Death's Successor Completed.

Chapter twenty-two Enemies Gathered Shane's Pov

Shane recurved two messages from his link announcing Matthew and death himself would meet them at the Ashten Mountains. He frowned a few weeks passed since they left the capital city. The extreme heat caused Shane's link to malfunction. They were coming to the end of the random cold. The icy winds covered by the winter slowed, replacing them with cooler ones
The sound of snipping scissors echoed in his ears, hairs fell down, while Shane remained completely still. His sweaty neck became cooler without the cloud of hair covering half his back. The short hairstyle left his neck naked, but the spring brought out the subtle coolness which inhabited his body. He missed the clarity of taking the knowing root plant. His hands shook and cold sweats break out despite the heat.
Shane needed starlight, the dragon he tamed. She could recognise the signs of withdrawals. He rubbed his tired eyes, taking a drink from his waterskin.
Luminescent Harbour wasn't what he expected. Raw, clear quartz absorbed the moonbeams of the full moon. Everywhere they looked, the full moon bathed the harbour in supernatural light.

The crystals were used to provide power to everything in the harbour. Arthyen watched each of the enforcers carry around specialised made guns. In order to capture the wild Lurkers terrorizing people, the lurkers wandered around the town, but their numbers were lower than expected. ", we shouldn't remain on the streets. Our magical essence is drawing the attention of the unwanted variety." Shane said, eyeing off an armoured lurker in the distance. King followed his gaze. They settled in a nearby house. "My friend lets me stay in his second house during my visits." Shane poked at the wood provided. "So the boat will leave tonight?"
"The town has few supplies carry as much as you can, Shane," the king sat with a bubbling alcohol he gained from the kitchen, taking a drink of the burning liquid, "Worried about your son?" Shane asked. Concern reached his grey eyes.
"Like any father who worries about their children, being in the same harbour as the teenager makes me wish I could demand to see him. However, that would alert his prescience to the abyss queen."
"You're the king. You can demand anything." Shane said. He slumped against the armchair, his limbs shaking from the withdrawals of the knowing root. His head pounded, missing his usual consumption. Shane closed his eyes, hoping the darkness would ease the pain.
A dry chuckle escaped the man's lips. "Just because I am king doesn't mean every choice I make has consequences for different people or species. So, I cannot demand anything I want," Arthyen said.
His eyes darted outside to observe the storm. He removed the glacier bear's fur. He hoped his friend was comforting his son. The prince hated storms. Being twelve, he was still a kid.
"What happened to the queen?" Shane asked, breathless

"She passed away a few seasons ago. During a storm, the winter that year was changing the weather disasters, becoming more frequent as the dam in the capital burst that night. The city flooded." He cried, wondering if his wife was in a better place and her soul didn't get dragged into the underworld.
Shane squeezed his board shoulder, inhaling the scent of subtle lavender. Shane frowned. No stalks of lavender grew around the area, yet the smell lingered on the king's skin. He understood magic, but couldn't conjure the primal power himself.
"Sorry for your loss," Shane said.
He clutched his shaking hand. The king glanced at Shane. The wizard's eyes were puffy and bloodshot, the king made Shane lay down. "You need tea, my friend. You're going through withdrawal symptoms. Arthyen placed the metal kettle and boil the water. He cut rations of food, leaving Shane a bowel on the oak table nearby.
"I'm fine, your highness." Shane protested.
"How long have you partaken in knowing root?" the king asked.
Shane's gaze shifted to the strange clay statues the owner collected. His mouth went dry. He hoped nobody would ask.
"Six years, so before I left your service, I realised I had an addiction two years before I left the capital. I opened the dragon sanctuary in order to battle the addiction and give back to the world somehow."

The kettle whistled; he poured the tea into a cup. Heading out to get supplies, Shane watched the Lurkers move around the shimmering moonbeams. The harbour busied with life as the ferry returned to port. Shane hated the salty air and the water touching his skin. Leaving with dragon's helped him overcome his fear of fire. He wished Racheal felt the same.
Shane hoped the withdrawals would stop. He needed to be in peak shape in order to help the king convince the council of the Ashten Mountains. Shane drank the tea, adding herbs to soothe the pounding headache.
The king returned with the supplies they needed. His eyes laced with concern. "The market is packing up their stalls, fearing the night is dangerous. Soon nothing will come into the harbour."
"The ferry has arrived. The crew and workmen are on edge." Shane observed.
Shane removed the blankets and grabbed his travelling bag. He closed up the house, deciding to leave things as they were. "Are the home owners going to be angry? We left their shack trashed?"
"Provided they have a home to return to, I doubt they would care Arthyen." Shane replied. On board, they were welcomed by the first mate. The ferry was advance size, capable of sailing the obelisk sea and the unpredictable waters. The black waters remained calm on the surface, but Shane gazed at them, knowing something was burning beneath the surface. He knew the place as the serpent sea. Shane wondered how many dragons of the deep they would encounter on the trip. Even one would cause irreparable damage.