The rain grew heavier as Kaelric approached Stormrest Mountain. It was as if the sky sought to test the king's resolve, hurling each drop like a spear. The roads had turned to mud, and the horses' legs sank into darkness. No matter how fierce the storm, not a flicker of doubt crossed Kaelric's gaze.At the end of this path lay hope—and he would pay whatever price it demanded.
"Your Majesty, we should turn back," said Cedric, his voice nearly swallowed by the wind.Kaelric lifted his head and spoke beneath the weight of the rain."Turn back? To return would be to watch my people's graves. We press on."
The storm raged for three days. By the time they reached the foothills of Stormrest, the soldiers' faces had gone pale. Mud rose to their knees; even breathing felt like punishment. Kaelric ordered the camp to be set up.The tents were built not on soil, but on determination.
The king withdrew to his tent. He placed his sword across his knees and closed his eyes for a long time. The sound of rain competed with his thoughts.If I lose this war, these lands will become a grave forgotten even by dragons.
A hand rested on his shoulder. Cedric."Your Majesty, is something troubling you?"Kaelric opened his eyes and looked at the sword."This war could destroy us. The finest sword masters of the Solarin and Holy Empires are coming.I can face one, not two. If they strike together, no formation will hold."
Cedric's face darkened. "Your Majesty, SkyDrane blood is washed in blood. We are born not to surrender—but to be remembered."
Kaelric smiled faintly. "To fight beside a general like you is one of the few mercies fate has granted me."He sheathed his sword. "Tomorrow, we climb the mountain."
When morning came, a gray veil of mist had settled over the foothills. Kaelric gathered the soldiers."Leave your burdens," he said. "This mountain tests will, not weight. "The soldiers tied their ropes together. The wind cut through their bones like a blade. Each step felt like bargaining with death.
Rocks broke loose from the slopes and rolled into the abyss, their echoes gnawing at courage.Kaelric led the way. Each time his foot struck a stone, the ground trembled as if exhaling."Be careful!" he shouted. "This mountain yields only to those who believe, not to those who fear."
The wind gave no answer, yet no one turned back. The climb lasted for hours. Kaelric's hands bled from cuts on the stone. Cedric's breath steamed in the cold, and the soldiers' arms trembled.But none of them stopped.
As darkness fell, they reached the mouth of a cave. A colossal gate carved from stone stood there, surrounded by dragon reliefs. Kaelric stepped closer.His father had once told him,"The gate of Stormrest recognizes only those whose blood is worthy."
The king cut his finger and pressed the blood into the hollow at the center of the door. The veins of the stone filled with crimson light.A tremor spread through the ground, and the cave seemed to breathe."Soldiers! Stay calm!" Kaelric called. "The gate is awakening."
With a deep roar, the door began to open. From within came a wave of hot, metallic air. As Kaelric stepped inside, runes along the walls ignited, flooding the cavern with light. The temple's interior echoed endlessly.Every step awakened centuries of silence.
As Kaelric led the way, the ground vanished beneath him and his vision blurred. A flash of light—and then silence.
He found himself in a palace. His wife, Selara, stood before him, holding a newborn in her arms."Our first child," she said with a smile. "What shall we name her?"Kaelric's throat tightened."Lyra," he whispered.
Everything felt real—warm, peaceful, like a forgotten echo of life. Then, a hand gripped his shoulder. Cedric's voice rang out,"Your Majesty! Wake up!"
Kaelric flinched. The palace walls crumbled, the light vanished. Only the cave remained. Two soldiers were still standing motionless—their eyes open but empty.
"This is an illusion," Kaelric said. "It shows a man his happiest moment… and traps his soul inside it." Cedric drew a sharp breath. "Your Majesty, we should—""—leave them," Kaelric cut him off. "They're already lost."
Eight men remained. The next passage narrowed. The air grew heavy. Kaelric's knees weakened, the soldiers' shoulders cracked under pressure. An unseen force pressed down upon them.It was dragon's might.
Bones creaked; breathing felt like a sin. Kaelric forced himself upright and clenched his fists. He released his aura—his dragon authority rippled through the cavern like a shockwave. The pressure eased slightly, but blood streamed from Cedric's mouth. Four soldiers collapsed, their breaths gone.
Kaelric drew his sword in fury. He struck the stone statue above him. The impact shook the cave, scattering the crushing force. But the four soldiers remained still.
Kaelric stood in silence for a moment."Take them," he said. "Let their honor be the only thing that remains."
He moved forward again.Cedric followed him—the king's steps sounded more like a curse than a prayer.
After a long tunnel, they came upon another massive gate, surrounded by red stone. Hot air flowed from beneath it. As Kaelric approached, the runes glowed.He reached out his hand.
A vision unfolded before his eyes: The sky was blood-red; humans were kneeling, and behind them, dragons bowed their heads. Kaelric's heart stopped for a beat.Behind him—no, above him—a presence stirred.
A black shadow rose from the mist. It grew larger, consuming even the sky.
Then two eyes appeared—shining like stars within the darkness. All the dragons bowed their heads. Kaelric fell to his knees, unable to breathe.
From the mist, the black dragon emerged. Its colossal body filled the cavern.
Its breath was not cold—it was nothingness itself. Kaelric's pupils trembled. When the dragon looked at him, it stripped him bare with a single glance.
The dragon roared—not a sound, but an echo of disaster. Kaelric flinched back from the gate, falling to his knees, gasping for air. Cedric ran to him. "Your Majesty!"Kaelric closed his eyes. "I saw only… silence."
The gates slowly opened. Kaelric rose, his face pale as ash. "Move forward," he commanded.
From the shadows, three dragons emerged. Their scales burned crimson, and their eyes glowed like molten gold. Kaelric stepped forward and knelt."I am Kaelric SkyDrane, head of House SkyDrane. I come to ask for aid."
The dragons exchanged glances. Then the largest—red and immense—spoke."Kaelric SkyDrane," the voice rumbled. "The last time I saw you, you were a boy. Now you are a king."
Kaelric lowered his head in shame. "Time does not grow the man, only his burdens."
He spoke of the war—of his people's ruin, of the Solarin and Holy Empires' advance, of shattered formations. The dragon listened in silence, then bowed its head slightly."I cannot help you. We are fading. Only four of us remain in the world.We cannot lose our kind in the wars of men."
Kaelric's eyes hardened."If we fall, you will be next.Every century, the SkyDrane line calls—and you are bound by oath to answer."
The red dragon spread its wings, and the cavern trembled."Do you dare threaten me? That oath belonged to your founders. The founders are no more."
Kaelric drew his sword, his aura flaring."Don't test my patience. I could turn this place into your tomb if I wished."
The dragons recoiled; their breath melted the nearby stone.The red one closed its eyes."I understand your plight, but I cannot aid you."
Kaelric exhaled sharply. Cedric stepped closer."My lord," he said quietly, "we'll gain nothing more here. We're losing time."Kaelric bowed his head, suppressing his rage."My only request—take my remaining men and me back to the castle."
The red dragon was silent for a moment, then spoke."That… can be done."
The two dragons behind it stepped forward and spread their wings.Kaelric and the surviving soldiers climbed onto their blazing, shadowed backs.As the dragons ascended, the lights on the cave walls dimmed.
Outside, the storm still raged—but it was no longer thunder that echoed in the sky.It was the prayer of blood.