Arturon Kingdom — Border City of Drelmar.
Rain pours lightly as a soldier walks silently across the battlefield, swaying under the weight of the sheathed sword at his hip. He is young, his bright orange eyes unreadable as he passes through this valley of shadow and death.
The faint crackling of fire...
Thick, black smoke surrounds the battlefield...
Faint sobbing. Retching. Distant screams...
Every step he takes sinks into a mire of blood and rain.
The young soldier seems to stop walking now, as he drops to his knees next to a body. It is unknown whether he falls out of fatigue or grief. Maybe both. He wipes the blood, mud, and rain from the fallen soldier's silver-armored chest. His pensive gaze lingers on the small name etched above the heart. He speaks softly, his voice lost in the rain.
"I'm sorry... "________"
…
…
…
[Earth, First Universe, January 1st]
'Fuck!'
'It's cold as hell in here!'
Jason thought as he scribbled the thirty-sixth set of tally marks into a dark gray metal wall he was leaned up against. In fact, there were four of these walls surrounding him and his family in a cell, with a black metal gated door.
He had used an old metal shard he found outside to etch in the tally marks. Jason and his family have been imprisoned here for six months.
"How come they haven't taken that already?"
A boy younger than Jason said while pointing at the shard.
"Leo, why would they ever care about some weak old shard?"
He said while shaking his head, handing the shard to Leo. Who as it turns out, is Jason's younger brother. The two boys were similar in appearance, they both had white hair. Although Jason's hair was only white at the ends, whereas Leo's hair was fully white. There was no real explanation for this other than their parents had equally pristine white hair.
Jason had always come to the conclusion that, whatever his parents' condition was, Marie Antoinette Syndrome or not, it had just been inherited from birth. And that maybe the "hair genes" for lack of a better word were stronger in Leo, than in him.
And in the parts that weren't white on Jason's head, was dark-brown hair. Along with a pair of beautiful celeste-colored eyes. Jason, Leo, and their mother all shared the same-colored eyes. However his father had light golden-colored eyes. Only adding to the family's unnatural appearance as a whole.
Suddenly long-slender arms wrapped around Jason from behind. Pulling him into a secure warmth.
"Happy Birthday…"
An ethereally soft woman's voice said from behind.
Jason's body jolted in fear, out of instinct, before immediately calming down upon realizing who it was.
"Damn, you scared me."
The woman giggled,
"I'm your mother. What could you be scared of?"
She said with a soft, dismissing tone as she left the embrace. Ruffling Jason's hair in the process.
This was Jason's mom, Everyn. And right after hugging her son, she walked back to her husband, Ethel. Who was standing at the end of the cell near its gated door. A calm and observant look on his face.
"Seventeen already… It's only been that long?"
Ethel muttered to himself in thought, his gaze wandered outside the cell, past the large warehouse "prison" they were in, and seemingly even past that. It was as if his mind was always in another universe.
"It's not like it matters at this point. We'll probably all be dead before-"
"Jason!"
His mother interrupted him with a disapproving look, nodding her head towards little Leo who was sitting in the corner of the cell, a pensive expression took hold of Leo as he heard his brother's words.
"He can handle it, you're a strong guy, aren't ya?"
Jason said towards Leo with a sigh, his fist outstretched for a fist bump. To which little Leo shrugged, and fist bumped back. His mother continued-
"And it does matter, it matters to me, and Leo, and your father-"
Jason scoffed,
"I doubt he even cares what day it is."
Ethel suddenly side eyed Jason from across the small cell, his deep, golden eyes holding a calm and slightly amused look in them.
"The day should care how I feel, not the other way around."
Jason, who had obviously been in a mood today, was now trying desperately to hold in a smirk after hearing another one of his father's ridiculous statements. With his weird ancient-like way of speaking not helping.
Eventually, he gave in with an annoyed huff and chuckled while shaking his head.
His father smiled calmly.
"What's this all about Jason? You are not usually like this. And besides today is you and your brothers-"
"Yeah, yeah. My birthday. You know, Mom knows, Leo knows — everyone knows."
He said dismissively with a sigh, his previous smile gradually fading.
"Thanks… and yeah, my bad. It's just… not really in the mood, ya know? Especially considering our circumstances."
Jason said with huff, his back pressed against the cold, dark gray metal wall. Sliding down into a seat.
There was no bed, or really anything in the cell. Just this family of four. Their captors did not care in the slightest for the well-being of anyone in this place. All the prisoner's bathroom situations were shared in another big warehouse, where everyone in the human prison camp went, without privacy. There was, of course, multiple bathroom warehouses.
"I know… I know. But it does mean something, and that is a fact, is it not?"
Ethel said.
Jason nodded slowly in response. His mother then chimed in with a smile.
"So, then it does matter."
They all gathered at the end of the cell with Jason. This place had no warmth except for the humans inside it. It was a large, crudely made, black metal warehouse that stored humans inside cells. So naturally, they had to get close for any warmth.
"And that's a happy birthday to you too, don't think I forgot."
Everyn said while pinching little Leo's cheek.
A small smile appeared on his face, touched by his mothers warmth.
"Yeah, thanks, and I know none of you would forget anyways."
Leo said, resting the side of his head against his brother's shoulder.
Jason, despite his bad mood, couldn't bring himself to dismiss his younger brother. It was their jailers, and what had become of the world around them that caused the despair that lingered heavily in the atmosphere. Leo wasn't at fault.
"How's it feel? Ten is a big age."
Jason teased with a tired chuckle.
"I am twelve! not ten, Come on…"
"I'm just messing with ya buddy."
With that, the family huddled together. Their clothes were the same clothes worn on the day that they were brought to this god forsaken place. Meaning the cloth was old and worn out. The monsters keeping all the humans here did not care about their hygiene or general well-being, with the prisoners being allowed to wash only once a week.
And that washing privilege was not done out of any sense of morality; it was just to keep any heavy or bad odor at bay. Despite their jailers merciless and cruel nature, bad odors seemed to be a unique ick for them.
...
After some long hours passed, suddenly, everyone's cell in the warehouse opened up with a strong gust of wind. Sending the snow that was on the ground inside the warehouse to blow everywhere, adding a harsh chill.
Startled, Jason opened his eyes from his nap. Leo was already huddled closely into his side in fear of whatever was happening or going to happen. Then a booming voice rang out.
"Out, now!"
The thunderous voice echoed in all the prisoners' ears.
'Shit, shit! It's happening again…'
Jason thought as he and the rest of the prisoners stood up and walked out of their cells. Everyone had expressions of doubt, fear, despair, and just about any other expression a person would have in an apocalypse like this.
Soon, they were all standing on the snowy ground inside the warehouse. There was no orderly line or anything, their captors didn't care, since the humans only served one purpose anyways.
Now, facing the large entrance of the warehouse, which had no door, all the prisoners were once again reminded of their horrible reality.
Outside the large jail-like warehouse, what could be seen for endless miles was nothing but the rubble of the once great New York City. All of it had been basically leveled. In the distance, a once tall building could be seen here and there. Sticking out of the rubble and snow.
The only actual structures left in this flat icy hell were the ones the monsters had built. This included numerous, large-black metal warehouses and cages that went on for miles. And a massive altar made out of stone in the distance.
The cages themselves already surpassed a large building in size. With the highly revered altar being much bigger. So basically, multiple large-metal warehouses with cells inside them, then larger black-metal cages in front of the warehouses, and finally the even bigger stone altar lording over it all.
Altogether was New York City's population, or what was left of it, imprisoned.
The cages indeed served a different purpose than the warehouses. In the warehouses, the humans were simply prisoners, but in the cages, they became cattle waiting for death. Usually, they'd be called out of their cells, leave their warehouses, and migrate over to the cages.
And now, sitting alone at the entrance of the warehouse Jason was in...
Was a large, red, and scaly looking dragon with horns and wings. It was just sitting there at the entrance, in all of its evil glory.
The loud voice from earlier belonged to this dragon. Its body was mainly red and armored with scales. However, at the ends of its limbs, the color black faded in. Its horns were also black, with red fading in at the tip of them. Then finally, the ends of its red scaly wings were black as well.
Its eyes were bottomless pools of shadow, the sclera and iris swallowed in black, with only a single glowing red light cutting through the center. a narrow, red vertical pupil that glowed silently, only adding to the monster's devilish appearance.
These monsters were not mindless beasts either, no, they possessed even greater intelligence than any of the humans here.
This dragon, along with a few others, were their captors. They leveled the city, created these structures, and now preside over all these pitiful humans like some evil shepherds.
'What a joke, what a fucking joke. Straight out of some shitty fantasy! Why is "it" here… these evil fucks don't usually come to the entrance, they just wait for us at the cages…'
Jason's thoughts were cut short with a horrifying realization.
'No, please… does that mean… oh god! No, no, no!'
He gritted his teeth while his mind panicked.
His worst fear in this place had come true. A dragon would only ever personally come to the entrance of one of the warehouses to lead the humans out for one reason, and one reason only.
Their warehouse had been chosen.
The dragon then proudly left the warehouse's entrance on its four legs. With a large gust of wind that shook the ground, it lifted off into the air and hovered above them.
Behind this warehouse that the dragon was hovering over, were numerous warehouses just like it. That went on in neat rows like some apocalyptic prison neighborhood. This "neighborhood" all faced towards the even larger black metal cages, which were also in similar rows.
Every week, at some point in time the humans would be brought out of their cells, out of their warehouses, and migrate into these larger, black-metal cages. Then, waves of people would be chosen from these cages to head towards the overly enormous altar.
"What do we do?! We should run… Should we run? Or… "
Leo's panicked whispers were interrupted by his mother's hand rubbing his back warmly. His father turned his head towards them seriously. His long, ethereal white hair was almost indistinguishable from the snow.
"My son, be calm. If you panic now, it will add to the growing despair. Just have some faith."
'Why's he still speaking like that at a time like this?!'
Jason silently thought while in a panic. His mother then nodded solemnly before also speaking.
"No matter what, we'll protect you. Alright?"
Jason knew that when it came down to it, his parents could not protect him or his brother against these superior beings. But for Leo's sake, he would not interrupt their consoling words.
The large group of humans began to filter out their warehouses. In the past, some humans would panic and just make a run for it, but whenever that would happen, all a dragon had to do was open its mouth and breathe its white fiery breath that would smite them down instantly.
'Where could we even go?'
'It's nothing but icy rubble hell as far as the eye can see. If one of these bastard dragons didn't kill you, then the cold and lack of civilization will…'
Jason muttered to himself in thought.
While he and his family migrated with the herd into the first large black metal cage half a mile or so ahead of them. Some ran, they got burned, others tried hiding in their cells, if they did that, the dragon would burn the entire warehouse and anything in it down. Before using its "powers" to restore its walls.
It was anyone's best guess as to what sort of power these monsters possessed, because at the end of the day, they were talking dragons. That fact alone contained enough shock and panic for most people to not be surprised when a dragon used its power or magic.
'It's suicide to run, it also feels like suicide to panic, is it suicide to live!?'
Jason cursed in despair as he, his family, and the rest of the prisoners eventually reached the entrance to a large black metal cage.
However, as all of them were beginning to filter inside the cage, a thunderous boom resounded somewhere in the sky. And a large, even more domineering all black dragon landed on the ground behind the red one. The ground shook like a miniature earthquake.
This one did not have red pupils, no, instead they were bright yellow.
"Riken, wait."