Death and Howls Part Seven: A Quest for the Crown!

Another round of abrupt knocking had me stumbling to the door with an equally groggy Felina on my back, a stressed out Acer pacing around as I opened the door with a big yawn. What did he want? Last night’s battle was still wearing on my body, a black and white photo fluttering in his hands. Cursing under my breath, I realized that I wasn’t wearing a shirt. Gulping at my sheer amount of hidden muscle, he cleared his throat as he shoved it in my face.

“My quest to find my crown showed up!” He exclaimed proudly, his ivory armor glistening in the early morning light. “Tradition says that I have to bring my commander with me. They call it a bonding tradition.”  Felina’s tail twitched with annoyance, Luna shouting out breakfast. Hopping off my back, her feet barely touched the ground with every twirl towards the table. Luna and her were going shopping with the queen today for coronation gowns, my supposed day off now a dwindling wish. Luna tossed me my usual ivory blouse and boots. Dropping it over my head, excitement bubbled in his eyes the moment I strapped my case onto my back. Tucking my scythe into it, Luna came up to me with a tired smile. Getting on my knees, a tender blush painted her cheeks at my gentle flurry of kisses along the soft material of her nightgown. 

“Daddy will be right back!” I promised my unborn pups, Luna tucking a wild curl behind her ears the moment I rose to my feet. “Stay safe." Lifting up her chin with my finger, my lips pressed against hers tenderly. Burying herself into my arms, my chin rested on the top of her head. Basking in the warmth of the moment, Acer’s helmet bouncing off of the dirt had me pecking her cheek before I joined his side. Scooping up his helmet, the position of commander didn’t seem daunting in the slightest. More than half of me wanted to build a life here, the sight of Luna making friends with everyone confirming my desire to stay here. Bowing as I handed him his helmet, relief mixed pure bliss as my next words. 

“Commander Darwin is at your service.” I proclaimed with an honest smile, his hand cupping his helmet. “I vow to stay by your side.” Luna cheered behind me, Felina and her seeming pleased with my decision. Guiding me back to the standing position, his head shook. What the hell did he imply by this?

“I can’t have my brother bowing.” He chuckled lightly, his armored hand resting on my shoulder. Putting my hands up in the air, the choice was his to be had. Dirt crunched with every footfall approaching our dragons, his fingers passing me the photo. Images of a lush forest shifted to a sea of ruins, the vision zooming into a decaying granite temple. Each level was a step closer to the sky, a shoulder shake snapping me back into reality. Curiosity twinkled in Acer’s eyes, his words coming into focus. 

“Did you see how to get there? Legend says that the true commander can see the temple.” He shouted out with a big grin, Helios and I shaking our head together. Was that going to be a common problem here? 

“I am going to stop you right there. I do not need another prophecy on my name.” I spat impatiently, a small bit of hurt dimming his eyes. “Fine, I must be the true commander." Life returned to his eyes, Helios placing me on his back. Climbing onto Snowy, his steady hands twisted his hair into a bun. Dropping his helmet over his head, he motioned for me to lead the way. Tucking the photo into my pocket, a scratch behind Helios ears had us taking off. Shooting into the sea of blush pink clouds, our dragons steadied. Closing our eyes, the forest was to the left. Steering Helios to the left, the freedom of flying had me smiling blissfully to myself. The clouds were my favorite place to be, Acer holding his arms out. Howling into the sky, his favorite place was mine. Howling with him, a fit of laughter burst from our lips. Moments like this made the war easier, Acer feeling like my long brother at this very second. Flying underneath Snowy, Snowy rolled under him. Hanging on tight, both of us were having a blast. Confusion twisted our features at them landing in front of shimmering wall, Helios lowering me down. 

“We can’t go on, Dar. We are going to hunt for our lunch and wait for you here.” He sighed apologetically, my palms rubbing his scales. Dropping my satchel over my shoulder, his claw tapped my head one last time before taking off with Snowy. Shifting uncomfortably next to me, he bounced his sword off of his leg. Peeling off his helmet, his shaking hand slid it into the case around his belt. 

“What if I can’t be a good king? What if I am like my father?” He panicked visibly, his breaths growing shorter. “What if you leave me! Please don’t leave my side.” So the pressure was getting to him, my brotherly hug bringing his breathing back to its normal speed. Ignoring the discomfort, his body shook in my arms. Letting the emotions soak my shoulder, the strife from his father’s betrayal boiling over in a spectacular manner. 

“Your father is a dick.” I assured him with my real smile, his armor clanging as he stepped back with embarrassment. “It won’t be easy with Rose as the queen. I wouldn’t be your commander if I didn’t have faith in you. You do keep waking me up at ungodly hours and that might be a sin in itself.” Snorting before breaking into a laughing fit, it was nice to see my friend grinning. Nudging my shoulder, he seemed to be back to himself. Thinking about my home for a minute, Lottie would be proud of my new promotion. Smiling serenely to himself, his mind flickered through what to say. 

“May I do the commander ceremony in front of that train with your parents? Honor is sure to glisten in their eyes.” He offered sincerely, tears welling up in my eyes. “My mother wants to meet the people who raised a perfect gentleman. Commander Darwin, it sounds so so powerful.” Shooting him an unimpressed smirk, the duties would match the ones I performed daily. Then again, the mountain of paperwork wouldn’t be fucking fun. 

“Enough stalling, let’s get to the task at hand.” I spoke sternly, his ears pinning back. Pushing him through, the wall hardened. Wonderful, the task rested under the die trying category. Stepping in front of him, my duty was to protect him. Staring out at the thick sea of trees, my fingers plucked my scythe from my back. Sending out a tracker ball, cracking branches had us listening for the source. Sensing an energy over our head, a loud fuck burst from my lips at the shadow gremlins shrieking upon impact with my scythe. Jet black sludge rained down on our faces, disgust scrunching up my nose. Wiping it off my face, thousands of them gathered in front of me. Dropping his helmet over his head, a fist bump announced his plan. Cut a path through, and get to the ancient city. Standing back to back for a moment, a flash spell would daze them long enough. 

“When I say go, go.” I whispered into his ear, a short yep confirmed his approval. A bright ball of light crackled to life in my palm, a quick toss into the air had me covering my eyes for a minute. Acer squinted in his helmet, my thunderous shout of the word go had us fight moving along the shadows to cut them down. Skidding close to the edge of the town, a wall of gremlins blocked our path. Combining our wind powers, our blades swinging at the same time sent them flying into the air. Bumping his fist, a triumphant grin illuminated my determined face. However, the grin fell at the houses shifting around in front of us. Acer stood on an opposite piece, a deep voice thundering all around me. 

“The commander will always find his majesty." The voice boomed, a snarl twitching to life on my lips. “If you fail, he dies!” A chill ran up my spine, the thought of him dying under my watch terrified me to my core. Waving at me, Acer became a dot in a sea of ruins. Fuck this test, I grumbled bitterly to myself. A loud snort had me spinning on my heel, an eight foot minotaur snorted again before digging at the cobblestone. His ivory horns contrasted the shimmering ash gray fur, his horns lowering ominously. Sprinting away from him, several more came from doors in the wall. Golden keys glittered around their necks, the key to the puzzle was right in front of me.  Huffing while circling me, a sly grin danced across my lips. Kicking up cloud after cloud of dirt, my shadow towered behind me. Pushing off the street, the heel of my boot met the closet one. An elbow to his face knocked him out. Grunting gruffly, my steady hands lifted him over my head. Sinking a bit from the weight, a bright redness colored my puffed out cheeks. Spinning him with my scythe, my muscles screamed in protest.  A flick of both wrists had him flying into half of his team, the minotaurs hitting the streets with dull thuds. About four remained, my eyes staying on the golden keys. Raising my scythe over my head, spiked clubs pointed in my direction.  Fantastic, let’s give the burly monsters weapons. It wasn’t as if they couldn’t crush me to pieces before. Charging at me, a cry burst from my lips at a horn sticking out of my side. Aiming my scythe for the base of his horns, sparks danced in the air. Thick ooze painted my face, everything doubling. Refusing to quit, a stomp on the street resulted in shadowy spikes impaling the rest of them. Limping over to the pile, a few tugs had the blood soaked keys in my trembling palms. Trying each key in every door resulted in me leaning against the wall, every single one of them proving to be a dud. Crushing them in my palm, this pathetic game was over. Feeling around the cobblestone with my boot, a hollow noise had me raising my foot over my head. Slamming my heel into the crack, the street crumbled away. Bracing myself for a rough landing, surprise rounded my eyes as a soft bed of sorts caught me. The gears of the maze clicked and clanked over my head, the horn in my side causing a jolt of pain to shock my body. Using my scythe to get back onto my feet, that damn voice didn’t say I couldn’t travel through the mechanics of his trap. Guards shouted in the distance, my empty footfalls had me hiding behind the bigger pipes. Moving when they marched towards my bloody landing, a magical bubble caught my eyes. Creeping from my hiding spot, a glowing lever captured my attention. Wincing as I pulled it, the scene shifted to a different part of the maze. Yanking it until I saw Acer tied to a tree in some sort of tropical jungle, the number nine glitched at the top. Slinking back into the shadows, my blurring vision sought this section's number. Spotting a five in front of me and a four to my left, the right was the way to go. Searching for my satchel, its emptiness had me cursing under my breath. Using my scythe as a crane, a thin layer of sweat glistened on my skin. Reading the number nine, a bit of life returned to my eyes. The light left my eyes at the two guards hovering in front of the ladder. A rock rolled to my feet, a kick had the rock bouncing around my palm. Throwing it in the opposite direction, a rush of musty air blew my hair back as they sprinted past me. Gritting my teeth, my own boots pounded towards the ladder. Noticing that the hatch was locked, a low growl rumbled in my throat. Blasting it with a ball of flames, the cover shot into the sky. Placing my scythe in my mouth, every climb up felt like torture. Pulling myself out, slick leaves had me slipping a bit. Catching my fall, Acer’s excitement dimmed at my condition. Stumbling over to him, my trembling fingers untied the rope around his waist. Staring into a puddle, a steady stream of blood had been pouring out of the corner of my lips. Wiping it away with an apology, shadowy fingers plucked the horn from my side. The wound sealed shut, the blood flowing from my lips slowing to a stop. Seconds from flipping off whoever was in charge, a set of golden stairs unfolded in front of us. 

“The gods recognize you as the king and commander of our kingdom.” The deep voice announced boldly, Acer taking my side. “May your kingdom flourish!” Climbing the stairs next to him, an apology rested on his tongue. Raising my hand, I wasn’t in the mood to hear it. Noticing my shadow behind me for the first time, the terror in his eyes made me rescind him back into my body. 

“I am going to stop you there. They told you were going to die and I couldn’t have that.” I informed him briskly, craving Luna’s touch randomly. “Let’s get your crown and go home. Do not wake me up too early tomorrow!” Promising me with his hands in the air, my scowl softened to a real smile. Climbing the stairs in welcome silence, a crown made of golden oak leaves and orange gems glittered in the afternoon light. Picking it up for him, his breath hitched the moment I placed it onto his head. An oak tree tattoo appeared on the back of my hand, panic rounding my eyes.  Covering his mouth, a fit of laughter burst from his lips. Confusion and anger mixed in my eyes, his eyes twinkling brighter than they had in a while. 

“That simply means you are the official commander. You can come and go as you please.” He assured me with a goofy grin, a sharp whistle exploding from his lips. Helios and Snowy lowered themselves down enough for us to hop on, the cool air lashing at our cheeks the moment we took off. Tucking my scythe back into my case, Helios purred as I laid my head onto his neck. Falling into a smooth slumber, the day had worn on me more than I knew. 

Luna shaking me awake had me sucking in a deep breath, my breath hitching at the lacy number she was wearing. The low cut chemise emphasized her ample breasts, the emerald lace floating over her bump elegantly. Her desire was mine, the next couple of hours passing by way too rapidly. Laying next to her under the blanket, her touch was what I needed to relax. Resting her head on my chest, her curls tickled my chin. Kissing the top of her head, her slender hand guided mine to her smooth bump. Pride glistened in my eyes, her tears matching mine. 

“I thought I lost you today when Acer carried you in. I nearly killed him when I saw the new mark on your hand.” She wept softly,cursing her hormones. “We are sure to lead the kingdom into a period of prosperity. Acer wanted you to go see him as soon as you were ready.” Checking the time, it was about noon. Apologizing to her as I rushed around to get cleaned up and dressed, her real smile never left her serene expression. Tripping into my boots, I lingered by the door. Glancing back at Luna, her hands rested on her lap. 

“Go on. I have to pick up my dress anyway!” She chirped cheerfully, basking in the post fun high. “I need to take a bath, Melda and I are going to have a girls night with Felina. Have some fun brother time. Meet him in the grand hall.” Rushing over to smother her in feverish kisses, her body arched towards me. Hovering inches from her face, her beauty was like no other. 

“Go before the night dies, you silly idiot.” She teased adorably, pecking my cheek. “Acer needs you.” Kissing her one last time, I was out the door. Sprinting towards the great hall, Acer shoved an orate ivory suit into my face the moment I entered. Thanking him gruffly, he motioned for me to try it on. Finding a private space, I struggled for a good ten minutes to get barely presentable. Coming out, the suit hugged my muscular body a bit too tight. Chuckling to himself as he adjusted the golden buttons and shoulder pads, the suit looked better when he was finished. Spinning around for him, a pair of golden shoes bounced off of his worn brown pants. 

“You look like a gentleman. Commander, your suit is ready for the ceremony. Don’t sweat the small details. I have your special guests coming in tomorrow. Get changed, we are hitting the tavern.” He assured me with a wink, shoving me back into the closet I got changed in. Switching outfits again, I came to an eager Acer tossing me my coin purse. Narrowing my eyes in his direction, the thoughts of when the hell his hands got on it crossed my mind several times. Choosing to ignore my instinct to yell at him, he dragged me onto the bustling night streets. Pushing me into the tavern, all the generals of his army cheered at the sight of me. The flames of hope burned bright within my heart.