Chapter 221

Chapter 221: Chapter 221

Dron knew that was supposed to make him feel better, and for the most part, it did, but there was still something deep inside of him that kept nagging at him. Something that reminded him that if everyone knew who he really was, they might not think so highly of him.

Dron had met most people on this journey after he was already high up in the military ranks. There was already some respect associated with his name, whether they wanted to admit it or not.

If they knew the squalor he lived in as a child. How he had to eat vermin growing up simply because there wasn’t enough food. How he slept in filth and his own excrement because he was too scared to move away from his safe spots, they may not want him to be the leader.

He was a broken man because he had been a broken child.

Someone with his background should never be king.

"I appreciate your support, truly I do." Dron sighed and stood up from where he was sitting. "It’s a little tight down here. Are you sure you and your people are going to be able to make the trip in these conditions?"

Hen chuckled lightly. "Believe me, we have slept in worse conditions, and for those who haven’t, I can just use this as a character-building experience. We will be fine." Hen nodded her head.

Just as Dron was getting ready to ask Hen more about her background, he heard a parade of footsteps coming down the stairs. They weren’t calm or hesitant.

His heart started to sink again before anyone even appeared in the doorway.

He waited for a second and realized whoever was rushing down the steps had stopped just short.

Now they were hesitating. He sniffed at the air and realized that whoever it was wasn’t an alpha but a beta.

Gerax.

"Come in," Dron called out, trying to keep his voice down so as not to disturb anyone sleeping. He could see several of the people in the cots already starting to stir.

Gerax slowly inched into the doorway and looked down at the ground as if he were too scared to look up at Dron. Whatever he came here to say wasn’t good news, and Dron had already ripped his head off once for absolutely no reason.

Dron felt bad about that. He’d have to apologize and find a way to make it up to the man. Gerax had been the epitome of loyal to Dron even when he thought against it.

"I apologize. I didn’t mean to intrude."

"You weren’t intruding on anything. I was just having a chat with Hen. What do you want to tell me?" Dron moved closer to Gerax.

The man still kept his eyes glued to the ground.

"Um... I... They told me to come down here and get you."

"Who?" Dron asked before he reached forward and grabbed Gerax’s chin and lifted it up. The last thing he wanted was for Gerax to fear him. He really would have to make it up to him.

Gerax gazed into Dron’s eyes, and Dron could see a sheet of relief cross the man’s face. He obviously thought Dron was still in a bad mood. Dron wasn’t necessarily in a better mood, but at least he was in better control of his emotions. He knew that taking it out on Gerax wasn’t the right thing to do.

"It’s not good. There’s a problem on the other ships. Rynax refuses to cross over to our ship."

Dron’s mind instantly began to race. "What? Why not? Are they close enough? Is it steady?"

"Yes, we are side by side, but he refuses to come over."

"Why?" Dron questioned again.

"He says there is illness. People are dying on the other ship." Gerax’s face turned grim.

Dying?

Before they even reached Thraqe.

Dron shut his eyes and sent up what seemed to be the millionth prayer to the moon goddess. It seemed like they were hit with obstacle after obstacle on this journey, as if the gods themselves were warning Dron away from this path.

He turned to look at Hen.

Her words rang in his mind.

He may not be prepared for any of this, but he knew that there was no one else to take the role of leader.

After all, nothing worth doing was easy.

Dron took in another calming breath. There was work to be done. Work he couldn’t ignore or push off on someone else.

"Take me to him." Dron looked to Gerax, who simply nodded his head and turned to walk back up the stairs to the main deck. Dron followed behind him, with Hen following behind him.

When Dron finally made his way up to the main deck, he realized that everyone was standing near the edge of the ship, looking over to the other ship that had stopped alongside them. There was a makeshift bridge connecting the two, but no one was crossing.

Dron looked over for Rynax. He looked run down. Like he’d just been out in the wilderness for days and hadn’t stopped once for rest.

"What’s going on?" Dron called out over the water.

Rynax shrugged his shoulders twice and then lifted his wrist to indicate that he was going to call using the communicator. It would be better than trying to scream across the expanse at each other.

Dron waited for Rynax to call, and in that moment, Tempest walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Dron smiled down at her. She always seemed to know exactly what he needed at the moment. He wished that he could really fall into her embrace, just hold her and forget everything about the world.

Seconds later, Dron’s wrist device buzzed, and he answered it. Rynax’s face popped up in view.

"What’s going on?" Dron asked again.

"Something is making us all ill on this ship. So far, there have been twelve fatalities. Whatever it is moves fast, and I don’t know how to combat it with what we have on board. I don’t want it to jump ships, but we can’t continue. You may have to leave us behind."

Dron shook his head. There was no way he was going to leave an entire ship of people behind. Not to mention, most of the people on Rynax’s ship were the alphas and soldiers.

His own crew was on that ship.

"I’m coming over," Dron spoke clearly. He needed to see exactly what was going on. Needed to figure out if this was a natural illness or if there was a traitor in the crowd. What better way to get rid of a revolution than to dismantle it before it ever had the chance to reach the shore.

"I don’t think that’s the best idea. Did you not just hear me when I said it was killing people?" Rynax chuckled, and then his breath seized, and he started coughing.

It was worse than he was saying.

"I’m coming over. It’s not a request." Dron switched off his device and turned to take a step toward the bridge. Tempest didn’t let go of him.

Dron looked down at her.

"Are you sure that’s the best idea? I know you have to check on them, but..." Her voice stopped, and she looked down as if she were ashamed. "I don’t want you to get sick. I need you," she admitted.

"I need you too. I’ll always come back to you, Tempest. After all, I’m nothing without my greatest Temptation." Dron smiled down at her and tried to comfort her. He gently peeled her fingers off his waist and took another step forward. Before he could take another step, both Aliq and Gerax came to him.

"Here, wear this. Wrap it around your mouth and nose. Whatever you do, don’t take it down." Gerax handed him a cloth. It was thick and would make it difficult to breathe, but Dron took it anyway.

"Do your best not to touch anything or anyone either. We’ll have to burn your clothing as well when you get back." Gerax nodded and took a step back.

Aliq handed him something in a small vial. "Drink this. It should boost your system for a while."

Hen peered at the small vial. "What is that, like a prophylactic?"

"Prophylactic?" Aliq questioned and tilted his head while his device translated the word. "Yes, something like that. We give it to explorers when we have it, especially when they are going into unexplored territories, just in case there are some animals or foreign materials there. It doesn’t always work, but it’s the best we have at the moment." Aliq shrugged one shoulder and also stepped back away from Dron.

"Please be careful," Tempest whispered in his direction. Dron caressed her cheek once again before he turned and finally took a step on the bridge that connected the two ships.

Rynax was clearly not a fan of the idea, but he didn’t say anything as Dron made his way across. The bridge swayed with the waves, but it seemed steady enough.

Dron made it across and looked around. Instantly, he could feel the change in atmosphere. No one was talking. There were people coughing and groaning in pain. It wasn’t just a few people who were sick. It was the whole ship.