"AAAAAAAAAH", a loud scream came from above Castle Cinder where Seraphina was looking up at the sky from the courtyard.
BOOOOM
Something massive hit the courtyard, shattering tiles and sending debris flying everywhere. Seraphina walked closer to the impact when suddenly someone landed beside her silently.
"Who is this?", Seraphina asked Ali, looking down at the giant standing up from the cloud of dust.
"My name is Fainter, my lady. I am a newly sworn knight to Lord Ali", Fainter said as he adjusted his helmet. He looked even larger in the black armour, which was unscathed even after a massive fall.
Ali nudged Seraphina from the side and whispered something to her. "He thinks you're my wife", Ali said, and Seraphina's eye twitched.
"Your guests are waiting for you. I don't understand why you invited filth to the castle.", Seraphina said as she walked to the castle gates.
"Oh, and your other guests are down in the cells", Seraphina said without looking back as Ali enjoyed the view from behind. He was slowly ignoring the image of her true form.
"Fainter, take me to the cells", Ali said, and the knight who knew the castle better led the way.
From the edge of the courtyard, they took a walk down stairs that led underground. There, Ali and Fainter walked past cell after cell filled with merchants who screamed and shouted for freedom with promises of money or threats.
"I heard there is a knight down here", Ali said, and Fainter nodded.
"The former knight's captain. I beat him and took his position, then threw him down here…", Fainter said as he walked Ali to a lower level of the chamber where there were multiple empty cells except for one without light.
The entire level was devoid of light, but Fainter knew the way, and Ali's eyes could see through darkness easily. Once they reached the cell at the far back.
"Who goes there?", an aged voice came from the cell.
Ali got closer to the cell, then he raised his palm up, and a red magical circle materialised around his wrist before a small ball of fire ignited above his hand, illuminating the cell.
Inside the cell, an old man who looked in his sixties closed his eyes from the sudden light and looked away. He had brown hair and a grey-white beard. He was wearing loose commoner's clothes, but his solid, muscular body from a life of training was there to see.
"Who are you?", the old man looked at Ali holding the fireball, confused, but then he saw the Black Knight who beat him and ruined his life next to the stranger.
"And what do you want?", the old man didn't hide his anger towards Fainter.
"My name is Ali, the new lord of Obidos after the death of the Cinder House", Ali said, and the old man couldn't believe it. He stood up and held the cell bars tightly.
"It can't be…", the old knight looked at the Black Knight, who nodded, confirming what Ali said.
"Edwin died in the war, his sister disappeared in the night, and…Your former lord, he died tonight after years of poisoning from the merchants of this town who are sitting in cells above you", Ali said to the old man, who tapped his head on the bars until blood leaked from his forehead.
"Those Bastards, how dare they….", a blue aura flared around the Knight's arms, and Fainter's entire body was engulfed in aura in a second to warn the old knight not to try anything stupid.
"Right now, I am in the process of cleaning up this town, and I'm here to deal with you", Ali's face reflected the deep fire hovering above his palm. He was experimenting with the new spell right now.
"What do you want?", the old man asked.
"It's simple, I will give you the same options I gave him, either choose to die tonight or bend the knee and enter my servitude. If you pick the second option, you will be responsible for the execution of the merchants tomorrow, and after you will travel to the Nolan castle where I am creating a Knights' academy.", Ali said, and the old knight looked at the ground.
"How strong is he?", Ali asked Fainter with the old man before him, deciding.
"He's a third-level Aura Knight, at the early stage of the third level. And his martial arts are good.", Fainter said, and the old man's grip tightened, hearing two before him talk about him like he wasn't there…
"I accept", the old man said.
'Easy…', Ali thought as he snapped his fingers, and the lock of the cell started to turn on its own before opening.
The old man went down on one knee, "I, Malcolm Stro—", the old knight was about to swear, but Ali interrupted him.
"I accept, you are now my second Knight.", Ali said, shocking the old knight.
"I don't have time for another vow, so stand up and let's go", Ali said, and walked ahead with Fainter following him. Malcom looked at the two and shook his head, 'This new generation is disrespectful', he thought.
Malcom walked past cell after cell filled with merchants he knew. Next to each cell was a piece of paper saying what crimes they committed, and he was disgusted to his core. Fainter had to make sure the old man didn't try to kill them now.
"Wait, what is that?", Malcom shouted as he pointed at a large dragon peaking its head over the castle walls and looking down at them.
"Oh, you didn't know..", Fainter said as he pointed at Ali, who was walking closer to the dragon, who dipped its head down.
"Lord Ali is a Dragon Master, he has two dragons", Fainter said, and Malcom couldn't believe his eyes as Ali stood before the dragon.
"Watch this…", Ali said as he raised his palm, and the red magic circle appeared again. This time, he used two Spirit Points, and the fireball was massive. It was two metres in diameter and hovered above his hand, ready for him to throw it.
"You call this fire?", Abeloth said to Ali as he opened his snout, and the fireball was blasted with a small streak of his fire, destroying it.
Ali looked at his palm where the fireball disappeared, 'It is weak, huh…I can't use more than two points…', Ali thought as he tapped Abeloth's snout.
"Go with Eldora to the forest; there is a beast colony for you to burn and eat. And make sure not to burn down the whole forest…", Ali said as Abeloth flapped his wings and flew up into the sky.
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