VEGAS

VI: The Dark King

"King of shadows, King of shades, Hades was the King of the Underworld."

~~~~

The twilight peeks at the horizon when the soldiers from Fontos and Oryn gather by the Palace's gates. Oryn soldiers wear deep red uniforms and cropped hair, which made it easy for them to pick up from the throng.

The two groups electing to pass through and camp well outside the borders and not linger in the town. They checked their belts, their tunics for their weapons such as swords.

They were heading back to the woods. The memory of fire that burned like a temper as if the leaping flames had a terrible anger toward the living world that night – stayed in their minds. The air from the mountain smells and tastes like bonfire while the horizon glows in pale ash beneath the smokey wind-dragged plume.

Almost half of the forest has turned to ashes leaving a jungle of charred stumps along with the small houses at the outskirts of the town.

"We must find Pete." Tankhun muttered. So afraid of the thought that he has lost Pete, that he has lost his brother. His thoughts are in a jumbled mess.

The fire has burned houses of his people, seared half of Oryn's source of life, killed a shedload of animals and soldiers, maybe even his brother died in the fire.

And that made his knees sunken to the ground, heaving in pools of prayers and tears to the gods. Hoping his brother is safe somewhere and alive.

Pete watched as Porsche pushed the wooden railings of the window to the side, peeking through the darkness outside the brothel. Porsche promised to help Pete escape before the first ray of sunlight scattered through the night sky.

"We can't leave." Porsche whispered, hiding back from the window looking at Pete.

"Why not?" Pete asked, eyes looking at the dark brown ones of Porsche's.

"The Alpha of the new owner is outside, keeping watch."

That made Pete let out a deep sigh. The Courtesan head didn't let him go that night even after informing him about his heat. And he needs to rest, so instead of sneaking out, Pete and Porsche decided to carry out their plan before dawn.

"If it's just him, I can fight him off."

Pete stood up, peering out the window slightly trying to take a short glimpse of the height of the window to the ground. The Alpha is sitting a few feet away from them sipping wine.

"Are you certain you can fight him?" Porsche whispered and Pete gave him a nod.

But Pete froze when he saw a distortion of flames dancing in the horizon. It was torches from the street that burned so brightly – torches carried by soldiers. Some are walking and some are on horses pulling a carriage.

A man in an expensive looking clothing stepped out of a carriage, meeting the Alpha and the owner of the brothel.

"Good sir." Tay greeted in a honeyed-sweet voice, doing a curtsy in front of the man. "What brings you to my humble inn?"

His voice seems excited, of course who wouldn't be? A madame wanted customers and seeing the right hand man of the King this early in the morning in front of his brothel is what he truly wanted. Not expected, but still more than he could ask for.

"The King wanted some entertainment tonight. We need to take some for the King himself and the Nobles." The Knight answered.

"Of course." Tay clapped his hands. "This way, good Sir."

It didn't take that long when a group of men barged in and dragged both Porsche and Pete out of the room. They pushed them to stand in a line of Omegas in front of the Knight and other Palace's soldiers.