5 Chapter 5

Rykirus's eyes widened, "King," he breathed, disbelief coloring his voice.

"Yes," he shifted and pushed his snout to Rykirus, "You have the knowledge of all your forefathers, use it."

"But, how will I protect the NightBlade if I stay away from them?" Now, Rykirus was confused. How do you protect the thing you can't get close to?

"Don't worry about that yet. My second, Vyrix, is the only one who knows you survived. He doesn't have loose lips, so no one else'll know." The dragon slid something off his talon and handed it to Rykirus, it was a ring. "This ring will teleport you to where you'll meet Vyrix. Channel your mana into it and you'll be there."

Rykirus nodded, "It shall be done father."

"Very well, then, it is time I leave the world of the living. The ritual has taken too much of my mana and the wounds don't help," he chuckled. "I'm proud of you son, I always will be, no matter your path. I wish you the best in your journey, and I'll see you in the afterlife, just don't come too quickly," he said, lip curling into a grin.

Rykirus's eyes widened, "Wait! Don't leave!" he leaped towards his father, who was smiling sadly, eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Goodbye," he breathed, as his body collapsed into ash, Rykirus's claws smashed into the pile, exploding it outward and causing him to sneeze. "I love you," the voice was only a whisper in the wind, and soon, Rykirus was the only living thing left in the cave. The dark, scary, cold, vast, empty cave. He was all alone, all alone in this cruel world, the world that took everything from him before he saw the bright light of the sun, before he smelled the clear, blood-free, air. This world... the humans... his head shot up as his orange eyes glowed red. Rage coursed like fire through his veins as a thought settled into his brain, 'It's all their fault, their fault everyone's dead.' A snarl ripped its way out of his throat and he unleashed a furious roar.

"Humans! You have taken everything from me! I will now take everything from you! I will raze everything! Blood will rain and the black fire from hell will rage! This world will burn and be torn asunder by my own claws!" his roar echoed off the walls, no one here to listen to the oath the drake made, no one to prepare for the coming storm, no one to watch as the seeds of hatred took root and festered, as his heart grows cold and closed off. No one to watch the beginning of this world's demise.