Kaelan took a step back, letting his sword rest at his side as he gazed down at Alexei, who struggled to keep his composure despite the pain from his wounded leg.
“Tell your lord…” Kaelan began.
“…that he is welcome to join us whenever he is ready. But first, he must submit to the one who will become the Overlord.”
“There is no point in all this mindless fighting when we can all live safely together.”
Alexei gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with anger. “Never,” he spat.
Kaelan sighed, a look of disappointment appearing in his eyes.
“A pity.”
“Then I will do this as many times as necessary. And don’t expect me to spare you when next we meet.”
As Kaelan turned to walk away, Alexei’s anger surged. With a sudden burst, he shouted,
“I don’t need your mercy! That’s the last thing I want from a coward like you, who ran away and left Father to die!”
Kaelan paused in his tracks, his back still turned to Alexei. Slowly, he looked over his shoulder, his expression hidden behind his helmet.
The air between them was heavy, as if the battlefield itself waited for Kaelan’s response.
Kaelan then said, “Goodbye, Alexei. Return to your lord and remind him-the previous Overlord, the strongest of us all-fell to the darkness. Only a fool sees certain doom and charges straight in. He should bow his head while it still rests on his shoulders, for when the darkness eventually arrives, there will be no undoing what has already been done.”
With those words, Kaelan turned fully away from Alexei, his heavy footsteps echoing across the battlefield.
Each step felt like the closing of a chapter, the end of a warning that had been delivered not just to Alexei but to all who stood in the face of what was to come.
Alexei, still kneeling, clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, the pain in his leg now a dull throb compared to the rage burning inside him.
Kaelan’s words echoed in his mind, fueling the flames of his anger. He wanted to shout again, insult him more, but what had been said—what had been implied-left him unable to speak.
He simply watched as Kaelan’s figure grew smaller in the distance, his heart pounding in his chest, a mix of anger and fear twisting his insides.
Alexei knew that Kaelan was right-deep down, he understood the truth in his words.
The Overlord himself fell; he and his highest generals didn’t stand a chance, so what chance did they, the successors, have?
It was undoubtedly slim to none, but they couldn’t possibly turn tail and run. How would they be able to face their ancestors when the time came?
So they hoped that perhaps if the second heir were to obtain the heirloom, he could finally be chosen by ?Restriat in their time of crisis.
After walking for a while, Alister felt Kaelan’s control over his body fade. He blinked, his mind clearing as he became aware of his surroundings once more.
His fingers flexed instinctively as if testing if he had regained control.
‘So this is what the system meant by experiencing the world through his eyes. Are we… sharing his body?’
‘But then… Why am I also allowed to influence his actions? Will that only happen during certain points, or is something wrong that the system hasn’t discovered yet?’
The thought unsettled him, but he had little time to dwell on it.
Suddenly, a shadow passed overhead, and Alister, now Kaelan, looked up to see Zeran descending from the sky on his dragon mount. The creature’s powerful wings stirred the air, kicking up dust as they landed beside Kaelan.
“General Kaelan!” Zeran called out, his voice filled with concern. “How are you holding up? That battle with Alexei… Did you finish him off?”
Kaelan paused, his mind still partly affected by the real Kaelan’s lingering presence.
He considered Zeran’s question for a moment before letting out a sigh and saying,
“No.”
Zeran frowned, dismounting from his dragon. His eyes landed on Kaelan, trying to understand his thoughts.
“Why not? You had him beaten. It would have been the wise thing to do.”
Kaelan gazed back at Zeran, the decision still lingering in his mind. “Maybe… But I have my reasons and would prefer if you didn’t question me.”
He couldn’t possibly say he wanted to, but the real Kaelan didn’t want to; it would sound weird.
Zeran’s gaze remained on Kaelan for a moment, sensing there was something more to his words. Then, with a simple nod, he eased up, a small smile spreading on his face.
“Fair enough, General.”
“No need to explain yourself further. You’re still in one piece, and that’s what matters.”
He took a look around the battlefield, noting the scattered remains of fallen soldiers and beasts. The sight was grim, but his gaze quickly shifted back to Kaelan.
“How do you plan on getting back? Your lesser dragon mount was killed in the battle, wasn’t it? If you want, you can take a ride from one of our riders. Or…”
He then pointed towards his own mount, “…you can ride mine. I don’t mind.”
Kaelan looked at Zeran, appreciating the offer. “Thank you,” he said with a nod. Without another word, he approached Zeran’s dragon, then mounted, gripping the reins as he settled into the saddle.
Zeran watched as Kaelan, now fully in command, steered the dragon into the sky.
The powerful wings beat down, lifting them swiftly off the ground. Within moments, they were soaring above the battlefield, the remnants of the fight quickly shrinking below. Zeran remained on the ground for a moment longer, watching as Kaelan disappeared into the clouds. He then let out a breath, waving his hand at one of the riders in the sky so they would pick him up before following behind him.
…
Kaelan soared through the air, the dragon’s powerful wings cutting through the clouds.
As the battlefield slowly faded away behind him, the sight of Ta’hedra, the kingdom of dragons, slowly came into view.
Ta’hedra was a blend of rugged mountains and lush valleys, where dragons of all shapes and sizes made their home.
High above, the sky was filled with lesser dragons as they flew all around.
On the ground, the dragon kin moved about, tending to their daily lives.
As Kaelan and his dragon mount approached the grand city, the towering fortresses of
Ta’hedra came into view.
‘This… It’s… amazing,’ he thought. For him, Alister, this was the first time he had laid his eyes on such a grand city. It didn’t have any flashy holographic billboards, but it seemed to be filled with life and seemed to slowly come alive in the rays of the setting sun.
The city was a sight to behold, its buildings crafted from white stone quartz and gold, designed with beautiful carvings that displayed the rich history of the dragon overlords who had ruled here for centuries.
At the heart of it all stood the grand citadel, the seat of power where Hazerion, the first heir and lord of the kingdom, awaited his arrival.
As they flew lower, nearing the city’s main street, Alister noticed the activity below. Dragon kin walked the streets, their eyes occasionally turning skyward as dragon riders passed overhead. The streets were alive with the sounds of trade, conversation, and the occasional
roar of a dragon.
Among the dragon kin, a young child pulled at her mother’s hand, her eyes wide as she
watched Kaelan’s dragon soar by.
“Look, Mommy! The riders are back!”
The mother smiled down at her child, then looked up at the sky, her expression softening.
“Yes, they are.”