Gods and Dark Creatures (Book 3)

CH. 4: Alexei

Dragomira rummaged through the king's stuff in his study. She was trying to find something that would help her figure out where she should focus her search. She was buried in papers and books for days and still couldn't find anything. She was desperate. It was destroying her. Alexei could not watch his sister suffer and decided to help her.

While she searched inside the walls, he searched outside the palace walls.

He went to see a priest who might know something about the gods. But he had to be careful with his words so as not to reveal more than he could afford.

"What do you care about the gods, commander?" the priest asked him.

"I would rather be interested in one goddess. Goddess Eris," said Alexei.

The priest looked at him in confusion. "Is there a reason you are interested in this particular goddess?"

"No special reason," he replied. "I just came across a book in the library where she was mentioned. I would like to know more."

"She is a very dangerous goddess. Rather don't play with her," the priest told him. "She belongs to the dark gods. They are evil beings created from darkness. And the goddess of chaos Eris is the worst of them all."

Alexei sighed. Of course, his sister can't be messing with a sweet goddess surrounded by butterflies, but with a dark, psychopathic goddess who will probably kill them all.

He preferred not to ask any more questions. The priest looked at him suspiciously anyway. He didn't need to arouse more suspicion.

But even if he didn't get the answers he wanted, he knew one place to go. A person he could always go to and trust.

Alexei decided to go to his father. He knew he could trust him with anything. Plus, he might know the answer to where they should start looking. Ivan Ivanovich knew many myths about gods and monsters from the shadows. He might know where the goddess Eris had taken the king and how to save him.

"How is your sister?" his father asked him.

"She is very worried," said Alexei.

"Does she realize, that the child she carries under her heart is going to die?" his father said to him. "She has no life to devote to that child."

"She's not pregnant," Alexei admitted.

His father looked at him in confusion. He didn't understand it. "So why...?"

"That lie only buys her time," explained Alexei. "The king was kidnapped by the goddess of chaos Eris. She's hiding it from everyone and trying to find him before anyone finds out."

With each word, Ivan Ivanovich was only more shocked. His daughter is not pregnant as has been spread around the kingdom. The king has disappeared and the queen is keeping it a secret. And the goddess of chaos.

"So no one knows about it?" asked his father.

"No," said Alexei. "The secret remained in the family. Dragomira quite insisted that no one find out."

"She's right," said father. "The lords would immediately rush to claim the crown for themselves if they found out. Especially after the king's brother tried to do it not so long ago."

"We need your help," Alexei told him why he had come home. "Dragomira is trying to find the king, but we have no idea where to look. We were hoping that you might know how to find a goddess."

"But why would the goddess of chaos take him away?" wondered their father.

"She allegedly created him. We don't know anything more," answered Alexei. "The only thing she told to Dragomira was to find them. It's a trap, but Dragomira won't give up."

"I believe I could help," his father told him.

⸸

Alexei brought his father to the palace. He brought him to Dragomira. How else they find her in the king's study. She was buried in papers and books. Tiredness, despair and fear were written on her face. All worries were reflected in her eyes.

"Dragomira," Alexei spoke to her.

She turned her gaze from the letters immortalized on the paper to her brother. Their father stood by his side.

"You probably already told our father what happened," she concluded.

Alexei nodded.

"You seem worried, Dragomira," said the father.

"It was easier to serve the crown than to be a part of it," said Dragomira with a fleeting smile that was not reflected in her eyes.

"It seems that you have already found a common language with the king," remarked the father.

Dragomira knew very well what her father meant with those words. It wasn't that long ago that she hated the king. Cassius forced her to marry him and tortured her. And suddenly she worries for him, not because of him.

"Maybe something more," said Dragomira.

A single tear ran down her face. She immediately wiped it away. Her father opened his arms to her. She walked into his embrace. She felt safe there. She didn't feel alone.

"We're still your family, even though you've become queen. We'll help you find him," he told her.

Dragomira pulled away from him. "And do you know how to find him?" she asked him.

"Just listen," Alexei told her.

They sat down in the lounge. She didn't want to discuss it in Cassius' study. Even though he was gone, she felt uncomfortable rummaging through his private things. She had been there many times before and Cassius let her look through his things as she pleased, but she still felt like she was doing something forbidden. She didn't want to give anyone else the chance to do that. Even though that someone else is her father and brother. They sat there and father told her everything he knew and found out.

"A witch lives on the edge of the Forest of the Dead. She is said to have the ability to talk to the dead. If she can talk to the dead, she should be able to communicate with the gods. Their power comes from Darkness, and it also created the goddess of chaos."

"In that case, I must leave immediately," said Dragomira with hope in her voice, jumping briskly to her feet.

She was full of energy again. After days spent in melancholy and fear, she was given hope that she might be able to find him, although she still had no idea how to save him from the clutches of the malevolent goddess.

"Wait." Alexei stopped her. "You can't go to the witch alone. There is a reason why everyone is afraid of them."

"I'm sure I can handle it. I managed to survive Cassius, I will survive this too," said Dragomira determinedly.

"Your brother is right," her father said. "Dawn will come soon."

"I can walk during the day. The sun won't burn me anymore." Dragomira interrupted him.

"You have no idea where to go. Wait until night and we will go with you. At least we'll make sure you're okay."

Dragomira could not wait. A hurricane raged inside her, commanding her to waste no time and go after her one clue that would help her find out what had happened to her king. She had to figure out how to free him from the power of the goddess Eris.

"Every second is precious," she said in a weak voice. "I have to find him."

"Surely the king will wait one day," said her father.

"I'm sure he wouldn't want you risking your own life recklessly like that," Alexei told her, as a guard commander in charge of protecting the queen and a caring brother at the same time.

Dragomira reluctantly agreed to wait. She would be faster alone, but she didn't want to be alone. Not now. She needed her family.

"We'll leave as soon as dusk falls on the land," she said.

"You won't wait a second," Alexei smiled. "We know you."

"I won't wait," she acknowledged. "I've wasted more than enough time."