Kieran waited until the body had turned into ash before he closed his eyes. He clenched his fists as he thought about what Castiel had said before he killed him.

'How did he know that Irene is back?' He narrowed his eyes and stared at the spot where his brother had been standing a few moments ago. 'This is bad. This is really bad. I cannot allow the past to repeat itself. I need to find the witch and protect Irene. I have a year now. I need to do something soon.'

Kieran clenched his fists and hoped to find someone who could help him while he pitied all the innocent lives his brother had taken in his madness. Yet, as a king, he was helpless. He was incapable of doing anything and could only wait until he found a way to end his brother for good. Until then, he was bound to lose his people, and the innocent were bound to lose their lives.

Kieran raised his head and looked at the twinkling stars. "I hope I will have an answer by the time he wakes up next." He sighed and the next moment he vanished from the place, leaving only a speck of ash on the ground.

In the dark night, no one from the village of Sayre realized that their King had visited them and had taken care of the threat that had been looming over them for days.

Kieran hid in the dark as he walked around the borders of his kingdom, his observant eyes making sure to keep a lookout. He had taken care of one matter and he had another matter to handle before he could return to his castle.

'Percival...' He mumbled and looked at the vast darkness ahead of him. Although the jungle separated Angra and Ketroike, that was all it took for his enemies to enter his kingdom and harm his subjects. The dense jungle served as a cover for the warriors of Angra to hide and hatch a plan of attack.

However... Kieran smiled all of a sudden. As easy as it was to hatch a plan, it was impossibly difficult to break through the defense of his army and wage war against his people. Not only did he have his warriors guarding his kingdom, but there were also his men who were protecting Rothnia in secret.

Kieran smiled wickedly as he thought about the bloodshed that awaited Percival and his army. 'This would be fun, gruesome but fun.' He snapped his fingers in joy as he licked his lips, only to stiffen when he smelt the delicious scent of blood in the air. It was impossible to ignore and Kieran's legs guided him toward the source even before he could stop himself.

The more he walked, the stronger the stench of blood and it belonged to not just one. The air was filled with different scents of blood and all the hunger he felt vanished immediately.

Kieran frowned as he arrived at the spot where he could smell the miasma of blood. Although the sight before him was repulsive, ghastly, and gruesome, he was unfazed by it and stared at the dead bodies, observing them keenly. The dead did not surprise him, for he knew who they were.

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"Should I praise you for your bravery, or scold you for your foolishness, Percival?" He clicked his tongue and squatted beside one of the men whose neck had two distinct fang marks. The man's eyes were staring into space blankly. Even though he was dead, his body was still warm and Kieran let out a chuckle as he shook his head.

"Show yourselves to me." He ordered softly and immediately after, he heard the leaves rustling around him. As he stood up, he met the young and curious pairs of eyes he had not seen for quite some time.

"Did you make this mess?" He pointed towards the dead bodies near his foot and raised his brows lightly as he watched the young people in front of him nodding their heads. "I see." He mused and approached the group, his face impassive and calm. "May I know what happened here?" He queried and started circling the group slowly, agonizingly as he examined them.

Kieran's lips arched up when he saw them stiffen in his presence and even more so as he neared them. "I would appreciate it if someone among you started speaking."

Although he did not threaten him, his voice did not come out less commanding, and, coupled with his intimidating aura, the eight lads had no choice but to start speaking.

"Your Majesty," One of the lads took the lead and started. "We noticed suspicious movements from Angra and we started following them from Angra to Ketroike."

"And?" Kieran prompted when he realized that there was more to it.

"And we could not stop ourselves when one of the men from our enemies started to scold our King." The youngest boy in the group blurted out, not noticing the looks of warning from the others.

"You killed them because they were insulting me. Am I right?" Kieran replied and the group nodded at him immediately.

Silence ensued throughout the place and other than the sound of the leaves rustling and the howls of wind, there were no other noises.

Kieran kept walking back and forth as he glanced at the group of boys who had their heads lowered. They were not guilty of what they had done, he could see it on their faces. Instead, they were proud of their work. However, it was their nervousness and their desire to please their king that made them all antsy and anxious.

"I am glad I have such an amazing group of warriors to protect my kingdom." Kieran started all of a sudden, his words compelling the group to raise their heads and meet his eyes. "Rothnia is blessed to have you all and I am certain that with you around, I have nothing to worry about."

"Your Majesty, are you not furious at us?" One of the boys inquired, his eyes blinking in confusion and Kieran let out a chortle in amusement.

"Why do you think I would be livid? Did any of you do anything that might annoy me?" He raised his brows and the boys shook their heads instantly.

"Then?"

"We thought that...."

"You thought that I would be angry at you all for killing them," Kieran pointed at the dead people again, his eyes filled with disgust. "You are gravely mistaken, my boy. I will never be angry at what you all did today. Instead, I am happy and I would like to reward all of you for your loyalty and hard work."

"Your Majesty, there is no need for it. We are honored that you think highly of us." The eldest in the group stepped forward and kneeled in front of him, forcing everyone behind him to follow suit. His eyes were filled with genuine respect and admiration, just like the other seven boys. "We are here to serve you and carry out your orders."

"I appreciate it very much, Nikotar. You have done your duty well, you all have and now, you have one more task to complete."

"Please give us the orders, Your Majesty," Nikotar stated with determination while the others nodded in agreement instantly.

"I want you to drop the dead bodies back at the place where they belong. Let Parcival know what happens when he chooses to challenge me."