Begron strolled through the grand marble and granite halls of the upper kingdom. Intricate carved, Wyrms wrapped around each pillar. Low born elves were stationed every ten metres, in pairs. Their hair tied in a pony tail, and wore a black dress, with a white apron. Begron stood two metres tall. His blonde hair slicked back, clean face, sharp features and shimmering emerald eyes, all struck a menacing yet handsome man. He wore white pants, with a white jacket over the black frilly shirt. Even though he consider this walk to be leisurely, everyone always saw him walking with purpose. "General Argul!" A little girl's voice rung out, down the hallway. He spun around with a smile across his face. She had turned five the other day, and wore an azure dress, holding a wooden sword in hand. Her blonde hair touched her shoulders, and was pristine.
"I challenge you to a duel!" "Oh? But I am unarmed. How will I fight you fairly, my lady?" She stuck her nose up. She slid the sword towards him, making two fists. "There, now it's a fair fight." Begron chuckled, picking up the sword. He took a Magic Knight's defensive stance. Weapon raised out and up to their eye line. Free hand over the hilt with an open gate. She charged in with a battle cry. He swung the wooden sword slowly, letting her block it, and strike his knee.
He cried out a woe, and fell down. Letting her pounce on top of him. She delivered a flurry of blows against his guard. "I yield." "Ha, I've beat you. Now I am the strongest Argul." Begron hoisted her by the pits, letting out a playful roar. He swung her around, as she giggled. "I have defeated you. She pouted in his grip. "You cheated." He smiled at her. "You forgot my Draken state." She crossed her arms. "Cheater." He lowered her to the ground, rustling her hair. "Luci, what have I told you about fighting weaker enemies?" "They're desperate to win, and will cheat." He smiled at her, pinching her cheek. "Exactly, so you must always finish the fight." A maid approached Begron, bowing to a 90 degree angle. "Supreme Argul. Philosopher Pendragon is ready to meet you." "Thank you. I'll be there shortly." He knelt down kissing Luci on the forehead. "Daddy, has to go meet someone. I'll play later." "Okay! I'll go play with Mykel then." He smiled watching her run down the hall way.
Begron found Sokra in his room. His room a depiction of chaos. Leather tomes scattered the room, heavy trunks overflowed with stacks of papers. Sokra wore a silk emerald bathroom. The steam still rising off his peach skin. His eyes were a piercing blue and hair golden like the sun. He spun around to face Begron at the door, scratching at the fresh nicks. "Did they fail to shave you?" Begron asked, concerned. "No, no. There's no need to punish those pleasant girls. I find a satisfaction in shaving myself." He took a seat, clearing the table and laid out several empty tomes, and quills. "The cold steel against my skin, after a hot bath. No better feeling." Begron took a seat across from him. "I can't relate." He said. "Oh, of course you can. I'm sure it is akin, to feeling steel sink its fangs, in a heated battle."
"It has been quite some time, since any of my battles were... 'heated'." Sokra smirked at him. "I suppose, being one of the few Magic Knights in the world, there aren't many worthy opponents." Begron crossed his leg, leaning back in his seat. "Not, true. There are few in this world, I would not actively seek to fight." "And who would these fine warriors be?" Begron spotted one of the quills levitate and dip into a vial of ink. "The King of Blessings and Curses." The quill scrawled Encara's name. He glanced over at the quill, before looking back to Sokra. "The Butcher." "Yes, Gwyneth Lockhart, the child prodigy. Rising to the rank of Captain, amongst the honour guard of Shizukana, at the age of 17." "Prodigy implies that she did not, put the same effort into training. That her skills were natural." "Were they not?" "No." Begron said sternly. "Am I hearing, you have respect and honour for your enemy?"
"She has earned it. She would have strived with great effort to reach her power." The quill scrawled an asterisk next to her name. "Any other threats you know of?" "The locals of Shizukana, simply called him Hakai." "They called him...Destruction?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Yes. He was nothing short of it." Sokra reeled back in his seat. "Come now, Begron. There's no need to lie to me." "Believe, what you will." Another quill scrawled Hakai. "Hmm, I will investigate this man later. For now, I would like to hear your recounting of a certain eight headed Draken." "I was leaving the main island-" "Ah,ah,ah. Please start from the beginning." Begron shot him a look. "Is that necessary?" "No story is interesting, starting with the big monster. Every story is journey. And all journeys have a beginning." He let out a sigh. "Where would you like me to start?"
Sokra sat in his chair, stroking his chin. "Let's start with the attack of Shizukana. The creation of the Immortals." He said with wonder and excitement. "Very well. Thanatos and I, took our forces and swept the southern entrance." "And did you kill everyone in your path?" Begron paused. Confused at the answer. "Not everyone..." A different quill began to scrawl. "Were they children?" "Does that matter?" "I would like to know, why you felt it necessary to kill, your way to the ships." "Because we had to secure them." "Yes, you were obviously there for a purpose. Yet if I asked anyone else. Would they sail into the Maelstrom, in the dead of night. I don't think anyone in their right mind would say yes." "The ships were necessary, to take and-" "Could you have not snuck into the kingdom? Elves are no strangers to being whispering shadows. Called in a favour with some a Dockmaster? Bribing them into turning a blind eye?"
Begron cleared his throat. "Yes, in hindsight our plan was...poor in judgement." "Ha! Yes it was terrible! And yet from it. We now have three of the greatest mysteries to unravel. Immortality. A eight headed Draken. And why are a bunch of fat Islanders, guarding a fang of Vasha?" He asked with a sly smile. Begron felt uneasy. Sokra clearly knew more than he let out. So why arrange this meeting? Why beg the King and Queen for this meeting with him? "Oh, don't be so surprised Begron. Once news of your attack happened. Everyone asked how those Islanders were coping. But no one asked, why they were attacked to begin with." Begron took a deep breath. "You seem to know everything." "Oh, I know most things, but not everything. Please continue with your recounting."
"We attacked as the Sun begun to set. Thanatos was to create chaos, while I procured the ships." "And how many did you kill at Shizukana?" "I don't...I wasn't counting." Sokra understood, and quill scrawled another note. 'Does not care for life.' It said. He ignored it, and continued. "Thanatos's forces laid waste to the city, and they in turn ended up killing Encara's wife." "Yes, a Rin Cagim. The local whore, turned into loving housewife. Quite a remarkable turnaround." "Thanatos, has only told me that he was lucky to escape the magic's grasp." The quills scrawled again. "And how was the trip to Yamata?" "Harrowing." "How so? Surely you could simply transform and fly to safety." "My men cannot." "Do you perhaps, mean the supplies?"
He let out a low murmur. "Without proper regulation of Arcane energy, our ships would have capsized instantaneously."A different quill scrawled. "Once you arrived, what happened?" "We attacked. Their so called Guardians, did not put up a fight." "Isolated from the world, do you really expect them to know, true strength and skill?" "No..." "Again, surely a display of force would have been sufficient. Yet you chose to massacre them. Why?" "Why ask these questions? What can you possibly learn from this?" Sokra stood up taking a small leather bound book. It fit in the palm of his hand. "In this book, contains all the combined knowledge of Jux. About the Draken curse." He held the book between his lap, and riffled through the pages. Only one page was filled. "We know very, very, very, little about the mysteries of our world. So when I ask, why you committed mass genocide. I want to know every little miniscule detail. Why you did it, how you did it, what made you do it, and every other aspect of it."
Begron froze in his seat, struggling to form the words in his mouth. "We had to massacre them. We were running out of time, before the Citadel was alerted." "Ah, a just reason. Time was of the essence. Yet once more, if you had taken a different approach. Shizukana, would still be standing, the Citadel would have never been alerted, and maybe with a diplomatic approach the Islanders, would have just given you the fang." He stood up to grab a jug of mead for only himself. "What are you trying to imply?" "I am implying nothing." He collapsed into his chair. "Please do not get angry, my dear friend. If you find my hindsight irritating, or uncomfortable. It simply means you have grown as a person." Begron stood up walking to the door. "Oh, don't be like that Begron. There's no need to leave so-" He spun back to see Begron grabbing a plate of food.
"I am simply getting something to eat." He said taking a seat. He removed the platter lid, revealing a bowl of raw fish drenched in a dark sauce, served on steaming rice. Sokra cocked his head to the side. "That does not look like a native dish." "That's because it's not. It's a popular dish from Yamata." "What is it?" He asked, disgusted to see sliminess of the meal. "Raw Tuna and Salmon, served with a special sauce on a bed of rice." He said taking another bite. Sokra winced. The meal made his stomach churn. "I did not take you as one, to indulge in your enemies culture." "I do not judge food from its history, only its flavour. And this is exquisite. Would you like me to have the cooks, make you a bowl." "With all due respect Begron. If I wanted to taste raw fish, I would simply go fuck one of the breeders, I saw coming in." Begron chuckled taking another mouthful.
Sokra cleared his throat. "What else can you tell me, about your journey to Yamata?" "The trip took two days. Every second made the hairs on my neck stand on edge." "The waves of the Maelstrom are quite vicious." "It wasn't just the waves. Creatures from the deep, assaulted the ship from every angle. As if-" "As if they were warning you to turn around?" "Yes..." Begron took a sip of water. "Once we reached the shores, my men and I were all on edge. Two days we were at the mercy of the Maelstrom and all its creatures. We took back our power, once we arrived." "How many did you kill?" "I told you, I wasn't counting." "Then was there anyone you killed worth remembering?" Begron closed his eyes, thinking back to the night. Remembering the taste of salty winds, brushing against his face. He recalled killing two so called guardians, interrogating a fisherman, and...and who else?
Sokra sat up, analysing Begron's face. "The woman." Sokra perked up, seeing Begron open his eyes. A quill floated up, trembling as if excited. "The woman?" "Yes. I was told the fang would be with the Elders. I followed a group of scared women trying to carry their children with them, when a woman attacked me." "And what makes her so memorable? Fighting spirit alone?" "No. She wore a Kāṣāya and struck me with a foreign attack, that I had never seen before." Begron noticed Sokra's face change. An Islander wearing a Kāṣāya, definitely piqued his interest. "Could you describe the attack to me?" "She had a Fire affinity, and yet without opening a gate. Each of her strikes created fireballs." "Fascinating." "Yes, I found the technique quite unique myself. However she was clearly rusty. Her movements were sluggish, but her intuition and Arcane manipulation were incredible."
"That technique, belongs to the denizens of Kumo. So does that certain attire." "Kumo? The floating kingdom?" "The very same." Both of them stroked their chins, pondering the same question. What was she doing so far away from home? "Please continue. I would like to know more about this woman. What did she look like?" "She had the face of a strong mother. Fierce, yet gentle." "Now, how would you know that?" "Because I met her son. When she realized that, she wouldn't win. She led me into the woods, and we ran into her terrified son. He also wore a Kāṣāya." "Interesting. A Cloud living on Yamata, and still kept her traditions. What happened next?" "She yelled at him to run. And...And the boy did something very stupid." "What did this scared child do?" Begron shot him a glare. "He tried to attack me." "And how did you respond?" "I ripped his mother in half, crushed his hands, before letting him know his place."
Sokra sat back in his chair, the quills fell down. He felt a shiver run down his spine. Begron could see his uneasiness. "Yes, in hindsight the act wasn't necessary. I had already defeated them, and should have focused my attention of defeating Cin arriving." "And is this boy, did you spare him? Or did you at least have the decency, to kill him after, ripping a piece of his heart out?" Begron clenched his arm rests. "I've heard your challenge. That those who want to kill you, must earn the right." "Worry not. I killed the boy, seconds later. I smashed his body to bloody bits." "What a kindness." Sokra forced a smile. Begron took a deep breath. "If you don't mind, I will summarise the rest of the story." "By all means." He said slugging back the jug. "I made my way to the Elder's hut, and stole the fang." "How big was this fang? It must be the size of a mountain."
"It was the size of a Qilin. They were using it as a structural pillar for their tent." "Did you slaughter them as well? The children, mothers and elders all in one place. You could have become known as the extinction that wiped the Islanders." "No...I took what I came for, and left to go deal with Cin." "Surely that must have been a spectacle of a battle. The Second Sun, versus Vasha Incarnate." "I shot him out of the sky, with three arrows." "Oh." Sokra slumped in his chair. He blew out a raspberry. "So when does this eight headed Draken emerge?"
Begron floated down to the last remaining ship, with his soldiers repelling down the ropes. Cin continued to roar in the sky, incinerating everything in his path. He stabilized the rocking ship for his men, dropping the fang down. It levitated off the deck, enthralling the soldiers. "Secure, the weapon. We are leaving, before any more of them arrive." "Sir, with all due respect. That's not a weapon. That's just a draken fang. We could have just done a Forsaken ritual, and given this to the king and queen. His sergeant said. Begron glanced at the fang. It was brimming with Arcane energy, but how was it any different from any other Draken, high on the hierarchy? Begron removed his helmet, picking the fang up once more. He noticed a large gaping hole at the bottom. Another soldier tapped the fang, hearing a hollow thump. He glanced at the other soldiers, with all of them stepping back. What kind of fang was hollow?
"The man, who told us about this fang. Said that it could create an army of Drakens." Begron, told Sokra. "And so you took a test try?" "Yes, and I wish I didn't." He said glumly. Begron took a deep breath blowing into the horn. A piercing screech rung out from the tip, and everyone fell to the ground, clutching their ears. "And the draken emerged, once you blew into the fang?" "Not at first." The Maelstrom, begun to swell and surge violently, throwing their ship into the sky. They clung onto the side, with Begron stabilizing the ship. His men fell to their knees, screaming in agony as their armour exploded off. "All of them turned into Drakens? Instantaneously?" Begron nodded solemnly.
The ship shattered under a large wave, and drowned the other Drakens, beneath the waves. Begron gasped for air, clinging onto the floating fang. He quickly opened a light gate, and warped himself into the night sky. Drenched in the salted water, his eyes felt like they had been struck by fire. He held the fang in one hand, looking down for his men. "What happened next?" Begron dove into the water, illuminating the Maelstrom, trying to find any remnants of his honour guard. Each time, he felt his strength waning. "I dove back into the water, tying the fang to my back. In hopes of finding any of my men." "And when you couldn't?" "I readied myself for the flight back to shore." Begron cried out in anger, unable to find any of his men. He tore off his armour throwing it into the Maelstrom.
The screech reached Yamata. The corpses twitched before succumbing to the inferno engulfing the jungle. Next to Osore's corpse, Yamada's body convulsed and rolled over. His broken body reforming and transforming. He stood up hunched over, his mangled arms falling off. Yamada reeled back letting out a roar. His fractured skull, begun to splinter off and elongate. Another roar rung out, and Yamada leapt into the sky. His transformation continued, sprouting a serpent head from each shoulder. Yamada spotted the glowing star hovering over the Maelstrom. He hunched over, and two leather wings sprouted out. With an echoing roar he flew towards the light. Begron begun his transformation, when he heard a different roar heading towards him. He warped out of the way, with Yamada crashing into the Maelstrom. "That's it? It died, jumping into the Malestrom? How did you know it had Eight heads?" "Because it didn't die in the Maelstrom."
Begron ceased his transformation, staring down into the Maelstrom. He watched in awe, and dread watching the Maelstrom become quiet. Each whirlpool slowly ceased, and the waves became still. Beneath the Maelstrom, Yamada's transformation completed with his skull forking out, into eight heads. They snapped at the water, devouring the creatures turning into Drakens. Begron watched as bubbles begun to boil to the surface. From the depths, Yamada leapt out snapping each head at him. He warped higher into the air, blinding a majority of the heads. Another one wasn't blinding and brought its jaws down Begron's waist. Saved by the fang on his back. Yamada dragged him into the depths once more. Begron clambered and warped himself to the surface, gasping for air. Unable to float properly, he attempted to warp once more when a geyser of water launched him.
Begron warped into the clouds, taking a breath, and glanced down at the waters. The eight headed draken continued to surface, each head scanning the area for him. He found himself frozen in fear, staring down at a monster. He readied another warp, when Yamada felt the droplets of water from the sky. Begron stared at the piercing amber eyes, staring him down. Each head smirked, before it leapt out of the Maelstrom, towards him. Begron warped out of the way, narrowly avoiding the monster. "How did you defeat such a monster?" Sokra asked, each quill scrawled at a lightning fast rate. "You're under the impression, I won." Begron opened several light gates surrounding Yamada. Blades of light, cut into every direction bouncing off each gate slicing Yamada apart.
Each head roared out in agony, deep gashes littered his body. Begron sucked on his teeth. "How thick are its scales?" Yamada plummeted back into the Maelstrom. Begron warped into the cloud, the freezing wind bracing him. He glanced down at the Maelstrom swirling into one large whirlpool. Begron opened a giant Light gate, above the swirling water. "Come on. Come on." He growled, holding his out in anticipation. The water suddenly came to a halt, becoming motionless. Through the gaps of his gate, he spotted the sixteen piercing amber eyes, snarling under the water. In an instant geysers of water shot into the air, ripping through the sky as blades. Begron felt the water ping and ding off his armour. He closed the gate shielding himself. As the torrent ended he glanced down to the smirking Yamada. "THAT ALL YOU GOT!?" He roared, reopening the gate.
The eyes disappeared under the darkness. Begron suddenly noticed the droplets of water floating beside him. The immense and overwhelming Arcane energy brimming in the air. He reached out touching one of the droplet, when he was struck from the sky. It pinged off his armour once more, knocking him off balance. He stared down at the eight swirling whirlpools. Fear filled his heart. Each droplet suddenly started plummet downwards, pinging off his armour. Each one struck as blade falling from the sky, he felt the air escape his lungs with each strike. Geysers begun to erupt from the Maelstrom. Begron bombarded from all sides, felt himself suffocating. He needed air. Air that wasn't saturated in salt water. He curled in releasing a roar, and the water around him exploded into the sky.
Begron completed his transformation, into a four winged Were-dragon. Scales made of diamond. He reeled back releasing a pure white laser into the Maelstrom. The beam split the Maelstrom apart, down to the surface, as well as Yamada down the side. He watched as the Eight headed serpent was swallowed into the abyss of the Maelstrom. With a triumphant roar he readied himself to leave. When Yamada leapt out from the depths. Two heads snapped its jaws onto his leg, and the others dug their fangs into his sides and wings. He roared in agony, plummeting into the depths.
The central head, reeled back ready to strike. Begron roared out in anger, his scales radiated a blinding white light, and the two of them warped high above Oeo. In the confusion, Begron sank his fangs into the neck of one, of Yamada's heads. He dug his claws deep, goring Yamada's sides. Releasing his grip and crying out in agony, Begron finished the blow, with a tail whip sending Yamada plummeting. Begron exhausted and wheezing for his next breath, quickly fled away. "You didn't make sure, you had killed it?" "What part of that story, makes you think I wanted to keep fighting it?" "Surely, it was a great battle. One for the history books." Begron scoffed reeling back in his seat. "No one believes me. They believe I was fighting eight different Drakens. Especially one that could control water. Sleep deprived, hallucinating from the effects of the salt water."
"I believe you. I believe you faced a Draken unlike any other." Sokra took out another parchment, with the insignia of the Citadel on it. Begron shot him a glance. "Oh do not fret. I do not take sides in any war. This is information from my little birds, in the North." He said unfurling the parchment. Begron lurched forward inspecting the drawing, confused and shocked. "Is that, what I think it is?" Sokra held his hand out, tracing the image with his Arcane energy, and opened a Water gate. Begron reeled back in his seat, before the gate disappeared making a splash. Sokra feel back in his seat exhausted. "By Vasha, the energy for that." "Amazing! Who discovered it?" Sokra took a deep breath, composing himself, before taking another parchment out.
He revealed a sketch of Yamada training with Gwyneth out in the woods. "Gwyneth...She always was a prodigy." Sokra chuckled, tapping Yamada. "It wasn't her." Begron scoffed. "An Islander, found a way to open gate lost to history for over eight millennia?" "The very same." "What else can you tell me about the boy?" Sokra withdrew the drawings and tucked them away. "Sadly, Begron. That information comes at a price." Begron shot him a glare. "What do you want for it?" "I would like for you to tell me how that story ends." Begron didn't hesitate to answer. "I told you. I sent it crashing into the Oeo." Sokra gave him a disbelieving stare. "You. The most blood thirsty and ruthless warrior, I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Battled the first ever Eight headed Draken. And didn't even watched how it died? You didn't really expect me to believe that did you?" Begron sighed.
As Yamada plummeted into the water, his body disappeared under Oeo. His body shattered into pieces, disappearing under the water. "It disappeared?" "Yes, I couldn't explain it either. Nor did I have the time to stay." "Interesting..." "So, great philosopher. What do you make of my 'tale'?" "Drakens that higher on the hierarchy, mutate with their affinity, or from a response to a need. The same way, your light affinity, gives you diamond scales. Fire gives red burning scales." "And what benefit does having Eight heads and no arms have?" "Where they not powerful tools to hold you down? Stronger and longer than any arms?" Begron let out a low pondering sound. "We will never know. However, that information buys you some of mine. You should know that boy isn't only a survivor your attack, but also a Forsaken Knight."
Begron took a gulp. "Before you leave, allow me to part some of my wisdom onto you." He smiled warmly at Begron. "Make peace with the gift, that is your present. For your past has arrived, and your future draws to its end." Begron shot out of his seat growling, his Arcane energy shot everything into the air. "Is that a threat!?" He snapped. Begron pulled Sokra by his collar, snarling at him, only to be greeted with a cocky smile. "Yamada Ken. The Forsaken Knight, is coming for you. He will not stop till you, and everything about you is dead by his hand." Begron snorted. "He is nothing, but a crazed child." "Yes, one crazy enough to do anything to kill you. And Begron. This is my 'threat'." Sokra flicked Begron's forehead. He flew through the air, crashing into the marble wall. Sokra dusted himself off. "Touch me again, and I'll raze this whole fucking kingdom to the ground. Do not forget that."