Chapter 2 - The Crew (part1)

Present day.

It's noon. The skies are calm. Sunshine, little wind, migratory birds and the Flying Islands make the sky magical. The Dragons that were once everywhere are now missing from the skies. The inhabitants of the villages and towns do not care about this detail, they admire the sky anyway. But there is something that the inhabitants of skies cannot see. Something that flies in uninhabited skies. A Black Plane. Someone with bad eyesight would mistake it for a small black dragon. Up close you can tell it's a twin-boom aircraft, but you'd still call it a dragon as it is. It's jet black, the front of the aircraft, the cockpit, is roughly shaped like the head of a lizard-like dragon. And it's got a front propeller there. The torso is long, thick and double armored. And it has two engines on the top of the tail. It's a steel beast. Despite its size it is quite fast. And surely his pilot must be as scary as his plane. But surely this plane has something unique about its banner. Not the plane itself, but its crew. It's like they're being watched by fate.

Hours later.

After a long journey through the sky, the plane approaches an inhabited island. It is small. Half of it is a dense forest and the other half is a small town. The plane is about to land at the airport. There are no planes landing there. Only aircraft that have dropped anchor there. It is obvious that they are flying fishing from their nets that are spread out to dry around them. The plane reduces altitude and speed and goes to land at the airport. The pilot calls the airport by radio and requests permission to land. He is accepted and lands. The black aircraft lands and follows the instructions of airport officials to enter one of the hangars. After entering the hangar the propeller and engines are stopped. Airport officials place the wheel brakes on the aircraft's landing gear and prepare to see the pilot. They waited for the cockpit door to open and prepared to put the ladder in there, but the rear cargo door opened.

They lift the ladder and the oldest of them heads for the open door. He sees someone coming down and calls out to him.

"Young man, you must be a mercenary or a pirate to walk around with such a dragon" He turns around and sees the aircraft" And what a dragon! Your aircraft is a masterpiece I have never seen anything like it!"

"Old Joe! Stop admiring the aircraft and do your job" another airport official shouts at him.

"Oh yeah, that's right. I've been removed. Sorry. Well boy, I think you know the process involved. Bring all your paperwork so we can do the audit." He says as he sees a young man who has gotten off the plane and is in front of him. "Excuse me, my friend, what are you? A prince or a pirate?"

The man in front of him is young, in his twenties, black-haired with wavy ponytail, blue eyes, a handsome face, white skin and about 6'2" tall and very muscular. His long black pilot coat is a combination of a pirate captain's coat and a prince coat. Αnd his pants have the same characteristics as his coat. His metal gloves and iron armor look like a warrior from the fourth age. And his Sword looks like it's from the Royal Navy of a great kingdom.

"I'm a Pirate Prince" The young man replies.

"What?" Joe says.

"I'm kidding. Here are the papers." She tells him as she pulls an envelope out of his coat. "The name, model, date and place of manufacture, engine, everything about the plane."

Joe takes the envelope and looks at the papers. "I see you have a building permit from the 'United Kingdom'." He changes page "What's going on with your plane? I've never seen anything like this before. Original construction? Where did you get an engine like that? " He continues to read with increasing concentration and excitement "No fuel? It's electric! There are electric planes and they're not Federate Army planes? What? Is it a hybrid of military and lightning fishing? How? Model D-Jet13? Like Dragon Jet like the ones from World War II? You want to explain to me what's going on with your plane?"

"How can I answer you when every time you ask a question you ask another one without an answer?"

Joe is about to speak but stops. He remains silent and thinks for a moment. "Damn" he whispers as he realizes he was obsessed with the details of the plane.

"Sorry about that" Says the another official "Old Joe is in love with airplanes and a beauty like yours is the perfect poison to make him lose touch with reality"

"It doesn't matter, it's not the first time" the young man says.

The other official takes the envelope from Joe and looks at it. "Dragon Jet 13? These are aircraft are from the war. I thought they stopped flying these antiques ten years ago. But 13? Weren't there only 12 models?" He asks.

"It's original. I made it. I took the construction drawings of the D-Jet 12 and made some modifications and that's how I present to you the Queen Drakena." he says as he taps the plane.

"Queen Drakena? It's a name for a dragon-hunting ship. No, for this Dra... The name fits for this beast prefect!" Joe says.

"D-Jet, I don't believe you're a fan of His ideologies." Says the other one.

"Jack! What are you talking about? Just because he has a fighter plane from Them doesn't mean he's from Them!" Joe yells at him.

"I'm not from them. " He says "And there's no war manic of Them left. So that means that there are no more Enemies with his Ideology."

"Their kingdom still exists. That's not enough to understand that the threat still exists?" Jack Says at him and looks at him with suspicion.

"So you are telling me, my good man, that if someone was a criminal in his Life, then his descendants, even if they have not committed a crime in their whole life, then they are criminals like their ancestor." He answered him.

"They didn't just commit a crime. They made a world war! So..." Jack says, but Joe stops him.

"Jack. We're just airport officials. We shouldn't care about our customer political views. We just have to do our job. And I might add that he's right. There are no more enemies. It's been eighty-four years since the war ended."

"And how do we know that?" He shouts "How do we know that there are not still some who want to slaughter people? And he has a Votronia fighter plane, isn't that suspicious?"

"I have a Votronia fighter plane because, one, I like it and two, Nicola Tesla for its time was way ahead." The young man tells Jack in a cool voice chorus to raise his voice like this" He's arming his kingdom with technology that the world acquired years later." He puts his left hand in his coat and pulls out a letter "I am a fan of Tesla's science, not his ideological warfare. And even if I were, it would be impossible for the Federation 'United Kingdoms' to give me permission to create this Dragon and even this letter they would not give me!"

He shows them the letter and they look at it carefully. The letter is closed and sealed with a red wax seal. The letter was yellow like gold and the seal had two dragons looking at each other and a crown hovering over them. Jack and Joe take a step back and begin to run through their minds thoughts. This wasn't just a letter. It was an important letter from the Federation the 'United Kingdoms'. The federation how founded by the kingdoms that joined forces to defeat Votronia in World War Two and created a force that would protect the Peace and Justice of the world. The organization that controls nearly three quarters of the sky. The world's greatest superpower. To have an official letter from the Federation one must be someone important. Jack is afraid of the young man he's up against because he almost verbally attacked him a moment ago. Joe wonders if this man is a real prince. He takes the courage to ask him. "Excuse me, sir. You haven't introduced yourself yet."

"Oh yeah right I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Megas 'Lycaon', twenty-two years old, mercenary, adventurer and explorer. Captain of the aircraft Queen Drakena. Pleased to meet you" He replies politely and cheerfully.

Joe and Jack freeze for a moment when they hear the name Magas. Joe blinks several times and has a shocked expression. Jack is shocked and asks Mega.

"Are you the Hero Megas 'Lycaon'? The well-known Megas 'Lycaon'? The child raised by Lycans?"

"That's why my last name is 'Lycaon'!" he replies.

"The Exterminator of Villains? The Protector? The Guardian? The Knight of the Skies? The Dragonborn?"

"The Dragonborn? What is it? A new nickname? It's a bit of a stretch. But I like it! It suits me perfectly."

Joe has his mouth hanging open now that he realizes he's been talking to such an intelligent man for so long. Jack is excited and scared at the same time. He raised his voice to one of the most famous warriors of the skies. Jack is ready to take a bow and apologize but Megas connects with a right hand. "What are you doing?" he asks him.

"I must apologize for the disrespect I showed you Mr. Mega" Jack Says quickly. Megas takes a deep breath and tells him.

"Of the rumors you've heard about me, have you ever heard of me wanting people to bow or getting angry because they raised their voices against me?"

"No?"

"And what disrespect? What am I, your king or your god? I am a man like you. We are equals. You don't have to bow."

Jack, hearing these words, felt a flame of happiness deep inside him. Equals. With a great aviator like him. All his life he had learned that he was a simple man and that nobles and kings were his superiors. Someone like Mega is like them in the eyes of the world. And Jack's. He is known for doing things that ordinary people would never dare to do. They see him as something far more powerful than they are. And yet... This man said they are equals. This made Jack not only feel a sense of happiness but also power.

"We are honored to have your visit to our island Falenos, Mr Mega". Joe breaks the silence that had been created by Mega's words for a few seconds.

"Thanks, but I didn't land at your airport to visit Falenos, Mr. Joe." Megas tells them.

"Then why did you... Oh. You're here for the cable car, aren't you?"

"The cable car?" Jack says surprised to hear this "You came for the Alkatran prison Mr. Mega?"

"Yes." Megas says and gives them the letter again "And this is the ticket to one's release."

"The Federation gave you permission to let out some of the Alkatran scum? Why? And who? Why would someone like you want to take one of them out." Joe says while he is confused and startled by hearing this.

"And a moment ago you said you were just doing your job and not dealing with the customer's business." Megas tells them in an ironic way.

"Oh I didn't want to bother you with your business, Mr. Mega. I just..." Joe says quickly and scared but is stopped by Megas before he finishes.

"Please stop. I didn't mean to scare you. I just teased you a little." He laughs a little "I don't usually tell other people about my personal business, but since the whole world will know soon, I don't see why I shouldn't tell you."

Megas takes a deep breath and Jack and Joe can't wait to hear what he has to say.

"Ever since I started traveling the skies I've set some goals in my life. To achieve them I decided that I wanted the best aircraft and the strongest crew in the skies." He puts the letter back in his coat and shows his plane. "I have the plane. But I'm still picking up the crew. And after the many bounties I've collected, I've finally had enough to pay for the release of my next crew member from Alkatran."

"What criminal from Alkatran would want to follow you? I mean, they're all scumbags who would like to take your head for fame." Jack says.

"Her name. It's Scarlet Airslayer" Megas says in a serious tone and Jack and Joe's jaws hit the ground.

"Now I understand why you said the whole world will know soon" Joe says "Because by tomorrow it will be in all the newspapers in the world."

"Scarlet Airslayer, you mean the assassin 'Red Hawk'? The best assassin in the world?" Jack says loudly.

"Yes."

Jack is speechless. He remembers the newspapers he read about the infamous woman hit, the 'Red Hawk'. The world's greatest killer. Newspapers all over the world made headlines about her dozens of times. They called her an unstoppable killing machine. Jack sees before his eyes the papers he's read about her.

[The Red Hawk killer caused a massacre], [The first king assassination in our era by the Red Hawk], ["Red Hawk" strikes again in the South], [The United Kingdom is hunting the Red Hawk], [1.000.000 drachmas bounty for an assassin], [Scarlet Airslayer aka "Red Hawk" voluntarily surrendered to justice].

People were in a panic every time he did a murder and it was reported in the newspapers. She is a killer who has made someny murders that one human being alone could not have done in a whole life. He had the ability to strike fear into people even if he wasn't on she's hit list.

"You've got to be kidding me. Why would you want that beast out of its cage?" Jack says.

"I said I was assembling a mighty crew. The best hit woman in the world is welcome." Megas says as if that's normal.

"You're serious. You're going to unleash someone so dangerous into the world? " Joe yells.

"This woman is more dangerous than you two can imagine. But she's a good person and I can trust her." Megas says to both of them and they question if he's joking.

"What in heavenly hell? How is it possible that a Gentleman like you can trust this monster." They both say.

"She's a wicked witch. A murderer. One of the plagues of the Skies." Joe says.

"We're lucky she decided to surrender. She realized the harm she did to the world and decided to be punished for her crimes. She's lucky this bitch who was not executed." Jack says with rage and Megas says to him angrily.

"She is my cousin!"

Jack and Joe are looking at him. They remain silent. They think for a moment. They're shocked!

"WHAT!?" they say.

"That you gentlemen heard. The witch and big bad killer is my cousin. The daughter of my mother's sister."

Joe wants to speak up to apologize for speaking ill of Mega's cousin. But she's so shocked she can't speak. He opens his mouth but can't say a word. Jack, on the other hand, is sweating. Unlike Joe, he can talk but doesn't know what to say. He just checks the last papers left in the file and says.

"Mr. Mega your cards are clean. You have to sign some papers first and then you can stay at Falenos as long as you want. Be aware that the stay of your aircraft at the airport is free for twenty four hours. After that you have to pay twelve drachmas per hour for your stay."

That's what Jack says and he's still sweating profusely. He returns the envelope to Mega and shows him the contracts he needs to sign and hands him a pencil. Megas takes it and signs them. Jack checks them and says.

"Welcome to Falenos."

He says this and wipes off his sweat. Joe is still blinking trying to get a word in, but fails.

"So we're done? Finally!" Megas says with relief and whistles loudly.

There are footsteps from the plane. Some people get off the plane. Megas didn't come alone. He brought his crew. The two airport employees remember Megas mentioning something about a crew, but forgot it in the conversation. But they also didn't ask if he came with company. Three men get off the plane, one short, one tall and one very tall. Two things are obvious. First, they are all very muscular. Second and most observant. They are of different races. A Giant, a Flyer and a Half Fishman Half human.

"Let me introduce you my crew." Megas says and points to the Flyer and the Giant. "These two are the first members of my crew. The Flyer is Inl. The pilot without a plane in the company. And here is Jotun. He is a mighty giant and warrior with honor."

Joe and Jack look at the flying dwarf and the colossus. Inl is at almost five feet. His hair is brown and he is hairy all over except for his face, palms and wings. He looks like a mix of man and bat hoof and all the Fleyers. His wings and arms are joined and long. Maybe even bigger than he is. He wears a pair of ripped jeans and a sleeveless white blouse. He has no shoes, and hanging around his neck are two pair of pilot's goggles and an air mask. "Yo. What's up?" he says to them.

Jotun is three and a half meters tall and has grey hair. His trousers are made from the fur of various animals. On it he wears a belt with two axes tied on the right and left side. The large ones for humans, the small ones for giants. On the upper part of his body he wears the entire fur of a bear, and its head is worn as a cap. The bear only covers his backside. As a result, his front side is exposed. So you can see his ten abdominals and the scars on his body. Jack and Joe are frozen in fear seeing the giant two to three times bigger than them. Not only is his height scary, but also how fit he is. His muscles all over his body are overly toned. And his axes are so well sharpened that they would cut you just by touching them. Joe and Jack are too scared to notice that Jotun has a rope around his neck and a big claw tied to it. Specifically, it's a dragon claw.

He didn't say anything just waved at them.

"And we have the guy who brings the food" says Megas pointing to Fishman.

"What?" Fishman says.

"Just kidding, we have Karharion from the Redsea family from Atlantis. He's a warrior with honor like Jotun but he's a half Fishman half human, not a giant."

Karharion is half man and half Fishman. Because of this, he is like a normal human but with gills on his neck. He's a little taller than Mega. Black hair with a tiny ponytail. His whole body from top to bottom has red tattoos. Except for the head. His tattoos are red lines, joined together, with angles and on his hands on them are some words written in the language of the ocean. He has bright green eyes and the only clothing he wears is his tunic which looks like a small skirt. He uses a rope for a belt and is adorned with shells and bones of sea creatures. And in his right hand he holds an iron trident. "Hello, people of the sky." he says to them politely.

The two airport managers are in shock. There is an old saying they and their colleague say. That on a airport you meet all kinds of people. They didn't expect it to be so real. Jack recovers from his shock and takes the courage to say.

"Mr. Mega. For bureaucratic reasons all your crew members will have to sign some papers for their accommodation and you will have to sign another one as captain."

"OKAY. Guys, come on over here and write something." Megas says.

The three friends come closer and sign the papers needed for their stay. The only one who had a problem is Jotun. His hands are too big to properly hold a pencil.

"After we get your cousin, we'll leave right away. Why do we have to sign these stupid papers?" Jotun says, and his voice was nothing like the one any giant would expect to have. Instead of his voice being loud and scary, it's thin and peaceful.

"You say that, big guy, because you're too big." Karharion says to Jotun.

"Good. Guys!" Megas says and looks at the three members of his crew. "Jotun. You stay and watch the plane, I don't want to risk you getting into another fight."

"It happened once." Jotun says irritably.

"Not once, two in a row. I can't keep picking up your mess every island we go to."

"Fine. Order received."

"The guy who brings the food. Fishing time."

"Shut up, Mega. Why I have to fish all the time?" Says Karharion.

"Because you're the best fisherman I've ever met? And you are already ready for this."

Megas replies to Karharion and he gives him a fierce look. He turns around and heads for the edge of the island.

"Wait, where are you going?" Joe, who has come to his senses, yells to Karharion "You want to screw off the island? It's a hundred meters above the ocean. In the village we have an elevator and windmills to get down."

Karharion looks at him and says "Only a hundred meters?" Then he starts running with great speed. He crosses the airport runway running.

"Our food ingredients are coming. Inl. Get ready to cook our food. Go pick up our fisherman in a little while."

"AYE! CAPTAIN!"

Inl says cheerfully and lines into the plane to get the cooking tools.

"Are you all crazy?!" Joe yells "A friend of yours is going to do a suicide dive and you guys are so cool?! HOW?"

Joe and Jack looks over to Karharion and they see him jumping off the island.

"HE JUMP!" Jack yells in horror.

"I have to go get Scarlet. See you." Megas says with absolute coolness and starts to leave the airport.

"What in the name of the Gods of all religions is wrong with all of you?" Joe shouts loudly "Is it possible for anyone to survive such a fall? Is there some trick here that we don't understand?"

"He's a warrior from the Redsea family. You don't have to worry like that." Jotun says to Joe.

Joe and Jack look up to see Jotun's face and Jack asks him.

"What does his family have to do with it now?"

"Really? You know Mega that has been in this world for twenty-two years and the Redsea family that has been around for many hundreds of years you don't know them?" Jotun says to him with surprise.

"Why is his family important? First of all. Does he live?" Jack says in a rush.

Jotun took a deep breath frustrated. He looks at them and says.

"For starters, falling overboard from this low is not in danger. Now, there are some important things about the world that everyone needs to know. His family is one of them."

They look at him strangely.

"Redsea, like my own family, the Urookn, are a family of warriors. They are born to be the strongest warrior protectors of Atlantis. For generations now, from young children to old age they have trained to be the strongest. They are taught every kind of battle that can be found. Even battles that will force you to jump from a sky island to the Panthalassa from two hundred meters. Their training is so hard that war is fun for them."

Jack and Joe freeze in shock. I didn't know there was such a powerful family in Atlantis. They thought Atlantis was just better fishermen than they were. If everything Jotun says is true, then these warriors are trained enough to fight a group of soldiers with machine guns directly and without fear with only their hands as their only weapon.

These ordinary people by talking to big shot people like that, all it does is shock them. They wave goodbye to Jotun and go back to their posts. Jotun sits on the ground, leans his back against the plane, pulls a book out of his pants pocket and starts reading.

At the same time at a depth of fifty meters below the surface of the ocean. Karharion is looking at a beautiful phenomenon. The sun's rays of sunlight visible in the seawater and reflecting off the smooth surface of dozens of jellyfish. Schools of various species of fish swimming around it. In the depths, where the light begins to fade, a pod of colossal giant whales swim slowly northward as their cries reach Karharion ears like an enchanting song. They are so peaceful, so beautiful, they are the wonder of mother nature's beauty.

Karharion inclines his eyes and lets his senses take over. It is there that he belongs. He is in the place he loves. He is in his, home.

Suddenly he feels something in the water. He's upset. He opens his eyes and looks around. Schools of fish have been spooked and are swimming away. He looks in the opposite direction and sees a stingray has been cut in two and the water around it has turned red. A sharkwolf, a shark with the head and features of a wolf, swims by and eats the pieces. After he finishes his meal he looks Karharion. They look at each other for a while. Karharion takes up a fighting stance.

"The hunt has begun," he thinks.

The Sharkwolf begins to swim at tremendous speed towards Karharion as Karharion prepares to attack with his trident.

Meanwhile in Falenos. Megas crossed the village. The village of Falenos is small, peaceful and quiet. It is beautiful in every corner. The stone houses with their tall wooden roofs, with a fishmonger's shop in every neighborhood, its electric lamps with ornaments on them, and the people of course. The families of this village are very happy and close together. It's as if everyone there is a family. Everything is beautiful in this village. Except for the smell. It's a fishing village, so the smell of fish is strong. To a outsider that smell would be unbearable. But to Mega, that smell whets the appetite. His favorite food is fish. A small peaceful fishing village. It brings back memories of another village like this one.

Until he passes the village square. There the village is connected to the island's forest. It looks more like a dragon graveyard than a square. Hence the giant dragon skull. A skull the size of Queen Drakena's. Four eyes and deer horns and thousands of teeth in its jaws. A dragon skull from the second age. It's impressive and terrifying. But with wild vegetation to its right and left. And with hundreds of thousands of red roses circling and climbing up the skull. The skull is not so scary. More like a majestic landscape it is. Megas notes that there are offerings in front of the skull. It appears that the Falenos is a Dragon believers. They are of those who believe that the souls of dead dragons live in their bones after their death and protect the living creatures in the place where they died. They see them as Gods Protectors. Megas simply smiles at this, since such an old religion still exists, and goes on his way.

After a few minutes he reach the other side of the village and the island. In front of him is the edge of the island, a "cliff" in the sky. To his left he sees the elevator to the sea that Joe had mentioned. And to his right is the cable car. And on the other side of the cable car is the Alkatran prison. Falenos, such a beautiful island has on the island right next to it a prison full of dangerous criminals capable of giving nightmares to people for a long time just by their inhuman crimes.

Megas moves forward and goes to the cable car. There is a guard there. He sits calmly and reads a newspaper.

"Good evening sir guard" Megas says and gets his attention.

"What do you want boy?" She asks him.

"I would like to be transferred to Alkatran. I have a letter to deliver to the warden and a prisoner to pick up."

He says this and the guard looks at him.

"You've come to pick up a prisoner? If you want me to take you to Alkatran, young man, he should have the proper paperwork for that. I can't take you to jail just like that."

Megas gives him the letter from the "United Kingdoms" and his identity card. The guard takes them and checks them. He reads the identity card. He is surprised. He opens the mail envelope, takes out and reads the letter. He reads it carefully. After he finishes reading the letter he jumps out of his chair. He looks at Mega in surprise.

"Are you serious?" She shouts at him in shock.

"Yes, I am. I came here to get Scarlet Airslayer aka Red Hawk out. This amnesty is to be delivered to the director of Alkatran."

The guard puts the amnesty in the mail envelope and returns it to Mega along with his identity card.

"Give me a minute to call the prison to get the cable car ready." He says this and gets into the wagon. There he makes a call with the radio to Alkatran while Megas waits outside.

When the guard beeped into the wagon Megas checked his pocket watch. And when he checked it again it was when he saw the guard come out. Ten minutes had passed.

"Sorry for the delay. There were some technical problems regarding the preparation of the cable car station on the opposite side. We were ready now. You may enter. But before that, you must remove all your weapons. We cannot accept you armed in prison. I think you understand."

"I understand. But where do I put them? We can't just leave my weapons without someone watching them. Someone might steal them."

"At Falenos? Haven't you seen how peaceful the town is?"

"You never know."

"Wait." The guard checks his clock "I don't believe him!"

The guard comes down from the wagon.

"What's going on?" Megas asks.

"You may enter the wagon. Sit down and wait for me to fetch a co-worker."

The guard runs off like he's chasing something. While Megas enters the cable car and sits on one of the seats. They are very comfortable. He waits for several minutes. He sits silently and patiently and waits. Eventually, the guard turns around and pulls another guard by the ear.

"Sorry again for the delay, Mr. Mega." He tells him as he enters the wagon. "I had a problem and I fixed it." Megas looks at him.

"Are you sure? Your friend is stuck to your hand."

"Oh. You mean my stupid co-worker. He's the one who will be looking after your weapons."

"Please John. Stop pulling my ear."

Says the other guard. While guard John lets go of him and yells at him.

"When we say half an hour solution we mean it! We don't sit around any longer courting the young ladies of the village! Jones."

"What the... Does everyone here's name start with J?" Megas thinks.

"Now you can remove your weapons and the idiot here will watch them." John says.

Megas follows the instructions. He gets off the cable car and goes to his station. There Jones opens one of the iron cabinets and tells him to empty his weapons in there. Megas pulls out of his coat a pistol with an eight-round magazine, two more magazines loaded, and his sword. Jones notes them down and asks Mega.

"Is that all?"

"Yes that's it."

"Okay. And your gloves please remove."

"Why? They're just metal gloves."

"They can be used as a weapon too."

Megas obeys and removes his metal gloves as well. Jones spots the locker and hands the key to Mega.

"Don't lose it and make sure it doesn't fall out of the sky."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of it. I hope you'll take care of my things too. They are precious to me."

The guard signals his agreement and Megas boards the cable car and John starts it up and begins the journey to Alkatran.

Classification. Back at the airport, Inl and Karharion cook the sharkwolf while Jotun trains hard.

"Excuse me." Jack says out of nowhere to the cooks. "There's something I want to ask you."

"What is it?" Inl asks him and he replies.

"A while back I heard a rumor that your captain Megas fought two large Rox dragons alone. Is this true? Because it is impossible for me to believe it."

Jotun stops his training as soon as he hears this and gets on the plane. While Karharion asks him.

"How do you know that we won't lie to you? We just met. How could you trust us? How do you know we won't lie to you to increase the boss's reputation and popularity?"

"I heard that Megas is a man of trust and that's why I believe he will be his crew. And besides. I have read in the newspapers of his achievements. He has done things that one would not do to gain fame."

Inl and Karharion smile and Karharion replies to Jack.

"You're absolutely right. You can trust us but just know this. In this sky world of humans, there will always be people who will do anything to gain the world's trust for their own dark desires."

Jack realized that what he said was not just a quote. It was something he had lived. He could see it in his eyes.

"As for the Rox dragons." Inl says and gets Jack's attention. "No. He's never met two Rox, much less fought alone. I'm tired of being asked the same thing on every island we go to."

"So it was a rumor that people created." Jack says, having understood that people's enthusiasm creates false glory for heroes.

"He never fought two Rox Dragons alone. There were three of them and we were at his side to fight together."

Karharion says this and Jack is surprised.

"I beg your pardon?" Jack responds in shock to Karharion and Jotun's shadow covers him. He turns his head and sees Jotun holding three dragon teeth in his hands.

"One month ago, Megas and we fought three Rοx Dragons in the Blue Saltwater Sea. These dragons were huge and so ferocious that even the best dragon hunters would not dare to hunt them alone. And these teeth here are the trophies and the proof that this battle is real."

Jotun says passionately to Jack and Inl whispers to Karharion. "Here we go again. The storyteller in him has awakened" While Jotun leaves his teeth on the ground and continues to narrate epically.

"When the shadows of dragons judged the sun. I was in awe. I felt the emotions that the little children of men feel when they see me. But I was not afraid. I stood beside warriors who galloped across the skies ready to fight in life or death battles. With ravening dragons attacking us we bravely fought back. It was a battle to remember. All would say it was a battle between giants and ants. But! It was a battle of legends. They came at us with uncontrollable rage and bloodlust. Their attacks were reorganizing. It was as if they were angry children and wanted to lash out somewhere. But we fought them back with courage, determination and strategy. It was the hardest battle I ever fought in my life. I did not make the mistake of thinking whether I would live or die until the end of the battle. I thought only of victory. I managed to rip a tooth out of a dragon with my bare hands. Inl and Karharion followed my example and together they managed to remove two teeth from the other dragons. One tooth from each dragon. The dragons had begun to calm down from their uncontrollable rage and had backed away from the pain we had inflicted on them. They realized that those they were facing were not ordinary humans. But a dangerous adversary. They had retreated and were organizing their attack. They would have defeated us if they had attacked us. At that moment, there was a silence. We were across from each other. We silently stared into each other's eyes knowing that the first one to make the next move would be the winner. Then unexpectedly and completely out of the blue to the dragons and us Megas came running towards them with his gun in his left hand and his sword in his right. Running faster than the wind, clutching his weapons, he rushes into battle alone with incredible heroism. We, when we realized that he had rushed into battle, ran frantically to catch up with him. But by the time we started running he had already reached the dragons. One of them raised his right wing and brought it down in a rush towards Mega to hit him and repel him. Megas figured out what was about to happen but didn't stop. He runs even faster and the moment the wing was closing in on him. He jumps on him. With great speed he rolls over the wing and ends up right next to the dragon's head. In a split second Megas with his sword takes out the eye of the dragon and at the same moment with his Thump-Gun he pulls the trigger and the grenade that was fired took out the eye of another dragon. It was an impressive scene to watch. I refused to believe what I had seen. My family have been dragon hunters since the birth of giants in the world and there is no story that tells of anything like this having happened. It was unbelievable. After that I saw Mega get hit by Rox's tail and fly towards me. Luckily, I managed to catch him. It was a very abrupt thing that happened. He flew at a tremendous speed. When I caught him I felt like I was being hit by a dragon. He was barely conscious. But he was awake enough to see the feat he had accomplished. The dragons, from the pain he caused them, were howling. They couldn't take it anymore. They were afraid of us. They saw us as beings more terrifying than they were. They lifted their wings and flew away. Dragons ran away from humans. It was a legendary day. We accomplished a feat worthy of history."

Jotun finishes telling the story. He feels great to have told such a great story in such a beautiful way. He looks up to see the listeners. He was so engrossed in the narration that he lost touch with reality. Joe had come to listen to the narration as well, and he and Jack were holding the Rox's one meter long teeths and were thrilled, amazed, shocked and absorbed by the story. Inl and the Karharion may not have liked listening to Jotun talk non-stop, but with the way and style he tells the stories he makes them feel like they are living the events. And in the one they were the protagonists themselves made them pass before their eyes.

"Really impressive story" Says Jack and has the expression of a small child who has been told a wonderful tale "But there are a few things I want to ask you about it."

"Ask me anything you want." Jotun tells him.

"Let's hope the captain comes quickly because I can't stand the giant telling stories to children" Inl says and laughs at the joke he made about Jack and Joe.

Back to Mega. The cable car arrived at its destination after ten minutes of travel. Alkatran. The prison that a certain person is in. He looks towards the Falernos to see it but it is so far away that the village can barely see it. He gets off the wagon and walks towards the entrance. Alkatran is like a huge statistical fortress. Or a castle. It's incredibly secure. And the dark look and feel that comes from it makes the convicts see their Doom.

Megas goes ahead to the entrance. After being checked again he is allowed to enter and goes inside. Together with an escort he heads towards the warden's office.

"Huh?"

"What is it, Mr. Mega?"

"I think I missed something. I guess Jotun must have recounted the battle with the dragons to the airport employees."

"What?"

"Nothing."

There was an odd conversation along the way.

After a ride through Alkaran, Megas arrived at the warden's office. The guard accompanying him knocks on the door and informs the prison warden about Mega. The warden tells them to come in, the guard opens the door and they enter the office.

"Good evening, Mr. Mega." Says the warden sitting at his desk "Please be seated. Make yourself at home."

Megas sits in a comfortable chair in front of the warden's desk.

"I am Jonathan Alkatran the third. Nice to meet you Knight of the Skies" He says and gives Mega his hand to exchange a friendly handshake. Megas responds.

"Pleased to meet you Mr. Jonathan, (another J) I'm Megas Lycaon. It is my pleasure to meet the third warden of the great Alkatran prison"

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Mega. To meet a hero like you and have the opportunity to chat with you is not something that anyone would have."

"Please, don't talk like I'm some kind of great king. I'm just another adventurer of the skies."

"You are not just another adventurer of the skies. You are a child prodigy. One-third of the prisoners in here, you put them in."

"Realy? Awesome. New record."

"Would you like to do something sir?"

"I don't drink. I'm a pilot."

"Not even a little drink?"

"Uh, today is a special day. Maybe I'll have one if my cousin's with me."

"The Airslayer of course. The Federation informed me you were coming. You have paid the necessary amount for your cousin's freedom. The only reason it hasn't been given more grace yet is because of bureaucracy. The delivery of the handwritten amnesty to me I mean."

Megas takes the amnesty letter out of his pocket and hands it to Jonathan. The warden of the prison takes it and reads it. He signs it. He takes two more papers out of his drawer and signs them. He hands one to Mega with a pencil and says.

"Sign here, please."

Mega signs it.

"And now Red Hawk is legally free. Jolson. Take Mr. Mega's cousin out of solitary confinement and turn over her belongings. Except her weapons and her flying surfboard, which will be delivered to her outside the prison."

"Yes sir" Jolson says and leaves the room.

("I would ask why all the names here start with J, but there's something more important to ask.") Megas thought. "Why is Scarlet in solitary?"

"Do you need to ask? Red Hawk is the best assassin in the world. Half the prisoners and guards want her dead and for the other half they worship her like she's their idol. Only solitary is the safest place for her. Plus, it's the only cell we can confine her to."

"I'm sure my cousin in prison caused you a lot of trouble."

"Oh no. On the contrary, it solved my problems."

"What?"

"She's not a public figure, but thanks to her, the worst incident in the history of my prison was prevented. The prisoners take full control of the prison."

"He stopped a prisoner rebellion?"

"Exactly. For this reason I have offered them all comfort as a pleasure. And you may say we have become good friends."

"A prison warden with a prisoner. Normally I should laugh because it's ridiculous but I'm glad Scarlet made a new friend while she was in that hellhole."

In another part of Alkatran.

Jolson descends into the darkest parts of the prison. The only light there is from the calves. There is no sun there. He has reached a corridor with five armored doors. Each one holding a dangerous criminal behind it. The prisoners there are either quiet and silent or they make a lot of noise.

"Get me out of here. GET ΜΕ OUT. I have to slaughter people. THERE WILL BE A CARNAGE."

Jolson kicks in the door and kills the prisoner. "Shut up you fucking psycho. You will never get out. You're going to die in there."

Jolson proceeds regardless of the rest of the prisoner's caravan to the first solitary confinement cell and goes to the last door. He unlocks it and before spring he says.

"Prisoner six six six. Your cousin Megas paid the amount needed for your release. With the amnesty delivered today to Warden Alcatran you are set free. Please behave yourself during your release."

Jolson says this and opens the door. Inside he sees a little table with a vase of flowers on it. A stove. A small drawer with books on top. And there's a bed. Something the other cells in solitary don't have. And on the bed upstairs lies a lady.

The Scarlet Airslayer. The best assassin in the world. Red Hawk. The cousin of Lycaon Mega.

She gets out of bed. She's a pretty redhead with slanted eyes. Her height is almost equal to Mega's. She is thin and...

"Where are your clothes?" Jolson asks her.

"You know it's not polite to look at a lady like that?"

Jolson leans the door and waits for Scarlet to get dressed. He tries to forget what he saw but can't. Scarlet knocks on the door and says she's dressed. The door opens and Scarlet, wearing prison clothes, steps out.

"Follow me."

"Sure."

Scarlet follows Jolson and just as they are about to go up the stairs.

"That traitorous bitch is getting out of jail and not me? The traitor! When I get out I swear I'm going to break every bone in your body and make you watch the rape of the person most beloved of yours by me!"

Scarlet stops.

"Can you give me your keys please?" Scarlet says to Jolson.

Jolson gives the branches of the cell to Scarlet. He narrows his eyes and turns away. Scarlet unlocks the door, the chest door, and rushes into the cell. For a while screams of pain and the sound of bones that break can be heard from the cell. After a while Scarlet comes out of the cell with a blood stain on her shirt.

"He's not dead. He's just medically impossible to get out of here." He says as he spots the cell and returns the branches to the guard.

Jolson then leads Scarlet to the prisoners' personal effects warehouse. They took a road that does not pass by the other prisoners' cells to avoid starting a ruckus. They just see Scarlet and roar.

After a long way they reach their destination. The killer is handed her clothes, her red sunglasses, her shoes and a bag with other things (combs, cosmetics, etc.).

"Wait a minute!" Scarlet says as she picks them up. "Where are my Babies?"

"Your Ba... Your weapons will be delivered outside the jail."

"Oh come on now! Do you know how much I've missed my Babies? It's been years since I last saw them."

"You've only been in prison for six months. Please go to the locker room and change your clothes. The guns and knives will be waiting for you outside."

Scarlet was disappointed that she didn't immediately take the possession of her favorite weapons. She takes her clothes and goes to the changing room. She takes off her prison clothes and puts on her own clothes. A bulletproof vest. A white shirt over it. A pair of black jeans. A bright red coat long enough to reach the ground. A wristwatch. Her black leather shoes. And her red fingerless gloves.

She then opens her bag and takes out her grooming tools. She cuts her hair and combs it. Her hairstyle now is all her hair short, almost curly, except for the front where she has made a big wisp. She puts on red lipstick, makeup and her red sunglasses. She looks at herself in the mirror and says.

"I'm very cool and bad ass."

She walks out and Jolson whistles as soon as he sees her.

"You're pretty awesome, madam." He says to her. "Please follow me. I will take you to the office of the warden Alkatran."

"Done. Besides, I want to see my pal one more time."

("A prisoner has friendships with the warden. It's complete bizarre.") Jolson thinks.

After that he led the Scarlet to the warden office room.

Meanwhile in the warden office.

He then led Scarlet to the manager's office room.

Megas and Warden Alkatran the Third have a conversation about the creation of Alkatran Prison. Jonathan shows Mega the portraits of his father and grandfather. The two former wardens of the Alkatran prison. All three are the same. Only their mustaches are different. The founder of Alcatran Prison, Jonathan's grandfather, his mustache has merged with his beard. Jonathan's father had a twisted mustache. While Jonathan himself has a very long mustache. The story of Alcatran Prison is boring but incredibly important. Alcatran is also the first prison established in "The Stormy Age" and the only one without an escape at this era. It's the best prison in the world and the worst criminals in the skies are imprisoned there. It is strange to be next to such a beautiful and peaceful island like Falenos. The conversation continues until there is a knock on the door.

"Who is it?" The warden asks.

"It's Jolson, and I've brought the Scarlet Airslayer." Jolson replies.

"Come in."

Jolson opens the door and walks into the office with Airslayer.

Megas and Scarlet face each other. They sit across from each other in a moment of silence. The silence is broken by Megas.

"I thought prison would change you. But you haven't changed at all. I'm sure that's also true for your character. Hawk"

"Being able to understand the other person has been irritating since you were a child. I hate it when you're right. Dragon."

These are the first things the cousins say to each other after so long. And Alcatran and Jolson listening in on this conversation. The cousins look very serious until suddenly they start laughing and hugging.

"It's nice to be with family again." They both say at the same time as they hug.

Then they break their embrace and tell each other their news for a while.

"We're here too, you know." Jonathan says.

Megas and Scarlet look at the other two people in the room.

"Oh, right." Scarlet says "Come here and let me hug you, giant."

"What? No, we can't..." Before he could finish, the prison warden was hugged by his former prisoner. "AIRSLAYER!"

"You were one of the few people who treated me like a human being and not as a killing machine. I'm gonna miss you." Scarlet says to Jonathan and he, red with shame, responds to the hug.

Jolson and Megas hold back from laughing.

"Good. Enough with the hugs" Scarlet says and pushes Jonathan away. "I think I have one last piece of separation paper to sign and you can give me my babies please."

Jonathan informs Scarlett that her weapons will be delivered to her after she gets out of prison. He hands her a piece of paper. She signs it and they begin a conversation. Jolson will wait outside the room while the three remaining men have a brief conversation as they toast to Scarlett's release. Scarlet and Jonathan's friendship was a bizarre but good friendship. The conversation turned weird when Megas heard the beginning of their friendship.

"What do you mean 'you fight'?" Megas asks dismissively.

"My family was a wrestling family before we started our family business, the prison," Jonathan says "And my grandfather started a private tournament in the prison as an entertainment. Prisoners can challenge the prison warden to a duel. Hand-to-hand combat. If they win, I perform a favor for them that will make them feel a better life in prison. It's fun. There are very few Defeats in my family. It's because we train to be strong from a very young age." He says this and Megas looks at the warden's huge arms" I had an undefeated winning record until I met Red Hawk here."

"Wow, and what did you ask?" Megas asks Scarlet.

"Nothing. I did it for fun." She replies.

Megas laughs and they continue the conversation for a while until...

"Oh, the time went fast." Megas says noticing the clock. "Scarlet we have to go, I have a meeting I want to have today with two other people I want to put on the crew. It was a very nice talk Mr. Alcatran and it was nice to meet you."

Jonathan replies: "We have to leave. I understand that. It was nice to meet you Mr. Mega."

He says and exchanges a friendly handshake with Mega. Then he kites Scartel and says them.

"May you live a free life and never be a prisoner again."

And as they exchange a friendly handshake Scarlet says to him.

"Dude. I've had my freedom since the day I turned myself in! I just didn't have the ability to go where I wanted!"

The manager laughs and says goodbye to his friend. And as he hurries out of the room, Scarlett says to him.

"I'm going to miss fighting with you. Giant." And Jolson leans the door and leads the visitor and the freedwoman out of the prison.

Jonathan sits in his office chair and remembers Scarlet's words after their first battle.

"I WON. FUCK YEAH." remembers a Scarlet with a blackened right eye and bleeding from her nose "That was a great fight. I haven't had this much fun in a fight since I was a little kid fighting with my cousin. It was stupid that you became the warden and not a champion. Let's fight again friend."

He smiles and says "And you were my only prisoner and one of the few people I know who sees me as a person who loves wrestling and not like the rest of the world thinks. A person who likes to put people in cages and have fun with it." He looks out his window and says "Were you free even in this hellhole? Then I have to start thinking about who's really imprisoned in here. The prisoners or me?" This is a question with different answers for each person. But his answer to his own question is not clear.

Jolson has led the cousins out of jail and they take the cable car. Scarlet complains that she hasn't been handed her weapons yet. Megas laughs off his cousin's 'funny' complaints. When they get to Falenos there Scarlet enjoys the cool, fresh air and finally stops complaining because they gave her weapons.

"MY BABIES! I missed you all so much!"

"Oh my gods!" These are the words that come out of Mega's mouth when he sees his cousin's exaggerated, ridiculous and disgusting reaction to her weapons. She is totally crazy about her weapons. "Scarlet I know you love your weapons but this is too much."

"Do you have any idea how much I missed them?" Yells at it him.

Scarlet's weapons are too many. Small pistols. Hundreds of bullets. Dozens of knives. Two Sawed-off Double-Barreled Shotgun, are her favorites and their bullets are explosive. Two belts with pouches. A few bombs, a crossbow with twenty arrows, smoke grenades, flash bangs and a whip. Her arsenal is enough to take on an army. And she takes her flying surfboard. After checking it out, she first rejoices that her conveyance is in order, and then holds the rope to which it is attached and pulls it to carry it by rolling it.

"I have all my babies. We can go now."

"My dear cousin. May I ask you a question?"

"Yes, of course, what is it?"

"Where did all your weapons purge? They were right in front of my eyes."

"Didn't you see me putting them in my coat and my belts?"

"How come all your weapons fit in your pockets?"

Scarlet doesn't say anything. She simply shows Mega the inside of her coat. It's full of guns, knives and bullets. You can't see the red of the coat at all.

"A second question. How is it possible that you can pick all this up?"

"I don't know. Have I been working out a lot?"

"Huh?"

"What difference does it make? See ya, boys!" Scarlet waves to the cable car guards.

This was Scarlet's final farewell to anything to do with Alkatran Prison.

After that the cousins side by side crossed the Falenos and went to the airport. On the way there were some people who recognized Scarlet and were startled. They were picking up their close ones and changing direction. Scarlet could only laugh at their fear. Her life as a Red Hawk would haunt her for a long time.

It was so refreshing to be out of jail that it made her want to walk around the village. Megas at first decided to do her a favor but the village of Falenos turned out to be bigger and with more hidden beauties than it seemed. So he forced her to move faster to the airport.

With a quick walk they manage to reach the airport.

There Megas sees his crew partying with the airport employees. All of them round a table with alcoholic beverages in their hands and a large buffet of meats in the center.

"I see we're having a party." Megas says to the group.

They all turn around and the three crew members simultaneously say "Captain Mega!"

"Where are your manners in front of a lady and our new crew member?"

Megas says and points to Scarlet "Yo" she says to them. Karcharion is the first to sweep and clean up to go welcome Scarlet. Inl and Jotun then follow his lead.

"Nice to meet you, my lady. I am Redsea Karcharion. Former warrior of the army of Atlantis. I have been a member of the crew of the cousin Mega for five months now. I welcome you to Queen Drakena's crew and hope we have an excellent working relationship as comrades."

They exchange a friendly handshake.

"Pleased to meet you Karcharion. I am Scarlet Airslayer aka the infamous best assassin in the world 'Red Hawk'. I am joining the crew that Dragon here and I have dreamed of making since we were young. I will take on the role of the crew's first mate."

"I'm Jotun. Proud warrior of the giants. Loyal to my friend Mega till death. I hope we have excellent cooperation in our future battles."

"I'm Inl, ma'am. I'm a Flyer and the crew's cook and medic. Nice to meet you, my lady!"

It was a joyful meeting. Jack and Joe were on high alert when they realized they were looking at the legendary killer Red Hawk.

Scarlet looks at the table and mimes the smell of food.

"I smell something delicious. What have you prepared, my dear cook?"

"Char-grilled sharkwolf slathered with scorpion honey sauce and fine spices from the East" Inl answers her question and his answer makes her lick her lips.

"Wolf shark with scorpion honey? Yum yum." Scarlet says sweetly.

"We're rushing to eat." Megas says and after Scarlet drops off her stuff in front of the plane's entrance she and her cousin run to get set up at the buffet.

"Delicious. It's so delicious." Scarlet says as she has teared up at the deliciousness of the food. "I may have eaten well in prison unlike the others in there but this is on another level" She says and stuffs her mouth with the roast.

Scarlet had introduced herself to Jack and Joe when she joined the buffet but these two are afraid of her.

"Okay now what's going on?" He asks the two airport officials "You have moved as far away from me as you can as discreetly as possible and you have the face of a hostage who is scared but pretending to be brave. Are you two chickens afraid of becoming the next prey of the big bad Red Hawk?"

Inle and Jotun laugh while the two `chickens' turn red from embarrassment. Jack gets up from his chair, looks at the killer and says.

"It's not easy, you know, for a normal person to sit next to a professional assassin. Specifically, the best in the sky and ocean."

"I know, but I'm the cousin of the hero here." shows Mega "and I have no absolute reason to make you my targets. All this time I've been sitting next to you and I don't think you've noticed anything evil from me. I don't see any good reason for you to worry. "

"You have murdered thousands of innocent people and you expect people to accept you?"

Scarlet gets up from her chair and Jack and Joe, upon seeing her get up, take a timid step backwards. Joe, who was sitting down, took the step with his chair. Scarlet takes off her sunglasses and says to them.

"I don't expect people to accept me because they never have. Almost everyone in the world didn't accept me even before I became a murderer just because I was different I have origins from the Closed Country and everyone sees me as a parasite among them. And I don't care what people say about me because I've learned not to care one bit about the stupid world. I have people who care about me as much as I care about them. Their love is enough for me to survive in this sky dangerous world."

Jack doesn't know what to say after what he heard. He's ready to talk but...

"And with the possibility that I'm a killer, does it ever occur to you that maybe I didn't want to be one and I was forced to be one because I had no choice?"

"What?" Jack and Joe say startled at the same time.

"What? You think all the hired killers in the world do it because they want to? In a world where slavery exists wouldn't it be possible to have slave killers?"

"What...what are you saying?" Jack asked her awkwardly.

"My only family was my parents, my uncles and their children, my cousins. I had six people to love me in this world. And at some point I found out that I had lost them all and I was on my own."

The two airport employees listen to the story intently. The three crew members of Queen Drakenas are also absorbed in her story but their faces are sad because they know the rest of the story from their captain. This one, is the saddest of them all.

"When I was young and I was on a voyage with my parents as crew members of a merchant ship our ship was attacked by pirates. They killed almost the entire crew. My parents disappeared before my eyes. I and the other survivors were sold as merchandise. Slaves. My buyer was Edward Barbarossa. Known as the professional assassin and underworld mercenary Black Dragon King. The Chief of the criminal organization Black Dragons. He collected orphans from all over the world and trained them from infancy to become his little army of assassins. I was his masterpiece. I managed to become the only assassin his equal in everything. The only reason I earned the title of best assassin is because he sends his creations to his place. He made me what you know I am."

"My gods. This is horrible. He made you into something you didn't want to be. Your story is so tragic I refuse to believe it's true."

"That's the dark side of the world. Similar incidents have been happening since ancient times. It's nothing new. I may have become something I didn't want to be, but at the same time I became something I wanted to be."

"What?"

"From a young age I wanted power. Power to protect my loved ones and fight for what is right. The first I never had the chance to do but I managed the second."

"What the fuck? Are you trying to justify your murders now?"

"A corrupt judge who tried innocent people in the name of justice while doing it all for money. An aristocratic rapist that no one knew he was until I put a bullet in his head. A king who became a tyrant and saw his subjects as tools to nearly annihilate his own kingdom through his greed. Of course, I have killed people who did not deserve to die, I regret murders I have committed and will not justify my sins. I admit it and they are unforgivable. But there are times when I'm glad I pulled the trigger. May I kill innocent people, but I also I kill monsters!"

Jack and Joe were completely unprepared for this. The newspapers had been calling the young woman they had before them nothing but a cold-blooded criminal. Who is certainly but at the same time is a victim and an anti-hero.

"I'm sure you're thinking about how I should be viewed now that you know me better or whether I'm telling the truth or lying. I don't care if you believe me or not. I am simply telling you my true story that I have no proof to say is true."

"So simple bring out what you have in you." Jotun says and gets her attention.

"What?"

"Now you're revealing the dark depths of your soul to us. I can tell by your angry voice and the tear in your left eye." He tells her and she wipes the tear away. "I think if you finish the story you will feel better."

A small smile appears on Scarlet's face and she continues to say.

"Well... not finishing a story isn't nice, whenever I continue." She takes a deep breath. "When I killed the tyrant king I had gained the title of best. Everyone was afraid of me. Even my teacher. He saw me as a threat and a golden investment at the same time. He was afraid I would turn against him or remain loyal. He decided to cajole me in a good way. Or rather, I relied on luck. He set me free. And I was happy to believe that my horrible life was over and I was finally going home. I returned home. I wandered for a long time until I reached my destination. And when I finally arrived at the village where I was born and raised I was waiting to find my aunt being my uncle and my cousins there. What I saw was despair."

She bats her eyes for a moment and she and Megas are incredibly sad now.

"My village was half of my memories. The inn and my uncles' field of olive trees no longer existed. I only saw their graves. I learned from the locals that around the same time I lost everything. My cousin Megas also lost everything. Pirates looted the village. They burned the inn and killed my uncles. They kidnapped Mega's little sister to sell her as a slave. And he, after burying his parents, left the village to find her and bring her back. She never came back."

"It's been nine damn years since then. Nine and I don't even know if she's still alive." Megas says sadly and with a look of a combination of sadness and hatred.

"I'm really very sorry. Your lives, both of you, are very tragic. It hurt my heart." Jack says, and silence and depression prevail for a moment.

"What happened next?" Joe asks.

"After? Then I went back to my boss like a loyal dog. I went back to the only life I had left. Edward acquired an unstoppable killing machine. It was the biggest mistake of my life. I regret it and I will continue to regret it in the afterlife. So many people. If only I hadn't pulled the trigger." She covers her face with her hands to hide the despair from her eyes. Images of memories she wants to forget flash before her eyes. When she puts her hands together a smile appears on her face. "Well my whole life hasn't been shit. The gods or the spirits of my parents took pity on me and sent me a miracle. Completely by chance that I met Mega. At first we didn't understand each other. But when we realized that we were both looking at the fact that we were being separated from the closest thing we have to something we could call family we were cried like there was no tomorrow. It was the most touching moment of my life. Then Megas offered me to join his crew. Which was our dream to build one and travel the world since we were kids. I refused and explained my damned position to him. And he immediately did everything to help me. He devised a plan to secure my freedom. I betrayed Black Dragon to the Federation and allied myself with them to destroy him. After making sure all the killers were caught or killed and with fucking Edward dead, I turned myself in to the authorities and was tried fairly. So, I was imprisoned in Alkatran and waited for Megas to pay my amnesty. Tell me, my dear cousin. How much did it cost to free me? "

"One and a half million drachmas."

"Same price as my last bounty. And so I spent six months in Alkatran waiting for Mega to raise a million and a half to fill my release. Those six months in Alkatran were the best six months I've had here in the last nine years of my life. And now I will live a free life."

Jotun was impressed by the wonderful telling of Scarlet's story and began to applaud. Inl told her that he would help her in her free life. Karcharion smiled and took a drink. Megas was happy with the outcome of the story and the two airport employees had multiple emotions. They had pitied Scarlet and Mega for their tragic past. Happy for their current happiness. And they felt guilty. Guilt for the stupid hatred they had for Scaret. Just because he was a murderer and an outlaw they hated a unknown for them woman. And this woman had never done them or anyone else they knew any harm. Joe gets up from his chair to apologize to Scarlet. But at the same moment Jack did, and their words got mixed up. Joe prioritizes Jack and he apologizes to Scarlet.

"I am very sorry for your tragic past. And I'm sorry for my behavior and for what I said."

"It doesn't matter, you didn't say anything wrong. In some things you were right about me. I just didn't like your dislike of me without having done anything to you."

"I'm sorry about that. Please accept my apologies."

"I apologize too." Joe says. "You are a stranger to us and we only saw you as a threat. As the villain the newspapers portrayed."

"I was the villain. But just because I was that doesn't mean I'm evil."

"Nice one Hawk." Megas says.

"Thanks. Dragon" Scarlet says.

"I'm surprised you told your life story in front of people you don't know."

"Must be his third time I've done it after you and the giant warden. And I'm also surprised. You've made friends with people you don't like."

After what Scarlett said, everyone looked at her strangely.

"Huh; What do you mean?" Megas ask her, looking at her confused.

"Your two buddies here are people who judge before they investigate. You're not a man who would hang out with fools. No offense. These two are guys who judge someone without knowing him. That's not the kind of person you make friends with."

They are all confused and the two airport employees don't know if they should be offended right now. Megas thinks about it for a moment and, surprised, asks his cousin.

"Wait a minute. Just because these two are sitting and eating with us you think they are good friends of mine?"

"Yes, they are not? I mean you wouldn't put a stranger at your table."

As soon as they realize what Scarlet said the crew of Queen Drakena start laughing while the other three who are with them they don't understand what's going on.

"Tell me why you guys are laughing so I can laugh too." Scarlet says.

"Miss Scarlett." Jotun says to her: "Unlike your xenophobic race, the other races are more... open. You see it is a custom in my tribe and the Atlanteans when after a hunt the meat of the prey provides a very large portion of food for the hunter and or those he intends to feed, his family usually, then we invite others to our dinner. Neighbors, friends and even the stranger passing by. We don't save it all for later or throw it in the trash."

Jotun wants to continue but Scarlet stops him.

"Wait a minute! Are you saying you allowed strangers to sit and eat with you guys?"

"Yes miss Scarlet we did" Karcharion tells her. "It's a shame to let food go to waste. And eating and drinking with others is a way to get closer to other people. Like you and the two gentlemen over here now. And I don't remember either of us saying that we and the two of them we are friends. Although we probably are after today."

Scarlet puts her sunglasses on the table and while blushing with shame looks at Mega and says.

"My dear cousin Mega. Tell me. Ι have been telling two complete strangers to us the dark story of my life?"

Megas looks at her with a very serious look and says "Yes Scarlet my cousin. You just revealed your feelings to two strangers" he starts laughing out loud and Scarlet attacks him.

"You... You damn ridiculous idiot. You're supposed to be a gentleman! Where are your manners? You just allowed the world's scariest killer to look like an emotional little girl in front of two ordinary people!"

"Ha ha ha ha. Please Scarlet. Stop hitting me. I'm sorry I forgot to let you know. But you were saying it so beautifully and emotionally. Ha. Now that we know Jack and Mr. Joe so well, we can be their friends."

"MEGA! I' M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

The Geldeman Megas continues to laugh while his cousin slaps him furiously. The crew laughs with their captain and their first mate. While the two, new, friends of crew watching the situation don't know how to react. Jack wants to take the initiative to say or do something but at that moment another distant voice is heard. He was the postman and came to deliver today's newspaper to the two airport officials. Jack left the group and went out of the hangar to find the postman who was shouting for them to get out of there.

While Jack was away, Scarlet stopped ringing Mega. The mood had calmed down and everyone was finishing the food that was left on their plates.

No one was talking. Especially Scarlet, who was in a bad mood. Megas doesn't know what to say to start a conversation and break the prevailing silence.

But the one who breaks it is Jack.

Jack comes running, shouting and holding the newspaper in his hands. Everyone wonders what's going on and he yells like this. It has something to do with the cover story in today's newspaper.

Jack quickly reaches the group and forcefully places the newspaper on the table. So hard that the cutlery and some plates bounce lightly.

"BIG NEWS!" Jack shouts. "The story you told us before is now front page news."

"Come again?" Scarlet asks. "When did you sell my story to the papers? I just told it to you now."

"I wasn't talking to you, Mrs. Scarlet. About the Rox Dragons spell that Jotun told us about."

"Rox what?" Scarlet asks with great curiosity as she is completely unaware of this fact.

"Oh. That's one of the things I didn't tell you that happened to me." Megas says to his cousin. "A month ago me and my crew fought three Rox Dragons."

As soon as Megas says this the Assassin is stunned as everyone else reads the paper. Scarlet sneaks into the group of readers to see what the paper says.

[Legendary news! A new Legend of the Skies is born! Megas 'Lycaon' and his mighty crew have made three huge dragons fear them! A new chapter in history is written!]

Red Hawk is impressed and excited. The crew of Queen Dakenas is very happy that this story has finally been published worldwide.

The two airport employees enthusiastically read the newspaper.

"A month ago? How is it possible that something so important and big happened and the whole world didn't know about it?" Scarlet asks, trying to understand how it's possible that she didn't know something so big.

"It's the journalists' fault." Says Karharion "Our victory was seen as a simple ordinary dragon hunt rather than a hand-to-hand battle between humans and dragons with the outcome of the battle being something that has never happened before in history. The births, baptisms, engagements and marriages of the Royals and Kings families from many kingdoms from the United Kingdoms were also to blame. They took place at the same time as our battle and the whole world had its eyes on the Kings and Queens of the world."

"Seriously!" Scarlet says angrily. "A battle the likes of which the skies have never seen is surely more important than the family matters of stupid royal families."

"Miss Scarlet." Karharion says to her. "The way you talk about the rulers of the world is quite disrespectful."

"I don't care."

"By the way Captain you must be incredibly happy and excited. The newspapers say you've become a Legend of the Skies. This was expected but still it is a thrilling fact. You just gained eternal fame and became a well-known figure in every corner of the world. Congratulations Captain."

"Now your name will be written in the history books. Congretulations Mega!" Jotun says to his capten.

"Well done, Captain!" Inle says out loud "You're a living legend now!"

Megas holding his enthusiasm says smiling to his crew "Thanks guys. I've never been interested in becoming a Legend of the Skies but this is pretty awesome!"

"Surely our parents in the afterlife will be proud of their children. We the two cousins we are Legends now."

Scarlet says proudly.

"I forget you're a Legend of the Skies too because you're a criminal Killer." The Dragonborn says to Red Hawk.

"When you do something that no one else in the world or in history has done, it's enough to make you a legend. Whether it's something small or something big. Pandos what really happened in the battle you fought? The newspaper doesn't tell the whole story."

Megas Karcharion and Inl look at Scarlet with an 'oh no' look. Jotun stands up and says.

"So you want to hear about a legendary battle that went down in history?"

After some time.

Scarlet is enthralled by Jotun's account of the battle. The others liked it too, but when you've heard the same story over and over again it starts to get boring. Jack and Joe were lucky because their duty called them and they left at the beginning.

"Great story! But there's only one thing I don't understand." Scarlet says to Jotun. "Why would the Rox Dragons attack you? Everyone knows they are very peaceful and don't attack others if you attack them or someone else their kind. What did you do?"

Jotun opens his mouth and is about to tell another story but Inl stops him by slapping the giant's mouth with his wing.

"Shut up! There are limits to how much we can listen to you talk non-stop Jotun. Your narrative is good, but there is a limit to how many times we can listen to the same one. Miss first-mate. The answer is on the second page of the newspaper."

Scarlet looks at the newspaper. She had only read the first page and then listened to the story from Jotun. She picks up the newspaper and turns the page. She reads the second page.

[Rox Dragons are not a type of dragon that attacks humans without them having done something to them first. At first it was a perfect senseless attack. But it turned out it wasn't irrational. Megas and his crew encountered a crew of dragon hunters on the next island they landed on after the battle. It turned out that they had kidnapped the dragons' children and intended to sell them. They did so without considering the wrath of their parents. Megas was outraged by their greed. He gathered information and discovered that this crew were underworld smugglers. With this discovery the rage was unleashed on them. The criminals were brought to justice and Megas and his crew returned the baby dragons to their parents. The dragons took their children and fled to Draconia on Dragon Island. Thus, the hero Megas prevented three dangerous powerful dragons from becoming a future threat to the inhabitants of the sky and the ocean.]

After she finishes reading she asks. "So you just took the babies and returned them to their parents?"

"Yes" Jotun answers Scarlet's question "And I'm going to miss One Two Three Four and Five a lot. They were so cute."

"Wait, did you name the Dragon babies?"

"Yes. The children of Miss Power, Miss Life and Mr. Fearless they were awesome!"

"Jotun fie me!" says Inl "Naming the beasts is bizarre."

"Wait a minute!" Scarlet says to her cousin " Are you telling me you became a legend because some idiots kidnapped dragon babies?"

Megas simply tells her "Yes."

Scarlet ponders for a moment and then laughs out loud.

"Mega you're a lucky man." She laughs at him, "You became a legend because you happened to be in the path of some angry parents."

Megas and the others laugh a little too at Scarlet's joke.

"You're absolutely right!" Inl says "I didn't even notice."

"It was like it was fated to happen." Jotun says to Mega "It's like the gods have blessed you and are blowing the winds of all the skies upon you to sail you to glory."

"Since you said sail, I think we've been sitting here long enough." Megas says as he gets up from his chair "Time to pack up and go. I have another meeting for today that I want to do."

"It's about the other crew member you want to recruit right?" Scarlet asks them "You didn't tell me. Who's the candidate?"

"He's a Legend of Skies like you and me." Megas tells her "And he's not alone. He has a stepdaughter I want to recruit as well."

"A father and a daughter. Interesting combination but you didn't tell me who this dad is?"

"He's known to the world as the Iron Pirate or the War Machine."

"Oh, you mean Erik Metal? The first Mechaman and last surviving World War II veteran? Sounds interesting."

"That's very cool of you. I didn't see that coming."

"You expected me to be upset. Why?"

They both look at each other curiously.

"Oh, right." Megas says "You're the best assassin in the world. It's normal for you."

"WHAT?" comes from behind them. Megas turns back and sees Jack and Joe who have returned from their work.

"But for them it's not."

"Mr. Mega." Jack says, upset, "Did I hear right? You want Erik Metal on your crew?"

"Yes I do."

"Well. You've already put the Red Hawk killer on your crew. That's why I'll accept the decision and trust you. But this is a former Voltronian soldier and pirate we're talking about. He was known as a monster machine during the war years. Are you sure it's wise to travel to the skies with it?"

"Is not it Mr. Jack, it's him." Megas says to Jack. "Just because he's half man and half machine and was once a terrible villain doesn't mean that in all his years of life he hasn't become a better man. It must be over a hundred years old now. And he certainly changed since she's raising a daughter."

The two airport employees think about Mega's words for a moment and Joe says.

"Whether he sails the skies with you is his choice and I don't know if he'll accept your offer. But an admit then assure him that we will not have the return of the War Machine."

"Don't worry. I don't intend to unleash a monster on the world. I just want his help."

Joe and Jack look at him intently and ask him a question they hadn't asked him.

"I'm sorry Mr. Mega, not to be nosy but... What is your goal in gathering a crew of such dangerous people?"

Megas takes a few steps towards them and says.

"Causing a storm of course."

Joe and Jack don't understand what he means and look at him, puzzled.

"Anyway. Can you please help us pack up our stuff and take off?"

Queen Drakena's crew and the two Falenos airport officials pick up the plates, the cutlery, the table and the chairs. They carry everything into the aircraft, make sure the runway is clear and prepare for takeoff. Joe from the control tower and Jack is on the airstrip in his role as flagman. Megas and his entire crew have gotten into their aircraft, have dialed the door and turned on the engine. Inl offers to show Scaret around the aircraft and she happily agrees, but first she wants to see the take-off from the cockpit. She, Inl and Karcharion go to the cockpit all together. Except for Jotun because he's too big to fit in there so he stays in the cargo section. Jotun lies down in a corner of the cargo bay and waits for the aircraft to take to the skies.

The cockpit impressed and confused Scarlett. The cockpit of the D-Jet is very complicated. It has four seats, two in front near the buttons and remotes, the pilot and co-pilot seat and two behind them for alternates. Like any cockpit for long distance travel. And from there it's chaos. Buttons, levers, switches, lights, their locations and population. It's as if someone put a second cockpit on top of the cockpit. To pilot something like this a pilot doesn't have to be an ordinary pilot, he has to be a REAL talent. The observability is good from the windows, but they are a bit curved.

The three visitors sit in the chairs and watch the pilot and captain of the aircraft preparing it for take-off. Even with the basics they know about piloting, they don't understand anything Megas is doing. He aging levers, tilting and flipping switches in a flick of the wrist, the way the cockpit of D-Jet 13 works is the same as the way young children imagine it.

Megas gets clearance for takeoff from Jack and following Joe's instructions he exits the hangar and takes position on the runway.

The propeller moves, the turbines are engaged and Megas prepares for takeoff. Jack gives the signal and Queen Drakena runs down the runway at high speed. The speed of the aircraft is increasing by the second. She crosses the runway and is in a vacuum. For a few seconds the aircraft descends instead of ascending.

Megas puts the speed on top and the aircraft flies high into the sky.

"Farewell, Queen Drakena." Jack says over the radio, "Have a safe journey to Whale Heaven."

"It was a pleasure to meet you Falenos." Megas responds "Let's meet again my friends." He says and sails off into the skies.

So Queen Drakena sets sail from the flying island of Falenos and flies into the sky.

"So cousin, what is our destination?" the first mate asks the captain.

"We are heading to Smokescreen Island. The two candidates for the crew luckily live in the same sky as the prison you were sneaking into. So our journey will not be long."

"I did not know that the Iron Pirate had retired to this sky."

"I will not understand why you sky people call your countries skies." Karharion says to them.

"If you want the answer then go ask the ancient kings who cut down the sky into many littel skies." Inl replays.

Karcharion looks at it and says "Okay. I'll ask them. When I meet them in the underworld."

A funny conversation takes place in the cockpit of Queen Drakena. Once it's over, Inl gives Scarlet a tour of the aircraft while Karcharion leaves to go change his clothes. While Megas stays in the cockpit alone and pilots his aircraft high up in Whale Heaven with the intention of flying them across this entire sky sea. Jotun is still sitting in the corner where he used to sit and is reading a book. Karcharion wore a red sleeveless chiton and joined the reading along with Jotun.

Scarlet was impressed by the aircraft. The weapon system, the capacity and the design were all perfect. Unlike the cockpit. This aircraft is technologically incredibly advanced. It's almost future-proof. It's a huge multi-tool. A simple look from the outside and inside is not enough to see the whole thing. Half of what he heard about this aircraft came from Inl.

Inside it has the perfect order in storage. When you get into the cargo section, it's big, but not as big as it should be on a plane this big. This is due to the large weapons system on the aircraft and the multiple storage compartments.

A food locker, a freezer, a medical supply locker, a stylish weapons locker that Scarlet liked a lot, a room with clothes lockers along with a changing room, a spare parts locker for the aircraft, an extra locker for miscellaneous items, a library and a toilet.

The weapons on board are a large armory. Four large machine guns. Two are on the wings and controlled by the cockpit and the other two are manual and are located on the right and left side of the cargo section. Napalm bomb launcher. Rocket launcher under the cockpit. Various other concealed weapons and the ace ram of the aircraft. A mega canon.

This aircraft has almost everything. It's so good that it made Scarlet fall in love with it.

Scarlet admitted her cousin. He had an incredible and wondrous aircraft. She was sure that Megas loved his plane very much.

Indeed. Megas loved his aircraft but what he loved most about it was not the aircraft itself, but the view it offered. He could see the skies as no ordinary islander could. He could see the islands where people lived from above in a spectacular view. He could see the whole of the magnificent blue Panthalassa and the brilliant sun reflecting its rays of sunshine upon it. She flew among the clouds that are higher than the islands in the sky. It is a view of breathtaking beauty.

And it's not just the natural landscapes that are beautiful, but also the creatures that live there.

There are dozens of species that fly in the sky. Migratory flocks from the east and west, giant birds from the north and many small ones from the south. And it's not just the sky that's full of life. In Panthalassa, the dolphins leaping between the waves are in their thousands and can be seen clearly. The sea behind them whitens with the foam they leave behind. And it's not just the dolphins that surface. But the whales too. The giants of the blue ocean. They surface and jets of water shoot out of their bladders. Just the gorgeous beauty of nature.

This is what Megas loves incredibly. This world. This heavenly beautiful world.

Flying in the skies and crossing them is the best. Flying high. Through the clouds. Away from the industries of men. It gives him peace. It's what he loves in the sky. And most of all, to conquer storms.

"Attention passengers, this is the captain speaking," Megas says over the radio, and it can be heard throughout the aircraft over the speakers. "A storm has suddenly appeared in our path. We're going to pass through it to collect lightning. Please take the necessary measures!"

"Wait a minute, he's going to collect thunderbolts now?" Says Scarlet excitedly "Great! I've never seen lightning fishing before. I'm going to see it from the front seat."

Scarlet goes to the cockpit to see thunder and lightning fishing for the first time in her life. While Jotun, Inl and Karcharion sit in seats located in the cargo section and fasten their seatbelts securely.

Scarlet as she arrives at the pilot house tells Mega.

"Listen well, dragon, I want to... Whoa! What is that!?"

What Scarlet saw before her was something incredible and terrifying. It is a giant storm cloud with its lightning bolts thundering loudly. It was unbelievably huge. It was like... It was a colossal wall of black clouds. Queen Drakena in front of it was a mouse against a dragon.

"What in the name of the highest gods of the skies Mega? You said he just showed up. Something that big can't have appeared so quickly. What is it? Is it really a storm?"

"This hawk is called Tsunami Storm. It is indeed insanely huge but as strange as it may seem this storm track appears out of nowhere in a matter of seconds. It's really scary."

A loud rumble of thunder is heard.

"YOU WANT TO GO THROUGH THIS, ARE YOU CRAZY?" Scarlet is screaming in terror. "How can you be so cool!?"

"Calm down, hawk." Megas replies to his prickly and frightened cousin. "Sit down and fasten your seatbelt tight we're going to have turbulence. And don't get worried. It's all under control."

Scarlet sits in the co-pilot's seat, straps herself in very securely, takes off her sunglasses and stares anxiously at the pilot.

"Don't look at me like that." Megas responds to her "We are in no danger with Queen Drakena. This beast was made to survive all the threats of the skies."

"Even against that?"

"Yes! We'll go through it and collect lightning for electricity."

Scarlet looks at the storm. She's not afraid of storms, but this is scary enough to terrify even the most intrepid aviator. She looks at her cousin. She sees no fear in his eyes. He has only courage and enthusiasm. She doesn't know if her cousin is too brave or if he's crazy. Or both.

She rolls her eyes, takes a deep breath, opens her eyes and decides to trust her captain.

She is about to speak but is distracted by a flashing light. That light and all the switches around it definitely weren't there before.

"Mega where did these come from?" He asks.

"It's the remote control for the lightning fishing system." He answers her "They're in grain under the aircraft remote control. I have two more for the aircraft's ejection systems."

As he says this he flips some switches in the lightning fishing control system.

"I'll clear it up now, Mega." Scarlaet confidently "Your aircraft is awesome! Your cockpit is Weird! How can you possibly operate this maze? And how does the aircraft's lightning collector work?"

Megas continues to make some adjustments with the lightning collector control system and answers his cousin's questions.

"I learned to pilot it by hard fingering and learning. And me and Jotun and Inl built it. It would be ridiculous if I couldn't fly the very aircraft I built." He looks at the storm from the top to the bottom and hears the extremely loud lightning. "As for the control system... It's very hard to explain to you right now because we're approaching the Tsunami. So I'll tell you the basics." He makes a final adjustment and says "On the upper side of the aircraft three lightning rods have appeared which are fishing for lightning. While a chain pointer has appeared on the underside of the aircraft and is attached to the two rear wing tips. The lightning rods and the pointer are connected to each other through a network inside the walls of the aircraft. They all pick up lightning but all the electricity is trapped in the forefinger. Then... Then I'll tell you later."

Megas stops explaining the operation of his aircraft and concentrates on navigating the aircraft. He picks up the radio and says to his crew.

"Attention crew. We will soon enter into the storm. I hope you have moored well and have done your prayers."

He hangs up the radio.

"We don't say that because they stress the crew!" Scarlett says, angry at her cousin's irony and out of fear.

Their situation looks like a squirrel has willingly jumped into the open mouth of a bear. And at this moment the squirrel got into her mouth and swallowed him.

Queen Drakena flies into the storm.

The shaking caused by the pressure exerted on the aircraft by the storm is so great that it makes the passengers feel like they are in a huge earthquake.

It's impressive how the aircraft is holding up. A normal plane would have already fallen apart.

Lightning and thunder strike the lightning rods and the net.

The heat is at an all-time high.

Megas is holding the aircraft's steering wheel with both hands. He clenches his teeth while trying to keep a straight course. Scarlet and the rest of the crew are holding on to their positions with all their might to keep from being thrown into the air and start banging into the walls of the aircraft.

Megas tenses up his whole body. He's in a very difficult situation. Although he's flown in a storm before, this is the most difficult he's ever been in. He can feel the difficulty and the stress in his current situation. But what's quelling his anxiety right now is a sense of enjoyment. Strange as it may seem. Megas is very happy right now. He's smiling. He loves the adrenaline rush that this battle with the trickery gives him. What he sees is not an obstacle or a difficulty, but a challenge that he has accepted and intends to overcome.

"Is he smiling?" Scarlet wondered mentally "Maybe since we were apart something happened to him and he went crazy and no one told me? No, I'm thinking stupid thoughts. He's loved being reckless since he was a little kid."

A professional killer like Scarlet is scared at a time like this. It's only natural. After all, the sound of lightning and thunder striking an aircraft is like being cut in half. It's really a terrifying experience.

And the experience became even more frightening when he saw a shadow in the storm.

"What was that?"

And again.

She's sure she saw something.

"What's happening? Am I hallucinating? It wouldn't be strange because it happens often in the sky under peculiar circumstances. I've experienced something like this furiously before."

The Shadow appears and disappears.

"No something must be there. We are not alone in this storm."

Scarlet thinks as she can't figure out what can fly through a storm and be expensive in front of them. She is about to ask the Mega's but their eyes spot the strange shadow. It is expensive in front of them. It looks like Queen Drakena is following something. Or Megas is piloting in such a way that he's following the shadow on purpose. Something's not right.

Scarlet is looking at the shadow with great care. She's watching it. She tries to understand it. Her eyes begin to adjust. She begins to see the shadow more clearly. It has a shape... Χ;

A thunderbolt strikes. It doesn't hit the net or the lightning rods. It strikes the Shadow. And the shadow is no longer a shadow. It glows. It shines like the powerful light of the summer sun. Scarlet saw what the mysterious shadow was. Or almost saw. The glow lasted only for a moment. But what she saw was clearly a winged being. It had Four Big Wings. And a Peacock Tail.

Scarlet narrows her eyes in fear of this mysterious being.

"What the hell was that? Was that the angel of death? We're dead and we don't know it? I'm confused! Was it a dragon? Some dragons can fly in the storms. MEGA what was that!?"

No denial.

Scarlet thought all this time he was talking out loud. When in fact she was actually thinking this.

"Calm down girl, calm down." She says to herself "You're the best killer in the world. You've eviscerated a lot of people. You can't be afraid of that. I'm going to count to five and open my eyes." The plane shakes more "Five... Four... Three... Two..." The shaking stopped "One!"

Scarlet opens her eyes and sees a clear sky.

"Okay, guys." Megas says over the radio "We're out of the storm. Please check for damage."

The three men who were in the cargo section get up from their positions and check if there is any internal damage or if the things in the warehouses are okay. Except for Jotun because he only fits in the cargo section.

"Hey, Mega." Scarlet asks her cousin captain in surprise "Did you see that too?"

"See what?"

"That shiny thing with wings that was ahead of us in the storm."

"You saw it too?"

"You saw it! So I didn't see an illusion. That thing looked like it was the Angel of Death."

"It is impossible that it was Death itself. And its appearance doesn't match any myth from any religion on the planet."

"What was that?"

"I don't know Hawk. It was probably a dragon."

Scarlet agreed with Mega and tried to figure out what it was. It was such a strange combination of members of this being that it was difficult to understand. It was definitely a cross between a Dragon and a Bird. But what was it exactly? What puzzles Scarlet most is her Cousin's composure. Unlike the one she knew as a child, he is certainly very different. But that composure is something else.

And that look he has.

"My idea is she has that look of relief that she gets when she lies without lying?" Thinks Scarlet "He knows something and he's keeping it for a surprise."

Scarlet trusts her cousin with all her soul, but that doesn't mean she won't be suspicious for him. Scarlet then asked Mega to continue his explanation of how the lightning collector works. Mega's explanation was very simple. All the electricity is collected in the net and then with a command given by Mega with the remote control the electricity is transmitted to the ship's battery and the leftover electricity goes to the pure electricity storage.

It's quite interesting the way the aircraft works. But even more interesting for Scarlet is what the mysterious shadow was. So she decides to use the aircraft's library.

Megas is piloting the aircraft, Scarlet is reading zoology, ornithology and dragology, Jotun, Karcharion and Inl are sitting in the cargo section and checking with mirrors if there is a view on the outside of the ship. Each of the crew is in a different place and doing their own thing.

That's how the rest of the day goes.

Until in the afternoon of the day Megas says on the radio and it's heard throughout the entire aircraft...

"Attention crew of Queen Drakenas we have arrived at our destination. Welcome to Airfire Island. The famous island of pilot racing."