It was later into the night, the air was clear, and the moon was shining as brightly as the millions of stars that could be seen in the sky.
These same shimmering, stars were reflected in the yellow, slited eyes of Agni Igris as he floated above the expanse of bright buildings and nightlife of Thropos, staring at the sky with a relaxed posture.
As the slightly crisp nighttime air blew, his hair swayed in symmetry with it. He had chosen to remain in his human form for the time being, seeing as how he would be spending a bit more time than he expected in the human kingdom.
"That human, he has some interesting ideas" He muttered to himself with a chuckle, his expression relaxed as he contemplated the details of the discussion he had.
His eyes shone with a red glint as he continued, "How troublesome" with a small exhale.
However, he smiled right after and spoke softly, "Well, at least my boredom will be alleviated for the foreseeable future"
Standing up straight, still hovering in the air, he stretched lightly and looked back up at the sky.
Leaving these parting words, "Suppose I should get ready"
He disappeared, no flash of energy, no billowing gust of wind, he simply vanished. He had to get ready for a party, after all!
Near the end of the meeting, Arthur had invited him to a gala, one where all the nobles of Thropos would be in attendance. He had accepted the invitation and now needed to look presentable!
…
Back at Count's mansion, in his bedroom, a sight that wouldn't surprise anybody who witnessed it was taking place. The Count was washed, dressed, and ready to go courtesy of his head butler.
In the carriage ride to the royal castle, the Count was having the time of his life as he downed 2 bottles of bourbon by the time they were walking into the castle.
His hair was again disheveled and he struggled to walk in a straight line, however, he miraculously managed to lead himself into the party with practiced finesse.
'This seems like fun,' the Count thought as he grabbed what was sure to be the first of many, glasses of champagne.
He then walked around and mingled with the noble masses as they all waited for the royals to make an appearance.
He walked into a group of people and they all started chatting about their territories, money, and flattery. They were all greedy people, only here to make connections; and because it was mandatory.
While the Count was an especially bad example of these nobles' corruption, not all of them were so immoral as to keep child slaves and use the people of their domains as the Count did.
The Count's actions and personality led to many arguments during social gatherings for the hypocritical nobles who thought that the Count's actions were disgusting.
And this social function was no different!
As the Count was talking to a group of nobles consisting of 2 barons, a viscount, and an earl, there was a loud ringing noise.
It sounded like the chimes of a big bell, only it released a sonorous sound instead of an obnoxious one. Some of the attendants even felt dazed at the gentle sound of the bell.
Following the bell's ring, everyone grew silent as the giant luxurious doors to the ballroom opened, revealing two overwhelming figures!
The lord of the humans, King Arthur Kandria, and the ruler of the beasts, The Dragon Emperor, Agni Igris DragonCrest!
The two entered the ballroom side by side to express that they existed as equals. Their presence was blinding as the natural aura that they emitted made everyone kneel.
They understood that they were before beings who stood at the apex of their domains!!
King Arthur nodded his head and spoke with civility, "You may stand"
Agni Igris was not too fond of humans for their innately ignorant nature. However, he was impressed at the level of the grandeur of the hall and the respect Arthur commanded from his subjects.
'This suit was the right choice' he thought as he looked at the expensive and decorated clothes that the human king wore.
After all, how could his pride allow him to lose to the human?
Everyone slowly stood up and looked at the duo, some still drenched in a cold sweat.
The kings looked simply regal as they wore sophisticated suits that highlighted their natural traits and well-honed bodies.
They both walked up to the thrones that were arranged side by side in the center of the room. As they sat down, King Arthur raised his hand, gesturing for silence.
Not that anybody was talking in the first place, they were all silently observing the royals. After all, this was the first time they had seen the Dragon Lord.
King Arthur spoke in a determined and calm tone, "Greetings, nobles of all ranks. I thank you for attending this 'humble' gathering of mine"
Some nobles found the King's words humorous, but with him currently speaking, they all silently held their tongues of laughter.
"The reason I set this gathering up was to make a few announcements regarding the future of our kingdom" He continued powerfully, making the nobles curious of the news their lord was about to share.
"First of all, I would like to introduce our guest, the ruler of the beast kingdom, Agni Igris, the Dragon Emperor"
Agni Igris nodded his head with a predatory smirk as he eyed the nobles with a taunting expression. They all eyed him warily, sensing the presence of an ocean of Ki radiating off of him!
"From this day forth, the Kingdom of Thropos and the Beastly-Highlands will be in a temporary state of alliance" The King declared as he waved his arm powerfully.
This news sent a wave of shock through the attending nobles, who all struggled to understand what this may mean for them.
The king went on to clarify a few details about their alliance by reassuring the nobles that nothing would change in the way that the Kingdom was run.
This made most of the nobles calm down, as they cared more about what this alliance would do to their power and authority than anything else. It would simply mean that the humans were to help the beasts in times of war and vice-versa.
He also told them of the fact that it is temporary before moving on to the main issue!
He then began addressing the other contents and agreements between himself and Agni Igris.
"Although this is good news, the reason that brought this about is anything but pleasant" The King shared with a grave expression, adorned with a frown.
"The war between the Angels and the Demon kingdoms has escalated, the Angels have been in talks with the fae, to ask for their aid in the war" The King dropped a bombshell on them.
They all had worried expressions at the implications that most of them were able to grasp. Although, there were the odd few who didn't.
Which of them didn't grow up hearing the horrors of the centuries-long war?
It was just that it hadn't affected them as humans for most of their lives, making the war a mere afterthought as they grew older.
"In the spirit of transparency and comradery, we will host a tournament between all of the kingdoms, once every 10 years. Our goal is to unite the kingdoms and make the world a safer place for all by putting, what we hope to be a peaceful ending, to the war" He informed them with a smile, enjoying the prospects of peace after centuries of war.
Although it is indeed true that most kingdoms never got involved with the war, during the king's generation, they were still indirectly affected by it.
After that surprising proclamation, the king added a couple of details and finished it by saying, "I will send informants to every noble house for the finer details. Now then, please talk amongst yourselves and enjoy the party"
While chatting and drinking, mingling with the people, a baron bumped into the Count. Because of their inebriated state, they fell over as this happened.
In a drunken rage fueled by embarrassment, the count's voice pierced through the clamor of the gala like a sharp blade!
The Count stood up as quickly as he could and cursed in anger, "Watch where you're f*ucking going you stumbling a**hole, this suit was expensive!"
The baron quickly got up as well and glared at the enraged count, both of them ignoring the crowd surrounding them as they all paid rapt attention to the drama unfolding!
"Oh f*ck you, you pretentious slaver. I don't even understand why you're allowed here, you pathetic excuse for a noble" The baron spat back venomously. In truth, the baron hadn't meant to bump into anyone.
However, once he realized who it was, he only wished he had bumped into him harder!
*****
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