Chapter 36:

                                    

                                          
No one's P.O.V.
Everyone looked up, seeing a shiny, bronze bell being rung at the very top of the ceiling. Glancing around, people began to notice that the moon had reacted it's peak, which only meant one thing:
The changling ceremony was about to begin. 
Near the back of the room, Anchileous sat on his throne, a lazy smile played along on his face. He wasn't that anxious to get started, but his interest in this year's changlings had definitely peaked. The only reason that being is because Phil would have a changling in this group, and Anchileous could not wait to see what other kid his friend would choose this time.
On the other side of the hall though, Phil was quickly making his way through the crowd, trying to get to the balcony as quickly as possible without people stepping on his robe nor his feathers. Wilbur and Techno had already met up, and were just waiting for their father, who they were still rightfully pissed at.
When the blonde finally made it up there, Anchileous had already started his speech for the year, which wasn't that important to the family of three, soon to become four.
"Have either of you two seen him?" Phil asked desperately. Both of them shook their heads, never once drawing their eyes away from the crowd. Tommy wasn't that hard to miss, especially when he could potentially be on a blood high right now. Phil tried to push that thought in particular out of his mind. He didn't need to start panicking right now. 
The worried blonde huffed out in frustration, and joined his sons in scanning the crowd, trying to find the young raccoon hybrid. The king was probably in the middle of his speech, when a quiet fell over the hall, the one that would chill anyone's blood if any of the bodies in the room had warm blood.
There were screams piercing through the closed door that lead to different hallways. One, two three, four- then suddenly, silence. Everyone had started to back up from the door that the screams were coming from, not wanting to know what was on the other side of it.
The family of three were curiously and worriedly looking over at the door. Phil, in all his years of coming here, have never seen that happen at the changling ceremony. He wanted to know what had made the screams, but his worry and concern for where Tommy might be overpowered his curiosity and turned it into the burning desire to find his youngest son. 
Anchileous on the other hand was smirking towards the door that the screams had come from. He had dealt with this many times before, when blood raging changlings would enter the castle. The staff and servants could usually handle them, but the fact that there were four separate screams coming from the changling hall only meant that a person or multiple people had been attacked. Hard to tell, the screams all sounded similar in the distance. 
"Everyone, calm down. I know this might sound horrible, but it is probably a changling either being dragged here or on a blood high. The royal staff has it under control." The king said, making everyone else let out  a breath that they were holding in nervously. 
"Now, will all the changlings come to the front along with their Founder." The king announced, and the crowd shuffled around as multiple bodies started towards the front. Four pairs emerged from the crowd, all looking towards the king expectantly. 
The ancient being got up and approached the first pair. He doesn't exactly remember who the Founder was, but since the changling was well taken care of, he dismissed the pair. And that was how it went until the last pair. This one, he actually knew them.
Anchileous inspected the bee hybrid before him, his head leaning to the side in a curious side. His eyes darted up to meet he deep green eyes of the Founder of the changling.
"Dream, I didn't think that you would get a changling of your own this soon, seeing as you aren't even 15,000 years old yet." Anchileous said, his eyes still studying the trembling child before him. Dream rolled his shoulders back and stood up taller, placing his hand on the younger's shoulder.
"I know that most vampires wait to get a changling of their own, but Tubbo was the baby brother that I've always wanted. He makes the family complete, and that's what this is all about: finding our families and spending eternity with them." The young blonde said, staring directly at the king, their eyes locking.
Anchileous gave the younger a nod, and dismissed the two of them back. Tubbo... that was an interesting name for a changling, he would admit that, but didn't seem to find a problem with the brunette joining the ram family. 
The king walked back towards his throne, preparing himself for the more disgusting version of the changlings. Sitting back down, everyone began hearing shouting from the door that the screams had previously come from and again, stepped back. This time, it wasn't for fear, but it was out of respect of the ceremony.
The door opened, and 6 more changlings entered the room, all their eyes bright red and worried or nervous looks on their faces. Each of them were above the mortal age of 14, with the exception of one 12 year old girl clutching onto the sleeve of another 17 year old boy. They both looked similar, so the king decided that they were siblings.
Lining up before the king, one of the prison guards began to unlock their chains, whispering warnings into their ears to make sure that they wouldn't run off and obey their orders. Each child was looking at their feet, being told not to look the ancient king in the eyes.
The king got up to greet the children, when a side door bursted open and a distraught looking guard came sprinting out, towards the king.
"Your majesty, I am so sorry to interrupt, but there is a wild changling down in the cellars. It's already taken out 2 of the best doctor's that we have, everyone's afraid to try and calm it down from it's blood high." He breathed out into the silent hall.
Everyone held their breath, awaiting for the king's decision on what to do with the rabid creature. He frowned about hearing the troubles that this creature was causing his staff. Usually they'd be able to handle something like this, but if this being has already taken out 6 of his best doctors, than he was going to have to deal with it himself.
"Well, bring it in when I'm done with these guys." The king said. The guard nodded, and raced down out the hall and towards the dungeons to try and reign in the current raging animal. The king proceeded with the ceremony, not knowing what creature he was going to face.
But a couple people in the hall.... they had an idea of what was going to come.
Welp, two updates in a day. Guess you could call this an apology for not updating in so long. Though, this is also because a strike of inspiration has finally hit me, but I prefer the apology way. Have a wonderful day guys!
1215 words
-Zia