THE PROPHET

Exhausted, Mizu still kept running on Luke's pace to stay beside him. Even if she was to get tagged, Mizu was still happy to run around with Luke.

"I'm gonna get you!"

Mizu looked back in surprise to see her older brother chasing them with Jed. The tail end of his tied red hair swayed as he ran while panting.

"You can't keep up with us, you slugs! We had rested and you didn't. Hahaha!"

Luke mocked the his two friends that he treats as his older brothers.

"That little! Let's go, Feng! Keep up with me! We still have a chance!" Jed patted Feng on the back, wildly swaying his hands.

The four continued the chase around the castle, running in circles in the dining hall of the maids, snatching a chicken drumstick each at the royal kitchen, they even passed by the bathhouses.

Their rules are simple, they will start at the village below the castle then continue the game until they were all tagged by Feng, who was the chosen 'It'. There are restricted areas that have been excluded for the runners to pass by so that no one can take shortcuts.

Then after the hard running in circles around the base of the castle, Feng tagged Earl and Jed, with Luke and Mizu still to be tagged.

The royal garden and the training yard were the running spots on the right side of the castle when you entered the gates. The castle's left side are the living quarters for the servants and maids.

"Are you still okay, Mizu? Tell me if you cannot keep up anymore, I'll carry you towards the goal."

Luke and Mizu were still running away and being chased by their two older brothers. The last left turn will take them to the courtroom, the goal for today's game of tag.

"I can still keep up! Please, just keep running!"

Mizu shouted, her exhaustion is showing now on her face but, she still kept going. The determination on her eyes is still there.

'This girl...', Luke thought.

Luke and Mizu saw the hallway that will decide who are the winners of the game when they finally turned left. The entry towards the courtroom is split in four directions as it is an open court, but the goal set for the game have intersecting halls that heads towards different paths.

"Here we go! Last sprint of the game!"

Luke didn't wait for Mizu anymore when the left side entrance to the courtroom and ran ahead of her. He then turned to look back and saw two his older brothers staring at him, then let out his tongue.

"See you, slugs!", Luke said in triumph.

But something, rather, someone unexpected appeared and tackled Luke from his right side.

"I got Luke!", Earl shouted.

"Earl! Haha! This good brother of mine! I thought you got tired halfway and went back to the village to get some snacks!"

Jed happily cheered, both him and Feng stopped running when they lost hope but, Earl appeared to save the day.

"What are you cheering for! You still have to tag Mizu! Luke is strong, I can't keep him pinned!"

Earl used his big body to pin down Luke to the ground as Luke tried to escape from his grasp. There's a rule that you have to pin them down for five seconds to turn the runner into your team.

Feng and Jed started to run again, there's a significant distance between them and Mizu. But, Mizu was still resting and catching her breath.

"Ahh! Mizu, run!"

Luke desperately shouted at her, when she started running again.

Her dash is not that fast but, that pace will definitely make her reach the goal before Feng and Jed reach her.

"Yaaaaah!"

Jed rushed to her like a predator in heat while Feng tried to keep up with him. Luke is now hopeless because he is pinned down on the ground.

"Haah. Haah. Haah."

Mizu's breath were audible as she passed by Earl and Luke. She reached her hands to touched the pillar of the courtroom.

'I can do this!', Mizu thought, her timid demeanor at that moment.

"Noooo!"

Meanwhile, on the throne room of the Sun Palace, in the biggest hall where the greatest known emperor of the Regulus Empire have ever lived, was seating on his golden throne while staring at twelve people below him.

His golden crown matched his golden blonde hair and the prideful look on his face increases due to the black tattoo that covered half of his face.

The people around him can't help but tremble from his overwhelming presence. Even the Imperial Knights under the throne was seen trembling a little.

Leopold sighed in irritation and disappointment that the twelve people brought to him. He then fixed his sitting position back into normal not like sitting with you knuckles under your chin.

"Tell me... What did I order you to do? Hm?"

Leopold's voice echoed like a roar inside the hall, it was so quiet that even the flapping sound of the bird's wings can be heard from the inside.

Lumiere didn't dare to answer the emperor's question as it seemed to be rhetorical rather than an order. The eleven heroes behind him on the other hand, cannot answer due to the pressure that the emperor was giving off.

"Answer me!!!", Leopold roared.

"You ordered us to take the treacherous Black Minister back, Your Majesty."

Lumiere finally answered him, he kept his head down, as he can't afford to anger the emperor. Any more than this, and there will be bloodshed inside the throne room.

"That I did... And what did you bring? Nothing! You even let my empire to be warned!!"

"I am no match for the Demon King , Your Majesty. He was more powerful than we ima-"

"I KILLED THE DEMON KING! Do you mean there's a new one out there?!"

Lumiere thought for a second to calm the emperor down. It seemed like his anger will not subside if the emperor will only hear bad news from Lumiere.

But, thankfully Cleo said something other than bad news.

"We saw the Marquis Velfort of Iron Mountain there! We even fought him, Your Majesty."

Cleo looked up to see Leopold's face and talked with him with formal speech. The ministers and Imperial Knights gave her a scornful look and clicked their tongues.

"Oh, continue your speech, Lady Cleo. I would to hear the story from your point of view."

Leopold raised his left hand and gestured to Cleo to come close to him. She did as she was told and Cleo stood up and walked towards the emperor like a cat. Her eyes never leaving the emperor's.

When she got close to him, Leopold pulled her upwards to sit on his thighs. Seeing that Cleo likes it, the emperor caressed her legs all the way up to her hips and back.

Cleo moaned in pleasure as she turned sideways to also give the emperor a treat. She drove her fingers from his chest down to his abs.

"Continue.", Leopold said, while smiling in lust.

"The what? The story or the..."

Cleo whispered to him as she touched his crotch.

The hate of the ministers had never been this high towards the 'Enchantress'. She dares to flirt with the emperor publicly as if the Empress is not inside palace.

"Your battle...", Leopold said while he kissed her neck.

"Oh, yes. We fought the Iron Tiger with all our might but, he was too strong for us. Even our combination didn't work on him."

The emperor stopped to ponder for second but, Cleo kissed him on the lips and removed his crown to brush his hair then wrapped her legs around him.

"What's the matter, my Emperor? Feeling tired."

Leopold looked at her then bit her hard nipples under her golden silk dress. Cleo moaned again in pleasure.

"I never get tired, woman."

The emperor bombarded her with kisses and bites but, the ministers can't take it anymore so, Lumiere, as the White Minister, stepped up.

"Your Majesty, may we excuse ourselves so that you and Lady Cleo have some privacy?"

Lumiere asked the emperor who was already taking off his shirt. The emperor then raised his hands to make them stop before leaving.

"We will continue this discussion tomorrow. My White Minister, I'm not satisfied in the performance that you've shown me. Now, help me find a certain man that can help my first born to succeed the throne.", Leopold peeked through Cleo's back as he talked the licked Cleo's armpit.

"And who is it, Your Majesty?"

The ministers were trembling in anger but, the heroes kept their heads down as if nothing was happening. Lumiere asked them to turn around to not see the lustful display of the two, but their sounds echoes inside the room.

"Bring me Muhammed, The Prophet."