It had been mere hours since Freya's return when a crisis of grave proportions struck us. A tearful Freya implored me to connect with Vesper through one of my vision connections, her words hinting at a threat to our kingdom. Complying with her request, I was met with Vesper’s worried countenance. He relayed a chilling ultimatum from the kingdom of the Crashing Thunder, an ally through our pact with Aura. The ultimatum bore the signature of King Zain himself, demanding we either capitulate or execute the noble wyvern, Leo, delivering his head as a cruel token of surrender. This outrageous demand left me shocked and incensed. How could the honorable King Zain stoop so low as to threaten an ally over a single life? We were granted thirty days to reply and a mere week to carry out the gruesome order. But I had no intention of complying. Leo was innocent and a dear friend. I vowed not to let anyone harm him or allow our kingdom to appear weak and submissive.

With the crisis looming, I promptly established a vision connection with Aura. As the most respected dragon in the alliance and having sway over King Zain, I hoped she could help us navigate this predicament. But to my dismay, she claimed helplessness, apologizing before abruptly severing our connection. Betrayal and anger welled up within me. How could she abandon us in such a critical situation? How could she let King Zain's tyranny go unchecked? Resolving to confront Zain ourselves, we prepared to set out on a journey to the distant kingdom of the Crashing Thunder. Akira, a close companion of Leo, was seething with fury and impatience. She declared, “Let’s make this quick. Follow me.” Leaving Erebus and the Earth Dragons behind, we followed her, bidding them a brief farewell.

Siveth wished to accompany us, but Erebus restrained her. I gently told her to stay behind. Her eyes filled with desperation as she whispered, “I’ll always be here for you. My heart beats for you, lovely Noxi.” I was about to respond when Freya interjected, “We’ve got business to do. Besides, he’s already mine, so I’m sorry, but he can’t.” She spoke for me without my consent. I tried to convey my sympathy through a glance at Siveth, careful not to exacerbate her pain. She nodded silently, withholding her tears.

As we trailed behind Akira through the wilderness, I couldn't help but question her navigation. “Are you sure you know the way? It seems far away. Shouldn’t we fly?” She cast a glance over her shoulder and replied, “Trust me, I know a shortcut. It’s this way,” as she pointed to a clearing up ahead.

Upon reaching the clearing, we were met with an empty field. I surveyed the surroundings, puzzled. Akira advanced to the center of the field, brushing away dirt and grass to reveal a faint outline of a stone slab with a groove. She beckoned us over, announcing, “We’re going to use an ancient travel tool. It’s hidden under here. Help me clear the area. It has to be clean.”

My brows furrowed in confusion, “Don’t we need a shovel or something?” Before she could respond, Fyrenthos scorched the grass around the slab with a burst of flame and began digging manually. Akira and Freya encouraged me to lend a hand. Reluctantly, I transformed into an Earth Dragon and joined Fyrenthos in the excavation.

We uncovered several stone slabs arranged in a circle, their surfaces etched with arcane symbols. Leaving Akira to decipher the ancient structure, I sought out water to cleanse myself, Fyrenthos in tow. Upon our return, Akira had determined how to activate the portal. She instructed us to search for crystals to power it up. I groaned in protest, but ultimately resumed digging. Fyrenthos joined me as I complained, “Can’t you two help us instead of just watching?” They retorted, “You’re the hands. We’re the heads.” Fyrenthos consoled me, “Don’t mind them. They’re just lazy dragonesses who don’t want to do the dirty work.”

We unearthed a collection of crystals, varying in color and shape, some bearing symbols akin to the slabs. Akira sorted through them, discarding two as useless. She handed me some elementless crystals, asking me to infuse them with electricity. Despite my complaints, I used my elemental abilities to energize the crystals.

With the crystals in place, the portal sprang to life, humming and glowing. Akira urged us, “Quick, before it disappears!” Without a moment’s hesitation, we all sprinted into the portal.

We had found ourselves wandering into unfamiliar territories, lost and directionless, until Fyrenthos guided us. “Please, Queen Freya and King Nox, follow us,” he urged. A wave of relief washed over me as I heard our royal titles once more. We followed them until we reached the entrance of a fortified kingdom. The guards blocked our path initially, but their expressions quickly changed to shock upon recognizing Queen Freya. “Your highness, the King is eagerly awaiting your arrival,” one guard informed us. Freya explained that she had visited this place before and was known to them. They granted us entry alongside her and led us towards the palace. The city was eerily silent, and signs of damage were prevalent, with metallic structures scarring the buildings.

Upon arriving at the palace, the King welcomed Queen Freya with a warm smile. “Dear Queen Freya, what a pleasure to see you again. You have been greatly missed.” Her response was icy, “Indeed, I wish my visit was not necessitated by your message.” He nodded in understanding, then asked, “So, have you made your decision?” His confidence suggested he was certain she would agree to his terms and hand Leo over to him. But before she could respond, I stepped in: “We, King Nox and Queen Freya, reject your proposed compromise and refuse your demand.” His brow furrowed as he looked at me, “You are the king? Since when?” I retorted, “That’s none of your concern.” He dismissed me and turned his attention back to Freya, “Are you sure about this? Do you really want to disappoint your parents?” He was clearly attempting to manipulate her, but she stood her ground. She raised her voice and declared, "That's a chapter from the past. I make the decisions now, and we will not yield to your threats. Zain." He sighed and conceded, “Very well then. I suppose you leave me no choice but to finish what we started on my own.”

As their conversation unfolded, I scanned the room for clues. My eyes landed on several paintings of the king, victorious in duels against various opponents. A plan began to form in my mind. I challenged him, “You are a formidable warrior, aren’t you?” He beamed with pride, “I am. The greatest of all time.” I proposed, “How about we settle this in a duel?” He was intrigued, “Go on.” I continued, “If you win, you can claim the wyvern. If you lose, you will rescind the ultimatum. What do you say?” The room fell silent as he pondered my offer. Everyone watched us, their breath held in anticipation. He finally agreed, “Deal! I look forward to defeating you. It’s been too long since I fought a shadow dragon. This will be entertaining.” But I warned him, “Dear King Zain, you may not fully comprehend what you’re getting into. Let the duel begin.” While he appeared smug and confident, Freya whispered in concern, “Are you sure about this? He has never lost a duel in his life.” I reassured her, “I can do this. I’ll do it for Leo and for our legacy. He’s about to lose his winning streak.” I wasn’t afraid; I had a secret weapon up my sleeve. A trick that rendered me immune to any thunder that my foes couldn’t even see, a unique customization.

The arena was filled with spectators, eager to witness our confrontation. Among them, I spotted Freya and the others, as well as distinguished dragons who might have been Zain’s kin. Zain made a grandiose entrance, delivering a pompous speech about his greatness. I ignored his self-praise and concentrated on the battle ahead.

The duel proved to be rather uneventful initially. Zain brandished a metal spear, energized with electricity. He charged at me, taunting, “Any last words, King?” I countered, “No, do you?” He chuckled heartily. As we clashed, the sound echoed throughout the arena. I was unarmed. I didn’t need a weapon. He attempted to pierce me with his electrified spear, but I caught it effortlessly. He smirked and proclaimed, “Big mistake.” He charged the spear, but it had no effect on me. I retaliated with a punch to his face and wrested the spear from his grip. His silence surprised me, so I discarded the spear and proposed, “Let’s fight without weapons, just elements and skills.” He nodded in agreement and said, “I see that you’re a dragon of culture. Alright, bring it on.” He charged himself again, while I stood my ground, waiting for him to make the first move.

He summoned a thunderstorm above us, similar to Freya’s but significantly more threatening. The crowd gasped in awe, except for Akira, who remained as composed as ever, and Freya, who was paralyzed with fear. I caught her eye and gave her a reassuring smile. Then, Zain unleashed a barrage of lightning bolts at me, striking the ground all around me and myself as well. But they had no effect; they didn’t harm me. He continued his futile attack like a fool. I grew weary of his incessant noise and the blinding flashes, deciding it was time to end this.

 

I sprinted towards him at lightning speed and slashed near his neck with my claws. He bled profusely and stumbled backward, falling to the ground. But he wasn’t done yet. He reclaimed his spear and lunged at me. His first attempt missed me, and as I was about to disarm him again, he executed a swift maneuver, managing to graze my side with the tip of his spear. He pushed it deeper, and then the shock came. I felt a searing pain from within, and for a moment, I was stunned. I thought I saw a glimpse of the Bright City again, just for a fleeting moment, before reality snapped back into focus.

With a swift motion, I wrested the spear from his grip, pulling it from my wound. Smoke billowed around us, a grim reminder of the chaos I had narrowly escaped. My skin bore the scars of the scorching thunders, and the makeshift invisible shield I had crafted, gone. Despite the searing pain that coursed through my body, I lunged at him, determined. This time, my strike would not miss; it would be hard and fast.

I plunged the spear into his chest, deliberately avoiding his heart. Killing was not my intention, merely to subdue him. However, he was far from finished. In a desperate attempt, he summoned a thunderbolt and sent it coursing through the metal shaft, hoping to electrocute me. But I was prepared. My shield, now newly summoned again and repaired, absorbed the shock, leaving me unscathed. He gasped, blood staining his lips, but said nothing. Thus, I broke the silence. “If you wanted to die, you could have asked me nicely,” I taunted. His response was a defiant glare and a spit, “What are you waiting for? Do it!”

His assumption was that I intended to finish him off. The arena fell silent, spectators stunned by the unfolding drama. “You fought well, and you still have a kingdom to rule. If you accept the deal, I will spare your life,” I offered. His answer was a resounding “Never!” followed by another summoned thunderbolt. This time, it hit us both, but only he was harmed. He blacked out, his flesh seared. I released the spear and backed away, allowing the guards to rush into the arena. A prince soon followed, hurrying to his fallen father's side.

The prince yelled, “Get away from him!” I complied. He then turned to his father, pleading, “Father, please wake up.” A pang of pity hit me. His father had essentially killed himself.

“I’m sorry. I gave him a choice. He refused it,” I said, to which he snapped back, “Shut up. Congratulations. You won the duel and can keep your damn wyvern. I don’t care.” He wiped away his tears and tried to revive his father with a jolt of electricity, to no avail. His father was too badly injured to respond.

“I can help him. Just let me…” I began, only to be cut off. “You’ve done enough. Go away.” Akira then approached him, stating, “King Nox can heal your father. He has the power to save him.” The prince remained adamant, “No, I don’t trust him. He can’t.” The guards tried to calm him down while keeping me at bay. More members of the royal family joined, pleading with the prince to let me try. With every passing second, his father's life hung in the balance. Finally, he relented. “Fine, take him. Please save him as you claim.”

Approaching the unconscious king, I attempted to heal him. His wounds closed up quickly, but he remained lifeless. He needed a spark to restart his heart. The prince tried again to shock him, and on the second attempt, the king gasped for air and opened his eyes. The prince cried out, “Father! Wake up, please.” The king looked around groggily and asked, “What happened?” Realizing where he was, he weakly asked, “Did I just lose a duel?” From afar, I silently watched him, contempt in my eyes. He met my gaze briefly, then looked away in shame, muttering under his breath, “I can’t believe this.”

The prince rushed to his father’s side, relief evident in his voice, “I thought I lost you. You seemed beyond any hope of life.” The king remained silent, prompting me to approach him. “You’re a formidable warrior. I hope you’ll also be a prudent ruler now and renounce some old and futile ambitions. If you ever attempt to harm someone I care about, you’ll face the same fate again,” I warned. The king looked at me with a mix of resentment and admiration, “So be it. What do you want from me?”

“I want you to honor the agreement and withdraw the ultimatum to my kingdom, or else I’ll unleash my fury on yours without delay,” I stated firmly. The king quickly agreed, “Very well! Deal! You can keep your wyvern. The ultimatum is off. You have my royal word!” He extended his hand to me, which I grasped in a gesture of respect. As he got up, he attempted to shock me with a jolt of electricity. I anticipated his move and countered, “Sorry, but that won’t work, my dear king.” He brushed it off, “It was just to seal the deal, I assure you.”

The prince then intervened, “Thank you for sparing him, and please accept my apologies for the trouble. Truly.” He attempted to escort the king away with the rest of their party, but the king paused to address me, “Congratulations, King Nox. One day, you’ll have to reveal to me how you can withstand thunderbolts.” I simply replied, “Sorry, but that’s a personal secret.” He chuckled and then departed.

We were left alone in the arena, with only a few guards scattered around who did nothing but stare at me in awe. My companions joined me, and Freya asked, “I can’t believe this! I thought you were throwing your life away, but instead, wow! How did you survive the thunderbolts?” I extended my hand to her, “Touch my hand,” I instructed. She did so with a puzzled expression, not understanding why. “You didn’t feel a layer over it?” I asked. Realization dawned on her, “Oh, you’re right. There’s something over it.” I explained, “Yeah, it’s a shield armor. I learned how to summon that. Cool, huh?” She agreed, “It works wonders. It’s amazing.” I added, “Until something pierces it, like the spear did. Then it’s useless or even worse.”

Before we could continue the conversation, Akira interjected, “Guys, can we go now? I’d like to secure our loot before someone tries to snatch it. Please.” I agreed, “Alright then. Anyway, I think we’re done here for now.” We left the arena and headed for the gates.