The sun had barely risen, but the people in Tolemac were already sunk into chaos. The news had just come from the castle. Tolemac was about to be invaded. The name of the incoming force was unknown to the people. But to manage to break through Avalon’s first line of defence and rush straight to Tolemac in never before seen speed, they were powerful. If the news alone was not scary enough to haunt the people there, then the fact that they were told to leave the city wall as soon as possible would. Tolemac was the capital of Avalon, and throughout history, it had never lost a battle. But this time, they were preparing for defeat.

Watching over all of the chaos and fear in those puny human eyes, Azar felt a rush of emotions. He recalled the time when it was his people who reacted just the same. Whenever the news of humans invading his kingdom again for the thousandth time, his people shriek in fear. And now, seeing humans also suffered the same, Azar felt a mixed feeling of justice being served and a little tightening in his chest. Azar knew too well what wars did to people, and even though it was humans, Azar still did not want it to happen, even to his worst enemies. Soldiers fought the wars, but most of the time, it was the innocent people from both sides who paid the heavy price.

However, Azar had a bigger problem at hand. His stomach was rumbling. Azar only had one meal the day before, and at the moment, all the humans were too focused on running for their lives rather than serving him food. So Azar went to the church’s restaurant that Sasha took him to yesterday and saw that everyone there was also packing their stuff in a hurry. But to his surprise, Sasha was there too, helping sister Mary and the kids get ready.

At first, Azar did not care for who or what was about to come. This was not his war, and these were definitely not his people. But Azar told himself, “What’s the harm of getting more information?” So Azar walked toward Sasha and the little humans.

“Hey Sasha, do you mind telling me what the hell is going on here ?” Azar nonchalantly asked.

“I have no time for you today Azar. Just pack your things and leave the city !”

“Are you running away too !?”.

Sasha turned back to him with fiery eyes. She grabbed Azar by the shirt and said, “This is not a joke, Azar! I’m a Royal Guard. My mission is to stay behind and defend this city to the death! Don’t you understand !? If this city falls, Avalon falls !?”

Sasha said so loud that everyone around her could hear it. The church orphans were trembling in fear, and their eyes got teary. Sasha sighed frustratingly then turned back to the little humans.

“Ít’s ok, it’s ok. You know your sister, no one can get through me. I’ll stop them. They will never get to you …”. But all her words could prove was Sasha was not a good liar.

Seeing how dreadful and forlorn Sasha got, Azar’s head sparked with curiosity. Even Sasha, who he considered to be strong, by human standard, was readying herself to die. In addition, Tolemac was heavily protected. It made even a Demon King like him feel a little threatened. What was coming that made everyone so certain that they would lose? Azar left Sasha alone for the time being to finish helping the church, then after she finished, he followed behind her all the way into the castle. Sasha seemed too focused on something else to notice Azar, so…

“Ehemm !!!” Azar coughed forcefully to make his presence noticed.

“Www.. what !?” Sasha turned around and finally noticed Azar. “How did you even get inside ?”

“Oh yeah, I just followed right behind you and told the guards that it’s alright, I’m with you.”

“Oh my God ! Not today ! I really don’t have time for you !”

Sasha's face was painted with fear and anxiety, something Azar had also seen many times before. The face of a young soldier about to enter a war for the first time. That drumming heartbeat, those dreadful eyes, the little trembling on her fingers, Azar sadly knew it all too well.

So he just did what his old mentor used to teach him. With both hands, Azar gently covered Sasha’s ears.

“Close your eyes and clear your mind …” Azar said softly. “Forget everything around you. Focus on me and my voice only ….”

Sasha was hesitant at first as she tried to pull Azar’s hands away.

“Don’t fight, just breathe,” Azar whispered to her. “Just let go, just for a minute ….”

With both hands still holding on to Azar’s, Sasha began to loosen her grip. Everything became silent in her mind. Only Azar’s whisper remained. Her hands stopped trembling; she took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

“Good … Everything is going to be ok …” Azar let go of his hands, and Sasha finally opened her eyes. That brief one minutes of composure did wonders on Sasha. Now she looked like the little human he had just met yesterday.

“Thanks … I needed that ….”

“Now, can you tell me what’s going on ?”

“Not here, come with me.”

Azar followed Sasha to a more private room, the princess’s corridor. And a familiar face had already been standing outside waiting for the princess.

“Munir ? The hell are you doing here ?” Azar asked.

“Me ?! I’m uh … just finished a meeting with the council, and I thought I should pay the princess a little visit, considering I have some free time ….”

“Yeah, that sounds legit …” Azar said sarcastically, but Sasha gave him a slight elbow to the side to prevent him from going any further.

“It’s good that you both are here. There is something I need to tell you both anyway.” Sasha coldly cut in.

The princess ordered her maids to prepare a tea table, but none of them was in any mood for tea time.

“Last night, We got the news. The Easten wall had been destroyed and in less than 7 days, the enemies will reach Tolemac.”

Sasha's words shook Elle and Munir deeply. “The Eastern wall !?! How! It is your most secure border! 20000 soldiers and mages are stationed there at all times, not to mention the wall is enhanced with magic….”

“And it had fallen within one night” those words were like thunder to their ears. Elly's face turned pale, her mouth opened, but no word came out.

“So who are they ?” Azar asked.

“Red Míst” the moment those words came out, Munir almost fell off his chair.

“RED MIST !?!” He screamed. “THAT … Aren't they supposed to be a ghost story ?”

“Beside the Red Mist is said to only attack temples and or some religious sites. What are they doing invading a country !?” the princess raised a question.

“I don’t know …” Sasha’s face turned grim. “All we know is they are here now, and they are coming for blood ?”

“EHEM !” Azar made himself notice, “would you all mind elaborate just a little bit ? You know, for someone, let’s say … never heard of them before”. Azar pointed at himself.

“They were supposed to be a folktale, a piece of legend. A legion of elite soldiers would appear out of nowhere and destroy a town or a temple then disappear just as quickly. It was said to happen all over the world, throughout history, and there was never any survivor. Legend has it that the army is only composed of vengeful souls, that’s the reason no one could see them come and that’s why before they start and after they finish, there would always be a red míst following behind. The mist that is made from all the blood of the fallen.” Munir said with a trembling tone.

“But this time, they are very much real,” Sasha ground her teeth. “Our only survivor made it back to Tolemac. He saw them, the Red Mist army of undeads !”

“Undead !!!” Elly shrieked.

“So what’s so different about this Red Mist army than in the legend….” Azar calmly replied.

“Hum !? How did you know there is more to the story ?” Sasha asked.

“From what I just heard, the Red Mist is composed of evil spirits. It’s not that far off to assume that they could be undeads. So what makes them different to you this time ?” Azar narrowed his eyes, put his hand upon his chin, and leaned forward.

“Yes, indeed, there is something more to the story, something quite strange. There are said to be living humans among the army, not just undead.” Sasha stared at Azar.

“Humans ? Then how did you know that they are the fable Red Mist ?” Azar asked.

“Because the method was the same, they came and went in a red mist filled with the smell of blood.”

Azar remained quiet and lost in his thoughts while the princess and Munir eagerly asked Sasha more questions.

“Humans among undeads ?!? Is it possible that some humans are powerful and stupid enough to master necromancy ?!” Azar thought to himself.

“Impossible, no human can be that strong. To control and call upon such a massive army.”

“Necromancy is a forbidden magic. Even I dare not master it.”

“And if even I couldn’t handle it, what chance do these pathetic humans have ?”

“And don't they know about the price of necromancy !? The reason why it is called a cursed power.”

“To summon such an army like that, I can’t even imagine the toll on them.”

Too focused on his own thoughts, Azar failed to realize the others were calling him.

“Azar … AZAR !!!” they shouted.

“Hum !” Azar snapped back to the realm of reality.

“What were you thinking about ?” The princess curiously asked.

“Nothing important” Azar then quickly turned back to Sasha. “So, do you have a tactical plan of combat, or are you just going to make it up on the way ?”

Sasha just stayed depressingly quiet.

“...”

“... General Geralt has a lot of experience.” The princess stoically said. “He has served this kingdom for most of his life, and he has yet to lose a battle. I believe that this one wouldn’t be any different.”

No matter how many times Azar looked at Elly, he still could not believe that she was the same little defenseless human he once met. Her posture looked so commanding, and her voice was so firm and graceful.

“We can only hope …” Sasha brought everyone back to the cold and harsh reality of their situation. “They could tear down our walls within hours. They were heading this way faster than any of our reinforcement could. We have called for the aid of all nearby cities. But I doubt we can call upon enough firepower to withstand this assault. The fact that it was General Geralt's orders to evacuate the citizens as quickly as possible ….”

Their faces grew dark and grim, all except for Azar’s. He seemed more conflicted than scared.

“But that doesn’t make much of a difference, does it ?” Azar coldly broke the silence.

“No … It doesn't’” Sasha said with a heavy heart. “If Tolemac falls, then nowhere is safe.”

Time was ticking ever so quickly. In less than 7 days, Tolemac would be flooded with blood. By the evening of the first day, half of Tolemac’s citizens had finished packing their bags. The other half would follow close behind. There were a few who decided to stay behind. Some wanted to help with the incoming war. Some knew that they could not outrun fate if Tolemac truly fell. And for a particular one, knew he was too powerful to get hurt, that someone was Azar.

However, Azar couldn’t rest easily that night, and it wasn’t just because no one had made his bed when all of the staff was gone.

After the briefing with Sasha, Azar just sat in his room for the rest of the evening, staring at himself intently in the mirror.

“Should I stay and help the humans, or should I let them defend themselves…” Azar asked himself. But truthfully, he was expecting a sign from God, telling him what he should do. But no matter what he tried, falling asleep, speaking out loud, or even heading straight to a church and shouting at a statue of what humans considered to be God, there was no answer.

His next action would very likely change the course of a nation and the human race as a whole.

Azar continued to argue back and forth with himself in the mirror.

“I should help them ….right ? That’s probably what Carl would want me to do.”

“Let them defend for themselves. Let them know what is truly like, chaos, bloodshed, wars ! Maybe then these humans can understand what they have done to others.”

“Killing leads to hatred and hatred leads to more killings. It’s a never ending cycle. Humans would learn nothing from this meaningless battle !”

“You are really defending the human race ?! Those who destroyed your kingdom ! Those who killed your friends and hang their heads as trophies ! Those who killed you !??”

“Don’t forget you have a mission! If you want to save the world, which includes your own kingdom! Then you have no choice but to follow God’s plan.”

“He didn’t say anything specific about these humans. Come on, think about it ! The king is a joke and a cowardly liar. The old human General is a weak and pathetic old dog ! Shouldn’t it be better for the human race as a whole if they got replaced !?!”

“But at what cost? Just because of those few and millions of others had to die? Don’t forget, Munir, Sasha, and Elly are among them as well. And I’m pretty sure whatever God has planned, they will play a big part in it, so there has to be a better way.”

“So you can’t kill everyone just because of a few bad apples. But a few good apples save a whole forest of bad one. That seems healthy and fair !”

“...”

Azar gave a long, frustrating sigh. He tried to rest himself and maybe find God, but Azar felt too restless to fall asleep. He thought talking to himself would give him some clarity, but all it brought him was more conflict.

When the city was taken over by the moonlight, Azar finally came to a compromise … with himself.

“Heck, why am I overthinking this !?”

“Yeah, I don't even know who I am facing yet. What if even I could not stop what’s coming.”

“Right ? Let’s see what they have to offer first. Who knows, maybe these humans don’t even need our help.”.

Azar smiled at himself but then quickly turned away from the mirror.

“Yeah … I really need to find somebody to talk to … Talking to myself in the mirror with a fake razzy voice makes me look insane ….”

Azar opened the balcony and let his eyes wander into the darkness.

“The Eastern wall was it ?”. Azar took one more look around to make sure there wasn’t anyone looking at him. Then Azar changed his appearance. His hair grew longer and turned silver like the moonlight, his body bulked up, and two golden horns curved so perfectly that they looked as though they were part of his hair. But this time, there was something he did not expect. A gentle ‘pup’ sound and a liberating feeling followed. Azar had felt this before, his old glorious jet back dragon’s wings. He hastily opened his eyes, … but it soon turned into sorrow.

“What the fuck are these !!!”. They weren’t Azar's dragon wings. The wing on his back was feathery, just like a bird. It looked just like God's wing. But while God’s wings were two-coloured, white and black, feathery and scaly, Azar’s wings were just black, and all of the feathers were as tough as steel and as sharp as a razor.

“Whatever … I guess now definitely no one could tell who I am ….”

Azar flew eastward. And his new wings … were amazing. Azar could feel the strength with every clap. They were very close to the power of his old dragon wings. But not only were they powerful, but they were also weightless. Azar felt nothing on his back, granted that these wings were considerably smaller than his old ones, but still.

Up there, beyond the clouds, for a brief moment, Azar felt free, like his old self. Only when he had lost his ability to fly freely did he miss this feeling. The freedom he felt when gliding through the cloud, the cool wind running through his hair, the peace and quiet that Azar all so often needed, and the wonderful sight of the landscape below. Hours passed, and Azar almost forgot about his original plan and enjoyed the moment. But reality soon caught up to him.

Azar could smell it first before he could even see it. The smell of ember, smoke, and blood. About 700km away from Tolemac, a village was turning into ashes.

“Wait! What !!!??? How did they…!?!” Azar felt confused. He flew straight toward them, but somehow, Azar did not catch a glimpse of them.

Getting nearer and nearer to the village, there was no cry for help, there was no moaning of pain, only the sound of raging flame and crumbling houses greeted Azar. From the eastern entrance of the village, Azar entered and started investigating what had just happened. Corpses of semi-armed human males were the first to grab Azar's attention. On their faces, there was a clear expression of dread and fear. All of them were viciously killed. Azar took a few moments to examine their fatal wounds. They were all killed by multiple stabs and slashed wounds from sharp objects and projectiles. So if what he heard was true, then these undead creatures were not the usual unarmed walking skeletons. Not to mention, Azar also found a lot of evidence that offensive magic had been used against these humans, lot of magic.

“Liches and Skeletons warriors ?”. Azar concluded. It was much worse than he thought. Not only was whoever controlling the undead army powerful enough to summon and control a vast number of creatures but powerful high-level ones as well.

Liches were undead creatures that had the ability to control and conjure magic. Mostly summoned from the corpses of mages and priests. Though their magic was not as powerful as those of the living, they could conjure magic continuously forever. And with a mass number of liches, it would mean a steady and ruthless source of damages.

“The village wasn’t even close to ready to face such enemies .”Azar then stepped deeper to whatever was left of the village. Blood soiled the ground he walked on. Dead bodies and limbs were scattered throughout the small villages. They destroyed everything on their path. But that was far from the worst thing Azar found.

Everything so far did not disturb Azar even a little bit. It was not just because they were humans and Azar hated humans. But it was because he had seen this all so many times before. Each time the humans came, these sights followed soon after. War and carnage went hand in hand, so Azar was unfazed to see defenseless humans also had to pay the price. His people did too. But What Azar did not expect to find was a ground full of disfigured human children. All of them had their skulls completely smashed. And Azar did not take long to figure out what had happened when he saw the trees nearby.

“They swung these human infants against the trees …”. All the trees were covered with blood and brain matter. A harrowing scene for any human to handle, but thankfully, Azar was not. As a matter of fact, what he felt was confusion.

“Humans do this to their own kind …?”. Slavery was one thing, but this was beyond cruel. This was genocide. Not only did the Red Mist not spare the children, but it looked like they got the worst fate out of everyone in the village.

Azar ventured on, and even more disturbing images emerged.

“So it is true, there are living humans among the undead.”

Azar stood before around 20 dead young adult female humans. Just a glimpse of their corpse, and Azar could tell they were all sexually assaulted before their demise. The bruises on their genitalia, the torn clothing, were more than enough evidence for that.

Unlike the living, undead creatures had no needs or desires. They did not feel pain or fatigue, nor did they feel pleasure or lust. So this was definitely the work of living humans.

While he was still examining the inner village, Azar sensed something. A weak sobbing, a rapid heartbeat, a trembling sensation... someone is still alive. Azar hustle toward the beating heart. And what he found … heartbreaking.

“P.l.e.a.s.e.” A quiet mutter from a small little human girl. She was alive, barely. She was standing next to a dry well holding on to a spiky barbed wire, seemingly having something heavy tied on the other end of it. The spikes impaled deeply into her little hands. But she just refused to let it go, even though her hands were all messed up, even though her blood had already soaked the ground she was standing on. Her little trembling hands and her red, teary eyes all screamed for her to give up. Azar just needed one look, and he knew there was only one thing that could push someone like this, she was protecting someone she loved. But Azar also knew a painful fact, he could only feel one heartbeat. So Azar took over and set the girl at ease, at least for now.

She felt flat to the ground due to exhaustion. But she quickly got up and held on to Azar’s leg.

“Please … Whoever you are … save her …”.

The little girl showed no fear, even though at the time, Azar was not in his human form. Her love and courage had pushed her beyond human’s basic instinct and fear, but how far could it help her for what to come.

He shouldn’t have any sympathy, any at all, for any humans. But Azar could not help it, this one, no matter human or dragon, she was a living being, and no one should suffer like this.

Azar did not want to, but he had to. He had to give this little human at least some closure. If not, she would hold on to this spiky barbed wire until she died. So with a heavy heart, he pulled the wire up. At first, Azar could see a little sparkle in her eyes, but that little light soon went dim.

The girl's heart skipped a beat when she saw it. The lifeless body of her mother warped around the barbed wire. Her clothes were torn and bloody, and based on the condition of her body, Azar understood that she had been dead for a while. There was nothing he could do. Azar carefully unwarped the mother and laid her on the ground.

“Mom …” The little girl's voice was trembling. Her legs were shaking as she hugged her mother with her bloody hands.

“Please … mon … come back … I’m sorry”. Crying, begging for her mother to come back to her. Azar could barely make sense of her voice. But he could understand the raw emotion of suffering from the little human. Losing the one who she cared for and loved was the worst feeling of all. Azar took a few steps back and gave the little human a few moments of grief.

But then the girl just stopped. No more sobbing, no more trembling. She just stood up and slowly walked away. Her shaky little legs were dragging on the dirt at that point. Azar could hardly believe she could still stand. And then, all of a sudden, the girl ran. She ran straight toward the dry well and jumped down.

“WAIT !!!” Azar shouted. She had caught him by complete surprise. Azar chased after her, but she was just a bit too far away from Azar, and he missed her by the skin of his teeth. The only thing he managed to grab onto was a piece of her bloody clothes.

THUMPS !!!.

The sound echoed through the dry well, and the Azar could not hear her heartbeat any longer.

“FUCK !!!”. Azar screamed and blew away the well in one swipe. And all though he did not want to, he had to. Azar got down at the well and retrieved the girl's dead body.

“I’m sorry, kid…”. He did not want to see this, his failure. The girl was all bloody, broken, and disfigured. He carried her out of the empty well and took some time to perform a proper burial for the child and her mother. Azar dug two shallow graves and put the two next to each other. Two nameless tombstones in the outskirts of the burning village. Azar bent over to the tombstone of the little girl.

“You were very brave. Rest easy with your mother now …”.

But right then, Azar felt a surge of raw power coming from somewhere in the village. And they were calling for him.