Dragon-Kin arc

Republic Warship

Command Center

Within the command center lies Tenjin speaking to the other members of The Order via hologram. Odysseus, Cory Nocturne and Merlin were all present. Only one member was missing.

"Spartacus still wont join us?" Tenjin asked, feeling irritated. Cory sighed and placed her hand on her face.

"Unfortunately no. We've tried but he won't come to our meetings no matter what we say." Cory said. Tenjin bridged his nose in frustration.

"You've gotta be kidding me. He hasn't been in a meeting with us in three years! I don't care how strong he is. He can't just do whatever he wants. Odysseus, you've known him longer than any of us can't you say something to him?" Tenjin said with a stern tone.

"Don't get me wrong, I actually agree with you on this. As a member of The Order his behavior is childish and unprofessional. That being said I've tried to reason with him but he won't listen to me. And I have no idea what he's up to either. Knowing him though he's either drinking at another bar, sleeping around with every woman he sees or got into another fight." Odysseus said.

"Or both." Cory giggled.

"Or both". Odysseus grumbled and facepalmed.

"Well fine. We'll start without him. As usual. Now then the group had succeeded in saving Luca and escaping but what has me concerned is what Ziera said in her report. It's about the vermillion witch, Circe. Apparently her mana is chaotic." Tenjin said.

"Chaotic? In what way exactly?" Coru asked.

"I don't know. Ziera doesn't either. But she got this intel from Arkin. He said her mana negatively affected him and threw his mana out of whack. That it glowed red and it's what gave her the power to enslave the yokai she captured. Ziera also mentioned that she got similar information from former imperial admiral Cozar in regards to a strange magic affecting the Omni-Barrier surrounding the empire. She thinks this might be the same magic." Tenjin explained.

"Can we trust that this is accurate? And that the two cases are related? Ziera aside, these are the words of an imperial fanatic." Odysseus said.

"Yes. Ziera extracted his core and based on everything we recovered from his memory logs, everything she reported was the truth." Tenjin said.

"But if these situations are related then what could this mean? Did Circe really tamper with the Omni-Barrier? Is she plotting against Zenal? That shouldn't be possible." Cory said.

"Let's take a breather for a moment. We still don't know all the facts. We don't know if Circe was even involved with the Omni-Barrier. After all, Cozar himself didn't know. And whoever caused it would have been on the Empire's priority list but no searches have been made. From what we've seen anyway." Odysseus said.

"Yeah. I get what you are saying. It's likely Zenal is looking into it but is doing it discreetly to not cause a panic in his empire. An unknown assailant uses an unknown and destructive magic to disrupt an Omni-Barrier and the empire has no idea where they are. That would scare anyone. But that aside Odysseus was also right that we don't know if Circe is even involved. The mana Arkin and Cozar encounters may have the same feel but their magical abilities could be completely different. And not to mention there's the motive." Tenjin said.

"Right. What would this person even gain from tampering with the barrier? Doing that only escalated the war between the empire and the fire dragon kingdom of Ifrit. Could they be a spy for Ifrit perhaps?" Cory asked.

"Maybe. Nothing is off the table. They could be an ally to Ifrit to help them win the war. But we need more information before we can proceed. So for now I suggest we all put our minds together and investigate this matter. Discreetly. If there's one thing I agree with Zenal on, is the less the public knows about this the better. We'll use any resource we can, that includes the Mage Foundation." Odysseus said.

The Mage Foundation is an international organization that recruits and trains the next generation of mages to study the laws of magic. Within the organization recruits join the Mage Academy to study the laws of magic and become fully fledged wizards to either aid the Republic's military or become mages that develop the essence of mana and magical development. The Mage foundation is run by Merlin and a small council of his most trusted and capable mages.

They back the Midgard Republic supplying them with an army, funding, artifacts, weapons and resources. They have the greatest political influence in Midgard other than the Order and have complete say on the laws of wizardry.

"I agree." Cory said.

"Same here." Tenjin said.

"Merlin?" Odysseus asked.

Merlin was currently fast asleep snoring.

The other three were deadpanned. Odysseus groaned.

"As always thank you for your wisdom to this Order, great wizard Merlin." Odysseus said mockingly.

"Now, now let's give a break. I'm sure Merlin works tirelessly just like the rest of us." Cory said.

"Well if there's nothing more then I think we can call this meeting adjourned." Tenjin said.

"Not yet. Just allow me to say this to you, Tenjin. Your group completed their mission and for that I must admit I am satisfied. However, my feelings haven't changed. Killing a measly draugr isn't nearly enough to earn my trust or my respect. In my eyes that boy is still unworthy of wielding Ragnarok. And Ziera is a liability. One that needs to be taken care of for good. Odysseus said with a low tone.

"Thank you for your opinion. So now allow me to say this to you. While I'm here, those kids are under my guidance and protection. And if anyone threatens them, whether they be ally or foe, I will cut them down. And I mean anyone." Tenjin said with a threatening tone.

Both Tenjin and Odysseus glared daggers at each other. While Cory was in the middle of their feud.

Honestly, why am I always in the middle of these two? Cory thought.

"Alright enough of this. At one point do you two just kiss and makeup!?" Cory shouted.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Tenjin and Odysseus shouted.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"See? Now didn't that break the tension? I hope you two haven't forgotten that we are all comrades here. There's no room for fighting amongst ourselves. Not when the real enemies are out there. So like Odysseus said, let's put our heads together and work through this like we always do." Cory said in a stern tone. Tenjin sighed.

"Fine." Tenjin said.

"Very well." Odysseus said.

"Thank you. Now if that's all we'll take our leave. There is much work to be done." Cory said with a satisfied smile.

"Agreed. Until then. And Tenjin, don't forget where your true loyalties lie." Odysseus said sternly. With that he and Cory both signed off. Merlin finally woke up.

"Oh! Is the meeting over already?" Merlin asked.

"Uh yeah. Sorry old timer but you just missed it." Tenjin said.

"Oh heavens! I am deeply ashamed! My apologies Tenjin I will be sure to rectify this behavior-." Merlin then fell asleep again.

"Oh for the love of." Tenjin facepalmed as he pressed the button on the command table and turned off Merlin's hologram. "Well that was a meeting." Tenjin said.

Still. A mage with a chaotic mana flow huh? Tenjin thought.

["KING SYLPHION! NOOOO!" Tenjin screamed].

"Ah!" Tenjin winced as he touched his blinded eye. At that moment, Tenjin remembered his past. The day he failed his king, his nation and worse, Emilia.

Could it be? No. Nothing is certain yet. For now I'll stay on task and get these kids to Titus. And after that, I'll make sure these punks grow up to be in a world free from all this war. It's the least I can do to make up for my failures.

["Don't forget where your true loyalties lie." Oddsyes said].

Trust me I haven't. Not by a long shot.

***

Eastern Continent

The Machina Empire

Orange Town

Orange Town is the domain that was previously under Princess Zariah's rule but was temporarily handed over to her brother, Prince Ziren.

Compared to Lockwood the town was worse off. The town is under higher tax rates than before thanks to Prince Ziren. Those apart of the lower class can't afford the higher rates and have thus lost their homes. Anyone who tries to fight back were immediately arrested for treason. The rebel army and long time enemy organization of the empire known as The Insurgency infiltrated the town to rescue the arrested citizens and move them through their airship hidden inside the forest. However, the empire were onto their ploy and sent a crimson knight to deal with them personally. That crimson knight was....

"H-help! Somebody..help me!" That voice was that of a soldier belonging to the insurgency. He was crawling on the ground in a pool of blood. He had lost both his legs, blood dripping from his stomach, and his entire face had been several scratched by large claws. Even his eyes were cut out.

As the man crawled he was surrounded by the corpses of both his comrades and the people he was tasked with rescuing. Men, women and even children lied dead on the ground. Their bodies left too gruesome to describe. The man cried and cried as he continued to crawl with only having hope of surviving. But that was impossible.

"Ohoho. My, my. What do we have here?"

The man stopped crawling, completely petrified when he heard that voice. Above the man floating in the air under the moon in the night sky was a large strange looking flying creature. It had the face, wings and claws of a bird but the body of a snake.

On top of that creature was a young beautiful woman with crimson eyes and long red hair floating in the wind. She wore a short black and red dress that goes down to her waist. Underneath are black leggings and red heels. She wears long black gloves with sharp nails at the finger tips and has a black rose on the left side of her hair.

Flying around this woman were red sparkling butterflies made of mana. This woman wore a smug smile on her face as she watched the poor man going from crying and screaming for help to now being frozen in fear.

"It seems the little lamb still has some fight left in him. That's good. I wouldn't want this game to end so quickly." The woman said with a smirk.

"G-game?" The man said nervously.

"Yes. Don't you remember? I came here with the intent of playing with you lambs. It's a game you humans call freeze tag. Where you lot run around in circles chasing people and once you tag them they freeze. But that honestly sounded so boring. So in my version I changed the rules where if I or rather my pets tag you, you die. Isn't that more fun?" The woman asked with a big twisted smile.

"Fun? FUN!? ARE YOU INSANE!? We were just trying to help these people and you attacked us! And it wasn't just my men you killed, you slaughtered all of these innocent people!" The soldier questioned.

"Innocent?" The woman had her finger under her lip looking puzzled. Then she began giggling. "Pfft ahahahaha!" The red headed woman straightened her palm vertically below her mouth as she let out a maniacal laugh of pure joy.

"What's so funny!?" The soldier questioned. The woman wiped the tears from her eyes and calmed down.

"Forgive me, but those "innocent" people you lot were protecting were nothing more than traitors to the empire. They sealed their fate when they decided to switch over to team insurgency. Not that it matters to me either way. Honestly, I was just bored and wanted some time to kill. And humans do make the best kind of entertainment. But this herd died so quickly without putting up much of a fight at all. •Sigh•. How borish." The woman said with a bored expression on her face.

"You're...you're crazy!" The soldier shouted. He was angry and grieving for the deaths of all of these people but hearing this woman talk so casually about killing them made him more terrified than angry. The woman landed on the ground. She approached the downed soldier, kicked on his back and straddled his stomach.

"Oh but don't worry! You are far better than the rest of these little lambs! You managed to survive the onslaught and still have the balls to bare your fangs at me. I like that in man. So hence forth from this point forward you will be my new personal servant!" The woman said pointing at the man.

"You're...what?" The soldier asked. The woman placed her finger in his lips.

"Ssssh. It'll be over quickly." The woman calmly.

"***** Magic: *******."

Other than the word "magic", the soldier couldn't understand whatever the woman was speaking. It was a completely different language that he's never heard before. One that he never heard in esos before.

Then suddenly, the woman kissed him. The soldier was taken back at first but then he felt something leaving his body through his mouth and into hers. The soldier felt his very life force leave his body. Until there was nothing left.

The red headed woman stopped kissing the man and swallowed the remaining life force down her throat. She took a breath, then grew a twisted smile on her face while blushing.

"Ah that never gets old. Humans really do have the tastiest souls to devour. You should consider this an honor. I only do this to those I consider worthy of serving me." The woman said as she rose off the now deceased man.

She then aimed the palm of her hand at the dead man lying before her and red mana began to pour from her body again creating more red butterflies fluttering around the man. "Now then rise my new servant, Tengu Warrior, Sojo." The woman announced with a evil grin on her face.

The red butterflies swarmed upon the deceased man completely covering his entire body. The body shined bright red as the man's body began to transform. Soon the butterflies were done with their work and ascended from the man's body. The man's eyes suddenly popped open and he stood back up. He was much taller than before. Much more muscular and intimating. He wore a samurai outfit with a katana on his hip and had a tengu mask on his face. The woman screeched giddily and clasped her hands together.

"Ah! Perfection! Don't you look absolutely darling now!? You agree don't you, Sojo?" The woman asked.

Sojo nodded.

"Perfect! Looks like this mission wasn't a complete waste of time after all. I hereby say we celebrate with a tea party!" The woman said with a blushing satisfied smug smile on her face.

Sojo nodded. The woman cheered.

"Excellent! Let me just turn these lambs into my pets and we'll be off! After all we're gonna need all the guests we can muster! Because this tea party is special! And do you know why that is Sojo?" She asked as she turned away from Sojo.

Sojo nodded.

"It's because this tea party will feature the new wielder of Ragnarok, Jayden Cortez, the traitorous princess, Ziera, and their little friends from Midgard. That mutt, Fury, was already assigned to hunt them down but that's just not fair! Why should he have all the fun? I may be a new member to the crimson knights but I deserve to prove my worth to Lord Zenal. Especially when this lot already became aquatinted of that worthless reindeer, Arkin. So while I wasn't invited to this tea party I promise you this Sojo." The woman said as she aimed her hand towards the corpses of the deceased towns people and soldiers. Her mana began to pour out of her body again as thousands of red butterfly's swarmed over all of the corpses before her. She then turned back around to face Sojo, placing her hand on her chest wearing a confident smirk.

"On my title as The Vermillion Witch! I Circe will devour the souls of all the wretched fools who would dare challenge me! I pray for their sake, that they at least entertain me all the while. Ahahahahaha! Circe manically laughed.