The morning sun filtered weakly through a mist-choked forest.
Dew clung to every leaf like shards of crystal. A cool breeze carried the scent of moss and wild mushrooms, mingling with the faint acrid tang of shadowflame.
Ryujin crouched low beside a stream, washing soot from his hands.
His reflection in the rippling water looked nothing like the disgraced noble who had been thrown out of Drakenshire Academy. The faint crimson glyphs that branded his arms pulsed softly, like embers refusing to die.
Behind him, Nox lounged atop a mossy boulder, obsidian scales glinting in morning light, molten-gold eyes lazily scanning the forest.
It had been days since the ambush.
Since then, Ryujin had learned quickly that bonding with a dragon didn't make survival effortless. Every step forward required blood and grit.
Ryujin tossed another stick into the small firepit, noting how the smoke curled unnaturally. "Shadowflame," he muttered, turning to Nox. "That's what you breathe… but it's wild, unstable".
The drake huffed, exhaling a small plume of blackened flame that scorched the dirt.
"Good," Ryujin said, gripping a crude spear he had carved. "Again".
This was their new routine. In the mornings, Ryujin would practice moving with Nox, learning to anticipate its movements.
In the afternoons, they hunted smaller predators; not for food alone, but to train the bond. With every battle, Ryujin could feel his instincts sharpening, his control over Nox's aggression improving.
System messages occasionally flashed before his eyes.
~----~
[Progress Toward Rank E: 23%]
[Dragon Mastery Increased: 12% - 19%]
~----~
It wasn't much, but it was a start.
That morning, a particular vicious boar had charged them. In the past, Ryujin might have panicked, but now he moved with purpose.
Nox's tail whipped low, sweeping the boar off its feet, while Ryujin lunged forward, spear plunging deep into its exposed flank. It wasn't just brute force; it was coordination, a dance of instinct and intent.
Later, by the stream, Ryujin whispered, "Drakarys… if every dragon pushed my soul this hard, how will I ever reach Elder or Primordial?"
A faint echo stirred, distant but clear.
"You do not rise to power… you are tempered in it. Let the struggle shape you, as molten iron becomes a blade".
Ryujin clenched his fists, resolve hardening. "Then forge me in fire".
…
While Ryujin trained in the wild…
Far away, beneath the emerald banners of House Jormungandr, Valtheris prepared for the hunt.
The master assassin knelt in a dim chamber lined with serpent skins and shadow-dipped blades. Assistants clad in scaled leather affixed segmented armor to his frame, each piece whispering as it locked into place.
He examined a blackened dagger shaped like a serpent's fang. "The boy bonded with a drake," Valtheris said, voice calm and smooth. "That alone proves danger".
An aide bowed. "Lord Halveth demands his death be absolute. Should we ready the wyrm nets?"
Valtheris nodded. "Bring them. If the boy's dragon is as fierce as the rumors, conventional shackles won't hold".
When preparations were complete, Valtheris emerged into moonlight, his cloak rippling like liquid shadow. A carriage drawn by twin scale wolves awaited. Mounted serpent scouts rode ahead, each carrying venom-laced harpoons.
Valtheris whispered a command, and a slender wyvern swooped down from the estate's tower, landing beside him.
Its eyes burned with cold hunger.
He mounted with effortless graze, gazing toward the distant wilderness. "Ryujin Jormungandr…" His voice carried like a venomous promise. "Blood calls to blood. You cannot hide from shadow".
With a beat of its wings, the wyvern launched into the night sky, Valtheris and his entourage disappearing into the stars.
…
Days later, as Ryujin finished setting up camp in the high cliffs north of Drakenshire, Nox's ears twitched.
The drake let out a low, guttural growl, molten eyes scanning the treeline.
Ryujin froze, every instinct screaming as he whispered. "What is it?"
Nox's claws dug into the dirt, shadowflame flickering from its nostrils.
At that same moment, far off in the forest below, Valtheris stood atop a wyvern saddle, emerald eyes glowing faintly beneath his serpent mask.
He surveyed the mountain ridges where Ryujin hid, a faint crimson glimmer visible even from this distance, the unmistakable aura of the Eternal Dragon Legacy that the records spoke of.
Valtheris' voice cut the wind like a knife. "He's here".
…
Night fell.
Ryujin stared into the fire, unaware of just how close danger loomed. He had survived exile, humiliation, and bonded the impossible… but now, something colder than death stalked him.
The forest seemed to still as a lone serpent scout crawled silently up the Cliffside, emerald-fletched harpoon glinting under moonlight.
Nox lifted its head suddenly, letting out a low, warning rumble.
Ryujin's eyes narrowed. "We're not alone…"
The first shadow of the assassin's hunt had finally reached him.