The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 126

Aiden shifted on her lap, turning to face her.

"Can I swap this Dominion for another one?"

She simply shook her head.

Stingy, he thought.

Aiden's expression changed. He put on his most adorable, cherubic smile and looked up at her, deliberately widening his inhuman, red eyes.

"Then... could I please have something to store my things in?" he asked, his voice dripping with childish sweetness.

Her iridescent eyes studied his face. Her expression remained utterly blank, without a hint of emotion.

Shing!

A dark red chain snaked out from the mass, a silver ring looped around its end.

The chain extended to her. She raised her pale right hand and took the ring.

Chink... The chain released the ring and retracted into the darkness.

Her left hand gently lifted his chubby right one. She slipped the silver ring onto his hand, and it immediately began to shrink, tightening until it was the size of a simple bracelet.

She let his hand go, and her right hand returned to his hair, stroking it gently.

"That's enough. You should go back now."

His gaze fixed on the ring. Its name was Eternal Ring. Well... maybe she's generous after all.

The next instant, his vision spun.

In the dragon's lair, heavy eyelids lifted. A pinkish inner eyelid retracted, revealing the sharp eyes.

He pushed himself up on his foreclaws. A damp sensation on his neck. He gave his body a hard shake.

Thud.

With a dull sound, a weight fell from him. He instantly felt lighter.

His eyes glanced at the creature on the floor. The white dragon was lying paws-up, belly exposed, her head lolling back. Even so, she was fast asleep.

Looks like her hibernation cycle isn't over.

He turned his head to the left. The blue dragon was lying quietly on the stone floor.

His eyes scanned her body. The holes punched through her wings were fully healed. Her claws were tucked neatly. The break in her blue tail was gone, and the scales had completely grown back.

It seemed her wounds had fully recovered. Some time must have passed, then.

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His head lowered, and he looked at his right foreclaw. The silver Eternal Ring was resting quietly on it.

His pupils dilated. A low, rumbling sound started in his chest as his muzzle split into a grin.

The Eternal Ring... She really is generous. Worth stooping for. A small price for such a prize.

"Heh... heh heh heh..."

A strange, cackling laugh echoed in the lair—a sound both childish and chillingly smug.

He focused, sending a thread of red mana into the ring.

He felt the space inside. Damn, it's spacious. Incredibly spacious.

It felt almost as large as the city he had lived in as a human. As expected of something from Providence.

Aiden's pupils narrowed to thin slits.

He savored the moment, then turned his body. His red head lifted, looking toward the griffin carcass.

He padded over and stopped in front of it. His head extended, wide nostrils flaring.

No smell. It wasn't rotten yet.

His maw split open, and a great scarlet tongue licked his snout. He was hungry.

He glanced at the cold fire pit. No ingredients. Raw it is.

His head snapped down, and he tore into the flesh.

The long-forgotten taste of fresh, raw meat. He'd been away from it for a while, but it was still a good choice.

He lowered his head and began to eat.

Sated, he walked to the mouth of the lair and lay down, resting his head on the ledge to catch the gentle breeze, and closed his heavy eyelids.

Alright. I've accepted Providence's commission. I got the Dominion. I even scammed a free storage ring out of her.

So... how do I complete this task?

Just fly over and wipe out the beastmen and orcs? No, her request was to 'guide.'

Ugh. How do you 'guide' that short-lived species? What a headache.

Maybe... use the new Dominion's power? Place a divine favor on her?

That's... not a bad idea. It's worth a try.

His eyes opened, staring at the crimson-stained sky. Aiden found himself thinking that Earth's blue sky was much better.

I wonder what that gnoll is up to. Are my little darlings being taken care of?

His head dipped, and his gaze swept the ground far below the cliff. His sharp eyes took in everything.

Not directly below. He shifted his head to the left.

A square patch of tilled earth came into view. On it, clusters of green plants were growing, hung with green and red little darlings. The plot was surrounded by a crude, sharpened wooden fence.

One, two, three... fifteen.

Exactly fifteen. Good.

Hmm? What's that?

His pupils narrowed. His gaze focused on the edge of the plot. There were several new small, green plants.

He pushed off with his powerful hind legs. His wings snapped open, and he dove, riding the air currents down.

Whoosh.

He flared his wings, landing softly on the ground.

Folding his wings, he walked to the fence and peered over, lowering his massive head to the tiny green shoots. He stared at them for a long time.

It's confirmed. Those are definitely chili pepper sprouts.

That gnoll... he's actually got some talent. He really managed to grow them.

His muzzle split into a wide, toothy grin.

***

Garruk, carrying water, saw the massive figure by the garden from a distance. His steps quickened.

Hearing the footsteps, the dragon lifted his head and looked.

A gnoll was hurrying toward him, limping heavily. His left arm swung uselessly at his side as he moved.

Aiden's eyes narrowed, locking onto that unnatural, limp arm.

The gnoll approached, set down his waterskin, and immediately threw himself flat on the ground.

"Garruk offers his highest fealty, oh great Red Lord!"

Prostrate on the dirt, Garruk was terrified.

Chromatic dragons did not suffer the weak. The useless were food.

And his condition was... not good. He was already lame, and now his left arm was broken.

Aiden's nostrils flared slightly. The acrid stench of rot wafted from the gnoll.

"Rise, gnoll."

Garruk trembled at the command, but he obeyed, pushing himself upright.

Aiden's gaze fixed on the massive, festering claw mark across the gnoll's chest. It had been smeared with some kind of green herbal paste, but the wound beneath was clearly rotting. The stench of it was impossible to hide.

Feeling the dragon's stare, Garruk's heart hammered against his ribs.