The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 129

In the sea of fire, a pair of small, pale hands pushed up from the ground.

She rose to her feet.

A sea of fire. All around her was a crimson inferno. It wasn't scorching, but warm.

She looked up at the crimson clouds above. Golden hair spilled over her shoulders, crowned by a pure white diadem that burned with red flames.

After a few seconds, Isolde lowered her gaze and raised her right hand.

The sigil on the back of her hand was gone, replaced by a crimson fiery crown.

So, you truly are the great Ninth Crown. Since you said you would guide me...

She closed her eyes.

[Lord, how should Isolde proceed?]

[Go, Isolde. Purge the beastmen.]

The voice that replied was young, yet cold. Her god had answered.

A smile touched her small, rounded face.

"Isolde understands."

She opened her eyes. As her slender legs stepped forward, the surrounding flames converged, weaving themselves into a feathered mantle of fire around her.

Watching the figure emerge from the inferno, Thea stepped forward to greet her. Black eyes stared intently at the girl.

The divine flames now protected her, shimmering with holy light.

Thea’s black skirt pooled on the ground as she dropped to one knee, raising her hands high above her head in fealty.

"Your Highness, House Valerius pledges its loyalty to you."

Isolde looked at the kneeling figure, a complex emotion flickering in her golden eyes. She placed her small, pale hand gently upon Thea's upraised ones.

"I, Isolde.Rhoyce. Cassian, accept your oath."

"Oh, by the way, Thea."

Thea, still bowing, looked up at the small, round face.

"Since you've sworn loyalty to me... does that mean I don't have to pay for the manor?"

Thea rose from her knee, still holding the small hand. She stood straight, a small smile playing on her delicate features.

"Of course..." she paused, "...you can't~!"

The small, round face immediately fell. Her cheeks puffed out.

"Why not? Aren't I your sovereign?"

"Of course. You will always be Thea's sovereign."

"See! You said it yourself! What kind of vassal demands payment from their sovereign?"

"A good one. The Royal Treasurer hounds His Majesty for coin all the time."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"Ugh..."

Her little cheeks puffed up again.

Damn it, Thea actually has a point.

***

"Ngh..."

A pained groan escaped the figure lying on the stone floor.

Furry eyelids slowly opened, revealing a low stone wall.

He pushed himself up with his right paw. Where... where am I?

Garruk scanned his surroundings and found himself in a small cave carved into a cliff face. His gaze fell on the claw marks scoring the walls.

It seemed impossible, but this cave... it looked like the red dragon had dug it out itself.

A sharp pain lanced through his chest. He looked down. His chest was still a blackened, charred mess.

But his head wasn't swimming anymore. He clenched his right paw; some of his strength had returned. He didn't feel as weak as before.

Was it because I cut away the dead flesh?

Garruk remembered carving out the rot. It seemed the red dragon had... saved him.

Wait, the plants!

He scrambled to the edge of the cave and looked down.

The field was unchanged, but the leaves on the plants looked... wilted.

His green eyes widened in panic.

That red dragon had said not a single plant was allowed to die!

He launched himself from the cave.

Garruk landed steadily and didn't waste a second. He knew he had to get water to those plants, and fast.

***

Heavy lids lifted, revealing red, slitted pupils.

Something was heavy on his back.

He lifted his head to look. Two forms were sprawled on top of him. His red gaze focused on the blue dragonform in front.

His eyes traced the line of her blue wing. His long, winding red tail nudged it aside. The hole in the membrane was completely healed, covered by fresh, new scales.

She recovered well.

He pushed up on all fours, shaking his body left and right to dump the two interlopers onto the floor.

He padded over to the griffon carcass, lowered his head, and began to eat.

CRUNCH. CRUNCH.

The sound of splintering bone echoed loudly in the quiet lair.

But as he ate, a thought began to needle him.

Hey, wait a minute. It's been ages. Why hasn't Isolde sent over my little darlings?

That's a dragon's hard-earned cash!

He stopped eating.

A red portal shimmered into existence right in front of his snout. The next second, chests began to pour through it.

Clatter!

One chest toppled and burst open, spilling glittering little darlings all over the floor.

His red pupils blew wide, almost eclipsing the irises.

Little darlings! So many little darlings!

Thirty-four chests in total, piled into a small mountain.

He rose onto his hind legs, prying open a chest with one claw. A box full of glittering little darlings met his gaze.

He gripped the chest and dumped its contents.

Jingle-jingle-jingle!

The coins hitting the floor was the most beautiful sound in the world. But it ended too quickly.

His reptilian eyes peered into the box. Hm, empty. Good and empty.

He tossed the empty chest behind him, sending it flying in an arc out of the lair's entrance.

After a flurry of activity, a mountain of gold stood before him.

He slammed his entire body down onto the pile, sending it scattering.

Such a delightful sound.

He lay sprawled on the gold, his head drooping, all four claws splayed out.

An overwhelming, intoxicating satisfaction washed over him.

This is the life.

His heavy eyelids slowly drifted closed.

***

Blue, slitted pupils opened. Azure pushed herself up on her claws.

She turned her head, looking at the wing on her back. The injury was completely healed.

She gave her body a quick inspection. She was a bit bigger, but still not in the wyrmling stage.

Finishing her self-assessment, the blue dragon looked at the sleeping forms nearby.

He and the other one were still asleep.

The tiny white wyrmling was half-pinned beneath the red one. But even so, the white wyrmling's claws were wrapped around a huge pile of gold. Her head was buried in the coins, drool glistening on the metal.

Azure's gaze hardened. She looked away, her head turning toward the scattered gold.

So much coin. It seems Aiden's contractor isn't just some ordinary noble. They handled this quickly.

She calmly averted her eyes and padded toward the lair's exit.

She had just woken up, and she was starving.

Her blue eyes narrowed. With a powerful beat of her wings and a push from her hind legs, she launched from the lair.

The sky had returned to its normal blue, and a light breeze brushed against her snout.

Her mind was already racing, repeating the steps for Somatic Grafting rune engraving.

Somatic Grafting was a non-elemental, three-star spell. Tricky.

Learning magic required three steps: First, learn the rune. Second, simulate the engraving. Third, mana engraving.

Currently, Azure was on the second step: simulating the engraving, carving the rune in her mind's eye until the motion was flawless.

Her wings flared. Her pupils contracted to slits.

Far below, in the forest, a suitable target had just appeared.