Chương 75: B1 Epilogue - Devil's Lair, Dark Forest

Rogarth was furious. He was alive, though it felt like he was barely holding on to his lifeline, but that was the least of his concerns. Today's battle was not supposed to go like it did. The hunters positioned near Tribe Taskur had last reported that Chieftain Ragna and the strongest of Taskur's warriors were in the tribehold. So how was it that they arrived precisely when Taskur's young warriors needed them the most? The hunters–… They were dead now, either way.

Rogarth was not foolish enough to believe they had made it out alive. Phasing through the forest, his feet barely touching the ground as he propelled himself forward, away from Ragna and whatever terror their fight had awoken, Rogarth heard them: his people following closely behind, cursing and growling. He wanted to tell them to shut up and move on, yet he felt just like them. His body was barely held together by the Blessing of the Onyx Dragon, marking the day they first lost. He lost.

As for those who believed he was strong enough to best Ragna, they were either dead or smart enough to keep their lips sealed. Ever since the Rite five cycles ago, Rogarth had felt powerful, as if he were destined to become the next Warlord. But now… now he had been too weak to defeat the living legend, even with the Elders helping him. Chieftain Ragna had been a problem, but the rest of Tribe Taskur had been just as bad.

The woman fighting by the chieftain's side had been strong enough to fight several Elders simultaneously. She hadn't been strong enough to kill them, but with a warrior at the 5th Ascension by her side, stalling several Barbarians at the same Ascension as her had been more than enough. And that did not even account for the young warriors strong enough to fight and kill enemies one Ascension above them. Taskur should not have been this powerful.

If they had always been like this, why had they never conquered Pearot and the other tribes? That was what they all wondered as they retreated back to the tribe, fear blooming in the hearts of even the most savage warriors. Chieftain Ragna alone was enough to unite the tribes if he had always been this powerful, and that was something Rogarth did not doubt for a second. And it filled him with hatred. The Ancestors had chosen him. He was supposed to be the strongest.

Rogarth was not the only furious chieftain. Ragna burned with fury all the same. He was angry, but not at his son or the young warriors. They, especially his son, Astrid, and Ulfar, had far exceeded his expectations. It was a shame that Ulfar reached the 2nd Ascension before his son, but that would only fuel Hakon's ambition. Ragna knew his son would reach for the stars and beyond, as long as there was something pushing him hard enough.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. No, Ragna was not angry at anyone in Tribe Taskur. Nor did Tribe Pearot's actions bother him, although it was they who had forced him to use more power than he had intended. Chieftain Rogarth had pushed him, even though Ragna had been certain he had held back enough to avoid drawing her attention.

Looking back at the mountain range, liquid death trickling downward and swallowing stretches of the dark forest, made it clear that he had not held back enough. It had only been a warning, yet it had been enough to nearly kill Hakon. She was not yet moving, nor were the others, but soon they would be. Turning to his son, Ragna grimaced and cursed inwardly. Soon, everything would change, and he could only hope he could stall long enough to see his son grow into the man he was meant to become.

If only his mother could see him now.

As the weight of the Great One weakened greatly, she stirred for the first time in many cycles. And this time, she truly awakened. She, the Silver Dragon, divine beast of the old age, had expected a great disaster, but what she found was no catastrophe. Although it was no less threatening. Her presence surged outward, encompassing the mountain range and the entirety of the dark forest, revealing all that belonged to her domain the moment she awoke. What she saw was unpleasant, to say the least.

A portion of her land had been ripped away from her domain. It was small and insignificant, but that was not the point. It was an insult to her pride, and it did hurt the Silver Dragon's pride, which it did. She let out a low growl, slowly realizing what had happened during her slumber. The Alliance had moved, severing their pact before the end of its term. As short-lived as mortals were, she had not expected them to be this foolish.

Not when they had centuries to learn from the history of the races that came before them. It was time – the Silver Dragon had rested long enough. The insect was still alive, and he had even sired a son, but none of that mattered. Not until she sensed something within the child. She had sensed it, studied it, and nearly killed it. A disgrace. She should have killed father and son, but the bindings were still there.

The Barbarian may have removed some of his seals, but not the last of them, returning just enough power to her to kill the boy… yet she had failed. She still could not quite believe it. The Silver Dragon had only been able to use a fraction of her power without affecting the Great One's curse, but that should have been more than enough to kill that disgrace. The boy, however, had been tougher than he should have been. He survived. A being at the 1st Ascension had overcome his soul nearly being crushed.

Worse still, near the end, his condition had improved. The hardened stone beneath her gargantuan claws crumbled. Don't bother. These insects are not worth my attention. That was right. They were not worth it. Instead, she had to find out where the others were. If they were still sealed, she could free them… after finding out where her own had gone. With the Alliance's movements, Ragna would be forced to remove the final seal. Then the Silver Dragon would return, and the Barbarians would take their last breath.

She would eradicate them, their Ancestors be damned.