š Scene ā Threads of Deceit Spread Across the Continent of Mira
Odin, Poseidon, and Athena were watching Loki's every step, carefully observing his movements, while tangled thoughts swirled in their minds about that boy who seemed truly manipulative to a frightening degree.
After a moment of deep thought, Athena spoke in a contemplative tone:
"He's not planning to go to the flower's location himself, is he?"
Odin looked at her with a faint smirk, as if the answer had been obvious to him from the start, then said:
"Of course not. Look at him closelyā¦ he plans, and lets others carry out the work. He's truly the perfect person for this kind of thing."
As for Poseidon, he remained silent, watching Loki. But inwardly, he thought:
"I hope that fool doesn't failā¦"
Then his expression shifted slightly, as if a thought had suddenly crossed his mind, and he added with concern:
"Otherwiseā¦ my daughter Skadi will be very angry with him."
The moment Poseidon thought of that, he suddenly realized he had forgotten to inform his daughter about Loki's mission. He paused for a moment, then looked at his brothers, only to find them completely absorbed in watching what was happening, deeply focused on Loki and those strange demons that had recently entered the continent of Mira.
At that point, he moved quietly and slowly waved his hand. A faint energy emerged from him, resembling ripples of the ocean. It moved swiftly, like a hidden current, heading straight toward Skadi to deliver the message.
Odin sensed something unusual. His expression tightened slightly as he looked at Poseidon with suspicion and said:
"Did you do something, Poseidon?"
Poseidon chuckled lightly, trying to hide it, and replied:
"And what would I do, my brother?"
But at that moment, something strange happened with Loki in the vision Odin was watching, cutting their conversation short as he suddenly said:
"Look! What's happening there?"
Odin's attention was immediately diverted, and he quickly turned toward the vision to see what was going on. Poseidon let out a quiet sigh of relief, feeling somewhat at ease, silently thanking his luck before turning his gaze toward the vision as well, curiosity filling his eyes.
š On the Continent of Mira
The rumors spread by the ravens were spreading dangerously fast, like wildfire, reaching every king, ruler, and emperor across the continent of Mira.
As soon as that happened, all those in power began sending their strongest and most trusted followers on secret missions to verify whether the rumor was true or not.
If the legendary flower had truly appeared on the continentā¦ then it would mark the beginning of an unstoppable conflict.
š° In the Imperial Palace of Humans
The human emperor sat in his new palace, surrounded by an aura of authority, as he looked sharply at his son, the Crown Prince, and said:
"I want you to go to the Demi-Human Kingdom and bring me that flower, my son. Can you do it?"
The Crown Prince thought for a moment, then said in a doubtful tone:
"Of course I can, Fatherā¦ but how did this news spread across the continent? Weren't we the only ones who knew about that flower through our spies among the demi-humans?"
The emperor laughed coldly, as if the matter did not concern him, and said:
"Whoever did this must hate the demi-humans and the dark elves greatly. I wouldn't be surprised if the elves were behind it, so the dark elves would bear the wrath of others for destroying the flower while the young prince was injured."
The Crown Prince laughed as well, then fell silent for a moment in thought before saying:
"I won't take anyone with me on this mission, Father. I don't want anything to hinder me."
The emperor looked at his son, nodded slowly, and said:
"As you wishā¦ but I want that flower, my son. Don't forget that we lost many treasures in that catastrophe."
Then he added in a heavy, serious tone:
"I want to fill the imperial treasury with new treasuresā¦ ones that will benefit us in the future."
Silence fell for a moment, but beneath that calmā¦ a storm of ambitions, conspiracies, and conflicts was about to sweep across the entire continent of Mira.
The Crown Prince looked at his father, nodding with confidence, and said firmly:
"Don't worry, Father. I will definitely find that legendary flowerā¦ and no one will know that we took it."
Humans were not the only ones thinking this way. Elves, giants, and many other races across Mira were also sending their strongest warriors to search for the flower.
Butā¦ no one expected the news to reach the Dragon King so quickly.
The Dragon King never cared about rumors or news spreading across the continent. Yet somehow, a raven slipped into the dragon lands, heading straight toward the king's lair.
The Dragon King sensed something entering his domainā¦ but he did not attack.
He felt that the intruder carried no ill intent and did not even try to hide itself, so he allowed it to advance all the way to his lair without being slain by the dragons guarding the skies.
š Inside the Dragon King's Lair
When the raven entered the cave, it bowed slightly, its eyes taking in the immense size, beauty, majesty, and terror of the Dragon King.
The Dragon King looked at the raven with curiosity and said:
"What brings a raven from the demonic continent here?"
The raven chuckled lightly upon hearing that and replied humbly:
"I am not from the demonic continent, Your Majesty."
The moment the Dragon King heard the raven speak, his eyes widened slightly. He looked at it with interest and said:
"You're rightā¦ I've never seen ravens from the demonic continent speak. Who are you? And why have you come here?"
The raven smiled and said with a quiet laugh:
"I am here, my lordā¦ because I know something that may help heal your son, the young Dragon Prince."
In an instant, the Dragon King rose from his throne, lifted his head, and stared at the raven with a sharp, penetrating gaze:
"Are you telling the truth? Or have you come with deceit and lies?"
The raven stepped closer, then laughed confidently:
"I would never dare, Your Majesty. If I were to lie to anyone, it would certainly not be to the Dragon King. That would be impossibleā¦ I'm not that foolish."
The Dragon King studied the raven and sensed the sincerity of its intent. After a moment of thought, he said:
"Speak. And if what you say is trueā¦ I will reward you."
The raven nodded, then waved its wingā¦ and a vision appeared before the Dragon King.
šļø The Vision
As soon as the Dragon King saw the scene before him, he realized it was the land of the demi-humans. He said in a doubtful tone:
"And what does the demi-humans' land have to do with something that can heal my son?"
The raven stepped closer to the vision and said:
"This is where it is hidden, within the Demi-Human Kingdomā¦ the legendary flower."
Then it quickly added:
"You must act now, Dragon Kingā¦ or the opportunity will be lost."
ā” The Dragon King's Decision
Upon hearing this, the king thought quickly and said:
"If what you say is trueā¦ then await a great reward from me, little one."
He then raised his voice and called out to one of the dragons soaring in the sky:
"Go and gather a group of dragonsā¦ and head immediately to the land of the demi-humans. Bring me the legendary flower they possess."
The dragon, upon hearing the command, shot into the sky at great speed, gathering the rest of its kind to begin their journey toward the Demi-Human Kingdom.
š Waiting for the Storm
The Dragon King looked at the raven and said with a laugh:
"Will you stay here until the dragons return with the flower? Or will you leave and come back later?"
The raven understood the hidden meaning, smiled, and replied:
"Of course I will stay by your side, my lordā¦ and I will show you what is happening across the continent of Mira, so you do not grow bored."
Then it flapped its wings once moreā¦
And new visions appearedādemons slowly approaching the continent of Mira, and the secret things they were doing in the shadows.
The Dragon King sat watching these scenes with a mix of amusement and skepticism, completely unaware that he had already become part of a much larger game.
š·ļø Elsewhereā¦
At the same time, Loki was listening to new orders as a voice spoke:
"Make the dragons take the flower. If there is more than one, take the restā¦ and let the dragons only carry one. The important thing is that the dragons leave soon with the legendary flower. Do you understand?"
Loki felt annoyed by Odin's new instructionsā¦ he had already set a precise plan to steal the flower, as well as the ancient sword belonging to the Demi-Human King.
He thought for a moment, then said to himself:
"I'll have to change the flower planā¦"
Then he paused briefly, before his eyes glimmered with cunning, and he continued with a sly smile:
"As for the ancient sword planā¦ it will proceed exactly as I intended."
He then let out a quiet, sinister laugh filled with mischief:
"Haā¦ haā¦ haā¦"
(Author's Note):
Hello everyone! Thank you for your continuous support of this novel; your comments and interactions mean the world to me.
Stepping away from our story here for a moment, I wanted to share another project I've been working on with great passion. I have started publishing a webtoon (comic) on the Webtoon platform titled "Me and the Wolf."
It is a [Comedy / Fantasy] story about a miserable young man and a cunning wolf who is constantly getting him into trouble! If you enjoy my writing style and the way I build scenarios, I promise you're going to love this comic.
I would be so grateful if you could go check it out, subscribe to the series, and let me know what you think in the comments there!
š Search on the Webtoon app for: [Me and the Wolf]