RETURN OF THE HYBRID (Book III)

Chapter 9

Leon's compulsion was unique in its own way. One, no one really knew they were being compelled and they did not remember being compelled and two it did not fade. The only way it could stop is if he undid it, it grew stronger with time. Trying to fight it had consequences. The queen could not understand how she felt around Hector. She did not like the man but when he showed up she felt good being around him and if she tried to be mean she could feel all dizzy, nausea and fever, sweating which could only stop if she all of a sudden became all nice.

"Am bewitched" that's what she said when she entered the kings Royal courts.

He was solving the cases of his people. Seated in the front with the lord's and other palace top ranking palace officials.

"Not a good time my queen" Rhode said.

"Ask the Oracle to come!" She said and walked away looking all angry.

Rhode asked Hector to handle it. The same source of her problems. She went back to their room from where she could see the entire kingdom of Clivestone. The wind was blowing on her face whispering in her ears then she saw the eagle.

"Good or bad news?" She asked taking the message from its claws.

In his message general Osteen was short and clear without implicating any of them. He just wrote two words "Took the bait" but in her response she made it clear what their plan was. She went to the king’s desk and used the official ink, shiny red ink and wrote "Make sure he is dead" rolled the paper and tied it with the same string that it came with then tied it around its claws.

"You've been a good boy before you go have this" she said feeding the bird of prey some meat.

The eagle was angry as it grabbed the meat from her hands almost biting her finger off with its razor sharp beak.

"Now go, fly away" She said.

She watched as it flew away. Aliya had solved one problem for the king and for herself. She did not care about the people with their delusional hope in a savior prince. To her it was going to end the same way, with him dead. He was not better than his four sons.

"The chariot is ready your majesty" Hector said.

She struggled to be angry and shout that him for not knocking but she couldn't. Shortness of breath, sweating and fever set in.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes Hector thank you" she said breathing heavily, “Let’s go we don't want to be late" she added flashing a smile.

Hector was feeling something fishy too although he was stupid enough to think she wanted to have s*x with him. Poor Hector. She wanted to strangle him, chop him into pieces and feed them to her bird.

******

The prince and the leader of the ten men army was in a conundrum. He couldn't risk exposure of his supernatural abilities and he also couldn't let them die. Another way was to use them and compel them. The group went further into the forest he could smell the scent of the enemies. They were not far and he could also tell they were not few as general Osteen said. He had noted a change in him. When he send them his heartbeat had increased steadily, signs of lying.

The only way they were going to win the fight was by using wisdom and not strength. To make matters worse it was those sides that the slain Pollux the brute's brother, elder brother to be exact, General Baxter, was. He was looking for Leon to avenge his brother. If Leon was back in his time he would have called his team the suicide squad.

"We are getting closer to the enemy camps any suggestions?" Leon asked the scared soldiers.

They looked at each other as though the suggestions he was asking for were written on their foreheads. As usual they were lined up even on top of their horses. Leon was trying to be an inclusive leader, everyone's opinion was going to be taken into consideration.

"Your highness I suggest we send a scout to find out what we are facing" one of them said.

"A good one next?"

The potbellied guy moved forward with his emaciated horse.

"We hide the horses and go the rest of the way on foot"

The others groaned. It was not a smooth terrain in the first place and they were already tired of riding almost the whole day.

"Silence!" Leon ordered, “He has a point, your turn will come just listen to him first. Go on what's your name again?"

"Johannes the son of Marita" He said.

The others laughed.

"You don't have a father Johannes?"

"My mother is a p********e your highness I don't really know my father and she won't tell me"

"And today we are going to hear from the proud son of a p********e, go on!"

"As you can see we are few and we have few horses they may get injured, besides they need food and water to regain their strengths just as we need"

"Good you all agree now?"

It was hard to say it loud but they did agree. There was nothing worse than having no horse to run back for one’s life when all hell broke loose. A horse was good in that it could carry one’s injured body to safety as long as it could run back to the capital.

"Okay you guys set camp here, eat and drink enough water I will do scouting but before that I need to know any archer amongst us?"

None moved to the front or raised their hands. He however saw a man with a bow of arrows and a quiver.

"You!"

"I just carry them your majesty" he said sending others into a frenzy of laughter.

"Give it to me"

Their prince left them setting camp as he went to scout. They had no idea but he could hear them say some nice things about him others bad. Others believed in him to lead them back while some were hopeless. They could see their bodies being dragged home for burial or being eaten by the birds of prey in the woods. Their skeletons resting on a tree more seasons that were to come.

"Johannes his majesty's favorite, how does it feel to he recognized by royalty!" One of the men teased.

"Take him to your mother he might pay gold enough to buy you land but that will depend with her services you know" another one said making them laugh even louder.

Johannes was busy setting up camp. He was clearing an area in the forest with his sword, sending pegs to the ground as though he couldn't hear them. For someone weak he knew how to take care of himself. Silence. If he decided to talk and respond to the bullies he might have made them angrier. But for relentless bullies even the silence is disrespect. He came over and pushed him to the ground.

"You are an i***t to think you can get away with disrespecting us" He said spitting.

"I swear to the gods I didn't say anything" Johannes said his hands up in the air.

"That's the disrespect we are talking about" the other joined in.

"Say you are sorry"

"Am sorry" He said quickly.

"Mean it go on your knees and bend..."

"Enough!" The thirty three seasons old soldier shouted.

The two turned around to look at him and laughed.

"What is it old man?"

"Now that's disrespect, you want to taste the tip of my blade do you?"

"Will gladly give you a taste of mine"

That's how they started fighting. The one considered old was a master swordsman, they had to be two for them to lower his pace he however decided to be the grown up and surrendered.

"Get up" he said stretching his hand to Johannes.

"Thank you, can you teach me how to use the sword?"

"Gladly"

The two moved further in the woods to a clearing. The man was trying to fatten a bull on the market day. Meanwhile Leon was creeping in the woods with a sword and a bow. He had tied his horse, named Don after his uncle, to a tree where there was water and plenty of grass. He was closer to Baxter’s camp than he thought.

*******

Cassandra's head was about to blow. The more she sought to understand the prince the more she was left confused. Gaia was very sure they had s*x and they didn't she had no idea he bit her and she was not showing signs of being a beast. To some extent Cassandra expected her to be dead.

"They can wait any longer" Dahlia said standing by the door.

"Let's go" she said marching out.

Downstairs was the peasant family of a girl she thought she had helped. The girl was tied on a chair with tight rope. She was screaming and making funny sounds despite having the enchanted bracelet.

"What happened?" Cassandra asked.

The mother and father got up.

"She was fine for the evening then today in the morning she just stared convulsing and calling your name out" she explained.

"Is she violent?"

"Yes that's why we have tied her but she got better when we got here"

"Leave the room, all of you!"

Gaia and the other girls cleared the room. She was sensing Zeli was back. The demon that was chasing Leon across time. Last time he didn't want people around, she was just making it better for him. Cassandra couldn't imagine how powerful he was that Leon with superhuman abilities was afraid of him.

"Come out Zeli, time to play!" She mocked looking around scared.

The ropes tying the girl on the chair started breaking one after another. The curtains were drawn and the girl’s eyes became plain white no iris. She got up from the seat walking barefooted towards Cassandra.

"What do you want?" Cassandra asked scared.

She was courageous. If he wanted to kill her he would have done it already. He needed her or something was stopping him from doing it. Leverage might be a fickle b***h but it was keeping her around.

"I asked you to do something for me" Zeli growled.

"You never told me he is a vampire werewolf or both" she said leaning on the wall.

"You can still kill him with silver and garlic, you knew that you just don't want to do it"

"Give me some more time"

"There is no time, you kill him or I will make everyone you know miserable" he threatened.

The girl was now floating in the air. Her hair spread out covering her eyes.

"You are a coward" Cassandra said.

She wanted to see what he could do when angry. And she got that. All the furniture in the house was moved towards her. She jumped right out of the way. Maybe she was wrong. He did not need her as she thought he did.

"You i***t, you almost killed me" she complained.

"That’s just the beginning, I can do more" he said lighting up the entire house.

Those outside saw the smoke coming from the house. They tried to get past the door but it was locked with magic. No one could get in and no one could get out. Cassandra could see her life end. She had had choice to make. Help him kill the prince and therefore the entire kingdom. If Leon died without helping them win the war then they were all dead. And on the other hand was an innocent girl. Going to die. Others had to die for the rest to leave. But again couldn't he just get anyone to do his bidding after they were dead? She had no time to find out.

"Let the girl go, you can have me. Possess me" she said.

She could hear the screams from outside as they relentlessly tried to bring down the heavy door. The flames were getting ferocious. She had nowhere to run since they were surrounding her.

"You think I haven't thought of that? It's not possible"

The flames got closer. She started hearing strange sounds in her ears. She closed her eyes and focused. Never before had she tried to tap on magic for protection. If she didn’t the kingdom was going to be jeopardy. The flames started diminishing slowly.

"What are you doing?" He asked angrily before the girl dropped on the ground.

The flames disappeared and people came in including queen Aliya. She also collapsed.

"What's wrong with her?” Cassandra asked rushing to check on the queen.

The girl was dead.