MTLNOVEL Chapter 15: CHAPTER 15: ALLIANCE FORGED
As they all walked out of the cage, Simon locked eyes with Alexi. "Why should we trust you after all you and Dragon Eye have done?" Simon asked, his anger palpable.
"That's right! You are the one who destroyed our kingdom and indulged Dragon Eye, which makes you someone I cannot trust," Yontin added, his teeth clenched in frustration.
"Not only that, Dragon Eye has killed my entire family. Only me and my son Kenif are left, and he also destroyed the neighboring kingdoms!" Jamia shouted, her voice filled with pain.
Then Kenif stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at Maxwell. "And not only that, Tanya and Maxwell tricked us and lied to us as well! They pretended to be our friends while simultaneously working for Trefectaus. Also, Maxwell, your father is a member of High House. How can you betray him?"
"I didn't betray anyone. I told you that I would join you, then Yontin tried to attack me after I said I was a member of Trefectaus," Maxwell replied, rolling his eyes.
"Okay, now let me set the record straight about something. I did not betray you. I told you the villagers hired me to kill the beast that had been plaguing their town. Where in that sentence did I lie to you all? In case you have forgotten, Trefectaus is an assassin's guild that takes jobs from anyone who can afford to pay us," Tanya replied, her indignation evident.
Alexi started laughing. "It's adorable that you think your kingdoms were innocent, not knowing they were all puppets in the hands of High House. They controlled four out of the five kingdoms! Also, Alun works for me; he is my spy. He is one of many that gather information about High House; it's called espionage," Alexi said with a frown.
"What do you mean four of the five kingdoms were puppets to High House?" asked Kenif, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"The Kingdom of Blast, the Kingdom of Wolfect, the Kingdom of Beast Kind, and the Kingdom of Grasslands all serve High House," Alexi explained, his voice steady. "And just so you all know, Dragon Eye is a victim of High House as well. The Kingdom of Novelist was a Sovereign Nation, ruled by Dragon Eye. High House saw that as a threat because they had no authority over him; their only option was to annihilate him and take over his country. They started by spreading rumors that he was a tyrant. Then they sent the Kingdom of Blast, the Kingdom of Beast Kind, and the Kingdom of Wolfect. They all declared war on Novelist and attacked his kingdom, but it was thanks to me that he was able to survive. When High House found out about this, they sent Simon and Joss to the Kingdom of Grasslands to capture Dragon Eye. When that didn't work, they kicked Simon out of High House. However, that was an impulsive decision by Bloodlan because they were not expecting Joss to stay behind in Grasslands as well," Alexi concluded.
Joss's expression darkened. "What about the Kingdom of Lightmit? Are they involved in this mess too?"
Alexi just looked at Joss and smiled. "No, first princess. Lightmit remains free, but that is only because they have managed to stay hidden from the watchful eyes of High House. However, they are still vulnerable because you two are no longer members of High House."
"Simon! We need to go home; Mother and Father may be in danger," Joss said with a worried look on her face.
"What do you mean by that when you said we were given to High House?" Simon asked, confused.
"What I mean, Crown Prince, is that you and your sister were given to High House to prevent a war with the Vampiric High Order. Long ago, Dracula, the King of Vampires, and the King of Lightmit, Scott Roaring Good-heart, were at war with each other until High House intervened. They took control of the vampires and split Dracula into two people. That ended the war; however, High House was afraid that King Scott would attack the vampire, so in a show of good faith, they demanded him to hand over his two firstborn children at the ages of fifteen, which are the two of you," Alexi said, pointing at Simon and Joss.
"How do you know all of this, and who are the two halves of Dracula? I want to kill them both," Simon said, lightning circling his body.
"You have all met them before. Their names are Alun, the good half, and Dacardly Bloodlan. It's funny if you think about it; their names are an acronym: Dracula. Take the 'n' from Alun and the 'D', and 'A', 'L', 'Y' from Dacardly, put it together and you have Alucard, which is Dracula spelled backwards.
The air was thick with tension and disbelief. The weight of Alexi's words hung over them like a storm cloud, threatening to unleash chaos at any moment. The heroes stood together, their fates intertwined, as they grappled with the truth of their existence.
"Are we really just pawns?" Joss whispered, her voice barely audible amidst the silence that enveloped them.
"We decide our own fate," Simon replied, his jaw set with determination. "But first, we need to get back to Lightmit and protect our family."
"And how do we do that?" Jamia asked, her eyes darting between Alexi and Maxwell.
"By forming an alliance," Alexi said, his tone shifting from mirth to solemnity. "Together, we can expose High House and free the kingdoms from their grasp. But it won't be easy."
Yontin crossed his arms, skepticism etched on his face. "And why should we trust you?"
"Because I am offering you a chance to fight back," Alexi replied, his voice steady. "You can either remain shackled by the lies of High House or take a stand and reclaim your destiny."
With a deep breath, Simon stepped forward. "I don't like the idea of aligning with someone who has caused us so much pain, but if there's one thing I've learned, it's that the enemy of my enemy might be my ally."
Jamia nodded, her resolve strengthening. "If we unite, we can gather the other kingdoms and form a resistance against High House."
Kenif stepped forward, his eyes filled with determination. "Then it's settled. We forge an alliance, but know this—if you betray us, we will not hesitate to fight back."
Alexi smiled, a glimmer of respect in his eyes. "I wouldn't have it any other way."