Heir of the Dragon’s Blood

19 : Shadows Behind the Steps

The night grew deeper as Elden and his group continued their journey. After the grueling trial he had endured with Luthen, his body still felt weary, but his mind was filled with questions.

Had Luthen truly come just to test him? Or was there a deeper reason behind it?

Kaelar walked beside him, occasionally casting wary glances at Luthen. Renard, as usual, appeared relaxed, but Elden knew the man was always on guard for danger. Meanwhile, Vaelis walked slightly ahead, ensuring the path they traveled was safe.

They finally reached a cliff overlooking a vast valley. From up here, Elden could see scattered campfires in the distance. They likely belonged to travelers or groups of soldiers setting up camp.

“We’ll rest here,” Kaelar finally said. “We need our strength before moving on.”

Elden sat on a large rock, steadying his breath. Renard dropped to the ground with a long sigh.

“I think we need to talk about our new companion,” he said, eyeing Luthen with a scrutinizing gaze.

Luthen merely gave a faint smile. “You still don’t trust me, do you?”

Vaelis scoffed. “You appeared out of nowhere, tested Elden, and now you want to travel with us. We have no reason to trust you.”

Luthen turned his gaze to Elden. “And you? Do you doubt me as well?”

Elden exhaled. “I don’t know, Luthen. I can’t read your intentions.”

Luthen gave a slow nod, then looked up at the dark sky. “I don’t blame you. But there’s something you all need to know.”

Everyone turned toward him.

Luthen took a deep breath before speaking. “Malagar is not the only enemy hunting you, Elden.”

Elden tensed. “What do you mean?”

“There is another group searching for the Heir of Dragon Blood,” Luthen said. “And they are far more dangerous than Malagar.”

Kaelar narrowed his eyes. “Who are they?”

Luthen met his gaze seriously. “They are known as the Black Order.”

A chill ran down Elden’s spine. “The Black Order?”

Vaelis looked startled. “That’s just a legend… isn’t it?”

Luthen shook his head. “They are real. And they have been after Elden for a long time. Malagar is just one of the many enemies trying to capture him. But the Black Order… they have a much bigger plan.”

Elden swallowed hard. “What kind of plan?”

Luthen locked eyes with him. “They want to awaken the Dark Dragon King.”

Silence fell over the group.

Kaelar finally spoke. “If that’s true, then we’re in serious trouble.”

Luthen nodded. “Yes. Because the only key to awakening the Dark Dragon King is your blood, Elden.”

Elden clenched his fists. He had always known his blood was special, but he had never considered that it could be used to resurrect something so dangerous.

Renard let out a low whistle. “So now we’re not only being hunted by the kingdom and Malagar, but also by a crazy cult trying to revive an evil dragon?”

Vaelis sighed. “How do we fight them?”

Luthen looked at each of them before finally saying, “We need to go to Veyland Fortress.”

Kaelar frowned. “Veyland Fortress? That place has been abandoned since the Great War. What could we possibly find there?”

Luthen smirked slightly. “Answers.”

Elden eyed him suspiciously. “Answers about what?”

Luthen looked straight into his eyes. “About who you truly are, and how you can stop them.”

Elden remained silent for a moment, then finally nodded. He had no other choice. If he wanted to understand his power and prevent the Black Order from achieving their goal, he had to keep moving forward.

“We leave at dawn,” Kaelar finally decided.

Everyone agreed, and they settled in for the night.

But in the middle of the night, when everyone else was asleep, Elden awoke with an uneasy feeling. He sat up and looked around.

That’s when he noticed something.

In the distance, among the dark trees, a pair of red eyes were watching him.

They’ve found us.

....

Elden held his breath, his body tensing as he saw the pair of glowing red eyes in the darkness. The black shadow moved slowly between the trees, almost like a living mist.

He slowly moved his hand toward the hilt of his sword, trying not to draw attention, but suddenly, the night air turned frigid. The leaves around them trembled, and a faint rustling sound echoed from all directions.

They were surrounded.

"Wake up!" Elden hissed.

Kaelar was the first to react. With a soldier's instinct, he immediately gripped his sword and took a defensive stance. Renard opened his eyes lazily before his usual relaxed expression vanished the moment he saw Elden ready for battle.

Vaelis and Luthen quickly prepared themselves as well.

"What’s happening?" Vaelis asked quietly.

Elden didn’t have time to answer. The black shadow suddenly moved swiftly, rushing toward them like mist driven by a fierce wind.

Kaelar was the first to strike. He swung his sword with precision, but his blade only passed through the mist without causing any real harm.

"What the hell is this?" he growled.

Renard raised both hands, conjuring a small ball of fire in his palm. "Let's see if they can burn."

He hurled the fireball at one of the shadows, and this time, the effect was different. The flames burst upon impact, making the shadow screech before vanishing like smoke consumed by fire.

"They are not physical beings," Luthen said calmly. "They are Living Darkness."

Elden looked at him. "You've faced them before?"

Luthen nodded. "And the only way to defeat them is with light or fire."

Elden clenched his fists, trying to feel the dragon's energy within his blood. He knew fire was part of his power, but controlling it directly was still a challenge.

But there was no time for hesitation.

The shadows drew closer, moving like a wave of darkness. Renard kept throwing fire at them, but their numbers were overwhelming. Meanwhile, Kaelar and Vaelis could only defend, as their physical attacks had no effect.

Elden closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to trust his power.

When he opened them again, he felt a warm energy enveloping his body. His right hand began to glow golden, and fiery red-orange dragon flames swirled around him.

Without thinking, Elden raised his hand and swung his arm forward.

A wave of fire erupted from his body, engulfing the shadows. Piercing screams filled the air as they burned and vanished one by one.

Within seconds, everything fell silent again.

Elden stood in the center of a scorched patch of ground, his breath ragged. He only then realized that his hands were slightly trembling from releasing such a surge of energy.

Luthen watched him intently. "You're gaining better control over your power."

Kaelar let out a deep breath. "But the question is, who sent those creatures?"

Vaelis knelt, examining the spot where the last shadow had disappeared. "They left traces of dark energy… this is high-level magic."

Renard crossed his arms. "Could be Malagar. Or it could be the Black Order you spoke of."

Luthen seemed to ponder for a moment before finally saying, "If they've already found us, then we need to move faster."

Elden looked at him. "We're still heading to Veyland Fortress?"

Luthen nodded. "Now more than ever. We need answers, and that’s the only place we’ll find them."

Kaelar glanced at the sky, where the first hints of dawn were appearing. "Then we leave now."

Everyone agreed. Without wasting any more time, they quickly left the area and made their way toward Veyland Fortress.

But deep within the shadows of the forest they had left behind, another pair of red eyes glowed.

They were not being pursued. They were being watched.