Chapter 17 – Old problems die hard (3)

"I truly can't see any other way…"

The weak-form… with all the emotions I was consumed in. I stand before this human, weaker than her.

"Because there isn't any…"

"I won't just let you massacre my people."

Esterine looks happy, as I draw my sword ahead of me.

"Same intention. Total personal."

"I require you to stop talking!"

I slash my sword faster, but the axe at the ground: defends its owner, mindlessly moving in her evil hands.

I… don't know what to do next. My sword seems to move on its own, unlike Esterine's axe. Something else was controlling my own sword and hands.

I push away, her axe. But right as my sword's tip almost gazes her, her axe smacks me sideways, leaving only a light scar upon my face.

I groan with pain, feeling the blood from my cheek, in between my fingers.

I charge forward, aiming at the axe's handle… or her wrist. Esterine moves backwards, and then forward, but I mange to cut her hip. To which Esterine just laughs and bashes into me, making me fall to the ground.

"I guess… you aren't that strong. My race wins," Esterine points her axe at me.

"Not so soon," a distant voice says.

"What did you say?" Esterine asks, glaring at me.

"Fingers crossed… not me."

Like wind… or more like a thrown spear, something moves… right into Esterine's gut. And she moves to a distance from me.

Sam gives me her hand, and helps me up. But her eyes stay fixed towards Esterine.

"And you are?"

"Does it matter though?" Sam asks.

"Of course not, as you'd be dead in the next minute."

"Ooh… first battle. Make it worth it."

Sam deflects the knife which Esterine throws, in a very quick manner, while holding my sword… when did she end up taking that?

"Sword… Max likes these. I have seen him use them wooden ones," Sam practices with the sword, while moving it in front of her.

"It'll also break like one!"

Esterine charges at Sam, while she maintains her posture. And she moves her leg onto Esterine's knee, making her bow to her.

Sam laughs mockingly.

Esterine swings her axe, even then, and Sam holds the hilt above her face, as the axe and sword clash in front of her chest. Esterine moves her other hand, and Sam holds it with her loose one… and seems to break her finger?

Esterine pushes Sam away, while groaning. Sam was fast, but Esterine was still stronger. But-

"You seem tired," Sam says.

"You are fast," Esterine scoffs, while making sure her finger is fine.

"What can I say, I… need to find a way to complete that sentence."

"I can't let you win!"

Esterine literally pounces on her fours, and kicks Sam, with all her body weight. Sam stays on the ground, while Esterine tries to cut her apart: using her axe. But Sam barely deflects them away.

Esterine really does break the sword, and yet Sam uses the broken sword to defend herself, while gripping her body on the ground.

Tar comes just then, and before Esterine could do anything regarding him, he pushes the spear in his hand, right into the cut I had made.

Esterine lets go of the axe, and kneels onto the ground.

"How dare you!" both Tar and Esterine say to each other.

"You do not mess with my family!"

"End me then!"

Tar holds his spear up again, without a second thought… but somebody shoots at him, making him drop the spear.

"Enough!" Parzival says.

"Sam!?" Ivor asks, finding Sam on the ground.

"Of course she is your daughter," Esterine rolls her eyes, even with pain. She looks at me on the ground, and I wave at her, with a smile. "Should have guessed."

"Sam, how did you reach here?" Parzival asks, ignoring Esterine.

"Same way…"

Max transforms from being a red dragon, and waves nervously.

So both of them were dragons now?

"How did you… Tarragon you little-"

"-they are dragons, Parzival."

And that was Max's dad?

As they stay silent… I just feel a little weird, deep down.

"And I want to stay… we want to stay, Dad."

Parzival… B… huh.

"No, you don't get to choose. You are way past picking a side concept," Ivor says.

"Okay," Parzival says.

Hmm… can't be then. Unlikely…

"What are you saying, Parzival?"

"They must, Ivor. For their own good."

"We are not your enemies," I say, and get up. "I-we, will be there if you need our help with your problems," I weakly smile.

The two men nod.

"Esterine, please tell your men to stop now," Parzival says.

"And don't mind my wound, thanks for asking. This is your mission… so I'll follow you. The next time I'm here, you will obey me!" Esterine gets up.

"There will be… no next time. I'll make sure of it."

Esterine's eyes…eye, turns black. She just silently goes away. And as she walks, the radius of the battle stopping… increases. Until she escapes our eye.

Moments… minutes… a blast occurs again on the castle, making me flinch.

"Please… she's stopping it," Parzival says.

"Doesn't sound too promising of a stop, or quick enough."

We walk towards the huge-doors of the castle. A soldier beheads someone in front of us… a dragon, with his knife.

"What on the world are you doing?" Ivor asks, pushing him away, putting a stop to him.

"You don't know…? You're not the boss anymore… either of you."

That… I knew this one. I recognised this dragon.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Parzival asks… Staying composed.

"I know who you are, the supporter of these dragons. Esterine is our true leader, she will help us stop this."

He seems to have a grim aura… like Esterine.

"Esterine…? She accepted on this… and this is against military rules to not accept the order of the leader, which is me."

"You fool: you think we are the military? You are too late, as soon as you gave Esterine permission to bring people in, she got us. We are the Saturn organisation, and we will-"

Gunshot echoes through the loud castle, with burning fires and roars. And the person in front of us, falls to the ground.

We look up to find Esterine, holding a gun… she was on the second floor. She signs us to come up.

"Parzival, what must we do?"

"We cannot ask them to stop, nor kill them all. Didn't you hear? We must defeat the queen to stop the pawns."

"Funny way of saying, but true enough Mr. Military."

"It's a reference of chess, uncle Tar."

"He wouldn't know such informative things, Max," Parzival scoffs.

"Well, I play it better than you do. I even understood what you meant," Tar moves towards the stairs, putting Max behind him. "Stay a little at the back. Your father will take a bullet in your stead."

Parzival sighs, as Tarragon signs with his hands: to come forward.

We walk up the stairs, with us on the front, and Max, Sam, Fara, and Rusty at the back.

"I heard that you found out about us dragons. Doesn't really matter now, but how?" I ask curiously.

Parzival looks at me. "I was attacked by one. Seemed like a rogue. Got away, both of us. And things have gotten this way… I'm sorry."

"I should apologize… you need to understand that we always are trying to avoid from such things happening. But neither do I have control over all… but I'll make sure it doesn't harm anyone."

Parzival nods.

As we reach the second floor, goosebumps run down my body, as Esterine holds a gun… not towards us… but Line. And Tony was fallen on the ground, just behind them.

"Esterine, what are you doing?" Parzival says, moving forward, but I desperately hold him by his hand.

"I wouldn't come closer if I wanted this little boy alive."

"That… that is my cousin," I say, hyperventilating.

"You don't have to do this, Esterine. Whoever this Saturn-" Ivor says.

"-you think they are controlling me? They have my brother as captive, oh I'm so scared," Esterine scoffs. "I wouldn't be here if I ever wanted to stop. Use your little brains, for god's sake. It is me!"

"What… are you?"

"I'm Esterine Alta," Esterine breaths-in heavily, and smiles.

"Put that guy, and gun down, Alta," Ivor says.

"Oh come on, Ivor. You are trying to blackmail now, as if the name means anything? I have worked with you military… and I have no one waiting for me, back home. I'm all you need, right her."

Nobody says a thing.

"And don't think you'll even make it out of here. So that you can work on that name."

"What are you even thinking, you little-" Parzival looses it for once, but I hold him again.

"-No, I would mind my words too. And as for why or what… the soldier I just killed must have told you already, that I'm just a mole in your organisation. Our organisation wants to kill everyone and be that the fittest be alive."

"Leave my brother… now!" I yell.

"Your brother will serve as the beacon to my great plan. He shall sacrifice himself and kill each one of you… right here."

"And why?" Max asks.

"Oh dear me… OF COURSE we want to be the fittest. No fun in letting the fittest be alive, if it is not ourselves, is it? You dragons will continue to be a pain… so let's end that. And these military will continue to be a pain… so what better, but to start this war; to keep them busy?"

"What was that about some beacon?" Fara asks.

"Ah, you listened. Curious about your ultimate death, I see. Look right here," Esterine lifts Line's head, revealing a bomb upon his chest, with a stopped timer. "This here is small, but can take down this bloody castle, and all of you with it"

"You will give your life for this? Then who will run your organisation?" Sam asks.

"I will die. But, I'm not the one who is th-" Esterine says and groans.

Esterine kneels down, still grabbing onto Line, tightly. And still holding her gun. She holds her pose and furiously looks at us.

"What did you do, quirky kid?" Esterine pushes the gun into Line's head, making him shiver and moan.

All that blood… how dare she!

"I did not do a thing, just don't kill him," Sam mumbles out, putting her hands forward.

"Poison," I whisper.

While the toxin wasn't poisonous to us… or maybe was… to a human…

"The spear was from a military guy," Tarragon whispers.

"I will still win," Esterine says, pushing a button.

"What did you do?"

"What I must have done sooner," Esterine groans. "I may die sooner, but you will follow up soon, in two minutes… each of you!"

She drops Line to the ground, while holding her gun towards us, even when she barely holds her body up.