The northern wind howled across the mountains.
Aeron flew toward the horizon on his dragon.
Kael followed close behind.
The crowned man flew on another dragon.
For hours, nobody spoke.
Then Aeron noticed something.
His dragon was breathing heavily.
"Stop."
The dragon ignored him.
Aeron pulled the reins.
"Stop!"
The dragon finally landed.
Its body trembled.
Black veins were spreading across its neck.
Aeron jumped down.
"What's happening?"
Kael landed beside him.
"The transformation."
Aeron touched his dragon.
The moment his hand touched its scales—
FLASH!
A vision exploded inside his mind.
A giant battlefield.
Thousands of dragons.
Thousands of warriors.
And at the center stood a younger version of his mother.
She was holding a baby.
Aeron.
Beside her stood a gigantic golden dragon.
Then another figure appeared.
A man wearing a crown.
His father.
The man raised his sword.
His mother shouted,
"You will never take him!"
The vision suddenly changed.
Fire.
Screaming.
The golden dragon attacked.
Then—
Aeron saw his mother hand the baby to someone.
Kael.
The vision disappeared.
Aeron opened his eyes.
He stared at Kael.
"You…"
Kael looked away.
"You took me from my mother."
Kael slowly nodded.
"She asked me to."
"Why?"
"Because your father was coming."
Aeron's hands tightened into fists.
"You knew everything."
"Not everything."
"Then tell me what you know!"
Kael looked toward the mountains.
"Your father wasn't the one who burned your village."
Aeron froze.
"What?"
Kael continued.
"The Ancient Court did."
Aeron's eyes widened.
"Then why did my father let it happen?"
"He didn't."
Kael looked at him.
"He tried to stop them."
Silence.
Aeron looked at the crowned man.
His supposed father stood several meters away.
The man lowered his head.
"I failed."
Aeron stared at him.
"You left me."
"I thought I was dead."
"You should have found me."
"I tried."
The hero looked away.
He didn't know what to believe anymore.
Then
ROOOOAR!
His dragon suddenly screamed.
Aeron turned.
The black veins had reached its face.
Its eyes became completely black.
Kael drew his sword.
"It is happening again."
Aeron stepped forward.
"Stay back."
The dragon opened its jaws.
Purple energy began forming.
Kael shouted,
"Aeron!"
The hero didn't move.
He lowered his sword.
"You're not a monster."
The dragon growled.
"You're my family."
The energy grew brighter.
Aeron walked closer.
"I know you're scared."
Another step.
"So am I."
The dragon's body trembled.
Aeron placed his hand against its forehead.
The black mark on his arm began glowing.
THUMP.
The dragon's heart.
THUMP.
Aeron's heart.
THUMP.
They synchronized.
Suddenly, the black veins stopped spreading.
Golden light erupted from the dragon's body.
BOOOOOOM!
The energy shot into the sky.
Clouds scattered.
The dragon's scales changed.
The black remained…
but golden armor-like scales formed across its chest and wings.
Its horns became longer.
Its eyes became half-gold and half-black.
Kael stared.
"What did you just do?"
Aeron looked at his dragon.
"I don't know."
The dragon lowered its head.
Aeron smiled.
"But it worked."
Then
the ground beneath them began shaking.
A huge crack opened in the mountain.
Something was coming.
The crowned man immediately drew his sword.
"Everyone, get ready."
Aeron mounted his dragon.
"What now?"
The man looked toward the crack.
"The Ancient Court knows we're coming."
From inside the mountain came thousands of footsteps.
THUD.
THUD.
THUD.
Aeron looked down.
An army of black-armored soldiers emerged from the darkness.
But they weren't alone.
Behind them stood enormous creatures made from dragon bones.
Kael's face turned pale.
"They've already built the army."
The crowned man looked at Aeron.
"Now you understand why your mother hid you."
Aeron raised his sword.
His dragon spread its wings.
"I don't care how big their army is."
The golden-black energy around his body intensified.
"They took my childhood."
He pointed his sword toward the army.
"They took my mother."
His dragon roared.
"And they tried to take my dragon."
Aeron smiled.
"Now I'm taking everything back."
The Ancient Court army charged.
ROOOOOAR!
Aeron's dragon launched into the sky.
The battle began.
But high above the battlefield…
a silver dragon watched silently.
Its rider was Aeron's mother.
She looked at her son.
Then whispered
"Awaken, Aeron."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"But don't awaken too much."
Because she knew something Aeron didn't.
If his power reached its final stage.
he would no longer be human.
TO BE CONTINUED…