"Don’t forget me, you buffoon!" A new voice rang out, sharp, musical, and full of exasperation, woven into that same irritated hum.
I flared my wings wide, halting midair with a powerful thrust, then spun around. Nyxala hovered a short distance away, her enormous eyes glaring down at me, practically vibrating with annoyance.
I couldn’t help it, laughter bubbled up inside me.
I swept back toward her, letting her close the distance. The moment she landed on my back, she tucked herself low against my scales, her tail hooking securely beneath a ridge for balance.
And then it hit me.
I heard her.
Not just the hums. Not just the gestures. Words.
Clear. Musical. Beautiful.
Memories flooded into my mind, of harmonies, of meanings hidden in each note. The knowledge was there now, stitched into my soul. I could understand her. I could speak to her.
"My apologies, girl," I said, laughter still warm beneath my words. "I got a little overexcited."
Nyxala huffed dramatically, her fins flaring. "About time you realized we could actually communicate properly," she grumbled. Her voice was deep, rich, and threaded with music, every syllable a melody, every phrase a song. It was the most beautiful language I had ever heard. Each musical note... each tone... meant something far greater than just noise.
"I wonder if this communication will work outside of dragon form too," I asked aloud, still hovering in the air, wings beating steadily to keep me aloft.
"Not likely," Nyxala replied, her tone dry, almost amused. "The human throat can't release the notes properly." She shifted slightly against my back, her body humming with tension. "Now, let’s get back to our friends. I still can't shake the feeling that something’s wrong."
Her words sobered me instantly.
I turned, nodding a silent farewell to the four elders still perched on the distant plateau.
Then, with a single powerful thrust of my wings, I launched forward, slicing through the sky. Another beat, and I accelerated faster, the wind tearing past me in roaring streams.
The flight was exhilarating. Liberating.
But the closer I got to the forest, the more that excitement faded, hollowing out into a growing dread I couldn’t explain.
The trees blurred beneath me as I tucked my wings and dove toward the clearing, the one with the familiar round stone at its center, where that calming energy pulsed faintly through the earth.
I landed hard, talons gouging into the soft soil, the impact shaking loose leaves from the branches above. A wash of soothing power swept over me... but it wasn’t enough.
The unease gnawed at the back of my mind, louder, sharper.
Nyxala leapt from my back, landing gracefully beside me, her fins flaring in readiness.
"Go," I rumbled, my voice low and commanding. "Find them. Bring them here. I don't want to destroy this forest trying to get to them."
She nodded once, and in the next heartbeat, she vanished, nothing but a blur of violet smoke melting into the tree line.
I stood alone in the clearing, wings half-flared, every instinct screaming at me.
The calm of this place tried to anchor me. Tried to quiet the storm building inside my chest.
But I could feel it.
Something was wrong.
And I prayed to whatever powers were still listening that my friends, and my wife, were safe.
Shadows began to emerge from the tree line, led by Nyxala. There were five silhouettes trailing behind her, and as the sunlight pierced the clearing, three familiar faces came into view.
They stared at me, confused, wary.
“Where is Leo?” I asked, voice low, a deep rumble of worry barely held in check.
They exchanged glances, uncertainty flashing between them.
“Where is James?” Trish demanded, her tone guarded. “And how do you know Leo?”
“I am James," I said simply. "I can’t shift back for a few more hours, otherwise I would have already.”
“Turn... human?” Mel asked, eyes widening as she tried to make sense of the towering dragon before her.
“Yes. Human," I said, barely containing my impatience. "I’ll explain once Leo gets here.”
They hesitated.
“James…” Max started, but Nyxala suddenly darted forward, cutting him off. She gestured urgently toward the two Lepidomare hovering behind them, Drifter and Thundermaw.
They floated forward and bowed low before me, their movements solemn, their bodies radiating grief.
Then they began to hum. It wasn’t chaotic. It wasn’t rushed. It was two voices, two souls, singing together, a single, somber symphony that made the heart ache, even if you couldn’t understand the words.
But I did.
The melody carried a story. A story woven with sorrow, helplessness, and rage barely restrained.
My heart twisted painfully, but I stayed silent. Watching. Listening.
The others watched too, their faces confused, uncertain, but the questions they held were answered when they saw my reaction.
“No,” I growled, my voice trembling with fury and fear. “It cannot be…”
My eyes searched theirs, desperate, for any sign, any contradiction.
“They say Leo was killed,” I said, the words dragging from my chest like broken glass, “and taken… along with Sunveil.”
I waited. Begged, in silence, for one of them to deny it.
But three heads bowed in unison.
Trish’s eyes, filled with tears, told me more than words ever could. She tried, gods, she tried, to speak, to explain, but the words crumbled in her mouth, and she fell into silent sobs.
Max stepped forward. Tears welled in his eyes, but there was no grief in them now. Only rage.
“James,” he said, voice low, shaking, “it was her.” He clenched his fists so tight his knuckles whitened. “Her power... we couldn't even touch it. Not in those few moments when the portal opened. Not even close.”
I turned away from them, rage boiling in my chest until it felt like I might tear apart under the strain. My rear legs coiled instinctively, wings flexing wide, the halo at my back igniting with a searing brilliance.
Someone behind me shouted my name, their voice cutting through the heavy air, but I didn’t look back. I didn’t dare.
I launched into the sky with a single powerful thrust, the force of it tearing up the earth where I had stood. I needed to be away from them, away from their pain, away from their grief, away from the heavy reminder that I had not been there when it mattered most.
The wind battered against me as I climbed higher, refusing to look back at the clearing disappearing beneath the trees. Only when the world had become nothing, but sky and jagged peaks did I allow myself to slow, searching for somewhere to land. I found a narrow ledge near the summit, a desolate perch jutting out into the empty sky, and settled upon it heavily, wings folding tight against my sides.
For a moment, there was only silence, broken only by the ragged sound of my own breathing and the soft rush of the wind around me.
"James..." Virellia’s voice brushed against my mind, gentle, tentative.
Not now, I thought, forcing the words inward. Please... I just need silence.
There was a pause, a lingering hesitation, then I felt her retreat, leaving me blessedly alone.
I stared downward, where my friends were still waiting far below, though I could not see them through the dense trees, I still focused on where they should be. My gaze shifted upward, toward the endless stretch of sky, and a raw, guttural roar tore free from my chest, a sound born of grief, anger, and helplessness. The mountains echoed my cry, throwing it back to me in a hollow mockery.
When the echoes died away, I spoke aloud, my voice low and rough, as much for myself as for anyone who might hear.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
"I will honor you, my friend," I said, staring out across the distant peaks. "You will not have died in vain."
The words felt heavy in the air, heavy enough to break me if I let them.
"I swear it," I went on, the vow solidifying in my chest like tempered steel. "I will grow stronger. Strong enough to tear her from her throne, to break her hold on the realms. I may not be able to save everyone. I may not be able to protect them all... but by every star in the heavens, I will never stop trying."
I paused, breathing deep against the burning in my throat, against the ache lodged in my heart.
"And if I fall," I whispered, "if I fail... their memories will live on through me. I will carry them. And at the end of this, when it’s all said and done…"
I closed my eyes, feeling the wind coil around me like a solemn promise.
"I will avenge them. Every soul we lose... every friend taken from us... I will make it right."
The vow hung between me and the endless sky, quiet and immutable. And though the realm gave no answer, deep within, I knew it had been heard.
After a few long moments of stillness, I unfurled my wings and pushed off the ledge, soaring back toward the clearing where my friends were still waiting. I descended slowly this time, landing with deliberate care, my claws sinking deep into the earth as I touched down before them.
I looked at each of them in turn, Max, Mel, Trish, and at the three Lepidomare that hovered close behind, their eyes watchful and steady. The grief still clung to the group like a second skin, but beneath it now, I could feel something more stirring. Something raw. Something ready.
"This is far from over," I growled, the heat of my words rumbling from deep within my chest. "We have a lot of work to do. No more rest. No more hesitation. From here on, we train. We grow stronger. And we don't stop until that bitch’s throat is beneath our feet."
The words were a promise. A command. A vow.
Mel straightened to her full towering height, slamming a fist against her armored chest with a thunderous crack. Her blue eyes burned with fierce determination.
Max gave a sharp nod, the corners of his mouth tightening into a grim, resolute line.
Trish stood silent for a moment longer, her gaze flicking between the others before settling on me. Her golden-brown eyes shimmered, not with grief now, but with unbreakable will.
"Let us become the wrath of the heavens," she said, her voice strong and sure, "the judgment that teaches these demons that they should never have crossed into this realm. Let us turn the hells into a wasteland. The void will have nowhere left to hide when we’re done."
I dipped my head low, extending my wings, crouching to offer them a place to mount. One by one, they climbed onto my back, settling against the curve of my shoulders and spine, gripping tightly.
Nyxala, Drifter, and Thundermaw moved to the edge of the clearing, watching with measured eyes. Nyxala hovered forward, her fins flaring, her voice carrying to me through the musical hum.
“We will follow from below,” she said. “We will hunt every predator that dares cross our path. Riding upon you would only dull our own strength. We must grow stronger too.”
I nodded, a ripple of pride stirring in my chest. "Good," I said aloud, voice low and rough. "Soon, you’ll be battling far more than just wild beasts."
I gave one powerful thrust of my wings, launching into the sky. Nyxala and the others shot forward beneath the trees, darting through the dense forest like phantoms. And from the distant screams that rose behind us, it was clear the hunters had swiftly become the hunted.
I hovered for a moment, letting the wind whip around us. "Which way to the next dungeon?" I asked, glancing over my shoulder.
There was a brief rustle of parchment as someone shuffled through a map, and then Max’s voice came, sharp and clear.
"East."
Without hesitation, I banked hard to the right, folding my wings tight before snapping them open again, propelling us forward in a blistering dive toward the setting sun. Toward the next battle. Toward whatever hells dared stand in our way.
After several hours of flight, we finally came upon a new dungeon spire. This one was different the tower was embedded directly into the side of a jagged cliff, its dark stone blending almost seamlessly into the surrounding rock face, as if the mountain itself had birthed it.
I brought us down gently before its base, wings beating a low rhythm against the ground as we landed. As soon as everyone dismounted, I felt the subtle pulse of my cooldown ending, and with a thought, I shifted back into my humanoid form.
The transition was seamless, but the feeling was still strange. I rolled my shoulders, flexing my fingers, stretching each one slowly as I reacquainted myself with hands instead of claws. I bounced lightly from foot to foot, testing the weight and balance of my body. It felt foreign... and yet not.
As if both forms belonged to me now, two truths, two halves of a greater whole.
Night had already fallen, and the air was warmer here compared to the frozen peaks we had left behind. Still, the chill of the evening gnawed at the others, and it wasn’t long before we had a fire roaring in the center of our small camp.
Nyxala, Drifter, and Thundermaw showed not long after, emerging from the darkness with the faint rustle of disturbed underbrush. They looked like they had swum through blood.
Their scales were streaked with crimson, and a heavy scent of battle clung to them, iron and ozone mixing with the cool mountain air. Nyxala approached first, humming low and melodic in greeting, but this time, the words beneath the music were lost to me.
The language, the meaning, the soul of the sound… it was gone. I could only hear the melody now, beautiful but indecipherable in this form.
I smiled, reaching out to stroke the side of her neck, and gestured toward a small pond nearby.
She gave a small dip of her head in understanding before leading the others away to wash.
Trish appeared beside me, her presence quiet but warm. "So," she said, her voice gentle, "a dragon form now, huh?"
There was a faint smile on her lips.
"Yeah," I said with a low chuckle. "It's… strange. It’s like I lived two lives simultaneously. I remember everything. Every flight, every battle, every quiet night beneath the stars. Both lives feel like mine."
Her brow furrowed slightly. "No extra voice in your mind?" she asked, half teasing, half genuinely concerned.
I shook my head. "No. No second voice whispering or pulling. It’s… me. It's always been me. Neither side is forgotten. Neither side erased." I paused, glancing down at my hands again. "But something about the name James... it doesn’t feel whole anymore. And Solphyras doesn't either. They're both only half of who I am now."
Trish's face tightened, her hands twisting together anxiously at her sides.
I turned fully to her, reaching out to cup her cheek with my palm. "Don’t fear my love," I whispered. "Nothing between us has changed. It never will. If anything… my love for you feels even stronger now, something I never thought possible."
Her breath hitched, and then she broke. She collapsed into me, her arms wrapping tightly around my waist as she sobbed, the tension that had weighed down her every step since my return finally breaking free.
Mel was there a moment later, sliding into the embrace and wrapping her powerful arms around both of us. Her own tears fell silently, grief and relief mingling in every trembling breath.
I caught Max standing rigid by the fire, staring into the flames. But when I lifted a hand, beckoning him, his shoulders sagged. He crossed the distance quickly and folded into the circle without a word.
Together, we held each other. A battered, broken, mending family.
I lowered my chin, resting it atop Trish's head, and let my eyes drift upward toward the stars.
That’s when the lights began to appear.
At first, it was only a handful, delicate as fireflies. Tiny, shimmering motes that circled lazily above us.
But within heartbeats, they multiplied, hundreds, thousands, millions, spilling from the night sky like a river of stars set free.
They swirled around us in a cyclone of living light, each one a note in some ancient, invisible symphony.
It wasn’t harsh or frantic, it was beautiful. Awe-inspiring. The lights drifted closer, closer still, until they touched our skin, our hair, our armor, brushing across us with a gentle, electric warmth.
One by one, they sank into us.
I felt them burrow deep, not with pain, but with purpose. A strange energy bloomed within my chest, a warmth that filled the spaces grief had hollowed out.
Max’s eyes widened as he followed the lights, wonder and confusion etched across his face.
Trish gasped quietly against me, lifting her head to look around, tears still streaking her cheeks.
Even Mel whispered, "What... is this?"
Before I could answer, a new notification pulsed to life before me, bright and undeniable.
Blessing of Leo and Sunveil has been placed upon you. With this blessing their experience has been split between each of you granting you what had once been theirs. Take this blessing in memory of them, let their strength help you on this journey. Never forget, never surrender.
The words burned into me, sharper than any blade, heavier than any armor.
It wasn’t just a gift. It was a vow.
One after another, glowing notifications flooded my vision, level-ups born from the lives that had been lost.
The others stirred around me, confusion quickly giving way to understanding as the same flood of notifications appeared before them.
Their faces were solemn, their postures stiffening as the weight of what was happening settled onto their shoulders.
This wasn’t a reward. It was a torch, passed forward.
A silent promise, Leo and Sunveil’s strength, would not vanish into the void.
It would burn within us.
I quickly placed my points in, then stared at the screen. There was no smile, but thankfulness filled my heart as I looked upon my newly gained stats thanks to my dear friend.
STATS
LEVEL – 142, Adventurer
STRENGTH –639
DEXTERITY – 507
INTELLECT – 458
WISDOM – 133
LUCK – 65
ARMOR – 82 (Physical damage reduction: 47%)
RACIAL PASSIVES:
- INNATE ARMOR BONUS – 10% of maximum armor added
- INNATE FIRE BONUS TO MELEE ATTACKS – 10% increased fire damage on melee attacks
The portal near us, once a steady ripple of light against the cliffside, began to shift.
It twisted, spun with violent energy, growing larger, its form reshaping into something jagged and towering. The once graceful shimmer now churned like a storm trapped within stone, pulsing with a deeper, more menacing aura.
I stared at it, my heart tightening.
Whatever waited for us beyond that threshold had changed.
It wasn’t just a dungeon anymore. It was a challenge, a declaration.
The gift we had been given, the strength passed on from Leo and Sunveil, had not gone unnoticed. And in response, the dungeon had sharpened its fangs.
And somehow, I welcomed it.
I let out a slow breath and turned toward the fire at the center of camp. The three Lepidomare hovered nearby, their scales still damp from the pond, but something about them felt different now.
They had grown stronger, noticeably stronger, since the last time I laid eyes on them, bloodied and battered in the clearing. I couldn’t say how many beasts they had slain on their way here, but the change was obvious. They moved with more weight, more certainty, their bodies thicker with power.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
“You blessed them too, didn’t you?” I whispered under my breath; the words meant for the stars above.
I gestured for the others to join me by the fire. One by one, they came, sitting around the dancing flames without a word. For a long time, we just watched the embers drift into the sky, flickering and fading into the night. The silence wasn’t awkward. It was heavy but shared.
Max broke it first; his voice was rough and low. “They didn’t deserve to go out like that.”
I turned my gaze to him, my own chest tightening. “They went out fighting like hell,” I said quietly, my eyes returning to the fire. “Leo would’ve been proud. He died a warrior’s death.” The flames reflected in my eyes as my voice dropped lower, almost a growl. “But they didn’t deserve to have their bodies defiled. Or dragged into the void.”
Beside me, Trish reached out and laced her fingers through mine, her grip firm, grounding. “This blessing,” she whispered, “it feels like a piece of them is still here.”
I squeezed her hand gently and looked at each of them in turn, Max, Mel, Trish, and then back at the fire.
“It is them,” I said. “Whatever force granted this... whether it was Jaq'Kuah or our God... it was intentional. So that in some way, Leo and Sunveil could still be with us. Their strength continues to fight in this war. Through us."
Slowly, I rose to my feet, the firelight casting long shadows behind me.
“We need to rest,” I said, voice steady now. “That dungeon isn’t the same as it was when we arrived. I don’t know what’s waiting for us, but I know this... Tomorrow, our vow to them begins.”
I moved toward my bedroll, and Max stirred behind me.
“I’ll take first watch,” he offered gruffly.
But before he could even stand, Drifter moved to his side and nudged him firmly toward the bedroll.
Thundermaw did the same with Mel, and Nyxala with Trish.
It didn’t take words to understand.
“They’ll keep watch tonight,” I said with a quiet chuckle. “And judging by the look of them... they’re daring anything out there to even try.”
Nyxala met my gaze from across the fire, and I nodded once. She returned the gesture without hesitation.
As I lay down, staring at the stars overhead, I knew sleep wouldn’t come easily tonight.