The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 25

At the same time, Aiden's tail became a blur of red, lashing through the air. Four Aridfell that had been leaping at him were swatted from the sky, sent tumbling brokenly into the sand.

The Aridfell chieftain witnessed this display of effortless power and took another involuntary step back. This flying magical beast was strong, on a completely different level from the other two.

Aiden turned his head, his cold, emotionless eyes fixing on the chieftain. It was retreating. He could see the fear in its round, red eyes.

Trying to escape? I don't think so. He was not finished with his assessment.

His pupils constricted. As his jaws parted slightly, two concentric rings of red runes materialized in the air before him. In his mind's eye, a glowing red sigil appeared, which he mentally placed upon the chieftain, locking onto its position.

“Burst!”

The draconic word, though youthful, was laden with chilling indifference. The air around the chieftain instantly superheated. Sensing the imminent danger, the beast bolted.

BOOM!

A small, red mushroom cloud erupted where the chieftain had been standing a second before. A rolling heatwave expanded from the epicenter.

Bianca, who had just pounced on another Aridfell and was about to deliver the killing bite, felt a sudden, intense heat on her back. An instant later, a massive shockwave slammed into her, sending her flying.

Aiden watched the fiery cloud dissipate. The spell's power is lower now, he noted clinically. Only the strength of a high-tier spell, and the area of effect is nearly half what it was. Some hidden cause must be diminishing its potency.

His head swiveled, his eyes searching the dust.

Bianca slowly pushed herself up, spitting sand from her mouth. The impact hadn't harmed her, but it had thoroughly insulted her dignity. She shook the grit from her pristine white scales, which still gleamed in the sun.

With a whisper of wings, Azure landed beside her. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine,” Bianca grumbled. “Ptooey! Hateful sand. Alright, who did that?! I'm going to kill them!”

“I would reconsider that,” Azure said calmly, lifting a claw and pointing it toward the center of the battlefield. “The spell was Aiden's. Do you wish to take your revenge on him?”

Bianca's bluster vanished. She physically shrank, tucking her neck in, and pretended she hadn't heard a thing. Spreading her wings, she took off in a low flight, pouncing on a different, distant Aridfell.

Across the sands, the Aridfell chieftain stood its ground, its fierce gaze locked on the red dragon. It was completely unharmed, not a single scorch mark on its hide. Its innate speed and agility had allowed it to evade the blast.

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As the dust settled, Aiden's eyes narrowed slightly. It dodged. The casting time for Burst was still too slow. If that spell wouldn't work, he would use something faster.

A new runic ring formed before him.

“Fire Arrow.”

At his command, crimson flame coalesced out of thin air, first forming a triangular arrowhead, then the shaft. A single, perfect arrow of pure fire hovered before him, aimed at the chieftain. With a thought, it shot forward, leaving a long, burning trail in the air.

The Aridfell leader stood its ground, watching the arrow approach. At the last possible second, it leaped effortlessly to the right. The Fire Arrow streaked past its body. Landing gracefully, the chieftain bared its teeth in a clear gesture of contempt.

It dares to mock me? Aiden thought. Foolish beast.

A wicked grin spread across the dragon's face, his sharp teeth glinting. The runic ring before him pulsed with light.

The Fire Arrow, having overshot its target, suddenly banked, carving a tight semi-circle in the air. It shot back towards the chieftain, aimed squarely at the beast's undefended back.

Squelch.

The arrowhead struck true, piercing through the chieftain's back and emerging from its abdomen. Aiden felt a flicker of annoyance. A pity. I was aiming for its head. If it hadn

't dodged the first time… I must practice my aim.YEEEARGH! the chieftain shrieked in agony, the arrow of pure fire incinerating it from within. It staggered, its legs trembling, and looked up to meet the red dragon's gaze. It recognized the look in those eyes—it was the look of a predator toying with its prey. As a master hunter of this land, it was a look the chieftain had given countless victims. To now be on the receiving end filled it with an all-consuming rage.

This red dragon had to die.

A furious light exploded in the chieftain's eyes as a shadowy, black fire erupted from its body. It tried to direct the dark flames onto the fire arrow lodged in its gut, but the crimson magic was unquenchable. Realizing it was useless, the chieftain lifted its head and let out a desperate, commanding howl.

The sixteen remaining Aridfell responded. Two charged Bianca and Azure in a suicidal frenzy. The other fourteen turned as one and unleashed their own attack on Aiden. A volley of black fire shot from their mouths.

Aiden stood his ground, unmoving, as the shadowy projectiles washed over his scales. He felt no heat. As the Draconic Heritage had recorded, this was not true fire.

“You call this pathetic shadow-play ‘flame'?” Aiden sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. “Allow me to show you what true fire is!”

He lifted a foreclaw and slammed it into the sand. His jaws opened, stretching to their absolute limit. The next instant, a torrent of liquid crimson fire poured forth.

The red dragon-breath met the black flames and annihilated them instantly. It was an overwhelming, absolute dominance. The fiery stream struck one Aridfell, which let out a final, choked whimper before collapsing onto the sand, cooked to a perfect medium-rare.

Aiden swept his head from side to side, directing the relentless river of fire across the battlefield, consuming one Aridfell after another.

Azure dispatched the Aridfell that charged her with a single, efficient bite. She licked the sweet blood from her jaws, her eyes turning back to Aiden's fight. He was in complete control. He didn't need their help.

She was astonished. Even without entering his Sovereign State, he is this powerful. The might of an Ascendant Dragon is truly something to behold.

Bianca trotted over to her. “Should we go help him?” she asked, looking nervously at the whirlwind of fire that was Aiden. She had a distinct feeling that getting any closer would result in being accidentally incinerated. The shockwave from the first spell was proof enough of that.

Azure turned her head and gave Bianca a look of profound exasperation. She's doing it again. Playing the fool. Any creature with a sliver of sense can see that the best course of action is to stay as far away as possible, then offer praise once the battle is over. Go help? Aiden looks borderline rabid at the moment. Anyone caught in that inferno would have no one to blame but themselves.

Not deigning to reply, Azure simply began to back away. This distance didn't feel safe enough. She decided to retreat even further.

Watching her go, Bianca tilted her head. She hated that look in Azure's eyes. It made her want to smack her.