novelraw Chapter 89
Chapter 89
It is a well-known fact that if one cools down a small spot within a much hotter area, the surrounding heat will inevitably creep back in.
And so…
“AOW!”
With a yelp, Bianca shot up from the floor.
“SO HOT, AOW! SO HOT!”
She hopped from one white foot to the other on the scorching stone. After a moment of frantic dancing, she finally got her bearings. Her head swiveled toward the sleeping red dragon beside her. With a determined flap of her wings, she lifted off the floor, flew up, and landed squarely on Azure's back, curling up without a second thought.
Hoooo…
Within moments, the sound of her snoring resumed.
*****
Heavy eyelids, scaled in fine crimson, peeled back. The nictitating membranes retracted, revealing vertical pupils glowing like embers. Aiden pushed himself up, the familiar weight of his companions on his back. He looked toward the mouth of the cave. Bright sunlight streamed in; it was likely noon. He had no idea how many days had passed.
He craned his neck to look at his passengers. Azure was sprawled across his back. On top of her, Bianca lay in a heap, her white claws clutching tightly to the blue dragon's neck. Bianca's maw was agape, her long, scarlet tongue lolling out, and a steady drip, drip, drip of saliva plopped onto Azure's head.
It's a good thing Azure is a dragon, Aiden mused. Her need for oxygen is minimal. Otherwise, she might have been strangled to death in her sleep by this fool.
He looked away and back toward the cave entrance. His stomach rumbled. It was time to find something to eat.
He took a few lumbering steps forward, and the weight on his back shifted and then vanished as his passengers slid off. He stopped at the edge of the cliff, the noon sun glinting brilliantly off his powerful, crimson-scaled body. He looked down.
The forest below was a vast, unbroken sea of green, so wide he could not see its end. The canopy was a chaotic tapestry of trees of all sizes, the tallest of which looked to be three hundred feet high. There was little grassland to be seen, only the dense woods, bisected by a Y-shaped river.
His gaze locked onto a single point in the western woods: the tallest, thickest tree in the entire forest. A tree that large, he thought, must hide a worthy prize.
With a powerful push of his hind legs, he leaped from the cliff. His red wings caught the air, and he soared west, his intuition telling him there was something magnificent waiting for him.
He flew low, his body skimming the treetops. The undergrowth below was alive with movement as countless beasts scattered in terror at the sight of his shadow. So many cute little things in this forest, he thought with a grin. I'll be sure to visit all of you later. But not today.
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He lifted his head, his eyes fixed on the colossal tree ahead.
“GAKU!”
As he drew near, a piercing shriek erupted from the canopy. Aiden looked up. High above, nestled in the fork where the main trunk split, was a massive, circular nest woven from branches and debris. His maw split in a grin. His intuition was correct. There was indeed a surprise waiting for him.
A head poked out from the nest. It had a long, flat, purple beak, a crest of fine purple feathers, and a pair of round, purple eyes that stared at him with undisguised hostility.
Aiden read the message clearly: a warning.
He beat his wings, ascending rapidly until he was level with the nest. The magical beast's full form came into view. It was a bird, covered from head to toe in vibrant purple plumage. Instantly, the Dragon's Heritage fed the information into his mind.
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Name: Ridgebolt Bird
Type: Magical Beast
Element: Lightning
Description:
A lightning-elemental avian creature known to nest in the highest trees of a forest. It is extremely territorial.Rank: ★★ (Highest)
Growth Potential: ★★
Abilities:
· Lightning Spit: Can spit balls of condensed lightning at its foes.
· Awakened Spell (Typical Adult): Unlocks a two-star lightning spell.
Traits:
· Nesting Pairs: Typically found in male-female pairs. The presence of one indicates another is nearby.
Weakness: Fire
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Two-star, weak to fire. His grin widened. This is a perfect surprise.
“GAKU!” the Ridgebolt Bird in the nest shrieked again, its beak opening to reveal rows of fine, sharp teeth. It was a clear warning, yet Aiden noted that the creature did not fly out to attack him. Strange, for such a territorial beast.
Is it incubating eggs? he wondered. Excellent. Perhaps I'll try fried eggs for lunch.
With a powerful flap of his wings, he shot straight toward the nest.
WHOOSH!
Halfway there, a rush of wind sounded from above. A second Ridgebolt Bird, its wingspan exceeding ninety feet and a full size larger than the one in the nest, dove at him from out of the sun. Its sharp, purple talons were spread wide.
The claws struck his neck with a screech of metal on stone, producing a shower of sparks but failing to leave so much as a scratch on his red scales.
His long, sinuous tail whipped upwards like a striking serpent.
SQUELCH!
The barbed tip pierced the female's soft underbelly, burrowing deep inside. He twisted it violently, and a section of her intestines spilled out from the gaping wound.
“GAKU!” the female shrieked, a cry of pure agony.
Seeing his mate in danger, the male in the nest went into a frenzy. Two purple rings of power materialized before its beak.
“GAKU!” A bolt of raw, purple lightning shot from the rings.
Aiden's red pupils narrowed. With a deft twist of his wings, he rolled in mid-air, landing squarely on the female's back. His sharp claws sank deep into her wings as his jaws clamped down on her neck. He held her fast, hoisting her body up to shield him as his tail ripped free.
CRACKLE!
The lightning bolt struck its target—but the target was the female Ridgebolt Bird. The blast tore the hole in her stomach even wider. Her abdominal cavity could no longer hold its contents; bloody organs spilled out, hanging from her body by glistening threads of tissue.
“Gaku…” the female bird whimpered, her cry weak and pained.
It was a sound that brought pleasure to a dragon's ears. Aiden savored it, keeping his jaws clamped on her neck without delivering the final, crushing bite. He beat his wings again, dragging his living shield toward the nest. Just before reaching it, he flung the dying bird with all his might.
The female's body sailed through the air in a graceful arc, crashing down upon the male in the nest. The male did not dodge and was crushed beneath the weight of its larger mate.
Aiden landed softly in the nest. He looked down at the tangled mess of purple feathers. The male had not moved from its spot. It shoved the female's limp body aside and had just begun to struggle to its feet when a pair of red claws plunged into its neck.
With a sharp, violent twist, Aiden ripped its head from its body.
The short battle was over.