In the next few days, Oriana and Arlan finally reached Agartha. Oriana, exhausted from the journey, found strength with Snowflake by her side.
"Finally, we are here," Yorian announced, as they faced the dense forest and the rocky walls beyond, giving the impression that the land ended there.
"I don’t see anything," Oriana murmured, standing by Arlan’s side, her small hand enveloped in his.
Yorian flicked his fingers, and the world around them changed in a heartbeat. Gone was the ordinary, replaced by a realm straight out of a fairy tale. They stood at the edge of a vast, magical land brimming with life and color.
Before them spread a landscape of lush greenery, shimring under the golden glow of the sun. In the distance, majestic mountains rose, their peaks gently caressed by delicate, wispy clouds. Waterfalls cascaded gracefully from the heights, their clear waters feeding into winding rivers that sparkled like liquid crystal.
Flowery fields unfurled in every direction, a living tapestry of vibrant blooms swaying in a gentle breeze. Butterflies, their wings a kaleidoscope of colors, danced through the air, adding to the enchantnt. Birds sang sweet, harmonious lodies, filling the air with their joyous chorus.
Small, wild animals darted here and there, their playful antics adding a touch of whimsy to the scene. It was as if all the colors and emotions of the world had co together in this one magical place, creating a perfect symphony of beauty and wonder.
Oriana, tired of the endless white snowy mountains from the past few days, felt her eyes finally relax at the sight of this vibrant landscape. She feared she might soon forget how the world looked with all its colors. She felt like stepping inside a living painting, a world far contrast with world of humans.
"Am I dreaming?" Oriana asked, letting go of Arlan’s hand and walking ahead.
Arlan, equally surprised, had never expected such a beautiful place to be hidden away from the world. Despite traveling the entire continent with Drayce, he had never found this place. It seed the king of Agartha had truly protected it well, making it undiscoverable unless allowed.
"We are in Agartha," Yorian confird.
"Can I stay here forever?" Oriana couldn’t help but ask.
Yorian chuckled. "Of course, as long as the King of Agartha and the council mbers have no objections to keeping another Dragon and his mate here."
"I will go ahead," Sierra spoke, then disappeared from sight.
"In just a few steps, how can there be such a drastic change in view and weather? I no longer feel cold," Oriana asked, bewildered.
"The atmospheric conditions here are maintained by magic within a protective shield, making this place habitable. Without it, Agartha would be buried under snow," Yorian explained.
"Creating a different world using powers like this is sothing I could never have imagined."
"Being supernatural has its perks. King Draven and other powerful supernaturals contributed their powers to create it."
"You too?" Oriana asked.
"Of course."
Just then, two winged n landed in front of them, startling Oriana. Her eyes widened at the sight of the half-naked, well-built males whose large wings stirred the air like a miniature storm. Their majestic blue wings folded behind them as they bowed to the group.
"High Elf Yorian," they greeted.
Yorian accepted the greeting with a nod and turned to the astonished Oriana. "They are mbers of the Divine Eagle Clan. They patrol the kingdom from the sky and keep an eye on everything happening around."
"When you told about them, I didn’t really believe you," Oriana comnted.
The two winged n dropped to their knees, bowing deeply to Arlan and Oriana. "Divine Dragon, and Queen of Witches, Your Eminence, please accept our greetings."
Oriana was taken aback, while Arlan remained unfazed. As the superior Divine Beast Dragon, he knew that other divine beasts were bound to submit to him. The beast within him instinctively considered them lower in status; this was the natural order within the beast clans.
"Rise," Arlan commanded, and the two winged n promptly obeyed.
"You two can leave. I will escort the guests to the palace," Yorian instructed, and the two eagles departed.
Oriana turned to Arlan. "You can command them even though this is your first ti here, and it’s not your kingdom?"
"I am superior to them. If they don’t submit, they are challenging my authority as the superior divine beast. In that case, I would have to show them their place," Arlan replied.
"Do you look down on them?" Oriana asked.
"Not , but the beast inside . It’s instinctual and unchangeable."
"Well, I don’t mind if my husband is superior," she chuckled with pride.
"If you two are done, shall we head to the palace?" Yorian interjected.
Arlan nodded, and with a swift movent, they disappeared from the spot, reappearing in the garden of King Draven’s palace.
"Finally, you are here," a sweet voice welcod them as a figure clad in simple yet elegant light blue dress walked toward them.
"Lady Evanthe," Oriana greeted her imdiately, clearly happy to see a familiar face.
Evanthe offered her a gentle smile. "Welco to Agartha, Queen of Witches, Your Eminence Oriana."
"Lady Evanthe, please treat like before," Oriana said, feeling uncomfortable with the change in her title. "I may be queen for others, but I know that for the previous queen, I am not above her. I will always be your junior."
"Alright," Evanthe replied. "So, Oriana, I hope your journey here was not too troubleso."
"Lord Yorian managed it well for us."
Evanthe turned to Arlan. "Good to see you here, Prince Arlan."
Arlan offered her a polite bow. "I don’t see Dray here."
"Once a Dragon marks his mate, where can he be?" Evanthe chuckled. "I’m afraid you will have to wait to et your friend."
"Wait, King Drayce has marked Seren?" Oriana asked, turning to Arlan. "You didn’t tell ."
"Things kept us busy," Arlan answered. "It slipped my mind."
"You can et them later," Evanthe said. "It’s early morning. You two can first rest in the guest residence, and later on, you will et the King."
They agreed, and Yorian guided them toward the guest residence, built away from the main palace where the King and his mate lived.
As they walked, Yorian explained, "I have arranged for you both to stay at the guest mansion, which was recently built specifically for guests like you. After King Drayce, you are the second guest here, Prince Arlan."
Arlan understood Yorian’s aning, while Oriana felt puzzled. "What do you an by ’guests like us,’ Lord Yorian?" she asked.
"Dragons are territorial, and no other dragon is allowed to enter their territory, especially when they have a mate. This palace you see, you can call it a Dragon’s nest. Your husband is a Dragon, so he is not allowed to step inside where the other Dragon and his mate reside. King Draven is humanized and can tolerate it a little, so you are at least allowed to be in the guest mansion. Otherwise, your husband wouldn’t have been allowed to step inside the boundary of this palace."
"Oh, I didn’t know this," Oriana said. "Then once Arlan marks , can we stay here if it’s not his own residence, or I must say, nest?" Oriana found it a little odd to call her ho a nest, feeling like she was talking about an animal or bird. Well, her husband, a dragon, could be considered an animal, right?
"A beast has to have his own place or build it before marking the female so they can live there," Yorian replied. "So, your husband will be quite busy for a while building a nest for you."
"Has King Drayce done it for Seren as well?" she asked.
"Yes, King Drayce, or shall I say Erebus, has built a place, and both are staying there," Yorian answered.
Oriana looked at Arlan, who had been unusually calm since they arrived at the palace.
"Arlan, why are you so quiet?" she asked.
"It’s nothing," he answered and continued to walk quietly.
Oriana turned to the elf, and Yorian chuckled playfully. "Your husband’s beast instincts are kicking in," he explained.
"What do you an?" she asked.
"He can sense another Dragon’s presence here, one he is not familiar with. Being inside that unfamiliar Dragon’s territory with you, his mate, is making him uncomfortable. But he can handle it, so don’t worry," Yorian said.
Oriana held Arlan’s hand. "You don’t feel this way when King Drayce is with us. Don’t worry, I’m sure you will get used to King Draven’s presence as well."
Arlan simply held her hand, and they reached the guest mansion. Arlan’s Dragon wished to take Oriana away from another Dragon’s territory, but Arlan controlled his beast instincts.
In this unknown place, staying here was better for Oriana’s safety, as he was not sure what kinds of other beasts resided in this kingdom. He first needed to be familiar with this place to take Oriana away from here.
===
Note- To know more about the kingom of Agartha, a world of supernaturals, kindly read the 3rd book of the series- The Devil’s Cursed Witch. A story of a Black Dragon, Draven Aramis and His mate Ember, a fallen diety of fire elent.
A novel is available on Webnovel app only and you can find it in Author’s profile- mynovel20.
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