A/N: I've been busy with school that's why I can't update daily. Regardless, here's another chapter for you guys. Enjoy! :D
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"Ha!" The young child held a magic orb in his hand as he stood in his battle stance.
Slowly, his feet started to move. His rugged breathing created clouds from the cold atmosphere.
Faster and faster until his jog turned into a sprint.
His eyebrows were scrunched up in frustration as he could not do anything to even defeat his opponent.
"Tired?" The man asked with a small smile on his face which seemed to have aggravated the boy.
"I-I'm not tired yet!" He then threw the magic orb in the man's direction.
BOOM!
Smoke covered the ground as the magic orb exploded and the power inside erupted and made the surroundings shake for a moment.
"Still not enough." He heard his opponent speak and the little child stopped running as he was tired.
"Haah... haah... You... you're too powerful, father," Raegan spoke in defeat and sat on the ground with heavy breaths.
He was training in the third mountain with the vampire king as it was a part of Raegan's duty to become strong enough because he is a prince of the kingdom.
Though the white-haired king had some objections at first considering Raegan is still three, it changed when they saw the determination in the small dragon's eyes.
Raegan was not human. He was a dragon who was powerful enough to defeat any human enemies even though he is still three.
But that did not secure the future of the kingdom if Raegan remains complacent which the child knew as well.
That's why he was training hard and his goal was...
"I can't even touch your clothes, father!" He whined.
His first goal was to either place a scratch or touch Ciaran's clothes for him to win.
But it was futile. All effort went to waste as Raegan could not keep up with the vampire king who disappeared and reappeared anywhere he desired.
"You need to train harder," the man spoke in a strict voice and Raegan nodded his head eagerly.
He's a child, that's what Pier insisted at first but when the dragon himself insisted too that he wanted to train with his father, Pier's decision was revoked because he was soft when it comes to his son.
"There's no one who can defeat you, father," the little prince of Mir pointed out wherein Ciaran emanated a chuckle from deep within him.
'Nothing, he says,' the vampire king thought as he stole a glance at the side of the battlefield.
He smiled when he saw the white-haired king looking a little sleepy as he leaned on a tree. A half-eaten apple in his hand.
"There's someone who can defeat me, Raegan," Ciaran answered and his son's ears perked up.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Who..." Raegan trailed off but soon realized what his father meant.
"Looks like your dad is a little bit tired. Why don't we ask him to join our duel?" He helped Raegan stand up in which the child's face beamed with excitement.
A duel with his dad and father together? The thought flared his compassion for magic.
Raegan never saw the white-haired king and his father duel together because when that happens, they always move in another place.
The training does not take place in Mir but somewhere Raegan does not know of.
It was then, little Raegan walked towards his droopy dad.
"Dad..." Raegan poked Pier's cheeks making the man groan.
"Mhm?" Pier tried to grab Raegan in an embrace when he saw the little child in front of him but Raegan pulled his hand instead.
"Duel! Father said you should duel with us, dad!" Raegan squealed wherein Pier turned to look behind the small prince and saw that Ciaran had his hands on his waist while a smile was plastered on his face.
'What's he up to?' Pier raised his eyebrow and Ciaran shrugged his shoulders in return; trying to feign innocence.
"I want to see you duel with father, dad!" The child exclaimed.
Sighing, Pier groaned as he wanted to sleep because the weather was too nice to work in anything right now.
But what can he do? Raegan wanted to see him duel with Ciaran.
The little dragon wasn't their biological son but Pier adored Raegan so much that he already saw it as their son.
It was the same for the vampire king too so they were giving Raegan anything that would benefit him.
He then stood up and carried Raegan in his arms. His eyes drifting towards the awaiting king on the other side.
"You want to see me duel with your father?" Pier nudged his nose on Raegan's cheeks making the child giggle at the ticklish sensation.
"Y-Yes! I want to see dad and father duel!" He cheered and Pier nodded his head.
"Okay, but there are some things you need to know before watching us duel, Linn," Pier cooed as he called Raegan by his second name.
"Things?"
"Yes. You see, there is a reason why your father and I do not train here in our kingdom," Pier spoke as he started to walk towards Ciaran.
"We don't want to destroy anything." He laughed.
That was the truth.
If he and Ciaran were to train in the Mir Mountains, they do not know the extent of the damage they would cause to their territory and the two kings do not want that to happen.
They needed to train, of course. Just because the two of them had incredible magic individually, without proper training, it will all go to waste.
"Then where does dad and father train?" Raegan inquired. This time, he was a little bit wary after hearing his dad's explanation.
"Somewhere far away." It was Ciaran who responded to the child's question as Pier reached him now.
"I... I still want to see you duel, dad, father!" Raegan looked at each of them and Pier saw the burning passion of the child to see something wonderful.
Something that Raegan needed to increase his interest in magic and his vigor in training.
Something that will serve as an inspiration to the little prince of Mir.
"Okay," Pier leaned in to peck Ciaran's cheek.
Soon, black smoke gently appeared from the vampire king's feet and it engulfed the three of them.
Before disappearing, Pier spoke one more thing to Raegan.
"Tell us when you are scared and we will stop immediately, okay?" He hummed.
---
Enormous waves that could swallow cities near the shore stood like giants that roamed the earth. Harsh winds blew upon everything in its path and the skies poured an immeasurable amount of rain every second.
In an instant, the little prince of Mir tightened his hold on his dad's clothes as he trembled. His eyes were wide and he took in a deep breath.
"F-Father..." he spoke in a low and scared voice as the scenery scared him to death.
Who would not? It felt like standing at the top of a place that had no end. An endless pit of darkness could be seen below the waves which scared the little prince.
"Persist, Raegan, if you are scared of the field alone, you will not win against your enemies," Ciaran tried to console his son which had Raegan gulping in nervousness.
The fear of being swallowed beneath the enormous waves that towered against anything in its path was making its way into the child's body.
'I... I wanted to see dad... I want to see father... I should be brave!' Little Raegan clenched his hands a few times as he tried to let the tension go.
"I think we should have not brought Raegan here yet," Pier confided with the vampire king but Ciaran did not respond.
"We can go back, Raegan-"
"No!" The child responded in an abrupt manner and cutting of Pier's sentence.
Despite his eyes still closed, Raegan's grip on his dad's clothes was starting to loosen up.
'If I want to see dad and father duel, I need to be brave...' Raegan rooted for himself inside his mind.
That's right. If he was scared of the battlefield, what could he do against his enemies soon?
There are a lot of bad guys that are trying to harm their kingdom, especially his dad and father. Many will try to fight and defeat them – Raegan cannot watch that. He needed to be strong!
At last, the child's hands loosened as he took a deep breath. Soon, beautiful crystal eyes revealed themselves to the world and Raegan puffed his chest out.
He even glared at one wave that was dangerously close in reaching their feet.
"Are you okay now?" Pier asked him and Raegan nodded his head.
Sifting his fingers through his child's hair, Pier kissed Raegan's forehead.
"Good boy," he praised. Raegan's ears immediately perked up in joy after his dad complimented him.
'I am a good boy!' Raegan cheered as a determined look made its way on his face.
"But Raegan, none of us could carry you if we are to duel." The child's mind went blank at his father's statement.
The determination disappeared and vanished into thin air.
"T-Then..." Raegan's weak voice returned wherein the two kings, especially Pier, wanted to coo again.
"Don't worry. We can have one of your godfathers watch over you, Raegan," Pier suggested and relief flooded the dragon's body.
At least someone would be there to hold him in the meantime while he adjusted to the scary place.
"Will you call Uncle Fluffy, father?" He asked and Ciaran nodded his head before black smoke appeared beside the vampire king.
Soon, another person appeared. He was wearing the clothes of royalty and a crown was perched on top of his head.
"Uncle Fluffy!" Raegan called in which Fluffy immediately lowered his head. Good thing the crown was held tight on his head or it would've fallen into the bottomless ocean.
"I greet my masters," the king spoke with respect.
"Can you hold Raegan while he watches us duel, Fluffy?" Pier asked.
Nodding his head, Fluffy spread his arms out and Raegan transferred in his uncle's arm.
Looking around, the king of Heron Kingdom sighed.
Not because he was exhausted or tired.
'The endless sea...' Fluffy unknowingly shivered in fear. He recognized the place but only from afar, only from the shore.
He never imagined he would see the sea itself as he floated above the waters.
It was a territory that contained the unknown.
If Mir was the most dangerous place on the continent, the endless sea was its counterpart on the oceans. Monsters, those of the biggest in history, had been sighted in the waters of the endless sea.
A deathtrap that's always open for the brave sailormen that tried to conquer the unknown.
But Fluffy no longer questioned his masters.
They got Mir as their kingdom. It was to be expected they would soon monopolize the endless sea as well.
The fairy only held his new master, the young dragon, in his arms carefully.
'Duel...' Fluffy groaned internally.
Who would even dare to duel in a place like this? In a place where no one came back alive?
Who had the guts to have fun showcasing their magic in a place where monsters that are far more dangerous than the ones in Mir have been residing at?
'Heh,' he shook his head as he flew to a distance from the two kings.
"Uncle!" Raegan called as the child's eyes did not wander anywhere else aside from his fathers.
"Yes, your highness?" Fluffy responded.
"Have you seen my dad and father duel before?"
Fluffy was silent at the answer. Did he? He cannot remember anything about seeing Pier and Ciaran duel with each other.
He saw the two kings fight together but not with each other.
"I haven't, your highness"
"I see... I want to see them duel," Raegan spoke as if he was in a daze while he watched his parents move away from each other.
---
Their clothes flapped across the strong winds and heavy rain as they stood in the air.
"Will Raegan really be inspired if he saw our duel?" Pier asked and Ciaran heard him clearly even if it seemed like they were on the different ends of the world with the distance between them.
"Yes. I believe he will be. Besides, haven't you trained aside from killing the hydra for two weeks now?" Ciaran inquired and Pier nodded his head.
He had been living the life of a slacker for the past weeks because the weather in Mir was awfully good to always sleep in. He rarely left their bedroom aside from tending to his duties or his child.
"I guess you're right. But when you hear Raegan say he's scared, let us immediately halt the duel," Pier reprimanded his fiancé.
Fiance.
The thought made him giggle.
He has not called Ciaran that term ever since he asked Ciaran to marry him in the throne room
"But I want something out of this duel aside from our son getting an inspiration," Ciaran spoke and Pier raised both of his eyebrows.
"Let's grant the victor a wish," he offered and Pier hummed in response.
A wish.
What could Pier wish for at this moment?
He was already the one of the most powerful men in the continent and probably the richest too. He now had a little son too.
"What would your wish be?" Pier inquired him.
Ciaran paused for a moment and thunder flashed in the skies. Lightning fell to the water as the oceans roared.
"If I win... let us..."
"Hmm?"
"Let us ask the sovereign of the southern skies to lend us a feather."
Instantly, Pier's eyes widened and he took in a breath.
"You mean-"
"I want another child."
His voice was demanding and eager. Just like how Raegan was when the dragon is excited and determined about something.
Pier was speechless.
Another child. Ciaran wants another child and this time, he desired to ask Melfar for one of its feathers so they can have their second child.
"But not now. I want to have a child after I become a sovereign," Ciaran added.
"Oh my," Pier closed his eyes as a light laugh pondered over his tongue.
He did not know his lover was so eager in having a child.
"We can take our children along when we explore the world after everything is done." The vampire king gave his reasons and Pier could not hold it in.
"Pft," he chuckled.
Who knew the cold and dauntless vampire king that ruled over the most dangerous kingdom in the continent was so adamant in having a child? And a second one at that.
"Okay," Pier agreed and magic started to manifest around his body.
Surprised, Ciaran paused for a moment.
"What about you, my love?" He asked as it would not be fair for only him to have a wish if he wins.
Pier opened his eyes and cerulean ones met with viridescent eyes.
Their eyes were both glowing, especially Pier's in an amused manner as he was watching his lover's expression.
"I do not wish for anything as you gave me everything," he stated.
Ciaran was about to rebut when Pier added another sentence.
"Instead, see this duel as a quest. Win your way against me in order to achieve your goals."
Schaa~
The waters beneath him froze for a moment before another huge wave destroyed it as the white-haired king manifested his magic.
"If you win, let's have another child. If you don't, then better luck next time?" Pier teased him and Ciaran's heart pounded in his ears.
A grin slowly made its way onto his face and black magic manifested around his body.
"My love, I have conquered countless trials to win your love. Do you think I won't be able to achieve this one?" He retorted and the two just stood there, manifesting their magics.
Two swords made out of white flames and ice appeared on the white-haired king's hands and a scythe was held in the vampire king's.
"I'm not going easy on you, Ciaran," Pier slashed his sword on the side and it created a burst of ice magic that froze the waters for a short moment again.
"And I will do whatever it takes to make you surrender, my beloved Frosty," he teased in which Pier rolled his eyes at.
He did not hear that nickname from Ciaran for such a long time now.
Raising his ice sword, the white-haired king was engulfed in a barrier of strong winds that made the storm of the endless see seem little.
A glowing crown appeared on his head giving light to the dark and awfully scary surroundings.
"May the odds be in your favor, my dear fiancé," He spoke and vanished in thin air.
"Heh," Ciaran chuckled.
'I'm going to have another child!' He cheered in joy as he used his scythe to defend himself from behind.
Clang!
"I am strong, my love. Do not underestimate me," he teased again.
"I know. But I am stronger," Pier spoke as he slashed his other sword that Ciaran blocked with his arm covered in dark magic.
---
"What are they talking about, uncle?" Raegan asked and the fairy sweatdropped silently.
"Another royalty," he responded vaguely which Raegan did not comprehend as the dragon was too busy admiring his parents that were creating tidal waves and basically unleashing the strongest spells in the world's history.