novelraw Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Those bright, crystalline eyes said it all. Gimme!
With a flick of his claw, the flames encasing the magic crystal dissipated, and he tossed it in a red arc toward Bianca. "Take it. We'll eat it back at the nest. You and Azure split it."
"Okay-dokey! You got it!" Bianca cheered, her white head bobbing so frantically that drool flew everywhere. A long, glistening strand landed—splat—right on the half-eaten crystal still in Aiden's claw.
He looked down at his crystal. Bianca's bobbing stopped.
The air went perfectly still.
The white wyrmling slowly recoiled, her wide eyes blinking.
Oh, no. I did it again. Her internal voice was a whimper. Is he... is he gonna hit me?
Aiden raised his head, his red eyes fixing on the simpleton in front of him. This idiot... was always so...
Bianca flinched, shrinking back.
...well, kinda cute.
Whatever. He lowered his head again. He huffed a small, precise jet of red flame over his crystal, instantly vaporizing the spittle.
Clean. Time to eat.
He opened his maw and took another bite.
Bianca blinked, her eyes shining. Phew! He’s not mad! I’m not gonna get bonked!
She clutched the red magic crystal in her own claws, her drool starting to drip again, completely unrestrained.
Want to eat... but Aiden said... want to eat... but Aiden... want...
Crunch. Crunch.
A few more bites and the basin-sized magic crystal was gone. Aiden swallowed, the last piece sliding down his throat.
He turned his head toward the canopy. Time to see if sister of his was dead or alive.
Hopefully alive.
With a beat of his red wings, he flew over the treetops. A thick smell, like a barbecue, wafted up from below. He glanced down.
The once-lush root-homes were now shriveled and dry. The green grass was scorched black, and the earth itself was cracked. Many Wood Elves lay motionless on the ground. Wisps of steam rose from their bodies.
Cooked. Well done, even.
Not all of them, though. A few mages were still desperately maintaining water barriers, shielding a small group of whelps.
Aiden looked up. The leaves on the massive canopy above him had all turned a sickly yellow. A light breeze blew, and the sky filled with a rain of dying leaves.
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He hovered for a moment, his red eyes narrowed. It was... beautiful.
It almost reminded him of...
Ting!
A sharp sound rang off his scales, shattering the moment. He looked down. A broken arrowhead was tumbling to the ground.
Ting!
Another arrow struck his thick-scaled underbelly. It, too, snapped, leaving not even a scratch.
Aiden's red eyes narrowed. He looked down. Far below, by a tree, a Wood Elf youth—about six feet tall and slender—was drawing a longbow. The ground was literally scorching his feet, but he seemed oblivious to the pain.
His green eyes were filled with pure hatred.
The youth loosed the string.
Zing!
Ting!
The arrow shattered on Aiden's scales.
Good form, Aiden thought, his maw splitting into a grin. Good courage. I appreciate that.
A red ring formed in front of his snout. A single Fire Arrow coalesced.
Down below, the elf nocked another arrow and fired.
Zing!
The iron-tipped arrow met Aiden's Fire Arrow midway. The iron instantly melted.
Pthhht!
The Fire Arrow didn't slow. It pierced the youth's chest, pinning him to the ground. Green blood hit the superheated magic and vaporized into steam.
"Hmph." A sneer of contempt flashed in Aiden's red eyes. Stupid, arrogant race.
He beat his wings and flew toward the great tree's canopy.
High on the massive, verdant canopy, a young elven maiden sat on a branch. Her small, delicate feet dangled, and her emerald hair stirred in the breeze.
Two crystalline teardrops rolled down her perfect face.
As an elven goddess, Elarien could sense all her tribes, and she could cast her gaze upon any of her people at any time.
The green thread in her mind that represented the Wood Elves hadn't broken, but it had grown terrifyingly faint and blurred.
A moment later, a feedback image flashed through her mind, sent from one of her dying children.
Beneath the canopy, on the cracked earth, a Wood Elf youth drew his bow, firing at the red dragon.
The next second, a crimson Fire Arrow pierced his body.
More tears fell.
Is the Second Crown's prophecy truly unchangeable?
*****
Back in the tavern.
Veridian, who had just raised his great mug, lowered it. He pressed his right hand to his forehead and closed his eyes.
Auremax said nothing, just drained his own mug in one go, grabbed the cask, and refilled.
A moment later, Veridian opened his beautiful, sea-green eyes.
"What's wrong, Veridian?" Auremax rumbled.
Veridian picked up his mug and emptied it. "Elarien just sent me a divine thought."
"Oh?" Auremax said, refilling Veridian's mug. "That elven goddess?"
"Yes. Want to see?"
"Mildly curious."
"Give me your hand."
Auremax set the heavy cask on the floor and extended his massive, fan-like palm. Veridian's slender, pale hand rested on it.
They both closed their eyes.
A minute passed. They both opened their eyes.
"Well, I'll be," Auremax rumbled. "So that's where the little dragon ended up."
Veridian shot him an exasperated look, rolling his eyes. "Seriously? That little dragon just slaughtered a tribe of Elarien's followers, and that's your takeaway? Can't you show a little compassion?"
"Tch." Auremax scoffed. "Who cares about those Wood Elves? They're arrogant as hell for a race with zero power to back it up. Besides, it doesn't matter how hard Elarien tries. No one can change a prophecy from the Second Crown."
His voice was thick with contempt.
Veridian dropped the subject. He knew his friend had despised the Wood Elves for tens of thousands of years.
He knew the reason, too.
All those millennia ago, at the peak of their ambition and civilization, the Wood Elves had launched the Crown-Slaughtering Rebellion.
As one of the targets, Veridian honestly didn't have strong feelings about it. He'd slept through the whole thing.
He just woke up one day to find the Wood Elves, who had once ruled the continent, were mostly gone, their civilization erased. As penance, their goddess, Elarien, had voluntarily become his vassal.
For Veridian, it was just a long nap. He woke up, the world was changed, and he'd "peacefully" acquired the goddess of the former strongest race as a follower.
As Aiden approached the griffin nest, he saw Bianca already perched on the edge. The white wyrmling was peering intently down into the nest, her white tail wagging back and forth.
What's she so interested in?
He flew over, landing beside her, and looked down.
His own red eyes widened.
"Well, well," he purred, a low rumble in his chest. "Now this is a show."
Unconsciously, his own long, red-scaled tail began to sway back and forth.