The night wind howled like a hungry beast, tearing across the frozen lake and sinking its icy fangs into the skin of the slaves huddled together on the ship's deck.
Their breath came in ragged, misty puffs, their trembling bodies betraying a terror far colder than the night itself.
Kael crouched among them, his sharp gaze fixed on the man standing at the bow - Garrick.
The wind lashed at Garrick's fur-lined coat, making it billow like the cloak of some dark warlord.
But if the cold touched him, he showed no sign. His lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile, cruel and knowing.
The moonlight carved deep shadows into his face, highlighting the wicked amusement dancing in his sharp eyes.
"So," Garrick drawled, his voice a velvet purr of mockery. "Who wants to go first?"
No one answered.
The slaves stiffened, exchanging frantic, silent glances. Their fear was a living thing, thick in the air, pressing against them like unseen chains.
Then...
A single voice shattered the silence.
"P-Please, not me!"
A man stumbled forward, his hands raised in supplication, fingers twitching with sheer desperation. His breath came in short gasps, as though the terror itself was squeezing the air from his lungs. "I swear - I swear I had nothing to do with the rebellion!"
Garrick arched an eyebrow, his smirk widening. A glint of recognition flickered in his eyes.
"Ahahaha! Well, well… Thomas." He drew out the name, savoring it. "My dear old friend."
Then, with nothing more than a lazy flick of his fingers.
Thomas's body jerked.
A strangled gasp escaped his lips as his limbs stiffened unnaturally. His feet moved on their own, dragging him forward like a marionette with invisible strings. His breath hitched, his pupils blown wide with horror.
"No… no… NO!" Thomas struggled, his muscles straining against an unseen force. But his body ignored his screams, marching him straight toward Garrick.
Garrick leaned in close, lowering his voice to a hushed whisper, a cruel mockery of intimacy.
"You're the son of the former village chief, aren't you?" His breath ghosted over Thomas's ear, warm against the icy night. "Do me a favor - send my regards to your father."
His voice dropped even lower.
"He gave me a place to stay, once."
A sharp chuckle.
"Now, I return the favor."
Thomas's breath came in short, frantic bursts. His lips parted, desperate words spilling out. "Garrick, wait this isn't what you promi-"
But he never finished the sentence.
In one swift motion, Garrick grabbed him by the collar.
And flung him over the railing.
The world exploded in sound.
SPLOOOSH!
The impact sent a sharp echo rippling across the lake. Water sprayed high into the air before crashing back down in a thousand shattered droplets.
For a moment, there was only the sound of the wind.
~ ~ ~ then.
A scream.
Raw, unfiltered, terrified.
Thomas flailed in the freezing depths, his voice rising in a shriek that tore through the night like a wounded animal's cry. "No… no! Garrick, PLEASE! I'll do anything take my soul, take my SOUL! Just SAVE ME!"
Garrick merely watched, his expression unreadable.
The water stirred.
At first, just a ripple.
Then, the surface broke with a series of bubbles - small at first, then growing, bursting violently into the night air.
A shadow loomed beneath Thomas.
A shape.
A presence.
Dark. Enormous. Rising.
Thomas sucked in a shuddering breath, his body going rigid. "No… no… NOOO! Garrick you BASTARD!"
The lake exploded.
A massive geyser of water erupted skyward, drenching the ship's deck in icy spray. The impact sent waves lapping violently against the hull, rocking the vessel like a toy in the grasp of a monstrous hand.
And then - a beast rose from the depths.
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A sinuous, nightmarish creature, its serpentine body gleaming like wet obsidian under the moonlight. Scales, slick and black as ink, glistened as they broke the surface, water cascading from its monstrous form. Its eyes two pools of molten gold locked onto Thomas with an unnatural, predatory hunger.
Then, it opened its mouth.
Rows of jagged, uneven teeth glinted like knives, stretching wide enough to swallow a man whole.
Terror ripped through the air.
The slaves screamed. Some stumbled back, some collapsed, their knees giving out beneath them. Even the guards, so full of laughter a moment ago, instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.
But Garrick?
Garrick only grinned.
"One down," he murmured, turning his gaze back to the trembling slaves. His smile widened.
"Who's next?"
Screams filled the air.
Some slaves fell to their knees, sobbing. Others clasped their hands together in frantic prayer, their lips moving soundlessly. One man, driven beyond reason, crawled forward on all fours, clutching at the hem of Garrick's boot.
"P-Please," he gasped, his voice cracking. "Spare me! I'll do anything, I'll—"
Thud!
Garrick sneered as he drove his heel into the man's face, sending him sprawling across the frozen deck. Blood dripped from his split lip onto the icy wood.
"This is what you wanted, isn't it?" Garrick said, his voice thick with mockery. He spread his arms wide, as if addressing an adoring audience. "Freedom."
A slow, cruel smile curled his lips.
"Well—here it is."
He pivoted sharply, his boots clacking against the wood as he strode toward the stern of the ship. The slaves shrank away, but one figure in the center caught his eye.
Kael.
The boy was still kneeling, frozen in shock. His face was pale, his knuckles clenched white. His breath came in short, ragged bursts, his eyes locked onto the dark water where Thomas had vanished.
Garrick exhaled a quiet chuckle. "You."
Kael's head snapped up.
Garrick's smirk widened. "Oh, don't look so scared. You're the most valuable one here, after all."
He gestured to the rest of the slaves with a lazy wave. "So sit tight, little prince, and watch closely… as your friends become dragon food."
He turned to his men.
"All except this one—line them up at the edge."
A sickening hum filled the air.
The slave collars glowed.
Instantly, the captives jerked upright, their bodies moving against their will. Their eyes widened in horror as invisible chains dragged them forward, their limbs stiff, their muscles betraying them.
Some fought back, their legs trembling, their mouths forming silent screams. Others let their heads drop in resignation, their expressions hollow.
Kael's stomach twisted into a knot. "No. No, no, NO."
"Stop," he rasped, his voice barely more than a breath.
Garrick tilted his head, pretending to consider it. Then he laughed.
"Drop them."
The guards shoved.
The air split with shrieks as the slaves tumbled into the abyss.
Kael lurched forward, but the guards held him back. His fingers clawed at the deck as he struggled, his mind screaming.
The moment their bodies hit the lake, the collars released.
But it was too late.
Some tried to swim back toward the ship. Others flailed helplessly, their breath coming in ragged gasps as the water leeched the warmth from their skin.
And beneath them—
The lake churned.
The shadow moved.
BOOOOOM!
The dragon eel erupted from the depths, its monstrous form cutting through the icy blackness like a nightmare come to life.
Its eyes gleamed.
Its jaws snapped closed.
Crunch!
The water turned red.
Screams died mid-air.
Shreds of clothing and broken limbs floated to the surface. A sickening silence followed—a silence more suffocating than any noise.
Kael could taste iron on his tongue.
His chest rose and fell in rapid bursts, his lungs gasping for air that suddenly felt too thin.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
But the image wouldn't leave.
It was burned there.
The blood. The splintered bones.
The night was filled with the sounds of terror—screams, sobs, and the occasional splash as the dragon hunted its prey.
A single voice rose from the depths, weak, shivering.
"Brother Giswan… I'm sorry. I'm sorry for running away…"
Lira floated in the water, her tears mixing with the icy lake.
To her left and right, the other uneaten slaves struggled to stay afloat, their faces filled with despair. Beneath them, the dragon eel's shadow loomed, its glowing eyes slowly rising to the surface.
The creature emerged, its massive head towering over the slaves. It let out a deafening roar, KHAAAARRRR!, its breath reeking of death.
Lira closed her eyes, her voice barely a whisper. "Goodbye, Brother Giswan…"
The dragon dove back into the water.
"Hey, isn't that the maid from Marta's house?" one of Garrick's men said, pointing at Lira.
"Huh? Lira?" Kael's head snapped up, his eyes widening.
"Poor old Marta," the guard continued, chuckling. "She'll have no one to make her tea now."
The dragon's shadow coiled beneath her.
It was circling.
Toying with her.
Waiting.
And then—
It lunged.
But instead of devouring her outright, the beast's massive tail shot up, slamming into the lake. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the water.
The force flung Lira into the air.
Her body arced upward, her scream tearing through the night.
And the dragon was waiting for her descent.
Its gaping maw opened wide, ready to swallow her whole.
DUK DUK DUK!
Kael's boots pounded against the deck as he sprinted toward the edge of the ship.
"Stop him!" Garrick shouted, his voice filled with rage.
Two guards moved to intercept him.
But Kael leaped.
Golden fire ignited around him as he shot through the air, the Engine's power crackling like a living storm.
"LIRAAAA!"
Lira's eyes snapped open. "Kael?!"
Kael soared through the air, his fist clenched and glowing with golden energy. "Hey, ugly eel! Over here!"
The dragon turned its head.
He pulled his arm back, the Engine's power crackling like lightning. "STAR GINGAAAA!"
His fist, wreathed in golden energy, smashed into the beast's snout.
BAAAM!
The impact sent a shockwave rolling through the monster's massive frame. Its head snapped backward, its whole body recoiling from the force of the blow.
Kael spun in midair.
Lira was falling.
He reached out—
Their hands met.
Kael caught her, pulling her close.
But they were still airborne—too far from the ship.
And the lake was waiting below.
Kael's eyes flicked downward.
The dragon, still reeling from his punch, had momentarily arched its enormous body upward. Its broad back lay beneath them—just close enough.
Perfect.
Kael twisted his body, angling their descent.
His boots slammed onto the dragon's body.
The moment his feet met its scaly hide—
He kicked off.
A deafening BOOOM echoed across the lake as Kael launched himself skyward.
The sheer force of his jump sent a shockwave down the dragon's spine.
The creature buckled.
Its massive form lurched—its balance lost—and with an earth-shaking CRASH, it slammed back into the water.
Waves exploded outward as the beast sank beneath the surface, disappearing into the abyss below.
Kael soared through the air, the ship's deck rushing up to meet him.
He twisted his body at the last second, absorbing the impact as his feet slammed onto the wooden planks.
BOOOOM!
The ship trembled under the force of his landing.
Lira was safe in his arms.
Garrick's smirk faltered. "How… how is this possible?"
Kael stood tall, his voice steady. "You think I'm afraid of you? Or this collar?"
Kael lifted a hand to his neck.
The sound of metal snapping.
CRACK.
The collar shattered like brittle glass.
It hit the deck with a dull clang.
He turned to Lira, his expression softening. "Let me get yours too."
CRACK!
The guards stumbled back.
One of them whispered, "Boss... h-he broke the collar..."
Garrick stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "So, your name is Kael. I heard it from that old hag who sold you to me."
Kael's golden eyes burned as he turned to face Garrick.
"So." Garrick's smirk returned.
"You've got a nice Engine, kid. Even though I wanted to sell you at a high price to that person."
He rolled his shoulders, slowly reaching for the whip at his side.
"But let me show you how to really use one."
The air grew heavy.
Garrick's whip ignited with red energy—twisting, writhing, hungry.
"Meet my Tyrant Engine."