Tales from Terrestria Chapter 2: The Dragon Lord

 Chapter 2: The Dragon Lord

Once upon a time, on an isolated island that was not too far from the mainland but still required a watercraft to get to it, there was a young man named Drake. Though he was young and naive about the world, he still maintained a sense of optimism around him even when he endured the hardships of slavery. That’s right. Slavery. He didn’t know when or why but for some time, slave traders traveled across Terrestria kidnapping people and forcing them into hard labor with whips and all. When it came to how Drake was captured and forced into slavery, all he remembered was that he was lying in some grass near the sea where he and his family lived. Then a few minutes later, he found himself being captured by men wearing masks and dark clothing with one man covering his entire head in a bag. Despite his pleas for help, he felt himself getting muffled and passed out, completely helpless to the kidnappers. Next thing he knew, he was put in chains with 1 around his neck and 2 around his wrists. Since they were made of iron and he didn’t have the key to unlock them, he was forced to wear them while being told to go to work lest he die. Despite the chains being too tight for his neck and wrists, he was forced to endure it lest he get beaten or worse, killed. Even though he pleaded to be taken back home and see if his mother and father were alright, the slave drivers refused while cruelly claiming that his parents were dead and his home was gone so there was nowhere else to go. When he continued to plead for them to let him go, he found himself locked inside a prison where it was muddy and dark if not incredibly cramped. He could only rattle the cage bars, begging for someone to help him to no avail.

“Someone! Please! Let me outta here! I wanna go home!” Drake pleaded only for no one to respond. “Somebody… anybody… help me.”

“It’s no use kid,” a rough female voice said bluntly. “No one is coming to help you. Or any of us for that matter.”

“Hey lay off of him, he just got here,” a more refined male voice lectured the female voice. “Are you alright? They didn’t beat you too badly did they?”

“N-No not really,” Drake admitted as he turned around to see 3 people sitting in the darker part of the jail cell. “Who are you people?”

“Folks who were taken from their homes against their will like you and made into slaves,” a calmer voice revealed who also sounded masculine like the second voice was. “I’m sorry you had to experience this especially at your age.”

“What are your names?” Drake asked nervously. The moment he said this, the person with the calm voice stepped out into the shadows and revealed himself to be a tall man with more muscle on him and a slightly dark skinned complexion. He wore ragged clothing with some holes in them along with sandals before approaching Drake in a gentle manner. The man knelt down on his knee so he could look at Drake at his eye level before smiling at him. Judging from his tanned complexion and dark brown hair, Drake could only assume he was probably from the Eastern part of Terrestria.

“My name is Martin,” the man introduced himself before gesturing to the ones behind him. “And these are my friends Alphonse and Ivy.” As soon as he said this, the 2 other figures stepped out of the shadows and finally revealed themselves. Like Martin, they too wore rags that were expected of slaves though Ivy seemed to have lost one of her shoes. Alphonse was a bit taller than Martin and even had a slimmer figure compared to him though he did share the same dark skin like Martin if just a tad bit darker but with blonde hair. Ivy on the other hand had paler skin with freckles across the ridge of her nose and short strawberry blonde hair that was wild and untamed. She also had a relatively muscular build though not to the level of Martin’s body along with some scars on her body if her marred fingers and wrists were of any indication. But the one thing they all had in common was that they all wore chains on their necks and wrists like Drake did.

“So you must be the new recruit they dragged here,” Ivy said in a brusque yet sympathetic tone. “Sorry you had to find out this way.”

“What about my mommy and daddy? Surely they’ll find me right?” Drake asked with hope in his heart. The 3 older slaves glanced at one another with grimaces before glancing back at him with pity.

“It’s nice to think that way,” Alphonse admitted in a somber tone. “We all hoped and prayed that somebody would find us and save us from our bondage. But alas, nobody came and were forced to work in servitude whether we liked it or not.”

“I’m sorry,” Drake apologized in sympathy.

“It’s fine, you don’t need to apologize,” Alphonse assured him. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Still, the fact that a child like you managed to get caught up in this mess speaks volumes of how broken this world has become.”

“But I heard that slavery was banned years ago,” Drake commented.

“Yeah that’s what they WANT you to believe,” Ivy revealed in a bitter tone. “Didn’t stop those assholes from kidnapping us and buying us from illegal auctions. Just because something was banned or made outright illegal doesn’t mean bad people won’t do it anyways regardless of the consequences. But according to what the slave drivers told us, the rulers of the kingdom they were under contract with allowed it to happen. They had the seal of approval from the king himself.”

“What?!” Drake asked in horror. “That’s terrible!”

“Try telling that to them,” Ivy said in a disgruntled tone. “The fact that they showed us the contract the first chance they got just proves how drunk with power they’ve become and how much they enjoy flaunting their power over us.”

“So there’s no way to get off this island and go back to our homes?” Drake asked with worry.

“No, sadly not,” Martin said with a sad shake of his head. “We tried getting off the island in the past but it didn’t work. We always got caught or worse 1 of the slaves would rat us out so they could get benefits for themselves. Plus, there aren’t enough boats for us to leave altogether and there is the chance that they’ll send more guards and other slave traffickers after us. Still, that hasn’t stopped us from trying regardless.”

“Do you think we’ll ever get out of here?” Drake asked hopefully.

“I know we will,” Martin assured Drake. “Someday we’ll be free and we’ll show those slave drivers that they can’t keep us down no matter how hard they try.”

This gave Drake some hope as he immediately went to hug Martin who was taken aback by how eager he was at showing physical affection. Even so, he found Drake endearing enough to hug back with even Ivy and Alphonse also smiling in response. Despite the tense and tragic circumstances behind their first meeting, it was still the beginning of a beautiful friendship regardless with Drake finding himself becoming closer to Martin as they toiled together.

10 years later…

 

“Put your backs into it you lazy scumbags!” a portly slave driver named Wade shouted as he cracked his whip violently to the distress and irritation of the slaves. As for what they were doing, they were making bricks and cleaning up various parts of the island or at least the urbanized areas that the slave drivers had set up using said slaves. When they weren’t doing that, they were mining for more ores and other natural resources to be used for construction and other businesses. It was grueling and tiresome with the slaves having limited breaks not helping either. Of course no one could fight back due to the slaves being chained together and the slave drivers outnumbering them in numbers. Not to mention they had legal authority by the Estime Kingdom to control them and could report to their superiors should any of the slaves try anything funny. Either way, the slaves could do nothing to stand up to the slave drivers no matter how hard they tried.

“Hey you!” a skinny yet slimy slave driver named Preston shouted as he approached Drake who was scrubbing the floor. “Put your back into it! Don’t make me use my whip on you again like last time!” Drake could only shudder as he recalled what Preston was talking about due to the incident being fresh on his mind. A couple years back, Drake had grown exhausted after having to help with chores especially when the slave drivers’ unreasonable demands became too much for him. He had collapsed onto the ground with Martin being the one who noticed and took him back to his bed to rest. He offered to take on Drake’s chores himself so the young man could rest. Unfortunately, when the slave drivers found out why Drake wasn’t doing anything, they punished him severely. Despite Martin’s pleas for them to not hurt Drake, they refused to heed his words with Preston dragging Drake out of his bed and whipping him to the point of making him scream in pain and bleed all over. By the time Preston was finished, Drake was sprawled all over the floor begging for mercy before being sent back to his room as punishment. Martin managed to clean his wounds and treat them but even still, he could not get rid of the scars that were there.

Ever since that day, Drake hated the sounds of whips especially if they got too close. The scars on his back never fully healed and would be a constant reminder of what happened that day. It was both humiliating and terrifying for him especially since he could still feel the scars.

“You know, the more you beat him the less likely he'll be able to work right?” Alphonse pointed out while making sure to divert Preston's attention onto him. Preston scowled before approaching the man dangerously.

“What did you just say to me?” Preston asked coldly. “Do you wish to take his place, slave?”

“I'm just trying to point out the flaws in your methods that is all. It is nothing personal really,” Alphonse lied while maintaining a calm demeanor. He knew that Preston was merely a bully who only held power over him because of his status but without it, he was nothing. Preston felt his eye twitch before punching Alphonse in a fit of rage while cracking his whip against the ground again for good measure.

“Don't tell me how to do my job,” Preston sneered before leaving the area. The other slaves watched him exit the area with only the guards being left. Afterwards, the slaves were able to work more efficiently without Preston hovering over their shoulders even if Wade was still there. Ivy, who was helping Alphonse with brick making, checked on her friend with worry only to see him have a welt on his cheek where Preston hit him.

“Hey you alright? Ooh that looks bad,” Ivy asked with worry.

“Don't worry, I've experienced worse,” Alphonse assured her.

“Didn't we all at this point?” Ivy asked in a dry manner before turning to Drake who was scrubbing faster in fear. “Poor kid. He's so desperate to avoid being whipped again that he'll work himself to the bone.”

“Can't blame him for it,” Alphonse said with a frown. “Those wounds were not easy to clean, especially for one so young. He didn't deserve to be dragged into this mess.” The 2 could only watch as Drake continued to scrub the floors and walls desperately so he wouldn’t get beaten again. The first time Ivy found out what had happened, she confronted Preston and beat him senseless until she herself was detained by the guards and beaten to a pulp while also having at least half of her hair shaved off as a cruel joke. As for Alphonse, though he didn’t react as violently as Ivy did, he did glare at the slave drivers coldly while remaining passive aggressive towards them and may or may not have fantasized about smothering them in their sleep. Even so, they both knew they couldn’t do anything to directly attack the slave drivers or their guards lest they get themselves or even the other slaves killed.

Later on, Drake was sent to help Martin with mining for more ores using their pickaxes and various other tools to mine for more ores and materials to be used for later. As he did, albeit with a smaller pickaxe than Martin did, he found himself frowning as if he was deep in thought. This concerned Martin who gently nudged his shoulder, snapping Drake out of whatever he was thinking and pause his work.

“Hey, you doing okay there?” he asked.

“Huh? Oh sorry I guess I got… distracted again,” Drake replied apologetically.

“It’s fine you don’t need to apologize to me. Then again the slave drivers wouldn’t be too happy to see you distracted again so you may need to be careful,” Martin warned. “Anyways, what’s gotten you preoccupied again?”

            “Preoccupied… that means distracted right?” Drake asked to which Martin nodded.

            “Very good,” Martin commended. “You’re remembering our lessons involving vocabulary. So, what exactly has been keeping you preoccupied this time?”

“I had that weird dream again,” Draka revealed, prompting Martin to become surprised.

“The one involving the red dragon?” Martin asked, with Drake nodding in confirmation.

“Yeah. It’s always the same one,” Drake continued. “I find myself in a dark place and standing before a giant red dragon trapped in a golden cage. I try to free it by pulling at the locked door only to fail with the dragon getting angry at me. It always happens whenever I have that dream and I don’t even know what it means. What do you think it means?”

“I honestly couldn’t tell you,” Martin admitted. “Maybe it’s a sign of something big happening in the future but who knows? Perhaps it’s a sign of your inner self telling you something.”

“But WHAT exactly is it telling me?” Drake questioned. “I need to know so that the weird dreams I have will finally stop. They’re starting to scare me in ways that I can’t explain, especially the giant dragon. It seems so…. angry all the time. Angry at ME even though I never did anything to it.”

“Don’t worry about it Drake,” Martin assured Drake. “I’m sure we can figure something out-”

“Martin! Drake!” Wade called out to them, prompting them to turn in his direction. He stood in front of the cave they were in where the mining was being done before gesturing with his head. “The boss wants to see you so hurry up before I get the guards to drag you out. Don’t be late.” As soon as he said this, he turned around and left the area, leaving the 2 slaves wondering what he could possibly want with them.

“You don’t think we’re in trouble again are we?” Drake asked fearfully. “I don’t wanna get whipped again.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll just be more chores for us to do,” Martin assured his honorary brother, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt at easing his worries. “If anything happens to you, I’ll take the brunt of it I swear.”

“But I don’t want you to,” Drake pleaded as he hugged Martin while they exited the cave. “I want you to stay alive so we can be free together. You, me and everyone else.”

“That is a nice thought,” Martin said with a sad smile as they arrived at the main office where the leader of the slave drivers and guards was staying. He had a portly appearance and smoked from a large cigar while slouching back on his chair, counting the money that he had on his desk. The moment he saw them arrive, he put the money away before greeting them with a seemingly friendly grin.

“Ah there are my 2 finest and most diligent workers,” the portly man said in a jovial tone.

“Hello Sir Stefan Carvalho,” Martin greeted in a polite yet flat tone. “What is it that you wish for us to do?”

“I have a VERY special assignment for the both of you!” Stefan said while still maintaining his jovial tone. “You see, we acquired a unique chest that is full of treasure a couple days ago and don’t have enough guards to watch over it. And given how there have been rumors of bandit sightings near this island and the Estime Kingdom, we need to be extra careful now and make sure no one steals it.”

“So you want us to guard the treasure chest?” Drake asked, to which Stefan responded by nodding.

“Of course,” Stefan confirmed. “If you do, you won’t have to work for another few months and can focus solely on guarding the treasure chest. It shouldn’t be too difficult for the both of you, especially you Drake. You have been our hardest worker and the most diligent compared to the other slaves we have on the island besides Martin.”

“Okay but what’s the catch?” Martin asked suspiciously with narrowed eyes. “I assume this task will not come without a price.” As soon as he asked this, Stefan glanced at Martin with a slightly sharp glare but it disappeared before Drake could notice.

“Well there IS a price but it is a good one in fact,” Stefan said in a seemingly reassuring tone. “If you can protect this treasure for…. let’s say 2 months, you will win your freedom.” The moment he said this, Drake’s eyes widened in shock and hope with Martin becoming stunned but not for the same reasons. Wait, so we’ll finally be free? the young man hoped in his heart. We can leave the island and I can go back home? Home to my mommy and daddy? Martin unfortunately did NOT share Drake’s enthusiasm and was filled with even more doubt regarding the portly slave driver’s true intentions. He had heard of him making similar deals with previous slaves before and they either died or were still kept as slaves against their will. If this deal was anything like the ones he gave to the others, then it would lead to either his or Drake’s deaths if not more suffering on their parts.

“Are you being serious right now?” Martin asked with increasing suspicion. “You’re not trying to screw us over are you?”

“No of course not,” Stefan assured the man with a congenial smile. “I am being VERY sincere right now. Out of everyone on the island, you 2 have been the most diligent workers we have had in years. You deserve a chance to prove your worth in being set free by taking on this task. As long as you do not open the chest or try to take anything from inside, you will be set free. I’ll even provide you with certificates that will prove you earned your freedom in the meantime.”

“Really?! Thank you, thank you! We’ll do it!” Drake exclaimed with joy. “But if we are going to be free…. can you at least free some of our friends too? Ivy and Alphonse have been working alongside us these past 10 years and deserve to be freed as well. Is that alright with you sir?” Martin began to panic especially when he saw the guards and other slave drivers within the room glare at Drake. One guard looked as if he was going to cut Drake down for daring to act so audacious which prompted Martin to place a hand on Drake’s shoulder in a protective manner. Stefan’s face twitched for a bit at Drake’s request before putting on a smile that was definitely more forced than before, not that the young man noticed it due to his naivete. After a slight pause, Stefan took a deep breath before giving his answer.

“But of course,” he claimed. “You are welcome to invite your friends in your impending liberation. The more the merrier I suppose. You can even inform them of the task at hand and if they help you, they will be freed without any strings attached.”

“Is that so?” Martin asked, raising his eyebrow. Stefan merely continued to grin with said grin looking a lot more sinister now before raising his left hand.

“I swear on my honor that I will let you go if you complete this simple task for me,” Stefan insisted despite knowing that there was no honor in his promise. “If you accept this task, I will begin writing your freedom certificates and let you and your friends go. Sounds good for you?”

“YES! THANK YOU!” Drake exclaimed. “I mean, ahem, yes Sir. Thank you. We won’t let you down.”

“Sure, whatever you say,” Martin answered with a shrug, not believing the man’s promise one bit.

“Now, take that chest with you and go back to your rooms,” Stefan said as he dismissed them with a wave of his hand. “Try not to spill its contents while you’re at it.”

“We won’t! We promise!” Drake declared as he and Martin went to grab the chest and carried it together with their hands underneath the bottom. Of course as they left the office with the admittedly heavy chest, Martin noticed Stefan’s friendly smile turn outright sinister with his left hand having his fingers crossed. Despite wanting to warn Drake about what his intentions were, he didn’t want to ruin the young man’s optimism and decided to keep it a secret for now but planned on telling Ivy and Alphonse about the task once they placed the chest in their private room. Drake honestly thinks that Stefan will keep his promise but I know better, he thought to himself glumly as he and Drake placed the chest in their room. I can’t tell him about what Stefan is planning on doing to us, it would break his spirit more than necessary. His optimism is one of the few things that brighten up our dreary days. I don’t want to be responsible for breaking his heart and making him lose hope. Maybe we can use this task to our advantage though I’ll need to consult Ivy and Alphonse on this.

“Isn’t this great?” Drake asked in excitement. “We finally have a chance to be free! I can go home again! I can even introduce you to my family!”

“That would be nice,” Martin said in a soft yet somber tone. “But didn’t the slave drivers tell you that your parents died?”

“No, they ARE alive,” Drake insisted. “I just know it! They probably said that just to keep me on the island. I wanna go home and see them again no matter what.” The determination in his tone was palpable but so was his denial. While it could be argued that he had the benefit of the doubt and there was no actual proof that they actually DID die, Martin wasn’t sure if they were even alive at all. It also didn’t help that Drake hadn’t seen them in years and was desperate to go home and see them again regardless of whether they were alive or not. Despite wanting to be honest with him on how he felt regarding the fates of his parents, he held his tongue so as to not dim his brother’s spirits any further. Given how he himself lost his parents when he was not much older than Drake before being taken and forced to work as a slave, he greatly empathized with Drake’s desperation and desire to go back home. He could only pray that even if he did somehow succeed in getting back to his parents, he would not fall into despair should the slave drivers have been right about what happened to them.

“Then we’ll just need to keep an eye on this thing for the next 2 months,” Martin said in response while patting the chest lid for good measure. “That is IF Stefan doesn’t extend the deadline in the meantime. Don’t forget to tell Ivy and Alphonse while we’re at it. We may need their help in protecting this chest from any intruders or robbers.”

“Okay!” Drake said with a grin before hugging him. “I’m so happy. In 2 months, we’ll be free just like you said!”

“Yeah we will,” Martin said as he hugged Drake back with feelings of sadness in his heart over the potential danger they were in. “At least, I hope so.”

Later that evening, Ivy and Alphonse were informed of what the task Drake and Martin were assigned to by Stefan and like Martin, they became very suspicious over what he had planned for them both once 2 months had passed. In the meantime, Drake was working on something with a piece of string and carving what appeared to be small wooden spheres. He started rubbing the wooden spheres using a horsetail plant while also carefully poking holes into the spheres using a small knife that he borrowed from the slave workshops. Whenever he wasn’t working under the eyes of the slave drivers, he would be working on a secret project for months by now and was almost done. Whatever it was, the others didn’t bother asking him for details since they knew that it must be important if he was willing to devote his time into doing something like this even if it risked being caught by the guards.

“So he promised to let you leave this place and take us with you if you protected this thing?” Ivy asked in a hushed tone while pointing at the chest in disbelief. “I don’t buy it.”

“Yeah I didn’t buy it either,” Martin admitted with a shake of his head. “Something tells me that Stefan has something truly awful planned for us. He called us his most ‘diligent workers’ but at the same time had this really creepy smile on his face when he said this. Also I saw him crossing his fingers as we were about to leave. That can’t be a good sign.”

“No it most certainly cannot,” Alphonse pondered. “Perhaps this is all some elaborate scheme to get either you or Drake killed. I mean, this wouldn’t be the first time he’s pulled something like this.”

“But what he is planning this time is what I’m worried about,” Martin suspected. “Is there something inside the treasure chest that we don’t know about? Is there a trap inside?”

“Why don’t we check it out?” Ivy asked. “That way we can avoid whatever trap the slave drivers set for you inside the chest.”

“It might be too risky,” Alphonse admitted. “Plus there is a chance that the guards or slave drivers will find out about this and punish all of us severely. We can’t put Drake through that now can we?”

“No,” Ivy admitted with a grimace as she recalled what happened to Drake. “We can’t do that to him.”

“Done!” Drake shouted, catching the other’s attention.

“Oh? What did you finish?” Martin asked out of curiosity. Drake smiled as he immediately ran to the others, showing them what he had made. As it turns out, it was a wooden bracelet with the wooden part coming from the round spheres Drake created using the whittling tools he had on him. Upon closer examination, Martin noticed that he had managed to carve letters into 4 of the beads, namely the letters M, I, A and D. “I assume those letters represent our names?”

“Yep!” Drake confirmed with a smile. “I figured that since it has been 10 years since we first met and you have been teaching me how to read or write, I decided to make this for you. I wanted to make some more for Ivy and Alphonse but didn’t have enough wood. Sorry.”

“That’s fine,” Ivy assured Drake. “Seeing the first letters of our names on that bracelet is enough for me.”

“Same for me,” Alphonse agreed with a smile. “Your writing has gotten better too.”

“Thanks,” Drake replied with his smile growing bigger before turning back to face Martin. “What do you think of this? You like it?”

Martin stared at the bracelet in surprise before putting it on his right wrist and getting a closer look. After seeing that the bracelet fit him like a glove and seeing that Drake put a lot of heart and soul into making it for him, he smiled before wrapping his little brother in the biggest hug he could muster. It got even better when Ivy and Alphonse also joined in, turning a single hug into a group hug to Drake’s joy. Once they finished hugging, Martin smiled as he patted Drake’s head affectionately before giving his response.

“It’s perfect,” he praised, making Drake smile even more. “You worked very hard on this, didn't you?”

“Yes I did,” Drake confirmed with a nod. “I made it while we were on our breaks and even in the middle of the night but kept it secret because I didn’t want the guards or slave drivers to find out and take the tools that I needed to make this. I hope you like it.”

“I LOVE it,” Martin assured Drake. “I’ll wear this when I have the chance but I have to be careful as the slave drivers may not appreciate such creativity. Let’s just keep this as our little secret shall we?”

“Okay,” Drake said before turning to the window of their room. “The sky looks clear tonight. Do you think we’ll see any stars tonight?” The 3 older slaves glanced at one another and grinned before Martin gently grabbed Drake’s hand to the young man’s surprise.

“Guess we’ll be finding out tonight,” he said in a surprisingly mischievous tone. The 4 of them snuck out of their rooms while making sure to avoid the guards who were patrolling. But it wasn’t necessary for the guards to keep a watch out for them as they had no intentions of escaping, or at least not yet. They all fled as quickly and silently as they could before heading to the shores of the island they were on. It was a quiet and calm night with the full Moon shining down on the sea, giving off an ethereal sight. Even better was that the stars were out in the open and could be seen a bit more clearly above the waves which mesmerized Drake.

“They’re so pretty,” Drake said in silent awe while reaching out to grasp the star. “I wish I could just…. fly up and touch them with my hands.”

“That would be neat,” Martin agreed. “The stars provide us with hope especially for travelers who had to venture out into the night. They are also said to represent the souls of those who died before us.”

“Like the slaves who were here?” Drake asked in a somber tone.

“Yeah you can say that,” Martin replied. “Maybe those stars are telling us that they’re free at last and hopefully at peace.” As soon as he said this, the mood turned sober for everyone as they recalled the many friends they had made whose lives were lost thanks to the cruelty of the slave traffickers and their allies. Whether it be from being worked to death, failed attempts at escaping the island or executed for the pettiest of reasons, they all died tragically with some more painful than others. Even so, looking up at the stars brought some peace for the quartet especially when Drake saw some ducks flying by, creating a silhouette across the Moon.

“I wish I could fly like them,” Drake commented. “Fly away and be free from this place. Free to travel and go wherever I want.”

“I’m sure you will one day,” Alphonse assured him. “Even if you don’t have Essence, perhaps one day you will be able to ride a vehicle that can fly in the air and see the world.”

“Or you could simply go on a ship,” Ivy pointed out, causing the others to chuckle a bit. “Even so, I would KILL for a chance to get off this rock and do something more meaningful in my life with the first thing I’d like to do is being able to kick the asses of those slave masters who brought us here.”

“Same here,” Martin admitted sardonically. “Wouldn’t mind beating them to a pulp after everything they put us through that’s for sure.”

“But can’t we leave this place WITHOUT violence?” Drake asked. “Sure they were mean to us but we have a chance to leave this place without hurting them or worse killing them.”

“That’s the hard thing about life, Drake,” Ivy said in a sympathetic yet blunt tone. “You can’t go through it without hurting others or being hurt in return. You saw how those slave drivers and their guards acted towards us. They treat us like trash and have no problem disposing of us for the pettiest of reasons. It’s not only because they’re being paid to do this, they do this because they ENJOY hurting others as long as they can get away with it. If we REALLY want to be free, we have to show them that we’re not the kind to be taken down so easily. Sooner or later, we’ll have to fight for our freedom especially since there’s a high chance that we’ll die if we don’t. We deserve better than this.”

“But still, we’re going to be free soon. Sir Stefan said that he would free us if we protected the treasure. He can’t be lying about that,” Drake insisted.

“Drake, you have to understand,” Martin pointed out. “Many of our fellow slaves DIED because of him with some never getting a chance to leave the island. Plus you’ve heard of the incidents where he had some of the slaves executed just for standing up for themselves or their friends. We’re lucky that the same thing didn’t happen to us. Even if he claims that he will set us free and promised, there’s always a chance that he’ll change his mind just to screw with us.”

“I guess,” Drake agreed reluctantly. “I wish that we could just handle things peacefully and without fighting. That way the world would be a better place for us to live in.”

“We all do,” Alphonse admitted. “Well most of us do as there will be some who may think of you as naive such as those slave drivers. Even so, we must never give up hope nor forget about the bonds we made with one another.”

“Right,” Ivy agreed. “Even if we’re away from our friends and families at home, nothing can tear us apart. Those assholes can take away our freedom but they can’t take away the friendship that we have.”

“No matter what happens, whether we are free or not, I’ll always be by your side and so will they,” Martin assured Drake as he pulled him into a hug. Drake hugged him back as tightly as he could with the others smiling at them at this adorable scene.

“Yes you will,” Drake agreed with hope in his heart. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“I see a lot of potential within you,” Martin revealed. “You have a strength within you that most slaves don’t have. I don’t even think I possess the fire within you. If anything were to happen to me, I believe you may be our best hope in freeing us all and not only because of the treasure chest.”

“What do you mean?” Drake asked with worry in his tone.

“While I don’t know how long I will be alive, there is a chance that I may not be able to get off this island with you or the others,” Martin admitted somberly, causing Drake to gasp in shock. Even Ivy and Alphonse became worried the moment they heard their friend say such a grim and ominous thing.

“Why would you say that?” Drake asked with worry as he clung onto Martin in fear. “I thought we promised to leave this island together? That I could get my family to meet you at home?”

“I know we did but please understand,” Martin explained in a sad tone. “Even if we do leave the island-”

“WHEN we do,” Drake insisted, causing Martin to chuckle a bit and not mind the interruption one bit.

“Right, WHEN we leave this island, there is a chance that I may end up getting killed by someone or something especially if there are other slave drivers in the world. While you can try to use diplomacy or kindness to negotiate with them, you will also need to use that strength to protect not just yourself but others as well. Not everyone will be reasonable enough to talk things out with you. Some will have no problem hurting or killing you in the future and this applies to me as well as everyone else. Bad people exist in this world and sooner or later… you’re going to have to stand up for yourself without me. Ivy and Alphonse can do it but even then there will be times that they won’t be able to protect you either. I’m sorry to say this but it’s true.”

Drake became worried when he heard this. While he knew that it was inevitable given the amounts of deaths that occurred around him on an almost daily basis, the idea of Martin dying was too much for him to bear. Martin could tell that this was beginning to upset Drake and wiped away his tears before hugging him once more.

“Even so, if fate draws us apart for any reason whatsoever… I will always be with you in your heart no matter what,” Martin assured Drake, pointing at the young man’s chest in the process. This seemed to cheer Drake up a bit despite his sadness at the idea of Martin dying but he continued to hug his big brother even more. Eventually, they were forced to let go after remembering that the guards were still out on patrols and getting caught would lead to severe punishment, forcing the group to head back into their rooms as fast as they could. But as they arrived in their rooms and quickly went to bed, Drake couldn’t help but think about what Martin said.

I don’t want him to die, Drake thought to himself in fear before giving a silent prayer of his own. I don’t want to lose any of my friends. Theos, if You are still there, please let us escape this place in one piece and hopefully free the others trapped here. I know we can do it as long as we protect the treasure for the next 2 months. It’ll be easy. All we have to do is make sure no one steals from it or opens the lid. I know we’ll be able to earn our freedom just like that. I know we will all be able to leave this island and go back to our homes. I just know it.

 

2 months later…

 

But alas, it was too good to be true. Despite the hard work they put into guarding the chest, with Drake being the most diligent and careful, things wouldn’t go their way after all. Just when the 2nd month was finally going up, bandits showed up out of nowhere and raided the island at the break of dawn. No one had seen it coming. The guards that were patrolling the island ended up being the first to get killed by the bandits with the surviving ones going to protect the slave drivers and traffickers, leaving the rest of the slaves to fend for themselves. Needless to say, it was chaotic as the sounds of screaming and cries for help were heard along with the raucous laughter of the bandits. Blood spilled on the grounds whenever a bandit had stabbed or cut down a helpless slave. As for Martin and his friends, they desperately tried to save as many slaves as they could from the bandits with Ivy managing to beat up or even outright kill some of them before getting overwhelmed yet still surviving. Of course, the moment they saw the bandits raid some of the huts where the slaves would sleep in, Martin realized something to his horror.

“Oh no, DRAKE!” he shouted in a panic. “We have to find him!”

“Shoot I forgot! He’s still protecting the chest!” Ivy exclaimed in horror.

“We need to find him before those bandits get to him first!” Alphonse declared before he and the others ran back to their hut where Drake would no doubt be guarding the treasure in. Unfortunately, their worst fears came true as they heard the sounds of Drake screaming, terrifying Martin. As soon as they arrived, they saw 1 of the bandits gripping Drake by his hair and yelling at him while the young slave boy tightly gripped on the chest with all of his might. Judging from the bruises he had on him, the bandit was no doubt responsible for the injuries he inflicted on the poor young man.

“Just give me the treasure already you damned brat!” the bandit shouted in annoyance.

“No! I can’t! The chest isn’t yours to be taken! We were supposed to protect it!” Drake pleaded despite the pain he was in. The bandit growled as he prepared to deliver another punch to the young man until he felt a hand grip his arm tightly. He turned around only to be greeted with a punch to the face, causing him to let go of Drake and stumble to the ground. “Big brother?”

“Come on! We need to leave NOW!” Martin shouted as he grabbed Drake’s hand.

“What about the treasure chest?” Drake asked with worry while continuing to hold onto the chest despite its heaviness. Seeing that he wouldn’t let go and was determined to prove his worth to the slave drivers, Martin reluctantly helped him carry the chest and quickly yet carefully left the hut with him. Unfortunately, more bandits were beginning to arrive, forcing the duo to run while making sure the chest didn’t get damaged.

“Go go! We’ll hold them off!” Alphonse assured the duo.

“But what about you?!” Drake asked with worry.

“Don’t worry about us! Take the treasure and GO!” Ivy shouted as she and Alphonse proceeded to fight back with whatever they had on them. Ivy used her fists along with a broken plank that she found to bash some of the bandits’ faces in, whereas Alphonse grabbed the knife that Drake had used to make the wooden bracelet for Martin and managed to stab some of them before they could go after the duo.

Meanwhile in the chaos, Drake and Martin struggled to carry the chest in the chaos while also having to dodge the various attacks the bandits threw their way, including the unintentional ones. Arrows and bullets as well as some burning buildings filled the air, with the smoke making it difficult for Martin and Drake to find their way out of the chaos.

“Where are we gonna hide the treasure?” Drake asked in desperation.

“We need to bring this to the shelter,” Martin explained. “That’s where you’ll be safe while we take care of the bandits. We just need to-ACK!” Suddenly, he felt something stab him in the leg and fell over, causing the treasure chest to open up and spill all of its contents. As Stefan claimed, it was indeed full of treasure and filled to the brim with gold and jewelry as well as coins. Unfortunately, because the chest got opened and the slave drivers would no doubt find out about this, Drake desperately tried to put it all back in while panicking over his brother’s injury.

“Oh no! Nonononono! The treasure! Martin!” Drake shouted as he struggled to put the treasure back inside. “Martin! Are you okay!? What happened?!”

“Drake… run… just run,” Martin pleaded as he tried to get back up only to feel a stinging sensation on his leg. As he turned around to get a closer look at the wound he had, he discovered that it was a bullet which had been lodged into his leg. But before he could take it out, he saw that the perpetrator was the very bandit who attacked Drake earlier.

“There you are,” the bandit said in a smug tone. “Thought you could get away with the treasure huh? And what do you know? Turns out I hit the jackpot too. Guys! Come over here! I found them!”

“No! Don’t!” Drake pleaded as he tried to stop the bandit only to get kicked in the stomach and thrown back onto the ground. He could only watch helplessly as the bandit who attacked him earlier aimed his gun, ready to fire with lethal intent. Is this how I die? he thought to himself in what he thought were his final moments before closing his eyes in fear. No, it can’t be. I didn’t even get a chance to see my mommy and daddy again. Someone please. Help me!

He would soon have his prayers answered… but not in the way he wanted.

“NO!”

 

BANG! BANG! BANG!

 

Drake opened his eyes only to see himself still alive and well if still bruised. His confusion quickly turned into horror when he found out WHY he was still alive. He saw Martin standing over him despite his injured leg with an expression of pain. As for why he was in such pain, Drake quickly noticed a red blot on his upper body growing bigger and bigger through his clothes, no doubt being blood that was spilling from a freshly made wound from his back to his chest. The young man could only stare in wide eyed horror as the wound began to get bigger with Martin’s attempts at giving him a reassuring look not helping matters. His heavy breathing and blood also spilling out of his mouth made Drake feel even more fraught as the older man fell over, causing Drake to panic.

“Martin? MARTIN!” he cried out in horror as he desperately attempted to help him.

“Aw look at that,” the bandit who shot Martin sneered. “The hero protecting the little brat. Pity. Too bad he won’t live much longer with those wounds of his. Perhaps I’ll be taking this as a souvenir too.” As soon as he said this, the bandit quickly took Martin’s bracelet off his wrist to Drake’s shock.

“NO! GIVE THAT BACK! THAT’S NOT FOR YOU!” Drake pleaded as he grabbed onto the bandit only to receive a punch to the face and a knee to his stomach. The young slave could only hold his stomach in pain while being forced to watch the bandit laugh in a cruel manner before leaving with both the treasure and the bracelet.

“So long, slaves!” the bandit taunted as he and his crew left. “Thanks for letting us have this treasure! You can keep the chest since we won’t be needing it!”

“No… give that back! Please!” Drake pleaded in desperation as he futilely reached out his hand to stop them to no avail. Sadly, it was no use as their cackling and cries of cheer were heard as they ran away with the stolen loot they could find. Even worse, by the time they finally left, only then did the guards show up along with the slave drivers  to the survivors’ dismay.

“What’s going on here?” Wade demanded.

“What the Hell happened here?!” Preston shrieked.

“You!” Elliot shouted as he approached Drake. “What happened here?!”

“Bandits,” Drake revealed in a terrified tone. “They suddenly came out of nowhere and attacked us. They even killed the guards along with some of our fellow slaves. We didn’t stand a chance.”

“And what happened to the treasure chest you were supposed to be guarding?” Preston asked. “Don’t tell me you lost it.”

“I’m sorry!” Drake apologized with tears coming from his eyes. “I tried to stop them but they wouldn’t listen to me. They even shot Martin and now he’s bleeding out! Please! You gotta help him! He’s hurt really bad!”

“Sorry but I’m afraid that's not our problem,” Elliot replied in a cold and unsympathetic tone, causing Drake to stare in shock. “Oh don’t give me that look, you should know by now that the lives of slaves are worth less than NOTHING. He's served his purpose and died for it.”

“Not to mention you let the bandits get away with the treasure,” Preston sneered. “If anything else, you and that brother of yours had it coming and deserved this.”

“Stefan will NOT be happy to find out about this,” Wade commented. “Not only did you let those bandits get away with killing our guards but you also allowed the treasure to be taken as well. Which means you have FAILED in your assignment and are therefore unworthy of being set free.”

“I… no… I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to,” Drake apologized feebly.

“And where the Hell were YOU when all of this happened?” Ivy snarled as she and Alphonse showed up all bloodied and bruised, with Alphonse holding up Ivy to support her. “We’ve been busting our asses trying to protect the other slaves when YOU couldn’t even do it!”

“Not to mention you kept most of the remaining guards for yourselves,” Alphonse pointed out in a cold tone. “Why are you putting all of the blame on Drake?”

“Because he had the treasure on him which no doubt led to those bandits coming here,” Wade claimed. “If you ask me, he and his brother were nothing more than troublemakers who were way too optimistic for their own good.”

“Why you little!” Ivy snarled as she attempted to attack him only for Alphonse to hold her back.

Drake ignored everyone as he desperately tried to treat Martin’s wounds despite his limited knowledge but it was no use. The bullet had struck him in the heart and made breathing for him a lot harder than it should be with his blood leaking out of his wound and spilling onto the ground. The young man continued to weep as he tried in vain to stop the bleeding but it was no use.

“No! Big brother please! Don’t die on me! You promised that we’d leave the island together!” Drake pleaded through his sobs. “Please… don’t. I need you!”

“I’m sorry Drake,” Martin apologized weakly. “I thought I would be able to live just a little longer and get you out of here.”

“You can’t die!” Drake begged as his sobs became more ragged. “You just can’t! I’m sorry! I should have protected you this time instead of having you protect me! This is all my fault!”

“Don’t say that,” Martin assured him, gently caressing his cheek in an attempt at consoling him. “Meeting you, Ivy and Alphonse here was the best thing that ever happened to me. It made my days wasting away on this island much better to endure. Your optimism and wish to be free again always cheered me up even when I felt down. It even encouraged me and the others to find ways to get off this island despite never succeeding. We never gave up because of you. So don’t blame yourself for what happened. Don’t listen to those guys. They have no idea just how… strong you are. How you’re so much better than they claim.”

“Martin….” Drake whimpered only to feel Martin’s hand slowly slip away.

“I’m sorry Drake,” Martin apologized with tears in his eyes. “This is it… for me. Be… be free.”

Suddenly, his hand fell back onto the ground with his body growing paler and colder from blood loss. Martin’s eyes closed with tears continuing to stream down his cheeks and onto the ground even after his demise. Drake could only stare in stunned silence at the sight of his older brother’s corpse lying on the ground with Ivy, Alphonse and the other surviving slaves staring in both horror and grief.

“Martin?” the young man whimpered as he tried to comprehend what just happened. After a few seconds, the dams finally broke as he croaked out words that couldn’t be let out only to throw his head back and howl to the skies in agony. “NOOOOOOOO!!!!” His anguished cries of pain, grief and sorrow could be heard with the other slaves looking on in pity and shared grief.

“No… it can’t be,” Ivy said in a hushed tone before turning her head away to sob into Alphonse’s shoulder. “Damn it all WHY?! WHY HIM OF ALL PEOPLE?!”

“I’m sorry,” Alphonse apologized with tears streaming down his eyes as well. “I’m so sorry.”

Drake continued to scream and cry out in anguish as it finally hit him just how much he had lost. It seemed as though all of his hopes and dreams finally died the moment Martin died and their one task in keeping the treasure safe ended in failure.

Why? Why did this have to happen? Drake asked himself as tears continued to stream down his cheeks. We were SO CLOSE and yet it got taken away from us by a bunch of criminals. It’s not fair. It’s not fair at all. Martin didn’t deserve this. Neither of the slaves here did. How do we get out of this now? As he continued to grieve, one question remained on his mind as he turned to Elliot with an expression of disbelief and betrayal but still not raising his head.

“Why?” he asked Elliot numbly. “Why didn’t you save him? WHY?!” He clung onto the slave driver’s leg, desperate for an answer, only to receive a knee to the face and get knocked back onto the ground.

“Because his life was expendable,” Elliot cruelly revealed. “A slave’s purpose is to serve their masters until they die. Really, I thought you would have gotten that through your thick head by now.”

“His life was like an insect’s,” Preston mocked. “Insignificant, useless, worthless. Really, I’m surprised he didn’t die sooner especially with all those ideals of his.”

“Maybe if you had done a better job at protecting your brother, he wouldn’t have died in the first place,” Wade sneered. “If anything else, he died because of you.”

“Is that…. all you really see us as? Just nothing more than… insects? Worthless? Undeserving of happiness?” Drake asked in disbelief and despair. The slave drivers merely laughed at his questions with the same mockery they had towards his brother’s death as well as the deaths of the other unfortunate slaves.

“Of course we do,” Elliot mocked. “Was it not clear to you before? Slaves are the lowest of the low and are nothing more than property for us to use. That includes your pathetic excuse of a brother. I’m surprised it took you this long to figure it out. Did you hit your head too hard to remember that detail?”

“But enough of that,” Preston said as he clapped his hands together. “Remove the bodies and add them to the cart. We’ll simply throw it in the woods for the animals to feed. That's all they’re good for now. As for the rest of you, especially you Drake, get back to work and fix the damage caused by those robbers.”

“What? You’re not going to let us bury them? Not even our friend?” Alphonse asked in disgust and horror, especially when he saw the guards picking up Martin’s corpse and were about to place it on the wagon where the other bodies were.

“Of course not,” Wade replied rudely. “They were only slaves. They’re not worth burying.”

“YOU ASSHOLES! HE WAS OUR FRIEND! OUR FAMILY! AND SO WERE THEY! HOW CAN YOU JUST DISMISS THEIR LIVES LIKE THAT?!” Ivy screamed in frothing rage as she delivered a punch to Wade for his callous comment. She knocked him to the ground with her fist and would have done more had she not been held back by Alphonse.

“Ivy stop! You’re gonna make things worse!” Alphonse pleaded.

“NO! HE HAD IT COMING! THEY ALL DO! MARTIN DIDN’T DESERVE TO DIE LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF THOSE BASTARDS!” Ivy ranted with tears of grief and rage streaming down her face.

But what nobody noticed was that Drake had been sitting on the ground, completely still and silent. He could only stare at the ground as tears continued to drip from his eyes. He began reflecting on the memories he had throughout his life both good and bad. The fond memories he had of his parents and him relaxing near the sea before getting kidnapped. The sweet memories of him first meeting the slaves who would become his new family after he got separated from his parents. The happy memories he shared with Martin who was the closest thing to a brother all but in name with Alphonse and Ivy serving as his honorary older siblings only for their group to be reduced to 3 after Martin’s untimely death. The most recent memory he had was of him and Martin hoping to be set free alongside their comrades if they protected just 1 treasure chest belonging to the slave drivers… only for said hope to be crushed thanks to the bandits attacking the island and slaughtering almost everyone before making off with the treasure and Martin’s wooden bracelet that Drake had made specifically for him. All of his efforts in freeing himself and his friends along with the other slaves proved to be for naught especially since he had an inkling that the slave drivers had no intention of keeping their promise to free everyone. He wasn’t 100% sure but deep down, he knew that in the end, it didn’t matter what he or the other slaves wanted. As long as the slave drivers and their benefactors got what they wanted, nothing else mattered. Not even the lives of their fellow humans.

It’s not fair, it’s just not fair, Drake thought to himself as the grief within him slowly turned into something else. Something much darker with a smoky and foggy feel to it. He didn’t know what it was as he was so used to joy, fear and sadness that this new emotion was almost foreign to him. We worked so hard to please them and THIS is how they repay us? By deeming us worthless and expendable? Just how many people had to die for the sake of money and power? How many people did they dismiss as being useless and replaceable like they did to Martin? Martin didn’t do anything wrong yet they left him to die. It’s not fair. It’s not fair. It’s just NOT FAIR!

The more he continued to reflect on everything that happened, the foggier his mind became along with the darker feeling that grew within his heart. His breathing grew heavy, his body began to tremble but in a different manner that was less fearful and more… hostile. His hands dug deep into the ground as they clenched together while his heart pounded rapidly within his chest. Usually whenever he felt like this it was from fear or shock especially when the slave drivers would beat him or his friends for not working hard enough. But this? This felt completely different as it wasn’t fear that caused him to feel this way. No, it was something else entirely. Something that he had long repressed thanks to his desperate attempts at holding onto hope. Now that Martin was gone, there was nothing for him to hold onto. Nothing would stop the growing flames within his soul that slowly started to burn him from the inside. 

How could they? Drake thought to himself as narrowed his eyes upon recalling the insulting remarks the slave drivers gave Martin right after he died. How could they do this to him? To us? Ivy was right. We deserve so much better than this. People aren’t meant to own people yet these guys act like they own us just because they have the approval of a king? My brother didn’t need to die for something this stupid and needlessly cruel. And now they have the nerve to tell us to go back to work after losing our friends? To tell ME to go back to work? No more. No more. I can’t…. TAKE IT ANYMORE! As he continued to reflect on the pain he was subjected to, he suddenly recalled the red dragon trapped inside the cage and came to a startling conclusion. The real reason why the dragon never got out of his cage was because HE himself never got freed. In fact, HE was the dragon all along and the golden cage around him represented his status as a slave. Well, that was going to change today. If no one was willing to free him, then he would have to free himself and those he cared about.

It was time for the dragon to be set free.

Suddenly, Drake’s body began to change. He began to tremble even more with the flames inside him burning hotter and hotter until his body began emitting steam of some kind. The steam would slowly turn into smoke and form around him in a circular manner, catching the attention of Alphonse and some of the slave drivers as well as the guards. Even the other surviving slaves started to notice the ominous smoke surrounding Drake as he remained on the ground. The young man gritted his teeth and scowled as he felt the emotion he had been long suppressing grow stronger with every waking minute within his heart. He finally remembered what it was. It was RAGE. Pure, unadulterated rage that could no longer be contained let alone suppressed. It began to boil his blood and bubble within him like a volcano just waiting to erupt. Nothing would hold him back now. Not even the chains he still wore around his neck and wrists. In fact, his rage became so potent that the tears he shed began burning into his skin to the point of making lines that streaked down his cheeks while the cuffs on his body were starting to get singed. His eyes began to grow sharper and angrier with his vision turning redder the more furious he got.

“What is he doing?” Elliot asked with suspicion.

“Guards! Arrest him already and put him in one of the cells!” Preston ordered.

“HEY! Get away from him!” Ivy shouted as she tried to stop them only to get restrained by Alphonse. “What are you doing?! Let go of me! Drake needs our help!”

“Um Ivy, I think we need to get away from Drake right now,” Alphonse warned nervously.

“What? Why?” Ivy asked in confusion.

“Just look at him!” Alphonse hissed as he pointed at the young man. As soon as Ivy did what he asked, that was when she noticed the changes happening to the boy she called a little brother. Despite her reluctance to leave him alone, she could see the young man’s body emitting smoke and felt what appeared to be a wave of fury pass through her and Alphonse. Realizing that her friend was right, she decided to heed his warnings and step back which proved to be a wise move given what would soon occur.

The moment the guards prepared to apprehend him, something incredible occurred. After pondering over the miseries in his life and feeling incensed over the unsympathetic views of the slave drivers who tormented him for years, with his brother’s death and the insults that were given out beforehand being the last straw, Drake finally SNAPPED! With eyes glowing a golden shade of fury, flames spewed out of his mouth and surrounded him as he let out a roar of both rage and grief.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

The fire immediately shot out of his mouth and spread around him with the unlucky guards being the first to get incinerated in the blast, none of them surviving. Meanwhile, the rest of the slave drivers and slaves watched in shock while staying away from the burning flames that were being emitted by the young man. The flames quickly surrounded him and turned into a large pillar while also levitating the young man who continued to roar to the heavens in fury. Tears continued to streak down his face but quickly dissipated from the intense heat while the chains around his neck and wrists immediately shattered as they too burnt into ashes. But that wasn’t what surprised everyone the most. No, what surprised them even more was the transformation Drake underwent. His skin began to develop crimson red scales, his head grew horns that vaguely resembled a bull’s only sharper and more curved inwards along with having a darker shade of red. The sclera of his eyes turned into a golden yellow with blood red pupils that were thinned to the point of being almost nonexistent. His hands and feet grew claws that looked sharp enough to pierce through skin with a long and equally sharp tail growing out from behind him as well as teeth turning into fangs within his mouth. And finally, large and sharp wings popped out of his back and spread themselves wide open with sharp spikes lining down his spine. All the while, he continued to roar and growl in a feral manner with his eyes burning with uncontrollable rage. After a few minutes of roaring and burning, he abruptly stopped with the flame pillar dying down and returning to Drake's body as he landed back on the ground. At first nothing seemed to happen save for the dramatic change in appearance until they all felt it. Everyone froze when they felt something wash over them. It was like they had just been skinned alive before being thrown into a pit of hot coals. It originated from the boy, who stood motionless with his head lowered and his now clawed hands clenched into trembling fists. The slave drivers broke out into a cold sweat as the now draconic man slowly lifted his face to glare at them (which he had never done before up until now). The moment they saw the boy's eyes and nearly wet their drawers as his piercing, reptilian gaze looked upon them like a predator did to its prey. It was almost as if they were face to face with some kind of inhuman creature that towered over them despite the boy being shorter than them. The boy's eyes were one of pure, unrestrained, unmerciful, unforgiving... RAGE.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Elliot asked nervously only to receive his answer in the form of Drake viciously lunging towards him and CHEWING HIS FACE OFF! Alphonse and Ivy could only watch in shock at the sight of their once meek and optimistic friend violently biting into the face of the slave driver who made the mistake of mocking Martin. Granted they both agreed that he had it coming big time but even then they were concerned for Drake’s mental wellbeing now that he had snapped.

“AH! AH! GET OFF OF ME! HELP!” Elliot screamed in pain as he desperately tried to get the draconic man off of him to no avail. His hands were unable to punch or scratch at Drake thanks to his scales being a lot sturdier than normal with the pain of having his skin being torn off making him lose focus. It also didn't help that Drake used his claws to dig deep into the bastard’s head to keep him from escaping, making his demise even more agonizing. Eventually, he managed to tear off his face with only his eyes, teeth and muscle remaining before Drake spat out his face and raised both his fists to smash what remained of Elliot’s head to bloody pieces.

Oh but that was only the tip of the iceberg. This was the beginning of TRUE liberation and if it meant soaking the ground with the blood of slave drivers and traffickers then so be it.

No mercy, Drake thought to himself with a growl.  No mercy for any of them. None of them deserve it. They took everything away from us, it's only fair that I do the same for them. Starting with their LIVES! With another roar, he went after Preston who immediately tried to run away like the coward he was. But Drake wouldn’t let him have that privilege especially since he had been itching for a chance to get some payback over the whipping he gave him in the past. He lunged towards the cowardly slave driver and pinned him down from behind before clutching onto his head using his claws, causing the skinny slave driver to scream in pain.

“AAAHH!!! NONONONONO!! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! PLEASE DON’T HURT ME!” Preston wailed. Unfortunately for him, this had the opposite effect on Drake as he just grew angrier at the coward’s attempts at pleading for his life.

“NOW you’re sorry?” Drake snarled with barely restrained fury as he proceeded to painfully tear off Preston’s head. “You had plenty of times to apologize before and now you suddenly feel sorry? Consider this payback for whipping me all those years ago.” Preston could only scream again as he felt his head being torn from his body along with his spine. His expression of agony was shown after his painful demise but Drake paid no heed to it. He threw it away in disgust before going after Wade who immediately tried to book it the moment he realized things were getting worse.

“GUARDS KILL HIM! I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO JUST KILL HIM!” Wade pleaded as he ran past them with the remaining guards attempting to stop Drake. Unfortunately for them, Drake was NOT in the mood to fight and proceeded to utterly annihilate them using his newly discovered flame abilities. Taking a deep breath, he let out a large fire that not only scorched their armor but also caused their skin and organs to burn if not melt from the inside. The screams of agony and cries for help as well as attempts to run away failed especially when 1 of the guards tried to abandon his comrades to save himself. Disgusted and infuriated at the sheer cowardice he was witnessing, Drake immediately pounced on the runaway guard and bared his fangs which terrified the soldier and prompted him to use a blade he had on him against the dragon man. Of course it failed miserably as he didn't take into account how strong Drake’s fangs were and could only watch in helpless terror as the young man bit into the metallic weapon and shattered it without mercy. Said guard could only stare in shock before feeling his face getting burnt alive by the flames spewing out of the irate man’s mouth. Ivy and Alphonse could only stare in shock at the sight of Drake utterly massacring the slave drivers and guards who once tormented them with ease. Out of everything they experienced, this was the LAST thing either of them expected.

“Is that… really Drake?” Ivy asked in utter shock.

“Not the Drake we know,” Alphonse responded. “Or at least not anymore.”

“Since when could he turn into a dragon?” Ivy questioned. “I thought none of the slaves here were Essence users. Could he perhaps be half Fae?”

“I don’t think so,” Alphonse replied. “I never saw him having green blood, only red. Perhaps he was an Essence user all along but never knew about it until now.”

“Either way, we gotta check on him,” Ivy said as she ran towards Drake with Alphonse following after her. By the time they arrived, they saw Drake literally tearing into another helpless guard named Dorian and like with his other victims, it was bloody and brutal. Only in this case, Dorian found himself being disemboweled alive with Drake tearing his innards out using his fangs, much to the shock and personal satisfaction of his friends.

Dorian was considered the worst out of them all since he had no problem deliberately screwing with the slaves by sabotaging their tasks and kicking or beating them up for a quick laugh. In fact, he was the one who beat Ivy the most and shaved part of her hair when she confronted Preston for his horrific treatment of Drake due to Preston favoring him out of all the guards. Good riddance to that bastard. I hope he fries in Hell, Ivy thought to herself in grim satisfaction before speaking up.

“Drake!” she called out, causing Drake to stop and turn in her direction with some of Dorian’s guts still in his mouth. The tough as nails woman gulped a bit at the sight before continuing. “Are you okay? Do you need help?” The draconic man didn’t say anything but he did notice a ring of keys that Dorian had on his corpse. It hung from his waist, prompting Drake to yank it off his corpse before throwing it to Ivy who quickly grabbed it in surprise.

“Those keys should be able to unlock your cuffs,” Drake revealed in a calmer yet deeper tone than before. “Use them to free yourselves and the others. I’ll take care of these guys.”

Seeing this as an opportunity to FINALLY fight back, Ivy nodded before using one of the keys to free Alphonse first before freeing herself. The moment the cuffs and chains fell to the ground with metallic thuds, the 2 slaves moved their wrists and massaged their necks before grinning in anticipation.

“FINALLY!” Ivy declared with joy. “Now I can move my hands properly and feel my neck again!”

“Same here,” Alphonse agreed. “Don’t worry Drake. We won’t let you down. Come on, let’s go free the others.”

“On it!” Ivy replied eagerly as she and Alphonse ran off to free the other slaves, leaving Drake to deal with the rest of the guards who prepared to fight against him. He gave them a rather deranged looking grin, no doubt being fuelled by bloodlust and a need to engage in some much needed venting. The sight of his eagerness to slaughter them all especially with his eyes glowing an ominous shade of gold and red caused some of the guards’ bravado to falter which made it easier for him to strike. Thus he made this vow to himself: To not let anyone who supported the slave trade live or continue their wicked ways. He would do this to avenge not only Martin but all of the innocent lives who were taken from their homes and forced to partake in such abhorrent practices against their will. He would make his mark on history by taking down slavery for good. Anyone who suggested otherwise would have to answer to him.

In the meantime, Ivy, Alphonse and a few of the slaves who were with them earlier eventually found the rest of the slaves who were still in hiding and handed them the key ring. At first they were confused until Alphonse spoke up.

“Quickly while we still have a chance!” Alphonse ordered. “Today we achieve our liberation!” The moment the slaves heard this, they all cheered and eagerly unlocked the chains and cuffs keeping them down especially when they heard the sounds of screams and cries for help coming from the remaining slave drivers and guards.

“What’s going on over there?” 1 slave named Skimmer asked nervously. “Where’s Drake and Martin?”

The mention of Martin’s name caused Ivy and Alphonse along with the other newly freed slaves to wear expressions of grief and sadness, with Ivy looking as if she was about to burst into tears again. Realizing what just happened, Skimmer gasped before giving them an expression of sympathy with the slaves sharing it as well.

“I’m so sorry,” Skimmer apologized. “I had no idea. May they both rest in peace.”

“No,” Alphonse corrected. “Only Martin passed away. Drake…. he’s getting rid of the guards and the other slave masters who made our lives Hell.”

“I’m sorry WHAT?!” Skimmer asked in shock. “When? How?!”

“Heh, you are NOT gonna believe what we just saw,” Ivy said as she began telling him and the others what they had missed earlier. Pretty soon the whole island erupted into chaos. The sounds of screaming (mainly of fear, anger and joy) were heard, creating a cacophony that was both riveting and terrifying. Meanwhile, Drake continued to slaughter the guards and slave drivers or masters that got in his way and even those who had the gall to try and escape so they could live to see another day. He did so by either incinerating them or dicing them into pieces using his claws or even his tail. He also had a fondness for taking literal chunks out of their faces and other body parts while making sure to spit them out of his mouth. Even if he was a dragon now, he was certainly no cannibal and still had standards despite his wrath at the moment. He spotted 1 slave driver, who went by the name George, attempting to run away with some guards in tow, no doubt to protect him from the draconic young man. Not that it would do him any good in the long run. Drake sneered at the man for daring to try and run away after he was all too willing to torture slaves for the sake of fun before following him from the shadows.

“Hurry up you dolts!” George shouted as he and his guards ran all the way to the harbor where the boats were waiting for them. “We need to get out of here before that freak of nature shows up and-” Suddenly, he saw the guard on his right being stabbed through the chest from behind before getting bisected vertically by a sharp appendage which was revealed to be a tail. George screamed in horror before turning to see who the culprit was only to feel a clawed hand grasp onto his face tightly and painfully. The cowardly slave driver found himself staring face to face with a VERY angry Drake who snarled at him while the slave driver pissed himself in utter fear. He desperately tried to free himself and would have called the remaining guards to help him had he not noticed how they were all too eager to abandon him so they could get to the boats themselves.

You damn traitors! George cursed inwardly as he saw the guards attempting to leave without him only for Drake to take a deep breath and spew out more fire that burned not only the boats but also the guards as well. As a result, some of them didn’t even make it back on land and drowned into the sea much to George’s shock and horror. While he was glad that he did not end up meeting a similar fate, the fact that he still had to deal with a furious slave who refused to let him go made it worse.

“Now now Drake,” George attempted to speak up despite the pain. “Let’s be reasonable! Let’s not get too hasty here!”

“Shut. Up,” Drake growled as he squeezed the dirtbag’s head even tighter. “Where is Stefan? I wish to… speak to him about setting us free. I don’t care if I failed to keep an eye on the treasure chest because at this point I am DONE playing nice.”

“He-he-he’s in his office!” George revealed in a panic. “Last I saw him, he had one of the female slaves attend to him with some guards standing outside. That’s all I know I swear!” The draconic man continued to glare at the slave driver for a few more seconds before letting him go. At first the slave driver breathed a sigh of relief until he felt his collar being yanked by Drake who began dragging him towards the direction where he pointed. “Hey! Where are you taking me? I thought you would let me go!”

“Oh I never said that,” Drake revealed in a cold tone. “I just needed you to tell me where Stefan is. But I do need your help in getting him to stop whatever he is doing since I doubt he’ll listen to me. Unless you want me to kill you right now and get to him myself.”

“N-NO! Anything but that!” George pleaded, realizing that he had very little choice in the matter. While one would feel sorry for a man who was being strong-armed into helping a very dangerous person, considering this man had no problem forcing his will onto others for petty reasons and practiced slavery, no one would feel too sorry for him let alone show any sympathy. As he continued to get dragged to the office where his boss was staying, George tried to think of ways to escape only to be interrupted when the dragging stopped. Upon turning his head to see why, he noticed that they were still a bit further away from the office due to the guards being stationed outside. There was a light coming from the window, no doubt a sign that Stefan was inside and most likely awake doing who knows what. Once Drake finally let him go, he felt himself getting kicked forward when he wouldn’t stand up properly. Confused, he turned to the draconic young man who sneered at him with contempt.

“I need you to get Stefan out of the building,” Drake ordered. “Don’t make me repeat myself.” George gulped and nodded as he got the message before approaching the office in a shaky manner, desperately hoping to tip off to the guards stationed outside on what was going on. 1 of the guards noticed his arrival and showed concern over his current state, especially since his clothes were partially covered in blood and burnt to cinders.

“Good grief man, what happened to you?!” the guard cried out in shock.

“I need Stefan! It’s an emergency!” George pleaded. “The slaves are revolting!”

“Like they weren’t before?” the guard joked, causing the other one to chuckle. Of course George was not in the mood for jokes and scowled before growling in irritation.

“Damn it! I’m being serious! The slaves are literally rebelling as we speak! The rest of the guards are being killed off and so have the other slave drivers!” George revealed, much to the shock of the guards.

“Say what?” the guard replied in shock especially when he started to notice the smoke in the air and the sounds of violence in the horizon. But before he and his fellow guard could do anything to stop it, they found themselves being pounced on by Drake who sliced and diced at the guards while also tearing their faces off like he did to Elliot. Their screams of horror and agony were heard with blood once again splattering onto the irate dragon man. Of course given the crimson red scales on his body, the blood wouldn’t really make a difference to his already intimidating appearance. As soon as he was finished, Drake got back up with blood and muscle spilling from his jaws before he spat them out and gave George yet another smoldering glare. George gulped as he felt his pants being soiled from pure fear and terror but didn’t make a move lest Drake decide to dispose of him too. The draconic young man stayed silent as he marched up to the office door and knocked on it loudly and impatiently. George was tempted to run away once more only to feel Drake’s tail curve behind him and nearly stab him in the back, forcing him to stay still and silent. As soon as Drake finished knocking, an irate Stefan finally opened the door with only his trousers on and no shirt. The young man could see behind him a female slave in his bed looking frightened if not ashamed at being caught and desperately covering herself up with a blanket. Given how Drake wasn’t the kind to take perverse pleasure in seeing women in a sexualized manner, especially since his friendship with Ivy helped him learn to respect women more than the slave drivers did, he kindly looked away and instead focused on Stefan who could only stare in utter astonishment at the sight of the draconic man before him.

“What? Who are YOU?!” he demanded.

“Even after you kept me here for 10 years, you don’t even recognize me anymore?” Drake asked in a cold yet deadpan manner. It took Stefan a few seconds to realize who he was and panic as he didn’t expect the young slave boy he demeaned and mistreated in a passive aggressive manner to suddenly gain Essence abilities.

“You… you’re an Essence user?!” he proclaimed in shock as he attempted to back away. “But HOW?! You never displayed any signs of Essence up until now! How is this possible?!” Before he could run away, Drake immediately grabbed the fat slave master by his collar before bringing him close to his face with the slave master sweating bullets out of fear.

“I have YOU to thank for it,” Drake replied with smoke slowly leaking from his mouth. “If it wasn’t for you forcing me and Martin to guard the treasure chest, those bandits wouldn’t have shown up on the island and my brother would still be alive. Then again, it’s because of you that I finally realized my true calling in life which is to eradicate slavery and all who support it from the face of this world. Starting with YOU.”

“What? Wait no! NO! We can make a bargain! I can give you certificates to free yourself! You and your friends! Just please don’t kill me!” Stefan pleaded while trying to pull out a pistol behind his back only to scream in pain when his wrist was painfully twisted by Drake who raised his eyebrow and gave him a very unimpressed look.

“Really? You’re actually trying to pull that move on me?” Drake questioned in a deadpan tone before shaking his head. “Disappointing. Martin was right about you. You can’t be trusted to keep your word at all. Guess I won’t be needing you anymore.”

“No wait! Please! We can still work this out! I have connections! I can speak to the king himself!” Stefan pleaded in a pathetic tone only to receive no answer as he found Drake’s fist clenching around his throat even tighter.

“I will be speaking to the king myself,” Drake declared in a cold tone. “But you…. you won’t be speaking to anyone ever again.” As soon as he finished saying this, he proceeded to sink his claws into the fat slave master’s neck, causing him to scream in agony. With a snarl not unlike an actual dragon’s, Drake lifted the bastard’s body by his neck before using his tail to slice open his stomach, spilling his innards to his horror. Stefan could only choke as his exposed organs and the pain that came with it began to drain his life away. Of course Drake would not let him die so quickly as he proceeded to rip out his organs, using his claws before castrating him, causing Stefan to wail in agony. Seeing the sight of his boss getting eviscerated without mercy prompted George to run away only to bump into Ivy and Alphonse as well as their fellow freed people who all glared at him coldly. He could only chuckle nervously as he attempted to back away only for Alphonse to grab him by the collar with an icy stare.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked in a menacing tone. “We still have some use for you so don’t try running away.”

“Um… okay,” George replied in a meek tone, now realizing that escape was truly impossible for someone like him. He was then forced to watch as Drake continued to savagely beat down Stefan whose screams at this point had died out alongside him. Even so, that didn’t stop Drake from taking all of his pent up frustration and grief-stricken fury onto the fat slave master who allowed it to happen in the first place. At the same time, he couldn’t help but cry tears of both anger and grief as he continued to literally tear into the man since it was the only way he could truly achieve some form of catharsis even if it came a bit too late. Ivy and Alphonse along with their fellow slaves, including the woman who was inside the office and had just come out, could only watch with grim satisfaction and slight discomfort at the sight of Drake killing the man who made their lives Hell. But despite this, Ivy and Alphonse knew that this was only a distraction for Drake so he wouldn’t have to grieve for his brother until he was done. They would be proven right the moment Drake finished his brutal takedown of Stefan and got back up with blood on his face and upper body. Most of the newly freed slaves stepped back in fear with Ivy and Alphonse being the sole exceptions. They knew that despite his new appearance and savage personality, the Drake they knew was still in there.

“Drake?” Ivy asked as she cautiously stepped forward. “Are you…. are you okay?”

Drake didn’t say anything but he did walk past Ivy as if in a daze, worrying everyone with the exception of George who was traumatized by the sight of the brutal killings. The draconic young man continued to walk back to the area with everyone still alive following him closely up until he arrived where the death of Martin occurred. Martin’s corpse along with the corpses of their fellow slaves were still present though only Martin’s was left on the ground with the wounds having dried up but his life still sadly gone. As if on cue, rain began to fall which conveniently doused out the remaining flames caused by the revolt earlier but it didn’t make the mood any lighter as Drake approached Martin’s corpse before kneeling down and cradling it gently as if he were asleep. Then again, he would be asleep for the rest of his days but it would not be the kind of sleep that he would wake up from anytime soon. After a few seconds of staring in numbness and silence, it finally hit him that Martin really was gone with Drake’s scowling expression turning into one of grief as tears once again began streaming down his cheeks before dripping onto Martin’s face. He once again let out a howl of bereavement and sorrow which was enough to reach the skies, clutching onto his dear brother’s corpse the entire time. It was enough to make even the others start crying with Ivy and Alphonse once again tearing up from shared grief and empathy. Overall, despite having achieved their victory over the slave drivers and guards who constantly tormented them without mercy, it still felt hollow without Martin around.

After the freed slaves held a proper funeral for Martin and the other slaves who did not make it, they decided to bury their corpses near the shores of the island where a green patch of grass laid. It took a long time for Drake to stop crying since he was still young and Martin’s tragic death was fresh on his mind. Fortunately, he had Ivy and Alphonse to console him as well as the other freed slaves who felt empathy for the young man. Even so, despite having avenged his brother and the previous slaves whose lives were lost, he didn’t feel any better. He remained inside his hut, curled up into a ball and sulking in grief as he mourned for Martin’s death. Though he did help treat the wounds of the other slaves while also feeding them the food that was purposefully withheld from them and even washed the blood off himself, he still remained in a numb and depressed state with a bit of the rage that he unleashed still inside of him. He refused to eat anything as he was too heartbroken to do anything beside staying inside his hut for the rest of the day. However, that would all change very soon when he received a knock at the entrance of the hut and saw both Ivy and Alphonse standing there.

“Come in,” he said in a dour tone.

“Hey Drake, you okay in there?” Ivy asked with concern as she knelt beside him.

“We haven’t seen you outside for a while, or at least not after that massacre you caused recently,” Alphonse stated as he did the same.

“I’m just….. I’m still trying to deal with the fact that Martin is gone,” Drake muttered sadly. “I just want to see him again but I can’t. Even after I took down those slave drivers and the guards that were hired by them…. I still feel sad and angry. So… so…. angry.” As soon as he said this, he growled with his eyes glowing a fierce golden yellow while a red aura began to simmer around him. Realizing what was about to happen, his friends panicked while attempting to calm him down so he didn’t burn down the hut they were in.

“Woah woah woah! Easy there!” Ivy said as she carefully patted his back while avoiding the spikes that were protruding from them and not burn herself in the process. “It’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get through this. We’re here for you Drake. We always have and always will.”

“Yes we will,” Alphonse assured his friend while also patting his back and making sure not to injure his hand in the process. “You don’t have to hide your pain from us. We’re here to help you shoulder the burden of this mess.” Hearing these words made Drake smile a bit since he could tell that they were being sincere about helping him get through his pain even if he felt that he would never truly move on from Martin’s demise.

“Thanks guys,” Drake thanked with sincerity in his tone before moving on. “That means alot to me. Now, I assume you came here for other reasons besides wanting to cheer me up.”

As soon as he said this, both Ivy and Alphonse put on serious expressions before nodding and giving their response.

“The boat is ready,” Alphonse revealed. “Also we made sure that George is tied up so he doesn’t try to escape the island like last time.”

“Good,” Drake commended. “Did you make sure the others are okay?”

“Yep,” Ivy confirmed. “Skimmer agreed to watch over the others while we're gone and Al brought the king’s decree that allowed Stefan and his cronies to continue their slave trafficking business. We have all the evidence we need to confront the king and to expose the Estime Kingdom's corruption once and for all.”

“Great,” Drake replied with a nod. “Now is the time to strike back and take back our freedom once and for all. With the evidence in hand and my powers, we can put an end to slavery once and for good.”

“Yes we can,” Alphonse agreed. “It’s high time that slavery was put to rest for good. Same thing for anyone who dares to think slavery is justified. We can’t let what happened to Martin or our comrades happen to us either.”

“Damn straight we can’t,” Ivy said with a growl. “If we were to just sit around and do nothing even as freed people, we’d be doing a great disservice to Martin and all the other slaves. We need to show the ones in charge that people are not property nor should they be worked to the bone until they drop dead. It's time we made a change in this world and not let those monsters who made this system get away with their crimes!”

“Yes, it's time we did that,” Drake agreed with a determined scowl. “Let's head to the docks now. We need to make our case to the king whether he likes it or not. And if he doesn't agree with our terms… then I'll have no problem razing his entire kingdom to the ground if I have to.”

 While a small part of him didn't want to do this, neither did Ivy or Alphonse, they believed it was for the best to MAKE the Estime Kingdom understand the error of its ways even if they had to shed more blood to get the people to see it. The 3 of them got up and exited the hut before heading to the dock where everyone, including George, was present. The boat that they planned on using was originally meant to bring more slaves to the island but was modified by them and the other survivors earlier, hence its large size. It was painted red, yellow and white and big enough to harbor at least 5 to 10 people. It was one of the few projects that the freed slaves had no problem working on since they were in less of a rush and didn't have to worry about anymore slave drivers or guards hovering over their backs and looking for an excuse to beat them up. Plus they were being paid proper wages for once even if it originally came from the slave drivers and they got to eat proper food which was often provided by Drake who used his abilities to hunt or forage for food in and outside of the island. There was also the fact that Drake’s violent yet heroic actions allowed the slaves to fight back and they saw him as their new leader because of it. Ivy even drew a picture of a red dragon on the side as a reference to Drake who was both surprised and touched by the gesture. As for George himself, he was stuck inside the office for weeks ever since the other slave drivers got killed and tied up so he wouldn't escape. Whenever he did try to escape or act defiant such as biting Alphonse’s fingers when he tried spoon feeding him, Drake would show up and carve painful scars into his skin as a warning while also breaking his body parts ranging from his fingers to even his legs. After having both his legs broken in a brutally painful manner, George got the message and forced himself to behave lest he die in agony. Either way, he now realized how his victims felt when it came to their suffering at his hands and the hands of Stefan's other goods. Even worse, at least for him, he found himself an unwilling passenger on the ship for Drake, Ivy and Alphonse with the ominous wooden crate being placed beside him not helping matters.

“You won't get away with this!” George shouted in a feeble attempt at defiance while being placed in his cell within the berthing. “I have connections within the kingdom! When they come for you, you'll be sorry!”

“Oh shut up you!” Ivy scolded as she gagged him using a dirty rag to his horror. “Stay quiet or I'll ask Drake to cut your balls off and we don't want that now do we?” George replied with a frantic shake of his head. Ivy smirked before giving a mocking pat to the slave driver's cheek and leaving him alone in the dark berthing of the ship. She walked back upstairs on the main deck where she, Drake and Alphonse bid the others farewell as they all waved and cheered for them.

“You think you'll be okay Skim?” Ivy asked the man in question who nodded in response.

“Yep, don't worry,” Skimmer assured her with a confident grin and thumbs up. “I can handle it from here. Good luck with the Estime Kingdom. We'll be praying for your safety.”

“Thank you. We appreciate it,” Alphonse replied with utmost sincerity and a smile of his own. “We'll be sure to come back as soon as possible.”

“That's right, we will,” Drake confirmed with a nod of his own as well as a fierce scowl though it was not directed towards his friends. “We’ll make sure the Estime Kingdom understands our suffering and sees that they cannot keep getting away with this. If they do not agree to our terms and let us go freely, then I'll have no problem burning it all to the ground if I have to.”

The sounds of cheers were heard as they started to set sail with evidence and an unwilling passenger onboard as well as other supplies with them. Drake stood at the front of the deck, feeling the sea breeze flow through him and for a brief moment, made him feel more at ease. But as he continued to gaze upon the surface of the sea, he saw for a brief moment his brother but in an ethereal form hovering above the waters. Whether it was a ghost or a hallucination was anyone's guess but the moment he blinked and shook his head, he was gone. Right, he's still gone, Drake thought to himself somberly. I'm never gonna see him again nor will I introduce him to my parents like I had hoped. But I WILL make sure your death wasn't in vain. I will put an end to slavery and make you proud.

And so he would. People would soon discover a new force headed their way. The corrupt and decadent who enjoyed tormenting the weak, the innocent and the suffering would find out that their days were being numbered as Drake would make his mark in history by being a liberator of slaves along with being a bringer of justice. For now he would be known as the slave who freed himself and his friends from bondage but to others? He would go by a new name: the Dragon Lord.