//------------------------------// // Chapter 12 // Story: A Burning Flame In My Soul // by Rated Ponystar //------------------------------// Tyranus was someone you could call calm and collected even when unexpected things came up. He had to be if he would be the leader of all dragon kind. Raising an army, plus leading it, had helped tame him into becoming such a leader. However, there were times when even Tyranus had moments of weakness and lost himself in utter fury. He knew there were rivalries among the various clans he had gathered to fight with him. Dragons had long memories, especially against those who had offended them in previous conflicts. It was also in the nature of dragons to rise in power and earn favor from those stronger than them so they could be stronger in turn. Many of the various clans that Tyranus had gathered in his circle had wanted to prove themselves to him. To earn his favor to reward them when his victory was complete. After all, when a new ruler was made, those who served loyally and distinguished themselves were handsomely granted gifts, positions of power, wealth, and a means to start a legacy that came with all the privilege one could wish for. But sometimes, the greed and desires of those below could cause a wrench in your plans. Such as the one that Tyranus was dealing with now. Tyranus was not a fool. Despite his beliefs in the superiority of dragonkind, even he knew he stood no chance against the Alliance that Ember had formed with the Kingdom of Equestria and all the other nations. That was why he needed Imperiax. It would not only be the ultimate authority to declare himself Emperor to make all dragons obey him, but it was the perfect weapon to destroy any foes in his way. The blade was known for destroying civilizations to ashes, and Tyranus planned to do that with Equestria. It was the world's largest superpower and the key to the Alliance itself. Destroy it, and all the other nations would quickly follow.  But that was why his actions needed to be unknown to all. It was why he faked his death years ago and was rushing to get his ships and sail for the Nova Terrum. If Ember learned what he was up to, she would send her forces to stop him. Now, that was all ruined. Because not only did one of the clans under his control attempt an assassination plot without him knowing, but they also did it with multiple national leaders in the crossfire. "Tell me," Tyranus asked as he sat on his red-colored bone-made throne in his tent. The sobbing and terrified leader of Clan Fortuna was before him with his wing broken, multiple body spikes removed painfully, and his face bleeding from the blows Uncle Scarscale had given him for his actions. "What in the name of all the gods made you think I wanted this?" The head of Clan Fortuna, a pink-scaled male dragon looking more red than pink thanks to his wounds, tried to say something. However, all he could do was cough up blood from his lungs.  "I am fine with those under my command making decisions without my orders provided that they are not moronic, logical, and can be explained why to me when done," Tyranus narrowed his eyes and clawed the edges of his throne. "And not only have I yet to hear one from your mouth, but my brain has also failed to come up with one. It's not enough that you did a brain-dead action that has most likely exposed me to Dragon Lord Ember and her allies, but you also had the gall to try and eliminate the other leaders as well? Thereby putting multiple eyes on us that have the excuse to try and destroy all that I have built?" The clan leader tried to say something, but Tyranus got up and slowly paced in frustration as his advisors and top clan leaders all watched. "And even if you did succeed in killing Dragon Lord Ember, we would still have to face the wrath of the alliance because not only would we have killed one of their own friends but the lover of the adopted brother of the Princess of Equestria. Who would spend everything to avenge her death."   "But you didn't," Tyranus continued as he rubbed his temple. "You not only failed, but you exposed us. Exposed me. Now they'll be looking for us and find out about us and what we are planning in due time. Especially since we failed to find that annoying little deer apprentice who is most likely in Equestria now." There was a long silence as nobody said anything. Everyone waited for Tyranus to say something. Instead, he walked over, drew his blade, and sliced the head off of Fortuna's clan leader before he could react. The body flopped to the ground, and the head rolled over to Dájǐ-Lǐ, who happily took it and bounced it in her talons before tossing it away. "Lichie," Tyranus ordered as the leader of Clan Deathclaw stepped forward. "I want you to take every third member of Clan Fortuna and kill them. Publically. I want an example to be made. Whoever is second-in-command of the clan? Kill them, too. The third-in-command is now in control. I also want every clan to know that any action like this is to be punished not just in a similar manner but worse. Understood." They all nodded. "Go." They bowed and left while two guards carried the dead corpse of the former Fortuna leader out of the tent. Tyranus waited until they were gone, which left just him and Dájǐ-Lǐ. Snarling, Tyranus smashed his forearm across the table, holding wine and goblets that were soon scattered on the floor. "Damnit!" Dájǐ-Lǐ slowly walked over to the fuming dragon and wrapped her arms around him. Snuggling her head into his neck, she kissed him a few times as she slowly began to relax under the calming touch of his lover. "It will be fine, my love. By the time they do anything, we shall be heading for the new world to search for your destiny." "I cannot take any chances," Tyranus growled as he looked down while clutching one of her hands. "My uncle met his end by leaving things to chance. I cannot make the same mistake. Even if we were to leave, they could still catch up to us. The Hippogriffs alone can reach our ships faster than we can imagine, and the Griffins merely need to send a fleet after our own. Not to mention, we need to steal the ships and prepare them for the long journey." "Then you must do something to delay them," Dájǐ-Lǐ suggested as she stroked his chest. "Something to make them hold on finding you and address even worse problems." "...There is only one way to do so, but even I am disgusted to do it," Tyranus growled, as he did have a backup plan made to give him more time to set sail and grow distance from his enemies. One that he made out of both desperation and pragmatic reasons. However, he was disgusted and ashamed of his action because it would greatly betray the dragon people of the Dragon Lands. Very few knew of this plan because he would be ruined if it was known. Even the other clans under him would see it as dishonorable. No matter how low they were, there was always a standard for someone. "Nobody but the two of us knows of your plans and the others I've taken care of," Dájǐ-Lǐ whispered as she made him turn around. "Even Emperor Kratorix had to do underhanded things to see his Empire come to fruition. You must do the same to succeed as he did." Tyranus closed his eyes and sighed as he embraced his love and kissed her. "What would I do without you?" She giggled and kissed him again. "So, send the letter?" "Yes. Send the letter to Vagthomoth. Tell him I'll give him the means to get past The Wall." *** When the Great Dragon Empire fell, most of its cities, temples, and monuments fell into ruin. Few, if anything, from that significant era, still existed, and what little that did exist was barely enough to use for anything save maybe for shelter from a storm. Except for one monument that had been around for ages, everyone agreed it was the one thing that couldn't be allowed to fall. The Wall. A vast steel barrier that was the tallest and longest in the world. Stretching from one side of the entire landscape to the next. One would need to travel for a whole week to get from one end to the other, and climbing it without using the elevators would take about an hour. It was the one structure that every Dragon Lord, even the insane and tyrannical, kept strong and going in their reign. The reason was it kept out, for the most part, the Behemoths.  Behemoths were demonic monsters of all shapes and sizes with only one purpose and goal: to destroy everything before them. Nobody knew where they came from, why they did it, and much else except how they killed and what they could fight. Even the land they came from was unknown. Those who tried to explore the misty, dark, sunless land were never seen again.  The Behemoths were first seen in the middle of the Great Dragon Empire's reign and nearly destroyed it with their first invasion until they managed to push them back into their lands. Emperor Robane II then started the construction of The Wall, which finished when his great-granddaughter, Empress Zilla, had it finally completed. Since then, even after the Empire's destruction, The Wall had been the primary defense against the Behemoths whenever they tried to attack. The Wall didn't always work as Behemoths were strong enough to break through or find other ways around it, but it worked most of the time. Especially against the hordes that were led without an Overlord, the one intelligent Behemoth that could lead them with actual tactical oversight.  To join The Wall was considered an honor and a long-time duty. When you joined The Wall, regardless of age, you had to do so for at least three hundred years without rest. You couldn't see your family, marry, or respond to a situation where your clan needed you. You couldn't even fight in a war against enemy nations. The Wall was your life for at least three hundred years without a break, but some loved being on the Wall so much they stood there for the rest of their lives, even until old age. That being said, it was a great honor to be among the Wall's defenders. Those who had family serving were often credited and honored for their sacrifices, and those who returned home after service were hailed as heroes. Those who died in service were mourned and given proper rest, with the families well compensated for their loss. A few clans even devoted their entire families to the Wall by sending their members there when they were ready.  Being on the Wall also meant joining a family in turn. Knowing their kind's protection was under their watch, they took it seriously and saw each member as a brother or sister. When facing the demonic hordes, you need to trust the person next to you, and they trust each other with their lives. Even if your clans were archenemies, that meant nothing so long as you fought for The Wall. It was also a means for people to escape hardship. Orphans would often head to The Wall for food, shelter, and a family if they had nothing to live for, and the Wall was happy to take them in. Criminals would seek to avoid punishment by offering to spend their entire lives at The Wall to avoid jail or death. Even those who had dishonored themselves in the eyes of their family sought to go to The Wall to regain their honor in the service of their people.  It took anyone and anyone. Because it needed as many to man the structure.  Yawning, a young light green-scaled dragon with a pearl-like stomach rubbed his eyes to keep himself from falling asleep. He was assigned night guard duty and was doing his best to keep an eye out for anything. There was no moon out tonight for this cloudy evening, and it was hard enough to see what was going on even with the torches lit down below all lined up. His armor was a gray heavy set with every part of his body protected from neckline to tail-end. In the center of the chest plate was a burning black shield symbol carved into it to symbolize him as a soldier of The Wall. The dragon, Scaleburn, had been part of The Wall for about five years. His reasoning for joining was to find some glory in his life, as he was the third-born son of a clan with two older siblings who were stronger and smarter than him. He wanted to stand out and announced he would join The Wall. His family was proud of him and wished him luck as he set out. Knowing he wouldn't see them for a long time hurt, but they were still allowed letters. Of course, Scaleburn had yet to see any real glory. In all five years he had been here, he had only seen the conflicts between roaming Behemoth groups and their fighters from a safe distance. He was still too new to join the battles, but he hoped to do so one day. Although, the rumors of their being a new Behemoth Overlord made him nearly wet his scales. The senior soldiers told him the horror stories of such creatures, and he quickly hoped to never see one in his entire life. He really hoped that the rumors were just rumors in the end. Of course, there was also the fact that there had been no sightings of Behemoths for a few months. Even if they came in small numbers, the Behemoths still tried to attack The Wall due to their lust for violence and carnage. It got a number of the senior members worried, which in turn made Scaleburn anxious. He gazed at the nearby stone tower where the warning fires were stationed. There were different colored flames to be used depending on the seriousness of the situation. He had been repeatedly drilled upon which ones were meant for which scenario for a whole week. Scaleburn could practically memorize them all in his sleep.  The funny thing was that there should have been two other dragons in the tower, but he couldn't see them. Did they go to take a piss together, or were they goofing off? It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to do that, and they got latrine duty in response. He shook his head and turned to look back down the Wall. He wasn't a snitch, so it was their asses on the line if they got caught. Then he heard something from below the Wall, not in front of it, but from behind it. Curious, he walked over to the other side and looked down to see if it was the elevator nearby or something else. What he saw nearly made him crap in his armor. Moving slowly, like spiders and caterpillars combined, were horrific scaled and hairy beasts with fangs the size of knives slowly skittering up the Wall with one large single red eye focused on him. Gasping in horror, Scaleburn realized he was looking at actual Behemoths heading right towards him. But what scared him the most was that they were coming up from behind the Wall. Not in front of it.  Meaning... "The Wall has been breached! Light the signal!" Scaleburn shouted as he ran to the tower. Suddenly, the door to the downstairs level smashed open as ogre-looking armored creatures with bloody axes and swords appeared. Grinning, they slowly made their way to Scaleburn, who drew his sword but looked at the blood-covered weapons and realized his comrades below were dead. Unleashing his wings, Scaleburn flew as fast as he could to avoid a downward ax towards his head and flew to the tower. "Light the signal! We're under attack! Light the-” His voice died in horror as he landed and realized that the two supposed to light the signal were dead. Their throats slashed, and their eyes widened in lifeless horror as they lay beside each other. Landing in the tower, Scaleburn looked around and saw the blue fire torch still nearby. The one needed to let the others know they were being invaded and the Wall had been breached.  Grabbing it, Scaleburn turned to light the pyre until he saw something floating nearby outside the tower. It was twice his size and looked like every typical idea of what a demon would look like. Muscled and cloaked in a black battle robe with demonic symbols attached. Its sharp claw-like hands folded in its arms as if levitated with its mighty bat-like wings that were long and sharp. The dark skin and red aura emitting from it made Scaleburn finally lose control of his bladder as he felt he was looking at the avatar of death itself. But the worst was his face. The sinister smiling face of a demon with sharp teeth, burning yellow eyes of hellfire, and the horns of a ram lit on fire.  Scaleburn knew, right then and there, that he would die. This was the end for him. However, he would die still doing one last right thing as a soldier of The Wall. Roaring, Scaleburn threw the torch with perfect aim, and it landed on the pyre. Instantly, it turned bright blue with flames as the signal had been sent. The Behemoth Overlord turned to the right and left to see the nearby towers burning blue one by one as the call was seen. It would soon send the entire Dragon Lands a message that a new Behemoth invasion had begun.  "Now the world knows you are here," Scaleburn said in defiance as he looked up at the Overlord. Despite his fear, he took comfort in knowing that his last action had alerted the world of a new threat to the Dragon Lands. The Overlord smirked before thrusting his talons into Scaleburn's chest, piercing through his armor and making him gasp in pain as blood came out of his mouth. The Overlord slowly brought Scaleburn to his face and smirked. "Perfect." He tossed the dying dragon off the tower, looked towards The Wall, where his vast army started to appear from the darkness, and smiled.