CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3

“I have arrived,” I manly voice uttered as the study room’s door opened and the Grand Duke turned his head to see his second biological son from her beloved late Grand Duchess Unalouetta. “Why did you call for me?” Lord Arzhel, a notable dragon lord of the North, had been known for his fierce power and wise decisions.

“I did not see you nor sense your presence on your niece’s 4th birthday a week ago.” Grand Duke said as he sat on his study chair while tapping his nails on the desk. “I was unavailable at that day – “ he paused for a second, “and why would I explain myself to you anyway.” Lord Arzhel is as cold as Lord Drayco. He was never close with his Father unlike some of his younger siblings; not even Lord Drayco. “A shadowed intruder almost captured your niece.”

“Almost, so she wasn’t captured at all.” Lord Arzhel quickly replied, “Yes, but this is another work of a puppetry master from East.”

“How would you know it’s from East, father?”

“Only East has the guts to intrude our dominion using a puppet shadow, yet so coward for them to only use puppets.” Grand Duke responded as he stabbed a book of records using his pen that almost got destroyed. “It seems like you want to ask me a favor on avenging from ruining a birthday party, huh.”

“Exactly”

“I do not care about Drayco’s adopted daughter,” Of course, he’s lying, the Grand Duke thought. “The weather is nice for you to have departure today.”

“Like I said, I do not care about Eleiss.”

“Oh really? Then how come you know her name when you only met the little girl once when she was 2.” Lord Arzhel hid her embarrassment because he knows to himself that deep in his heart, he cares for his beautiful niece.

“Whatever, I am only doing this for the sake of not wanting these people to look down on family.” The Grand Duke grinned as his second son left the study room. A new challenge now beckoned him – a shadowed intruder controlled by a puppet master. The puppet master, a manipulative sorcerer, had caused havoc during the 4th birthday of his beloved niece. As Lord Arzhel reach the roof top of the Grand Duke’s estate, he took a deep breath and jumped off the manor and shifted to his dragon, The Sea King; Poseidon. He flew to the sky, his dragon’s scales were teal and his eyes are almost the same of the color of the deep blue ocean. The body and large wings of his dragon are casting a formidable shadow over the icy and snowy North, and set off towards the East with a sense of stern and tough determination to show the East their power; not that they haven’t been able to show it once, but they try their best to avoid issues for them to live at peace.

The journey was long and arduous, filled with wild storms and numerous enemy attacks. But Arzhel moved forward, unperturbed, his resolve unbroken by the challenges.

As he traveled, his mind wrestled with thoughts about the puppet master's intentions and the puppet's identity. What a stupid idea they had to invade the North on our Young Lady’s 4th birthday¸ he thought.After a grueling and fatiguing journey on the sky, Arzhel finally reached the Knights Field in the Eastern Kingdom – the center where knights and knightesses trains. Lord Arzhel, emanating an aura of power, descended onto the field, causing tremors. His huge feet set on the ring with still his dragon form; his arrival was met with awe and fear, for the presence of a dragon was a rare occurrence.

His fierce eyes scanned the area, resting on the knights and knightesses who stood with a mix of fear, awe,

and defiance. He roared, causing the ground to shake.

He shifted back to his human form, and the knights and knightesses was surprised to see that it was one of the 7th Grand Duke’s sons. This is the first time Lord Arzhel allowed anyone to show him on his dragon form and shifted back to his human form. He usually kills them instantly before they could see his human form to avoid any more incidents as a human. “North was invaded a weekago, only East had the ability to perform such shadow puppetry.” The crowd of knights and knightesses were cut to half when a huge figure of knight walks on the center towards Lord Arzhel. His long brown hair was covering half of his face, but Lord Arzhel could barely see the scar behind his brown hair.

His eyes were as fierce as him, “Who are you to cause such trouble here on East?” He asked full, but remained calm. Behind his back is a thick sword four feet tall. “Like I said, a puppet master ruined my niece’s 4th birthday.”“Everyone knows that only East has the ability to do that, and for years; only puppetry is the least

thing you could do.” The knight wielded his huge thick sword and strikes his sword to Lord Arzhel, but he immediately caught it with his huge claw as he shifted his hands to his dragon claw.

“This is only a warning, if the East will go further; I will have this country wiped off from the map.” He soared through the sky, his mind now turning to the puppet master. The master was clever, but Arzhel was determined not to let the play continue.

The Shadowed Man appeared in front of his on the sky with his dragon form, and emerged from the emptiness, wielding a dark energy that could chill even the hardiest soul. His face was hidden under a cowl, and his presence was a menace that could not be ignored. Lord Arzhel drew in a deep breath and braced himself as the shadow figure blasted him with ominous power. The force of it almost sent him spiraling downwards, but he held firm, his dragon form refusing to falter.

The Dark Teal Dragon within him roared, releasing a surge of energy that engulfed the Shadowed Man. The

shadow figure faltered, his dark energy fading by the dragon's roar and was forced to retreat.

Lord Arzhel could detect any shadowed puppetry or dark entity as he followed the aura and presence of the

shadowed man. He kept flying and discovered that the Grand Duke was right all along, it was indeed the work of East. Upon landing in front of Warlock's Tower; a fearful structure, with an aura of mystery and danger. Yet, what he felt the most is the presence of the Puppet Master.

Lord Arzhel cautiously approached the tower. His instincts, honed by countless war battles and fights; he visions himself of the danger ahead. But he was determined to confront the Puppet Master, the one behind all his troubles.

His dragon form slowly faded, revealing a tall, imposing figure clad in armor. His bloody red eyes, burning with determination, stared defiantly at the tower. There was no fear, only an unwavering resolve. As he entered the tower, he could feel a darkness touching his skin, as well as the failed casted spells within the tower. The air was thick with a sense of foreboding, but Lord Arzhel pressed onward, moving deeper into the Warlock's territory. Lord Arzhel made sure that his scent and presence will be invisible and not be shown or sensed by anyone in the tower.

In the heart of the Warlock’s territory, he saw him, the Puppet Master. His face was hidden under a cloak; his true identity is indeed a mystery. But his aura was familiar, a dark energy similar to the Shadowed Man.

Lord Arzhel stepped forward, a fiery defiance burning in his red eyes that witnessed many deaths, fights and

battles even at such a young age. His voice, filled with a hardened authority, echoed through the tower's halls, this young manly voice was once heard by many warriors, soldiers, knights, knightesses and even priestess on all kinds of situations.

He was ready for battle, ready to put an end to the Puppet Master's reign.

The Puppet Master turned his cloak swishing not even aware that Lord Arzhel already entered the tower. Lord Arzhel’s voice filled with a cold menace, sent shivers down the Puppet Master’s spine. But he stood firm, prepared for the impending battle

As the fight ensued, Lord Arzhel and the Puppet Master clashed, filling the tower with their energy. The air crackled with the intensity of their battle, each move echoing their will to win.

Lord Arzhel is as impatient as his older brother, Lord Drayco, so he did not attack the puppet master anymore physically, yet the puppet master is still attacking him.. through his mind – rather his imaginations. One of Lord Arzhel’s ability is to torture mind, and that is what he’s doing right now.

While the puppet master is thinking he had won the battle with Lord Arzhel, Lord Arzhel unveiled the cloak from the puppet master, only to see the most weak, most coward Warlock of East, he did not know his name, but he remembered his face from past events. “I see.” he uttered. Lord Arzhel shifted to his dragon form and carried the warlock on his dragon claw and burned the whole tower.

He flew up to the sky and decided to bring the Warlock back to North as a gift to his beloved niece.

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