Chapter 31

Dawn of Glory [the half-breed]



Chapter Thirty-one



Theme: An Army Grant



Several hours ago



"My Lord, the soldiers that we sent to the purple dragon villa have reported back," Edgar said.



He walked down from the diamond terrace on which the yellow-shining pulpit was placed. The lace around the pulpit and the terrace are like pearl jewellery.



"They said the fastest and safest route to the purple dragon villa is the Hill of Stretch." He elaborated with his head bowed in respect.



"Then what are you waiting for? Gather escort, we are moving right away." Lord Darius said while clenching his fist. "I need to get the last ring. I can't wait to rule the middle land at once. We have wasted too much time. The half-breed is gaining more trust, and the resistance is growing in power."



"Patience, my Lord." Edgar elaborated. "If we act in haste, I'm afraid we might be walking into a trap."



"What did you mean?" Lord Darius asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Are you saying that all the D'arcy soldiers are giving fake reports at once?"



"Not really, my lord. But something doesn't feel right." Edgar Allan elucidated with a low tone.



Glimpsing that Edgar is tilting his head as if debating with himself, "What are you talking about, Edgar Allan?" Lord Darius screamed at him.



"I was thinking that it was too early for the soldiers to give a report." He said, and that made Lord Darius stare directly into his eyes. 



Seeing that the latter wasn't going to utter anything other than glaring, Edgar continued. "Let's assume we are the purple dragon queen. What do you think we would do to the soldiers at sight?"



"Give me a second to think," Lord Darius said while tapping the armrest of his dragon emperor's chair repeatedly. Everything that Edgar Allan said was now racing in his mind.



After a few minutes of silence, Lord Darius finally spoke. "First, I would welcome the men with harsh words. Even if I don't kill them instantly, I will seize them and latch them in the dungeon."



"That's because you seized her husband's goldfield," Edgar said, and Lord Darius nodded his head in confirmation. "Yet, people know that you always honour your daughter's birthday, you will release them. Not because you wish, but you don't want to break the vow you made to your late husband. It's also his memorial day."



"Then I will welcome them warmly and invite them to dinner, but I will keep my eyes on them." Lord Darius said, and one could see the wily smile on his lips.



"Knowing fully well that the feast isn't what they came for, the soldiers will relay your message to her instantly," Edgar said.



"Even though it's a bad suggestion, I will honour them because of the oath and for my daughter.



"The soldiers went before the second sun, and the sun's still shining in the sky." Edgar elaborated.



"That means they have been ambushed," Lord Darius said.



"Exactly what I'm trying to explain," Edgar said. He was happy that Lord Darius was now getting his point. 



"Perhaps the half-breed arrived there before us. Can you now see that rushing to the purple dragon villa without a proper plan is like walking to the den of a lion?"



"You are right, Edgar Allan. I hadn't thought of that before." Lord Darius elaborated. 



If it was some years ago, Edgar Allan would have chastised Lord Darius for his inability to think. He couldn't do that. He knew the reason why the man couldn't think straight and why he always needed his advisor beside him at all times. 



"Inform Alexander himself about the journey to the purple dragon villa," Lord Darius ordered Edgar. "Tell him that he should activate the tracking mirror. I want him and his son to be on guard."



"Right away, My Lord," Edgar said as he made his way to the exit. 



He was about to walk out when a thought struck his mind. He turned back and faced Lord Darius' chamber. 



"If things go as we suggested, we will need every hand that can help because that might be our only chance to kill the half-breed and erase the resistance at once."



"That's why Micah Tyler and his new friend will be waiting in the shadows. They will appear with Alexander." Lord Darius elaborated.





***** Now



"Joel, I'm sure you are not the Alexander that everyone is talking about, isn't it?" Joy said with disbelief. She released her hand from the blood sword and started to inch toward Joel. "I'm sure there is a mix up somewhere, isn't it? Perhaps it is your doppelganger."



"You are right, I'm not Alexander," Joel replied with a polite smile. Hearing this, Joy and the purple dragon queen sigh in relief. Joy walked toward Ariel, who was about to stand up and helped her. 



"I'm his son," Joel said, and the speech made Joy halt in her steps. It was as if a loud trumpet had been ringing in her head. She couldn't believe it. Someone she had come to love and cherish was her worst enemy.



With tearing eyes, she turned back and faced Joel. "Tell me you are joking. Just tell me that you are playing a prank on me because of what happened in the city hall."



"Everything that happened in the city hall was a plan," Joel said. "My father saw a vision that the half-breed was nearby. That's why he sent me out to search for her. When I saw you, I knew instantly that you were the one. That's why I lured you to the city hall." Joel elaborates while taking a deep breath. 



He walked towards Joy, stared directly into her eyes, and said "Everything is a plan. How I met you, the concert, the birthday party, and how your power was unleashed. We intentionally put that human in that lone room just to make you reveal your identity."



"He isn't pulling a prank; that's the reality." Edgar Allan chirps in. "Because he had his father's features, people always mistook them. In reality, he is the son of Alexander, the most powerful sorcerer in the middle land."



Joy took a deep breath to stop the tears from flowing freely from her eyes. She could now process everything together from the beginning. She could remember the fear in Delta Logan and Rebecca's crew's eyes whenever they saw Joel. She could now guess the reason why they feared him. He's the son of Alexander.



She could feel her heart shattering into a thousand pieces. She could feel her world coming crashing down. 



The only word that escaped from her lips was, "Joel, why?" 



"It wasn't his fault," Lord Darius chirped. "No matter how powerful they might be, they must and will always bow to me. I'm the lord of all supernaturals. The god of every wolf and lycan."



"Shut up," Joy snapped at him, and that made a loud gasp escape from everyone's mouth. It was obvious that they didn't expect it. "Shut up the trash that you are calling your mouth." Joy repeated it before he faced Joel again.



"You can clasp out of this, Joel." Joy said. "You are stronger than this."



"I'm sorry, Joy, I can't," Joel replied while shaking his head vehemently. "You can't understand."



"He is deceiving you with his stupid superiority," Joy screamed. "Joel, you can free yourself from his grip. Just snapped out." She fired at him.



"Even if the middle land ancestors return to life, Lord Darius will always be the god." Edgar Allen said. "Including you, the half-breed. You are going down today."



"Did you hear what he just said?" Joy heard a voice in her head. Then she recognized the voice instantly. It's the same voice that urged her to fight against Delta Logan. The same female voice that told her that they cheated on her



"Your aura can do wonders for you. If you have a positive aura, you can go a very long way. If you have a negative aura, you will not reach the star. So, now and then, keep a positive attitude. That is the true hope for life, and they serve as power for the half-breed." The female voice said in her head.



Instantly, Joy felt something shifting in her body. She could feel her body getting hot. It was like they were burning. She let out a loud shrieking voice that didn't belong to that of a human. Her voice was like thunder which was booming in the sky. It was like Balrog had been released from hell. 



"Whenever fear knocks on your door, always have the right courage to open it, because success is waiting behind the fear. Then only you will achieve your goal!" Joy heard the female voice saying it in her head. 



At first, she thought of pushing it down. Yet despite other thoughts, Joy knew the voice was right. Lord Darius fills her with dread.



Mere hearing his name made her shiver in fear. Everyone in the middle land is in the same boat. She knew that, behind the fear, was a great success. If she could allow the voice to take over, then she would conquer Lord Darius and free the middle land. Joy thought of giving the female voice access to her body. But on second thought, she tried to shut it off again. 



What would this female voice bring? Joy thought. It's nothing but destruction and death. 



She could feel the aura that was coming from the voice. She could feel her anger and vengeance. Joy knew that once she released this female destruction, there wouldn't be any way to seal it again. 



Hell No! She wasn't ready for that. What's her gain if she kills Lord Darius and starts hurting her friend? 



Even though she was about to do this for Joel, this isn't the right way. Joy knew she wasn't ready for the danger. So she shut her eyes tightly and decided to chase the voice away before it took full control of her body.



"She is unleashing the power of the half-breed," Joel screamed at them. "If we don't stop her now, we will be wiped out within seconds."



"I can't allow a small girl to erase me from existence," says the purple dragon queen. She conjured a great purple flame and threw it at Joy. Ariel stepped forward, absorbed the flame, and retaliated by blasting the purple dragon queen away with her scarlet flame.



Joel and Edgar Allan darted toward Joy at the same time, but they collided with something hard, and the force threw them some metres away. Standing in front of them is Dan. He had transformed into his full lycan, and one could feel the great aura that was radiating around his body.



"Descendants of the moon god..." Edgar Allan was saying, but Dan stopped him midway with a punch. The force threw him several metres away and banged his back against the pillar of the palace. 



Joel summoned an earth boulder and began directing it at Dan. Letting out a great cry, Dan leapt up and then smacked the earth with his fist. He beat his chest thrice, and then howled out again. In a flash, he darted toward Joel. He was faster than anything Joel had ever seen. 



Right and left, Dan was kicking and whacking the earth boulder that Joel was sending at him. With his mighty hand, he grabbed the last boulder, then wheeled his body like a whirlwind, and threw it at Joel. It was so quick, and Joel wasn't expecting that kind of attack. The boulder collided with him, and it sent him colliding with Lord Darius.



Dan howled out again, then smashed the earth. Instantly, everywhere started rumbling. Just like Hulk from the Avengers, Dan picked out a big boulder and directed it at Lord Darius himself. Joel wanted to stop the boulder, but it was too late. A few inches after the boulder collided with the duo, Lord Darius stepped forward, and the boulder stopped in front of him.



He twisted his hand and raised it. The boulder started spinning so fast that the air that was emitting from it caused the globe to rise off the ground. Seeing that the boulder was spinning so fast, Lord Darius pushed his hand forward, and it went straight for Dan.



Letting out another great growling sound, Dan leapt up to escape the boulder. As soon as his feet touched the ground, another boulder came descending on his face, and he narrowly ducked in time. He punched another boulder as it came at him, and it broke into pieces. 



Dan leapt up, then whirled his body. He folded his hand into a fist and whacked at Lord Darius. Despite his speed, Lord Darius saw him in a small movement. He grabbed Dan's fist midway and then launched a punch at his mouth. 



Dan saw his fist coming for his face, but it was too late to react. Instead of making a wrong decision, he clamped his body for the impact. The blow collided with Dan's jaw, and he could feel it shaking them violently. Without hesitation, he slashed Lord Darius' face with his claw. Before the man could move back, Dan grabbed him by the collar of his long red robe and then slashed his neck deeply with his long, sharp claw.



Dan was about to penetrate his chest with his claw when he felt a lightning bolt strike him from behind. Without being told, he knew it was Joel. Another thunderbolt was directed at him, and Dan narrowly escaped it while the lightning bolt went for Lord Darius instead. At the last minute, Edgar Allan appeared in front of Lord Darius, and the lighting bolt fried him to the bone.



Before Joel could wink, Dan emerged behind him. He grabbed his neck, then pierced his eyes with his claw, and Joel screamed in pain. 



"That's for causing her pain and breaking her heart," Dan said while glancing at Joy, who was still trying to control her power. 



"If I spare you, then I'm an idiot." He pierced his abdomen with his claw, and Joel couldn't help the painful screams that escaped from his mouth. "May your soul rot in hell! May nobody remember your name in the book of the living beings, Alexander Joel," Dan said. 



He slashed his claw at Joel intending to bring down his head, but a boulder hit him from behind. The force threw him several feet away before he finally hit his head against the remaining sculpture boulder.



"You have called for war, and may you suffer the consequences." Lord Darius said with a deadly smirk. "The Keeper of the Realm, grant me an army." Lord Darius screamed out, and his voice stabbed throughout the universe. It was so loud that it disrupted Ariel and the purple dragon queen's battle. 



Finally, he became the centre of attention. They all watch in awe as Lord Darius stretches his hand toward the sky. Lighting flashes out of his hand and goes straight toward the sky. 



"Not Every day we get the chance to see the half-breed. That's why I'm ending her, and all her guardians' lives today." Lord Darius said and released his hand while the lighting stopped flowing into the sky.



At first, everything was silent and no sound was heard except for Joy, who was groaning in pain. Dan wants to move in on her, but Ariel stops him. 



"We can't stop the process, but we can buy her time." She elaborated.



"She's our only hope now, and the inner fight she is going through might take some time," Dan argued.



"That's why I had another plan, just wait and let the scene unfold itself." Ariel replied calmly, and he faced Lord Darius.



"Is that all you got, or are you expecting someone else?" She asked, mockingly.



"Never! I wasn't expecting someone or anyone." Lord Darius replied with a nasty smile. "I'm expecting thousands of D'arcy soldiers from Lebanon." 



Instantly, a different portal started to open. Emerging out of the portal is the great Alexander himself. He was the true replica of Joel. They had the same height, hair colour, beards, and everything nearby. The only difference is that Alexander's face looks old. The aura that was radiating around his body nearly made Dan and Ariel go to their knees. But they resist it.



"Father," Joel said while crawling toward his father. "I'm sorry! I have failed you. I couldn't protect Lord Darius. I couldn't bring down the half-breed."



"You didn't fail me, Joel." His father replied. "You only aid the prophecy." Alexander squatted down beside Joel and then placed his hand on his forehead. A small orange light emitted from his hand and spread across Joel's body like a wildfire. Before the glint in his eyes, he was healed.



"My Lord," another voice said, behind Lord Darius. Emerging from a portal behind him are Micah Tyler, Sarah, and the Red Widow. "Did we miss anything?" Micah asked.



"No, the show is just about to start."



"Sister," Joel screamed in delight.



"Oh Joel, when did you leave the city hall without my consent?" The red widow said before hugging Joel so tight.



Joel explained, "I had to leave because I had accomplished my mission by revealing her identity."



"What's happening to her?" The red widow asked as she disengaged from the hug. She faced the direction of Joy, who was still suffering from the strange voice trauma.



Besides him stood Dan, Ariel, and the purple dragon queen. With the look on her face, one could easily know that she had changed her mind. She is not fighting against Ariel and her team again.



"Ariel Maka Rachel," Lord Darius said and stepped forward. His long robe has now turned dirty, and all the ribbons around his neck have been removed. The claw neck was still viable on his body, and it was still dripping blood.





"As you can see, you are outnumbered." Lord Darius said while pointing to the army behind him. Thousands of D'arcy Lycans stood behind him, not including Alexander and his offspring.



"Give me the last ring, and I will let you live. I might even spare the half-breed."



"You want the last ring of terror, isn't it?" Dan said, with a deadly smirk. "Well, it's with Ariana Myers, and she is currently on her way to the doom fire. I'm sure you know what that means. "



"You are a clown!" Lord Darius screamed in anger. "Kill them all." He ordered his men.



T.b.c