Rahu smirked up at Calhoun who stood on his balcony with the same man he was pretending to be. He morphed back to his original form, startling Patricia. George turned to stare at Calhoun to see his reaction. Calhoun held a bored expression on his face and that irked Rahu.
"Come down, Calhoun," Rahu said. "If you dare."
"You aren't lord over me, King Rahu," Calhoun replied. "You wouldn't give me orders and expect me to obey."
"Do you dare to not come down? I will take your slave and have her tonight." Rahu said. Calhoun chuckled darkly.
"I'm sure she will have a nice time." He said. Patricia was frightened yet enraged. She had expected Calhoun to stop him or at least say something to have him release her. How can he pass off such a comment about her?
"I will not!" Patricia immediately refuted.
Calhoun sneered. "Even the lady says she will not have a nice time with you, Rahu. You are that despicable to even be rejected by a human lady."
Nothing irked the other man more than having Calhoun act superior to him. He hated the fact that although other kings made rash and brash threats, they were never still bold enough to face Calhoun alone. Calhoun was the youngest King among them. Yet he commanded so much power and authority that no one dared to defy.
"Do you think I cannot do what I have said?" Rahu demanded. "Dare me."
"Hm." Calhoun hummed. "Well, I do not think that you can not do what you have said."
Rahu smirked. "Now-"
"I wasn't done, Rahu," Calhoun interjected. "I was saying I do not think, I know. I know that you are incapable of carrying out your utterance."
Rahu growled in anger. "Calhoun you fool! By this time on the next full moon, I shall have your head rolling! Prepare for me Calhoun, it shall not be child's play."
Calhoun stared on, bored. "Threats will get you nowhere, Rahu. I like action."
"The blood pack's Alpha is back," Rahu said with an evil sneer. "He's coming for you."
Calhoun's bored expression was replaced with an interested one. He was suddenly interested in the conversation.
"The Alpha of the blood pack?" Calhoun reiterated. "I could have sworn I killed that swine."
"Hahaha!" Rahu laughed a deep throaty laugh, mocking Calhoun. "You fool. Yara is as healthy as ever and he has returned to collect his pack from you."
"Tell him I await," Calhoun said firmly. "At least I will have a real competition."
Rahu stopped laughing instantly. What did Calhoun mean by real competition? Did he take them for granted? He took his hands off the shaken Patricia and leaped out of the castle, leaping his way out of Wisteria.
Calhoun stared at the man's retreating figure. George had no comment, Patricia was still shaken.
"Return to your room, Patricia. What were you doing out in the middle of the night?"
"My king, I was.."
"It wasn't a question to be answered!" Calhoun exclaimed, angered. "Diana is so much smarter than this." He murmured.
George chortled. Patricia scurried away from their view. No wonder she admired the man, he wasn't George. That would have been very suspicious too.
Calhoun did not find it funny that Rahu had stepped into his castle and was about to lure his slave out by pretending to be his servant.
"Inform Felix and Evander that I need to see them by the first break light of dawn," Calhoun said. George nodded. He quickly left Calhoun since the man was in a very bad mood.
Calhoun was in truth, worried. If Yara was back then they were really in big trouble. It was going to be difficult for them to win the battle. Yara was a bloody monster, that was exactly why his pack was named blood pack.
He sighed. He needed to train his army after all. The evil day had been postponed for too long and now he had to face it.
There came in his heart, the thought that he was going to lose and Wisteria would become subject to the blood pack. Perhaps he would be finally killed to never return and then he could be in a place where he could watch-
"What am I thinking?" He murmured, interrupting his thoughts. "I might as well lose my mind."
"George!" He called out. In a few minutes, the servant was at his feet, bowing. "Inform the army commanders that intensive training begins at the first break light of dawn."
"My Lord? That's when you plan to meet the beta and gamma!" George reminded.
"Don't ever refute me, George," Calhoun said lightly. "Friends are not above betrayal, neither are servants above beheading."
George took the not-so-subtle hint and nodded. "I shall go at once and inform them."
Calhoun nodded slightly and George took it as his cue to leave. He bowed deeply and left Calhoun's presence.
At the first breaking of dawn, George came to his chamber to inform him of Felix's and Evander's presence.
"Greetings my king!" Felix bowed immediately after Calhoun came into view. Felix was older than Calhoun yet he knew better than to disrespect him in any way. Unlike what others felt, Felix's respect for Calhoun was real and true and did not stem from fear of being beheaded.
"My Lord." Evander bowed as well.
"Felix, Evander, how now," Calhoun replied. "Come on, we have important matters at hand."
They followed him into the meeting chamber. Calhoun's robe swayed left and right as he walked. He had chosen to wear a black robe this time and it suited the blank expression he held on his face. He sat at the head of the table and his subordinates sat on either side.
"George, call the commander of the army and ask him to come with his fellow commanders." He ordered. "Make haste, I shall not wait and I shall not repeat my spoken words."
George hurried out to deliver his message. He had wanted to remind the king that the soldiers would have already begun training or at least be prepared to, but he remembered the hint which Calhoun had passed to him in a mild threat, so he kept his words to himself.
"Commander! The king has summoned you!" He yelled as he was still yet to reach the training ground. "You and your fellow commanders!"
The chief commander gave a nod. He signaled to the remaining commanders to follow George.
"Soldiers, keep up! Don't relent, don't relent, don't relent! Go hard!" He yelled. The soldiers continued in their training exercises while the chief commander ran after the rest.
Calhoun was just finishing his first sentence when they arrived. They all bowed simultaneously.
"Greetings my king!"
"Sit," Calhoun ordered. "Now as I was saying, we have been challenged for war."
"War?" The chief commander reiterated. "Who dares to challenge us to war?"
Calhoun chuckled at his bravery and pride. Yes, the fact that he went to war with his soldiers always made them win. It had also given them some kind of pride and confidence which the other packs did not have.
"Blood pack, in conjunction with Rahu," Calhoun said.
The commanders exchanged glances amongst themselves. "Pardon me, my king. But I think I heard you say the blood pack." A commander said.
"Yes, you did hear me right."
"We killed the Alpha of the blood pack, how can they still come up against us?"
"Yara went into hiding to acquire the balls and guts to finally challenge us." Calhoun mocked. "Now that he has become more powerful, we have to train."
"My king, even if we do not train, I don't think there exists a pack that is capable of defeating us, especially when we have you," Evander said.
"Flattery will get you nowhere Evander," Calhoun said without sparing the man a glance. "We have to learn to do things the hard and brutal way. Chief, I noticed some soldiers making faces when that foolish servant was beheaded by the guillotine."
The chief put his gaze low. He had tried to make them accustomed to seeing blood but they still shuddered at the sight of anything gore.
"Yara loves all things gore," Calhoun added. "If we must defeat him, we also have to make our soldiers get accustomed to all things gore. Let gore be their regular."
"That will take a lot of work, my king." The chief commander said. "But I am ready for it."
"Brilliant!" Calhoun exclaimed. The sharpness in his voice came as a startle to the others. "Now that we have everyone's support, we can begin the training."
Felix was dumbfounded. Was Calhoun that shameless? He just heard one person's opinion and he concluded that everyone was in support. He smiled faintly.
"What amuses you, Felix?" He asked. "We have serious matters at hand and you sit and smile?"
Felix shook his head. "Nothing amuses me, my king. But if we have to begin training, we have to begin now."
"Yes, Rahu said they will attack by the next full moon."
"A full moon battle?" Evander demanded. "That will be bloody!"
"That's not what matters to me," Felix said. All eyes turned to him instantly. "It's the fact that the next full moon will be a full moon as well."
Everywhere turned silent and their expressions looked grim. The only one whose expression remained the same was Calhoun. The only change was a slight one, and it was bordering on excitement. A blood moon battle was something he had always wanted to engage in.
"My king, I do feel as if you are happy about this." Felix pointed out. George had everything to say but he wasn't going to speak. One time, the king tells him they're friends, next time, the king tells him to be careful of what he says to avoid being beheaded! What kind of friend will behead his friend?!
"Wisteria, let's arise and fight, and protect the humans who rely on us!" Calhoun said, rising from his seat. His subordinates rose with him and they began to leave the room one after the other until it was left with Calhoun. He sighed sharply. It was during times like this he wished he had been a little nicer to Diana. She would have been there to ease his stress.
Nevertheless, he still had a kingdom to run. He walked out slowly, moving behind the rest who had run ahead.
When they arrived at the training ground for the soldiers, he wasn't impressed with their training, he had to address it.
"Is this how you train? Is that why you all have gotten confident? All you do is rely on your king!" Calhoun accused. "the same king you mock for being cursed."
There were murmurs among the warriors.
"Now listen to me, a time shall come and I won't war with you unless I'm bored." He stated. "So you must learn to live in my legacy and war like I am among you. You hear me?"
"Yes, king Calhoun!" They all echoed.
"Good. Now, take off your robes and be clad in just your shirts and pants. We have a battle to prepare for." Calhoun said. He took off his robe and handed it to George. Calhoun stood before the soldiers and began to take steps for them to follow.
From the break of dawn till dusk, they were still training outside, not stopping. They were exhausted but Calhoun was not going to have it. He taught them battle strategies and attacks and defenses.
They continued the training all night till morning.
Calhoun continued in his practice, forcing them to learn perseverance in the hardest way possible. Just when the sun was about to rise, he began to hear a plop behind him. He turned to find a few soldiers on the ground.
"Are they dead?" He asked. The chief commander himself was exhausted and had no answer to Calhoun. "If we were to fight a three day battle, is this how you all will drop dead?"
"No, my king!" A soldier shouted.
Calhoun turned too fast to his back and a sword whooshed past him. He chuckled. How he loved being tested by the wind to keep on his toes.