BOUND BY THE DRAGON KING

BOOK TWO OF THE BOUND SERIES.

VLAD AZAZEL’S POV

A hundred years later, my heart had turned cold despite Yasha’s persistence to thaw it. I had been freed from the demon castle jail ten years after Leornado Besian took over the throne with the help of Prince Levi Xander from the Asura clan. I left the demon realm and ventured into the dragon territory.

Peace reigned in the realm and the Besians made the realm flourish and there were fewer complaints about the dragon king.

But.

I was still bitter knowing well that the Besian family had caused the death of my father. I could not fathom that Mephisto Besian had snapped Pa’s neck and hence I vowed to find the weakness of all dragons as long as I was alive. While in jail, I had time to harness my magic powers and more so, Yasha helped where necessary.

“ Vlad,” She whined.

“ Just teach me spells that I can use to protect myself, Yasha. You betrayed me. It's the least you can do to pay me back ”

“ You are trying to blackmail me, Vlad. You have not changed one bit. I hoped that years in these walls would soften your heart. Instead, your heart remains as black as coal. “ Yasha muttered

“ I have changed. Being in jail changes you. I know it well. While you flourish as the demon seer, I remained here rotting. Leave Yasha. You dont him to come here anymore” I chased her away.

She threw a black cloak at me. “ Take this with you. It will hide your true form if you venture into other realms. It's the least I can do for you. “ She muttered and left in a huff.

A day before my released Leonardo Besian had visited me in jail just before my release and I bowed to him in greetings as were the customs while remaining mute.

“ Are you surprised that am here?” He asked.

I stared at him and looked away without answering.

“ I hate family feuds” he had begun his speech, surprising me. “ I would rather live with my mate peacefully in the demon realm. But the responsibility is too great and I can’t not pretend not to care. Your fathers' death was unfortunate. He was blinded by Samara Asura and greed never ends well. I have been mulling over your case for a long time and here I am”

“ Why are you here? “ I snapped at him.

“ To make peace and let go of the past. “ Leonardo Besian stated simply.

“ It's too late “ I looked away but his words were something I had been craving to hear for years. And when I heard them, my heart ached, and was in pain.

“ It's never too late. Forgive me, Vlad. We should have handled everything calmly and rationally. ” He smiled at me and turned around to leave.

“ A son must always remain filial to his parents. You dont expect me to be filial to you Besian after locking me up for one hundred years.” I stated firmly.

“ You kidnapped my mate” Leonardo responded with knitted brows.

“ That was a mistake. I already sent Yasha to apologize to Prince Levi” I whispered.

“ But are you sorry?” Leonardo piercing gaze bore through me.

I looked into his eyes and saw the truth in them. He did not trust me at all. But had been forced to come here and make peace.

“ Do what you must, Vlad Azazel. But one day you will remember my words. Family feuds are just a waste of time. You still have a place in the demon realm. I owe you that much as your king. It's sad what happened to your father. If only everyone sought dialogue instead of war '' Leonardo said and left the castle jail.

Pushing his words at the back of my mind, I walked into the dragon realm. The dragon realm was far beyond the fire mountains of Ladon. Despite the clear skies that had smiled upon me for the first few days of his journey, dark clouds inevitably crowded the heavens. The rain came down in soft droplets, and thunder rumbled overhead. Distant trees were little more than smears of dark shapes against the rolling landscape. It smelled of wet earth, the gentle hush of rain mixing despite the sky remaining the color of golden fire. Further south, with the mountains behind them blocking the frigid northern winds the weather was warmer, though still chilly.

I could tell that I was close to the dragon realm with the change from coniferous to deciduous trees. The rain continued to fall as the fog rose. The forest crept up against the edge of the dragon realm before giving way to large buildings

With my hood drawn up, I finally reached the dragon realm

The buildings were high on all sides, with dark wooden beams reinforcing the white walls. Tall, narrow windows glinted in the subdued afternoon light, and rain dripped from the steep roofs. The roads had iron lanterns, glowing bright through the fog.

Surprisingly the streets were paved with stones, lined with stalls. The townspeople resemble humans but on a closer look, the scales and fangs were visible in the dim lights. As I paved through the streets, I took note of every corner and realized that there was a magic barrier placed in the dragon realm.

I suppressed a laugh and thanked Yasha for giving him the Asura magic cloak that hid my true identity. Pressing onward, I headed in the direction of the castle that was placed up the fire mountain.

Laughter threatened to bubble in my chest as I thought about how easy it had been to get past Ladon and into the Drago Kingdom. I marched on with determination and promised not to be deterred. Obtaining the Dragon Obsidian book of dragons stored in the Dragon King's library was a mission that I could not fail to do. Memories of Pa’s death were still fresh in my mind.

" No one is going to stand in my way” I vowed as I pulled the hood down and walked toward the castle.

The reign of peace in the demon realm came to pass, and the prophecy of the dragon king was born in the fires of the dragon mountain. The prophecy had come to pass and the dragon realm welcomed the fact that the demon world had accepted him. Born in the royal Besian family, Leonardo was the true making of a king. The dragon council was satisfied with him. I could not say the same for myself.

I was the Ladon Flock Dragon King.

Beyond the mountains of Ladon was the home of the Ladon Flock. The dragon council sat at the heart of the Ladon Fire mountain. I was named Dragon King one hundred years ago.

Why and how?

I was born with the magic fire of the Ladon mountains. It is said that the blood of the dragon kings ran deep in my veins and my eyes turned golden the minute I was born. The dragon tattoo on my back blazed and the elders declared I was the next dragon king.

Was I given an option? No!!!

The amount of work that goes into preparing a Dragon Kin