The Heir Of The Last Dragon

3. Breath Behind the Fog

The Valtherion forest was no place for those who hesitated. Here, the trees grew so densely that their canopy swallowed the moonlight, leaving behind a thick darkness that could only be pierced by sharp senses. Ethan walked at the very front, cutting through the thorny thickets with his rusted sword. Behind him, Bryan panted heavily, still carrying the helpless body of Mr. Eldravar.

The wound on Ethan's shoulder had indeed closed thanks to Rion's healing ability, but an overwhelming exhaustion had begun to gnaw at his muscles. Every step felt like dragging a leaden weight. However, every time he felt like stopping, Rion's heartbeat, radiating through his chest, seemed to provide him with a fresh injection of energy.

"Ethan, stop for a moment," Bryan whispered in a hoarse voice. He leaned Mr. Eldravar's body against a damp, fallen tree trunk. "We have been walking for hours. Your father needs rest, and I ... I need oxygen."

Ethan stopped, wiping the cold sweat that poured into his eyes. He turned toward his uncle. Bryan, who usually appeared invincible, now looked haggard. His leather armor was torn in several places, and his face was covered in soot left over from the fire in Lumireth.

"We are not far enough yet, Bryan," Ethan said, his voice sounding hollow. "Axandra's troops have shadow trackers. If we stop for too long on a predictable path, they will find us before dawn."

"I know, but look at him," Bryan pointed toward Mr. Eldravar. The old man was taking short breaths, his face deathly pale in the dimness of the forest. "He will not survive if we keep forcing him to move in this condition. We need clean water and a more sheltered place."

Ethan approached his father, kneeling on the ground which was wet with dew. He touched his father's forehead. It was hot. His fever had risen drastically after the shock of the escape earlier. Ethan felt a sharp throb of despair in his heart. Beneath his cloak, Rion moved restlessly, as if sensing the storm of emotions raging inside Ethan.

"There is a small stream about two hundred meters to the west," Ethan suddenly murmured.

Bryan furrowed his brow.

"How do you know? We cannot even see the tips of our own shoes in this darkness."

Ethan fell silent for a moment. He himself was confused. He did not see the stream with his eyes, but he could hear it --not the sound of flowing water, but a low-frequency vibration that could only be felt by senses that had just awakened.

"I feel it. Come with me," Ethan answered shortly. He helped Bryan support his father once again.

They moved slowly through the fog that was beginning to descend. The Valtherion forest seemed to have a life of its own; the sound of snapping twigs in the distance or the growl of an unseen wild animal made the atmosphere even more terrifying. Ethan remained alert, his sword always ready in front of his chest. Rion began to poke his small head out from beneath Ethan's cloak, his golden eyes glinting in the dark, scanning every movement behind the bushes.

Sure enough, after pushing through a row of giant ferns, they found a stream of clear water flowing between the crevices of mossy rocks. Bryan sighed in relief. He immediately laid Mr. Eldravar down in a small cave hidden behind a curtain of hanging roots.

"You have truly changed, Ethan," Bryan said while washing his face with the cold river water. "It is as if you have a compass inside your head."

"It is not me, Bryan. It is him," Ethan stroked Rion's head, which was now perched on his shoulder. Rion let out a low chirping sound, his tail wrapping protectively around Ethan's neck.

Ethan then sat at the riverbank, trying to clean the remains of dried blood from his clothes. As he stared at his reflection in the water's surface, he was stunned. His eyes, which were usually a dull brown, now possessed a thin golden glow at the edges of the pupils.

"Something is happening to me," Ethan muttered. "The pain, the hearing, even the way I see, everything is becoming different."

"That is because you are no longer merely human, Ethan," Bryan sat beside him, offering a piece of dry bread left in his pouch. "You are a vessel. Rion chose you for a reason. But remember, great power always comes at a high price. You saw earlier? He was wounded when you were wounded. If you die, this last dragon will die as well."

Ethan nodded slowly. He tore the bread and tried to give it to Rion, but the dragon turned his face away. Rion instead stared toward the forest with a hungry look.

"He does not want bread," Ethan said. "He needs something else."

Suddenly, Rion jumped from Ethan's shoulder and ran quickly toward a large boulder near the stream. Ethan immediately stood up and followed him. In a crevice of the rock, there was a glowing blue mushroom that emitted a faint magical aroma. Rion greedily ate the mushroom.

"He needs magical energy," Ethan concluded. "This forest is full of the remains of ancient energy. That is why he wants us to go deeper."

However, their peace did not last long. Rion suddenly stopped eating. His body tensed, the scales on his back standing rigid. He let out a low growl that Ethan had never heard before a warning of danger.

Ethan immediately drew his sword. "Bryan! Father!"

Bryan, who was checking Mr. Eldravar's condition, stood up instantly, his dagger ready in hand.

"What is it?"

"Something is watching us," Ethan whispered. His eyes scanned the darkness across the river.

The fog in the forest seemed to freeze. The sound of night insects that had been noisy suddenly went silent. Ethan could feel a heartbeat that did not belong to them, something large, moving very smoothly among the trees.

A shadow flashed quickly behind the fog.

"Show yourself!" Ethan shouted, his voice echoing between the stone walls.

From out of the darkness, a figure appeared, a man in tattered all-black clothing. His face was half-covered by a cloth, but his sharp eyes stared at Ethan with intense interest. The man did not carry a sword, but rather a longbow made of black wood that looked very ancient.

"The boy who carries the weight of the world beneath his cloak," the man's voice was heavy and dry, like the rubbing of stones.

"Who are you? One of Axandra's trackers?" Bryan growled, preparing to strike.

The man chuckled softly, an unpleasant sound.

"If I were Axandra's tracker, your heads would have been hanging from the watchtower an hour ago. I am a shadow unwanted by the king, just like you."

The man stepped forward into the dim light. He lowered his bow.

"My name is Kaelen. I have been observing you since you crossed the Lumireth border. That dragon —he is very hungry, is he not?"

Ethan did not lower his guard.

"What do you want?"

"I want you to stay alive," Kaelen answered calmly. "King Axandra has sent the 'Soul Hunters,' a force that cannot die by your rusted sword alone. They can smell the scent of that dragon's fear from miles away."

Kaelen approached Mr. Eldravar, his eyes looking at the wound on the old man's shoulder.

"Your father was struck by shadow poison from the soldiers' armor earlier. If you do not find the antidote within three days, he will turn into one of them, Axandra's soulless army."

Ethan felt his world crumbling.

"Is there an antidote?"

"Only in the heart of the Valtherion Valley. But you will never reach it without the help of a tracker who knows the shortcuts," Kaelen stared into Ethan's glowing gold eyes. "I will help you, but not for free."

"What is the price?" Ethan asked quickly.

"I want you to kill one of the 'Soul Hunters' who is stalking me. He carries an artifact stolen from the dragon rider clan of the past. Return that to me, and I will lead you to the heart of the valley."

Ethan looked toward his father, then toward Rion, who had now returned to his arms. He had no other choice. His father's time was running out, and this escape had only just begun.

"Okay," Ethan said with a new, cold tone. "Tell me where he is."

Kaelen smiled behind his face covering.

"He is right behind you."

Instantly, an explosion of dark energy appeared from the bushes behind Ethan. A tall, thin figure with a flowing black cloak emerged from behind the fog. Its face was not visible; there were only two eye holes emitting a dim red light. Its long hands held an iron chain stained with blood.

"Ethan, watch out!" Bryan screamed.

Ethan did not wait. He felt an incredible surge of adrenaline. Rion shrieked loudly, and in an instant, Ethan's sword was enveloped by a blazing blue fire, illuminating the darkness of the Valtherion forest.

The true fight for life and death had only just begun.