Dragon King: Throne of Demons and Gods-Chapter 24: A Game of Puppets and Shadows

Sienna and Will exchanged a glance, their expressions uncertain. Crest sighed heavily, rubbing his temple before finally giving a reluctant nod.

"Fine, let's just go already," he muttered.

Dusteria exhaled softly in relief. At least one thing was going according to plan.

They turned toward the palace gates, ready to begin their excursion through Eldoria.

But as they moved forward, they noticed Bel standing a few steps behind, his golden eyes scanning his surroundings with absentminded interest.

Sienna frowned, taking a step toward him.

"Bel? You okay? We should get going."

Bel hesitated. His gaze flicked toward the bustling streets beyond the courtyard before shifting back to the group.

Dusteria huffed, crossing her arms as she tapped her foot impatiently.

"Ugh, stop standing there like an idiot. Just come already, we're wasting time."

Bel turned to her, unimpressed.

"Waste time. That's exactly why I don't want to follow you."

The group fell silent, watching as he took a step back. His expression was neutral, but there was a quiet determination in his eyes.

"I have something to do. I'll go my own way."

Sienna blinked, confused.

"What? But we're supposed to go together."

Bel shrugged.

"Says who? I'm special, right? That means I should be free to do as I please. Especially when people refuse to let me go."

Crest frowned, his grip tightening slightly at his sides. Will exhaled sharply through his nose, rolling his shoulders as if the entire situation was nothing but a waste of time. Sienna, on the other hand, shifted uncomfortably, glancing between Bel and the rest of the group.

Dusteria hesitated. A part of her wanted to insist, but then she caught sight of Crest's irritated expression. Seeing the way he relaxed at Bel's choice, she made her decision.

She lifted her chin and crossed her arms.

"Fine. Do as you please."

Sienna turned to her, stunned.

"Dusteria???"

Bel, however, did not seem offended. Instead, he smirked and gave Dusteria a small nod.

"Thanks."

And with that, he turned and strode toward the city, disappearing behind the gates. Sienna watched him go, still baffled, and then she turned back to Dusteria.

"What's wrong with you?"

Dusteria glanced at Crest, who appeared completely unconcerned with Bel's departure. She squared her shoulders, her voice colder than before.

"I don't like people who hurt my friends."

Will scoffed, rolling his shoulders.

"Good riddance."

Sienna exhaled deeply. This would clearly annoy the Duke, but there was nothing she could do. With Bel gone, the group entamed their walk through the capital.

Bel stepped through the grand gates of the palace and into the open streets of Eldoria, the beating heart of the kingdom.

For the first time, he was free to walk its vast roads, and more than anything, he was free from the watchful eyes following his every move.

The moment his boots met the stone pavement, a world far removed from the isolated duchy unfolded before him.

The capital was a breathtaking collision of grandeur and disorder, where wealth and tradition stood shoulder to shoulder with the raw energy of city life.

Towering marble buildings framed the streets, their facades draped in banners bearing noble crests, marking the influence of the aristocracy.

The nobles themselves were a spectacle, adorned in embroidered silks and jewels; they walked through the streets with grace, their conversations thick with court intrigue.

Some strode with dismissive arrogance, their noses lifted as they ignored the common folk, while others offered polite nods, disguising their indifference behind thin smiles.

Yet, beyond the noble splendor, the city was alive with energy.

Vendors called out from colorful stalls, selling exotic spices, enchanted trinkets, and rich fabrics. The air carried a mix of sizzling meats, fresh bread, and sharp alchemical scents.

The hum of conversation, the clang of blacksmiths at work, and the distant trill of a lute blended into a chaotic yet mesmerizing symphony of urban life.

Bel moved through the streets, absorbing everything with his keen gaze. His golden eyes flickered between the towering spires and the intricate district signs, searching for directions. Somewhere within this sprawling maze lay the royal library, his gateway to unlocking the mysteries of magic.

Navigating Eldoria was an adventure on its own. The noble sector bled into the merchant quarter, then into the bustling common square, where people from all walks of life gathered.

It was here that Bel's steps slowed, his attention caught by an unusual sight: a small crowd encircling a makeshift stage.

The platform, little more than an old wooden board raised above the cobblestones, housed an intricate miniature theater, complete with delicate furniture carved to resemble a grand stage.

At the center of the spectacle stood a peculiar figure.

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The puppeteer was an enigma, a tall, slender individual clad in a patchwork of white and black, his face painted in exaggerated expressions of a mime, yet dressed with the whimsical flair of a clown.

Something about him was... off. His movements were too smooth, his posture too poised, as if he were merely pretending to obey the rules of human motion.

The true marvel, however, was his puppets.

With a mere flick of their gloved hands, the tiny wooden figures sprang to life, moving without strings. They leapt, bowed, and twirled across the miniature stage with unsettling fluidity, their carved faces locked in eternal masks of laughter and sorrow.

It was magic, an effortless, eerie kind of magic.

The puppeteer's voice rang out, rich and theatrical.

"Welcome, welcome, dear guests! You stand before a humble storyteller, a mere whisper of entertainment in this grand city. But what is a story without its audience, without a choice?"

With a dramatic flourish, the phenomenon lifted his hands, and a flurry of cards burst from his fingers, spinning through the air as if caught in a sudden burst of wind.

The enchanted slips of paper twisted and danced, descending toward the audience. Most of the spectators flinched, too startled to react in time.

The cards fluttered past their outstretched hands, slipping through their fingers or falling to the ground.

But one hand, moving on instinct, caught a card with effortless precision.

Bel.

He blinked, lowering his gaze to the card now resting between his fingers. His brows furrowed as he studied the image upon it.

A humanoid thing, a sort of lizardman, caught mid-motion. Yet something about it was grotesque. The figure was not whole. Severed limbs lay scattered across the illustration, blades slicing through flesh and scale, freezing the scene in a moment of brutal execution.

A slow breath escaped Bel's nose, his fingers tightening slightly around the card. Something about it felt disturbingly familiar, though he couldn't quite place why.

The puppeteer's voice cut through his thoughts like a whisper laced with laughter.

"Well, well, what a fine selection."

Bel lifted his gaze, meeting the performer's painted smile. His lips curved, but his hollowed eyes held something deeper.

"A very good choice indeed."

The puppeteer lifted his gloved hands, his painted smile widening as the miniature stage darkened. A hush fell over the gathered crowd, the playful light of the city dimming, as if the world itself leaned in to listen.

"Once upon a time," he began, his voice lilting, dancing like a whisper carried by the wind, "there were two kinds of creatures: the creatures of light, and the beasts of darkness."

With a flick of his wrist, a purple flame ignited, casting eerie shadows across the tiny wooden figures. One side of the stage was filled with marionettes, their strings barely visible, their delicate limbs jerking with unnatural grace. On the other side, shadow puppets flickered against the backdrop, their edges curling and shifting as though they were alive.

"The world was a grand stage, and these two kinds danced their endless dance, pulling strings, casting shadows, one ruling the land, the other lurking in the naught. But in the great war between them, there was... a third."

A new figure emerged from the miniature theater, a bigger wooden carving of a beast. A lizard-like king, its jagged teeth bared, its hollow eyes filled with hunger.

"The Monster King," the puppeteer whispered, snapping his fingers.

A red spark ignited beneath the puppet's gaping mouth, tiny droplets of crimson liquid spilling forth like blood.

The crowd gasped as the puppet moved, not by strings, not by shadow, but of its own accord, jerking forward, its wooden jaw snapping at the air.

"He was neither creature nor beast, neither ruled nor ruler. He was... hungry. He did not pull the strings. He did not cast the shapes. He simply devoured."

A small wooden puppet, dressed in regal robes, wobbled onto the stage. It barely had time to bow before the monstrous king's jaws snapped shut over it, leaving only a red splash.

The figure vanished into splinters, swallowed whole.

"The creatures feared him, for he did not obey the strings. The beasts despised him, for he cast no reflection. Yet the Monsters King cared for neither. He walked among them, feeding, feasting, growing ever larger, ever more terrible."

The crowd watched, enthralled and uneasy, as the puppeteer waved his hand, and the miniature theater twisted.

The small stage became a battleground, puppets of both kinds falling like leaves in a storm. Some were swallowed whole, others crushed beneath clawed feet.

The flames around the stage flickered wildly, shifting from purple to an eerie blue.

"Both sides trembled. For how does one fight a thing that has no master? That obeys no law?"

A slow grin spread across the puppeteer's painted lips.

"So the puppets devised a trick."

From the stage, two figures emerged. A lone marionette, its limbs stiff and fragile, and a shadow puppet, its form shifting, flickering at the edges.

They stood before the king, trembling, their movements sluggish.

"A puppet with a hollow chest, and a shadow with a hollow heart. They walked to the king's throne, offering themselves as a final feast."

The monstrous puppet lunged forward, his wooden maw swallowing them in a single bite. The puppeteer clapped his hands together, and a violent gust of wind burst forth from the stage, scattering embers into the air.

The moment the two were inside the beast's belly, the stage trembled. The king's movements slowed. His great form wavered. His claws twitched.

"For they were poisoned, you see." The puppeteer's voice dropped to a whisper. "Not with venom, not with blade. But with ruin."

The puppet king let out a silent scream, its wooden limbs convulsing, its frame cracking from the inside. The marionette reached outward. The shadow pulsed. They grew from within him, ripping, tearing, splitting him apart from the inside out.

Crack.

A fissure split the king's chest.

Snap.

His wooden arms splintered, breaking at the joints.

With a final crackling sound, the mighty lizardman was torn asunder. Seven jagged pieces lay scattered across the stage.

The puppeteer waved a hand, and the pieces began to glow, pulsing with a deep, sickly red light.

"The creatures took some. The beasts took the rest. Never again would the king be whole, never again would he devour. And so... the story ends."

The lights above flickered back to life, casting warmth over the audience once more. The puppeteer bowed deeply, his painted smile never wavering.

"But beware, dear listeners," he murmured, his voice smooth as silk. "For the most dangerous part of a story... is it's origin. And for the story you get, a truth lie in a grave."