“You are improving, but this still won’t stop you from dying,” Nurend said as his staff flew for Elijah. David’s sword intercepted it, swatting it back to Nurend who floated forward and caught it. Zoey’s arrow came so fast that David almost got caught by it, but Nurend swung his staff and a mild wind storm shattered the arrow.

“Surprise is good,” the dragon said, turning for Elisha again. He had maintained the same order since the beginning. He killed the weakest first, then went all the way up. David was trying not to look at Chloe’s body. This was her fifth death, and they had all been just as quick. Nurend had given her no time to fight back, no time to think.

Instead of running into his shadow this time, Elisha faced Nurend. He swung left, letting the staff whizz past him and made a fast twirl to stab the dragon in the back. Nurend was faster, he turned as if this place shifted to his will. And maybe it did. It was his void space after all. David joined, trying to slash at the dragon with every opening he found, making sure not to hit Elisha by mistake.

“Caution can be your foe too,” Nurend said and then he crouched, dodging both their strikes at once before whipping his staff against their chests. David tried to block with his left hand and his wrist snapped while Elisha’s shadow swallowed him, pulling him a few paces back. David hissed, trying to ignore the pain. He could see that Nurend wasn’t using much of the power he had. Perhaps not even fifty percent. That made everything worse. If they couldn’t beat him like this, how could they defeat him when he was really fighting with all intent to kill?

“You are catching up,” Nurend said to Elisha. He looked left, up on a boulder where Zoey perched with her bow drawn and grinned. “You are not,” he said, pointing to Zoey. “Your arrows are not getting stronger. And I think I know why. It is because you think distance gives you safety. Allow me to shatter that belief.”

“Why are you doing this?” David asked. He’d been wondering about that since they woken up after the first death. The System needed people to conquer it, not weaklings. So why were they being trained?

“Why?” Nurend asked. “For us, we are simply doing what we have been burdened to do. Why Amareth and the other Tower gods asks this? I have no idea. We are dragons, mighty, but not gods ourselves.”

There was a small vibration. It shook the ground briefly and Nurend grinned. He turned southward and bowed slightly.

“My mother hates my humility,” Nurend said. He whipped his staff in a perfect circle and stood poised to attack. “Let’s begin. I will give you one aid, use everything you have. You have to. Or you will be familiar with death. Either way my task is done, but when you fight in earnest, only then will you get strong.”

Then he disappeared.

David tried to find him, but Zoey’s scream told him he was too late. He saw her body falling a moment later and then he realized what was happening. Nurend had rearranged their statuses. His mind was willing him to catch Zoey, but he knew that she was dead already. Get accustomed to death. The words echoed in his head. He caught a slight movement and then a gale slammed into him, but he swung his sword, slashing through the attack.

And then he started the chase. He’d realized something as he searched for the dragon. He didn’t have to see him. He simply had to sense him and Nurend was a dragon. He wasn’t giving off any oppressive force, but he was leaking enough essence to light up a cave.

David swerved right and Nurend’s staff slammed into the ground, causing a small crack and uprooting grasses. Before David could slash where he felt Nurend was, Elisha appeared out a swirling mass of shadow, his daggers catching the sunlight as he slashed where David had wanted to attack.

Nurend moved back a few paces and David followed Elisha’s attack with a low swing of his own. His sword hit Nurend’s staff and the clang echoed for a moment. Elisha vanished and appeared behind Nurend, daggers coming down on the dragon again, but something stopped him, a wall of swirling wind. David hissed. Infuriated by how powerful Nurend was.

They always give me to the weak ones!

David heard the voice, but ignored it. It wasn’t like the voice from before when they fought Ifyr. This one sounded playful and old. Yet, he couldn’t split his focus. He leapt into Nurend’s focus, bringing down his sword like a hammer. It crashed into whatever barrier the dragon had conjured and then shot him back. He landed on his feet, staggered a little and then leapt forward again just as Nurend spun around, his staff bending from the force imbued into it.

David wanted to scream, he wanted to appear in front of Elisha and block the swing with his sword. He couldn’t understand how he knew but he saw Elisha death before Nurend’s staff slammed into his face. The speed of the dragon’s spin took him by surprise and the pain he felt before he died was obvious in his eyes.

David crumbled, his mind ravaged by so many thoughts and emotions. Anger, hate, revulsion, pain, shock and rage. He wanted to tear Nurend apart. He squeezed his sword so hard he felt it dig into his palm. He knew they were not dead, he knew they would wake up as soon as he died himself. Yet, he could see their bodies. Nurend seemed milder, calmer than Hilga, but there was something cruel about the way he murdered.

“You see what I mean?” Nurend said, turning away from Elisha’s body. “You can’t save anyone. You are weak. And the weak can only know death. This is your suffering, your punishment. And if you can’t overcome it, you will perish and out there, it will be once and for all.”

He does talk a lot, doesn’t he?

David tried to ignore the voice. He needed to find a way to kill the dragon. He needed an opening. There was no one else now, just him.

Yeah, just you and me, buddy. And trust me, I can help.

“Who are you?” David asked, Nurend frowned. David blinked, wondering if perhaps he sounded crazy. Nurend’s frown vanished and he laughed.

“Oh! Finally,” Nurend said. “Finally, you realize what you are holding.”

“What I am holding?”

Yes, me. You are holding me.

David looked at his hand, at the wooden sword. He couldn’t understand what was going on, but Nurend wasn’t going to give him time to figure it out. The dragon lunged at him, his staff stretched out. David swatted it away and made a head swipe which Nurend went under. The staff came for David’s side, but he blocked with his sword.

Nurend made a quick back round kick, slamming his heel into David’s chest. David lifted his left hand to block and winced, remembering that it was broken. The kick threw him backward and made breathing painful for a moment, but the voice told him to stand up quick and he did.

You can’t activate my powers right now, but I can help you with your movements. So do exactly as I say.

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

David agreed. He wasn’t sure what he was listening to, but if it would help him beat Nurend, then he didn’t mind. The dragon grinned, his horn making him even more intimidating. He planted his staff on the ground and flashed toward David. The change in tactic surprised David, but he didn’t care.

Nurend’s fist carried as much force as his staff. Every time they whooshed past David’s ears, wind slapped the side of his face. And David was beginning to feel slight stings as he parried the dragon’s blow. He hadn’t noticed before, but there were tiny gashes in his armor now. Every punch or jab he swatted away or dodged, a follow-up wind attack grazed his armor.

It was so subtle that he almost didn’t notice until the attacks reached his skin.

Nurend’s fists got faster too. And the voice in his head was silent. David cursed. He knew if he continued like this he would be dead soon. He had to do something. He tried to work up the desperation that helped him summon World Tilter, but nothing happened. That voice didn’t come. There was no help coming. Once again, he’d failed. He hated how heavy that felt, and how true.

Weak, the voice said. Your body is weak, but your mind is weaker. How did you get to hold me? You have a lot to do to wield the power I carry.

David ignored it. Whatever it was, it was not helping. A punch landed on his chin, his eyes swam and everything blurred for a moment. He tried to shove Nurend away, but a chop hit his throat, crushing it and then another punch to his chest that crushed his ribs and his heart.

As David died, he heard something. Probably Nurend giving his final lesson on why he’d lost. The light dimmed slowly, unlike before where death swallowed him quickly, like a train gulped suddenly by the darkness of a tunnel. This time, the darkness stayed and within it were eyes—grey and clear. David stared at them for a moment, and then a grunt echoed in the darkness and a large head was illuminated. It was scaly, dark red with jagged scars all over its face.

The dragon snorted and it mouth stretched open. David stood petrified. The jaws were huge, but it was the rows of nightmarish teeth that made him shiver. He wasn’t holding his sword. There was nothing to defend himself with. He was going to die? Thoughts raced in his mind and as he stared at the grey eyes, he wondered if this was another test. Was this Nurend’s real form? Was he going to fight this?

The dragon’s jaw slammed shut and it receded back into the shadow. Its eyes flared bright, but nothing happened, it only stared.

Perhaps the young dragon is right, the voice said. It came from everywhere, but not like an echo. Maybe death will teach you how to wield power. For now, David, know that you wield a part of me. A shard, each as powerful as the wielder will let it be. I am Ignis, the father of dragons, and if you must wield me, you must grow a spine. You must be as a dragon. Only a dragon can conquer another dragon.

“You are not the World Tilter,” David said to the dragon and Ignis roared! Its eyes burned with a shocking fury that stunned David. The darkness melted away as if that world was rapidly undone by Ignis’ rage. David was suddenly with Nurend and the others. Chloe was dead. He saw the body before he could even think.

This time her body was torn apart, her insides spilled out. Nurend was fighting with Chloe and Elisha. David looked at the sword. Ignis’ bone. He’d thought Ignis would be something or someone, but a dragon? The father of all dragons?

“Welcome,” Nurend said, suddenly in front of David. David’s reaction was fast. He blocked, Nurend’s staff, shoved the dragon back and lunged for him. He had to change the way he fought, and he had to change how he was using his powers. He swerved left and then crouched and made a sweeping kick which Nurend leapt over, but Elisha was waiting for him.

That barrier appeared again, blocking Elisha’s daggers. Dozens of arrows fell like rain drops, all converging as if controlled and aimed at Nurend. He swung his staff and a storm hit, crushing them until they faded, but more came for him. He hissed, obviously annoyed.

David watched him, try to dodge the arrows while fighting with Elisha. There was something different about Elisha too, his shadow’s speed had increased, and his attack precision had sharpened too. David cursed, realizing that he was not helping at all.

“Ignis?” David called, but there was silence. The sword looked ordinary, wooden, as it had always been. But David had seen Ignis, he had felt the power from that roar. And if he could get just a fraction of that power, perhaps he could help the others defeat Nurend.

All he got was silence, one so hollow it made everything else deafening.

“Ignis, please!”

There was a stirring, but nothing else happened. David watched Elisha vanish away with his shadow and Zoey rained down more arrows. Nurend was giving his usual lessons as he easily avoided their attacks. He didn’t put much effort in blocking Elisha. That barrier seemed to appear before Elisha attacked, which meant Nurend could see where he was coming from. He was wary of Zoey’s arrows though. The essence was getting denser and David could feel the force in them.

Your siblings show a lot more resolve than you do, Ignis said. Its voice was indeed old, but the playfulness was gone. They fight like they want to devour the bald one, even though they are only like infants. But you, you have the potential to be a fang, sharp enough to dig into the side of eternals. You simply can’t find the resolve.

David sensed Nurend coming before he saw the staff. He leapt back and the staff missed him by inches. Before Nurend could attack again, arrows came down on him. He threw his staff up and it spun above him, snapping the arrows it hit until there was none.

He twirled and caught Elisha by the throat as he jumped out of his shadow, but before he could crush his neck, David dove in. He made to cut Nurend’s hand but the dragon let go of Elisha and stepped back. The dragon stretched his hand, calling his staff to him.

David blocked the staff, slamming it with his sword. The others winced at the ringing, but David was already going for Nurend.

The dragon grinned, forgetting the staff, he faced David with fists.

“First good decision you have made,” Nurend said. “Yet, how will that help you win? I am stronger.”

See? That’s a dragon!

“Shut up,” David thought to Ignis as he crashed with Nurend. The dragon’s fist hit the sword, but as before there was an underlying attack. He needed some kind of shield to block that.

Disrespect is not pride!

“Ignis,” David thought as he swerved his head slightly to the right to dodge Nurend’s fist. A small gash appeared on his neck. “Give me that power you are so proud of!”

Ignis laughed. It was a cackle, like he’d heard something silly and he couldn’t help the laughter. It echoed in David’s mind, distracting him for a moment. Nurend increased his speed, his fists vanished completely, but David had stopped trying to see. Instead he followed the bursts of essence, and Ignis’ laughter had faded.

Now, let me show you how a dragon fights, Ignis said and David heard a crack, a splinter. Nurend stopped attacking and flew back as if stung by something David had done. A notification appeared in front of David and he grinned. He could feel it. It was nothing like World Tilter, but it was overwhelming. The sword felt warm in his hand.

You have awakened a minor part of Ignis’ consciousness!

Awaken level: First crack

Ignis’ consciousness in Ignis’ Bone Shard will fully awaken on the tenth crack, bringing out the full power of the father of dragons.

Damage count: Unknown

Essence: Unknown!!

Warning: The Father of Dragons is a consuming entity. Long usage can lead to corruption!

David let the notification fade away and focused on Nurend. He felt reinvigorated, as if he was being pumped full of essence. Power gushed through him endlessly and as if to test it, he swung the sword aimlessly. A sharp gust of wind shot out toward Nurend. The dragon’s eyes bulged in shock and he quickly swung his staff to block the attack. It pushed Nurend back a few steps, but he quickly regained ground.

David grinned, feeling almost ecstatic. His head was light, his heart was steady and unlike World Tilter where he saw the world in spurts of colors, this time it was clear, and his mind was focused on just one thing—killing Nurend.