Chapter 149: The Red Dragon

Words : 1063 Updated : Oct 10th, 2025

The silence snapped like dry bark beneath a heavy boot. Inigo’s breath hitched. A tremor passed through the ground, almost imperceptible at first—but then came again, stronger. Dust and ash shivered off the crumbled arches of the ruin. The skull of the ancient dragon at the center of the platform trembled in its resting place, vibrating as if it sensed something older than death returning. "Inigo," Lyra said quietly. "We need to leave." He didn’t argue. He turned on instinct, rifle already raised toward the ridge behind them. The path they came through—silent moments ago—now exhaled heat. The shadows pulled away like breath drawn into enormous lungs. And then, with a sound like a mountain exhaling— It stepped into view. The red dragon descended the ridge in deliberate silence, wings tucked, claws clicking on stone. Its hide glowed with a molten sheen, the color of fresh blood mixed with magma. Veins of pulsing fire ran across its chest and neck, and its eyes—twin golden embers—locked onto them with intelligent hatred. It wasn’t hunting. It was inspecting. It knew they had trespassed. "Move," Inigo whispered. "Now!" Lyra didn’t hesitate. They broke into a run, retracing their path across the ruin, boots striking the blackened floor with frantic rhythm. Behind them, the dragon let out a low, guttural growl that rumbled across the ruin like a storm cloud scraping stone. Inigo risked a glance over his shoulder. The dragon hadn’t taken flight. It walked after them—slow, confident, deliberate. Like a lion toying with prey inside its den. They hit the archway they’d entered through. Beyond it, the ravine yawned open, spanned by only a narrow stone bridge barely wide enough for one at a time. Behind them, the dragon inhaled. The sound of the breath alone made Inigo’s chest seize. "Lyra! Go first!" he shouted. She sprinted across the bridge, her cloak trailing behind her. Ash fell like snow in the rising heat. Inigo waited until she was halfway, then turned, shouldered his M4, and opened fire. The rifle barked. Three-round bursts struck the dragon’s head and chest—conventional rounds mixed with enchanted. The impacts flashed, echoed with the concussive force of larger guns—but they didn’t penetrate. Not even close. The bullets sparked off its scales like rain on steel. It blinked, annoyed. Then opened its jaws. "Shit," Inigo hissed, ducking behind the arch just as the flame erupted. A cone of fire painted the ruins in violent orange. The stone ceiling above him cracked, melting at the edges. Where he had stood seconds ago was now a liquid inferno, glowing with dripping slag. Inigo burst out from the side and sprinted for the bridge. "Come on!" Lyra shouted from the far end, drawing her bow. She loosed an arrow—not to wound, but to distract. The alchemical bolt exploded near the dragon’s eye in a flash of white-blue light, momentarily blinding it. Inigo reached the midpoint of the bridge. The dragon roared. Not a breath this time. An actual roar. The entire ravine trembled. Loose stones fell from overhead, shattering on the path. Behind him, the creature began to advance, clawing across the ruin with terrifying grace. Halfway across, Inigo heard the crack. A fault line in the stone bridge split. The edge crumbled. "Inigo!" Lyra reached out. The rear half of the bridge gave way behind him. He dove—barely—landing hard against the far ledge. Lyra caught his arm and pulled. Ash surged around them as the structure collapsed into the lava pit below. The dragon halted at the edge of the ruin, watching them. Its wings flared slightly, testing the air—but it did not follow. It had made its point. They weren’t prey worth chasing. Not yet. — The two collapsed just beyond the broken bridge, gasping in the hot air. "I think it let us go," Lyra said between breaths. "No," Inigo replied. "It wanted us to see." They sat in silence for a moment, staring across the chasm as the dragon turned back into the ruins. It circled the bones of its ancestor, then lowered its head, pressing its massive skull against the old remains—as if claiming the corpse, absorbing its power, or honoring the lineage. Then, without fanfare, it vanished into the ruins. Back to sleep. Back to waiting. — By late afternoon, they reached Daren, who had camped further down the ridge. "Gods above," he muttered when he saw their condition. "What happened?" "We saw it," Inigo said. "It’s real. And it’s far bigger than anything Ironmark’s seen before." Daren handed them canteens. "Did you engage?" "Briefly," Inigo muttered. "Useless. My rifle barely scratched it." Lyra sat nearby, staring at her shaking hands. "If it had flown," she said, "we’d be dead. The only reason we’re alive is because it didn’t feel like trying." Daren looked toward the ridge. "Then it’s worse than we feared." — They returned to Ironmark at dusk, their faces blackened, armor scorched, and morale shaken. The guards at the gates stepped back instinctively, seeing the soot and burns. Marshal Cedric met them in the barracks courtyard. "Report." Inigo handed over the marked map, each point denoting the scale of the lair, the old bones, and the dragon’s movement. "It’s nesting in the ruins," he said. "Using a dead dragon’s remains to hide its scent. We got close. Too close." Cedric frowned. "Engagement?" "Tried," Inigo said flatly. "Useless. Even with enhanced bullets, it might as well be a tank under a mountain." "Tank?" "We’re not ready," Lyra said quietly. "No one is." Cedric’s jaw tightened. "Then we’ll find a way to be." — Later that night, Inigo stood on one of the high battlements overlooking the Emberreach. He cleaned the barrel of his M4 slowly, mechanically, wiping away ash that kept reappearing no matter how many times he scrubbed it. Below, the town bustled as if nothing had changed—civilians cooking, smiths hammering, scouts reporting in. But something had changed. They had seen the fire. And the fire had seen them. Lyra approached quietly. She had changed into a fresh cloak, but the look in her eyes remained scorched. "You alright?" she asked. "No." She nodded. "Good. Because neither am I." They stood side by side in silence. "I think I might have a weapon that can kill it." "What’s that?" "I will reveal it too you soon, but I am going to need a private moment."

Chapter 149: The Red Dragon

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