast doesn't even make a noise before it ceases struggling.

We managed to slay the dragon.

The orcs and kobolds cheer. Rio doesn't hesitate to start tearing off scales to get to its flesh.

I fall back onto my butt, more mentally exhausted than anything else. Judging by the size of this dragon, it was only an adolescent. How many more exists because of the tower, and how many are adults or even ancient dragons?

"Your Majesty, come back. It's too dangerous!" Semyon calls vainly to the king who is coming my way.

He helps me to my feet, and procures a handkerchief to wipe away the sweat on my face.

"Your Majesty?"

"1324." Everyone stares at the king, dumbfounded by the numbers spoken. He repeats again, "1324 is the number of lives from Durai to Morane that have been saved because we evacuated them. And we almost lost those lives because of a certain man's insistence in ignoring your warning. Today, you have saved us yet again. Thank you, Farrowghast."

***

With the dragon dead, and the tensions between the demihumans and Parthun's army temporarily quelled, King Marcus has asked to speak with me alone.

I offer him snacks and tea, but he touches neither. "Thank you, King Marcus, for seeing reason. I—"

"I do not trust your kind. The blood of witch hunters flows within my veins, but those are a time long past now. The reason I wanted to speak is because I only just learned that there was a second witch from my High Magistrate. Do you mind explaining?"

He speaks with genuine confusion. Of course, he's confused. He was never told precisely because Mira's coming here was a secret to everyone.

"My colleague, Miracella, was sent directly from Randover by our Headmaster. She was to assist me in finding Eudora Faust."

"Without informing anyone, even the King of Parthun? I know how the Council of Kings operates because I am a cautious man. Two witches on the run is grounds for the council to invoke the Rite of Cleansing." He finally puts a hand around the cup and drinks. "If that happens, they will occupy my lands while they search for your witches."

"But why would they..."

A wave of dizziness strikes me as I slip into thought.

Everything is beginning to make sense.

I silently order Rio to leave the house. As soon as he's gone, I procure the soul stone for King Marcus to see.

"You have a right to be cautious. I think Headmaster Anora has her eyes set on seizing Parthun. This," I hold up the smooth, purple stone, "is what she is looking for, and the Weeping Expanse is rife with others like it."

He appears almost insulted. "My Kingdom is to be beset by vultures seeking murky crystals?"

"These are soul stones, Your Majesty. Priceless to a witch, and an abundance that could embolden them into igniting another war."

"Then could we not warn the Council of Kings of Anora's treachery?"

I shake my head. "Headmaster herself is being considered for a seat on the council. They won't listen to a lowly witch like me. They also seem more inclined to curry favor with her after she gave them Randover and Saquin."

King Marcus sucks in a deep breath and shuts his eyes.

I have to hand it to Headmaster Anora. She's set up an ingenious plan to propel herself to the top. Mira and Eudora were pawns to gift the council rich lands. That favor is returned with a seat on the most powerful organization in the continent.

They don't know that they're playing right into her hands. She wants Parthun as a staging area for the next Crimson Wars. If she takes that seat and claims the forest's many soul stones, we may yet see an even bloodier war— one that could spell the end of Witchcraft entirely, or establish our kind at the top of the food chain.

"Farrowghast, I see that you are not keen on your Headmaster's schemes. Is your desire to protect Parthun genuine?"

"Yes, Your Majesty! It is my home as well and, if you will allow it, I want nothing more than to follow through with my oath."

He exhales a quivering breath. If there was a smile in that perpetual frown of his, the slightly raised corners of his moustache was it. "We can find no allies in the Council of Kings nor in the Witch's Academy. You are our only hope. I implore you to resolve this and save Parthun.

***

Easier said than done.

My grandstanding means nothing if I can't back it up. I'm but one witch. I already have to tread a careful line with the Headmaster checking on me through my familiar.

Mira and I are at a disadvantage, sandwiched between two factions— Headmaster Anora and the Council of Kings on one side, and Eudora on the other.

I never gave any thought to where Eudora fit into all this. Did I come to the same conclusion as her? Has she been trying to stop the Headmaster?

I watch King Marcus and his army leave from my window. He's allowed me free reign to do as I please, that includes letting the demihumans establish a settlement near the border. I suspect there are much larger problems for him to deal with, such as preparing for a possible invasion.

The problems just keep piling up.

At the moment, Headmaster's plans are on hold so long as I report nothing and act as usual. But what's to say she won't use me as the third sacrificial lamb just as she used Mira and Eudora? She may give the council cause to finally invoke a witch's worst nightmare.

The Rite of Cleansing. An order of heroic knights descended from witch hunters whose craft has only sharpened as time went by.

No, that's too optimistic. I will have to prepare for that eventuality.

When they come, both Parthun and the Weeping Expanse will no doubt be bathed in blood.