The Runaway Huntress
Chapter 117 - 116

Chapter 117: Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Ezekiel stood at a clearing before a moat that surrounded the castle. The whole place was exactly as he’d remembered. Nothing much changed on the outside. The same solid brick bridge that connected the land he was standing in the distance to the giant door at the other side.

The moat had crystal clear water with koi fish inhabiting it. The surrounding lamp lights created a magical glow as they traced the circular shape of the moat. The grassland was trimmed perfectly. Behind him was a forest on all sides, but there was a pathway for cars and other services to make way. To his left side were helipads for the air services. And to the right was parking for ground vehicles. It was where the limousine that fetched him from the airport parked too.

He brought two of his people with him. His officers wouldn’t stop complaining about formality and even his clothes. He damn well knew what to wear in front of the castle’s occupants. They’re his family after all.

He was wearing a tailored navy-blue suit with tassels on the shoulders and a brooch in the figure of a wolf’s head. His hair was combed back neatly, and he used hairspray to make it stay out of his forehead. An effort for the occasion. He even had a glove on and a black cape that reached his lower back. It had two yellow crescent moons, facing in different directions, but their curves were overlapped by a full moon in between. It was the symbol of the Moon Empire.

The castle stood tall in all its glory. Not even a hint of any bricks crumbling down, though it had been built for over a thousand years. As what he had been told. The glowing orange of lamp lights that had been posted in each storey brightened the dark corners. Crows were flying around the building, their red eyes matching his vampiric one.

They were watching him. There was no doubt that they recognized him, as crows were intelligent birds. One flapped its wings and flew in his direction.

"Alpha King." Drasco stood to his right behind him. He was weary as the creature came closer and closer.

"Relax, Drasco. It’s a friend." He uttered and raised his arm, anticipating the bird to land on the back of his hand.

The bird smoothly perched on it, and tweaked its beak on his cufflinks repeatedly.

"It looked like it wanted to bite you, Alpha King." Said Gunther to his left side.

Zek knew what it wanted. He raised the sleeve higher to where his skin was exposed, and the feathered creature took the chance and bit him. He didn’t wince from the tiny bite.

"Alpha." Drasco wanted to grab the bird and crush its skull with his bare hands.

It only took a few seconds, and the wound closed itself. Gunther wiped the blood that oozed out from it with his hanky.

"It’s for welcoming me, Drasco." He fixed his sleeve and stroked the bird’s head.

"It doesn’t look like a warm welcome, Alpha." Gunther commented.

Ezekiel chuckled. "It is. It got a warm blood from me." He started to take a step on the bridge, and the bird transferred to the top of his shoulders. He let it settle there. The two men behind him stared at the bird with their glares of having a taste of their king.

The evening looked friendly as the stars were blinking at them and the half-moon was high above, giving a luminous glow. Zek glanced at his wristwatch, five minutes before midnight. They were just perfectly on time.

Gunther and Drasco were wearing military clothes and were looking their best to match their Alpha King and as people from the Moon Empire. Supernatural or not, most races still uphold their reputations of living well and wanted to be respected by the others.

The two men roamed their eyes around. It was their first time seeing the place their king formerly lived. And they marveled at the view. Though it screamed traditional, the classiness was unique.

Zek knew that his companions liked what they saw. He did too, and still does. It brought him nostalgia as he remembered the days that he was running outside in the field even on a bright day. Many kids envied him as they couldn’t easily do what he could. Being a hybrid wolf made him enjoy the day under the sun.

Vampires can bear children with their chosen one among vampires as well. And biting other people to be a vampire was considered illegal in their law. He also had that same law for the werewolves. They don’t have to expand their races by biting humans. Aside from that, the turned someone could highly perish during the transition. It was also risky for they would be uncontrollable in a period of time, and it could alert humans of their existence if they threw a tantrum around. If one was caught or found out breaking the law, death was the only outcome.

The keepers, or vampire guards, at the oversized gate instantly fall on their knees when he reaches the other end of the bridge. They bowed their heads as well.

"Your Highness."

"Your Majesty."

Both greeted at the same time. Then the two tilted their heads to look at one another. Eyeing who was wrong and right.

The right keeper saluted him as a vampire prince. And the other as a werewolf king. No one was wrong, actually.

He sighed. "Whatever’s fine." He gestured for them to stand up. They pulled themselves and opened the gate for him.

Even from outside, Ezekiel could feel the various presence from whoever were inside the castle. Different races but the same auras. Danger, darkness, and death. The last one couldn’t likely to happen inside the threshold. That’s the only thing he was certain of.

Eyes turned to him in anticipation of his arrival as the barriers were out of his sight. Zek looked straight ahead from the figures on top of a small platform. The royal family sat in each of their thrones. His heart was pounding loudly, as well as all the other people present for the meeting.

It was almost a century and everything was still bloody the same. The face of the king, the stubbles of hair in his face, if only he shaved them clean, he would look as young as him. The queen who he met when he was just quarter of his actual age now, remained elegant looking, and proud. He had nothing against her. She was a great stepmother to him during his years in the castle. She treated him like her own. That’s also why he got along with his half-siblings.

Dravin, his younger brother was sitting at the right side of the king. It was his seat before. And the empty seat beside him was Dravin’s. Drendall, his sister, the youngest of them, was at the queen’s left side.

He had no grudge against his siblings too. Only to the king.

The crowd stood up, also the people at the throned seats. They bowed their heads in his direction. It was customary to do so as a sign of respect from each races’ leaders.

"Brother!" Drendall called and in just a blink, she appeared right in front of him and crashed her body to his, pulling him in a tight hug. It knocked the air out of his lungs from the impact. It made his foot step back to balance the force.

It was unexpected but it made him smile from her warm hug. Though her body was cold, it was normal for vampires, but it was the feelings that mattered, not the skin temperature.

He wrapped his arms back to her.

"I hate you! I hate you!" She hissed, her voice muffled against his chest. She only reached his shoulders. "You could have visited us. You should have." Her accusing tone somehow eased the tension he felt.

A clearing of throat made her body stiffened from his embrace. It was from the queen. And he fully understood his sister’s reaction to that. The queen was great and all, but was strict and polished as hell.

"Drendall." Vampire Queen Estrella uttered. "You can catch up with your brother later. Get back here right now."

They let go of each other.

"Later." He said to her and she nodded. Then she turned around with head held high like she didn’t do anything wrong. She strutted the red carpet slowly and get back on her seat.

It was his turn to return the greeting to everyone. He was only a few steps away from the door but it was the right place to do the customary thing.

He and his two men, bended on one knee and bowed their heads. "Moon Empire greet all the leaders and representatives." He announced and everyone nodded.

They raised on their feet and the door closed behind him. A bell chimed once. Midnight struck.

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