Six days came, six days went. Draco was put through the most intense and painful training of his life. Agner taught him to be agile, which meant dislocating lots of his bones and popping them back in. Fermot taught him speed, meaning they ran the whole day and did some reaction training. Derekosh was the second-hardest, as he taught him self-defense. His third eldest brother was ferocious, barely becoming visible for every swing of his damn hammer. Jaqeluu gave him rest, but he still had to meditate and learn how to mentally fight. It was strange, to say the least. But his swordsman and strength training came from Jerosh. He was inredibly powerful and even more skilled with his blade, which Draco learned within seconds. The feats of strength his eldest brother accomplished made him gasp in awe. His uncle was even more powerful and even more skilled. Lifting massive weights with one hand, tearing muscles and breaking bones just to have them healed.
All in fifteen times the usual gravity.
Their planet was so massive, as they said, that it outmatched this one's gravity, and so to truly train like them, he had to do everything like them. The chamber they used could modify the enviornment, the temperature, and the gravity to even greater heights. And he learned what Loki'irians hated the most.
Cold.
You could ask them Arthanians or cold and they would rather fight Arthanians than endure cold. It explained his hate for it, but it didn't matter now.
Now, he sat in his room, waiting for word of Netu'ung's challenge. They were to battle in an hour, and his brothers were busy assembling the location of their battle. By law, his family would have to be there… including his mother, his aunt, and his cousin. And… any close friends or loved ones.
Ember. Twilight. Rainbow. Rarity. Applejack. Fluttershy. And Pinkie.
If he died… they would all have to see it. If they didn't go… he'd be dishonoring his family and the tradition they upheld higher than any other clan.
"Draco?"
He snapped out of his daze, realizing he wasn't listening to Ember as she spoke. "Um… sorry about that," Draco chuckled weakly. She frowned softly, nuzzling the side of his head.
"What's wrong?" Ember asked, moving to his side and bringing her legs over the side of their bed.
Draco smiled softly and kissed her lips. "Nothing, okay?" He chuckled. Ember didn't believe him, and he could tell as much. "Do you remember the day before we left for the Griffon Empire? When we were talking about how we thought we would live out our lives?"
Ember nodded, grasping his hand. "I remember."
A smile grew as Draco laughed softly and looked to her. "I know this fight is going to be hard, harder than any fight I've ever had," Draco said. "But I'm just… excited. Anxious. Terrified. Expectant. I can't help it and the more I think about it the more my body keeps urging me to fight."
Ember rolled her eyes, chuckling gently and nuzzling his cheek. "Just… be careful." Draco's arm went down to her side and pulled her close. "It's been a bit hectic, knowing that we both come from a world neither of us knew about. But please… I don't think I can lose you like you lost me."
Draco guided her gaze up to him. "You're not going to lose me," he stated sternly. "We're going to look back some years from now and laugh when we see how stupid this all was."
Ember sighed softly, kissing him again and hugging him close. "I hope so."
Knock
"Reku'un," Figanti called. "The battle starts in half an hour. You need to prepare."
"I'll be there in a second," Draco called back, waiting until the smell of his uncle receded. "I don't think I'll ever be able to call him my uncle."
Ember stood up with him. "You told me once that love for family is stronger than any bond," Ember reminded him, smiling softly. "It'll come to you. Perhaps later."
Draco gave her one last kiss before heading down to meet his uncle while Ember went to meet with her father.
Twilight was in shock at the number of alien bipeds that were present. She had heard of the news of Draco's true family and what had befallen his kind, but they said BILLIONS died. There had to be several thousand watching from the floating platforms and the giant "ships" above. She and her friends were allowed through, the men and women bowing to them in respect. Twilight was very interested in their technology and language, Fluttershy was a bit nervous with the hundreds of dragons circling the area, Rainbow was impressed with their armors, Rarity was squealing delightfully at their traditional robes and garnments, and Pinkie was trying to keep herself from spreading some cheer to the neutral expressions she saw. They were guided by Draco's closest brother, Agner as she had heard, who brought them to a platform secluded from the rest. The object raised until it was a good distance from the enclosed circle, where Draco would do battle.
Rainbow flew over to a cloud and rested on it. "Look at all of them!" She exclaimed, watching the lumbering giants pass overhead.
"Oh, why did we have to be so high?!" Rarity huffed. "I wanted to ask about those gorgeous robes! And even their stallions have well-made attire!"
"Y-Yeah! Maybe we could ask t-t-to lower it?" Applejack gulped, looking over the side and seeing double.
"Aw c'mon farm girl!" Pinkie laughed. "This is gonna be fun!"
Twilght spotted her mentor and her sister flying up to watch with them, guided by Derekosh and Fermot. The brothers jumped off of their Nera'ak and landed, greeting Agner and turning to the princesses.
"Where are the Nera'ak?" Fermot asked.
Answering his question, Ember landed gracefully with her father, both going over and greeting the ponies, princesses, and brothers. Around the same time, Jaqeluu and Jerosh landed with their own Nera'ak and stood at the edge of the platform, their dragons behind the entire group. Ember and her father moved closer to see, as well as Twilight, Rainbow, and the ponies. Suddenly, the entire crowd bowed in respect as thirteen dragons, powerful and menacing, flew about the area, coming to land on the same platform. The brothers bowed as well, along with their Nera'ak.
"Who're they?" Applejack questioned.
"They are The League of Thirteen," Agner explained. "Thirteen of our best warriors, each skilled in a specific area. Our uncle is the leader of them, and he represents raw strength."
"Quiet," Jerosh said. "Uncle's about to speak."
Figanti rode his Nera'ak to the center of the arena, looking out to them all. "Netu'ung Orukouat! Grasti! (Enter!)"
They noticed a small ship hovering above them, and the hangar opened up. An enormous, dark-green Nera'ak with black spines dove down, landing hard enough to kick up a cloud of dust. Netu'ung leaped off of his dragon and slammed his axe into the ground, tossing off his armor. His skin turned coarse, small lines cracking until he was as scaled as his dragon. A tail formed from his tailbone, and his body grew even larger than it was. His Nera'ak grew as well, and it grew a second tail along with an extra pair of wings. They roared in sync, shaking the ponies to the core.
"Draco has to fight him?" Ember whispered to Fermot.
"Yes." Fermot sighed and placed his palms together, praying silently.
"Reku'un Alamonshuor! Grasti! (Enter!)"
Another ship hovered over the arena, the hangar opening up. Draco squinted his eyes as the winds whipped into his face, and Nyla lowered herself for him to climb on.
We just have to stay alive, right?
Correct. But I'd prefer we win.
So do I. But can we?
If you're willing to put faith in me and your abilities as a Signa.
Nyla's wings flared and she jumped out of the dropship, closing her wings and diving quickly. Draco kept a tight grip on the reigns as they fell thousands of feet in the air. The ground spun in their eyes as Nyla allowed the excitement and joy of battle to take her to a more daring behavior.
Whenever you're ready.
Adjusting his grip, Draco lifted himself off of the saddle and waited for the right moment. Just like his brothers had taught him, he pulled firmly but cautiously on the reigns, steering Nyla up and around just a foot from the ground. She did a small twirl then flared her wings to kill the excess speed, and landed with a small tremor on the ground. Draco dismounted and turned to the Signa ahead of him, who was much different than he remembered. Another thing his family had taught him made this even more thrilling and horrifying.
He could feel the energy pulsing off of Netu'ung. Power almost matching Jerosh.
Channel your inner strength. Focus on you and your opponent alone.
Taking a deep breath, he stabbed his blade into the ground and ripped off the armor King Draco made for him, leaving him in a similar, traditional black attire. He grunted as his body opened several slashes on his body to allow the metals to crawl out. Nyla rose to her full height as the same material flowed out from under her scales and covered a minority of her. Draco's body became half metal, half skin and his hair stiffened before turning a dull silver. Nyla's body poked spikes out from her tail, and she grew an extra pair of wings made entirely of metal. A small bit of metal "teeth" closed over her snout, giving her a menacing, natural mouth guard. Listening to his instincts, Draco took a deep breath, as did Nyla, and roared.
Celestia and Twilight shook as the demonic yell brought them back to his other outbreaks. His mother dreaded the sound, as death always followed it's cry. The brothers nervously watched, seeing that Netu'ung's partner, Yunduko, was about three times the size of Nyla, and Netu'ung was a good three feet bigger than their brother. But one thing concerned them above all else.
Netu'ung's power was… restrained; he was holding back.
Ignoring this, Draco rose his arms, Netu'ung laughing as he opened his palms and spread them near his legs.
"GRATO! (BEGIN!)"