The Awakening of the Drakara
Volmeryn, barely out of his confrontation with the Guardian, already felt the weight of what awaited him. Behind him, his other dragon allies remained silent.
Volmeryn: «The Heart is waiting for us,»
Eirlys: «You should rest, Volmeryn. Even a dragon king can't fight indefinitely.»
Volmeryn: «I can't afford to falter now. This power is the key to what we need to build.»
Eirlys's face was suddenly stamped with a concern that she did not dare to express. Lysandros, on his side, remained in the background, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
Lysandros: «Whatever is there, we will be ready.»
The group entered the tunnel. Drip... drip... echoed faintly from the cavern walls.
Eirlys: «These runes... It seems that they tell a story.»
Volmeryn stopped and looked at the inscriptions. Crack! A loose stone shifted underfoot, making them pause for a moment. The carvings depicted dragons of colossal sizes, epic battles, and at the center of it all was a glowing orb surrounded by flames.
Volmeryn: «The Heart of Drakara. It was created to seal a strength... or free her.» He whispered this with his fingers touching the symbols.
Lysandros: «Do you think this force could destroy us?»
Volmeryn turned his eyes away from the carvings as he stared at the tunnel that went deeper into the mountain, his curiosity growing.
Volmeryn: «We'll find out soon.»
After what seemed like an eternity, the group finally arrived in a huge open cavern of crystals of all colors. At its center, floating above a crystal pedestal, was the Heart of Drakara. It shone with a light that was blinding.
Fwooom!
Velmoryn felt his breath take away as soon as he saw the artifact. It wasn't just a source of power. It was a living entity; he felt like it was a conscious force that seemed to be judging him.
Eirlys: «It's... magnificent,»
But as they approached the crystal, a voice echoed through the deep, powerful cavern:
«Only a worthy heir can claim the Heart.»
Rumble... RUMBLE... The ground shook, and a figure emerged from the light. It was another dragon, much larger than the previous Guardian. Its scales were golden in color.
« I am Aldraxis, the last protector of the Heart of Drakara. Who dares to claim this power?!»
Volmeryn: «I am the one who will build a new world. I am the Dragon King Volmeryn .»
Aldraxis: «You speak arrogantly, nameless king. Prove your worth, or perish like the others.»
WHOOSH! Without waiting, a wave of golden flames from Aldraxis swept into the cavern, turning the floor into smooth glass. CRACKLE! Volmeryn dived sideways while rolling just in time to avoid being consumed. He had nevertheless felt the bite of the flames on his left arm, and it was a warning of Aldraxis devastating power.
To counterattack, Volmeryn uses a system-offered technique called "Void Blades," projecting arcs of dark magic at Aldraxis, hoping to break his defense.
SWISH! SWISH! FWOOSH! The air hissed as the blades sliced forward.
System Message:
[Skill Used: Void Blades – Elemental Dark Magic Technique]
[Instruction:]
[Summon the Blades: Concentrate the essence of darkness in your heart, fusing your spiritual power with the magic of the void. Form sharp blades from this unstable energy.]
[Blade Throw: Unleash the blades in swift and deadly arcs. Each blade is imbued with corrosive energy, capable of tearing apart both physical and magical protections.]
[Side effect: Blades that miss their target leave residue of nothingness, creating areas of magical distortion in the environment.]
[Warning: Repeated use of Void Blades may deplete the user's vitality if concentration is not maintained. Please watch your magical energy reserves to avoid backlash.]
The blades moved quickly through the air with a deadly hiss, but CLANG! Aldraxis deflected them with a blow of his hand, sending the magical shards ricocheting off the walls of the cavern. TINK-TINK! However, one of the blades reached his side and had left a narrow notch.
Angry Aldraxis systematically charged into his beastly form with a claw attack followed by a sweep of his tail. WHAM! The cavern shook with every strike. Volmeryn noticed a slight pause after each attack, a moment when Aldraxis adjusted his massive stance.
Volmeryn used this weakness to dodge the attack and counterattack.
He used "Spectral Walk", a short teleportation technique that allowed him to move quickly around Aldraxis. WHOOSH! He vanished in a flicker of shadowy energy.
In a flash of shadows, Volmeryn suddenly disappeared as he reappeared behind Aldraxis. SLASH! He struck with a flurry of blows in the abdomen, targeting the knuckles between Aldraxis' golden plates. The latter was crying out in pain, a guttural ROAR!, his breath a hot wind scorching through the cave.
With a flap of his wings, FWOOOSH!, Aldraxis summoned a single golden circle above Volmeryn. In an instant, a pillar of flame fell, KRRRAK!, burning everything in its path. Volmeryn had no choice but to use "Dragon Shield", a defensive technique that enveloped his body in a barrier of scaly energy.
Although the shield absorbed most of the impact, Volmeryn was thrown backwards, CRASH!, slamming into a stone column. Blood was coming out of his lips, but through his eyes, he showed no sign of abandonment.
Aldraxis mastery of golden flames was impressive, but it was his unique skill, known as the "Astra Inferno", that revealed the extent of his millennial experience. When he unfurled this translucent flame, time bent to his will. The objects touched by this flame aged rapidly: towering rocks in the cavern were reduced to dust in an instant, crumbling with a chilling CRACKLE!
Rather than directly confronting the crushing flames of Aldraxis, Volmeryn used his environment and new dark-type techniques to transform the terrain to his advantage. He created a barrier imbued with pure darkness that temporarily nullified the effects of the Astra Inferno. Volmeryn used this defensive skill to create a moment of respite, shielding his body from the devastating flames of time.
Aldraxis was still using his "Astra Inferno" skill to accelerate the flames around Volmeryn, creating a translucent prison of fire. WHOOSH! The inferno raged, walls of golden flames swirling with deadly intent. However, Volmeryn summoned the "Devouring Shadow", a skill where tentacles of shadows rose to deflect the flames toward the crystals in the cavern, which exploded in a shower of dark fragments. BOOM!
Aldraxis used a wave of golden flame to break the tentacles, but Volmeryn was anticipating. SLAM! He combined the shifting rocks with a concentrated attack from "Shadow Partition", managing to hit Aldraxis in the chest.
Eirlys: «Volmeryn is incredibly powerful... » She was unable to take her eyes off the fight.
Lysandros: «He has to win. Without the Heart, everything we have built will collapse.»
Volmeryn: «Aldraxis! If you are truly a protector of the Heart, then you know why I am here. This world is out of balance. Only this power can restore it.»
Aldraxis: «Many before you have said the same thing. Show me that you're different.»
To end the fight, Aldraxis once again summoned a massive wave of the Astral Inferno, aimed at overwhelming Volmeryn.
WHOOSH! The air crackled and burned as the flames roared to life.
Aldraxis: «I'm going to burn you to ashes with this ultimate skill, get ready to die!»
Volmeryn: «Hm... Prefer tea or coffee after battle? Ah, sorry, I forgot that you won't be here after that.»
Even before Aldraxis summoned his massive wave of the Astral Blaze, he had already been pierced by a dark spear. THWACK! How was this possible?
Volmeryn had already altered Aldraxis future actions by channeling his energy into a combo blow: he had fused the power of darkness with the absorbed energy of the crystals to create a dark spear capable of tearing through the very fabric of time.
This spear had therefore cancelled the temporal abilities of the Astral Inferno that made everything age.
[System: Skill used: Spear of the Eternal Void – Forbidden Time Warp Technique]
[This technique fuses dark magic with high-intensity energy, obtained from powerful sources such as crystals or elemental hearts. The Spear of the Eternal Void is a weapon that transcends conventional boundaries, capable of tearing through the fabric of space-time. She ignores protections based on temporal or dimensional magic, directly striking at the target's life essence.]
[Effects:]
[Time Warp: The spear causes a disruption of the time flows, temporarily canceling or disabling time-based techniques.]
[Absolute Penetration: No magic or physical barrier can completely stop this weapon, although exceptional resistance can mitigate its effects.]
[Essential Corruption: Upon hitting its target, the spear infuses dark energy that eats away at the life essence, causing continuous damage even after the first impact.]
The spear pierced through Aldraxis temporal flames as if nothing had happened, SHLUNK!, piercing his chest, creating a deep slash. He collapsed on the ground with a loud THUD.
Aldraxis (panting): «Few beings... forced me to bend. You are one of them, Volmeryn... But remember: this victory is just the beginning.»
Volmeryn (impassive): «Bend or perish. I don't have time for pride.»
Volmeryn advanced towards the pedestal. His heavy boots struck the ground with measured steps, thud, thud, before his hand reached out to the Heart. When he touched it, a wave of energy ran through his body, whoosh, strengthening every fiber of his being.
Volmeryn: «This power... it is alive," he said, his voice laced with awe, dazzled by the sensation coursing through him.»
Aldraxis (bows): «The Heart of Drakara is not just an artifact. It is a fragment of the soul of the elder dragons. Use it wisely, Volmeryn.»
Volmeryn turned to his allies : «We have taken a step, but the real challenge has only just begun. With this power, we will build a kingdom that no one will forget.»
Eirlys smiled shyly from his corner while Lysandros and the other dragons nodded with determination. The faint sound of dripping water, plink, plink, accompanied their retreat.
From another world, a shadow watched them:
«So Volmeryn has obtained the Heart, but will he be able to face what awaits him?»
A new chapter in their adventure had begun, one that promised alliances, betrayals, and perhaps the emergence of a true king.
After defeating Aldraxis and cementing his dominance, Volmeryn set himself a new challenge: Gain the allegiance of his dragon allies who were once kings in their own kingdoms. However, this allegiance was not without inner conflict.
These dragons, symbols of power and pride, must renounce their independence and submit to a superior king, an act that would call into question their identity and deepest motives.
Volmeryn summoned the dragons to a corner of the valley surrounded by dark mountains. It was an ancient sanctuary, where whispers echoed in the air, hisssss, their conversations were impossible to hear. The dragons, in their humanoid forms, analyzed his offer with caution mixed with wounded pride.
Nethrath: «A dragon king who asks other kings to bend the knee? This is a contradiction in itself. Why should I give up my title? I've reigned for centuries so I don't need anyone to rise up.»
Volmeryn: «You confuse reign with stagnation, Nethrath. Your kingdom is just a pile of ashes that is frozen in the past. Crack! I offer you a chance to transcend your own insignificance. But if you prefer the shadow and oblivion, stay behind then.»
Eirlys: «Volmeryn, if we join your cause, what will happen to our kingdoms? Should we abandon them? Leave them defenseless in the face of invaders or chaos?»
Volmeryn: «A kingdom is worthless without a leader worthy of the name. Boom! You are here because you know that staying isolated will lead to your ruin. But under my banner, your lands will become bastions of unprecedented power. If you follow me, I will lift you beyond the limits of this world. It's your choice, Eirlys: protect the ashes of your past or embrace a glorious future.»
Sepharon: «You talk about greatness, Volmeryn, but what about our identity? We have always reigned alone, following our own codes and instincts. By joining you, we risk becoming shadows of ourselves, soldiers without free will. Rumble. How can you guarantee that this sacrifice is worth it?»
Volmeryn: «Your free will, Sepharon? Where was he when you shut yourself up in your kingdom, repelling anyone who came near? Where is honor in isolation and oblivion? Tsk. I am not asking you to give up what you are. I offer you the chance to redefine what it means to be a dragon king. Follow me, and we will not be shadows. We will become stars burning brighter than ever before than those in the sky.»
Lysandros: «Hmph. Very good, Volmeryn. If you keep your promises, I will follow you. But know that I will not accept that my kingdom be sacrificed for your ambitions. My people will count as much as your vision.»
Arelon: «Tsk. I join you, but not because I believe in you. I want to see if your words carry weight. If you falter, I'll step back, and believe me, I won't hesitate to remind you why dragons don't bend the knee.»
Sepharon: «You are ambitious, Volmeryn, and that fascinates me. Heh. Very well, I'll follow you... to see if a king can really keep such a bold promise.»
Volmeryn: «Hahaha! Good. You've made your choice. I don't expect gratitude, nor friendship. Just unwavering loyalty. Betray me, and I swear you will meet a fate worse than Aldraxis.»