The Nine Dragons Dracula, The Dragon Prince Part One

 The City

The moment they all stepped off the pool, they heard the sound of life. Loc looked up and around. She saw the stone buildings all around them. They all had sharp edges with the roofs that looked like a castle’s without machicolations. In fact they all looked like miniature castles and all connected to each other in arches over the street. The roads were cobbled and were well polished. The pavements looked like they were made of tiny emeralds, diamonds and sapphires and cleaned within an inch of their lives. Yet they all could see that there was a group of men cleaning dung off it and putting that dung in a cart which, after cleaning, they took away.

They all left the pool as they looked around. They saw a line of shops. She then caught a glimpse of a market beyond that. She walked to it and when she sniffed up, she could smell food and strong spices. Yet she saw people walking to and fro like mindless zombies, without any life or light in their jaded eyes.

“So, what now?” One asked her.

“We look around, ask questions, see when the army will attack.” She spoke like reading off a list.

“Is that it?”

“Yes.”

That was when she looked down for a moment.

“Also, look at their history to find out all about their approach to Dracula.”

“Right.”

So they all split off and she walked to the nearest person.

“Hello. I’m Loc.” She said before she thought.

He looked at her for a moment. He had brown eyes and hair. Yet upon taking a closer look at her his eyes widened. Almost like he was stunned.

“What?” She asked.

Yet he grabbed her hand and walked away pulling her behind him!

“What? What is it?”

He looked back at her and pointed to his throat and shook his head. She frowned. He let out a silent sigh. He pointed to his lips and shook his head again. Then he motioned a speech gesture and shook his head.

“Can’t speak?”

He smiled and nodded.

“Right. Can you point to where we are going?”

He then pointed to a building that looked like a small castle atop of a large hill. She noticed just how uneven the terrain was and how there were several smaller hills with other buildings on. Yet as she looked back she saw the rest following them. 

Yet one of them even grabbed the man. 

“And where are you taking her?” He asked with a shrewd tone.

He pointed to the building again. 

“And why are you taking her there?”

He pointed to the building again and then to the eyes of Loc.

“Oh. Can you speak?”

He shook his head. He nodded as he let her go.

“Then we will come too.”

He shrugged and nodded. So they walked on and soon arrived. He pointed at Loc. The guards looked at her and nodded. He then stepped back and they all walked in. Ahead of her was a man with black hair like a raven and green eyes like bright grass. On his head was a crown with sharp points and a row of jewels and precious gemstones. On each point was an emerald.

“Who are you?”

“King Aki. No need to ask who you are, dotty eyed one.”

She frowned.

“Come now. Everyone knows who you are and what you are here to do.”

She nodded, keeping up her guard as she looked left and right to gauge everyone’s reactions.

“Now, the army will come tomorrow and I will warn you that the dragon prince, Dracula’s army is larger in stature than all that you have come across before. Yet even though you are facing a one sided slaughter, I want to help you as much as I can.”

“Why?”

“I am a king and I should not be here! In this castle! I should be in the one my ancestors built and lived in for over a thousand years before Pendragon and Dracula and all the other dragons came here over a thousand years ago! I should be in the one that holds Dracula! And I, nor my father and his father before him, should not be hiding here seeing my people being killed but leading them to a glorious future where all can do well!”

She nodded.

“Yes, you’re right and I will help.”

He nodded in relief.

“Good. Have you got a plan?”

“No. I just aim to take out as much as I can.”

At this he looked at her with such fury that if looks could kill Loc would have been relieved by the fact she was immortal.

“Is that all?!” He boomed.

“Yes.”

“No plan?”

“No.”

He placed his hand over his face.

“Alright. Stay here for the night and come up with one. After all, you will need it.”

“And where do they come?”

He led her to the roof and pointed beyond the gates. She nodded.

“Are there any defenses there?”

“There were.”

“And?”

“They’re in the storage homes.”

“Then get them out and put them where they need to be. Then get all the ammo there and get all the people here or somewhere that they will not target. We need to concentrate all their focus on us.”

“Right.”

He then turned to the soldiers.

“You heard her! Get on it!”

They all nodded.

“There, was that so hard?”

“No. It’s just I have done nothing but improvise until now.”

“Well now isn’t good enough. Not with the end of the Dragon Empire is nigh!”

She nodded as she thought upon this as she and everyone worked on her plan.