Chapter 14

“Still and toughness, that is the core attribute of the earth. The earth likes to remain still and unmoved, firm and centered. It is never the first to strike and it really strike back. However, the earth docile nature, doesn’t made it is timid or weak, for it may not move but when it does, everything that lays on it shakes. And when in motion follows the path it creates and crashes all that dare oppose it”.

The sound of the collision could be heard throughout the cave, drawing the attention of every student. They heard as the rock was sent flying away by a single strike and felt as his feet landed back firmly on the ground.

Akiri then took in a deep breath as felt their gazes piercing through the darkness that surrounded him, all fixed on him. They all knew him as the timid bookworm who tended to avoid trouble however way he could, sure he was strong even for an earth dragon warrior, but he really used that strength, and always kept to himself. The student which he had earlier said from being crushed by a massive rock, seated on the ground, looked at him with a look of shock and awe. Maybe it was in his blood, he was however the son of King Eric Owin and the same blood, filled with the might and strength of earth flowed through his veins but…

Akiri, still feeling the ground rumbling underneath his feet, looked up with brown dragon. He could feel his pound like a drum sending tremors flowing through his blood all throughout his body.

The student looked at him, sensing his pounding heart and long with fear that filled his entire body. He was afraid, but then again, there were really moments when he wasn’t. It didn’t take much to make him cause him to tremble and with fear, that was one of the reasons why found it hard to believe that he was truly the son of Eric Owin and if it wasn’t for the overwhelming strength he wielded no one would have believe he truly was his son. But yet, despite the fact that he was afraid, he still stood firm with his eyes fixed on the danger approaching.

Akiri then took in a breath and went back to the time when he and other faced off against the dark dragon warriors in the Sky Dragon. Recalling how he summoned every single ounce of strength but it wasn’t enough and in the end they all lost, and it would have been the end of them if it wasn’t for David. Akiri had never felt useless and pathetic in all his life. Akiri the then crashed his hand in to a tight fist, feeling all the strength and power of the earth flowing through it. He could feel that strength inside him for as long as he could remember but never used it, because he had no reason to. Strength and power were never things he was pursued or had interest, and he because of that back home, in the kingdom of Eretchela, despite him being a prince, was looked down upon. Although no one said or did anything to him directly, he could tell from they spoke and acted around him that they all thought he was failure. He’s father brought him to the academy, seeing that he wasn’t really happy in Eretchela, he hoped that in the academy he would be able to learn and grow in a way he would never have in Eretchela, and find friend who appreciated him not for his strength but for him.

Eric made the right decision for Akiri by taking him to the academy. There he was free to be himself with feeling the overwhelming pressure from others expectations from him, and he was able to make friends that loved and cherished him not for his strength but for he was. *Sigh* and now he had a reason to be what other expected him to be, strong, strong enough to protect his friends and not lose anyone like he lost his father.

Akiri, feeling his blood pumping through his veins, flowing throughout his body along with strength, let out a breath before leaping of the ground and straight to one of the massive rocks falling down from top of the cave. Grabbing hold of it in mid-air and letting out a roar the penetrated and echoed the surrounding walls and ground below. The rock then broke and shattered in to a hundred pieces. Akiri then used the power of the earth to send those shattered pieces to the other rocks, breaking and shattering them apart upon impact.

The cave kept falling apart and as it did so, the students in a panic created protective shields using the power of the earth from the falling chunks of rock raining down from the top of the cave, all of them except Akiri who kept strike rocks with his earth fists over and over again, using the full might and strength of the earth to break every rock that came his way. The only students apart from Akiri that refused to create a protective shield was the one Akiri saved from one of the rocks earlier as she didn’t have any reason to protect herself as Akiri would deal with any rock that came her way. She wasn’t sure what had come over him but as holes and cracks began to form in the cave, letting in a little be bit of light from outside to come, she saw a look in his eyes. It was a look of pure and utter fear but alongside it fierce determination to stand firm and strong like the beneath their feet. Seeing him that way, though filled with fear and still finding away the muster such strength, it was incredible and as she continued to watch, she felt something within her. A thud in her chest followed by another, then another, it was heart pumper like never before. And as blood flowed through her veins as her heart pump, she felt a surge of strength flow through her like never before. Was it the power the earth itself flowing through her veins? She wondered as she felt the rush of power flow through her.

She then looked at Akiri. Like him, she was scared, recalling her frightened she was upon hearing the news of the dark dragon warriors making their way to the academy, along with the tragic news of the Golden Dragon General’s deaths. And although the news of David being son of Ibierana the spark a little bit of hope in her heart, the fear of an impending doom still lingered on in her heart. She feared that the dark dragon warriors would come again, having had tales their cruelty and wicked under the command of the Dark Dragon Lord, and never wanted to witness it for herself. But as she watched Akiri and felt the rush of strength and power flowing through her, the fear she felt weighing on her heart vanished, seemingly consumed be the strength coursing through her. She then got up, took a breath, closed and then reopened her eyes, revealing them to have now transformed in to brown dragon, she then leaped off, her body turning earth as she did so, her fist clenched tightly filled the strength coursing through before striking it in to one of the rocks, shattering it to pieces.

Ereti could feel everything from the other side of the cave as his hand laid at the outer walls of the cave, the panicked students that hid themselves stone shields to protect them rock raining down from above. Letting out of disappointment as he did but then he felt a pair of feet depart from ground and moments late he felt one collided with cave walls. Ereti sensing that couldn’t help smile with pride.

Slowly the entire cave began to collapse leaving pile of rubble and cloud dust in its wake. The students then slowly pried themselves out of the rubble, thankful managed to survive the ordeal with their lives and only sustained a few minor injuries. However, out of all the student, the only student to make it out unscathed and seemingly in tacked and one piece was none other than Akiri and next to him, being support by his shoulder to walk was the student he saved back in the cave.

Ereti then went to Akiri before saying, “Well done, it seems as though the apple didn’t fall far from the tree”.

Akiri simply smiled weakly at the Ereti’s words as he felt every single muscle within him crying out in agony, thinking he might have pushed himself a tad too far back in the cave.

“And as for you”, Ereti turned his attention to the remaining students as they students as they got back on their feet.

“You all have to be the weakest and most pathetic bunch I’ve seen”, Ereti yelled at the students.

Ereti then let out a sigh before continuing, “Don’t you understand, something’s coming. The earth is still now but soon it will rumble and quake. The dark dragon warriors have already made their move and the battle has began, and whether you all like it or not, you all will have to fight”.

Akiri, hearing Ereti words felt shiver go up his spine, recalling his encounter with the dark dragon warrior and just how ruthless they were along with every single thing he had read and studied about them. His heart began pounding from within his chest as he felt wave of fear and dread wash over him. Thought about his friends, Susan, David, *sigh* and Flora. He then crushed his hand in to a tight fist. Feeling his fear still flowing through his body but along with it strength great enough stand and fight to defend and protect all that he loved and cherished.

Ereti then struck a fist down to the earth underneath him, causing the ground around him to break and leaving behind a small hole on the ground.

“This is how strong you have to become to face what it coming. Like the ground underneath you feet upon being struck, you may quake and shake, crack and break but must always remaining standing, firm, tough, and strong. The earth is what you command, it’s strength is yours to command. So use to fight”, said Ereti.

The students, though down, upon hearing Ereti’s words felt a wave of confident wash over them, so much so that they all began stand up firmly on their feet, forgetting the overwhelming feeling fear that had fallen upon them moments ago.

Ereti, upon seeing the students were slowly getting back up along with whatever feelings of fear that had grabbed hold of their heart vanishing, smiled at them with a look of pride plastered on his face.

“Alright then, that’s it for today you pathetic little earth worms. That’s enough training for today. It’s time to head back to the academy”, said Ereti.

The student upon hearing Ereti said that their training was over for the day, couldn’t help but smile and cheer out of joy. Ereti however, seeing how the students were cheering and smiling, wore sinister grin on his face.

Moments later all the student were busy flying high through bright blue sky on their earth dragons, tears streaming down their eyes. Above their heads were massive chunks of rocks Ereti had instructed each and every one of them carry.

Ereti, seated then down leisurely on the back of his earth dragon, watched as agonized and summoned every single ounce of power they had to hold on to the rocks and carry them as they rode on their dragons. Ereti looked at them all and then let out a deep sigh.

They weren’t ready, none of them were. Something was coming, something big. The dark dragon warriors after years of remaining hidden in the shadows had finally emerged and on top of that they had the gall to attack the academy. *Sigh* and then there’s him, the supposed son of Ibierana. The boy looked timid, scrawny and weak, at least at first glance but after witnessing him singlehandedly demolish and nearly annihilate the dark dragon warriors with his monstrous power, Ereti could not deny the fact that power that boy possessed was far greater than anything he had witnessed in his life to the point that it scared him a little.

Ereti, thinking back to the look of pure rage and anger in David eyes along with the monstrous power emanating of him. Recalling how that look made him feeling something, something he only ever felt once in his eyes.

Ereti then took a breath and felt his lungs burned as though he was inhaling smoke. Then suddenly had suddenly he heard the screams of men, women, and children screaming out. He felt his body begin to shake as though he stood on quaking earth. He then heard the roars of army of dragon wreaking havoc from above his. Then opened his eyes and found himself standing in amidst what remained ruined city. Above his head, dragons ridden by men wearing armour with symbol of the dark dragon on it wreaking havoc and chaos all over the city, people screaming and running for their lives. He watched as most of them were slaughtered and those that remained were barely clinging on to life.

Ereti felt blood dripping down from his body with the armour he wore have been torn and ripped apart in battle. Beaten and the vague of death, he barely had the strength to stand on his two feet. That was when he saw him, looming over him on his might dark dragon with his left hand being that of a dragon with black crystal on it.

Ereti as he eyes meet his gaze he felt an overwhelming wave of fear wash over him. Feeling the overwhelming power emanating from his body and his gaze, still, cold, and calm in the midst the madness and chaos raging around them. Ereti had never seen anyone like him, so cold and heartless, unfazed by the chaos and screams of panic, pain, and agony.

Ereti wondered if the monster before him even had a heart as simply sat on dragon watching while his followers laid waste on the city. Ereti then, summoning what little strength he could muster crushed his hand in to a tight fist, wanting at the very least land a single on the monster that stood before but...

Gazing in to those piercing violet eyes that looked cold and dead, feeling the overwhelming power flowing out from him, his body froze and his fist crumbled. There was nothing he could do, there was no amount of strength he could muster that could even leave a strike on him, looking at the madness and chaos raging on around Ereti realized that the reason why all he did was loom over it all was because to him they were nothing. He already possessed the full might of all four elements and on top of that there was his dark energy, a form of power that could destroy and erase anything as though it never existed. With all that power Ereti knew that, if he simply wished to do so, he could level that entire city with the monstrous power.

Ereti, looking at the monster, felt his strength vanish and fade away, feeling as he was nothing before the looming monster before him, he simply fell down to his knees with tears streaming down his eyes.

“Please spare us”, Ereti begged knowing that was all he could do before him.

He, looking down at Ereti on his dark dragon, simply let out a sigh before flying off on his, leaving Ereti there on his knees surrounded the rubble, carnage and destruction. The city fell, leaving Ereti and the very few people that managed to escape the onslaught brought upon them by the Dark Dragon Lord and his dark dragon warriors.

Ereti then took a deep breath in before exhaling and returning back to the present. Many years had passed seen that dreadful day and yet that memory was still fresh in his mind along with the overwhelming feeling fear, dread, and helpless he felt while facing the Dark Dragon Lord. That feeling was on like anything he had ever felt before, a feeling that him feel so tiny and small in that face of monster great enough to crash entire nations with his power. He could feel his heart pound underneath his chest every time the very thought of that monster flashed in his mind. And yet, even though that monster is dead and long gone, Ereti still felt that overwhelming feeling fear and dread that day as he looking in to David eyes which glowed fiercely with a violet hue and emitted power great enough to push back the combined attacks of all dark dragon warriors. Ereti recalled how during that moment he was sure if he was witnessing another Dark Dragon Lord or something far more monstrous.

Ereti then let out deep sigh as he glanced back to his students, his fixed on particular student on spectacles. It seems the battle that waged on all those years ago was yet to be concluded and soon those children may have to step foot and in the battlefield and fight.

Ereti could not stop his mind from filling up with fear as wondering what exactly the future held for them and would they be strong enough to face it when it come. Fearing that may repeat itself and this time, what was meant to be a symbol of their salvation may be the bringing for their doom. Ereti looking at Akiri with an image of Eric Owin standing over in the in the midst of a great battle along with the other Golden Dragon Generals, fighting to save and protect as many people as they could. A smile then formed on Ereti’s face as he looked at Akiri, as he thought that maybe, by some stroke of luck they may be able survive what was coming after all.