The Taste of Seduction

When the three heard this, they all looked at him, trying to make sense of what he just said.

"What do you mean… like he planned to really not wake Gwen up?" Atlas furrowed his brows together. "But isn\'t she so important in his plans? He wants her involvement."

"Then he would\'ve already gotten to the palace before us," Marcus replied, connecting the pieces together as it was now falling into place and making sense. "He knows his palace so well. If he was there, he could\'ve prevented his helpers from being in a trance. Yet he wasn\'t there."

Meredith gasped as she finally understood. "So he probably knows that we\'ll go to the palace to awaken mother, since we announced it. And then took that opportunity as a distraction so he can make his way here and steal the crystals."

"Exactly," Marcus confirmed, clicking his tongue at the same time. "Tsk… he knew that Gwen\'s mother\'s safety is as important to us, too… but the crystals pose great importance, too. So he really got the opportunity to steal it."

"Fuck…" Meredith ran her hands through her hair in exasperation. "Why didn\'t we see this through?"

"We couldn\'t blame anyone, to be honest," Atlas said, letting out a sigh. "We put Gwen\'s safety as a priority. It\'s not actually a loss if you think about it," he added, the three looking at her. "Gwen\'s the most powerful witch. She knows how to stop Austin. We can turn the tables."

"He\'s not wrong," Gwen chimed in, the three now looking at her. "We can indeed turn the tables. There\'s nothing to lose, dears. We can stop him once we find him."

"But where exactly is he?" Marcus asked, the two nodding as they wanted to ask the same question. "We have no leads as to where he is even after knowing that he stole the four crystals."

"In Vilcabamba," she answered, the three confused as to why another Incan ruin is involved.

"Vilcabamba?" they exclaimed in unison, the most powerful witch explaining why Austin is most likely to be there.

Vilcabamba is often called the Lost City of the Incas. Vilcabamba means "sacred plain" in Quechua. With Gwen explaining to them why they have to go there, now they understood why.

"Vilcabamba has a hidden portal connecting the human world and where dragons secretly live," she started, the three wondering why the dragons are now involved.

"Dragons? What is he going to do with the dragons?" Meredith asked, her mother answering her question so they could further understand what Austin actually planned.

"Dragons are royal and powerful creatures. When you have them on your side, they will follow and fight alongside you but you have to prove your worth."

Atlas scoffed. "They will never follow Austin. Especially with how evil his intentions are. Dragons are not be trampled with as they are also intelligent creatures."

"Yes, that\'s true… but we are missing one point," Gwen replied, the three now anxious as they know now how things will turn out. "The dragons can be controlled by force with the help of the four crystals. Once he can control them, he will easier have control over the four continents."

With that in the picture, the group now was more than ever determined to stop Austin. As they looked at each other, Meredith turned to talk to Atlas and Marcus.

"I know I\'m asking too much of you… but we will be needing your help," she requested, the two men smiling at her as they never hesitated to help her.

"You do not need to ask help from us, Meredith," Marcus said, putting his arm over Atlas. "We\'re already doing so since the beginning. We will help you all the way."

With that, the group now decided to pursue Austin so that they could end this once and for all.

***

Meredith, Atlas, Marcus, and Gwen had been on a mission to stop Austin, who had been wreaking havoc on the nations with his army of dragons.

The group had finally arrived at the ancient city of Vilcabamba, thanks to Gwen\'s magic, which allowed them to teleport to the city quickly.

However, the sight that greeted them was not what they had expected.

As soon as they entered the portal, they were aghast to see that the dragons were attacking the nations. The once beautiful and peaceful city was now in ruins. The citizens were running for their lives, and the dragons were breathing fire, destroying everything in their path.

"Oh, no… no, no, no…"

Gwen shook her head in fear and worry, tears pooling in her eyes as she watched the horror unfold before them. With Meredith holding her mother to support her trembling body, the two men looked around and saw that the sky was dark and red as well.

The dragons roared and flew about, making sure to wreak havoc everywhere they go. Meredith\'s mother was completely enraged by the destruction she saw, and she wanted to stop Austin once and for all.

She turned to the trio and told them that they had to work together to stop Austin. She knew that they were the only ones who could put an end to Austin\'s tyranny.

"We are the only ones who can do this. We will work together just so we could end him and his evil acts. This has to be stopped. Innocent blood shall no longer be spilt. Those poor creatures… it is as we feared. He has them wrapped around his finger!"

But before they could even start looking for him, Austin appeared before them, riding on one of the most powerful dragons.

"Why, hello, there… it\'s nice to see you again, Gwen," he said, the four looking at him with disdain. "Care to see the start of my success?"