118 Chapter 1: Prep

A black flower stood at the very tip of the mountain side.

The heavy breeze ripped at it, the vegetation slowly coming loose, flowing into the air and dancing around. As it fell, deeper and deeper into the chasm below, its petals continued to come free.

They fell slower than the flower's base, illuminated by the crystals along the walls. White and red gave the black petals new meaning, until the flower's steam touched the bottom of the chasm, in complete darkness, freezing over in mere moments.

The glowing light of the crystals ceased. The petals, still descending, turned invisible in the growing darkness of the cold depths.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Garuga let out a hearty cough, clutching his sore throat and taking a heavy swing of his water.

The board room was empty, but thick with the heat of early summer. His jacket lay on the chair he was sitting in, usually well kept hair sticky with sweat, and face holding a darker five o clock than normal. His eyes held heavy bags, showing his extreme exhaustion.

Despite his current condition, he still chose to work and lead the Bunker. He, in his mind, could not afford any breaks. They needed him to lead and guide, now more than ever since their next destination was that of his home planet.

Dreulara, home to the Dragons, far off, somewhere where normal space travel could only dream of reaching.

Garuga allowed his mind to wander back to the day he left. His comrades, friends and family, all left behind so he could focus on his duties.

--------------------------------------

It was shortly before he joined the Bunker. He was a rogue, unattached to Dreulara's government and the people working for it. He kept his distance from civilization, only mingling with other Dragons when need be, for his family.

On Earth, it was around the Greece era, where Gods like Zeus and Hades were commonplace. Garuga held a locket in his palm, gazing at the green blanket of stars overhead. The pressure of air felt intense, full of a strong mixture of Dragon Mana. The people were stirring, uncomfortable.

Probably, Garuga theorized, because a Shadow Dragon was becoming one of the major councilmen.

There would be three, and at this point, he was the first to arrive at City Hall. His partners were the Fire Dragon, Porrelth, and the White Dragon, Syrreth. Highly respected Dragon generals, who led their kingdoms with passion and love, even if their methods were unorthodox.

Garuga's clammy palms clenched his locket tightly. Inside, a picture of him and his wife, and their first born son, Jade. His wife was pregnant with another, to which he discovered were twins after his departure.

The woman in the photograph had black hair and eyes. Her face was illuminated by the light that reflected off of her gem encrusted dress. Notably shorter than Garuga, she had a hand placed on his shoulder and one on her belly.

Two pillars crashed down at his sides. One was red, burning hot to the touch and brimming with power. The second was white, and while it wasn't as powerful as the first, Garuga certainly felt the painful effects of the light affinity.

Both lights faded. In the red stood a younger Porrelth, hair dyed an unnatural shade of red and face riddled with red scales. He wore a dingy, yellow sweat stained T-shirt with a full beard on his face, and black jeans. Barefoot. His muscle tone was chiseled, defined by how tightly his shirt hugged his body.

Garuga then examined the woman to his left. Her face was touched by that of an angel of beauty, a stern expression in her gaze, completed with a stiffened jaw. His long hair was braided down the center, hanging off of her right shoulder. A white dress, short, full of sparkles that gave her an elegant, royal glow. Her body was fit, a six pack hidden under the dress. Her bust, while on the larger side, looked like it was wrapped in a cloth, and her hips were wide to compliment her rear.

Garuga was dressed in a silky black shirt and pants. Dark loafers on his feet and hair combed back with a strong gel. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up, exposing his untouched skin and inexperience with offworld battle.

His black eyes scanned over City Hall, before he glanced over his shoulder at the crowd coming together. He was rather young, frantic, and uncomfortable with the amount of people watching him. Porrelth sensed this, and nudged his side. "Look sharp, Kid."

"Ah… Right." He blinked, then said, "You… are aware I'm nearly a hundred, right?"

"And," Porrelth replied. "I'm nearly two, which makes me your elder."

"Silence, both of you," Syrreth said harshly, crossing her arms.

"What crawled up your ass, Princess," Porrelth asked jokingly.

Syrreth shot a glare at him, holding her tongue, but releasing some pressure of her power. Porrelth, unintimidated, continued, "You both need to loosen up. Take it as a tip from your elder."

"Elder. Please. I'll have you know, I'm nearly four hundred."

Both men exchanged looks with one another, then back. "Bullshit."

"Unbelievable. I have to work with cretens like you."

"Cretens, huh. Sounds like someone needs a reality check here."

"You challenge me? Surely you jest. You don't look fit enough to clean my pet's excrement."

Porrelth walked past Garuga, getting in Syrreth's face. The difference in their size was too noticeable, the clashing of their mana almost suffocating. "Bring it on, I got all day."

"You will wish you hadn't."

"ENOUGH!" Garuga yelled, Shadows erupting around him. The two, along with the crowd, silenced at his display of anger and rush of power. Catching himself, he relaxed, shadows fading and lowering his gaze. "Sorry."

"Don't sweat it, Kid. Didn't think you were that powerful, just based off of how you look."

Garuga looked at Porrelth. "I could say the same to you."

Someone cleared their throat loudly, catching everyone's attention. He was an aged Dragon, face holding a long mustache, wrinkles coating his forehead and frail looking body wise. No muscle tone to him, but this man was the definition of looks can be deceiving. His name was Gavine, the Dragon of the Mineral Kingdom, and the last remaining Garnet Dragon.

"Welcome, Citizens of Dreulara. Today, we honor three of our own, to take the positions of the highly respected. Our previous Generals, sadly, gave their lives for this world and all that prospers in it." He took a pause, looking towards the three statues to his right. A man, and two women. The man was made of red brimstone, while the women were white and black.

The woman made of black stone left an imprint on Garuga. She was beautiful, with long black hair and a very large height compared to the other two. Her body was covered in armor, but her face was sculpted with the indents of scales.

His heart snapped, seeing the smile of his late mother. He remembered the funeral too vividly. It was painful, just being around her casket, knowing there was only a picture frame inside.

"We take a moment to wish these fallen soldiers peace in the afterlife, and to welcome their clansmen to take their place. From the Kingdom of Flames, Porrelth the Demon Fire Dragon."

Porrelth stepped up the staircase, stopping and turning to face the crowd as they clapped loudly for him. He raised a fist into the air, flames cackling around his knuckles brightly.

"From the Kingdom of Purity, the Princess, Syrreth the Beautiful."

Syrreth's heels clicked against the concrete. When she reached the top of the steps, she looked at Porrelth, holding an aura of distaste, before reaching to her side and drawing a blade of whiteness, raising in the air and allowing the crowd to cheer for her.

"And last, but certainly not least. A man who's been my friend for such a long time, and my most precious student. Garuga, of the Fearful Shadows!"

Garuga hesitated a moment, but took a deep breath and took his place in front of the podium. The reactions were mixed, split between cheers and boos.

Gavin expected such, and placed a hand on Garuga's shoulder, smiling at him before speaking once more. "These three will continue to protect us from among the stars. They shall grow, and return to grace us with the knowledge of Gods, bless us with experience from new worlds, and defend us from many who seek our destruction. Tonight, we feast in appreciation at their bravery and sacrifice, tomorrow, we watch as they ascend to the heavens!"

An uproar of chants, multiple elements blasting higher into the sky, illuminating the dark space. Garuga inhaled softly, crossing his arms and allowing a smile to creep onto his lips.

------------------------------------------

"Garuga!"

"Huh," He snapped to, staring Takabi in his eyes and picking his head up from the table. "What is it, boy? I'm busy."

"Busy sleeping maybe. Did you look over those documents I gave you?"

"Constantly. It seems as though there's a page missing from the data sheets." He opened the drawer by his desk, pulling out a flimsy folder and laying it down in front of him. "I tried to make sense of it, and nothing is coming together. Are you sure this is all she had?"

Takabi nodded, rolling up his sleeves and leaning against the desk. "That's everything Hailey had. Anything else was lost in the fight."

"Troublesome," He sighed, rubbing his chin. The fuzzy scruffs of his beard tickled his fingers, but he held a straight face. "I'll continue to do what I can. Make sure everyone is prepped and ready to go by tonight."

Takabi was quiet for a moment, then touched Garuga's shoulder. "You should rest."

"No, no. We need to be ready. If the Kult is truly going to Dreulara, we can't afford to waste any time."

"You're exhausted, though. When was the last time you ate?" Takabi sniffed, then pinched his nose shut. "Or showered!"

Garuga looked at him, sniffing his shirt and turning away. "Right. Fine, a short break." He stood, passing Takabi and moving towards the Board Room door. He stopped shortly, looking back at the boy as he looked over the data sheets himself. "How is… Everything?"

Takabi flinched, sighed and looked up. "Nana's still fuming, but we talked things over and she seemed alright for now, if ignoring me means she's okay. I'm concerned about what she's going to do to Hailey."

"Well knowing you, I'm sure there's an explanation for it."

"Nana knows that, but she can't stop her feelings. She'll come around, and we can squish the whole issue together." His voice, while hopeful, held a bit of doubt.

It was odd to Garuga, seeing Takabi mature more than he had before. He was still his normal self, but it seemed as those the realization of having a child somewhere in the world opened his eyes, even if he didn't physically bring it in himself.

It made Garuga wonder about his own kin. It would be the first time he's seen them in years. Twin children he doesn't know, and a son who he greatly misses.