Chapter Eighty Nine

H Y P O C R I S Y : TYING UP LOOSE ENDS

 

Osiris sat alone in a small lounge with a tea set laid out on display. Hina entered quietly.

“Hello, I’m Hina-”

“Have a seat nana.”

Hina swallowed and went to sit across from him.

He was leaning back lazily with his feet spread and mouth busy chewing on a long cookie.

“Everyone has something to say today.”

He looked tired.

“Can I get you anything?”

Old habits. She loves her children, but she loves her grandchildren even more.

Osiris looked at her with unreadable eyes.

“Did you really not know.”

“I didn’t.”

Osiris’s face, which was neutral up until this point, turned ugly. He looks like Kina when he’s mad.

She had a temper.

Kekoa had one too, but Kina was on a level she could never control. Then she ran.

“What’s making you upset? Shouldn’t that be me?”

His face was back and he was looking at her calmly.

He would make a good King.

“I tried to stop Kina from running off with that human, but I cannot control my children anymore than you can.”

“Mine are pretty good. Sometimes annoying.” He didn’t mean that. “But good. Never even had to spank them!”

He sounded proud.

“Beat them up, yeah, but that was for training.”

He’s talking to me.

“How strong are they now?”

Dragons love to gloat about their legacy’s powers.

“Morph and Koa are weak as shit.” He laughed. “They’re not even close to hitting S Rank.”

She sat a little taller.

“I heard the tiger and his little protégé were planning to start a food line with the Purgatory guild. I’m not sure what they mean by food line, but a lot of beings are interested.”

“I’ve been trying to find a way to preserve food for longer periods of time, and with my mana, we can finally do it!” He became excited. “I’m so close to starting a monopoly, it’s wonderful. Capitalism!”

Hina smiled. A dragon is a dragon…. capitalism?

“I’m sure you will do wonderful.”

He settled again.

“Vep, Sunnie, and Fibble are in the upper brackets of S Class now.”

“Are they human?”

“Yes.”

“How old are they?”

He laughed.

“Older than me.”

How cute. So he doesn’t care about their ages. He just takes them as they are. I wish I could meet them.

“Are you happy?”

He startled and sat up straighter.

“What.”

Hina bowed her head and tried again.

“Are you happy? Did Kina treat you well?”

She could feel the room grow hot. So he’s still a fire dragon. Her entire line is fire dragons.

Kina was just albino, like Seth.

Their kind are much darker than the rest of the races. They were browns, blacks, and sometimes green, in human form. Their hair is the color of their true form.

He’s albino too. How rare. Just because Kina was albino didn’t mean Osiris would be too.

“I don’t know. I don’t remember her.”

He answered me.

 

“I’m sure she would have loved you very much.”

 

She took a glance up and his face was washed in pain. He noticed her eyes and fixed his face.

“She would have.”

Hina straightened herself and looked into his eyes.

“So what are your plans for Kekoa’s family.”

She’s been trying to ignore his head that he has strapped on his leg like a jug of water.

“I made a promise to wipe his lineage from this planet.”

“I assumed as much.”

“That includes you.”

She smiled bitterly.

“I know.”

“I still have to find them all, so you have time to scheme, or something.”

She actually laughed.

“That would be pointless.”

“That hasn’t stopped my family.”

It hasn’t.

“I am still a young Queen, so my mistakes are many.” She was only two hundred and thirty seven. Her father died at ten thousand. “But as long as you live, I am content with my legacy.”

 

Osiris frowned.

So it’s a race thing.

He didn’t like the emotions it was bringing up within him. So it only matters if one lives.

“The legacy will die with me.”

He has no plans to have children. Even if I bring up insemination to Seth, I don’t want-

“I know.” She smiled kindly at him. “I can tell.”

“Because I’m gay?”

She laughed.

“No, because it is just how you feel.”

“..”

He looked away from her. So this is what the new chapters were about. Family. Family, fighting, and clashing. After their ten year war he becomes a monarch and learns about his heritage.

What use is it now.

Too little too late. She has her son to thank for that.

“Is that all you wanted to say.”

“Yes.”

“You may leave.”

She left without a word.

Osiris let himself melt into the couch.

So many people are regretting it now.

His father, siblings, his nana.

 

“It’s always a little too late, isn’t it?”

 

No one answered him but the silence.

Back home his family tried to repair the damage they did after he became famous. His mother repented, his step dad, a better man! Or so they said.

They’d still carried the sludge in their eyes every time they thought he wasn’t looking.

I almost let them back in.

Who wouldn’t? They were the only family I knew.

That was what love was to him, back then.

But then they realized reporters pay for gossip and they ruined it all on their own.

To forgive and forget, but how much should I forgive?

None.

Intentions of harm cannot be forgiven.

They didn’t just hurt him.

They tried to kill him.

Just because they are older now does not excuse the past. Osiris chuckled dryly. And none of them have ever said sorry.

“Such a simple thing to do.”

 

They’re only sorry now because they’re as good as dead.

 

He let his head hang off the back of the couch as he started to toss his uncle’s noggin up and down.

“There is only one person I have forgiven.”

He felt Seth try to smother him with love. He smiled.

Unless you’re Seth. And only if you are Seth.

Or my kids..

Everyone else must pay their toll.

It’s not like he can’t form new bonds. He still has a long life ahead of him. Even more, now that I’ve awoken. At ten you gain a bit more time on this planet. Races that die young can live much longer with mana.

“Today is the final day.” He shoved a finger into its eye socket and pushed down on its brain. “Let’s have fun.”

Osiris sat with them.

Axel hasn’t slept since they arrived, and the drugs weren’t helping anymore.

Dad is useless.

He’s been so happy he doesn’t even realize what was happening.

They were fucked.

“So I hear you take the crown next year.”

Osiris sat at the head of the breakfast table, eating whatever Koa put out. He stared at it.

“Go on, eat. I don’t want to force everyone.”

They started to eat.

Darwin was nursing a hangover right next to Osiris. That bastard. He left them the entire two days to fuck and leave his seed in every elf he saw.

I doubt any of them will get pregnant.

Elves conceive slowly, so it would take years before they would even know they were pregnant.

And none will carry a kin of a dying Kingdom.

Especially when their brother is Osiris.

Axel took a bite.

It was good.

It melted in his mouth and he felt parts of his body began to heal, almost like it was washing away his fatigue and brain fog.

“Today we party!” Osiris stood and hit the table. “Or, at least, I will party.”

He snapped and his spell dropped dwarven wine onto the table. It covered every spot that didn’t have food.

 

“What!”

“Yessss!”

“How’d you get so many?!”

 

Axel glared at the other monarchs. He wasn’t even noticed. Useless.

“I know it takes a lot for me to get going, so I assumed it was the same for everyone else.” The thing set up bottles of high brand liquor in front of them. “These are for you guys. I’m sure you all want to feel good, not projectile vomit after a sip.”

They’ve had dwarven bee-

Darwin vomited into his lap.

“I think I’ll-” Osiris shoved a healing potion down his throat. “-stay, hic. I’ll stay.”

He even cleaned up his vomit.

“There there.”

It was sickening.

Axel prayed their mother received the message. It was the only thing he could do before Osiris locked them down. She might be able to do something.

 

Osiris raised a brow at the small hope in his family’s eyes. Thinking of that letter? The SOS. I rewrote it.

She will be waiting when we arrive.

Let them squirm.

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Claudia found the letter a bit odd as she reread it again. Axel wants to show her something? Maybe Mikael is feeling better. He’s been quiet as of late.

Claudia was hopeful.

She’s had to stay by his side ever since Osiris passed.

Good riddance. She sipped on some tea. But Mikael..

He shuts himself in his mind and daydreams. He’s called her Kina a few times too.

She lets it go, especially after he’s feeling good.

“Let’s hope they hurry home tomorrow. I miss them.”

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Osiris watched in amusement as his siblings started to loosen up. They were all drunk and delirious, but they were forgetting about tomorrow.

I wonder how they feel, seeing me be so nice to them.

 

Does it give them hope?

 

Today has to be the day right?! They can’t just keep me here! The orange room said nothing. A door clicked. Adam turned and looked- the latch across from him slightly fell.

ICANTKEEPDOINGTHISPLEASE-

 

Do they feel trapped?

 

‘Please, just let me-’ The bar did not budge. No matter how much he dug, clawed, bit, or kicked, the door would not move. The room started to shrink. He couldn’t breathe. ‘Help! ANYONE, PLEASE! WHAT DID I DO?!’

 

Do they feel scared?

 

The air felt thick. He wanted to vomit. Nothing felt real. Not his hands, not the pain. ‘Am I even real?’ Adam fell to his knees and held his head. Was anything real? Who was he? Adam? HE WASN'T ADAM. THIS BODY WASN'T HIS! ‘I WANT TO GO HOME! please, just let me go home.’

 

Are they-

Seth touched his hand.

Osiris squeezed it before chugging a bottle down in one go. He couldn’t get drunk anymore, but it was tricking everyone else. Almost everyone else. The elf was too busy cleaning up after everyone to drink. No, I was wrong, he is drinking, just not as much.

Osiris watched him steal a chug off of Darwin’s stash.

Osiris giggled when Luella started to try and do party tricks. She was with the other women and they were all chatting and having fun.

Axel was crying and talking about Beset to Okrus, who was crying from the tale. Bothu and Ginkgo started to fight. Pasz- he looked down at his feet. The little kobalt was snatching things from his plate from under the table. Osiris handed him more wine.

What’s with animals and him? Am I a princess or something, what the fuck.

“Wait,” He patted his chest. “I’m not human either.”

“I’m glad.”

“I know you are.”

Seth was happy he would live as long as he would. But now our roles have switched. Osiris shook the thought from his head. We all have to die sometime.

 

The hours flew by.

 

Darwin was shirtless with a tie around his head. Mercedes was cuddling with their father, who was passed out on the floor. Luella was taking shots off of the goblin, and Axel was glaring at him in a drunken state.

“You always got father’s attention.”

“Oh?”

“Yes, he, all mom and dad ever talked about was you.”

“Tell me more.”

“Moms has been after you since you were a baby.” Axel hiccupped. “Excuse me.”

“So mom did what.”

His eyes crunched before he started his rant again.

“I found out she poisoned your mom, but she still went and had you. Infertile my ass. But wait.”

He got really close, even pushing Seth out of the way, or tired too. Instead he climbed over him.

“..”

“Are you really a dragon?”

Osiris shoved him back into his seat.

“Yes. Half of one.”

“That’s probably why mother’s plan failed.”

“Probably.”

He started to drink and eat while talking.

“Mom even left poison in some healing potions. You liked them as a kid, but instead-”

“My mother took them, yes, I know.”

Osiris eyed their father. He was still asleep. Good. Can’t have that hag die before she sees what I have in store for them. He got them drunk for a reason.

“-she died and you had to come live with us.”

Osiris nodded with him in agreement.

“You took all dads love and moms attention, and you didn’t even want it.”

“I didn’t.”

Tears started to fall.

“Why not?!”

I guess, to him, that’s all he’s ever wanted.

“I just didn’t.”

“But you could! You could have everything just by asking!”

“I know.”

Axel started another rant about Beset so Osiris left him with Okrus and walked around the room.

 

Everyone was finally comfortable around him.

 

People were laughing, joking, and playing.

It was nice.

Seth stole him for a quickie, just some mutual masturbation and kisses, but his love for him made it taste all the more sweet. They were in a closet.

“So tomorrow…..”

Osiris tapped his chest.

“I’ll be home by the end of the night, maybe sooner.”

“Okay.”

“I gave you the ring, right?”

“You did.”

“Good.”

Osiris pulled him into a dominating kiss before he stepped back.

“I’ll appear at your side if I’m ever in danger.”

“Promise me.”

“I promise, Seth.”

He shivered. He likes to hear his name. If only it was mutual. Seth avoids his name, thankfully.

Even now it still feels odd.

But it was his name.

I’ve protected him for so long, and he’s given more than enough in return. We’ve both been through some pretty fucked up things, haven’t we?

His mana pulsed in reply.

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Adam smiled.