The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 41

Azure was sprawled on the ground, her head slightly raised, her placid blue eyes watching him. The brilliant sun gilded her scales, weaving a tapestry of blue and gold.

Aiden began to walk toward her.

“Why did you not return with her?”

He didn't slow his pace, continuing past her toward the stone trough with the rotten meat.

From behind him, her youthful, almost melodic voice carried a note of curiosity. “I'm curious. Will your trap truly catch those fish?”

“I do not know,” Aiden replied, his tone flat. “Perhaps it will. Perhaps it will not.” It was the truth. A trap was like fishing; a sinking float did not always mean a fish on the line.

He stopped. An acrid, nauseating stench assaulted his nostrils. Truly foul. The stone trough lay overturned on the ground. That Bianca. I should have made her clean up this mess before she left. The stench was sickening. He stared down at the heap of entrails, now coated in a viscous yellow slime. The foul odor was a physical irritant in his nasal passages.

He could hesitate no longer.

Forcing down his revulsion, Aiden shot his claw out. The movement was swift and decisive. He scooped up the putrid mass in a single motion, depositing it back into the trough. His long tail coiled around the stone basin, and he broke into a run. As he neared the first pit, his tail whipped forward, flinging the trough and its rotten contents into the water with perfect accuracy.

Without a moment's pause, he launched himself into the river.

SPLASH!

A two-yard-high plume of water erupted as Aiden's form vanished beneath the surface.

…

Azure watched it all unfold. She realized then just how much Aiden despised foul odors. The memory of the stench returned to her, and she wrinkled her snout. She despised it too.

…

SPLASH!

Aiden's head and shoulders broke the surface of the river. He lifted his claws and began to scrub them together, left against right, right against left. He scrubbed so vigorously that his talons scraped against his thick scales, striking literal sparks in the air.

After scouring his claws, he brought his long, serpentine neck around and pressed his snout against his own body.

Sniff, sniff.

Still foul!

Aiden's red pupils widened in alarm. This would not do. He curled his tail up out of the water, held it fast in his claws, and began to scrub it with the same furious energy. He worked for several minutes, sending a shower of sparks into the air. He stopped and brought his snout close to the section he'd been cleaning.

Sniff, sniff.

The smell was fainter, but still present. Unacceptable.

Aiden's maw cracked open. A flicker of red draconic fire spilled from between his teeth. He aimed it at his own tail. A torrent of crimson flame engulfed the limb for several seconds before he snapped his jaw shut. He stared at his tail, which was now smoking gently. He leaned in again.

Sniff, sniff.

The stench was gone. A flicker of satisfaction lit his eyes. He released his tail, letting it fall back into the water, and began to swim for the bank. His claws hooked onto the shore. But before he could pull himself up, his eyes met Azure's. She was on the bank, her own maw stretched wide in what was unmistakably a grin of amusement.

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Without warning, their eyes locked. Azure's grin slowly vanished, her blue pupils reverting to their usual state of placid indifference.

That one… Was she just laughing at me?

Aiden's red pupils began to narrow. He pushed off with his hind legs, his body surging onto the bank. I've beaten Bianca several times now, but Azure only once. Perhaps… it is time for another lesson?

As if sensing the shift in his aura, Azure immediately pushed herself up. A palpable malice radiated from his narrowed eyes. She began to back away warily.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, having already put several yards between them.

So perceptive.

Aiden didn't answer her. Instead, he walked over to the camel skeleton, hooked the fresh entrails with a claw, and began dragging them toward the second pit.

Azure tilted her head. Hmm? He just wanted to get the bait? She replayed the moment in her mind. No. That wasn't it. I saw the malice in his eyes. He absolutely intended to strike me.

What a petty creature.

Azure spread her blue wings, and with a powerful downbeat, launched herself into the sky. It was not safe to remain near Aiden. The possibility of a beating was too high. Better to return to the nest.

…

Whoosh~

Hearing the sound of wings, Aiden glanced over his shoulder. A blue silhouette was already shrinking in the distance.

She fled? A sharp one, that one.

Aiden turned his attention back to the task at hand. He reached the edge of the pit and, with a casual flick of his claw, tossed the fresh entrails in.

Splash.

With a spray of water, the bait sank into the depths. All preparations were complete. All that remained was to wait and see what tomorrow's harvest would bring. For better or for worse, the outcome was now out of his hands. I hope there are fish tomorrow.

Aiden's great wings unfurled. With a powerful stroke, his claws left the ground. He gave the pits one last look, and with another beat of his wings, his body began its ascent into the heavens.

…

His claws touched down on the stone platform at the mouth of their cave. He furled his wings and scanned the entrance. There was no sign of the others. The sun was already beginning to set. The two of them were likely sleeping soundly within.

Aiden began to crawl into the darkness of the cave. As he did, his pupils suddenly dilated.

Damn it.

To check the traps… I'll have to wake up early tomorrow.

But… can I even wake up?

Aiden's mind fell into a state of turmoil. A dragon was not a human. A deep sleep for their kind was measured in days, not hours. For some adult dragons, a single slumber could last for years.

At the far end of the cave, the white and blue whelps were curled up together, sleeping peacefully. They certainly look comfortable.

Aiden slumped to the ground right where he was. Why think so much about it? If I wake up, I wake up. If not, so be it. The fish that could escape the traps would escape. Those that couldn't… well, they might become a free meal for some other creature.

Damn it. He couldn't stop thinking about it. The more he thought, the more irritating it became.

Just then, he felt it. A connection, once severed, had been restored.

Ah. The mana source is online.

His crimson pupils lit up. He raised his right claw, and a flow of red mana pulsed into the mark upon it.

…

On the other side of the world, Isolde had just finished pulling on her tights when the familiar burning sensation bloomed on the back of her right hand.

It's contacting me again.

A pure, innocent smile, one belonging only to a child her age, blossomed on her face. Without hesitation, she began to pour her own mana into the mark.

A simple, one-word message fed back into her mind.

[Mana.]

It wanted mana.

Staring at the glowing mark, Isolde hesitated. The memory of being drained, the profound weakness that followed, was still vivid. Should she give it?

“Strive to earn your partner's approval.”

Ms. Solana's words echoed in her thoughts. Isolde bit her lip, her gaze hardening with resolve. Orange mana began to pool in the air around her hand, flowing steadily into the mark.

Soon, the familiar sensation returned. A powerful, insistent suction emanated from the mark, pulling at her reserves. A normal summoner would have panicked and severed the connection, but Isolde did not. She remained calm. She had experienced this before. And deep in her heart, she truly believed that her partner would not harm her.

…

Alright. That should be enough.

Aiden monitored the flow of mana. When the amount drawn reached five hundred units, he proactively severed the connection. To take any more might endanger the life of his mana source. That would be a poor trade. This was a rare and valuable wellspring. From the taste of its blood last time, it was a member of a short-lived species, those whose lifespans were typically less than a century.

Aiden's maw split into a grin. He wondered if this particular short-lived creature would survive to see him reach his own adolescence. I hope it lives a long time. A source this docile, this obedient, that I can draw from so freely… is not easy to find.

Aiden's head drooped to the ground. His heavy eyelids closed. It is time to sleep. Sleep well, grow strong.

…

Isolde's small body lay limp on her bed. She was drained once more. But this time, it had not taken her life force. A weak smile touched her pale lips.

Her partner truly was gentle.