MANY CENTURIES AGO
---
Another dragon dared to attack Azrael within his own palace, but it ended poorly for the creature. With the help of his dragon tamer, the King easily dispatched the dragon, maintaining control over his enemies even when they transformed into a dragon.
The bloodied body of the man who had transformed into a dragon lay motionless across the room. Though Azrael was still managing Valeria's affairs as he had just become King a few decades ago. And this attracted occasional enemies which he was more than capable of handling without issues.
Standing in his dragon form, Azrael's golden scales tore through his skin, talons replacing his hands, and massive wings unfurled with a deafening snap. His molten gold eyes blazed with fury. The King appeared even more intimidating in this form.
Azrael's gaze shifted to Eric, who stood at a distance, his lips curled into a triumphant smile. Confusion clouded Azrael's mind as he wondered why the dragon tamer looked so pleased. Something was wrong and.... Azrael's eyes widened.
"Do you feel that, Your Majesty?" Eric sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.
Eric's control bore down on Azrael's mind like a vice. "Can you feel it? The control slipping away, the one you prided yourself on?" Eric hissed, his power weaving into Azrael's consciousness, drowning the king's defiance in a flood of rage and submission.
Azrael's colossal dragon form rampaged through the palace, his tail smashing through stone walls and sending debris flying. Eric stood tall, effortlessly commanding the beast with a wave of his hand, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Kill them all!" Eric bellowed. The dragon's mighty roar answered as Azrael's mind warred against the control, the human part of him screaming to break free. His guards scattered around trying to get away from being stomped on, but only a few were lucky enough to get away with their lives.
In the chaos, Marina appeared at the edge of the room, her face stricken with worry. She ran forward, dodging falling rubble. "Azrael!" she cried, her voice trembling with urgency.
For a moment, Azrael's golden eyes softened, his massive head turning toward her. "Calm down! Please." Marina begged, unable to make why he was behaving so erratically.
Eric noticed the woman, and his smile deepened. The thought of breaking the King by making him kill his lover deeply pleased him. "How very lovely indeed," he whispered to himself, savoring the dark idea.
Eric's grip tightened once more, sending waves of dark power surging through him. The beast lashed out uncontrollably, shaking its head sideways before smashing its tail into a wall. The force was catastrophic, collapsing the wall directly onto Marina.
"No!" Azrael roared, his voice a mix of human agony and dragon fury. The haze of Eric's control faltered as Azrael surged toward the rubble, his claws frantically pulling away the stones.
The King's body contorted again, this time shrinking back into human form. Kneeling amidst the rubble, Azrael cradled Marina's limp body. Her eyes fluttered briefly, meeting his with a faint smile.
"Marina...fuck! Fuck!!!" Azrael's voice cracked, raw with guilt and anguish, his hands shaking as he cradled her delicate form. A tear fell, streaking down his cheek, quickly replaced by a growing storm of rage and regret.
With great effort, Marina lifted her hand, her fingers trembling as they brushed against his cheek, her eyes filled with love and sadness. "I... love you," she whispered, her voice weak but filled with emotion.
Azrael gently took Marina's hand, his lips pressing against it in a silent plea. "Forgive me... Marina," he whispered, pulling her closer.
Her smile faded, her hand slipping from his face as her eyes became hollow, staring into the emptiness around them.
"Ma... Marina," he murmured, his breath trembling. He rested his forehead against hers, his heart shattering. Then, a soul-wrenching scream tore from his chest, echoing through the room with such force that it shattered the windows and shook the walls around them.
Eric laughed from across the room like a madman, the sound sharp and mocking. "Fuck! That felt so good. Such a pity," he taunted, clapping slowly. "Perhaps you should have been quicker."
Slowly, Azrael closed Marina's eyes, his hands trembling as he laid her gently on the ground. Standing up, fury consumed him, his chest heaving with raw, uncontainable rage. His golden eyes burned with a fire that could melt stone. In an instant, he lunged at Eric, his claws slashing across the tamer's chest with brutal force. Flesh tore effortlessly beneath Azrael's claws, and Eric's scream echoed in the room, but Azrael didn't flinch. His heart was consumed by rage, and mercy was no longer a part of him.
"You bastard! I trusted you," Azrael growled, his voice low and deadly. He lifted Eric by the throat, slamming him into the ground with bone-shattering force.
Eric writhed beneath him, attempting to conjure his magic, but Azrael struck again and again until there was nothing left but a broken, lifeless form. He continued to claw at him tearing his skin open again and again. Blood pooled around the body as Azrael stood over it, his chest heaving with exertion.
The room fell silent, Azrael made his way back to Marina's lifeless body, dropping to his knees beside her.
"I am sorry," he whispered, his voice raw with pain. His hands gently caressed her cold face, tears filling his eyes as the crushing weight of his actions settled over him. The realization of what he had done tore through him. He had killed the woman he loved, and the flood of emotions that followed, guilt, sorrow, rage, and devastation, left him feeling hollow.
Sevastian and other guard rushed into the room. The guards were about to move towards the King, but Sevastian held a hand up gesturing to where the lifeless body of the dragon tamer laid. He ordered them to clean up the mess.
"Azrael," Sevastian spoke softly, moving cautiously toward the King. He knelt beside him, sensing the weight of grief that consumed the King. They remained there, silent, for hours as the sun began to set. Finally, Sevastian placed a gentle hand on Azrael's shoulder, his voice breaking the silence. "You cannot stay here all night." With care, he helped the King rise, pulling him away from Marina's lifeless body, allowing her to remain undisturbed on the ground.
"I killed her Sev...i killed..," he choked on his words.
"You did not Azrael. Eric killed her." Sevastian whispered continuously before wrapping his arms around Azrael, hugging him tightly. Azrael remained rooted to the ground with a wound far deeper than any physical scar—a pain he knew he would carry for eternity or so he thought.