[38 years ago in the Albeyater Kingdom]
[Brekkar's point of view]
The journey was long and treacherous, but with my guidance and protection, we had nothing to fear! By the fall of night, we would reach Drakaria, the wonderful capital of our Albeyater Kingdom. Tomorrow was going to be a glorious day for our family, my granddaughter, Seryanna, was going to take the Royal Knight exam and most certainly pass!
Why, I would be a dried up Merion if this wasn't going to happen!
I trained my granddaughter myself, and she had both the skill and wisdom to stand on the battlefield right by my side! This was something I often bragged about to that old lizard tail, Feryumstark!
“Grandfather? Why did you drag me along as well?” asked my my third youngest granddaughter, Thraherkleyoseya.
My son was wise, but sometimes his naming sense felt like it got tossed off a rocky mountain and didn't even try to avoid the jagged cliffs on the way down.
“Because your grandmother was not very pleased with your latest prank. What were you thinking catapulting the captain of the guards into the ladies bathroom like that? The maids nearly had a heart attack!” I ruffled her hair.
“Stop it, grandpa!” she pouted.
I smirked proudly.
This little prankster was never ill intended. We all knew this...
Unfortunately, she awakened as a black-scale. They were some of the most hated dragons because of their affinity with the black arts. Although unbeatable as spies and assassins, theirs skills did very little in proving their worth outside of military and political plots.
When she was younger, she wanted to be a shadow puppeteer, but after she had her heart broken by that lad, Iolaus, things went downwards for my little angel. To make it worse, he awakened as a white-scale, Thraherkleyoseya's complete opposite in elements. And if that wasn't enough, the stupid boy ended up recruited by the Temple of Light, which absolutely despised all black-scales because of some religious nonsense.
Even with my fame and reputation as a general, there wasn't much I could do about it. This was their fate, but if the gods would have it, I wanted to be offered the opportunity to give that boy a good thrashing! One that he would never forget!
Indeed, I was determined to do this! Maybe the next time I saw him, I would punch him right in the face, no questions asked!
“Sister, it was your fault, you know? But you shouldn't despair, we get to see Drakaria! It's amazing!” Seryanna said with a bright smile.
She was a cheerful girl, always filled with energy and the desire to help others. If I were to guess, she inherited this bright personality of hers from her mother, although, instead of becoming a refined lady, she took the path of war like her father.
I let out a sigh and looked ahead at the big capital of Albeyater Kingdom, Drakaria. It was a marvelous city renowned for its resilience in the face of time and feared for the strength of its guards. And there, right at the heart of this city, my granddaughter was going to take her Royal Knight exam and then pledge her loyalty to the third daughter of that old lizard.
[Two days later, after the exam]
“I think she will become a fine Knight once she awakens, Brekkar.” the old lizard remarked.
“I think she is already a fine Knight! Your daughter will be in safe hands, I promise this!” I replied with a smirk.
The two of us were currently in the middle of a small sparring match. Sparks flew left and right as our sword collided. We didn't use [Boost] or any other body enhancement spells besides those needed for defense. We also promised not to use any spells during the match. If we did, we might have accidentally blown up half of Drakaria.
“Still, I wonder... Aren't you getting a bit rusty, you old fool?” the old lizard said with a smirk as he aimed his blade at my neck.
The sharp edge was avoided by a scale's length, and I pushed forward, slamming my shoulder in his chest. He was thrown back by two steps and let out a cough.
“Nah! I feel just fine! Always ready to kick your scaly behind on the field! You might be the King, my friend, but your crown can't save you from getting your ass whooped by me!” I declared with a broad smile.
“Nonsense! It will be you who will end up picking dirt from between your teeth by the end of this round!” the old lizard bragged and took his battle stance.
Well, I might call him an old lizard, but he didn't look aged at all. The Albeyater Kingdom's King was at the peak of his strength just as he was centuries ago, maybe he was stronger. We both were, but in our little spars, we were close to equals... Well, sort off... I felt like the old fool was hiding his true strength because he feared I would stop sparring with him if I knew he was far stronger than me.
Just as we were about to cross swords again, a messenger arrived.
“My liege! My liege! Urgent news from the West!” he said and then stopped at the edge of the training field to take his breath.
“The West? Is it from my domain?” I asked curiously.
“Yes, Sir Brekkar...” he replied, but I didn't like the look on his face.
So he brings bad news, eh? I thought, but not even I could suspect how terrible the news actually were.
“Speak, dragon!” the King declared.
“Yes, your Majesty!” he saluted and stood straight. “The Brekkar Plains have come under attack by an invading human army. Our scouts found out they are being led by a human Breakthrough-er. The fortresses Sendra, Callus, and Thorn have fallen and the army is currently settling in on the territory. The attack was swift and didn't last more than three days. This happened one day ago...” he stopped and then gulped.
I clenched my jaw and squeezed the hilt of the sword so hard it felt like the metal deformed in my grasp. My whole family was settled in those three fortresses. The King's adoptive son, Coshun, was there as well last I remembered.
If they had been conquered already, then... what about them? Are they still alive? I asked myself, but if anything, I knew I was praying for too much.
“Why is the news of an invading army four days late?” the King asked with a glare.
The messengers in the Dragon Kingdoms were dragons who were known to be among the fastest in flight. From The Brekkar Plains all the way to Drakaria, it shouldn't have taken him more than a day.
“They killed off all the messengers as soon as they took flight. Groups of adventurers hidden in the forests took them out. I had to take the ground route until I was far enough to assume beast form.” he replied.
“Such a thing... How was it possible?” the King asked in anger.
I placed my hand on the shoulder of the old lizard and then told him “Let me have my revenge.” I requested.
I didn't need to ask again. My old friend would have flown himself on the battlefield if needed be, but considering the situation, I couldn't allow him to take such a risk. There were many other ways a King like him could help me without facing the heat of the battle by my side.
Still... How was I supposed to break the news to my granddaughters?
[A few hours later]
The Brekkar Army, what was left of it anyway, was assembling on the outskirts of Drakaria. Messengers flew in all directions to send word to my troops of the upcoming battle. They all either rushed here or headed towards a place where they might meet us. I planned not to waste even a single second idling about while waiting for the army to gather to its full strength. Besides, on the order of the King, the other general lent me several of their troops as well.
My army's battle power once we reached The Brekkar Plains was going to be of 27000 strong dragons. Half of the Brekkar Army's original strength, but with me at the front, it was worth more than a 70000 strong one.
“Grandfather... mother... father..” Seryanna said with tears in her eyes while clenching her fists.
I let out a sigh and gently patted her head. “You are to stay here, young whelp. Your battle is not this one to fight. As a Royal Knight, you have the responsibility of standing by your lord's side and shielding her from all those who bear her harm will. Do you understand, Sir Seryanna?” I asked, letting my intent be known.
The child nodded her head, but the tears didn't stop.
Seeing her angry expression made me realize just how much I treasured her innocent smile. It was unfortunate that she would have to go through something like this, but such was the fate of the gods... Maybe the fact that these two children were spared was also their will?
Alas, I was old enough to know how to hide my own anger...
I closed my eyes and thought Sendra... I'm sorry I wasn't by your side. I pray that you escaped the fires of war and that we will meet safely somewhere... I opened my eyes and then donned my plated armor.
General Brekkar Draketerus was about to step on the battlefield once more, but this time... the blood of humans would turn the ground red!
[Two days later, after conquering Thorn]
The horns of victory sounded over the black battlefield, yet I was deaf to it. Dragons cheered for they had won and raised their arms to the sky as if to praise the gods above, while the bodies of humans littered the grounds around them.
All of them had either been chopped in half, ripped apart, burnt to a cinder, frozen and shattered, slashed by swords, cut by light, smashed by blunt weapons, or faced some sort of other horrible way to die. Even I held in my right hand the ripped out spine of the general who claimed this fortress.
My own body was drenched in my enemy's blood. My sword had ended the lives of countless humans, yet I felt nothing for them.
Neither rage, hate, or anger was in my heart.
There was nothing there... Or maybe it was better to say that I had felt despair to the point where my emotions had shattered to pieces and made me unable to feel anything.
How could I? No, what was I supposed to feel when looking at the bodies of my beloved children and grandchildren? What was I supposed to feel when I saw nothing but... pain?
Tears tried to form in the corners of my eyes, but nothing poured down on my cheeks. I gulped, yet I couldn't feel the spit in my mouth.
The bastards... they murdered them then hung them on the walls like criminals. With a single glance, I could see that their end was not a pleasant one. They suffered. They were tortured for the sake of it... for fun.
These humans... they were worse than monsters... worse than animals.
This was why, we, The Brekkar Army, murdered them all in cold blood. We left none escape our scaly grasp.
“Was I too late?” I dared ask in the end.
“No, Sir Brekkar, they had been dead for almost three days now. They never intended to keep them alive.” Decizor, an honorable commander, replied as he came forth with a towel, so that I may wipe off the blood of my enemies.
The dragon was in half-beast form, wearing his coat of brown scales and looking back at me with respectful black eyes.
“I see... Any survivors?” I asked.
“None.” came his reply.
The dragon closed his eyes and lowered his head. “My condolences, Sir Brekkar.” he said.
“Yes...” I mumbled then looked back at the hanging bodies of my children.
Could a father feel a pain more horrible than this one?
It was a question which answer I did not wish to hear...
[One day later, after conquering Callus]
“Two down, one to go...” I said as I looked at the captured human commander.
“You will not win! Humanity had yet to show its might!” the pitiful fool glared at me.
He spoke in the human language of his kingdom.
“Is that so?” I spoke in the same language.
There wasn't even a drop of energy in the tone of my voice. It was as if I was speaking while being locked up in a very boring dream.
I approached him and then I grasped his left arm and shoulder.
“W-What are you doing?” he asked, fear showing up on his face.
“Me? Nothing? Just... this...” I said and then I brutally ripped out his left arm right out of its socket.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
I tossed the limb to the combat pet belonging to Decizor while ignoring the man's screams. The beast ate the fresh meat, slurping up the blood. It was a large Dayuk of the Ice Element. A powerful beast, but not one that was easy to tame.
“You are noisy.” I slapped his jaw, dislocating it, then I punched his stomach, making him puke out his last meal.
“What shall we do with him?” asked the soldier in charge of him.
“Kill him.” I replied calmly, then I looked to the rest of the captured human soldiers.
They were all trembling and looking at me with fear in their eyes.
“This is the human army? Pathetic...” I spoke in the human tongue.
They showed no mercy to the civilians, so I had no intention of showing any mercy to them.
I took a deep breath and then unleashed a fiendish fire over them. It was just your average [Fire Breath] spell cast without a chant. Since they had no means of defending themselves against it, they all burst out into flames and died while screaming in pain.
I watched the entire scene, letting their suffering quench the thirst of my revenge.
[Two hours later]
Decizor walked up to me in a hurry and stopped me from marching forward. Fortress Sendra was next.
“Sir Brekkar! We found something!” he said.
“What is it?” I asked.
“This...” he showed me an unfinished letter.
I took it and furrowed my brow at it. The letter was written in the human tongue.
Which one was this? Erm... Nocturn? No... Majin? No... Opharya? Ah! The language of the Ten Swords Kingdom! I thought after I managed to figure it out.
Knowing the enemy's language was an important skill all the dragon generals acquired over time.
“What is this? Is this true?” I asked as I looked back at Decizor.
“Yes, Sir Brekkar.” he nodded.
“Then... this will sadden his Majesty... Send a messenger back to Drakaria and tell him to take this letter as well. Have the men scour the fields and search for Prince Coshun's body.” I ordered.
“Yes, Sir Brekkar. But... shouldn't the troops get some rest before marching forward?” he asked.
I glared back at him. For a moment, I was about to shout in anger at him. Only the sight of the tired soldiers leaning on the wall far behind him stopped me from doing so. It was then when I realized that I had marched them for three days straight. If they weren't dragons, they would have certainly died or collapsed of fatigue already.
I'm losing myself to my own emotions... I thought and shook my head.
Letting out another sigh, I pressed at the center of my forehead with the back of my clawed finger. Even I was feeling tired, but not as much as they did. Sometimes, I forgot that Breakthrough Awakened dragons were far more resilient than simple Awakened ones. There was enough energy in these old bones of mine to conquer ten more fortresses!
Well, I thought of myself as old, but truth be told, I looked rather young, just like that old lizard tail on the throne of this kingdom. It was the advantage of a Breakthrough Awakened. Unfortunately, my beloved Sendra was only an Awakened, and time was slowly catching up to her. The wrinkles of old age and the pains in her bones started to show up lately. Well, I still loved her just as much as I did back when we were young, so I was also partially to blame for this.
I guess... I'll never get the chance to hold her in my arms again... I thought and the pain of losing her spread through my chest.
[The following morning]
I woke up with tears pouring down my cheeks. It was the first time I cried since I heard about the invading human army. For a moment, I wished it was all just a bad dream, but I had no such luck. The horrible truth was in front of me... From my window, I could see the freshly made graves of the victims that fell prey to this invasion. Their bodies had been turned to ash to prevent them from returning as undead, and all that remained was a wooden pole with the name of the deceased inscribed on it, if they had been identified. Those who haven't were left as 'unknown victim'.
Of course, I went through the painful process of identifying everyone I could. Friends, family, or simple acquaintances were all there. All of them were there, none had survived.
A knock at my door forced me to stop my tears and straighten myself. Such a face was not one the general of an army was supposed to have.
“Come in!” I ordered.
Decizor entered and saluted.
I was standing in front of the window.
“What is it?” I asked.
“We found some survivors... but...” he stopped and gulped “There's a human among them...”
His words made me knit my brows in confusion.
“What do you mean a human?” I asked.
“You should speak with him, yourself, Sir Brekkar. The dragons claim he saved them...” Decizor replied.
“That's not possible...” I thought and shook my head “Where are they?” I asked.
“In the barracks. The soldiers are keeping an eye on them. They were able to hide in a hidden room under the floor at the back of the building. One of our soldiers happened to find them by chance.” he replied.
“I see...” I closed my eyes for a moment “Wait for me there. I will change and then join you.” I told him.
“Yes, Sir Brekkar!” he saluted and walked out of my room.
After he was gone, I shook my head. I could guess this human was up to no good... Maybe he was one of the adventurers who took down the messengers? Still, I had yet to find out how their bunch managed to infiltrate the kingdom so easily. My guess was that they used a more remote part of the shore, or perhaps they climbed the steep cliff side. If one had the strength and the means, it wasn't impossible.
When I reached the barracks, I found the human sharing a cup of warm soup together with a dragoness. It was a rather odd scene, but once I made myself present, they stopped their meal.
This human does not fear me or hate me... I thought as I looked at him and then I turned my gaze to the dragoness She's worried... for his safety?
The signs were clearly there, but it didn't make any sense. I knew all humans weren't all bad just as all dragons weren't all good, but... this... I found odd.
“They say you saved the dragons here... Is that true?” I asked while glaring at him.
He gulped.
First sign of fear. I thought.
“Yes, Sir Brekkar.” he nodded.
“Why?”
“They were my friends, and I'm sorry I couldn't save any more...” he bowed his head to the ground.
No, he knelt in front of me...
Is he shedding tears? Why? I thought.
“You there. Speak. Is this true?” I ordered the dragoness next to him.
“Yes, my husband speaks the truth, my lord.” she knelt in front of me as well.
Husband? What? my mind stopped at this word.
What she said made not only me, but the dragon soldiers around me as well both confused and surprised at the same time. I did not view this as treason, but more as an impossible fact. Yet, I had to admit, even I heard the remote rumors of dragon-human or dragon-elf couple living on the outskirts of the kingdom. To see one was... unexpected.
“You married a human? Why?” I asked confused.
“Out of love, my lord.” she spoke.
“You love this human?” I asked again.
“Yes.” she replied without hesitation.
“I love her as well, that's why I did not hesitate to betray my own kind for her.” the man replied without hesitation.
What is this? Some kind of joke? I wanted to ask, but I left these questions only for my mind to hear.
Looking back at the survivors, I saw dragons of various ages, both men and women, as well as children. They were all civilians, dragons that did not know how to hold a sword and never did hold one.
Yet, how did they enter the barracks? I wondered.
This was a question I didn't hold for myself.
“My father is... was a noble who worked at the fortress for the Draketerus family. When I was young, he told me of a secret room in the back of the barracks. When the battle started, we took refuge there, while the other civilian groups hid inside the fortress.” the dragoness replied.
“She speaks the truth, my lord.” one of the old dragons here vouched for her.
Several others followed suit.
“I understand... And how were you not found?” I asked.
“The soldier who came to check this place... I killed him and then I wore his armor in order to distract the others from finding this place. When your army came, I took refuge with my wife again...” the human replied.
“Where is the armor and the body of the human?” I asked.
“The armor is on that table.” he pointed at it. “And the body is in the barrel over there.” he moved his hand to the left.
I looked there and then gestured one of my soldiers to check it out.
The dragon walked over to it and opened the lid. He grimaced at the stench.
“This is definitely the body of a human... It stinks.” he said.
I nodded.
“Very well. You may live human.” I said.
“Thank you, my lord!” he bowed his head, and so did his wife.
A human-dragon couple... I never thought I would see one... I shook my head and then left.
This event thought me that maybe... not all humans were bad?
[At the end of the battle for Sendra]
The fortress that bared the name of my beloved wife also held her maimed body hanged on the castle walls. In my fury and rage, I sought nothing but the desire to find and kill those responsible for this. My body burned with energy as I fought against the human who achieved a Breakthrough.
After massacring half of his army on my own, I finally faced him and let my power rage on the scorched battlefield. The battle was merciless and took far longer than I had initially planned. The coward constantly used his own men to stave off my attacks, dodging whenever he had the chance, retreating rather than attacking.
Maybe I was too enraged, but I constantly pushed myself without caring what sort of damage it would inflict on my body. To be honest, I wasn't even aware of it until it was already too late to do anything about it.
Thus, our battle continued and spread over the whole Brekkar Plains... well, now it was nothing more than a scarred battlefield. Bodies of both humans and dragons littered the place, the grass was all burnt, and I highly doubted anything would grow here for many years to come.
My home now carried the scars of my loss and the punishment of my unleashed wrath...
In the end, I won... The Breakthrough-er was killed... smashed by my fists.
In the end, I was unable to save my beloved family, but... I managed to get my revenge. I was at peace, so I let myself wither right there... I fainted from the pain.
[Several days later]
I woke up on a bed in Drakaria. My army finished the job and returned to the capital victorious. Several squads were left to handle the remnants of the human invasion, but overall, it was our win.
As it turned out, not all the human soldiers were compliant with the way the human kingdoms acted in this battle, so they deserted the armies or saved some dragons themselves. My men were certainly surprised when they found them. The reports were... hard to believe if I had not met that human-dragon couple.
Later that day, after I received the reports, my granddaughters came to visit me.
The first one I saw was Seryanna. She was angry and not smiling at all. There were signs of her crying for a long time. Those beautiful eyes of hers responded to the pain in her heart, and this... saddened me.
Maybe it was a bit shameful for me to speak of this, but I did not wish Seryanna to take within her the same anger I had felt. It was better for her to be strong and wise, not be driven by hate and anger. A knight with such feelings in his heart would always end up evil and corrupted... I didn't wish this of her... After all, for that old lizard, I had slain my fare share of them in order to cleanse this kingdom several times.
“Seryanna...” I spoke out to her, but I couldn't move even a finger.
My whole body hurt as if it had been used as an anvil by a furious blacksmith.
“Grandfather... don't try to move. The healers say you are sick... A disease of some sorts...” she said and clenched her jaw and fists.
She's angry... I thought.
“Don't worry... I'll Awaken and then I'll reach a Breakthrough, and... and I'll kill all of those humans who killed my family! I'll kill them all!” she spoke with rage.
The young dragoness who smiled so brightly had vanished from my sight and instead was replaced by a blood-thirsty monster...
Should I be proud or angry? I wondered.
Although I wanted my granddaughter to carry on my fight, since she and her sister were the last of my family, I found myself unable to wish for them to carry such a sad future on their shoulders.
Thus, I showed her a gentle smile and said “Please, don't do that...”
“W-What? Why grandpa?! They killed mother! They killed father! They killed everyone in cold blood! WHY SHOULD I LET THE HUMANS LIVE! YOU should be the one to ORDER me to KILL THEM ALL!” she shouted at me while letting tears flow down her cheeks in rivers.
It hurt to see her like this.
I didn't want my granddaughter who was always smiling and acting cheerful to show me such a hate-filled gaze.
“Just as there are bad draconians, there are also bad humans, even if those represent the majority of their species. As such, there are good ones too...” I said.
“I don't understand grandpa... You want me not to kill humans?” she asked as she sniffled.
“No... Just the bad ones...” I said.
“NO! I should kill them all! Why should I let the others live? Why should I let any of them live after what they did to our family?!” she asked in anger.
“If you think there's one worth sparing, then you should... After all, those types are of the rare kind.” I smiled.
“You're not making any senses...” she shook her head.
“My granddaughter... you want to be a knight, correct?” I asked.
“I AM a knight! I passed the exam!” she declared.
“That's just the first step... You see, a knight should be able to tell good from wrong. They should act not with a heart filled with vengeance but one with justice. They should be understanding and wise... not violent, savage, and merciless.” I told her.
“Well... that's normal, isn't it?” she asked tilting her head in confusion.
“Yes... but you who wishes to go on the path of an indiscriminate slayer of humans can't became such a knight. One who holds such thoughts in his heart will sooner or later be struck down by the gods... I mean, look at me... Your grandfather lost it because of the pain and wished for vengeance from the bottom of his heart. True, I spared some humans, but they were special. Even so, I shouldn't have fought like that...” I shook my head in regret.
It was a bit of a far stretched truth, but it held the bitter lesson my granddaughter needed to learn as a knight.
I wished for her to have a wonderful future, one in which she would be able to smile again, not one filled with plots and desires to conquer and kill another species... Those sort were not needed in Albeyater, and I was certain that old lizard would strike down even my granddaughter if he found her at fault.
“I don't understand grandfather... What human could you have even spared?” she asked with tears in her eyes.
“One who fell in love with a dragoness... and betrayed his own kind to be with her.” I replied with a smile.
“That's a lie! Humans are too selfish, too ignorant, too stupid to do something so noble!” she refused to listen.
I let out a sigh.
“It's fine if you believe this, but at the very least, promise me that you won't spend your life trying to bring about the extermination of a species. You may end the lives of those you find bad and evil, but please... try to find it in you to forgive those few who don't act like the rest. Promise me that you won't seek revenge for your parents... that you wont seek revenge for our family and friends. I did it in your stead, my beloved granddaughter... It's enough like this...” I spoke to her in a calm and gentle tone of voice.
“B-But... they killed mother... they killed father... I don't think I can forgive them... I can't...” she whimpered.
“You don't need to now... You have many years ahead of you... Just don't live based on such thoughts and feelings unbecoming of a knight, alright?” I smiled.
“I'm not going to promise anything... I'm not...” she clenched her fists and looked down.
“It's alright... as long as you at least try...” I told her.
“I won't...” she replied.
[Present time. During Iolaus' hellish training]
While reading the letter I received from my granddaughter, Seryanna, I found myself remembering that painful tale... Who knew that after all these years, it was going to be a human who saved both me and her. Not only that, but it appeared as though that human even offered that girl her smile back as well as the chance to Awaken...
“Fate is a weird thing, isn't it, Alkelios?” I spoke to myself as I looked out the window at a poor dragon who was running around chased by our pet squirrel.
Back then, if my beloved Sendra hadn't convinced me to escort those two girls all the way to Drakaria, would I have been able to win against the invading human force? Hm... Probably not... Thanks to their swift attack, they scattered their main force into three, and I was able to win against them. And as much as I like to brag, that Breakthrough-er was mighty powerful for a human. If I didn't stop him, his Majesty would have been forced to take up his sword against him. I thought and then let out a sigh.
A simple mind would not see the detriment in this, but one may need to wonder if those few lives we saved could have been saved in the end? How many more villages and cities would have fallen to the sword by the time the remaining armies clashed with them again? And when we won, would the neighboring countries have left us to lick our wounds or would they have launched a swift attack to conquer us when we could barely stand?
Both me and that old lizard feared for the latter and were thankful that it never came to be...
I folded the letter and placed it down on the desk.
“I wonder... was it their Luck or Fate that brought these youngsters together?” I said as I patted the letter once and then left to resume my training.
Maybe I would never know, but I was at least happy to know that 38 years-long wound had finally healed itself... All this thanks to a silly human.