The black gate slammed shut.
Rian was gone.
Aeron stood in the middle of the battlefield, staring at the darkness.
Then
BOOOOM!
The Ancient Court army attacked again.
"Later."
Aeron raised his sword.
"Rian comes first."
His dragon launched forward.
ROOOOOAR!
Fire and black energy ripped through the soldiers.
Kael fought beside him, cutting down warriors one after another.
But the enemy kept coming.
Hundreds became thousands.
The Ancient Court had been waiting for this battle.
Aeron suddenly saw something strange.
The soldiers weren't trying to kill them.
They were surrounding them.
"Kael!"
"I see it!"
A massive formation appeared beneath their feet.
Golden symbols covered the battlefield.
Kael's expression changed.
"It's a sealing formation."
Aeron looked toward the palace.
"They're trapping us."
A horn sounded.
BWOOOOOO!
The Ancient Court soldiers stepped backward simultaneously.
The formation activated.
BOOOOOOM!
Chains of golden light shot from the ground.
Aeron's dragon roared as chains wrapped around its wings.
Aeron swung his sword.
SLASH!
One chain broke.
Another immediately appeared.
"There's too many!"
Kael slammed his sword into the ground.
"Then destroy the core!"
He pointed toward the palace.
At the center of the formation stood a giant black crystal.
Aeron understood.
"Dragon."
His dragon roared.
They launched toward the crystal.
Three enemy dragons intercepted them.
ROOOOAR!
The first attacked.
Aeron's dragon dodged.
The second slammed into its side.
Blood sprayed across the sky.
Aeron jumped onto the enemy dragon.
SLASH!
Its rider fell.
The dragon spun wildly.
Aeron jumped back onto his own dragon.
"Keep going!"
They broke through.
The black crystal was directly ahead.
Aeron raised his sword.
But before he could strike
CLANG!
Another sword blocked him.
The mysterious warrior.
Aeron's eyes narrowed.
"Move."
The warrior shook his head.
"You're attacking the wrong thing."
"What?"
He pointed at the crystal.
"That isn't powering the formation."
Aeron looked closer.
A faint red line ran from the crystal…
straight into the palace.
The warrior continued,
"It's feeding something inside."
Aeron's face hardened.
"Rian."
The warrior nodded.
Aeron attacked.
CLANG!
Their swords collided.
The warrior pushed him backward.
"You still don't understand."
Aeron attacked again.
SLASH!
The warrior blocked.
"Then explain!"
The warrior suddenly stopped fighting.
"Your brother isn't their prisoner."
Aeron froze.
"He's their weapon."
BOOOOM!
The palace shook.
A deep roar came from beneath it.
Rian's voice echoed through the walls.
"AERON!"
Aeron turned toward the palace.
"RIAN!"
The warrior grabbed Aeron's shoulder.
"Don't go in."
Aeron pushed him away.
"Get out of my way."
"Listen!"
The warrior's voice became serious.
"If you break that seal…"
The ground began cracking.
"…you won't be rescuing your brother."
Aeron stared at him.
"What will happen?"
The warrior looked toward the palace.
"You'll release what's been sleeping inside him."
Silence.
Then
CRAAAAACK!
The black crystal shattered.
A shockwave tore across the battlefield.
Every soldier fell.
Every dragon screamed.
The palace walls began collapsing.
And from inside the darkness…
Rian walked out.
His body was covered in black markings.
His eyes were completely golden.
He looked at Aeron.
But his voice was different.
"Aeron…"
The ground beneath him burned.
"You came back for me."
Aeron slowly raised his sword.
"Rian?"
Rian smiled.
Then the Ancient Court's entire army dropped to their knees.
Not to Rian.
To something standing behind him.
Aeron's dragon suddenly lowered its head.
Kael whispered,
"No…"
Aeron stared into the darkness.
Two enormous eyes opened behind Rian.
And Rian whispered
"He's awake."
TO BE CONTINUED…