V1. C3. Leaves falling and smoke rising

"Papa Papa! Watch this!"

A boy not even three years old shouted out as he took hold of a training sword from the nicely built courtyard, and with a clenched fist and focused face he started to glow with a bronze hue and seemed to give off a slight sense of power that one would not expect from a two year old boy. *clap clap*

"Ya! That's my boy! Drago you are growing so fast, you already reached Bronze Tempering a year before the average age! A true genius! We must get you a new sword for when you move up to Bronze Perfection!" a man boasted with a grin from ear to ear and eyes that shone of pure pride, the kind of pride that could only be understood if one were a father. "Kay, my wife! Take a look at our son, can you believe it?!"

"Neo, don't spoil him more than me otherwise you will be his favorite, hehe" said a strikingly beautiful woman with flame like hair as she walked towards the boy and his father, she was none other than Kay, the wife of Neo.

"Drago, my love… although your father promised you a new sword for your next breakthrough, I will always be your favorite, ok?" *smooch* Kay knelt down to kiss the boy on the forehead all while ruffling his already messy black hair.

"Moooom stooop, you know I can't choose a favorite, I love both of you equally!" countered Drago. Kay and Neo look at each other both showing a loving smile and then with a nod they both grabbed Drago, surprising him and making him laugh. "Hahaha Mom! Dad! Put me down!"

"Not until we get inside Drago, I heard that Kay was making a delicious lunch and I can't have you running off."

"Fiiiine, but before lunch can we go see grandma and grandpa? I want to eat with them too!" Drago begged with an obviously fake look of desperation.

"Haha you act as if you haven't seen them in months, you saw them last night Drago, but don't worry cause they're already at the dining hall waiting for us." Kay said as she looked over her shoulder seeing that Drago was now on Neo's shoulders playing with his ponytail. "They are too cute oh my gosh, I love them." thought Kay.

"Dad, when does the Star Tournament start this year? Last time we went was really fun!"

Puzzled by the random question, Neo said "Well it's semiannual and the first one this year was back in the spring, so it could happen anytime now. See? The leaves are a crimson red and falling to the ground, that's how we know it's fall."

"I like the red leaves, they remind me of Mom's hair, especially the way they move, woOoo…" Drago sways while still being on Neo's shoulders, as if he was blowing with the breeze.

"Ok you two, we're almost home, see there is grandma and grandpa, Drago!" Kay pointed across the walkway leading to an enormous building that gave a feeling of influence and power. Standing at the entrance, doors agape, an older couple who seemed to be in their 50's, with salt and pepper hair and slight wrinkles of aging, waved back to the young family with smiles on their faces.

"Hello my children! Hoho you've grown so big Drago! Just yesterday you were still in Bronze Tuning, I'm very impressed." said Drago's grandpa who's eyes gazed over the little boy with eyes almost identical to Neo's.

"Thanks grandpa! Do I get extra treats when we go inside? Heheh" Drago asked mischievously, seemingly knowing cultivation breakthroughs are his grandpa's weak spot.

"Ehh," his grandpa scratched his rather long beard trying to think of a way out of this predicament, "Try asking your grandma, she'd love to dote on you!" he shamelessly put the pressure on his wife, who was now glaring daggers at him.

"You can only get a treat from me Drago if you can hold your Bronze Tempering aura for 30 minutes straight." she responds all while maintaining that initial evil glare at her husband.

"30 minutes! I can barely hold it for 15!" Drago answered with mild exasperation "...fine grandma, but after lunch ok?"

"That's ok with me sweetheart, let's walk inside then." his grandma gestured towards the door to him and the others.

Drago starts to sing a little tune, "Gonna eat momma's cooking! Gonna grow strong to become king! Hahah!"

*BOOOOM BOOOOOM BOOOOOOOM*

Before Drago could move onto the next verse, a series of explosions, each one bigger than the one before it, leave mushroom clouds and flames in their wake across the kingdom.

The family stared at the the rising smoke in horror and confusion. Quick to come to his senses, Neo maneuvered Drago of his shoulders and put him in Kay's arms saying "Go to the deepest security vault with my Mom and Dad and don't come out till I come back, I have to protect the people from whoever did this." He kisses Kay on her cherry red lips quickly but also with much sincerity and also kisses Drago on the forehead. *swoosh*

Neo's cloak waves in the air from the immense speed of him running, "I love you both, so stay safe!" Neo yells while going in the direction of the explosions.

"We love you too Neo, you may be a king to a kingdom, but you're a father first, so come back safely!" Kay yells back instinctively, not knowing the source of her uneasiness. "Neo is the strongest man I know, he'll definitely be ok." She thought to herself while running with Drago in her arms towards the security vaults in the lower levels of the house they live in.

As Neo ran closer to the explosion, the screams became louder and the people running in the opposite direction became denser.

"Enemy attack! They're too strong! Where'd they come from?!" guards and citizens were screaming out all while trying to survive the onslaught.

Neo finally makes it to the first battlefield and instantly sees what used to be a squad of his kingdoms guards... ripped to shreds. Arms and legs riddled the ground and moans of agony came from those who weren't lucky enough to die instantly in the fight that had just taken place. Neo spots a guard still breathing, but only barely, due to a jagged dagger of unknown origin lodged in his chest. Neo, in hopes of getting answers on what's happening, walks towards him.

"Who did this?" Neo asks the man while kneeling down, wondering if there's a way to save him but failing to think of a solution.

"Monsters, my King," the guard instantly recognized Neo, his king, the man he swore loyalty to, "They were...monsters...in human skin *cough cough* they came out of nowhere, ergggh!" The man winced in pain, and with eyes of dread and uncertainty, died as Neo looked at him with watery eyes.

"Rest well my loyal subject, rest knowing I'll avenge you and your brothers and anyone else who has lost their life in this massacre." Neo got up, and with a golden aura so thick one could almost touch it he amplified his voice with his cultivation base and bellowed, looking towards the sky, "GET OUT OF MY KINGDOM OR PERISH!"