The Alpha And The Fifth Blood

Chapter 27: The First Guardian

Chapter 27

The massive eye blinked slowly as golden light filled the chamber and the enormous dragon rose from beneath the throne. Stone cracked and fell away from its body as it lifted its head higher, dust drifting through the glowing air like ash caught in sunlight. The ground trembled beneath its weight, and for a moment, it felt as if the mountain itself was waking with it.

Kael took two slow steps back, his voice quieter than usual. "Okay... that is definitely not a statue." The creature continued rising until its massive form filled the opening beneath the throne, claws gripping the stone as if it had been sleeping there for centuries. Its scales were unlike any dragon Ariana had seen. Not gold, not red, but a deep bronze aged by time, with thin silver lines glowing faintly between them like restrained lightning. Two long horns curved back from its head like a crown, and its eyes held something ancient. Not just power. Memory.

The dragon lifted its head fully and looked down at Ariana. The chamber fell completely silent. Even the golden veins of light along the floor dimmed, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Then, slowly, the dragon lowered its head.

In respect.

Kael blinked once, clearly thrown off. "Wait... did that dragon just bow to you?" Ariana didn’t answer. She felt it too. That same pull from earlier, warm and steady, but now stronger, deeper, like something inside her had finally been recognized. Her chest tightened as the dragon’s voice echoed inside her mind.

At last.

It wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. Calm. Ancient. Certain.

Ariana swallowed. "You were waiting for me."

For the Sovereign.

Kael crossed his arms, glancing between them. "Alright... so you two know each other now?" The dragon turned one glowing eye toward him. Storm Wolf. Kael straightened slightly, surprised. "Yeah?" You stand beside the Fifth Blood. Kael gave a small shrug. "That’s the plan."

The dragon turned back to Ariana. I am Vormerion. The name echoed through the chamber like distant thunder. The first guardian of the Sovereign bloodline. Ariana felt her heartbeat pick up. "You’ve been here this whole time?" Sleeping. Waiting. His wing shifted slightly, bronze scales catching the light. The throne awakened me when you returned.

Ariana glanced back at the throne, then around the chamber. "So this place..." Her voice softened. "It really belonged to the Sovereigns."

Yes.

The dragon’s gaze deepened. Before the Dragon King ruled the skies, the Sovereign ruled balance itself.

"Balance?" Ariana repeated. The word didn’t feel simple.

The dragon lifted his head, and something ancient moved behind his eyes. Your power was never meant to destroy the bloodlines. It was meant to protect them. The moment he said it, something shifted in her mind. Images flashed through her vision. Dragons soaring across endless skies. Wolves running beneath a silver moon. Witches standing beside mountains older than memory. Different bloodlines, standing together. Not fighting. Not divided. United.

The vision vanished, leaving her breath unsteady. "What was that?"

Memory, Vormerion said. A fragment of what once was. His voice softened slightly. The power inside you is the power of restoration.

Ariana frowned. "Restoration?"

You can heal. You can protect. And you can command dragons.

Her chest tightened as her thoughts snapped back to the battlefield above. "The dragons... fighting right now."

Yes.

"And the ones who died?" she asked quietly.

The dragon held her gaze before answering. Those who serve the Sovereign... may rise again through your power.

Kael raised his eyebrows slightly. "Well... that’s useful."

But Vormerion didn’t react. Resurrection carries a cost.

Ariana felt it immediately. "What kind of cost?"

Your strength. Your life. His voice lowered. Raise too many... and the Sovereign falls with them.

The mountain trembled again. A deep rumble rolled through the chamber as dust fell from above. A distant roar echoed through the tunnels, heavy and violent. Ariana looked up instinctively. "They’re still fighting." Her voice felt smaller now.

Kael cracked his knuckles. "Then we go back."

But Vormerion shook his head. Not yet.

Ariana frowned. "What do you mean?"

Your power has only just awakened. If you return now... you will die.

The words landed hard. Not dramatic. Not exaggerated. Just truth.

Ariana inhaled slowly, forcing her hands to steady. "So what do I do?"

You learn.

Kael let out a quiet breath. "I was hoping the answer was punching something."

Vormerion ignored him. The Sovereign must control her power before she returns to war.

Ariana glanced toward the tunnel. The battle still echoed faintly, distant but relentless. "How long will that take?"

Not long.

Then the dragon’s gaze shifted toward the darkness behind them. Something changed. The calm in his expression disappeared.

Because your enemy is already coming.

Kael frowned. "That can’t be good."

The Abyss has felt you awaken.

Silence filled the chamber. The golden light flickered. Even the carved dragons along the walls seemed to watch.

Then, far above the mountain, a monstrous roar tore through the sky. It echoed down into the depths of the earth, heavy and furious.

The Abyss Titan.

Kael exhaled slowly, tension returning to his shoulders. "Well... looks like our breathing time is over."

No, Vormerion said, his voice deep and steady.

Both Ariana and Kael looked at him.His eyes burned with quiet power.

Now your training begins.

And far above them, the war did not stop.