Book One - The Dragonkin Empire.

A fight.

 Alice's side

"What ... did you say?"

 The one asking was obviously not me, but Lixk, I was in a state where my mouth was slightly open, my arms tense, my eyes round and big as the full moon and my mind in a overload state trying hard to process what the man said.

 The man didn't talk anymore, he raised his hands to cover all his face in a exhausted fashion and the two men that remained at his side looked away awkwardly. I didn't notice at all as I was looking to the ground, I don't care right now. I won't be paying attention, or so I thought until I heard some suppressed laughter. I raised my head and found the bastard was suffocating himself trying to suppress his laughter, when he realized he had failed, he grabbed hard his stomach and started laughing very strongly.

 Both of us were stunned beyond words. Lixk recovered first and changed the expression of shock to one filled with anger.

 "What do you find so funny?."I think it wouldn't be so frightening if he shouted, but the tone of voice he used was pretty low and menacing, and the eyes where giving a strong emotion. I know what comes after this and I hate it.

 He gave a long sigh before speaking "That's a good look you have there, but you're not capable enough to beat me, after all you're still young"

 The bear continued talking like that, but my brother was already staring at one boy that was behind their leader, about my height, with brown short hair that matched his brown attire, with a round face and a slightly wide body, he looked like the youngest out of all the six men, about fourteen-fifteen. the bastard, even after all this time where he hasn't shown any expressions, now he's smiling without a care giving us pitying stares hard to endure.

Lixk was reaching the point where he would be smashing things around, I wanted to bare my fangs at them, but if my brother went out of control I need a clear head to seize the chance to grab my weapons, I was getting ready but the leader just saw who Lixk was staring and saw the smirking boy. He put a serious face and asked the boy.

 " Hey Leo, what do you think you're doing?".

 "I' am sorry commander, but I can't help myself, after all, this guys are here and they think this is the only Tunnel, they can't even use magic, now I understand why they are called savages.

 "Try saying that when I have my weapons."

 "I can against a savage anytime."

 "I hope you can live to your words, Leo" the leader had a serious and a somewhat annoyed demeanour. "Boy" he spoke to Lixk "I'll give you a chance to prove yourself and show us how capable you really are, if you want you can battle against my junior, although he may not look like it, he's pretty skilled with a sword and magic although he's still young. What do you say?".

 I know my brother the best, and I know he hates to be looked down and to lose, that's why he asked Lumiere to teach him, and he won't deny this challenge, if anything, he's going to try all he has to kill the boy.

 "That is fine with me, but if I win, what do I get?"

 " Fair enough, I'll reward you depending on how good you fare out there."

 "I'll fight giving some advantage to him, I am a Weapon Master specialized in twin daggers, but against him I'll only need one of my swords."

"If you say you have that rank, I'll close one eye and let it be, he won't be fighting handicapped, so do your best, Leo go get his things." when the boy was out of ear range, the leader kept talking. " I don't think you can beat Leo, but in any case, in this kind of fight you're not allowed to kill your opponent, but you can deal a wound deep enough so that you scar him, okay?"