The Drake Blood Tales

As morning arrived and the sun cast its light over the horizon, Fallion woke early, checking on his companions. Finding them still fast asleep, he wandered into the meeting room and sat down, staring at his mother's blade in contemplation.

Sensing his presence, Dofan stirred and joined him, offering a sleepy greeting.

"Awake already? Sorry, I went to bed early last night," Dofan said, rubbing his eyes.

"It's fine," Fallion replied. "I was just thinking about Fordragon. Even now, I have no idea what to say to him."

Dofan sat nearby, noting Fallion's pensive demeanor. "I wish I could help, but I don't think he'd listen to me either," he admitted.

Fallion glanced at his uncle with concern. "Are you feeling better? You seemed troubled last night."

Dofan hesitated, clearly still burdened by his thoughts. He let out a sigh before speaking.

"Ever since we met Kouga Yarinaga, I feel like I've glimpsed parts of the world I never thought existed," he began.

"What do you mean?" Fallion asked, leaning forward.

"Kouga Yarinaga... he's a strong leader, and I understand why he has to be ruthless. A leader's ultimate responsibility is to ensure their faction achieves its goals, no matter the cost. But it leaves me wondering—does the end justify the means?"

Fallion remained silent, lost in thought, as Dofan continued.

"Utakata is a tyrant, enslaving countless people and commanding a massive army. Ending his reign is a noble goal. But if achieving that means letting the cultists run wild, causing chaos wherever they go... The casualties could dwarf those of the war itself. And then there's Yanmei."

"Oh, you mean the kunoichi?" Fallion asked.

"Yes," Dofan replied with a heavy tone. "She and her kind aren't even native to this land. They were taken as children from the far east. Yarinaga's men molded them into tools of war—assassins, saboteurs, criminals. They commit atrocities in the name of defeating Utakata. Poisoning water supplies, destroying farms, raiding warehouses. Sure, it weakens Utakata's forces, but civilians always get caught in the crossfire."

Dofan's words lingered in the air as Samhain entered the room, stretching as he approached.

"You know," Samhain began, "I rarely agree with paladins, since our kinds are usually at odds. But even I think Dofan has a point. Yarinaga's not a good guy by any means. He won't hesitate to burn down anything in his path. But he's not a barbarian, either. He's smart, calculating. Ruthless."

Fallion's unease deepened. He knew Yarinaga's offer could be a way to free his brother from the conflict. Yet, accepting Yarinaga's methods would mean endorsing a strategy that would inevitably lead to immense suffering—a strategy Fordragon would never approve of.

"I'm thinking... maybe..." Fallion began but trailed off, unable to find the right solution.

"Maybe you should ask your brother directly," Yanmei said, entering the room with quiet confidence.

The group turned toward her as she bowed slightly. "With all due respect, my lords, the Crow has been dealing with this conflict for years. Perhaps a discussion with him would provide clarity."

Fallion rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought about talking to him directly, but Miko always dismissed the idea. I couldn't go against her orders," Yanmei admitted. "But now, I'm no longer bound to Lord Yarinaga. So I feel free to share my thoughts."

Her suggestion resonated with the group. After a brief discussion, they agreed—finding a way to resolve the conflict with minimal casualties, while ensuring both parties benefited, was the best path forward.

As the party continued their journey, they crossed the border from Kashima into Burash Country, the land where Fordragon had originally arrived. However, not long after, Fallion suddenly collapsed, falling unconscious to the ground.

The team reacted immediately, concern spreading through them.

"Fallion!" Farid called out, rushing to check on him. "He might have been poisoned."

After a tense few moments, Farid stood up, shaking his head. "I checked him thoroughly. No signs of poison, no side effects. I don't know what caused this."

Slowly, Fallion regained consciousness, his vision blurry as he tried to make sense of what happened. "Wha—what happened?"

"You suddenly fell off your horse. We thought you'd been poisoned," Yanmei explained, her voice filled with concern.

"Maybe I'm just not used to traveling outside the desert," Fallion said, trying to stand up, but his legs felt weak.

As he got back onto his horse, the air grew tense. The group could feel something—an unnatural presence watching them, though they couldn't see who or what it was.

"Something is here," Dofan muttered, his gaze scanning the horizon.

The party urged their horses forward, riding quickly, hoping to outrun whatever was tailing them. For a moment, it seemed like they had lost their pursuers. Fallion, glancing behind, thought they were in the clear.

"I think we lost them, whoever they are..." Fallion said, then turned back to address the group. "Guys? Huh?"

To his horror, his companions had vanished. Their horses were gone, leaving only an eerie silence.

Fallion dismounted and looked around, his senses heightened. He walked cautiously through the desert, searching for any sign of his team.

Suddenly, a whisper broke the silence.

"Lower your weapon, young man."

Startled, Fallion spun around, but all he saw was the endless stretch of sand. There was no one in sight.

"We are watching you," the whisper continued. "Mind your actions. Nothing will go unpunished."

Another voice joined in, softer, almost regretful. "This kid is no joke. It took us three attempts to bring him here."

Before Fallion could respond, everything around him blurred and faded. A slap on his face jolted him awake.

"What... what happened?" Fallion asked, disoriented.

"This is the third time you've fallen unconscious," Dofan said, his voice firm but laced with concern. "We should find shelter."

"No, it's alright," Fallion reassured them, trying to regain his composure. "I'm fine."

But Dofan was paying attention. He stood still, eyes narrowed as he looked around, his gaze focused on something in the distance.

"I see..." Dofan murmured, as if he had finally understood something. The others exchanged confused looks.

"I'm sure he'll be fine now," Dofan confirmed, glancing at Fallion with a knowing expression.

With Dofan's reassurance, the group moved on, and they soon found a small settlement in the desert. They paid some guards enough to secure shelter for the night, and at last, they were able to rest.

As the group settled in for rest, Samhain broke the tense silence. "What just happened back there?" he asked, his tone sharp with curiosity.

Dofan paused, thinking carefully before responding. "It seems... there were paladins back there," he said, his words deliberate.

The group was stunned. "Paladins?" Yanmei echoed in disbelief.

"Yes," Dofan confirmed. "Specifically, the Blade of Mercy paladins. It's a rare experience to encounter them. But whether it's good or bad depends entirely on the circumstances. Any interaction with them means something significant is about to happen."

"Isn't it a good thing to have paladins watching over us?" Yanmei asked, hopeful.

Dofan shook his head. "The Blade of Mercy either observes to aid us... or to destroy us."

Before they could dwell on this, a loud commotion erupted outside. Rushing out, they were met with the sight of a massive horde of cultists approaching.

Without hesitation, Fallion, Gaz'mirna, Dofan, and Yanmei charged into the fray, while Samhain stayed back to protect Farid and provide ranged support.

Fallion, already well-versed in battling cultists, swiftly decapitated his enemies with precision, aiming directly for their necks. Yanmei moved with equal efficiency, her skills rivaling Fallion's as she dispatched her opponents with lethal grace. Gaz'mirna cleaved through groups of cultists with her twin axes, and Dofan crushed skulls with his shield, his movements a display of sheer brute force.

But the onslaught didn't relent. The cultists seemed endless.

"There's at least thousands of them," one of the settlement guards exclaimed in terror.

The group fought their way toward the settlement's gates, cutting down cultists one by one. Fallion, seeing the tide of battle turning dire, summoned his colossal swords. With a powerful swing, he cleared dozens of cultists, scattering them like dust.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure emerged from the horde. With one hand, the figure caught Fallion's massive blade mid-swing, stopping it entirely. Fallion strained against the figure's overwhelming strength, fiery daemonic marks glowing on his skin as he tapped into his demonic powers. But the man remained unfazed, holding the blade steady.

Realizing brute force wasn't enough, Fallion channeled his daemonic energy into the sword, causing it to glow ominously. The blade shattered into fragments as the energy surged. Seizing the opportunity, the mysterious man lunged at Fallion. But before he could strike, Yanmei appeared beneath him, striking with her shadow assassination technique. Her blade pierced him repeatedly, leaving him kneeling and gravely injured.

Fallion prepared to finish the man, but a massive stone golem erupted from the sands, separating them. The golem attacked Fallion and Yanmei, but Dofan intercepted the blow with his shield, holding firm. The mysterious man climbed atop the golem, commanding it to retreat with him.

Before long, twelve more giant stone golems emerged, each attacking with brutal force. Gaz'mirna and Dofan took on individual golems, holding their ground, while Fallion unleashed his Holy Daemon Ascension. Wings unfurled from his back, and he summoned his colossal swords anew. He tore through the golems with devastating power.

However, as Fallion neared the mysterious man again, one of the golems detonated. The explosion was immense, throwing guards and combatants alike. Fallion, caught in the blast, reverted to his human form, his body battered and bloodied. Struggling to stand, he was impaled by a spectral spear, pinning him to the ground.

The man approached, his voice dripping with malice. "Your body may resist holy magic, daemon... but your soul is still vulnerable. Let's see how it fares against holy cleansing."

Fallion screamed as the spear glowed with intense blue light. Yanmei and Gaz'mirna rushed to defend him. Gaz'mirna enveloped herself in a cloak of flames and charged, while Yanmei barraged the man with spectral daggers. But he countered with ease, using Gaz'mirna as a shield against Yanmei's attacks before tossing her aside. He then turned his attention to Yanmei, who phased out of reach using her shadow art.

As Yanmei rematerialized to strike, a golem struck her from behind, sending her flying. Samhain summoned an infernal golem to catch her mid-air, saving her from a fatal landing.

Meanwhile, Fallion, still pinned by the spear, struggled against his injuries. The man approached, dagger in hand, prepared to end him.

"Such a waste," the man sneered. "I expected more from you."

Before he could strike, Samhain and Dofan intervened. Dofan deflected another spectral spear with his shield, while Samhain summoned undead warriors to swarm the golems. One golem toppled under the assault, throwing the mysterious man to the ground. Yet he remained undeterred, summoning another golem laced with explosive runes.

As the golem charged, Dofan activated his Holy Aura and Lord's Divine Protection, erecting a massive golden shield that absorbed the explosion. The mysterious man retreated under the cover of the smoke.

When the dust settled, the man reappeared, hurling another spectral spear that struck Dofan's leg, pinning him in place. A golem then launched Dofan into a nearby building.

"This man is an assassin," Gaz'mirna growled, glaring at their opponent.

The man turned back to Fallion, but a strange purple mist began to surround him. Farid threw an explosive, engulfing the area in flames. Gaz'mirna and Yanmei seized the moment to carry Fallion to safety while Samhain covered their retreat.

As the flames died down, the man emerged from a crumbling rock formation, his body scorched but still standing. "Clever, little alchemist," he said mockingly, grabbing Farid's arm before he could throw another bottle.

"Dealing with you won't take a second," the man sneered, raising his blade.

"Then deal with this!" Samhain roared, hurling a pillar of fire. The man dodged, but Samhain urged Farid to fall back and tend to Fallion.

Dofan reappeared behind the man, shield at the ready.

"A paladin and a daemon," the man chuckled darkly. "What a unique combination."

Samhain's wings unfurled, and Fallion activated his Devotion Mode, standing despite his injuries.

"Yeah," Dofan said with a smirk, standing beside Samhain. "What a combination."