MakiaVi: The Frozen King - Chapter Ten (Patreon)

 
Edion and his friends flew for two days before the peak of Mount Denkeen came into sight. It was one of the tallest mountains in all of Dreven. “We have to fly low from here on.” Edion said. “They will spot us otherwise.” They all nodded and dropped down several hundred feet to where they could touch the tips of the tallest trees. They traveled until they reached the base of Mount Denkeen. The team flew up the side of the mountain, attempting to stay as close as possible. After a while, a thick fog blocked their vision. They all slowed down to dodge the cliffs that protruded from the mountainside. 
“This is just like when we snuck out of the MakiaVi.” Zan whispered to Bellatrix. 
Her eyes did not break focus from the cliffs. “It’s a bit more challenging this time. Pay attention!” 
Zan just cruised along with his eyes locked on Bellatrix. “Come on it’s not that hard. I bet I could do this backwards if I wanted to.” Bellatrix saw a large cliff appear out of the fog above Zan. 
She darted over and pushed him out of the way. “I told you to pay attention!”
Zan tried to compose himself from the near miss. “Th- thanks. That was a clo-” Zan’s eyes widened as he stared at the cliff behind Bellatrix.
“What now? Did you find a shiny rock or some-?” Bellatrix froze as she turned to view the cliff. She put her hands over her mouth as a look of pure terror spread across her face. Bellatrix screamed at the top of her lungs. The cry echoed throughout the mountains. 
“What’s going on?” Edion said looking back at Bellatrix. He saw that the cliff that she was next to was covered in corpses. Each of them had words carved into their chests. “Traitor” “Thief” and “Coward” were only a few. Some were fresh where others had decomposed significantly. 
A look of disgust decorated Riza’s face as she surveyed the grisly scene. “What the hell happened here?” 
“This is how we execute criminals in Xarada.” Edion said. “They are thrown off of the side of the mountain after having the viren drained from them.”
“That’s awful.” Riza responded.
“It’s tradition. If you manage to survive, your sentence is dropped down to exile.” 
He turned to look at Crea and Serada, both of them visibly shaking. Tears ran down Serada’s face as she pointed to one of the bodies. “Kulon.” She whispered. Edion looked down to see his brother lying on top of pile. No words were carved into his body. His lifeless eyes stared off into the distance. They all flew somberly to his side. Kulon’s body was covered deep cuts. Most of his ribs stuck out of his chest. They were most likely broken by the impact of the fall.
“How could he.” Crea mumbled. “Kulon was the favorite. I thought he would never-” Crea fought to hold back the tears.
Edion lifted his brother’s head onto his lap and put his hand over Kulon’s eyes to close them. Edion breathed over his brother and encased Kulon’s body in ice. “Crea. Serada. Help me with him.”
The girls wiped their tears and lifted the coffin off of the pile and to the edge of the cliff. Edion bowed his head before his brother’s body before speaking. “Born of the ice and through ice we die. Into your arms, we all must fly. Friends and family do not cry. For in her home, I shall forever lie.” The three of them lifted the coffin and pushed it over the edge. It fell through the fog for a few seconds and made a faint crash that echoed throughout the mountains. 
Riza embraced Edion as he knelt at the edge. “We will avenge him. I swear to you we will.” 
There was a burning energy brewing in Edion’s chest. His heart was replaced with a fierce sun, ready to explode. His blood burned his insides. Edion stood up and broke away from Riza. He clenched his fists as he looked up at the rest of the mountain. Edion bent his knees and with strength he had, flew into the sky with lightning speed. The cliff they stood on crumbled behind him as everyone else scattered to evade the debris he left behind. An earth shattering scream came from Edion as he destroyed every bolder in his way. Each obstacle crumbled before him in a flurry of punches. 
He fought his way straight to the top where he saw more executions ready to take place at the edge of the city. A crowd of people stood behind a fence as the prisoners were walked towards the cliff. The king sat upon a slightly raised throne with his remaining sons and daughters sitting on pillows next to him. They all froze once Edion appeared before them. 
The king slowly applauded. “Bravo. I must say, I never expected you to ever come back. How is your mother? Rotting in the ground I hope.” 
Edion shot Kardon a furious look. “Why? Why did you do it?” 
The king gave Edion a smug grin. “You are going to have to be a bit more specific than that.”
Edion summoned his gauntlets. His teal eyes pierced straight through the king. “Don’t toy with me! You know exactly what I mean. Why did you kill Kulon? How could you murder your own son?” Edion’s words rang through the air as the crowd began to murmur. 
The king stood from his chair. “I have been too lenient. After you got away, your sisters thought they would take a run at it. Examples had to be made before even more decided to flee.” 
Edion gritted his teeth. “You killed your own son just to prove a point!?” 
The king scoffed at Edion’s question. “Of course not. Weakness is a disease that infects this miserable land and your mother was the carrier. Her notions of mercy and patience have softened the people. Now I must cleanse the land of anyone unworthy to stand upon it. You are just in time to see me weed out a few more.” Edion looked over to see Brakon and Amaria kneeling with the other prisoners. They were covered in cuts and bruises. Their hands were tied behind their backs. “Unless you think you can stop me boy.” Kardon said. Brakon looked up to Edion and shook his head in protest. 
Edion grimaced as he pointed to his father. “Kardon! Under the laws of our ancestors, I challenge you to DrekVikal.” The crowd muttered amongst themselves at Edion’s words. 
Kardon smiled. “It that so? Does anyone support this challenge?”
“We do!” Crea and Serada flew into view of the king. 
Kardon let out a chuckle as he looked at his daughters. “So you two managed to survive after all. Sorry to disappoint you but the challenge must have the support of a current member of the royal family. An exiled prince and two disgraced princesses hardly count.” 
“I support Edion for the throne!” Everyone turned to see prince Edaro with his hand raised high in the air. He was the third oldest son after Kulon and Edion. Both his hair and his scales were a deep shade of blue. He wore a blue doublet with silver trim. “Should he fail, my life is forfeit as well.” The crowd now shifted to a loud clamor. 
Kardon struggled to speak over them all. “Edaro. You dare wager against me?”
“I do. After Kulon’s death, I could not continue to stand idly by as you run our kingdom into the ground. If I had any doubt Crea would reach Edion, I would have challenged you myself long ago.” 
As Kardon grumbled, the crowd was in an uproar over the display. A fierce chant possessed the crows. “Ed-i-on! Ed-i-on! Ed-i-on!” 
Kardon let out a roar to stop the noise. He angrily tapped his claws against his chair as he looked at Edion. “Fine! You shall have your duel at dawn. Until then, I’ll be keeping your friends in the dungeon. We can’t have you running off this time.” Kardon snapped his fingers and a squad of royal guards flew into the air towards Edion’s team. They readied their weapons in response.
“Don’t!” Edion yelled to his friends. Reluctantly, they put their hands up and were seized by the guards. Edion glared at his father. “If I see so much as a scratch on any of them, I swear-”
“They will not be harmed, yet.” The king grinned as he spoke. “I want them fresh and ready to watch you die in the morning. As a show of good faith, I’ll even let one stay with you.” 
Riza broke her hand away from the guard’s grasp and raised it in the air “I will!”
Kardon’s face twisted in disgust as he looked at Riza. “What the hell is that?” He said as he scanned Riza’s combination of fur and scales. “Such a hideous creature has no place in my castle.” Riza gritted her teeth at the insult. 
Edion just grinned to his father. “Then we will not stay in the castle. It won’t be yours much longer anyway.” Kardon grumbled as he signaled for the guard to release Riza. Once free, she flew by Edion’s side.
“We meet at the sacred battleground at dawn.” The king said. “You still know where it is do you not?” 
“It’s where you will be buried.” Edion said. 
The king scoffed at his son’s threat. With a wave of his hand, everyone else was taken away. A carriage came for Kardon and the rest of the royal family. They rode off towards the palace with an entourage of royal guards in front and behind them.
As Edion and Riza landed, they were quickly surrounded by the crowd of citizens. They all cheered for Edion’s return. Many of them shook his hand and embraced him. The ones that could reach him, patted him on the back while others reached out towards him. This was the home he remembered. Hopefully, he would be able to enjoy it once more.
Once the cheers died down, one of the citizens spoke to Edion. “You need a place to stay right? Please spend the night at my home. My children would love to hear stories of the MakiaVi.” 
Just as he finished speaking, another shouted to them. “No you must stay at my inn. It would be an honor to cater to a member of the royal family.” The crowd started shouting over who Edion and Riza would stay with. They would soon turn violent if they were not stopped.
A boisterous voice pierced through the fighting. “They boy will stay with me.” The crowd turned to see a large female dragon with light blue scales. She had black hair with strands of gray poking through. She wore a simple dress covered in a white apron and had a baby swaddled up in cloth attached to her back. “Remember me?” She asked as she smiled at Edion.
Edion’s face lit up. As he ran towards her. “Seza!” He jumped into her arms.
Seza smiled. “It’s good to see you too baby. How long has it been?”
“Too long!” 
Riza approached them with her brow furrowed. “Edion, who is this?”
Edion turned and gestured to the woman. “This is Seza. When I was growing up, she would take care of me and my siblings when my parents were busy.” Edion gestured to Riza. “Seza, this is Riza. I met her during one of my missions for the MakiaVi.” 
Riza gave Seza a bow. “A pleasure to meet you madam.” 
Seza scanned Riza and gave her a big smile. “Such manners. My, who would have thought Edion would bring home such a beautiful woman.” Riza blushed at her words. “You two must tell me more of your adventures over a cup of tea. Follow me.” 
They walked through the streets of Xarada and were followed closely by the large crowd. As they walked, Edion noticed Riza’s posture was straighter than usual. She could have almost passed for a noblewoman. Each of the houses in the district were made of stones fused together by ice. As they walked, people would peek out of their homes to wave at Edion. Some even offered him small gifts. By the time the reached Seza’s house, the crowd had almost doubled in size. Her home was a simple two story building that had a group of children playing in the yard with many more peeking out of the windows. The back of the house connected to the mountain side. 
Riza attempted to silently count all of the little ones that inhabited Seza’s home. “By the gods, they all can’t be your children can they?” 
Seza let out a hearty laugh. “No child. All of mine are grown now. I just run a daycare for the townspeople. A few of my children do help out here though.” 
Riza continued to scan the building in awe. “I have never seen so many children in my life.” 
Seza raised her eyebrow a bit. “Did you leave home before your siblings hatched?” 
“I actually don’t have any siblings. Since my mother is a fox, I did not come from an egg.” 
Seza’s face lit up in excitement. “How interesting! That would explain all the fur.” Seza opened the door to her house. It was a chaotic scene with children running all about with a few of the larger ones flying overhead. Edion and Riza struggled to keep up with Seza as she effortlessly strode across the room, dodging the children that crossed her path. They walked to a small table with four wooden chairs around it. As they took their seats, a male dragon about the same age as Edion came up and gave a small bow. 
He wore a simple brown tunic and shared Seza’s blue scales and black hair. “Welcome. I am Sekan. Shall I get you anything?”
“I want you to bring out three slices of that apple pie from this morning.” Seza said. “What will you two be having?” She let out a boisterous laugh as she banged her hand on the table. Edion joined her while Riza just gave a small grin. “Brew some black tea as well.” Seza said. “It’s your favorite isn't Edion?” Edion smiled and nodded. Sekan strode towards the kitchen.
“You remember after all these years.” Edion said. 
Seza tapped a claw to her forehead. “I may be old but this mind is a steel trap. I still remember when I cared for your father as a child. He was much more cheerful back then.” Seza frowned as she stared blankly at the table. “But that was a long time ago.” Her eyes locked back onto Edion. “Now it’s your turn to take the throne. Are you ready for it?” 
Edion scratched the table as he made a fist and gritted his teeth. “I will take him down if it’s the last thing I do.”
Seza chuckled. “If you aren’t careful, it very well may be.” Sekan came out of the kitchen holding a steaming teapot on a plate with three three cups surrounding it. He balanced the teapot and three plates of pie on his left arm, using his right to serve the refreshments. “Thank you dear.” Seza said with a warm smile. As Sezan poured each of them a cup of tea, Seza continued her speech. “Your father has grown ruthless and bitter. Don’t take him lightly.” 
“What was the king like when he was younger?” Riza asked.
Seza smiled as she looked off into the distance. “Believe it or not, he was much like Edion. Kind, determined and so protective of his family.” Her smile vanished. “It all changed when he took a trip to the west. He wanted to take on one of the legendary dragonslayers himself. He was so confident and full of life. I don’t know what happened over there but when he returned, he was colder and crueler than anyone I had ever known. It was if the old Kardon was killed and replaced with this demon. ” 
Edion frowned at her words. “If we were so similar, does that mean I’ll be like him in the future?”
Seza quickly put her hand on top of Edion’s. “Oh no honey of course not. If you keep your loved ones close, you won’t have to ever worry about anything.” Edion returned her smile as Riza put a hand on his shoulder and gave one of her own. By the time they finished their refreshments, the sun began to set.
As Sezan retrieved the dishes, Seza stood up from her seat. “Well, you two have a big day ahead of you tomorrow so you better get some rest. I’m sorry to say I only have one room that is not currently cluttered with children. You two will have to share.” Edion and Riza gave each other a slightly embarrassed look and turned back to their host. Seza let out a big laugh. “Oh I’m just playing with you. We have room enough for both. Come.” Edion and Riza gave an awkward chuckle as they followed Seza up the stairs. At the top, they were greeted to a long hallway that was three times the size of the first floor of the house. Doors lined the hallway on both sides with small crystals hanging from the ceiling for light.
“Wow it’s a lot bigger than I remember.” Edion said.
“The money I got from raising your family allowed me to make a few changes. Now I can keep an eye on most of the citizen’s children without charging much at all. I even have a hatchery over there.” Seza pointed to a room with a large floor to ceiling window. Inside were dozens of palm-sized eggs with a few nurses caring for them.
Riza stared at the room in awe. “How long does it take for the eggs to hatch?”
“Who knows?” Seza replied. “Sometimes it’s a few weeks. Sometimes it’s a few years. They will all come out when they are ready.” Seza stopped in front of two doors with little signs on them. One read “G-1” and the other “G-2”. “Here you are kids. Fresh beds and warm meals are awaiting you inside. If you need anything, just holler!” 
Edion gave Seza a big hug. “Thank you so much.”
Riza gave her a polite bow. “Yes. Thank you very much.” 
Seza smiled. “Anytime honey. You two are always welcome here. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to tuck in the children. Good night.” With a wave, Seza turned around and strode back to the staircase. 
Once Seza was out of sight, Riza’s posture became more relaxed as she let out a sigh of relief. “By the gods, one more minute and I would have collapsed.” She leaned on the door to her room. “How do you manage to keep that posture all day?” 
Edion chuckled. “All apart of being raised in a castle. You don’t have to try to impress Seza. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”
Riza slid down the door and sat in front of it. “I know. The rest of you carry yourselves so well, even when you fight. It’s just, I don’t want people thinking less of me. It’s hard enough looking like, this.” She hugged her knees to her chest.
Edion crouched down next to her. “Kardon really got to you huh?” Riza turned her head away and stared distantly at the floor. Edion jumped to his feet. “Well his opinion doesn’t matter. He’ll be dead soon anyway.” He extended his hand to Riza. “If it’s any consolation, I think you look perfect just the way you are.” 
Riza gave a small smile and grabbed his hand as he pulled her up. “What about you?” She said. “Are you alright? A lot happened today and tomorrow-”
“I’m fine. I’ll defeat my father and we’ll all be back at the MakiaVi in no time. We should get some rest.” He turned away to his door and gave her a small wave as he walked to his room. “See you in the morning.” Before he could reach his door, Riza flew to his back and wrapped her arms around him. Edion froze. “Thanks.” He said as he wiped away a tear.

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