Chapter 69 - Playful Prince

"Are you sure the king passed through this way?" Michael asked. He was behind Rachel and Julia as they walked to find his father.

Julia stopped and looked around. She was also doubting as there were no horse trail. She was following Rachel just because she trusted her but now that Michael had spit it out. She was moved back.

"Why did you say that?" Julia asked Michael.

"The tracks. There were no tracks. How could they disappear so early?" he stopped

"We better keep moving, we should get to your father before he get roasted" Rachel summoned them.

"We should stop before we move farther away in the wrong direction" Michael hesitated.

"If we are seeing a lot of tracks out here. I will stop because that definitely means we are on the wrong path. My Lord, how much do you know your father?" Rachel asked him unnecessarily.

That had nothing to do with the right or wrong path. Julia thought.

"He obviously know his father more than I know you, mother" Julia quickly intervened as she noticed that Michael couldn't come up with an answer.

"Anyway, I am not saying I know your father more than you but if you know him a lot. You should know that he is an expert in covering his tracks. Can we continue?" Rachel asked casually. It seemed she was catching fun all along.

"I think we should just trust her, Michael" Julia whispered.

"Does he always have issues trusting people like you?" Rachel asked just to let them know she heard them.

"I don't think I can trust you, old lady" Michael refused to continue. He held Julia to stop her.

"We should follow her lead" Julia pointed to her for Michael to see that she had not stop to wait for them.

They both hurriedly followed her.

Rachel stopped ahead after walking for a while. It seemed she couldn't identify the way. She was looking at all directions one after the other.

"Mother, what is it?" Julia asked calmly.

"I think the sorcerer we are going to meet has done something to bar us out" Rachel said cluelessly.

"So what are we going to do now?" Julia inquired.

"We are done for. We don't know which way to take again. Honestly, you have not been very impressive as a sorcerer" Michael whined. He looked away from both of them.

Rachel did not seem like she would get them out of this place.

Julia sighed. She didn't know what else to do.

"There are three paths here. Two are not real and we are three" Rachel let out like she was happy.

"Good idea, we should just split up" Michael concluded and walked towards one of the path.

"No. We are not splitting up. We are going to find the right path. The three of us are going to do that together" Rachel took a twig and broke it into three. She mumbled like she was chanting.

She later gave one twig each to Julia and Michael. She held on to one.

"Now choose a path each" she instructed them.

Julia pointed to a path directly in front of her. It was Michael's turn to choose a path. He hesitated.

"Choose, a, path!" Rachel emphasized.

"I choose the same path she chose" Michael reiterated.

Rachel stared at him for some moment. Julia and Michael were startled by her weird stare. They couldn't understand her.

"Playful prince, this is not a joke. Your father is on the verge of death. Maybe this is the time to be serious" she scolded him.

"This one should do, right" he pointed to another path.

"So I chose the one I am left with" Rachel closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Her lips danced as she continued mumbling.

She opened her eyes afterwards. She laughed before saying anything.

"Now check your twig" she sighed and breathed slowly letting out air to get calmness.

"I can't find my own" Michael cried out.

"Likewise me" Rachel consoled him. "That means we both chose the false path" she waved at Julia. "You chose the right path" she winked at her.

"Is that why my twig become longer?" Julia showed her long twig to her.

"I chose that path too, remember?" Michael reminded them. "I would have gotten a long twig by now if you have not forced me to change it" he whined.

"Give him the long twig, Julia. That should keep his mouth shut till we find his father" she said to Julia.

"Both of you are getting along well" Julia handed the twig to Michael.

**********

The Alpha King laughed as he saw Quentin appeared in his front.

"Where is your sword? That is what real men use to fight. Unless you are not a real man" he mocked Quentin.

"You want to know what a real man is. I will show you right now. And remind me when you are about to breathe your last. The conspiracy surrounding your death" Quentin breathed heavily. He was obviously sad.

"Real man? You don't have what it takes to be a real man. You lack it. To be a real man start from childhood. Once you pass the acquisition period. You have lost everything" the Alpha King was having the upper hand as Quentin seemed to be getting sadder.

"Are you real, Henry?" Quentin shook his head pitifully. "l will like to know the real you" he laughed hysterically. He was obviously trying to compose himself.

"Being a man of your words is one of the qualities of a real man. You said the remedy will be brought along. I see nothing like that on you, Quentin" the Alpha king revealed what he had noticed.

"I'm sure after you hear the story I have for you. You will see there is no need for the remedy" he laughed.

"If you are planning to tell me my son wanted to kill me and you think that will make me condemn him to death. You are mistaking, a grave one" the Alpha King was confident nothing would make him regret his decision.

"I feel like killing you yesterday" he blew out.

"Come and take my life" the Alpha King opened his arms wide like he was waiting for a hug.

Quentin was not coming close as he expected instead he was mumbling some words. After a lot of useless mumblings, he started laughing.

"Now we will know the real man between yog and your...." Quentin pointed to a direction.

The Alpha King turned towards there and saw his replica coming towards him, cladded in the same armor as him and wielding same sword.

"Tricks, that is all you always do" the Alpha King summed up courage and moved toward his replica.

"Whether it's trick or not. I will know after the showdown. You can start" Quentin waved at both of then and leaned on a tree close to him. He positioned himself to watch them.

"I will end you right here right now" the replica fumed.

"No. You are not real. You do not exist" the Alpha King said to assure himself. He could feel himself as the replica kept coming close to him.

He closed his eyes thinking he had only been seeing the content in his mind. He felt the breeze of sword movement coming onto his shoulder.

He blocked with his sword. There was a loud clashing of sword as his replica had aimed for his shoulder. He opened his eyes. This seemed too real.

The replica kept pressing down the sword down on his shoulder. He was too strong for him. This was definitely real. The replica he was fighting with was real.

The Alpha King kicked his replica in the belly. They both fell on their backs. The replica was back on his feet instantly.

"Are you a real man, Henry?" Quentin was obviously making jest of him. "Let the real kill the unreal quickly. I don't have much time" he continued mocking him.

"I will end you right here, right now" he repeated what he had said earlier. It seemed that was the only thing the replica could say.

"No you are the one that will meet his end right here" the Alpha King moved slowly to the replica's flank.

"I will end you right here, right now" the replica repeated again.

"Quentin, you are such a poor conjurer. Can't you make him say another thing?" the Alpha King dissed him.

"Another thing like what?" Quentin laughed.

"Like the man who conjured me was nothing but a fool. I would love to hear him say that" the Alpha King also laughed at his own joke.

"I'm sure in the next few minutes you won't be able to laugh like that" Quentin made his hand into a fist. He threw it into the air in front of him.

The replica rushed at the Alpha King. He aimed for his belly. The Alpha King obstructed but it was late. He had already cut him on the side. He fell to the ground and bled.

"It takes more than that to fall me" he stood back on his feet shakily.