Chapter 138: DragonBlood

"DragonBlood?....what's that?" Aron inquired.

'Honestly, I thought he discovered that I'm a dragon. But Dragonblood? Is that what they call a dragon in human form?'

Shock and disbelief colored Eldarion's voice as he snapped, "Don't play dumb, Lord Commander. I'm a Rune Master, well-versed in ancient languages. I recognize a word of power when I see one."

Aron's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "A Rune Master, fascinating! Is that how you managed to have such a wide space in a tiny building?"

"Don't change the topic," Eldarion retorted sharply.

Aron chuckled at the elf's quick response. He could sense the urgency and intensity in the elf's voice. "Hehehe~ Alright,...alright.. It's just I know about the runes but I've never met a Rune Master in person." He stood up, extending a friendly hand with a smile.

Eldarion accepted the gesture, "Forgive me, Lord Commander. I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. It's just... the discovery of your true nature took me by surprise,"

"No worries. Now, Keeper, tell me about this Dragonblood."

The two men settled back into their chairs. Eldarion took a deep breath to compose himself.

"Dragonblood, or Dragonborn," he explained, "is a term used to describe a mortal who inherits the blood of dragons, granting them certain draconic abilities and characteristics. It's believed dragons occasionally intermingle with mortals, either directly or through the union of dragon and mortal, resulting in individuals with extraordinary powers."

Aron listened intently, absorbing the information. "Like the Word of Power?"

"Especially The Word Of Power," Eldarion nodded. "You see, Lord Commander, The Word Of Power is something exclusive only to dragons. It's an extraordinary power that could alter reality itself. No other race possesses this power, not even the Aspects themselves. It's no wonder that dragons ruled this world in the past."

Aron's eyes widened in astonishment. "Even the Aspects?"

"Yes," Eldarion confirmed gravely. "It's said that the Word of Power holds immense potential, capable of shaping the very fabric of existence. Only those with Dragonblood have the inherent capability to wield such power."

Aron nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing with the implications of this revelation. "And you're certain that I possess this Dragonblood?"

'It would be easy to say that I'm a Dragonblood instead of just blindly revealing that I'm a real dragon,' he thought.

Eldarion met Aron's gaze with a serious expression. "You used the Word of Power to heal me from the parasite, my Lord. It's a rare and powerful gift. You're likely the first Dragonblood to appear in three thousand years. The last recorded Dragonblood was a high elf, who rose to power and became the founder and first king of Avaloria."

As Aron absorbed this revelation, his mind drifted to a new possibility. Learning about Dragonbloods sparked a flicker of hope inside his heart.

'Perhaps dragons still exist, hidden amongst mortals?'

Aron wondered why he never considered it. From his recent memory, taking human form wasn't exclusive to him; he'd seen his red dragon brother transform as well. So maybe other dragons could do it too.

'After all, it's impossible to have a child with a woman while you're a colossal 30-meter-long dragon,' he mused.

His train of thought was interrupted by Eldarion, who suddenly stood up on his chair, startled. He stared at Aron with wide eyes, muttering, "If you're a Dragonblood... you could possibly..."

"Ah? Keeper?"

"Excuse me, Lord Commander. I must show you something," Eldarion said, not waiting for a reply. He grabbed Aron's arm and dragged him along. Aron didn't mind; he was curious to see what the elf was so eager to show him.

Eldarion pulled Aron to the library's back, where he revealed a hidden door beneath the shelves. Aron's eyes lit up with excitement. Secret rooms always held the promise of interesting discoveries.

Eldarion gestured for Aron to follow him down a narrow staircase that descended into darkness. As they ventured deeper underground, the air grew cooler, and the sound of their footsteps echoed softly against the stone walls.

Finally, they reached the bottom of the staircase, and Aron found himself standing in a vast underground chamber illuminated by torches mounted on the walls. The sight that greeted him took his breath away.

Before him lay rows upon rows of ancient tomes, their leather-bound covers weathered with age. Shelves lined the walls, filled to the brim with scrolls, artifacts, and other mysterious objects. It was a treasure trove of knowledge, unlike anything Aron had ever seen.

Eldarion turned to Aron, his eyes alight with excitement. "Welcome to the Secret Archives, Lord Commander," he said, his voice echoing in the cavernous chamber. "Here, you will find the accumulated wisdom of countless Watcher generations, secrets that have been preserved and protected for centuries."

"Interesting. More knowledge is always welcomed," Aron's eyes sparkled with curiosity as he gazed around the chamber. He felt a thrill of excitement at the prospect of delving into the ancient knowledge contained within these walls.

Eldarion smiled at Aron's enthusiasm before leading him further into the Secret Archives. "What I want to show you is this way," he said, gesturing for Aron to follow.

As Eldarion guided Aron deeper into the Secret Archives, they passed rows of shelves laden with ancient texts and artifacts. The air was thick with the scent of aged parchment and dust, adding to the mystique of the underground chamber.

Finally, they arrived at a separate section devoid of books and scrolls. In the center stood a stone platform, upon which rested a massive five-meter-long stone table.

Aron approached the platform, intrigued by the imposing stone table. Etched into its surface were intricate runes, glowing faintly in the dim light of the chamber. To his surprise, Aron understood them instantly.

'Draconic!' he thought, his eyes widening in surprise.

What is this?" Aron asked, unable to hide the excitement in his voice.

Eldarion smiled knowingly at Aron's reaction. "This, my Lord, is the Stone of the Beginning," he replied, his voice filled with reverence. "It's a sacred artifact left to us by the founder of the Order of the Watchers, who himself was a dragon."

Aron's eyes widened further at the revelation. "A sacred artifact left by a dragon? This is truly remarkable," he exclaimed, his voice filled with awe and wonder.

After all, this was the first object he'd encountered that belonged to his kin. Perhaps it held some secrets.

Eldarion nodded solemnly. "Indeed, my Lord. The Stone of the Beginning holds great significance for our order." he passed approaching the platform "From the notes left by the previous Keepers, the secret to the Watchers' awakening potion is here."

Aron didn't say anything and just kept his excitement in check, letting the elf continue.

Eldarion placed his hand gently on the surface of the stone, his fingers tracing the ancient runes carved into its surface. "As you can see, my Lord, this is Draconic, the language of dragons. Almost everything within this chamber is written in Draconic, and unsurprisingly, no one can decipher it."

"I see the problem," Aron acknowledged.

"Precisely, my Lord. Only dragons and..." Eldarion turned to face Aron, "...Dragonblood can read the Draconic script. That's why I brought you here," he continued, his voice filled with urgency. "If you truly possess Dragonblood, then you may be the only one who can unlock the secrets hidden within these ancient texts. Imagine the knowledge we could gain!"

Aron's heart skipped a beat at the realization of the importance of this knowledge. Eldarion approached him, placing both hands on his shoulders.

"Please, my Lord, you're my last hope for reviving the Watchers," he pleaded.

Aron kept eyeing the shaking elf. Eldarion was barely able to stand, and he was about to burst into tears. Seeing his order crumble to dust without the ability to help weighed heavily on his heart.

Aron sighed heavily, he shifted his gaze to the Stone on the Beginning and began to read aloud.

"By the Grace of the First Born…"

"!!!" Eldarion visibly trembled when he saw Aron reading the ancient text, his heart skipped a beat before he hastily retrieved a parchment and a quill, his hands shaking with excitement as he prepared to transcribe the words Aron was reading from the Stone of the Beginning. This was a moment of immense significance, the unveiling of ancient secrets that could reshape the destiny of the Order of the Watchers.

"By the Grace of the First Born, I, Veldran Dragon of the North and Bane of Fenris, hereby declare the birth of The Order of the Watchers," Aron recited, his voice echoing through the chamber with a solemn resonance. "With the power and the knowledge given by the First Flame, I leave the secret to the awakening behind."

As Aron spoke the words, the runes on the stone table glowed with a renewed intensity, illuminating the chamber with a soft, ethereal light. Eldarion watched in awe as the ancient script seemed to come to life before his very eyes, each character pulsating with an otherworldly energy.

Aron continued "May it be your light in the dark, your weapon against the encroaching shadows, for we are his faithful Knights,"

Eldarion's hands flew across the parchment, capturing every sacred word with reverence and awe. This was a moment he had long dreamed of, the unveiling of ancient secrets that had been hidden for centuries.

When Aron reached the bottom of the inscription, he saw a list of various ingredients. He turned to the elf, ensuring he captured everything accurately. Eldarion nodded, his hands still trembling with excitement as he continued to transcribe.

The ingredients ranged from common herbs and mushrooms to rare plants and flowers – fortunately, Eldarion possessed them all. Upon assuming the position of Keeper of the Watchers, he meticulously recorded every alchemical ingredient he found in the possession of the previous Keeper. Not knowing which ingredient was essential for the potion, he meticulously maintained and expanded his collection.

"Hmm... the last three ingredients are unusual," Aron noted, his eyes narrowing on the final entry.

"Unusual, my Lord? How so?" Eldarion raised an eyebrow.

"Two are monster cores," Aron explained, "one from a creature known as a Spell-Eater and the other from a Ymir."

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that before?" Eldarion nearly facepalmed upon learning the monster names.

"Care to elaborate?" Aron inquired.

"Ah, of course!" Eldarion exclaimed, scribbling swiftly on the parchment before elaborating. "Watchers have unique properties; they are the Apex monster hunters, boasting extraordinary magic resistance as well as tough resistance to physical attacks, I never knew where that came from up until now" Eldarion paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing.

"Spell-eater is an anti-magic monster; the special dungeon bags were made from his skin. Ymir, on the other hand, is a primordial frost giant from Fenris, known for its incredible resistance to physical attacks."

"Do you have their cores?" Aron asked.

"Naturally," the elf replied with a nod. "These creatures occasionally appear with the waves. Now, about the last ingredient..."

Aron remained silent for a moment, staring intently at the final ingredient on the list, a confusing silence settling between him and the Elf.

"My Lord?" Eldarion prompted, his voice laced with concern.

Aron let out a heavy sigh before revealing the truth. "The last ingredient is Dragon Blood."

Eldarion's eyes widened, and his excitement died instantly. "I see," he muttered, lowering his head as he transcribed the final ingredient with a trembling hand.

"So, no hope for the Watchers then?" he whispered, defeated by the knowledge that the Watchers' only hope lay in the blood of an extinct race.

Aron observed Eldarion's sudden change in demeanor, sensing the weight of disappointment that settled over the Elf like a heavy cloak. He placed a reassuring hand on Eldarion's shoulder.

"Do you trust me, Eldarion?" he asked, his voice firm.

The Elf looked up, his eyes glistening with tears. "Of course, you are my Lord Commander and Grandmaster. I am bound to obey, respect, and trust you with my life."

Aron nodded with a smile, liking the answer. He opened his hand, and a vial filled with a crimson substance materialized out of thin air.

"We still have hope, Keeper," he declared with a confident smile, placing the vial in Eldarion's hands.

"In your hands lies the blood of the last living dragon."