An Understated Dominance (Dustin Rhys)

“Damn it! This punk’s tougher than I thought. We’re in real trouble if this keeps up,” Connor said, swinging his twin blades relentlessly. Every strike was aimed at Axel’s vital points.

But Axel was quick. He weaved in and out of reach and avoided direct confrontation. It was obvious he was just stalling for time.

“Sir Prescott should be far enough by now. There’s no point dragging this out. Let’s fall back.”

Sensing the futility of their efforts, Dave considered retreating. He didn’t fear death, but he wasn’t about to waste his life for nothing.

Since Warrick had escaped, their interception mission was also completed.

“You guys hold him off. The rest of you, fall back with me.”

Connor was decisive. Realizing they weren’t making any progress, he quickly ordered a retreat and left a few decoys behind to buy time.

They had barely run a hundred yards when a wave of soldiers suddenly appeared at the alley’s entrance. Hundreds, maybe even thousands, filled the narrow space and completely blocked any chance of escape.

“Fall back!”

Connor and Dave exchanged a glance.

Without hesitation, they turned and bolted in the opposite direction. With fewer than a hundred men, charging into an enemy several times their size would be suicide.

The sound of perfectly synchronized footsteps echoed from ahead, and the ground beneath them started to shake.

Connor and Dave skidded to a halt. Their eyes widened in shock as they stared at the distance.

end of the road, a wave of

masks. They were tall, their eyes sharp, and radiated a deadly authority. Their presence was even more intimidating than that of the elite

“Draken Guardians?”

and Dave’s face paled when they saw the emblem

was already the most elite military force in the land,

something else entirely. They were the cream of the crop, handpicked from thousands of Black Dragon Army soldiers. They were the best of the

master in their own right. Any single member could

unless the situation was dire. Neither had expected

and Dave knew there was

they could fight their way through. But against a hundred Draken

now, Axel had regrouped with the reinforcements

hundred Red Legion soldiers were trapped. They were caught between a fierce force ahead and a deadly one

nowhere to run or

to a stop. A

before he spoke in a cold,

words were simple, but they carried a powerful

was Jaxon Steele, who achieved

Dave-he two small fry-but Warrick,

of that caliber was enough to warrant

“What should we do?”

his grip tightened around the

blood brothers, bound by a vow. They didn’t need to live on the same day, month, or year. Instead, they only promised to die

else can we do?