Chapter 6

Ruins of ancient Dracaenae enclave, Continent: Barat, the Year 2041, Planet: Grimoire

On one of the few days when he awoke early, neither Chester nor Firenze was to be found. "Where did those sneaky bastards slip off to?" Dekert roared. Uncaring that his vocal fury had awakened the entire encampment, he stomped toward the tent where the two men should've been sharing a watch.

"Glastos, Morrick!" Determined to locate them immediately, "Why didn't you check to see where they'd gone off to?" Dekert Jesso was always furious about not being able to pester Chester further about his research.

Glastos yawned. "Hell, if I know." He refused to let the crown prince rattle him. "All I remember is that they were keeping watch. Ask Morrick, Preston, and Carrow if you need to know. Those three were also on watch."

Dekert ground his teeth. "So where are they now?" he fumed, realizing that Glastos wouldn't be helpful at all.

Glastos shrugged. "Asleep, I imagine." He glanced to their left. "Well, they were. Now they're trying to understand what is going on." Glastos ducked back into his tent. "I'm too old to go traipsing around looking for two men who weren't even supposed to join this damn expedition."

Dekert was speechless with rage. He didn't reprimand Glastos since the veteran had survived this long due to expediency before loyalty. He was a mercenary first and a guard secondary. That was something that infuriated Dekert to no end. The man was also his bodyguard for the foreseeable future, which maddened Dekert. "Useless jerk." He turned to go speak with Morrick, Preston, and Carrow.

"Carrow," Dekert saw him first.

Carrow visibly stiffened upon hearing his name. He turned to stare at Dekert coldly. "I warned you this would happen." Carrow crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't go yelling in a forest like this. You know better." He lashed out at Dekert in a cutting voice.

"Oi, tone it down." Preston snapped. "We'll find the delinquents." He yawned. "Morrick has already gone after them. Either that or he sent a reliable tracker." He shook his head when Dekert glowered at all of them.

"Don't start a ruckus, your highness," Preston warned. "It is bad enough that you forced them to join us when they'd finished their terms as ambassadors."

Dekert hadn't cared about that. He'd only wanted the information that Chester dug up about Clarence Delarosa's link to an ancient Dracaena royal line. He'd wanted to use the man to breed strong dragon warriors. Besides, if Chester had yet to have further information, Dekert would've just sent him packing without hassle. Instead, he'd chosen to disappear so conveniently.

This wasn't the type of interference he appreciated right on the eve of discovering that dragon's hideout. It had to be around here somewhere. Dekert was seeing red because this timing was different from what he appreciated.

Especially when they'd almost nailed down where Clarence Delarosa was located. "Well, find them, and do it soon." Dekert snapped. "I don't want any of them getting away without severe punishment for desertion." He didn't care that it was beyond his authority. Dekert was just pissed that someone would be so bold as to steal what he considered his birthright.

*

The two brothers sighed, wholly aware that they were being watched but unable to do anything about it currently. While reluctant to offer more information, they knew trespassing on another's turf was bad manners, even if it was by mistake.

They also disliked the current topic.

"We're distant cousins," Chester informed him.

"I was removed from the registry until an idiot reinstated me, much to my dismay," Firenze muttered. "I still don't have any reason to remain in that psychotic prince's party."

Clarence's eyebrows rose. Wow, harsh but brutally truthful. Under any other circumstance, he would've enjoyed chatting with Firenze more. Clarence caught Chester's wince and sigh of reluctant agreement with his brother. So, they were telling the truth.

Firenze grumbled. "Therefore, I was going to take my leave." He angrily scowled and kicked a rock, watching it bounce off several trees and skidded across a frozen stream.

Unfortunately for both of us," Chester completed what Firenze left unfinished. "That before he hatched a harebrained scheme to capture and bred a retired dragon warrior whom he also claims is royalty." He sounded less than pleased about why they were stuck in this situation now.

Huh, there must be more than what met the eye regarding these circumstances. However, Clarence was more concerned with the warnings that someone else was wandering around. "I think you've got company." His low warning was overridden by Firenze's hiss.

"We have to get off the ground now!" There was a flurry of movement as the two men hastily leaped into the nearest trees.

Much to Clarence's admiration, neither of the men left tracks behind. Instead, they scattered bait to throw off their pursuer and make him or her believe they'd followed the stream to the south.

Clarence coughed when he heard that. Damn, so the crown prince must've dug through all the archaic records. Either that, or he had some unfortunate lackeys do the difficult work for him.

Chester sighed. "Sadly, if I'd known what a hassle would arise from looking through ancestral records of the griffin lineage, I wouldn't have done it."

Griffin lineage? Clarence frowned. "Are you two telling me that Jesso is one of those families descended from griffins?" If that was the case, no wonder he was drawn to the violet-eyed Chester.

Now, that was an unexpected complication. Pain seared through Clarence's left wrist with an unexpected sharpness. He looked around warily. What in the hell?

"Damn you, deserters, don't think you'll get away without severe punishment!" An unpleasantly familiar voice echoed in the forest. One of the guards noticed something was off and searched for Chester and Firenze. The amusing part? They were in the trees, sitting right over his head. So, how were they going to deal with the pursuit? Clarence wasn't going to do anything to assist them. If he did, it would expose his presence. Though no thanks to them, his hideout had already been leaked.