Ancient voice;(xulánthrakas)
The dragon of ice and fire roams the earth in search of a worthy soul to bestow his blessing of immortality and name, after a decade he found a man and he blessed him with strength and power to fight in wars, to kill beasts and to live forever, as this power passed from generation to generation, whoever had this powers could only die by the hands of his son, a son who possessed the birthmark of the dragon just like his father.
Xylanthrax was born a legend like his father before his father who was a legend, he killed his father after turning 90 years of age, he was respected, and fearless, and war was his playground for he always emerged the winner. He was known for his intelligence and love for his people. He listens to the cries of his people, he went to war and came back a conqueror but handled babies with care and affection. He was a king, a true king indeed.
"Impotent! You dare insult your king!!." Lord Raymond shouted heatedly. Of course as the right-hand man, and advisor of the king, he felt the insult was directed to him.
"I-im sorry Lord Raymond, but his majesty can not bear an heir, we have tried all we could."
Achilles was the best physician in the whole kingdom, but that doesn't mean his head was above the king's sword
"Let him be Ray. You may take your leave, Achilles." The king answered, Achilles, who appreciated his head on his neck, took a quick bow as he made a run for the chamber's door.
"But sire, he has committed a grave sin by-."
"He has committed no sin, I am not getting younger, I need an heir. Look for the witch of the West and bring her to me."
The king answered smoothly even when there was an underline frustration and annoyance in his tone, he still looked calm and calculated
Ancient voice; like wildfire, the news was everywhere, A great king who couldn't bear an heir. Was he cursed? Was he not destined to die like the rest of the kings? So many questions left unanswered.
"A child in exchange for your immortality."
Silence pierced all around the room as those words were spoken, such an abomination unheard of yet this witch was quick to offer.
"Such an abomination! Catastrophe!-."
"Quiet Raymond, speak when you are asked to."
"Yes, sire."
Xylanthrax looked at the witch, dressed in blue and white robe, her face hidden in the comfort of her brownish-blonde hair. He knew he had nothing to live for, he had achieved so much in his lifetime, but he wanted this, a child he could call his own, not holding children just to bless them, so losing his immortality to this was worth the chance.
"If this fails?."
"I guarantee you it won't, but if it does, then my life and that of the next generation after mine shall not live to tell this tale."
The witch responded.
"Proceed with it."
"But sire, there are consequences to this action, for you won't live till the child's 25th birthday, only if the child lives till that age."
"And what do you by only if the child lives till that age, do you think this is all a joke?"
The king was losing patience with all the conditions placed on the table, he understood he wasn't going to live forever so why is the kid's life still in danger?
"Sire, please do not allow your patience run dry, for I have a sister, a wicked one, The black witch. She eats the souls of those she feels do not belong to this world, although she's blind, she can only know of this information if your child comes out of the palace before her 25th birthday."
"But I won't be there to protect the child."
"Then your soul will."
The king sighs in exhaustion, this was more complicated than he thought it would be, but he wanted this. So with a simple nod of acceptance. It happened like a flashlight, the witch had slashed the king's wrist, taking a small amount of blood into a potion bottle.
"Bring forth the concubine who holds your heart." The witch says.
"Bring Aurelia in here." The king said as he looked at his wrist which was already healed.
Not knowing he had just created an enemy, someone whose eyes were on Aurelia, who had spent his time and resources making a ring that would fit in the hands of this maiden.
The witch had made some incantation, draining out the blessing of immortality from the king, after all had been said and done, the green-yellow-like potion was given to the maiden, who accepted and drank it.
Ancient voice; And the king got what he deserved: a child, born from immortality with a mark of the dragon, a daughter. A blessing indeed. But not every good was appreciated, evil awaits the perfect moment to appear.
10 years passed...
"Father, why do you look ugly in this robe?" A sweet little voice asked.
"Now, now that's not a nice thing to say Zinnia." Queen Aurelia warned the little 10-year-old.
"But mother I do not lie, he looks ugly in it." Her innocent eyes travel from both her parents.
The king couldn't help but laugh at his daughter's innocence, everytime he looked at her he was bewildered by her beauty, her smart tongue, her intelligence, bravery even now as she spoke. He quickly carries her from the floor, tickling her, adoring how her little laughter echoes in his chamber. He knew he would trade anything just for this experience, these 10 years had been the happiest he had been in his life, even if he knew he was dying bit by bit.
He intentionally told them not to cut her hair, the straight white locks dancing softly down her back, as a small kid she had an attractive long hair with deep blue eyes to match.
"Of course my darling. You would never lie to me." The king immediately calls his tailor to fix him a more suitable outfit just to please his little princess.
"Father, can I come with you today?."
"We talked about this, didn't we? When you get to the age of 25 you would go out of the palace walls." The king could see how much he was killing his little girl's spirit.
"I want friends." She whimpers sadly laying her head on her father's shoulder.
"You will have them at the right time."
While the king was there reassuring his little daughter, In an old hut far into the dark woods, stood two persons talking about how much chaos would exist once the king's most priceless possession is taken away from him.
"The king will leave by dawn for a meeting and he won't come back till midnight"
"This is our chance, that little abomination sees its end today."
The hoof-beats noise from the hooves of horses hitting the ground fiercely had the whole kingdom alert and disturbed 1. The news had reached the king that the princess had lost consciousness. And he had left the meeting halfway just so he could be with his daughter.
"Where is she!." The king's voice roared through the walls of the palace, it was enough to frighten his knights and pee his servants.
"She is on her way, sire," Raymond answered immediately. As the information had already reached the witch of the west and she was on her way to the castle.
The king's mind was in a state of confusion as he opened his chamber just to see the queen crying with the princess in her arms, he rushed out stretching his arms to collect the unconscious little girl, her lips dried and cracked while her skin was paler than usual. She felt lifeless in his arms and the king's heart broke as it reached out to her.
The chamber's doors were open as the witch made her way inside the chamber with a worried face
"How did this happen? She never left the palace walls." The king asked, still confused.
"Give her to me." The witch diverted the question, as she carefully collected the child from the king. She knew who did this, but she couldn't understand how, unless they were traitors in the palace, that's the only way this would have worked.
"My sister wasn't here, but she did this. What I don't understand is how, because my protection spells are yet to grow weak and in these 10 years it hasn't. Unless she used the body of someone already in the palace."
"But nobody can betray his majesty, knowing fully well what he gave up for our child." The queen said.
"Talking won't bring back my daughter, tell me what I must do."
"Find xulánthrakas and kill him, he has the antidote connected to his soul, kill him and bring it."
"xulánthrakas has not been seen for thousands of years, no one knows if the beast is dead or alive."
"If he was dead, his blessing on you should have died too, take this gem, it would lead you to his cave." Xylanthrax collected the white-like gem from the witch.
"And one more thing, do not eat, sleep, nor drink on your way in these 3 days, do not go with your armor, nor weapon, as a man with nothing he blessed you so shall you appear before him, and lastly do not go with you knights, be warn there are traitors who live among us."
The king understood this, he knew these were not just light warnings, before the sunset, he was already on his horse in ordinary clothing, nothing to represent his status as a king.
2 days in, he traveled far into the desert, watched his horse drink and eat from little breaks they took on greenfield, till he got to the mountain "Zon Everest" the coldest mountain ever existed, the gemstone began to glow brighter than usual as he made his way into the mountain, that when he found a cave, cold outside because of the heavy snow but hotter on the inside.
And that's when he saw it, the dragon, bigger than his kingdom altogether, the black dragon with a huge white gemstone in the middle of its head and heart, deep in sleep, the problem was how was he going to kill such a beast.
"Have you come for my soul already just like your father once did, son of Xylanthrax, blessed of my blood now no more." xulánthrakas growled before opening those pitch-black eyes to look at Xylanthrax. Xylanthrax felt like this creature could see through his soul, he felt like he just met his creator.
"I do not care who has to die for my daughter to live."
"Then be worthy of my soul child." xulánthrakas muttered. If Xylanthrax thought the serpent was huge when it was asleep well he didn't see this coming, the dragon was so gigantic that he appeared like an ant in the presence of this creature. The cave wasn't doing a good job holding the monster well because the walls came crashing down as the dragon stood. And all the king could think of at this moment was how to get the gem out of this creature's chest.
"And you think it's going to be easy to break the gem on my chest, you failed child."
Cope with the fact that this creature was already the biggest thing he had ever seen, it was still all-powerful and could read minds. Xylanthrax was afraid but nothing was more frightening then losing his daughter, he didn't notice how he got covered in flames, then it was pitch black, he couldn't see the dragon nor the cave, next he saw himself in the palace, just to witness the corpse of his daughter, the witch of the west wearing a disappointing frown.
"It's late, there's nothing we can do now, her soul has been eaten up entirely." The witch said.
Before Xylanthrax could ask what he just witnessed, the settings changed, his heart aches with so much pain to his friend, his right-hand man the queen committing the most disgusting sin on his throne.
"I can't help but laugh at the so-called king seeing him failed was really a sight to behold." Queen Aurelia smirked.
"Haha, he was always a fool, thinking he was a hero, trying to save everyone but today he has been proved wrong," Raymond answered while he caressed Aurelia's cheeks affectionately.
"I have missed you all these years, my Lord."
If Xylanthrax was shocked then he didn't expect what came next, Raymond had pulled out a knife and stabbed Aurelia, killing her cold-bloodedly, with no emotions, just pure hate, and madness coming from him.
"And you think I would believe you, my dear Aurelia, when you allowed him every night in your bed, like how he treats you like a queen, you were just one of his weaknesses and that's why you were used, my naive darling."
Dropping Aurelia's once living body on the floor, her blood all over the throne and on the floor, he saw how Raymond sat on the throne like a king.
"Guards!" Raymond called out.
"Y-yes Lord Raymond." One of the guards answered.
Raymond had been so pissed to be called a lord, that he killed the guard who had left the title king in his name.
"From today henceforth, I am your king and you would address me as such unless you want to end up like them." Xylanthrax could only look but couldn't do anything, as there was a force holding him in place, so he could just watch. So this was truly who Raymond was, a snake living under his roof.
"Kill the witch of the West, and send her head to black witch as a special invite and a token of my love for her."
Again the setting changed, and Xylanthrax saw his people killed, everything he had spent years building destroyed, he was no more their savior because he wasn't there to save them this time. He had failed them, everything turned black.
"Nothing would change your end child, they would all die and you would watch it all unfold." The voice of the beast was everywhere in the now pitch-black surrounding.
"No."
"No. No. That can't be the end of my legacy."
"I refuse to end in such pain, leaving my daughter. NEVER!"
The enveloping darkness disappeared revealing the dragon, Xylanthrax understood that he was only manipulated_the dragon didn't take it so well seeing that Xylanthrax overcame his mind tricks, breathing fire out of his mouth to smite his enemy turning everything into a charred husk. Not just fire, the dragon breathed out ice. Everything it touched turned stone ice.
All it took was being smart, Xylanthrax stopped his thoughts. stopped thinking, he just moved, breaking a block of spiky-looking ice. Aimed carefully at the beast's chest, using all the last bit of power in him, he knew he was going to die, but he wasn't going to die without trying.
Just one aimed shot…and the beast's cries were heard miles away, and the dragon started to whine.
"You are worthy to be called xulánthrakas, my blood."
Those were xulánthrakas words before his body vanished and there was the antidote…lotus flower.
Xylanthrax rode back home just in time for the potion to be prepared, nobody was allowed to leave the palace, most especially Raymond and Aurelia. Everyone was shocked by the king's appearance. He was weak, drained, and he kept coughing. He looked beaten up with injuries all over his body, most especially his left hand which was burned by the dragon flames.
The witch of the West gave the little princess the potion to drink and in less than a minute, the color of her skin came back, her dried lips were pink again and her eyes opened…
Ancient voice: Zinnia was crowned the queen on her 25th birthday, but Xylanthrax wasn't there to see his little princess grow, he died a month after Zinnia's recovery. Raymond and Aurelia were publicly disgraced, and executed in the middle of the castle, while their dead bodies were burned. The black witch was never seen again. Xylanthrax was seen as a true legend not because he lived to it but because of the love and sacrifice he displayed as a king and a father…that's why he is seen as a hero till date.
Zinnia's hero.
Thank you everyone for taking the time to read my work. Nice day ahead.