Whispers of the Dragon Lords
"Nightmares, you say?" Judge's voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of uncertainty. "I don't even know who you are. If you were truly important, wouldn't someone like me remember your name?"
Orion smirked faintly at Judge's provocation. The creature's smile faltered briefly before he sighed, his shoulders rising and falling in a mock display of humility.
"Hmm, yes, perhaps you're right. I may have overestimated myself." His tone was sardonic, dripping with contempt. "Compared to others, I am indeed… weak. But let me ask you something. Do you know the name Lord Vornthrax?"
The way the creature uttered the name sent a chill through the room. There was no mocking tone this time, only reverence and a strange tinge of fear. Judge and Orion exchanged uneasy glances. Even this creature, malevolent as it was, seemed to hold some profound respect for the name.
"Who?" Judge asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.
The creature's eyes widened slightly in surprise before narrowing in contempt. "You don't know? Not surprising for someone of your rank. Let me make it clearer. Do you know of the Fourth Dragon Lord, Vornthrax?"
As he spoke, an oppressive aura radiated from him, dark and suffocating. Orion felt his knees tremble, and Judge instinctively tightened his grip on his chain. The name Vornthrax was a legend. The Dragon Lords were the most powerful beings to have ever existed, each one shaping the fate of the world during their reigns. The Fourth Dragon Lord, Vornthrax, was infamous for his mastery of necromancy and his relentless pursuit of forbidden knowledge. His experiments were said to have nearly brought humanity to extinction before the Third Dragon Lord, Azurion, intervened to stop him.
"Yes, I've heard of him," Judge admitted after a moment of silence, his voice low and cautious. Memories of his lessons on the Dragon Lords resurfaced, tales of their immense power and the havoc they wrought.
Orion's thoughts swirled in confusion. What does this creature have to do with Vornthrax?
The creature's aura receded slightly, and he laughed, a deep, grating sound that echoed in the broken mansion. "So you know the Dragon Lords. You have some knowledge, at least. Let's see if you know of the war that shook the heavens… the war between your beloved Third Dragon Lord and the mighty Fourth Dragon Lord."
Neither Judge nor Orion spoke, their silence prompting the creature to grin wider. He raised his hand, and shadows began to coalesce around him, forming intricate shapes. Orion recognized the technique: a form of illusion magic, but this was more refined, more haunting.
From the swirling darkness emerged a scene of chaos and carnage. Two vast armies clashed on a field of darkness, their figures composed entirely of shadowy particles. The soundless battle raged on, swords and spears meeting in an endless frenzy. Then, from above, a monstrous dragon formed from the same shadowy mist descended upon the battlefield. Its wings stretched wide as it unleashed a torrent of fire, obliterating the entire army beneath it.
"This was the power of Vornthrax," the creature said, his voice tinged with awe. "A single breath was enough to annihilate armies. And I was there."
The illusion shifted, focusing on a single figure standing among the ranks of the shadowy army. The figure seemed insignificant compared to the dragon above, yet its presence felt commanding, malevolent. Before Judge and Orion could study it further, the illusion disintegrated into a fine mist, leaving the room in eerie silence once more.
"That war…" the creature continued, his tone now somber. "That war cost me everything. My body, my soul, my very existence. But here I am, standing before you after centuries of wandering in the void."
He threw his head back and laughed, the sound resonating with a mix of triumph and despair. Judge's mind raced as he tried to piece together the implications of what he had just witnessed. If this creature had truly been part of Vornthrax's army, then it was not just a demon but a relic of an age long past, an age when the world teetered on the brink of annihilation.
"You're lying," Judge said, his voice steady but his heart pounding. "If you were truly part of that war, you wouldn't be here. You'd be nothing but dust, like the rest of them."
The creature's grin widened, his pale face almost glowing in the dim light. "Oh, you think so? Let's just say I had… help. This body may belong to a fool, but it's enough to sustain me. And thanks to that pathetic family's summoning ritual, I've been gifted a second chance."
Orion clenched his fists, his mind grappling with the creature's revelations. What have we stumbled into? he thought. And how can we possibly face something tied to the Dragon Lords?
The creature took a step closer, his dark aura creeping toward them like a living thing. "Now that you know who I am, do you still think you have a chance against me? Or will you run back to your Brotherhood and cry for help?"
Judge didn't flinch. He raised his chain, its links glinting ominously in the faint light. "We don't run," he said, his voice like steel. "If you want to play games, fine. But don't expect us to hold back."
The creature's laughter echoed once more as the shadows around him deepened, and the room seemed to close in. The battle was inevitable, but one question lingered in both Judge and Orion's minds:
What kind of nightmare have we awakened?