Archivist Of The Fallen Dragon Empire

The Last Breath

Dust danced in the pale moonlight that filtered through the high windows of the grand archive. Luca Romano coughed. The sound echoed in the silent room. He pressed a hand to his chest. His heart beat with a frantic rhythm. It felt wrong. It felt weak.

For a thousand years he had slept. He had been the Dragon Sovereign. He had possessed strength that could shatter mountains. He had breathed fire that could melt the sky. Now he was just Luca. He was a lowly archivist with a fragile body that threatened to break with every single step.

He leaned against a towering bookshelf for support. The rough wood scraped against his thin skin. He needed to find something to stabilize his core. If he tried to summon even a spark of his old magic his current veins would burst. He would die before he even had a chance to face his enemy.

Dominic Kane. The name tasted like poison on his tongue. Dominic was the liar who now sat on a golden throne. Dominic called himself a god.

Luca took a deep breath and forced himself to walk down the narrow aisle. The archive was a maze of forgotten history. Thousands of scrolls and books lined the walls. Most of them contained lies written by Dominic. But Luca knew the truth. He had lived it.

He pulled a heavy leather bound book from the bottom shelf. The title was faded but he could read the ancient runes. It was a text on mortal alchemy. He needed to brew an elixir. He needed to turn this frail human shell into a vessel capable of holding a dragon soul.

Footsteps echoed from the corridor outside. Heavy boots struck the stone floor with military precision. Luca froze. He knew that terrifying sound.

Kaelen Draven was patrolling the halls. Kaelen was the chief inquisitor of the academy. He was a ruthless man who hunted anyone with a trace of ancient magic. He was a hound who served the false god.

Luca held his breath. He pressed himself into the shadows between two massive shelves. The thick scent of old paper and dust filled his nose. He fought the urge to cough again. A single sound would mean death.

The heavy wooden door to the archive creaked open. The light from a magical lantern spilled into the room. It cast long dark shadows across the floor.

"Is someone in here?" Kaelen demanded. His voice was cold and sharp.

Luca did not move. He clutched the alchemy book tight against his chest. His human heart hammered against his ribs. He closed his eyes and tried to calm his pulse. He had faced armies of demons in his past life. Now he was hiding from a mortal man in a dusty room.

Kaelen stepped further into the archive. His boots clicked on the stone. "I know you are here. I can smell the fear."

Luca remained silent. He focused his mind. He reached deep inside his soul to the tiny spark of sovereign magic that remained. He could not use it to fight. But perhaps he could use it to hide.

He wrapped the tiny spark around his presence. It was a dangerous gamble. If he used too much magic Kaelen would sense it. If he used too little Kaelen would find him.

The footsteps drew closer. Kaelen was walking down the main aisle. He was checking the shadows with his lantern. The light swept past the gap where Luca stood.

"Come out," Kaelen said. "Do not make me hunt you down like a rat."

Luca kept his eyes closed. He willed his breathing to slow down. He became one with the shadows. He became a forgotten relic in a forgotten room.

The footsteps stopped. Kaelen was standing right in front of the aisle where Luca was hiding. The light from the lantern illuminated the dust particles in the air.

Luca waited for the inevitable. He waited for Kaelen to turn and see him. He waited for the cold steel of the inquisitor blade.

But the light moved away. Kaelen turned and walked towards the other side of the archive. He muttered something under his breath and continued his patrol.

Luca let out a slow breath. He slumped against the bookshelf. He was safe for now. But he knew he could not hide forever. He needed to get stronger. He needed to forge his new dragon core.

He opened the alchemy book and scanned the pages. He needed three ingredients to brew the elixir. He needed moonflower root. He needed the blood of a shadow beast. And he needed a scale from a true dragon.

The first two ingredients would be difficult to find. But the third ingredient was impossible. True dragons were extinct. Dominic Kane had made sure of that.

Luca closed the book. A grim smile touched his lips. True dragons were not extinct. One of them was standing right here in the archive.

He just needed to find a way to extract a scale from his own soul without tearing his mortal body apart. It was a puzzle he had to solve before dawn.

Suddenly a loud crash echoed from the courtyard outside. The sound of breaking glass and screaming followed quickly.

Luca rushed to the window and looked out. The courtyard was bathed in harsh light. Several inquisitors were dragging a young student across the cobblestones. The student was crying and begging for mercy. Kaelen Draven stood in the center of the courtyard. He held a glowing blade in his hand.

"You have been found guilty of harboring forbidden magic," Kaelen announced. His voice boomed across the courtyard.

Luca watched in horror. The student was just a boy. He had no trace of dragon blood in him. He was just a scapegoat. Kaelen raised his blade high. The magic flared brighter.

Luca gripped the windowsill. His knuckles turned white. The spark of sovereign magic inside him flared with anger. The urge to intervene was overwhelming. He knew he would die if he stepped outside. But he was the Dragon Sovereign. He was supposed to protect the innocent.

Kaelen brought the blade down.

Luca made his choice. He turned away from the window and ran towards the archive door. He was a weak human now but he refused to act like a coward. He pushed the heavy wooden doors open and stepped into the corridor. He ran towards the stairs that led to the courtyard.

He burst through the main exit and stepped out into the cold night air. The inquisitors turned to look at him in surprise.

Kaelen Draven stopped his blade just inches above the boy. He stared at Luca with narrowed eyes.

"Who are you?" Kaelen demanded.

Luca stood tall. He ignored the trembling of his weak legs. He looked Kaelen straight in the eye.

"Let him go," Luca said. His voice was surprisingly steady.

Kaelen laughed. It was a cruel and mocking sound. "And why should I listen to a pathetic bookworm?"

Luca did not answer. He stepped forward. The tiny spark of sovereign magic inside him began to glow. It was a dangerous gamble but he had no other choice. He felt the power rising in his blood. He felt the heat of ancient fire.

Then a sharp pain pierced his chest. He gasped and stumbled forward. He looked down and saw a crimson stain spreading across his shirt. He had been stabbed from behind.

He fell to his knees. The cobblestones were cold against his skin. He looked up and saw a familiar face standing over him.

It was Amelia Hart. She held a bloodied dagger in her hand. Her eyes were cold and empty.

"I am sorry Luca," she whispered into the night wind. "But the false god demands a sacrifice."