"Ember dragon!", Rhett shouted, it almost came out as a scream.
"Yes", King vongarth said. "That's why at this time, we dread visitors".
Ash exchanged terrified looks with Rhett and soon they did, in unison, the same to Haicor who lacked the 'terrified' look on her face though.
Ash went over to Rhett and whispered into his ear:
"We've gotta get out of here, let's go to another place, perhaps another village, we'd be safer there".
Rhett's face twisted into a grimace.
"Won't the dragon hunters fight the dragon back, I'm certain we'll be safe".
Ash sighed and left Rhett, walking over to king vongarth. With a low voice and in a slow speech, he asked:
"Are we going to be safe?".
King vongarth acted like he was cogitating on the question and in a low voice, he said:
"I don't think so, infact, you're not safe here now".
"What do you mean we're not safe here now, the ember dragon is not coming until tomorrow, well, I guess we'll have to stay and then tomorrow we'll leave"
King vongarth gave out a loud and scary laugh.
"No!".
Ash suddenly smelled foul play and frankly, that was what he dreaded the most.
"What do you mean no", Rhett asked. "We came for help and so you helping us, you've got to respect our decision".
King vongarth paused and with an intent gaze, he stared right into the face of Rhett who was now feeling uneasy. Soon, he looked at Ash and then at Rhett again, and with an irking motion, he picked the cloak resting by a hanger by the wall and wore it over his shoulders.
Rhett looked at Dhamsel and noticed that on her face was shock, one that startled him. Whatever was about to happen now wasn't going to be that good.
King vongarth, holding onto the edges of the violet cloak draped in white, ge walked over to Rhett and with a dark tone, he said:
"You all are going nowhere, ok, let me just come out straight. We're expecting an ember dragon tomorrow and we need a dragon slayer to slay it for us and give us its spirit gem. Give me!, I meant. When I have it, I'll level up my powers and finally, by a close margin, attain the rank of immortal. And I'll be called, throughout the slayer's domain, as the immortal king of the dragon hunters".
Rhett didn't quite get what the fat man standing in front of him had said and he had to say:
"So?".
King vongarth faced back and looking at Rhett, only the side of his face showing now, he said:
"You all are now my prisoners now",he looked at Ash and added: "Including you my good old pal".
He accompanied the words with a laugh - peevish and irritable.
On Dhamsel's face was shock and bemusement.
"But…, Dad!".
King vongarth, walking to his throne now, halted to look at her.
"My good, beautiful daughter, thank you, for your commitment to shaiiyeru".
Dhamsel wanted to speak but was suddenly speechless.
King vongarth now raised his hands in the air and said authoritatively:
"Take them to the chains room and bind them in chains".
That was it, that brought out all the anger and fury inside of Ash.
"You scumbag!, I always knew you were a traitor and you'll always be, you piece of crap!", Ash spat out.
That did completely nothing, you could say it was useless.
King vongarth didn't bother, that wasn't the first time he was being loaded with insults and it sure wasn't going to be the last he guessed.
Six of the numerous guards lined at the wall suddenly rushed over to them, seizing their arms and pushing them roughly.
With a stern and burning look, Rhett looked at Dhamsel for the last time as he was being taken out of the palace, his hands behind his back:
"Ash warned me not to trust you but apparently, I'm really daft to have to".
Those words hurt Dhamsel, it showed on her face, but that was it, with her face towards her father, she said:
"I didn't bring them here for this, I had only brought them here to help them", She said.
King vongarth went into a long round(only a few seconds) of laughter.
"Don't act nice Dhamsel, how possibly could you have brought them here when you knew we were expecting the ember dragon, I know your tricks my daughter and genuinely, I'm so proud of you", King vongarth said.
Rhett sighed as he was being dragged towards the door of the palace, earlier, he had been resisting, but now, there was no need to do that and so he stopped and let out that sigh - a long one that conveyed many messages. A one of 'why do I keep getting into trouble ', and 'why must I always suffer'.
Haicor's eyes were going teary and Ash, in his grumbling state, had pity on her and told her to stop.
They were led out of the palace and up ahead through a path parched and dry and teeming with grey grasses. Ones that when stepped upon, turned to brown, dark brown and soon withered away.
Their walk was short because soon they were in front of a steel door which one of the guards kicked with force, it sent it back, unbolting it open.. They were led into it, there, they saw stands made of bricks with chains connected at the sides. They were led there and roughly put in the chains.
They all compiled and it was easily done, except for Rhett who resisted and had to collect punches at his cheeks, ones that bruised him and made the spot swollen.
"Tomorrow, you slay the ember dragon, you hear!", one of the guards shouted at Rhett.
Rhett replied with a grunt.
"Good", the guard said and together with the five others, walked with cool postures out through the steel door, shutting it with a loud bang!, one that pierced through their ears and echoed into their ear drums.