10. Hadeon

Ilay on the stone altar long after the priest had finished. The great dragon's maw lay open above. Do it. Eat me, you beast. Kill me. I prayed to him, but now he was just a statue, unmoving. Please. But tonight, no prayers would be answered.

Ahand tugged at my arm, and I flinched. But it was an old hand, wrinkled and etched with the marks of time. I turned my head, and the harsh stone scraped along my skull. Her face was even more wrinkled, and she had a messy halo of golden-brown hair streaked with white.

"Come on, young one. Let's get you to bed."

Theyall knew. Every single person in that temple knew what that monster was doing to him, but they said nothing, did nothing. Except for her. TheSeer.

Shewas half-fae, positively ancient, and fragile. But she would crawl out from her room, her own personal hell, and hold me as I fell asleep weeping each night. But she could not fight them. She was a prisoner to that temple, just as I was.

Seerswere not chained, but the herbs they gave them for their visions infected their blood, and they couldn't live without them. The pain of the withdrawal was said to be one of the worst things a human or fae could bear, death being the sweet release at the end.

Isometime still wonder if she had made the whole thing up, her attempt to free me. It hadn't freed me. I'd just gotten a bigger prison.

Iremember the moon had shone full through the tall windows cut out of the temple walls. The main room was filled with worshipers, prostrating themselves and leaving offerings for those terrible dragon gods who had bestowed life upon us and who continued to deny me the sweet release of death. I hid away in a corner concealed by shadows, my shame and weakness as my only companions.

Ahymn had just ended, the last note still hung in the air when a crash cut through the reverent atmosphere like a blade. The curtains pulled back, and smoke billowed from the stone doorway of the Seer's chambers. The air was scented with blood and the herbs she craved, that were both her gift and her damnation. She lurched out of the doorway as if her legs and arms weren't attached to her body properly. Her eyes glowed like the moon above.

Theroom was silent as each worshipper held their breath. It was believed that the most potent time to recite a prophecy was on the full moon. Even without that, magic had already faded enough that even a prophecy from the Seer of some minor temple was worth more than gold.

Sheraised one gnarled, ancient finger and pointed to where I lay hidden. "He's the one who will face the WorldBreaker. TheGreatHero is his demise."

Fora moment, the entire world had held still. And then there was the flood. Hands grabbed me from every direction. I was pushed and pulled into the crowd. AllI saw was that stone dragon's face and heard his menacing laughter as I was dragged away.

PresentDay

"We've lost three ships out in the Sea of Spirits." Luxos twirled a dagger between his fingers lazily while he leaned against the wall of my room. "None have returned with any information on the Dragon."

"Perhaps you should look less pleased about delivering me this unpleasant news, Commander," I said, pressing down on the head of the woman who had my cock in her mouth. She hesitated when she heard Luxos' voice, and that wouldn't do.

Luxoscontinued his casual ministrations to the blade in his hand. "I told that old fool Plagis sending ships out there was a fool's errand. No one outside the DragonKingdom can navigate those waters, not without some sort of guide."

Thewoman gagged loudly as I pressed her down again, and I let out an aggravated sigh, pushing her so she collapsed to the ground. "Get out of my sight." I waved her away as I stuffed my cock back into my pants. She had the good sense to look afraid as she scrambled out of the room, glancing at Luxos as she left. If she was looking for pity, she received none. He only gave her a disgusted look as she passed by.

"So, what would you suggest, Commander?"

"WithAbraxas gone, we should push his forces back. They are divided and lack a leader. This is the time to strike."

Luxosknew as well as I that Abraxas' army was larger than mine. I'd gotten lax these last few centuries, allowing him to run almost all military operations. I saw now how he'd been pushing his advantage all this time, and I felt my skin crawling with my power as anger built in me.

Luxosdidn't flinch as bolts of lightning struck out across the room. He threw up a wall of shadows, blocking a bolt that came too close. That was something I liked about the commander, his restrained control. The attack fizzled out against his dark shield, and when it dropped, he was wiping lint off his shoulder.

"Even divided, we stand to lose too many of our forces to a direct assault."

Hegave a wicked grin. "Let me see what I can do inside the kingdom. Perhaps we can keep to the shadows."

Iraised an eyebrow at him. "Has something changed? You could never enter the kingdom before."

Luxosrolled up his sleeve, revealing dark glyphs snaked around his forearm. The ink still glimmered, and blood leaked from the edges of the tattoo. "Just had the new Huldu ink these. They feel potent. In fact, everything has felt more potent ever since…"

Hewas wise not to finish that sentence. ButI knew, for I had felt it, too. Ever since the spring, I'd felt it. The whispers of it on the wind, the echoes of it beneath my feet. But after Abraxas had changed, there was no denying it. Magic. Magic as it had been before I'd killed Malech, and every last drop had dried up. I couldn't quite reach it, but it was there, just below the surface. Ever since he and that girl had slipped through my fingers.

"I expect results, Commander."

"Of course, YourEminence." He exited the room, and I called to the storm in my heart. As it had for the last five hundred years, I felt the great stream of magic it called to, linked to the dragon's heart locked away below my feet.

Isent the bolt out of my hand and into the armoire across my room. The lightning fanned across the wood in an erratic pattern. The entire thing disintegrated.

Let them come. Let them all come. The magic of this world belonged to me, and I would destroy any who tried to claim it.