Chapter 3: Pledge to Protect

The siren has been beeping loudly for five minutes now, and it’s hurting my eardrums. Everyone is panicking, rushing to the main entrance or the emergency exit. Our tour guide is leading us students to the narrow pathway but it’s no good. This is a stampede.

“Hey, Amphere!” It was my friend, Rudolf. “Let’s go around, I found another exit a while ago.”

We separated ourselves from our classmates. We turned right, then right, and then left then right in this maze-like hallway. I don’t know this way but I trust him.

I slowed down because of my poor stamina. Little by little, I halted running and walking just to catch my breath. I’m not expert at running. When Rudolf noticed me, he turned back to check me. But there was another explosion, and the ceiling fell down, separating me from my friend.

“Go!” I shouted at him. “I’ll find another way out!”

“I’ll be calling for some help! Just hang in there!” He shouted back. The sound of his footsteps was my cue that he was already dashing away.

I turned away and ran again. I have to go back to where I came in order to find another exit. But then someone bumped into me.

“Uwaaaa!!!”

Our head collided, and we both fell down.

“Geez, totally! Look where-!!!”

It was the red haired woman I knew. Airelina Frembell. She was different from what I know. She’s wearing a black bow on her hair that looks like dragonfly wings. And she’s on a leather armor with chest plate, carrying a short sword.

“A-Amphere!? What are you doing here!?” Another person came up. It was Richard. He was still wearing his leather coat and he is carrying the same sword as Airelina.

I clenched my teeth. I didn’t know that I would be involved in something so dangerous! These guys are actual terrorists! I’m pretty sure that they are the ones who blew up this power plant! It will be bad if they got me as a hostage!

Shit! What should I do!? Airelina is approaching me!

“You have to get out of here, like totally!” Airelina helped me stand up. “Now!”

What? Aren’t’ they going to make me a hostage?

“Damn! We can’t blow this power plant with a civilian involved!” Richard grunted. “Come follow us! We’ll get you out of here!”

Airelina grabbed my arm and started dragging me. I didn’t have a choice since they are wielding weapons. I might get killed.

But what they’re saying…Is it true? They won’t blow up the power plant if there’s civilian involved? Come to think of it, there’s no actual casualty in the last power plant explosion.

We went deeper in the power plant, where the main reactor was there. In the center was a humongous glass tube. Inside it is a glowing orange diamond; a radiation crystal, which is the main power source of the power plant.

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As we ventured lower, a horrifying revelation was burned to my brain.

At the lowest ground part of the power plant, there were several glass capsules. Each capsule contain one people, no, dragonoids. There are wires which are connected to their chest and tubes which are connected to their mouth. Those chest wires go directly above where the radiation crystal is. And the tubes on their mouth were the food pathway, from a transparent tank which contains disgusting fluids. It was a horrifying sight.

“I’m sorry about this sight, Amphere. But this is the truth. Humans use us dragonoids to produce electricity. You humans treat us worse than livestock. You humans treat us like disposable slaves…” Airelina made a sorry smile at me. But there was a blazing anger on her crimson eyes.

A gigantic man with brownish complexion welcomed them. It was Brow, the grizzly bear man. He was holding a rifle and was busy pressing some buttons on a computer-like device. Suddenly, the tube-like capsules opened. Airelina, Richard, and Brow helped them remove the tubes and wires, then waked them up.

All of them are naked, and worn out. They are in a condition worse than being a slum beggar. Some are able to stand up and carry their kin, but others are not even able to move a finger.

“Let’s go to the underground entrance before the dragon knights come!”

The ceiling bursts open and an angel…no, a white dragon with six seraphim wings descended. It was a seven-meter dragon with two razor-claw arms and a muscular set of legs. The white dragon was wearing a golden helmet, and above its head is a man, with a silver hair wearing a black cloak. The back of his cloak has a symbol of sword and wings; the sigil of the Dragon Knight.

“Dragon Knight Kyle Leviticus…” Richard muttered. “And his Angelic Dragon.”

The white dragon growled, which echoed throughout the power plant.

Kyle Leviticus is known as a hero in the last 3rd Dragonoid War five years ago. He is known to pacify the dragonoids using his goodwill together with his kindhearted dragon Elumina. I have read all his magazines and he is the reason why I’ve dreamt of becoming a Dragon Knight. His power in the battlefield is unmatched by anyone.

“Airelina, go!” Brow shouted. Airelina nodded and led the way for the rescued dragonoid to escape using the underground path.

The silver haired man jumped out of his dragon and slowly walked towards us. There was a strange aura this dragon knight is emitting. I felt intimidated even though he was supposed to be the one to rescue me. His eyes…are the eyes of a killer. Cold as ice. Alerted, Richard rushed and locked me on my back. He pointed his sword to my throat.

“Don’t you dare move! I have a hostage!” He said to the dragon knight. Then he whispered to me. “I will never hurt you. Just play along so we can all be safe…”

Everything happened so fast…The dragon knight immediately unleashed his slim sword behind his black cloak and then stabbed my chest…together with Richard who is holding me on my back. But I was never wounded. I felt nothing. It seems like the sword just passed through me, but…Richard has been spurting blood from his mouth.

The dragon knight withdrew his sword and sheathed it again underneath his cloak like nothing happened. Richard fell to the ground because of the damage he accepted. His chest has been oozing with blood and he started coughing like he’s lungs has been shattered. He has been struck in the heart.

I was dumbstruck. I didn’t know what happened. I’m not injured but…Richard is in grave danger!

The knight passed through me like I was air. He then said “Elumina, take care of the civilian. I can handle these terrorists by myself!”

The white dragon’s body became covered with light, and then its body minimizes until it was just in the shape of a beautiful woman. A golden haired woman wearing a white princess’s robes. Her eyes are red, and she was a dragonoid…but how can she just have her knight kill one of her kind?

“You bastard!” Brow used his assault rifle to shoot hundreds of bullets to the knight, but the knight effortlessly dodged all of it by sidestepping, spinning and waltzing like he’s dancing in the wind.

“A….Amphere…cough!”

It was Richard, lying beside me. He’s reaching his hand to me, which I immediately took without a second thought.

“Promise me… You…will…protect…Airelina…promise me…”

Without waiting for my answer, the glow of his eyes faded. His grip to my hand loosened as his life faded away.