Alexei’s eyes narrowed dangerously as he spoke, his voice low and menacing. “What are you trying to say, Kaelan? That our lord should bow to yours?”
Kaelan felt his heart skip a beat, the words throwing him off balance. “No, Alexei, that’s not what I-” ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
“How dare you look down on my lord like that? I was willing to go easy on you because we are brothers, but if you dare to insult the lord I swore my sword to, then you will die here today!” Alexei cut him off, his tone rising with anger.
Alexei suddenly raised his sword high, the blade crackling with lightning. He leaned forward, his body pressing close to the neck of his dragon, his legs tightening around the beast’s flanks.
“Charge!” he yelled, his voice echoing through the sky. His riders flew forward, their dragons roaring together as they launched into a full-speed assault.
Kaelan’s mind raced, struggling to understand the sudden escalation of events.
‘This doesn’t make any sense,’ he thought, watching the oncoming horde.
‘Aren’t dragons supposed to be rational creatures? Why is Alexei so hot-blooded, so irrational?’
In the back of his mind, he remembered the words of his dragon knight, Darven. Darven, too, had a similar fiery temper, or at least a love for battle-a trait Kaelan had always thought was due to his desire to serve him, but now he was starting to think it could be something else entirely.
‘Could it be… Is it because they’re lightning dragons? Or is it just their pride?’ he wondered.
But there was no time to think about it. Alexei, riding atop his massive obsidian dragon, was flying toward him, his long sword drawn and crackling with lightning. Kaelan barely had time to react before the first swing came.
Kaelan quickly leaned to his right, gripping the reins tightly in his left hand while his right hand drew his own sword from its scabbard.
He shifted his weight, guiding his dragon into a tight roll to the side just as Alexei’s first strike came down. The blade whistled through the air, narrowly missing Kaelan’s head by inches.
Kaelan’s dragon responded instantly to his commands, its wings tilting to the side to avoid the attack.
Kaelan straightened himself and immediately retaliated, swinging his sword in a wide arc aimed at Alexei’s side. Alexei deflected the blow with a sharp flick of his wrist, the clash of their blades sending a shower of sparks into the air.
‘This isn’t good. He’s strong, and I don’t have any battle experience fighting like this,’ he thought, gritting his teeth.
Alexei gritted his teeth as well, his jaw tensing in anger. He lifted his sword high and brought it down with a forceful, two-handed slash aimed at Kaelan’s shoulder.
Kaelan saw the attack coming and pulled back hard on the reins, causing his dragon to rear up on its hind legs. The sudden movement lifted Kaelan out of the direct line of attack, the blade grazing harmlessly past his chest.
Kaelan then twisted his body sharply to the left, using the momentum to slash at Alexei’s exposed side.
Alexei, with lightning-quick reflexes, spun his sword in a circular motion, meeting Kaelan’s blade with a loud clang. The impact vibrated up their arms, but neither of them would give in.
“Is this what your lord has done to you?” Alexei asked, his tone dangerous. “Your skills seem to have dulled, pathetic!”
‘This is bad. I have to get us to the ground so I can stand a chance,’ Kaelan thought.
Their mounts, the lesser dragons, continued to battle in mid-air, snapping at each other with their powerful jaws.
Kaelan’s dragon sprang forward, attempting to sink its teeth into the neck of Alexei’s mount. Alexei’s dragon responded by twisting its body, swinging its tail with tremendous force. The tail struck Kaelan’s dragon in the side, forcing it to veer off course.
Kaelan held on tightly as his dragon was knocked off balance, quickly shifting his weight to compensate.
He adjusted his grip on the reins, pulling his dragon back into a stable flight path. He then angled his body forward, urging his dragon into a steep dive to gain speed.
“Are you running away now?”
“Where is your pride as a Valor-Void?”
“You are a disgrace to our clan!” Alexei’s angry tone filled the air as he chased after Kaelan.
Alexei followed closely, his eyes locked onto Kaelan like a predator stalking its prey.
‘The ground seems to still be thousands of feet down. If I land like this, he could catch me off guard.’
‘I have to do something he wouldn’t expect.’
As they dived, Kaelan risked a quick glance back, catching sight of Alexei’s intense gaze. He knew he needed to turn the tables.
Kaelan suddenly yanked the reins to the left, causing his dragon to snap its wings open and hover up sharply.
The move was so sudden that Alexei had to pull back on his own reins to avoid crashing into him.
Taking advantage of Alexei’s brief hesitation, Kaelan swung his sword upward, aiming for Alexei’s weapon hand.
The move forced Alexei to adjust his grip, raising his sword in a defensive block. The clash of steel echoed as Kaelan’s blade met Alexei’s in a series of lightning-fast slashes. Kaelan’s movements were smooth; each swing of his sword was well controlled, though unrefined.
He twisted his torso, rotating his hips to generate more power with each strike. His feet were planted firmly in the stirrups, allowing him to maintain balance despite the dragon’s rapid
movements.
Alexei, however, matched him blow for blow. He shifted his weight from side to side, keeping his stance wide and stable.
Each of his strikes was aggressive and forceful, the lightning crackling around his blade adding extra power to his attacks.
Suddenly, Alexei’s dragon let out a furious roar and lunged at Kaelan’s mount, its claws
extended.
Kaelan’s dragon attempted to evade, but the obsidian beast was too fast. The two dragons collided with a massive boom, their bodies crashing together.
Kaelan was nearly thrown from his saddle but managed to keep his grip, his body pressed close to his dragon’s neck as the two beasts grappled mid-air. He could feel the strain in his dragon’s muscles as it fought to break free from the other’s grasp. He knew they couldn’t keep
this up for long.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, Alexei spoke. “Even on a bad day, Kaelan’s attacks are not so
uncoordinated and unrefined.”
“But your body is not in bad shape; it’s perfect, in fact. But your skills are entirely
nonexistent.”
“A Valor-Void’s skills couldn’t possibly diminish overnight.”
As he spoke, Kaelan felt a chill run down his spine as he paused, taking in his last words.
Alexei’s purple eyes glowed brightly from behind the visors of his helmet as he said, “This may not make any sense, but I’m sure of it. You are definitely not Kaelan. So tell me, who
exactly are you?”