Chapter 3: Back to Eleseiya

******

"Your Highness, the prince is safe. Royal Servant Siwaliw found him beneath a cliff."

A plain eunuch bowed before a golden carriage where a huge old man wearing a golden crown, anxiously sitting inside.

"But he suffered from several bruises on his lower back. But rest assured Your Highness, it wasnt fatal. Royal Servant Paluti is healing him now."

"That's enough."

An enfeebled voice crawled towards the servant, but it gave him an endless nightmare as though it would hunt him every night.

"Yes, Y-your Highness."

The servant quickly bowed then hurriedly left the carriage. He wouldn't dare staying for too long. He was too scared of that old man, King Nāga. This king was already in the mezzanine level between High and Legend Tier, no wonder his servant was too scared of him.

Actually there were five levels that a warrior could ascend to which starts from low, then mid, high, legend and finally god tier stage. These could be achieved through trainings, cultivation or even through high grade elixirs.

The blanched visage of the old man only tells that hes already past a senior! A year would be considered too long for him to stay in his throne. But who would ascend his crippled son?

His face grew even more anxious just with that tiny thought.

"Amazing!"

A distant bawl sank the whole area and the regal king couldn't help but peered on his window. His eyes quivered as long as he saw his 'son' star struck by the servant's magic.

******

Paluti was confused with the sudden change of the prince. Just a little while ago, he was still the Ziro he knew shy, timid, and don't usually talk.

But just after he escorted the king, several assassins were already leaping out from their glade cottage while the prince shunned them towards the grooves.

And when 'he' was rescued back, Paluti was staring at the 'prince' now exactly the opposite of whom 'he' was.

'Was there anything to be amaze with? He already saw this many times now.'

After a long stare at the wounds that immediately vanished under the warm magic, Ziro's expression suddenly changed. A mere hope seemed to linger inside 'his' heart.

"Um...can you bring the dead back?"

Right at instant, Paluti had lost his strength to move his lips.

'What? Bring back the dead? What am I, a god?'

He turned head his towards Siwaliw composedly standing beside him.

'Did he hit his head? He looked even dumber than before. What would be a dragon prince who's not only a cripple but also an idiot?'

'Shut your trap.'

Siwaliw immediately glared his silver eyebrows. With that, Paluti couldn't help but made an abrupt sigh.

'I really hope his okay or the king might kill me.'

It's because he was the Royal Servant served as cleric for the young prince; a second lineage in the bloodline of angels. Once the prince was hurt he would surely took the beating, in line with Siwaliw of course.

"I am very sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness, but what you ask is simply impossible for me."

With what he said, the 'prince' immediately went dejected as 'he' pulled 'his' lips into a rueful smile.

"I see."

Whatever reason behind, guilt blisteringly swallowed Paluti's conscience. But, what could he do? Thats just really undoable.

Shrugging it off, he scanned the 'prince's body for other injury.

"I'll heal the rest of your wounds, Your Highness."

Above his peacock colored robe was his long silver hair same as with Siwaliw. With his penitent eyes, he slowly lifted his palm as it face Prince Ziro.

"Heal."

He quickly murmured. Then a sudden green light encircled Ziros whole body as though the young man was engulfed by a giant shiny slime.

******

Ziro stared at the homey sensation that the giant verdant effulgent licking her body.

'Haaa... My mom used to give me this kind of warm...'

Her heart itched for moment as her past-self overlapped with what she had now.

She raised her hand. With slow gestures, her skin bristles swayed from the gushes of the gentle magic.

She still couldn't believe she ended up in a magical country.

Trying to cope with this kind of environment would be really difficult even with the help of Ziros past memories.

But, that didn't mean she should be helpless!

The corner of her lips curved up.

'This is nice.'

Quite amused, she retreated her scrawny hand, and leaned her face forward until her nose plunged into the green light.

Paluti and Siwaliw had a complicated expression as though asking the same question... was their highness trying to smell that healing light?

No time, even the soldiers and maid servants who accompanied the king in Ruzas, shot their glances towards each other carrying silent snickers.

Aware of what was her servants were throwing, a burning annoyance shot eyes; she, then, shifted her head and caressed her nose.

'There's no smell. Then this is just a pure light emitting mana, mainly for healing external wounds indeed.'

And this time, her eyes snapped towards her servants and pierced a paralyzing glare.

'These morons! Did they think I cant sense their flashing mockery? I had enough of those in my past life ha I never expected I would receive the same even in the next world.'

"I-is there something wrong, Your Highness."

Paluti bent his eyebrow. He could not help but to ask.

"Ah... nothing just caught a glimpse of insects. By the way, could you please, do another healing skill? I just want to check something."

Dusting her irritation, she pulled her lips into a sweet smile on the rainbow-veiled servant in front of her.

"That'd be my pleasure, Your Highness."

Then, in no time, a surge of light flashed, warm streaks immediately came back.

'Let's see... if not for its scent... then...'

Not pertaining to her sniggering servants, her mouth slowly gaped until she had a mouthful slug of light.

Siwaliw threw his gaze towards Paluti, as the latter did the same. Their faces cannot be drawn anymore as though telling who could be a person that eats the healing light?

Moreover, because of that, smirking murmurs grew among the servants.

"...!"

Her eyes jolted widely when a burning sensation caressed her chest. Her internal organs seemed to squelch. For a moment, she thought, she would lose her breath then again; waiting, slow realization clamped her lips together.

'I see... so that's how it is... mana... from the healing magic can be eaten.'

But seconds passed, the welling energy inside her seemed to dissipate without a trace.

Seemed taken aback with the strange event, she gulped another light but then again, the scorching feeling just vanished, like a smoke completely blown a surge of wind.

Her eyebrows quivered.

'Of course, mana couldn't circulate through my body... I'm a cripple. How could I forget that?'

She could just let a sigh when dejection once again, embraced her well-being.

******

"Hey…hey take a look at the prince."

Seeing how the prince really changed for the past seven years, a kneeling maid servant couldnt help but whisper on her side.

Four days ago, with the behest of the king, seven maid servants prompted to escort the carriage up towards Ruzas. Unexpectedly, she was one of those conduced.

In an overriding anticipation, she couldn't wait to dash her feet out of the kingdom and meet the prince as from her vague recollection, Ziro on his younger years in the palace was extraordinarily lively, really sweet like a gooey and sapid nectar.

Vivid images havent let her mind from eight years ago. Just before the scarlet roosters stretched its neck into an uproar, an adorable little prince firmly clasping the hand of a young Siwaliw, could already be seen strolling outside the palace, gleaming upon the things lulled his shoal interest.

Those were the times lethargic merchants instantly zapped into fire once they saw the princes thin lips, puffy cheeks and short plump fingers harmonized into a precious innocence.

But one day, the king's edict -- The Prince will not live inside the palace anymore! -- dropped all Eleseiyans into long slumber of sorrow.

Begging for reason, the king just stapled his mouth.

The hurtful scenario was just buried to ashes as the times passed by, however the anticipation of the princes return was rather overwhelming.

Question-- what would be the prince by now? -- immediately invigorated her soul.

But never in her expectation would the 'prince' be senseless, more of a boneheaded 'prince'.

Her imminently shaped exaltation was immediately reduced to a snicker.

"...has he gone crazy? He really looks really dumb."

"Thank goodness! I thought I was the only one whod noticed. Looks like the prince totally became a good-for-nothing young man. Putting wealth aside, my man was far better than him."

Another maid servant sniggered while looking at the prince slugging in tons of healing light.

"...you bet, it'll be a disaster once Eleseiyans find this out."

Then two minutely snickered.

"Ziro that's enough."

"...!"

"...!"

The two maids froze on the spot as heavy wave of terror squeezed their chests when a huge old man highlighted by a golden crown dawned upon their faces.

Though the old man's words weren't for them, fear crisply engraved in their figures as though hell had long awaited their arrival.

Just as it was, the two servants heavily lowered their heads, sewed their lips at instant and regretfully took back all they said.

******

Anger hastily burst inside King Nāga's chest when he clearly heard what the two maids ridiculed.

His being was at the brink of explosion, but at instant, his golden crown emitted strange force pulling him back into calmness.

Throwing away his fury, King Nāga coiled his eyes towards Siwaliw and Paluti as they immediately slumped on to their knees.

"I thought I made myself clear seven years ago. Stay close. Guard the glade. Protect the prince at all cost."

"We beg for your mercy, Your Highness! We failed you."

The slightly blanched forehead of the king formed creases which stifled a stinging sensation on his nape.

Lulled in another growing sense of mood, his weakening visage adversely started surfacing.

Truly, he was already beyond his age for this throne.

Because of that, instead of deluging on the incident even more, he just threw away his budding anger and poured his gaze towards Ziro.

However, his jawline suddenly tensed when his eyes viewed how wimpish his 'son' became. Indeed, his maids weren't completely wrong, but how dare they humiliate Ziro! Despicable!

If haven't for Ziro's chiseled bones, he wouldnt have called 'him' invertebrate comparable for 'his' pliant strength.

But, remembering his painful decision to keep his only son away from the Eleseiya really nudged his conscience.

The prince wouldn't end up like this. But what could he do, that was the only way to protect him from the other royalties.

His pondering sight ran along his Ziro's shoulder with a bit of a muscle and finally meeting the 'prince's eyes.

But...

"Those eyes...!"

King Nāga's eyelids suddenly jolted when he saw a piercing glare of the 'prince' bore towards him.

His fingers twitched. Never in his life could think his 'son' would be capable of perusing at him like that. Well, there wasn't any aura spewing out of Ziro's gaze, but why?

Why did he suddenly crushed by a lurid intimidation which almost stripped his bristles off?

If Ziro was indeed a cripple, wouldn't 'he' be drooping 'his' tail before him?

An inimitable expectation ironically welled up inside his chest.

His blood sizzled through its course from all over his body.

Just a second, his astonished visage was completely shelled by strange anticipation through what comes next -- returning the warm favor from his 'son'.

In a streak of light, he furrowed his eyebrows, and without pertaining to his servants, he unwaveringly flushed tremendous surge of his murderous intent out from his body.

Thunder!!!

Black smothering wave of energy beat out in an invincible pressure that set his several servants off to foot.

Mercilessly aiming towards Ziro, he did not even notice he was already grinning.

When was the last time he felt like this? Was it when the first continental war broke off?

Nevertheless, enthrallment couldn't just halt from brimming inside him.

But the thing was that, if there were uncultivated people referred to, in this world, as the Commoners, happened to pass by, they might end up suffocating from the pressure and they surely die!

But that never ceased his pursuit.

Rolling his gaze towards his struggling servants soothed his certainty he didn't hold back on his dominant pressure.

With that, he slowly pulled back his sight towards his son.

"...!"

But, at instant, his desiccating surge of aura was completely and immediately extinguished when his eyes widened with disbelief.

Tremendous shock won its grand place on his face for a minute as he could only looked at Ziro befuddled stared at 'him' like wasn't affected even an inch of a drop of his force!

'You!'

Perplexity ran in circles through his mind. He just couldn't comprehend why the hell his son wasn't affected.

But another part of him was pulling his lips in a grin for Ziro, a cripple, was able to withstand such dragon aural force.

******

The moment the king sudden purged his intent, cold sweats broke from Paluti's temple, as he thought it was his fault on why the old man released tremendous dragon aura.

'The hell... I'm gonna die... I'm gonna die!!!"

Suffocating force immediately engulfed his whole body as though he was in front of a huge black scaled dragon glaring towards him while its body continuously explodes chilling yet burning pressure, inevitably made his hair stood yet made his feet slumped.

While his was still gazing down, he slowly turned his head towards Siwaliw, only to find out he was also no good as he was already.

******

As soon as Siwaliw and Paluti kowtowed on the ground, Ziro turned her head back, only to see familiar figure set before her.

'So he's my dad.'

She immediately threw a probing look.

'Look's like the last time Ziro saw him was seven years ago, no wonder his memories are quite blurry. In any case, I can only hope he isn't like my puny stepfather, or else...'

A cold glint suddenly flashed across her eyes.

Overly affected by her distrust toward her former stepfather, she couldn't help put on a glaring stare.

But it was actually erased in a second when her father suddenly grinned, as if he almost thought this king had a son-complex personality.

She felt perplex for a moment. Searching for possible reasons, she caught nothing.

'Is there something on my face? Or, was just that happy to see his son? That's kinda sweet and creepy.'

But her eyebrows immediately furrowed when she noticed in a sudden, all of the soldiers, and servants had slumped on their feet.

Some were already flooded with sweats and others groaned in agony.

Panic immediately welled inside her.

'What's happening?'

Her eyes quickly snapped around and finally landed towards her father.

But her confusion grinded her even more when her fathers smug was replaced by impingement.

'Perhaps, maybe he was expecting me to start the conversation.'

With that, she raised her right hand towards her father as though offering to shake his hand?

Why offer that in ancient time?!

"Dad! Long time no see!"

But the king frowned inexplicably.

"D-dad? A new greeting?"

A raspy voice got a questioning tuned out from the kings throat as his eyebrows suddenly knitted in an extent where his temple lost its friction with his crown.

"Eh?"

Ziro just realized it now. How idiot! Well, she did not know what to do. Even in her former life she didn't had a single pleasant encounter with her stepfather, greeting alone was impossible.

"Ahem..."

She immediately cleared her throat then acted as though she was a regal princess.

"Greetings father. How have you been these past years?"

She said. But instead of cupping her hands, she rested her left palm on the top her right hand. Her shoulder twitched softly and her butt gently rose when she gracefully bowed.

The king's eyes suddenly quivered when he saw what the young 'man' just did.

In a second, he immediately shut his eyes and snap his head back.

How shameful! Why did his son became like that?! Did he change his preferences? Not only his son was crippled, he also gone crazy and now he acted like a lady!

Alas! The king just slapped his face when he felt how failure he became as a father.

In a swift, he shot his glaring look towards the two kneeling royal servants he charged to guard his son.

"You! What did you teach my son?!"

"Your highness! Were at fault! Please spare us!"

Paluti and Siwaliw immediately banged their heads on the ground.

Ziro raised one of her eyebrows.

She awkwardly pulled back her arms.

'Did I blew it?'

She thought.

"But... w-we didn't know too. His highness behavior just suddenly changed after he fell from the cliff."

Then Paluti quickly explained. He didn't dare to raise head.

It was just glued on the dusty ground as he felt the pressure from the king. He was just on the last line of mid tier, no wonder he was really scared by the Kings aura.

Once understood, Ziro realized what was wrong!

By then, she quickly cleared her throat again. This time, she gently cupped her hand with high regard and such masculinity.

She tensed his chest as though she was the strongest dude alive! With regality, she bowed to her father for the second time.

"I am very sorry, father for that unsightful manner. I am just really glad seeing you again. This son of yours may seek for your apology as I promise it would never happen again."

His deep voice that exudes chills melted the hearts of all the female servants. Never had she known that her promise was more brittle than a crispy dried twig.

King Nāga's gaze suddenly got softer. He made a whispering sigh as he pinched his temple.

Without hesitation, he threw his glance to his son.

Indeed! He really changed! His son he knew was timid, jumpy and a crybaby. But now his son was calm and composed yet... er... was also dumb. He made a sigh again then turned his back on the young man.

"Packed all his things! His going back! He'll celebrate his birthday in Eleseiya!"

"Right away, Your Highness!"

All of the servants bowed again.