The Fiery Crown Cycle: A Dragon's Rebirth

Chapter 69

A few more hours passed. The foul stench clinging to Aiden gradually dissipated. At the same time, he felt a surge of energy coursing through his body. He focused his left eye, and the arcane panel materialized in his vision.

[Mana: 2848/3000]

It's almost full? No wonder I feel so revitalized. An idea sparked in his mind.

Roast meat.

A memory of his first hunt surfaced. The desire to cook his kill had been there even then. His long, sinuous tail extended, bringing the Aridfell he had impaled earlier before him. Unsurprisingly, the carcass was now contaminated with slime. Aiden shook his tail, flinging off the worst of the goo, before pinning the corpse with his foreclaw.

SQUELCH!

He tore his tail free. A mixture of blood and slime spurted out. He didn't bother dodging the spray that hit his face. It wouldn't be the last time. There would probably be many more such moments tonight.

He pressed his sharp claws into the Aridfell's belly, sinking them into the flesh without resistance. He sliced downwards. The viscera spilled out from the long gash. With a scoop and a flick of his right claw, the entrails went sailing out of the lair.

Bianca, who was just flying back, suddenly felt something heavy and wet plop onto her head. What was that? She shook her head. Slime flew everywhere. Was it nothing? Just my imagination. She looked at the lair, now very close, and beat her wings again. Best to hurry back and eat. She tightened her grip on the magic crystal in her claw. This was her biggest prize yet. A grin unknowingly split her maw.

Whoosh.

Hearing the sound, Aiden's red pupils shifted to the left. A dragon that was now a nauseating mix of pink and green, with not a single patch of white to be seen, was returning. I can't even stand to look at her. He had originally planned on beating her again, but now… it just wasn't worth the effort.

Thump!

Bianca's claws landed, and she folded her wings, striding toward him.

“Stop! Stay right there!” Aiden commanded. This foolish dragon now looked like a walking biohazard.

Bianca's claws froze. Her crystalline pupils, the only clean part of her, looked aggrieved. But even the most pitiful look was useless.

“What do you want?”

Bianca held out her claw. Green slime stretched in gooey strands from her talons. In her palm rested a white magic crystal. It must be the one she had hunted. “This… help me clean it.”

Even if she didn't mind being covered in slime, the thought of eating it was something even Bianca found repulsive.

Looking at those pitiable, shining eyes, Aiden relented. “Just toss it over.”

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“Aow!” Bianca's voice was filled with a touch of happiness. She lifted her claw and threw. The magic crystal flew through the air, but so did a large glob of slime from her claws.

Aiden shot backward. His long, sinuous tail whipped out, coiling around the magic crystal with unerring accuracy.

SPLAT.

The large glob of slime landed squarely on a dragon's head. A blue one.

A familiar sensation spread across her scalp. Azure slowly turned her head, her calm blue pupils fixing on the offender.

The pink-and-green dragon's head slowly swiveled away.

Plop.

She picked up the half-eaten Aridfell she had dropped earlier and began to chew silently. If I just play dumb, then nothing happened.

Azure retracted her gaze. Pretend nothing happened? Of course not. There's still a long, long time to come. The blue dragon turned her head back and resumed her watch over the sands.

Aiden had noticed the exchange. He was a little surprised by Azure's reaction. She's holding a grudge? Looks like there will be a good show to watch in the future.

He padded back to his original spot and settled down. He lifted the tail holding the crystal. A quick blast of fire breath, and the job was done. He glanced to his right. An open mouth was already waiting to be fed. He tossed the crystal, which sailed perfectly into her maw. Azure's mouth snapped shut. She gave Aiden a slight nod, then turned her attention back to the sands below.

Aiden then glanced to his left. A dragon was presenting its backside to him. Its green-and-pink tail was swaying from side to side as she focused on her meal.

“Bianca.”

“Aow?” Bianca's head lifted. A round magic crystal was sailing toward her. Her white eyes instantly lit up. Her maw opened wide. CHOMP!

Seeing Bianca swallow the crystal, Aiden turned his head, his attention finally returning to the gutted Aridfell before him. At last, he could get back to his barbecue.

A single red ring of power formed before him. A two-yard-long Fire Arrow slowly materialized. He looked at the Fire Arrow, then at the Aridfell corpse. The fire was too small. He injected more mana. The Fire Arrow immediately grew thicker and longer. Six yards. That was a good length. He stopped the mana flow and, grabbing the prepared carcass, began to cook.

He held the Aridfell over the Fire Arrow. In just a short while…

Tssssss…

The sound of sizzling fat filled the air, followed by the rich aroma of roasting meat.

Sniff, sniff.

Azure, being the closest, was the first to smell it. She lifted her head and turned. He's… cooking meat?

Feeling her stare, Aiden looked up. Their faces were level. Her gaze was locked on the roasting carcass. It seemed no dragon could refuse his barbecue.

A grin split Aiden's maw. “Keep an eye on the sands. You'll get a share.”

Azure's blue pupils instantly lit up. It was always raw meat. To be able to try cooked meat was an experience she looked forward to. The large blue head nodded emphatically before turning back to its watch.

Aiden continued cooking. There was no special technique; he went by feeling. When he felt one side was about done, he'd flip it with his claws and roast the other. As time passed, the aroma grew richer and more intoxicating.

Sniff, sniff.

Her nostrils twitched. What a wonderful smell. What is that? The mixed pink-and-green head lifted. Bianca followed the scent to its source.

A red wyrmling was sitting upright, its two powerful hind legs flat on the ground, its long tail resting behind it with only the tip twitching occasionally. Before him floated a flaming arrow, and in his claws, he held an Aridfell, roasting it in the fire. The aroma was coming from there. Aiden is cooking. It smells so good.

Bianca suddenly felt that the raw meat in her claws had lost all its flavor. Her feet began to move unconsciously in that direction.

Sniff…

What was that smell? A foul odor. Did I burn it?

Aiden quickly flipped the roast in his hands. The fat on the other side was bubbling, and the meat inside the belly cavity was already a crisp, golden brown. It wasn't burned. Then what was that smell? It was a bit familiar… the stench of those sand worms. The smell on himself and Azure shouldn't be that strong.

Aiden turned his head to the left. Sure enough, a figure was stealthily crawling toward him.

Seeing Aiden look over, the figure's claws froze. A pair of crystalline eyes just stared. And stared.