The Ancient Court army charged.
Aeron's dragon exploded forward.
BOOOOM!
Its claws tore through the first monster.
Black blood splashed across the snow.
Aeron landed behind it.
Three soldiers rushed toward him.
CLANG!
His sword blocked the first attack.
He spun.
SLASH!
The soldier's armor split.
Another attacked from behind.
Aeron ducked.
Kael's blade passed over his head and struck the soldier in the chest.
"Still slow," Kael said.
Aeron smirked.
"Still annoying."
Then the mountain shook.
A gigantic creature stepped out of the darkness.
It was almost twice the size of Aeron's dragon.
Its body was made from dragon bones, black metal, and glowing red veins.
Kael's smile disappeared.
"That isn't a normal experiment."
Aeron stared at it.
"What is it?"
Kael whispered,
"An artificial Dragon King."
The creature roared.
ROOOOOOOAR!
Every dragon in the sky suddenly froze.
Aeron's dragon growled.
Its black scales began spreading.
Aeron felt something inside his chest.
THUMP.
His vision blurred.
For a moment
he wasn't standing on the battlefield.
He was standing inside a dark throne room.
Hundreds of dragons were kneeling before him.
A black crown floated above his head.
And behind him stood a gigantic dragon.
The same creature from his nightmares.
A voice whispered:
"Take your throne, Aeron."
He reached toward the crown.
Then
SLAP!
Aeron opened his eyes.
His mother was standing in front of him.
But she wasn't supposed to be there.
"Mother…"
She grabbed his wrist.
"Don't."
Aeron stared at her.
"Why did you hide me?"
Her eyes trembled.
"Because the moment you remember everything…"
She looked at his dragon.
"…they will remember you too."
Aeron frowned.
"Who?"
His mother looked toward the artificial Dragon King.
"The ones who killed the first Warrior."
Aeron's blood ran cold.
"You mean"
She suddenly pushed him away.
BOOOOM!
The artificial Dragon King attacked.
Aeron's mother jumped onto her silver dragon.
"Aeron! Don't fight it with your full power!"
"Why?"
She looked back.
"Because your power doesn't belong to you."
Then she flew away.
Aeron froze.
His dragon roared.
The artificial Dragon King charged.
Aeron raised his sword.
"You heard her."
His dragon looked at him.
"Don't use everything."
The creature slammed its enormous claw down.
KRAAAASH!
Aeron barely escaped.
The ground shattered.
He rolled across the snow.
Blood ran from his forehead.
The creature charged again.
Aeron stood.
His sword began glowing.
"Fine."
His dragon's eyes turned golden.
"We'll use just enough."
They attacked together.
BOOM!
Dragon against Dragon.
Claw against claw.
The artificial Dragon King bit into Aeron's dragon's wing.
Blood splashed across the snow.
Aeron screamed.
"NO!"
Something snapped inside him.
His black mark spread across his entire arm.
His eyes changed.
One became gold.
The other became black.
Kael shouted,
"Aeron! Stop!"
Too late.
A dark aura erupted from him.
Every soldier on the battlefield fell to their knees.
Even the dragons stopped fighting.
The artificial Dragon King suddenly stepped backward.
It was afraid.
Aeron slowly raised his sword.
A voice came from inside the creature.
Not its voice.
A human voice.
"Aeron…"
He froze.
The creature's chest opened.
Inside was a human heart.
And carved into it was a symbol.
The same symbol as the mark on Aeron's body.
Aeron whispered,
"That's…"
Kael stared in horror.
"No."
"What?"
Kael stepped backward.
"That symbol belonged to the first Warrior."
Aeron looked at the creature.
"Then who is inside it?"
The heart suddenly began beating.
THUMP.
THUMP.
THUMP.
The creature's face cracked open.
A man's face appeared beneath the bones.
Aeron's eyes widened.
He knew that face.
It was someone he had seen before.
Someone from his childhood.
Someone who should have been dead for years.
Aeron whispered:
"Impossible…"
The man opened his eyes.
And smiled.
"Hello, little brother."
Aeron's sword slipped from his hand.
TO BE CONTINUED…