Chapter 157: Chapter 157

157 Chapter 157 : Who are you?

“It’s all up to you two now!” Dvalin called to Gareth and Finwe, “finish this so we can go get your pretty little princess!”

Finwe tightened his grip on the sickles and lunged forward, “go for the kill!” He called to his brother, “I’ll cover you!”

With his sword held firmly in his hands, the dark haired prince zipped towards the roaring creature. “Ozias!” He called out to his massive friend, “boost me!”

Ozias firmed the grip on his clab as the prince landed briefly on it, and with all his strength, Ozias flinged Gareth towards the monster. Gareth held his sword with both hands and with a blade that had now turned completely silver, he plunged the blade right through the monster’s chest and into its heart. The creature screeched in pain and swiped its hand towards Gareth who was still holding on to the sword and trying to drive it deeper.

The dark haired prince braced himself to be crushed but a few seconds later the sound of blades cutting through flesh could be heard. Gareth opened his eyes and saw a giant decapitated paw falling to the ground, and a blood covered Finwe standing in front of him with two sickles in hand. “I told you I’d cover you!” Finwe yelled as he sliced the creature’s other hand.

Gareth nodded thankfully and proceeded to drilling his blade deeper into the creature’s chest. The monster roared in agony until it’s body finally went limp and crashed to the ground.

Gareth pulled his sword out, jumped off the monster and made his way to the men who were waiting for him. He whipped his sword to remove the blood and smiled, “we did great everyone.”

“Yeah yeah lovely, but could you all take a bath?!” Ivan complained with a hand over his nose. “You all smell like feet dipped in warm salted cheese!”

*

.....

“How are they doing?” Aiden asked Theodora who was observing Gareth and his men fighting her beautiful creation.

“They’ve relaxed,” Theodora muttered. She sat down beside the red haired prince and chuckled, “I think they’re convinced they actually killed it.”

“excellent,” Aiden rasped as he stoop up. “My brother in law will be needing my help now, we should swoop in and save them before they actually find a way to kill it, or it kills them.”

“Of course,” Theodora mumbled.

*

Gareth and his men turned to where the rest of soldiers and their horses were and made their way to them. Now that the creature was dead they could continue their journey. But suddenly, they heard an unsettling sound coming form the slain creature.

“Don’t sheath your swords just yet!” Ivan yelled as he stumbled backwards.

The monstrous creature’s wounds began to heal and its severed hands began to regenerate. The men all took a step back as it’s hind legs twitched and a raged foul smelling breath from the animal hit their faces.

“But how is that possible?!” Finwe stammered. He had seen his brother plunge his blade into the creature’s heart with his own eyes. There was no way any creature, no matter how big, could survive a direct strike to the heart.

“Look alive men,” Dvalin instructed the elves beside him, “I have a feeling we are dealing with dark magic.”

*

Knock Knock...

“Julia...” Clovis waited for the woman to answer but no sound came. Was she asleep or was she merely ignoring him. “Julia are you okay in there?” The man asked once again. Good gods Clovis had lost his mind, was he really standing at the door of a woman who was locking herself up because of another man? Is this how completely deranged liking someone could make a person.

“Wow,” Clovis muttered to himself, “suddenly our love struck king doesn’t seem so insane now.”

He looked at Julia’s door again and knocked, “Julia if you don’t come to the door in the next three seconds I’m barging in there! One!...” he called out, “two!! Julia im not playing with you right now, I will open this door and walk in there without your permission.”

Clovis listened for a response but non came, “Julia I’m coming in!”

Clovis slowly opened the door and peeked into the room. He cautiously walked in and glanced at each corner of the room. He almost smiled when he saw Julia sitting in front of a dead fire with her face buried in her knees. “Hey... Julia..” the man whispered as he inched toward her, “are you okay?”

“Clovis am I ugly?”

The whole statement completely caught him off guard, firstly, this was the first time she was calling him by his name, and secondly, why in the world would a gorgeous woman like her think she’s ugly?

“May I sit?” He asked the pouting woman and sat on the floor next to her when she nodded.

The woman turned to face the silver haired prince, looking at her petit sad face and glistening green eyes made his breath hitch.

“I always pranced around thinking I was the most beautiful woman in all the four kindoms... what a joke” Julia mumbled.

But you are, Clovis wanted to say, but he stayed quiet and listened to her.

“I thought that maybe my looks would help me find love..” she continued

And they have, he wanted to say again, but stayed quiet.

“First it was prince Gareth,” she mumbled with an embarrassed look on her face, “I was obsessed with him to say the least, I mean I came all the way here hoping to win his heart not knowing I never even stood a chance.”

Fuck Gareth, I’m here now, Clovis wanted to say. But he stayed quiet and continued listening to her.

“Then there’s the ridiculous crush I had on king Elric,” Julia spoke. Her face sunk deeper into her knees in embarrassment.

Clovis stayed quiet, this time he got a little upset. So she did like Elric, but why him? He was an arrogant tyrant.

Julia chuckled and looked up at Clovis with a sad smile, “and all of them preferred Melissa over me, what a total embarrassment.”

“Well what do you expect from a bunch of men who wouldn’t know beauty if it smacked them right in the face,” Clovis mumbled in response.

Julia studied the man as she let his words sink in, when her brain processed his statement, her eyes circled. “Do.. do you think I’m beautiful?”

The silver haired prince glanced at Julia and was immediately captured by those pools of emeralds. More than anything, he wanted to say. “Well.. I...” the man cleared his throat and looked away in an attempt to hide his blushing face, “I suppose you’re adequate.”

Clovis tensed up when he heard Julia chuckling. He looked at her and the sight of her laughing made his mouth tag up into a smile, the smile slowly turned into a chuckle and before he knew it, they were both laughing.

The green eyed woman wiped a stray tear from her eye and leaned back.

“You have a beautiful laughter,” Clovis spoke but immediately covered his mouth regretting saying it.

“I haven’t laughed in a very long time,” Julia responded. She put her hand on Clovis’ and smiled warmly at him, “thank you.”

*

The creature slowly rose from what the men assumed would be its resting place and roared viciously. It’s once severed paws regenerated, it’s eyes restored, and it’s stench of death even more gruesome than before.

“How the hell do you kill something that won’t die?!” Ivan whimpered as he pointed his flail at the beast. Is this really how he was going to go? And just after he had made amends with his beautiful wife, it wasn’t fair!

“Watch out!” Zander yelled as he jumped back. The creature lifted its front limbs and hit them to the ground creating cracks and grooves on the ground. The earth beneath the men began to crumble but luckily they were able to move out of the way just in time.

“Is anyone hurt?!” Gareth yelled.

“All the men are accounted for!” Roland responded.

Gareth tightened his grip on his blade and glared at the beast, fighting it with weapons alone would not cut it, he had to use magic, he couldn’t afford to waste any more time here. Melissa was out there waiting for him, the faster he could get rid of this overgrown rodent, the faster he could get to her.

The prince sheathed his sword and moved towards the creature. Zander who was standing not too far from him saw Gareth making his way to the monster and called out, “your grace what do you think you’re doing?! Using your magic will drain you!”

“Its the only way!” Gareth yelled back as he took off his gloves , “the rest of you get out of here, I’ll distract the beast!”

“On your own?!” Zander screamed, “that’s madness!”

“He will not be alone!” A voiced echoed from the sky.

The men threw their gazes upwards and from the canopy of trees they saw two massive wings that supported a man. The mysterious man flapped his wings and landed next to the prince gracefully, and moments later a woman appeared by his side as well.

Gareth looked at the man beside him with uncertainty. “Who are you?”