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"The Dragon race and the Phoenix race have been in a cold war because Slade here stole an egg and fried it," Sevor said, eyes glaring at his twin.
"I thought it was an ostrich egg! Can't they just lay more?"
Sevor could only sigh from his brother's idiocy influenced by his never-ending hunger.
We were preparing to depart for Crescent Island. The children will be left in Tourmaline Mountain in the care of Crowley, Ikesha, Laeroth, and the Tourmaline tribe. Garrison insisted on coming as he promised Lucius that he would watch over me.
"You ate a damn phoenix? How did you stomach that?" Crowley asked.
I have never seen a phoenix before. What I had in mind were huge and majestic dodo birds that emitted fire to cook themselves. They must be really generous to sacrifice themselves to satiate someone's hunger.
"Are you blaming me? It wasn't my fault that their eggs are much tastier. And how should I know that it was their next prince?" He snapped, which seemed to worsen Sevor's foul mood.
"Once we get there, can we ask them for some eggs? I'd like to try their products," Caleb asked while raising his hand. Samael stared at the werewolf before copying him.
"It's best scrambled," Slade proudly promoted.
"Idiots..." Raphael stated through gritted teeth. "It is fortunate that Lucian graces us with his existence or I would have retched."
"Raphael can't have any eggs!" Caleb teased. "Or Lucian's eggs for that matter!" He mocked, causing Samael and the twins to join him in his antics.
Eggs? I could lay eggs? Do my eggs come with tomatoes and peaches?
"Oh my, oh my…You really recruited a lively bunch to your cause, haven't you?" Garrison chuckled.
Laeroth scoffed. "I bet you that Lucius will have the worst headache of his life."
Ikesha smiled, patting my head. "I don't know…The prince has come a long way, hasn't he? From being a hermit to becoming a person many admire. I am sure that Lucius will be prouder than ever."
Laeroth hummed, patting my back. "You're doing good. Surprise us more, you hear?!"
I nodded. "Yes, you are screaming next to me therefore it is impossible not to."
Slade transformed into his dragon form. I helped Buck on getting on top of him. Rui could handle himself.
Once Buck was up, I was lifted and placed on someone's broad shoulders. I glanced down, finding the reaper's peachy colored hair.
"Up you go..." Samael murmured. His voice was different. It sounded more carefree and peppy.
"Thank you," I said, awed by his transformation.
"Lucian," Caleb called out as he reached his hand to me. I was hauled up gently. Caleb had to sneak in a quick smooch to my lips before I was seated in front of him.
They appeared to be at peace with each other. Prior to getting to this mountain, Caleb wanted to skin Peaches alive. This was definitely a development.
We tried teleporting to Crescent Island but the reaper was blocked by some internal force. Phoenixes weren't creatures to mess with but Slade managed to make lunch out of them.
The winds produced a hefty supply of air into my lungs while the dragon ascended to a high altitude. We passed through the puffy clouds and reached the zenith of ascent.
"Lucian~ I'm scared!" Caleb whined.
"Get off then..." I deadpanned.
"So mean Lucian~" he faked cried.
Slade stopped at a certain altitude. The calm drift and the whispers of the drafts made me lean my head forward against Peaches' muscular back to take a nap.
But before falling asleep, I remembered to cheer up Caleb since I had brushed off his clear intent to flirt. I turned a bit, giving his lips a soft kiss. He grinned goofily.
"So cute~" he cooed, embracing me from behind.
When I was sure that he was no longer upset, I wrapped my arms around Peaches' waist. The peach-headed man acknowledged my actions by holding both of my hands in place.
The reaper began to hum.
It was a soft yet rumbling hum that played between sadness and calmness. This was a lullaby wasn't it? Its rhythm was easy to remember and the voice sent me to my slumber.
"We're here~" Caleb announced. He had grabbed me and leaped down, waking me from my nap.
"Thank you, Caleb," I mumbled as he set me down. I looked around. Lands settled in the sky at different heights. No pillars supported them; they defied the law of gravity.
The island we were on had two islands floating above it. Both islands had long trails of waterfalls pouring into the ocean beneath us. The sound of the strong current of the waters was continuous. Golden nests scattered around the vast green land. Eggs haven't cracked yet and Peaches was already standing in front of one.
Oh no...those poor creatures.
"Keep your hands off that egg, reaper!" Sevor warned. It wasn't the time to declare war.
Garrison grabbed my elbow. "Wait, reaper? Lord Lucian, what is the meaning of this?"
"He is nice, kind, and helpful," I immediately defended.
Garrison crossed his arms. "He has slaughtered thousands of people."
I stared up, thinking of the other good qualities Peaches had. "He is strong. He helped us defeat Garmir."
Garrison's eyes nearly popped from their sockets. He covered his mouth with his slender hands. "I beg your juiciest pardon? You fought with a god?!"
'Oh Garrison, it's like you don't know how Lucian can be. This is normal,' Uncle laughed as if he was proud of where the direction of my life was heading.
Indeed, I was the Lord of Normalcy.
Sevor and Slade paced back and forth in opposite ways. I was hoping one of them would trip and hit the other twin but none of them were clumsy enough to—
Where did that foot come from?
Half a foot protruded out of the path where Slade was walking on. Since the younger twin was invested in his thoughts, he tripped on the random foot and his face smacked on Sevor's face, headbutting his older brother in the process.
That foot with razor sharp nails could either belong to Caleb or Peaches, but the wolf had no ability to send a body part into a different place where the original body was so…
There was a sinister snicker to my left. Peaches was bent on his one knee with the other leg disappearing into the floor.
Garrison cleared his throat. "Nice, kind, and helpful, is he?"
I avoided his judging gaze. "He has his moments."
Slade rubbed his forehead and chased after the hysterical reaper who skipped merrily.
"Where are they?" Sevor queried while consoling his own forehead.
The younger twin grunted, stopping his pursuit. "There should be at least one guarding the eggs."
"Maybe they are making more eggs," Buck suggested.
"They wouldn't leave these ones unguarded. Phoenixes of the moon are protective of their eggs," Raphael explained.
A grating screech broke our thought process. The sound didn't seem to belong to a dignified bird.
And the worst part was that it came along with a rotten smell.
"Rui, watch out!" Buck yelled when the huge and rotting phoenix suddenly swooped down out of nowhere to grab the child.
I ran past Caleb who was dumbstruck, knocking Rui out of the way.
"Lucian!" Caleb shouted.
"My Lord!" Garrison shrieked.
More screeches followed. A flock of birds flew together, forming the image of a bigger bird.
A pale woman dressed in black rode the silhouette. Our eyes connected. She gave me a grin before leaping out and vanishing.
Aunt Titiana?
"Never kill a single one!" Sevor snarled.
This kidnapping spree just never ended. I was truthfully having a blast. This was the very reason why I stole Rui's place. I was a horribly selfish individual that did not want to share this phenomenal experience.
The shadow form disintegrated and chased my companions. The dragon twins shifted. One twin took a huge chomp on a bird that was just about to take off. He tossed it into an unknown depth before assaulting another one. Raphael hurried to my rescue.
'These are the phoenixes of the moon. The phoenix associated with the sun can't procreate and is actually immune to the decaying powers of the catastrophes,' Uncle said. He was very knowledgeable about many things.
'Uncle, is my tooshie capable of taking three lings at a time?' I questioned. I have never tried two but if I could have three then that would be a great achievement for me.
My uncle was out of words and out of breaths as he stayed completely silent.
One of the female souls sighed. 'Your Highness, your uncle fainted.'
So the dead could faint.
"Lucian!" Raphael yelled.
His spear shifted into a golden sword with intricate blue markings. He slashed off the legs of the bird causing it to screech and peck the angel's torso.
Because of the mutilation, I was released with the mangled leg still attached to me and the other leg falling to my side. I looked back, discovering the relatives fighting each other.
The avifauna's pointed beak sank into Raphael's armored chest just below the collarbone. The humanoid bird (Raphael) flapped his wings forward, effectively separating from the fellow avifauna and wisely avoiding another attack. He glided south for me. I waited for the silver-blue haired man to reach me. I expected him to grab my falling form and rescue me from turning into one of those living corpses, but a flying reaper came to my right and snatched me out of Raphael's way. His playful smile presented charming fangs.
"Wrap your legs around my waist," he purred, pressing my body against him. He touched my ear with his lips.
"If only my pants were down I would have given you the flying sex of your lifetime. Sadly, that has to wait," he chuckled. His eyes sparked with mischief.
I caused this?
Peaches slashed the birds that came along our way with his scythe as he laid kisses upon kisses on my neck. He turned his head back and snickered.
Raphael followed us with a scowl that could infect what was left with the world's happiness.
The reaper tore a portal open out of nowhere. A huge ball of Elurio stone squeezed out, siphoning the vessel-less souls. A much bigger bird came into our view. Peaches spun, giving my lips a smooch of farewell before tossing me to Raphael who seemed surprised with that act.
"When you're ready come and get it!" he taunted the disoriented beast.
The angel cringed from the way the reaper acted and glided away from him.
"Domo (Hello)" I greeted the angel.
The raspy screeches of phoenixes and the thunderous growling of dragons mixed with each other and competed with the continuous heavy flow of waters.
"We have to get you to a safe place," he told me sternly. "Your life is always at risk wherever we go," he added.
My hand came flying to his face with a loud smack that made him groan.
"You are a boob Raphael and I am not talking about the chesticles of a woman," I deadpanned.
I removed my hand, finding the angel blushing with embarrassment and confusion.
"Why? What did I do Lucian?" he asked, desperate to know where he had gone wrong.
"No place is absolutely safe because even the smallest thing can kill you," I told him. "And I cannot simply leave the people who I consider as my family. Please stop making me leave them because I am not that kind of person anymore."
My words seem to take an immense turn for the wheels in his mind as he nodded at me with sheer comprehension. I did hope that my ideology will stay with him through the next perplexity of situations. I was known to make people's bodies fit...into their graves. It was not an easy thing to do. I had to use so many methods that only a vegetarian knew.
More souls were released from their vessels as the twins, Caleb, and Garrison realized that they could fully shred the birds with the presence of the Elurio stone.
One of the dragon twins flew to our side in order to fight more avifauna. I pushed Raphael; he was startled by my boldness. I grabbed Slade's tail and ordered: "Swing me forward!" The dragon grunted and did what I asked of him before he released a breathy fire that burned the crazed creatures.
I realized the impact of this fall. I was way far up from the ground.
I was hoping for a marvelous landing without using my powers but I would waste my life if I did that.
Thick vines shot out of my palms, latching onto the soil. I descended smoothly as the vines sank. Two decaying phoenixes soared towards Fenris, causing me to run and shout out to Rui and Buck who fought outstandingly better than the knights of Florencia.
"Boost me up!"
They placed their hands in front of each other. I stepped on to their palms and surprisingly, they were able to boost me up higher than I expected.
"Onii, be careful!" Buck chirped happily.
I was really concerned with Buck's mental health. No person should smile that much and coming from a child, I was thinking that he already had a mental breakdown from all the harsh events that constantly occurred. Rui certainly balanced his sunny personality.
Blades burst out of my palms. I slashed through the incoming birds. Their rising souls were consumed by the huge gemstone but one claw was able to grab onto my arm, leaving a bruise in an attempt to possess me. The soul helplessly clawed but was not able to hold on with the special force heaving them off from their freedom. I landed beside Fenris, helping him fight off the remaining avifauna. Dead birds surrounded us. Garrison was able to lessen the corpses because he had turned his opponents into fine black ashes.
I flopped on the ground, scrunching my nose from the ghastly odor coming from the corpses.
Fenris shifted into his other form with much more groaning than the last time. He laid down while breathing heavily. I scooted beside him; he used my lap as a pillow as he rested. There were severe wounds scattered on his tattered body but they closed instantly.
With the last soul in, Peaches reopened the portal. The Elurio stone had a harder time squeezing in as it had grown twice its size from the souls that it consumed.
"Damn this! Rip the virgin hole open!" he growled impatiently, leaning his side against the stone to push it. "Does anyone have a lubricant?!"
I had no idea what happened to him. I had nothing to do with this change. Nothing.
'Lies,' The voices inside my head deadpanned.
"¡Hijo de puta! (Motherfucker!)" he cursed. With a few more seconds of pushing, the stone slid inside and the portal closed. "EJACULATION!" he declared with his arm raised above.
The dragon twins circled the area to search for more enemies and shifted back. Caleb tugged my hand with a goofy grin.
"Lucian~ my cheek hurts...give it a kiss," he whined. I approved of his request and gave him a kiss. "Lucian~ my lips hurt...a kiss please?" he asked sweetly. I leaned down and gave his lips a smooch. "Lucian~ My pen-! Oww, the fuck?" There was a sudden shift to his childish way of speaking.
"Stop taking advantage of the innocent!" the younger twin spat. He abruptly withdrew his foot when Caleb bit it hard. The werewolf hid his head under my shirt and continued to whine.
"Lucian! He's mean to me!" He cried.
I stroked his head with a blank face. I knew he was putting up an act for me to pity him. It was adorable of Caleb and it was a new way for him to acquire my attention.
He wasn't this childish before.
Sevor arrived, crossing his arms over his muscular chest. "We should clean up. I never thought that the big birds would be possessed. How is that even possible? I understand that phoenixes associated with the moon are not untouchable like the Sun Phoenix but how did the souls get this far up high?"
Peaches landed beside him, spinning his scythe before it aerosolized and wrapped around my finger.
"That's just life ya know? If you see a man emitting such pheromones like Lucian, big birdy in the south will surely be possessed and bop up and down," he commented.
The four other men stared at the reaper with confusion. "The heck are you talkin' about?" Slade questioned before bursting into laughter.
"This isn't the time to joke," Sevor sighed.
Garrison opened his parasol. "It must be Titia. Only she had the power to infect this many."
Slade grunted. "What a bitch."
"What's the name of the Sun Phoenix again?" Caleb queried.
"Helia," Sevor answered.
"That bird is so uptight that it's like he has been clenching his ass since he was born," Slade stated.
"Where is he?" I asked.
"Just at the tall rock west of here. Find the tallest rock you can see and you'll find him standing there like a statue," Slade answered me with a despising expression at the mention of him. "He must be using the edge to pleasure himself since no mbolo would last inside the fiery depths of him," he snickered.
"One thousand two hundred celsius of pure pain. You'll never see your dick alive," Peaches commented with a grim expression that was probably faked with the daring twitch in his lips.
Slade inserted his pinky inside his ear. "We need the key but not without a sacrifice. He won't grant any wishes without something in exchange."
"Let's clean up the island first and make the dragon race's reputation clean," Sevor suggested.
While the men cleaned off the island, I approached Raphael to make a request.
I have an idea for a sacrifice.
"Raphael, take me to the phoenix."
I was also hoping that Raphael and the phoenix could have a bird to bird talk.
"Lucian--"
"If you refuse, I will de-feather you," I threatened. Raphael swallowed in dread. The circular prominence in his throat moved up and down as he did so.
With a few more seconds of contemplating, Raphael sighed. A smile worked its way on his lips.
"Fine, but once I see that you are in grave danger, we leave."
I nodded. "Understood."
We leave once the phoenix gives us the key. Yes, I understand.
We sneaked out. It wasn't easy. Buck and Rui even caught us.
"We'll be back soon," Raphael told them.
"Please be careful onii!"
Rui gave us his blessing. "May stupidity avoid you at all times."
How kind of him.
We flew to a shore with thousands of interlocked polygonal basalt columns making up a hill-like structure because of the diverse sizes. We climbed from the bottom as coming from above was too risky. Someone made a big bonfire there. The blaze was too far up. Once we reached the peak, the bonfire was in fact the phoenix. He had his back turned to us. As I was about to speak, the Phoenix spoke first with his slurred accent that sounded like a...woman?
Was he a man or a woman? He sounded like a woman. Slade must have used a bone to clean his ears.
"I do not want to give up on my dreams," The phoenix told us. She was deep in thought.
"Keep sleeping," I answered.
The female Phoenix chuckled, spreading her blazing wings. She seemed to be always coated with such blazing fire yet her feathers were fireproof.
She faced us with a lonely gaze. "I dream of having a husband with mighty wings like mine."
I blinked at her and then glanced at Raphael who was confused with my stare.
"Husband you say?"
"What?" Raphael queried.