Chapter 174: The Taste of Dragon Blood

Azerath

As Moriath lay sprawled across the prison floor, I tore open the nearby cells one by one, wrenching the iron doors from their hinges with my claws. Prisoners poured into the corridor, joining Serafina, Blink, and the others as they fled toward the Penitentiary's main entrance.

I waited until they disappeared into the darkness before turning back to face Moriath.

At last, he stirred.

Slowly, he rose to his feet, flexing the long claws that had replaced his elegant hands. Under the wavering torchlight, the handsome Elf King I had once known was gone. In his place stood a grotesque creature of ash-gray skin, crimson eyes, and bloodstained fangs.

"So," I said, "you no longer drink blood to preserve your youth. It seems the gods finally cursed you to become the monster you always were."

Moriath laughed. Thick strands of saliva dripped from his fangs onto the stone.

"Oh, Azerath," he purred as he stalked toward me. "After all these centuries, you're still nothing more than a Celestial's pet."

With no one left to protect, I released the ember within my chest. Fire erupted from my jaws.

Flames swallowed Moriath whole, filling the chamber with searing heat. When the blaze finally died, I expected to hear screams.

Instead, Moriath rolled across the damp stone until the last embers sputtered out. He sprang back to his feet without a trace of fear.

"You still fight exactly as you did a thousand years ago," he said with a grin. "Predictable." He spread his arms. "The difference is... I now carry Celestial blood within me."

My eyes narrowed.

"Aurelion and his father were cruel enough to raise another Celestial child," he continued. "But you needn't concern yourself with him anymore." His smile widened. "I granted the boy the peace he deserved."

Rage stirred within me. Before I could question him, Moriath lunged.

"But I will show you no such mercy!" he roared. "I will feed on you slowly, and with every mouthful, I'll remind you how you slaughtered my people... my kingdom... my bloodline!"

He shot toward me with terrifying speed.

I spread my wings and burst through the shattered roof into the night. "Then you'll have to catch me first."

Moriath's laughter echoed across Aetheria as he pursued me. He bounded from the broken roof of the Penitentiary onto the palace walls, his claws carving into stone as he climbed with impossible speed. Within moments, he reached the highest tower and launched himself into the night after me.

"You, Azerath, will be a righteous sacrifice," Moriath declared, his voice carrying across the sky.

For an instant, the hatred in his face gave way to something far more dangerous.

Hunger.

"You burned my kingdom to the ground," he growled, extending his claws. "In return... I will consume yours."

I met him in midair, catching his strike with one hind foot before kicking him away. Moriath hurtled into the palace, smashing through a balcony before disappearing into a shower of stone.

The impact jarred my entire body.

He was powerful. Perhaps even stronger than I was.

Every heartbeat inside him carried the strength of those he had devoured. Hundreds of stolen lives pulsed through his veins, each one feeding the monster he had become.

But hunger was also his greatest weakness.

I needed him closer. I needed him reckless.

Most of all...

I needed a plan.

Dragon fire would not kill him. Serafina's magic had barely scorched him. Whatever Celestial blood flowed through his veins had made him nearly immune to both.

How, then, could such a creature be slain?

Movement along Aetheria's walls caught my eye.

Ballistae.

General Sallow had positioned siege engines along every battlement surrounding the city. Perhaps their bolts could wound him deeply enough to make him bleed.

I slowed my flight, deliberately favoring the shoulder that had taken the earlier ballista bolt.

Moriath noticed immediately.

Perched atop another tower, he grinned. "You grow tired," he purred. "Especially after an injury."

He launched himself again. At that same instant, the first ballista fired. The iron bolt screamed through the night.

I didn't dodge. Neither did Moriath.

Only when his jaws opened for my throat did I move.

Twisting in midair, I caught him with my snout and swung him directly into the bolt's path. The missile buried itself deep in his shoulder.

The beast roared. "You dare use me as a shield?"

"I prefer to think of it," I replied, "as cooperation."

Another volley streaked toward us. I hurled him into its path.

This time, Moriath twisted aside just before the bolts struck, landing atop the palace wall. With one hand, he ripped the iron shaft from his shoulder and tossed it aside.

Black blood streamed down his arm. He barely seemed to notice.

Instead, his crimson eyes drifted toward the soldiers frantically reloading the ballistae.

A slow smile spread across his face. "These idiots..." he murmured. "...keep interrupting my meal."

Before I could stop him, he plunged toward the battlements.

"No," I muttered.

He crashed onto the western wall with enough force to shatter the parapet. The nearest ballista exploded beneath a sweep of his claws. Its crew barely had time to scream before he tore into them.

The remaining siege engines pivoted toward him.

Moriath licked the fresh blood from his lips. "Come now," he called. "Don't make me wait."

A bolt flew. He caught it in one hand. The shaft splintered beneath his grip.

Laughing, he bounded from one battlement to the next. Each leap ended with another ballista reduced to splinters.

Wood exploded. Iron twisted. Soldiers tumbled screaming from the walls.

I watched in silence. Then, an idea formed.

By the time Moriath finished feeding, every ballista overlooking Aetheria had been reduced to wreckage.

He turned toward me from the eastern battlements, blood dripping from his claws.

"There," he said with a satisfied smile. "No more interruptions."

"I imagine you're still hungry," I said.

His smile widened. "I am."

"Then catch me."

He laughed. "You really think you can outrun me?"

"With my life."

He accepted the challenge.

One tremendous leap carried him onto my back. His fangs pierced my scales and sank deep into my shoulder.

Pain exploded through me. I gritted my teeth and kept flying.

"Oh..." Moriath whispered, shuddering in delight.

"Yes..."

Ancient dragon blood flooded his mouth. The hunger consumed him completely. He no longer cared where I flew.

Exactly as I had hoped.

I spread my wings wider and turned away from Aetheria.

Toward the poisoned wastelands.

The cursed lands where even monsters feared to tread.

Moriath clung to my back, lost in the ecstasy of feeding.

"You fool," I whispered into the wind. "You followed me exactly where I wanted you."

\-----------

Lio

After the Arcanis army disappeared underground, I swept my staff through the air and opened a portal.

We stepped through, entering Aetheria, expecting war.

An army. A battlefield. A city fighting for its life.

Instead, we found death.

The gates of Aetheria stood open. Bodies littered the streets. Smoke and dust drifted through the air while survivors knelt beside husbands, wives, children, and friends, weeping over those they had lost.

For a long moment, none of us moved.

"This..." someone whispered behind me. "This isn't a battle."

"It's a massacre."

"Who could have done this?"

I had no answer.

Then a shadow swept across the streets. Everyone looked skyward.

An enormous dragon soared above the city while, atop one of Aetheria's highest towers, a monstrous beast crouched like a predator ready to pounce. Crimson eyes gleamed in the darkness. Blood covered the creature's claws and dripped from its fangs.

"What... is that thing?" Aldo breathed.

Before anyone could answer, the gates of the Penitentiary burst open. Prisoners flooded into the streets.

My eyes searched frantically until they found a familiar face.

My sister. Relief washed over me.

"Serafina!"

"Lio!" she cried, hurrying toward us with Ryven, Helga, Jehan, General Kraven, and Blink trotting close behind.

"What happened here?" I asked.

"Moriath," she answered between breaths. "The former Elf King. Azerath destroyed his kingdom long ago. Somehow... he's returned."

High above us, the beast launched himself at the dragon.

Aldo drew his sword. "Should we help the dragon?"

I watched the battle unfold above Aetheria.

Then, suddenly, a vision flashed before my eyes.

For a moment, I saw not the dragon fighting the beast, but the path they would take. The reason Azerath kept retreating.

He was going to lead Moriath away, using himself as bait.

"No," I said.

Everyone turned toward me.

"The dragon doesn't need our help." I pointed toward the horizon beyond Aetheria. "He's taking the beast away from the city."

Silence settled over the group as they watched the dragon carry the battle farther into the sky.

Then movement along the city walls caught my attention.

Soldiers hurried across the battlements, hauling massive siege engines into position.

Ballistae. Dozens of them.

Their crews cranked back the strings and angled the weapons upward. Not toward the beast. Toward the dragon.

My jaw tightened. "The fool..." I muttered.

Even after everything Azerath had done to protect the city, Vaelric still intended to kill him.

Serafina followed my gaze. Her eyes widened.

"They're targeting Azerath," she gasped.

"They're targeting the one thing keeping that monster away from us," I replied quietly.

Her expression hardened. "I must help him."

"You will," I said. "By helping me stop Vaelric."

For a moment, she hesitated.

Then Ryven slowly drew his sword. "Then we stop him."

Around us, more blades left their sheaths. Helga nodded, shifting her axe onto her shoulder.

Aldo raised his sword toward the palace. "Take the palace!"

The cheers of the people answered him.

And for the first time that night, the people of Aetherion were no longer fleeing in terror.

They were marching toward their enemy.

\----------

Vaelric

We watched as the beast reduced my defenses to splinters.

General Sallow cursed beneath his breath. "My Emperor..."

"Prepare more ballistae."

His face paled. "There are no more."

Silence settled over the throne room.

Beyond the shattered windows, the beast stood amidst the ruins of every siege engine we possessed.

And the dragon simply watched. As though this had been his plan all along.

For the first time that night, I wondered whether I had underestimated my enemies.

Then the great doors of the throne room exploded inward.

A familiar voice rang through the chamber. "Vaelric."

I turned.

Serafina stood in the doorway, surrounded by a sea of rebels. Beside her stood a red-haired man with a glowing staff gripped tightly in his hand.

So...

The final battle had arrived.

A slow smile returned to my lips. "Ah," I said. "My bride has returned to me of her own accord." My gaze swept over the rebels. "Seize her." My smile widened. "Kill the rest."

Shadows surged across the marble floor. Sallow and Dread advanced toward Serafina.

Then a cry shattered the silence. "Magnus!"

Ryven stumbled forward, pointing at the corpse sprawled before the throne. His face twisted with grief and fury as he looked at me.

"You killed my father!"

\----------

Elyndra

I watched as Ryven collapsed beside his father's body, guilt consuming me.

If it weren't for me, Magnus would still be alive.

I had never imagined my brother would be so cruel. He could have simply rejected my proposal.

Instead, he murdered them both.

Now Ryven would never have the chance to mend what had been broken between him and his father. They had not always agreed—Ryven often challenged Magnus's ambition—but Magnus had still provided for him, despite him being his bastard son.

"How will I ever learn about my mother?" Ryven cried. "How can I ask for forgiveness now?"

His grief echoed through the throne room.

My gaze drifted over the rebels.

Serafina would die the moment she gave my brother an heir.

Azerath would be killed if he survived the beast.

Lio would be spared only so my brother could harvest his Celestial blood.

Then I looked at Vaelric.

He had taken everything from me.

He had turned Aetheria into a kingdom of corpses.

Slowly, I slipped my hand into my pocket, my fingers closing around the object hidden inside.

This had to end.

Now.