Darkness covered the chamber.
The hero couldn't see anything.
Only one sound remained.
THUMP.
The Dragon Heart.
THUMP.
His own heartbeat.
Then
"Father…"
The voice came again.
The hero turned.
"Who said that?"
His dragon stood in the darkness.
Its body was covered in black scales.
Purple flames surrounded its horns.
But its eyes…
were golden.
The hero slowly approached.
"Was that you?"
The dragon opened its mouth.
But no sound came.
Instead, another voice echoed inside the hero's mind.
"Not yet."
The hero froze.
"What does that mean?"
No answer.
Suddenly
BOOM!
A huge black claw burst through the broken Dragon Heart.
The hero jumped backward.
Kael shouted,
"GET AWAY!"
Something crawled out of the shattered crystal.
It was smaller than the Dragon King…
but far more terrifying.
Its body was covered in bone-like armor.
Four horns.
Six glowing eyes.
And a mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth.
The crowned man stared at it.
"No…"
The creature looked at him.
Then smiled.
"Traitor."
The man stepped backward.
"I sealed you."
The creature laughed.
"You sealed the Heart."
Its eyes moved toward the hero.
"Not me."
The hero raised his sword.
"What are you?"
The creature lowered its head.
"The memory of the Dragon King."
Kael's face went pale.
"The memory?"
The creature suddenly disappeared.
WHOOSH!
It appeared behind the hero.
Its claw swung toward his neck.
CLANG!
His dragon blocked the attack.
The impact sent the dragon sliding across the floor.
"NO!"
The hero charged.
SLASH!
His sword cut through the creature's armor.
Black blood splashed across the stone.
The creature screamed.
Then laughed.
"You have his sword…"
It looked at the hero.
"…but not his strength."
The creature attacked.
BOOM!
The hero was thrown across the chamber.
He hit the ground hard.
Blood ran from his forehead.
Kael rushed toward him.
"Stay down!"
The hero wiped the blood away.
"I can't."
He looked at his dragon.
"It needs me."
The dragon suddenly stood.
Its body began glowing.
The hero felt something inside his chest.
A strange warmth.
Their hearts began beating together.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The black mark on his arm changed.
A golden line appeared through the center.
The hero's sword transformed.
Its blade became longer.
Ancient symbols appeared along it.
The creature stopped smiling.
"No…"
The hero stood.
His eyes glowed gold.
"What happened?"
Kael whispered,
"The bond…"
The hero looked at his dragon.
"We're connected."
The dragon roared.
The hero charged at the same time.
BOOOOM!
Dragon and Warrior attacked together.
The creature tried to defend itself.
Too late.
The dragon's claws struck first.
CRACK!
The hero followed.
SLASH!
Black blood exploded across the chamber.
The creature fell.
The hero raised his sword for the final strike.
Then
"WAIT!"
The crowned man shouted.
The hero stopped.
The man pointed at the creature.
"If you kill it…"
He looked terrified.
"…you'll release the Dragon King's memory."
The hero lowered his sword slightly.
"What does that mean?"
The man whispered,
"It will enter your dragon."
Silence.
The hero looked at his companion.
His dragon stared back.
Then the creature on the ground began laughing.
"Too late."
Its body turned into black smoke.
The smoke rushed toward the dragon.
"NO!"
The hero grabbed his dragon.
But the smoke entered its chest.
BOOM!
The dragon screamed.
Its eyes turned completely black.
The hero fell to his knees.
"No…"
The dragon slowly lifted its head.
A second voice came from its mouth.
A voice far deeper than before.
"Now…"
The dragon looked at the hero.
"…we remember."
The hero's blood ran cold.
Then the dragon whispered a name.
A name the hero had never heard before.
His own name.
But not the name everyone called him.
"Aeron…"
The hero froze.
The crowned man dropped his sword.
"That was his ancient name."
Kael stared at the dragon.
"What have you awakened?"
The dragon opened its enormous wings.
The entire temple began collapsing.
And somewhere beneath the mountain…
something answered.
"Aeron…"
The hero looked toward the darkness.
Another voice.
Then another.
Hundreds of voices.
All whispering the same name.
"Aeron…"
"Aeron…"
"Aeron…"
The hero tightened his grip on his sword.
He finally understood.
The mountain wasn't awakening because of the Dragon King.
It was awakening because of him.
TO BE CONTINUED…