The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 26

Suddenly, a red fire lashed sideways. Instinct screamed at Bianca, and she dropped to the ground. A fraction of a second later, the torrent of dragon-breath passed directly over her, its searing heat scorching the air.

So hot!

The scalding sensation on her back made Bianca's white pupils dilate in terror. She waited until the flame had passed completely, then scrambled to her feet, twisting her neck to look at her back. Her pristine white scales were already flushed a painful-looking pink.

“Aoww… that wretched Aiden,” Bianca cursed under her breath, hastily backing away.

The battlefield had become a slaughterhouse. Aiden's crimson dragon-breath swept through the remaining Aridfell, who scattered in raw terror. This red beast's fire was a thing of nightmares; any of their pack that it touched never rose again.

Aiden's own pupils were blazing with a brutal, predatory light. He watched the panicked creatures scramble for their lives. Yes, he thought with savage satisfaction. They finally understand. This is the temperature that fire should have. This is true flame!

A deep, rumbling laugh escaped his chest as his jaws cracked open in a wide, vicious grin.

“Run, vile breed!” he roared, his voice echoing across the sands. “Run for your lives! And then, die!”

He opened his mouth and unleashed another jet of fire, this one catching an Aridfell mid-leap. It didn't even have time to whimper before it fell from the sky, already cooked through. The scent of roasted meat wafted on the air, and a profound, primal joy surged through Aiden. The feeling was fleeting, quickly replaced by the cold focus of the hunt.

His eyes locked onto another target. “Fire Arrow,” he intoned, the draconic words both youthful and utterly cold. A ten-yard-long arrow of pure fire materialized before him and shot forward.

Die.

Even the chieftain couldn't dodge the homing arrow. The arrow didn't even need to swerve; it flew straight and true, impaling the Aridfell and carrying its body backward with tremendous force. The beast was slammed against a massive cactus, the plant's black, thorny spines sinking deep into its flesh as the arrowhead embedded itself in the cactus's core, pinning the creature in place.

“Whine…”

The Aridfell, suspended in the air, began to struggle, its death throes spattering blood onto the sand below. Watching it, Aiden felt another wave of pure, unadulterated pleasure. He began to walk towards it. The other Aridfell, who had been considering a rescue, saw him approach and scattered.

He stood before the impaled beast. It thrashed harder, its eyes wide with terror. He reached out a claw and gently pushed. The black thorns, which had been partially pulled out by the creature's struggles, sank deep into its flesh once more.

“Yelp!” it shrieked, its red eyes glaring with desperate fury.

What a naughty puppy, Aiden thought, looking into its hateful eyes. He extended his claw again. The Aridfell, seeing the claw approach, lunged, its yellow-fanged mouth snapping at him.

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A red blur whipped through the air.

“Whimper…”

The Aridfell's head was now canted at a grotesque, unnatural angle. His long, serpentine tail slowly coiled back behind him.

It's broken? Azure thought from her distant vantage point, shocked.

The creature whimpered again. Still not dead?

Aiden mused. What a delightful sound. He closed his eyes, listening intently to the pained noises. After a moment, they ceased. He opened his eyes. Dead now? No, its abdomen was still rising and falling.He reached out, grabbed the Aridfell's lolling head, and slammed it against the cactus thorns.

“YIIIIIP!”

The sound was music to his ears.

From a safe distance, Azure watched it all unfold. Bianca, bored with the one-sided slaughter, was now lying on the ground. Neither of them felt that Aiden's actions were in any way wrong. Toying with one's prey was a hallmark of the chromatic dragons. By the standards of their more accomplished ancestors, Aiden's current display was merely a basic exercise in racial instinct.

Azure padded over and lay down, pressing her side against Bianca. Even in the desert heat, the white dragon's body was naturally cool. Feeling the warmth from Azure's scales, Bianca gave a half-hearted shove. Azure, pushed away, simply pressed back against her. After a few more repetitions, Bianca gave up, allowing Azure to use her as a personal cooling unit.

Satisfied, Azure continued to watch Aiden. His mouth was still pulled back in that slight, cruel grin. He seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

Eventually, the whimpering stopped for good. Aiden poked the body. No response. Its chest was still. It was finally dead.

As Aiden stood over his victim, lost in his cruel amusement, the Aridfell chieftain saw its chance. With a low, desperate bark, it commanded the six remaining members of its pack. They were to be a diversion.

They charged, spewing their black, shadowy flames.

“Truly foolish, vile breed,” Aiden muttered as he turned. The harmless flames washed over him. But in that moment of distraction, he felt a sharp, piercing pain in his neck. He looked down.

The chieftain had lunged, its jaws clamped onto his throat. Its red eyes flashed with triumph as it tasted the blood of the flying magical beast. It bit down with all its might.

And was met with the unyielding hardness of dragon scale. The expected gush of blood never came. The chieftain's jaws, powerful as they were, could not fully penetrate his hide. It froze, confused. So hard!

Realizing its mistake, it tried to pull back, but it was too late. Aiden's head was already inches from its own. Their eyes met. In the dragon's cold, red pupils, the Aridfell leader saw nothing but contempt.

Aiden's mouth opened. A point-blank torrent of dragon-breath engulfed the chieftain's head. Its charred corpse dropped lifelessly to the sand.

“Whimper!”

Seeing their leader fall, the last of the Aridfell broke and fled.

Enough playing, Aiden thought, watching them scatter. Time to finish this.

“Burst!”

“Burst!”

Four consecutive explosions lit up the desert, each one claiming the life of a fleeing Aridfell. Aiden surveyed the field of bodies. A good haul. We will eat well for some time. My work is done. I'll let the other two handle the transport.

As the last explosion faded, Bianca and Azure pushed themselves up. The battle was over. But as she rose, Azure felt a strange vibration through the soles of her feet. She looked down at the sand. It was trembling.

No, not trembling. Shaking. And the vibrations were getting stronger.

A dreadful possibility bloomed in her mind.

“Bianca, get in the air! NOW! If you want to live!” she shrieked. Without waiting for a reply, she launched herself forward, her wings beating with desperate urgency.

Bianca tilted her head, confused by Azure's sudden panic. What's wrong with her now? She seems so serious… With a shrug, she decided it was better to be safe than sorry and spread her own wings.

Azure flew with every ounce of speed she possessed, leaving a blue afterimage in her wake. She reached the still-unaware Aiden, dove, and wrapped her claws around his long, red tail.

Aiden, caught completely by surprise, was unceremoniously yanked backward and lifted into the sky. “Azure, what is the meaning of this madness?!” he began to roar.

CRACK-ROOOOM!

Before he could finish, the ground where he had been standing split open in a massive, gaping fissure.