The Last Primal

Approaching halfway through the hall, Aiden and Lily finally spotted the black door at the end. As the crudely painted red eagle insignia became visible in the distance, Lily subconsciously clenched his fists and audibly gulped. She turned glum and set her gaze towards the dusty floor.

Seeing her reaction, Aiden reached out, gently patting the top of her head, startling her in the process. 

"It's okay, Lily. Calm down. It will be over soon."

Enjoying the warmth of his hand a bit more, Lily could only muster a weak "Uhm" in response. As the hand left her head, she looked at it yearnfully.

Arriving before the unguarded steel door, Aiden grabbed the handle. Before he pushed in on it, he faced his sister who was looking in front of herself, psyching up for the upcoming emotional encounter. 

Sighing, he softly whispered. 

"Listen… I may lose my calm in front of this bastard and may turn violent. In fact, it's already getting harder to contain myself and not rip this door open and shred everybody inside to pieces. I... just want you to know…" He spoke, however, he was silenced before he could finish his thoughts as Lily placed her right index finger on his mask. 

Although it wasn't that effective, he still subconsciously silenced himself. Looking at her, he saw her painful yet heartfelt smile. As the tears slowly started escaping the corner of her eyes, she faintly muttered.

"It's okay… I will never be afraid of you. Do what you must. I know you have to vent your pain, otherwise, it would consume you. Don't forget, I know you the best, brother."

Seeing her face, and hearing the pure honesty and love flowing through her voice, Aiden could only muster a curt "Thanks." in response.

Then, as he turned towards the door once again, the glow in his eyes increased in intensity, as he pushed down the handle and pulled the large door open, slowly revealing the bright interior.

Contrary to the entire facility, the room had multiple lit torches spread all around the room lighting the room to an almost daylight luster. At the far end, behind a steel table, the warden sat with a smug look on his stubbly face. In front of him, a full group of ten guards wearing the same studded leather breastplate, decorated at the edges with the same heraldic designs as the ones before. However, contrary to those, these chest plates also had the crudely painted red eagle insignia above their heart. Their reinforced leather pants also had the same design. They all also had a black leather helmet on their heads providing additional protection and completely hiding their facial features. The laced leather gloves they were wearing had small metallic protrusions on them concentrated around the knuckles. 

They had varying weapons already in their hands. Some had large halberds, some had long swords. A few maces could also be seen. 

Two black war dogs, dressed in armor were also present, snarling menacingly at the two newcomers. 

As the warden looked at the two youths willingly walking into the trap he so 'cleverly' set, he couldn't help but laugh out loudly.

"Ahahaha! Welcome, welcome!" Looking at the girl with contemptuous eyes, he smugly continued.

"Welcome back Miss Vigilante! You didn't think that I wouldn't take revenge on what you did previously?! You really thought you have a chance against us? You should already know your place!"

He spat on the ground and continued. Aiden and Lily watched him with a frighteningly calm expression, although Aiden's couldn't be seen, but felt.

"You slaves… You should just be under your master, accepting your fate. Yet, you dare to defy me?! Oh, this is gonna be so much fun, as I watch you lie in the pool of your own blood. You and your... " 

He looked at the small, frail boy next to the girl. 

"...'friend' gonna regret ever crossing me." He pushed the word, showing his contempt against him.

Then looking at the guards, he was about to continue but was silenced as the boy raised his right hand in front of his masked face as if he was contemplating something. As his eye sockets continued to emit a bright golden light, he scanned through all the present guards before he calmly spoke.

"Is this all of your guards? Are they some sort of elite group?"

Thinking that the boy was trying to mask his fright with his forced cool, the warden smugly replied.

"Yeah, they are all the best of the best, the elites. Each one of them worth more than 10 city guards. They are the best private force money can buy. What? Are you scared?"

A guard that stood in the middle of the group, scuffed as he looked at the unarmed boy.

"Tsk! Who told you to come here? You can only blame yourself for your own stupidity. Don't even dream about leaving this room alive, boy. You and your girlfriend will be served as food for our dogs!"

Hearing the word 'girlfriend', caused Lily to turn beet red, while Aiden, slowly looked at the two war hounds growling at him. Then he slowly gazed at the man. As the golden glow in his eye got tainted by a tinge of red, the guard gripped the hilt of his long sword tighter. He suddenly felt a wave of dread wash over him… something terrible, coming from the boy.

"So…" Aiden calmly spoke. "...are you this group of guard's self-proclaimed leader? Are you the strongest from them?"

Although unsure of the boy's real strength now, he still felt confident in dealing with this wretched sod. He confidently nodded at the question.

"Yes. I am. Are you ready to beg? I may give you a quick death if I feel you're honest."

"Hmmm…" Aiden looked at Lily and asked. "What do you say, 'VIGILANTE'," he deliberately put emphasis on the word. "Should we go on our knees and beg for forgiveness? Is this why we are here?"

Responding to the question, Lily chuckled lightly, as she shook her head.

"Ehehehe, I don't think so!" 

Nodding, Aiden turned towards the self-proclaimed leader. Suddenly his figure distorted and vanished, only to appear right in front of the man in the next instant. Looking deep into the startled man's eyes, his voice gradually turned into a predatory deep growl.

"You know, why would I beg someone that's just about to die…"

As his voice changed, so did his hands. His fingers increased in length, his nails transformed into long black claws. His creole skin grew shiny golden scales. 

With a decisive thrust, his clawed hand easily tore through the reinforced leather protecting his upper torso. Before he or anybody could react to the sudden turn of events, Aiden already had his clawed right hand deep in their captain's stomach. The bone-chilling sound of flesh rending could be heard, as his claws wrought havoc in the man. Then finding his target, Aiden grabbed hold of the man's intestines and pulled them out of his body, spilling it on the floor. 

Dropping the weapon, he fell on his knees just like he mocked the boy previously. A bloody gurgling sound came from him, his face morphed into a frightened expression, as he looked at his own spilled insides falling to the ground.

Watching their captain fall to the ground in mere seconds, with his own blood and organs ripped to shreds by a boy that looked pathetic and harmless just a moment ago, they couldn't react. Even the warden had a horrified expression instead of the previous smug one he arrogantly wore previously.

As Aiden also unfolded his Draconic Aura, they felt his suffocating presence in the room. The terrifying power he emitted caused the vicious war hounds to whimper and fall back hiding behind their master's legs.

Everybody, except for Lily felt the same dread wash over them, silently watching while nervously gripping their weapons, waiting for a miracle.

As their captain fell down to the dust floor, Aiden scoffed at him.

"What? No response? So rude…"

Then ignoring the dying soul, he turned his gaze towards the fat man sitting behind the desk.

"What? You were so arrogant before, why are you silent now? Why aren't you ordering your men to attack? Hmm… What did you say? How did you phrase it?" He grabbed his chin with his bloodied claws contemplating on the man's earlier words.

Turning his head towards Lily, he asked as if it would be the most important thing right now.

"Lily! What did he say to us? I can't recall…"

Chuckling, Lily put her small hand against her mouth, as she answered her brother. She was completely unphased by what just transpired as if this was a completely normal thing to do.

"I believe he said, we will regret ever crossing him, and that he will watch us with satisfaction lying in our own pool of blood in front of him."

Raising his right index finger, his gaze turned towards the now-frightened warden.

"Ah, that's right! Now I remember!" 

Leaning closer, the warden could see as the red replaced the golden luster in his eyes, scaring him even more so than before.

"So, do you regret crossing us now?"