Cursed Legacy

When I open my eyes, my whole body hurt like hell. I don know whats happening, but my surrounding is dark. I feel like my whole body is dirty and filled with wounds. I don even remember why am I here in the first place.

”Ugh… ”, I tried to stand up by grabbing a big tree beside me. In the end, I give up and just tried to sit down while lean towards the tree.

”I think I broke one of my legs ”, I said while trying to straighten my legs while sitting.

I tried to scan my surrounding, but it was so dark that my vision is so limited. I tried to look upwards, towards the only source of light here. There was a huge hole over me and I could see the moon in the sky. I think I just fell from that hole. But I don remember anything. Did I hit my head so hard that I forgot about it?

”To think youd survive falling from that height ”, Theres an eerie voice coming from near me. I almost jumped from shock and looked around me, I could see nothing.

”Who is it? who are you? ”, I asked while still scanning my surrounding.

”Can you guess what I am? ”, After he said that, theres a huge pair of eyes appeared in the darkness. I just stood there frightened. Where the hell am I?

”Y-You
e a monster? ”, I asked stammering.

”Hmph, Please don lump me with those ugly monsters ”, I could sense irritation in his voice, ”you come here without knowing what I am? Do your parents never talk about me? ”

”No ”, I shook my head wildly. Why should my parents talk about some scary monster like him?

”Impossible! you
e the son of those Amberster nobles, right? I could sense their blood flowing inside of you and your parents should know about my presence ”, He said like it was the most normal thing in this world. But Amberster?

”Do you know my parents? ”, I asked suspiciously.

”Of course, your family have been reigning here as the lord of this territory for generations. Let alone your parents, I even know your grandparents and great-grandparents too ”, I could see his eyes like he was reminiscing something.

”By the way, you
e the first one to arrive here after a long time. In the past, it used to be fun here. Many people seek me, asking me to grant them a blessing. But those are boring and arrogant people, so I killed them in the end hahaha ”, His eyes turned evil, like when someone evil doing an evil thing that they enjoy.

”So, you
e also here to ask for my blessing? for my power? ”

I forgot the fact that in front of me is some kind of monster, which means that Im not on earth anymore. And he also mentions ”Amberster ”, that name rings a bell for me. Its the name of the character in the novel that Ive read lately. Although hes not a very important character, his death sparks a few arcs inside the novel, especially those arcs about the nobles.

”So what do you seek human? ”, His eyes are smiling, like he already knows the answer to that. I bet he asks the same question to every human in the past.

And I know from the novel the answer that I should give to him. I tried to stand up leaning on one of my legs and grabbing a tree beside me while staring straight into his eyes.

”I am here seeking the blessing of a mighty dragon ”, I answered clearly this time.

His eyes widened for a few seconds and then he just laugh, ”hahaha, this is the first time someone answer like that! ”, The reaction I expected from the novel was, ”In the past, all those dumb humans always begging for my power or just arrogantly asking for it. But you human, you don sound too arrogant while not begging. Looks like Amberster did raise their children right this time ”

I let him laugh for a while until he was satisfied. After finished laughing, he stared back straight into me and asked, ”But, are you worthy of having my power? ”, he asked gleefully.

This question is the hardest question. If I answered, ecause I want to save the world and protect those who I love, like the main character inside the novel, then hed just answer, Nah, boring, and end it there. So I can use ”right ” or ”kind ” answers like that.

So I need a better answer than the main character. The fact that he answers ”boring ” maybe leads to the real answer here. Maybe I should tell him something that interests him.

”I know the future ”, I said confidently.

And then he laughs again. But this time, the laughter was so loud that I almost make him stop it. ”Another unexpected answer ”, he said while still laughing for a bit, ”So, tell me hows the future looks like ”

”Well, therell be a big war happening, thats for sure ”

”Human races are always at war with each other, whats so confusing about that? ”, He said doubtfully.

”How about I tell you something that no one other than you knows? ”, I asked.

”Ho, tell me ”, I felt like he was becoming closer to me too.

”Balaur ”, I said with a low tone.

I said one name that no one other than him and other dragons should know. Yep, its his name. Judging by his reaction, he also didn expect those words to come out of my mouth. Thus, he laughs again. But this time, the laugh is more sinister.

”How do you know my name, human? ”, He asked with a tinge of doubtful and anger in his voice. I could understand him because his name shouldn be known to anyone. The reason for that is, that he never gives his blessing to anyone, so its weird that someone already knows it.

”I told you, I know the future ”, I said with a poker face.

”And what has the future have to do with my name? ”, I could feel the irritation in his voice.

”What if I told you that, in the future, youll give your blessing to someone, and that someone will tell your name to everyone ”, I lied.

After that he suddenly gets silent. His eyes keep piercing me, so I have to keep my composure here, if not hell easily expose my lie. A few seconds passed while we were at a staring contest here. Lastly, he opened his mouth and asked calmly while still staring at me with those sharp eyes, ”Why do you want my blessing? ”

Now, this should be the last question. After ”why are you here ” and ”Are you worthy? ”, ”Why do you want my blessing ”, should be the last one right? I need to answer this question carefully then or else I don know whatll happen to me.

I know from the novel that someone from the devil race is being asked the very same question by the dragon in front of me. His answer was, ”I want to kill all of those humans ”, but this dragon soul in front of me just laugh and did not give him the blessing.

I guess if a kind or righteous answer is wrong and an evil answer is wrong, then I guess Ive got no choice now. Im thinking hard but Ive got no answer, so Ill just gamble on myself and answer him about whatever I feel right now.

”I want to live longer ”, I told him.

Theres a slight pause before he asked, ”You said therell be a big war in the future, are you going to avoid that? ”

”No, but I plan to SURVIVE that ”, I answer truthfully. This time, I didn lie. Im not that naive to think that Id prevent the war or I could avoid war. But at least, I plan to survive the war.

The eyes that have been staring at me all this time seem to be closed right now. I don know what hes thinking about, but time passed slowly right now. If he doesn give me his blessing then it means the death of me. I can even get out of this place alive in this situation.

Suddenly he opened his eyes and asked, ”What if I told you that even with my blessing you won be able to live longer like you just said? ”

”Do you mean that even with your blessing, I still couldn survive the war? ”, I asked suspiciously. Because its hard to imagine. Dragon Power is the strongest magic power in this world. As long as Im not fighting against another dragon power user, Ill be able to survive.

”Ha! youll know about it soon ”, he said amusingly, ”For now, I, Balaur, will give you my blessing. This oath will stay true until we reach the end of our journey ”

I couldn even process what he just said until he finished saying all that. Suddenly I could see darkness start to envelop me. I feel hurt like my whole body was forced to regenerate, like something big was forced into my body.

***

Suddenly everyone from the capital to the neighbouring countries could see dark clouds hovering over the whole kingdom. The clouds circled with a rumble of thunder like it was about to pour some big rain that would flood the entire country.

Everyones coming out of their house looking upwards and pointing towards the sky. The dark clouds keep hovering, rumbling, and sometimes give a big thunder explosion. It makes people confused, its summer right?, everyone thought the same thing.

Inside the throne room, the king is looking worriedly towards the sky, he got a bad feeling about this.

”Elanre, whats happening here ”, Asked the king, communicating to the dragon souls that reside under the royal castle. Most countries keep the location of their dragon soul a secret. But someone whos gotten a blessing of a dragon soul could still communicate with them as long as they
e close enough. When the first king of this country got a blessing of a dragon, he built a castle on top of it.

”this… I don know ”, Answered the voice inside his head. Its a womans voice that gives people a calm and soothing feeling. Very different from Balaur which gives people an evil feeling.

Suddenly theres someone opening a door to the throne room. This room is one of the most guarded rooms in the royal castle, so not everyone could just get in the throne room.

”Father ”, If Aleks was here, hed recognize her, because shes his fiancee, the youngest princess of the Ashten kingdom, Evelyn Ashten. She should be attending the academy by next year.

”Father, I brought the royal magician here ”, she said worriedly.

”Greetings your majesty ”, The royal magician bowed while saying that.

”Joseph, do you know whats happening here? ”, Asked the king.

”I never heard something like this happening in the past ”, He said regretfully, ”But those dark clouds, I could sense magic in them. Like… something evil ”

”Hmm… Yes I also feel that ”, Said the king while scratching his chin, ”Can this be the work of the devils? ”

”No, I don think so, your majesty ”

”Father, are we going to be fine? ”

”don wo- ”

Suddenly before the king finishes his words, there seems like a dark light was shooting towards the sky. And when it reach all those dark clouds, it suddenly exploded, making a big explosion sound that make even the ground vibrate. The wave of those explosions seems like clearing all of the dark clouds hovering above the kingdom. Everyone that hears it would close their ears.

Suddenly, when everyone thinks its already finished, theres a big roar resounding the whole kingdom. Like a very big and dangerous beast was about to be free. The roar was so evil and loud. Everyone that hears it could sense fear.

When the king hears it, it feels like a sound that he knows. Its like… a dragon roar. Suddenly theres a voice inside his head telling him something unexpected. The king then fall down to his butt while staring at the clear night sky.

”Father! ” ”Your majesty! ”

The source of both of those voices runs towards him to check for his condition.

”What happens to you, father? ”, Asked his daughter sensing nothing wrong with his fathers body.

”Evil Dragon ”, The king only mutter those words.

”What? ”

”Its an Evil Dragon. An Evil Dragon has been released! ”, The king said clearly this time.

And thus, thats how the legend of the evil dragon starts. From this point onwards, even the future couldn be predicted anymore. The clear night sky of the kingdom that night seems to indicate something big yet to come.