THE RISE OF EXILE 2

FIRST MOVE

"King Damon, aren't you preparing yourself for the meeting later?"

Crowlux asked, standing to the right side of the King who is sitting on his throne deep in thought. The King did not reply and didn't peek a glance at Crowlux who is waiting for his answer, as if he could not hear him. He remained staring at nothingness as if he had a world of his own.

"Narco."

When Crowlux uttered that name, the King immediately turn his look to him with a slight daze.

"Do you believe in retribution?"

The King asked while looking away once from Crowlux who was looking at a Painting placed on the black easel stand in front of Cael's coffin. A beautiful and pregnant woman smiles at that painting while holding her belly. Her expressive eyes slightly squinted beautifully that speak a thousand words and a dazzling smile like a beam of sunlight illuminating the darkest corners of the room, it was pure and full of happiness, giving life to that painting. It also coincides with the beautiful background of the painting, the white lake with black swans floating on the surface of the serene water. That painting is too perfect and with the sweetness of the woman’s smile, no one would notice her hand gripping her belly tightly. If someone doesn’t stare and pay attention to that part of art no one won’t notice.

"Yes."

Crowlux replied that the left corner of the King's lip was slightly raised.

"That answer becomes more interesting especially it came from a Demon."

King Damon smiled and then stood up on his throne and came down to approach the painting. Crowlux followed him quietly.

King Damon stopped then touched the woman's face in the painting.

"What a lovely daughter,"

King Damon whispered and his eyes darted on the woman's bulging belly

"... carrying an unwanted cursed child."

He added with a somber look painted on his face.

"Where did it all start?"

King Damon asked out of nowhere. Crowlux also couldn’t answer that question, he remained silent and just stared at the painting but he was able to focus on the black swans in the white lake when he noticed something strange about them.

"Those swans ..."

Crowlux couldn't continue what he was going to say when he felt King Damon's strange look at him.

"Don't mention it."

The King threatened him and leave the throne. Although Crowlux was shocked at what he heard, he still obeyed the King but he didn't lose sight of what he noticed in the swans in the painting, it was odd and enigmatic. His hair stood up from all over his body unintentionally.

"I've never seen anything like that before."

Crowlux whispered to himself.

"I want you to take Cael's heart that is in Chaise's hands now."

Crowlux stopped walking when King Damon said that. He did not expect it. Damon also stopped walking then faced Crowlux who seems to be petrified from its feet and just stared at him without removing the shock of what the King said.

"I want you to pick that up later, you don't have to attend the meeting anymore"

The King turned around and then left Crowlux not knowing what to do.

"I can't defy him."

Crowlux felt that even if he did not want to obey the King, Damon would still do what he wanted.

What will happen if I don't follow his command?

And how did Chaise get Cael’s heart?

By force? Or by putting a condition?

Crowlux sigh deeply as he watched the King nearing the far end of the Hallway.

"Ha ... What should I do? I f*****g need that heart too. I can't revive my master without it."

Crowlux whispered in despair and then headed in the other direction of the Hallway to do what the King had ordered to him.

When Damon got out of the Palace, he suddenly emitted a dark aura that surrounded him until he could no longer be seen. The aura was so heavy that his footsteps collapsed. Nor at the same time does the gloom and weight of the cloudy sky coincide with his aura. The wind howls and got colder and so as the surrounding, then after a short minute, the dark aura disappeared and another person emerge that resembles Damon.

The real Damon and his doppelganger with eyes were all black, it smiled hauntingly that will surely sow terror to anyone who sees it.

"Visit Exile for me."

The King whispered to his doppelganger then it suddenly disappeared right in front of him. King Damon on the other hand, continued and find his way to the Forbidden Palace.

.....

Schatten and Vishnu were surprised at what they just witnessed. They were supposed to go to King Damon but they stopped when they saw him outside the palace and another person emerge out of the dark aura, his doppelganger.

"What does that mean?"

Schatten asked, his mouth left hanging open as Vishnu shook his head and blink a couple of times in disbelief. Even he was shocked at what the King had done.

"I thought he would just let everyone act as they wished without him interfering but this is him now with backdoor plans."

Smiling, Schatten said that Vishnu suddenly thought about it, his brows slightly furrowed.

"He really doesn't have a plan. Ever since he became King, he lost the capability for that thing."

Vishnu replied with a frown at Schatten.

"Although it's not obvious that the decision he made a thousand years ago had a big impact on him. Let's stop talking about him, we need to enter his palace."

Vishnu added and began walking ahead of Schatten.

"What are we going to do here?"

Schatten asked when they could finally get inside. Vishnu's flicked his finger and a gigantic and small veins appeared under his footstep. A small smirk form on his lips and he stepped on the green veins.

"Scatter."

Vishnu then whispered in a low tone and the green veins began to crawl and explored in every corner of King Damon's palace.

"Ah, I forgot Amore is here. Put her to sleep."

Vishnu orders Schatten who looks at him badly before Schatten obeys his command. Schatten vanish in front of him like a flash and immediately arrived at the room where Amore was staying. She is in the bathroom taking a bath and doesn't seem to notice what is happening as her room is anti-magic. Because Schatten is a Royal Vampire, he can still use his natural ability. He merges into the unknown dimension and goes to the mirror inside the bathroom where Amore was taking a bath.

"I am not doing this because I want to."

Schatten whispered as he stared at Amore who was staring in the mirror without any clothes on. She was bucked naked.

When Amore approached her face in the mirror, Schatten's hand immediately came out of there, and even before Amore could shriek in horror and take an action, Schatten cover her face with just one hand and did not spare her until she gradually lost consciousness. Before she fell to the floor, Schatten came out to the mirror and catch the woman. He closed his eyes and carried her out of the bathroom to put her on the bed.

"Ha ... Damn, damn it."

Schatten sighed heavily after putting the woman and he cover her nakedness with the white blanket in the sutra bed.

"Seriously? I did that?"

Schatten unbelievably utters to himself before leaving the room.

"I'm done."

He immediately told Vishnu when he could get back next to it.

"I'm almost done, too."

Vishnu replied that the green veins were fast crawling and creeping all over the Palace.

"I can't believe I am doing this for that damn King!"

Vishnu shouted as his veins covered the entire palace. When Vishnu flicked his finger again, the looking slimy veins slowly became invisible in the colossal obelisk, walls, rooms, and pillars of the fortress.

"If it wasn't for Narco, I wouldn't do it!"

He added angrily that made Schatten widely smiled.

"You can always break your promise."

Schatten's playful suggestion darkened Vishnu's pale face.

"I am a man of my word."

Vishnu responds with eyes still narrowing at him.

"Oh, you mean, little man."

Schatten replied with a sardonic smile. Vishnu turn his back on him, rolling his eyes, and left the palace to go to Neutrum City.

To be continued...