Three
1463 Words
Thaddeus' eyes widened as he saw his father's head roll up in the air. He wanted to go back and kill them all but he remembered his father's advice.
"Never do something out of rage or you will regret it."
With his eyes closed, Thaddeus ran away from the forest. He knew nowhere around that place but he just had to obey his father and run.
His eyes tinged with a golden light as he remembered everything his father told him.
~~Flashback...~~
"You are the Lion King"
"Lion what?" Thaddeus crackled. His eyes stared quizzically at his father as if awaiting further explanation.
"Let's go, I'll explain it to you in the car." Magnus took Thaddeus's hand and they both ambled toward the car.
Thaddeus was quiet the entire time as they went to the car. His heart was full of questions that he wanted to ask his father, but he was waiting for his father to take the lead.
"What's wrong Thad? Why are you so quiet? Magnus queried.
"It's.... "
"Is this about what I told you back in the forest?" Magnus cut in.
Thaddeus nodded. "Dad, I want to know.....
"I'll tell you." Magnus drove the car into the compound and parked it in the garage.
Thaddeus looked at the house and shook his head. He would never stop admiring the house.
The house is a wonder.
On the outside, the house looks like a modern-day hut, small and fancy, but on the inside, it looks like a castle.
The house has several wings, like servants' quarters and the main house.
The main house has ten rooms, one big kitchen, a dining room, and a study room. The interior decoration was outstanding.
It was designed to look like a Roman empire.
Everything in the house was decorated using diamonds. From the chandelier to the foot wipe and even the pieces of furniture, everything has a touch of diamond to it. The entire house screamed royalty but one would understand that whoever lived there wanted a simple life and that is why he kept the house very poor on the outside and amazing on the inside.
Thaddeus shook his head once again as he followed his father.
Everything he has discovered after coming back to his father has been nothing but amazing and now, this WereLion, Vampire, and the Lion King thing have been added to the list. He couldn't wait to find out all about it.
"Dad....."
"Relax Thad, we'll talk." Magnus tapped his shoulder. He knew what he wanted to ask. "Go freshen up while I ask the maids to prepare something to eat."
"Okay." Thaddeus nodded reluctantly.
He was anxious about the news and couldn't wait to get it all out of his father. He went to his room and showered as fast as he could. He got dressed and rushed back to the living room.
"Hey Thad, you're just in time." Magnus laughed and led him to the dining table. He could smell his anxiety so he decided to help him ease up a little.
"Thad, you see." Magnus cleared his throat.
Thaddeus dropped his spoon and raised his head. His entire attention was on his father as he listened on.
"It took thirty long years after I married your mother before we were finally bestowed a child from the sun goddess."
"Thirty long years?"
"Yes," Magnus concurred. He locked his gaze on Thaddeus to be sure he had his attention.
Thaddeus couldn't blink. He wanted to take it all in without missing a word.
"When your mother finally became pregnant with you, Kayla saw a vision."
"Kayla? The witch?" Thaddeus cut in.
Thaddeus could remember who would often visit his mother with news. He never knew what she was until she performed magic on him.
That time, Kayla performed that magic on him to keep him hidden. It was a masking spell. Cast on him to mask his scent so that the enemies wouldn't smell or feel his presence.
"Yes, Kayla the witch," Magnus nodded. "She saw a vision and in that vision, you were born with ten hands and legs."
"What? That's so scary." Thaddeus looked at his hands and legs.
"It is scary, but it is an advantage," Magnus explained.
"Advantage? How?" Thaddeus was still staring at his hands and legs, he was afraid that his other nine hands and legs would suddenly pop out.
"According to myth, the first Lion to be born with several hands was King Taria."
"Who is king Taria?" Thaddeus inquired.
"Well, according to history, king Taria was the great-grandson of King Keita."
"The legendary Keita? The Lion King?" Thaddeus's eyes widened.
"Yes. The legendary King Keita." Magnus nodded in agreement.
"Wow!"
Magnus watched Thaddeus's surprised reaction and he chuckled.
"And you..." He stood up from the chair and went towards Thaddeus. He placed his hands on his shoulders and leaned forward.
"You, Thaddeus, you were molded from this bloodline."
"I am not from your bloodline?" Young Thaddeus was getting further confused as he listened on. He didn't know what to make of the story.
"Listen Thaddeus." Magnus took a seat and turned his chair to face his son. "You were born of my blood. However, your mother is somehow related to Keita and Taria by blood.
Their family was cursed to never have a male child until you came and that is why you are the chosen one."
"Oh, it all makes sense now," Thaddeus muttered, as he seemed to have finally understood his relationship with the Lion King.
"But you mentioned something about vampire blood earlier. How did I get that if not from you or mother?"
Magnus sighed. He didn't want to go into details but he couldn't help it now.
"Thaddeus, although your great grandfather was the lion King, he couldn't solve all his problems and most time he'd ask your grandmother for help, since she is a great witch.
"Grandma was a witch too?"
Magnus knew that Thaddeus wouldn't rest until he knew everything, so he decided to tell him.
"Yes, she was. So, to avert the curse on the family, your mother sought Kayla's help. They summoned your grandmother and she told them that only the root of a jubhokko tree could avert the curse."
"Oh, so the curse was averted and that is why I'm here now, right?"
"Yes, but sometimes magic comes with a heavy price and that happened after your mother drank from the Jubhokko tree. The blood merged with yours in your mother's womb, making you an original."
"What is an original?"
"A vampire who was born as one. Not bitten or created." Magnus replied.
"Oh, it all makes sense now." Thaddeus understood it all. The reason why he has vampire blood was that his mother drank from the Jubhokko tree.
It was all clear now.
However, this knowledge aroused further questions in Thaddeus's heart and he decided to ask his father for clearance.
"Father, if mother was from such a powerful bloodline, why did she die?"
Magnus gritted his teeth and took deep breaths.
"Your mother laid down her life for you." Magnus kept the answer short.
"Huh?" Thaddeus' voice cracked.
"Yes Thaddy, your mother laid down her life for you."
"How? Why?" Thaddeus shook his head with disbelief. He was unwilling to accept that his dearest mother died because of him.
"Due to the power you wield, your mother's relatives all wanted to either have you or eliminate you," Magnus explained further. "It became a power struggle. They wanted to either hold control of the power you had or destroy it completely."
"That's selfish," Thaddeus stated.
"The world is selfish, Thad. That is one thing you should know for a fact."
"Mother?" Thaddeus inquired. He wanted to know how his mother died.
"She was visited by an elder, the most powerful werelion in history. He wanted her to hand you over to him or fight him to death, but your mother offered her heart instead of you."
"What?! Why? She should have fought!" Thaddeus yelled.
"It's pointless. No matter how strong she was, she couldn't defeat the elder."
"So, she just let him have her heart?"
"Yes Thad, she did it to save you. She gave up her life to help you live."
"But she didn't die because of that, right?" Thaddeus asked again. He could remember his mother had died.
"Yes, she didn't die because of that," Magnus agreed. "She died at the hands of the Luna Queen."
"Luna Queen? Who is that? How is she involved in this?" Thaddeus was getting further confused. The more he listened, the more complicated the story was.
Magnus didn't reply to Thaddeus's question, instead, he stood up and tapped his shoulder. "Now, that is a tale for another day."
- Writer
