"Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies."

― Nietzsche

Rafe stood, frozen in place. Two, finger-sized, holes sizzled in his overcoat. Ven's attack had carried on through the king and came within an inch of spearing his heart.

"Asshole..."

The murmur escaped Rafe's lips, followed by a small trail of blood. One lung is pierced for sure. He was lucky that attack was so narrow. As it was, it still terrified him. One second nothing, the next... it stretched beyond the horizon. A line of white, swifter than any semi-divine could follow.

That power could rival an early-stage Earth Deity... Rafe's head shook involuntarily. And it travels faster than one at the peak. He pressed a hand to his chest and stemmed the flow of blood. A flick of his feet brought him out of the castle grounds. Ven would be fine now, the king made friends through battle. The castle was the safest place for the idiot to be, if he could avoid Huan's advances.

A grin blossomed on Rafe's face at the thought. He vanished into the night, a laugh on his lips.

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The King led Ven into a vast dining hall. Decorative tapestries graced the walls and a thick, heavy table stretched the length of the room. It carried its burden on bent legs, mountains of food that tested the wood's strength. Saliva pooled at the corners of Ven's mouth as the scent of roasted meat and fire-charred vegetables glided through the air.

"You're here, Husband!" Huan peeked out from behind the display, a smile on her face. "Everything is ready, I hope Father wasn't mean to you?"

"He's not your husband yet!" The king forced out through ground teeth. "And I'm never mean to anyone!"

"That's true..." Huan tilted her head, then ran to embrace the king. "You're the nicest daddy there is!"

"In fact," The King levied a finger in Ven's direction. "He injured me, and I didn't even kill him." He turned his finger to the hole in his shoulder, which still refused to heal. "He's the first in over a century!"

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"Oh! That's amazing!" The young dragon-kin climbed her father like a tree as she inspected the wound. "It even goes all the way through!" She jabbed her finger and it disappeared up to her palm.

"Hey now!" The King scooped her up, held away from his shoulder. "Don't jam your dirty little fingers in my wounds!"

Ven laughed at the suffering king's frustration. He truly doted on his daughter, though he was a bit harsh on his son. The boy wasn't a bad seed. Ven had trained several like him into powerful warriors in his past life. He had a conscience, and he seemed well-adjusted, for a noble.

"Shall we eat?" Ven walked to the table and chose a random spot. The fare rivaled Kalina's funeral feast, a collection of well-made delicacies that called to his stomach. He slipped his mask from his face and dove in, while the father and daughter struggled behind him.

"How is it?" Jun's voice carried over the piled food. He'd been seated there all along, unnoticed by all.

"Gwaaa!" Ven choaked. "What is it with people on this planet and sneaking up on others!" He patted his chest, heart still in his throat. "And it's delicious, thank you!"

"Really!!!" Huan skipped over, her father abandoned in a heap behind her. "I had them make all my favorites, see!"

She reached out and grabbed a small frozen cake. Ice-cold whipped cream, blended with berries and a hint of something citrus. Ven had tried one already. It was added to his list of greatest flavors of all time.

"These are my favorite out of all my favorites," Huan raised it and sank her fangs into the pastry. "But Father only lets me have them on my birthday!"

"That's because we have to import those berries from the tropic zone!" The King complained as he took his seat. One hand still nursed his over-examined shoulder. "And who said you could cook up the last of the salted phoenix?"

"It's a special occasion, so I had them empty the reserves." Huan waved away her father's words. "I even defrosted the last griffin eggs!" She scooped up a circular orb and shoved it into her mouth.

"But I..." The King half rose, then sank, slumped in on himself. "I don't know what to do with you..." He dragged a hand across his face.

"Just... eat..." Ven said between mouthfuls. "Don't... waste... good... food!" He withdrew the large section of floor from his pouch and shaved some over his plate. "Want... some?"

"No, thank you, I..." The King stopped himself, the vein on his forehead locked in a wild gallop. "THAT ISN'T FOOD!" He stood, hands on his head. "This meal is expensive enough already, stop adding to the wound..."

Ven shrugged as he put the stone away. He ate like a machine and soon the area around him was cleared of food. He slid over, taking the spot next to the king.

"If you're not going to eat it, then..."

"Get out of here, scoundrel!" The King retook his place, fire in his eyes. "If I don't eat half this table, I'm not the Dragon King!"

"That's the spirit, Father!" Huan crowed, a drumstick in each hand. "Victory till death!" She swung her arms and joined the battle.

"There is no victory in death." Jun shook his head and reached for a plate of meat, only for it to vanish into Ven's endless maw. "Hey!"

"Mine!" Ven squinted his eyes at the boy, the plate shielded under his arms. "And... victory is built on death." He poured a mug of ale down his throat. "Ahhh! Dead enemies, dead friends. Nothing can escape it, not even the victorious..."

"But..."

"VICTORY TILL DEATH!" Huan lept on Jun. "NOW EAT YOUR SPOILS OF WAR!" She shoved a dry bun, deep into Jun's throat, triumph plastered on her face.

"Bwahaha!" The King bellowed. "You show him, Huan, victory until death!" He downed a flask of wine and pushed Ven aside. "Move over, make room!"