*splash*     *splash*

Within a small pond, two little beasts played together as they splashed water onto each other’s faces. Sounds of giggling and laughter filled the air, enlightening the dark atmosphere within the mountain valley.

“Hehe, you are so slow, Weir!”

A little girl’s laughter echoed while she agilely dived under the water and popped up behind a small silver dragon.

“Not fair, I’m still learning how to swim! Besides, I don’t have those webbed limbs like yours…”

The small dragon complained, as bubbles burst forth from his snout and he tried to paw the childish figure behind him.

Upon closer inspection, the little girl actually had translucent film that stretched between her fingers and toes. Smooth gill lines covered the side of her neck, and her skin dazzled with countless tiny blue sparkles.

Just based on her physical appearance, it was clear that she was a very rare beast.

“Hey, what’s happening to your claw?”

The little female beast asked, as she climbed on top of the dragon’s back and held his paw within her tiny hands.

When Weir had tried to playfully attack her, the human-type beast had noticed that there was a strange symbol glowing on the back of his paw.

An eerie and cold aura exuded from the symbol once it was out in the open.

As soon as Weir realised that the symbol was showing, he immediately brushed his paw away from the girl’s grasp and tucked it under his chin. An irritated expression flickered across his face and the little dragon began swimming back towards the sh.o.r.e.

“OY! Wait for me!”

The blue-skinned beast yelled out in confusion, as she hurried to catch up to her friend.

Stepping onto the dry gra.s.s, Weir shook the water off of himself and glanced below at his paw. Heaving a sigh of relief, he turned his head to face the incoming nagging of the little blue girl.

“Weir, you are so mean! I just wanted to look at it!”

The girl pouted, but continued to try to catch a glimpse of the mysterious symbol on her friend’s paw.

“Leave it, Laris… It’s not what you think it is.”

Weir abruptly stated in a dark tone.

Seeing the rapid change in her usually easy-going friend, Laris stopped her fooling around and nervously stared at the silver dragon.

Realising that he had upset one of his only friends, Weir gently nudged his nose against the girl’s stomach in reconciliation.

“Haha, that tickles!”

Laris giggled, attempting to push away the dragon’s head.

“Climb on my back, let’s go see the flowerbed again.”

Weir cheerfully suggested as he lowered his body to the ground.

Excited at the notion of seeing the pretty flowers once again, Laris enthusiastically leapt onto Weir’s scaly back and patted his neck to let him know that she was ready.

“C’mon Weir, hurry! It’s starting to get dark and then you’ll have to leave.”

“Alright, hang on tight!”

Spurring into motion, the little dragon bolted deep into the empty valley while a single thought enveloped his mind.

I’m sorry, Laris, but this thing living in my body is a curse that I inherited from my father. The curse of all the Guardians…

“LAAARISS!!!”

Weir let out a savage roar when he saw the woman that had stood by him all these years suddenly fall to the ground in front of his eyes.

*kacha-kacha*

A deathly chill spread out from his body, as the silver scales on his body began to freeze at a rapid rate, and a layer of frost started to cover them. An icy grey mist expelled from the gaps in the Dragon King’s jaw and a sharp cobalt-blue light burst forth from his right paw.

A sinister and murderous aura twirled around Weir as his eyes intensely bore into the nearly Griffin King.

“I never thought that you would be the one to force me to use this cursed power, but you leave me with no other choice, Xardoth. Come, let me part your head from your body!”

Weir frostily whispered, the dangerous glint in his eyes momentarily suppressing Xardoth’s strength.

What is this deathly feeling?

Xardoth frantically thought, while glancing back and forth between his son and the enraged dragon. This was the first time that he had seen Weir this angry, and even during their previous fights, the dragon had never come close to losing his calm.

That must have been his partner. f.u.c.k.

Xardoth mentally cursed, conflicted between the urge to rush towards his son to embrace him, and the instinctual fear that was telling him to run as far as he could from this twisted energy emanating from the silver dragon.

However, before he could contemplate it any further, Xardoth felt a chilly breath on his neck, sending shivers all over his body.

“Pay for your sins, griffin.”

A mad and nefarious voice proclaimed into his ear, and in the next instant, a loud cracking noise could be heard throughout the battlefield.

“AARRGGHHH!”

Xardoth screamed in agony, wobbling in the air as one of his arms dangled in a twisted position.

The two armies below instantly stopped fighting when they heard the piercing cry of a Beast King and looked up to the skies in shock.

The stalemate had finally been broken.

Quick, bring her to me. The others are coming to stop the fight.

A calm voice resounded in Calron’s mind, shaking him from the awe of the battle above.

He immediately knew who the voice that contacted him was, and rushed forward towards Laris and Jarken, leaving Rebran to deal with his father.

Calron’s job was accomplished the moment the two family members saw each other.

“Hurry, take her to the Elder before she loses more blood!”

Jarken hoa.r.s.ely yelled out to Calron the moment the golden bird swished down towards the injured Laris on the ground. It appeared as if the old racc.o.o.n had already made contact with the dark panther as well.

Even though Jarken did not know why the Elder placed so much trust in this stranger, he dare not delay any further.

Gazing down at the fluttering eyelids of the blue-skinned woman who had just warmed up to him a few hours ago, Calron felt a range of various emotions coursing through him.

“Stay with me, Laris.”

Calron bent down and whispered into her ear.

“So…rr..y…”

A feeble voice came out from Laris’s mouth.

“Hush.”

Calron consoled the beautiful beast, gracefully scooping her between his claws and flapped his powerful wings.

Take care… brother.

Calron sent out his thoughts to Rebran, shooting a quick glance at him before disappearing with Laris into the city.

“Hahaha, this is absolutely glorious! Keep fighting, my little puppets!”

A sweet melodious laughter filled the air on top of a high cliff.

With her red hair dancing in the wind, a woman chuckled mirthfully while observing the aerial battle between the two kings.

“I guess it’s time to finally put the plans in motion.”

A vicious giggle echoed in the silent cliff.