Chapter 48

-Leigaroun- the capital of Taramus kingdom.

Sounds of steps echoed over the throne hall. Great stone sculptures surrounded the path to the throne. A throne made of Topaz stone glowed inside the hazel eyes of Betria. He scuffed and glared to the ground for a while, then rolled his eyes away laughed loudly, the much loud that made him bent and kneeled on one knee, his voice changed to a thicker noise. No laughter, but whipping. His tears rained down on the floor. His fist tightened and clenched.

"I will show them who deserves this throne, the real power of this kingdom is on my hand", he whispered.

"Rise the great son of Taramus, you made the best decision", consult Tarun claimed.

"Why are you here?" although he was listening to him still couldn't trust a wizard, especially a wicked and mysterious one.

"You may hear about the station and the armory, I'm here to tell your majesty, anyways we didn't need them", sneered with satisfied, opened his hand wide open and stepped across him, "we got more warriors last night, your majesty".

"You are happy that we lost retardant technology, aren't you?"

"I am not happy, but we know yet".

Betria nodded and walked to the throne that belonged to him for now, scaled up. Touched its elbow, it was an engraved symbol of a dragon, he turned and had his seat.

"We sustained huge damage, but you are talking about the number an army with no brain or the gift of making a decision, by the Guard of them our enemy entered simply", he shouted the last words to emphasize that he is comparing a gracious technology made by rich brains with a bunch of brainless demons.

Tarun didn't expect that tone of his voice. He was more heedless in talking about such a matter while even the kids in the street knew that Betria loves and care about technology.

"Take care of the rest as if you ever did for your eyes, whether they had exploded the central building and we got 80 percent of unforgivable loss", he ordered that seriously not just a simple request it was.

"Yes, your majesty as you command", he sounded to be more careful this time.

"How many more did we get?" Betria asked, but he thought, "Lug with that level of pride dared to send us such a stupid army".

"More than five thousand of new forces".

"So we got twelve thousand totally".

"Yes, my lord".

"How many arms my father had gotten already?" his voice thickened this time.

"Around three thousand with him and about two thousand prisoned here".

"Too less to stand against us, do you have any news from Elendeer I'm so curious to know, where is he now?" Betria with a heavy heart and a lower tone said.

"I'm afraid to say that, but we have no news of him", he clenched his jaw the wizard never liked Elendeer and anytime the prince asked about him, he could feel how disgusted the wizard is.

"Never underestimate my father, he would find a way through gates so be watchful to catch them, I want Elendeer all alive without a scratch". As the new king commanded, at the edge of the wizard's mouth tightened, he was looking for a solution to kill Elendeer no longer, but now the new order was to bring him back alive.

Betria barely knew about the gates through history books and Lug but needed to know where they are or how have worked since then.

"My lord, would you prefer to survey at the provided army?"

"Let's go, show me what you got".

*

The new king of Leigaroun exited out to the backward of the castle where the pillars were covered by dried splashed blood. The fetid smell of their existence made him cover his noise but the edges of his sleeve.

"What are those?" he pointed out to the new army of Cerace.

"The black cloaks called them Cerace", the consult answered.

"They all seem disgusting! This scent!" he didn't like them and intended to send them back to Lug afterward to make sure Taramus clean air won't change more than that. He looked up where the red clouds over the gate roared. Thunderbolt hit the red fire type gate. It looked very scary and trembled Betria's heart for a moment in order watching that only, what if they wouldn't leave their home and take the whole Taramus?

He turned to Tarun and mumbled, "Clean up here by yourself after we achieved all we wanted".

The armies were lined up in orderly queues, the black cloak demons whipped the lashes to control them not to exceed and harm the new king. He had no guts to glare into their red eyes, somehow his body weakened, and hardly could breathe. There was something beyond the darkness within them, he felt they want to slave his soul, but shoved them away because recently he was suspicious toward every single person.

He walked back and left there during taking his leave said, "Release the prisoners after triple full moons, my sister won't hide when her people are in pain".

*

Betria had plotted another nasty plan to catch his sister. He couldn't let her be freed and gather more allies. He strode through the corridor on the third floor of the castle for a moment stopped in the balcony that he could see the city. It was destitute, no citizen walked around, but Chimeras roaring dreadfully.

"Do you think a king must bring fear to his people and unload his mental pain on their head?"

The soft voice of a woman echoed behind him.

"Mother! I was about to meet you".

"Why are you doing this to our people?" now she was right beside him, a tall woman with gray wavy hair downed on her shoulder. Her eyes right the color of her son.

"You and my father always prefer her rather than me".

"A real king can't bear to see his people in sorrow, you still have time to destroy that army they won't be loyal to you, did you see their eyes? Nothing can control their greed".

"What if I do that? Would you stand by my side?"

The queen had no answer for him. He was too naive and simply trusted a traitor.

"Stand by me then I'll promise not to kill Tamina", his voice turned roughly thick full of hatred,

"How can you be…" she couldn't bury her emotion anymore, tears rolled down on her cheek and broke her spite. No longer his son transferred to a devil and a cruel one.

"Butler, bring the queen to his chamber". An old man who was stood in distance came along, bowed to the queen gently, and asked her to follow him.

As she left Betria whispered, "that's hard for them to trust me if they would I …" he swallowed the rest and clenched his fist, "this is all about her power…" then swiftly left.