CHAPTER 89: BURN THEM ALL, IF YOU CAN

*****

Aeron kept quiet as he kept looking at Chief Uzek. The chief said again. "I asked you a question, boy. Who are you?"

Aeron finally spoke, with his tone calm but firm. "Well, I am nobody. Just one with enough sense to know we should not be here, arguing and fighting ourselves. It is not right. We have a common enemy here, and that should be our focus."

The people around gasped softly at his boldness.

Chief Uzek’s face was full of anger. "How dare you. How dare you, a nobody, speak while I, Uzek, am talking? You think you can interrupt me? You want to be the first to die? Very well, I will grant your wish." He turned to his men and shouted in their tongue, "Arrest that one first!"

Two soldiers stepped forward, with their weapons clinking as they moved in on Aeron.

Aeron lifted his head slowly. "It seems you people never listen," he said. The soldiers kept closing in. Aeron lowered his gaze to the ground, stretched out his hand slightly, and in that instant, fire burst forth. It crawled along the ground, like it was alive and following the path of his eyes until it reached the soldiers.

The men froze, as their faces were filled with terror. The flames hissed and snapped at their boots. Step by step, they moved back.

"What... what is that?" one of them stammered.

The people of Ivarion began to murmur restlessly.

"It is him," someone whispered.

"The Dragon Reborn," another said.

"The Dragon Rider, the son of Lucian Velzorah."

The whispers became louder until the whole place seemed to echo with fear for the nomads while the Ivarions rejoiced that Aeron velzorah was with them there.

Chief Uzek’s expression shifted, no longer only angry but also intrigued. "Well, well, well," he said slowly, almost savoring the moment. "And what do we have here? What do you people call it again? Witchcraft? Sorcery, is it not?" He laughed bitterly. "What sort of trick is this? And the boy is an accomplice to the princess herself. Your kingdom never fails to amuse me. What a spectacle."

He turned his eyes toward Nyella, the princess. "Well, princess, tell me, does your king know the kind of company you keep? Does he know of the magic you have entangled yourself with? Does he know you walk beside one who calls fire from the earth?"

Nyella gave no reply, her face was calm.

Uzek sneered. "Weak. You are all weak. Willing to stoop so low, to move with anyone, to use any form of power, even forbidden ones. Such shame."

Nyella said. "And yet it is that same kingdom, that same so-called weak people, that you beg to give you shelter. It is that same kingdom you seek to protect. So tell me, Chief Uzek, who here is shameless?"

Nyella stepped closer to Aeron, her eyes locked on Uzek. "And about him, do you not know who stands before you? Have you ever heard of the Dragon Rider? The master of the dragon? The bearer of flames?"

Aeron turned his head toward her, his eyes wide. He was shocked to hear her speak about him in such a way, with such pride. For a moment, he almost forgot the danger around them. Nyella, however, did not waver. She kept her eyes on Uzek, with her voice unshaken.

Chief Uzek let out a slow breath. "Wait," he said, narrowing his eyes. "Yes. I did hear rumours about it once. About a sudden appearance of a dragon, a dragon ridden by a man. Who would have believed it? Who would have thought it true? But now... now I see it with my own eyes."

He stepped forward. "Well, well, well. The rumors are true. The boy who owns a dragon. What a day this is, a day I never thought I would see in my lifetime."

He spread his arms wide as if presenting Aeron to the world. "Is it not marvelous? To think such power stands here, before me. A boy with fire in his veins, a dragon at his command. What greater prize could there be?"

Then his eyes narrowed and his voice turned cold. "Yes... Now I see clearly. I have a new ambition. To have the boy by my side. His worth is greater than all the treasures of your kingdom. To hold such power is to command the future itself. And so..." He paused, a cruel smile on his face. "...whether he wishes it or not, I must have him."

"What do you mean by that?" Nyella asked.

Chief Uzek did not answer her directly. Instead, he raised his hand and gave a

command. At once, his soldiers moved into formation, surrounding Aeron on all sides and pointing their spears at him. The circle around Aeron tightened.

Uzek smirked. "There you have it, boy. You can now burn them all, if you truly can."

Aeron’s eyes flared as he looked at the soldiers, then back at Uzek. "Do you hate your people so much," Aeron asked coldly, "that you would sacrifice them just to get to me?"

"Yes," Uzek said without hesitation. "They will willingly die for our cause. If it means I can have you and wield what you carry, their lives are nothing compared to that prize."

The soldiers, though clearly afraid, obeyed the push of his command and kept moving closer to Aeron.

Aeron warned him. "I can burn every one of them, and you too, if I want to. Do not test me, Uzek. Order them to stand back."

But Uzek only laughed. "Then do it! Show me the full extent of your powers. I even want to see for myself if the rumors are true. Burn us all, if you dare."

The soldiers moved in closer, forming a tight circle. Their spears were now just a step away from Aeron’s body. Nyella stood by his side, her heart pounding as she reached for her weapon.

Flames burned hotter beneath Aeron’s feet, swirling as if ready to explode. He took a deep breath, thinking whether he should release it, when suddenly...

They heard a sound.

A heavy, rushing sound from above. At first, it was faint. Then it became louder, deeper, shaking the air. The soldiers hesitated, looking upward. Even Uzek paused.

Aeron had already felt it. He had felt it in his heart, but he could not believe it. "No," he whispered to himself. "It cannot be."

The sky darkened as a massive shadow swept over them. Wings, vast and powerful, flew up in the air. The crowd gasped in unison.

From the clouds above, Draco came down. His shining scales glimmered in the light as his wings spread wide. His roar shook the hearts of everyone present. The soldiers stumbled back, with fear replacing their courage.

Aeron tilted his head upward with his eyes widening. "Draco..." he whispered. But then his breath caught. Draco was not alone.

Two figures clung to his back as the dragon circled overhead. Aeron’s heart jumped. He stared harder until the faces became clearer.

"No... it cannot be..." His voice cracked with shock. "Ronan? Yvarra?"

Draco roared again as he descended lower, circling the crowd. The soldiers dropped their spears and shielded their faces from the rush of wind and dust. Uzek’s smirk vanished. His lips parted, but no words came out. His face was frozen in disbelief.

Aeron’s shock slowly hardened into resolve. He raised his voice, breaking the silence that had fallen. "Well, Chief," he called, "what will it be? You can order your men to stand back now, or do you truly want to see your whole army burned before your eyes?"

Draco gave another roar as he was landing.

Just then, the soldiers noticed that Draco was descending from the sky. At once, fear spread through them. They all began to move back slowly, step by step, creating more and more space. The thunder of Draco’s wings and the shadow he cast over them made their hearts pound. Finally, after the ground trembled beneath his weight, Draco landed heavily right beside Aeron.

As soon as the dragon settled, Ronan came rushing out from on top of it. The tension in the air was too much for him, he doubled over and threw up.

Yvarra followed right after. She moved quickly to Aeron’s side and looked straight at him. "What’s going on, Aeron?" she demanded. "So we were right all along, weren’t we? You truly were in trouble."

Aeron sighed and gave a tired smile. "I wouldn’t say less, Yvarra," he answered. "But one thing I do know... You both came at the perfect moment."

Then Aeron turned his gaze towards Uzek, who still stood with his men. "Uzek," Aeron said, "you’ve yet to give me an answer. Are you still determined to fight us here? Or will you finally allow us to leave in peace and spare everyone the bloodshed that will surely follow?"

"..."