Chapter 9: tiniest of hope
He was terrified, and rightly so...
Sir Adin stayed the night with him like his mother had instructed, neither of them said a word to the other. Sometime before the break of dawn, he found the rest he desperately sought for, and so did Sir Adin.
Lord Zadok walked briskly to the hall of the king. He had requested a moment with King Adni and was granted it. The outcome however was the reason for his fear and worry.
"King Adni, thank you for agreeing to see me," he greeted once the king came down to greet him.
"Of course, for the sake of the friendship we once shared. Although I fear I already know the reason you've come and I already have my answer,"
"And?"
"Our word still stands."
"Adni!" he disregarded the title.
"Listen old friend. You should be thankful. If it had been any other person who had discovered your wayward son in the forest last night, there would have been a war and you my friend will not be alive right now to talk to me. Your son broke a rule and you know it. His punishment stands," King Adni smiled when he noticed Zadok's clenched fist.
"How can you be so cruel. I do not ask that he waives the punishment, I only ask that it be fixed for a much later date, say in four years time."
"What's the matter Zeror, afraid you are going to loose."
"This is murder and you know it."
"Like I said, you and your family are deserving of murder. Your son's friendship puts the entire city in danger. They could come for us, and we have to fight back leading to more deaths. Don't you get the severity of it all?"
"I thought you thrived on a war seeing as your family was responsible for the divide!"
"Don't you dare! We are responsible for putting our kind in power instead of waiting in line... behind some puny humans for that matter! You owe me thanks!"
"We owe you nothing you-"
"Complete that statement and your precious son will be taken away,"
"I don't want the throne! Isn't that what you would want?"
King Adni bursted out laughing. "Oh old friend, it is a wonder that you have even the tiniest of hope that you could sit the throne. Get out!"
Lord Zadok didn't move.
"Okay, how about this? You sign this agreement I have here with me and I will grant your son mercy."
Zadok softened. "What agreement?"
A scroll that had been perfectly hidden in King Adnis garment was revealed.
"It simply says you have to do one thing and one thing alone that I would command if I loose the duel."
"And if you don't?"
"All will be well then. All scores would be considered settled, old friend."
"Where do I sign?"
"With blood, here." He pointed to a spot made for it on the paper.
Lord Zadok bit into his thumb and did as requested.
"And here is mine," King Adni signed using same method.
"Good luck to your household Zeror. You will certainly need it."
"I need you to calm yourself. If you find yourself unable to fight, defend and protect. You can live to fight another day." Sir Adin advised Zaccai that evening after his brief and underwhelming presentation to the house of Royals. He was yet to see fully the people of Tahu.
It was now time for the duel.
Zaccai nodded. He was terrified. His face went pale as he was thrust onto the ring.
Who was he fighting?
Bani Ai, the second son of the house of Ai. He had met him earlier and now he recognised him as the one who had caught him with crown the night before, and also inflicted him with some injuries. Although they were healed now.
His mind raced for a solution, something. Anything.
Why was he thinking of crown, he tried to think of something else but failed.
His mind wandered to one of the nights in the forest. She had told him to show her how to fight like a werewolf. He couldn't, so she proceeded to tell him a story of how her brother won fights in their village. She did her best to explain in a grown up way but failed as her words stumbled on each other, even contradicting each other. Despite that though he got the message.
Her brother was thought to be the weakest in a fight, letting his opponent beat him to a corner, round after round and just when they believed the fight was over and it was now an easy win, he strikes and wastes absolutely no time to strike again over and over, aggressively until his opponent fell in defeat and shame.
Ego and pride was something the house of Ai had in abundance. He hoped it worked in his favor just this once.
He couldn't change into a wolf yet, and he was neither in his human form completely either as his eyes still glowed. He was already seen as weak and rightly so. He didn't have to play weak.
The sound of bones breaking, flesh tearing and forming, fur growing had his hairs standing straight. It sounded painful but a pain only a werewolf could withstand. Bani in his wolf form was a good five feet nine. He looked at his family at the stand, his mother repeated words in form of prayers, while his father had a blank expression. Sir Adin looked genuinely sad and concerned. He didn't hear the bell go off.
Bani had the first hit. Flinging him across the ring into a light pole.
He fell to the ground, limp and a sharp pain throbbed in his side.
The crowd gasped. Then cheered on for Bani.
"This will be too easy." Bani mocked. "Put on a fight prince Zaccai of the house of Zero!" He teased.
"That joke is stale Royal prince Bani."
"I will make you stale." He charged towards him but Zaccai dodged with only a few inches. He wasn't lucky for long as Bani was quick to turn hitting him in his face.
His mother screamed. "Stop this madness! Enough please!"
"Calm yourself Lieve, please!" her husband wrapped his arms around her.
"Don't tell me what to do. My son is going to get killed in there!" she freed herself and ran towards the ring but was stopped in time by guards and sir adin.
"A little more, right crown?" Zaccai thought as he bled from his nose and mouth. Pain was no longer a stranger to him.
He crawled toward the edge of the ring feigning more weakness than he actually felt as he tried to stand and failed. He fell face flat on the ground.
The end goal was to inflict a severe pain or kiill your opponent. Which ever came first right. He didn't care which came first but he wasn't going to loose.
"This is way too easy," prince Bani changed back into his human form. "What a waste of royalty, a house known for might and power. Zeror? I think it's Zero!" The crowd laughed. People chanted his name louder and louder. "Bani, Bani, Bani!"
"Killing you will be way too easy and painless. How about I inflict that permanent injury that will make you think of me forever?" he turned towards Zaccai who laid down looking lifeless and picked him up by his collar.
"Please spare me," Zaccai pleaded.
"I hate your kind."
"We are the same species!" Zaccai argued with a small frown.
"Yes we may be but your kind who thinks kindness changes the world and happily ever after does exist... that a werewolf can be friends with a butterfly."
"A butterfly? A butterfly." Zaccai wriggled trying to free himself. He remembered Crown even more now and what had led her to him.
"Enough said!" He shook him back and forth lifting him with one hand to the light.
"No! Do something!" Leieve begged her husband. "Do something! Save him!" She pleaded.
"You told me you would grant him mercy!" Lord Zadok shouted at King Adni whose seat wasn't far from his.
"Bani is his mercy." he replied coldly.
While everyone focused on Bani waiting on him to deliver his final blow, sir Adin snuck under the ring, ready to bring it down
"So long Zaccai!" Claws came out.. "Sad you couldn't be peferctly handsome for long young prince."
Blood splashed as skin got torn... And again and again and again...and again.
The crowd went silent.
Two thuds were heard.
"Noo!!!" Lady Lieve's screamed holding her hands together as she fell to her knees.
Lord Zadok ran to the scene at the same time sir Adin got to it.
A pool of blood formed and spread fast...
There was finally a winner...
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone