In the shadowed hall of Darkan’s underground alliance, tension crackled like static. Maroon, the alliance leader of the Darkan underground, stood at the head, his cloak shimring with faint wards, his narrowed gaze fixed on the Mistars’ representative.
While the eting was ongoing, he had requested the presence of the Mistars; however, they weren’t available. Now, all eyes were focused on them.
"Didn’t we agree that no organization in this alliance would take commissions until our goal was achieved?" Maroon’s voice was sharp, cutting through the murmurs.
The Mistars’ executive, standing in for their absent leader, shifted uneasily. "I’m just here in her place."
"So, if we check your headquarters, we’ll find her there?" Maroon pressed, his eyes glinting.
Silence hung heavy. The executive’s lips tightened, offering no reply.
"You’re acting suspicious. What’ve you been up to?" Doombringer bellowed, slamming a fist on the table.
The executive remained mute, sweat beading on his brow. ’Shit, why did it have to be-’
"Wait," a calm voice interjected. All eyes turned to the source; it was the third Executive of Dawnless, seated beside the Mistars representative.
Maroon gestured for him to speak. "Yes?"
The Third Executive sighed inwardly, his heart heavy. "We might have another solution." The Mistars executive shot him a shocked glance. ’Why’s he helping ?’
"Oh? And what’s that?" Maroon leaned forward.
’I’m not ant to say this.’ But he spoke, "Recently, we’ve explored the mortuary ruins and found this." He produced a small, luminescent plant, its leaves pulsing faintly. "It hides your presence for a few seconds." He placed it in his mouth, and his aura vanished, leaving the room stunned. Spitting it out, he continued, "This plant with can help us sneak inside, and with skilled infiltrators, we could use it to seize the ship."
Murmurs rippled through the hall, eyes locked on the plant. Greed flickered in their gazes. Naturally, each organization wanted it for itself.
Maroon’s smile was calculated, then he spoke. "Alright, we’ll proceed with that. But, Mistars, I hope you can co up with an explanation for your absence at this critical eting."
The Third Executive sighed. ’Now they’ll target us.’ He could see it in their faces.
The eting adjourned with that, and the alliance prepared to act.
***
Tasha stepped onto Darkan’s soil, her heart light with anticipation.
Nearly a year had passed since she’d been ho, and the family reclaid their draconic heritage, so naturally, it filled her with pride.
But as she crossed the family estate’s gates, unease settled in.
The sprawling grounds, usually bustling, were now desolate. No humans lingered, except the guards by the gate; she hadn’t seen any humans in the estate.
Even family mbers were scarce, their faces fleeting as they bowed curtly and hurried off. The ruined buildings from the restoration still stood untouched, their stones now cracked and covered in moss. The most chilling thing was, the ancient dragon’s body—once displayed as a symbol of their legacy—was gone.
’Where’s Father?’ Tasha’s boots echoed on the cobblestone path, the silence oppressive. It was strange that there wasn’t even anyone to greet her. Even the few family mbers who passed only bowed a bit and continued in their business. No one greeted her, no banners waved.
Suspicious, she headed straight for her father’s office.
Along the way, two figures approached. "Young Lady Tasha, welco," One of them greeted.
"Elder Tritin?" The man before her was among the surviving pillars of Darkan from the Silver’s war.
Then she frowned. "Where’s my father?"
"Don’t be alard. He was summoned by the emperor."
"Then who called ?"
"I did," Tritin said.
Tasha looked around and asked, "What happened?"
"That’s the reason I called, to explain to you." Elder Tritin gestured for her to co in.
After a while of being suspicious, she nodded and followed.
Tasha’s instincts scread caution, but she followed, her hand resting near her concealed blade.
Inside, they sat across a polished obsidian desk, the second man silently standing behind Tritin.
"Explain," Tasha demanded, her voice sharp.
Tritin leaned back, his cane tapping softly. "Now I’m sure, after that war and everything cald down, you were also able to sort out the mories, techniques, and legacy our ancestors left for us, yes?"
Dragons usually possessed inherited mories from their predecessors in case of eventualities like what had previously happened to them. Instead of soone still explaining to them, they had the mories of the whole thing.
Tasha’s eyes narrowed. Naturally, she knew a past emperor had cursed their family, stripping their power long ago. "What are you getting at?"
"As you entered, you might not have realized it, but the family mbers are no longer interested."
"Interested in what?" Her voice rose, suspicion deepening.
"We just gained new land, and guess what has been done about it for months? Nothing."
Tasha’s eyes widened.
"It seems even the family head doesn’t trust the empire anymore. Aside from your uncle and a few, most dragons have fled to chase their dreams."
"And you let this happen?" Tasha’s tone was incredulous.
"What was I ant to do? Kill them to keep them here?" Tritin’s voice hardened. "No. This is the dragon’s way. Freedom over chains."
"So, what’s your plan?" Tasha asked, her scales prickling beneath her skin.
"I recently had a vision. This empire will soon drown in war, and I won’t let our family sink with it."
Tasha shot to her feet, dragonic pressure radiating in waves. "So you plan to rebel?"
"Sit," Tritin commanded, tapping his cane. His own draconic aura surged, a suffocating force that dwarfed hers. She sank back, glowering. ’I need to escape.’
"I wanted to know your choice," Tritin continued. "The family’s future is bright and has room for improvent if we fully digest our gains, or the empire’s future, one where we were betrayed by, and the future is bleak. What is your decision?"
’I need to ti it. When they lower their guard...’ Then she answered, "What if they do it again?"
"What?"
"What if we carry out your plan, and we get cursed again, what is your plan then?" she countered. "What if they are already aware that one of them cursed us, and that’s the reason my father is there?"
Tritin blinked, caught off guard. He hadn’t expected this response. As he pondered, Tasha seized her chance. Whoosh. She morphed into her dragon form, scales glinting, and crashed through the building, wings beating as she soared into the sky.
"I’m disappointed," Tritin’s voice echoed, impossibly close. He appeared beside her, mid-air, his cane raised. With a swift kick, he struck her head, sending her spiraling.
Tasha reverted to human form, hitting the ground hard. She quickly wiped the blood from her lips and sprinted, but a hand clamped onto her head. Her body froze, as control over her body slipped from her. In her fading vision, a different color of flas flickered around Tritin’s hand she’d never seen before.
’Black flas?’
She collapsed, unconscious. Tritin caught her, his hand charred by the unnatural fire. The second man landed beside him, a faint smile on his lips. "You need to be careful with that fire."
"Yeah," Tritin muttered, staring at his burnt hand. Wasn’t it strange for a fire dragon to get burnt?
’How did he get flas like this in the first place?’ He took one last glance at the man, his aura unreadable, "Let’s go."
Reviews
All reviews (0)