Wind blew into the carriage as it rode towards the exit of the Human Lands. "Can't wait to kill this bastard, we have waited too long," one man said, sitting inside.
"With these special weapons created in the forge, we are much stronger as heroes. We will save our kingdom and finally be able to see more of the world," another man added, sitting next to him as they continued their conversation.
Serenya, a young hero, looked out of the window. "I would not underestimate one of the Dark Beasts. This will be the first time humankind challenges one of them," she remarked, her gaze fixed outside as the carriage reached the edge of the human territory.
"Everyone, be on guard, we will now enter the domain of one of the dark beasts," the guard said who was handling the horse that carried the carriage forward.
"Finally it's time," one of the men said, but the tension in his voice was palpable as he spoke.
Golden eyes watched from a mountain peak as the human carriage crossed the border into his domain. Ragnar felt them enter, their presence vibrating through the landscape like insects crawling across his skin. The humanoid dragon remained motionless, his massive form shrouded in darkness that seemed to consume the very air around him. Black fur rippled in the wind, obsidian scales catching what little light penetrated the storm clouds that perpetually swirled above his territory.
They came to kill him. How amusing.
The Dragon Beast's consciousness stretched across his domain, feeling every rock, every shadow, every creature that dwelled within his lands. The humans' carriage followed the winding path that cut through the jagged mountains, their voices carrying clearly to his heightened senses.
"They say he's as tall as three men," one of the heroes whispered, a tremor in his voice despite his bravado.
"Size doesn't matter when you've got enchanted weapons," replied another, running his fingers along the gleaming blade across his lap. "These were forged specifically to pierce his hide."
Ragnar's muzzle twitched. So many had tried before.
"Did you notice how the sky changed when we crossed the border?" Serenya's voice carried a wary note. "It's like the clouds are alive."
"Just weather magic," scoffed an older man. "Tricks to intimidate visitors. Don't let it get to you, girl."
The blonde warrior pressed her palm against the carriage window. "I'm not afraid. But we should respect what we're facing."
Ragnar's attention narrowed, focusing on the young female. Something about her energy felt different—a faint luminescence among the dull sparks of human life. His clawed hand clenched against the stone beneath him, fracturing the rock.
The carriage continued its journey, winding deeper into his territory. Guards rode alongside, hands never straying far from their weapons. Pathetic creatures, so fragile yet so determined.
"How much farther until we reach Somberhold?" one asked.
"Another day's ride, assuming we don't encounter—"
Ragnar flexed his will, and the shadows beneath a nearby cliff edge rippled. A creature stirred from its slumber, sensing its master's command. Enormous and ancient, it had served the Dragon Beast for centuries.
Go. Test them.
The shadow wyrm uncoiled its serpentine body from the darkness, eyes glowing with malevolent purpose as it slithered down the mountainside with impossible speed.
"What was that?" One of the guards stood in his stirrups, squinting into the distance.
Too late.
The shadow wyrm struck with savage precision, erupting from the ground beneath the lead horses. Its massive jaws clamped around the guard captain, armor crumpling like paper as it shook him violently before tossing the broken body aside. Blood sprayed across the carriage windows as the other guards shouted in panic.
Horses screamed, rearing and bolting. The carriage lurched violently as the wyrm's massive tail swept across the path, shattering wheels and splintering wood. The vehicle careened sideways, tumbling off the edge of the path.
Inside, the heroes were thrown against each other. The carriage crashed against the rocky slope, rolling twice before coming to rest on its side.
"Out! Everyone out!" Serenya shouted, kicking at the damaged door until it gave way.
The heroes scrambled from the wreckage, weapons drawn. Around them, the remaining guards fought desperately against the shadow wyrm, their swords barely penetrating its midnight scales.
Ragnar watched, motionless, from his distant perch. These humans thought to challenge him? The broken carriage and screaming guards were merely his greeting.
The true test had only just begun.
As the wyrm finished tearing apart the last guard, its massive head swiveled toward the hero party. Blood dripped from between obsidian scales as its golden eyes narrowed.
"Amusing." The creature's voice rumbled through the ground beneath their feet, each syllable vibrating with ancient malice.
One of the men's face paled. "Did it just speak?"
"Focus, you fools!" Another man hissed, gripping his staff with white knuckles. Magic crackled around his fingertips as he drew power into the wood, conjuring a roaring fireball that illuminated his determined face. "Take this, beast!"
The spell hurled toward the wyrm, but before it could strike, the creature's tail whipped through the air with lightning speed, batting the fireball away as if swatting an insect.
The wyrm's jaws parted, revealing rows of gleaming obsidian teeth. "I guess that's all you have."
The creature coiled its massive body, muscles tensing beneath midnight scales, but before it could spring forward, Serenya became a blur of motion. Her boots skidded across the dirt as she lunged sideways, shoving the staff-wielder clear with her shoulder. Her blade caught the sunlight as she pivoted, her movements flowing like water over stones.
"Water Dragon Stance Two: River Slasher!"
Her sword whistled through the air, a silver streak too fast for untrained eyes to follow. Golden eyes widened as the wyrm twisted, barely deflecting the strike with its armored hide. Its massive tail whipped around, catching Serenya mid-stance and sending her tumbling across the ground.
The creature's tongue flicked over its teeth as it examined the shallow gash along its tail. "Interesting..."
The air around them grew heavy, pressing down like the moments before a storm breaks.
Ragnar felt the disturbance before it manifested. The air crackled with ancient power—his power—as reality bent to his will. From his mountain perch, he severed his connection to the shadow wyrm, leaving the creature momentarily confused.
Enough games, he thought. Let them face me directly.
Darkness pooled beneath the humans' feet, swirling like liquid night. The female warrior—Serenya—had surprised him with her skill, managing to wound his servant. That deserved... acknowledgment.
Ragnar extended his consciousness, feeling the border between shadow and reality weaken. With a thought, he tore it open completely.
The ground beneath the heroes dissolved into a yawning void. Their screams echoed across dimensions as they plummeted through the darkness. Ragnar released his physical form on the mountain, allowing his essence to flow through the shadows, reassembling in the place he had prepared for them.
His ancient colosseum.
Ragnar materialized on a massive obsidian throne, his true form coalescing from darkness. Black fur rippled across his muscular frame as scales hardened along his chest and shoulders. His golden eyes blazed with ancient fire as he watched the humans fall from the void above, landing hard on the arena floor.
The colosseum stretched around them, impossibly vast. Shadow-forged walls rose like mountains, carved with scenes of battles long forgotten by mortal memory. Massive pillars twisted toward a sky that wasn't truly sky—a churning darkness punctuated by flashes of crimson lightning. The structure hummed with power, every stone and shadow an extension of Ragnar himself.
"Welcome," he rumbled, his voice reverberating through the arena. Each word carried weight, bending the air with its force. "You sought the Harbinger of Destruction. Here I am."
Ragnar watched the humans scramble to their feet, disoriented and afraid. Their fear perfumed the air—a scent he had known for centuries. He shifted his massive form, leaning forward on his throne. His clawed hands rested on the armrests, leaving deep scratches in the stone.
The humans stood in a tight cluster, weapons drawn. Their enchanted blades glinted in the unnatural light, crafted specifically to pierce his hide. Ragnar allowed himself a low, rumbling chuckle. How many special weapons had shattered against his scales over the centuries?
His gaze settled on Serenya. The young warrior stood slightly apart from her companions, her posture defiant despite the tremor in her hands. There it was again—that strange luminescence in her energy, a flicker of light that seemed at odds with the shadows surrounding them.
"You think yourselves heroes," Ragnar said, rising to his full height. He towered over them, his wings unfurling like vast sheets of darkness behind him. "You are not the first to enter my domain with dreams of glory. The bones of your predecessors line the paths you traveled."
One of the men stepped forward, brandishing his enchanted sword. "Monster! We've come to end your—"
Ragnar silenced him with a gesture. Shadows surged from the ground, wrapping around the man's throat and lifting him several feet into the air. The human clawed at the darkness, his feet kicking uselessly.
"I did not give you permission to speak," Ragnar said, his voice dangerously soft. He released the man, letting him collapse gasping to the arena floor.
Serenya's eyes blazed with defiance as she raised her blade. "We're not afraid of you."
"Then you are fools," Ragnar replied, baring his fangs in what might have been a smile. "But entertaining ones."