"Hmm... Ok, what about your kings?" He asked, his gaze unwavering, and added with a subtle intensity, "Tell me about them."
"And why the hell will I do that?!"
The general's voice boomed, laced with fury and a desperate edge.
"Do you think I am a fool?! If I tell you anything, you will still kill me!"
"True..."
Draven conceded with a slow nod, a faint smile playing on his lips.
The sight of that smile sent a chill down the general's spine, his expression hardening into a mask of cold resolve.
"I will Kill you!!" he roared, his form blurring as he vanished, only to reappear instantly behind Draven, his sword whistling through the air.
WHOOSH!!
"Huh?"
The general's eyes widened in disbelief. "Afterimage?"
His head snapped upwards, finding Draven standing calmly in his initial position, as if he hadn't moved at all.
"You are a half kraken and half human..." Draven observed, his gaze thoughtful. "That might explain your skill... You know, Krakens Don't have any inherent skills, they only possess an advantage in physical attack, endurance, and mind resistance... Beyond that? It's rather… limited."
Draven finally turned to face him fully.
"This new ruler just keeps piquing my curiosity."
"You!!!" The general bellowed, his entire being vibrating with rage. He channeled every ounce of his life essence into his weapon, the blade glowing with an ominous light, and shot forward once more.
"Die!!!" he screamed.
"This is what I am saying..." Draven remarked, his tone almost conversational, not even flinching as the enraged general hurtled towards him. "Krakens shouldn't be able to use life essence, you guys aren't from this world." He tilted his head slightly, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
"Now I understand... That's why you guys experimented, so you could give birth to a new generation of Krakens... That way, you would be powerful enough to defeat any force. What you just lack now are women. That's why you guys are attacking the three races' kingdoms, for their women."
"How the hell do you know so much about Krakens?!" The general shrieked, arriving in front of Draven and bringing his glowing sword down in a devastating arc.
BOOOM!!!
"....?!!"
The general was utterly stunned, his eyes fixed on his sword, now held effortlessly between Draven's two fingers. Draven had literally caught his full-force attack with just two fingers.
"Well, if you don't want to tell me, I can just see it." Draven said casually.
"Huh?" The general stammered, his mind reeling.
Before he could react further, Draven's hand shot out and clamped onto his head. In the blink of an eye, he shattered through all the general's mental defenses, plunging into the depths of his memories.
"AHHHHHHhH!!"
A bloodcurdling scream tore from the general's throat as he collapsed to his knees, his body limp.
"Hmm... You are actually telling the truth... You genuinely don't know the Ruler..." Draven murmured, removing his hand from the general's head. A smirk touched his lips.
"But I got something." He squatted down in front of the petrified man.
"You know, Krakens don't have females, they can only give birth to males... Which means, this new Ruler isn't a kraken, but from one of the three races... But, why would she go to such lengths, and why are you guys so blindly loyal to her?" He questioned, grabbing the general's hair and tilting his head back.
"You are completely useless to me now." He stated flatly, tossing the general unceremoniously onto the ground. "My attack would have already destroyed your brain, even if I left you alive... You will be nothing more than a vegetable. Besides."
He glanced up at the rustling leaves overhead, a shadow passing across his face. "I made a promise to someone, and I don't fail my promises."
WHOOSH!!!!!
___
[Boco's castle.]
"Alexandra, are you ok?" The head guard asked in a low, concerned voice, noticing Alexandra sitting alone on the steps leading to the castle entrance, her posture radiating a quiet sorrow.
"Yes, head guard..." She replied softly, offering a weak nod, but her gaze remained fixed on the distant horizon, as if searching for answers in the empty expanse.
"We need to set off soon... The others have already taken the women and your mother to the village." He walked forward slowly, stopping a respectful distance beside her.
Alexandra nodded again, almost imperceptibly, her silence heavy with unspoken thoughts.
"I wonder how the rest of the world is handling the invaders..." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
"True, only Boco did this to our village. Sometimes, I just sit down and think of how many lives have been lost..." Mike nodded.
"The capital, the major cities and towns, they have powerful awakeners to protect them, they even have the royal guards, a proper army," Alexandra said, her voice tinged with a bitter resignation.
"But what do we have? Nothing... That's why we are in this situation. We are just too weak, too vulnerable."
"I can't deny the truth in your words, Alexandra," the head guard admitted with a sigh, his gaze drifting over his shoulder at the two remaining guards standing watch nearby.
"If Lord Draven and you weren't friends, we all would likely be dead by now. Ok... We've thoroughly checked the castle, all the invaders have been eliminated," he announced after a moment, turning his attention back to the imposing gate.
His eyes widened slightly as a lone silhouette appeared in the distance, walking steadily towards them.
"Draven."
Alexandra's head snapped up, and she rose swiftly to her feet. She rushed forward, her steps quickening as the red-eyed young man drew closer. She stopped a few feet away, her unspoken question hanging heavy in the air between them.
Draven chuckled softly, a smile touching his lips. He snapped his fingers and In a macabre display, the severed head of the general materialized in front of them, hovering momentarily in the air before gently falling to the ground with a soft thud.
"I think this will make for a rather… persuasive momentum," he said with a faint smile, while Alexandra slowly nodded her head.
"What about the castle? Are we just leaving it here?" He asked, turning to regard the imposing black structure with a thoughtful expression.
"Leaving it here? Draven, can you move a castle?!" Alexandra asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Hmm..." Draven mused, stroking his chin as he considered the question.
'I don't exactly have a proper house in the village... And I definitely need somewhere private, somewhere secure. The basement under that old shack isn't exactly an ideal long-term option.'
He finally nodded to himself, a decision forming in his mind. "I am taking it with me."
"....."
"Come again?"
Both Alexandra and Mike, the head guard, stared at him in utter disbelief.
"Yes," Draven confirmed with a decisive nod. "The field behind the village, the one beyond the northern wall… no one is using it, right?" He asked, turning his attention to Mike.
"No, Lord Draven... The land is outside the village walls, so it's been empty for years. Second… with Boco's previous attacks and the general fear of invaders, everyone is far too scared to even approach it."
"That's rather… convenient." Draven's lips curved into a wider smile, and he began walking towards the ominous black castle.
"Come with me, the four of you." He instructed, gesturing for Alexandra, Mike, and the two remaining guards to follow.
Alexandra stared at him for a few moments, a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity swirling within her. She then bent down, picked up the severed head, and resolutely followed behind Draven.
Mike exchanged a dumbfounded look with the two guards, and with a hesitant nod, they all trailed after the enigmatic young man.
___
[Draven's Village.]
"Chief John... Where is my sister?" Atticus asked, his voice still a little shaky after the ordeal he had been through, now that he was finally allowed to step outside.
"Your sister is safe, Atticus... She will be back soon," Chief John replied, his voice gentle but tinged with a deep sadness.
Before John could elaborate, Alice stepped forward, a reassuring smile on her face.
"That's right, Atticus. She's fine."
"Really?" Atticus asked, his gaze fixed on Alice. Although his initial encounter with her that morning had been frightening, Alexandra had since explained some of the situation, and Atticus now regarded Alice as a friend of his sister, despite the lingering feeling that some details were still unclear.
"Yes," Alice confirmed with a warm nod, then turned to Chief John, her expression becoming more serious:
"Chief... I think you should start the preparations."
John nodded slowly, his expression solemn. "She was my only daughter, Alice," he said, his voice thick with emotion.
"As her father, I must ensure she receives a befitting funeral, a proper farewell."
"Yes, Chief," Alice agreed softly, offering a small, comforting smile.
BOOOM!
Suddenly, the entire village trembled violently, the ground shaking beneath their feet. John and Alice exchanged a startled frown, while everyone in the village turned their heads towards the north, their eyes widening in disbelief as a colossal black castle seemed to materialize out of thin air, standing starkly against the familiar landscape.
Alice: "What the hell?"
John: "Is that even… Possible?"
"Wow... Look at that big castle!" Atticus exclaimed, pointing a small, excited finger at the imposing black structure.
Alice glanced down at the little elf, a soft smile touching her lips. 'Kids… Always finding wonder in the strangest things.'
She then turned back to Chief John, her expression now resolute.
"Alert the remaining guards, Chief. I'm going to check it out." She instructed, then turned to Atticus. "Ok, Atticus... You stay here with Sir John, alright? I'll be back soon."
Atticus nodded eagerly, his attention already drawn back to the mysterious castle. Both he and John watched as Alice turned and swiftly made her way towards the location of the sudden appearance.