General Illumoon snapped two sections off the barrel of her omni-gun. She attached the two Dragonbone pyramids beneath the weapon and the Demi-God frowned at the sparks of electricity that bound the cubed bases together.
Khanyi held the firearm close to her right hip. She flapped, vanished and appeared to the giant warrior’s right. A hail of purple bullets burst out of the centre of the Death Spell and the Demi-God raised her golden shield.
“Fool.” General Illumoon muttered and the neon purple bullets punched right through her energy fields, before they annihilated her golden round shield. “What-” the giant said before her body crumbled mysteriously. The smaller giant men and women exchanged bewildered expressions. They expected their comrade to return, but nothing happened.
The Demi-Gods glanced at the spherical drones, before they realised that they were in fact giant eyeballs covered in what appeared to be chitin plated armour. Their golden irises flashed and thousands of black magical circles expanded. The bone plated automatons raised their arms and thousands of black circles spread across the sky. The giant men and women turned around and ran. General Illumoon raised her omni-gun, fired and a storm of purple bullets rain down from the sky.
*
“It is early spring. The year is 2224, and we have successfully breached the seventh Hub World. A planet crafted by the Council’s influence. The Land of Iron Mountains. We are currently on our way to the largest continent in the southern hemisphere. There, my people will find what they are fighting for and I will find what I have been living for. I do not know how many entries this will have by the end of my journey. Perhaps this will be the first and the last.” Kagiso said before he waved the holographic monitor away. He turned around and eight Dragons appeared on his observation tower.
“Where are they going?” Granger asked, and he watched Feng’s crew load crates onto their Ghost Ships. “To every significant landmass we pass by. They will be our eyes and ears.” The Black Dragon rumbled proudly. “You would leave such an important task to mortals? They will betray us or flee in the face of the enemy?” Major Falke rumbled with disappointment.
“As they should. Self-preservation is a sign of intelligence.” Kagiso rumbled jovially and the old Dragon chuckled. “It would be more effective to send me and a small platoon. We could perform a deep scan of every island, cove and continent in hours and cover our tracks. If pursuers are what you are afraid of.” The Fox Dragon rumbled confidently.
“We need a small independent force. One that regularly studies patrol routes, avoids enemy detection, infiltrates settlements and poses as merchants and smugglers from other Hub Worlds. My pirates will gather information on this planet and its history, local politics and any defensive installations on the way to our destination. There is no need to be concerned and do not underestimate them.” The Black Dragon explained.
The eight Dragons watched carefully. Kagiso flapped his wings, and Feng’s ships unfurled their sails. The glittery golden breeze sent the Ghost Ships on their way and the Mother Ship opened her mouth. Bokbaard and GoldJack stumbled out of the tavern. They made their way to their ships and their respective quarters to sober up.
“Most…of the time.” Kagiso added, and he desperately held his laughter back. Falke rolled her eyes and turned to Admiral Granger. The old Dragon swayed back and forth, with a large grin. She scowled at him and he accidentally met her gaze.
“My apologies, Major. Our distance is still a destination away and nothing quenches my thirst, like Lord GoldJack’s brew.” Admiral Granger slurred with a delighted chuckle and the five hundred Mother Ships left the Ghost Ships behind. They continued south, while Feng and her small fleet vanished into thin air.
Two days passed by slowly and the next wave of pirates left the Black Dragon’s Mother Ship. Bokbaard, GoldJack and the ever-jovial Captain Siltspit vanished and sailed to their respective destinations. Kagiso deployed his forces every two days for eighteen nerve rackingly silent weeks. Then, the first reports came in.
“This is Commodore Feng. My Lord, can you hear me?” the Pirate Enchantress asked as she scanned the observation tower. Kagiso’s Astral body appeared on the tower and she let out a sigh of relief. The six senior officers appeared, accompanied by Shen and Gloria. “I am here, Commodore. How are you?” the Black Dragon asked politely.
“Exhausted. Frustrated. Envious that I am so far away from the Cliff and the tavern. A day with the settlers and outcasts of this land is like…life before we met you. I see my younger self in their eyes, scared, angry and alone. The rest are as shady as they come. The villages and towns are nothing more than refugee camps, with very few settlements that have any decent infrastructure. You would swear these people just arrived here and none of them match the description Dumas and his people gave us. However, pain and fear were not all I felt. There were children and adults filled with hatred, rage and despair.” Feng rumbled cautiously, and Kagiso sighed.
“It is as you feared. The people you foresaw were displaced by the Demi-Gods’ arrival. Such a rampant disregard for life and the Great Cycle.” The old Dragon rumbled sympathetically. “May I ask when you foresaw these people and why you kept it to yourselves?” Shen asked with a hint of skepticism and irritation.
“It was a dream. Not all visions are clear and not all are seen consciously.” The Black Dragon rumbled and the eight Dragons saw flashes of what he had dreamed. Faceless men and women in tattered and dirty clothes stared at the blindingly bright party of stranger. They eyed the newcomers’ carriage suspiciously and some hid at the sight of their swords and guns.
The pedestrians ran off the gravel road and into the stone buildings on either side, before wooden shutters and doors were slammed shut. Beams of light streaked down the road and the sound of intense fighting could be heard, while blood trickled down the windowpane.
“Memories of the future? You can see the world from another’s eyes?” Gloria asked with surprise. “Is it because they are all mortals? The observer’s perspective is too short for them to be a Dragonheart or a Demi-God in disguise. Hmm. I suppose such a vision would be open to interpretation.” Shen added.
“The future also becomes unclear once mortality is involved. Almost as if it is easier to determine our fates than theirs.” Kagiso rumbled happily. He turned around and noticed the hopeful expression on Commodore Feng’s face. Then a thought occurred to her. “What would one have to do to set their future in stone?” the pirate enchantress asked, before she could stop herself and to her shock, the Black Dragon answered.
“One would need the power to protect their people and the secrets of the Universe to tip the balance in their favour, as well as the will to remain the hero of their story until the very end.” Kagiso rumbled honestly. Feng stared at the eight Dragons and they all nodded in agreement.
“I am a pirate, my Lord. Of all people to trust with that…have you gone mad? Humans, Elves and Dwarves would betray you if it meant we could take your place…and you would share the path to successorship freely?” the Pirate Enchantress rumbled with disappointment and the Black Dragon laughed.
“Absolutely. We have no need for talentless and ambitionless people and this is as much a race to the throne for us as it is for you all.” Kagiso rumbled confidently to the men and women sponsored by the five hundred Dragons heading south. Feng looked around and she noticed the determined expressions on the Astral bodies, besides, in front and behind her. Some glared at her and the rest ignored her. The Pirate Enchantress looked at the much taller, brighter, hotter and louder psychic apparitions in front of her. They wore highly decorated suits of armour or luxurious robes and carried powerful weapons and trinkets.
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“Forgive me. It seems I still have quite some way to go, before I take your place.” Feng rumbled humbly and the Black Dragon couldn’t contain his laughter. The mortal Astral bodies, on the other hand, were not amused. They glared and stared daggers at the beautiful psychic apparition and the glittery golden orb where her heart should have been.
The next few reports came in and the five hundred Dragons studied them carefully. They shared the information with their people and they marked each location on their maps. The pirates sent images, videos, audio files and detailed descriptions of various customs and traditions. They infiltrated the drug trade and sent detailed reports of their routes, wares, manufacturing processes and territories. The pirates sent medical reports and colourful clouds spread across entire islands as they documented more cases of various outbreaks.
“How could the Demi-Gods let these settlements fall into such disrepair?” the Parrot Dragon asked angrily. “I have seen something similar in my time. Dragons that believed we were above mortals. The so-called guardians of those lands had little regard for anything and anyone that did not further their own ambitions. These outcasts and these islands remind me of that shameful past.” Commander Buchu rumbled regretfully and the senior officers grumbled and sighed.
“My apologies. I did not mean to sour the mood.” The Deer Dragon said, with a sad smile. “No, no. You have nothing to apologise for. History is repeating itself. We can only hope that the Gods come to the same conclusion we did.” Admiral Granger rumbled solemnly. “Fortunately for us, some already have. Finding them is the problem.” Kagiso rumbled optimistically and another report came in.
The Dragons and the exhausted Astral bodies memorized every detail of the stone temple in the middle of a grassy clearing.
*
Captain GoldJack and his crew scanned the shadows hiding behind the surrounding tree line. The GoldJack Pirates vanished and their captain strolled into the building.
“I am surprised there are still those who practice their faith. It would make sense that they would hide it from the other outcasts. But what does this mean? Are they outcasts or are they devout followers? Or are they followers of a competing god? Something is amiss.” GoldJack thought, and he scowled at the statue of a muscular man. The figure had a club in his right hand and a bow in his left.
The Dwarven Pirate Lord scanned the holes in the ceiling and someone ducked behind cover. He scoffed and shook his head. GoldJack ignored the pounding hearts, and the stifled heavy breathing. He heard a subtle cough, a wheeze and the incessant sound of fingernails scratching skin.
“Keep your distance until we know what ails them. Sicknesses and medicines are the Blood Sucker’s and the Plague Doctor’s expertise. Fan out, but keep an eye on the coast. There is nothing for us here.” The Dwarven Pirate Lord ordered and his crew’s energy signatures disappeared over the dark horizon. He opened his eyes, drew his cutlass and raised it high above his head.
“No! Please.” An old man pleaded, and he tossed the dagger away. “Please…do not destroy It.” The old man whispered as he kneeled. “Why? Your god has abandoned you. Why do you cling to a hollow effigy?” the Dwarven Pirate Lord asked angrily.
“Why have you come here? Were you sent to torment us? Have you come to chase us off these lands as well? We are not fighters. We are not magicians. Please, just…leave us be.” The old man begged.
“Hmm. I will not. This temple is poisonous and your people are dying. I cannot in all good conscience leave corpses behind. Especially those of children.” GoldJack replied, and he swung his sword at blinding speed. The broken ceiling erupted and the dimensional field around the temple popped. The followers blinked, and the statue changed. The old man gasped at the bullheaded god sitting on a throne. His head rolled off, and the statue shattered.
A woman screamed, and several men shouted in terror. The old man turned around and hurried to the entrance. He looked out into the bloody swamp and his shoulders dropped.
“I do not know who you were praying to, but they were not your god.” The Dwarven Pirate Lord said sadly, while the men, women and children snapped out of the trance. They screamed at their wounds, inspected their boils and ripped out their piercings. The entranced people waded through the pools of blood, slipped and fell head first. Many followers of the false god held their friends down to prevent them from tearing away at their own skin.
“Let go! Let go of me!” “What have you done? What have you done?” “Stop laughing! Stop laughing!” “Let him go!” “Unhand him, Roy!” “Kill him!” “Kill the filth!” “Burn him!” the men and women shouted and screamed. Fights broke out and GoldJack frowned. “You!” a bearded man roared, and he pointed at the old priest. The bearded man waded through the bloody swamp. and he charged at the temple’s entrance.
“I-I didn’t know.” The old man whimpered. “You made murderers out of us! Vermin! I ought to wring your leathery neck-”“-hold on, friend. What is the meaning of this?” the Dwarven Pirate Lord asked and he pointed his gun at the bearded man. “Moloch! Moloch! Give me back my son!” a woman screamed, and she fell to her knees. “Stop it, Rebecca. Jonah’s gone. He’s gone.” another woman replied, and she consoled the heartbroken mother.
“You said that He would save them. You lied to us and now…the God of Sacrifice. Our children…” the bearded man muttered before his lip quivered and his eyes teared up. GoldJack griped his sword and his gun tightly, when the light faded from his eyes. The man charged at the old priest and the Dwarven Pirate Lord pulled the trigger.
“Argh! Finish it!” the bearded man roared as he clutched his right knee. “Is that really what you want? You have already thrown away their lives. Would you forsake their souls as well? Are you willing to let this Demi-God or Demon claim victory, even in death?” GoldJack asked and the bearded man crawled towards him. He reached out, grabbed the barrel of the flintlock pistol and placed it against his forehead.
“Pitiful. Nothing here at all.” The Dwarven Pirate Lord said angrily and he pried his gun free swiftly. GoldJack vanished. He left the swampy clearing behind and traveled west for hours.
“Cap’n, we have company.” “And they look like they mean business.” Two young Dwarves said giddily. The Dwarven Pirate Lord scowled at the ships in the distance. “Capture them and take everything. I have had enough of this place already. We are not heroes, we are pirates. Let us give them something real to fear.” GoldJack ordered menacingly, and the pirates emerged from the treetops. They dashed, vanished, landed on crystal stepping stones held in place by their Mana and dashed again. The pirates roared and snarled as they made their way towards the wooden ships in the distance.
“Bandits!” a woman wearing a skull mask shouted. The cultists leaned over the taffrails and their blood turned to ice. “Fire the cannons! Raise the shields! Do not let them board this ship!” a cultist bellowed. He wore a turban, red robes and thick leather boots. The High Priest blew the trumpet and raised his staff. The cultists unfurled their sails and revealed the image of a bull with human hands above a cauldron of fire.
“Hmm. They are too well armed to be bandits and the slavers aren’t due for another week. Pull back Captain. I wish to see how these bandits fight.” A High Priestess remarked, and she crossed her legs. GoldJack laughed and the High Priestess sat up right. A ship was cleaved in two and large holes were blasted through another. “Retreat!” she screamed, but it was too late.
The pirates descended on the cultists in split seconds. The masked men and women blinked and the rogues had boarded their ships. They pointed their guns and gently placed their blades against their throats.
“Bandits? Now that’s just insulting. Pirates have rules. You cannot compare us to bandit scum.” The Dwarven Pirate Lord assured the High Priestess. “Indeed, it seems I have misjudged you. Well then, pirate. What will it be, pleasure or power?” the masked woman asked seductively and GoldJack laughed so hard his belly shook.
“I have both in spades and need neither from the likes of you. No, I will only spare you if you tell me everything about your organization and your powers. And don’t leave out a single detail.” The Dwarven Pirate Lord said and the High Priestess snarled. He glared at her and orbs of light formed in his pupils. The High Priestess’ shoulders dropped, when the light from GoldJack’s eyes shone like floodlights. His head vibrated and a strange heat radiated from his body. The pirates chuckled, giggled and laughed. They watched the cultists flee at a snail’s pace and charged.
“Don’t keep me waiting.” GoldJack said calmly. However, his voice sounded like deafeningly loud gibberish. The High Priestess blinked and her cult members had been cut down. Corpses were strewn about and blood trickled overboard. The pirates sheathed their weapons and she let out a gasp.
“What are you?” the High Priestess whispered. “We are freedom incarnate. Now do not make me ask you again.” The Dwarven Pirate Lord said and his crew appeared behind him.
*
The Dragons massaged their necks and rolled their shoulders. They nodded at each other and their Astral bodies disappeared until only a handful remained on the Black Dragon’s observation tower.
“We have altered our course again. It is no coincidence that we have not run into any enemies. You need to rest.” Gloria rumbled caringly and Kagiso nodded. “I will. It is almost the end of spring. I never thought I would miss the Flower Festival.” He replied and the Parrot Dragon stood beside him. She traced his strained gaze and looked up at the sky as well.
“You could sail to any part of the Universe and no one would fault you for it. In fact, I would be the first to defend you. You would be free to do as you please where ever you rest your head. Why stay with people that would use and discard you? Why do you fight for us?” Gloria rumbled curiously.
“That’s twice now I have been asked to run away with someone.” The Black Dragon joked. “Oh, please. My heart belongs to one person only.” Gloria replied and Kagiso smiled. “So does mine. Only I have not met her yet.” He rumbled frightfully and the Parrot Dragon turned to him in shock. The other Dragons glanced at each other at the revelation. Some frowned in disbelief, some smiled and the rest turned back to their monitors with a smile.
“Of course.” Gloria said with a giggle, and she looked up at the sky again. A golden light pierced the dark gray clouds. The glittery ray shone on the Black Dragon and alleviated some of his fatigue. His eyelids felt lighter and his migraine faded away.
“I will help you in any way I can. But what we are going to do is nothing short of the Council’s dirty work. Stitching societies and houses together. Manipulating events and people to reach a favourable outcome. No wonder you detested our families as children.” The Parrot Dragon rumbled bitterly.
“It’s not entirely their fault. They were made to fit certain molds, and those players served their role. But now they are lost and in desperate need of a new destination.” Kagiso rumbled sympathetically.
“I thought so. You are trying to force Their hand. I have been wondering, though. Do They truly control the system? Some days I feel like a child and this world is our playground, and others I am a toy in cruel hands.” Gloria rumbled hopefully and hopelessly. The Black Dragon chuckled, before he laughed uncontrollably.
Kagiso waved his hand, and the golden rays faded away. The clouds shifted and an artificial moon shone down on them. The moonlight illuminated the flowery meadows. Bright neon blue and purple petals glowed and the two Dragons looked down. Gloria gasped when she saw the shadow of a boy running through the flowers.
“You are closer to the truth than you realise.” The Black Dragon replied, and he laughed at the shadow’s amusement. The Parrot Dragon turned to Kagiso and opened her mouth, but he simply placed a finger to his lips and pointed at the boy.
Gloria looked down again, but the boy was gone. She scanned the meadows, spotted his footsteps and sighed with relief. The duo watched the Shadow of the King play in the flowers all night without saying a word to one another.