Seraphina flapped open her eyes as she found herself in Demian's chamber. But as she was about to sit up, she found it was hard to move. She moved her eyes and saw Demian's strong arms wrapped her against his chest. Her face heated as she saw Demian had no clothes and she was wrapped against his bare chest.
She screamed in embarrassment as it woke up the young prince. As soon as his arms were loosened, she pulled herself away from him and stood up on the ground.
"What is this ruckus in the morning?" Demian said, annoyance hinted in his voice. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw a flustered Seraphina was standing beside the bed and her cheeks were red as tomatoes.
"Wh-why are you naked?" She asked as she was flustered.
Demian furrowed his brows as he asked back, "Why? Can't I even sleep naked in my own chamber now?"
"Th-that's not what I meant!" Seraphina shouted, "Why are you naked when I am here?"
Demian smirked as he asked, "What's the problem with being naked when I'm sleeping with my wife?"
By now, Seraphina's whole body started to burn as she turned to leave but Demian caught her hand and yanked her toward him. She fell flat on her back on the bed as Demian hovered over her and her heart was thundering against her ribcage.
"Where do you think you are going?" he asked.
Seraphina's eyes drifted everywhere but him as she said in a weak voice, "To my room."
"Move in here," he said, more like ordered.
Seraphina looked at him with round eyes and asked, "Why?"
"Because you and I are husband and wife. So, move in," he said with a straight face but his eyes stayed on her.
"I-I will think about it." Seraphina said as she looked away.
"Who asked you to think?" Demian raised a brow and said, "I will tell Alonzo to move all of your luggage here."
"I haven't even agreed yet!"
"I didn't ask for your agreement."
He stood up as he left her laying body on the bed and the last piece of the cloth that hid his very precious parts fell on the ground. Seraphina screamed and turned her eyes away.
"Could you please wear something?" She yelled at him while hid her eyes with her hands.
"I don't have any clothes. The previous ones don't fit me anymore."
She stuttered, "Then wrap yourself with the rag because it's very..."
"Distracting?"
"No! Annoying!"
He smirked as he said, "Your problem besides, now you will be moving here with me, you should start to give me some services."
Seraphina's eyes bulged out from the sockets as she asked, "Wh-what kind of services?"
His smirk turned to an evil grin, "You know the pleasing-your-husband kind of services..."
Seraphina's ears turned red as she hopped out from the bed and dashed toward the door leaving the chamber immediately. Demian laughed as she flew away and her face was priceless. Teasing her was the new hobby he found.
He went to his cupboard and dragged out some of his clothes.
*****
Before their breakfast, Demian's brother had called him to his study as he went there.
He had worn his dark blue vest and trousers with boots. As he went near his brother's study room, the guards bowed and let him enter.
As he entered, he saw his brother, Billard was sitting on his chair and had buried himself in his work. It was morning yet he had papers, scrolls piled up on his desk.
"Dear brother, you called me?" Demian spoke as Billard looked up and gave him a curt nod.
Demian came and took a seat while Prince Billard put down the papers on the table.
Both of them stayed quiet for a while as Billard said, "Since when did you take an interest in auctions?"
Demian went still as he narrowed his eyes at his brother and he asked, "What auction?"
"The auction where you bid 1 million gold on Seraphina." Billard said, tapping his foot under the table.
Demian nodded, "Well, I heard my wife is being targeted and I sent my men to investigate. Found out, most of the dark guilds are on a hunt to acquire her."
"I see..." Billard nodded calmly before losing his patience. "Then why the devil did you bid on her as well?"
"To lure them out."
"What do you mean?" Billard asked, "You knew that Dark Fairies would come for her?"
He shook his head and said, "Dark Fairies had been targeting her even before her bidding went up to 1 million. They weren't here for the money. They were here for revenge and power."
Billard sat straight on his chair as he said, "Then they want her blue flames? But why? Because of its destructiveness?"
"No. Well, if you see that way, then yes but her blue flames have some sacred magic which was why my curse couldn't turn me into a berserk dragon." Demian said thoughtfully.
"It is more like pulling out the darkness and burning it?" Billard asked.
"Yes."
"Imagine if someone with King tier or Emperor tire had her powers... And if they worship darkness then..." Demian's voice hung in the as he added, "Some of the guild who are not dark guilds even want Seraphina in their wing."
Billard tapped on his temple. "By taking Seraphina in our wings meant we will be expecting battles from the dark guilds."
"Of course but as she is in my territory and now she is mine. The fire nation is left with no choice but to fight alongside us." Demian smirked as Billard narrowed his eyes at his little brother who wasn't little anymore. Because, Demian's words meant something was hiding in them which Billard could not get.
"So why did you bid?" He asked again but this time with a grim face.
"Because it had already been my plan to burn the whole dark market of the wizards but since we are a different race, we hold no powers against them," Demian said, "However, I got a very interesting news."
"Which is?"
"Some people from their magic council are also involved in those trades and by cleaning the dark market means they will be weakened. Thus, it will be a matter of time the wizards will be weakened against the dragons." Demian leaned back a devilish grin played on his lips. He knew the magic council had most of the powerful wizards and if they fell, the whole wizard nation would be bound to fall.
At that, Billard's eyes went big as he said, "Wait! Are you trying to take over the wizards? Demian, it will wage another war." And Prince Billard didn't want another war.
Demian shook his head, "Oh no. I don't plan to wage a war." As Demian's eyes glinted with evil intent. "I will simply destroy their pillars and they will be the one who will destroy themselves and the rest of the wizards will have no choice but to take shelter under the dragons."
Demian's hands stayed on the arms of the chair as his grin broadened as his words echoed in the air.
"I will just start using some pawns such as the fire nation. Jord Flameheart."
*****
The time when Demian's transformation was completed and the curse completed its task, the old sage suddenly woke up from his meditation as his body shook and some incoherent words left as the other lords of the Hidden Valley came running toward him.
They shouted, "Call Anahra! Immediate!"
One of them shouted, "Call Lord Petris."
Some shouted to bring water and the other shouted to fan him more as they thought, the sage must be having illness for his graying age. Some of the worshippers shouted, letting all know that the sage collapsed. People came running from everywhere as panic erupted on them.
After all, he was more than a thousand years old. While they knew the sage could not see another year of his old age because day by day, his body was shrinking and weakening. They still prayed if he could live more.
They knew it was coming but they didn't expect it to be coming so soon.
As Lord Petris came, the other Lord, Lord Hotaro, on whose lap the old sage kept his head, moved his small body toward Lord Petris.
Lord Petris knelt down and took his head on his lap as he said, "Master, are you alright?"
The old sage kept repeating something and they couldn't understand what it was. Lord Petris neared his ear to his mouth then he heard what he kept repeating.
"The ragnarok shall begin."
*****
Farther down to the land where no one could come or go, a stone cracked. The cracking continued until it finally turned into pieces and finally perished into dust. Around it, there were many stones, small to large, they began to shake and soon, cracking began. The ground started shaking as veins split along the landscape; being forced apart by huge spines of the land. The sounds were deafening and overwhelming. It was so loud as if nature had started to cry. The sky was blanketed in thick, red clouds and the wind turned poisonous as if it was angry and would become a reaper of death.
It was as if something was awakening and in its wake, destroying. Something sinister that would be the reason for thousands of cries and bloodbaths.