The ground began shaking as the enormous creature finally came into view. Renji and the rest of the children gazed on in awe and horror. Draven, Roger, and Lorry hastened to protect the children with their bodies, their faces heavy as they watched over the gigantic beast. "A seventh rank magical beast, the Dragon King!" Draven's face tensed up, his legs obviously trembling as were Roger's and Lorry's.
"It's huge! Is this really a legendary magical beast?" Renji was shocked. The biggest creatures he had seen in his life were the warhorses that occasionally appeared in Dragonspire Village, but those were totally incomparable with this giant towering before him. This beast was two stories high and at least twenty or thirty meters long.
The Dragon King's entire body was covered in huge, flaming red scales that shimmered with a cold light, which was unimaginable and golden. Only the scales were beautiful and fearsome. It had four legs covered in scales too, as thick as two full-grown men could hardly encircle one. Its claws were black, deadly as death itself, contrasting sharply to its red body. Its long tail, making up more than half of the length of its body, whipped on the ground with resounding thuds.
He let out a low growl and steam billowed out of the Dragon King's nostrils, smelling of brimstone. His eyes were as huge as lanterns, fierce red. The great head swiveled toward Renji and the others, its wintry gaze striking into the hearts of children, paralyzing them with terror.
The jaw of the Dragon King clenched, and two rows of enormous, serrated teeth appeared. Any man would have been chilled to the bone by the sight of those ivory fangs. Renji felt his heart come close to a standstill. He couldn't even begin to fathom the enormity and power of the beast. How could anyone ever defeat such a creature? He fancied a single swish of the Dragon King's tail might easily pulverize the strongest stones of Dragonspire.
"Is this Dragonspire Village?" An indifferent voice resounded from the top of the Dragon King. The surprised children looked up to see that indeed, on the back of the dragon, sat a person in purple robes cross-legged. The Dragon King was huge, so there was plenty of room for a person to stand or sit.
"Lord Magus, this indeed is Dragonspire Village. How can we help you?" Draven's deep voice sliced through the fear, pitching some clarity into the group. Even though he was nervous, everyone, even Roger and Lorry, was quiet behind Draven as they stared with wide eyes at the fearsome Dragon King and mysterious magus.
"Dragonspire Village. I'm glad I didn't get lost," the violet-robed magus said quietly, then fell silent. After a final, chilling glance at Renji and the others, the Dragon King continued onward, expelling two more puffs of smoke from its nostrils.
Draven's expression changed as he watched the Dragon King heading into the village. "Everyone, stay here," he ordered, then hastened to pursue the dragon that was leaving.
" Uncle Lorry, what is that creature? Is that truly a magical beast?" Renji urgently asked. Shaken, Lorry nodded nonetheless. "Yes, it is, and one of the fiercest at that: the Dragon King, seventh-ranked magical beast."
"Dragon King?" Renji repeated, engraving it. If he were to become that huge of a dragon with strong scales, sharp claws, and a powerful tail, then that would make him really horrific. Renji felt that one Dragon King alone could probably demolish the entire Dragonspire Village.
"The Dragon King has scales that are as hard as diamonds. Of course, it can attack with devastating force, and also has really bad fire magic," Lorry explained with a frightened tone. "Against such a monster, a thousand soldiers would probably lose unless they had a few sixth or seventh rank warriors and magi to break through its defence."
It was a thought that made Renji's heart race. "But the most frightening of all is not the Dragon King, but that unknown magus" Lorry continued to wheeze to calm himself down. Roger nodded, "A magus able to control a Dragon King must be a really strong one, and judging from his attire, at least of the seventh rank and possibly the eighth."
Renji gasped. For the magus to be stronger than the Dragon King seemed next to impossible. The dragon's huge form, magnificent scales, and razor-sharp claws belittled the puny figure of the magus.
"Roar!" An angry roar echoed from the middle of the village. "Oh no!" Lorry and Roger exclaimed in shock. Renji, together with the other kids, was wide-eyed, unsure if the roar was pointed at Draven or the entire village.
"Stay here," Lorry and Roger told him, but they themselves ran toward the village center. Renji, concerned for both Draven and the villagers, followed closely behind them. Arriving, he was scolded by Draven, who had watched from afar. "Why did you come?" He told them. "Renji, it's too dangerous here. Go back immediately."
Seeing Renji's expression, so resolute, Draven sighed. He knew how stubborn Renji could get. "Fine. But stay close to me. If you do that, then I can ensure your safety.
"Thank you, Uncle Draven. I shall not stray," Renji promised with relief. Draven's group now had a distance from the Dragon King of about a hundred meters. They were also quietly observing the unfolding events in the village. In front of the colossal Dragon King, he could see a small group of people standing and bracing themselves for what was to come—four men and three women.