Dragons are mythical creatures, whose existence is widely discussed among humans. Some believe that they once existed ages ago and for some reason disappeared. Others think that they are the fruits of historians to give honor to the human race, being just a symbol.
On that honorable day, where a local goddess would ascend to the goddess, the humans of Bortoise and surrounding regions were graced with an epic-worthy vision.
For the first time, all mortal beings saw a dragon in all its glory and fury.
Cale had always played with this secret form of Aries. Aries only turned it into a dragon twice, five hundred years ago. A lovely and cute shape, which made him want to squeeze without ever releasing it. A completely different image from the usual Aries.
Only that... what roared fiercely to make the earth shake and cliffs crack... that was a real dragon.
Its size could be equated with a mountain. The sun darkened its golden scales and the gentle breeze fluttered its fur. It was majestic and beautiful.
"Wow..." Cale whispered, gawking.
Even young Linus seemed to marvel at the sight. He felt no fear, reacting contrary to the human enemies.
They did tremble before the majesty of a true golden dragon.
The dragon raised his front paw, and with a floor on the ground, he made the earth tremble and humans fall. He could crush them without really using his strength, but it was noticeable that the dragon was furious. He opened his huge mouth, spreading his sharp teeth and thin tongue, blowing fire to burn the forest that surrounded Bortoise.
The scene of true chaos was delivered by Aries.
"Shouldn't we stop him?" Mikhal questioned, keeping an eye out as Guyel's devoted humans began to spread in panic.
Only that neither Cale nor Yvaine answered. Both could only observe from a distance with serious and concentrated expressions.
The bond was impressive. Cale could feel the fury, the uncontrollability, and the burning desire for destruction. It was as if all that pile of emotions belonged to Cale, making him compassível.
This went beyond the attraction Cale always felt.
"Finish him!!! A dragon always has a weakness!!" cried a human.
Cale looked down at the corrupted dragon egg. The human, who seemed to be trying to lead the remnant on the battlefield, would not drop the egg.
Wasn't that why Aries lost control?
"Yvaine, can you create a barrier around Aries?"
The goddess stared at her master, and quietly denied.
"I don't have enough energy to cover it completely, my lord. I used a lot of my power in the temple to contain Jandiana."
"Hm... that doesn't sound good" Cale tilted his head, returning to face the dragon.
The huge creature swung its tail, sweeping away the humans who dared to try to hurt him with their swords and spears. The roar of the dragon rocked trees, throwing the unsuspecting away. The more he moved, the more Guyel's devout humans got lost.
The problem was that Aries only pursued the bastard who held the egg.
"I guess I should help... things got out of hand." Mikhal murmured, glancing at Cale.
Realizing that he was being observed, the demigod stared back at him under his hood.
"Do you want something from me in return?"
"Haha, something like that."
Mikhal was a mystery. Cale had not gotten rid of the feeling that he was hiding something behind his lazy smile. However, the situation was more worrying than his intuition.
"As you wish" he reached out his hand.
Mikhal's colorful eyes fell on the outstretched hand, he took a few seconds before smiling and shaking hands with Cale, closing an agreement between them. A cold current went up Cale's forearm, causing chills to tickle her chest.
Ignoring the feeling, Cale just watched Mikhal take a few steps forward. Silent and cunning, without attracting any attention.
How would him, when he had a huge dragon spitting fire and burning around, while chasing a human?
However, Cale was surprised when the ghostly steps of Mikhal extinguished the fire from the grass. Its presence seemed to erase any heat residue, lowering the temperature drastically.
A cold wind blew against Mikhal, bringing Cale the feeling that winter had arrived. A divine presence pressed against his chest, freezing his lungs and heart in a comforting and deadly embrace. Cale came to pull more of the robe to cover himself, beginning to shiver with cold, but unable to take his eyes from MIkhal.
"Let's calm things down."
Mikhal's murmur was only a reception for the icy wind. The grass was covered by a crystalline blanket, becoming slippery. Humans were unbalanced when stones suddenly became smooth.
Touching a tree trunk, Mikhal caused a huge silver branch to stretch out, dead and cold, spreading the winter cold by encircling humans in a circle.
"Why is it cold suddenly?!"
"Damn!!! Be careful, the dragon- AAAAH!"
The huge dragon blew his hot breath, burning some humans. The leader holding the egg pushed his companions to be burned alive in their place. He took the sword from one of his companions, trying to cut the branch of the cold tree.
"If they kill me, the egg goes along!" he shouted, raising the artifact as if it were a cursed trophy.
"It's useless" Mikhal smiled, sitting on the tree branch.
He seemed so relaxed, amused with despair. Just watching the human's pathetic attempts to break through the frozen branch. The cold spread by the blade, reaching the handle and making the man drop the sword quickly.
"AAH!!"
The sword fell to the ground, the human's hand became red and sore from the low temperature. There was no other way to protect himself. Even more when a hand touched his shoulder. His energy was stolen with the touch, and the silent presence coming behind him haunted him to the point of squeezing the egg against his chest.
"Could you hand me that egg? I think my dragon is interested on it."
Cale's hoarse voice scared the man. He turned quickly, using the rest of his strength to punch Cale. The demigod held his neck, without any problem with failed attempts. Only sucked more and more of the human vitality, pathetically weakening it.
Linus came out from behind Cale, staring at the egg with curiosity. Arrived and hesitated a little, but he clenched his fists and held the base of the egg without any problem. When the human released the egg, without any force to keep it in possession, Linus opened a victorious smile.
"Sir! I got the egg, look!"
Cale smiled sweetly.
"Very well, Linus. You can take it to Yvaine, and stay inside the barrier." He raised his eyes to the humans that appeared on the horizon "After all, it seems that the situation is getting a little tense here."
The roar of the dragon cut through the sky like thunder. The earth vibrated with every heavy step. The trees caught fire without even being touched, swallowed by the heat that emanated from the angry body of the golden creature.
Linus ran to the barrier with the egg in his arms, protecting it with his own skinny body. He stumbled, but stood up, his eyes wide, staring at the gigantic scales of approaching Aries.
More humans emerged from the forest — not soldiers, but desperate zealots. Dirty, with glazed eyes, tattoos of spiral on the forehead and black blades in fists. They were the last faithful of Guyel, advancing as living shadows.
"The egg! The egg needs to be taken to our great god!!" they shouted, in a hysterical song.
Linus shouted, protecting the artifact with his body.
The dragon raised his head and then descended with brutality, striking the ground with his chin and opening a crater. A dozen fanatics flew through the air. Others were trampled, torn apart by claws that barely seemed to move. There was no mercy.
Not even control.
Cale felt the chaos multiply, not just around, but within the bond.
"Aries... !" cried, but the voice was swallowed by the bestial roar.
The dragon blew fire at another group, incinerating men and trees without distinguishing form or faith. Even Mikhal took a few steps back, raising a frosty gale to protect Linus and Yvaine.
"This is going too far" muttered Cale, his eyes gasping for pain and frustration.
Felt the bond pulsating irregularly, as if trying to break from within. It was the instinct taking full control.
The heat squeezed the air around. Cale fall on his knees.
"If you do nothing, he will get lost" Yvaine held him tight "He will destroy everything."
Cale closed his eyes, diving into the bond that connected them. It was not a simple bridge, it was a divine oath, rooted in the heart, in the soul.
"Aries... stop" whispered.
The dragon continued to spit fire and trample on humans. Roaring, swaying his heavy body, destroyed... Everything he could do to decimate those he saw as enemies.
Cale stuck his nails in the palms and shouted:
"ARIES! I COMMAND AS YOUR MASTER!"
A sharp pain pierced Cale's chest, as if he had been struck with Aries' own sword. The bond burned, vibrated, resisted.
Then... gave in.
The dragon froze in place. The wings before opened, slowly retreated. The glowing eyes continued to burn feverishly, but his tense muscles receded. The dragon's chest barked hard, spitting clouds of steam.
A morbid silence took the field.
Cale kept his fist closed over his chest, breathing with difficulty. The dust went down. Linus, still holding the egg, watched the dragon with tears in his eyes. Not out of fear, but out of respect.
The dragon stared at his master, green eyes reflecting the sky. He growled, clenching his sharp teeth in a threat, though he did not move.
Exhausted, Cale smiled.
"Good boy, little dragon."
The dragon turned his face to the top of a nearby hill. From there, a figure wearing heavy, dark armor watched the chaos in silence. It was impossible for Cale to see his expression, yet the presence revealed his identity.
"Guyel..."
He seemed to hold something. Cale stepped forward and the dragon growled in response.
Guyel only observed the figure of Aries. An intense exchange of glances in their world. It was surprising that Guyel only bowed his head to Linus and then to the egg, completely ignoring the sea of corpses that his devotees had become.
"Pathetic" He whispered, finally.
Raising his arm, Guyel showed who was in his possession.
Cale widened his eyes in horror.
"Alinys!"
The echo of the name between the mountain range arrived late. Guyel threw it into the air as if it were a mundane garbage. Cale ran in the direction to try to catch her, but it was Yvaine who was faster to hold Alinys in her arms.
Mikhal ran just behind, sliding over the frozen ground trying to hold Guyel in place. Guyel jumped into the air before the earth froze him, and yet turned away from the dragon's tail.
"Hope to see you again... Arkalis."
In the same mysterious way that he appeared, Guyel disappeared. Leaving behind only a dazed and confused Cale.