Chapter 1

Pyramid of Light

Oct. 2, 2054. Friday. 1:14 PM

"Look, look! It's the Elven City!" The cries of Drezo Regalias and the residents of Draconis Village cried out in pure excitement. The battle with Russ had been taxing upon the young dragons and their partners, and the sight of the City of Elements brought hope into their hearts.

Off in the distance was a beautiful forest city. A perfect natural landscape that mixes flowers and buildings into one. Out of all the kingdoms in the Fire Continent, the City of Element is the most beautiful City in the world. Everything about the City was spectacular, and the City of Diadem that they just came from was not even close to the dazzling beauty that the City of Element portrayed. People and dragons all stood on the edge of the Draconis Village, hoping to get a better glimpse.

"I knew it! City of Element is truly outstanding!"

"I'm going down to the city and having a date with my boyfriend."

Many couples heard about the romantic hot spot attraction of Elven City. From the beautiful scenery to a great resort for a vacation, it was the number one tourist attraction in Growth.

"Me too. I heard there is a famous spot where many couples go too."

The resident's voices excitedly chattered. Zero was sitting on the cliff's edge, also partaking in the beautiful view. He had been wearing the Anubis armor covered from head to toe in black.

The only thing he took off was the helmet covering half of his face. Today he wanted to relax and enjoy the view. From killing invading monsters nonstop to Russ's attack, he was tired.

"Zero," Agnis called out to him.

He turned around and noticed her sitting down next to him. He has been avoiding her like the plague for the past two days. The embarrassment of stealing a kiss from her lips was still fresh in his mind. Of course, it was just a simple kiss, but he still felt embarrassed and stupid for avoiding her.

His mind and his heart were both rattled. He knew that it was just a kiss, there was nothing more than that, but instead, his heart fluttered like a butterfly making him immensely uncomfortable. Until he got both his heart and thoughts in sync, he decided to stay away from her for a while.

How long had it been since he kissed a girl's lips? Seven years or was it five? In all honesty, he never did too well with girls. His brother, Kyle, was a different story. Every week he had a different girl in his arms, while Kiyro would be stuck on the first step: asking a girl out. Talking with them in everyday conversation was not difficult; asking them out and getting flatly denied was what held him back. This was the one thing that made him frustrated at himself, and that specific night when he helped her out, he did something that he never thought he would ever do in his life: an instinctual kiss and a hug.

The sweet lull of her womanly scent and soft hair had temporarily disabled him from doing something stupid. His head hurts just thinking about it. There were steps, for crying out loud, not going straight to the kiss. He chastised himself for taking it too fast.

Kyle had the natural knack for going straight for what he wanted, while he took the old-fashioned route and took it slow and steady. But, thinking about it, he couldn't help himself thinking that he was similar in aspect to his brother from the impulsive behavior that he had shown.

"I'm very sorry." Zero flat-out spoke. Even though he had already said sorry in the first place, he couldn't help himself from saying it again.

"What for?" Agnis asked, confused.

"The k-k-kiss and avoiding you." Zero faces turned scarlet. He wanted to bang his head against the ground, even to bring it up. Better yet, he wanted to shoot himself for being so unlike himself. What the heck was he even getting flustered for? He never got this flustered. Ever.

“Ah.…that.…” Agnis went quiet.

The silence became so unbearable that Zero tried to find some subject to talk with her about, but nothing came to his mind.

"Don't worry about it. You helped me out when I was in a tight spot. I should be the one that said

I'm sorry."

"You?" Zero was completely confused. Was there something that Eve did that made her say that?

"I was not in any sane mind at that time. I was terrified, and you helped me snap out of it. Without your help, I would've died from a heart attack." Agnis's voice was soft. "Not only that, I should've let you in my room when the teacher came by. I got a bit too scared and left you there to fend for yourself. You got in trouble."

"Oh, that," Zero remembered the night when Angel was in the girl's dormitory. That fateful night, he thought he heard him say Kyle's name. "Don't worry about it. Angel left a moment later."

"I'm sorry." Her voice became barely audible as she ducked her head low in shame.

"It's alright." He tried to change the mood. "So, what is it that you need?"

"Yea… I just wanted to sit and enjoy the view with you."

"Oh. Sure." Zero moved his hands, allowing Agnis to get more comfortable. For the next fifteen minutes, they silently gazed off into the distance. Even though they were not the only ones there, they enjoyed each other's company.

"So, how have you been doing in class?" Agnis broke the silence first.

"Eh, the same old. Learning about science and taking basic classes. Life is just a typical repetition of each day."

"Tell me about it, though I'm glad that the classes we are taking can be used for credits if we decide to go to an actual College. At first, I thought it was strange that we would be taking regular classes instead of some bogus magic show or something. I mean, it's just a bit strange."

"I thought so too, but the Academy seems to be teaching more science. I'm starting to understand how it's supposed to help our skills grow, but still, metaphysical abilities and science are on opposite ends."

"Not really, if you think about it. Learning the law of the world has been helping me develop my abilities even more. I heard that the people who use Elemental abilities have shown some serious progress."

"Really? I should go ask M2 later on when he has a chance."

"Why? Does he have an elemental skill?"

"Yea, if I remember correctly, fire."

"That's pretty neat. However, it makes me wonder why you don't have that skill. You're a dragon in this game for crying out loud."

Zero shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me. If I did, it would be awesome, but life is life. Maybe using fire too much in this game made me not want to learn that skill. It's almost like breathing. So you don't see it as a skill anymore."

"That is an interesting way to put it."

"Well, what I do want to learn is maybe some electric energy or maybe some crazy ice skills. I don't know, but they sound much cooler than fire."

"Really? I thought the fire was quite powerful."

"I'm not saying it isn't. It's just that I'm a bit bored with it." He dryly chuckled.

"Ah, I see. So you're that type of person."

"What do you mean by that type of person? You make it sound like it's a very bad thing."

"Not at all. Just saying your attention span is short. Once you're done learning the skill, you probably want to move on to the next skill."

"Thanks."

"I don't mean anything bad." Agnis pouted. Her cute puffy cheeks made Zero want to poke at it to see if it was fluffy.

"I know." Zero chuckled. "I was just pulling your leg."

"For a second, I thought you were mad at me." She scowled.

"What if I was? What would you do?" Zero raised one of his eyebrows and examined her face. He could see her lips twitching at the unexpected question.

"Nothing." She gave up and sighed.

"What? Nothing? You just hurt my feelings, and would you do nothing?"

"Yes."

"That's inhumane. You're not going to console this broken heart?"

"Nope."

"Heartless," Zero whined. "I'm going to tell you to Zeraph."

"You wouldn't. That's so childish."

"I would." Zero stated. He couldn't help but feel happy at the slight tease that they were both having. "I would say. Agnis is a heartless bully who doesn't know compassion. She would skewer a man's heart and put salt and pepper on it. Then she would cook it in the oven and feed it to the dogs."

"Pft. Zeraph is not going to care. He's Zeraph. You failed on your comeback."

"You know what. I did not at all. I'm sure Zeraph will dish out a couple of jabs at you. He does throw in some wicked punches."

"What wicked punches? Were you guys just talking about me?" Zeraph stepped up from behind them. Both of them turned around to see him there.

"Zeraph! Welcome to let's tease Agnis, for she is a heartless devourer club."

"Oh? Where do I sign?" Zeraph wickedly grinned. "I mean, teasing is not my forte. I'm best in torturing, though."

"Ah ha...that doesn't sound like a wise move, Zeraph." Agnis laughed. "I mean, you torture? Seriously? Mr. Playboy torturing souls sounds like a highly impractical thing."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that." Zeraph happily replied. "I mean, I'm very good at it too. Just tell me who, and I'll get to business."

"Let's not." Agnes got up and patted Seraph's shoulder. "I mean, we don't want the prince charming spoiling his beautiful elven hands-on blood, do we? Girls throw themselves at you

from left and right. You need to make sure you catch them."

"I wouldn't want to, though. I would rather leave the catching to Zero here. But, if you know what I mean, he needs a bit of a push." Zeraph winked toward Zero.

Zero coughed to clear his throat. Then, he got up and elbowed Zeraph to shut up.

"Anyways, we're a couple of hours away from the City of Elements. Get ready to descend. We're

going in now."

"So soon?" Agnis asked, disappointed. "I was enjoying our time together here, you know."

"Yea, but we must talk with the Elven Queen before we intrude on their hospitality. I was going to do it yesterday, but I got caught up with something. So now here we are. Better to get it done than never."

The flying island slowly descended towards the City of Elements from the sky. Then, suddenly, an arrow sped past Zero's head and embedded itself onto the nearby tree.

Zero was momentarily stunned. He did not expect an attack all of a sudden.

"What the hell?" Zeraph scanned the ground. His hands were already on a bow and arrow. Even Agnis followed right behind him with hers. "Who in the right mind will da-"

Another arrow flew by, and this time last Seraph's head. With a thunk, it embedded itself into another tree, but this time the end was a rope tied to the other end. Zeraph barely dodged it in time before the arrow skewered his head. Instead, he slipped his sword in the middle of putting away his bow in one fluid motion and cut the rope in half.

"Gahhhhh!"

An unknown male's voice could be heard hurling down to their death.

"Are we being ambushed?" Agnis leaned over with her bow in front of her. Hundreds of arrows flew out from the trees and embedded themselves into the rock.

"We're being invaded!" Zero's voice shouted out in alarm.

Everyone nearby heard Zero's yell and quickly got into position, ready to fight. They cut through the flying arrows and the ropes, trying to stop the invasion from succeeding. But, again, thousands of thick bolts attached with ropes flew towards the flying island. This time a good sixty percent of the bolts embedded themselves into the solid ground.

"Damn it, why now? Is it even possible for Russ to get here in two days!" Zero cried out; he shifted into his dragon form. He slashed through the oncoming bolts and tore through the thick ropes.

Agnis jumped onto his back and put away her bow. Instead, she switched to her sword. Zero jumped off the cliff and skidded downwards on the side of the flying island. He pushed himself off the wall and onto the thick ropes. Each rope he viciously tore through each with his teeth and claw. Even Agnis brandished her sword to cut through the thick ropes pulling down the flying island.

"Incoming!" Zeraph yelled. He darted through another swarm of arrows that landed on the cliff's side.

Zero saw the third wave of arrows pelting downwards like rain. Agnis raised her hands. Blue flames curled out from the side of her magical item and into her hands. A blast of holy fire flew outwards, covering Zero and Agnes from the pelting arrows.

"What's going on?" Zero used his claws to jump onto the wall and pushed himself off towards the next rope. His hands curled around the ropes. He pulled himself up and skidded downwards toward the ground. He would find out the cause of this strange event even if he had to face the enemy head-on.

If it were thieves, he would ensure he slaughtered them before they got onto the Draconis Village.

"To your right, Zero!" Agnis yelled. She threw her sword at the incoming player. Her sword impaled the player through his chest, causing him to falter. Agnis jumped off his back and ran downwards. She pulled the sword from the man's chest and kicked him roughly off the rope.

Zero snapped at the air, where a man came jumping out from the tree. The man's knife clashed with Zero's teeth, causing the man to be pushed backward.

With a thump, Zero landed on the base of the forest floor. Looking around, he noticed wooden ballista-like objects hampered down onto the ground and reeling in the rope. Zero ran towards the machine and destroyed it in a fell swoop.

"Capture him!" A voice shouted from the tree. Hundreds of hideous-looking elven players jumped downwards with a large metal net.

"Zero!" Agnis shouted. She fought viciously with the nearest player and killed him in several strikes. Then, dashing in an outward circle, Agnis fought her way through.

A metallic clang could be heard hitting the ground. Zero was covered entirely in a large metal net. Furious, Zero swung his neck and tail to the side, hitting any one that was too near him. The net tangled around his neck and tail, making it a bit harder to move.

Zero roared. He blew out a torrent of red flames that doused the surrounding area in one go.

"Gah! Get back! It can blow fire!"

"Shit, the nets are scalding hot!"

"Move! Move! Move! We need to capture them at all costs!"

"What about the elf?!"

"Kill her!"

"Don't you dare touch her!" A fierce scream that pierced through everyone's soul could be heard bursting out from Zero's throat.

The Temporary Stunning effect has gone into effect for ten seconds. A dragon's roar has caused all enemies' status to be reduced by 3%. Likewise, your companion's power and speed have increased by 3%.

Almost everyone froze from the roar; only a couple few were able to get out of its effect without being affected. This gave Zero a chance to send out another blast of fire, but this time the color of his flames was black. All caught up in it were burned alive by this unholy fire causing rapid damage. Water did not quench the roaring flames of the Dark Fire. Instead, it roared to life even more as it consumed the bodies of the living.

"What the hell is this?" Screams of the attacking players could be heard in anguish.

"It's not going out!"

"Gah! Someone save me! I've been cursed."

The bodies fell forward onto the ground dead. Zero was slowly starting to rack up experience points from the attack. Finally, he pulled to one side, causing the metal net to fall to the side, giving him a chance to break free.

Zero did not stop spewing out Dark Fire. He viciously continued to devour his enemies in flames. His sharp claws drove through metal armor, batting the players away like flies. His tail whipped around him like a cobra striking downwards at unsuspecting prey. He was an embodiment of a True Dragon that struck fear into the heart of the enemy.

The arrows bounced off his thick black and gold scales. Even the mid-grade weapons did not cut through. Zero plowed through the weak group of low-level players like butter, and he made his way toward Agnis, dragging the metal net along with him.

Agnis used this opportunity to dash behind the cover of Zero's large body, giving her a chance to recuperate. Then, her weapons changed to her bow and arrow. Her deadly aim struck every enemy squarely in the most unexpecting areas, causing massive damage. Agnis's skill with the bow had risen towards an intermediate level, making her a deadly force to be reckoned with.

Anyone who came too close, would use her bow to flip them onto the ground and shoot them through the face. Her arrows barely missed a single target, making her a dangerous opponent.

Both of them were in perfect harmony, making their attack vicious. Their combo was a beautiful but deadly art of slaughtering their opponent in a couple of swipes. They finally wiped out the rest till no one was left alive.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"That..was...a...pain." Agnis was panting in between each word. "I don't like where this is going. Do you think Russ sent a messenger up ahead to the Queen?" She worriedly asked. With quick hands, she pulled off the net on Zero.

"I don't think so. If I remember correctly, the Human Kingdom and the Elven Kingdom are farther away. It would've been a different story with the dwarves."

"That would make sense, but still...." Agnis scaled up on Zero's back. She made herself comfortable.

"Are there monsters in the Elven City? I was sure those were players."

"Yeah, I thought it was strange too. I know that there are only a few new monster species players out. This is really strange."

"I noticed. Hold on tight. We're going to bulldoze our way through." Zero started to trot and then went into a run. Even though he was not as fast as a cheetah, he knew he was running faster than a horse. For someone his size, this was quite a feat.

Up ahead, they saw three Drezo Regalia underneath the metal net surrounded by hunters.

"I got this," Agnis replied. She steadily brought up her bow and fired. Each shot perfectly hit its target, causing the Hunters to falter back. Some died from the critical wound, and others fell to the ground. Her hands continued to dish out attack after attack, not allowing a single hunter to get up and retaliate. She got rid of every single one in seconds without even Zero's help.

"Chief Librarian!" A green baby dragon cried out from underneath the metal net. Compared to the other two dragons that were players, this was an NPC.

"How did you guys end up down here?" Zero pulled the metal net off of them.

"We followed you." All three chimed in.

Zero groaned. He should've known. He was a bad example to these young dragons, especially the babies. He heard from residents that the baby dragons had been copying his moves and running into deadly fights to be like him. They all thought that this was the way to show the courage of the dragon's spirit.

"Do not follow me!" Zero sternly stated. "You guys could've gotten killed. Especially you!" He glared at the green dragon.

“B-b-but.”

"Adventurers have a gift of Resurrection, but you do not. So how would your companion feel if you were killed in action? Huh? It leaves behind a nasty aftertaste!"

"I'm sorry." The green dragon bowed its head in defeat. He was shaking, ready to cry.

"Go back up and tell the other young dragons to lock themselves underground. There will be chances to prove your worth later on." Zero voice gently spoke. He nudged the baby dragon onto its feet.

"And you." Zero snapped his head towards the green dragon's companion. The little boy tied up was startled by Zero's sudden movement. "You should be protecting your dragon. Not head straight into battle. Do you both want to die!" He growled.

"I-I-I," The boy stuttered.

Agnis slid down his back and cut the ropes loose on the three humans.

"Learn from this lesson and get back into town."

The boy nodded and picked up his green baby dragon. The other two players were also huddled around their dragons. They were the size of a large dog but were not considered strong at this point. Zero guessed they were around the level of 40-50.

"You should know better than to bring over the NPC." Zero growled. Smoke spewed out of his nose, making him look dangerous.

"We just thought we could help."

"You're not helping. Instead, you're creating more problems. So go back and order all the young dragons to stay hidden in the underground dens. Please do not leave until I get back. This is an order."

They all nodded.

"B-but how are we supposed to get back?"

Zero sighed. "You have a pass, don't you?"

Once again, they nodded.

"Use that."

"Okay." They felt stupid that they did not think of such an easy solution. One of them raised their key into the sky. A light glistened from the key; moments later, a small boat descended onto the ground. All six of them entered the boat and ascended back into the sky.

"My education must not have gone through..." Zero felt a small headache forming. He should've made it clear that younger dragons, especially the NPCs, should not waste their lives. Even though there were many eggs still unhatched, if they died so quickly, then the chance of having more future dragons would dwindle. This could become a serious problem for the future of Drezo Regalia, and he wanted it to start later.

"Don't worry. I'll help you. I know how you feel." Agnis patted his side. "Let's get going. We got more dragons for free."

"You're right."

Agnis scaled up his back, and once again, they searched for machines, enemies, and dragons captured. Zero and Agnis went through the forest and destroyed many ballista. They freed fifty more dragons and their companions from being taken away.

Through the fight between the hideous monster-looking players and now even the monster-looking eleven soldiers were taking part in capturing the Drezo Regalias. There were times when he and Agnis couldn't stop the soldiers from ferrying off the dragons and their companions back into the City. The swarms of soldiers were increasing by the dozen, and every time they killed one another, twenty took its place.

Blood was dripping from Zero's mouth, and his health was getting closer and closer to red. At this rate, he knew that he couldn't survive, and sooner or later, both of them would be killed in seconds.

Out stepped a hideous-looking human-sized elf wearing gold armor. Agnis cringed when she saw such an unsightly sight, and even Zero felt his stomach churn at the hideous creature before him.

"Hero Elron!" The soldiers moved back, letting him through.

"What's taking so long? The Queen had decreed to capture all the dragons."

"We are, sir, but this dragon had been going around and freeing our captives. We have already lost two hundred soldiers and are rapidly climbing." A soldier walked up to him, breaking down everything he knew.

"That's a problem." Elron glanced towards Zero and Agnis, who were fighting side-by-side. Zero let out a furious roar causing a temporary status ailment. Even Elron felt the stunning power of the dragon's roar, but lucky for him, he was not stunned for too long. "Who's the elf?"

"We believe it's the dragon's companion. There have been cases where the dragon has protected its companion's life and vice versa. We noticed that dealing with the dragons is much easier if one of them is captured, then the other complies much more easily."

"Really? Then how come you haven't caught one of them yet?"

"Well, that's the thing. Out of all the young dragons we have encountered, these two are formidable foes. I have never seen such mental fortitude and synchronicity between two beings."

"This must be him," Elron spoke slowly.

"Him? You don't mean the leader."

"Step back and let me handle this. Get the nets ready."

"Yes, sir." The soldier stepped back. He motioned the others to do the same.

Elron pulled out a heavy sword that slammed into the ground. He did not use the same bows and light swords as an elf. Instead, he was the type to go with a heavy sword that forced him to use both hands.

"Well, now, dragon." Elron stepped forward.

Zero turned his gaze towards him and snarled. "What do you want, monster." He seethed. "Have you come to turn us into slaves?" His tongue flickered outwards like a snake, and his tail thumped to the side. With a snap, the tail darted toward Efron's body. In seconds, Elron raised his heavy sword and blocked Zero's attack.

"You are Zero, correct?"

"What does it matter if you know my name?" Black Flames dangerously licked his lips, making

him look demonic.

"Everything. We could go two ways with this."

"That is?" Zero carefully slinked around him, ready to attack. Agnis covered his side, facing away from him and towards the outside.

"Come with me with no resistance, and your people will not be hunted down anymore."

"What if I don't comply?

All your people will be hunted down and brought before the Queen."

"I don't have any choice either way. I do not quite believe that you will let my people go."

"That is true. You are a dragon as well. How do I know if you will keep your word and not attack me?"

"It seems we both see eye-to-eye on this subject."

"I'm guessing the elven maiden next to you is your so-called companion we heard about?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I heard that the dragons had a companion that they hold dearly. So you don't want your other half to be hurt, either?

Zero was silent and watched Elrond's movement. He got the feeling that Elron was going somewhere with this.

"We won't harm your companions. Just come with us to meet the Elven Queen. Then, by my knight's honor, I will personally stop the attack on all the dragon companions."

"Zero, we should think about this. There must be something going on. I get the feeling that these guys have something more to say." Agnis spoke towards Zero. "We can't fight against the City’sCity's army even though it seems overrun by monsters. You know that's over ten thousand

soldiers out there; we'll be killed in a few minutes."

Zero thought it over. It was true; he could tell that the soldiers that were behind Elron were a whole different class than the one that they had been fighting. By their gold armor and weapon, he could tell that they were all-powerful. Unfortunately, his health was in the red zone, making it impossible to fight the rest without possibly dying. "Fine. I'll come with you."

"Wonderful. I'm glad that I did not have to resort to bloodshed." Elron picked up the heavy sword and put it away on his back. "Though you must understand, we need a safety measure." Then, with a snap of his fingers, the metallic net fell from above.

"What is the meaning of this? I said I'll come with you." Zero thrashed around the net in anger.

"Yes, but you see. You're a dragon. We don't want to fight you or feel your wrath." Elron walked

up towards him.

Zero angrily spat out a torrent of black flames at Elrond's body, but in the moment of impact, the fire split from the barrier that protected him. Not a single flame burned him.

"Dark energy. That's why the flames did not go out." Elron nodded. "I should've known that dragons are elemental creatures. Makes sense that you can use dark energy." He motioned the others to come forward. In their hands, they had giant metal braces.

Elron jumped towards Agnis and stopped her from attacking. Instead, he punched her in the stomach and twisted her arms, making her unable to escape or attack. "I suggest you calm down."

Agnis coughed from the sudden attack. She glared at him. "You went against your words."

"I didn't. I said I won't kill you; you're my insurance."

A sound of metal cuffs tied her from the back. He pushed her closer toward Zero, where his large face lay on the ground.

"I wouldn't blow any more fire if I were you. You will harm your companion if you do."

"Why, you bastard!" Agnis screeched. She tried to kick him but failed.

Zero knew what Elron said was true. If he were not careful, Agnis would be caught up in his attack, and that was something that he did not want to happen. So instead, he bared his teeth in frustration. This one was a little different from all the other metal nets out there. It sapped his strength, making it difficult to move, especially because his health was in the red, making every move that much more difficult.

The soldiers came over and clasped his snout, neck, arms, tail, and even his legs. Zero felt infuriated as a dog leashed to a collar and with a muzzle. He had never been treated in such a way, and even worse was that he was weak and couldn't stop them. In his mind, he committed that he would grow stronger to never resort to such an embarrassing position.

The net rattled off his back, allowing him to stand up. He was never going to forget this—this

shame and frustration.

"I'm sorry. This was the best way to get things done. Our Queen wants you now. Not tomorrow or later." Elron sighed. "I don't like doing this. Honestly, it makes me feel like a villain."

"Then let us go." Zero was having difficulty forming words because his mouth was clasped.

"I cannot. The City is in peril, and you guys are the cause."

"We have not even done anything but protect ourselves."

"You are. All the players got a city-wide Quest to capture you guys. I meaIfyone got it, why do you think it's not your guy's fault? The moment got closer to this City triggered an unexpected Quest. Haven't you wondered why you guys were fighting hideous-looking monsters? We're all citizens of the City of Elements."

Zero was shocked. He knew that something was up, but he did not know what. When Elron spoke of the circumstances, everything made perfect sense. This was not the cause of Russ, but something else entirely.

"The Queen will explain the rest. Well then, let's go." Elron motioned the soldiers to follow. He hopped up onto the horse, and they pulled on the metal chain.

Zero and Agnis followed. The soldiers surrounded them, ensuring they wouldn't bolt or resist. As

they continued towards the City, more and more Drezo Regalia, shackled and bound, appeared out from the forest. He could see over four hundred dragons and their partners being directed toward the city gates.

When the other dragons saw that Zero and Agnis were shackled, the hope in their eyes diminished, and their head drooped in defeat. Then, looking over his shoulder, he could see the flying island hovering over the forest.

They passed through the gates, and players and residents stepped out of the buildings watching the army and the dragons parading down the streets. Zero noticed that the residents of the City were all strange. They were all grotesque-looking monsters. However, he was sure that this City was known for its beautiful people.

"Mommy, look. A black and gold dragon!" The kids exclaimed in delight as they watched Zero pass by.

Zero towered over a two-story building, and he was still growing. People stare with awe and wonder. Some reeled back in fright while the others got closer, hoping to see better. Even the smaller dragons behind him were being ogled with interest.

"A green dragon? There such a color?"

"Yea. Look, there is even blue, copper, silver, red, white, black, and gold."

"I don't know about having this many dragons in the city safe."

"Do you think the cause of our predicament is because of the dragons?"

"Yea, think about it. The Queen decreed it for them to be captured. I mean, why wouldn't you

think so?"

"I don't know; it sounds far-fetched if you ask me."

"Then do you want to stay this hideous forever?"

"No."

The voices of the people were divided into two.

"Wait, why aren't those people next to the dragon affected? Since visitors had come here, they were all affected by the curse."

"I heard they are the companions of the dragons."

"Companions? Ah, I see. I heard about them before."

The army and the dragons continued their path deeper into the city walls and finally ended up inside the enchanting castle. In the middle of the castle was a large oak tree that sprouted upwards into the sky. It was as if the castle was part of the tree.

Zero stopped in front of the tree where a beautiful throne was, but on the throne was the most hideous-looking monster. He couldn't help but have mixed feelings that made him want to blot out the existence of such an ugly being on a sacred throne. His instinct was calling out for him to destroy such beings.

One side of her face was deformed to the point where one would think someone had hit her repeatedly multiple times. Even the white hair on her head was only a few strands. Overflowing fat bulged out on her clothes, making her look grotesque, and the pale gray skin did not make it any better. The crown on her head was the only thing that recognized her as the Queen.

"Your Majesty, Queen Jennie." An ugly elf called out.

The soldiers that entered the garden-like room bowed in front of her.

Zero did not bow down in front of the Elven Queen. Instead, he glared down at her as if she was some insignificant bug. She was the cause of all the trouble for his people and his companions. He still had a hateful glare at the Elven Queen, who had treated them so roughly.

"Bow down, dragon. You are in the presence of the Elven Queen." A soldier yanked hard on the metal chain.

Zero eyes flared up in anger, and he whipped his head, causing the elven soldier to fly toward the wall. A loud thundering crash could be heard as the elven fell unconscious. With all the strength he could muster, he broke the chains on his mouth.

"I will not bow down to my enemy, elf!" Zero yelled with a roar. The walls trembled, and the leaves of the tree shook. "Do you think I am your pawn?" He blasted out Dark Fire, causing the surrounding area to burst into flames.

The ground rumbled, and the Dark Fire intensified. Elven soldiers ran to blot out the raging fire and quelled the angered dragons. Every one of the dragons was filled with rage at how they were treated.

"Enough!" The Elven Queen spoke, and the Dark Fire disappeared in seconds. "I am sorry to bring you to the castle so roughly." She stood up and descended the stairs.

"Have the Elves forgotten the old alliance with the Drezo Regalia, or have you thrown away your words? Here I thought the Elves were known to keep their words." Zero angrily voiced his opinion.

"No. You are correct; we have not forgotten the old ways, nor do we break our alliance with the Drezo Regalia. We will hold up to our bargain even to this day. Your people are welcome to stay in the City of Elements."

All of the messages appeared before Zero and Agnis.

Sanctuary with the Elves Quest has been Completed. Therefore, no extra reward is given.

This was not how he wanted to finish the quest, especially as a hostage.

"Then why did you resort to such underhanded ways to bring us here?"

"That is a different matter entirely. You see, your presence has caused an age-old problem to arise. This requires a certain amount of dragons to take part in this test."

Zero was confused. What was the problem the Queen spoke of to cause his people to be chained and treated like prisoners ?His anger dissipated and instead turned into curiosity. "What would that be?"

"We need you to enter the Pyramid of Light. Your blunder of calling the spirits has caused a malicious dark spirit to escape and now reside in the Pyramid. Such a mistake has caused all the people in this City to be infected. All the Drezo Regalia and their partners must partake in this ordeal. We will not be helping you conquer this dungeon because only your kind can face this crisis."

"My blunder?" Zero was confused.

"Yes. You let loose a Black Dragon Spirit when you fought with the Kingdom of Terra's soldiers. For the past few days, foul air has descended upon the City every day at sunset. The source is even stronger near the Pyramid. Elron will lead you to the destination. If you fail to destroy this cause, the undead will overrun our City in six months. We will hunt you all down till none of you are alive. That is if we even survive this attack."

The Elven Queen's words were filled with anger. She glowered at Zero with contempt.

Then it hit him; he remembered the black dragon spirit that escaped the rift and disappeared. He did not know that this dragon would end up in the City of Elements. For once, he felt like this was his fault, but at the same time, they were mistreated.

"Elven Queen. All you needed to do was ask and I would've come. You did not have to resort to such measures where you threatened our existence. My people are not as bountiful as yours, nor did we mean any harm." Zero growled. Flames erupted out of his nose.

"I am well aware of what I have done. In compensation, I will reward your kind companion in defeating this wretched creature."

"Though I have to wonder why you have not sent anyone else into the Pyramid till now?"

"Have you not heard, dragon? The Pyramid of Light only allows the Drezo Regalia and their companions. That building has been under my reign since the agreement with the Drezo Regalia, in which case that is your ancestor's legacy."

Legacy? Zero eyes fluttered when he heard that word. This meant that the Pyramid of Light was exactly like the Draconis Library. Somewhere in the building, he had to put in a Krustallos to activate its core.

"On your return, you will receive back your ancestor's legacy. Only eighty-two in a total of your strongest dragon kind and your companion can enter the Pyramid. You must get this completed." The Elven Queen breathed in deeply and let out a sigh. "There is one more thing you must do."

"That is?"

"I would like my Hero to take part in this quest."

"But didn't you say that only the Drezo Regalia and their companion can enter?" Zero was lost at her words.

"Yes. I would like your people to bind a young dragon with my people once again. With this, our agreement between the two races will be completely renewed."

Zero thought it over for a moment. What the Queen was saying was a powerful statement. Having a solid tie with the Elves once again was something that they needed to stay alive. His people needed to be stronger to deal with large enemies. He looked over at Elron one more time. He could tell that gaining the elves' trust was a formidable feat, especially because the Elven races were magically secluded. Gaining the trust of the Elves was a challenging thing to do.

"Fine. We must get back to the Village. There is one thing that I would like to ask for."

"Go ahead."

"I would like the Draconis Village protected from raiding enemies when we are in your kingdom."

"That is not a problem. I will station my people to guard your Village, but if you fail, we will resort to destroying it firsthand."

"I understand." Zero knew there was a risk in doing this, but he knew he couldn't let this chance slip by.

"I am glad you are much easier to talk to than your mother."

"Wait, you know my mother?" Zero wondered how old the Elven Queen was.

"Yes, do you not know your origin?"

"I have only been born into this world not too long ago. Unfortunately, such memories have not been passed down to our generation."

"I see. You will find your answer at the Pyramid of the Light. Let them free." The Elven Queen waved her hands for them to leave. All the elves moved and freed them all. A message could be heard in the ears of the strongest Drezo Regalias and their Companions as a message appeared before them.

New Chain Quest has begun. This quest can not be denied and has overwritten all other quests. Therefore, this quest is a priority quest.

Elven Queen's Favor

The Elven Queen has requested that all the Drezo Regalia take part in the dungeon raid inside the Pyramid of Light and destroy the Black Dragon Spirit that has taken residency. The lost Dragon Legacy resides inside the Pyramid of Light. Only 41 dragons and 41 companions can enter the Pyramid of Light at once.

Quest Level: B

Failure: All dragons will be hunted down for eternity.

Time Limit: Six months

Quest can not be rejected.

#####

"So what do I need to do?" Elron was in the Magma room, where all the eggs were kept warm.

"Did you find someone on your side to be your partner?" Zero asked. He was in his human form with Agnis by his side.

"Yea. My childhood friend wanted to play a dragon. She said it would be cool if it wreaked havoc on people or something."

"She sounds diabolical."

"You don't know the half of it. So, where exactly is she?"

"You have to find her."

"Really?" Elron walked through the thick piles of eggs. There were small numbers of new dragons being born inside the room. He finally stopped in front of a silver smiley-face egg. "I get the strange feeling she chose this one."

"Then that's her."

Elron squatted down and peered towards the egg. A small crack formed on the tip of the egg.

"That's her." Zero nodded. "They won't hatch unless a partner is present. It's a mystery that I don't even know."

"That's pretty cool." Elron was staring at the egg, excited, wondering what he would see next.

"If I were you, I'd help her out. Unfortunately, it will take a while for her to hatch at the rate she's going."

Elron nodded, and he reached over to peel back the eggshells. Every time he interacted with the egg, the horrible scars and deformity seemed to change on his face and body. He started to change back to his original appearance as time went by, peeling off of him as if he was some lizard.

"I'll meet you outside when you're done. Agnis, if you don't mind helping him out."

"Sure." Agnis smiled with excitement. "I got everything ready for the new baby dragon." She pulled out a dish and food from her Zenith bag.

Zero left the room and found Valiant in his black dragon from sleeping outside in the warm meadow.

"Valiant!" Zero called out to him.

Valiant groggily woke up from Zero's voice. "Y-Yea?" He yawned and stretched like a cat.

"I need your help rounding up every high-level dragon and their companion. Could you bring them to the water fountain? We need to get a raid team started now."

"!" Valiant quickly got up. "I'll call my friends to get this done."

"I'll see you there."

"Gotcha." Valiant ran off to gather his comrades.

Zero went around, calling attention to all the dragons that he saw. Quickly the town square was filled with dragons and their companions. Zero had to jump up on the edge of the fountain to see. The people and dragons worriedly gathered wondering what Zero had to say. They knew something big was happening, so their life was on the line.

"What's going on?" Zeraph was next to him.

"We got a quest from the queen." Zero frowned. "And it's not the kind where we can take it easy."

"That could be a problem."

Zero looked into the crowd and took a deep breath. "We, as the Drezo Regalia, have been given a quest by the Elven Queen; only 41 dragons and 41 of their companions can enter at once. I assume the highest-level dragons and their companions have been given this quest."

Everyone nodded, understanding what Zero was talking about. They knew that their lives were on the line.

"This is a level B Quest, and we only have 82 to accomplish this task. The top eight highest-level dragons and their companions will lead a group of ten: 5 dragons and five companions. I know we just got out of a recent battle and are now thrown into danger once again. But as a dragon, I will not back down from danger. You all have a choice to take part and grow stronger. We will one day once again decorate the sky with our colors and become true Sky kings!"

Everyone stares silently.

"The top eight dragons step forward."

Eight different colored dragons of all eight races of dragon appeared before Zero. Zero was quite surprised that the same eight dragons and their partners were the ones to step up. They were Turnip, the blue male dragon, and his female elf partner Terry. Baku, the male red dragon, and his female partner Quill who had pink hair. Kai, the green dragon, and his female partner Leona. Val, the female bronze dragon, and her partner Ponza. Bee, the female silver dragon, and her partner Tanmint, a half-dwarf. Valiant, the male black dragon, and his female partner Reed. Seka, the female golden dragon, and her partner, Leaf, the elven male. The last one to step out was the Den, the female white dragon, and her partner Elfon, a male human.

"Hi, Zero." Den happily replied. Her glistening white coat shined brilliantly under the sun, making it difficult to look at her.

"Hey, Den. I'm glad to see you guys doing well. "

"We have been knocking out those levels and growing stronger together."

"That's impressive, but sadly I have to break up your team."

"What? Really?" Den frowned.

"Yea, each of you guys, will lead a group of ten: five dragons and their partners."

"That sounds exciting," Valiant replied cheerfully. "I was looking forward to finally doing something more productive. But, I mean, seriously, Seka's been hogging the glory."

"I do not." Seka rolled her eyes. "You just suck, that's all."

"Hardly. My Dark Magic beats your holy magic any day."

"We'll see about that."

"Hey, guys. I need you guys to focus." Zero snapped his fingers in front of them.

"Sorry." Both simultaneously stated, turning their attention back to Zero

"I want the rest of the remaining dragons to split up."

"Okay." The eight chimed in, understanding what Zero wanted them to do.

The group started to split into different groups. It didn't take long till everyone was finally situated. For some strange reason, each colored dragon followed behind their respective race.

"The eight of you will represent your color to identify your group."

"That's simple, but Zero, which group will you be in?" Valiant asked.

"None. I'll be jumping in wherever I'm needed."

"I'm cool with that. So, where exactly is the Pyramid of Light anyways?"

"Elron is going to take the front and lead us to it. He'll meet us there and join Val's group. You have one extra space for him and his partner."

"What? The enemy is tagging along, and you let him partner up with a dragon?"

"Look, there is a reason for all this. He's already an ambassador for our kind with the elves. We need a bit more protection before we leave."

"Wait, where are we going next?"

"Not sure, but I was thinking about going towards the Dark Continent."

"The Dark Continent? Are you sure? It's too early for us. Wouldn't it be better to float around the other cities in the Fire Continent?"

"We'll see. I haven't decided yet." Zero thought it over. Staying too long in the Fire Continent could bring trouble, but all the major cities and supply lines were there. Also, the Draconis Village was just budding, so it didn't have much to trade.

"Well, think a bit harder. It sounds like our death march is more than just exploring. We don't know what's out there."

"I know." Zero jumped off the water fountain. "We should go and meet up with Elron right now and get this quest underway."

The other dragons moved away for Zero to pass through. They looked upon Zero with respect and reverence. They all wished to one day grow up big and strong like him. Zero did not pay attention to their gaze and headed toward the Pyramid of Light. He had a quest to finish, and he was going to finish it as soon as possible. The rest of the dragons and their companions followed Zero toward the Pyramid of Light with fire in their eyes in hopes of becoming stronger than they were before. They knew this would be a difficult task, but they did not mind. They were all aiming to win.