CHAPTER 28: THE GOLDEN CROWN

Every citizen was thrown into terror upon hearing that inhumane screech. It came from far away, yet it ignited the primal fear inside them. All of them rushed to hide inside their homes while praying desperately for their gods to keep them safe.

The abnormalities convinced many that demonic forces were invading their state, which made some of them rile up with weapons, ready to fight even if in vain.

But the top echelon, the nobles and the army’s higher-ups, knew that screech very well. All of them felt helpless and deeply worried for their kingdom.

The only thing that reassured them was the fact that Aegon Valerian Augustus was in their kingdom. As long as the last Valerian was there, they believed they would be fine.

Back in the Mooncrest Mansion, all eyes turned north as a tiny dot in the sky slowly grew larger. The dot soon became a humongous creature that left behind golden trails wherever it passed.

Every time it clapped its gigantic wings, they expected to hear booming thunderous sounds and the rise of devastating wind currents, yet the creature was silent...silent as a tranquil river.

Even though the creature was flying high above the clouds, it was still large enough that anyone could clearly see its detailed, mighty body. It dwarfed the entire capital city beneath it.

No one doubted that if the creature flew any lower, its colossal wingspan could have easily blanketed the entire capital city.

The children instinctively hid behind their mothers as they stared up at the creature. Even their mothers, hardened and wise as they were, gazed at it with stunned amazement.

"So this is a true Dragon."

Hearing Aurelia’s words, the children froze in shock and once again looked closer at the descending creature. Their eyes widened as realization struck. The dragon was shrinking as it descended, as if afraid its true size would destroy the land below.

The Dragon was far more majestic than anything they had ever read in books or heard about in stories. They couldn’t tear their eyes away from it.

Its body gleamed with molten-gold scales that caught the light like burning metal. Its majestic wings stretched wide, every beat scattering sparks across the sky, and the jagged horns on its head curved back like a golden crown.

When its massive head tilted downward, twin sun-like vertical pupils stared at them, heavy enough to make the entire world itself seem smaller.

Time seemed to have stopped as the dragon shrank further, until its body was only the size of the Mooncrest Mansion itself. With a soft thud, it landed beside the Eastern Courtyard, yet everything around still remained calm and eerily silent.

The only sounds that broke the silence were the dragon’s deep, rumbling growls and Arnold’s furious punches. He had only spared a single glance at the dragon before going back to striking the ice relentlessly. Xiu was right beside him, channeling her own spells, neither of them daring to stop.

Every passing second only increased their worry. Ice wasn’t a good thing for someone like Aegon, and they still couldn’t even understand where it came from.

They desperately hoped it wasn’t because he had awakened the Ice Affinity. Conflicting affinities could ruin a body if not carefully balanced, and that was a fate no one wanted for Aegon.

Only when the dragon’s massive head loomed directly over them did they finally halt. Xiu instinctively took a step back, while Arnold stood his ground, unmoved.

He raised his hand and said in an even tone, "Long time no see, friend."

The dragon’s grunt stirred the winds themselves. It glanced briefly at everyone present before turning its massive gaze towards the ice cubicle. Then, opening its cavernous maw filled with blade-like fangs, saliva dripped down and sizzled against the obsidian walls.

Its tongue rolled outwards and licked the cubicle. A loud hiss echoed as frost burned against flesh, and the dragon growled even louder, glaring at the ice with raw hatred.

The Dragon then turned its gaze back to Arnold, lowering its head until its golden eyes were level with him. Smoke oozed from its nostrils like writhing tendrils, scaring the children even more as they clutched their mothers’ hands tightly.

"I am sorry," Arnold said, surprising everyone with his words. But the Dragon’s growl deepened, its anger rising.

"We can talk about this later," Arnold continued, his voice firm. "But first, do something about him. At this rate, he will die."

A heavy claw slammed onto the side wall, demolishing part of the obsidian barrier with a single blow. The Dragon’s thunderous roar echoed through the entire capital, shaking it to its core.

Then, it glanced once more at Arnold, and the former commander immediately stepped away from the ice cubicle. Xiu followed suit, knowing Arnold understood dragons better than anyone else present.

And then, under their stunned gazes, the dragon craned its neck downward and in a swift, terrifying motion, swallowed the entire ice cubicle whole.

Aegon was trapped inside that cubicle. Which meant the Dragon had just swallowed him as well.

"AEGON!!"

Xiu’s scream tore through the air, her heart stopping in her chest as rage boiled through her veins like molten fire.

She didn’t care who was standing before her at that moment. Her fury drowned out reason. Her little baby had just been eaten.

Even Aurelia and the others were struck dumb, their eyes brimming with tears at the sight. The children forgot their fear as they rushed out of hiding, throwing stones with trembling hands while shouting furiously.

"Give Little Gon back!! I’ll rip off your scales otherwise!"

"Eat something else, you big lizard! Give Little Sun back!"

"I still need to finish the soap explosive experiment with him! Give him back!"

Arnold sighed at their innocent behavior and quickly stopped Xiu before she did something reckless. "Relax! Only a Dragon truly understands a Valerian. She knows what she’s doing. Little Sun will be safe."

If it had been anyone else, Xiu wouldn’t have believed a single word. She would have revolted instantly. But since it was Arnold saying it, her fury faltered, replaced by confusion and a spark of curiosity.

"What do you mean?" she asked sharply.

"You know her, Grandpa?" Elara asked, her calm voice standing out among the chaos. Yet anyone could see the blood trickling from her clenched fists.

Aurelia hurried to heal her, but Elara’s focus remained locked on Arnold.

"Who doesn’t know about her?" Arnold chuckled softly, finally feeling some relief now that this old friend had taken matters into her own hands...or claws. "She’s famous throughout the world. I’m sure even you’ve heard her legends."

"I have?" Elara muttered, then her eyes lit up in sudden realization. She shouted in shock, "The Queen of Dragons—the Golden Crown, Auranyth!"

"Yes," Arnold confirmed with a smile, his voice softening as he recalled old memories. "She’s Auranyth, the companion of my wife. They were very close, and my wife left behind certain instructions for Aura. All of them were related to Little Sun. That’s why I told you not to worry."

He looked up at the towering dragon queen, his expression filled with quiet trust.

"She will handle it."