(September 13th, 2017. Ascension Day.)

Zack Ryder

"I guess then this is a new beginning," I said to myself as I made my way inside the airport, preparing to go to the capital city of Sol Drakion to meet my beloved father.

I am Zack Ryder, a man who was forced into a life of royalty and made to shoulder the responsibility of an entire nation. A guy who was left by his own father to be taken care of by a retired retainer of the royal family. For the first time in my life, I am visiting the great capital to meet the man who abandoned me all those years ago and left me to live all by himself, surrounded by limitless riches and ruling this country with a fist of steel.

Yes, it is me. Zachary Angelus Drakionis. I am the secret firstborn of king LeoDivinus and heir to the throne of this 'glorious' dragon kingdom. Today is September the 13th. It is officially known as Ascension Day. The day when the new dragon god was chosen and ascended to godhood. I chose to return to the castle on this day because my life revolves around this deity that has no face, no name, and no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

My father sent me away because of that man that was made a god and my mother was killed because of his stupid prophecy, too. I have lived my life away on a farm in the state of Oregon with the family of Robert Anderson, a former commander among the ranks of the Royal Glaive. He is a good person who has taught me everything, from performing honest work, to combat in most melee weapons, firearms and how to do magic.

I have always questioned who my father was. I always asked but never got an answer. Then one day, a black car arrived in front of my house and out came the man that I knew to be the ruling monarch, much to my shock and disbelief. He greeted me with a smile on his face as if he knew me and didn't see me for a long time.

"Are you the king?" I remember asking naively as I looked into the eyes of the king who sported a warm smile on his face. The oblivious little kid did not know why the king stopped in front of him and paid him attention. He was not special, he thought. Just a farmboy with nothing to write home about. But the little boy was wrong. He did not know that he was staring at the man who abandoned him, the man he despises.

"Indeed, I am." The monarch replied. And then he said the words that still sting me to this day. "But more importantly, I am your father."

I did not respond. I could not respond. I could not comprehend the words that came out of the old man's mouth, much less believe them or react. He held his hand out for me to hold and walked me to the Anderson house where I learned that Robert and his majesty are close. Never have I thought that I, a boy on a farm, would be sitting next to the ruling monarch. My gaze was fixed on the ground, unable to face the people who felt so alien to me at that moment. The reality around me shattered like glass dropped from a high altitude. The feeling was so unbearable to the point where I closed my eyes and tried to wake up from what I hoped to be a mere dream, but I failed. I opened my eyes to see that I was still sitting next to the king who claims to be my biological father.

'The ruler of the kingdom I reside in is my father?' 

When I heard the story of his majesty and how the queen and the prince passed away in an assassination attempt, I felt devastated. I fantasized about how the prince might have looked like, what type of person he might have become if his life was not taken as early as it was. Little did I know that I already knew the prince, that I saw him every time I looked in the mirror. I will admit that I have fantasized about the royal lifestyle and what it would be like to be a monarch. I fantasized about being the king's son since my name and the prince are the same. But I was too naive not to put two and two together. No one would have thought that the innocent fantasies of a child would become his harsh reality. To know that the man I dreamt of being my father is my actual father makes me conflicted. Should I be happy? Should I be devastated? That was the scariest thing to me. At least if I were to pick one of the two, I'd be comfortable with the emotions, rather than being conflicted and not knowing how to feel.

King LeoDivinus eventually took me into his car for a ride. He took me to many different places, made me see the world from a whole new perspective, and taught me all about himself. But the one thing he never told me was why he left me. I only wanted to know that, but he did not say a word. He then dropped me off back at the Anderson farm and left like nothing ever happened! Afterward, he came to visit once every three months and on my birthday for about eight years. However, I have yet to see him at all this year. He never came to visit, never called, never sent a letter, nothing. I kept asking myself if he has forgotten about me, and to be perfectly honest, I wish he did. 

With the threat of Impero Del Sole on the horizon and the inactions of the royal monarch, the people started to feel uneasy about the peace that a deity might bring. The ascension served as a deterrent for years, but people started to feel that it might all be a ruse. After all, nothing has ever happened after that one night. Whether it was all a fabrication by the monarchy to deter the empire or an act to establish the kingdom as a force to be reckoned with, the people started having their doubts at the legitimacy of their king's claim. And as a member of the royal bloodline, I felt it necessary to take action.

Today, I stand in front of the airport, saying my goodbyes to my closest friends before flying to the city of San Ziaris. From there, I would take a taxi all the way to the capital. Flying directly to the capital was not an action I was able to take, as the ascension festival made it hard to book a flight directly to my target's location. I had no option but to settle with the next best thing.

"So... When are you coming back?" My friend Jessie asked. She is one of my closest friends. She, along with Trevor, was shocked to discover my real identity. I have hidden that secret from them for as long as I can remember, only informing them about it two days ago. At first, they thought it was a joke, only for Rob to back my claims. I feared that my friends would start to view me the same way I viewed Rob the day my father revealed himself... a stranger. I feared that they would grow to despise me, much like I despise my father. But instead, they showed me love and support.

"I'm not sure. But don't you go thinking I won't contact you every once in a while!" I said before hugging her and caressing her short blue hair with my hand.

"Man, I still can't believe you're a royal," Trevor stated with a gaze of joy mixed with sorrow.

"Yeah, I know. I knew this secret ever since I was nine and I'm still not used to it!" I replied with a grin, placing a hand on the teenager's shoulder.

"So this is it..." Robert said, his sadness to see me go was very apparent.

"Yeah... I guess so." I replied, turning my gaze from the old man to the ground.

Robert took a deep breath and approached me. "Try to behave, alright?" He said with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll behave." I said, chuckling at his request, nay, order. 

'I'll behave, alright. Whether it's a good behavior is up to interpretation.'

Robert placed his hand on my shoulder and said: "You'll make a great king, Zack. I know it." He then hugged me with the passion of a father saying goodbye to his son, his tone a mix of pride and sorrow.

"I will make you proud!" I shouted as I entered the airport and waved my hand at the three.

"Hey, Zack!" Trevor shouted. "Please abolish schools!"

"No promises!" I replied.

After a while, I finally boarded my airplane and headed to my destination. As I sat next to the window, I looked at the land where I grew up and come to love with all its pros and cons. I started to wonder if last night was the final time that I'd sleep in my bed at Rob's place. I did not pack much, taking some clothes, my wallet that carried my ID and some cash, and my toothbrush. I took out my phone and scrolled through the photos of me and my friends while remembering every moment we've spent together. The freshest memory in my mind was that of Jessie crying on my shoulder, thinking that I would leave her forever. I was completely honest with her and told her that I might not come back if the situation did not favor me. I did not tell her, however, of my real scheme.

This trip that I have planned was made in secret. The king has nothing to do with it, and in fact, he is not even aware that I am coming. I have bought a custom black and white tactical skull face mask and have made two plans to enter the citadel. One plan involves trying to enter discreetly while blending into the crowd, and the other involves a little bit of brute force. I have prepared myself a couple of tornado bombs, loaded my sniper rifle just in case, and prepared a few tranquilizers to neutralize guards non-lethally. I have even bought a new outfit just for the occasion! A white jacket with a black zipper and a hood that covers more than just my head, making it good for sneaking around. I also brought my personal pair of leather gloves that reach the forearms with spike studs at the fingers and a dragon head symbol on the back of the hands.

(I do not own the rights for the image or the outfit. I am using this image under fair use.)

None of my acquaintances, not even Robert, is aware of my mission. I intend to go into the citadel and ram my fists against my father's face for forcing the responsibilities of a prince on me after abandoning me for so long. I will also make sure he gets that I will not become a king. I will stop at nothing until I make sure he yields to my requests and leaves me be, kingdoms be damned.

Once I arrived at San Ziaris, I exited my plane and went to buy myself a snack before ordering a cab. I purchased a random chocolate bar and some coffee before leaving the airport. All flights were booked to the capital, so I was not able to get a reasonably priced flight. I decided to settle in for the much more affordable but much less convenient plan to go to another closer city and take a 5-hour ride to Sol. I traveled early in the morning so that I don't miss most of the festival where I can sneak undetected. It's is highly likely that my face would be recognized by a member of the king's guard if I happened to stroll too close to the citadel. With the perfect timing of the festivities, I'd have little trouble sneaking in if so I choose.

When I found a cab, I told him where to go. He looked at me as if I was asking a totally weird question that is totally unreasonable given the event that was going on, but I was asking a totally not weird question that is totally reasonable given the event that was going on.

"What? Do you really expect me to have money to pay extra for a flight to the CAPITAL where the ASCENSION FESTIVAL is occurring?"

"Okay, Okay! I'll drive you there, kid! But you will pay me extra for this!"

As I traveled, I stared out the window, thinking to myself about my life as a prince and what it would have been if I was not taken away, as I did for many years until I discovered the truth. This time, however, I started to see everything in a more negative light. Would I have become an unbearable egotistical brat who shows off all the time? Would I have become a hardworking person? Would I look down at people like the current me and refer to them as peasants?

"Man..."

I've also wondered why Leon didn't choose to bring me back once this god of his has ascended. There are practically no reasons for him to keep me away anymore. Even if I don't like it, it's his responsibility as both king and father. 'Or does he really think that now since his god has ascended he has to worry about nothing?' That'd be pretty sad if it is the case. It's unwise to think that the mistakes of his past will not come to bite him in the rear later.

There are hundreds if not thousands of dragons that lay dormant throughout the world, according to this hogwash of a prophecy. Plus the fact that the 'darkness' isn't yet defeated is very alarming and everyone is on edge. All of that is what the old textbooks say, not me. But regardless of whether the history books are right or wrong, why doesn't this new god have a name? Is there really a god, or was this all a ruse? My dear father has never specified a name for this deity, and thus he remained nameless to this day.

"Sadly, I was not informed of his name," He stated in that public speech exactly eight years ago.

I need answers, and the only way to get them is from the king himself. And what a family reunion it shall be! Will it be happy or end in bloodshed? To be honest, it will be up to him. If he does not cooperate and answers my questions, I'm afraid It'll have to be the latter. I'm not willing to risk my life or the lives of millions of innocents on one guy, but he will force my hand.

And by chance, if the god is still in the mortal world, what I wouldn't do for a chance to say hi. It will be a chance of a lifetime! I'm going to see daddy dearest, after all. Why not see who this new god is? And if he is not on earth anymore, which most likely is the case, I will get everything I need to know from our great king LeoDivinus. I did not feel apprehension from a god I do not believe in. It mattered little to me whether he would vanquish the darkness or not. Impero Del Sole is my priority and the prime motivator for me to risk my life and freedom to ensure they do not invade. Aside from the fact that they are responsible for the death of my mother and everything else, they are a force to be reckoned with. They have proven to have space combat capabilities no one wants giant missiles to rain down on them.

The taxi driver, who had remained silent throughout the ride turned on the radio to a news broadcast. The broadcaster started talking about the festival and what to expect if one is going to attend, among other news.

"Impero Del Sole, also known as the Roman Empire has begun claiming territories all over the Mediterranean, with numerous negotiations with neighboring countries to annex territories in a peaceful manner. However, tensions between the empire and the surrounding countries remain high. Greek government officials and Spartan representatives have stated that if the empire attempts to invade Greece or any of its allies, the nation will not be afraid of declaring war. And now a word from the Public Information Bureau. Today marks the eighth anniversary of the Ascension of the new god of dragons. Although there is no official news as to the name of the new dragon god, the Ascension Festival is still going strong each year, and this year is no different. The Committee of the Ascension Day has prepared a number of special attractions in honor of the new god and this glorious occasion. Including a parade around the citadel, statues of the past kings, as well many more attractions for the children and the entire family. All are welcome and encouraged to participate in today's festivities."

After a few minutes, we arrived at a short distance away from the citadel. I told the driver to park and watched as he looked at me through the mirror. "Over here? At least wait until I can find a parking spot, kid. I wanna stretch my legs as much as you do."

"It'll be fine," I replied. I paid the driver and went on my merry way. I was all alone, left to my own devices to enjoy whatever daddy dearest has prepared. I walked around the city with my backpack and watched as children ran around with their parents in tow, couples walked while holding all sorts of food and souvenirs. Some people scrambled to their vehicles while others sat inside restaurants without a care in the world. Lost of people around me carried their phones in their hands, recording videos and taking photos with each other like people on a holiday. 

"Ah, so this is the crown city. Home sweet home at last." I said sarcastically as I looked around, seeing all the parade preparations and the people having fun. I almost started to feel bad for planning to ruin everyone's day, but then I remembered that if I didn't do anything, everyone's days will be numbered.

"Welcome to the Ascension Day Festival! In a moment, the parade will begin making its way through the city!" A female voice spoke. "King LeoDivinus is also participating in the festivities, circling the citadel alongside a statue of the Founder King, Maximus Angelus Drakionis."

"So this is the place where I was born? The city most known for the narcissistic materialistic people and their toxic attitudes and behaviors? What a shame." I said as I walked around, making my way to a statue of the Founder. "A nameless god has ascended, and they celebrate, not caring for whom it is that governs them from above."

"In order to ensure the safety of all festivalgoers, traffic has been limited throughout the city and stopped entirely around the citadel. The city thanks you for your cooperation." The female voice spoke again as I walked and watched as people continued to go for their cars and traffic officers started regulating traffic.

"Blindly following a god with no name. If they can do that, why is there a need for a king anymore?" I asked myself, sighing at the situation I am putting myself through. "What a life to live."

I approached the founder's statue that was nearest to me and took a gander at it, admiring the detail. I especially liked the armor Maximus wore. It looks majestic even as a stone representation. "So this is our Founder King! Good lords above, what an armor!" The armor was defined with painstaking detail. Every little edge was refined and carved to make the stature as smooth to the touch as possible, despite it being slightly higher than one could reach. The blade in the statue's hands was also carved from stone and was made in the exact shape of the sword wielded by the founder king.

I walked for a few minutes, enjoying the festivities and feeling sad that I was about to ruin it for everyone. When the citadel came into view, I smirked knowing my dear father is inside. I watched as the knights stood guard outside. My heart started beating with apprehension when realizing that it was nearly time to execute one of the most impossible missions ever. I examined the knights carefully and took in every little detail about them, including their positions and their gear. They were all wearing heavy knight armors that are medieval-inspired but also highly advanced when it comes to technology. I heard that they even have a Heads-up Display, or as we gamers call it, a HUD. They also wielded double-edge swords alongside shields that rested freely on their backs without obstructing movement. The way they stood guard, I would have mistaken them for statues from afar. Their motionless yet intimidating stances made me swallow as I took a gander at their idle postures. I started to imagine how good it might feel to have these at my disposal, being able to go wherever and do whatever I command them. But another thought that drowned out the former was that I would be fighting them once I start the citadel raid.

"How strong really are these armors?" I asked myself. "Well, I guess we will see first hand pretty soon."

I climbed up a fire exit of a building that was close to the citadel and conjured my sniper rifle, taking the scope out and using it to zoom onto the entrance. There I finally spotted him, the legendary king LeoDivinus. The man of the hour. Our great leader. I felt my index finger itching for the trigger when I aimed at him, so I immediately took my hand away from the gun and aimed without getting close to the trigger.

"There you are... Long time, no see, father." I said to myself as I watched him converse with the guards around him. I kept watching for quite some time, thinking over my plans and readying my weapons. I planned to use my 50. cal sniper rifle as a means of sabotage, not murder. I am not planning on murdering anyone. My tranquilizers are for any personnel that gets too close. And my magic will be the main attraction. My body quivered at the thought of the next few moments and my mind kept running through many scenarios. I started to hear my own heartbeat and felt it pounding against my chest as my breathing intensified. I wiped the intense sweat off my face and resumed watching my father from afar.

I felt my spine freezing and started looking over my shoulders every few seconds to see if anyone was watching me, nervous that I might get caught. I continued watching the king and saw how he entered the citadel to resume his kingly matters before joining the festivities. A part of me hoped he'd be early with the citizens, not hiding behind walls inside the comfort of his structures. As I watched him disappear behind the doors of his guarded fortress, I clenched my fists and remembered how he left me to rot and forgot about me, removing every ounce of anxiety and fear I had and replacing them with the desire for vengeance. The empire is growing, and all he does is make speeches and fund parades. Sometimes I wonder whether or not he really is worried about the roman empire and the threat they pose to us. He has not spoken about them for months despite them being in headlines every other week. They are making breakthroughs in lots of technologies meant for war. If he is indeed worried, then he should stop chasing his tail and do something. Otherwise, we are doomed. That itself is another reason that makes me question him as a king more than a father. With a few additional minutes of scouting, I realized that sneaking into the citadel will prove to be an impossible task. Too many guards and cameras on every entrance. And even if I made it inside the citadel undetected, the chances of being unseen are slim to none. Fighting inside the citadel would prove to be an insurmountable task, as the narrow hallways and rooms are not suitable to combat large numbers of guards. I would be overrun and left with no option but to surrender.

'Plan B it is, then...'

"I've waited long enough for this moment, Leon. Now it's time to see where your priorities really are and set them straight!"

The parade soon started. The people were all cheering and filled with joy, watching the giant dragon balloons that were roaming along with the parade. I got off the solid roof surface and walked towards the edge where I stood and put on my tactical skull mask and the jacket's hood. I conjured a dagger and threw it at one of the balloons, piercing it immediately. The air started escaping the giant balloon, making the parade grind to a halt immediately. I watched as the crowd got bewildered with surprise. The cheers vanished quickly, taking with them everyone's mirth and laughter. With the stage set for the true main event, it was time to perform.

I placed my foot on a ledge and conjured my sniper rifle, firing a few shots into the sky. The screams of the crowds echoed the streets as people started to run in fear and flee the vicinity in every direction. I aimed the sniper at the remaining balloons and fired three shots at three separate ones just to spoil the fun even more. There were no feelings of joy or sorrow. I felt neither delighted nor dissatisfied. Instead, I was overtaken by the fight or flight response. Suddenly, I began to hear footsteps and the loading of weapons behind me. There was no time for any rational thinking anymore. 

"Freeze! In the name of the law, you are under arrest!" A soldier said. I turned around, only to see a group of five ninjas from the royal secret service. Wearing black military gear alongside metal shoulder pads and black exoskeletons attached seamlessly to their arms and legs. Their faces were masked by black visors that covered the upper parts of their faces while the mouth had its own metal mouthpiece.

I jumped backward and entered through a conveniently open window directly below me. Then I booked it outside, only to find more ninjas waiting for me. Rather than opening fire, they conjured their swords and got ready to attack. I looked at the window once again and concluded that I would break a few bones if I jumped down to the ground floor. I looked back at the ninjas and saw them preparing to attack.

Being a royal descendent, I have a few perks up my sleeve, like my own arsenal of weapons made especially for me, by me. When the two in front and back tried to attack me, I conjured my shield and hid under it, making their blades hit it and not me. I then swept the ground beneath them, propelling them. Then I started to sprint down the stairs where a member of the city police was waiting for me. I thew my shield at him, knocking him out. I then ran down the stairs again until I exited the building after knocking out three more officers. That is when I was met with a bunch of machine guns pointed right at me. I conjured my shield once again and hid behind it as they started to fire. Then I grabbed one of my tornado bombs and threw it on the ground in front of them, sending them and their vehicles up through the air. The bombs' effect only lasts a few seconds depending on the potency, so I hauled ass out of the area.

Three ninjas jumped in front of me. They tried to strike me with swords, but I conjured mine and used it to block the attack. Then I grabbed one of my tranquilizer darts and threw it at one of them, knocking them out. After that, I pushed the other's sword away and grabbed him before throwing him on the ground. Then I conjured my polearm and stabbed it on the ground. Using it to lift myself off the ground, I dropkicked the last one in the face. When I saw more vehicles approach my position, I threw another tornado bomb on the ground in front of them, forcing them to brake and steer away to find another way through. I used my chance and booked it, fighting any guard that stood in my way as I ran.

A few minutes of fighting later and I made it to a park. There I saw a knight that was readying himself to fight me. I conjured my sword and sprinted towards him, clashing my blade against his. He was wearing a full set of armor and was very safe inside it, so I did not attempt to use any of my darts because they would prove obsolete. I kept swinging my sword and dodging until he got tired and started breathing heavily. That's when I threw my polearm right at his feet, distracting him enough that I was able to break his helmet with a strike of my sword. I conjured my shield right after that and used it to push him down on the ground. I took a headset from his unconscious body and used it to spy on their chatter.

"Who is this person?" A commander asked.

"No idea, ma'am! There are zero casualties, however!"

"What?!"

"They have killed no one, commander! All the units are only out of action!"

"Send reinforcements! I want that terrorist captured right this instant!"

I made my way throughout the surrounding area of the citadel, fighting more soldiers and ninjas. The closer I got to the citadel, the harder their forces became to conquer. I had to jump around, do lots of amounts of basic parkour and use a lot of my tornado grenades. I also had to use my arsenal to try and fend off close-range melee attacks and rifle fire with my shield. I decided to use my sniper rifle to target armored vehicles and wheels to hamper their movements. The police units mostly came with their cruisers, so the wheels were not a problem. But the ninjas were popping out of nowhere and getting increasingly hard to manage, even with my grenades and darts.

At one point, I had to walk to a nearby shop and grab some snacks to recover while I rest, waiting for the next wave of soldiers. I also went to the bathroom for my number 1 and was not surprised that they tried to attack me while I was in the restroom. 

"Aw, shucks. You caught me with my pants down!" I kicked the stall door open and started fighting them off with my sword and polearm, pushing them back out... while my pants were down... literally.

"How can one guy alone take the entire force of the citadel guard?!" The same commander asked.

"Easy," I responded. "I'm trained by someone who far outpowers all of you."

"What? Who is this?!" She asked.

"The man who is seeking retribution and is beating your troops down here. Now open the citadel gates."

Suddenly more soldiers and knights came to fight. They were all readying their best weapons, including swords and rifles. There were so many of them that for a second, I thought I would lose, but I remembered that I was prepared for this moment. Perhaps too prepared. I smirked under my breath as I prepared my nefarious soldier repellant. I used a magic spell that lets me conjure dozens of spears at the same time and send them flying in any direction I desired. I started sweeping the knights with the spears knowing that their armors will weaken. Then I conjured my sword and polearm and started dual-wielding my way to victory. I saw that some of the soldiers began giving up on trying to defeat me but were fighting me out of the necessity to follow orders. I felt pity for them but knowing what is occurring; there is no going back from it. They had to fight me, and I had to fight them, knocking them unconscious without taking lives as I've done with many others.

"You keep sending them, I'll keep knocking them down!" I yelled. "Now open these gates!"

Surprisingly, they did open the gates, and I walked inside. There, I was met with dozens upon dozens of soldiers, and the gates behind me were closed. And since a wall surrounded the citadel around me, I have to escape through bloodshed.

"Who are you?! Why are you here?!" The commander who has been talking to me asked. When I took a gander at her, I was taken away by her beauty. Her short brunette hair and her young looks made me lose focus for a second. It was surprising to see that one of my father's greatest subordinates is as young as her. If I had to guess, I'd say she's in her mid to late twenties. The commander wore her dark uniform with golden epaulets on the shoulders and medallions on the left side of her torso. "I asked a question!" her commanding voice snapped me back into reality.

"Oh, I'm here to see his majesty, the king. So please be kind as to move out of the way" I replied.

"You've made it this far, criminal. But this is the end of the line," She replied with an austere and menacing voice.

"Wasn't my display of force enough already? I said move."

"Fire!" She shouted.

The soldiers all started firing at me, but I conjured my shield and immediately threw the most potent tornado bomb out of all of them. With that attack alone, I took down a quarter of their force. Then I started throwing tornado bombs left and right, not caring for my own safety at that point. I also kept using all of my darts and exhausted myself using my royal arsenal for defense.

"Just give up already!" I shouted between breaths, panting heavily and sweating buckets under my mask.

After a minute or two, what remained of their forces withdrew from the area, leaving me and a bunch of unconscious soldiers all over the place. I approached the down yet still conscious commander and squatted in front of her. She got hit with too many of my attacks alone and managed to stand like an unyielding mountain. It took a few well-placed tranquilizers to put her down, and even then, she remained standing.

"I warned you, yet you had to fight me. Luckily I did not kill anyone today, and I will not start with you," I stated.

"What... do you... want?" She asked with gritted teeth, trying to get to her feet but failing every time.

"I heard the king had lost his son a long time ago, but the truth is that he's still alive, correct?" I asked, much to her shock.

Her jaw dropped on the floor and her eyes widened with disbelief. "How do you... know about that?"

"I heard the king would love to see his son again, wouldn't he? Of course, that's only hearsay. why don't you summon the king right now so I can see for myself?"

"You're not... Are you?" She asked, her voice getting gentler as the tranquilizers started taking effect. Finally realizing the identity of the man under the mask, she looked at me with her breathtaking blue eyes that started closing, making me burst into laughter.

"Oh, what I wouldn't give for a chance to speak with daddy dearest himself!"

She stared at me in bewilderment before her pretty blue eyes closed and she fell into a deep sleep. I could not help but feel moved by her looks. Her white sleeping voice was too cute not to admire. I reached my hand out and stroked her face, admiring the silk-like smoothness. But what I admired more was the immense power and tremendous vigor that lie under the enchanting commander. After having enough of looking at the sleeping beauty, I got back to my feet.

I stared at the top of the citadel and yelled: "Come out, father!" I took off my mask and hoodie. "How many more of your loyal warriors do I have to beat for you to show your sorry face?!"

"Trust me when I say you don't want me going in there!" I yelled.

Suddenly, as I was scaling the stairs, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a person descend from the sky with his sword striking the ground next to me, shaking the very earth he stood on.

"Not one more step!" He said.

The kid was blonde with blue eyes, right around my age. He was wearing a red, white and gold jacket over a white T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans with white sneakers. He looked unbelievably attractive and like the type of guy to have many women lusting over him. He also possessed a commanding aura about him that seemed very interesting and peculiar. He did not look like anything special, certainly not as intimidating as the countless troops I took down. However, warriors don't fall from the heavens that often.

"And you are?" I asked with an inappreciably disinterested voice.

"You don't wanna know." He replied, trying to sound intimidating, but coming out as childish and ridiculous.

I chuckled at the boy and shook my head. "Is this your first rodeo, kid? You've seen what I've done here. Look around you and take a good look this time."

"And you are not gonna get away with this, trust me," He replied.

"Just leave, okay?" I said as I started to ascend the stairs. "I don't want to hurt-"

I was cut off by him grabbing my arm and throwing me halfway to the entrance gates. I conjured my polearm and planted it on the ground to prevent myself from flying all the way outside.

"What the?!" I asked with complete bewilderment as soon as I landed and stopped moving.

"I said, not a single step. You took three. I was gonna settle for a slap on the wrist, but you just had to do it, huh?" He said.

I got pissed that he was trying to say some quips to my face like that. I ran at him and tried to strike, but he blocked me with his sword. I then placed my feet on the blade of his weapon and pushed myself away, landing on the ground next to the first flight of stairs. He jumped down and was now facing me where the citadel was to his left and to my right.

I cracked my knuckles and shoulders with a smirk as I eyed the blond brat. "Alright kid, I underestimated ya. But I will not make that mistake again." I said before we both rushed at one another.

"En garde!" I shouted before we clashed swords.