The dragon roared in rage as it thrashed against its magical cell. The noise was so loud that it hurt my ears. It was full of anger and maybe even desperation.
Rick felt a strange twinge of sympathy for the animal. Sebastian said that someone sent it here on purpose. The dragon could be just as much of a victim as the people who live there.
But feeling sorry for it didn't change the fact that it had killed people and destroyed a lot of the city. No matter what brought it here, the dragon had to be stopped.
The Grand Magister and his team put more energy into the spell that kept the thing inside. The cage started to close in, making the dragon fold its wings. Magical chains wrapped around its arms and legs, making it even more stuck. It looked like victory was coming.
After that, the dragon did something strange.
It stopped fighting and even moving around. It just looked up at the sky and roared, but it wasn't a roar of anger or pain. It was a call to arms that could be heard all over the capital.
Nothing happened for a short time. The mages kept casting their binding spell, clearly hoping to finish before whatever the dragon had sent for got there.
Rick then felt it. A massive object was approaching from the north at an impossible speed.
The temperature dropped, despite the presence of nearby fires, and the air pressure also changed. He felt Liora's sudden spike of fear, even though he was hours away.
Sebastian appeared next to Rick with a look of serious concern on his face. "Oh fuck no..."
"That stupid dragon didn't come here to fight, but it came here to send a message."
"What kind of message could someone possibly convey after setting this place on fire!?" Rick asked, his stomach churning with fear and rage.
Sebastian said, "A declaration of war."
"And here comes the person who sent it."
The sky broke. Rick could only describe it that way. The clouds moved apart with a sound like tearing cloth, and something came down through the hole that made the Ancient Black Dragon look small.
A dragon that was five times bigger than it was, with scales that shone between red and gold, flew down toward the capital. Its wings were so big that they cast shadows over whole city blocks.
This creature, on the other hand, gave off controlled power and ancient intelligence, unlike the black dragon, which was wild and destructive. The mages' containment spell broke like glass when the new dragon showed up and messed with their magic.
The Ancient Black Dragon broke free and flew right away to stand next to the bigger creature, which was clearly submissive. For the first time since Rick met Grand Magister Fredrich, the man looked petrified as he stood on his rooftop.
The giant dragon flew down until it was hovering right above the main plaza, where it could see the people below with its smart eyes. Rick felt like something ancient and compelling was looking at him when those eyes turned to him.
The dragon then spoke, and instead of through the air, its voice echoed in everyone's heads. "I am Sylvia Flameheart, the Queen of Dragons and the Ruler of the Northern Peaks."
"I have come to take what is mine because it was foretold."
The crowd gasped. This was one of the seven powers, and it's the Queen of the Dragons that had come to the capital.
And she was staring right at him. "You..."
"Your mark is like that of the Hero of Mature Hearts," Sylvia's mental voice said, still focused on Rick. "The one who was foretold to bring together the broken powers."
"Young hero, I have been waiting for you for three hundred years."
"Now that you're here, we have a lot to talk about."
With one huge claw, she pointed at the Ancient Black Dragon. "My wayward child was sent to bring my message."
"I didn't mean to destroy anything, but I just wanted to show how urgent I feel."
"Time is running out, the world is breaking, and magic is failing."
Rick found his voice, but it was so soft that it was difficult to hear. "You sent that dragon to destroy the capital! Some people have died because of that stupid dragon!"
"Yes. I know. We are at war with something much worse than dragons, young hero."
"War requires sacrifices. Every second you put off fulfilling your destiny brings us closer to death."
Sylvia's huge head tilted as she looked at Rick with eyes that held thousands of years of knowledge and power. "You will come to my home in the Northern Peaks."
"As the prophecy says, you will make a Spirit Bond with me. You will do it willingly, or I will keep showing you what happens when you wait."
She pointed with her wing to the city that was on fire. "This is mercy compared to what the real darkness will bring."
"Keep that in mind."
Rick's anger exploded, and it was stronger than the fear that tried to hold him back. He moved forward, fists clenched.
"Stop talking like any of your actions are okay!" he yelled, and his voice echoed through the ruined plaza. "You killed people who weren't guilty! Moms, kids, and old people who couldn't run fast enough!"
Sylvia looked at him calmly, with no sign of regret in her eyes. "They were—"
"They were PEOPLE!" Rick interrupted her, his voice breaking with emotion. "They were not just "sacrifices" in your political game!"
"They all had families, dreams, and lives that were important!"
"Your anger is understandable but misplaced, young hero," Sylvia said, her mental voice still eerily calm. "I've watched civilizations rise and fall. Individual lives, no matter how tragic, don't compare to—"
"Don't you dare!" Rick's Spirit Bond flared up with anger, and Carmilla and Natasha fed their own anger through the link. "Don't you dare make their deaths less important!"
"You could have just said something to me! Sent a messenger! But you chose fear and death instead!"
Sebastian put a warning hand on Rick's shoulder, but Rick didn't pay attention.
"You think you're a queen?" Rick's voice shook as he spoke. "A queen protects her people, not kills innocent people to make a point!"
"You're just a dictator hiding behind prophecy!"
Sylvia's face changed for the first time. Her eyes narrowed, and the air around them got even colder. The Ancient Black Dragon next to her tensed up when it sensed that its queen was unhappy.
"How dare you lecture me...!" Sylvia's voice lost its calm tone and became sharp in their minds, like broken glass.
"I have been in charge for thousands of years while your kind crawled in the dirt. To keep this world from falling apart, I have given up more than you could ever understand."
"Then you should know better!" Rick shot back. "Life should mean more to you, not less, if you've lived that long!"
Sylvia's giant body looked like it was full of power that was about to burst. The heat in the air around her made it shimmer, and small flames started to dance along her scales.
"I gave you a choice," she said, her voice now cold and scary. "Come willingly and stop the bloodshed."
"But maybe you need to see again what your refusal costs."
She looked to the east, where people were still leaving the area.
Rick started with "No—"
"Show the hero what hesitation brings," Sylvia told the Ancient Black Dragon. The eastern part. "Don't leave any buildings standing."
"WAIT!" Rick yelled, but the black dragon was already opening its wings.
Sylvia's eyes were boring into his as she said, "You have one hour to decide, young hero."
"Come to me willingly, or I will burn down the whole capital, district by district. "Your kindness will ultimately lead to their demise."
"From now on, every death is your fault, not mine."