Sleeping volcano.
"Roar!"
The sound of the furious neighing echoed for miles, reverberating endlessly across the landscape.
At the base of the low volcano, two dragon shadows—one black, one blue—clashed fiercely.
"Roar..."
The blue Thunderstrider's pupils narrowed in tension as its claws tore into its opponent's chest, spilling hot dragon blood.
Crack!
Iragaxys, twice the size of its sibling, loomed over it, pinning it down with its ferocious snout locked around Thunderstrider's throat.
"Roar!"
Thunderstrider screamed in pain, struggling more violently as it spewed blue Dragonfire in all directions. But its aim was wild and unfocused.
The two young dragons, locked in a deadly embrace, plummeted from the sky to the scorched earth below, biting and tearing at each other like frenzied loaches.
Scales scraped across the dry ground, and Dragonfire scorched the already parched soil.
A long, sharp roar filled the air.
If the young black dragon could defeat the wild Thunderstrider, then Caraxes wouldn't have to worry about being too harsh.
Time passed slowly.
...
The night gradually faded as the first rays of light appeared in the east.
Daemon raised his hand to block the light and noticed that the dragon fight below was nearing its end.
The young black dragon, with its superior size and ferocious nature, had pinned the wild Thunderstrider's neck.
"Roar..."
Thunderstrider, though resilient, fought back desperately, but its defiance only fueled Iragaxys's ferocity.
Iragaxys had initially sought only to defeat its sibling, as it would any other dragon. Now, its pupils narrowed to slits, and blood trickled down its snout.
"Get ready, Caraxes," Daemon ordered, his voice dripping with contempt.
"Roar..."
Caraxes's throat trembled as its large wings clamped down on the rocky terrain, allowing it to leap nimbly over the steep cliffs.
Below, the two young dragons were still locked in their fierce battle, their cries of anguish echoing through the air.
Daemon raised one arm, prepared to give the final command.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze brushed his face.
The rays of the rising sun pierced through the layers of mist, stinging the eyes of both man and dragon.
Then, the ancient, heavy sound of a horn blared, like thunder breaking through the darkness, shaking the lonely world.
"Roar!?"
Caraxes was the first to react, its pupils dilating as it stared into the distance.
Daemon, startled, turned his gaze toward the ruined Free Cities.
Roar!
The horn's sound continued in waves, overlapping rhythmically like a powerful surge.
Daemon's eyes widened as a towering volcano came into view, a sentinel that had withstood the wind and rain for countless years.
Rugged, majestic, unmovable...
A flood of adjectives filled his mind, composing an ancient melody.
"Roar!"
Iragaxys suddenly looked up, abandoning its frenzied attack.
"Roar..."
Thunderstrider's voice was weak as it broke free from its sibling's crushing grip, slowly rising into the air on battered wings.
The two young dragons flew away, one after the other, kicking up gusts of wind as they ascended.
Daemon's silver hair fluttered in the breeze, his face etched with concentration. "This horn sound..." he murmured.
...
"Roar!"
A black dragon shot straight up into the sky, its deep, powerful roar resonating through the misty air, spreading a pure, commanding sound across the heavens.
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
Rhaegar straddled the dragon's back, gripping an ancient horn in one hand, and blew with all his might.
In an instant, his pores opened wide.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
His heart pounded forcefully, pumping hot blood through every vein in his body. Rhaegar's eyes were closed, fully immersed in the moment.
Hum—
The Dragonborn state manifested, with horns and dark scales appearing on his forehead, while wisps of pure black flames spread from his chest.
"Sigh-ga..."
Cannibal's green pupils gleamed with defiance as it shot toward the hazy sun, its body straight as a blade.
Rhaegar was oblivious, letting the sunlight bathe his face, setting off his silver-blond hair like a shimmering curtain.
Whoo-hoo-hoo...
The rhythmically played horn sent waves of sound rippling through the air.
"Roar..."
"Roar!"
"..."
The roars of several dragons echoed in response, each in a different tone.
Poof!
A massive, scarlet beast with the length of a serpent crashed through the mist-shrouded western mountains, its head raised high and menacing. Daemon, perched on its back, looked small and insignificant by comparison.
Roar!
Iragaxys and Thunderstrider appeared next, intertwining and spinning like swallows in flight.
Whoo-hoo-hoo~
Before he knew it, dragon-shaped inscriptions appeared on the huge black surface of the horn. They glittered like stars, circling around Rhaegar.
There were no fewer than hundreds of them.
"Roar... Roar..."
Rhaegar felt as though he could hear the dragons' roars, even in his trance.
Pop~~
In an instant, the hundreds of dragon-shaped inscriptions vanished, disappearing like a flash in the pan.
Rhaegar frowned slightly, reluctant to let them go.
[This exploration mission is now open. The target is the Dragonhorn.]
A system prompt suddenly announced the start of an explorer mission. Rhaegar's frown eased, the roaring of dragons fading from his ears, and his eyelashes fluttered open.
[Rhaegar Targaryen]
Talent: Dreamer (Gold)
Bloodline: Dragonborn (+63%)
Runes: Bronze (Green), Serpent (Blue), Dream Eater (Purple)
Blood Magic: Binding Spell (Blue), Dragon Dance (Purple)...
Relics: Blood and Fire, Dreamscape, Pure Water
Special Items: Space Necklace, Dragonhorn (Unclaimed)
Comment: "Ancient Dragonlord bloodline, reclaiming the noble power."
The system panel had been significantly altered.
The numbers in the bloodline column were jumping wildly, showing rapid refinement of his bloodline. Additionally, a new column for "special items" appeared—something that had never happened before, even with the acquisition of the space bracelet, Valyria steel sword, or dragon taming whip.
Rhaegar was momentarily dazed as exploration information populated the panel.
[Dragonhorn]
Exploration progress: 10.6% (Special Status)
The progress increased rapidly, as though fueled by adrenaline. Rhaegar gradually regained his senses, the warmth of the Dragonhorn returning to his lips.
"Dragonhorn... still without a master?"
Rhaegar felt a chill run down his spine as he gripped the horn, feeling the heat of Blackfyre coursing through his body.
Whoo-hoo-hoo!
With a sense of relief, Rhaegar played the "Dragon Dance."
Caraxes was almost frantic, its body growing rapidly as it swayed and spewed Dragonfire.
"Quiet, Caraxes!" Daemon shouted, jostled on the dragon's back as he struggled to control the beast beneath him.
"Roar..."
Caraxes soared and dove, plunging into the raging Dragonfire as if celebrating a baptism of fury.
Then, the two young dragons launched their attack.
"Roar!"
"Roar..."
Each over ten meters long, the dragons opened and closed their wings, their black and blue Dragonfire coloring the sky with their uncontrollable desire to fight.
Rhaegar knew nothing of this.
...
The Free Cities.
A new day dawned, and soldiers surged from the crumbling walls.
"Hurry up! Surround the area!" The Sea Snake, clad in armor and armed with a sword, barked orders. His face was a terrifyingly dark shade of blue.
Last night, the black dragon went mad. When they sent someone to investigate, they found the ruined palace had collapsed into a sea of flames, and the king was nowhere to be found.
Orderly footsteps echoed all around as thousands of sailors climbed the city walls, setting up crossbows and laying traps. However...
"Roar!" A thunderous, muffled roar split the air. The sun was swallowed by darkness, and the temperature plummeted.
The Sea Snake immediately looked up, nearly dropping his sword.
Roar! The black dragon soared into the sky, then plunged down like a meteor, its wings spreading like a dark curtain. On its back sat a silver-haired figure.
Woo-hoo! Rhaegar, covered in flames, blew a massive horn that was two meters long. The dragon-shaped inscription on the horn's surface vanished, and the tiny letters encircling it glowed with an eerie light.
"The Dragonhorn, held by a Dragonlord..." Rhaegar murmured, sensing its power.
A trickle of blood flowed from his lips, staining the tiny letters and seeping into every inch of the black horn.
Hum— Rhaegar's purple eyes gleamed as he suddenly understood. He communicated with the dragon beneath him, forging a unique bond.
Roar! The Cannibal and its rider were in perfect sync. As the Cannibal swooped down, the curved gray horn pierced a scale on Rhaegar's side. The black scales shattered, and bright red dragon blood flowed out.
With a casual wave of his hand, Rhaegar caused a drop of dragon blood to float over, merging it with the Dragon Horn.
Roar! A loud dragon roar echoed, not from the Cannibal, but alone in Rhaegar's ears. A trace of black fire spread through the Dragon Horn, and tiny characters and red rubies formed a halo, condensing into a dragon-shaped inscription carved by a sword or axe. It was completely black, like charcoal, resembling the Cannibal.
Suddenly, the Dragon Horn flashed with a dark light.
[This exploration is complete. Please pick up the lost treasure], an ethereal voice announced as Rhaegar lifted his gaze to the system panel.
[Dragon Horn] Exploration Progress: 100% (Completed)
'Special Status, is that a designation?' Rhaegar wondered, poking at a red halo the size of a watermelon beside his feet.
Pop!
The bubble-like halo exploded, transforming into a small cluster of bright light that rushed into his forehead.
[Relic successfully picked up, testing...]
[Testing successful. Determined to be a legendary relic, passed down through generations.]
The voice prompt echoed as a red dragon scale, named "Passing on the Torch," appeared in Rhaegar's mind. The dragon scale was the size of a palm, rough and scratched.
Rhaegar pondered for a moment and checked the small reminder that activated the relic.
"Special relics, only for special bloodlines," it stated, emphasizing the unique importance of the Dragon Horn.
'Special Bloodline? What kind of bloodline?' Rhaegar thought, stunned, as his body followed the Cannibal's dive, cutting through the wind.
Hum—
Though still contemplating his doubts, his body became enveloped in black fire, with faint signs of a dragon taking shape. The red dragon scales trembled slightly before shattering into dust.
Suddenly, the system prompt sounded:
[Congratulations, the legacy has been activated, and you have obtained... Blood Dance.]
Level: Epic (Purple)
Function: Awaken the ferocity of the dragon and complete a Blood Dance and fire.
Comment: "The Dragon Dance and the Dance of the Blood are the two core blood magic skills of the Dragonborn. They are the key to controlling dragons."
Rhaegar's eyes widened as he realized that both dragon control songs belonged to the Dragonborn. Subconsciously, the tune he was playing shifted to the "Blood Dance."
Woo-woo-woo-woo~
Rhaegar's heart trembled as the black fire within him suddenly contracted, leaving his body to wrap itself around the Dragon Horn.
"Roar!" The Cannibal's green pupils narrowed as it dove with unstoppable force, spitting out terrifying Dragonfire.
"Roar!" Dragonfire rained down from the sky, further devastating the already ruined Free Cities.
"Roar... Roar..."
"Roar..."
Caraxes was the first to follow, circling low over the Free Cities like a serpent, unleashing a continuous stream of dragonfire.
The two young dragons flanked the city, one on the left, the other on the right. As dragons howled in agony, black and blue Dragonfire rose in succession.
For a time, the dragons danced together, united by the shared origin of blood and fire.
(Word count: 1,859)