The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 15

The Athrox on the ground was dead. There was no need to waste the energy of the fiery sigil any longer.

Deactivate.

With a silent command, the crown of thorns above Aiden's head exploded into a harmless cloud of fire that dissipated into the air. His body began to shrink, contracting steadily until it returned to its normal wyrmling size. A faint wave of fatigue washed over him, but something was different. The exhaustion was not nearly as intense as it had been before.

Is the side effect diminishing, or is my body simply adapting?

Either was possible. What mattered was that the backlash was weakening. Good. It seems I've grown stronger.

Seeing Aiden return to his normal state, no longer radiating that terrifying heat, Azure and Bianca cautiously crept forward. As they drew near, their eyes held a clear and distinct fear. After witnessing this, they had a much better understanding of Aiden's power. He was at a level where he could effortlessly crush a high-tier magical beast.

Are all Ascendant Dragons such monstrosities? A flicker of envy touched Azure's gaze.

Aiden turned his head, his eyes meeting theirs. They immediately looked away.

They fear me. They recognize my strength.

A slow smirk spread across Aiden's jaws. Yes, tremble before me, my foolish sisters. A deep sense of satisfaction settled over him.

“You both played your part,” he announced magnanimously. “Let us eat together.” The Athrox was so large that even with all three of them eating their fill, there would be plenty left over.

Permission granted, Bianca, who was already drooling at the smell of cooked meat, pounced onto the corpse and began tearing at the flesh. Azure followed suit, her sharp teeth ripping into the thick hide.

Aiden, however, was in no hurry to eat. He planted his left claw on the Athrox's head to steady it and used his right claw to slice through the flesh of its skull. After carving a large opening, he plunged his right claw deep inside.

He fished around for a moment. There. He felt it. Gripping the object tightly, he pulled his claw free. It emerged caked in a gruesome mixture of red gore and white brain matter, but he ignored the mess. His attention was locked on the prize in his grasp.

It was a pale blue orb the size of a tennis ball, glowing with a soft, internal light. The moment it was exposed to the air, the humidity around it seemed to spike. This was the Athrox's magic crystal.

He brought the orb close to his eye. Inside, shimmering blue filaments swirled like miniature lightning. As expected of a high-tier magical beast. The mana within is immense. Consuming this crystal should be enough to trigger his next advancement.

Should I eat it now? He considered it, then dismissed the thought. Better to wait until we are back in the cave, where I can lie down comfortably and manage the process. There is no need to rush.

Having decided, Aiden looked up at the two feasting dragons. Their scales were matted with blood, staining their natural colors. Judging by the massive hole they had torn in the Athrox's back, they were eating with gusto, yet they had barely made a dent in the colossal carcass.

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Aiden crawled over to join them. Seeing him approach, Azure cleverly shifted her position, squeezing in next to Bianca to make room.

A sensible one, that Azure.

Aiden gave her a mental nod of approval, then lowered his head and ripped a huge chunk of flesh from the creature's belly. He chewed thoughtfully. Medium-rare. It seemed his dragon breath was potent indeed, having cooked the creature nearly all the way through from the inside. After this meal, it's time for my advancement. The thought spurred him to eat faster.

Once he felt full, Aiden stopped eating. He glanced over at his companions. Bianca and Azure were already lying on their backs, their swollen bellies pointed toward the sky as they digested their meal. The Athrox was still about half-eaten.

Aiden joined them, assuming the same sated, sun-bathing posture. The warmth of the sun on his full belly was intoxicatingly pleasant. A deep drowsiness began to creep in.

He shook his head. No, not yet. I can't sleep yet. To keep himself awake, he decided to speak with Azure and give her instructions.

"Azure. Bianca."

“Mm?” A single sound of acknowledgement came from Azure.

He waited a moment, but there was no response from Bianca. He lifted his head to look at her. She was lying on her back, her maw slightly agape, her large red tongue lolling out. A glistening thread of drool trickled from the corner of her mouth.

Excellent. She's already asleep. The fool.

He decided to ignore her. It made no difference whether she heard this or not. He let his head rest back on the ground.

“Azure,” he said. “When we return, I will be undergoing my next advancement.”

A natural advancement for a wyrmling could take half a year, but Azure remembered the blue orb Aiden had pulled from the creature's skull. It had to be the magic crystal. That would explain the speed.

“I understand,” she said, her voice serious. “I will guard the cave.”

Aiden's lips parted in a satisfied smirk. That was exactly what he wanted to hear.

“What should we do with the rest of the meat?” Azure asked. “Should we move it back?”

“Yes. We'll carry it all back together.”

“As you command.”

...

After they had rested enough for their stomachs to settle, Aiden pushed himself up. He walked over to Bianca and, raising his claw, delivered a swift swat to her head.

“AOW!”

Bianca leaped to her feet with a furious cry. Her fierce gaze landed on Aiden, and the raw anger slowly morphed into a look of adorable, impotent rage. She clenched her teeth and said nothing. As much as she wanted to bite him, she knew she couldn't win. Being impulsive would likely earn her a savage beating, and that just wasn't worth it.

Aiden was quite pleased with her reaction. Excellent. She's learned not to make empty threats. That's progress.

He glanced at Azure, who was already on her feet, clearly not in need of his unique wake-up service.

“Stop sleeping,” he commanded. “Time to get up and go home.”

“Hmph!” was the only reply he received from Bianca, a defiant, haughty snort.

Aiden strode to the half-eaten Athrox and began to carve it up with his sharp claws. The process was smooth; even striking bone only caused a moment's pause. Soon, the carcass was expertly divided into three evenly-sized chunks.

He looked at his sisters. “Three pieces. We each carry one back. Any problems?”

“No problem for me,” Azure said immediately.

“Same here,” Bianca grumbled.

Good. Unanimous.

Aiden grabbed the middle piece with his claws, spread his wings, and with a powerful downbeat, launched into the sky.

Watching him go, Azure quickly grabbed her own portion. With Aiden gone, she felt a sudden sense of vulnerability.

“Hurry up, Bianca,” she called out. “We aren't the only predators in this canyon.” After issuing the warning, she didn't wait to see if it had been heard. She took flight.

“What's there to be afraid of? We're dragons!” Bianca scoffed, glancing around defiantly. “Just a bunch of lesser-blooded beasts! Nothing to fear!”

As she scanned the area, however, a genuine prickle of unease crept up her spine.

She leaped forward, snatched the last piece of meat, and with a furious flapping of her wings, shot into the air, chasing after the blue dragon.

“Azure! Wait for me!”

Hearing the panicked cry behind her, Azure slowed her pace just a little.