Bronze Fury

Scorching Dragonfire swept over Lonzell's body. Vomysor had clearly overestimated the flexibility of its own neck. If it had been Caraxes, the "Bloodworm" famed for its long, slender neck, perhaps turning its head to breathe fire could have hurt the little bug on its back.

But unfortunately, Vomysor's thick neck could not manage that. Its Dragonfire was large and fierce enough, however. The wave of flames washed over half of Lonzell's body, yet only set the boy's clothes alight, not even scorching his silver hair.

A faint silver-and-red glow protected Lonzell within the flames. He clung tightly to Vomysor's bony spikes, pressing his entire body against the dragon's back.

"Vomysor, fly."

The bronze dragon grew even more frenzied, constantly shaking its body in an attempt to throw off the little bug on its back, despite the fact that the little bug smelled strangely pleasant to it.

"Roar!"

Vomysor wanted to call Silverwing over for help, only to discover that Silverwing was also trying to shake something off.

"Vomysor, fly!"

Vomysor threw back its head in a furious roar and charged forward several steps. Its thousand-foot dragon wings spread wide, its claws left the ground, and the dragon finally carried the boy into the sky.

Of course, that did not mean Vomysor had obeyed Lonzell's command. The dragon still wanted to teach the little bug behind it, who smelled pleasant but knew no better, a lesson.

Vomysor roared as it shot straight upward. Lonzell's feet lifted from the dragon's back, making him extremely uncomfortable, but he could only cling desperately to the dragon's bony spikes. Violent air currents swept past him, yet something on the dragon's back seemed to block the wind at high altitude, leaving the rider unable to truly feel the rushing air or cold of flight.

When Vomysor took off, Lonzell sensed that the volcano in his magical vision suddenly split off a stream of flame. That flame was what allowed the rider to sit securely upon the dragon's back.

"Vomysor, level out!"

Vomysor opened its mouth and spat out a mass of Dragonfire, then plunged headfirst into the flames it had breathed. The dragon hoped to burn the little bug on its back to death this way. After all, in the dragon's eyes, its earlier failure had been nothing more than the tiniest accident.

"Vomysor, level out!" Lonzell struggled to press his feet back against the dragon's back. The flames posed little threat to him, but his clothes had certainly suffered.

When the flames failed to harm the boy behind it, Vomysor simply jerked its head upward and came to an abrupt stop, flipping its body upside down in midair in an attempt to throw Lonzell off.

Lonzell's feet lifted into the air again. "Vomysor, turn over and level out!" Blood surged wildly toward his arms, gathering in the hands clenched around the bony spikes. Silver-and-red blood slowly seeped from his already flushed fingers and gradually entered the dragon's body.

"Vomysor, obey my command!" Lonzell shouted with all his strength. "Turn over and level out!"

Vomysor let out an irritated roar. Flying upside down was uncomfortable for it as well, so it could only reluctantly turn itself over. But the dragon had no intention of giving up. After flying level for a while, Vomysor immediately folded its wings and dived toward the ground. It intended to use the dive to shake off the boy on its back.

Lonzell's feet lifted again, but a smile had already appeared on the boy's face.

His blood had successfully seeped into the dragon's body. Through his magical vision, Lonzell could see inside Vomysor's volcano-like body, where the blazing flames had already taken on a hint of silver.

Vomysor sensed the change as well. To its senses, the little bug on its back, which had smelled pleasant before, now felt increasingly pleasant. It could even sense an additional energy within its body, slowly improving its condition.

In any case, the feeling was extremely comfortable, even more comfortable than when the person who had previously formed a bond with it rode on its back.

Lonzell's heart suddenly stirred.

He sensed that the dragon beneath him was no longer resisting his control so fiercely. A message that seemed to say, You're not bad, kid. You make me feel good, somehow flooded into his mind. Lonzell immediately understood. To establish a connection with a powerful magical creature like a dragon, Blood Magic alone was nowhere near enough. There was only one possibility for achieving such an effect: he had already tamed Vomysor. What they now relied on was the mysterious bond between dragon and Dragonrider.

Vomysor spread its wings again and steadily climbed into the sky.

"Vomysor, level out."

This time, Vomysor obediently flew level. Lonzell could feel that, whether from the perspective of Blood Magic or through some means he could not explain, Vomysor had already formed a close connection with him.

"Roar!"

The dragon seemed to sigh, beating its wings a few times as it circled through the sky.

"Vomysor, climb!"

Vomysor raised its head and swiftly climbed to the altitude Lonzell had silently envisioned. Then, under Lonzell's guidance, it began to circle.

"Dracarys!"

Lonzell could finally shout that word.

Golden Dragonfire burst forth at his command, leaving a long trail of blazing light across the sky before exploding with a thunderous boom.

Vomysor carried Lonzell through the raging flames, roaring loudly with excitement.

"Vomysor, return."

Vomysor curved around the rising column of smoke and flew toward the ruins.

Just then, a silver dragon silhouette pierced through the black mist and flew alongside Vomysor.

Vomysor glanced at Silverwing. Silverwing gave a somewhat cheerful cry, beat its wings rapidly, and overtook Vomysor in an instant.

Lonzell also saw the excited Valar on Silverwing's back.

Although the muscular boy had also had his clothes burned away, he seemed to have tamed Silverwing more smoothly than Lonzell had tamed Vomysor. He had even already flown several laps, and now he was riding the dragon over to find his brother.

Sensing a wave of irritation and helplessness from Vomysor, Lonzell smiled and patted its scales. "Vomysor, prepare to land."

Vomysor flattened its wings and slowly glided toward the ground.

At that moment.

The Shadowbinding Stone on Lonzell's chest suddenly gave off a strange glow. Figures seemed to emerge one after another within the stone.

The next moment, the stone pendant shattered.

Dense black shadows surged from the stone like a tide, instantly swallowing Lonzell and Vomysor.

Yet to the people preparing to receive the landing dragon, as well as Valar, who had already landed safely, nothing could be seen.

Only Silverwing seemed to sense something, conveying unease to its rider, though it did not seem overly worried.

Valar raised his head in confusion, looking at the slowly descending Vomysor.

"Did something happen?"

Chapter Two check-in.