The Crown's Entrapment

Darius cut-off Zeus before he could utter any more nonsense. Zeus was the name of his wolf who was a part of his body and soul.

Their kind were called werewolves precisely because they were born with an inner wolf they grew up with and could communicate freely in their mind. The reason Darius and his kind were so agile and possessed supernatural strength is because of their wolf.

Darius quickly turned to Gideon and said, "I will be moving first. This fellow won't last long if his wounds are not treated immediately. Stay behind and bring the rest of the survivors directly to the castle. After that I want a thorough investigation done on this incident. It is imperative that we find out who we are dealing with!"

"Yes, your majesty," Gideon dutifully answered.

Darius sighed and took a look at his surroundings before pulling the horse's reins.

The lad's worsening condition was worrying him more than it should have. He had no intention of meddling, but when the little fellow didn't move and accepted his defeat, the wolf in him raged. As such, Darius had no choice but to interfere.

He was asking himself why he was going through such a hassle when he could have easily left after saving the little lad's life. It was highly unlike him to prioritize others over his kingdom's welfare.

After all, there were grave consequences for intruding on the dark witches' affairs. He was sure that the news of his interference must have reached the perpetrators who would have marked his kingdom as their next target.

The aura and smell from the witch seemed awfully familiar to him, and this thought kept bothering him to no end.

Then it struck him. It was a scent specific to the Kingdom of Helion; a kingdom one should avoid offending at all cost. It was a kingdom ruled by the Devil himself!

Darius cursed, concerned about the problems this incident would inevitably cause but his face softened once he saw the lad in his arms.

*****

When Darius reached the border of his kingdom, he immediately stopped at the nearest village to look for a Healer. He stopped at the very first inn he saw, placing the lad on a vacant bed and demanded the presence of the Healer.

He was uncharacteristically anxious about the lad's condition as he held him safely in his arms. He felt a very complex and unexplainable emotion, something that he could still not understand and accept. But his wolf Zeus who had a mind of his own was being stubborn, fighting all rational thoughts within him as it howled.

'Damn you, Zeus!' Darius cursed the wolf in his mind.

He was brought out of his conflicting thoughts when the Healer arrived and greeted him.

"Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Tarah, the healer in this village," the Healer introduced herself, lightly bowing down. Her eyes slowly moved towards the lad lying on the bed, bathed in his own blood.

"Treat his wounds immediately! I need him fit enough to travel with me all the way back to the castle without any problem," Darius instructed.

The Healer nodded with a slight bow. "Of course, Your Majesty. If you don't mind, I prefer to be alone when I treat my patient's wounds. So if you could please leave the room for a while, then it'll be helpful, Your Majesty," she politely requested, leaving Darius no other choice but to leave the room and wait outside.

The anxious King sighed numerous times, pacing impatiently outside the room. Something wasn't right with Zeus. He could still smell that robust scent from the lad…

He shook his head and whispered, "What kind of a joke is this, Zeus? Huh?"

He frowned and groaned in annoyance when Zeus refused to respond.

[Are you facing any trouble because of the scent?! Answer me!] He growled at his wolf.

The only response he got was an angry snarl from Zeus.

Darius heaved out another deep, frustrated sigh before turning to look at the door. He was struggling to decide whether or not to leave the lad behind. After all, it was what he should have done, but Zeus was being stubborn and stopping him from doing so.

He cursed again, frustrated.

Something was definitely not right but he eventually decided that for now, he would follow Zeus's wishes and keep the lad by his side. Not that he had a choice in the first place. This stubborn wolf of his would only end up creating chaos if he ever defied its wishes.

[You have to recheck your sense of smell, Zeus. I genuinely believe there's a problem.] Darius insisted, still in denial about the situation before him.

Another snarl came from Zeus, as if annoyed that he was being questioned about it again.

Soon after, the door opened with the Healer coming out hopefully bearing some good news. Darius rushed to her and immediately asked, "How's the lad?"

Tarah smiled and replied, "Doing good so far, Your Majesty. I have treated all the wounds and used some spells on the major ones so the patient is currently out of danger. But just to be safe I will need to observe the patient for a little while. I will go and get some more herbs to heal some minor injuries."

Darius nodded in response and watched the Healer leave. After waiting for a few minutes, he decided to go inside and check on the lad. Although, in actuality, it was Zeus bugging him to go and check up on the lad to confirm something.

[What a perverted wolf you are!] he taunted, making Zeus growl at him.