Page 8 of The Night Prince

But Snaglak shook his massive, bald head that was tattooed with thick, black lines in a tribal-like pattern.“Leviathan not scared of Aravae.Only scared of Kindreth.Leviathan come back more than ever.You see.War not over.”

Finley frowned.“I hope you’re wrong, Snaglak.”

Snaglak shrugged.“Without Leviathan, I have to kill goblins for coins.No fun.No challenge.”

Finley snickered as Snaglak gave Strofin–the goblin who had earlier been such a jerk–a nod.Strofin bared his teeth and then went back to his brandy.

But Finley’s laughter dried up pretty quickly as he thought,The Leviathan were defeated.The thought of those shadowy monsters slithering down Tyrael’s streets again had him shivering.But then he reminded himself that they weren’t unprotected this time.If they try to conquer Earth again, Declan may have to reveal what he can do for all to see.

The Return Of The King

King Aquilan Fairlynn–Ruler of the Aravae Empire and Star of his People–tipped his head back and closed his eyes.Sunlight rained down upon him.Its warmth caressed the bare skin on his face and neck. The rest of him was thoroughly covered from his golden breastplate to the matching pauldrons, gauntlets and greaves, not to mention, the enchanted flowing white shirt and crimson cloak.

The armor was heavy.

It was also very hot.

And uncomfortable.

And not even practical.

This armor wasn’t for protection.There was nothing and no one that could harm him here under the blazing afternoon Sun anyway.It was purely for pomp and circumstance.He was to look appropriatelykinglyon his way to the Eryas Palace.

I am no longer a king at war. I am a king at peace.And I need to look the part.

At least that’s what his elder brother Vesslan had suggested.He enjoyed fine clothes, but he longed mostly to becoolat this moment.But this outfit was a concession he’d made to Vesslan in exchange for there being no parade waiting for him upon his arrival in Tyrael.

Do I even deserve a parade?He grimaced and tried to shake that thought away.What if the war was all my fault?

His chest felt tight as now that the exigencies of the war were no longer occupying his every waking thought and the old guilt was starting to fester and grow again.Rhalyf was sure that he wasn’t to blame.But Aquilan didn’t believe in coincidences. Yet how could he have known that slaying their ancient enemy on his own soil would cause any danger to mortals planes away?But ignorance had never saved anyone from consequences.

His lips pressed tightly together.It had been easier to push this feeling away when he’d had a battle the next day.But now?Peaceful days and nights spread out before him like an unending bolt of gray cloth.He would have to find a way to distract himself by making things better for the newest people–the humans–to join the Empire.But could one ever make up for the near extinction of a species?

He let his magical senses spread out all around him.Thankfully, he sensed only wildlife and a lone farmer in a far field.No crowds. Even though Vesslan had agreed to no formal parade, Aquilan wouldn’t have been surprised if people had “accidentally” found out about his location, lined the sides of the road, waved at him, threw flowers at his feet, and praised his name.Because of that possibility, he’d been purposefully vague about when and where he was going to arrive just to make sure that such an “accident” wouldn’t happen. There would be a grand party at some point to welcome him to his new home, but it would–thankfully–not be today. He adored a good party, but this homecoming was a mixed bag for him.

He loosened his already light grip on his horse Erendiel’s reins so that even the backs of his fingers were touched by the Sun’s golden rays.The sunlight caused him to see orange and red fires behind his eyelids.From the Sun, his people got their colloquial name of the Sun Elves and he obtained his greatest powers to create and to destroy.

And, hopefully, now just to create.The war is over,he reminded himself again.The enemy is vanquished. Destruction is done.

“Nude picnic,” his best friend, Lord Rhalyf Neres, suddenly muttered, interrupting his thoughts.

“What?”Aquilan’s eyelids shot open as he turned his head towards his riding companion.

“What?”Rhalyf feigned innocence.

“Really, Rhalyf?”Aquilan lifted an eyebrow before he dropped his voice so that their third riding companion, his niece Lady Elasha Fairlynn, didn’t hear him and repeated, “Nude picnic.”

“Oh,that.”

“Yes,that.”

“I was merely speaking out loud what you were thinking, your majesty,” Rhalyf said with mock solemnity.

“Me?I believe those were your thoughts, Rhalyf.”

“I am most certainly speaking about yours, my king,” Rhalyf’s tone was semi-serious despite the topic.“You’ve been gazing around at these fields of wildflowers and thinking that we should gallop into them, strip off our armor, fling ourselves into the most fragrant patch of flowers we can find, and then have a nude picnic!”

Aquilan’s voice was dry as he responded, “My eyes were closed.”

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