The Tyrant's Pet

Abel fixed his eyes on the severed head near his boots, watching blood leak from where it was cut. His expression was cold; there was no relief or joy in his eyes.

The sound of footsteps soon caressed his ears. It grew louder and closer, along with the sound of metals. Soon, the vast quad was surrounded by royal knights. Their steps halted upon seeing just one figure standing in the middle. When their eyes fell on Abel's opponent, their breath hitched as their eyes dilated in horror.

"Your Majesty…" a knight called under his breath, darting his eyes on Maximus's body and then at his head near Abel's foot.

Even though they couldn't see Maximus's face, the latter's long hair, which was now drenched with blood, was enough to confirm who it was. They were late. How could this match end so soon? It had only been an hour or two since Abel came into the palace's ground.

"Unsheathe your sword!" a rapturous command echoed in the quad, followed by the sound of metals leaving their leathers. In a blink of an eye, sharp blades surrounded Abel.

"You should've seen…" whispered Abel, keeping his eyes on the severed head. "... that you didn't need the Grimsbanne attention, for you are surrounded by people like them."

Abel slowly lifted his gaze, scanning his surrounding. One look and he could tell that these knights were ready to charge at him, regardless if he was a Grimsbanne or the devil himself.

"Sometimes, our greed blinds us from seeing the precious things we already have, my friend," he continued in the same tone. "This was something I learned outside of this territory. It was unfortunate you didn't realize this."

The tension in the quad consistently grew as the eyes of the knights glowed behind their helms. All of them assessed Abel from head to toe, wary of the slightest movement he would do. Of course, each one of them was aware that charging at Abel also meant death.

They were vampires and, as vampires, they could sense that the man before them was far superior. Their numbers weren't even in the negotiation. This was just a battle to honor their king; the man they all pledged to serve all their lives.

"Don't falter!" the same knight, who shouted at first, yelled once again, raising the little morale they have. "We are knights of the mainland, and even if this man is a Grimsbanne, we have to fight and stop him from wreaking havoc!"

Dexter already wreaked havoc in the opposite wing and was also the main cause of their delay. If Dexter didn't stop his madness and suddenly left, they wouldn't get here. Still, they might be late to save their king, but they could still do something about this man.

They already believed Abel and Dexter would turn the mainland upside down after killing Maximus. Hence, this thought fueled the knights to fight.

The knights observed Abel with bated breaths, waiting for the signal to attack. Their grip on their swords tightened, ready to charge at the drop of a hat. However, just before the captain could give out the order, a figure suddenly landed several steps from Abel.

"Stop it." London Leviticus raised a hand to stop the knights, knowing an order to their death would be announced. "This ends here."

"Your Grace!" the captain yelled angrily. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I know His Majesty's death angers you. However, there was no point in knocking on death's door," explained London, keeping a calm countenance as he slowly lowered his hand. "We all know that even if there were thousands of you, your chances of winning against this man are slim."

London glossed his eyes over the knights, giving them equal attention. "Waging a war when your king is already dead is simply foolish."

"Presumptuous!" the captain roared, his voice echoing. "London Leviticus, do not overstep! We are knights, and as knights of the king, stay out of our way."

London sighed helplessly as his shoulders relaxed. When he took a step, all the knights thrust their swords defensively. Hence, he raised both his hands in surrender.

"I meant no harm, captain." He slowly reached for his sword, moving like a snail so they wouldn't attack him. London slowly put his sword to the ground, raising his hands over his shoulders once again as he carefully straightened his back.

"Let's talk," offered London.

This time, when London took another step, the knights didn't react. His steps were careful, stopping when he got a bit closer to them, but not too close. Just enough for them to see the sincerity in his eyes and words.

"His Majesty is dead," was the first word that came out of London's lips, bringing this scornful look to the knights' faces. "But that didn't mean the mainland would be. It only means the end of his regime. Those living had to move forward and follow the cycle of life."

Obviously, London's remarks didn't please anyone. Even he wasn't satisfied with it, knowing they weren't enough to stop these knights.

Maximus might be a piece of trash for Abel and Aries and everyone in the Haimirich Empire. However, he was a wise king to his people. Maximus was clever enough to gain the trust and loyalty of his subject. Thus, speaking ill about him would totally get the opposite reaction from them. London could only do what he could to prevent more casualties.

"I know —" London stopped when a sudden sense of dread crawled up his spine. He looked back at Abel on instinct, wide-eyed.

There, Abel was still standing in the same spot. He didn't move a muscle. However, the aura he was emanating was enough to make everyone fall to their knees. If these knights weren't properly trained, they would immediately drop to their knees. However, London was certain Abel only needed to pull a stronger aura on them and they would be on their knees.

"Stop," was all Abel said. "Don't waste your life on something so pointless. There's no point in getting hurt for no damn reason."

The aura that embraced everyone in the quad slowly disappeared as Abel turned on his heel to walk away.

"I just want to go home." His voice was quiet. The red sword in his grip slowly disintegrated into a red mist, shrouding his arm. "Don't bother me and my family, and I won't."