The Heir Of The Last Dragon

4. Cold Among the Shadows

"Ethan!"

The air around the river suddenly froze. It was not the ordinary cold brought by the night wind, but a hollow cold, as if the creature emerging from the fog was sucking all the life around it. The 'Soul Hunter' stood tall; its black cloak did not flutter even though the wind blew hard—the cloak seemed to be made of dense smoke that refused to submit to nature.

"Ethan, get back!" Bryan shouted while pulling Mr. Eldravar's body deeper into the alcove of the cave.

Ethan did not retreat. His feet felt as if they were planted in the ground, which was now beginning to be covered by a thin layer of frost. Rion, perched on his shoulder, let out a growl that vibrated violently. Ethan could feel the small dragon's fear, but beneath that fear, there was a primal anger beginning to boil.

"Do not use your emotions, Boy. Use his instincts," Kaelen's voice came from somewhere behind the darkness, calm yet sharp.

The 'Soul Hunter' moved its hand. The iron chain it held clinked loudly, its sharp tip darting toward Ethan's neck as fast as lightning.

Ethan ducked. His movements were now much more agile than they had been a few hours ago. He could feel Rion's energy flowing into the muscles of his legs, providing an irrational explosive power. As he rose, his rusted sword was already ablaze with a roaring blue fire.

"You dare disturb my family's rest?" Ethan hissed. His voice sounded doubled, as if there were a dragon's voice echoing behind his vocal cords.

He charged forward. His sword clashed with the creature's iron chain. Sparks of blue fire and sparks of deep black exploded in the air. Every time their metals touched, Ethan felt a sting of pain in his chest. Rion shrieked in pain on his shoulder.

*This synchronization is like a double-edged sword,* Ethan thought. He realized that every attack parried by his weapon also placed an extraordinary mental burden on Rion.

The creature made no sound. It continued to swing its chain in an irregular pattern, aiming for Ethan's vital points. Ethan had to fight very tactically. He could not rely solely on pure strength because every physical collision drained Rion's energy drastically.

Ethan began to observe the opponent's movements. The creature did not truly step on the ground. It seemed to float above the fog. Ethan closed his eyes for a moment, letting his golden vision take over. Within his inner darkness, he saw lines of dark energy connecting the creature to an object behind its cloak, a small silver box.

"There it is," Ethan thought. "The artifact."

Ethan pretended to lose his balance as the chain snatched at his legs. As the creature pulled its chain for a finishing strike, Ethan instead leaped forward, allowing his right shoulder to be grazed by the chain for the sake of getting close.

"Argh!" an extraordinary stinging pain hit him, but Ethan did not stop.

He spun his sword, not to slash the creature's neck, but to cut the leather belt that bound the silver box to the Soul Hunter's waist.

The silver box fell onto the river moss.

The creature let out a heart-wrenching scream, a sound that did not come from a throat, but from a tormented soul. The red light in its eye holes dimmed. Its smoke-like body began to dissipate in the wind. Before the creature completely vanished, it managed to grab Ethan's arm, leaving a cold, black burn scar.

Ethan fell to his knees, his breath coming in gasps. The blue fire on his sword died out. Rion fell from his shoulder, panting on the ground.

"Good," Kaelen emerged from the shadows of the trees, walking casually as if he had just watched a performance. He picked up the silver box. "You have enough courage to be called a dragon rider, even though your technique is still a mess."

"The antidote ... give it now," Ethan said in a threatening tone, his hand still clutching the arm that was burned cold.

"Patience, Boy. The antidote for shadow poison does not come in the form of liquid inside a bottle. We must take him to the sacred spring in the heart of this valley," Kaelen pointed toward the north. "But we have a new problem. The blood you spilled earlier has invited something hungrier than the king's trackers."

Suddenly, the sound of rhythmic footsteps was heard from upriver. Not the galloping of horses, but the steps of heavy yet graceful boots.

Ethan immediately prepared himself again, though his body felt weak. From behind the thick fog, two female figures appeared. One wore light armor of dull silver with a deep blue cloak covering half of her face. She held a slender sword of very elegant design, Isyra Nyxaris. Beside her was a younger woman with a short bow ready in hand, Nayana.

"Who are you?" Bryan stepped in front of Ethan, his dagger drawn.

Isyra did not answer with words. She looked toward Rion, who lay weak, and then toward Ethan, whose eyes still glowed gold. She lowered her sword slowly.

"The last dragon is real," Isyra whispered. Her voice was calm, mysterious, yet possessed an authority that could not be disputed. "And you ... are you the protector chosen by destiny?"

"We do not need followers or worshipers," Ethan said coldly. "Get out of here."

Isyra stepped forward, ignoring Ethan's warning. She knelt beside Mr. Eldravar, who was still lying in the cave. Nayana tried to stop her, but Isyra shook her head. She placed her hand on the old man's forehead.

"He is struck by shadow poison. If you take him further without magical protection, the poison will reach his heart before the sun rises," Isyra said. She pulled out a green gemstone necklace from beneath her cloak and placed it on Mr. Eldravar's chest. A soft green glow began to envelop the old man's body, stabilizing his breathing.

Ethan was stunned.

"Why are you helping us?"

Isyra stood back up, staring deep into Ethan's eyes.

"Because our enemy is the same. King Axandra has not only destroyed Lumireth; he has destroyed the hope of every clan that ever made a promise to the dragons. My name is Isyra, and I know the way to that valley better than anyone in this forest."

Kaelen snorted behind them.

"A princess in the middle of Valtherion forest? The world truly has gone mad."

"Princess or not, she knows how to soothe that poison," Ethan interrupted.

Ethan looked at Bryan, then back to Isyra. He did not easily trust strangers, but seeing his father could breathe more easily, he knew he needed this woman's help.

"How long can that necklace hold the poison?" Ethan asked.

"Twelve hours. No more," Isyra answered. "We must move now. Axandra's troops are combing this river from the east. We will take the underground path beneath the roots of the Eldertree."

Bryan approached Ethan, whispering softly.

"She is too calm for someone meeting a dragon, Ethan. Be careful."

"I know," Ethan replied in a low voice. He picked up Rion and placed him back beneath his cloak. Rion chirped softly, as if signaling that he sensed something strange from Isyra, but not an immediate threat.

The small group began to move through the increasingly dark forest. Isyra led at the front with Kaelen, while Ethan and Bryan stayed behind guarding his father.

The journey was silent. Ethan occasionally glanced toward Isyra. Her movements while walking were very efficient; there was no sound of snapping twigs beneath her feet. She fought with strategy, not pure strength, something that was a sharp contrast to Ethan's impulsive way of fighting.

"Did you see that artifact?" asked Nayana, Isyra's servant, trying to break the silence while walking beside Bryan.

"The silver box? Yes, Ethan just risked his life for it," Bryan replied curtly.

"It is a key," Nayana murmured. "But a key is only useful if the door is still standing."

Ethan kept walking, feeling the cold burn on his arm beginning to throb. Every time the pain struck, he felt Rion shift beneath his cloak, trying to provide a small warmth to soothe the pain.

They had just entered an area where the trees began to look larger and more ancient, with giant roots protruding from the ground like the backs of frozen dragons. It was here that Ethan began to realize that this journey was not just about escaping, but about reassembling the pieces of a past long buried by darkness.

"Stop," Isyra suddenly raised her hand.

In front of them stood a giant tree whose trunk appeared as if it were made of stone. In the middle of its trunk, there was a large hole emitting a purplish glow.

"Welcome to the underground gate of Valtherion," Isyra said. "From here, there is no turning back. Are you ready, Ethan Eldravar?"

Ethan looked at Rion, then at his father who was still unconscious. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly.

"This path was already taken the moment that egg hatched," Ethan answered firmly. "Lead on."

They then stepped into the deeper darkness, leaving behind the outside world that was now completely ruled by the shadows of Axandra.