Drayce took Seren back to their chamber and put her to sleep as she was feeling restless after learning those shocking revelations about the hellfire sealed inside her. Despite Drayceâs comforting presence, she needed the help of his spell to fall asleep.
The Crown Prince of Griven and the High Elf were left inside the gazebo.
ââŠSo Prince Arlan, from what I understand, you have never tried wielding your power?â Yorian asked, as the two enjoyed the fragrant local liquor in front of them.
âThere was no need to use it. It is enough to deal with human problems the human way, you know?â the prince casually replied, while holding that small cup of wine in his hand, which he emptied down his throat with relish.
The elf raised a brow. âSo you never use it?â
âSometimes, I guess, when there is a necessity for me to cross a long distanceââ
Yorian grumbled as he too downed his drink. âThen donât say you donât use itâŠâ
âAgainst other humans, thatâs what I am referring to.â Arlan smirked as he looked straight into Yorianâs eyes. âGoing to meet a friend and being spotted by an ancient elf does not count.â
Yorian let out a playful grin, understanding that Arlan must have spotted him in his most recent visit to Megaris. âSharp sight, I must say.â
âNot quite, just enough for that spell of deceit around your cottage to not stop it,â Arlan countered. âBut, I must say, I liked your pets. Do they have pups?â
âBoth of them are males, and even if I give you newborns, itâs hard to raise them into spiritual creatures with intelligence,â the elf boasted.
âIs that so? I should visit them once. Who knows they might want to change masters, hmm?â
âAnimals are more loyal than any other creatures, Prince Arlan, but yes, you can try your luck.â
As they exchanged light banters, Drayce came back to the gazebo and the two men looked at him with easygoing expressions. Arlan poured liquor into Drayceâs cup, and the young king did not hesitate to drink it in one gulp.
âHow is she? Scared?â Arlan asked as he refilled his own cup.
âOf course, but for now, she is asleep,â Drayce replied.
âWell, thatâs to be expected. She did hear pretty heavy stuff tonight.â Arlan leisurely observed the serene surroundings, idly thinking how the moonlight reflected on the pond sets a spectacular mood. âWhat other things do we have to talk about?â
âBlack Witch.â
âIsnât she in Thevailes at the moment? What about her?â
âItâs not that Black Witch but another one, a young one at that,â Drayce explained.
âYoung one? Where did you come across her?â Arlan felt it was kind of funny how Megaris seemed to be teeming with supernatural beings, while he had not even seen a single one in Griven lately. âIs she a spy sent by that Black Witch who abducted your wifeâŠ?â
âZaria Lynx, her name is Zaria Lynx,â Yorian intervened. âUsing her name will make it easy to know who you are talking about.â
âWell, I donât wish to but it seems like I need to,â Arlan said. âSo, what about this other Black Witch? Where did you catch her?â
âIn Port Hope. I came across her by chance and I followed her, but I could not catch her.â
âOh? A mere witch managed to escape from the clutches of a mighty Dragon?â Arlan said in amusement, a devilish smirk hanging on his lips. âWhat an interesting Black Witch. Seems like I need to find her and reward her.â
âYou sure have to so we can know what she is up to and what she is doing among humans. From what I had gathered, she arrived here in Selve yesterday.â
âSheâs in Griven?â Arlan asked in surprise. âHow come I didnât sense her presence? I came to the city last night, so at the very least, I should have felt traces of her magic.â
âHer strength is not ordinary. I sensed strong dark energy from her when I met her, and if she has no powerful skill, she would not be able to completely hide herself from my tracking. The fact she managed to disappear under my surveillance meant she is no ordinary Black Witch,â Drayce explained.
Meanwhile, the elf squinted his eyes at the prince. âFascinating. I wonder what spell she used. Prince Arlan should have been able to sense her powers when she arrived in Selve, unless she had been using high-ranked stealth spells nonstopâŠIâm getting curiousâŠâ
Drayce poured liquor in his empty cup. âPerhaps she left as soon as she arrived. If she arrived during daytime, she could be anywhere in Griven by now. It is also possible she boarded another ship and had left for another island or neighboring kingdom.â
âWell, we couldnât have left via sea. For the past two days, no ship or boat could leave the docks due to the stormy weather. The weather cleared up just last night, but so far, the restrictions for departing sea vessels were yet to be lifted for security reasons of your arrival.â
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âThat means she must have been here in Selve when you came. It is possible she left before you arrived here, highly unlikely given such a small time gap, orâŠâ
âOr?â Alan prodded.
pAn,D a-n0ve1,c-o-m âOr your powers are getting useless,â Drayce commented with a frown.
Before Arlan could say anything, the elf stepped in. âOr, there might be a third option.â
âWhat is it?â the two young men asked.
âWhat if sheâs like Queen Seren in a sense? What if there is the presence of another power other than her own dark attribute magic inside her? It is a mere guess on my part, but if another power contradicts her dark energy, then it is possible one could not feel her essence,â the elf answered.
âAre you saying she is another divine beingâs scheme?â Drayce asked.
âNo, of course not, I am merely exploring possibilities. It doesnât need to be the handiwork of a god. It can be anything, but I think it is some kind of powerful spell which keeps the existence of her powers hidden.â
âSo what do I need to do to recognize that sheâs not human?â Arlan asked as he scoffed. âAre you saying this Red Dragon can sense her but not me?â
However, the elf had an explanation prepared for this question.
âBecause King Drayceâs mother is a witch, it makes him half a warlock, thus his ability to sense a fellow witch is more accurate than others.â
âAnd how would you explain yourself? Are you saying you have witch blood too?â
âMy mother was a powerful priestess from the Moon Elf Clan. I happen to have inherited her strong spiritual abilities.â
âWell, you do look like a priestessâŠâ Arlan chuckled.
âIf you are praising my peerless appearance, then I graciously accept your flattery, Your Royal Highness,â Yorian countered.
âAre you two done mocking each other?â Drayce interrupted them. âReturning to the issue, that Black Witch is carrying nightshade with her, and the possibility of her collecting other poisonous herbs is quite high. We need to know what she was planning to use them for. If she uses them for some evil scheme, then we need to stop her.â
âI will find her, donât worry,â Arlan assured. âEven if I canât sense her powers, I can surely find any personâwell, unless she used an invisibility spell the entire time. But as long as she interacts with anyone in this city, be it a sailor or a passerby on the streets, Iâll be able to find her. Those who deal with dangerous and forbidden things are not spared in my kingdom.â
A beautiful smile like that of an angelâs spread across the princeâs handsome face.
âSeems like the soil of this kingdom will taste the blood of a Black Witch soon.â
âAlways ready for violence,â the elf commented. âJust remember, not all Black Witches are evil. There were lots of them who fought along with us to protect our kind against humans. Many had lost their lives while fighting their own kind. It just happened that a great majority of them became obsessed with power like Zaria, giving them such an evil reputation.â
âI donât have anything against Black Witches in particular. Even humans, I donât generalize them as evil either, elf. Donât forget, the people I will rule in the future are human beings,â Arlan pointed out. âAs long as she doesnt do anything wrong, I wonât kill her, but if she does something in my kingdom, then I will prove my previous words right. She will get the most cruel death and I will publicize it such that no one from her kind would dare step in the lands of Griven.â
As he spoke those words, Arlanâs expression was solemn, opposite of his typical playful one, and his eyes showed the dark side hidden inside him.
The elf sighed as he stood up. âI believe you two friends must have a lot to talk about so Iâll excuse myself.â
The pair didnât stop him and silently watched him disappear back into the manor..
Drayce picked up his cup of drink and emptied it. âWhat are you up to these days? Anything interesting?â
âNothing much, I was just enjoying hunting a beautiful deer.â
âDeer?â Drayce passed him a questioning gaze.
The prince gave him a profound smile as he toasted him to drink. âHmm! Deers are beautiful animals, arenât they?â
âIf you say so,â Drayce said. This time, it was him who served the next round of drinks for the two of them.
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