Alister and his dragons soared through the sky, their wings slicing through the clouds with each powerful beat.
Alister rode atop Yu’Keto’s head, the silver dragon’s immense size dwarfing all the others, as if they were planets revolving around him, the sun.
From what Alister could discern, Yu’Keto stood at least a hundred feet tall. His tail stretched an impressive twenty meters, and his wings spanned perhaps twice that length.
He was truly a giant among dragons, so much so that Alister couldn’t help but marvel at how all this mass could fit into his relatively small human form.
“We are approaching a settlement, young lord.”
Yu’Keto’s deep voice rumbled as he spoke, though his maw did not move. This wasn’t telepathy either, but perhaps an advanced form of communication unique to the life he had led.
“Good, press forward.”
“Understood.”
Trailing far behind Yu’Keto were Alister’s dragon generals, all in their majestic dragon forms.
Mar’Garet couldn’t help but grit her teeth in her massive maw, a flicker of jealousy-and perhaps anger-burning in her eyes as she watched Yu’Keto carry Alister.
The reason for Mar’Garet’s anger was as clear as day-she wanted to be the one carrying Alister.
Earlier, she had eagerly offered to carry him upon her head during the flight, but Alister had politely declined. Instead, he had given the honor to Yu’Keto, much to her shock.
Her crimzon dragon eyes narrowed into slits as she glared at Yu’Keto, her resentment practically radiating off her in waves.
Yu’Keto, unfazed but fully aware of the heat from her metaphorical and literal death glare, chuckled deeply within himself before addressing Alister.
“Young lord, her displeasure is not subtle…”
Yu’Keto’s rumbled again as he spoke.
“You may need to do more to put her in line. She may be an Abyss-Void, but letting such feelings fester unchecked could lead to problems later.”
Alister, standing atop Yu’Keto’s massive head with his hands crossed, glanced back briefly at Mar’Garet then sighed.
“You need not concern yourself, Yu’Keto. She is loyal to me. She won’t betray me.”
Yu’Keto’s tone changed slightly as he spoke again.
“That is not what I am referring to, young lord. Her loyalty is not in question. But a warrior such as her, harboring unresolved emotions, may act out in ways that disrupt order. It is not betrayal I fear, but distraction. She must know her place, or it may complicate things in the future.”
Alister thought about Yu’Keto’s words for a moment before replying.
“Mar’Garet knows her duties… Although she tends to invade my personal boundaries. I trust her completely.”
Yu’Keto exhaled, the deep sound almost like a subdued growl, but he didn’t press the matter further.
“Very well,” he said. “I shall trust in your judgment, young lord, but… Let me add this.”
“If you wish to pull her close, let her know. If you don’t, inform her as well.”
Alister kept silent, his gaze fixed on the clouds before them.
“We have arrived, young lord,” Yu’Keto said.
As the massive silver dragon began his descent, the dense clouds around them parted, revealing the world below.
The sight of a sprawling settlement, filled with mutated wildlife instantly came into view.
What looked like huts of different shapes and sizes could be seen.
The leaves above were so thick they barely let any sunlight down at all.
But the beauty of the scene was ruined as Alister’s attention was drawn to the chaos unfolding below.
At the edge of the village, humans in black combat gear were hunting the Dragonkin.
The gray-skinned, silver-haired creatures with yellow eyes fought desperately, but they were easily overwhelmed, getting killed.
Some of the Dragonkin were subdued and bound with stranged glowing chains that pulsed faintly, then dragged into vehicles that rumbled as they prepared to transport them away.
A mother separated from her crying child.
Some pinned down and defiled… Some before their husbands, others before their parents.
Warriors who fought desperately but were cut down.
Children crying that were knocked out, some killed as they tried to flee.
Elderly beaten before being captured.
The men present seemed to laugh, excited with the chaos they caused.
Their laughter seemed to echo louder in Alister’s head then any other sound present, the screams merely a backdrop.
It was a sight of ruin.
Alister’s eyes widnes in shock at the sight. His jaw slightly ajar, and his aura instinctively rose out of his body like an infurno.
“What is the meaning of this?”
For some reason the sight seemed to spark a fragment of his past, one he had yet to fully
racall. A home invaded by humans in black.
Men who commanded the power of darkness.
His own voice echoed in his head as he said, “I’m sorry… I failed you.” an immense sense of anger and regret followed those words, the pain shot trough his skull, causing him to wince slightly as he gripped his head.
And he didn’t fully why he felt this pain, but he had a a very good idea.
But Alister wasn’t the only one devastated
Alzuring was the first to speak. The sky dragon’s eyes widening in shock.
“Such desecration… These humans dare to violate our kin, to slaughter and humiliate them?”
Cinder gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with her Crimson mana.
“To torture our people like this… It sickens me. They should all be reduce them to ash.”
“These insects should be crushed underfoot. Every last one of them.” Mar’Garet said.
Lighting crackled around Draven.
“Such vile creatures are in need of enlightenment. They seek to capture our kin… To taint them? They will suffer a fate far worse than death.”
Yu’Keto narrowed his gaze dangerously as he spoke, “What are your commands young lord?”
Alister gritted his teeth, the next words that left his mouth were calm, yet filled with rage. It was as if though something had snapped inside him… No it was more accurate to say something had died.
“My Dragons, wyverns, heed my words and proceed forward. Eradicate every human in
sight.”
“No… Leave a few of them intact, they shall lead us to the fool who instigated this.”
….
Mega City X
In the office of Union President Galisk.
Galisk sat in his chair, tapping a polished silver pen against his obsidian desk as he scanned a
data tablet.
Across from him, one of his many assistents, Varrin, stood, the man had purple hair, eyes and
a pair of glasses that made him look like some professional in his union uniform.
A faint look of nervousness on his brow as he held a slim electronic notepad. “Let’s get this over with, Varrin,” Galisk said, leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. His spoke with a touch of boredom yet his words seemed intense.
“What’s the status on the mega city reports?”
Varrin adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. “Yes, sir. First, Mega City III is reporting significant disruptions in their energy supply. They’ve been operating at reduced capacity since last month’s infrastructure sabotage, leaving some sectors without consistent power.” Galisk tilted his head, his pen stilling as he frowned slightly. “And their proposed solution?” “They’ve requested additional power allocations from the central reserves.”
“But if we comply, it could strain the grid for Mega City IV and VI, which are already running
at near capacity.”
Galisk rubbed his temple, his patience waning. “Of course they’d come begging. Deny the request. Tell them to prioritize repairs with their own resources. Offer technical oversight, but
no more.” “Understood.” Varrin jotted down notes, his fingers moving swiftly over the tablet.
Galisk leaned forward, placing his elbows on the desk and resting his chin on his clasped
hands. “Next?”
“Mega City IV has encountered political instability following the sudden resignation of
branch director Lynas,” Varrin said.
Galisk’s brow lifted. “Resignation? Lynas has retired?”
Varrin nodded. “Officially, yes. Though rumors suggest it was to avoid an ongoing investigation into misallocated funds.”
Galisk exhaled through his nose and straightened his posture, gesturing for Varrin to
continue.
“With Lynas gone, tye major families there have started maneuvering for control. It’s creating tension, though nothing violent has occurred yet.”
“Not yet,” Galisk muttered, spinning the pen between his fingers. “Send a clear message to
the board officers there. They are to maintain order. No factional games, no chaos. If
necessary, remind them that my intervention is not off the table.”
“Of course, sir,” Varrin said with a slight bow of his head.
As Varrin glanced at his tablet, Galisk stood and walked to the massive window, clasping his
hands behind his back. He watched the bustling traffic streams below, his mind racing.
“And Mega City VI?” Galisk asked.
“They’ve been experiencing widespread infrastructure strain,” Varrin replied. “The water purification plants are outdated and barely meeting demand. Recent mechanical failures have
left several sectors without clean water.”
Galisk turned, raising an eyebrow. “This isn’t new. Why wasn’t it addressed earlier?”
“The budget reallocation for their upgrade project was postponed last quarter,” Varrin
admitted.
Galisk pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated. “Issue an immediate directive to fast-track repairs and deploy mobile purification units from the central supply. And make sure someone competent oversees this operation. I want results, not excuses.”
Varrin nodded briskly. “I’ll see to it, sir.”
Satisfied, Galisk returned to his desk and gestured dismissively. “That’ll be all, Varrin.”
Varrin bowed slightly and exited the office.
Once alone, Galisk reached for his sleek communication pad as it buzzed softly on his desk. A
notification glowed on the screen:
[Message from Yuuto: “I have revealed my identity to the young lord.”] Galisk stared at the message for a moment before a grin spread across his face.
Leaning back in his chair, he chuckled softly before bursting into a loud laugh, his fingers
drumming against the armrest.
“Well, well, well, Yuuto,” he thought aloud, “you always were full of surprises. So, you’ve
decided to reveal yourself earlier than expected… I’m curious… Did you get on your knees to
pledge your loyalty.”
“Наааа.”
He stood, walking over to a side table where a decanter of golden liquor waited. Pouring
himself a glass, he raised it slightly, as though in toast.
“This will be interesting. Let’s see how you carry yourself now, old friend, fact, I’ll be visiting
tomorrow, seems like a golden opportunity to finally meet my boy and girl.”
He sipped slowly, savoring the drink.