A Family Get-Together (with Friends!)

Tatsuya stood stiffer than a tree. His hands were shaking at his sides and rivers of sweat flowed down his back. Being in the presence of a man like the king, glorious and grand and powerful, made him feel smaller and more insignificant than a fly to a cat. “T-T-T-Thanks for having me!” said Tatsuya, bending forward in a very stiff bow. He remained in this position for a long time until the king finally told him to rise. Although it appears that the king himself was quite taken aback by Tatsuya’s sudden show of humility ad submission.

King Rexus walked over to the door and opened it slightly, peeking his head out into the hallway and looking to his left and right. He then closed the door and, with a very grim and serious face, asked the one question that Tatsuya was afraid of answering. “Tell me, O Great Hero, what do you think of my daughter?”

Tatsuya felt like he had just received a punch to the stomach. “U-Um, excuse me?” he asked nervously.

“How is my daughter Ashira—excuse me—Aika?” asked the king with a raised eyebrow.

“She’s great!” squeaked Tatsuya in quick reply. “She’s a really sweet girl and I love her energy and enthusiasm and passion! Oh, her passion is second to none! You have raised a very fine daughter, Your Majesty,” he told the king in one breath.

“I see,” said the king with a nod. He walked up to Tatsuya and the difference between their heights became clear. King Rexus stood a full head above Tatsuya and looked down on him with fierce eyes. Tatsuya swallowed a gulp and prepared himself for whatever is coming next. The king placed a hand on Tatsuya’s shoulders and said, “That is great to hear!” A giant smile graced his face and he let out a very hearty laugh filled with mirth. And then, in a move that surprised Tatsuya beyond disbelief, though it really shouldn’t, King Rexus brought Tatsuya into a vice-like hug while still laughing. “Oh, I am proud to call you my son!” declared the king grandly.

“S-S-Son?!” exclaimed Tatsuya.

The king pulled away from Tatsuya and placed both his hands on the Dragonborn’s shoulders. “Yes! Now, what should I call you?” he said ponderously.

“T-T-Tatsuya is fine,” Tatsuya told him.

“Tatsuya! Of course!” said the king with a laugh, slapping Tatsuya on the back rather painfully.

“Y-Your Majesty, what is that you want—,” began Tatsuya, but the king quickly stopped him with his hand.

“Enough with the formalities and the ‘Your Majesties’!” said the king defiantly. “Tatsuya, from now on, call me Father!”

“F-F-Father?!” screamed Tatsuya in disbelief.

“Yes!” said the king, laughing merrily and pulling Tatsuya into another strangling hug. He then released Tatsuya from his grip and asked, “Now, what did you want to say to me?”

“Um, Your Majesty—,” began Tatsuya. King Rexus shook his head. Tatsuya felt another wave of sweat flooding down his back. He knew what the king was wanting him to do but he couldn’t because of how rude it was…and how embarrassing it was for him. But he also knew that if he didn’t, this conversation won’t be able to continue. He swallowed a gulp and took a breath. “Father, what is it that you want to meet me about?” he asked, cringing a bit on the embarrassing word.

King Rexus had a look on his face like that of a man who had just entered heaven. He was more than pleased to hear the word ‘Father’ come out of Tatsuya’s mouth. He nodded his head while saying to himself, “Yes, yes, that sounds really good!”

“Um…,” said Tatsuya.

The king quickly regained his composure and said, “I just wanted to see the man who is the object of my daughter’s passion.”

“What about the letter?” asked Tatsuya.

“That will come at a later time,” said the king with a dismissive wave of his hand. “I have already set a day for when we will discuss it. There are a few more guests we must wait for first.”

“Guests?” wondered the Dragonborn.

“Now, now, Tatsuya, tell me, what is your favorite color?” asked the king with a finger to his chin.

“S-Sorry?” came Tatsuya, who was caught off guard by this sudden question from the king.

“What do you like to do in your spare time? Is there any kind of food you like? Is there any kind of food you don’t like? What are your grades in school? What are your future plans? Have you ever thought about starting your own family? How many kids would you like to have? Is it true that your favorite artist is Ginger Sakura? What is your favorite song from her?”

The questions kept on coming and coming. Tatsuya felt like he was being interrogated by the police. His head was on the verge of exploding and his brain had already shut down from the endless questions that seemed to spew from the king's lips like lava from an erupted volcano.

King Rexus noticed Tatsuya’s disoriented expression and stopped. “Apologies,” he said with a shake of his head. “My wife has always told me that I tend to get a little too overexcited with my questions.”

Tatsuya slowly returned to his senses and he said, “I-It’s alright.” He added a very small and reassuring, albeit nervous, smile to show that it was all good.

Suddenly, a knock came on the door and Helen’s voice spoke to them from outside. “Dinner is ready,” she told them.

“Thank you, Helen!” boomed the king, frightening Tatsuya. He then turned back to Tatsuya and said, “Well then, shall we go?”

“Yes sir!” quickly agreed Tatsuya.

Helen led them both to the dining hall. All along the way, the king had his right arm wrapped around Tatsuya’s shoulders as if they were best buddies while his attention was focused forward with a very serious and kingly expression on his face. Tatsuya can’t even begin to express the discomfort he felt all the way to the dining hall.

They finally arrived and Tatsuya was once again mesmerized by what he saw. The dining room was indeed fit for a king. It was more spacious than a library and the ambiance was the same as that of a concert hall. The floor was made of beautiful yellow tiles and the walls were painted a bright crimson color like the wings of a Phoenix. Hanging from the ceilings were bright and elegant chandeliers shaped like flames. In the center of the room was the dining table itself. With the length of a train car and the width of a garage, this beautiful red table made out of wonderfully carven draconite and decorated with etchings of dragons on its column-like legs and a large image of the god Draco on top and surrounded by detailed flames, was the largest piece of furniture Tatsuya had ever saw in his entire life. Standing near the walls on both sides of the table were an army of butlers and maids.

Voices from the hallway told him that the others were just now arriving. The princesses entered the dining room and were quickly seated by Helen; their respective servants stood to their side, as expected of a servant. Just when Tatsuya was about ready to be seated himself, a familiar pair of voices filled the hallway and caught his attention. Entering the dining room was none other than Manami and Daiki, Tatsuya’s friends. Immediately forgetting that he was in the presence of a king, Tatsuya excitedly ran up to his friends. “Manami! Daiki!” said Tatsuya once he met up with them.

“Yo, Tatsu-chin!” greeted Manami.

“Great to see you again, Ta-kun,” said Daiki with a small smile.

“What are you guys doing here?” Tatsuya asked them.

“We’re guests of the palace!” revealed Manami excitedly.

“You are? How did this happen?” inquired Tatsuya curiously.

“I invited them,” came a voice from behind him. Tatsuya turned his face to see Prince Nobi coming up to them. “I’ve caught up with them back in Jaculus City and invited them here as guests of the palace. They are your friends after all,” explained the prince.

Tatsuya couldn’t believe the prince’s kindness. With a very grateful smile, he bowed and said, “Thank you very much.”

“It’s all fine!” reassured the prince. “Besides…,” he added, putting on a grin that suddenly sent chills down the Dragonborn’s spine. Nobi then pulled Tatsuya into one of his monstrous hugs and cried out, “Oh, Tatsuya-kyun, how I missed you! I’m so happy that you’re finally here! How did you like the palace? Did you get a tour? How’s your room? Would you like to room with me? We could be roommates! After all, we’re brothers!”

Aika quickly ran from her seat and jumped into the air and kicked the prince right in the face. “Die!” she screamed upon landing her merciless attack. With her brother out of the way, she turned to Tatsuya and said, “I’m sorry for my brother, Darling.”

“I-It’s fine,” he reassured her while taking in deep breaths to return his breathing back to normal.

Aika then threw herself onto Tatsuya and held tightly onto him. “Darling! You’re so nice! That’s one of things I love about you!” she cried. Tatsuya, once again, struggled to draw in air as his chest began to tighten. Just when he thought he was free, he was back to being caught in an inescapable trap that could very well be the end for him.

Suddenly, a hand from behind Aika grabbed her by the collar of her dress and effortlessly picked her off of Tatsuya. “Now, now,” said King Rexus, tossing his daughter to the side, “give Tatsuya some space.”

“Thank you,” said Tatsuya in a wheezy voice.

“I am sorry for my children’s behavior,” apologized the king with a bow.

“It’s alright. I’m used to it,” Tatsuya told him with a groan.

King Rexus’ eyes began to tear up and the sound of maniacal sobs exited from his lips. “Oh, you poor thing!” cried the king. He pulled Tatsuya into a hug, which was more like a wrestling hold, and wailed, “Oh, I can see the pain in your eyes! Though I am very proud of my children, I cannot begin to imagine the troubles they have put you through with their unbridled passion! Your kindness and humility knows no bound! No wonder you are the great hero! O Great Hero, I thank you for being the one to marry my daughter! Though she may be a fiery little girl, I hope that you two can live happily together. I am proud to call you my son!”

As the king spoke his monologue, Tatsuya found it harder and harder to respire. He could feel his lungs collapsing and the bones in his body on the verge of fracturing into a million pieces. No doubt about it, this was the end for him. ‘I never thought that it would end like this,’ he lamented to himself.

Just when Tatsuya was about to give up on life, a new presence entered the dining room. The air suddenly became heavy and dangerous. Silence filled the room. Both Nobi and Aika, with fear clearly written in their eyes, quickly got up and stood to the side like obedient little children. There was no doubt about it—this new presence was a force to be reckoned with. Tatsuya didn’t really know what was going on, but one glance at the Draco prince and princess’ face told him everything he needed to know.

A finger tapped on the king’s back. He simply shook it off like it was nothing. “Ahem,” came the voice of the person behind him. Tatsuya could tell by the voice’s tone that it belonged to a woman. King Rexus, recognizing just whose voice it was, quickly let go of Tatsuya and slowly turned around with a very fearful expression on his face. Tatsuya was surprised to see the king looking so scared. He couldn’t see who it was himself since the king was blocking his line of sight. ‘Just who is this person?’ he wondered fearfully to himself.

“Have you had enough?” asked the woman.

“Um-um-um-um-um,” stuttered the king like a fool. He then quickly brought his hand behind his head and let out a merry laugh. “My! It’s time for dinner! Shall we?” he said, changing the subject.

The woman wasn’t at all pleased by his avoidance of her question. She grabbed the king by the ear and pulled him to her level. The king cried out in pain. “Don’t you have something to say?” asked the woman with a sharp tone.

“You’re hurting me,” whined King Rexus.

“Is that your answer?” asked the woman dangerously with a raised eyebrow.

“I’m sorry!” said the king.

The woman let go of the king’s ear and said, “Geez, you’re a king! Why is it that I have to babysit you like a child? Don’t you think that it’s embarrassing to be acting like this in front of our guests?”

“I’m sorry,” apologized the king with his head lowered.

The woman let out a sigh. “Every time, I feel like my lifespan is being halved,” she said with a shake of her head. “Please think about your position and mine’s, Dear.”

‘Dear?’ wondered Tatsuya.

King Rexus finally stepped out of the way and revealed the woman to Tatsuya. She was a very beautiful woman with curly scarlet hair like living flames, fiery orange eyes like bright burning sunstones, and an immaculate pinkish skin tone. She stood up to the king’s chin and was relatively tall in her own right. Her body was slender yet full of well-defined curves. She was dressed in a glorious red dress with a wool shawl draped over her shoulders. Around her neck was a spectacular golden necklace with various red jewels embedded in it. A precious orange diadem in the image of the god Draco’s head with red jewels for eyes adorned her head.

“Tatsuya, I would like to introduce you to Queen Liana, queen of the Draco tribe and my wife,” introduced the king.

Tatsuya quickly bowed before the queen and said, “P-P-Pleasure to meet you, Your Highness!”

“A pleasure to meet you too, O Great Hero,” said the queen with a nod.

“P-Please, call me Tatsuya,” he told her as he rose back up.

“Thank you, Tatsuya.” Queen Liana then bowed before Tatsuya and apologized for her family’s behavior. “Please forgive my family’s overzealous nature,” she said. “I am ashamed that they have acted in a way that is unbefitting their royal status, especially in front of guests.”

“R-Right,” replied Tatsuya nervously.

“Dear,” called the queen.

“Yes!” yelped King Rexus.

Tatsuya couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The way the king was acting was beyond what he had expected from a man of his stature. He could only conclude that perhaps the queen was an even more dangerous person than the Draco king himself.

Queen Liana then turned to her two children and called their names. “Nobara! Ashira!”

“Yes, mother!” came their fearful voices.

“You three, come apologize to our guests this instant,” she ordered them with a stern motherly voice.

Just like little children, King Rexus, Aika, and Nobi stood shoulder to shoulder before everyone in the dining room. They bowed their heads and apologized for their actions. The queen nodded along to their apology like a satisfied mother. Once they finished with their apology, everyone took their seats at the dining table.

Tatsuya was placed next Aika and opposite of Kanjomizu. King Rexus sat at the head of the table and Queen Liana sat opposite him. Sunaji, Shurai, and Manami sat on Tatsuya’s side and Arashi, Takara, Daiki, and Mr. Urushihara sat on Kanjomizu's side. Nobi was sitting across from Aika on his father’s right. Once everyone was settled, dinner was served.

Before each person was a ceramic dinner plate and silverware and cloth napkins. A glass of wine was set to the right of each person’s plate. On everyone’s left were two small bowls, one filled with a sauce and the other filled with pickled vegetables.

The palace servants, led by Helen, brought out the dishes to begin the feast. All of the dishes they brought out were triple king-sized and could feed a whole village! They served a giant red basket of freshly baked bread, deviled cockatrice eggs, a pot of lotus soup, a pot of bonnacon stew, a pot of Calydonian boar curry, sweet-and-savory namazu (fish from Japanese mythology), isonade (shark from Japanese mythology) sashimi, volask filled with only the best of meats and vegetables, stir-fried shen (giant shellfish from Chinese mythology) with Yao grass and fern flower and moly, and silphium salad with shamrock and fern flower and verbena.

“Dinner is served,” said Helen with a bow once all of the dishes were placed on the table.

Everyone brought up their hands together and said their prayers. However, this time, it was different. Tatsuya was surprised to hear the other princesses and his friends say the Dracos’ prayer instead of their own. This surprise stopped him from completing his own prayers. Once everyone was finished, he leaned over to Sunaji and asked about what just happened.

“It is a sign of respect,” she told him. “Although it is not a written rule, it is understood that we must respect the patron god and forefather of the tribe which we are in the current home of. This is especially important for the royal family. All of the Thirteen Elemental Dragons are important deities that we all worship, but it is also a matter of pride and reverence that each tribe places their respective forefather as their tribe’s patron god. Because of this, it is understood as a sign of respect that we acknowledge the importance of a tribe’s patron god and pay reverence to them while in the tribe’s homeland.”

“I see,” said Tatsuya with an understanding nod.

Without any further questions, Tatsuya dug in. He was immediately enamored by the flavors attacking his taste buds and entered a new level of bliss. The soft and silky isonade sashimi, the smooth and savory smoked namazu, the crunchy and fresh silphium salad, the aromatic and addicting lotus soup, the chewy and satisfying bonnacon stew—his tongue had finally found its culinary home and never wants to leave. Just as he was finishing his mouth-watering and delectable volask, Helen clapped her hands and the servants all brought out big covered bowls. They set the bowls before each diner. Tatsuya took one sniff of the new dish and his heart almost stopped completely. ‘Is this what I think this is?’ he wondered to himself.

Helen clapped her hands again and the servants replaced the coverings, revealing the dish’s identity before the diners. Tatsuya couldn’t believe his eyes. The dish was none other than his most favorite dish in the entire world: gyudon. The soft white rice looked like freshly packed snow and it’s sweet aroma tickled his nose. The beef was beautifully simmered with onions and he could tell just how savory it was from the scent alone; the nose and mouth is connected after all. The beef cuts look really tender and he was already licking his lips while imagining just how soft they were on his tongue. And he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into the crunchy and flavorful onions. What’s more, a giant fried sunny-side up cockatrice egg topped the dish like a glistening jewel.

“This is your favorite dish, is it not?” asked King Rexus.

“Yes!” Tatsuya quickly answered him, nodding furiously. That’s when he realized something: How did the king know? “Excuse me, but how did you know?” he asked curiously.

“Of course we would know! You are my son after all!” said the king with a howl of laughter.

Queen Liana cleared her throat and the king immediately turned quiet. “You’re father told us this fact during one of Aika’s question sessions when she was younger,” explained the queen. “It has also become a favorite of hers too.”

“Mother,” whined Aika bashfully.

“I know! How about we discuss the wedding!” announced the king. The atmosphere quickly turned tense and uneasy. The other princesses stopped eating and their faces darkened. Everyone but the king were aware of the change. Even Aika, who would otherwise be excited to discuss this, knew better than to say a word that could very well cause a war in her very own dining room. Nobi also kept his mouth shut and let his father play the fool. “Should we set up a date? How about the following week? I can get everything arranged! We can do it before the public in a grand ceremony! I can get the palace priest to perform the ceremony! And for your honeymoon, how does a trip to the Samudra Kingdom's hot springs sound?”

Queen Liana had enough of her husband’s foolishness and struck the table with her hand, silencing him immediately. “Can’t you read the room?” she scolded him with a scowl. “You’re supposed to be a king but your lack of delicacy is astounding! I sometimes wonder how you’ve been managing to preserve the peace between the tribes all this time! You are an excellent ruler and king, that I can’t argue against, but it sometimes amazes me just how foolish you can be sometimes.”

The king accepted his scolding like a little kid: with his head down and a deeply remorseful expression on his face. “I apologize for my foolishness,” he said once his wife was done scolding him.

Tatsuya could tell very well from this exchange that the queen holds more power and sway over the king, if not politically then domestically. She reminded him a bit of his own mother, who very much holds more power than his father in family matters. ‘Women are truly a force to be reckoned with,’ he told himself with a shiver.

“As expected from the one they call the ‘Scarlet Sage’, said Sunaji.

“‘Scarlet Sage’?” inquired Tatsuya.

“Queen Liana used to be a respected general and tactician of the Draco Army known as the ‘Scarlet Sage’,” explained the Python princess. “She possesses a very prodigious military mind and her ability to create nigh-undefeated tactics is something well known throughout the dragon realm. She was the ire of every known military mind during her time and had many contemporaries who tried to best her but failed miserably each and every time.”

“Seriously?” exclaimed Tatsuya in amazement.

“On the other hand, King Rexus used to be a general of the military known as the ‘Crimson Demon’,” continued Sunaji. “While Queen Liana formulated the tactics, King Rexus would carry them out on the field. He was an exemplary warrior and natural leader, able to organize his troops and recover back miraculously from unexpected losses and turn them into victories. The both of them together were feared by the other tribes. And the fact that they are now king and queen of the Pyroignis Empire has made the Draco tribe even more powerful than they’ve ever been.”

“Now then,” said Queen Liana in a gentle voice, “what topic shall we discuss during dinner? Anyone?”

“Ooh! How about Ashira-tan!” suggested Nobi.

“Eh?” came Aika’s voice at the mention of her name.

“Since her friends are here, why don’t we tell them more about our sweet, little Ashira-tan?” offered the prince.

“Good idea, son!” praised King Rexus.

“Wait, wait, wait,” protested Aika.

“I remember when she was a youngling, she was learning magic for the first time and had set one of my precious metal topiaries on fire!” began the king. “She admitted to her mistake and made me a metal doll using the new spell she learned! She was so cute that I couldn’t be mad at her at all!”

“Father!” exclaimed Aika, her face turning red.

“When she was first entering the Royal Academy, she had a little incident in class that was told to me by one of the teachers,” said the queen.

“Mother! You too?!” protested Aika.

“The night before, she was too excited about starting school that she didn’t get much sleep at all,” continued Queen Liana, ignoring her daughter. “Well, when it came time for her third class, she fell asleep. The teacher called on her and she woke up with a start. What she had said right when she woke up was the cutest thing you’d ever hear! She said: ‘Darling, I’m coming!’” The entire table erupted in laughter.

“Uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh-uh,” stuttered Aika frantically with her hand held out in a weak attempt to stop the others.

“Want to try guessing who she was talking about?” Queen Liana asked Tatsuya with a wink. Tatsuya could only respond back with a nervous chuckle.

“Ooh! Remember that time when—,” began Nobi. He was quickly stopped by Aika throwing a blazing fireball at his face from across the table.

“Enough!” grumbled Aika furiously.

Suddenly, the dining room doors opened and a soldier entered. He kneeled down and said, “Your Majesty, the holy ones have arrived.”

“I see,” said the king. “Lead them to the throne room,” he ordered the guard, “and tell them that I shall be there to entertain them when I am through with taking care of my guests.”

“Understood, Your Majesty,” said the guard with a nod. He then stood back up and left the room.

“I am sorry about the interruption,” humbly apologized the king. “Please, excuse my presence.” He gestured for the servants to take his plates away and then he got up and promptly left the dining room.

“What’s going on?” asked Arashi.

“It’s something important,” answered Nobi, making it sound more simple than it really was.

“Why are the holy ones here?” asked Takara suspiciously.

“Holy ones?” said Tatsuya.

“It’s another term for Celestial Dragons,” Sunaji told him.

“Could it be the Three Lords?” asked Arashi with a knowing smile.

“My, I wonder how you managed to figure it out,” said Nobi with a chuckle.

“They are your tribe’s central deities,” said the Quetzalcoatl princess smartly.

“Could this be about that?” came Aika in a dark voice.

Nobi was a little taken aback by his sister’s voice. He had rarely heard her speak like that and it made his skin crawl. “What do you mean?” he asked her curiously.

“There have been some tension between the Draco tribe and Okami tribe, haven’t there?” answered Aika. “I’ve heard about it from a kitsune back in the human realm.”

Nobi let out a sigh and said, “I was hoping that you wouldn't hear about it until later on. The matter is being taken care of. We don’t want this to develop any further, but the court has been divided recently. One side, led by the royal advisor, Zazo, and Minister of War, General Alekso, is adamant about preserving peace and finding a solution to resolve this matter without the need for violence and bloodshed. The other side, led by Minister of the Interior, Dex Lector, and backed by Duke Cors Khyber, is pushing for war and defeating the Okami even if it means tarnishing our peace agreement with them.”

“What does Father plan to do?” asked Aika.

“He doesn’t want to go to war, but Lector and Khyber have been able to persuade most of the court to join them in their cause,” revealed Nobi. “I hate to say this, but it looks like war is imminent,” lamented the prince.

“Nobara, Ashira,” said Queen Liana with a stern voice. “There are guests present. Please do not discuss anything that will make them uncomfortable in our home.”

“Yes, Mother,” said Aika and Nobi in unison with an apologetic bow of their head.

Once dinner was finished, everyone was led to the courtyard for some air before turning in for the night. Tatsuya was in the middle of a conversation with Manami and Daiki when he suddenly had the urge to use the restroom. Helen led him down the hallway and to where the restrooms were.

After Tatsuya was done with his business, he walked back down the hallway. As he did, he found that he was lost. He must’ve took a wrong turn somewhere because he was now in a hallway he had never seen before. The walls had giant paintings of men dressed in the same attire as King Rexus—he could only assume that they were all past kings of the Draco tribe. The floor was covered in a silky red carpet with a Royal Draco tribe mark pattern. There were no doors or rooms to the sides. As he walked down the unknown hallway, he noticed that the only room in this entire hallway was at the end.

He came upon a pair of glistening wooden doors with obsidian handles. He was tempted to open it but resisted the urge. That’s when the sound of voices coming from inside the room caught his ears. Without thinking, he opened the doors.

Tatsuya’s action caused everyone inside to stop. They all turned their heads in his direction. Their eyes focused on him, this new strange boy who had interrupted them while they were in the middle of an important discussion, who was now standing in the doorway with a regretful expression on his face. “U-Um, hello,” he said as nonchalant as he can.

King Rexus snapped out of his stupor and said, “Ah, Tatsuya!”

“Sorry, am I interrupting something important? I got lost when I was leaving the restroom,” Tatsuya told them. He somehow wished for them to forgive his actions and simply brush him off as an airhead.

“Is this the one I’ve been hearing about?” asked one of the men. He was a medium-sized young man with shiny dark purple hair. His right eye was a beautiful black jewel with an orange slit pupil. His left eye was covered by a black eyepatch and diagonal marks above and under the eyepatch told Tatsuya that it also covered a scar. He was dressed in a long-sleeved shirt covered by light armor and spandex pants and black combat boots. Heavy-duty gloves covered his hands and a white cloth headband wrapped around his head and ended in a long tail that stopped just below his waist. Strapped to his back was a pair of swords and a metal staff. He was the spitting image of an ancient warrior. “Come in and join us,” he said to Tatsuya.

Tatsuya walked in and closed the door behind him.

“Tatsuya! Long time no see!” said one of the three.

Tatsuya took one look at the person and realized who he was. “Yucchin!” he said.

King Rexus walked to Tatsuya and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Tatsuya, may I introduce to you the Three Lords: Shori (the man with purple hair and the eyepatch), Celestial Dragon of victory; Yunqi (Yucchin), Celestial Dragon of blessings; and Senshi, the Celestial Dragon of war.”

When it came to the third person, Tatsuya was taken aback by who he was. His breath was stolen away and every word left him broke. Tears began to well up in the corner of his eyes. “It can’t be,” he whispered to himself.

“Hey, Tatsuya,” said Senshi. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

Tatsuya ran up and gave Senshi a hug. Everyone else were a little bewildered by his actions, but didn’t say anything. This moment right here is one of the most happiest moments in Tatsuya’s life. He had never thought that he would be able to meet him again, especially given the length of time between the moment he (Senshi) left his life and this moment right now. For more than ten years, Tatsuya had wondered if he will be able to meet the man who was his role model from a young age. This man was the person who taught him everything he needed to know. This man was his teacher, his mentor, his idol. In fact, Tatsuya would even go so far as to say this man was more of a father-figure to him than his real father ever was!

Senshi was a tall and muscular man with short close-cropped hair the color of fiery auburn, fierce orange eyes like the setting sun at dusk, and a small auburn beard that cleanly framed his lips. His well-sculpted muscles were like mountainous boulders and their diamondlike hardness were easy to appraise based on how spectacular and immaculate they were. A giant tribal tattoo of a spear and shield was displayed proudly on the side of his left upper arm. He was dressed in a silver short-sleeved shirt covered by light armor and a pair of blue pants that rolled up at the ankles. He had on black combat boots, silver fingerless gloves, a silver belt with a dragon-head buckle, and a golden band on his right upper arm. Attached to his waist was a sword.

“Uncle Shin,” said Tatsuya emotionally.

“I’ve missed you too,” said Senshi, patting Tatsuya on the back.

Tatsuya finally let go and wiped the tears away from his eyes. “Sorry,” he apologized. “It’s just…I’ve missed you. I was miserable on the day you left.” He regained his composure and took a deep breath. “Anyway, why are you here?” he asked his uncle.

“We were discussing something important,” said Shori.

Tatsuya turned his head and remembered that they weren’t alone. In fact, he was the one who had interrupted this meeting in the first place. “Again, I’m sorry for interrupting you all,” he apologized with a bow.

“Please, join us,” said Shori. “In fact, this matter was going to be discussed with you at a later date, but why wait when we can talk it out right now?” He turned to King Rexus and asked, “Will this be alright, Your Majesty?”

“Of course!” quickly accepted the king.

“Now, we were just discussing about the problem between the Draco and Okami tribes,” began Shori. “I understand that you don’t want this war to happen,” he said, referring to the king, “but your court is full of warmongers who want to fight no matter what. The Okamis seem intent on starting the war too. There is no doubt that a conflict of some kind is imminent between the two tribes.”

“We would like to avoid the worst if possible,” said King Rexus. “I would love to call a meeting of the tribe kings and discuss this matter with King Reiju if I can. I know that the other tribes would support my decision and this is the only way for us to preserve the peace our ancestors had fought so hard to achieve.”

“But knowing King Reiju, he would defer his decision to his royal advisor, Vakar Mundi,” said Yunqi. “And if I recall, Vakar Mundi is a proponent for this war to happen.”

“Are you saying that there is no way around this?” asked King Rexus desperately. “Please, my Lords, I beseech you to protect my tribe from disaster! A nation of warriors we may be, but our warmongering ways were stoked only out of necessity! Now, after living in peace and knowing peace, we have finally achieved what our forefathers desired for us!”

Tatsuya felt sorry the king. “How about discussing a treaty?” he offered.

“We have already discussed that option in depth,” Senshi told him.

“If we can’t get a treaty to come out of a neutral discussion between both parties, then how about talking on the field?” clarified Tatsuya. “Each kingdom will send a representative along with their army to the battlefield. Before the battle commences, both representatives will discuss and talk it out. If they can’t come to an agreement, then the battle can start. Otherwise, both parties can leave the battlefield satisfied.”

“Why go to all that trouble?” asked Shori.

“I’ve seen it happen in movies before,” said Tatsuya. “Firstly, having an army go meet on the battlefield can pacify the warmongers. They’ll be happy to know that we will prepared for war if it happens to break out and we can fight then and there without having to wait. Secondly, the army will provide the representative with protection, before, during, and after the discussion. Who knows what treachery the enemy will play, so having an army along can help prevent bad things from happening. Lastly, the battlefield is the perfect neutral ground to meet on. Meeting in someone’s base provides them home-field advantage and can demoralize their opponent whether intentionally or not, and just talking between two parties often gets nowhere. On the battlefield, action can be taken and supplement the discussion if the need arises. It is also the best place for both parties to indiscriminately acknowledge each other as equals, therefore making it the ideal even playing field.”

“I see,” said King Rexus with a nod.

“That’s my boy!” praised Senshi, slapping Tatsuya on the back.

“Well, like I said, I often see it in movies,” said Tatsuya bashfully.

“This discussion has produced good results,” said Shori with a nod.

“My, it’s getting late,” said Yunqi, “Shall we turn in?” The other two Celestial Dragons nodded in agreement.

King Rexus led his guests down the hall and called for Helen. Once she arrived, she was surprised to see Tatsuya among the gods and flashed him a raised eyebrow. Tatsuya simply responded back with an awkward smile. Helen led the group to the East wing.

Once they arrived, Tatsuya broke off from the group and walked to his room. He walked in and sat on the bed. Today had now become one of the best days in his entire life. He fell onto the bed and crossed his arms under his head. He then drifted off to sleep.