A Journey That Changed The World.

Chapter 693 Youʼre A Monster

ʼThe White Dragon. I didnʼt think he was a child,ʼ Elara thought, ʼBut here he is.ʼ

His messy appearance didnʼt bother her, as the mesmerizing beauty of his violet dragon eyes caught her attention. She was momentarily captivated by his gazeʼs depth of color and intensity.

However, as she continued to watch him, she quickly noticed something else that made her pause: white scales peeked beneath his shirt, a subtle yet undeniable sign of his connection to the dragons.

Elara scolded herself inwardly, caught off guard by the unexpected sight of the dragon scales. She couldnʼt deny the boyʼs handsomeness or the charm of his dragon heritage but quickly reminded herself that he was just a boy.

Despite his captivating appearance, he was far too young for her to entertain any thoughts beyond admiration. Brushing aside her momentary distraction, Elara refocused on her training with renewed determination, intent on dismissing further interruptions.

However, a voice pierced her concentration just as she delved back into her practice, ”A beautiful soldier? Mohamet never told me there was one in my army,” the voice remarked.

Startled, Elara turned to face the source of the comment, locking eyes with the king himself. In response to his presence, she instinctively knelt before him, a gesture of respect that elicited a warm smile from the monarch.

He cautiously climbed up to a nearby branch, observing Elara from above. ”Get up and continue training. I want to watch you,” he commanded, his tone gentle yet authoritative.

With a nod of understanding, Elara rose to her feet, feeling a surge of determination in the kingʼs presence. Though his unexpected visit added another layer of pressure to her training, she welcomed the opportunity to showcase her skills.

After an hour of training, Elara and the other dragonkin started hearing snoring. She spotted the king sleeping on the branch and looked comfortable, ʼIs it comfortable up there? How can he sleep in front of his soldiers? Isnʼt he worried about his image?ʼʼ

Laughter erupted from some of the soldiers behind her as they witnessed the sight of the king of all dragon kind peacefully slumbering in a tree, resembling nothing short of a mischievous jungle rascal monkey.

General Mohamet approached them with an amused tone, his voice cutting through the laughter. ”Soldiers,” he began, his tone tinged with amusement, ”you may see a young boy and laugh, but the king is a mysterious being who has accomplished much in the short time Iʼve known him and will bring all us to new heights.”

Elara watched the general explain how he rescued hundreds of thousands of their people from poverty and provided a safe place to live and grow. When she heard the generalʼs words, a fire was lit inside her, and she decided to do whatever she could to aid him on his journey.

She and her family had a home and employment opportunities to sustain themselves. Each of her siblings enlisted in the army alongside her father. At the same time, her mother took on a role working for the elder statesman Jethro, overseeing the domain entrusted to him by the king during his absence from the realm.

When Frostwinter came, she saw the king more as he inspected everything they had built. Since that day, they have been meeting in the training field, and he always comes to say hello to her.

__________________

[Back to Archer]

”Yes, I remember watching you train that day,” Archer remarked, cradling his Marshall, who blushed and squirmed with every touch. ”I encountered a challenging beast, and perhaps I may have used too much power,” he chuckled.

Kassandra smiled as Hemera commented, ʼʼMakes sense. You did wander around the domain a lot when we first met. But back to the task at hand. Whatʼs the plan?ʼʼ

Archer released Elara, amused by her haste as she scrambled toward the nearest chair. Stretching his arms, he chuckled before responding, ”Iʼll handle it personally. Iʼll drag those humans out myself and make sure theyʼre executed in front of their people. Itʼs the only way theyʼll learn to behave and become respectable citizens.”

After that, he left the tent, followed by Hemera and Kassandra, who were excited to see what he would do. As they stepped outside, Archer cast a Blink and appeared on the townʼs wooden wall, to the shock of the people below.

A tall human man stepped forward and demanded, ʼʼFree us from this hellhole dragon! We have taken the citizens hostage, and if you try anything funny, we will kill them all.ʼʼ

When hearing this, an evil smile crept across Archerʼs face, and he responded excitedly, ”Well, isnʼt that just perfect? You dare to kidnap my citizens and believe you can use them against me?”

Without wasting more time, he shouted, ʼʼCome forth, Nyctros, and bring me every human in this village so I can punish them!ʼʼ

The rebel leaderʼs laughter echoed like a mocking symphony of arrogance as he dismissed Archerʼs threats as mere bluster. But then, as if in response to his hubris, the town fell silent, a chilling stillness descending upon the once-bustling streets.

Amid this eerie calm, shadows stirred and writhed, twisting into grotesque forms that defied imagination. Hideous creatures emerged from the darkness, their twisted bodies contorting with malice and hunger.

The leaderʼs laughter faltered, replaced by a gnawing sense of dread as he beheld the nightmare unfolding before him. What had once seemed like empty threats now materialized into horrifying reality, and he realized with growing horror that Archer was far more than words.

He was a harbinger of true darkness, and the town was now at the mercy of his will. The creaturesʼ twisted forms, adorned with razor-sharp claws, talons, and menacing fangs, sent shivers down the spines of all who beheld them.

Archer raised his hand, commanding the ghastly entities, and his voice dripped with malice. ”Capture every person armed and bring them to me outside, but leave them alive!”

”Yes, Shadow Prince,” Nyctros, the towering, eight-foot behemoth with a visage of pure evil, hissed in compliance before vanishing into the inky blackness.

With Nyctrosʼs disappearance, the air filled with terrified screams as the nightmarish creatures descended upon the unsuspecting townsfolk. Their primal shrieks mingled with the sounds of chaos and desperation, piercing the darkness with sheer terror.

Archer jumped off the wall while the nobles screamed as they were dragged into the shadows. When he arrived in front of Elara, he ordered, ʼʼSend your Legionnaires in and see if the citizens are okay.ʼʼ

Elara bowed, ʼʼYes Your Majesty.ʼʼ She turned around and ordered her second in command, ʼʼLeon! Take three companies and clear the town,ʼʼ

ʼʼYes, Marshal,ʼʼ the man rushed off, followed by three hundred men.

Just as the soldiers broke down the town gate, Arianne Stormborn, the Commander of the Homeguard Battalion, appeared behind them and knelt in front of Archer, who turned to her with a smile, ʼʼAre all the previous residents here, commander?ʼʼ

ʼʼYes, Your Majesty. The people are being herded into the area the legionnaires have set up,ʼʼ the brown-haired woman replied.

Archer smiled, leaning forward to gently lift her chin, directing her yellow eyes to his own. ”Arianne, surround them with your soldiers. Expect strong reactions; theyʼll likely respond poorly after witnessing what Iʼm about to do to their nobles.” His charming smile caught her off guard, causing her cheeks to go red.

Arianne nodded once, rose swiftly, and dashed toward her awaiting soldiers, ʼʼSurround the people and hold them there! The king is going to punish the nobles.ʼʼ

When the Homeguard soldiers heard this, they started cheering before circling the scared people huddled together, causing Archer to smile as he approached them.

He summoned his wings and hovered in the air as he spoke to the Valethornians, ʼʼDo you people not understand that your empire no longer exists? I killed your imperial family and burned your armies into nothing.ʼʼ Archer looked at the crowd before continuing in a dominating voice. ʼʼYou belong to me now, and if you canʼt accept that, then witness the consequences.ʼʼ

As he finished speaking to the people, Nyctros and the shadow creatures reappeared with all the Valethornian nobles, who were struggling to get free as terror overtook them and made them panic.

Archer let out an earth-shaking roar that shut them up. He looked at the creatures and spoke as he pointed toward the people, ʼʼLine the idiots up in front of them.ʼʼ#

They did as he ordered and vanished, reappearing in a long line with at least one hundred nobles who were looking at him in terror as he descended to the ground and approached the first man while summing his vicious-looking claws.

ʼʼDo you realize how stupid youʼve been to go against me, human?ʼʼ Archer asked, but the man spat at him.

Archer instantly beheaded him with one swift swipe before plunging his hand into his chest, ripping out his heart, and started eating it while walking to the second man, who watched him in complete terror.

ʼʼYouʼre a monster!ʼʼ Thatʼs all he said before Archer ripped his head off and took his heart.

As he observed the gathered crowd, their expressions conveyed horror, anger, and wariness. This sight elicited a smile from him as Hemera neared. ”Darling? Are you certain about this?” he asked.

Turning to face her, she caught the fiery rage reflected in his violet eyes, a sentiment she comprehended well. She nodded and affirmed, ”Weʼll be waiting, Arch.”

Archer smiled at the golden-haired elf he had known for years. He watched the hourglass figure as the bubble butt swayed as she approached Kassandra, who had an excited smile on her face as she watched the executions.

Hemeraʼs smile illuminated the darkness, her yellow eyes glowing subtly. Archer briefly acknowledged her with a nod before redirecting his focus to the trembling third noble. As he approached, a smirk crept across his face, and his hand settled atop the manʼs quivering head.

With a merciless grip, he applied pressure until the nobleʼs skull yielded beneath his relentless force, crushing it with a sickening crunch, causing the crowd to react by trying to rush toward the surviving nobles.

[Please let me know if you spot any mistakes, and I will edit them. Thank you]