Chapter 43 - Alistein's Invasion

Alistein felt his stomach churn upon seeing the massive, flaming form of the Infernal Tarrasque thundering after Malileah rushed towards them on the Ember-Crowned Mountain peak. 'Didn't…didn't I tell her to bring a weak Alpha Class Dragon? This is too much…'

Blaze only needed one look at the dragon of abomination to react. "Alistein! You don't have to do this! The civilians will die if that dragon reaches the faction!" She started towards him, but the Emperor held her back with a firm hand on her shoulder.

Emperor Azaron didn't seem to bat an eye at the potential source of destruction, but kept his gaze trained on Alistein. "Son, why do you do this?" Alistein was his son, he knew him, he watched him grow. When Alistein was still a young child, he, surprisingly, had enough of an understanding of the responsibility his father carried in the faction to self-enroll into the Dragon-slaying academy in order to be able to be of help to his Emperor father.

Of course, the Emperor was aware, but…

"Are you…still jealous of Winter and Blake?" the Emperor quietly added.

Blaze turned her head, squinting her eyes in confusion once more.

Although Azaron never intentionally impose unnecessary pressure on his only son, he knew of the jealousy he had of Winter and Blake from the Ember Tribe. It was quite ironic, that the very same tribe who opposed his rule as the Emperor the most, were the ones who understood best Azaron's true vision for the future of their faction. But Azaron was too slow to realize how painful it was deep inside not to be recognized by one's own father. Alistein had sacrificed everything to make him proud, but Azaron was too engrossed with Winter and Blake, who unexpectedly brought themselves into the picture with their talents.

"Nonsense!" Alistein exclaimed in indignity. "I've never!" Even if he were truly envious at the time, he knew he had no reason to hate the Ember Tribe duo. They were the ones who treated him as their little brother and supported him in all ways to be the person he was expected to be by everyone. If there were to be something for him to envy, it would be because of Alexandria, the person he cherished the most, had feelings for Blake Estereon. Even if that was the case, he couldn't bring himself to fully hate them.

He scoffed and looked away. "You don't understand, Father. My revenge is not for Winter and Blake, but for the Ember Tribe and the godforsaken Council," he scorned. His fists tighten at his sides, shaking in anger as he admitted his hate. "You don't know how I feared that man, Batarak. That man, he permanently embedded fear into me. He is so strong, that even I…even I" – Alistein looked down at his trembling hands, his expression almost pathetic – "even I, with my dragon power, am not certain I can beat him."

"How dare they scheme to kill me?" he continued. "I was a representative of Sea Tribe and Captain of 'that' expedition, but in the end, they all abandoned me! Answer me, father! What the hell did I do!" Alistein shouted in rage, his eyes burning, demanding justice. He could not forget, not even in his dreams, how he stood alone in the dungeon before the horrendous, seven-headed Hydra, almost to the point of begging his subordinates for backup. But all he heard was their fading laughs as they escaped through the entrance, safe and sound.

Emperor Azaron and Blaze shook, the freezing wind making every strand of hair on their body stand on end. But, maybe, it wasn't the wind at all. The storm of malice thundering inside Alistein escaped, the dark energy surrounding his body like a wild, mini-tornado, growing larger…and larger…and-

Boom-!!

GROWL!!!

A tall, pink-haired woman landed soundlessly beside Alistein, and when she stood up on her sharp heels, Blaze found her height the same as hers. Her lips were dark, eyes were like those of a sly cat, and the burn marks and snaking stitches all over her body gave an eerie feeling about her. The strong wind blew, and her long pink hair picked up, the lengthy strands whacking in Alistein's face snapping him out of his anger.

With a lick of her lips, Malileah said, "I did what you asked me to do, Alistein. Can I fight that woman now?" Blaze cringed as Malileah eyed her up and down somewhat…too excitedly.

'This is Winter's woman?' Malileah thought. 'I have to kill her!'

Blaze dropped into a defensive stance sensing the hostility from Malileah.

"Get away from here, Blaze!" Emperor Azaron ordered, his stern eyes fixated on Alistein and Malileah.

"What? No!"

"I can always be replaced, Blaze!" he hissed impatiently. "The dragon is our priority right now. We can't let that thing get near our faction. Now's not the time to argue with me. Alistein's goal is the council and me. We'll face him here!"

And as if on cue, representatives Pearl, Odeus, Quintel, and Yvonne appeared beside them, sharpened weapons and shield raised, ready to pounce at any moment.

Reluctantly, Blaze jumped out with a pained expression, leaving them without a look back in case she was to change her mind. Her eyes were trained and focused on the advancing beast, the Infernal Tarrasque, and she began to run towards it when someone grabbed her arm.

"Blaze, come with me!" Kingsley said urgently. But Blaze's heart was racing like crazy, her mind barely registering anything else besides the danger, and so she shook off his hand and climbed onto the nearest tree branch, looking in the direction to join the other dragon-slayers.

Kingsley's face stiffened. She didn't even give him the chance to explain yet. He needed her attention now. Right now. "Blaze!" he pressed. "I need to let you know what Winter told me 'that day'!"

Blaze came to an abrupt stop the moment she heard his name. Winter? Why was he important now? They were under attack, weren't they?

"Be quick!" she shouted as she leaped and landed on a tree branch further. "Don't forget, you're a tribe representative! You need to help, too!"

Kingsley pressed his lips together in a thin line and followed after her on the treetops. "We have plenty of time! I've summoned the Warchiefs! They'll be here soon!" he called after her. "We must hurry! What Winter told me was for this exact situation-!"

"For Lunargard!!!"

A sudden, single shout caught their attention, and they turned their heads to the flood of advancing dragon-slayers at the foot of the Ember-Crowned Mountain.

"For Lunargard!!!" "For Lunargard!!!" "For Lunargard!!"

The simultaneous echoes of soldiers' cries all around shook the mountain as they responded to the single call.

The war signal was set off, and the glint of the dragon-slayers' weapons lit up inside the forest below, one after another as they were raised. The gleam of brandished metal was enough to illuminate the murky forest, as bright and bewitchingly powerful as the legendary electric torches.

Clang, clang, clang!

The tanker-type dragon-slayers marched forwards in strict formation and the rangers followed suit, seeking protection behind the tankers as they searched for the opportunity to shoot their shot from their distance.

"Get your ass over here, you oversized beast!" "Show us what you got, f*cker!" "Eat this!"

Arrows fired as the tankers hammered on their gigantic, anti-dragon shields to call the Infernal Tarrasque's attention as brawlers surrounded the dragon. With this distraction, the hunters carefully stalked their prey, eyeing for the beast's weak spots to rain attack on.

ROAR!!!