The Alpha's Temptation

Flashback continued:

The slithery sensation that Gordon felt crawled over his skin. A jailer like Gordon who had been extremely hardcore soldier in his life, who had borne torture from his opponents and given tortures of varying degrees to his prisoners, felt... terrified. Under the piercing gaze of the demon king of Galahar, Rolfe Aramaer, he recounted his talk with Mizvah.

Rolfe had come directly to the Draka Palace the previous night in order to help Lusitania translate Yunabi. He came back a week later.

Before Eltanin and Tania came back to Draka, they had heard about some commotion going on the wing of the palace where Morava lived. However, none paid attention. It was about someone trespassing. They reached the Draka Kingdom two days later and that was when Fafnir told them about Gordon's request. Eltanin became busy with his court and settling for Tania because he still had to keep her in secret in his chamber. At the same time Rolfe arrived.

When Fafnir told Eltanin about Gordon, he was in a meeting with Rolfe on how to go about Yunabi and how many days it would take. Eltanin wanted to kill Morava right away for her audacity, but it was Rolfe who stopped him. They made a plan.

"Mizvah wants to get Princess Morava out and has offered me a bribe and I believe that he has stolen those gems from somewhere! Else how would a soldier like him would have such kind of wealth?" Gordon stated matter-of-factly.

"You will receive the bribe, Gordon," said Rolfe. "And you will let Morava go. Do not stop them from leaving. At the same time, you will give them the idea of going towards the borders of Pegasii and Aquila where the Nyxers are causing disturbance."

Gordon didn't ask questions. Who was he to ask them? He was just a jailer. But whatever it was, it meant that if he allowed Morava to go, they both would escape and would be lost forever. He nodded and bowed to leave them. Before he left, Eltanin said, "Keep the usual track on Mizvah. He shouldn't feel that we have come to know about the plans. And when he comes to meet you again, let us know."

Gordon didn't know what was going on in the minds of the kings, but he bowed again to them and left, feeling worried. However, now that he had spoken about the most important prisoner to the king, he was relieved. Whatever happened next, was going to be the king's responsibility. Maybe, the king had decided to kill her out of the Draka border. As soon as he stepped out of the meeting room, the slithery feel slipped off him. His body shuddered slightly as if relieved of the magic.

When Mizvah came next, Rolfe had gone to visit the dungeons along with Eltanin. Gordon had made Mizvah wait for some time as Rolfe used his magic to create an illusion. He cast a spell on Morava to look and smell like Lerna. It was a long thought-out strategy which he had charted with Eltanin.

Eltanin was sure that Felis was going to send his Nyxers everywhere to find Lerna and her mate. If they found her, his friend, Rigel was going to be in a lot of trouble. Eltanin wasn't sure how much his soldiers were going to hide the information that they had brought Princess of Hydra with them. He was constantly worrying about it. So when Gordon told him about Morava, his mind concocted a plan.

If they somehow created an illusion that Morava looked like Lerna before she was released and allowed to escape, the Nyxers were going to follow her and carry her back to their Hydra. That would quell Felis's anxiety to a great deal. He would be satisfied that his sister is back and at the same time, he would throw Lerna to the Alphas. Eltanin knew that the Alphas would keep her busy for a long time.

Apart from this he wanted to take revenge from Morava for trying to sell her to Nyxers. He wanted her to taste her own medicine. Deities presented him with a perfect opportunity.

"But the illusion won't last for more than a week, Eltanin!" said Rolfe. "And in that time, Nyxers better find Morava."

Eltanin was watching a sleeping Morava in the dungeon. He sneered, "That is why I have asked Gordon to guide Mizvah to go to the Aquila borders where Nyxers are present in large numbers. I am sure that she will be noticed by one or the other Nyxer!"

Rolfe chuckled. "You are wicked, Eltanin."

"I am. To those who would try to harm my mate!"

Rolfe couldn't agree more. He had tackled people in the similar, who tried to harm Iona. He had killed them. What Eltanin was doing was more than killing Morava.

"What will happen when the illusion cracks?" Rolfe asked.

"Who cares? By that time, we are going to move Lerna and Rigel to some safe place."

"That reminds me," said Rolfe. "Ileus will be here in a day or two. I believe he has received a message from Vilinski and he will come here personally to deliver it to you."

"Oh! That is... interesting!"

Rolfe stepped towards the prison where Morava was sleeping. As soon as Rolfe entered, he had cast a spell on all the prisoners to sleep. The place had become eerily quiet. Even the guards looked blankly at them, as if under heavy magic. "I need you to step further away, Eltanin," he said. "I wouldn't want you to look like Morava.

Eltanin shuddered at the thought. He would prefer looking like a tree!

The demon king stared at the girl who was sleeping on the hay. He closed his eyes and brought his hands up just above his shoulders. He took a deep breath in and in a low voice chanted, "Sozdat illyzia pokena ozdenszia!"

Blue light swirled around his shoulder and swirled all the way down to his fingertips. The moment it reached to his fingertips he flung his hand towards Morava. The lights sizzled and crackled as they traveled towards Morava. Her body got covered with blue lights which began to swell as they touched her skin. They crawled beneath her clothes to touch her everywhere. After a few minutes, the lights slowly started dissipating. When they dissipated completely, Morava looked like Lerna.

Eltanin let out a low whistle. "You have to teach me that!" he rasped.

But Rolfe knew that Mizvah would suspect it immediately. This was the tricky part of his magic. Rolfe created a small window only for Mizvah, Eltanin and himself to see who Morava originally was.

They left the dungeons soon after, giving Gordon a green flag. Gordon called Mizvah and accepted the bribe. He also guided him to go to Aquila.

All the time as Mizvah took Morava across the Draka Kingdom towards Orion and Aquila, both of them couldn't even suspect what was wrong. The illusion worked perfectly. While Mizvah was traveling with Morava, others looked upon her as some girl with a soldier. No one knew who Lerna was, hence both safely made it Wolfleirs Lake.

Two days later, Eltanin's spies sent him the message that General Alphard had retreated when the Nyxers found a certain girl called Lerna.