The Lost Dragon (The Dragon Hunters Book 1)

by Drako

  “You have finally gotten your wish for the destruction of Eris.”

  Hera came to stand beside him at the balcony. “So you destroyed her already? Pity, I was hoping she’d suffer for a few days before she died of starvation.”

  “I did nothing. Apollo chose to end her existence, and rightfully so.” Zeus looked away.

  Hera remained silent for a few moments before changing the subject. “So, you’ve called a meeting of the gods, I hear. You’ve even demanded the presence of Jarel.”

  Zeus snorted, finding the idea of him demanding Jarel’s presence amusing. He respected that particular god far too much to demand anything of him.

  “So what exactly are we meeting for?” Hera asked.

  “It is time that the gods are made aware of the things going on around them,” Zeus answered. “They are getting arrogant when there are far too many threats around. They take for granted that our rule is absolute because it has not been contested since Typhon roamed free.”

  “One could say we have grown drunk with power,” Hera commented.

  Zeus nodded. “Indeed, the gods have grown drunk with their own power and complacent. However, this attempt to resurrect my father makes it clear that this world is not in the type of harmony we desire.”

  “Have you spoken with the Fates?”

  “Of course I spoke with them. Their answers are cryptic, as always. But it is clear that the resurrection of my father is not an idea Eris alone shared. There are other powers surfacing, ancient powers. The time for war is drawing ever closer and it is time that my errant children stop dallying with petty matters and prepare for what lies ahead.”

  Hera stepped in towards her husband, who quickly wrapped his arm around her. “So do you feel that Cronus will be resurrected?”

  “Father is not my only concern, which is why I’ve asked Jarel to come to this meeting. The threat we face is not just a threat to Olympus, but to all of creation. The powers I sense are some he will be familiar with, and it’s best if we’re all prepared. I want the Dragon Gods fighting with us this time.”

  Hera remained silent. If Zeus actually wanted the help of the Dragon Gods, then whatever was coming was dire indeed. And if Jarel agreed to help them, it would only prove Zeus right. The time for war was drawing ever closer.

  Thirty Five

  Andreas was thoroughly covered in vampire blood and was quite satisfied with it. He did feel sorry for whatever cleaning staff there was in that motel. Clearly they didn’t really do their job as the hotel had been pretty filthy anyway, but what little they did do would be that much harder with the blood all over that room. On the bright side, there wasn’t enough left of Kalos to sweep into a dustpan.

  Just reaching home, he was shocked when Jarel appeared in front of him.

  “Nice work, son. But we have one more thing to do.”

  “Can I clean up first?” Andreas asked, looking at his blood stained clothes.

  Jarel impatiently waved his hand and Andreas’ clothes were gone, replaced with a blood red chiton. “We’re going to Olympus.”

  Ah crap, just where I really don’t want to be right now, Andreas thought.

  “You’ll survive,” Jarel said aloud, though he didn’t sound much happier about the thought.

  Andreas found himself in Zeus’ grand throne room. The king of the gods sat on his throne with Hera sitting on her own throne on his left side. Jarel stood on his right side and on the stairs leading up to his throne stood Ares, Hades, Apollo, and Artemis. Odele stood to the left of the throne.

  The twins and Kazarian joined Andreas, all dressed in the same chiton. Standing before the throne, they waited for what was clearly the judgment of the gods, which would be made clear by the king of the gods himself, as he broke the silence of the hall.

  “I have called you here because you four played your part in stopping the resurrection of Cronus, therein preventing a clash that could have destroyed your world. As such, I feel the need to reward you.” Zeus’ fierce blue eyes came to rest on Andreas and Kazarian specifically. “It is clear to me that you two are soul mates and have gone an exceptional length of time apart from each other. Odele here has suggested that I restore Kazarian to life in his present state. After consulting with my brother, Hades, and my son, Ares, I’ve decided to do one better. Before his death, Kazarian was subject to the rule of Ares and as such upon returning him to life, he must return to Ares’ service. What this means is that you, Kazarian, will now become a direct subject to the god of war. To be more precise, I grant you the godhood I took from Eris, making you the new god of discord and anarchy, and therefore the right hand of Ares in battle.”

  As the shock of this settled in on Kazarian, Jarel spoke up. “To my son, I now grant you permanent station with my grandsons as their guardian in St. Louis. Your mission now is what it was with your brothers and sisters: to guide them into transition, as well as enjoy your newfound life with your soul mate. Your time actively participating in missions is now done, and you are truly free to do as you wish.”

  Andreas’ jaw dropped. He’d just been retired from fighting, and it looked like he had his soul mate back. Meanwhile, the king’s attention had turned to the twins.

  “As for you, my wife sees fit to reward you personally, as you were a part of her plan to remove Eris.” Zeus looked to Hera. “It’s all yours from here.”

  Hera’s brilliant eyes focused on the twins. “You two were instrumental in halting the resurrection of Cronus. I have spoken to the Fates about you two and I have watched you. After speaking with your grandfather, I gift you with a direct link to my temple here on Olympus, as I aim to help you two advance on your paths. There are certain conflicts within you of which your grandfather is ignorant, which is when you come to me.”

  “In layman’s terms, I can help with your powers but the mental and emotional crap is on her,” Jarel added.

  Hera rolled her eyes. “In crude terms, yes. All I ask in return is your occasional help on things I need done in the mortal world.”

  “So essentially we’re split between your service and our grandfather’s?” Brandon asked.

  “That explanation works for now,” Jarel answered.

  Hera turned to Andreas and Kazarian. “As goddess of marriage, I recognize you as true soul mates. And I can see a bond forming between you physically. You, Andreas, know the consequences of your bonding not being completed. I look forward to being beseeched to complete your union.”

  Kazarian gave Andreas a questioning look, but Andreas avoided looking at him.

  “Now, we’ll be taking the twins to tour Olympus,” Artemis said happily as she pulled her twin with her.

  “And I must begin the conversion of Kazarian,” Ares commented as he came down the stairs.

  Hades and Odele vanished and the remaining gods descended the stairs to speak with Andreas.

  “Now, we have to speak to you about the twins,” Jarel told him.

  “Is this something to do with their grand fate or whatever?” Andreas asked.

  “Of course,” Zeus answered.

  “Your nephews are quite unique,” Hera told him.

  “So unique, in fact, that their true power has not been unleashed,” Jarel added.

  Andreas frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “I sealed their powers when they were born,” Jarel answered. “The power they were born with far exceeded the capability of Julian to control them. When they turn eighteen, however, they will transition, much the same way you and your brothers did when you entered my service. Their alternate form will be unleashed, along with the power I’ve held back all their lives. In the next two years, they must get past the weaknesses they displayed against Eris. They must also become acquainted with their demon brethren. Unfortunately, this means that Desdemona, their grandmother, will be coming for them. They must learn the truth of their demonic nature, and the only way to do this is in the demon world.”

  “Your task is to guide them in the development o
f their powers and abilities now, so that they can handle all the additional power they will gain,” Zeus added.

  “But they can’t handle their powers properly at the level they’re at now.” Andreas looked to his father. “This is way different than training my brothers.”

  Jarel nodded. “This is true, because your brothers were born simply as dragons. The twins, however, are different.”

  “The mix of demon, dragon, and human blood actually makes them far stronger than any of your brothers,” Hera commented.

  “I don’t quite understand how their powers work. My brothers and I had natural abilities that were evident from the start of entering Father’s service. The boys have different limitations, and I think they have multiple abilities.”

  Zeus looked to Jarel, who gave another nod.

  “The problem with the boys and their powers right now is mental. Brandon has split his personality, giving all his demonic traits to his alter ego. This splits his power so that when Id is out alongside him, they exert so much power that it leaves them drained. Demun, on the other hand, is very thick headed and gives into his demonic side far more than the dragon or human. As such, he rushes into any fight with only the urge to physically maim and destroy. His insistence on using solely his physical strength hinders him. As you saw in his fight with Dmitri, he doesn’t think things through until it’s too late. If not for Vic, Demun would have died. Likewise, Brandon has suddenly become dependent on Id as a backup for situations he can’t handle. He was caught unaware in Eris’ realm because he didn’t know that god realms normally drain a demon’s power. Only the strongest demons are not drained in our realms, and because he’s so divided, he was not strong enough to overcome that handicap.” Jarel narrowed his eyes on Andreas. “It’s up to you to help them straighten themselves out. You have to push them harder than you did your brothers, because it’s the only way they can transition properly.”

  “They have most important roles in the grand scheme,” Zeus added.

  “What kind of role?” Andreas questioned.

  Hera looked to Jarel. “I believe your father knows which answers we can give to that.”

  Jarel sighed. “As usual, I can’t tell all that I know. But I can tell you that my grandsons are an anomaly I purposely created. I’ve long sought a way to give control of the demon world to the gods, and there is only one way to do it. One of Desdemona’s own bloodline must overthrow her. I had hoped for Julian to do this, but his soul mate was a human, and to take the throne from his mother meant leaving his soul mate behind. In addition to this, the Fates informed me that the one to replace Desdemona would have to be part human. That ruled Julian out, since he was only demon and dragon. But the boys possess all three, and one of them must overthrow their grandmother. The sooner the better, as she is still the bane of my existence.”

  Andreas took a few moments to process all this information. “Okay, so which one of them is fated to overthrow her, or will both of them topple her?”

  Zeus actually smiled. “They could choose to rule together. If one or both of them take control of the demon world, then your father also gains control of it. The boys will always be bound to his service because they will never be completely one race or the other.”

  “You know, it really sucks when you go all cryptic on me,” Andreas said irritably.

  Zeus shrugged. “We gods never give all the answers. Some things you have to find out for yourselves.”

  “I will warn you that the task of training them will be far more difficult than you currently understand,” Jarel added. “Your training isn’t just about their powers. The choices they make will help their powers fall in line. You’re their guardian and their guide. Advise where you can, but remember that they must always come to their own decisions. Every decision they make is far more critical than they’ll understand at the time.”

  Andreas snorted. “Oh great, Father, you just had to make my retirement less boring.”

  Jarel shrugged. “You hate boredom anyway, child.”

  “One bit of advice I have to give, both boys have already met their soul mates,” Hera told Andreas. “Despite your protective instincts, you have to let them deal with those on their own. You will have an issue with one of them, but you have to remember it’s not about you. It’s about them, and their happiness will ultimately make the world a better place.”

  This confused Andreas. “How could I have a problem with one of their soul mates?”

  Hera chuckled. “You’ll see in time.”

  “Now go on, and start enjoying retirement,” Jarel ordered, though his gaze was soft as he stared at his oldest child.

  Andreas turned and walked out.

  “I don’t trust Desdemona,” Hera commented. “I see no reason for her to honor her agreement.”

  Jarel snorted. “She isn’t stupid enough to test me by holding the boys down there in the demon world. I just want a reason to destroy her anyway.”

  “This begs the question of why you ever laid with her in the first place.”

  “I already answered that.”

  Zeus studied him. “I believe there’s more to it that you’re not saying.”

  Jarel gave him a bland stare. “There’s always more to it. I slept with her for one other benefit: to piss her husband off. If there is one entity in this universe that I’ve been itching to destroy, it’s her husband. I just need the bastard to come out where I can get to him. He also reached an agreement with your father that no god can breach his realm. All I need is for him to lose control and let me in one time and I can happily destroy him.”

  “Her husband?” Hera questioned.

  Jarel looked to Zeus. “Every now and then, you could try spilling secrets to your wife.”

  Zeus shrugged. “He has only ventured back into the mortal realm physically a few times. Besides, he’s estranged from his wife.”

  Jarel looked to Hera. “Ever heard of a son of a bitch named Lucifer?”

  “Of course I have,” Hera responded. “I’ve even had the displeasure of meeting him. I never knew he was married.”

  Jarel gave a humorless laugh. “You wouldn’t. Son of a bitch makes your husband’s sex drive look timid. And the idea of being faithful is abhorrent to him. I’m fairly convinced that he has his hand in most of the evils of the world.”

  “He does relish the evils of the world more than any other being in existence. He even gives ideas to the more sadistic humans. Evil in humanity is a beacon to him.” Zeus scratched his beard. “His origins are unknown.”

  Jarel’s gaze turned dark. “He’s a child of Erebus and Nyx, their very first child in fact. However, he was not just dark, as his parents were. He was evil; a trickster who easily earned the wrath of all that met him. He questioned and accused until finally he met me and my brother, then he fled back to his parents and begged to be hidden away. This they granted him, creating the realm he resides in now. This was solely because they wanted nothing to do with him either but couldn’t stand the idea of destroying him. They even got Cronus, after he’d defeated Uranus, to seal the realm from all gods and that still stands until the day he welcomes a god into his realm.”

  “So, is Lucifer truly the father of the demon race?” Hera asked.

  Jarel nodded. “As Desdemona is the mother, he is the father. But while she is viewed as the mother, Lucifer has had children with countless other women. Sometimes his children turned out good. Others were pure evil just like him. But she is indisputably the goddess and ruler of the demon kind.”

  “Surely Desdemona has had other children as well.”

  At that Zeus gave a curt laugh. “Of course she has. The woman is every bit as active as her husband. This way no one disputes her role as ruler of the race.”

  “This begs the question of whether Lucifer will allow either of the boys to reign over demon kind if they topple Desdemona.” Hera gave a curious look at Jarel. “Or is it your intention to draw him out using the boys?”

  Jarel actu
ally smiled. “Oh, yes, I hope he does come out when one of the boys overthrows the bitch. Nothing will make me happier than finally blasting him into oblivion. The idea of it brings me unbridled joy.”

  “I have to believe that Nyx would be fairly upset with you even after all this time,” Zeus warned.

  Jarel rolled his eyes. “That would require the dumb bitch to be anywhere that would affect me. As it stands, I sent her to Tartarus ages ago.”

  “Why was I not made aware of this?” Zeus asked.

  Jarel shrugged. “Maybe because you never asked where the hell she went. I stop in for a visit every now and then just to torment her a bit.”

  “What of Erebus?” Hera asked.

  “Blasted him into oblivion after I locked her away,” Jarel answered.

  “Why exactly is she locked away?”

  “Because she pissed me off. It’s her fault I can’t get to Lucifer and frankly I’ve grown tired of honoring old alliances that serve no practical purpose. It does not benefit me to have gods in existence that will do nothing to right the wrongs they have wrought. So, feel free to kill that son of hers, Hypnos, anytime you wish.” The last was directed at Zeus, who began to grin.

  “Well, there goes my one way to get Zeus out of my hair every now and then,” Hera muttered.

  “Oh yes, and I’m going to enjoy this.” Zeus’ famous thunderbolt appeared in his hand once again as he looked out past his chamber, his godly vision immediately finding Hypnos. He hurled the thunderbolt and it easily found its mark. The king of the gods delighted in the brief scream of pain before the minor god’s death.

  Hera rolled her eyes. “Care to deplete our forces anymore? If you kill every being that annoys you, we’ll have no one left to fight alongside us.”

  “No, you’ll still have plenty. Now, if I killed everyone that annoyed me, then you’d have no one to fight at your side,” Jarel told her.

  “Besides, we need no one that could inevitably side with Cronus at a later time. Or anyone else that may contest my rule,” Zeus added.