Zero300

This is part 1 of the 3rd side story. I've outlined the story already and I estimated it to be at least twice as large as the 2nd side story. In order to keep the readers interested, I decided to post the 3rd side story in parts instead of having you guys wait for months for the next update. Enjoy reading as I work on part 2.

“After it! Don’t let it escape!” Three men of similar ages stalked after a shadowy figure in the dimly lit night.

The shadowy figure dripped blood from its many arrow and blade wounds. Finding nowhere left to hide, the beast finally turned around to face its attackers in a desperate battle. It was at this time when the clouds covering the moon drift past and revealed the true nature of the shadowy figure.

It was a red dragonling, not a hatchling but one in its adolescence just a few years short from adulthood. The dragonling roared angrily in desperation and frustration. It wasn’t trying to pressure its attacks or threatening them, but rather lamenting at its fate.

With another cry to the skies above, the dragonling lunged towards the nearest attacker. The man jumped back and raised his shield. He met the charging dragonling with a firm stance and, although he was pushed back a few feet, he managed to stop the dragonling in its tracks. The man’s two companions pounced on the dragonling, dealing more damage.

The red dragonling flailed about and spat out some fireballs. But, one good pierce from the trio’s main attacker and the dragonling breathed its last. With a cry of dismay, the young dragon collapsed, its soul dispersed.

“Prince Jorge! Congratulations on slaying a dragon!” The archer remarked as he checked the killing blow on the red dragonling.

“What dragon? It’s only a dragonling.” Prince Jorge blushed as he retorted.

“A dragonling is still a dragon. Congratulations!” The man with the shield bowed.

“Alright, enough of that, Kevin. Let’s carry our trophy back to the castle.” Prince Jorge waved dismissively.

“Alright!” The two men agreed as they grabbed the dragonling corpse.

Halfway down the main road back to the kingdom, a sudden roar filled the sky, bringing shivers down everyone’s spines. The three men looked up in the sky behind them and saw a red speck flying towards them. Every second it flied closer, every second it became larger. Finally, the three men found out what it was.

“Fuck! The mother dragon is here!” Kevin cursed as he dropped the dragonling and raised his shield up.

“To arms!” Prince Jorge roared as he drew his longsword.

The other man nocked an arrow and aimed his sights on the incoming enemy. Without waiting for the signal, he emptied his quiver at the dragon. But an adult dragon’s hide was tough. None of the arrows pierced through the skin.

The red dragon shook with annoyance as she flew towards the three humans. In a matter of seconds, she arrived before the fear-ridden young men. The mother dragon took one look at her dead child and roared in grief. Taking note of the fatal sword wound, the red dragon turned her sights on Kevin and Prince Jorge.

MURDERERS!!! The dragon roared, her voice echoing in the men’s minds. YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS WITH YOUR LIVES!!!

A wave of intimidation washed over the young men. Fearing for his life, the archer dropped his bow and ran. Kevin tried to call him back, but by the time he turned around, the archer had disappeared within the forests.

“Fuck!” Prince Jorge raged as fear overtook him and his ‘flight’ instinct started kicking in.

“Prince Jorge! Get behind me! I’ll protect you!” Kevin roared as he raised his shield.

Suddenly, Prince Jorge whipped out his leg and sent Kevin sprawling into the dragon’s gaping mouth. “Stall that monster for me while I escape to safety. Your sacrifice will be forever remembered!”

“AAARRRRRGHH!” Kevin screamed in agony as his last moments were spent glaring at Prince Jorge’s blurry back.

However, one person didn’t make much of a difference as the dragon only swung her head side to side a couple of times before spitting the bloody corpse out. After completing a part of her revenge, the dragon roared with frenzy and charged towards the prince.

Prince Jorge was an elite warrior capable of fighting one against many. But even he could not stand against the wrath of an adult dragon alone. The prince hadn’t taken a couple of steps into the forest when the dragon finished off Kevin and pounced towards him.

Prince Jorge ran as fast as his two legs could possibly carry him. But, no matter how fast he ran, he could still feel the hot breath tickling his sweat-soaked back. He dared not look back in fear that if he did, he would be instantly killed.

Luckily for him, the trees slowed down the dragon. Prince Jorge was able to nimbly trek past the vegetation with ease. In a matter of minutes, he saw the archer in the distance. Recalling how the archer cowardly abandoned him, the prince scolded the archer loudly, ordering him to stop and wait for him.

However, instead of obeying, the archer glared at Prince Jorge with cold eyes and aimed a nocked arrow at the noble. Before Prince Jorge could even utter an insult at his attacker, the archer released the arrow.

The arrow was released without proper aim and still managed to hit Prince Jorge’s thigh. The prince yelped in pain and misstep, tripping over an upturned root. As he clutched his bleeding leg, the dragon arrived. Spurred by the scent of fresh blood, the angry mother pounced on the screaming prince, chomping down and ending his hateful existence.

While the dragon busied herself on her sweet revenge, the archer had made his way out of the forest and across the borders of the human kingdom. Without rest, the archer bought a healthy horse at a nearby village and rushed towards the main city.

Meanwhile the mother dragon had finished decimating the former prince into meat paste. Still frustrated by the loss of her loved one, the dragon turned her attention and hatred towards the nearest village.

After rampaging about and wiping out two villages plus a city, the red dragon finally calmed down. She flew towards the corpse of her beloved child and carried it back to the lair. Upon arrival, the first thing she did was rush into the embrace of her powerful partner. In tears, she detailed what had happened to their child.

“What?!” The red dragon lord roared in unrestricted anger, magma stirring in the nearby volcanoes causing several to erupt. “Who was it? Who was so bold as to touch my favorite child?”

“I-I heard the human was a prince something or other.” The dragon lord’s wife recalled.

“FUCK! DAMN YOU HUMAN KING! You have crossed the line! This means WAR!” Everywhere within a hundred-mile radius could hear the dragon lord’s declaration.

The red dragon turned to his elite warriors and ordered them to gather their troops. Tomorrow, they fly into combat. It was time for war…it was time for a massacre…it was time for an invasion.

***

The archer had to change horses two times before he reached the main city. As soon as he arrived at the castle gates, the archer reported his urgency. The castle gatekeepers quickly let him in after seeing his credentials. Without another word, the archer rushed into the castle to report of Prince Jorge’s death.

When the archer barged into the castle hall unannounced, the king was busy discussing some politics surrounding the nearby kingdoms with his loyalists. At first, the king was very angry for being interrupted. However, when he found out that the archer was someone who followed his youngest son on his adventures, the king swallowed his pride to hear the man out.

“What is it? Why did you barge in here like that? Speak!” The king ordered with a grunt.

“I-It’s Prince J-Jorge!” The archer stammered between pants.

“Jorge? That’s right! You’re one of Jorge’s retainers. Why are you not with Jorge? Where is my son?” The king questioned the trembling man.

“P-Prince Jorge…he w-was killed.” The archer swallowed really hard before blurting out.

“What? What did you say?! What happened to my son!?” The king slammed his palm onto the armrest of his golden throne as he leaped to his feet.

“Prince Jorge was kill–!” The archer repeated.

Confirming that he had heard correctly, the angry man barely suppressed himself. “W-Who did it? Who is the fucker that…ah FUCK! Who did it!? Answer me!”

“Dragons!” The archer gave out as he trembled under the intense bloodlust coming from the king.

“Dragons? Why did the dragons attack my son?” The king seethed as he tried to understand the reason why dragons would go against him.

“I-I don’t know! We were just going about our business hunting some deer out in the forest down south when a red dragon suddenly attacked us out of nowhere!” The archer explained with a bucket full of lies.

“Red dragon? Lord of the Red Dragons Bemris?” The king simmered down a bit after hearing the color of the dragon.

Red dragons were very powerful firebreathers with arrogant attitudes and tyrannical might. The king was willing to go to war with any dragon except red dragons as they were known to be many in number and held a more pack-like hierarchy.

“Was it really as you said?” The king turned to the archer. “Did the red dragon kill my son for no reason?”

“Y-Yes.” The archer stammered as if unsure whether he should tell the truth or not.

However, that small hesitation did not escape the king’s eyes. “Tell me the truth! Or I’ll wipe out your entire family!”

The archer, scared for his family’s life, quickly knelt. “Please your Majesty! I’ll say! I’ll say!”

“Speak!” The king squinted his eyes coldly.

“P-Prince Jorge killed a red dragonling.” The archer finally confessed and as if a burden had suddenly lifted from his shoulders, he glanced up at the king or at least he tried to. Strange…everything looks upside down? What’s going on?

What’s going on….

The king swung his sword down sharply to remove the blood before sheathing it. He glared at the headless corpse and waved for someone to remove the mess. “How dare you lie to me! Men, find his family and wipe them out!”

“At once, your Majesty!” Two guards saluted before rushing out of the castle hall.

A scholarly figure walked up beside the king and bowed. “Your Majesty, what should we do now?”

“There’s nothing we can do.” The king sighed. “An eye for an eye…a tooth for a tooth…a child for a child. Hopefully, the Lord of Fire would let this go.”

“That would be for the best.” The scholar nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a messenger arrived with a worried look. Even though he had an urgent report, the messenger still knelt before the king and waited to be called upon. Now, normally, the king would have ignored the messenger for a while as he wallowed in sadness and pain. However, the impatient look spread across the man’s face piqued the king’s curiosity.

“What is it? Speak!” The king commanded.

“Dragons! Dragons have attacked two villages and Talis City!” The messenger wiped some sweat from his brow.

“Dragons? What color were they?” The king interrogated.

“R-Red!” The messenger paused for a while before recalling.

“Dammit Bemris! This is war!” The king raged as he stretched out his arm. “Men! To arms! Gather your army! Chief Advisor, can I trouble you to notify the adventurer’s guild?”

The scholarly elder accepted the task. “What are the requirements? What are the rewards?”

“Tell them that the rewards are negotiable. As for the requirements…all C-rankers and above.” The king declared.

“At once.” The Chief Advisor bowed before leaving.

The king looked at the backs of his departing men and murmured to himself. “Bemris, don’t think we are easy pickings. So what if you want to kill? Two can play that game! This land isn’t big enough for the two of us. Either you die or I die! And I don’t plan on dying anytime soon!”