Dragon Realm
Episode 34

It was hard to do anything while floating in the air. Cabe found this the hard way. His father frowned, turned his finger, and saw the unfortunate victim spinning several times.

“I'm disappointed in you, Cabe. I really think you might behave yourself. ” Azran's face goes dark. “I can see that there is little hope to discuss this with you. Poor thing. I have to use a more drastic way.”

Chili was thrown to the ground. The evil witch stroked half her black beard. This boy, he decided, was too similar to Nathan.

“You know, yesterday, I found it hard facing you. Family relationships have never been my strength, but I think you've heard of it.”

The balance was completely out of sync, Cabe tried desperately to separate the floor from his face. He paid little attention to his father's words. Azran, deep in thought, was unaware of it.

“After trying again, I see no alternative but to introduce you to the darker side of the spectrum immediately. Once you see how more efficient and satisfying it is, I doubt you'll ever want to look away. I speak from experience.” Azran's eyes shone with a strange light.

Finally able to distinguish between up and down, Cabe pushed himself to his knees. Most of what his father said had escaped him, but one thing was really pervasive. Azran plans to turn it into a dark force. He tried to stand up, his legs swaying. His head was still dizzy from dizziness.

"No!" The word came without being asked and with a voice that belonged to him and not to him.

The figure of his black-clothed father was thrown backwards, chairs and all, into the stone wall. Only Azran's quick thinking saves the evil witch from a broken skull. Just before the collision, he disappeared. Wood collides with stone. The chair fell to the floor, smashed into pieces.

Cabe fainted.

A few moments later, Azran reentered. Wind roared and lightning filled the room. A glowing shell wrapped it. He crouched down, ready for mortal combat. That tangled figure had initially escaped his attention. Instead, Azran turned his head to and fro, looking for a new attack.

When time had passed and all remained calm, the evil witch was finally calm enough to observe that her opponent was unconscious. The spells dropped almost instantly, greatly relieving some indescribable and quite agitated servants.

“My son—pfah! You are Nathan's body and soul, and therefore useless to me!”

It is clear that Nathan is responsible. The attack was as clear as a signature. His style is a style that no one has ever tried to emulate. It requires expensive skills and strength.

All these thoughts, Azran realized, did not take him anywhere. His son was protected by the Turtle Shell, a powerful barrier that could be summoned naturally. It would be a waste of time and energy trying to break through it. Besides, boys—boys? After several generations?— helpless. He could not leave unless the barrier was dropped, at which point escaping was impossible as Azran would set a spell that would attack immediately. No, Cabe is still a prisoner, even though he's safe for now.

There was a flap in the window overlooking the largest expanse of the Plains of Hell. One of the Seekers, behaving unusually. Azran turned his attention to the creature, allowing it to enter with one hand. The bird flew through the window and landed, standing, on the floor. It knelt before the witch, the emblem on her head filled with excitement. Curious, Azran put a hand on his head.

Dragon package. More than one, the army was divided, in fact, with several groups coming from all directions. To—ke the witch's castle! Azran pulled his hand. The Red Dragon came for him. Somehow the location of the fort is known. He had assumed the spells of the ancients were strong enough to hide them. Apparently, not so. Someone has told the Dragon King. They now believe he is unsuspecting and vulnerable. In both cases, he would prove them wrong.

He fires the Seeker after ordering her to prepare her kind for battle. Whether the avians would prove equal to the task is questionable. They had will and strength, but they were lacking in numbers. No, Azran decided, he should enter this battle and finish off the Red Dragon. For that, he needed a sword.

The body nearby remained motionless. Satisfied that his son would not escape the spell he used around the Turtle Shell, the dark wizard went to his inner sanctum. This battle will announce to the world that here is a force to be reckoned with. Here, Azran will look invincible.

Dreams of majesty filled his head, he walked away. If—and only if—Azran kept his mind, he would probably see a small beam of light formed from nothingness in the middle of the room, no more than three feet from Cabe. The spell avoided fending off the various traps set for figures on the ground. Then, as if opening from his robe, a shadow wizard named Shade stood observing his surroundings.

A smile may have touched her lips for a moment. As planned, the inhabitants of the ancient castle were now trapped in preparation for battle. The Red Dragon horde will be visible soon. Once the battle started in earnest, Shade would take Cabe and leave. Who will prove to be the winner is not important to him. Neither the Dragon King nor Azran would lose any strength, and it was more than satisfying.

The shade bent down to wake Cabe up. He was instantly rejected by the shell of pure strength. A blink of an eye would miss the rare and obvious shocked expression on the hooded witch's face. This is something unexpected. Now put both men in danger. Shade will most likely survive, but he doesn't really care about the idea of suffering at the hands of Azran. For Cabe, there will be no hope.

Somewhere outside and above, the screams of the Seekers as they watched the enemy filled the air.

Ordered or not, they would defend the fortress to the death. There was a connection to this land that was deeper than any spell.

Attacking the home page of the avians meant inviting destruction. Only Azran's quick thinking saved him from bad luck. The dragon pack will not be that lucky.