The northern mountain stood before them.
The red moon hung above it.
One night remained.
The hero's dragon landed at the entrance of the mountain.
A giant stone gate blocked their path.
Carved across it were thousands of ancient symbols.
Kael looked at them.
"We shouldn't be here."
The hero stepped forward.
"I'm going in."
He placed his hand against the gate.
The black mark on his palm suddenly glowed.
BOOM!
The entire mountain shook.
The gate opened.
A dark tunnel appeared.
The hero entered.
Kael followed.
His dragon came behind them.
After walking for several minutes, they reached a huge underground chamber.
In the center stood a massive crystal.
Inside it…
was a dragon's heart.
It was still beating.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The hero stared.
"What is that?"
Kael whispered,
"The Dragon Heart."
The hero looked at him.
"What does it do?"
"It isn't a normal heart."
Kael stepped closer.
"It is the source of the ancient dragons' power."
The hero's dragon suddenly became restless.
It growled at the crystal.
The Dragon Heart began glowing.
THUMP.
The hero's mark burned.
THUMP.
His dragon's chest began glowing.
THUMP.
The crystal cracked.
The hero stepped backward.
"What is happening?"
Kael shouted,
"Get away!"
Too late.
CRACK!
The Dragon Heart exploded.
A wave of energy slammed into the hero.
He fell to the ground.
His dragon roared.
The black mark on his hand spread across his entire arm.
Then
the hero heard a voice.
Not from the room.
Inside his mind.
"Choose."
He opened his eyes.
Everything around him had disappeared.
He was standing in a strange white space.
Two dragons stood before him.
One was golden.
The other was completely black.
The golden dragon spoke.
"Power has a price."
The black dragon whispered.
"Choose me… and no one will ever defeat you."
The hero stared at them.
"What happens if I choose the golden one?"
"You will protect your dragon."
"And the black one?"
"You will become stronger than every Warrior before you."
The hero remained silent.
Then he asked,
"What happens if I choose neither?"
Both dragons became silent.
The white world began cracking.
A third voice appeared.
"Then create your own path."
The hero turned.
A woman stood behind him.
Golden eyes.
Long silver hair.
The same pendant from his childhood hung around her neck.
His heart stopped.
"Mother…?"
She smiled.
"My son."
The hero ran toward her.
But she suddenly stepped backward.
"Don't come closer."
"Why?"
Her eyes filled with sadness.
"Because I'm the reason they're hunting you."
The hero froze.
"Who are they?"
She looked toward the darkness.
"The Ancient Court."
"What do they want?"
Her expression changed.
"They don't want to kill you."
"Then what?"
She whispered
"They want to make you their king."
The vision shattered.
The hero opened his eyes.
He was back inside the chamber.
Kael was standing over him.
"Wake up!"
The hero sat up.
His dragon was beside him.
But something was different.
A golden symbol now burned on its chest.
Kael stared at it.
"What did you see?"
The hero slowly stood.
"My mother."
Kael's face changed.
"She spoke to me."
"What did she say?"
The hero looked toward the Dragon Heart.
Then toward the dark tunnel ahead.
"She said the Ancient Court wants me alive."
Kael swallowed.
"For what?"
The hero's eyes hardened.
"To make me their king."
Suddenly
CLANG!
The temple doors slammed shut.
Kael turned.
"We're trapped."
A voice echoed through the chamber.
Not his mother's.
A man's.
"Not trapped."
The torches around the chamber suddenly ignited.
Dozens of warriors appeared on the balconies above them.
At the center stood a tall man wearing a golden crown.
The hero raised his sword.
The man smiled.
"Welcome home, Warrior."
The hero stared at him.
"Who are you?"
The man slowly removed his crown.
"Your father."
Silence.
The hero's sword slipped from his hand.
TO BE CONTINUED…