"Kana!"

Arthur could only tune out the screams of Max as he constantly drained his mana firing off lightning spears. They were surrounded and out of options, and Arthur found himself at a loss of what to do next.

Mana suddenly burst out of Max and Arthur started clutching his own head in pain. An unceasing buzzing coming from his brain as Arthur focused all his remaining mana on relieving the ache.

Checking his surroundings as he tested if covering his own ears would help, Arthur realized he was lucky to be suffering only so much. All the men who previously apprehended Kana were on the ground either screaming in pain, dying, or dead. Blood pouring from their eyes, ears, and mouths. Wails of agony coming from the ones still alive, all begging for release from the pain, all begging for death.

Kana lay unconscious inside the mountain of bodies. Arthur watched on his knees as Max trotted towards Kana, unaffected by the powerful magic that killed all the men whose bodies covered the docks and colored the cove in red. Picking her up, Max turned towards Arthur.

A mumble, barely audible but loud enough for Arthur to hear, came from his friend, "I'm so sorry."

Arthur took a chance to focus on his friend’s face. Tears rained down from his blue eyes as he blankly stared towards the ship still blocking the exit of the cove. Max began walking towards his direction and Arthur instinctively backed up in shock.

Max's striking blue eyes were actually emitting a soft glow. The previously human like pupils were now slits, reptilian in shape and nature.

"Max! Y...your eyes! How do you have those eyes!?" Arthur asked on reflex. His friend continued to saunter over towards him and then abruptly passed out, chained girl still in his arms. The pain in Arthur's head immediately relented and he finally had a chance to start thinking properly. Getting up, Arthur moved both his friends so they could lean against a post supporting the dock itself.

He then took a moment to assess the situation he was currently in. Bodies piled all over the docks and floated in the waters around them. The enemies who were just wailing were now all slumped and unmoving. Arthur couldn’t tell if the ones who survived that mental attack were dead or just unconscious, but judging by the blood coming out of their orifices, he doubted they would live much longer.

Arthur then thought about his friends, specifically Max. He somehow had awakened the bloodline ability of the Satele family even though he already had the bloodline of the Soltains. Arthur’s own mother was the one who told them that in the case of two bloodlines mixing, the abilities are always inherited from the child’s father. They never addressed the possibility of someone possessing dual bloodlines and Arthur concluded that such a phenomenon would be impossible. If he didn’t just see a blue version of his own ‘Mind’s Eyes’ in his best friend, he would never believe it.

Arthur also had to consider that insanely powerful mind spell he just experienced. His own brain still reeling from the attack he now identified to originate from Max. His aunt had similar eye abilities if stories were to be believed, so it didn’t take long for Arthur to put the pieces together.

Even though the men closest to them were completely unable to fight, Arthur could see the ones further on the coast were less affected by the attack on their minds. There was also more enemies pouring out of the tunnels that dotted the shores on the cove, humanoids and goblins alike.

Arthur was almost completely out of mana and only had one idea on how to stall the inevitable. Picking up a few throwing daggers off the bodies that lay on the docks, Arthur charged a lightning slash in his hands and destroyed the part of the docks that led to him and his friends. Standing on his own makeshift island of wood, Arthur stood tall and readied for the arrows and enemies who would attempt to swim to their location. He was alone against an innumerable amount of enemies, but he would delay as long as he could for his friends.

As soon as the first arrow was loosed from the nearest enemy archer, massive waves began to crash into the ship blocking the cove and riled up the waters inside. Some of the smaller ships even tipped and capsized as the waves only grew stronger. The docks were flooding, so Arthur used the chains on Kana to wrap his friends as he held them both close to the wooden post and above the water. His still young and underdeveloped muscles working the hardest they ever had in his life.

Suddenly, the large ship blocking the cove was immediately torn through as a colossal spiky basilisk moved through it’s hull. It’s body completely crushing the ship in less than a second, sending it to the water's depths only moments later. As the gigantic snake moved, the waters only grew rougher and the enemies on the shores were cast aside by the waves. Arthur remained unmoved, wrapping himself around the only post still standing after the waves, his unconscious friends still secured by the chains.

The enormous snake rose out of the waves, causing hundreds of gallons water to fall down from it’s ascension and stir the cove again. All eyes in the area were stuck staring in awe at the creature matching the power and aura of the ancient dragons themselves. The colossal basilisk eventually halted it’s ascension, two majestic red orbs radiating clout looking over the remains of the former battlefield. Standing atop the head of the Basilisk King was a woman garbed in black and gold, her features angelic yet demonic at the same time.

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The woman looked down directly to Arthur, a soft smile appearing on her face. She then scanned the cove herself, her beautiful smile remaining unchanged.

A clear and ethereal voice was spoken into the minds of everyone in her sight. Instantly soothing Arthur and at the same time terrifying the men who once pursued him and his friends.

“None shall remain.”

Immediately following her words, the gargantuan snake she stood on opened it’s great maw and released a hell inferno. Arthur closed his eyes to keep himself from going blind by the fire that set the shores and tunnels ablaze.

Sophia jumped down from her partner and gracefully landed on the small wooden dock her dear children found themselves at. The water that seemed to pressure the posts holding the dock parted, and they found themselves on a dock that stood above dry ground.

Sophia bent down to her exhausted nephew and brought him to her chest. “You three have done well. I knew you could do it.”

Arthur returned the hug and took the chance to look over his aunt’s shoulder. The entire cove was aflame, the thousands of barbarians and hundreds of ships filling it now completely erased from existence. The Basilisk King was shooting fire down each of the tunnels easily killing thousands more men, women, and goblins.

Arthur nuzzled his face into his aunt's neck and attempted to calm his fast heart rate and rough breathing. “Thank you for saving us Aunt Sophia.”

She nodded and released her nephew from the hug. Looking down at her unconscious son and future daughter in law, she began unwrapping them from the chains Arthur set them in, “It appears you three have just pushed your limits with this mission of yours. I am glad you are all safe though.”

Both looked upwards at the sound of a horn coming from above them. Dozens of Sky Knight’s shot down from the holes that covered the rocky ceiling, each of them carrying a few knights who quickly dismounted and landed on the fiery shores. On their appearance, the Basilisk King halted its attack and moved over towards Sophia and the children, the waters parting at it’s approach.

General Soltain and his griffin led more knights through the openings in the rocks, quickly yelling orders to the hundreds of knights who could hear him, “All platoons and squads scour the tunnels and secure the island, I want the men killed on sight and the women and children brought here. You are to map the tunnel you follow and ensure every last enemy is dead.”

Every knight in the area slammed their right arm against the metal breastplates and immediately set to the task at hand. Hundreds of more knights disembarking from the griffins that continued to send in reinforcements. By the time Arthur realized he needed to tell his aunt about her son, there were a couple thousand knights moving throughout the cove and entering the various tunnels that led throughout the island.

Arthur looked towards his aunt but his eyes immediately settled on the red orbs that towered behind her. Every Satele had stories about the Basilisk King Xeros, but hearing about such an intimidating being and actually seeing it were two completely different things.

Arthur instinctively bowed towards the being who seemed to exude death itself. “Thank you great King for rescuing me and my friends. I am in your debt.”

Sophia covered her mouth to hide a giggle and the colossal snake let out a grunt which sent the cove shaking in itself.

A deep and powerful voice reverberated through the minds of both Arthur and Sophia.

So this is the young Satele to whom has yet to be partnered to a member of my family. I witnessed your stand against thousands of enemies to protect your friends and found it commendable. My children have also informed me that you are one with numerable respectable qualities and will surely grow to be quite powerful. You seem to also understand how flattery will get you far with those who warrant it. When the time comes, I will allow you to choose for whom you want to be partnered with, a young man like yourself deserves that much.

Arthur's eyes went wide and he bowed again on reflex. “Thank you again great King, I don’t know how I could thank you enough for what you’ve done for me and my family.”

The snake whose scales sucked up light nodded it’s head.

Stand and protect your family and mine, that is all I can ask.

The basilisk's eyes looked towards the unconscious Max.

Sophia I assumed you married outside of the family when you told me you fell in love with the man who healed you during the war… I wasn’t aware the Sateles had adequate healers.

Sophia turned to her partner and looked quite confused. “What are you talking about Xeros? You know I married outside the House.”

The Snake King gestured towards Max.

Isn’t that boy your son?

Sophia frowned at the questioned. “Are you playing around with me you old snake? Yes of course that’s my son.”

Arthur realized what was happening and quickly spoke up. “I think I know why King Xeros is asking these questions. When were trapped on the docks, the enemy attempted to capture Kana and was successful. Max immediately went into a rage and all of a sudden the enemies in the area began to scream and bleed out of the orifices in their heads, either instantly or eventually dying. Max quickly took the opportunity to retrieve Kana and I got a chance to look at his face. I wouldn’t believe it if I didn’t see it myself, but Max has somehow awaken his own ‘Mind's Eyes’. I am sure King Xeros has identified that he has awakened the bloodline ability of our family and thus was confused.”

The giant snake nodded again, and Sophia gasped. “That shouldn’t be possible! I’ve never heard of anyone with two bloodlines before! I’ve seen Max cast powerful light magic spells and lose little to no mana, so he has to have the Soltain bloodline too.”

The Basilisk King spoke up in the mind’s of both.

It’s not impossible, but I haven’t heard of anyone with two bloodlines in a few millennia. Either your son is blessed by the gods themselves, or your lineage didn’t want to end with you. Still, the boy is certainly an anomaly.

Arthur's shaking legs finally gave out, and his aunt was forced to catch him.

“We can discuss this at a later date, I think’s it's time for you three to get some rest.”