Auryn stood in the crater alone. As the light of dawn painted everything gold and yet couldn’t hide what remained.
Four bodies scattered across disturbed ash. Tools abandoned mid-swing. The skeleton was gone, stored in the Gates of Avarice.
Auryn’s body felt heavier. Like gravity had strengthened overnight or his bones had beco denser while he slept. He stared at his arm, flexing it slightly.
He stood, hoping to test the changes to his body. Crouching ever so slightly, he exploded into the air. His leap took him high enough, he could see above the weirdly bent trees and a large expanse of the land in a single go.
He landed on the sa spot and the impact felt solid, grounded in a way it hadn’t before. The ground shuddered on his descent.
Auryn imdiately walked to one of odd trees. Standing across from it and not directly in front of it. He sighed, clenched his fist and punched forward.
The air in front of him rattled and a powerful shockwave erged. The pressured air cleared a direct linear path through the trees.
Auryn’s eyes widened. All the trees in front of him for about two hundred tres were crushed or sent flying into the air.
"Bloody hell," he muttered excitedly.
Ding!
A golden screen appeared across his vision.
[Constitution integrated. Elder dragon marrow.]
It continued...
[ELDER DRAGON INTEGRATION: COMPLETE]
[RANK PROGRESSION: 50% → 68%]
[CONSTITUTION ENHANCENT]
- Durability increased 50%
- Anti-magic resistance: 15%
- Anti-magic affinity: 20%
- Lifespan extended: 200 years
[NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: TERRITORIAL AWARENESS]
- Range: 21,400 square kiloters
[ Host can detect foreign intrusions, hostilities and presence within claid territory.]
Auryn read the screens one after the other, his head just kept bobbing in approval. This was what he wanted.
He thought he had seen it all when another screen appeared.
[ACHIEVENT UNLOCKED: MARROW DRINKER]
[WARNING: Fragnted divine mories detected. Current rank insufficient for full retention.]
"Marrow Drinker? Very creative," he mocked the system and himself. He still felt the taste on his tongue but it was sothing, he believed a necessary evil.
Auryn read the range of his new ability. 21,400km was practically the entire Northern District he just claid.
Every hill, every ruin, every approach. No one enters this land or any other of his without him knowing.
He looked further, 18% closer to Wyrm wasn’t enough. Nika would arrive soon and the gap between them was still large. But this was progress. No matter how little. He could still bridge the difference and survive.
Auryn stayed motionless for a second then he sensed it. There was movent coming from the south of his position.
He didn’t need to see when his awareness spread outward from his chest like ripples across water.
[ Territorial Awareness.]
Auryn smirked, sensing two figures approaching at high speeds. They were familiar. The bond flared before he saw them.
An encroaching heat in his chest, urgent and bright. She’d felt him wake. While he seemingly followed Borin through the dominion Mark like he was a thread weaved into his soul.
Lyra crested the hill first with Borin close behind. Her silver hair caught morning light and she ran the last stretch without hesitation.
She stopped three steps away, her eyes scanning him from head to toe, looking for wounds or worse.
"You’re alive." Her voice was tight with relief and sothing else underneath.
"I am." He answered simply and sheepishly.
"Six hours." She stepped closer and her hand found his arm.
She held him tight like she needed confirmation he was real.
"The bond went quiet. I thought—"
She didn’t finish her words. Her eyes relayed all she wanted to say.
Auryn covered her hand with his softly.
"I’m here. I’ll always be here"
The bond between them flared stronger than before. She’d watched him suffer through it at Verdant Springs, been dragged away screaming when madness took the miners.
It all seed worth it now. Being reunited with him standing among the aftermath.
Her amber eyes searched his face and found sothing different in the depths of his dual colored eyes.
"What happened?"
"I’ll explain later." He squeezed her hand once. "For right now... sothing’s coming"
He raised his head in the direction of hoofbeats.
Lyra’s warmth vanished from his expression. The cold nace that had terrified the Triarch Council returned in a twinkle of an eye.
Borin noticed it too. He moved closer to Auryn with his right hand on his axe. An imdiate understanding between them.
"Company," the dwarf said quietly.
Auryn nodded. His right hand around Lyra’s waist. Keeping her close while his left took partial transformation.
In a matter of seconds, nothing less than fifty riders appeared on the horizon. They carried the empire’s colour with house Valir’s banner dancing in the wind.
Auryn activated Author’s Eyes and the world shifted into a realm of colours. Auras blood around every living thing within sight.
Lyra’s silver was bright and steady, wrapping around her like morning mist. Loyalty and bond intertwined.
Borin’s remained the sa as he saw the kanji "Dominion" pulse faintly even within his narrative role.
"Hmm.. ," Auryn muttered inwardly.
The approaching army spread out with most of their Auras appearing yellow and others orange.
They were duty-bound. Loyal to their lord through obligation more than love or even trust, playing their roles in the story.
Castor dismounted while still twenty ters away. His aura was crimson with the shade of yellow.
Was it fear or duty? Or maybe it was the need for self-preservation warring with each other. Nothing was certain but he was definitely not happy to see Auryn.
Auryn’s eyes still followed the small cavalry where he noticed sothing peculiar.
Three soldiers spaced out had auras that were different. They were crimson for so reason even though they hadn’t t him before or better still he couldn’t rember eting them.
He could tell they weren’t loyal to Castor either. Why would Castor carry n not loyal to him? He thought.
The only explanation was that, they were Vaedon’s spies.
He even has a network embedded in Castor’s own forces. Talk about trust issues.. Auryn sighed inwardly.
He deactivated Author’s eyes and waited.
Castor approached slowly. Warrior instinct screaming at him even if the conscious mind didn’t understand why.
He stopped five ters out. Face pale, eyes sharp and hand around his sword hilt.
"Lord Auryn," his voice was tight and yet respectful.
"I ca when word reached "
"To ensure I survived? Or to finish the job?" Auryn’s tone was laced with mockery.
Castor flinched but he wouldn’t take Auryn’s words lying down, especially not in front of his soldiers.
"These are your lands now, would be a sha if you didn’t survive?"
Auryn chuckled. "Wouldn’t that be a sha."
Castor nodded reluctantly then his eyes flicked to the crater, the bodies and then back to Auryn, Lyra and Borin standing calm among the carnage.
He sensed sothing odd about Auryn.The prince radiated power that shouldn’t exist for soone that was just a Drake.
What happened to him.. He thought. The realization that he might be unable to actually kill this version of Auryn that stood before him crept into his heart.
Castor swallowed deeply, changing the tone. "The records you requested," he said carefully.
"Military archives. I have them prepared"
"Is that so," Auryn said, rubbing his chin.
"I’ll collect them myself then," every eye that mattered turned to him in shock.
Castor blinked. "You... yourself?"
"Yeah," Auryn answered simply, ignoring Borin’s and Lyra’s stare.
In that mont, blood drained from Castor’s face. He hadn’t expected this.
What is he planning? Worry gripped Castor’s throat like a hand around his neck trying to choke him.
"Of course, my prince." The words ca out hollow.
"You are... welco anyti."
Auryn lips curled into a smile that spelt trouble.
"Good."
Castor retreated to his forces and Lyra moved closer once he was out of earshot.
"You’re going to his castle?" Her voice was quiet with curiosity.
"I’m just curious to see, how the province works." Auryn lied.
"Also, I want to claim what’s mine, You’re free to go ho," he said.
Lyra studied him. She understood his intent. This was a power move, dominance display, a statent that he wasn’t afraid of anything Castor might try even here in Castor’s backyard.
He moved forward. Hand still on Lyra’s waist. She followed him without question
He didn’t ntion the potential spies he’d already identified. He wanted to see how they operate, no matter how briefly.
Two horses were handed to them. He and Lyra rode one and Borin the other. They soon began their journey towards Valir Keep.
Castor’s forces led the way, tense and uncertain about bringing a prince to their lord’s ho. Their last encounter with a prince still haunted them.
Castor rode at the helm, mind racing with scenarios none of which ended well for him.
Auryn stayed on the rear. Eyes twinkling at the beautiful sun rise.
Four n had died at Ashen Grove. He’d learned a lesson painted in their blood.
He didn’t know everything about the story and assumptions led to death.
He needed to move quickly as ti was running out and if nothing changes in the next two weeks then his fate was sealed.
As they rode forward, one of the bad eggs amongst Castor’s rank glanced at him.
Auryn was aware this ant whatever happened here or is to happen after was going to be known by Vaedon.
But for now, that was the least of his worries.
Auryn glanced at the achievent notification that hovered like a signpost, blinking with mockery.
"Marrow Drinker." He shook his head. Stupid system.
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