Chapter 5

  Markets, parades and many other events.

  The capital of Orilon was filled with wonderful architecture and stunning development. There were lots to see and do around the city. It stretches over 14 kms wide and in length.

  The city is bright and prosperous.

  In the middle, was the royal castle. Built from bright stone and marble. It was grand and big, and it would shine brightly on the sunniest days.

  Children of all different species would play with each other, screaming and laughing. Everyone was welcome, except for hybrids. They were in fact forbidden to enter the capital. They were told they were too dangerous, and could put the kingdom at risk.

  But, of course, every capital or city that is filled with a peaceful good side, hides its dark side.

  Although the kingdom was happy, there were some that wanted to cause only chaos and turn their smiles upside down. Rogues.

  Rogues are mean, cruel and destructive creatures. They only want destruction and blood. They are a mix of different species, those who go against King Orilon and their own kind. They rebel against the king in order to be the most powerful on the planet. They were tired of living under his rule.

  Their liar was hidden somewhere inside the sewage. Inside the big tunnels, there was one that remained empty. No sewage water to be seen, but you could still hear the water droplets dripping onto the ground. They were all long and audible echoes.

  To the side of a tunnel, was a smaller drain. It was large enough for orcs to fit through. It would be after walking for about a minute, those would find themselves in a large and ominous liar. It was huge, like an underground palace.

  One of the areas was a meeting ground. It had a large and long table with chairs. There were different species like orcs, goblins, demons, werewolves, vampires and many more. They were all dressed in decent clothing, not too fancy, not too dirty. It seemed casual. The chair at the end was more grand and important looking than the rest. The one sitting on it was a hybrid, like Matteo. Next to him, was another, who looked younger than him. He was sitting next on another grand chair as well. He seemed silent.

  A hybrid's appearance is recognisable in regular form. All human, but with black antlers, claws and fangs. There were many subspecies of Hybrids. Each carrying different natural elements. A way you could tell what kind of hybrid one was, would be by looking for a certain tattoo on their shoulder. There would be one for water, fire, air, earth, stone, ice and much more.

  Hybrids have two main forms. At a certain age, they will receive a second form. That form enhances their abilities and their appearance becomes more unsettling. This also depends on their inherited ability given by the parents genes.

  On the grand chair, the hybrid man had tanned skin, piercing blue eyes. His cherry red hair had a faded shade of grey, along with a couple white streaks to resemble his middle-aged appearance. He leaned both his arms on the table. His mouth hidden from the fist he's made with his hands. He seemed a wealthy and noble man, with his gold necklace, blazer and white wooly coat that draped over his shoulders and down his back.

  The boy sitting beside him resembles the same features as him, but much younger, and no older than 21. He had more bushy cherry red hair, with no grey, and piercing blue eyes. Apart from the hairstyle and youthfulness, they were very much alike.

  They had different names on the top of these grand chairs. They were written in a very old fashioned cursive. The older hybrid had the chair with the name “Krex”on the top, while the other had the name “Darius”. That must be their names.

  They both looked like nobles, but it was clear they weren’t the most friendly. The younger one was cold and serious. He must’ve picked it up from the older one. His eyes scanned the table, observing the other Rogues that joined them on the table.each one of them were either discussing plans, laughing, arguing, and even drinking and fighting. The two hybrids were silent, in fact, the only silent ones at the table.

  In annoyance, the older hybrid stood up, clearing his throat, which got the others attention.

  “Everyone, sit.” He spoke firmly, clear enough for everyone to hear.

  All the members at the table sat down in silence. A couple grumbled, but apart from that, it was silent. They waited for the elder hybrid to speak up.

  Seeing that everyone had taken their seats the older hybrid let out a satisfied hum. Everyone is now waiting for him to begin the meeting. He clears his throat, before he speaks once again in a cold tone.

  “Thank you all for coming. As you all know, we’ve spent almost 16 years trying our absolute hardest to overthrow the king. Unfortunately, that old man won’t rest until we are completely wiped out. He has decided that anyone who has been involved in activity with the Rogues are also to be executed. Some of you might’ve already lost family members and loved ones.”

  The people sitting around the table all sneered, clenching their fists, and even shedding a tear or two. They were heartless creatures, but that didn’t mean they cared for their loved ones. All they wanted now was the king's head on a stick. They all listened to the older hybrid again. The older hybrid was well aware of the vengeful, murderous intents of the others at the table.

  “Everyone, settle. I understand how hard it is for you, but right now, we need to come up with a plan, and talk about this like civilised people.”

  One of the Orcs at the table raised his hand, with an unsure and frustrated expression. The older hybrid nodded, allowing the orc to speak. The orc stood up and spoke up in a grumbly and booming voice.

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  "Lord Krex, I do not intend to be disrespectful, but we cannot simply converse with a king as if it were a casual gathering. We are Rogues. We do not engage in idle chatter; we execute, pilfer, and obliterate."

  “I understand the point you’re trying to get across, and I somewhat agree with you. However, you think we would enjoy barbarians barging into their home and tearing up the place, demanding that they hand over the entire kingdom. That’s not how anyone should settle anything.”

  The orc was about to talk back, but Krex shot a sharp and stern glare, telling the orc to stay silent. Instead, he sat down and grumbled slightly. He didn’t seem to like the idea of settling things like sophisticated people. It doesn’t seem like more of a Rogue thing. Krex continued to speak.

  “King Orilons forces are getting weaker the more ours expand. Some people of the kingdom aren’t really happy with the idea of discrimination against hybrids. They say it’s a cruel law to ban them from being inside the city walls. Luckily for me and Darius here, we were able to hide away. My wife, who wasn’t so lucky…well, you know what happened to her. I want to make sure that bastard pays for what he did to her.” He spoke with a hint of anger. It’s clear that Krex wanted to make King Orilon pay.

  One of the vampires at the table spoke up without raising its hand.

  “My lord, didn’t King Orilon already pay the price 15 years ago?” It asked.

  “Yes, but that's not enough I want to see all the hope drain from his eyes as his kingdom burns”

  “Queen Maida and the princess?”

  “Yes, they’re both long gone. That was a night of triumph, that one. The castle was in flames, Maida and the child were cornered, and they were burnt alive. The king still mourns their passing.”

  The room went silent for a moment. Some of them were reminded of the night they killed the queen and supposedly the baby heir. The vampire spoke up again.

  “My lord, I have a question to ask.”

  “Go on..”

  “We remember seeing Queen Maida in the aftermath of the incident, but there was no sign of the child. Why is that?”

  Then, there was whispering going on around the table. Concern grew around the table.

  “I guess the baby became a pile of ashes. There’s no way it could survive.”

  “I remember seeing the guards taking and carrying something from her.” The vampire spoke.

  The room went silent again. Darius showed a slight expression of interest. Krex noticed the tension in the room. If the princess was alive, it could mean bad news for the Rogues. The Orilon family was a powerful family. Each had been given their own ability since birth, and would be unlocked during their youth. If the princess survived, then she would have the ability to awaken her power, and that could be disastrous. The Orilon family were the only bloodline that genetically developed powers when born. Krex spoke up in his gruff grumbly tone.

  “So what you’re trying to tell me, is that there is a chance that the princess has been alive these whole 15 years, and none of you thought to tell me?!” His voice showed anger and frustration. His sharp nails digging into the armrest. It was clear that he was about to explode with anger. The Rogues were now shaking with fear around the table. The vampire started to sweat.

  “Y-Yes, my lord…” He stuttered.

  Krex was about to burst. But then, he sighed in frustration. They couldn’t confirm whether or not this was 100% true, but from what was just said, it was obvious this was not a lie. Krex rubbed the bridge of his nose, grumbling. Darius still kept his serious and calm demeanor. Krex, once again spoke and sighed.

  “So she’s alive.”

  “Yes, my lord. We have spies. They’ve been patrolling mostly the north near Steinfoss. They reported a young female no older than 15, with purple eyes. They say they saw her last in a small and poor town called Deersheild. She was with a young man with umber skin and long white hair, orange eyes and black antlers. He was a hybrid.”

  “A hybrid? That’s certainly a rather interesting report; and the girl has purple eyes just like the king. No doubt, she really is alive. Do we have any knowledge of the princess' name?”

  “We have collected information from some of our spies. They’ve heard the name ‘Sonas’ from the hybrid a few times, and we assume it’s the girl's name.”

  “Interesting. Princess Sonas of Orilon, has been alive for 15 years, and slipped under our fingers

  Now the people in the room were starting to panic. There was worry and fear. Krex and Darius were the only ones in the room not freaking out. They were still serious and calm. On the inside, they were a little worried. They didn’t want to show it on the outside. It would make them look weak, and it would set a bad example for their followers.

  “Silence!” Krex yelled, slamming his hand on the table, silencing all.

  He immediately gained the attention of the Rogues at the table, as he started to speak.

  “We shall not panic. We mustn’t seem weak. Our best option is to remain calm and discuss this like civilised people. We can confirm that the princess is still alive, yes, but that does not mean that we can’t find a way to get rid of her. Darius, I’ll leave this to you. I know you’ll know what to do about this situation.”

  “Yes father…” Darius spoke in a calm tone. He seemed determined to complete his mission.

  Everyone at the table was questioning about Krex’s son taking care of getting rid of the princess. They would have no choice but to go along with this plan. Then, a ghoul raised his hand.

  “Are you sure you should be leaving this to your son, my lord?” He asked with concern.

  “I assure you, my son, Darius, is more than capable of such a simple thing. He knows what he must do.”

  Darius glared at the ghoul. His eyes burned with a determined fire under his mask. There were still unsure faces around the room. It would usually be taken care of by the generals, but this time, it’s Krex’s son. He’s never been on any missions until now. What if he fails, they all thought.

  Darius rose from his seat. He cleared his throat and turned to the hallway. His footsteps echoed as he walked away from the table. Everyone’s gaze was on him, even Krex. Krex spoke up before leaving.

  “This meeting has concluded. But before anyone leaves; You, vampire, do you know where you saw the girl coming from.”

  “Deersheild, my lord.”

  “Deersheild? That peasant dump?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “Kill everything you see there.”

  “Yes sir. I’ll send in my army. They’re quite fast, so it’ll only take a day or two for them to arrive.”

  “Good. Off with you. All of you.”

  ??

  Darius sat on the rich leather sofa in the common room of the liar, looking at the crackling orange flames in the fireplace.

  He heard the sound of the door creaking open. His father, Krex, stood there calmly.

  “I have faith in you, son.” He spoke.

  “I know, father. I will do what I must.”

  “I know you will. You’ve been training for something like this.”

  “Still, it’s still going to take a little bit of planning. I want to be able to strike when the time comes. I’m not going to do a ‘seek and destroy’ kind of thing, that’s for sure.”

  “Then what is your overall plan?”

  “Like I said, it’s still going to take a bit of time for me to come up with a good plan.”

  “Whatever it may be at the end, I have no doubt that it’ll work out well. Do you have any idea on what you’ll do so far?”

  “Yes. I’m going to make sure she’ll lose all hope.”