While Soryn and Seraphine stared at the abused newcomer, Ashiyn just rolled his eyes. "Oh, you survived. I hope you didn't kill my pets."
"Don't sound so disappointed, father," Ember snorted as he dished up a large portion of the food. He took a bite then dropped his spoon and looked into the bowl. "This is…"
"Unicorn stew!" Seraphine chirped, cheerful, as she took another big bite of hers.
"My unicorn?" Ember sputtered for a moment, considering the stew. Then he took a deep breath, composed himself, and went back to eating. "Who knew the blasted beast was so delicious?"
Ashiyn finished his bowl then leaned back in his chair. He waved dismissively toward Ember. "This is my eldest son, Ember. Ember, Soryn, and Seraphine."
Ember looked suspiciously from one to the other as Ashiyn introduced them, then he narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Soryn. "Of course, he's sleeping with the woman. Why are you here?"
“Soryn is my friend,” Ashiyn said, before anyone else could answer.
“Your father is sleeping with Soryn as well. Isn’t it wonderful? We are all so happy,” Seraphine blurted out.
Soryn stared at Seraphine then turned bright red as he sputtered.
Ember raised a brow slowly as he considered Ashiyn. “Really, father? I did not know you had such inclinations toward men. Interesting. Are you the top or the bottom? Or perhaps the middle so the woman can be involved?”
"Ember," Ashiyn warned, narrowing his eyes.
"Are you jealous, father? I know you don’t share your women, but can I play with your man?” Ember asked as he winked at Soryn.
Soryn scrambled up from the table and started to collect the dishes, excusing himself from the room.
Ashiyn rose slowly from his chair and leaned on his hands toward Ember across the table. "Leave Soryn alone. Touch him and I will torture you in ways you cannot even imagine.”
"Offering to torture me for his honor? You must actually care,” Ember smirked at him, wiping blood off his cheek with a tattered sleeve. "That is all right. I didn't come here to get laid anyway. I came here to help you take over the world."
"Oh, that's so sweet. Your son wants to help you!" Seraphine turned to Ashiyn as she got up, clapping her hands. In the same sweet voice, she asked, "If he annoys you enough, can I sacrifice him?"
Ember's snicker was cut short, and he stared at Seraphine.
It was Ashiyn's turn to smirk at his son. Then he shook his head. "Wouldn't work. He's immortal too."
Seraphine frowned, disappointed. "All your offspring are? So, if we have one, I can't sacrifice it either?"
"Correct." Ashiyn shook his head and turned to go. He was beginning to miss his solitude. He glanced toward the door through which Soryn had disappeared. Soryn was the sanest of them all. Interesting since Soryn had been raised by the most insane creature Ashiyn had ever met.
Ashiyn made it halfway to the door when the door across the room burst open and squealing Nthir swarmed into the room, covering the ceiling of the dining hall like a cloud of darkness. Ember cursed at them and jumped up, knocking his chair to the floor as he drew his daggers and faced the monsters.
Ashiyn tilted his head as he deciphered the upset noises the beasts were making. "Stand down. They're not after you." Ashiyn stormed past Ember and hurried down the hall the beasts had come from. "Sword?"
Oh, now you remember me. I don't know if I can help you now. I'm weakened from my thirst that you so rudely ignored, Sihtaar replied in a displeased ironic tone.
Ashiyn yanked the blade from his back anyway. He didn't need its magic to use it as a weapon; he was still a Master swordsman. He threw open the door to the courtyard, then slowed.
The man in the courtyard was covered in blood, missing an arm, and half of his face was melted to the skull. His griffin had expired already from its bloody wounds and formed a mutilated pile beneath the man.
"Errance," Ashiyn muttered in shock as he recognized the rival king. Errance's beautiful metal armor was shredded like cloth, and Ashiyn could see at least a dozen mortal wounds. Ashiyn stormed down the steps to the courtyard, briefly aware that Ember, Seraphine, and Soryn had followed him out.
Errance stumbled off the corpse of his mount and tripped his way to Ashiyn. He fell against Ashiyn and managed to hold himself up by a death grip on the collar of Ashiyn's dark armor. The bright blue eye that was left was wide and full of agony and fear. "I found you."
Ashiyn grimaced and shoved the man off and watched Errance fall hard to the ground, splattering blood everywhere. "What do you want so badly that you had to come to die in my courtyard?"
"You. You are the last hope for this world. The last hero has fallen. The Light has failed. We failed." Errance wheezed, then he shuddered violently and died.
"Ashiyn!" Soryn called from where he had climbed onto the roof of the stable to look over the castle walls.
Ashiyn felt a cold shiver go down his spine as he returned Sihtaar to its scabbard. He walked over to the stable and climbed up next to Soryn. The land surrounding the castle was buried in a thick cloud of darkness. They were in the eye of a void now. Ashiyn couldn't see anything through the darkness, not even when he used his magic to enhance his sight.
"The world
