Sorry for the wait, folks! If you read my author's note in CM, then you know why I haven't updated in a while. But luckily, I'm back on the computer now. Here's an extra long chapter for the wait. And I want to thank everyone for your last reviews, but not having access to the internet for over a week got me behind, and I won't be able to respond to them individually. But I will answer you guys this time around! I hope you all understand and thanks again!! Oh, and remember that ghosts tend to talk in their own language, so this entire chapter is in 'their language'; you can just understand it! LOL! Well, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom. However, the AU plot is mine! -Cackles evilly-
Chapter 8: A King's Life.
"Vlad?" Desiree called, walking into the matrimonial dormitory. But at not finding him there, she frowned thoughtfully. "Did he already leave to see Walker?" she mumbled. "Or…"
An amused smile crept on her face, before she left for her son's room. Desiree's 'Or' was confirmed as she walked in and was immediately greeted by Danny's loud giggles.
She leaned against the open doorway, crossed her arms, and calmly watched her husband, who sat on the bed, tickling their six-month-old son.
She raised an amused eyebrow when she finally spoke, "You do realize you are late for that meeting you have with Walker?"
Noticing her presence, Vlad paused his actions and shot her a smirk, "Perhaps…" he replied, before continuing his play with Daniel.
"And you realize you still haven't dressed yet?" she continued, a smile growing on her lips.
The King grabbed his son off the bed, and then lay on the bed himself with Danny on top of him as he answered, "I'm considering to leave it for another day." He lifted Danny above him, before quickly lowering him back down to his eyelevel "Boo!" he exclaimed, causing his son to squeal in delight.
Desiree nodded as she continued to watch them. "I wouldn't mind that. And clearly Danny wouldn't either. But, you have been holding this off for a while."
Plasmius sat Danny on his stomach; and in turn, the babbling infant leaned forward and placed his hands on his father's face. "And with good reason… my dear…Walker can get quite annoying…Mmm… with his constant… su-Mmm-ggestions." His broken words were due to his son, trying to grab his moving lips as he spoke.
"I know, love, but you still need to go. I don't want you to have trouble with Walker or the council." She suddenly grinned as she added, "You can always play with Danny all day after that."
Vlad sat up with Danny, who had just grabbed a hold of his own spectral tail and began nibbling on it. "We've been doing more than playing… haven't we, little Phantom?" he said, removing his son's tail from his mouth and tickling it.
"And that is?" the Queen asked with mirth.
Plasmius grinned widely at her, before lying back on the bed and lifting Danny above him again.
"Vlad, what are you doing?" Desiree asked, her look changing to wariness as she watched her husband trying to let go of Danny while he was still suspended above him.
"Just watch," he replied, before he finally let go of the infant completely. Danny just giggled as he floated on his own a few feet above his father.
"I've been teaching him to levitate. He's getting it," Vlad said proudly, not taking his eyes off his son.
Anxious, Desiree frowned. "Don't you think you should-"
A gasp left the Queen's mouth as Danny suddenly dropped down. But Vlad quickly caught him, and chuckled lightly.
"Vlad!" Desiree exclaimed, before floating over to him and grabbing the laughing Danny from him.
The King laughed loudly this time as he sat up to look at his wife who stared at him with anger and disbelief. "Calm down, Des. I've caught him every time."
She gasped, realizing this was what her husband had been doing with their son the entire time. Now severely displeased, Desiree lifted a hand and used her powers to roughly tilt the bed to one side. This caught the King off guard, and he fell off the bed with a startled yelp.
"Go to Walker's! And don't play with Danny like that again! He's still much too young for it!" she reprimanded him firmly.
Vlad rubbed his sore head before slowly standing up. "Alright. I painfully get the point," he said with an annoyed look. But it quickly vanished, and a playful smile lit his face as he walked over to his wife. "But you must admit, that was very good, considering he's only six months old."
She rolled her eyes, trying to look upset still, but it was clear she was not. "Yes… it was," she admitted, a small smile forming on her lips.
Seductively, Vlad grabbed his wife's chin and brushed his lips against her own. "Hmm… are you sure you want me to leave?" he whispered.
"You're such a tease," she pouted, before kissing him fully, but quickly pulled away. "Go."
Vlad returned the playful pout, but then turned his eyes to Danny. He smiled as he gently placed his hand on the side of his son's face, before finally leaving to his own bedroom to shower.
Desiree smiled back at Danny who was gurgling happily at her. "What do you say to some breakfast, little Phantom?" she asked, before she walked off towards the kitchen with him.
With his chair leaned back on two legs, and his feet resting on the top of a nearby desk, Skulker shot the fuming Walker a smirk. But he soon turned his eyes back to the sword in his hands and continued to polish it.
The hunter didn't really like coming to the prison, but Plasmius had asked him to accompany him... again. He really couldn't blame his friend, though. It wasn't easy for Plasmius—or anyone else for that matter—to spend time alone with the warden…
Skulker knew Walker did not like having to give report on his work to anyone, especially the King. And the fact that Plasmius had postponed their meeting for a week now--and was now making him wait further --infuriated the Warden even more.
But Skulker found the latter quite comical.
"You should sit. Plasmius isn't going to be arriving any time soon," the hunter assured him, not bothering to hide the amusement from his voice.
Walker stopped pacing the length of his office and glared at Skulker. "You think it's funny that he's been keeping me waiting for two hours now?! He might be the King but he still has rules to follow! At the next council meeting, I'm going to ask for full control of this prison; because if he's not going to take charge, then I will!"
Skulker rolled his eyes. "You'll need a lot more than rules to get the council to give you say above Plasmius."
"That's what you believe, Skulker. There are plenty who would agree with me."
"Just not enough," the hunter answered with a smirk.
Walker crossed his arms, and just silently glowered at Skulker. But then he said, "Do you know what the King's real problem is?"
"No idea. But I'm sure you are going to enlighten me, "Skulker answered boringly.
"Yes, I am," the Warden answered, either missing or ignoring the other ghost's disinterest. "King Plasmius is without a doubt too young to understand what it means to be a ruler. Everything is a game to him! He thinks he can break the rules as he pleases! I can assure you one thing: nothing was like this when Pariah Dark had the throne! Vlad Plasmius should have never-"
"I'd watch what you are about to say, Walker," Skulker cut him off with a deep frown. "Plasmius is a greater king than Dark ever was. Or have you forgotten how close he came to enslaving us all?"
"King Dark had the right idea on how to handle the human race," he snapped back.
The hunter scoffed in disgust. "At the cost of our own kind! You, of all ghosts, are well aware of the number of ghosts that died fighting his battles; of the number of ghosts he killed himself? And for what, Walker? So that he could enslave two worlds? You might not agree with Plasmius' decision regarding the human race, but you cannot deny that that decision has kept our own kind safe!"
The Warden sneered at Skulker. "Oh course you'd agree. After all, you are his loyal dog."
Faster than Walker could blink the hunter sprang to his feet, slammed him against a wall, and pointed the sword in his hand at the center of his chest. "I am no one's dog, you sorry excuse for a ghost!" the hunter growled, his eyes narrowing with fury."Plasmius is like a brother to me. He has done more for me than I could even begin to explain. You can call it whatever you want, but I know my loyalty to him is well placed. But you…" The Warden hissed as the tip of the sword was grounded harder into his chest. "You better watch what you say, Walker. Or you're going to find yourself on my 'execution' list," he threatened.
Walker glared at the hunter. "I can have you executed right now for threatening my life, Skulker. So don't think that just because you have the King's protection you are entitled to break my rules. You so much as blink the wrong way and I'll make sure the council hears about it… Let's see King Plasmius go against them." Walker smiled darkly as he added, "It'll be a satisfaction to see you locked up in my prison, and then finally executed under my hand."
"You'll need to be alive for that…" Skulker hissed, his grip tightening on his sword, ready to plunge it forward.
"Skulker?" a third voice suddenly rang inside the office.
In spite of being addressed, the hunter kept his eyes narrowed and his sword pointed at Walker who returned his gaze with a smug look that silently dared him to do what he wanted to do. But then Skulker seemed to think better of what he was doing, and quickly retracted his sword.
Sheathing his sword back into his suit, Skulker turned to the ghost who had called to him and looked soberly at him.
"Plasmius," he just said, before walking right past him and leaving Walker's office.
Confused and stunned, the King watched his friend walk off. But he soon came to and turned his eyes to Walker who was calmly straightening his attire.
"Is there a problem, Warden?" Vlad asked with a heavy frown.
Walker shrugged off-handedly. "Just a minor disagreement, King Plasmius. Nothing for you to concern yourself with. But what should concern you is the fact that I have been waiting for you for over two hours… That's against the rules."
Plasmius rolled his eyes at him. "Spare me your lectures, Walker. I am well aware of my timing. I apologize, but what matters is that I am here. So let's carry on, shall we?" he said, turning from him and walking out of the office.
The Warden glared at the King's back for moment, before following after him. "We have a couple of criminals this month," Walker informed, falling in step with Plasmius.
"Alright, let's see them," Vlad said tiredly, gesturing him to lead the way.
Arriving at one of the cells, Walker spoke again, "This one here was caught creating havoc at the castle's marketplace."
Vlad raised an eyebrow. "What type of havoc?"
"He demolished a food and antique stand," he informed him.
Vlad couldn't help but chuckle as he finally looked inside the cell and saw the ghost within. "Let me guess, he threw boxes at them?"
"Yes…how did you know that?" Walker asked with a quizzical frown.
"Because that's what he always does. Isn't that right… Box Ghost?"
The pudgy ghost dramatically flew up to the front of the cell, and shouted, "My KING!! I meant NOO harm! I ONLY wanted to HELP them organize their SUPPLIES with a few quality BOOOOXES!!"
Plasmius rolled his eyes in amusement. "Still as dramatic, I see. Let him go, Warden. I had ordered your guards to leave him be unless he did something serious."
"What?" Walker protested instantly, "But what he did is serious! He-"
"--said he meant no harm. I believe him," Vlad cut him off calmly.
Walker looked at the King for a moment, before pulling out a set of keys and moving closer the cell. "Get out," he growled at the other ghost once he opened the door.
The pudgy ghost quickly zipped out, and flew right over to Plasmius. "THANK you, my KING!" he exclaimed. "I, the BOX GHOST, promise to BEEHAVE and OOFFER my BOOOXES BEEfore giving THEEM!" he assured him.
"You do that," Plasmius said with a chuckle.
The Box Ghost lifted a hand before producing a glowing silver rattle whose top end was squared instead of round. He offered it to the king who accepted it. "A GIFT for your SOOON!"
Vlad chuckled again, but then smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. I'll make sure he gets it."
With that, the ghost flew off towards the prison's exit.
"You realize he's just going cause trouble again," Walker said with an unpleased look.
The King shrugged it off handedly. "Perhaps. But I have faith he'll settle down some day. Come, who else is in here?" he asked, turning from the other ghost to continue forward.
An evil smirk ghosted across Walker's features, before calmly replying, "A dragon ghost."
Vlad instantly turned to face him with a stunned look, but it quickly turned into a deep frown. "You locked up a dragon ghost? Walker, are you mad? You are well aware of our agreement with them! They stay in their territory and we in ours!"
"That's just it. This one was caught inside the kingdom's territory," Walker explained.
Plasmius' eyebrows creased. "He left the dragon territory? How long ago was this?"
"Two days ago."
Vlad was clearly not pleased with his answer, and said, "So not only did you lock up a ghost who belongs to a family that we already have a strained enough relationship with, but you have also been keeping said ghost in here for that long? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" he demanded.
Walker frowned, but kept calm since, obviously, he had expected this reaction from the King. "I didn't want to disturb you…. Being that you are always so busy lately…"
Vlad didn't miss the other ghost's emphases and didn't hesitate to let him know it. "Do not bring my personal life into this, Warden," he said firmly, his tone almost boarding on anger. "You should have told me. You know I would have come immediately if you had."
"Yes, you're right. I just didn't think it that urgent," Walker answered lightly, placing his hands behind his back.
The King looked at him in angry disbelief for a moment. But then shook his head, not wanting to argue with the ghost any longer. "Take me to him," Plasmius requested in a calmer tone.
"Actually, it's a 'her'. And she's right this way." This time Walker turned from the King, forcing him to follow. If his actions displeased Plasmius, then the King didn't verbally express it. And Walker wasn't about to look back to see if it had. He didn't really care.
Seeing Vlad coming up along side of him, Walker spoke, "You know, there is something I never quite understood. Why did you ever make that deal with the Dragon Family? You are the ruler of this entire world. Why not just force them to join the kingdom? It is in your right to do so."
Plasmius sighed as they turned a corridor. "Perhaps… But their refusal to be part of the kingdom is understandable. I did try to make them see that things would be different after Pariah's defeat, but they have lost all trust in the council, and obviously, never had any for me. I simply found it best to allow them to live apart and keep at least a mutual respect between us, than to force them to abide by our laws and have us discontent with one another. The last thing we need, Walker, is a conflict in our own world and between our own race." He paused in thought for a moment before adding lightly, "Besides, other ghosts who do not support the kingdom live with them as well."
The ghost sheriff silently nodded, but then abruptly said. "I find your decision dangerous. They could always rise against you," he pointed out, raising an eyebrow.
Plasmius shook his head. "If they wanted to, they would have by now. They have absolutely no reason to do so, Warden. We have given them what they want: peace and freedom. And I have no problem with that…But…" The king's eyebrows suddenly creased with worry. "I am concerned with this dragon's abrupt entrance into the kingdom. What could she possibly want here?"
Walker shrugged, feigning cluelessness "Well, she's in there. Ask her yourself," he said, pointing at the cell they had just stopped in front of.
Plasmius looked up at the large purple dragon who was six times his size. At the sight of him, her wings spread wide open and the red flames on her body and tail ignited menacingly.
"King Plasmius," she said with a soft growl, her red eyes burning into his own. "Is this how you treat your guests? Or is it that you haven't taught Sheriff Walker any respect?"
Vlad frowned at the female dragon for a moment, before giving Walker a disapproving glance. But as he turned his eyes back to her, he calmly asked, "What is your name?"
She only stared at him, distrust clearly in her eyes. But then she responded, "Altiĝis."
Vlad just studied the large ghost, his composed demeanor masking his inner confusion. Her name sounded so familiar to him. He just couldn't recall why. But he was certain she was not some ordinary dragon.
But deciding to keep his realization to himself, he voiced the matter at hand. "We had an accord, Altiĝis. I respected you and your kin's decision of staying separate from us as long as you and they kept to your own territory. Does your leader know you have jeopardized our mutual agreement by coming here uninvited?"
The dragon's cold attitude suddenly vanished and her head lowered in shame. "No, he does not…" she admitted softly, but suddenly looked up and exclaimed, "But I just couldn't stay there any longer and do nothing while my baby is missing!"
This startled Vlad greatly, but his surprise quickly turned into concern. "A dragon offspring is missing?" He turned to Walker and asked, "Did you know about this?"
"Yes! I told him!" Altiĝis suddenly roared angrily, glaring at Walker. "I tried to explain to him why I had come here! I told him I meant no harm and that I only wished to search for my child, but he refused to allow it!" She looked back at Vlad, her facial expression turning into desperation as she said, "Something has happened to my son! I cannot even feel him calling to me! He must to be here, King Plasmius! He is nowhere in our land! "
Vlad crossed his arms and soberly nodded in agreement. It wasn't uncommon for children to get lost time and again. It was natural for them to get curious and wonder off further than where their parents would instruct them to...
But the dragon territory was large. For a dragon offspring to be able to wonder off on its own at all was very concerning.
"How long has he been missing?" he asked her, hoping his calm voice would get her to settle down a bit.
And it did. The female dragon curled her tail around herself as a soft whimper resonated from her throat and she responded, "Five days today."
"Five days?! And your leader has done nothing about it?!" Vlad asked outraged.
"Of course he has!" Altiĝis roared, suddenly becoming extremely defensive. "How could he not?! It's his son that's missing!"
Vlad's eyes widened in alarm, and the way Altiĝis froze clearly proved she had not meant to divulge that piece of information. It was then the King realized why this dragon's name sounded so familiar: she was the dragon leader's wife.
"Why would you hide who you are from me?" Plasmius whispered, knowing if he spoke any louder his anger would explode.
The dragon lowered her head so that she was at eye level with Vlad, only the cells bars keeping their faces apart. "Because I do not trust you," she growled softly, her eyes narrowed.
Neither Plasmius or Altiĝis saw the smirk on Walker's face widen.
"Why does it matter if Aragon is my mate?" she continued, "Would you have treated me differently? Or should I say worse?"
"I did not know you were in here," Vlad answered with a deep frown. He knew the mother was extremely agitated by the disappearance of her child, so he was trying to be patient with her, but she was making it very difficult for him.
Again, Altiĝis glared at Walker who didn't hesitate to return her look.
Vlad continued, getting the dragon's attention again. "But the point of the matter is not that, or whether you trust me or not. Aragon should have alerted me of his son's disappearance. All of this misunderstanding could have been avoided if he had."
She lifted her face slightly away from his as she coldly said, "You forget that we have no obligation of telling you our affairs, King Plasmius. And my mate doubts you would care about them anyways. Besides, how do we know-"
"Do not dare finish your words!" the King shouted furiously, "Does your family think me that barbaric that they would suspect I had something to do with a child's disappearance?!"
"Do you forget what we suffered in the hands of your mighty kingdom?!" she roared back, smoke steaming out of her flared nostrils.
"That was not under my rule, Altiĝis! Everyone suffered under Dark's rule! Everyone! I am not him and never will be!"
Altiĝis angrily looked away, not daring to stare into the king's livid eyes any longer. But then she sighed deeply as she realized how unjust she was being. "Forgive me… I, I just want my child back."
Vlad's anger immediately turned to sympathy. "And I will see to that," he assured her, before turning to the ghost sheriff and uttering, "Walker, release her."
The Warden did so without hesitation, and both him and the King stepped back to allow the massive ghost to walk out.
"I will do everything in my power to help you find your child. We might not agree on certain things, but that doesn't mean we are enemies, Altiĝis. Tell Aragon I said this."
The dragon tilted her head downwards in a respectful gesture. "I will let him know this. And thank you for your generosity… Perhaps you are different, King Plasmius."
Vlad gave her a sad smile. "You do not need to thank me. I, too, have a son, Altiĝis. How could I possibly do anything differently?"
She said nothing in response, but the soft purr that came from her said enough.
The King turned to the other male ghost beside him, and said, "Walker, have one of your guards escort her home to make sure she is not given any more trouble by those patrolling the kingdom."
Walker snapped his fingers and two guards quickly materialized. "Escort her back to her territory and make sure she gets there without trouble."
The two guards nodded before pointing each of their sticks they held upwards. In an instant the ceiling became transparent and the two guards flew upwards.
"Altiĝis," Vlad called, stopping the ghost from following right after. "Have Aragon come see me."
The dragon gave him one last grateful bow of her head, before spreading her wings and exiting the prison. Immediately after, the ceiling became solid once more.
"Walker," Vlad said with a tired sigh. "I am severely displeased with your disregard to this matter… But right now is not the time to discuss this. Have you received any form of report about a young dragon being sighted around the kingdom's territory?" he asked worriedly.
"No. Not a thing," he lied smoothly.
Vlad bit his bottom lip and lowered his gaze in thought for a moment. "I originally wanted to have a look at the prison's vault… But now with this…" He sighed, not noticing Walker had tensed at his words. "I think it is best to just leave it for another time."
"Or I could just take care of whatever you wanted to do there?" Walker offered perhaps a bit too hurriedly.
The King, clearly thinking of something else, nodded absently. "Yes… I only wanted to get rid of all those questionable devices Pariah used during his rule. It is pointless to have them… and that human chamber…"
"I have all those things stored away and shut down. Isn't that enough?" Walker asked with a frown.
Not in the mood to argue over such petty things, Vlad just shrugged it off. "Fine. Are we done? I want you to organize a search team right away."
"As you wish," Walker responded. "But there are three more ghosts that were brought here…Of course, you could just leave them in here. I can assure you they deserve to be locked up."
"No, no," Plasmius declined right away, knowing Walker had a different view of what 'deserving' to be locked up was. "Let's just go see them quickly."
Walker pointedly turned and silently led the king to the last three ghosts he had in his prison.
Vlad quickly released the first two they came across, causing the ghost sheriff to internally fume the whole time. This was ridiculous! Ever since Plasmius had taken charge, he had yet allowed him to execute a single ghost! How did the King plan to keep order if he let everyone get away with everything? So what if they were minor offences? They were still breaking the rules!
But then Walker grinned as they came across the last captive. Perhaps today, he would finally get to execute someone. He knew this last ghost's offence would set the King off. There was no doubt of that.
"I arrested this last prisoner myself," Walker commented causally.
Vlad walked up to the cell as he asked, "What did he do?"
The ghost sheriff was barely able to keep the glee from his voice as he answered, "Duey was attempting to open one of the sealed ghost portals to enter into the human world."
Instantly, the King's eyes lit a brighter red as they narrowed at the ghost inside the cell. He was quite tall and wore glasses. His blond hair contrasted his blue skin. The ghost looked young, perhaps around his late teens.
"Open the cell," Vlad ordered angrily.
Walker quickly complied and watched with a dark smirk as Plasmius approached the prisoner. Nothing angered the King more than having someone attempt to enter the human world without his authorization. Everyone knew this. And it is why Duey cowered under Vlad's furious gaze.
"I'm giving you exactly two seconds to explain to me why you feel you needed to disregard my orders!" the King said, clearly not joking around.
"I-I…It, It was, I was-"
"One second," Vlad snarled, stepping closer to him.
"I was dared!" he cried out. "I was just going to go out and come right back in! I swear!"
"I can tolerate many things, Duey. But this is not one of them. You're actions were foolish and dangerous! You could have put our entire race in jeopardy! I had all the small portals sealed and the larger ones guarded for a reason! Is some absurd challenge worth your life? What would you have done if you had been captured by one of those ruthless barbarians?!"
"I-I don't know," he whispered fearfully.
"No, no you don't. How could you possibly know? If you did, the thought of trying something as foolish would not have even crossed your mind! But allow me to enlighten you…"
Duey gasped as the King pressed him against the wall by placing a firm hand on his signature. The blond-haired ghost squeezed his eyes close at feeling how angry his leader was with him.
"You know what's in here, don't you?" Plasmius asked in the same angry voice.
The ghost just nodded, while he continued to tremble under the King's reprimanding energy.
"Do you know what humans do with it?"
"N-No," he answered this time.
"They rip it out!" he told him gravely, causing the ghost to snap his eyes open in alarm. "But not before torturing you into telling them everything they want to know. And then after, they would just torture you for the fun of it. Finally, they dissect your body and use your ectoplasm for their sick purposes. But what makes your conduct angering to me is the fact that I would have had to risk my life, but more importantly, the lives of your other fellow ghosts in order to save you. Although the truth is, that by the time we found you, you'd already be dead. So tell me, does that sound remotely pleasant to you?" he asked angrily, letting him go.
"I-I'm sorry, Your Highness," he whispered shamefully.
"Yes, but not enough. You will stay here for the duration of one month, Duey. I want you to think about what you could have caused. And those other fools who put you up to this will be joining you. Rest assured."
The King walked out of the cell before turning back to look at the ghost. "The human world is off limits to everyone. And so help me, if I hear of you trying such a stunt again, you will be the first I allow Walker to execute. I will not have one foolish ghost endanger this entire race."
Looking at the Warden, Vlad soberly said, "Walker, have him tell you who else was involved in this little escapade. And organize that search crew immediately. Leave no rock unturned, Walker. I want that child found today. I will be seeing Frostbite to assure all the portals are secure."
"I'll do as you ask, King Plasmius," Walker assured him.
"Thank you, Warden," Vlad said, placing a hand on his shoulder before walking off to leave the prison.
Walker grinned back at Duey with evil intent. "It looks like you will be here for some time. And the King believes you are not sorry enough. I can fix that."
The ghost quivered into a ball as Walker opened the cell and approached him.
A good half-hour later, Vlad landed on a large heavy-forested island that had a skull-shaped house on it. He didn't pay much mind to all the ghost creatures curiously watching him as he walked up to the front door. His friend had the peculiar hobby of collecting unique creatures and keeping them on his island. Not that the creatures really minded all that much since they could roam the island freely. But when any of them passed away, Skulker always stuffed or did something to preserve their remains. It was indeed a peculiar hobby… And somewhat disturbing…
Pushing aside his thoughts with a queasy smile, Vlad knocked on the front entrance of his friend's home.
The door was soon opened by Skulker. And the King said with a small smile, "You left me alone with Walker."
Smiling back, Skulker allowed his friend in as he said, "Sorry about that. But you can only spend so much time with Walker in a day before it becomes too much. I just couldn't stand being around him any longer.
Vlad raised an eyebrow, "Obviously," he answered back, a concerned look now on his face. "Skulker, it looked like you were trying to…"
"Kill him?" Skulker finished, smirking.
But this time Plasmius was not amused. "Skulker…. You, Desiree, and I have known each other since we were children, and if there is one thing you have never been is rash. I'm sure you had your reasons, but what if it had been someone other than me who had walked in on that sight? What if it had been someone of the council? You know physically threatening another ghost's life is serious."
"He just angered me, Plasmius," the hunter replied soberly. "I know full well what I was doing. So do me a favor and get off the subject. I don't need your voice of conscience or your protection," he finished, glaring at his friend.
The King just looked at him, not understanding where the hunter's bout of anger had come from. But he then answered in a serious tone, "I never said you did."
Skulker sighed, realizing how harsh he had just been. "Look, I didn't-"
"It's fine," Vlad interrupted him, although he still held a frown on his face.
The hunter shook his head, before looking at him worriedly. "Listen to me, Vlad. You really must be careful around Walker. He's… missing several screws," he finished with a growl.
Vlad grinned at his last comment. "So I've noticed."
Skulker smirked back, and deciding to change the subject said, "So was that all you came for? Because if so, then…" In one quick motion, Skulker had his sword out and pointed at Vlad's neck. "I think we need to do something to make your visit worthwhile, don't you, Your Highness?"
An amused smirk grew on the king's lips, and his right hand began to glow with red energy that quickly molded into the shape of a sword. "Funny, I thought our last sparing match a few weeks ago made it clear to you that it's fruitless to challenge me. I'm going to win; why even try?" Plasmius emphasized his point by suddenly using his own sword to push away the one being held at his neck.
"Last time was mere luck," Skulker answered with a challenging grin, bringing his sword back up in front of him. "I surpassed you when we were whelps and I still surpass you now…. Especially when that crown of yours has made you… rusty…"
Vlad gasped, pretending offense. "I resent that. I do more than sit on a throne all day."
"Prove it," the hunter challenged, gesturing with his head for them to go outside.
Plasmius playfully narrowed his eyes at his friend. "Glad-" The King froze, the smile on his face abruptly vanishing as he recalled the true reason he had come to Skulker's house. How could he have forgotten?
Skulker raised an eyebrow at Plasmius' sudden change in demeanor, but before he could ask, his friend let out a loud sigh and the sword in his hand vanished.
"Actually, I cannot; at least not today," Vlad said with a frown. "There is something urgent that I must do, and I need your help with it."
Skulker nodded, putting away his sword. "Does it have to do with the humans?"
Plasmius sighed once more as he leaned up against a nearby couch and crossed his arms. "No… At least I hope not… Two days ago, Walker arrested a dragon ghost for trespassing."
Skulker returned the King's frown. "Really? That's odd. They have never set foot here since your accord with them."
"I know, but she had a good reason for doing so, Skulker. A dragon offspring is missing. And not just any offspring, but Aragon's! Walker arrested Altiĝis, his wife! But what's the most concerning is that this child has been missing for five days now! How is that possible, Skulker?" Vlad rubbed his temple as he added, "And to make matters worse, I think they suspect I might be responsible."
"That's absurd!" Skulker angrily protested. "You have never given them any reason to believe something as that! If anything, you have helped them enough to say they are indebted to you!"
"I don't want this to cause trouble between us, Skulker. We have enough with the human race trying to destroy us. The last thing our kind needs is to become like them and begin to fight amongst ourselves. That is why I need your help. You are this world's greatest hunter. If anyone can find that child's whereabouts, it is you," Vlad said, looking at him soberly.
Skulker nodded, but upon noticing his friend looked way too troubled for this to be the only thing on his mind, he immediately knew Vlad was dreading something more. "Plasmius… You don't suppose…"
The King sighed deeply and shook his head. "I'm not sure, Skulker. I just find it extremely odd that this child has been missing for so long. Altiĝis said she couldn't feel him. Why is that? I do not know much about that. But wouldn't a lost child call to its parents, especially when separated from them for that long?"
Skulker was at a loss for words. His friend was right. That made no sense. Only two things could keep a child from calling its parents: death… or…
Vlad could see his friend had also reached the same frightening conclusion that he had. "I truly hope that that isn't the case. I don't even want to begin to imagine what would happen if the humans got a hold of a ghost dragon."
"Calm yourself," Skulker said, finally speaking again. "Perhaps things are not as they seem. After all, all the portals are either sealed or well guarded," he reasoned.
The King just lowered his gaze, clearly not convinced.
Skulker sighed in response. "Look, Plasmius, our world is larger than the human's. There are countless of places that pup could have wondered off to in our world. Let me search for him before you jump to conclusions, alright?"
Vlad smiled and nodded. "Alright. I'll wait for your findings before deciding on any further action." He moved away from the couch and headed to the house's exit as he said, "I'm going to the Far Frozen. I need to speak to Frostbite about the portals."
Skulker followed after him, but his friend's last words did not sit well with the hunter and he immediately let him know it. "You're not going alone, are you? That's at least a five-hour flight, Plasmius. And with what's happening, I don't think it wise to--"
"I'll be fine, Skulker," Vlad cut off, rolling his eyes at him before opening the door.
But Skulker grabbed the King's arm before he could leave. Vlad turned to look at him with a curious look. But the worried expression on his friend's face made him realize why he had stopped him.
"Danger is not only found in the form of humans, Plasmius. And just because you're King doesn't mean you are exempt from running into it. Quite the contrary. Watch yourself, alright?" Skulker asked, touching his friend's signature.
Vlad smiled and returned the gesture, before finally turning and leaving.
Skulker just watched his friend fly off for a moment, but then with a sigh he headed back inside his home.
He quickly began gathering the supplies he needed to begin his search for the dragon offspring. But most of what he needed was already part of his suit; or should he say, since he had it for ten years now, his own body.
But that didn't mean he didn't wish he still had his true body. It had originally looked just like his suit, except, of course, it wasn't made of metal. But thanks to Pariah Dark, he had lost it.
Still, his loss didn't stop him from doing what he loved to do more than anything else. It had always been his passion and still was. He was the best at what he did.
With a grin on his face, Skulker headed out of his home. "Time to hunt," he said, taking to the air.
Vlad glanced at one of the many galaxy-like swirls around him and could easily tell it was late in the afternoon. During the early morning of the day, these spinning novas were a vibrant green; but as the day moved forward they slowly darkened until they became a dark purple by late evening.
They were the ghost world's clock, sun, and energy source. What humans spent so much effort in trying to obtain was found in abundance here. These 'swirls' were completely made up of pure ectoplasmic energy.
Plasmius reached out slightly and touched an energy nova as he passed right below it. A surge of comforting warmness immediately coursed through his body, lighting his white aura a bit more. He couldn't help but worry every time he took the moment to observe these energy sources. For they alone were enough reason to never allow human beings to step into the ghost world.
Vlad sighed tiredly, and turned his gaze forward. He knew he still had about an hour before he would reach the Far Frozen. Frostbite and his kin lived in a very isolated area. So much so, that the King was flying through completely empty space at the moment.
But this was not uncommon in the ghost world. There were many lands that were spread apart from one another. And they were very different, too. In fact, they were so different at times that they could be classified as different realms. Indeed, the ghost world was larger than the human one. There were doors that existed almost everywhere. While some were just homes, others led to other areas of the ghost world. And then those areas could have more doors that lead to other areas. For those who were not familiar with the territory, it would certainly seem infinite.
But empty areas, like the one the King found himself in, were special, too, since it was common place for energy novas to form and thrive. Sometimes a bit too much though.
Vlad squinted his eyes as a vast amount of energy novas completely clouded his view up ahead. He sighed. They were too large and too close to each other for him to go around them. He really had no other choice. He flew into them, immediately finding himself shrouded by them.It was like being caught in a bright thick fog that spun and whirled erratically. Luckily, since it was so late in the afternoon, they were not as bright as they could have been. But all the same, they made it difficult to travel in.
Still, the Ghost King was used to them and he soon found himself closing in on a clearing. But when he did, he was suddenly greeted by a wave of red fire coming straight at him.
Plasmius' eyes widened and he halted in alarm. But instead of being hit by the roaring flames, like he had thought they would, they passed him. Only that, they spun back around and effectively encased the King in a ring of fire.
Immediately, Vlad's claws sprung out and his hands lit with ecto-energy. As he looked around, trying to find what had just trapped him, Skulker's words rang in his ears.
A dark chuckle suddenly echoed around him, right before a black dragon wearing a brightly glowing, red stone around its neck appeared through the flames, its red eyes gleaming with wicked purpose. Immediately after, two more dragons of different color appeared on Vlad's sides.
"Well, is this not an attractive find," the black dragon said, coming closer to Plasmius. "I was on my way to find you. What luck that our paths just so happened to cross, do you think not?"
Vlad said nothing, and just allowed his energy to fade from his hands. However, his claws stayed present.
"Although…" the large ghost continued, mockingly surveying the surroundings. "I'm inquisitive as to where your sentry might be."
"I'm alone, Aragon," Vlad answered seriously, keeping his eyes locked on the black dragon in front of him, while keeping the other two in his peripheral vision.
Aragon grinned, purposely showing off his large and sharp teeth. "Is this true? The great and powerful King Plasmius all alone in the middle of nowhere? Do you not think that unwise? Anyone who might have something against you could easily use this opportunity to rid themselves of you."
"Are you threatening me?" Plasmius asked, now glaring at the dragon leader.
Aragon chuckled in response, but then suddenly the stone around his neck lit brighter, and in a flash, his form changed into a 'humanoid' appearance. He floated closer to the King, until he was face to face with him. "That is what it seems, is it not? But you see, I do not threaten. It is a waste of valuable time. If I was going to kill you, I would have by now. Ergo, you have no necessity of those," he ended with a smirk, pointing towards the King's claws.
"I know why you're here," Vlad spoke up, ignoring the dragon leader's words.
"Do you now?" Aragon responded lightly, before his red eyes narrowed. "So then I am certain that you have a suitable justification as to why you had the impudence of treating my mate like some common villain, and you can also inform me of the whereabouts of my offspring."
"As I said to Altiĝis, I was not aware of her detainment, and I do not know where your son is."
"I do not like your response," Aragon hissed, his face suddenly becoming slightly reptilian while his snake-like tongue momentarily slithered out of his mouth.
"And what would you like me to say?" Vlad answered back, keeping his tone leveled. "Do you want an apology for the misunderstandings with your wife? Done. You have my apologies. As for your son. As I told Altiĝis, I will do what I can to help you find him."
Aragon stared coldly at the king for a moment. But then floated past him and began circling him in a leisurely manner. "I'll let Altiĝis know of your admission of guilt. I'm sure she will… consider it. However, I do not. Your words are insignificant to me. You see, they have not undone your impertinent behavior and they have not brought me my offspring's return. It's truly simple. You return my son to me, and then I'll consider granting you pardon."
"You're being absurd, Aragon!" Vlad said angrily, turning to look at him as the dragon leader continued to circle him like he was prey. "I do not know where your son is! And you have no justification for blaming me for his disappearance!"
Aragon stopped in front of Plasmius and shook his finger in his face, like a father scolding a small child. "Tsk-Tsk. Rule number one for any ruler: Everything that happens in your kingdom you are held accountable for. Therefore, since you are the ruler of this entire world. I am blaming you for your Sheriff's incompetence! I'm blaming you for my son's disappearance. And if something has happened to him, I will blame you!" Aragon roared back.
"I tolerated your wife's disrespect. I will not tolerate yours," Vlad said icily.
The two dragons on the king's side began to growl upon hearing his words. But Aragon held up a hand, silencing them.
"At last you show your true colors. Are you going to have me locked up for speaking the truth? Or do you plan on slaying me yourself?" he asked darkly.
Plasmius quickly raised one his clawed-hands and aimed a single claw to Aragon's chest. "If I wanted to do either, I would not have bothered with our agreement," he said angrily before retracting his claws and floating past him.
But the dragon leader was not through just yet. In an instant, he returned to his true dragon form and used his tail to cut off the king's exit. "Your innocent act will not work for you forever, My King,"Aragon growled, craning his long neck so that his face was back in front of Vlad's. "Your deceitful lies may have convinced my sister, but they will never convince me. Still, I do not care what you do as long as you keep away from my kin. But now one of my two sons is missing, and until he is returned to me, you and I are enemies, understood?"
Vlad gazed soberly at him and answered. "I'm not your enemy and I never will be. But I cannot keep you from believing so. Still, I will help you find your child, Aragon. And you have my permission to roam the kingdom's territory to continue your search. Now step aside."
"Am I supposed to be grateful?" the dragon leader sneered, ignoring the King's request.
"Of course not. You are incapable of such a thing," he answered back, crossing his arms.
Aragon roared in anger and steam began pouring out of his mouth and nostrils. "You dare insult me?! Have you forgotten where you stand? I could snap you in half!"
"THEN DO IT!" Plasmius suddenly screamed, stunning all three dragons.
Aragon fell silent, his angry look turning sober. But then he scoffed, "Childish vigor… Pathetic," he said in disgust, before looking to the other two ghosts and making a gesture to them.
The two ghosts instantly flapped their wings, extinguishing the ring of fire, and then flying to their leader's side.
Vlad said nothing, nor did he move. He was so angry that he knew if he did anything it would be to lash out at the arrogant, narrow-minded ghost in front of him. And he knew that if he did that, the entire kingdom would be affected by the repercussions. It is why the dragon leader also didn't dare attack the ghost king. Neither would benefit from getting into a physical dispute.
Aragon turned to leave with his kin, but not before adding in a calm voice. "You still have much to learn, King Plasmius. You don't seem to realize how vulnerable your position makes you. Trust me when I tell you, you have much to lose. But allow me to give you a bit of advice from a leader to a leader and a father to a father: Take better care of yourself. It would be a shame that you miss your son's coronation someday just because your carelessness got you killed…" He turned as he added with a cruel smirk, "Much like your own parents."
Vlad's rage snapped with Aragon's last words; and with a growl, he lunged towards the dragon leader with extended claws. But before he could even reach him, the other two dragons breathed out fire towards him.
The King instinctively withdrew as a large wall of searing flames formed inches from his face. A dark laugh echoed in his ears as he watched the vague forms of the three dragons fly off into the distance.
For a moment Vlad just glared at the fire. It was times like these he hated being who he was.
With an angry sigh, he retracted his claws, and flew away from the wall of fire, continuing towards his intended destination.
He rubbed his eyes tiredly as the dragon leader's words rang in his mind.
"Everything that happens in your kingdom you are held accountable for."
Vlad sighed. "I hope you find that child, Skulker," he whispered worriedly.
"Indeed, this is a serious matter," Frostbite declared after hearing the King inform him of the missing dragon offspring.
Vlad just nodded soberly, his arms crossed in front of him. He had decided to keep his… 'encounter' with Aragon to himself. There was no point in causing anymore conflict by doing otherwise.
"I'm saddened to say that neither I, nor my brethren have sighted the young creature. However, we shall gladly help in the search," the leader of the Far Frozen continued.
"Your help will be greatly appreciated, " Vlad answered with a smile. "But there is something else I need of you. It's why I came."
Frostbite nodded and smiled. "I'm here to serve you in any way you wish, My Great King."
"The Infi-Map, Frostbite. I must see it," Plasmius stated almost anxiously.
"But of course!" he replied, "I may be the map's guardian, but it will always be at your disposal." Frostbite placed a hand on Vlad's back, escorting him towards an ice cavern as he added, "Now, is there a specific place you need to go, My Great King?"
"Actually, it's not why I want to see it," the ghost king informed the other ghost. "I want to make sure all the ghost portals are secured. I need to know how likely it is that Aragon's son might have gone through one."
"Not very likely," Frostbite answered with a frown. He then approached a chest, opened it, and finally pulled out a glowing green map that held an outer pink hue around it. "Queen Desiree's spell has sealed all our world's portals, except for the largest five. And as you can see, the spell remains intact."
Frostbite handed the map to Plasmius just as the king nodded in response to his comment. Vlad knew that the only thing keeping the ghost portals sealed was the spell his wife had placed on them ten years ago. She had used the Infi-Map because this was the best way to get to all the portals in the kingdom all at once. The mysterious and powerful parchment not only revealed the location of all the portals found in the ghost world, but also, could take you to them in seconds. Placing the spell directly on the Infi-Map had spread her magic all across the portals everywhere, sealing them. Well, except, of course, for the largest five.
But even with the map's help, it had not been an easy task. However, since the Queen was the most powerful mage in the ghost world, she pulled it off perfectly.
The King walked over to a nearby table and unrolled the precious parchment on top of it. His wife's spell was indeed still intact. The pink hue around it was solid proof.
"So you have found no changes in the portals?" Vlad asked, studying the map.
"No, My Great King," Frostbite answered, walking up along side of him. "I am constantly monitoring them. And as I said, they are all still closed, except for those five. But… they are well guarded, are they not?"
"Yes," Vlad answered with a troubled sigh. "These two here--the one in Amity Park and the other in the Bermuda Triangle-- are guarded by Walker's troops," he said, pointing at the two locations on the map. "And these two other ones located in Berlin and Alaska are guarded by Nocturne's army, the Sleep-Walkers."
"I see…" Frostbite replied, looking at the map himself. "But all four of these are nowhere near the dragon land. And it's just not likely for a child to travel that far." The ghost paused in thought for a moment, before suddenly speaking again. "What of the fifth open portal? This one here?" he said, pointing at the location on the map, "It leads to some place called Wisconsin. What of this one, My Great King? Is it guarded by the Warden's guards or Nocturne's Sleepwalkers?"
Vlad stayed silent for a moment, before answering soberly, "That one is not guarded at all, Frostbite. But it does not need to be. It is sealed from the other side, from the human's side. No ghost can go through it unless they know how. It is secured."
Frostbite raised a curious eyebrow. "Sealed from the human's side, you say? How is that possible?"
"Trust me, Frostbite. It's possible," Vlad answered, and then quickly changed the subject, "But I think you're right. It isn't very likely that this child could have gone through any of these five remaining open portals. Or at least not without anyone knowing of it. And no one does from what I've been told."
"Then this is good news! The little one must be somewhere in our world!" the ice ghost beamed.
But Vlad didn't look convinced, even with all the evidence that showed how unlikely it was for the young dragon to have left the ghost world. The King felt there was just something strange about all this. He just couldn't put his finger on what though.
"I hope so, Frostbite…" he finally answered. But then remembering something, his eyes lit up with more worry. "Wait. What about temporary openings? Desiree's spell has reduced their formation, but they are still possible. Have any formed in the past five days?"
Frostbite's eyebrows creased in thought. "I do monitor the portals through the Infi-Map constantly… However, it's quite difficult to be sure, Your Excellency. If a temporary portal was to form, it usually remains open for mere seconds. Therefore, unless I was looking at the Infi-map at the precise moment one did open, no one would ever know of it. So my answer must unfortunately be: I have not caught sight of any temporary portals opening, My Great King."
Vlad just silently stared at the map; then after a moment, he said with slight defeat, "Alright." He lifted up the map from the table, but did not roll it up, and looked up at the ice ghost. "Frostbite, I would like to take the map with me. I'm going to ask Desiree to reinforce her spell on it, just to be safe. I will return it to you early tomorrow."
"Of course, My Great King. But please, allow me to save you the burden of traveling such a distance once again. I will instead have one of the Far Frozen travel to your home to retrieve it."
Vlad smiled and nodded. "I would truly appreciate that, Frostbite."
"Done then!" the ghost beamed. "And now that we have dealt with this urgent matter for the moment, allow me to offer my great king a feast! You must be weary and famished after such a journey. And alone? Surely the Queen would not approve." Frostbite ended with a smile.
The King chuckled. "No, I suppose she would not. But I travel faster alone, Frostbite."
"That may be true, but safety is always most important, My Great King."
Plasmius' smile faltered, and hesitantly nodded in response.
The Leader of the Far Frozen gave him an unsure look at seeing the king's reaction to his words. But then he smiled again. "So about that feast…"
Vlad sighed once more, finally remembering he had not eaten since breakfast and it was surely late evening by now. However, he really had no appetite. Plus, he still had one last place to go to before going home.
"How about we leave it for another time?" the King asked. "I still need to speak to Horris, and it's fairly late as it is."
"Alright then. But I will be awaiting your return. Perhaps the Queen and the Prince can join you on your next visit?" Frostbite asked with a warm smile.
Vlad laughed this time, knowing the ice ghost had taken a strong liking to his son from the few times he had seen him. "Of course I will return with them," he answered.
Frostbite laughed with joy and grabbed Plasmius in a strong hug. "Excellent!"
Vlad returned the hug, and as he let go, he smiled and said, "Ta for now, then?"
"Yes! We will see one another very soon! And please send my greetings to the Queen and young Prince!"
Vlad nodded. "I will be sure to do just that." He then looked down at the Infi-Map and asked, "Take me to the Head Ancient's home."
In a flash, the map lit a bright green and shot forward with Vlad. It moved the King so fast across the ghost world he looked to be nothing more than a beam of green light.
An instant later, Plasmius was at his desired destination. Rolling up the map, Vlad looked up at the Ancient leader's abode and walked towards it.
He hoped he could make this short. But the King knew the Ancient inside would not take the matter of the dragon offspring lightly.
However, he was certain the wise ghost would give him some sort of direction on how to handle this matter. And Vlad certainly needed a bit of guidance at the moment. And Horris was always dependable for it. Yes, he was annoying at times, but in the end, the Ghost King had to admit the Head Ancient always did things with the best intentions for him. After all, the ghost had always seen him as a son. And Horris was really all Vlad had left to that of a father.
By the time the Ghost King arrived at his palace, the swirling energy novas outside were a deep dark purple, signifying it was late at night. Talking to the Head Ancient had helped him decide what he needed to do if Skulker did not find the dragon offspring in their world. Sadly, his decision meant he would be spending some time away from his family, but he had no other choice. Being king meant having to take on the responsibility for everyone around him, even those whom he did not appeal to.
The Queen, Vlad knew, would be saddened if he had to leave for even a short time, but he knew she'd understand. Desiree recognized that being married to a king meant he would have to put others before her at times, even before their son. It didn't make the King or Queen happy, but it was necessary sometimes.
Vlad sighed tiredly as he made his way to his matrimonial chambers. Horris had told him he would talk with Clockwork and the Observants about this matter. However, both the King and the Head Ancient knew that getting their aid in this matter was very unlikely. But then again, the Observants did not really look at the human world as closely as they did the ghost world. And even when they did, it was only from time-to-time. Therefore, they might not know anything about this event.
Now, who was constantly watching was Clockwork. However, his ties to the Obervants kept him from revealing too much.
Still, the Time Ghost constantly gave Vlad subtle answers or advice. If he asked, the King knew he could trust the Time Master to at least point him in the right direction. Vlad was sure that Clockwork would never hold anything from him that would cause irreversible damage.
A yawn suddenly escaped Vlad, effectively pushing his thoughts aside. He was truly exhausted! All he wanted to do was go to bed!
But when he walked into the matrimonial bedroom his fatigue, worry, and everything else instantly left him. He smiled as he took in the sight before him.
His wife was snuggled up with Danny in her arms, and both were sound asleep. It was truly endearing.
He walked up to her, before leaning down and kissing her cheek. Being that she was a light sleeper, Desiree's eyes slowly opened, and she smiled tiredly at him.
"Hmm, Vlad, where have you been?" she whispered.
"Taking care of a few things. I'll tell all about it tomorrow," he answered just as softly. His eyes traveled over to their son for a moment, before looking back at her and asking amusedly, "So does this mean I've been replaced?"
Desiree smiled as she closed her eyes and brought Danny closer. "I couldn't get him to fall asleep, so I brought him to bed with me," she answered.
"Then let's not risk having him wake. I'll see you in the morning, my dear."
"Alright," she said sleepily, "I love you," she added when her husband kissed her.
"And I you, Des," he answered, caressing her for a moment. Vlad then softly kissed his son, before whispering to him, "Good night, Daniel."
With a last tender smile towards his family, the Ghost King left the room and headed to his private one. There was no harm in letting Daniel sleep with his mother for just tonight…
Well, that's all for now! Feed me your thoughts, kay? Take care!!