A Flashy Return

The royal guards surrounded the humungous castle which seemed to have materialized out of nowhere at the Eastern axis of the palace.

It had completely crushed the queen's garden of flowers.

"Come out! This is the royal palace, it's forbidden to trespass!", their commander, general Don called out.

There was silence for a while as more guards surrounded the castle. "If you don't, we'll charge in!"

They all pointed their spears toward the strange castle as its huge bronze doors flew open.

"How audacious", Dante walked out his front door..... a deep frown on his lips. It was around 6:00am now, so the sky had started to get brighter.

There was no sun in the Demon continent, just how it didn't exist on the map but in an alternate dimension.

And time moved a lot faster than you could imagine...

The moment he took a few steps forward, he was surrounded by spears.

"State your identity!", Don shouted.

If he wanted, he could kill all these guards at a go..... but that would leave a bad impression.

"Dante Vladwick, first son and first in line to the throne of Wrymorg". He kept moving towards Don and the guards couldn't help but follow him in fear.

His face was lowered but their hands couldn't stop trembling.

"The prince?"

"Lord Dante?"

"I thought he was banished?"

There were mumbles among the guards.

"Who gave you permission to return?!", Don demanded. He'd never met the prince before but got word that he'd been banished for committing a treacherous act.

Those words were all it took to piss Dante off.

His feet gradually went off the ground till he levitated to the height of his castle. "Permission?!", he grumbled before lifting a hand to the sky.

Before everyone's eyes, something that looked like silver flames started to build up till it was as big as all the castles combined. "Perish...", his eyes narrowed.

"Dante!!", Ishtar jumped up to his level. "You're going to destroy everything!". She grabbed his wrist sending him a warning glance.

"Tchh..!", the moment he folded his palm, the ball of flame disappeared.

Some of the guards had already fallen on their butts in cowardice.

The two siblings landed on the ground together. "I forgot to inform you that my brother would be returning", she smiled at the commander. "Please treat him as well as you'd treat an heir to the throne".

All the guards bowed before Don followed. "Yes, your highness!".

Although he'd already disliked Dante from that moment...

"Dante, please don't destroy the palace", she held his hand. "We'll have breakfast together by eight".

"I can eat alone", his voice was dull.

She sent him a puppy-eyed look. "Ro can't even remember what you look like, and I want us all to discuss something". She lied.

He could tell she was lying but didn't have the energy to keep arguing. Ishtar wasn't one to give up an argument midway.

"Fine...", he sighed before turning to leave.

When the doors had shut behind him, Chadwick began to clap. "Bravo! Bravo, my lord", he let out a merry chuckle. "What a show!".

Dante rolled his eyes. "You haven't transformed yet?".

Chadwick had learned to shape-shift over the years, and his presence could be hidden when he did. If only he was able to perform such a fit some centuries ago...

He spun around. "Viola!".

He'd transformed into a slender but elegant-looking young butler with black hair and mischievous red eyes. "I am Calen".

Dante too was impressed. "Good, you'll be present at our breakfast".

Calen bowed.

____________________

"Ohh shit!", Ro's eyes widened at the sight of silver flames a distance from his front door. "What's that?!".

Finmore appeared beside him. "It seems your brother has returned". His eyes moved to the woman in the young master's arms. "And who might this be?"

"I think she's a servant, but she doesn't have a mark".

Finmore's eyes narrowed. No servant didn't have the mark of their master on their shoulder. "You shouldn't carry mere servants, young master".

"I know, but she was bleeding". He smiled lightly.

After sighing, the butler let them in and called a witch doctor.

Finmore came into her treatment room where Pyro was seated beside the bed. "You've been invited to have breakfast with your siblings to discuss some matters". Waving a letter up, he was displeased to see his master's attention fixed on the woman below him.

"Young master?"

Pyro jumped. "Ohh?!", he smiled at the butler slapping his forehead. "What did you say?".

He repeated his words once more.

"Okay, I'll take a bath soon".

Finmore bowed. "I'll tell the maid to prepare it".

They'd managed to heal both her internal and external injuries, now she just had to wake up.

But Pyro hadn't seen any woman whose beauty was on par with Velma and his sister, Ishtar. Apart from the one below him...

"When I return, you'll answer all my questions". He turned to leave the sleeping woman.

___________________

The first person to arrive at the dining hall was Ishtar alongside her attendant Marco who helped her into her seat.

Dante was next with a black raven on his shoulder.

Pyro was third alongside Finmore the butler.

Last was Loki, accompanied by Velma.

"Look who it is!", Loki clapped before taking his seat opposite Dante. "How many centuries has it been?". He mocked.

Pyro adjusted in his seat which was a distance next to Dante's. "Uhhm... welcome back". He smiled genuinely waving at Dante who only nodded in acceptance.

Ishtar was sitting at the head of the table. "Bring in the food!". She ordered and a line of maids poured in with trays and glasses.

"Would you mind losing the bird, Dante?", Ishtar smiled lightly.

"If I get feathers in my food, I'd rip that bird apart!", Loki pounded the table.

Dante couldn't believe how childish he still was, even after so many years..?!

"He would dispose of a weakling like you easily", the words came out so calmly before he took a sip of wine.

Pyro couldn't help but watch the look on Loki's face when he got called a 'weakling'. It was too amusing...

"Calen?"

"Yes, my lord". He turned back into a person to stand behind his master.

"What sort of creature is that? A witch?". Ishtar queried. "Marco is a vampire, Velma is a witch, Finmore is a Vampire".

"A vampire ". He lied.

Calen was a 'higher' Vampire, but bringing that up would breed too much suspicion.

A higher vampire was a level attained once a vampire crossed ten millennia. They're said to unlock strange powers.

Loki laughed inelegantly, "He looks pretty weak to me, I bet Velma could finish him off?"

The woman behind him giggled with a hand at her lips.

Dante ignored him to continue his meal.

So did everyone...

It was a while before Ishtar broke the silence again. "The search for our mother is going slowly, so we'll have to form a table of the four of us to discuss national issues", she gulped some wine down. "Or we'll elect a temporary ruler"

"And how will this election work?", Loki questioned hastily.

She shrugged. "Maybe a voting system? Or we could pick by birthright".

Loki shook his head. "I decline both", getting up to his feet to leave, Velma followed behind him.

It was obvious that he wouldn't win either way with a voting system or by birthright. The fact frustrated him...

If he consumed enough souls, he might be able to beat Ishtar alongside her sorcery, but Dante's power was still unknown. Loki had been training for all these years, but no one knew what his brother might have been doing.

And his silver hair always reminded him of their difference in strength.

Pyro was the next to finish, although he seemed to be in a rush to leave. "I have some things to attend to", he bowed after standing up.

All his mind could think about was whether the woman he'd left in his castle had woken up or not. And could she be related to Dante's appearance....

No one tried to stop him when he left.

The last two siblings ate in silence guarded by their most trusted servants who seemed to send familiar glances at each other.

"The meal is appreciated", Dante finally got up to leave. "But I won't be present next time". It was more like a warning than a statement.

Everything had ended up being so awkward and meaningless!

Ishtar unconsciously bent her fork.

"My lady....?", Marco trailed off knowing her mood had been spoilt.

There was no family bond shared by any of them...

After walking for a while, Calen spoke to his master. "She's not in the castle..."

Dante's fists tightened.

When he'd moved the castle and returned to his room... The woman had been missing.

Did she escape before they could leave the human realm?

It was highly possible.

But why was he so annoyed?

Maybe because he'd rather spend time teasing her than speaking with his stupid siblings.

"Have you located it?", He decided to change the topic.

Calen shook his head.

They'd returned to Wrymorg for two reasons...; to get the labradorite stone for Calen as requested by the sky witch in exchange for his wife's body, and to destroy Wrymorg.

So it wasn't so bad the woman had escaped. She'd have ended up being a burden to them anyway...

But Dante somewhat wished that he could have taken one last glance at her...

Vanessa Hawkins.