Kalthia seemed to seethe silently at Alex's boldness in the face of the dragonslayer threat. He seemed to undermine the abilities. The dark shadows writhed more intensely around her human form."You dismiss their danger far too lightly, boy," she said in a low, dangerous tone. "These are not mere obstacles to overcome, but an extinction-level peril to everything we are. Don't you understand that?"Alex held her smoldering gaze, undeterred. "Then we'd better be prepared to face them when the time comes. Because they won't be the ones to stop us from our quest - and I repeat, not if I have any say about it."An icy pause lingered in the grand hall after Alex's defiant declaration. Kalthia stared at him like she was looking at a totally deaf fool seemingly dumbstruck that he would still push forward with their plans after learning about the dragonslayers and the other dangers it posses to them."You cannot be serious," the Umbra Dragon said at last,

Kalthia's bold declaration rang with an edge of thinly veiled menace that sent a subtle thrill down Alex's spine. He couldn't help but allow a confident smile to spread across his features. With these two ancient draconic powerhouses united alongside him, mustering the unstoppable force necessary to overcome any obstacles suddenly seemed well within their grasp. All the pieces were falling into place."Good, I'm counting on that." Alex glanced between the sisters meaningfully. "Because after reviewing these reconnaissance reports, I'll need to implement the next phase of my stratagem sooner than expected."Extending his senses inward, he focused on a data connection he had carefully constructed to code manipulated data concerning a certain interested party. A few complex subroutine commands later, and an encrypted packet of randomized reports and map imagery began generating.With this, the data for the Seekers operatives was prepared and with this they would think they were getting a

Despite the dozens of armed militants encircling him, weapons aimed squarely at his center of mass, Alex refused to be cowed. His expression hardened into a mask of determination."Enough of these games!" he shouted, voice reverberating off the warehouse's steel rafters. "I want to see the one who set me on this merry chase. The so-called 'Agent Three' who's been jerking me around from the start."His words hung heavier in the air than their seeming bravado might imply. The combat-garbed soldiers shifted uneasily, tightening their firing grips in response to his overt demand.Then, that same electronically distorted voice crackled over the PA system once more."Stand down." The words may as well have been etched in permafrost for the glacial chill of authority they carried.Instantly, the agitated perimeter detail froze, their aim wavering fractionally. Alex didn't flinch, eyes locked dead ahead as a solitary figure detached from the shad