The War God’s Favorite novel Chapter 128

#128 The Born and Unborn
Rather than scared, Cassandra immediately found herself furious. That coward was forcing his children’s dragons to fight for him! She turned to him, just when the little dragons started appearing in the garden, one after another.
“Stop that,” she said.
Lephys laughed, but it was a crazy laugh.
“Oh no, you damn witch. Just you wait until they rip you apart!”
“They are all going to die,” Cassandra retorted. “They are too young! They can’t win and you already know that. You’re sending those dragons to their deaths!”
“I don’t care, as long as I make it!” He yelled.
Lephys suddenly got back on his feet and started running in another direction, away from the fight. Cassandra’s anger rose again. That man was the vilest creature and a coward at that. Not only was he running from this battle to save himself, but he was also basically throwing his sons’ dragons to be killed for it!

Cassandra exchanged a glance with the Creature, but just like the Rain Tribe’s people, the Water God was not a fighter. He had answered to her call as she begged him, but what now? She couldn’t ask him to kill young dragons either, she hated the idea of having to sacrifice innocent creatures. Cassandra may be angry, but she kept a clear mind about this situation. Those poor little ones were following Lephys’ orders, maybe not even of their own will. Some of them were probably barely older than Kian… Half a dozen of those little dragons appeared on the grass, all coming in different sizes and shapes. She could tell how young they ought to be, and it just made it all worse.
Just then, Kian flew back to her too, landing on the grass in front of Cassandra and growling furiously at his peers, warning them to leave her alone. The difference in size didn’t impress the baby dragon one bit. The young Dragons weren’t afraid of Kian either, but they were hesitating on coming close, with Cassandra standing against a portion of the Water God’s body. Each of them kept growling and sending glances towards the Water God. They were all much taller than Kian, but most were not even half an adult’s size. Cassandra was even feeling sorry for those. Trying to approach her with cautious steps, they growled while also sending worried glances towards the Water God.
“Stay away,” she warned them, using her mother tongue.
Either they had understood or were scared, the little dragons either stopped coming closer or started growling more furiously. Strangely, the smaller ones seemed to be the most eager to fight. Was it because they were influenced to follow their father’s orders even more? Cassandra glanced across the lake, where Krai and the purple dragon were still actively fighting and growling at each other.
She turned her eyes towards Lephys. He had barely made it half-way towards the corridors, but he wasn’t too far yet. Cassandra tried to think quickly, and, soon, found a solution, she ran towards the net of chains that had fallen from the roof. A large portion of it had been ripped down, where Krai had gotten it, but one of its ends was still hanging above the walls, stretched above Lephys’ head. Cassandra’s eyes followed his steps.
The Prince was running like crazy in the garden and didn’t hear anything of her struggle. Cassandra grabbed some of the heavy chains a few steps away from her and started pulling on it. It was horribly heavy, chains made to keep a dragon away, not for a woman alone to pull. Glancing over his shoulder, Lephys saw her pull like crazy, and looked up at the chains that weren’t even moving. He slowed down to see her struggle, thinking he was far enough and laughed again.
“You crazy woman! Those chains were put up there with the strength of several men! Do you think you can do anything? You’re weak, useless!”
Right at this moment, Cassandra stopped pulling, glaring at the Prince. He realized his mistake a second too late. Had he kept running, he may have made it. Yet, he had stopped while he was still underneath those chains, giving
Cassandra time to turn towards the Water God.
“Alteske,” she said.
Lephys’ eyes opened wide in horror, as the Water God raised his claw and brutally pulled on the chains. This time, the walls above him crumbled right away. With a horrible scream, the Prince had the chains fell over him, followed by big chunks of the wall. His scream died under all the rocks that buried him alive. Cassandra heard him scream long after the rocks had stopped falling, telling her he was still alive, but suffering miserably.
On the other side of the like, the Purple Dragon felt his master’s demise, as it started screeching horribly. Krai took his chance to jump on him. They had fought fiercely, and despite the difference in size, the black Dragon had some worrying injuries on him. Cassandra was worried about him and even more so about his master, but it looked like Krai would get rid of his opponent soon.
Her attention was grabbed elsewhere. Why she wasn’t looking, some of the young dragons had run to the pile of rocks covering Lephys, but two of them were still growling at Kian. The little Silver Dragon was growling just as fiercely as his dad, set on defending Cassandra. Though they were still small and young for dragons, those two could bite off her hand at once, and Cassandra didn’t want to risk it.
“Kian!”
The baby dragon retreated slowly to her as she called him, but Cassandra still couldn’t leave him be injured. The two younger dragons started running after him, and Cassandra was scared something would happen to him.
“Kian, in the water!” She said while retreating towards the Water God.
The little dragon, running like a silver bolt in the grass, suddenly jumped in the air, using his little wing to go and fly above the lake. The two bigger dragons followed him easily, especially as he was flying away from the Water God they feared. However, they were not done with him. One of them suddenly threw fire at him, and though he dodged it, Cassandra’s heart went cold.
Kian wasn’t yet in danger. He glanced back at his peers, and suddenly, disappeared in the water. The two young dragons were confused for a minute, flying above the lake and trying to spot him in the water. They couldn’t follow him inside. They were not made to go underwater, unlike the Water God or Kian. Hence, when the Silver dragon reappeared, jumping out of the water, he completely took them by surprise, and furiously bit one of their wings before diving back in. Cassandra couldn’t keep herself from smiling proudly. He was learning fast how to use his unique abilities. 1
On the other side of the lake, though, Krai wasn’t done with his fight. Maybe his master’s state had brought despair over the purple Dragon, but he wasn’t giving up. He didn’t let the black dragon win, and instead, the two of them exchanged injury after injury. 1
It couldn’t last this way. The more Krai was injured, the less he could help Kairen, and the War God was still trapped inside, the image of him furiously grabbed back inside minutes ago was printed in Cassandra’s mind. She had to do something. She turned to the Water God, but he was here to help her, not injure the other dragons!
Their eyes met, and for some long seconds, she didn’t dare say anything. It was a horrible feeling. The Water God was not one to fight. The mythic creature all her tribe’s song had talked about was a God of Love, not war. It was obvious his whole body wasn’t even made for a fight, and he probably couldn’t even breathe fire. Somehow, he was like her. Not a fighter, and not someone to kill. Her kind wasn’t like that. Once again, Cassandra felt utterly powerless. What could she do? Her eyes went to the opening in which Kairen had disappeared, and she could still hear ruckus inside, there was no proof her lover was surviving this battle.
“Lys, you bastard of a snake!” Suddenly yelled a voice behind her. (2
Cassandra turned around and, with shock, saw Opheus running across the garden, his weapon in hand. The fourth Prince! She had almost forgotten about him, with everything that had happened. Moreover, right as he ran towards her, another giant shadow appeared above them. Phe, the White Dragon! Without waiting for a second longer, the fourth Prince’s dragon flew inside through the opening she had created earlier and started attacking
the purple dragon too, relieving a bit of Krai’s burden. The black Dragon stumbled aside, blood flowing on his flank. He was still furious and growling, but obviously in need of that little break too. After a few seconds of rest, the two of them jumped on Lys, the purple Dragon again, with the clear intent to finish him off. They were both bigger and stronger, and this time, the purple dragon was completely defeated. Bitten furiously at the throat by Krai, dragged on his back, the purple dragon died in a horrible screech of pain. That sound was unbearable to hear. Cassandra shuddered, unable to look that way.
Meanwhile, Opheus finally reached her, just when Cassandra fell on her knee. Though the fourth Prince gently held her shoulder as she almost collapsed, Opheus had his eyes riveted on the Water God, in shock. The peaceful Creature was looking down at him, strangely calm compared to everything going on around them.
‘What the… What is that… thing…’
‘I don’t have time to explain!” Exclaimed Cassandra, grabbing his clothing, panicked. “Have you seen my sister?”
“Y-Yes. I met Anour on the way, he was carrying her out, he told me what happened. Lady Kareen, she went to hide with your child. But Cassandra, we have a bigger problem.”
“What?”
‘Phemera,” he said. “The girl… That woman we took out of the cell, it really is Vrehan’s younger sister. Your sister made her talk, she told us everything. That bastard had been impregnating his younger sister like a cow to try and breed more powerful Dragons!” 2
“W…what?”
…More dragons? Cassandra went horribly pale. She suddenly remembered Phetra’s words. Vrehan’s secret, why he couldn’t kill Phetra yet.
“Vrehan doesn’t only have two sons, he’s got more dragons stocked somewhere!”
Cassandra’s heart went cold. More dragons? Her eyes went to Krai, still staggering and trying to lick his injuries. Next to him, Phe was fine, but the white dragon had gotten an injury on its shoulder too. Meanwhile, Kian just jumped out of the water, running on the grass as the other two young dragons that had targeted him were struggling to swim their way off the water, their wings completely destroyed by the silver dragon’s repeated attacked.
Cassandra couldn’t rejoice in the slightest. They only had three to help them, plus a baby one that had hatched only a week ago, how could they fight more? How could have Vrehan even gathered more dragons! She turned to Opheus, her energy ignited by panic alone.
“How many? Where?”
“She didn’t know where her sons and their dragons were taken! Vrehan hid their sons and their dragons, and he even killed the girls before they were born!”
…That explained the abortion potion they had caught their younger sister buy at the market. Cassandra felt like throwing up. Vrehan was even more of a monster than she had fathomed, and she was even more bent on defeating him. If a man like him got on the throne, it was truly going to be the end of this Empire…
“We need to find him or where he hides his sons’ dragons,” she whispered.
“I thought he was fighting Kairen inside!” Exclaimed Opheus, pointing at the opening.
Cassandra shook her head, getting back on her feet.
“No… No, Vrehan fled in the confusion, only his men and his dragon are still there… He probably went to get his sons dragons, then… Who knows how big they are…”
“We have to find them, then!”
Cassandra nodded, but how? She saw Krai and Phe running towards them from the other side of the Lake, joined by Kian. She had to think, quick. How could she find the young dragons, inside this wretched Palace? It was so big! She looked around, and her eyes fell on the Lake. She turned towards the Water God, who seemed to be patiently waiting for her to ask. She let out a long sigh.
“Cassandra…?” Called Opheus, confused.
“I know what to do, but… You may want to take cover,” she whispered.