The King's Gamma (#Wattys2024)

Thirteen

I stepped out of the cave with them in tow, the steam still bellowing out from the bowels of the cave. Several hundred lizard people watched me with haunted eyes, afraid after watching me eat the leviathan piece by piece, leaving the innards and bones to sink to the dark depths of the water.

We found Xena, of course, torn to shreds by the teeth of the leviathan before she was swallowed.

The exiled dragons had sent messengers home, saying that they were being held captive by the 'Leviathan Eater' as they had dubbed me as they had been sworn death upon them should they tell any that I was of Celestial blood. My mere existence was still secret to most of the Draconian Empire as far as my knowledge went and I was not one to wish it changed. And luckily the exiled had near no-one to tell.

But word spreads.

Xena had used the babes as gifts to the other dragons over the years, and the dragons agreed to return the children.

They were merely used as maids and servants, raised as servant's children.

And they were all unharmed.

I sat down on a rock several feet from them, watching as the steam slowly subsided and they watched me as I sat calmly. I was strangely full still even after five hours of waiting when both their cavalries and my brother along with the clans arrived. They glared at each-other while my mind was preoccupied by the fact that a few pieces of leviathan kept me full for much longer than a ten course meal.

My head turned towards the sound of a dragon's roar. The dragon clan was near ready to rip into the lizard men and the exiled ones as they roared and hissed at one another.

"What are you sacks of scales doing?" I asked as I tilted my head, looking at them with curiosity.

"Macey!" I heard Bellamy saying as my head was suddenly gripped in his large hands. "You finally responded."

"Get your hands off me, you giant suck-up." I stood up and pushed past him. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"Advisor King, are they the ones taking the Bear Clansmen cubs?" The leader of the Draconian clan asked.

"No. They were not at fault. They were told the children were offered for them to use as they wished." I glanced Deimios who stood at the forefront of the exiled, his smile cocky as he watched me reprimand another Draconian.

"Advisor King, did you find the children, then?" The Bear clan leader asked as he eyed Deimios as well.

Deimios' silver eyes turned to me. "Advisor?"

"As I have explained to all of you, I am of both Draconian and Wolf blood. My father was once the third highest ranked under the king. I went to compete for the status with my cousins and was promoted to advisor instead."

"Promoted?" He smirked, the other exiles frowned.

"In a manner of speaking. I have a deal with my grandfather that says that neither of us may acknowledge each other as family unless a certain event transpires."

"That sounds interesting..."

"And you will not find out what that event is, Deimios. So drop the idiotic 'I-will-charm-it-out-of-you' smile and tell me where the children are."

They stepped aside as several bear children of several ages stepped through, some carrying babes and others looking around before their eyes landed on the Bear Clansmen.

"You owe me five roasted boars." I told the leader as he himself stared at the children they had before them.

I held my hand out towards him, awaiting the boars, when I felt my hand starting to morph on its own. My eyes moved towards my hand that felt as though it was morphing, seeing my skin harden slightly. I watched as the same happened to my arm all the way up to my shoulder and neck, moving over to the other side of my body. I felt my muscles tighten before my body lengthened and grew taller.