The Alpha And The Fifth Blood

Chapter 181

The Gate Titan’s roar echoed through the mountain hard enough to shake the shattered council hall beneath Ariana’s feet.

Dust continued falling from the fractured ceiling while black mist surged upward from the widening crack beneath the chamber floor. Ancient chains groaned somewhere below the territory, heavy enough to make the entire mountain tremble every time the creature beneath the world moved.

But nobody inside the chamber looked toward the fracture anymore.

Every eye remained fixed on Ariana.

Golden fire burned around her body in violent waves while the corrupted dragon knelt before her with its massive head lowered against the broken stone floor. Black veins twisted beneath its golden scales like poison spreading through living fire, yet despite the corruption consuming it, the creature remained there in complete surrender before the Sovereign flame.

Ariana could feel everything through the connection between them.

The dragon’s fear crashed against her chest in painful waves while the corruption inside it fought desperately against the warmth surrounding her. Beneath all of that pain, she could still feel the creature itself struggling to survive.

"It’s scared," Ariana whispered softly.

Kael stood beside her immediately while silver lightning crackled violently around him. The pressure surrounding him had grown heavier ever since the Gate Titan recognized him beneath the mountain, ancient enough that several wolves near the chamber walls could barely remain standing beneath it.

"Ariana," he said carefully, "you need to stop."

But she couldn’t.

The golden fire surrounding her no longer felt completely under her control. It spread through her body instinctively, reacting directly to the dragon kneeling before her. Ariana could feel the corruption inside the creature resisting her power while the dragon itself reached desperately toward the warmth of the Sovereign flame.

Then something changed.

The black veins spreading across the dragon’s neck suddenly slowed.

A sharp breath escaped several elders near the chamber entrance.

Even Vormerion’s ancient eyes narrowed slightly.

The corruption had stopped spreading.

Not completely, but enough for everyone inside the chamber to notice.

Ariana stared at the dragon in shock as thin veins of gold slowly appeared beneath the darkness twisting through its scales. The dragon released another low sound, weaker now, but no longer filled entirely with agony.

The Sovereign flame was affecting it.

Vormerion stepped closer slowly, his enormous bronze body glowing faintly beneath the golden light flooding the chamber.

"The flame remembers them," he said quietly.

One elder looked toward him sharply. "What does that mean?"

The ancient dragon’s gaze remained fixed on Ariana. "The Sovereign power was never created for destruction. It was created to restore balance."

Silence spread across the hall again.

Ariana barely noticed it.

Her attention remained locked on the wounded dragon while warmth surged painfully through her chest. The connection between them deepened with every pulse of the Sovereign flame until she could feel the corruption itself fighting against her power.

The darkness did not want to release the dragon.

The creature suddenly cried out again while black mist burst violently from the wounds across its body. Several wolves stumbled backward immediately, but the moment the smoke touched the Sovereign flame surrounding Ariana, it recoiled sharply like something burned alive.

The chamber froze.

Then the dragon’s golden eye opened slightly wider.

Recognition flashed through it.

Not toward the chamber.

Toward Ariana.

Mira stared at the creature in disbelief while silver fire flickered violently beneath her skin. "It’s changing," she whispered.

Kael’s expression darkened immediately. "No. It’s fighting."

Another violent tremor rolled through the territory.

The Gate Titan moved beneath the fracture again while ancient chains snapped one after another somewhere below the mountain. Black mist surged upward hard enough to darken half the chamber while the creature’s enormous voice echoed through the hall once more.

"You delay what cannot be stopped."

The words rolled through the chamber like thunder.

Kael immediately stepped closer to Ariana while silver lightning exploded violently around him. The Lycan reacted aggressively every time the Titan spoke now, like ancient instincts buried deep inside him recognized the creature beneath the world as an enemy older than memory itself.

Then the Titan’s enormous eye shifted toward the corrupted dragon kneeling before Ariana.

And suddenly the creature became furious.

The entire mountain shook violently.

Black mist exploded upward from the fracture while the corruption inside the dragon surged sharply again, fighting desperately against the golden light spreading through its body.

The dragon screamed.

Ariana felt the pain slam into her chest hard enough to nearly steal her breath.

"It’s trying to take it back," she whispered.

Vormerion’s expression hardened immediately. "The Titan controls the corruption."

Fear spread visibly across the chamber.

Outside, dragon roars thundered continuously across the mountains, but now Ariana noticed something changing in them too. Some still sounded twisted beneath the corruption spreading through the territory.

Others sounded angry.

Defensive.

Like they had suddenly sensed something awakening below them.

Then the wounded dragon beside Ariana slowly lifted its head again.

Its blackened eyes flickered violently before one of them gradually returned to gold.

The chamber went silent.

One elder stumbled backward in disbelief. "Impossible."

But Ariana could feel it clearly.

The dragon was still there.

Still fighting against the corruption consuming it.

The Sovereign flame surged brighter around her body in response while warmth flooded the hall strongly enough to push the black mist farther away from her.

Then, suddenly, every dragon above the territory went silent.

The change was immediate and terrifying.

The roaring across the mountains stopped all at once.

No wings beat through the skies.

No fire crossed the clouds.

Even the Gate Titan beneath the mountain seemed to notice.

Ariana slowly lifted her head toward the shattered ceiling above the council hall while cold spread through the chamber around her.

Then she felt them.

Every dragon above the territory had turned toward the council hall at the exact same moment.

Toward her.

The connection slammed through Ariana so violently that the Sovereign flame burst higher around her body. She could feel rage, fear, exhaustion, and grief moving through the dragons circling above the territory, but beneath all of it, one emotion overwhelmed the rest.

Recognition.

Ancient and instinctive enough to steal her breath completely.

Lucien stared upward sharply. "What are they doing?"

Vormerion’s ancient eyes darkened as he looked toward the storm-filled skies above the shattered chamber.

"They remember," he said quietly.

Then, one by one, enormous shadows began descending through the darkness above the territory.