The King Sentenced A Forgotten Hero To Death, But The Beast Remembered His Sacrifice
Previously: Sentenced to face a monstrous beast in the grand arena, young Leo prepared for his demise—until the creature did something that exposed a royal betrayal to the entire kingdom.
The Tyrant's Desperation
The whispers of the crowd quickly swelled into a deafening roar of confusion and anger. For five years, King Robert had ruled on the legend of his own heroism, claiming he alone had slain the Shadow Dragon and saved the realm from eternal darkness. Now, the living proof of that fateful night stood in the center of the arena, protected by the very beast sent to execute him. The truth was unraveling before their very eyes, and the kingdom's foundation began to shake.
Desperate to maintain his grip on power, King Robert stood up and pointed a trembling finger at the arena floor. "Do not listen to this peasant's lies!" he bellowed, his voice cracking with panic. "Guards, execute the boy and the beast immediately! They are practicing dark magic to deceive you all!" He wanted to erase the evidence of his stolen glory before the rebellion could even begin.
A dozen heavily armed royal guards marched onto the sand, their spears leveled at Leo. But the black lion stepped in front of the young man, baring its massive fangs and letting out a protective rumble that vibrated through the stone ground. The guards hesitated, looking at each other in confusion. They had sworn an oath to protect the true savior of the kingdom, and the beast's behavior spoke louder than any royal decree.
High Cleric Thomas stepped to the edge of the balcony, holding high an ancient parchment. "Hold your weapons!" the Cleric commanded. "The ancient texts say the true savior would bear the mark of the dragon's claw and be recognized by the beasts of the wild. King Robert, where is your scar? Why does the beast kneel to this boy and not to you?"
Furious and cornered, King Robert drew his golden broadsword, his eyes wild with madness. "I am the King!" he screamed. He reached into his tunic and pulled out a dark, pulsing crystal—the heart of the Shadow Dragon, which he had stolen from Leo after the battle. A cold, unnatural wind swept through the colosseum as the dark relic began to glow with destructive, forbidden energy.
”A cold, unnatural wind swept through the colosseum as the dark relic began to glow with destructive, forbidden energy.