The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 133

Azure’s gaze lingered on the silver band encircling Aiden’s red claw. A spatial ring. Rare. Valuable. Where had he acquired such a thing?

The question went unasked as Aiden moved forward, following the scent trail. The distinct musk of Bianca had faded as they ventured deeper into the forest, replaced by the overwhelming stench of mystic beasts.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed.

The fool hadn't been ambushed; she had been lured.

Mystic beasts generally possessed low intelligence, but there were one or two species cunning enough to trick a wyrmling as dim as Bianca.

Eliminating environmental factors, one specific race indigenous to these forests came to mind.

Goblins.

Aiden scoffed internally. During the Sequence War, this race had been a dominant species, known as Gnomes. In the inheritance of providence, the records spoke of a civilization that had escalated mechanical engineering to its zenith. They had built machines that dominated the land and conquered the skies.

But like the Wood Elves, they were the losers of the Sequence War. The price of defeat was absolute. The Gnome civilization was wiped from the continent of Aethelgard. The Drow god, who perished in that cataclysmic conflict, had sacrificed his very divinity to curse them.

From that day forward, the intellect of the Gnome race began to degrade. Generations passed, and the brilliant engineers devolved into the wretched, scavenging mystic beasts now known as goblins.

Rustle.

Aiden heard the soft impact of claws on grass behind him. Azure was keeping pace.

They followed the scent until the trees broke, revealing a scarred landscape. A crude mining operation.

With a powerful thrust of his wings, Aiden ascended, landing silently atop a massive slag heap overlooking the pit. He peered down.

Clank. Clank.

A mine cart, overflowing with ore, trundled out of the dark maw of a cave entrance. Below, dozens of green-skinned goblins scurried like ants, transporting rocks along a beaten path to the left.

Clatter.

A goblin paused, wiping sweat from its brow. It looked up, and its tool slipped from its grasp, clattering against the stone. Its yellow eyes widened, reflecting the massive red shape looming above.

"Dragon! Dragon!"

The shout shattered the rhythm of the work camp. Every goblin froze, following their kin's trembling finger.

High atop the mound of waste rock, Aiden’s massive head craned forward. Smoke curled from his nostrils, igniting into licking tongues of flame.

"Run!"

Chaos erupted. As the green tide scrambled for cover, Aiden didn't hesitate. He launched himself from the perch, diving toward the scattering mass.

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His maw opened. A torrent of searing crimson dragon breath washed over the clearing.

There was no resistance. Any goblin caught in the cone of fire was instantly reduced to ash. The screams were brief, swallowed by the roar of the flames.

Aiden watched them burn, his expression impassive. He sustained the breath weapon until hundreds of the creatures were nothing but carbonized remains. Then, banking sharply, he flew directly into the mouth of the mine.

Azure didn't follow.

She landed gracefully on a patch of scorched earth outside, her blue wings folding against her back. She looked down at the charred bodies, then turned her gaze toward the path leading into the forest.

There would be a goblin tribe settlement in that direction.

A cold, calculating light entered her eyes. Her simulation of the engraving process for Somatic Grafting was nearly complete. She could perform the engraving fluently in her mind. Now, she simply needed a quiet place—and subjects—to finalize the mana engraving and master the spell.

She had debated capturing wild beasts for practice. But looking at the destruction, a better idea formed.

Goblins were humanoid. They were far more suitable test subjects.

Inside the mine, the air was thick with smoke and sulfur.

Bianca’s scent was strong here.

Aiden unleashed another burst of fire, incinerating a squad of goblin guards rushing to intercept him. He ignored their ashes, flying deeper, the stone walls blurring past him.

Then, he saw white.

In a large cavern, Bianca lay prone. Her limbs and neck were shackled with heavy iron chains. Two massive ballista bolts had pierced her wings, pinning them to the rocky floor. Dark dragon blood had pooled around the shafts, drying into a crust.

Aiden’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

He landed with a heavy thud, the stone cracking under his weight. He reached out, his claw snapping the shafts of the ballista bolts like dry twigs.

Snore...

A rhythmic, contented sound echoed from the white wyrmling.

Aiden paused. His pupils dilated in disbelief. The idiot wasn't unconscious from pain; she was asleep.

Crack.

He moved methodically, snapping the iron rings connecting the chains to the wall. He tossed the broken metal aside.

Bianca didn't stir. She was fast asleep, blissfully unaware of her surroundings or her savior.

Unbelievable. Captured, wounded, and she naps.

Aiden’s tail twitched. The urge was overwhelming.

His tail blurred.

Whack!

"Ow!"

Bianca shot up, ripping her pinned wings free from the ground in her panic. Fresh blood sprayed from the wounds, but the bleeding stopped almost instantly, her draconic vitality already knitting the flesh.

"Aiden! Why did you hit me?!"

She looked at him, her shimmering white eyes brimming with tears and grievance.

Looking at her face, Aiden’s tail itched again.

"Have you forgotten where you are?" he growled.

His tail lashed out again.

Smack.

Another sharp blow to her round head.

"Ow! If you hit me again, I'll fight you!"

A fierce, wild look crossed her face. She bared her teeth, trying to look menacing.

Smack.

"Roar! I'm fighting you!"

She lunged at him.

It wasn't a fight; it was a correction. Aiden, significantly larger and heavier, simply reared up and caught her. He slammed her into the ground, using her soft belly as a cushion.

He pinned her down with four claws, and his long, red tail rose like a judge's gavel.

Whack.

Right on the head.

"Ow!"

Whack.

"I was wrong! Stop hitting me!"

"It hurts!"

Aiden stopped. He slowly retracted his tail, looking down at the white dragon beneath him. Her eyes were swimming with tears.

"Are you awake now?"

"I'm awake! I'm awake!"

Aiden snorted, two jets of flame shooting from his nose.

"Remember this. Never trust another species again."

He pressed his claw down on her head, forcing her teary eyes to meet his furious gaze.

"If you trust them, I will beat you. Every single time."

Bianca blinked, sniffing.

"Did you hear me?"

"I heard you! I heard you!"

"Hmph."

Aiden released her.

Bianca scrambled up from the dirt. The beating hadn't actually injured her—dragons were sturdy—but her head was ringing.

She shook herself, dusting off the dirt. Then, the realization hit her.

Damned Aiden. Damned Goblins!

She turned toward the depths of the mine, her sorrow instantly replaced by a flash of ferocity.

Those wretched goblins did this!

"ROAR!"

Her furious bellow echoed through the tunnels. Without waiting for Aiden, she charged deeper into the darkness, intent on slaughter.

Aiden watched the white blur disappear into the shadows. He unfurled his crimson wings and silently followed.