The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 13

The gentle burble of flowing water reached their ears. They had arrived. Ahead, the subterranean river snaked its way through the canyon, looking exactly as it had the day they'd first seen it.

The three wyrmlings landed together on the sloping bank.

Bianca's white head swiveled left and right, her eyes scanning the area. There was nothing. Nothing but the river itself.

“Aiden!”

Her gaze, equal parts adorable and furious, snapped toward him.

“You lied to me!” she accused. “There's no prey here!”

Aiden met her glare without flinching. “What are you talking about?” he said calmly. “Didn't I just say they were only stopping for a drink? Do you understand what ‘stopping' means? Look,” he added, extending a claw toward the riverbank. “You can still see their tracks on the shore.”

Hearing this, Bianca turned her head, her suspicion warring with her hope. Sure enough, the soft, damp mud near the water's edge was covered in a messy collection of footprints.

Could it be that Aiden was telling the truth? The ferocity in her eyes began to fade.

“Oh. Alright then,” she mumbled, her tone sinking into dejection. No prey meant no food.

Azure let out a silent, exasperated sigh. Is Bianca really this naive? How is she so easily fooled? I was hoping she might actually fight Aiden for once. What a shame. The creature is just too dense. Any dragon with eyes could see that the mud was damp, but the tracks leading away from it were bone-dry, meaning they were days old. Yet Bianca had believed him instantly.

Azure glanced at Bianca, who was now staring forlornly at the river. Perhaps the situation could still be salvaged.

“Look,” Azure said, her voice casual. “The tracks lead up the slope.”

At her words, Bianca lifted her head, her gaze following the trail. A spark of life returned to her eyes.

Azure watched her out of the corner of her eye. Yes, that's it. Now notice how dry the tracks are! Realize they weren't made ten minutes ago! Then go tear that liar Aiden to shreds!

“I get it!” Bianca exclaimed, turning to Azure with renewed vigor. “You mean we should chase them! If we fly, we can definitely catch up to those ground-dwellers! Azure, you're a genius!”

Azure could only stare, her jaw figuratively on the floor. She had overestimated Bianca's intelligence to a staggering degree.

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Perhaps one more hint…

Just as she was about to speak, Aiden moved. He was staring directly at her.

This little sister of mine is getting restless. Trying to stir up trouble.

He closed the distance between them, his body pressing against the smaller blue dragon's. He lowered his head until his crimson, slitted pupils were inches from hers, the two gazes locking. His jaws parted slightly, revealing a full set of sharp, gleaming white teeth.

A wave of pure menace rolled off him. Azure shrank back, tucking her neck in. Did he sense what I was trying to do? How is he so perceptive?

“What are you two doing?” Bianca's voice cut through the tense silence. “If you're not going to chase them, I'll go myself!”

With that, she spread her wings and launched into the sky.

On the ground, neither Aiden nor Azure moved. They both knew Bianca would be back soon. The tracks were days old; layers of sand had surely drifted over them further up the canyon. It was obvious to anyone who stopped to think for a single second.

Bianca, of course, was the exception. Thinking was not her strong suit.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, a white shape flew back and landed on the riverbank with a huff.

“So annoying!” she complained immediately. “It's all sand up there. You can't see any tracks at all. Don't bother going.”

“Oh, is that so? What a shame,” Aiden said with feigned sympathy.

Azure said nothing.

With the food gone and the trail lost, Bianca's mood soured completely. She flopped onto the ground, resting her chin on the dirt with a dejected sigh.

Aiden watched her, a glint in his crimson eyes. The prey on the banks might be gone, but now it was time to target the prey in the water. He looked toward the river, his gaze fixed on the calm, dark surface. The thing that lived down there was massive—more than enough to feed all three of them for some time.

But luring it out would require Bianca's cooperation. He already had a plan.

“Bianca,” he said. “Do you want to eat meat?”

“Huh?” The white dragon's head shot up, her eyes locking onto him. “You found a way to catch them?” Her pupils were wide with pure, innocent hope.

The look had no effect on Aiden. “Not those runaways. A different prey. If you do exactly as I say, I can get you that meat. I promise.”

“Okay! I'll do it!” she agreed without a moment's hesitation. In Bianca's straightforward world, nothing was more important than a full belly.

Aiden's jaws parted in a smirk. She's so easy to fool.

He turned his gaze to the other dragon. “And you?”

Azure hesitated. Her instincts screamed that whatever Aiden was planning, it wasn't anything good. So, was it a guaranteed meal with a risk, or an empty stomach? She could always go eat from the cacti forest later.

The blue dragon shook her head.

Aiden understood her refusal. Without missing a beat, he turned back to Bianca.

“Aiden, what do you need me to do?” the white dragon asked, her eyes full of earnest focus.

“First, walk to the edge of the river,” Aiden commanded. “And remember: do not turn around until I tell you to. If you turn around, you get nothing to eat. Just keep your eyes on the water.”

“Okay!”

Without a single question, Bianca trotted to the water's edge.

As he watched her go, Aiden reached into his mind, stoking the embers of his draconic fury. A crown of vivid red flame erupted above his head, the fire twisting and solidifying into the shape of a thorny circlet. Diamond-shaped thorns ringed the crown, with the largest and longest spike positioned directly in the center.

The moment the fiery crown manifested, Aiden's body swelled, growing larger and more powerful as lines of molten fire traced the gaps between his scales. He could feel the immense power coursing through him. He understood now: his anger was the switch that controlled this gift.

Aiden lowered his hindquarters, coiling his muscles into a sprinter's crouch. His crimson eyes locked onto the surface of the water, unwavering.