The End of the Ancients

Walking up the stairs of the castle, Amelia approached her beloved's room, bursting through the doors with Maverick in her arms, "Severus, I've returned from Argonaut, I have terrible news!" She shouted loudly, frantically looking around the room, "My love… where are you?"

"Mommy?" Standing in the doorframe was Emerald, her firstborn child, only one year old and she knew how to talk, "Emerald, sweetie." Turning around, Amelia crouched down to eye-level with her daughter, patting her head, "Where is your father?"

"Daddy was getting ready to look for you, he's on the Eighth floor of our castle where the treasury vaults are."

"The Treasury Vaults?" Amelia stood back up and handed Maverick to his sister, "Emerald, take care of your brother, I'll return soon."

"Brother?" The Fallen Angel's eyes glistened as she held onto her baby brother, staring at his blissful smile, "What's his name, Mommy?"

"Maverick. Your brother is named Maverick Lionheart." Amelia smiled at her daughter's wondrous expression, making her way out of the room, "Stay in this room, I'll return quickly!"

"Yes, mam!" Shouted the ecstatic Emerald.

Amelia ran downstairs as fast as she could, leaving the top of the castle.

Ottenmore Castle was known as Regulza, the castle that represented Humanity, crafted from the greatest of Humanoid mages in the past, especially those of the Lionheart family.

In this castle, there were eleven floors beneath its confines;

The First Floor is where the Guest room resides, accepting visitors from across the world with fine dining and elegant architecture.

The Second Floor is where political discussions are held by the Ministers of Ottenmore.

The Third Floor is where the Battlemaids and their dorms reside.

The Fourth Floor is where the kitchen exists to serve food for visitors and for Their Majesty's.

The Fifth Floor is where the Washroom resides, allowing guests, battlemaids, and other members of Regulza to bathe whenever they get the chance, in either private stalls or the Hot springs.

The Sixth Floor is where the Prisoners of Ottenmore go whenever they're captured by the authorities.

The Seventh Floor is Sacred Grounds that are Unknown.

The Eighth Floor is where the King or Queen's weapons exist, alongside their armory as well. Nobody can enter this room without knowing the magic spell crafted for it.

The Ninth Floor is where the Guardians of Ottenmore exist. They're known as savage beasts, abiding only by the order of their king or queen.

The Tenth Floor is where the Denizens of Regulza stay. They're personal secretaries to the King and Queen, following personal commands such as torturing prisoners or fulfilling other tasks around the country of Ottenmore.

The Eleventh Floor is where the torture chambers are, separated in a completely different realm altogether. Prisoners are sent here and tortured for information or for other personal reasons.

Amelia made her way down the stairs of the castle, heading towards the eighth floor, and opening it by chanting a sacred spell.

She ran through the corridors of the floor, searching for Severus' treasure vault, and calling out his name, "Severus! Severus!!" Eventually stopping at the last door, she went inside, seeing him standing in the midst of the room. A look of relief plastered her face as she ran and jumped into his arms.

"Amelia!?" He instinctively caught his wife, hugging her around the waist, "I was worried sick about you… where have you been?" He dropped his equipment to the floor, embracing his beloved.

"I was giving birth in the country of Argonaut… just like you told me to."

Severus sighed in relief, "Thank goodness. How did it go? What happened?"

"I had our child, that's all that matters!"

Severus slowly placed Amelia onto the floor, grasping her shoulders, "Did anything happen when Maverick was born? Tell me… honey. Ever since you were gone, things have… changed."

Amelia looked her husband dead in the eyes, turning her gaze away, "Yes… Maverick… caused chaos."

"…" Severus went quiet, hearing her out.

"It all happened at once… the moment he was born, everything went out of control. Magic was suddenly being distorted, chaos enshrouded the world, and even the Gods and their connection with the Universe had ceased."

"That's… impossible, Maverick did that? But… I don't understand." The father looked away, crossing his arms, "The birth of a Lionheart is usually chaotic, but it's not to this degree."

SMACK!

A loud slap echoed throughout the room as Amelia was shown angry, scowling at her husband.

"Amelia…?"

"Why didn't you tell me?! Why didn't you tell me that this would happen? I didn't know that birthing a Lionheart would cause chaos! Is that the reason you told me to go to Argonaut?"

Severus held his cheek, and nodded his head, "Yes, my friend, Balthazar, was supposed to help. That's why I told you to go there. But… this even confuses me, Amelia, I don't understand how so much chaos could ensue, it's never happened in the history of we Lionhearts."

"The entire country of Argonaut… was wiped away, Severus."

"W-What?" A look of terror smothered the father's face as he dropped his hand, staring at her in disbelief, "How can something like this… happen?"

"Fafnir. He was the cause of this. Hours after Maverick's birth, he pinpointed the source that unbalanced the world and decided to destroy it. We fought at Full Power but ended up destroying more than was necessary. The entire country burnt to ash, and nothing remains, only a handful of dragons."

"Damnit!" Lifting his fist into the air, he slammed it against the wall, shaking the entire castle, "I couldn't find you… I was unable to use Spatial Warp from the Mana in the atmosphere being distorted. Are you telling me that all of this happened from my own son?"

"Yes, that is exactly what happened." Amelia stepped closer, grasping his shaking hand, "We have to protect him, Severus. We have to keep Maverick safe from harm, we're his only hope. The entire world is after him, and he needs to rely on us, his parents."

"…Right…" Nodding his head, he huffed a sigh, "Prepare the defenses. If we have to fight the entire world for our son, then so be it."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Winked the mother.

"Heheheh… cheerful as ever, even in these harsh times. That's why I married you, Amelia."

She happily blushed, shrugging her shoulders, "And those heart-taking remarks are one of the reasons I married you, Severus."

***

"It's over for you, King of Argonaut."

Fafnir flapped his wings as flames emitted from his nose. Staring down at Balthazar, the Kingly Dragon appeared bloodied and beaten, unable to keep itself afloat.

"You won't… take her child… Fafnir…"

The Ancient dragon scoffed at the dying King, saying, "If he stays alive, the world will know nothing but death. You want to protect a child that does nothing but cause inevitable harm to the world?"

"That child… he was born for a reason. Just like my Son whom I protect, I will do the same for Amelia's Kid!"

"Foolish King." Fafnir cackled, but then realized something peculiar, "Ahhh. The Mana in the atmosphere is resurfacing. So that child managed to control its power. It's either that, or they're dead."

"I have no choice… Eek-Shy Nuum!!" Taking advantage of the gathering mana, Balthazar wasted no time casting one of his most powerful spells.

"You fool, you'll kill us both!!" Fafnir flew higher into the sky, escaping from a deadly force that chased him down, "Balthazar, have you gone mind?! This spell will lay waste to both of us!"

("Crimson… I'm sorry my son, I couldn't be there for when you grow up into a fine King, ruling over the country of Argonaut. I sometimes wonder if I was fit to even be a father…") Balthazar lowered his head, ("Your mom will take care of you from here on out, so please, son, do what is right, and lead this world into unity. The races of this world have been fighting for eons, and nothing has changed.")

"Balthazar! Balthazar!!!" Fafnir yelled louder as the deadly force approached him, finally colliding into his body, "Ouuuaaaaghhhh!!!" An ear-piercing screech echoed throughout Terra as Fafnir was engulfed in a dark-colored explosion

It stretched on for miles until Balthazar was absorbed inside of it.

Eek-Shy Nuum was a suicide attack in Dragonkin Magic. The Caster manifests a deadly force that brings death to all it touches, but in return, they'll have their souls absorbed and sent away into the Ethereal Plane, where the spirits reside.

Balthazar's physical body was corroding away… watching as Fafnir started crumbling apart in the sky.

"Goodbye… my son. I'll watch over you, in the Ethereal Plane."

"Balthazar….damn…you…" Fafnir started falling to the ground as he withered away, leaving only parts of his scales on the battlefield from their fight, "You'll regret this… King of Argonaut. The longer that child stays alive, the worse the world will become."

"Heheheh… then we'll have to see for ourselves in death, won't we, Fafnir?"

Balthazar laughed as his last remains of life vanished from the material world alongside Fafnir who merely scowled.

This was the end of two powerful dragons, never to be seen again.