The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 45

Whoosh

Whoosh

With two gusts of wind, a white and a blue figure landed on the sand. Aiden turned to face Bianca and Azure.

“Open your mouths.”

The sudden command left both hatchlings stunned into silence. They only moved when Aiden lifted his claw. In his crimson talons, he held the other half of the crystal, pulsing with a potent concentration of mana.

As true dragons, Bianca and Azure recognized it instantly. The light in their white and blue pupils grew hot with desire. Without a moment's hesitation, both their maws fell open.

Seeing their compliance, Aiden pressed a claw into the center of the magic crystal. He applied pressure.

CRACK!

With a sharp snap, it split into two smaller, equal pieces. With a flick of his wrist, he tossed one piece into each of the waiting mouths. The moment they felt the object in their mouths, both whelps started to chew, but Aiden's sharp warning stopped them.

“You had best not eat that now. Just hold it in your mouths. Wait until we have returned to the nest. The energy contained in this magic crystal is enough to trigger your advancement immediately.”

Hearing this, both dragons instantly abandoned the thought of chewing. Aiden was right. This was no place to undergo an evolution.

“We understand, Aiden,” came a sweet, youthful voice. Bianca's white eyes now regarded him with a newfound, open affection.

Azure simply dipped her blue head in a nod, her gaze complex. That he would willingly share a magic crystal with them… it was something she had not expected.

…

Shhh-shhh…

The sound of shifting sand drew their attention. Several desert-dwelling magical beasts had begun to emerge from the ground. Their auras ranged from low to high-tier. They did not attack. Their round, terrifying eyeballs simply stared.

…

The sudden movement caused Aiden to lift his head and scan his surroundings. A ring of desert beasts had surfaced, but they kept their distance, deterred by the terrifying aura Aiden was still projecting.

Shhh… shhh… shhh…

The sound grew louder as more and more of them appeared.

Aiden drew his gaze back to the kill. “I believe we need to expedite the processing of this Skyrazor.”

The meat of a two stars magical beast was a prize he had no intention of leaving behind. Neither did Bianca or Azure. The energy contained within the flesh, while not as potent as the magic crystal, was still far more nourishing than any low-tier crystal.

Azure and Bianca both nodded.

“What is the plan?” Azure asked.

“We cut it in half. You two will transport one half. I can manage the other on my own.”

“Alright,” Bianca agreed. In the heat of battle, she did not act the fool. This situation was no different.

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Aiden glanced at her, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't expected such a rational response. But now was not the time to ponder it.

“Then let us begin,” he declared, and immediately set to work.

“Understood,” said Azure.

“Okay!” chirped Bianca.

Both whelps moved to help. They began to cut the carcass directly down the middle.

Splshhh!

Their claws tore into the flesh, and fresh blood gushed out.

Shhh-shhh-SHHH!

The scent of blood seemed to agitate the surrounding scavengers. The rustling sounds grew into a frantic cacophony. Aiden paused his work and lifted his head.

Well now. An impressive gathering. A dense circle of desert beasts now surrounded them, their upper bodies protruding from the sand, their unblinking eyes fixed on the feast.

Aiden's pupils narrowed. The next moment, his maw opened wide. A torrent of red dragonfire swept out in a full circle around them. He stopped, and the surrounding ring of sand was now scorched black. Silence fell. A few unlucky creatures had been incinerated instantly, and the acrid smell of roasted insects filled the air.

Having cleared away the pests, Aiden returned to his work, his sharp claws tearing into the meat.

…

Shhh-shhh…

Pffft-pffft…

The noise returned. Aiden paused and looked up again. The scene was as it was before. The circle of beasts had reformed. The charred corpses of their brethren were gone, undoubtedly consumed by their own kind. They still showed no signs of attacking.

A look of contempt crossed Aiden's face. Let them watch. They do not have the courage to attack. He continued cutting.

…

Sssshk!

With a final tear of viscera, the Skyrazor was split in two. The work was finally done.

Shhh-shhh-shhh!

The sand beasts grew agitated again. From the corner of his eye, Aiden saw many of them suddenly begin to burrow back into the ground. Seeing this, his pupils constricted.

They were fleeing? That could only mean one thing. Something much larger was on its way.

Aiden stared intently at the sand. “You two,” he said, his voice grim. “Grab one half and get into the sky. Now.”

“Alright. Be careful, Aiden,” Azure said. Her gaze flickered to where he was staring. It was clear she understood.

“Okay!” Bianca replied. She plunged her claws into the thigh of the great bird, a piece nearly as large as she was. She had not sensed the new danger. Azure did the same on the other side.

The white and blue dragons spread their wings in unison. With a great effort, their claws lifted from the ground. Their ascent was slow, but they were rising.

Suddenly, the sand before Aiden erupted!

A fleshy, black body burst from the ground. The moment the new beast emerged, a torrent of red dragonfire descended upon it.

Hisssssss!

A thick juice oozed from the creature's black skin, and its colossal body began to writhe in agony, kicking up a storm of sand.

Watching the massive form thrash on the ground, Aiden turned, seized the remaining half of the Skyrazor at the joint of its wing, and with a powerful beat of his own wings, launched himself into the air.

Whatever that thing was, he had no interest in finding out. All he wanted was to return to the nest, collapse, and begin his advancement.

So… sleepy…

The overwhelming drowsiness swept over him again. Haaaah… The warm desert wind feels so comfortable, so soothing. Aiden shook his head violently from side to side, clearing his thoughts just enough. This was no time to sleep. He flapped his wings faster.

Soon, the two familiar figures appeared ahead of him in the sky. It was Bianca and Azure. They were already descending. Below them was the canyon where their nest lay. He just had to hold on a little longer.

Aiden adjusted his wings, beginning his own descent. As he neared the platform, his vision began to blur. He was at his absolute limit.

Clatter… CRASH!

Still clutching his half of the Skyrazor, his flight failed. He crash-landed, sliding several yards into the cave before coming to a stop.

“Aiden? Are you alright?”

“He's not dead, is he?”

He heard their voices beside him. The first was Azure's. He recognized the second as Bianca's.

Aiden shook his head, the world swimming. He pushed himself up with his foreclaws. Bianca and Azure were standing right in front of him. It's strange. I don't know if it's a hallucination, but Bianca's white eyes seem to be filled with… concern?

No, no. Chromatic dragons do not have such thoughts. Aiden shook his head again. His vision cleared. Bianca's eyes were still glittering, but that was all. He glanced to the side. Azure's blue eyes were as placid as ever.

So, it was a delusion.

“I am sealing the entrance. Then I must sleep,” he slurred. “Store this meat.”

“Yes, leave it to us,” Azure replied, taking charge. She could see he was in a critical state, fighting off the urge to sleep with sheer willpower.

Her words barely registered in Aiden's ears. His entire head felt like it was buzzing. He raised his claws. Two red rings of magic formed before him.

“Burst!”

BOOM!

“Burst!”

BOOM!

With two final blasts, the entrance was sealed.