Chapter 336: The Flaming Forest
Rumanga’s anger at the disappearance of his daughter was felt across the entire world! The dragon king went on a rampage that was so fierce and uncontrollable that it reshaped the world and created a large black scar that stretched for thousands of miles across the western peninsula. At the end of his rampage, not a single Tumani was left alive, and the dragon king still felt great anger since his daughter was not yet home! But the dragon king’s actions made the dragon gods very angry! The dragon king had killed all of the Tumani and since the dragon gods were the ones who made them, it was the same as the dragon king killing the children of the dragon gods! As a punishment, the dragon gods placed a curse of eternal slumber on Rumunaga, and buried his body in the Ashenvalley Forest for eternity.
A few centuries after the incidents that shaped Radagan, a new creature emerged from the sands of Radagan to meet with the dragons. This creature looked like the Tumani, and they stood on two legs just like the Tumani, but the dragons noticed that the creature also possessed scales to protect them from attacks, as well as fire that they could use to hunt prey. The dragons realized that this was the result of the union between the Tumani and the dragon princess that had vanished a long time ago, and since it was born from a dragon, the new creature was called the Dragonborn.
’Why am I thinking about this now?’
Riyala frowned in slight annoyance as the stories from her childhood began to run through her mind constantly. Those were stories that her mother had told her when she was still very young, and thinking about it was making her heart ache! Riyala shook her head to get rid of the thoughts, and she focused on the path ahead of her again! Riyala was on the back of Fenrir with twenty large wolves following behind her, and they had been running for the past five minutes nonstop to get here fast. They were currently running across the western peninsula to try to reach the Ashenvalley. Riyala could feel her heart beating faster the further they went, but she steeled herself bravely to make sure she didn’t stop! Jason was trusting her with this mission, so she had to do it! Riyala pulled back on Fenrir’s neck slightly to tell him to stop, and she looked down the hill they were standing on and into the valley below! Riyala had only come to the Ashenvalley once when she was still a young child of twenty years. Back then, Riyala and all the other children who were old enough to have companions had been brought here to make contracts with young dragons and wyverns, and Riyala had been so nervous that she couldn’t even remember what route they had taken! But if there was one thing Riyala would never forget about this valley, it was the large black scorch mark that stretched for miles across the valley’s left face like a scar carved out by a vengeful god.
Riyala knew that the stories her mother told her as a child were mainly folklore. She didn’t know if there was really a dragon god or if it had crafted Rumanaga from mud like the adults claimed, but the scorch mark she could see across one side of the valley made it seem like those stories were real! Only a creature of myth would be able to do something like this with raw power alone! Riyala shook her head and turned away from the scorch mark as she looked to the other side of the valley and saw the large forest that occupied it. The entire forest was made up of extremely tall trees with red leaves that had grown so thick and full that they had formed a perfect canopy that prevented anyone from seeing what was inside the forest. This was known as the Flaming Forest, and it was the nest where the dragons and wyverns of the Ashenvalley raised their younglings, and Riyala knew that going in there without permission was the stupidest thing anyone could do! But Riyala suddenly remembered how hard Jason was fighting for her people, and she felt her resolve strengthen once again! If Jason was willing to risk his life to help her world, then why shouldn’t she do the same thing!
’If I die, then I die. But I’m going to talk to the dragons if it’s the last thing I do! I know they are in the forest, but I have no idea where they are exactly. I’ll just have to run straight to the center and try not to get killed.’
Riyala steeled her heart, and she quickly pushed Fenrir to go forward before she could change her mind from fear! Fenrir let out a loud howl in agreement, and he bolted forward with the other wolves! The pack charged into the forest at a speed that most superhumans couldn’t reach, and they began running through the forest floor! The forest beneath the trees was extremely peaceful! As Riyala raced past various large trees, she could feel the hands of nature wrapping around her in a calm embrace! The red leaves that were crunching under Fenrir’s feet and the gentle whistle of the birds that had taken roost in the branches. The thick canopy prevented any sunlight from getting through, but there was a gentle illumination from various fireflies and glowing flowers around that allowed them to see where they were going easily! Riyala felt the memories from her childhood returning to her mind once more and a feeling of nostalgia filled her body! There wasn’t a single child who would walk through this forest without feeling awed by the beauty of it, and even now after more than two decades, Riyala still remembered that feeling!
ROARRRR!!
But all of a sudden, the feeling vanished as a loud roar echoed through the entire forest! Riyala’s entire body shook from fear once she heard that sound, and she gripped down tighter on Fenrir as she felt him speed up! Fenrir let out a howl to tell the other wolves to get ready for a battle, and they all moved into a formation that would allow them to protect Riyala! Their lives didn’t matter at all! Their only goal in life now was to make sure Riyala reached the dragon nest safely! The sound of heavy wings beating against each other rang out from somewhere to the east, and Riyala turned to it sharply! Fenrir and the other wolves didn’t even stop to acknowledge the sound, so Riyala was the only one who saw the large creature that suddenly appeared with its mouth wide open!
"Dragonfire!!"
Riyala shouted to Fenrir, and Fenrir glanced sharply in the direction of the dragon before it slammed its legs into the ground and dashed to the side!
PHWOOM!
Red hot flames surged across the air towards the wolves, but Fenrir had already moved out of the way, and he raced down the forest like a bat out of hell to try and get away from the dragon! Two of the wolves that had been following Fenrir immediately broke off from the pack, and Riyala could hear the sound of fighting as they went to confront the dragon! Riyala was holding on for dear life as they bolted through the forest, but she suddenly jolted as Fenrir stopped dead in his tracks and changed directions on a fucking dime!
WOOSH!
Fenrir was the most nimble member of Jason’s Legion, and it was only that agility that allowed it to avoid the tail that suddenly slammed into the spot where he had just been!
BOOM!
The massive tail broke the ground easily and killed three more wolves that hadn’t been quick enough to get out of the way! Fenrir let out another howl as he ordered five wolves to stay back and stop the dragon, and the five broke off and went to sacrifice themselves while the other ten charged ahead of him to scout ahead!