“Looks like this may be the end for me.” Raymond’s Astral body said to his brother. “Don’t give up hope. Hold on for just a few more moments and help will arrive.” Kagiso rumbled reassuringly.

The Three Horned Wyrm clenched his fist and grit his teeth. He looked up at the glittery clouds in the sky. They trembled, wobbled and popped with each impact. Raymond walked over to the edge of his observation tower. He gripped the stone railing tightly and held his breath as the sky became clearer.

“Lower your energy output. I will bolster your shields.” A voice rumbled with a mixture of guilt and frustration. A ship appeared behind the Three Horned Wyrm’s and his brother’s voice echoed in his ears. He trusted the guilty voice and lowered his Mother Ship’s energy output. Ensign Naidoo’s influence washed over the forty-kilometre vessel and fluffy white clouds blanket the sky.

Fleet Admiral Mokoena and the remaining Mother Ships appeared behind the two vessels. Some streaks of light ricocheted off the watery shields, while the rest detonated on impact. Raymond sighed with relief and peeked through the gap in the clouds.

“My apologies for worrying you.” A middle-aged Dragonheart said sincerely. She wore beautiful white robes and carried a silver sceptre in her left hand. The Three Horned Wyrm opened his mouth to say something and seven more Dragons appeared on his observation tower. Ensign Naidoo frowned at the change in his expression. “Well, Sergeant? How do you intend to breach this planet?” the Peacock Dragon rumbled confidently.

*

Captains Crane, Feng and Marauder hopped, dashed and flew along the ramparts. They raced past doors to giant laboratories, armouries, factories and storage facilities. The Pirate Lords followed the Black Dragon down the passage and to their right. The titanic figure stepped forward and the space between him and his destination folded.

“I wish you would conserve your strength. We can make the journey on our own, my Lord.” The Pirate Enchantress rumbled and Kagiso chuckled at her concern. “I will be fine, Commodore Feng. Bending the world is now a subconscious act. I am more concerned with you and your forces. A single strike will be enough to obliterate your ships.” He rumbled, but the Black Dragon could not mask his fear entirely.

“With all due respect, my Lord. Only if they land a blow.” Marauder rumbled confidently and the group reached the coast with a step. “Yes. You have your orders. Now I await your success. May the Universe be with you, my friends.” Kagiso rumbled reverently and the golden glow enveloped the pirates once more. The King’s Blessing notification popped up in front of them and they waved the holo-monitor away with wicked smiles.

“Hurry up! We are all waiting for you.” Bokbaard rumbled bitterly and Feng laughed. “Weigh the anchors and unfurl the sails! Then you will wait no longer.” She rumbled happily. The three Pirate Lords vanished and appeared on their ships.

The Black Dragon spread his arms and flapped once. He fanned a glittery breeze at the fleet of Ghost Ships and his Mother Ship opened her mouth. The fleet took off and sailed over the shimmering and sparkling sea water. They barreled towards the black oval over the horizon, and the bright light at the very centre. The glittery light scanned the fleet as it vanished. The Ghost Ships passed through the veil and sailed through the silent black tunnel on the other side.

*

“What are they doing? They are going to crush their ships between us and our objective at this point.” Lieutenant Rondo pointed out, and Admiral Granger chuckled. “It would appear that way at first. However, my nephews are Moonglow Dragons. All they need is a moment.” The old Dragon rumbled proudly.

*

“You are going to rely on your mortals to pry open a gap? Perhaps I was mistaken about you. A bold strategy. One that will result in your immediate dismissal should it fail. Sending mortals to their deaths is akin to murdering them yourself.” Fleet Admiral Mokoena rumbled, with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. Raymond scoffed.

“They won’t die, sir. Your forces have not faced this enemy before, but ours have.” The Three Horned Wyrm rumbled confidently and the Peacock Dragon spread his wings and tail. The sixty-four golden eyes flashed and Raymond turned his back on him, without a care. “Ready yourselves. We are doubling our speed.” He rumbled calmly and Naidoo smiled.

The Fleet Admiral stepped forward, and his eyes spotted something in the distance. He looked up and frowned at the tiny wooden ships in space. The Dragons brought up their radars with a thought. They flicked through the different scan options, but nothing appeared on their screens.

“How is this possible?” General Creed asked, and Mei let a giggle escape her lips. “My apologies, General. I have learned that is an absurd question to ask these days. Anything is possible with him.” The Penguin Dragon rumbled, and her eyes flashed.

“Tell me, Sergeant. Has the Prince shared a vision with you?” General Illumoon rumbled curiously. Kenpachi thought long and hard, before he answered. “Yes. He has.” Sergeant Bladeclaw rumbled honestly.

Twelve highly decorated Dragons gathered on the head of the Bladeclaw clan’s observation tower. They stared at the darkness of space and wondered what their own fates were.

Fleet Admiral Mokoena watched carefully from his observation tower. His aunt’s Astral body appeared behind him and he closed his wings and tail quickly.

“Pull yourself together. The Admirals and Vice-Admirals are waiting for you. They are disappointed you did not consider this course, notice or suggest it yourself. Do not let your achievements and your ambitions blind you. The Drakk’N siblings are your allies, not your enemies, Joseph.” General Illumoon whispered coldly.

“Hmph. I appreciate your concern, General. I know very well what my peers think of my promotion. I am not concerned with their envy. Only our victory.” The Peacock Dragon replied arrogantly. He turned around and noticed the raised brows and subtle smirks.

“Are you certain, nephew? When will you learn that some battles are won off the battlefield? Set aside your personal feelings and use everything and everyone at your disposal. For the Universe’s sake, Joseph. Yours should have been the first ship behind Victor’s son’s.” General Illumoon scolded and Fleet Admiral Mokoena scowled, before he forced a smile onto his face.

“Oh, please. I was merely rearranging my formations.” The Peacock Dragon lied convincingly. “Hmm, what are they doing now?” an old Dragon with blood red scales muttered. General Creed Dragon squinted at the Ghost Ships, before they disappeared. “Impressive.” He said and the hundreds of Dragons perched behind him nudged Mei and grinned at her.

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“He hates complementing-”“-Admiral issue the order. It seems our forces will be seeing combat sooner than we thought.” The Hero of the Civil War ordered, and he smiled eagerly at the horizon.

The newly commissioned Mother Ships sped up once more. They drifted further away from one another and the streaks of light concentrated most of their fire on the Three Horned Wyrm and the much larger Draconic fleet. The Ghost Ships flew their purple eyed jolly rogers proudly and clouds of Mana erupted from their ships. Hundreds of warships emerged from the glittery mist and they opened fire on the satellites.

The glittery bone covered machines detected the energy spikes, but it was already too late. The Ghost Ships and their clouds of Mana slipped through the gaps their allies had pried open and the Draconic Fleet had just sped up their charge. The satellites locked onto the Mother Ships again and the ground to space cannons continued their barrage.

“By the Universe. Forget the war, we can leave the future in their hands.” Commander Buchu rumbled, and she placed her palms together. The heavily armed Deer Dragon prayed for everyone’s’ safety, while the Dragons checked their radars again.

Suddenly, six blimps appeared on the holographic screens. The Dragon Guard’s eyes bulged, and they spotted the Black Dragon himself. He stood on the bow, raised his omni-gun and a black magical circle expanded instantly. Kagiso aimed carefully, before he fired a bright purple ball of energy.

The Black Dragon watched as the glittery shells broke against his ship’s shields. He looked through the holo-sights and marked his targets. His vessel’s eyes shone, hundreds of Void Spells expanded, and the ship fired a barrage of purple spheres. The orbs devoured the white streaks and ballooned slowly. The satellites fired at them and they grew exponentially.

The volatile spheres erased everything in their path and legless stone statues materialised suddenly. The sentries held up mirrors, and the purple spheres shrunk mysteriously. The dimensional fields collapsed and the reflective surfaces devoured the mysterious cannon balls. The ripples settled and bubbles formed on the surface. The energy balls grew within the mirror dimensions until they could no longer be contained. The building sized reflective ovals burst open, and the explosion destroyed the sentries holding them.

“I agree Commander. They have entered the realm of the unknown. From here on, we will look to them for guidance and they will rely on us for support.” The old Dragon rumbled reverently. “So, we have been chosen to protect the prince.” Major Falke realised. “And to eliminate his foes.” He added sinisterly and the Ghost Ships entered the Hub world’s airspace. They switched off their engines and plummeted to the planet’s surface.

“Then you should tell him about the prophecy. High Priestess Thandi foresaw this Event.” The Deer Dragon rumbled warily and Admiral Granger shook his head. “The Prince’s fate balances on a blade’s edge. He must decide his own path and we must witness it.” Admiral Granger rumbled with a heavy heart.

Kagiso clapped his hands and four hundred and eighty-two Mana fields sparkled like stars. They multiplied quickly and projected illusions of the six spears. The Dragon Guard roared and cheered at the sight of tens of thousands of green dots on their radars.

“Get ready to fire!” General Creed barked. “Not-”“-I know your majesty. We shall not waste this opportunity.” The Hero of the Civil War Dragon rumbled confidently. The Black Dragon vanished and appeared on the bow of his ship. He closed his eyes and watched the Ghost Ships carefully. Kagiso opened his eyes and snapped his fingers. The mortal forces and the illusionary fleets raised their energy signatures.

“Open fire! Blast them out of space!” General Creed rumbled and the Mother Ships fired their cannons. A myriad of colours sparkled, before a wave of Draconic warheads obliterated, incinerated and annihilated the satellites and sentries.

“Do you see that?” “They cannot absorb physical attacks.” “Look carefully.” “Aye, report it.” The analysts whispered to one another. “General Creed-”“-we see it.” The Hero of the Civil War replied calmly. The satellites drifted towards the gaps pried open by the warships and patched them up. The Mana fields ballooned, interlocked and disappeared quickly. The Ghost Ships pulled up and the six fleets drifted off in different directions.

“Now! Now!” Feng ordered. The drones the pirates had released while falling appeared and formed large circular formations. They flew clockwise and Mana fields swelled in the centre. The inter-dimensional spheres in the centre of the illusionary fleets became rings, and the improvised Warp Gates were linked together.

“Drop your shields and make haste!” the Black Dragon rumbled, and his doppelgängers spread their arms. His Astral bodies ballooned and the two-kilometre-tall illusions drew most of the artillery fire. The Dragon Guard hesitated, while General Creed and Admiral Granger did so immediately. “What are you waiting for?” General Illumoon roared at her army.

Two spears increased their energy output and sped towards the Warp Gates. They pulled ahead, pierced the centre of the gates, and emerged facing different directions. The four remaining spears dropped their shields, just as Kagiso’s illusions shrunk. They sped up, avoided the oncoming fire and barely made it through to the other side. The doppelgängers self-destructed and the tunnels of Mana collapsed.

“Hmph. Sloppy.” Fleet Admiral Mokoena scoffed and General Ironhide laughed. “This was a fine breach, compared to your first siege. And that was merely an island. I commend the Prince for guiding our scalpel past the enemy’s defences. He did not lose a single ship, and He illuminated the faults We will spackle over once we have retaken this planet.” The Old Dragon rumbled eagerly.

“Indeed, Fleet Admiral. They have set the precedence. Make certain you maintain a line of communication. My position will not be compromised by your inability to secure the north.” General Creed rumbled threateningly. The Black Dragon looked around and his Pirate Lords appeared beside his Mother Ship.

“Excellent work. Drink the day and the night away, but be prepared come morning. Our destination is a month’s journey away and I want as much distance between us and our allies as possible. Theirs are battles I do not envy.” Kagiso instructed and the Pirate Lords laughed.

“Is that why we’re sailing towards the continent of Demi-Gods?” GoldJack asked happily. “Not to mention the magical tree they are probably guarding.” Crane pointed out with a menacing glare and the Pirate Lords’ laughs became more sinister. They sailed through the black tunnel and their eyes glowed red.

*

Raymond and Duke checked their radars. Their brother’s ship made one last blimp, before he disappeared towards the south. The two waved their hands and the blue screens turned a dull shade of yellow. They scanned the area and dozens of large energy signatures, that were surrounded by hundreds of thousands of much smaller red dots, approached them quickly.

“Thank you, sergeant, but that will be all. Fall in line.” Fleet Admiral Mokoena rumbled aggressively and the Three Horned Wyrm smiled. “Aye, aye, Feet Admiral.” He replied politely and his Mother Ship followed the bulk of the Draconic fleet to the north.

“Ha! Here they come. To battle!” General Creed rumbled happily. He raised his great hammer and let out a mad roar. “And that’s our cue. Let’s haul arse! I do not want to be caught between Creed and his anvil.” General Illumoon rumbled warily and her fleet sailed south as well.

“Lead the way, sergeant. You have guided us this far.” General Ironhide rumbled proudly. Duke turned his Mother Ship to the east, and he glanced at his radars. “The east, the west…no, they are coming from the north.” The four-armed Dragon deduced.

“You sound disappointed.” Raymond joked. “Good luck. He will most certainly place you on the front lines.” Duke said and the Three Horned Wyrm heard the concern in his voice. “Aye, but our selfish little brother made us swear to survive. So, I will. No matter what.” Raymond declared calmly.

Mei gave Laurence one last hug, before his Astral body disappeared and his mantis ship headed west. She closed her eyes and her drones formed a defensive perimeter around her Mother Ship. The Penguin Dragon shook her head in disbelief.

Thousands of giant men and women had already lined up in their formations. They charged, and the golden eyed machines spotted the hundreds of much taller men and women, in golden suits of armour, behind them as well as the kilometre tall generals. The largest of the Demi-Gods stood on a sky island with the tip of their sword planted in the ground.

“And here I was hoping to hold a private meeting with the Prince.” General Illumoon said with a smile. “You have made a grave error…Dragon.” A seven-hundred-metre-tall giant said confidently. His voice was a deafeningly loud boom, and his presence seared their souls.

Khanyi let out a high-pitched laugh. She strode across the bow of her ship and fired her omni-gun. The Demi-God winced and the Dragonbone bullet pierced his heart. It burrowed deep inside his soul and set it alight. The giant roared as flames burst out of his eyes and his skin cracked.

“You have delayed my plans and irritated me. Underestimated and bored me. You are nothing like the texts described. A pale imitation. Tell me something, Demi-God. What would your people do if mine discovered divinity? Slaughter them! We only need one of them alive for questioning.” General Illumoon rumbled and the Demi-Gods were stabbed from behind or shot at point blank range. The giants in golden armour looked around in shock, they locked on to their targets and they vanished without a trace.

“Defensive formations!” a Demi-Goddess bellowed, and the one-kilometre-tall giant raised her sword. She swung her blade and unleashed a tidal wave of glittery light. The blindingly bright energy obliterated the bone bullet and healed those that had been wounded.

A chariot darted by, and Khanyi smiled. She drew her sword, vanished and dodged the fiery strike aimed at her neck. The Crystal Dragon fired a quick volley before she returned to her ship and raised her sword as well. The golden gates to her palace opened and millions of War-Droids and drones poured out.