A pale dawn spilled across the dragon graveyard, casting jagged shadows over ancient bones.
Ryujin stirred awake, every muscle screaming in protest. His body felt like shattered glass. The previous night's memories burned like fire etched into his soul; Drakarys' voice, the infernal pact, and the earth-shaking roar that sealed his first dragon bond.
Nearby, a hulking figure shifted, molten eyes flickering open.
The Abyssal Drake, scales black as obsidian, stretched its wings, scattering ash. Even injured and young, it radiated primal menace.
When Ryujin tried to sit up, pain stabbed through his chest like lightning.
A series of system glyphs burned into his vision.
~----~
[Soul Integrity: 88%]
[WARNING: Further Dragon Bonds Fatal Until Growth Achieved.]
[Current Tamer Rank: F]
~----~
He coughed blood, clutching his ribs. "So that's it… This Legacy doesn't make me untouchable, at least not immediately. It's a miracle I'm still alive after one bond".
The Abyssal Drake tilted its head, watching him with alien intelligence.
Its breath was hot and sulfuric, yet strangely calm. When Ryujin reached out a hand, the beast did not attack. Instead, it lowered its head slightly, allowing his palm to graze its jagged snout.
"Yeah… you nearly killed me," Ryujin said, voice raw but resolute. "But we're stuck together now. Let's make it count".
Later that morning, while scavenging for food, Ryujin spotted a wounded dire wolf, its gray pelt matted with blood.
Instinctively, his beast tamer training kicked in.
A wolf would make a good scout while his body recovered.
He extended his soul threads toward the creature…
That was the biggest mistake of his entire life as pain erupted like a spike driven through his skull.
The bond rejected violently, soul energy recoiling as if burned by molten steel. The wolf howled and fled into the forest.
DING!
~----~
[Beast Bond Failed – Non-Dragon Species Rejection.]
[Curse of the Dragon Sovereign: Exclusivity to Dragonblood Beasts.]
~----~
Ryujin collapsed to his knees, sweat dripping. "Not even a damn wolf… Only Dragons. Just like he said". He was stunned and slightly horrified.
It was both a blessing and a chain.
Unlike other tamers who could build small armies with wolves, hawks, or boars before reaching mythical beasts, Ryujin had no stepping stones, only dragons. His legacy gave no middle point, it was all or nothing.
If his vessel wasn't strong enough, the Legacy would kill him long before he reached his destiny.
By midday, Ryujin led his drake cautiously toward civilization.
The beast padded silently behind him, surprisingly obedient, as if sensing its new master's fragility.
In a nearby hamlet, a merchant's caravan stood parked along the roadside. Ryujin kept his hood up, listening as two rough-clad mercenaries bartered for supplies.
"…poster says he's worth more alive," one grunted, waving a bounty notice.
Ryujin's heart sank as he caught sight of his own face on the parchment.
[Ryujin Jormungandr – Exiled Heretic.]
[Wanted for forging a forbidden dragon pact. Dead or alive. Reward: 50 gold.]
The first question that went through his head was. 'How did they know?'
But then he remembered the soul imprints that every descendant of the Jormungandr family left in their ancestral hall.
The merchant spat. "Can't believe it. A Jormungandr dabbling with draconic curses. They say he'll bring dragons down on every city".
The second mercenary chuckled. "He won't last long. Even beastless, we'll drag him in. Easy gold".
Ryujin clenched his fists beneath his cloak.
His family hadn't just abandoned him, they were now funding his death. Rage burned cold in his gut.
He tore the poster from the wall as he left, muttering. "You'll regret this, Father. All of you will".
That night, three mercenaries ambushed him in a canyon.
…
It didn't take long for the hunt to begin.
Near dusk, in a rocky canyon, three mercenaries cut him off having tracked him down; two men with steel nets and shock lances, one woman with a crossbow designed for beast control.
"Well, well," the leader sneered, spitting on the ground. "The Beastless Trash himself. Didn't think you'd last this long".
"They say you crawled up to F-Rank by taming a stray drake. Hand it over".
Ryujin smirked. "Come take it".
Ryujin's drake growled, stepping protectively in front of him.
The mercenaries flinched but didn't back away.
"Relax," the woman said, raising her crossbow. "It's a hatchling. We've taken down bigger".
Ryujin wiped blood from his lip, smiling faintly. "You think this is just a hatchling?"
The leader sneered. "Net him. Kill the drake".
The mercenaries lunged.
Ryujin didn't have the strength to order massive soul-linked attacks, the strain would rip him apart. Instead, he relied on strategy.
'Smoke screen!' he shouted mentally.
The drake understood, belching a plume of black, sulfurous smoke that blinded their opponents.
One mercenary stumbled; perfect opening.
BAM!
The drake's tail lashed, slamming him into a rock.
Another lunged with a shock lance. Ryujin feigned panic, drawing him closer to a jagged ledge.
"Now!"
The drake's roar unleashed a fear wave, sending the second mercenary staggering backward and tumbling down the slope.
The woman aimed her crossbow, only for Ryujin to grab a loose stone and hurl it, knocking her off balance.
Yes, his talent may have failed him in the end. Yes, he failed to tame a Skyfang Wolf in front of the whole academy, staying unranked.
But still, he was one of the best students of Drakenshire Academy. Still, he retained all the training he learned from childhood as a Jormungandr.
The drake pounced, claws stopping inches from her throat.
Breathing hard, Ryujin stood over them. "You came thinking you were hunters. Remember this instead…"
He ripped the bounty poster from the leader's belt, shoving it into his hands.
"Tell them… the Beastless Trash now walks with dragons. Tell them to run".
The mercenaries fled, limping and bloodied, leaving weapons behind.
After the fight, Ryujin collapsed against a boulder, chest heaving. Every command during battle felt like shards of glass slicing his soul.
The system pulsed.
~----~
[Progress Toward Rank E: 12%]
[Soul Integrity: 85%]
[Requirement for Next Rank: Demonstrate battlefield victories and greater dragon mastery.]
~----~
The Abyssal Drake nudged him gently, a guttural rumble in its throat. Ryujin chuckled weakly, resting a hand on its snout.
"We survived. But this is only one hatchling". He gazed toward the horizon, where storm clouds churned like restless dragons. "To truly rule dragons… I must climb higher".
Drakarys' voice whispered faintly in his mind.
"A sovereign is not born".
"He is forged by trials that would kill lesser men".
"Seek the fires of battle… and ascend".
Mounting his drake for the first time, Ryujin rode into a blood-red sunset.
The Abyssal Drake's malformed wings beat the air, leaping from crag to crag in gliding arcs. Not true flight, but enough to make the world below blur as they crossed the canyon toward destiny.
Together, they soared over the ridge into the blood-red sunset… an exiled heir, hunted by his kin, now bearing the curse and glory of dragons.
The path to godhood had begun.