Im spread her massive wings wide, stirring up a violent gale as she took to the skies. With a leap, she soared upward, piercing the clouds like a living storm.
Rayder held tightly to her scales, looking down at the vast ruins of Valyria beneath them. His heart was filled with anticipation—and unease.
This flight was different.
He could feel Im's anxious emotions resonating in his mind. Something dangerous lay ahead, something serious enough to disturb a nearly 200-year-old dragon.
The air grew thinner the higher they climbed, and a biting cold cut through his clothes. Despite the numbing chill, Im flew faster and faster, as if chasing something—or rushing toward a threat.
Rayder narrowed his eyes, scanning the land ahead. The skies were dim, the terrain below covered in jagged ruins and scorched craters.
Finally, deep in a desolate valley, he spotted something—an enormous shadow.
Shrouded in thick mist, it flickered in and out of view like a mirage, its outline massive and ominous. It lay still, almost as if asleep.
Im slowed down, circling above the valley as if evaluating the threat.
Rayder's pulse quickened. The aura coming from that shadow was terrifying—more dreadful than Im's own flames. It wasn't just power; it was death itself.
He instinctively asked through their bond, "Im, what is that thing?"
There was no reply, but her emotions flared with urgency and dread. She was warning him: Danger was imminent.
Suddenly, the shadow stirred.
It raised its monstrous head, revealing a terrifying, disfigured face. Two glowing, blood-red eyes stared directly at them, filled with hatred and hunger.
Rayder gasped in horror.
He had never seen such a grotesque creature. It was neither dragon nor beast, but something in between—something cursed.
Im let out a low growl, her voice like distant thunder. It was a challenge, a declaration of battle.
She beat her wings hard, surging toward the creature with Rayder clinging tightly to her back.
His left hand gripped the dragon's scale ridges for balance, while his right drew the long sword at his waist. Cold steel glinted in the fading light as he braced for combat.
The shadow opened its maw and fired a massive boulder-like chunk of dark rock straight at them.
Im dodged mid-air with stunning agility and countered by unleashing a stream of Dragon Flame. The two attacks collided mid-air with an earth-shaking boom. A shockwave exploded outward.
Rayder was almost flung off, but he gritted his teeth and held fast.
He knew this wasn't just another battle—it was a fight for survival.
The skies became a warzone. Im and the shadow beast clashed again and again. Each blow shook the heavens, sending tremors across the ruins.
Rayder felt every impact through Im's body, each moment bringing him closer to death—or glory.
But Im wasn't reckless. Under Rayder's guidance, she stopped engaging directly and began using her aerial advantage—circling, flanking, ambushing.
Rayder's mind raced. This monster—whatever it was—was likely the reason Im had warned him against traveling at night.
It was terrifying.
But finally, after a series of calculated attacks, Im found her moment.
She dove, wings tucked, and unleashed a full-powered burst of her ink-black Dragon Flame.
The stream of fire struck the beast head-on, engulfing it in a searing inferno.
The creature howled, its cry echoing across the ruins as it writhed in agony before collapsing into the valley.
Rayder could feel the intense energy rippling outward. The very air trembled, and for a moment, it felt like the entire Valyrian Ruins shook with the aftermath.
As the thick black mist cleared, Rayder saw the creature's true form at last.
A sandworm.
But not just any worm—this one was colossal, grotesque, and deeply unnatural. Why such a beast existed here of all places was a mystery, but the fight was over.
The system chimed softly in his mind.
> Kidora Incubation Progress: +20%
Rayder's eyes widened. That one battle had accelerated the hatching significantly.
Im slowly descended, wings folding as she landed gracefully.
Rayder dismounted, heart still pounding.
He looked at the dragon who had just saved his life—again—and spoke softly, "Thank you, Im."
She lowered her head and gently nudged him with her snout, a sign of acknowledgment and shared trust.
Rayder stood in silence, gazing up at her, his heart filled with gratitude and determination.
He knew one thing for sure now—no matter how dangerous the road ahead was, he and Im would face it together.
As the first rays of dawn peeked over the ruined horizon, Rayder checked the system panel again.
> Kidora Incubation: 77%
Just a little more. A few days at most.
He sat on a nearby rock, brows furrowed in thought. Every step forward revealed more questions—and more enemies.
Before he could delve too deep into his worries, Im gently nudged him again, this time with more insistence.
Rayder blinked and looked up.
Her deep, intelligent eyes locked with his. She was asking him to mount again.
Without a word, he nodded.
There was no saddle, but he had already grown used to riding bareback. He carefully climbed up, feeling the cold steel-like hardness of her scales beneath him.
Suddenly, Im bent down and gripped the sandworm's corpse in her jaws.
With a powerful motion, she yanked it fully from the ground and took off into the sky once again, the grotesque corpse dangling from her mouth.
Rayder squinted against the wind. Where was she going now?
Despite the weight of the sandworm, Im still flew with impressive strength—though noticeably slower.
Rayder gripped her back firmly as the wind howled around him. Tension and curiosity twisted in his gut.
They hadn't even flown for half an incense stick's time when Im began to descend.
They were landing in a hidden part of the ruins, tucked behind cliffs and shrouded in thick foliage.
Rayder scanned the area.
He spotted an entrance—partially covered in vines and wild growth. A dragon lair.
His heart skipped a beat.
Was there another dragon here?
Im dropped the corpse at the lair entrance with a heavy thud, dust and debris scattering in all directions.
Then, she landed beside it and raised her head to the sky.
With a mighty roar, she released a torrent of Dragon Flame straight into the air—a signal, a call.
Moments later, a reply echoed back from inside the lair—another dragon's roar.
Rayder's breath caught in his throat.
It was deep, ancient, and sorrowful.
Then, a massive figure began to crawl out from the lair.
A crimson dragon, even larger than Im, slowly emerged.
But this was no healthy beast. Its body was covered in patches of rotting flesh, with oozing sores and parasite-infested chunks squirming between its scales. A nauseating stench hit Rayder, forcing him to gag.
It was a horrifying sight.
The red dragon's eyes were dull, lifeless, filled with exhaustion and agony—as if it had endured centuries of suffering.
Im let out a low, rumbling sound. Not a roar this time, but something softer. Almost like… conversation.
Rayder stood still, watching in awe.
Had Im brought him here for a reason?
The crimson dragon lowered its head, staring at Rayder with its cloudy, pale eyes. There was no hostility—only… assessment.
Rayder suddenly felt an invisible pressure pressing down on him. A test of will.
But he didn't back down.
He returned the dragon's gaze, standing tall. That's how he had earned Im's respect. He wouldn't waver now.
They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity.
Then, slowly, something shifted in the crimson dragon's expression.
A flicker of understanding.
Perhaps… even approval.
It turned its gaze to the sandworm's corpse and began to eat—slowly, with deliberate, painful motions.
Despite its grotesque condition, there was an undeniable majesty in the way it moved.
Im let out a low growl and joined in, crouching beside the red dragon as they fed together.
Rayder exhaled, tension leaving his body.
Something sacred had just happened.
He didn't fully understand it yet, but one thing was clear—Im had trusted him enough to reveal this hidden truth..
The crimson dragon wasn't just another beast—it was a remnant of an age long gone.
And now, they were allies.
Ãdvåñçé çhàptêr àvàilàble óñ pàtreøn (Gk31)