Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 740: Cannot Forgive ()

The inn had fallen into silence, Neveah could still sense the presence of the Mer Cardinals waiting outside, where they had left the group to deliberate in privacy.

"Do you really think Lodenworth is in the dark about all that is happening?" Dante asked, his tone uncertain. "I mean, why exactly would he go all the way to the Sea Kingdom without reason? How could any of this have escaped his notice?"

Neveah also was not certain, she was even less certain why she entertained this train of thought. That perhaps things were not as they seemed and there was more to this situation than they were presently aware of. Lodenworth was an excellent man in all regards, he was not one to be easily fooled.

And then Neveah’s gaze strayed to Xenon, and she quelled that train of thought. ’Even the finest men, can be fooled by their own yearning.’

"If his attention was focused elsewhere...it is possible." Estelle finally said, glancing over at Neveah for confirmation. "Lord Lodenworth is not the kind to take children hostage. I have only met him a few times but my father would usually speak highly of him. You know father is a good judge of character, it just does not make sense for someone of his nature to... change so drastically."

"Unless he did not change at all and you all just trusted him more than he was worth, blinding your eyes to his true nature." Verothrax grumbled. "Even now that his deceit is clear, you are making excuses for him." He hissed.

"I understand your dissatisfaction with Lodenworth’s rider..." Neveah began to say but Verothrax cut her off.

"Dissatisfaction?!" He hissed sharply. "What would you know about my dissatisfaction?!"

"Watch it, boy." Xenon intervened, glaring Verothrax down. "You don’t get to interrupt Veah and you had better tame that tone."

"Let him speak, Xenon." Neveah said, taking Xenon’s hand in the bid to calm him. "If we are to travel together, I should know what he thinks. What is it that I do not understand? I will never understand it if you do not tell me." Neveah confronted Verothrax directly.

Xenon clearly did not like the idea but he stepped back and took a seat, pulling Neveah down to sit on his thigh. His right arm encircled her waist while his other hand still held hers.

"Listen, Neveah...I carry the burden of breaking the world! I spent decades in slumber, taming my magic... hoping that one day, I could be accepted back amongst my kin... be seen as something other than one touched by darkness." Verothrax sucked in a sharp breath. "And the one opportunity I was granted to prove to my kin that I am no danger to the peaceful dynasty we battled for...my one chance at a life! And I broke the damned world!"

The wrath in his tone was palpable and a dark mist circled around his clenched fists.

"I hear what is spoken of me when I walk through the halls..." He muttered, "The shadow dragon, bringing death with him wherever he goes. They call me Verothrax the Breaker, they say My Liege should have just left me to slumber for eternity. Then maybe...he wouldn’t be in danger himself...stuck in some forsaken realm."

Verothrax’s gaze was dark and his voice was hoarse. Neveah could practically feel his pain and guilt through his words, try as he did to conceal it.

"It should have worked... I swear it, I had it all under control. The void I tore open would consume the death gale, I would seal it up and proceed to accompany My Liege to the realm of forlorn beasts. It was an excellent plan!" Verothrax said, his gaze met Neveah’s, eyes imploring her to believe his words.

In the same manner, Neveah saw in Verothrax’s eyes that even he doubted himself. He doubted if he could truly blame his failure on Keila’s interference, or if truly, as everyone believed, he was too dangerous a dragon to be allowed to prowl the lands in a time of peace.

And the thought that there was even the slightest chance that this was all his fault as everyone said, must have tormented him constantly in these months. Especially when his actions placed thousands of lives of both Dune City, Fort Blazed and many pillars of the stronghold in jeopardy, even that of the Dragon King.

"My Liege...he saved my life and raised me. Even when I was a curse to my own kind, a constant reminder of the darkness that enslaved them, even when my existence made his life harder...earned him Asrig’s wrath...it never mattered to him." Verothrax’s gaze was far away now. "To me, he is more than a King, he is my father." Verothrax said, his tone was hoarse and barely audible.

Neveah’s heart warmed and yet it ached at the same time. Xenon’s grip on her hand tightened slightly, as though he also felt what she did, and Neveah knew he did. Jian was as dear to Xenon as he was to Neveah, and their bonds were all intertwined.

It was no wonder Xenon was more attentive to Verothrax, moreso than Neveah had ever seen him show to any other dragon lord that was not on the King’s guard. Neveah had noticed it in the little moments, like how he tolerated the woman Ida for Verothrax’s sake when Xenon was the furthest thing from a tolerant man.

If Jian considered Verothrax a son, it meant Xenon did too and now Neveah felt she had not been attentive enough to this dragon lord.

"He needed me..." Verothrax hissed. "And I failed. I put him in danger, with these hands... I put My Liege’s life in danger and cast the stronghold into anarchy."

"If...if this was manipulated by someone, whatever their reasons are, I will not forgive it!" Verothrax’s voice had become lethal now. "I cannot!"

Verothrax turned away from the group, running a hand through his hair as he tried to calm himself.

"And you won’t either." Verothrax said, as he finally faced them again. "Because it shows as clear as day...that you love him."