"Aeron…"
The voices echoed through the mountain.
The hero stood frozen.
His dragon stared at him.
Its black scales were slowly changing.
Some turned silver.
Others remained dark.
The crowned man whispered,
"It remembers you."
The hero looked at him.
"Who am I?"
The man didn't answer.
"ANSWER ME!"
The hero's voice shook the chamber.
Suddenly
CRACK!
The ceiling collapsed.
Massive stones crashed down.
Kael shouted,
"MOVE!"
The hero grabbed his dragon's neck.
"Get us out!"
The dragon spread its wings.
WHOOSH!
They flew upward.
Kael jumped onto the dragon behind him.
The crowned man followed.
They escaped through a narrow opening just as the temple collapsed.
BOOOOOOM!
The entire mountain shook.
They landed on a snowy cliff.
For a few seconds, nobody spoke.
The hero looked at the crowned man.
"Start talking."
The man stared at him.
"You were born more than once."
The hero frowned.
"What does that mean?"
"You are the reincarnation of the first Warrior."
Silence.
Kael looked away.
The hero's face hardened.
"You expect me to believe that?"
The crowned man pointed at his sword.
"That weapon only responds to the Warrior's blood."
He pointed toward the dragon.
"And that dragon only awakened because of you."
The hero looked at his hands.
"But I grew up like everyone else."
"No."
The man shook his head.
"You were hidden."
"By my mother?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
The man's expression became serious.
"Because the Ancient Court wanted to use you."
The hero tightened his grip.
"For what?"
"To open the Dragon King's prison."
The hero looked toward the ruined mountain.
"And my dragon?"
The man looked at it.
"That is the part even I don't understand."
Suddenly
the dragon growled.
Its head turned toward the forest.
The hero followed its gaze.
Nothing.
Then
THUD.
Something landed behind them.
A giant black beast emerged from the trees.
Then another.
Then five more.
Kael drew his sword.
"More Blood Hunters?"
"No."
The crowned man shook his head.
"These are worse."
The beasts charged.
ROOOAR!
The hero jumped from the cliff.
His dragon followed.
He swung his sword.
SLASH!
One beast's armor split.
Blood splashed across the snow.
Another lunged.
The hero ducked.
Its claws tore through a tree behind him.
CRACK!
The dragon attacked from above.
BOOM!
Purple fire engulfed two beasts.
Kael fought another.
CLANG!
His sword broke against its armored hide.
The beast raised its claws.
The crowned man suddenly appeared.
SLASH!
Its head flew across the snow.
Kael stared at him.
"You're helping us?"
The man looked at the hero.
"I'm protecting my son."
The hero froze.
Before he could respond
a beast attacked from behind.
His dragon roared.
BOOM!
The creature was blasted away.
The hero looked at his dragon.
Its golden eye was shining again.
"You protected me."
The dragon lowered its head.
The hero smiled.
"Then let's finish this."
His mark began glowing.
His sword erupted with golden energy.
The hero charged.
SLASH!
SLASH!
BOOM!
One after another, the beasts fell.
Blood stained the snow.
The final creature tried to escape.
The hero threw his sword.
THUD!
It struck the beast through the chest.
Silence returned.
The hero walked over and pulled his sword free.
Then he noticed something strange.
Each creature had the same symbol carved into its skull.
The symbol of the Ancient Court.
Kael crouched beside one of them.
"This isn't possible."
"What?"
Kael looked up.
"These creatures were created from dragon blood."
The hero's expression changed.
"Dragon blood?"
Kael nodded.
"They've been experimenting."
The hero looked toward the distant fortress.
"So the Ancient Court isn't just hunting dragons…"
He tightened his grip.
"They're creating monsters from them."
The crowned man looked toward the horizon.
"And they've already begun preparing an army."
The hero mounted his dragon.
"Then we'll stop them."
The crowned man looked at him.
"Where are you going?"
The hero looked toward the northern horizon.
"To the Ancient Court."
Kael smiled.
"That's suicide."
The hero looked back.
"Then come with me."
Kael laughed.
"You're becoming more like your mother every day."
The hero's expression suddenly changed.
"My mother…"
He looked toward the sky.
"I'm going to find her."
High above the clouds, a woman watched them from the back of a silver dragon.
Her golden eyes narrowed.
She whispered
"Not yet, Aeron."
The dragon beneath her spread its wings.
"He must discover the truth himself."
Then she looked toward the Ancient Court.
And whispered
"Before his father does."
TO BE CONTINUED…