CHAPTER 69: YOU ARE AERON VELZORAH [1]

Aeron raised his sword, and it blazed with fire. With every swing, the burning blade cut through the Ashantis who dared to stand before him. As fierce as the Ashantis were, they were stepping back in fear and confusion; they had never seen anything like this before. But Aeron kept moving faster and closing the gap between them with every strike.

Then one of them, who sounded like their leader, shouted, "Stand your ground! Resist! It is still only magic!"

At his command, they formed their usual strange stance, left hand pressed against their chest, right hand stretched toward Aeron with two fingers raised. Just as they had done before in his village, they began trying to repel his fire and turn it back on him.

At once, Aeron felt the weight that pressed against his arm. His sword, which was blazing with fire, suddenly became heavier, and he struggled to lift it. It was as if the swords were controlling him. The Ashantis were strong, their magic was working against him.

They won him the last time he used fire against them but this time was different. This time, Aeron was filled with anger and sorrow and he had gotten better. He would not let them win, not again. He ground his teeth, tightened his grip, and with every ounce of strength in his body, he pushed back.

Even though there were still many of the Ashantis holding and trying to repel his fire, he kept struggling midair and was resisting them a bit. Then his hand began going up, and up, and they kept trying to resist, and he too was struggling to move his arm, and just like that, he succeeded, he broke their hold on him.

He got his hand down and pulled his sword into a strike. It hit one of the Ashantis, piercing through his heart and this person did not just die, he burned.

The others froze in shock. Their eyes widened in fear. They stumbled back a few steps, but then, urged on by their leader’s voice, they charged again into their stance.

"Do not falter!" the leader barked from behind. "The master wants him alive. Hold him down!"

They lifted their hands again, but this time their power was weaker. Aeron, who was not unstoppable, pushed through their resistance. He lunged forward and slashed another with his sword and as before, flames swallowed him whole.

By then, the Phoenix Guards had arrived at the far end of the hall. But then they stopped as they sighted what was going on, the dragon rider was cutting through the Ashantis like nothing they had ever seen.

But Aeron did not notice them. His anger blinded him. He only saw the Ashantis. He only saw enemies who needed to burn.

One after another, he struck them down, and his fire broke through their defense. Soon, only five remained.

The leader said again. "Stand firm! Do not fear! The master must have him. Hold him with all your strength!" And at that, they kept holding him with all their force.

At first, the Ashantis were winning. Aeron’s blazing sword shook in his hands as they forced it down little by little. The weight on him was unbearable. Then the same man, the one who seemed to lead them, began to speak.

"We cannot allow one who carries such dangerous power to live among people," he said. "You are a destroyer, boy. A danger to everyone around you, even to yourself."

Aeron screamed. "You lie!" He tried raising his sword, which was in flame high, but they were holding him strong.

The man said again. "You think you are safe here? You think they care about you, boy? You think they value your power? No! You are nothing but a pawn to them, a weapon to be used and then discarded. That is the fate of people like you."

"Another lie!" Aeron screamed again with his voice in anger and desperation. He pushed with all his strength, but the invisible force held him in place.

Then the man spoke again, cruelly. "Do you even know who you are? Do you know your bloodline?"

Aeron froze.

"You are the son of Lucian Velzorah," the man said. "They called him a good Lord. A righteous man. And do you know what your precious protectors did to him?" His lips curled into a bitter smile. "They killed him. They erased his bloodline. They burned his home to ash, and with it his entire household. Only you survived."

As he spoke, blood began to drip from his nose. From the others too. They were strained with effort, but still they held Aeron tightly in their magical grip.

"This is the truth," the man continued. "They know it. All of them. They will use you until you are empty, then kill you as they killed your father. That is what awaits you."

Aeron’s chest became heavy. His hands shook and his vision blurred. "No... no... no!" Tears streaked his face as he shouted, "I won’t believe you! I won’t believe a single word that comes from your mouth!"

The man laughed bitterly. "Oh, they have not told you, have they? Ask them! Let them tell you who your father is and what they did to him. His bones are dust, washed away with water. His bloodline, gone."

"NOOOO!" Aeron screamed with tears in his eyes.

In that instant, fire burst from him. Not only from his sword, but all around him. The fire started moving towards the Ashantis. They tried to push it back, but they couldn’t. Aeron was very angry.

One by one, the flames consumed them. Aeron cried out, They burned and their bodies were turning to ash in seconds. Their voices were choked in screams until only one remained, the man who had spoken.

He looked into Aeron’s eyes and whispered with his last breath, "Only my master can give you what you truly want."

Then the fire swallowed him whole.

But the flames did not stop. Aeron was lost in his rage, and the fire grew wilder, spreading down the corridor till it reached the Phoenix Guards who had been watching in shock.

And then...

"Aeron!" a voice cried out.

Nyella had appeared at the far end of the hall. Tears glistened in her eyes as she screamed, "Aeron, you have to stop! Please!"

He hesitated.

"..."