"That was great, Mom. As always." Kenji smiled as he finished his meal. His mother walked over and grabbed his plate with a smile.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope you enjoyed it as well, Ume."

"Yes, ma'am, it's been a long time since I had a homemade meal."

"Good! How long are you two planning on staying tonight?" Roratha asked.

"Why? You trying to get rid of us?" Kenji joked.

"No, I just know you have other places to be, and as you can see, I'm perfectly fine." She twirled in place with a giggle as she began to wash dishes.

"Well, I want to ask you a few questions, because something just doesn't add up," Kenji said.

Roratha sighed; she figured that was the real reason he came here. There were clear gaps in his understanding that needed to be filled, and she was the only one in this world who could fill those gaps for him. She stopped washing, dried her hands, and walked to the table. After taking a seat, she motioned towards Kenji.

"Ask away…"

"Who exactly are Devin's parents to you?" Kenji asked.

Ume raised an eyebrow, as she had never thought to ask that question, but it made sense when one thought about it. They must have known Kenji and his mother's location as soon as Devin knew. Given how everything had unfolded, she doubted they didn't make a move just because of Devin's request.

"Aron Murmus and Seren Dyrithon… They were part of my developmental group. Seren is my friend and Aron… is my cousin." Roratha sighed.

This was obviously a shock to both Ume and Kenji.

"So… I'm related to Devin?" Kenji asked,

"Not by blood; I was adopted by one of Aron's uncles, he was a Theronite," Roratha explained.

"So the fact they were family is why they hesitated to come for us even after finding our location?"

"No… they didn't come for us, because Aron is an incompetent coward." Roratha's voice was lathered in vitriol.

"What do you mean?" Ume asked.

"That incompetent fool is only in the position he is because of nepotism and the fact that Seren is there to stop him from doing something truly catastrophic. He has an inferiority complex and was the driving force behind why you were targeted." Roratha frowned as she thought about what she had gone through.

Kenji being conceived so soon after most of their leaders were destroyed by the Great Devour was a blessing for many. All signs pointed towards Kenji being Auranthos' Threnos, and The Great Devour being the sign of the coming storm. Even with Seren's help, there was only so much they could do to prevent the the resulting politics. So many took advantage of the hole left by that event to grab at any crumb of power.

Aron stood at the front of those pathetic vultures. At a time when they should have strived for unity, they instead strove for power and influence. Even if her son's life wasn't in danger, she probably would have left soon after anyway. After explaining this, she continued,

"His brother would have been a far superior leader."

"What happened to him?" Kenji asked.

"He was killed by the Great Devourer on what Persequions call, The Darkest Day," Roratha said as she stared down at the table.

"You were there when all that happened, weren't you?" Ume asked.

"Yes… all of our most powerful fighters were present that day. Seren and Aron should have been among them. However, Seren was giving birth and had not yet taken the Blessing. Aron claimed to want to be present at the birth of his child… pathetic coward."

"Just how powerful is she?" Ume asked. Kenji didn't need to ask; he had already experienced it firsthand. Roratha sighed,

"Let me tell you a story about the Darkest Day in Persequion history."

********

"What exactly are we doing here, Father?" Roratha asked a rugged, bearded Egyptian man who stood next to her.

"If we are to believe the reports, we are here to slay a dragon." The man let out a hearty laugh. The other Theronites behind him just shook their heads. A sandy blonde, brown-eyed young man walked out of a group of nearly 20 cloaked figures and said,

"Ignore your father… We are here to make contact with the Dragon. We only have legends about them; we've never experienced one before. It's best to avoid conflict if possible."

"Always so pragmatic, Velunor. Do you not crave battle?!" Roratha's father responded with a wide smile, his cloak blowing in the wind.

"Sure, but I crave to live long enough to see Auranthos' Threnos as well. Which is our purpose… Dravemir." Velunor shook his head.

Dravemir chuckled, as it was always fun to ruffle Velunor's feathers. The lad was far too stiff; their lives were drab and boring most of the time. He needed to learn to enjoy the little freedom they got.

"Uncle?! You got here before us? I suppose I should expect nothing less from our finest." An energetic young man called out from behind the group of Theronites. He bore a striking resemblance to Aron. However, where Aron was more clean-cut, this man held the aura of a warrior.

"Drakhalon, you could join us if you desire. Your abilities don't fall far short of Roratha's." Dravemir chuckled as he grabbed his nephew's shoulder.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not tempted, but…"

"Right, someone needs to lead those miserably old fools. Hmmm… such a waste." Dravemir shook his head in disappointment.

"I'm glad to hear how you feel about me, brother." Drakhalon's and Aron's fathers walked through space to appear in front of everyone; it was obvious that Drakhalon and Aron took after him. Two dozen elders followed him through that ripple in space. Dravemir scoffed as he looked at the group.

"You know I don't mean you, brother. Those leeches behind you are a different story. Speaking of leeches. Where is Aron?" Dravemir asked as he looked around for Aron. Drakhalon and Aron were twins, but they could not be more different from each other.

"He says he wants to be there for the birth of his child. So I allowed him to…"

"Bullshit, brother! Drakhalon's woman is in childbirth as well, yet here he is, fulfilling his duties. You spoil that little brat too much." Aron's father gave no response to Dravemir's harsh words. He simply lowered his head and took a breath.

"Maybe, but you need to understand him a little. If he was born in any other generation, he would be touted as an absolute gem. But he has been overshadowed by not only his twin brother but also some young lady who came out of nowhere." Aron's father said as he looked over at Roratha and nodded towards her respectfully. Roratha nodded in response.

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"Perhaps… still doesn't make him less of a coward."

"Father, it's fine. He is quite skilled, but he wouldn't be much help in this situation anyway. Also, if this goes to hell, having him take over isn't the worst thing." Roratha said.

"You only say that because that boy's woman is your friend. But… she is quite impressive herself… hmmmmm… whatever. I don't want this to sour my mood." Dravemir waved off the conversation of his useless nephew and turned to look back at the island they found themselves on. Aron's father walked towards the front of the group standing atop a cliff face. He surveyed the area, and a concerned look appeared on his face.

"Are we sure that the creature is here?" He asked as he could spot no signs of the large beast that was supposed to be there. Only an uninhabited barren island.

"Yes… I've been observing the area for some time, and there is a spatial barrier here. I can only assume the creature in question put it in place. I've been trying to figure out how to penetrate it. I'm almost done." Roratha spoke. Aron's father refocused himself and picked up on the barrier the girl spoke of.

"I see. Extraordinary, this is a highly complex flooding of space. I wouldn't be surprised that when we enter, the inside will be far larger than would be possible for this tiny island." Aron's father spoke,

"I agree… and I've created a gap. It won't last long." Roratha relayed as a portal appeared in front of them. The entire group quickly walked through the portal formed by Roratha, who was the last to enter after everyone else.

What she saw on the other side of the portal made her jaw drop. They found themselves on top of another cliff face; they were now overlooking a massive, lush forest that seemed to go on forever. The trees and plant life were nothing like anything that grew on Earth. However, there were no sounds of wildlife. The only sound was the rustling of trees in the wind. This was an honest-to-god pocket dimension formed by this dragon. Roratha's breathing began to pick up as she and the others spotted the dragon in question.

"Holy shit," Roratha mumbled.

Down in the middle of the forest was a giant red mound. It had scales that shined like the finest rubies. Its tail wrapped around its resting body. The tail's length was hard to calculate, but its thickness formed a several-story-high ruby-red wall. On top of that red mound was a pair of black-feathered wings. Before they could fully process what was happening, a voice spoke out to them.

"It seems I have visitors. I assume you are here to see me, as you have gone to great lengths to break into my nest." The voice echoed around them as if they were talking directly to the world.

"Y-Yes, we have come to speak with you. You have violated a few of our rules, and we would like an explanation." Aron's father spoke as he gathered his courage.

"Is that so? Very well…" At her word, the large group was teleported against their will and found themselves standing in front of the large red dragon head. Her giant claws were positioned behind them, and her large purple eyes stared daggers into their souls. On her head was a crown of black feathers that had blood-red tips, the same as her wings.

They could feel the world bear down on them once they made eye contact with the Red Dragon.

"How interesting. It looks like the humans here have strong ties with them. Hmmm, that would explain your arrogance. Well? Speak, what rules have I broken?" The Red Dragon inquired. The voice that echoed was surprisingly calm. The pressure they felt faded away as she closed her eyes and rested her head. A single glance was all she had spared them.

"My name is Tenebrisar Murmus, the current leader of the Persequions of Heka." Aron's father spoke with confidence at the Red Dragon, which didn't seem too interested.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Was the Dragon's response.

"We guard humans from the threat of monsters… like yourself…" He continued,

"Excuse me?" The eye facing the Persequions opened to stare at the humans before her. There was a low growl that caused the earth to quake beneath their feet.

"I apologize if my statement offended you. Please, let me continue." Tenebrisar bowed his head.

"Very well, continue." The large eye closed once again.

"There are plenty of monsters who choose to live with the humans and avoid causing trouble, but there are rules they need to follow. The first being that they can not claim large expanses of land for themselves and must report frequently, also…"

"I've heard enough. I will not have my movements and choices limited, on my own planet by a pack of mice."

"Your planet? What makes it your planet?" Dravemir asked through gritted teeth as he tried to maintain his composure. He understood that even if they could kill this beast, most of them would die here today. He'd hope something obviously so old and powerful would be reasonable. Their legends spoke of dragons having an extremely prideful nature. How unfortunate that was the case.

"I exist on it; therefore, it is mine. If anything, we should be discussing your need to pay tribute… rent, if you will." The dragon's laughter began to echo, its eyes still closed and not paying the humans much attention.

All of the Theronite and Persequion could feel their blood rising. Many of them were ready to throw their lives away if it meant killing this thing. There was no point in trying to reason with such a prideful creature; at any moment it could change its mind and go on a rampage, and before they could gather a force large enough to deal with it, it could flee.

If there was ever a time to kill it, now would be the time. As this thought began to float in their minds, they heard the dragon sigh.

"You humans are so uptight. That was a joke… the rent bit, not the planet being mine. That part was legitimate. However, I have no intention of staying here long." The Red Dragon laughed.

"What do you mean?" Roratha was the first to ask.

The dragon opened its eyes and turned its massive head towards Roratha. It lifted its inside claw to reveal a toddler-sized egg with a pulsating embryo.

"Once my child is born and has undergone their first shedding, I plan on leaving this world with them. Simple, really." The Red Dragon spoke.

"How long before he hatches and how long before his first shedding?" Tenebrisar inquired.

"He'll be hatching within the next few days, and his first shedding will be in 20 to 30 years." The dragon responded.

"How can we trust you won't cause trouble during that time?" Drakhalon asked.

"Do you know I've been here 5 years already? Waiting for my child to hatch? And any unpleasantness that happens today, will be because of your aggressive arrogance." The dragon started to laugh, and a chill ran down everyone's spine. This massive, powerful creature had been living under their noses for five years without any of them noticing.

"20 to 30 years is a long time. What will you do if your child decides they don't want to leave?" Drakhalon asked, hoping against hope that she would say,

"Then I guess we'll just have to stay." Not that…

"If you and your child decide to stay… will you express your rights as the owner of this world?" Drakhalon asked again.

There was no point in trying to argue with the Dragon about whether this world belonged to her or not. All he could do was sort out her intentions and hope they could gain ground there.

"Perhaps… I'm not sure. It would depend on the child."

"And if we don't agree with your claim?" Drakhalon had taken control of the conversation in place of his father.

"Well… I suppose we would have to sort out the hierarchy. It would be so simple if you humans just bent to authority. But your kind is so stubborn. You desperately hold on to any power you have and never learn unless there's a tragedy. So tell me… will there be a tragedy today?" The Red Dragon opened her eyes again and stared at the group.

The look in those large, slit eyes screamed indifference. She saw them as nothing more than pests, annoyances. In reality, the Persequions could feel the gap in their strength. This creature was outrageous; resisting its presence alone was already a losing battle for most of them gathered there. Drakhalon looked around at everyone, and they all nodded, showing their resolve.

"It looks like it." He sighed.

"What a shame… really." At her word, her massive front claw smashed down on the back line of Persequion faster than anyone could react. They didn't even have the chance to scream; 10 Persequion were simply reduced to red paste in an instant.

They didn't have time to mourn, as the dragon giant's maw was now bearing down on Drakhalon and Roratha's group. The speed was something that Roratha and Drakhalon could only marvel at in their last moments. However, both felt their bodies hurling backward as Tenebrisar and Dravemir flung them out of the way. The two brothers, along with several elders, formed a multi-layered spatial barrier. Essentially creating a miniature pocket dimension for themselves.

That barrier, as impressive as it may be, was nothing before the might of a dragon's fangs. It ripped through the barrier like wet tissue. Tenebrisar saw this and instantly extended his hand to teleport his brother and everyone else in the area away. He was assisted by 5 other Elders. Dravemir was their strongest fighter; Tenebrisar could not allow him to die in vain in the opening moments of this fight. Tenebrisar smiled as his last words echoed in their ears.

"Live!" They all saw the red maw snap shut around Tenebrisar and 5 elders before they were teleported several hundreds of meters away.

"Dammit!!! Goddammit!!!" Drakhalon shouted in rage, slamming his fist into a tree, pulverizing it. He could do nothing but watch his father get devoured by that monster.

"Calm down… Your father and the elders have given us a golden opportunity. We can gather ourselves here and plan out the next steps. She seems oddly devoted to her child; she won't leave her egg, so…" Before he could finish speaking, the sound of screaming winds could be heard. A powerful gust blew through the forest, almost knocking them off their feet. They looked in the direction where the wind came from, and there were two black-feathered wings, towering like skyscrapers. Their massive size cast an ominous shadow on the remaining Persequions, and the Red Dragon's voice echoed,

"Do not despair just yet. Your tragedy has just begun." At that moment, there was a scream and a loud bang. Roratha gasped as she felt blood splash across her face. Three Persequion near her exploded as a black feather larger than her had zipped past them.

"Everyone take cover!!!" Dravemir shouted as the sky was blotted out with a rain of feathers. Thus began the darkest day in Persequion history.

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