525 Preparation

This vision of glory was nothing like the majestic ebony dragon before them except his vivid golden eyes. He neither have the form of a monster nor one of a beast, but his presence alone was enough to send all and every weak hearted enemies fleeing for their lives. He simply had that aura of an ancient god as he stood there, unmoving.

This man really hasn't changed. When Dinah saw him for the first time in the modern day in the Ziggurat, she thought that this man had finally changed. It somewhat seemed that he had become more human now compared to that last time she saw him thousands of years ago. She still remembered his monstrous gaze as he had so effortlessly killed her, so she thought that Alexander had mellowed down after so many millennia had passed. But now, it seemed he's back to being that man she once knew. Or perhaps it would be more apt to say that he never actually changed – but had his immense power and wicked strength kept hidden away – until certain dire reasons or situations triggered him to release that awe-inspiring and horrifying power.

An army of Vampires appeared behind Alexander.

But Dinah's shocked expression eventually changed into an evil smile.

"Oh, hello there, Alexander. We meet again." She drawled. "But I am not planning to go easy on you this time. Don't worry though… just sit pretty and tight over there and in a little bit more than a candle mark, I'll be your master as well." She added as she laughed, despite knowing that Alexander couldn't hear her words.

But Abi from afar could hear her. She frowned and her beautifully elegant and arched brows furrowed slightly. Even with this minor change in her facial expression, Alexander swung his eyes to quickly scan over Abi's face and dangerously narrowed those golden eyes of his. That cold aura of his condensed further, giving even more pressure to those who are nearer.

Dinah then spread her arms wide – too caught up in her own agenda, thoroughly missing out on that minor but very key and crucial point. However, with her missing the cues would perhaps be the biggest regret in her life, even to the point of being the bane of her existence.

"Now my dragon, Zeres!!! Listen to your master and turn them all to dust as they rightfully deserve!!" she yelled, pointing at the destroyed wall, towards Alex and the army of vampires who were with him.

The majestic creature growled, and he moved to face the direction Dinah was pointing at.

"Go! My dragon!!! Do it!!" she screamed again, and the dragon spread its large, majestic wings.

The elite vampires standing behind Alexander shivered a little upon seeing a dragon with their own two eyes. They couldn't believe it. They all felt like they were transported back to when it this was a common scene, thousands of years ago.

Despite having Alexander on their side, they couldn't help but gulp. Alexander was immortal and powerful but they're up against a real dragon now. Do they even stand a fighting chance? Can't Alexander transform into full dragon as well? Perhaps as how he hid his strength all these millennia, it might be that he was also hiding other skills and secret techniques which would be brought out when only necessary? As much as they trust and believe in Alexander, all of them were desperately hoping that what they were thinking were true.

"F*ck!! That is really an honest to goodness real dragon, damn it!!! How could we even fight such a creature?" one of the elite vampires uttered between his breath when Raven, the leader of the elite vampire army spoke calmly.

"Calm down you bumbling idiot. Did you forget that the same man who killed the last dragon thousands of years ago is standing right before you right now?" Raven said and the idiot vampire's eyes lowered in shame, mortified due to the awareness of his own idiocy. Raven was right. How could they forget the story of Alexander leading his army to defeat a dragon?

The vampire's eyes fell on the golden-eyed man before them and an even stronger chill crept through the air causing the soldiers to react instinctively.

Alexander was dreadful when he was angry and reckless but this man in his calm and serious state was a completely different story. He was beyond terrifying! The vampires – friend and foe alike – actually felt like he had turned into a full dragon himself, without actually physically turning into one.

But the vampires were jolted back to the present scene that was displaying itself before all of them – and their eyes darted back-and-forth from Alexander to the dragon. Their instincts immediately had them brace themselves as the dragon growled once again facing them as it spread its massive wings and gave a mighty flap, kicking up a ruckus within the cavern and causing multiple dust storms from all the dust and debris produced earlier.

"Dammit! I think he's planning on going all volcanic on us!" the vampires gritted their teeth, bracing themselves for the inevitable all the while, looking imploringly at Alexander, hoping that he would create a miracle as always at the last second.

Zeres, the dragon then moved his powerful wings and came shuttling at them, as its muzzle opened in preparation to rain down fire on whoever was in its way.

The vampires' eyes widened in horror. They waited for Alexander's order but none came.  But as everyone subconsciously held their breaths, Abigail stepped forward and stood right in front of Alexander as if to welcome the dragon.