Chapter 97: Bound By Blood

    Arkanos didn''t flinch.

    Raising his free hand slowly, he signaled to his knights to lower their weapons.

    "I seek an artifact he took with him to his grave."

    A deep rumble followed the silence.

    Then the voice spoke again, this time colder... more demanding.

    "Artifacts of the past are buried for a reason, heir of Bloodbane. To take what is lost is to unearth what should remain forgotten. What will you sacrifice to claim it?"

    Arkanos fixed his gaze ahead, as if certain the beast approached directly toward him.

    "Sacrifice? That is the burden of every emperor. The past may rest in silence, but silence does not erase its grip over those who live in the present. I have not come to desecrate—I have come to claim what is mine by right. Whatever price must be paid, I will bear it."

    The knights tensed as the air grew heavy... with a strange, unseen force. The stone beneath them trembled, sending small clouds of dust cascading from the ancient carvings.

    Then came the sound of something massive shifting in the darkness beyond.

    A presence emerged.

    A pair of glowing red eyes pierced the darkness, staring directly at them. The light from their torches barely illuminated its body at first, only catching glimpses of blackened scales that shimmered like polished obsidian.

    Then, with slow, heavy steps, the creature stepped into the light.

    It was enormous.

    A dragon.

    The wings, though folded, cast shadows that stretched across the chamber, and its tail, long and jagged, curled around a pile of broken stone. Its fangs, each as long as a knight''s sword, gleamed in the dim torchlight.

    But it was the eyes—those burning crimson eyes—that held them frozen.

    The dragon''s voice rumbled through the chamber, more than a sound—an earthquake in the soul.

    "The Bloodbane heir comes to claim the past. But does he understand the weight of what he seeks?"

    Arkanos did not respond immediately, instead narrowing his gaze.

    ''Appraisal.''

    At once, a translucent green window appeared before his vision.

    ?═════════════════?

    Name: ???

    Title: Guardian of the Bloodbane Tomb, Keeper of the Forgotten Oath

    Class: Primordial Warden

    Level: ??? Max. ?One Fable away from godhood - promotion quest in progress.?

    Rank: Demi-God

    Alignment: Bound to the Bloodbane Bloodline

    Race: Royal true Dragon

    Elemental Affinity: Death, Shadow, Infernal Flame

    Stats:

    Strength: ???

    Agility: ???

    Endurance: ???

    Intelligence: ???

    Arkanos took a step forward, his boots echoing against the stone floor. "And what of you? What name does the guardian of my ancestors tomb bear?"

    A long pause followed. The air grew heavier, as if the dragon itself debated the weight of its own identity. Then, with a deep exhale, it spoke.

    "I am Vorthan, the Eternal Sentinel. Bound to the oath of the first Bloodbane, sworn to guard what should never again see the light of day."

    Vorthan''s massive form shifted, the obsidian-black scales of his body shimmering in the dim torchlight. "It is not what he took, but what he left behind," the dragon rumbled. "Speak, Arkanos. What is it that you desire?"

    Arkanos''s expression remained firm. "A ring."

    At this, Vorthan''s gaze narrowed.

    "A ring?"

    "Yes. A ring of some sort—one my father possessed. I would see his body, to confirm whether it still rests upon his hand."

    For the first time, the great dragon hesitated. Its tail coiled slightly, claws scraping against the stone beneath it.

    "You ask for much," Vorthan murmured. "The dead do not take kindly to being robbed."

    Arkanos took another step forward. "Then allow me to see him. If the ring is of no consequence, I will leave without taking it. But if it holds the power I suspect it does... then I cannot walk away empty-handed."

    Silence hung between them, thick with unseen tension. Then, slowly, Vorthan''s eyes burned brighter.

    "Very well," he rumbled. "But know this, heir of Bloodbane—if you take what should remain buried, you will bear the consequences of what follows."

    With that, the dragon turned, its massive body shifting toward the inner sanctum of the tomb. The stone beneath them trembled once more, as ancient doors groaned open, revealing the path to the resting place of the former emperor.

    As Vorthan turned to lead the way, the heavy air in the chamber finally began to lift.

    The knights behind Arkanos let out shaky breaths of relief, the clatter of their armor gave away the fear they had tried to suppress.

    Keal, wiping sweat from his brow, let out a nervous chuckle. "By the gods... I thought that was it for us."

    Esten exhaled sharply. "I''ve faced monsters, I''ve faced war... but that—" he shook his head, "—that was something else."

    Laris nodded, his voice quieter. "That thing could have turned us to ash in an instant... and yet, we still stand."

    Darian turned to Arkanos, his brow furrowed with curiosity. "I must ask, Your Majesty... how were you able to remain so calm? Even when it felt like death was staring us in the face?"

    Arkanos didn''t immediately answer. He merely cast a glance toward Vorthan''s retreating form before speaking.

    "Fear is caused by ignorance," he said. "When you understand the game, you don''t panic. You observe, you calculate, and you act."

    ? ? Your words resonate with your knights. Their loyalty has reached 80% ? ?

    His emerald eyes swept over the group. "Compose yourselves. We are moving forward."

    At that moment, Seraphine''s voice rang out.

    "You heard him!" she called out sharply. "On your feet, knights! Move!"

    The knights straightened immediately, standing at attention. "Yes, Commander!" they answered in unison.

    With that, they pressed on, following the dragon deeper into the tomb.

    The group arrived before a massive stone coffin, its surface etched with ancient carvings.

    Vorthan''s voice rumbled through the chamber. "It is here he rests. You will need your blood to open it."

    Arkanos stepped forward. He glanced at his hand—the wound he had cut earlier was completely healed.

    ''How peculiar,'' he thought.

    Without pausing, he drew his dagger and made another cut. Blood dripped onto a rune-like carving, which immediately pulsed with red light.

    With a deep, grinding sound, the stone lid began to slide aside.

    To reveal the body of the previous emperor''s body. To their surprise, the previous emperor''s body was not decayed. He lay within the coffin, still clad in his black and gold armor.

    "Blood magic," Vorthan said. "It ensures an emperor is never in a pitiful state, even after death."