Stupid, stupid kids....

As usual, the next day, Liam was immersed in the troubles of the Academy. The general had departed, and the marshal was lingering, the dragon was born. He had taken up residence in the factory and was constantly coming to visit Liam and Cal, bringing an egg with him. It got to the point where he had his duty nest in a chair that the marshal wouldn't let him ruin. 


Pitsu felt perfectly well in the role of the third extra and purposefully destroyed all the romantic evenings of lovers, good, they were only two before the cherished hour. On the third day, the egg cracked, and from there, a slightly ridiculous white dragon fell out into Pitsu arms. As expected, it happened while Liam was visiting. A baby girl was born, and Cal laughed quite a bit at the bewildered father.

Even after the dragon was born, Pitsu was in no hurry to leave and continued to spend time with his friends without asking if they wanted to see him. For this reason, Cal and Liam conspired to pour their spiritual powers into Ange (as the marshal had named the baby girl) to make her grow up sooner. And indeed, within ten days, Pearl, which is what her name means, had grown so much that she could no longer walk through the door of their house. 


The cunning plan worked and Pitsu, after bowing out and with considerable annoyance, returned to his home, leaving his friends alone. Everything seemed to be going smoothly now, but that was when the person Liam and Cal wanted to see the least arrived at the Academy: the Fourth Elder. Cal had been hiding among the students, traveling to distant training fields or even sitting by the lake in Legion space, since the dragon was busy caring for Ronu anyway, and Cal often brought him food to cook.


Privately, Liam hoped to ask his uncle some of his questions. Sitting the two of them in his office, Liam smoothly turned the conversation in the right direction.


"Uncle, let me ask you regarding the barrier over the lake," began Liam.


"Don't even start," waved an annoyed Elder, "I can't reconstruct the events of those days in my memory."


Despite Liam's astonishment, he said:
 "I don't even remember coming to the Academy! Can you imagine what happened!?" his uncle wrapped his arms around his head.

"You bet you weren't worried" reasoned Liam, "someone in your guise opened a portal to the Academy from hell itself."


"You really helped me out that day by protecting me from an angry mob, don't you remember?"


The Elder took his hands away from his temples and shook his head in complete sincerity. Liam found himself stumped, but he did realize something. The unknown man was well aware of the affairs at the Academy and was skillfully manipulating his role to get things done. It seemed to Liam that if he gathered a few more facts, the puzzle would be solved.

Releasing his uncle back home to the land, Liam set to work. 
It was already August, which meant it was the last month of classes. Unfortunately, the famous dragon parade wouldn't be held this year, so Liam consulted his coworkers about what he could do to replace the holiday that marked the end of the school year every year.

On his way to the cafeteria, Cal caught him and dragged him into a thicket of wild grapes. 
"Is he gone?" asked Cal of the Elder.


"Yeah," replied Liam tiredly, "I haven't gotten anything out of him. He claims he doesn't remember that day."


"And what have you been doing all day?" changed the subject to Cal, adjusting his collar, which was carelessly wrapped inside on one side.


"Last month of school" replied Liam, removing Cal's hand, "and we can't have a large-scale party like we used to, we have to find other options." Liam sighed. 


Looking at the scrolls in his hands, Liam thought he had to hurry and started to stalk toward the exit, but Cal caught him, blocking his path. He was especially good today. No longer hiding his appearance, he began to carefully style his long white hair. Just now, a few strands had dislodged from his hairstyle and rippled tantalizingly with his breath. 
It's a crime to be so beautiful, Liam thought. There was a reason the older female students huddled together in packs and guarded him wherever he went.

"God, what a punishment," Liam thought, fixing his unruly strands.

The man in front of him was clearly enjoying the effect he was having.

"And why have I been so busy lately," Liam sighed.
 "Can I go already?" he asked Cal.


"Well, if you can leave so easily, then please," the man unblocked the passage and stood motionless.


"How can I" whispered Liam and stood on his toes and left a weightless kiss on Cal's lips, "stop driving the students crazy" he threw one last word and winked at Cal.


"Is it all for them" muttered Cal, smiling at the fleeing Head, "aren't the stars burning in your eyes right now because of me?"


He stepped out and headed the other way, maneuvering between the students walking freely. Cal wandered over to a spot where stone benches stood in the shadows. As he lowered himself onto one of them, his appearance was immediately noticed by several beautiful third year students. They whispered embarrassed and then, one, finally made up her mind and approached the handsome student lazily resting on the sidelines.


"Greetings, apprentice" she said timidly and blushed.
Cal sat up straight and stared at the girl.
 "Could you help me?" she asked.


"And do what?" replied Cal.


"Accompany me to the wedding" she muttered, lowering her eyes, "I don't have anyone to go there with.
"

At first, Cal wanted to refuse, but then suddenly something flashed through his mind and he began to remember something that had completely escaped him. 


"Grady and Michal's wedding and the secret dragon parade! That's what I forgot!" 
Cal jumped up and wanted to run after Liam, scaring the already embarrassed girl.


"But, I wasn't invited, and I don't know the details. What am I going to tell Liam, I don't have any useful information, but if I go to the wedding I can control the situation myself" with that thought, Cal sat back down on the bench.

The girl was still standing there waiting for his answer. Cal decided to take the chance.


"Remind me, when is the wedding taking place?" he asked.


"The eighteenth of this month…so you're okay with it?" the girl's eyes gleamed with hope.


"I'll just go there with you, it doesn't mean there is or will be anything between us, okay?" Cal immediately set the stage.


"I agree, see you at the platform at nine in the morning!" she blurted out and happily ran off to her girlfriends.


Cal remained seated on the bench and thought about how to pull it off without arousing anyone's suspicions. After sitting for a while, he got up and wandered over to the practice field. After spending the rest of the day practicing with his sword, he decided to keep it a secret from Liam so as not to alarm him in vain.

Only when he found out about everything in person would he inform him then. In the days before the wedding, he continued to take Ron's groceries to him, to train hard, and at night he held Liam as gently as he could. 
Just a hug because the Head was so tired during the day that he'd fall asleep with his head barely touching the pillow. And during the day, Cal could not distract him from his countless errands and visitors. It seemed that the whole world was against their intimacy, and it made the man sad.

Now, he could only drag him to a secluded spot for a few minutes to try to charm him, but the busy Head had only been generous enough to give him a cursory kiss.
Cal chopped the grass with his sword, banishing resentment and annoyance from his heart. Liam had left the Academy on an urgent business trip earlier in the evening, and his apprentice had been tossing and turning in his sleep all night.

At dawn, he went back to training and only when he remembered it was his wedding day did he immediately return to the house, showered, dressed and headed for the platform where the lucky girl was already waiting for him. 
They said hello and walked up to the platform together.

"Where will the wedding be held?" thought Cal and the surrounding scenery changed. The invitation that had been handed out to the guests had an itinerary in it that would allow them to move exactly to the designated location. Cal looked around in surprise. The guests found themselves in the ocean. The warm sun was warming, slightly overlapped by sparse clouds. 
Right on the shore, a whitewashed terrace had been prepared for the ceremony.

Beautiful bouquets were intercepted with colorful ribbons that gently developed in the wind. Everyone descended the steps and took their seats. 
Cal followed his companion and, so far, felt nothing but delight. Enchanting music was pouring from somewhere. On the bride and groom's side, there were an incredible number of guests. Cal realized it only when he stepped onto the wooden platform. At least fifteen rows of chairs on each side. And in one row there must have been at least twenty seats.

"Yeah, the scale is huge," Cal thought and easily got lost in the crowd. The guests kept arriving and by ten o'clock in the morning all the seats were taken. 
The music played louder, signaling the start of the ceremony, and the crowd hushed in anticipation. Everyone turned their heads and the bride walked down the aisle to the front, where the happy groom was waiting for her.

Everything that was happening gave Cal a nagging feeling of impropriety. He wanted to get up and go back to the cozy house that smelled of Liam. But staying put, he endured the wedding rituals and was surprised to notice that the girl next door was crying, wiping her tears with a handkerchief prepared in advance. Rolling his eyes toward the sky, Cal waited for the ceremony to end.


"And now, friends," Michal addressed the audience, "let us summon the dragons and ride them to the wedding feast!"


The guests clamored joyfully, as if they had been waiting for this command.

"So this is the dragon parade?" Cal remembered watching the battle formation of these majestic creatures during a real war.

"So they want to play in a real formation?" Cal was confused. He couldn't summon Legion as he was taking care of Rona. So he looked at his companion. Fortunately, she had a pretty good dragon. The guests, one by one, soared into the air following the newlyweds. 
Cal and his companion joined the others and flew forward as well.

When everyone was in the air and the convoy was over the ocean, Cal felt uneasy. However, the island they were heading toward was only ten miles offshore and was already visible from where the man was sitting. Suddenly, there was a shout ahead, followed by another, the guests stirred, and something beyond description began to happen. Dragons were dropping people and then catching them above the water and tearing them apart. 


Cal grabbed his companion by the shoulders and jumped into the water with her, not waiting for this dragon craze to reach them as well. Once in the water, the girl was unable to swim because of her flamboyant dress, so Cal ripped off part of her skirt to keep it out of her way. As they kept afloat, they watched in horror the nightmare going on around them.


In just ten minutes, there was almost nothing left of the guests, but it was as if the dragons had no intention of killing them all. Once they were free of the riders, they fell into formation. Still, the girl's dragon was a water elemental and lunged after her and Cal to grab them. Unbeknownst to him, Cal remembered his encounter with the dragon master at the training camp and when this maddened monster approached, the apprentice suppressed its will and subdued it. 


Having spent a lot of spiritual strength, he relied on his companion, who helped him climb on the back of the suddenly calm monster, and they swam to the island, while the line of dragons disappeared somewhere. No one on the island expected disaster, and there was still joyful music playing, which in this situation was like a cruel mockery. 
Beautiful lanterns fluttered in the wind, as did colorful ribbons, but both, bride and groom were dead.

Grief-stricken relatives mourned their bodies, and Cal's heart clenched with pain and guilt. "If only I had told Liam, if only I had done something about it" he accused himself.

Suddenly, he realized it wasn't too late to contact the Head. He stepped aside and touched the crystal.
Hearing a shout and noise on the other side, Cal staggered back in horror.


"Liam!" he shouted, "can you hear me?"


"Cal, where are you? There are dragons here! They've gone crazy…"


"No way!" exclaimed Cal and frantically clutched the crystal, "watch out Liam and don't summon Zhu-er!
"

"Why, I was just about to…" replied Liam confusedly.


"I'm far away, so listen to me…"


"Cal! The academy has fallen and many are killed, why can't I call on Zhu-Er for help!" replied an agitated Liam.


"Don't you dare! Someone is subduing them, Zhu-Er will attack you!" shouted Cal to him.


"How do you know?" asked, after a pause, Liam.


"I saw how it started…. I'll tell you later, that's not what's important right now, try to protect yourself, please!"


"Careful Chapter, the wall is falling…" was the last thing Cal heard, and the connection cut off.


"God…" he muttered, and the veins on his forehead swelled. He turned sharply and screamed: 
"The dragons have attacked the Academy! All those able to fight will fly with me to the platform."


There were no more than ten people who were able and willing to fight, so everyone easily fit on the back of the large water dragon. Barely stepping off the platform, Cal was in hell. Like crows, angry dragons circled the sky, attacking anyone who was still on their feet. Cal rushed towards the Academy through the ruined street, stumbling and encountering the dead and wounded. 


The area was unrecognizable: residential buildings were in flames, trees were uprooted or broken, the once beautiful alley was clawed and burned. The Academy itself appeared to be razed to the ground. The air was full of smoke and dust, so hard to breathe. The sun had almost set, so the atmosphere was more than gloomy. Cal tried contacting Liam again, thankfully he responded.


"Cal, we're at the lake, there's something wrong here!" softly broadcasted Liam, "dragons come out of the lake all the time, past the egg stage, and immediately join the others."


Cal marveled! At this rate, the dragon army would become incredibly huge and could stand up to the human army!


"I'm for Ronu!" shouted Cal and moved into Dai-Kun space. Luckily, he immediately met the man as he strolled along with the dragon. Cal explained the situation to him in a nutshell rapidly and Ronu immediately went with him, leaving Dai-Kun alone. The man strictly ordered him not to leave the space.

Going far from the side, they were able to sneak up to the lake and froze in amazement. There was some man standing by the water with his hand raised, and dragons were coming out of the lake one by one.


"He's using my artifact" pronounced Ronu "this has to stop."


The man said nothing more and quickly dove into the lake. A couple of minutes later, a bright flash illuminated the valley, blinding the humans and dragons. Thereafter, nothing happened. No matter how many times the unknown man on the shore called for the dragons to be resurrected, no one came out.


"Done" muttered Cal, "come back Ronu, don't make me worry about you."


After a moment, Ronu did indeed surface and Cal helped him to the shore. They were no longer afraid of being seen, as the dragon army of many thousands soared into the air and melted away. Supporting Rona, Cal reached the grass and sat the man down. Liam and the others ran up to them. In all, there were about thirty people left alive. 


"What did you do?" turned Liam to the man, "how did you stop them?
"

"I moved the lake core to my world, I don't think he'll find it, whoever he is. Contact the general, I think the dragons are flying towards him and the frontiers."


The words made the hairs on Cal's head stir.


"What kind of power does he have? How did he subdue the dragons?" the people around him asked.


Ronu sighed and said:


"It's a subjugation artifact, a silly toy that was accidentally obtained from an experiment. If he has that artifact in his hands, then probably the one that subdues monsters also belonged to him."


"But that bracelet is in Tishow's possession now!" exclaimed Cal.


"With that kind of power, he could easily destroy everything…" muttered a shocked Liam.


"Let Dai-Kun out, he must be freaking out" remembered Ronu and Cal hurriedly summoned him.
 While Ronu and the dragon were talking, Cal took Liam aside and asked: 


"How do I break the link with Dai-Kun? I don't think it's right for me to remain his master."


"Are you confident?" wondered Liam.
"Do you think otherwise? It belongs to Ron, period."

Cal was unwavering in his decision.
 Liam nodded. Then taught him how with a crystal and a drop of his blood, Cal could accomplish what he had planned. Without hesitation, Cal did just that. In the same second, Dai-Kun looked back at him in bewilderment, and Cal told him:


"You are free, Legion, I have no right to keep you to myself. You can choose your master or be with whomever you want."


This spectacular scene caught everyone's attention for a while, but since most still didn't realize what was going on, only Ronu gratefully whispered to his friend, "thank you!" Thereafter, it was Liam's turn to question Cal.


"Quickly tell me where you've been and what you saw?" ordered the Head.


"Oh, I'm sorry, I kept it from you in hopes of scouting out the situation, but things got out of hand" began Cal.


"In order. Where were you this morning?"


"At the wedding of…Grady and Michal" Cal averted his gaze.


"Why secretly?"


"They decided to have a dragon parade…"


"What!?" hissed Liam and started pounding Cal in the shoulder, "stupid, stupid kids!"


"Ouch, ouch, wait" grabbed Cal's arms fleeing the blows "I didn't really know the details and I couldn't even go to the wedding, I was purposely not invited because of my proximity to you."


"Then how did you get there?" persisted Liam.


"A student…"


Liam rounded his eyes.


"Called me…"


"What!?" Liam started hitting him with even more force.


"See, now you have time for me!" defended Cal and Liam suddenly froze, realizing the meaning of his words.


"You mean you accepted her invitation out of spite for me" confused Liam.


"No, of course not" said Cal, taking a breath, "I agreed to go, so I could sneak into the wedding and watch what was going on."


Liam started hitting him again, and Cal didn't fight back anymore. Tired, Liam just sat down on the grass and breathed heavily. Cal crouched down next to him and put his arm around him.


"Did you follow?" asked Liam, not having the energy to fight.


"It was over before it started. Once the dragons got together, it was like they went crazy. Tearing up the guests, Grady and Michal are dead…" barely got the last words out of Cal's mouth.


"Nod and Rashid died before my eyes too," Liam mumbled, and silent tears streamed down his face.

Cal still had his arms around him and now began to comfort him. 
Everyone around them was extremely depressed. The darkest and most hopeless night had come. The academy was still in flames and the survivors were finding and picking up the wounded, then the relatives of the dead began to arrive to collect the bodies. 


Liam was paler than the moon, struggling to move his legs, he led the rescue operation, and when everyone was finally found, he collapsed and Cal carried him into the house. They had to house everyone in the factory, so temporarily their neighborhood became quite noisy. Toward morning, when Liam was still awake and Ronu and Dai-Kun were dozing in the living room, Cal's crystal glowed. Touching it, he heard the General's voice.


"Listening General" replied Cal.


"Cal… you're alive…" the general said just those three words and the man's whole world turned upside down.

He hadn't realized that Tishow would actually consider him to be his grandson, or even think about him at all. 


Scratching the back of his head, Cal awkwardly replied:


"Yes, I'm fine, General, but the Academy has come to an end. Countless students died, the dragons obeyed the unknown and wreaked havoc."


The general didn't answer.


"What about you?" was the first to ask Cal.


"The battles are still being fought, but all the dragons are at the mercy of this man. Do you know who it is?"


"No, do you know?"


"Yes, it's the same scumbag who controlled the creatures. He managed to escape, and now I think he's not a puppet…"


"And who is he?" Cal hadn't witnessed the events, and only knew from Liam's word that someone had taken control of the creatures.


"He's an accomplice and the right-hand man of the main villain," said Tishow.


"General, are you safe?" asked Cal, realizing that the situation at the front was much worse than he thought.


"I'm wounded, but nothing serious, I'm safe. But how are the others? How are Liam, Ronu and Pitsu?"


"Liam's fine, Ronu had his rebirth lake moved so that man couldn't summon dragons indefinitely…
"

"Scumbag!" exclaimed Tishow.


"I don't know anything about Pitsu."


"Get in touch with him," asked the general, and said goodbye. 


"Was that the general?" asked Liam, coming up behind him.


"Ah, yes" turned around Cal, "it's just as we suspected, the army is mostly defeated."


"What's he trying to accomplish?"


"Head! Head!" the students called out and Liam turned around.


"What's the matter?"


"Our families are calling for us to return home to earth, it's the safest place to be right now." 


"Alright, I agree" replied Liam, "go and comfort your loved ones."



One by one, the students and mentors left what was still recently called the Academy. The factory and everything around it emptied. Only Liam, Cal, and Ronu and the dragon were the only ones doing repairs and putting things in order.

But those were rather useless actions. 
In situations like this, the rational thing to do would be to close the space, and create everything anew elsewhere. But Liam found it hard to accept that prospect, and he wandered around the Academy grounds like a lost man or sat by the dead lake in thought.