Chapter Text
Upon hearing those six words, the Molan Patriarch didn’t lose even a split second of time. Even if it wasn’t a concept for those people, it was still a concept for others. With a quick movement of his hand, the wooden door behind him opened and he quickly led Raon, On and Hong down. There were multiple steps and one after one torches lit up with rose-golden flames. It was the Fire of Destruction, or at least magic that resembled the ancient power.
With each step, the air became more and more tensed until those four finally arrived at the room at the end of the passage. With a slightly shaking hand, the loyal servant opened the golden door and let the three (for him) children in. None of them could help but gasp.
The whole room was made of the purest gold there was – even the floor and the celling. A carpet of the rarest satin lay on the floor and the most comfortable yet fancy furniture was inside. There was one exception though it was a wooden, old rocking chair which held dozens of memories in it. Dark velvet curtains hid the sight of one golden wall.
The floor was filled with all sorts of treasure, gold, silver and diamonds as well as the highest quality magic stones. Here were the rarest treasures in the world stored that no one could even dream of having. Some of them were obtained through looting, but who knew which was which.
Raon didn’t even glance at those treasures twice, none of them did.
Their hearts weren’t concerned for those treasures; they would never touch them and let anyone touch them besides a certain someone. Quickly, one after one, they approached the dark velvet curtains. Eyes full of anticipation they waited until Raon moved his hands and the curtains revealed what lay behind them. There wasn’t anything besides a golden door.
Ron and Raon exchanged looks before nodding. Quickly the old butler opened the door with a special, plain looking key that looked like trash. It wasn’t.
Behind the golden room lay a plain looking one. The floor was wooden in a dark brown color with a bit red in it. The walls looked majestic even if they were still simple. In the middle of the room stood a bed. It was big; probably five people could fit in there at once?
Around the bed stood book shelves filled with all sorts of things, most of them were belongings of someone beyond dear to them. The only thing the four existences were focused on was the being that was “sleeping” on the bed in those white sheets.
Blood red hair, the palest face one would ever come across. Nevertheless a beauty, difficult of being surpassed by anyone.
One look at that person, and everyone knew. Contrary to usual, they heard his heart beating. He did not breathe, but that was normal. The person lying here had been dead since over a decade or more ago. He would never take a breath. He didn’t decay because he technically never died. He was simply soulless. Because of that, the body had stopped breathing and his heart stopped beating, nevertheless this person was still alive.
But now his heart was beating – meaning that his soul was here. It was in this dimension.
On was the first to fall to her knees. She couldn’t believe it. Even though she didn’t let anyone see, everyone had noticed. She missed their father figure Cale Henituse. Hong was the first to cry. He hugged his sister while crouching down on the floor and soon, both of them sobbed together.
Raon stood the firmest; he was observing the body of the man he would call closest to a parent. Sure, he had his mother, but over the years he had noticed who he actually loved more. It was just that the “Human” had taught him everything he knew, or helped him achieve that knowledge somehow. He had rescued him from the cave back then, showed him the world. He had taken care of him like no one else had and even if he hadn’t openly showed it, there was always affection in his eyes whenever he looked at the back then baby dragon.
Cale Henituse had protected him, had sacrificed himself for him, had showed him what the word family and love and friends even meant. He had taught him how to survive, how to live. How to have fun, how to be sad. He had told him that it was okay to be weak, that he didn’t need to be strong. That sometimes, you were allowed to cry and let others see. He had also explained how live worked, how to fight. He had showed the dragon the good and bad sides of live, always taken care of him. He had reunited him with his biological mother – he had always taken Raon with him. Cale had always asked him about his opinion, always watched out for him.
In the end, gave up his soul for him.
He was the one who had made the Dragon Lord the person he was today.
He was the one person the Dragon Lord could not live without.
Yet, for decades, he lived. But just breathing and existing couldn’t exactly be called living, could it?
“H-he´s alive!”
The butler with the stoic expression that didn’t even once show happiness over those past decades, no, centuries, not even his usual benign smile, was delighted. A fat smile graced the old man´s lips, a real smile. Tears were almost coming out of his eyes, though they actually did. He also sank on his knees unable to comprehend, no, believe the situation, yet he was here and did believe his own eyes.
Raon didn’t know he was crying until he heard the tear drop to the floor.
The Human was back.
Cale Henituse, the man who sacrificed himself until his bitter end was back.
Cale Henituse, the true hero of this world, the hero who rescued so many lives that it was quite hard to believe was back.
Not soon after, everyone was crying. Many might think it were tears of joy and happiness, but it were also tears of sadness and mourn. Because everyone knew that even if he was now back here, he wasn’t doing it out of his free will – he didn’t have it anymore. Either the gods had given him a cruel order or someone was as disrespectful as to perform a forbidden demon summoning ritual.
After a few more minutes which were actually half an hour in the real world, they got up, everyone focused his gaze on the current Dragon Lord.
Raon simply nodded.
“The Roan Kingdom; the human´s presence is the strongest there.”
“Haaa, so tell me again?”
The summoned being smirked a quite mischievous looking grin as he continued to play around with Choi Han´s sword. It was a sword unfamiliar to him; it was one of high quality. The grin soon turned into a faint, somewhat sad smile. He recalled the sword he had once gifted to someone very special and dear to him, who was actually even stronger than the current Choi Han. The swordsmaster had cherished the weapon gifted to him by the summoned being quite dearly and always took care of it like it was part of his body. This sword though, wasn’t taken care of that much in comparison to the other weapon.
“Well, I´m just telling you that summoning me is useless to you.”
Alberu let out a tired sigh, not seeing the happy-sad expression on the demon´s face. Cale Henituse was the full name of that demon, the guardian of the current Dragon Lord. He was here once again, in those cursed lands he had given up everything he had to give for.
“Ha, ha, ha.”
The quiet laughter coming out of his mouth caught the attention of many but no one dared to say anything against it. Well, no one besides one ancient dragon that was.
“Your laughter sounds psychotic.”
Cale turned towards him, a delighted expression on his face. He didn’t act like it, but he was quite happy to see the ancient dragon again, because in his memories of the past there was no blonde, long-haired beauty with him.
“It probably should.”
Cale looked out of the window, questioning what he should do until a brighter smile than before appeared on his face.
“You better tell me the actual situation, you know?”
Alberu looked up and brushed his face with his hands. Well, what else could he do? Huh? After all discussing your Kingdom´s problems with a demon was quite common, right?
The quarter dark elf almost flipped the table over.
“…”
Cale turned his head to look at Choi Han who quickly bowed down to him. Cale´s expression quickly changed and he looked away. Choi Han, that swordsmaster was the only one Cale had quite the difficulty speaking to. He had so many good memories with that person, he knew that in the past, where he still had been alive, he could always depend on Choi Han and no matter what he did Choi Han would be there.
But those good memories were quickly being overshadowed by the bad ones that weren´t just a few. Before he could get caught up in those memories, Cale shook his head and focused his gaze on Alberu.
Alberu Crossman, that bastard was the same as always.
Without noticing it, Cale felt a knot up his throat and didn’t dare say anything. How simple it was for him to feel like this now that everything he had lived for was out of his reach…
“Our current status is terrible as the White Star is currently out there. He is our biggest problem, someone who wants to become god. Do you perhaps know of him?”
Cale turned his head not to make eye-contact with anyone but the portrait on the wall.
As he laid eyes on that portrait he broke out in real laughter.
“Hahaha! Ha, ha, ha!”
The others immediately froze upon hearing that laughter and quietly followed the summoned being´s example. They also looked at the unclear portrait of a person that was clothed in a dark brown robe. One wasn’t able to see his hair but his reddish-brown piercing eyes that seemed to pierce through you. The person on that portrait looked weak and feeble and next to it was a black little dragon staring at the person who looked at the portrait with his blue orbs.
“Is this a bad joke?”
“Pardon?”
Eruhaben looked at Cale, not understanding what the matter was. Nobody would though, as the person in the portrait was the very they had summoned but would never recognize.
“That fucking motherfucker God of Death.”
“Huh?”
Cale Henituse.
That was the full name of that summoned person. He was someone who had a past but no future. He was living because his soul hadn’t disappeared yet; though it wouldn’t be quite right to call it living.
He was someone who had relived his life many times over and over again until he finally came to a conclusion on how to save those lands and people who were very dear to him, even more than his own life and soul so.
Cale quickly shook his head, not to think about the past, and looked back at the people who were curiously looking at him. Their partly anxious and fearful, partly confused and anticipating gazes brought back bad memories which the summoned being wished nothing more but to not remember.
That would be easier.
Because if he wouldn’t be able to remember anything, he would be able to do the job he came here to do. But if he truly wasn’t to remember anything, he wouldn’t be here in first place.
Cale let out a tired sigh and leaned back in the rather comfortable chair. He looked around the halls once more and ended up frowning.
“…hey, do you have more dragons?”
He was thinking about quite a few more dragons actually which were supposed to be acquaintances with these people at this point in time.
Alberu frowned upon hearing such a strange question: Having alone one dragon was quite the amazing thing to have, yet that summoned being asked for more?!
“Are you cra- haaa ha, ha, ah…”
Alberu´s face got as white as a paper sheet and he quickly averted his gaze. He almost would have called that summoned being, a demon of probably the highest caliber, that devil that even Eruhaben feared, crazy.
Cale, instead of feeling offended, had a smile on his face. Ah, he felt nostalgic all of a sudden. It´s been decades, if not more, since he had last heard the crown prince spouting such bullshit indeed.
“Perhaps, who knows?”
Alberu shook his head and slowly looked back at Cale who wasn’t even looking at him, instead staring at the window with a smile on his face.
“I guess I was worried for nothing~ anyways, you have troubles defeating the White Star, the man with many ancient powers and who wants to become god, did I get that right? And you´re telling me that you can´t quite get ahold of him, is that correct?”
Tasha was surprised that a demon listened so carefully, but was very thankful as she nodded. Alberu was still lost in thoughts and the others didn’t seem to be in their right minds as well, so she had to take over the important discussion her nephew was supposed to do.
“Excuse me, my lord-“
“Just Cale is enough.”
“Well, excuse me master Ca-“
“As I said, just Cale is good enough.”
“Um, Cale-nim?”
“Yes?”
Tasha gulped but continued in saying what she wanted to say.
“Cale-nim, may I ask how you can help us? You mentioned that your powers were useless?”
Cale sighed and shook his head.
“Not entirely useless, I believe. But for them to be of use~ haaa, forget it.”
Tasha wanted to ask further, but decided to leave it; it was because the expression of the demon was not good. While he had just been frowning, grinning and partly smiling or laughing (like a lunatic) until now, he had now a grim expression on his face that gave the dark elf the chills. She could practically feel that that topic was a taboo one.
“…Let´s not talk about useless things now, let´s do the average stuff and finally form a contract, won´t we?”
The grim expression from just now was entirely gone as if it hadn’t been there in first place and Cale smiled cheerfully as if he was excited. He clapped his hands once, gaining the attention of everyone, and then looked at the ancient dragon who was now sitting back down on the table on the seat next to the summoned being. The smile on Cale´s face was a happy and joyous one.
One he hadn’t had in a long while.