The portal disappeared.
Aeron stood in the snow, staring at the empty space where Rian had vanished.
His hand was still wrapped around the strange pendant.
"Rian…"
His dragon growled beside him.
Aeron looked at it.
"Can you track him?"
The dragon's golden eye flickered.
"Not by his scent."
Aeron frowned.
"Then how?"
The dragon looked at the pendant.
"By the mark."
Aeron closed his fist around it.
"Then take me to him."
His mother stepped forward.
"No."
Aeron turned.
"You're not stopping me."
"You don't know what is waiting inside the Ancient Court."
"They have my brother."
Her expression hardened.
"And that's exactly why they want you to come."
Aeron went silent.
Kael finally spoke.
"She is right."
Aeron looked at him.
Kael pointed toward the pendant.
"That wasn't left behind by accident."
Aeron examined it.
There was a tiny crack on its surface.
Suddenly
CRACK!
The pendant opened.
A faint image appeared above it.
Rian.
He was chained inside a dark room.
Blood covered his face.
Aeron stepped forward.
"Rian!"
Rian looked directly at him.
But he couldn't hear Aeron.
Behind him stood several Ancient Court soldiers.
Then a masked figure entered the room.
Rian's expression changed.
Fear.
Real fear.
The figure placed a hand on Rian's shoulder.
"Your brother is coming."
Rian shook his head.
"Don't let him."
The image disappeared.
Aeron's face became cold.
"They're using him as bait."
Kael nodded.
"And you're going to walk straight into the trap."
Aeron mounted his dragon.
"Then we'll turn their trap against them."
His mother grabbed his arm.
"Aeron."
He looked back.
She hesitated.
For the first time, she looked like she wanted to tell him everything.
"There is something you must know."
Aeron waited.
"Your brother wasn't the only child they took that night."
Silence.
Aeron's expression changed.
"Who else?"
His mother looked away.
"You."
Aeron froze.
"But you escaped with me."
"No."
Her voice became quiet.
"You were taken first."
Aeron stared at her.
"I don't remember."
"I made sure you wouldn't."
Before Aeron could ask another question
BOOOOOOM!
The mountain exploded behind them.
A massive creature burst through the rocks.
It had four arms, dragon-like claws and glowing red eyes.
Kael immediately drew his sword.
"Another experiment!"
The creature charged.
Aeron's dragon launched forward.
ROOOOAR!
The two collided.
The creature grabbed the dragon's throat.
Aeron jumped from its back.
SLASH!
His sword cut through one of the creature's arms.
Black blood sprayed across the snow.
The creature screamed.
It swung another arm.
Aeron blocked.
CLANG!
The impact sent him flying.
He rolled, wiped the blood from his mouth and stood.
The creature charged again.
Aeron's black mark began glowing.
His dragon's golden eyes flashed.
Aeron understood.
"Together."
They attacked at the same moment.
The dragon slammed the creature into the ground.
Aeron drove his sword through its chest.
BOOOOM!
The creature collapsed.
Silence returned.
Aeron looked at the dead monster.
Then he noticed something carved into its chest.
A symbol.
The same symbol from his pendant.
Kael stared at it.
"They're not just experimenting on dragons."
Aeron slowly looked toward the distant mountains.
"They're experimenting on people too."
His mother said nothing.
Aeron mounted his dragon.
"I'm going to the Ancient Court."
His mother looked at him.
"You may not come back."
Aeron looked toward the dark horizon.
"Then I'll make sure they regret bringing me there."
His dragon spread its wings.
WHOOSH!
They flew north.
Kael followed.
His mother watched them disappear.
Then she turned toward the empty battlefield.
A voice suddenly came from behind her.
"You should have told him the truth."
She turned.
A man stood in the shadows.
Her expression changed.
"You…"
He smiled.
"The boy is finally going where we need him."
She reached for her sword.
"You won't touch my son."
The man laughed.
"We don't need to."
He looked toward the northern sky.
"He's coming to us willingly."
Far away
Aeron's dragon suddenly stopped in midair.
Aeron looked ahead.
A gigantic black wall had appeared across the horizon.
Ancient towers rose behind it.
Thousands of glowing symbols covered the walls.
Kael landed beside him.
His face turned pale.
"The Ancient Court."
Aeron stared at the enormous gates.
Then
the gates slowly opened by themselves.
CREAAAAK…
A voice echoed from inside.
"Welcome home, Aeron."
Aeron's eyes narrowed.
He had never been here.
Yet somehow…
he remembered the place.
TO BE CONTINUED…