The Dragon's Kingdom

Zeni

"What?" I snapped, glaring at the shorter female smirking smugly up at me.

"I need your assistance." She spun around striding away from me towards the upper deck.

"With what?" I groaned but followed her.

There was no time to play a spoiled princess if I was going to be adapting to my new role. Not that I knew what my role was going to be. For now it seemed like all I would be is Knox's mate. Nothing to do but sit somewhere and look pretty and be silent. Just like with my father. Nothing more than a decoration.

My anger flared, gums itching with the urge to shift. Entha still trotted ahead of me, skipping up the old steps cheerfully. Completely unaware of the rage boiling through me. Not their fault you're useless, that dark voice whispered to me. Like a bucket of water dousing a flame the anger building inside me was snuffed out. I shook out my hands, attempting to expel the sudden adrenaline spiking my blood.

"Over here," She pointed towards where Zeni was busy polishing his dagger. "I want every weapon on this ship inspected and polished. We are going to be crossing the Zra soon and I don't want to be caught with rusted blades. Zeni will show you how to polish and I'll have Culn start collecting them for you. He's started looking bored again and that never ends well."

"Last time Culn got bored he disappeared for a few hours and we ended up finding half eaten raw fish everywhere." Zeni grimaced, "He was very creative with where he hid them."
"Only redeeming quality about that male is his abs," Entha muttered, her lips curling up in disgust before she turned away, heading towards Rem who was bundled up in more furs than Entha. Surprising considering I counted at least three cloaks wrapped around her.

"Come," Zeni pointed towards another crate near the one he was sitting on.

Placing his dagger gently on the table that had been dragged over. A large cloth draped over it that was being held down by stones. Zeni twisted, grabbing another short blade and tossing it on the table near me.

"Ever done this before?" He asked, pulling and handing me a pair of gloves, "It's pretty easy, but can get tiring."

"Never," I admitted, tugging on the gloves, "My brothers used to sharpen and polish their blades and tried to show me, but I never thought it would be useful."

"Didn't think you would end up here?" Zeni chuckled, beginning to demonstrate the motions to me slowly.

"Didn't think I'd ever get the chance to leave." I paused, an uncontrollable smile taking over my face.

"But you did," Zeni grinned with me, "Most of us get that feeling too. That sudden realization that you are no longer in that horrible place."

"Where are you from?" I asked carefully, keeping my focus on the gleaming blade in my hands.

I could feel him tense beside me. His light energy immediately darkened. I risked a glance at him and found him gazing into his reflection in the blade. That swirling eye of his had become sluggish. The beastly side of me tensed in response readying itself to take over.

"I'm from Dradan," He finally responded, exhaling a long breath before continuing, "One of the only parts of it that she left untouched. It's been nicknamed the Under, only the filth that even the rest of the continent can't stand get put there. Demons and shifters and other creatures the rest of the world deems unworthy."

He stopped, the silence beginning to drag between us. His gaze rose towards the horizon where the sun was valiantly fighting against the gloomy clouds. The breeze gusted into the sails, filling them while people called out orders to each other. Zeni pursed his lips together, shuddering from the cold.

"What creature are you?" I looked back down at the blade, "If you also lived there."

"I am a mix of many." I peaked at him, watching his hands flex as he released his pent up tension. "There are no pure breeds in the Under. Though the predominant race is the Donrac. They thrive on chaos and have risen to the top of the food chain in the Under. It's been said that they originally escaped from the death god's prison and settled in Dradan to hide from his wrath.

"That had been thousands of years ago, now he is only a myth and the people that have settled in the Under are well established. The first of them are long dead by now."

"Entha was saying she wanted to go to the island the death god is supposed to inhabit." I met his eyes, "What do you think you will find there?"

"Nothing but the remnants of a dead society." Zeni replied firmly, "I believe the Danrac immigrated to Dradan because their land was dying. News had spread of Dradan being a land of plenty, so many traveled to stake a claim on the riches and resources."

"And yet only the dragons succeeded?"

"Their leaders were relentless in the search for power-" Zeni was cut off by a gruff voice.

"Shift." The order clanged through me like a bell, my lycan surging to the surface before I could comprehend what was being demanded of me.