Omega's Rebirth-Chapter 928: Radiance ()

"Not today."

Jian’s eyes snapped open just as the massive black claws of Xenon’s beast snatched him up a few meters from the jagged peaks.

He blinked in surprise. "Xenon?"

"Get your act together, Jian!" Xenon snapped in his mind. "Your life does not belong to you alone! How dare you accept your death?! Do you realise what I endured to come back to you?! You selfish, ungrateful bastard!"

Jian winced. Xenon’s reprimand reminded him of those times, all those centuries ago where he had settled to live under Asrig’s harsh treatments, and cast aside his own ambitions.

"My wing... it’s ruined. Kirgan, Imagor and Cassian are barricaded on all sides by orcs. Distracting them for my sake would put them in danger..."

"And I tried to reach out, but no one was within range..." As Jian thought it, he understood how unworthy his justification was.

He was Dragon King. It was his responsibility to forge a path, if none was apparent.

"You and I are one," Xenon thought, "You are the better part of my soul. I am always... within range. I will always answer your call."

"You are the son of the vanquisher. The King I chose. Now do what you do best... win."

Even back then, Xenon had been the only one who believed in him.

When Asrig desperately sought the oath of the last living Onyx Scaled, Xenon had offered it freely to Jian instead.

"So what if your wings are ruined? It’s a good thing you’re not the only one with wings."

The fight returned to Jian’s heart instantly. A flare that had never truly left, but now it burned brighter, stronger than ever.

"Give me a boost." He thought.

Xenon didn’t question the order. He tossed him up and Jian crashed onto Xenon’s back, anchoring himself by grabbing onto his scales with his good hand.

He pulled his weight up, settling onto Xenon’s back.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed hold of his right hand and popped the dislocated limb back into its socket.

The hand was still badly mangled and bled profusely, but he shook off the pain.

"The runes?" Xenon thought to Jian.

Jian’s mind drifted back to the grass field. "Asrig doesn’t have them."

"We can only hope on Kaideon’s victory."

Jian squinted through the wind, and set his sights on Asrig.

The bronze beast was surrounded by three gigantic hydras.

Dozens of dragon lords charged at him wildly, ignoring their own safety.

The argentine scaled dragon leading the charge roared to the skies, a great and terrible sound of despair, and it was echoed by the emerald scaled dragon beside him.

Jian understood it then.

They had watched him crash. And not knowing what had become of him, they were out for Asrig’s blood.

But in their rage, their defense formation had fallen through. Their judgement was clouded and they were leading their kin to death.

Perhaps they knew that... and simply didn’t care.

He could feel the wrath of his brothers burning through his veins.

The charging dragons led by Imagor banked to the sides, just in time, as the hydras spat their acidic fumes.

A magic shield materialized, stopping the fumes from spreading.

Jian looked over his shoulder, and there, standing on the cliff was a cluster of mages led by Egwain. They were bruised and beaten and missed a quarter of their numbers but still fighting.

Down below, he could hear the battle cry of the Fae as they rode their spirit beasts, leaping into the fray. The elves charged on horses and summoned vines. The Mer weaved water spells.

These men, would die for his cause. He couldn’t believe he had ever contemplated letting himself die.

This stronghold, divided, and broken as it was, it was worth saving.

Jian exhaled slowly, his eyes going closed. "I have not fallen. I will not fall. Do not waver. I will give you the head of our enemy. I will honor my vow." He let his words echo in the minds of all his kin.

"Scales! I thought you were a goner!" Kirgan’s cry of relief echoed in his head.

Cassian’s sapphire beast broke free of a pack of orcs that had piled over him, surging up to the skies with a roar of renewed strength.

He soon caught up to Xenon, manning his left side.

The dragons led by Imagor circled backwards, spreading out to barricade the three hydras within their formation.

Imagor and Kirgan broke away from them, and now flanked Xenon’s sides. They both sported heavily bleeding gashes at different points, but the fight still shone in their eyes.

The sight humbled him. Fueled the flames in his blood.

Just then, a crackling golden portal tore open in the skies, and there she was, descending in a wave of golden light, like one of the celestials.

For a moment, Ebon-hollow seemed to go still. Like the entire world came to a halt in awe of her.

His heart soared within him. She was fine. He was fine. Xenon was fine.

All was not lost.

Waves of magical energy pulsed from her glowing form, she stretched both arms out, seemingly performing a slow dance.

"What is she... doing?" Kirgan thought in bafflement.

Arcane poured out of her, spreading through the battlefield.

"She’s... healing?" Imagor realized in amazement.

Jian glanced down at his mangled hand, watching the fractured bones snap back into place, and the bleeding cease.

And he wasn’t the only one.

Cassian’s torn wing sutured itself in the blink of an eye.

The bleeding gash on Kaliana’s head closed up.

History told of the Radiant One. A Queen who could bring the dead to life.

Jian had once thought it impossible. Until now. At the barest touch of the arcane, hundreds were healed simultaneously.

Mages, Elves, Fae, Mer, and dragons alike.

Leaping off Xenon’s back, he let his dragon form rise. His wings stretched at his sides, all the damage was gone.

They soared right beneath her, Jian looked up to her gratefully, and found she stared back.

A small smile stretched her lips, and she nodded once before returning her gaze to the battlefield below.

"Guard her."

Kirgan broke away, soaring up to hover by Neveah’s side.

The wind brushed against Jian’s scales and his eyes went closed.

When they snapped open, the skies groaned in protest. Snow rained down over the chaotic battlefield, quickly growing into a furious storm. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

A great and terrible blizzard swept across Ebon-Hollow. It was almost impossible to see through the snow and the roaring winds swept away dozens of lesser forlorn beasts but left the dragons, mages and Fae untouched.

Asrig was not far ahead. A portal flickered in and out of view, his spells fighting to hold through the blizzard.

He was trying to get away.

He wouldn’t.

Jian surged forwards, his claws extended, and ripped right into Asrig’s hind limbs.

The bronze beast roared, struggling to free himself as Jian shot up into the skies, beyond the clouds, beyond the altitude, beyond the atmosphere.

Jian felt it when his lungs began to collapse. When his wings grew heavier, and his weight overwhelmed him.

He latched onto Asrig’s wings with his hind limbs, and with a roar, he ripped them off.

Asrig’s pained roar echoed like a thunderstorm as Jian let go, watching the bronze beast summersault down to the abyss below.