The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 139

Aiden released his grip. The heavy tree trunks crashed to the forest floor with a dull thud.

Excellent. The little runts inside haven't noticed a thing.

He turned and strode back into the treeline to continue the labor.

It took the three wyrmlings a full ten minutes of frantic work—hauling, snapping, and shoving—to completely choke the cavern entrance with dense timber and foliage.

Aiden stared at the wooden barricade. His chest swelled, red light leaking from the corners of his mouth.

Whoosh!

A cone of searing crimson dragonfire erupted, washing over the barricade.

Crackle!

The green wood hissed and popped as the moisture evaporated instantly, the entire mass catching fire. Aiden swept his head from side to side, ensuring the fire spread evenly, turning the tunnel mouth into a roaring furnace.

Reflected in his vertical pupils, the flames danced. He closed his maw, satisfied.

Bianca shuffled backward, pawing at her snout. Too hot. She hated the heat.

Aiden turned his back on the inferno and looked at Azure.

"Hold the line here. Keep the fire fed. If the wood burns down, add more."

Azure nodded once, her expression cool and professional. "Understood."

Aiden shifted his gaze to the white lump nearby. Bianca blinked her crystalline eyes, her mind clearly rebooting.

"I got it! Burn stuff! Rawr!" she finally chirped.

Close enough.

With his siblings briefed, Aiden spread his wings and launched himself into the night sky.

Phase Two.

He pushed his wings hard, reaching the other entrance in less than a minute.

He hovered silently above the second cave mouth. The goblins here were still blissfully unaware. Only four remained on watch; the rest were snoring heaps on the grass.

Heh heh heh.

Wicked little goblins. Prepare to meet your maker.

Aiden opened his jaws.

Whoosh.

A torrent of liquid fire cascaded down from the heavens. The six sleeping goblins never even woke up; they were reduced to ash before they could scream.

The four sentries, however, reacted with terrifying speed. They snapped their muskets up, aiming at the shadow eclipsing the stars.

Bang! Bang!

Four shots rang out in near-unison, thunder cracking through the quiet forest. Transparent rings of force expanded from the muzzle of each musket, propelling the projectiles with magical acceleration.

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Ping!

Three bullets struck Aiden’s scales. They ricocheted off harmlessly, leaving not even a scratch.

Zero damage.

Aiden casually reached out with his left claw and snatched the fourth bullet out of the air. He opened his palm and brought it close to his eye.

It was a metal sphere the size of a marble, etched with crude, glowing runes.

Hmm?

Suddenly, the rune on the sphere flared bright red.

Boom!

The sphere detonated in his palm. Simultaneously, three smaller explosions rocked his chest where the other bullets had hit.

Aiden hovered there, unmoving, as the smoke cleared around his face. He exhaled a small puff of soot.

So this is Gnome technology? Cute. It has a bit of kick, but... mostly adorable.

His eyes flashed dangerous red.

He opened his mouth again. A second torrent of fire washed over the four gunmen below. They vanished in the inferno, their muskets clattering to the ground as melting scrap.

Thwip.

A silver flash cut through the darkness.

Hm?

Aiden’s head snapped to the right.

He snatched the projectile out of the air just inches from his neck. The force of the impact pushed him backward several meters in the air before he stabilized.

He brought the object up for inspection.

It was a heavy bolt, over six feet long. The shaft was thick, precision-machined silver, covered in dense runic script. The tip was razor-sharp, and hidden mechanisms in the rear suggested that upon impact, four serrated blades would spring out to tear a massive wound.

Nasty. That actually might have chipped a scale.

He looked down. Where did that come from?

Behind the charred remains of the bushes, a heavy ballista had been revealed. It had been camouflaged the entire time.

Aiden hefted the silver bolt, preparing to hurl it back like a javelin. He cocked his arm back—

—and stopped.

Damn it! I almost acted like a barbarian.

I am a spellcaster. A creature of refinement. Throwing sticks is beneath me.

Real mages use magic.

Below, the ballista glowed silver again as the goblins frantically cranked the winch.

Thwip!

A second bolt shot upward.

Aiden didn't even dodge. He caught it with his left hand, casual as swatting a fly.

The goblins operating the machine froze, their jaws dropping.

He... he caught it? Again? We're out of ammo!

These enchanted bolts were rare artifacts; the tribe only possessed two.

Aiden raised his right claw. Two complex red rings manifested in the air instantly, locking onto the ballista crew.

[Burst!]

He mentally triggered the spell.

Boom!

A miniature mushroom cloud erupted from the ballista nest.

Aiden watched the cloud expand with a satisfied purr. Magnificent. This is the way of the mage. Solving problems with artistic violence.

Target neutralized. Now, the tunnel.

He turned his gaze to the cave entrance below.

[Burst.]

Boom!

"Grahhh!"

[Burst.]

"Gyaaah!"

Boom!

Explosions rocked the cavern mouth, accompanied by the delightful melody of goblin screams echoing from the depths. Aiden’s pupils dilated in pleasure.

The elegant spellcasting. The beautiful acoustics.

Ah... I think I have touched the true essence of magic.

"Heh heh heh..."

His cold laughter drifted down from the sky.

Bang!

Deep underground, Snaggle’s eyes snapped open.

He shoved the elite goblin off of him. The massive creature, despite being twice his size, offered no resistance, obeying the smaller goblin instantly.

Snaggle stood up, his yellow eyes narrowing.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Musket fire. We are under attack.

He pushed open the stone doors of his chamber.

Outside, in the main hall, his dim-witted kin were still engaged in their endless cycle of "propagation research."

"Grahhh!" Snaggle screeched. "Stop it, you fools! The entrance is breached! Grab your weapons! To the surface!"

Hearing the Chieftain's command, the horde ceased their activities immediately. They scrambled, grabbing swords and muskets from the floor, and surged toward the tunnel exit like a tide of green flesh.

Long ago, the curse of the Drow Goddess had devolved the noble Gnomes into these mystic beasts. But the Gnomish Sages of old had enacted a counter-measure. They altered the genetic code, making the race hermaphroditic and hyper-fertile to ensure survival.

Thousands of years later, the goblins were still here, stronger than ever.

And now, after millennia, the curse was weakening. Rare individuals were beginning to awaken to the ancient bloodline.

Snaggle looked at his hands. They were green claws, not the deft fingers of the ancestors he saw in his visions. But he was different. He was smart.

Rest easy, Sages. Snaggle will lead the tribe back to glory.

His yellow eyes burned with a sinister light.

I will rebuild the Gnomish Empire. And then... we will exterminate those damned Drow!