The Coming Threat

Seated on his chair, leaning on his cheek onto his knuckles, Zariel stared as his sister raced around the kitchen. A blank look on his face.

"What are you making?"

"Hmm. Eggs."

"Didn't know you needed flour for eggs."

Zhu snorted cutely, " Shut up, bubba. Ya don't know!" and placed back down the flour, not daring to look at Zariel, who smiled through his bandages.

"Ella is coming, you know. Maybe she can help. God knows you—"

"Bubba."

"Hmm?"

"Shut up!"

Listening to her childish hums, Zareil looked out of the rising dawn. He picked himself up in a strained manner and slowly walked towards the balcony. Enjoying the winds through the bandages that made him out to be a zombie, according to some students, a small smile appeared.

Golden light ran over his serene eyes. He turned back to Zhu, destroying his kitchen. "By the Hells! How is it you can't even make scrambled eggs? Put the damn cinnamon down!" He argued, rushing into the kitchen as he pushed her to the side.

Finding a simple frying pan, he tossed it on the fire. Heated the pot and tossed in some oil and then the egg. Listening to the sizzle, he frowned, noticing the ancient arcana billowing into the air. But did not talk of it. It was clear to him Zhu had stolen something.

Smashing apart the yoke, he pulled the eggs off the fire, allowing the residual heat to cook through the eggs, and lightly seasoned them with salt.

"Cinnamon too, bubba!"

"Then crush these cinnamon sticks into fine dust just a little. A pinch of cinnamon at the end will do," he said, scooping out a dollop of butter.

Listening to the sizzle of the oil meeting the butter, Zareil stirred the eggs before putting them back onto the fire.

"Boom! Boom Boom Boom!" Shouted the Zhu as she smashed the cinnamon to dust. "Truck-Kun if victorious against the cinnamon!"

"Are you on drugs?"

"Zhu is the drugs, bubba!"

Giving way to a sigh, the young Lord plated the eggs and pinched a sprinkle of cinnamon over the golden eggs.

"You there. You happy?"

"I knew bubba loved me! Eat with wittle sista, bubba." She said, finding a seat with a bright smile on her lips. Her emerald eyes glistened with a look of anticipation. "Sit. Sit. Sit. Truck-Kun actually has something to say to you."

Wounds aching, Zariel let out a breath of cold air as he staggered to the table, falling down with a bitter look, the only solace being the small concoction he'd prepared with a pinch of cinnamon of all things.

"You've made a mess, bubba." Said Zhu softly." I've felt your battle quite a ways away. This Aldrich is no joke." she paused, picking up a fluffy piece of the golden yoke. "It's been what? Three weeks since that day?"

"Your point?" Replied the young Lord.

Zariels sister lifted her gaze, the childishness in her young eyes fading to black. " I also heard of the torment of the dragon priest. The reason I showed up was actually to warn you. Seven Dragons are on their way to trinity. Should arrive in a month, maybe two weeks."

"True Dragons?"

"Yes.

Putting a fork full in his mouth, the young Lord's eyes grew wide in surprise. "That's… that's not bad." He said, "eat your food."

"K." Said Zhu in a bright tone.

—

By day's end, Zhu had turned in for the night, returning to her master's fold through teleportation as Zareil made his way into his room, towards the portrait of the ruined city covered in flames, alongside a mighty dragon baring its fangs.

"So there coming." He whispered, soft as a ghost in the night. "Two weeks at the earliest and a month by the latest."

"Are you sure about this, Zariel?" Asked Zero metallically.

The young Lord did not respond.

"You'll be sacrificing hundreds."

"When did mortal or immortal life ever matter to you?" Came the young master strained voice. "The Academy will be fine. Hundreds may die, but this mysterious organization will be exposed."

"To what end?"

Pulling the bandages from his face, revealing small white blisters bubbling over the many wounds. He was smiling, yet a gleam of cruelty curled the edges of his lips, deepening as his voice became marred with bloodlust.

"If you think it's for the greater good, then you're wrong. I was attacked, and I wish for a challenge," he replied, " What other reason could there be aside from causing chaos? Or perhaps finding the truth behind Tiamat? Aren't you curious?"

"No."

'You should be. Who is Tiamat if not a powerful god."

Zero frowned behind his masked. " You seek an alliance? No… you seek a pawn. A face to hide behind as you make a public appearance. Dangerous, but useful."

"Is KO and Arsene on Iluthath yet?"

"Let's not discuss this here. This area is compromised.' Zero remarked cautiously, appearing behind the young master as he tumbled to the ground. "Get some rest. You are far from recovering. You sure you don't want me to heal you?"

"I'm about to resume my Perfection training, so no. it'll only stand in the way of perfection." He said as Zero placed him on the bed, wrapping the covers over his limp body.

"And Aurelia?"

"Killing her will only cause more issues. Leave her to die. She's close to death, isn't she?"

"Whatever Mephisto did, awaken something her body can't keep up with. Unless you do something, she will die in a few days."

"Then she dies."

'Surely your not dumb. Or has your feelings been hurt so much you are blinded by—"

"You speak as though you can grasp the insanity racing through this mind, Zero, my friend. She betrayed me. Although it's not the betrayal that I'm angry at. I expected that much. I think everyone did. No. It's the… hate that she holds towards me... the look in her golden eyes when she awoke… Was I so cruel to her?"

"I gave her a home, training, allowed her to grow mentally and physically. Taught her how to hold a blade, how to read, and write. Shit, by now, she should be able to speak over eight languages. If she needed something, she fought for it. And I always delivered. It's odd, Zero. Why did she hate me?"

Zero did not answer.

"She will die by her own hands. Nothing in this world is free… there is always a price. And only in death will she learn. Such a shame… I kinda…like…her."

Fading into darkness as oblivion came for his mind, Zero looked on from a distance and shook his head.

" Fool."