Kael landed lightly on the rooftop, his sharp eyes locked onto the figure standing at the edge of the slaughterhouse. Even in the dim light, he could see the unmistakable shimmer of blue scales beneath the stranger's cloak.
A breeze rolled through the air, carrying the distant clangs and roars from the pit below, but Kael's focus was wholly on the figure before him. Something about him felt familiar—uncomfortably so.
Before Kael could call out, the figure moved. A subtle shift of weight, a twitch of muscle, and then—he bolted.
Without hesitation, Kael sprang forward. "Oh no, you don't."
The stranger leaped from the rooftop, vaulting over the edge with an unnatural fluidity. Kael followed, his instincts screaming that he couldn't let him escape. He landed on a lower platform, boots skidding on damp stone before pushing off in pursuit.
The chase weaved through the labyrinthine alleys of the underpath's outskirts. The blue-scaled man was fast, dangerously so, moving with the agility of a predator who had done this a thousand times before. But Kael was relentless.
Turning sharply around a corner, he caught a proper glimpse of his quarry. The man's hood had fallen back, revealing a sharp-jawed face covered in ancient battle scars. His eyes—if they had ever existed—were gone, leaving only smooth skin where they should have been.
But what truly made Kael's breath hitch was the unmistakable reptilian features—the same kind that Ash bore in his drake form.
[Swamp Drake… like ash.]
Kael didn't slow. His mind sharpened like a blade. This wasn't just some enemy—this was something bigger. Someone who had come here with a purpose.
Finally, the chase came to a sudden halt. The blue-scaled man reached an open clearing and, instead of continuing to run, he stopped. He turned his body just slightly, waiting.
Kael didn't waste the opportunity. He slowed to a walk, circling the man, one hand resting on his weapon. His breath came steady, controlled. "You ran fast for someone who doesn't want to be caught," Kael said coolly.
The man smirked slightly. "I ran because I had no interest in fighting you." His voice was deep, smooth, eerily calm.
Kael didn't trust that for a second. "Who are you?"
The blue-scaled man tilted his head. "Names are for those who wish to be known."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "Then I'll call you Coward."
The man chuckled. "If I were a coward, I wouldn't be here." He exhaled, as if disappointed. "But you—you are wasting your time chasing me while the real battle unfolds behind you."
Kael's grip on his weapon tightened, but he didn't take the bait. "You came here for Ash."
A pause. Just a fraction too long.
Kael caught it. "He's important to you, isn't he?"
The blue-scaled man remained silent.
"You aren't just here to watch." Kael studied him, watching every twitch of muscle. "You're here to do something or how I put it.....to end something."
Still, no answer.
But then, slowly, the man turned to face Kael fully. And in the flickering torchlight, his features became unmistakable. Swamp drake form. Blue scales. The way he carried himself—calm, controlled, deliberate.
Kael, his smile unwavering, take out a rod from his back, seemingly preparing to strike the silent Drake. "Sure, if you don't wanna talk, let's not waste much time," he said, his gaze fixed on his unresponsive target. Without warning, Kael swung the weapon, its length appearing insufficient for a direct hit. Yet, with startling speed, Drake dashed backward, narrowly evading the blow of the swing – or so he believed.
A sharp sting appear above his forehead, and he touched the wound to find black blood welling up. He stared at the ominous fluid, then back at Kael, who was now looking thoughtfully at the top of his weapon. "Man, my guandao's getting moisty," Kael remarked, a casual explanation for the near miss as he run his finger along the curves of invisible blade. "That's the reason you dodged it."
Kael's mind clicked into place.
He's just like Ash.
The man exhaled, as if reaching a decision. "I have no quarrel with you," he said. "But I will not leave until I've seen what I came for."
Kael took a step forward. "And what exactly did you come for?"
The blue-scaled man tilted his head, his blind face unreadable. "To see if what I feared is true."
Kael had no patience for riddles. He drew his blade an inch to his blue scales. "And if it is?"
The man's expression darkened. "Then I do what must be done."
Silence stretched between them, thick with tension. Kael's mind raced. [Whoever this was, he wasn't just a hired fighter or some rogue enemy. He had history. He had purpose. And worst of all—he had Ash in his sights.]
Kael couldn't let that go unanswered.
"Tell me one thing before I decide whether to cut you down or not." Kael's voice was deadly quiet. "Who are you to him?"
The blue-scaled man hesitated just long enough for Kael to know he had struck something deep.
Then, finally, the man gave a small, knowing smile.
"…A brother."
Kael's breath stilled.
The stranger took a step back. "You have bigger problems to deal with than me," he said. "But if you insist on following me, then don't blame the luck after."
Kael had no time to react before the man turned and vanished into the darkness of the streets.
For the first time in a long while, Kael felt something rare—a deep, gnawing unease.
"A brother."
He exhaled, steadying himself.
And then, without hesitation, he ran after him.
.
The moment Ash's eyes landed on Ronny, a sickening, gut-twisting feeling spread through his body like wildfire. His breathing hitched. His muscles coiled so tight it hurt.
Peat crawled over his skin, an involuntary reaction, something primal buried deep in his bones. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to lunge forward, to rip Ronny apart, to finally put an end to the nightmare this man had carved into his memories.
But even as he took a step, his instincts snapped back—this wasn't the time.
Ronny stood there, smirking like a king surveying his domain. His presence alone was enough to make Ash's skin crawl, but the worst part was that he knew it. That smug expression, the way he carried himself—it was as if he expected Ash to break down, to lose himself in rage.
Something changed in him in ronny. He was not like this in his memories. He only saw ronny as short tempered violent creature but for the first time ash saw another side of him smug, cocky and totally irritating. He doesn't understand he was like this not even in his memories.
Ash clenched his fists, forcing his breathing to steady. [Think, damn it.]
Then he felt it—the sheer weight pressing down on him, an invisible force gnawing at his body like chains sinking into flesh.
Norman's Dominion.
It wasn't just Ronny's presence that was throwing him off—it was everything. The pit was now crawling with warriors, their weapons gleaming under the flickering torchlight. Every step Ash took felt sluggish, unnatural, like he was wading through deep water. His thoughts clouded, instincts twisted, body betraying him.
He wasn't just cornered physically—he was trapped.
Ronny took a step forward, arms crossed, his wide smirk deepening. "What's wrong, kid? You looked so eager a second ago."
Ash gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to react. [He wants you to snap. He wants you to lose control.]
Norman stood off to the side, silent, but Ash could feel his gaze, feel the weight of his Dominion keeping him pinned like an insect under glass. The storm around them raged, a reflection of the tension crackling in the pit.
Ash's breathing turned ragged. He could barely move. His mind screamed at him to fight, but his body refused to obey.
Ronny tilted his head, his grin turning sharper. "Oh, I get it. You're scared."
Ash's fingers twitched.
Ronny laughed. "Took you long enough to realize how outmatched you are."
Ash sucked in a breath, trying to focus, trying to break through the fog of Dominion suffocating his senses. Damn it, think! There has to be a way—
"Tell me," Ronny continued, voice dripping with amusement, "how does it feel to be right back where you belong?"
That was it.
Something snapped inside Ash.
His body moved before his mind could catch up, lunging forward with sheer force. His claws slashed through empty air as Ronny easily sidestepped, laughing.
"Pathetic."
Ash stumbled, heart pounding in his ears. His breath felt too shallow. His vision blurred for a moment. His body wasn't responding the way it should.
Norman's Dominion was strangling him.
Ronny crouched slightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he looked up at Ash with a mockingly sympathetic expression. "You're not thinking clearly, are you?"
Ash forced himself to straighten, but the moment he did, his legs nearly buckled beneath him.
Ronny shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Tsk. It's sad, really." He turned his gaze toward Norman. "Are you sure we should be wasting our time? Looks like he's already broken."
Ash growled, forcing his claws to sharpen, his skin to harden. He wasn't done. Not yet.
Ronny's smirk faded slightly as he watched Ash struggle. His head tilted, something gleaming in his eyes—not amusement this time.
Curiosity.
As if he was watching something interesting unfold.
Norman finally spoke, his deep voice cutting through the air like thunder. "Not yet."
Ronny huffed, standing back up and cracking his neck. "Fine. I'll play along."
Ash barely had time to register the shift in Ronny's stance before he moved.
Faster than Ash could track, Ronny closed the distance, grabbing Ash by the neck and slamming him into the wall. The impact rattled his bones, pain flaring through his back.
Ronny leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "You feel it, don't you?" His grip tightened. "The chains. The weight. The helplessness."
Ash bared his teeth, trying to claw at him, but his arms wouldn't listen.
Ronny chuckled. "Welcome back, Muda."
Ash's breath caught.
For a second, just a second, his world spun.
And in that moment, Dominion crushed him whole.