Age of Heroes

Arial took back the sword and began preparing his last assault. His wounds are healed and his pain disappeared for a bit.

The area around his battle with the dragon is a wreckage. Cliff destroyed.

The walls crumbled and the narrow passage around the ceiling was destroyed showing the sky above, and the yellow sun shine down on the dark gloomy cavern.

Arial took the sword and with intense concentration he threw it aiming it at the dragon neck as the dragon is still struggling.

Piercing through the battlefield, the internal energy barrier is penetrated and it struck the dragon around its neck and the dragon howled and roars in pain and the force of its roar thrown the group around it to the walls of the cavern.

It is a devastating piercing technique as blood flowed around the dragon neck.

Then Arial jumped and with his palm he unleashed Dragon Palm making the dragon head snap back as its body thrown back by such divine force.

The cavern shakes and the hills near the cavern wall shattered onto the ground.

Then Arial approached slowly to the dragon, took his sword from the dragon body and aim the sword at the dragon neck looking at the dragon pitiful state.

The group began using mithril chains to tie up the dragon feet and claws.

Then Arial is about to strike the last strike ending the dragon life. The other moved away knowing what their commander is about to do.

'Wait' the sound penetrated the mind of everyone. Arial is shocked at the sudden sound

'Who's there?' He asks as he look at his back and seeing no one.

'It is me, young human' and once again Arial look back at the dragon. And this shocked the whole group.

A talking dragon. Arial thought such species no longer exist. He thought they are nothing but beast anymore.

'You!'

'Yes, me. You have defeated me human.' The dragon lips or mouth did not move but it speaks telepathically.

'You…can talk?' Arial ask, stuttering like he couldn't believe such developments

'I can. I am an ancient creature.'

'Kill it' the other urge Arial. They are all waiting. If Arial kill the dragon, this will be an important moment. A new Dragon Slayer will be born.

Arial is about to give the last attack when the dragon said again.

'So you are like them too. This is why We don't talk to human or Demon Race.'

And this stays Arial hand.

'What do you mean?' Arial asked.

'You are a beast.' The dragon said.

'You are the beast' a kobold says his voice trembling with fear

'You attack my clan in an open plain. Do you deny it?' that kobold ask

'Yes, I did' he said. Then he added

'But isn't that because your clan kill my worms and lizard? Why is it wrong for me to avenge them? Your clan terrorized my abode, take my eggs and eat it and you think I am the beast? You are the beast. We are noble creatures, yet we are hunted, maligned by humans and Demon Race alike.'

'You killed my companions' Arial said

'Yes, because they attack me. I awoke from my sleep only to see someone is trying to stab me. How would you react human if such situation happens to you? Will you not attack that people if it were you?'

'Well, if you talk to m-' The dragon snickers

'Talk to a human? We have been trying to do that for a millennium!'

'During the Age of Man, Levitia and his companion killed our King instead of talking to him. Levitia was a strong human this I do not doubt but his prejudice about the inhabitants of the Dark Lands blinded him'

'The Great Hero of Humanity listens to no reason of the denizens of the Dark Lands. He thinks we are trying to deceive him and so our King dies fighting them. When he died the clan of dragons fights each other, wrecking many damages and accidentally creates our own scourge. The Four Brothers'

Arial eyes widened.

What do they mean that the Four brothers are a scourge they created? Arial listened on as the Dragon talks

'Their hunting of dragons left us divided and once again we united under common cause to stop their madness. We once again try to talk with humans, to show them we meant them no harm. Yet vengeance blinded them too, and they hunt us until only a few of us survived. We know that our age ended long ago, but still.... to hunt us like we are rats is…deplorable. Talk to human? No, young child'

'We learned the hard way what happens when we talk to humans. Even the dark denizens shunned us. So we hide ourselves. In great caverns and great cave, hiding under ice cold region, in fiery pit of the world instead of flying to the open sky like during the Age of the Gods. If there is one human that we respect it will be one that I met during the Age of Gods. The man was a leader of his community, fearless, cunning and merciful. He made a deal with us. They recognized our sovereignty and let us rule ourselves. King of the First Generation.'

And they all listen to the dragon story. They don't know what to believe. There was silence in the cavern. Arial sighed and then he asks

'Why speak now? 'Arial asked.

'Because you are about to end my life. In Anvali, there is only three dragons. Me, Gaveror and Grinadine near here. The others are scattered around the world. In some deep sea or some ice region, even in some vast desert, hiding underneath its thick layers of sands. I can't stop you killing me. But I urge you to exercise mercy.'

Arial could not believe his ears.

Spare it? He needs the damn dragon heart. But Arial knows the story about dragons…They are known to have magical powers.

What if…...

'What will you give me if I spare your life?' Arial said and this invites disbelief from his group

'Commander, don't negotiate with it.'

'Who knows if what he said is true or not?' An Orc said

Arial ignored the pleas and then he said to the Dragon

'Let me tell you why I came here Gaveror. I want your heart. I am poisoned with a poison that will kill me not before long. And your heart is the cure. Can you give me that? You can't, can you?' Arial ask, and he knows that the dragon will refuse.

The group is shocked. They thought that their commander wanted to hunt the beast for fame or for its bones or its blood but to think he needed the dragon heart.

When Gaveror refuse he will then have no choice but to concede that there is no other way then to die.

But instead Gaveror answer shocked Arial. The mouth formed something resembling a smile

'I can. So, my heart huh? Then killing me will serve you no purpose human child. This is not the first time it happens.' The dragon speaks.

'What do you mean?' Velamina asked approaching the dragon.

The other has tied up the dragon claws and feet and even they are approaching the dragon to hear his story.

And then he told his story and Arial nodded and he finally understands.