First Demonic Dragon - Chapter 1262: The Woes of The Lost

Chapter 1262: The Woes of The Lost

Mateo sighed as he closed the door to his room. Though… perhaps ’room’ would have been the incorrect way to describe the setting.

Beyond his door in the house lies a sprawling manor. It’s opulence was nothing short of overwhelming with glimmering marble, gold finishing along the walls, and astronomically valuable red carpets.

From the front door, one has a clear view straight down the hallway toward the living room and subsequently the backyard, or rather, the empty realm that functions as the backyard.

It is a beautiful space. Nearly rivaling the Garden of Eden in it’s splendor.

A bright, silver sun hangs in the air at a fair distance away. It illuminates the empty world and the tranquil, cyan colored sky that hangs around it.

Mateo pushes back his hair as he begins to get comfortable.

He hung his macuahuitl on the wall, and the weapon had already begun to repair itself. Yawning, his clothes gradually transformed from their usual lavishness into a pair of slides, basketball shorts, and a crewneck sweat shirt.

Mateo wandered deeper into his home, and it didn’t take him very long to find one of his wives inside the living room.

Hera was kneeling beside the fireplace, placing another log of wood on the already crackling fire.

She glanced back at Mateo when she felt him enter, and stood up while dusting off her hands.

“You’re back… How did things go with Abaddon..? It sounded serious.”

“It…. Was Radu.” Mateo admitted aloud.

He rubbed the back of his neck as he took a seat on the sofa. “Apparently, in my time away, he became drunk on his power and…”

Mateo let out a deep sigh of frustration as he held his head in his hands. All of the emotions he’d been holding in for the day seemed to hit him all at once.

Radu Tepes had, by all accounts, been raised by Mateo. Taking him on as a ward when he was so young meant that he had seen the boy through nearly every stage of life.

Sure, he could be a little wild and heavy-handed. Most young vampires were.

But Mateo never would have imagined that he had the capacity for the kind of cruelty that Mateo learned about today. It was honestly staggering.

Hera crossed the living room and gently pulled back her husband’s hands from his face. His deep crimson eyes were filled with anguish.

“Tell me what ails your heart, my beloved. Speak plain.”

Mateo rested his head against his wife’s stomach, only barely resisting the urge to bawl into her.

“…Our love is expecting a child soon. I confess to feeling nervous before, but now…” Mateo bit his lip. “How am I to know that I am capable of raising a young person if my first attempt has ended in such-”

“Stop.” Hera gently places her finger on her husband’s lips. “Perish the thought right this moment. You did the best for the boy that you could with the limited experience you had.

Do not let the actions Radu took as an adult cloud the pure lessons you tried to instill in him as a child.

You did your part. Don’t torment yourself because this time you did not get very favorable results. As you’ve said, there will be another opportunity for you to raise a child, and you will only be wiser for the experience you already have.”

Hera held her husband’s head in her hands and leaned down to press her lips on the crown of his head.

“And let’s not forget… You will not be doing anything alone this time. We will all work together to ensure that our child’s future is not only bright, but that he or she do not cause harm to others as well. If we should fail… at the very least we will do so together.”

Mateo looked up at Hera with a smile.

Gently, he caressed her cheek as if she were made of all the most precious things in the world.

“…You have my heart, do you know that?”

Hera smiled bashfully. “I should hope so.”

The lovers leaned in for a sweet kiss that caused the horrors of the world around them to fade away, at least for the moment.

They did not return to normal until they heard the subtle sound of chewing.

Turning their heads, they found their wife standing in the doorway, bundled tightly in a blanket and her hair in a headscarf.

In one hand, she held a bowl of something red and meaty. In the other, there was a comically large spoon. Hera was instantly concerned.

“My darling… What exactly are you eating?”

Malenia chewed slowly as she turned her gaze towards her bowl. “…I’m ashamed to say.”

“Say it anyway.”

The pregnant dragon suddenly sounded deeply embarrassed. “…Ground beef and pickle juice.”

Mateo snorted, causing Hera to chop him in the neck.

She turned back to Malenia, her smile sweet but hiding a mild concern. “Now, honey… You did at least cook the beef, right?”

Malenia said nothing as she brought another spoon up to her mouth and chewed.

Hera and Mateo stared at her, unsure of exactly what they were supposed to do next. Luckily, Malenia had some ideas.

“…Might we perhaps watch a movie while one of you rubs my feet?”

The pair of them looked at each other for just a moment before turning back to her and nodding.

“”…Okay.””

–

In the real world, Bashenga was still sitting on the staircase, waiting for his ride-alongs to come outside.

He absentmindedly clicked his claws against each other as he stared out into the new horizon of what was formerly Earth.

It was difficult to explain, but if he quieted his heart and mind enough, he could feel it. A tether pulling him towards something familiar, yet entirely new.

When he tugged on the tether, he could almost feel it pulling back. However, the pull that returned was curious. Inquisitive.

It did not understand what he was to them, or why they were linked together.

If he were inclined, Bashenga thought he might even have been able to communicate with her, even through this long distance.

But Bash had never been any good with sentimental words. He did not know how to be romantic like his father. Like his brothers.

All that he could hope for was that the sight of him would unlock some memory within her.

If it did not… he honestly had no idea what he might do. But he wouldn’t give up.

No matter what, Gaia would never be resigned to waiting around for him ever again. From now on, he would always be the one running after her.

“Sorry, we’re late, bro!”

Bashenga casually glanced back at the pair exiting the front door.

With a wide grin, Thea stepped toward him while keeping her forearm wrapped around K’ael’s neck. He almost looked like an unwilling participant in this travel.

“So. Where are we heading first?”