King Lithin: The Wise. No wonder people would doubt such a guy with such power. Even to bring him down, of course. To have put such a very idea into the brains of the princes on the other hand… it was dangerous. And such a person I walk alongside, Drego.
Even Skyto couldn't avoid the suspicion. Not even Skyto, wow. That's what love does to a man with his hormones at the maximum, at such an age.
Yet I couldn't say I was less guilty, I was going with it too, after all. Just like my older brother.
But I found it funny and weird. Maybe, again, could be the hormones. Or well, people just change, but… dad always seemed different to me. And most of my life, I have had weird confusions which I couldn't put into words, so didn't even tell Skyto.
Like how… no. Nevermind.
But besides the clear deceit story which could play out, Drego sure looked scary to me. She… felt fear? How could such a person feel fear? She was like dad, just the same. They both had weird look in their eyes. Talking about feelings and all in front of everyone… but I honestly sometimes couldn't see how these people could experience such a thing.
Dad could protect himself, if she attacks all of a sudden. She'd know that too.
So we wait for his arrival, after having sent a guard to deliver him the message of our location in the garden. As he couldn't be near his chambers.
On the bright side… I knew that Agusth wouldn't act recklessly, at least for her sister's sake. She merely wanted doubts to be cleared, I could understand her. She was fine.
Maybe that is why I was letting this happen… perhaps.
And Dad finally shows up… in his yet another weird form of happiness, which was a rare sight. And his usual, but different, royal-ish clothes, he even had changed into new clothes, wow.
"You brought friends…" Dad says. "No-no, please have a seat," he says as everyone seems to start standing up, and I do too, lightly, and sit back down.
The beautiful garden had this amazing spot to sit and hangout at, so it was great. Grand-dad Max always liked picnics. Especially in this very garden. I missed him.
"Myself Lithin, what are your names?" Dad asks, after taking a seat among us. "Hailo and Leo?"
"Yes it is us, w-wise-dad, if you don't mind me calling you that," Hailo says, while waving her hand.
"No, of course it is fine. It is one of the sweetest nicknames I ever got. Moreover, what a moment," Dad laughs. "The General and I are very close friends. I had visited him once, when Hailo and Leo were just babies. He was trying to get them talk, and I joined in too, and when a soldier came in, calling me from the full title, she caught up and said 'wise-dad'."
"Yes. Father always told me that story many times. Also how you ended up saying 'hello', in a kid-like way he says, and you both decided on my name as Hailo."
"Oh yes, your mom was furious, that she wasn't included," Dad continues laughing.
On a closer look, it wasn't even one of his fake laughs. It seems genuine and new to me… just a rare deja-vu though.
"Dad always tells me that I tried to… harm you, for not gifting me a necklace of mine," Leo says, shyly. "Is it true?"
Dad looks towards Hailo, and finds a necklace around her neck. Dragon-white metal, a handshake symbol on the edge of the chain.
A similar necklace could be seen, but around Leo's hand, as a bracelet. He preferred using the necklace as a bracelet. And this one was only different because it was dragon-black metal. Both colors matches the wearer's co-ordination of colors.
Both those metals were costlier than silver or gold. Dad always said that humans back on Earth valued gold a lot. But gold was rare and not of that much value out here.
"You threw a tantrum, yes. Took both of us to stop you. You did sneak into my room to scare me, and have a word with me but… if it hurt, I wouldn't know… maybe it didn't."
"O-oh," I hear Leo stutter for the first time. "I'm so sorry. I apologize for my childish behaviour."
Even Leo was scared by a bit here, yet…
"No way… you were a kid. And trust me, when I was younger… I have thrown worse tantrums," Dad laughs.
"Myself Drego, King Lithin," Drego says, putting her hand forward.
Dad stops laughing, looking at this. His expression comes to a neutral state, and I feel him stare at the extended hand, for a long time.
"Nice to meet you Drego," Dad shakes his hand with her, and gives a shocked reaction of a kind. "You…" he looks right into her eyes, and Drego looks straight back into his, "have a firm handshake."
"Why thank you… but I wouldn't know if I have heard that one before, thanks for pointing out. You see, I'm from Nightrale, so I can't really remember my past."
Wow, she went straight for the shot.
"Ah… yes, I think I have seen you before."
"Me too," Drego laughs, making it obvious that it is a joke… wasn't; it scared me.
"Haha… you have a good way with your words. If you don't mind me saying… I think you could've been the princess there. You sure give that… aura, if I may."
"But surely here you are the King, sire."
"That I am," Dad laughs.
Surely at least on one side this must be a serious one… wow, to dad it must just be some kind of other kingdom's minister talk or something. Scary to us, who knew the scenario.
Silence fills, and Dad looks at everyone's faces, and finds one unfamiliar one.
"And you are…?"
"M-myself Wyrom… sir!"
"Wyrom… I think I've heard your name before. Can I know where you are from, if it is not a problem?"
I look at Skyto, looking at someone else, that someone else shakes her head sideways, and Skyto seems to untighten his chest.
Of course he wasn't a bad guy. He was just… the King of Dragons. The Dragons would've fallen apart if it had a bad King. It was very rare that a place… a whole planet had only one King. The only other planet with such a thing was Androg… Pluto.
Back on Earth… kings were old news now though. But I'll wait for Dad to say it completely
"L-leishank," Wyrom says.
"Hmm, but I still remember you. But that doesn't help me remind."
"He was… he is a recued dragon," Skyto says. "The… person, brought him. The secret hero."
The secret hero… the one who rescued Wyrom and many more.
"Oh…" Dad says. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't recognise you. And I'm sorry I brought that up."
"No, it is fine… sir!" Wyrom says.
"Let me make it up to you," Dad says, and removes a ring from his finger. "This… fends off the monsters which don't try to hide."
Dad bends forward toward Wyrom, and his bulky figure reaches closer to him, with a hand out-ready to hold Wyrom's.
Wyrom hesitatingly places his hand on Dad's. Dad pushes the ring in his other hand forward, and stops.
"This may sting a little, I want you to be brave," Dad says. "I heard that while the ring finger is associated for emotions, and is for a wedding: a ring on the middle finger symbolises harmony."
The huge ring is pushed by dad's large fingers, and finally enter around Wyrom's small middle finger. But just as it reaches, it shrinks and tightens around Wyrom's finger, perfectly sitting there, making him flinch. And I see green energy in the cracks of its design.
It really must fend off evil creatures then.
"Wow…" I say, surprised and enthused by the ring. Dad gives me a smile.
"Now we are friends," Dad turns and winks to Wyrom. "I'm sorry that I don't have a gift for you, dear Drego. Maybe next time."
"Or next time I'll have a gift for you, sire. You have surprises ready for everyone, you deserve a surprise too, surely."
"Ha! I like you."
Self note: they should never be meeting each other, ever.
"Then, shall we get started with the story?"
"Yes please," only I say, and feel awkward. Was nobody else interested?
"Alright then. As you all may know, my family is from Earth, and Skyto and Spythun may have already spoiled it but, the story I'm going to tell, took place on Earth. A place just as similar to our own planet here. Who knows a fun trivia about Earth and here?"
"Besides being the same size, and climate, temperature even, both planets almost share the same axis and rotation. Also they both are at such a tilt wherein, the other can't be seen from anywhere on either of the planets," Wyrom says.
"Very good. That is correct. As expected from a Shankan," Dad smiles. "Also, Androg, Monsteruin, Leishank, and Nightrale are visible from both the planets."
"But that… seems unlikely," Skyto says.
"I think I heard it somewhere too," Leo says.
"But that didn't change the fact that Earth had dragons… the reincarnations of the first dragons, including the Phoenix," Dad says. "And thence began the story, like any other dragon story, finally on the planet of Earth. On a day, like any other."