Page 14 of Mage of the Dragon Prince
“You will answer us if you wish for our assistance,” Tatsuki threatened.
“I will tell you on the honor-bound condition that what I say will never leave this room. It cannot be spoken of or written. Absolutely no one else may know about this except for you and I alone. Not even Prince Kitaro can know.”
“You dare set terms?” Tatsuki scoffed with an arched eyebrow.
Auslin hoped he wasn’t making a mistake. “There are too many chances for the future to be rewritten if others learn of such information.”
Tatsuki was silent for a long moment as he stared down at Auslin. “Very well. We will agree to your terms of this secret shared between only us. This room is soundproof, so you may proceed without fear.”
Thanking Tatsuki, Auslin chose his words carefully. “In my time, I am acquainted with two of your sons. Neither has been born yet. One is a full shifter, and the other is half. The half-shifter is my companion.”
“You honestly expect us to believe that we have a halfling for a son?” Tatsuki scoffed. “What could a lowly human woman ever offer us?”
“Love,” Auslin softly answered.
Tatsuki sneered. “We have no need for such useless things.”
“The you of right now does not, but that is not true in the future.”
“And our other son?”
“He is an immensely powerful shifter, who is renowned for his fighting prowess and is virtually undefeated.” Kitsuki’s sad blue eyes haunted him. They always said so much that he didn’t know how to understand.
“That we believe.” Tatsuki grinned, clearly proud to hear he had yet another son that lived up to his high standard. “The three of you are clan?”
Auslin shook his head. “No, my companion and I travel alone. I am only acquainted with your other son.”
“Either you are the most skilled liar we have ever met or are telling us the absolute truth.” Tatsuki frowned as he studied Auslin. “We do not know which is more disconcerting.”
“I swear on my life I would never lie to you, Your Majesty.” Auslin forced himself to hold eye contact so the ruler could see his truthfulness. “Every word I have spoken has been the truth. All I want to do is return home to my rightful time. I have no reason or desire to lie to you.”
Tatsuki was silent for several long seconds. “Halfling or not, we owe you a debt of gratitude for saving our son’s life. We will pay what we owe.”
Auslin felt his hopes lift at the thought that Tatsuki might help him after all.
Tatsuki raised his hand, and with a wave, the door to the room slid open, revealing an expressionless Kitaro. “Come. We need to have words, son.” He gestured for Kitaro to come closer.
As Kitaro approached, the door slid shut behind him once more. Standing at Auslin’s side, he awaited his father’s orders.
“We have decided to honor Vanra’s companion and offer him the protection of our clan,” Tatsuki pronounced, shocking them both. “As such, he will be welcomed and taken care of as family. Kitaro, we areentrusting you to be Vanra’s guardian and protector. His care falls to you.”
“Understood.” Kitaro gave a deep and formal bow of acknowledgment. “I will ensure his safety at all times.”
“He will need to be trained in fighting, so you will see to that as well.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Trained in fighting?” Auslin asked in confusion. “To what end?”
Tatsuki took a seat on his throne once more. “We personally cannot assist you directly with Fate’s Gate despite it being on our lands. However, there is a powerful owl sorceress high in the mountains of Arenvale. She will have the information you need to help you return to your time.”
“Are you speaking of Satsuma Mikokai?” Kitaro asked.
“Indeed, I am.”
“Satsuma Mikokai?” The name surprised Auslin. “I thought she was just a legend people told their children to scare them.”
“While she is legendary, she is also very real. She is the wisest of the wise and possibly as ancient as Fate’s Gate itself,” Tatsuki explained. “Getting to her is no easy feat, though. It is an arduous journey that will take you two to three months each way. As it is high in the mountains, if you were to depart now, you would arrive in time for winter and could not survivethe treacherous trip. You will make the climb in spring.”
