2025-08-16 19:21:39Blaze was lying down inside a large tent, the hunting party had arrived at a safe point where they always used for shelter during the hunting trip.
Blaze raised his left hand to look at the Nine-headed dragon mark.
"The Dragon mark hasn't glowed since that time. What could possibly be the trigger?"
Blaze remembered the buff he got when the mark glowed, how strong he got and how good it felt. "Is that how an awakened feels?"
Blaze was from a world different to this one, it lacked supernatural aspects and as such, he had never experienced anything like this even in both worlds.
"If I want to have any hopes at surviving in this world, I must find a way to harness the power of the mark. But how?"
He thought about what had happened when the mark glowed before.
"I was exhausted, barely able to breath but most especially, I was desperate and determine to catch up with the hunting party."
Could it be that the mark is tied directly to Blaze' will?
The night felt long for Blaze. He couldn't stop thinking about unlocking the power of the Nine-headed Dragon mark.
He couldn't sleep, tossing and turning, trying to figure out how to wake it up. He whispered to himself, "I have to Awaken during this trip."
As the sun started to rise, the hunting party got ready to keep going.
Blaze had a newfound determination to unlock the full secrets of the Mark. Standing with his friends, he felt a strong sense of purpose.
"Alright let's do this thing!" His voice rang out, filled with a strong feeling that echoed deep inside him, his arms raised skyward in a gesture of defiance against the unknown.
However, his passionate call was ignored by the other hunters who were busy with their own tasks. Only Adrian, briefly looked at Blaze before hitting his temple with an arrow.
"Ouch," Blaze winced, rubbing the sore spot on his head.
"Save that enthusiasm for when it's needed," Adrian admonished.
"Yes, sir," Blaze replied, his earlier excitement was replaced with a pout.
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shattered the serene tranquility of the morning, sending a shiver down Blaze's spine.
Instinctively, he turned to Adrian, his eyes wide with fear as he sought answers.
"What was that?" he inquired, his voice barely above a whisper, betraying his apprehension.
Adrian's expression darkened, a somber gravity settling over his features as he uttered the ominous words, "The worst possible scenario."
Before Blaze could process the implications of Adrian's words, Prowler interjected, his voice tinged with urgency.
"It's the Garuda," he declared with a frightened tone.
The Garuda was a powerful creature that held dominion over the forest. It's might was nothing to laugh about, it's feared even by Stigma warriors.
"That can't be right," Adrian interjected, his brow furrowed in disbelief. "The Garuda should be in hibernation at this time of year. What could have possibly awakened it?"
"Does it matter?" Prowler's voice cut through the air with a sense of urgency, his eyes scanning the surrounding terrain for any signs of movement. "We need to act swiftly."
Yet, despite their attempts to regroup and press onward, the beast's primal roars reverberated through the forest once more, each deafening cry serving as a grim reminder of the impending danger.
"It's drawing nearer!" Prowler's words carried a note of alarm as he braced himself for the imminent confrontation.
Adrian's hand instinctively tightened around the grip of his bow, his gaze fixed on the canopy above as he prepared for the inevitable clash.
"No," he murmured, his voice barely audible above the cacophony of the forest. "It's already upon us. Brace yourselves."
As if on cue, a shadow descended upon the hunting party, casting them into a state of apprehensive silence.
With bated breath, they lifted their eyes skyward, only to behold a monstrous sight—a colossal lion adorned with the majestic wings and fierce visage of an eagle.
Blaze felt a chill run down his spine as he clutched his dagger tightly, his hands trembling in anticipation of the looming confrontation with the legendary Garuda.
"Men! Ready yourselves!" Prowler rallied the hunting party as the beast swooped down. It used its talon to claw away through the hunting party.
Blaze widened his eyes. "It took... Out half of the party with a single attack."
Blaze watched in horror as the Garuda soared through the sky swooping down for another attack. This time only Blaze, Adrian and Prowler were left standing.
They looked up to see the beast readying it's final attack.
" Am I going to die? Like this?" Blaze plopped to his knees losing his will.
Adrian with his great dexterity took a fraction of a second to load an arrow. Taking aim, he chanted, "Blazing Shot."
The Arrow became engulfed in flames as he took a shot at the winged beast making it stumble back a bit.
"Get back useless lad!" Prowler yelled at Blaze before unsheathing his sword, "Dawn Slash." He yelled sending a powerful slash wave at the stunned beast.
The two Stigma warriors launched a flurry of their ranged attacks repeatedly. After a while, they stopped attacking. As the dust settles, the Garuda was shown standing tall completely unfazed.
"Cawwww!"
It let out another massive roar before flapping it's wings sending slash waves of it's own. The wind scythes cut through the two warriors knocking them out.
"Adrian!"
Adrian had more cuts on his body as he had shielded Blaze from the attacks. He watched his benefactor nearly lifeless covered with dozens of large cuts.
Blaze balled his fist as he raises his head to face the beast.
"You'll pay for that." He declared with his voice dropping with rage. The Mark on his left arm began to glow as this time, a purplish Stigma Energy engulfed him.
The Garuda flew up once again ready to make its final swoop. Blaze was no longer afraid, he could feel the energy coursing through him. He took a deep breath and waited for the beast.
"Come at me!"
The beast swoops down with it's talons aimed at Blaze. Blaze timed the attack perfectly as he landed a powerful punch that sent shockwaves strong enough to blow the leaves away from the trees.
"Huff, huff."
Adrian and Prowler who were still conscious couldn't believe their eyes.
"One hit..." Prowler muttered wi
th disbelief. "He knocked out the Legendary Garuda with a single hit."
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Embers of the Fallen
The silence after the collapse was worse than the roar.It stretched on, heavy, aching, endless. Only the distant crumble of stone broke it, echoing like a dying heartbeat through the fractured vaults of Lundar.Blaze sat against the cold wall, his breath ragged. Dust and ash clung to his skin, sweat streaking through the soot. Every muscle screamed. Every pulse of his heart throbbed against the Stigma’s mark, flickering between molten gold and dying red.He could still hear Hydra’s last words—Forgive me, Regal… the fire was never meant to be yours.They repeated in his mind, again and again, like a curse that refused to fade.Grim crouched nearby, binding a gash along his arm, his face set in grim silence. Valor paced back and forth, armor dented, eyes burning with restless fury. Keith lay unconscious on a cot of scavenged cloth, his breathing shallow, his fingers twitching with the faint pulse of residual magic.The air reeked of scorched stone and iron. The heat still radiated from
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The first tremor hit just before dawn.It was faint at first, a low, pulsing vibration that rippled through the stone foundations of the guild keep. But within moments, the quiet tremor deepened into a growl. Chandeliers swayed. Maps fluttered from their pegs. Soldiers jolted awake, reaching for weapons before they even knew why.In the tower’s highest chamber, Grim’s eyes snapped open.The old general had been half asleep at his desk, a cup of untouched wine beside scattered reports. He froze, listening. The rumble was coming from below — far below. Not from the streets or outer walls, but the roots of the city itself.He was on his feet before the second tremor hit.A single streak of red light flashed through the window — faint, but wrong. It wasn’t fire. It wasn’t aura. It was something older.“Hydra.” Grim’s voice was a growl.The great serpent materialized before him in a ripple of golden mist, his eyes burning like miniature suns. The air seemed to bow beneath his presence.“Yo
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The rain had stopped hours ago, but the city still smelled of it—iron, smoke, and wet stone. In the high wards, torchlight shimmered faintly across puddles, casting golden veins through the darkness. Somewhere distant, a bell tolled once, hollow and cold.Most of Lundar slept uneasily that night. Some prayed. Others sharpened their blades in silence. All waited for dawn that might not come.But Blaze didn’t wait for dawn.He walked alone through the lower corridors of the keep, his steps echoing faintly against walls blackened by fire. His aura flickered around him in a dim glow, faint enough not to draw attention, bright enough to chase away the dark.The mark beneath his skin pulsed again—slow, deep, like a heartbeat that wasn’t his own. It tugged him downward. Toward the tunnels. Toward something ancient that whispered his name in a voice that didn’t belong to anyone living.He’d told no one where he was going. Grim would’ve called it reckless. Valor would’ve insisted on sending gu
The Fire Beneath the Throne
The ruins of the archives still smoked when the council gathered again.The flames had been extinguished, but the air reeked of burned parchment and charred stone. Every step through the lower halls crunched on shards of glass and fragments of what once held the kingdom’s history. Now it was all ash—pages, records, seals—everything that tethered truth to fact, gone.Hydra’s spectral coils filled the chamber, his golden eyes reflecting off the soot-stained walls like molten suns. The serpent god’s patience, usually calm and ancient, was frayed. Valor stood nearby, armor scorched, his hands balled into fists. Grim leaned against a collapsed pillar, his expression sharp as broken glass.Around them, the other council members had gathered—envoys, generals, and emissaries from the allied clans. Their voices collided like storm winds.“This is an act of war!” one shouted.“War? It’s treason!” another spat. “Someone from inside gave them access!”“They used our own seals!”“They were disguis
The Siege Within
The dawn came late to Lundar.A gray light seeped through the cracks of smoke that still veiled the city, spilling over rooftops and broken towers like a tired sigh. The storm had passed, but peace did not follow. There was something unnatural in the silence—a watchful tension that clung to the air. The people moved through the streets quietly, speaking in hushed tones, as if afraid the ruins themselves might be listening.Inside the guild keep, the council’s halls were far from calm. Patrols doubled their rounds. Every corridor shimmered faintly with wards etched overnight by trembling mages. The smell of iron and incense filled the air, an uneasy marriage of ritual and readiness.No one trusted anyone completely—not after the whispers, not after the assassins.Blaze hadn’t slept. He stood at the eastern parapet, eyes fixed on the horizon where the faint outlines of the Ebon Sovereignty’s warships lingered like shadows. They hadn’t attacked again. Not yet. But that was the trick of i
The Tower of Smoke
The first blast ripped through the sleeping city like thunder.Stone dust filled the corridors as Blaze sprinted through the inner keep, the sound of alarms echoing from every direction. Flames licked at the far end of the passage, painting the walls red. Valor ran beside him, armor half-buckled, his greatsword already drawn. Grim followed close, two knives glinting in each hand.“The envoy tower!” Valor shouted over the roar. “They’ve hit the second level!”Blaze didn’t answer. The floor trembled beneath their boots. Another explosion boomed above them, scattering fragments of glass and banners. Shouts rose from the courtyards—orders, panic, the clash of steel.They burst through the archway leading into the outer court. The air was thick with ash and rain. The envoy tower loomed ahead, one side wreathed in smoke, its upper balconies aflame. Guards swarmed the base, forming fire lines while mages tried to raise wards against the spreading fire.Hydra’s colossal form coiled above the
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