“Aldos Adona.”

The drakken stopped straight in his tracks as they called his name. He hadn’t anticipated another squad to track him down so quickly but now he knew that he once again had to fight. He had come so close too, almost crossing the border into neutral territory. He kept his free hand onto the pommel of his sword, while his left hand remained underneath his baby, cradling it tightly against his stomach.

“To whom do I have the honor of speaking to?” Aldos asks, turning about face to meet his adversaries. Six of them stood there, all identical to one another. Grey haired, strong armed women that all bore the same blank, emotionless, and soulless eyes. Androids, no different from any other he had to fight through since his flight three months ago. One raised her gunblade from its holster upward, pointing it directly at Aldos. He knew that she would not dare fire, not when they wanted his baby alive even if they wanted him dead.

“I am Captain Leta.” The android with a gunblade states mechanically. “My, you really have given the Empire quite a run. You made us chase you all the way to the border here. You were almost out, as well.”

“What makes you think I won’t get out of this one, just like all of the previous ones?” He glares back to the captain. His baby remained asleep in his arms, silent, as the two sets of eyes stared at one another, one full of emotion, and the other rigid and lifeless.

“Because we are new designs, a new generation if you will.” The captain explains. “We are the elites, and our single-minded purpose is to neutralize you.”

“Hah, you all look the same to me. You’re all piles of scrap.”

The rest of the androids raise their gunblades up, all aimed at Aldos, as if preparing to fire. The haggard father clenched the hilt of his sword tighter as he stared down the barrel of six aeternum firearms. He knew that they would not dare fire for fear of hitting his child, but one could never become comfortable with staring down the barrel of a loaded weapon.

“Surrender yourself, Aldos Adona. We do not have to make this bloody. The Empress will make sure that your execution will be swift as long as you cooperate with us.”

“And suppose I do not?”

The other five androids start to encircle Aldos’s position. He allows them to trap him, knowing that they would all lunge for him if he made a sudden move. He clicked his sword, exposing the blade from its pommel by just a fraction. Steam belched from the scabbard as the aeternum forged blade burned hot. He knew that he had to fight his way out of here, no matter the cost.

“Surrender the baby, Aldos.” Captain Leta declares once more.

“Take one step closer and I cut all of you where you stand.”

The androids take a step forward and narrow the radius of the circle. The time is nigh.

“The baby, Aldos. This is your final warning.”

“Over my dead body!” He roars, unsheathing his sword and charging for the nearest droid. He thrusts the blade downward from above his shoulder straight for the droid’s processing unit—the analogue for a humanoid skull. His blue blade hisses as it plunged through steel and circuitry, delivering a singular, fatal blow. Sparks fly from the droid’s wound as she staggers backward and collapses into a complete pile of spark and scrap.

“Kill the traitor, and seize the child!” The captain barked as a trooper engages the father. She attempts to strike with a vertical slice but Aldos parries it easily from below. With the same movement he delivers a grazing cut to the side of the droid, searing blade once again cutting through armor and leaving behind a gash that exposed the internal wiring of the robot. Unbalanced, the droid hesitated but the veteran father would have none of it and finishes the droid with a piercing thrust to her central power core, instantaneously immobilizing the droid and rendering her effectively dead.

“You will not have me.” Aldos sneers menacingly as a droid from behind entered the fray, sensing vulnerability from the drakken who had his back turned. The sword master had already seen the attack coming, and immediately parries the thrust violently with an upward movement. Seizing the momentum, he redirects it into his own thrust that penetrates the droid at the neck joint. Pulling his sword out from the crippled robot, he kicks her back and finishes the steel automaton with a horizontal slice across the hip joints, severing her in two. He snarls at the remaining three droids, taunting them forward.

“Your Empress should have given you ample warning about who I am, but are all you robots incapable of taking one drakken down?! What kind of poor excuse for a human soldier are you tin-cans?”

“Do not force our hand, Aldos.” The captain warns, but the father wanted none of it. He knew she could only bluff.

“What hand?” He demands, screaming with rage. He had lost all semblance of the cool composure he always has. “You would not dare shoot me, suppose you miss and hit my child! Would the Empress be pleased? Do you even have any programming that can allow you defy an order? Would you even so much as dare to put my child in danger even though it’s clear you so desperately want her?”

The remaining droids remained disciplined despite the drakken’s taunt, and now they each started to advance forward in a triangular formation. Two flanked from the father’s top left and right while the captain remained directly in front of him in a slow, foreboding march. The drakken remained tense and wary of the two closer droids, taking a few steps back as he raises and lowers the guard of his sword. His eyes darted back and forth between his two closer adversaries, awaiting a future attack as they began to circle him. The right droid attacked first, but the drakken stepped backward to avoid the oncoming slash. This brought him closer to the left droid who attempts a left slice to the father’s neck. He foresaw the action and parries the blow just as he did before, pushing the droid’s blade sideways. Angling his blade appropriately, the sword master stabs into the droid’s now exposed shoulder joint, puncturing metal instantaneously. He follows his stab with a vertical slice and completely severs the arm from the hapless droid. Harmless, the father dashes around the droid and shoulders her into her ally to the right, the two of them colliding with a resounding bang, both of them stunned and staggered.

The father realized he had limited time before the droids would outnumber him again and at once he charges for the captain. The droid captain responds with a cold stare and firmly blocks the drakken’s horizontal strike, blades clashing and sparks flying from the impact. The father continues his assault with a vertical cut aimed for the head, but the droid once again parries defensively, taking a step backward before lunging for a wide thrust into the father’s torso. He narrowly deflects the stab with the crossguard of his sword and uses the angle to thrust upward, delivering a gash to the captain’s neck. Shock and pain fill the android’s stoic gaze and the drakken father needed only the minute hesitation to finish his adversary. He pulls his sword back and then stabs the blade cleanly into the droid’s neck, ending the droid’s life as she crumples to the floor. Aware that the other droids have picked themselves up, the drakken steals the captain’s gunblade and aims it directly at his remaining two enemies. He cocks the hammer back and the gunblade begins to glow a violent blue, the aeternum core within hissing as it exhausts heat. He pulls the trigger once, then twice.

The drakken baby did not peep once during the entire skirmish, and Aldos only wished that one day he could give his daughter the life that she deserves. Only now did the baby quietly open her eyes and look at her father with eyes full of wonder, and the aged drakken held the baby up close to kiss her on the nose. He tickles the baby as she giggles loudly, smiling and beaming without a care in the world. She always seemed quiet and reserved even for a baby, or perhaps she knew not to cry in the midst of battle. Either way, the duo had traveled and fled for months now, hiding and running away from the new Empire that wished to hunt them down. They had taken everything away from Aldos, including his family, but he carries with him the one thing he had left to fight for. He could only go westward, far away from any sign of the Empire. He would ensure the safety of his daughter through any means necessary, and he would ensure that her life would not hold the same hardship that he had to endure. No matter the cost.

The months in first beastkin and then human land fly by as father and daughter continue to flee westward, Aldos not approving of the safety in either domain. The beastkin obeyed only their own code of honor while the humans remained in disunity and constant warfare with one another, a life that he would not have for his child. However, as Aldos continued to persevere he finally reached the elven homeland, a unified kingdom with a strong central government and a powerful military presence that actively patroled the countryside. The Empire never achieved a proper foothold in elven land, and the ragged drakken looked to settle down, if only briefly. He passed first through Rein, the direct border city into the Midlands. Here he would initially make a shallow living as a thief, stealing money and food for his child. He cared not that he broke the law for he wanted his child to live and nothing more. Eventually, the local duke caught on to his antics as the local bakeries reported a consistent shadowy figure stealing their bread. Hearing word of it, Aldos hastily left Rein and once again made the wilderness his home.

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On the road again, Aldos realizes that even if he provides basic sustenance for his daughter, she would not have a life full of comfort. If she should stay with Aldos, she would have to live on the run, nor would she receive an education, and nor would she be safe from harm. Aldos did not mind the wilderness life as he became accustomed to it even when living in the Empire, but he would not allow his beloved daughter to share his fate. His is a wanted man, but his daughter is new and innocent, she did not deserve the life that Aldos lived.

Now intent on finding a foster home, Aldos manages to travel into Vasal, one of the four greater cities of the elven kingdom. Immediately upon entry into the city, the aged drakken sees several battalions of pikemen march through the main streets of the city to the cheering of thousands of onlookers. Several squadron of elven knights follow the pikemen lines shortly after, their shining plate armor glimmering beneath the light of the midday sun. Civilians threw confetti from their balconies to honor the proud soldiers as they passed by, as trumpets and horns direct the march of the parade. A few mages and a lavish general held up the rear as they too receive the same applause and ovation the vanguard did. Aldos knew that Vasal likely had a rich military tradition to have such an impressive display right in the main streets of the city, but he had little care for the occasion. Only one goal remained in his mind.

Sifting through the crowd in silence, the aged drakken travels the streets at a brisk pace in his search for an orphanage. The streets in the wake of the parade had an eerie, quiet atmosphere as the bulk of the Vasali population had left their homes to chase after it. The thundering applause from the rest of the population echoes in Aldos’s ears as he sees another family on the road, a mother, and a daughter. Hoping that they would aid him, Aldos approaches the family.

“Excuse me, miss?” He asks politely. “Can you tell me where—“

The mother immediately screams as she sees Aldos with a voice of pure rage. “Get back, scale-face!”

The enraged mother immediately pushes her daughter to the side, telling her to run. The daughter, confused, complies and scurries off.

"Just what do you think you’re doing here in our city, lizard?” The mother retches her words, but Aldos did not respond. He stares at the woman before taking a step backward, then spinning around. Quietly, Aldos walks back to a crossroad and then takes a wide berth around where that elven mother stood, silently cursing and swearing beneath his breath. He had forgotten why he hated most elves.

Alone, Aldos continues to wander in the city for hours as elves took wide strides around him and his daughter. He no longer cared for the treatment the elves gave him, but he had an optimistic hope that the owners of an orphanage would have a more welcoming demeanor to him. Eventually, he finds a small orphanage located on the west side of the city, but he immediately regrets ever seeing the courtyard of it. Everything, in fact, about the orphanage looked desiccated and decayed, as Aldos looks on first to the crumbling fence and then to the building itself that had cracks in its very walls. He sees children in the courtyard playing about, but they had a somber, sallow appearance as they run around, clearly unhealthy. He spins on his heels, not even wishing to ask or question the owners of the orphanage, with tears in his eyes.

“What options remain?” Aldos wonders out loud, now sitting on a bench by a park with his baby in his lap. He sighs, slumping deeper into the chair as the baby clings to her father’s body lovingly. He lightly brushes the child’s hair, which had started to grow thicker. The two have been through so much, yet now it seemed like they had no answers or options. Aldos originally had two clear goals in mind when he entered the city, but now neither was attractive. With the state of the orphanages in this city, Aldos knew that if he dropped his child there she would turn out little more than a delinquent there. There was no future.

Yet, the alternative was equally unattractive, as Aldos had intended to ask another family to take care of her daughter personally if the orphanage plan failed. But, Aldos cringed at the very thought of finding an elf that would be willing to take on her daughter. Finding a person willing to take on someone else’s child was already difficult enough, but after his encounter with an elven mother, he had no desire to even broach the topic to any elf. Sure, maybe other cities had better orphanages, but that would involve asking an elf to take his child in. The father moans and groans at the predicament he found himself in, throwing his face into his hands as he starts to cry. What more could he do for his daughter? No path remained for her, in his eyes.

“Mommy, look, that man’s crying!”

“Don’t bother sweetie. He’s a drakken.”

“A drakken? But wasn’t there a nice lady in the newspaper today that got nobility or something that was also a drakken?”

“Not all drakken are like Miss Perthesa, sweetheart. Most are evil and mean. Don’t ever talk to one when you grow up, alright?”

“Mmn…okay…”

Perthesa. Could it be? The surname echoes inside of Aldos’s head as he pulls himself out of his hands. The father looks around in both directions for the family that had just passed him, but their figures already passed speaking distance. Either way, the drakken stands up, his baby cradled in his hand. He needed a newspaper, and fast. Quickly, he scans the ground for any newspaper that an elf may have tossed away, and sure enough he found one flat against the ground.

“Headline here…Dame Maria Perthesa continues to explore the Lore of Heavens…It might really be her.” He whispers to himself as he scans the newspaper for any direct picture of the supposed drakken noble.

“…Known for her immense skill with rune lore, the drakken, like most of her kind, originally hails from the Celestial Empire…” His heart quickens in pace, beating with anticipation.

“…Professor at the Royal Magicka University. Pictured here, she lectures to her students… It’s her. Unmistakable.” Aldos cheers silently as he looks on at the picture with eyes full of hope. He knew this woman, befriended her decades ago, and she had an incredibly kind heart. He knew he had to seek her out immediately. Aldos knows that she may not even recognize, or remember him, but this was now the last chance he had to give his daughter a home. He left the city in a hurry, and sprinted towards the royal capital.

Though the journey had taken him almost nine months to finally reach a potential home for his daughter, Aldos walks up before the mansion of Maria Perthesa. The newspaper warned visitors not to disturb her as she had a strict policy to strangers, but Aldos knows he has to take the chance that she still remembers him as an old friend. He sees an orb that vaguely glows a dim purple right before the gateway, and he assumes that this orb was her version of a doorbell, or something similar. He lightly taps it, before a crackle of energy shoots out from it, and then a raspy, malevolent voice speaks.

“Identification? Do you have a reason for being here?” The orb asks.

Aldos shivers in fear and anticipation. It was now or never.

“My name is Aldos Adona. Is this the residence of Maria Perthesa?”

“Visitors without an appointment are refused entry. Leave.” The voice boomed, and the orb dims.

“No, stop, please don’t go! I need to speak to her, it’s incredibly urgent! Please, say my name to her, she’ll remember it, I promise!”

The orb remained quiet, but then momentarily glows again. “You have audacity to remain when I told you to leave. I shall deliver the message to the mistress, but if she does not recognize it, I shall personally escort you off the premises.”

The orb then completely fades into black, appearing lifeless. Aldos’s daughter, awake from the loud, foreboding voice, gurgles as she wants to play with her father’s hair, now dangling down to his chest. The drakken father gave her a light kiss on the forehead, rubbing against her endearingly.

“I promise, my daughter, this will be the life for you.” He whispers, as the gateway suddenly swings open with alarming speed. Aldos took it as a sign that he should approach the main doorway, and cautiously he walks forward with his baby in hand. The doorway, however, opens before he reaches it. He sees a familiar face.

“Aldos? Is that really you?” Maria asks, with eyes full of shock.

“Hi Maria…yeah it’s really me. Been decades now, hasn’t it?” Aldos replies, sheepish. He wanted to cry internally, seeing a friendly face after oceans of hostility, but he knew he had to remain strong and composed.

“What are you doing all the way out here in Ilmeiya?” She asks, coming down the steps. “Weren’t you with the Empire? And why are you carrying this baby?”

“Very long story.” He replies simply. “Look, I don’t really have a lot of time to talk.”

“Mommy!” A child’s voice calls from the doorway. Beneath it stood a young child that looked a lot like her mother, with the same black hair. “Who’s that man over there?”

“He’s an old friend of mommy’s, sweetheart. We need to talk some adult stuff, you can go read in my library if you want!”

“Really?!” The child squeaks with delight. “Yay, I get to read mommy’s books!”

Maria watches her child run off back into the house, and then chuckles. “That should take care of Selene. Children, I adore them so much.”

Aldos’s heart skipped a beat. “Maria…I need a favor from you. I know it’s been a while but I need it more than anything else right now.”

She blinks. “Of course Aldos! We’re still friends after all, aren’t we? Just know you’re going to owe me later down the line.”

Aldos laughs, coughing at the end of it. Maria really hadn’t changed from how she was at the Academy. “Well, you see this baby?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“She’s my daughter, Maria. The Empire…they took everything from me, and I’m on the run. We’ve been on the road for about nine months now.”

“The Empire?” Maria shivers, terrified. “Why are they hunting you? Didn’t you join them?”

“I did, but I sided with the rebellion when the revolution happened. The royalists are back in power, and they want me dead. I’m certain they still do, and I’m penniless. I can’t do this to my daughter, she needs to live a better life.”

“Oh Aldos…” Maria embraces the father with a warm, tight hug. They remain there for a few seconds as Aldos sniffs, his eyes starting to water as his old friend comforts him.

“Maria…” He says, shaking. “I know this is a lot to ask, but please take my daughter. Treat her as your own, and treat her with love. I only trust you, please. Orphanages and elven foster homes, I trust none of them. None of them want my daughter, and especially not a drakken. You’re my only hope, Maria. I’ve been walking for so long, and I just want her to live a happy life.”

“Aldos…I…”

“Please, Maria.” He reaffirms. “I don’t care if she forgets about me. I don’t care if I never see her again. Just promise to take care of her, if you do. I want her to live a wonderful life in safety, away from me. Please.”

Maria sniffs, wiping a tear away from her eyes. She looks first to the young baby, and then back to Aldos’s face. Her shoulders straighten, and she regains her composure. “What’s her name?”

“Lauriel.”