The wind whistled through the stone ruins of the old world. The echo of the party’s footsteps reverberated off the charred walls and desolate valleys. Kael led the way, his eyes constantly scanning the horizon.

“Scout territory.” — he muttered under his breath. — “We can’t let them spot us.”

Valdor nodded. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword. Behind them, like a shadow, Mayuri followed. Suddenly, she stopped and knelt down.

“Someone was here… recently.” — she said. — “Footprints. But something’s not right.”

The wolf’s paw print in the mud was too large. Too symmetrical. Unnatural.

Suddenly — a whistling sound. An arrow whizzed past Valdor’s ear and embedded itself in a tree. Valdor dropped to the ground and drew his sword.

A figure leaped out of the bushes. A woman. Wild, with eyes like a beast’s and hair tied in a braid. She had claws and fangs, and fury in her gaze.

“You’re not welcome here!” — she screamed

Valdor parried her attack, and Kael stepped in from the side, blade drawn. Mayuri slipped between them.

“Stop! We’re not from the Empire!” said Valdor.

Valdor sheathed his sword and took a few steps forward.

“I’m Valdor. And you?”

The woman hesitated. She was breathing heavily.

“Arwen Kori. I am the last of an ancient lineage.”

Valdor looked into her eyes. Her golden pupils reminded him of his own.

“You don’t have to be afraid of us. We don’t want to hurt you. Please, trust us.”

That night, they sat by the campfire. Arwen told the story of her people’s destruction.

“The Empire came suddenly. They burned everything. The settlement. The clan. My family. They even killed the children. And I… I survived. And I learned to fight like a wolf.”

There was a silence in her voice that hurt more than a scream.

“I don’t trust strangers.” — she said. — “But you… you have eyes like mine. Let’s test it. Let’s fight. By the wolves’ rules.”

Valdor nodded. He stood up and set down his weapon.

“All right, if I win, you’ll join our team…” — said Valdor.

“Fine, but if I win, you’ll let me go.” — Arwen replied.

They fought without words. Hand-to-hand combat. Body against body. Arwen moved like a shadow; Valdor blocked her strikes and held his ground.

Finally, she let herself be knocked down. She lay motionless, and he looked her straight in the eyes.

“You’re not alone. Welcome to our team.”

Arwen was silent. And then, for the first time, she smiled.

“You can count on me.”

Valdor reached out his hand to her and helped her up.

A few days later, as they were wandering through the red forest, Kael raised his hand.

“There’s something here… mines.”

Valdor took a step forward and… there was a flash. A runic mine. A wave of fire swept across the clearing.

Valdor fell. His arm was wounded. Mayuri immediately ran over and began treating him.

“Don’t move!” — he shouted. — “We’re trapped!”

Imperial scouts emerged from the forest. They surrounded them. They held weapons and amulets in their hands.

“We’re surrounded.” — Kael yelled.

The battle began in a flash. Arwen transformed into her wolf form — her claws glinted, and her movements became a blur.

Valdor got back on his feet despite the pain and rallied his team to fight.

“We’re not backing down! Forward!”

Mayuri created barriers. Kael fought like a demon, striking from the flank.

The forest was ablaze. Smoke blanketed the sky.

When it was all over, Arwen, covered in blood, spat into the ashes.

“They didn’t think we’d survive.”

As they moved away from the battlefield, Mayuri spotted something glinting among the ruins of an old church. She walked over and uncovered a fragment of stone.

“That… that’s a piece of a dragon’s core!”

“Seriously… I thought it had been destroyed…”

Valdor stepped closer and touched the fragment. At that moment, a vision filled his mind.

Father. The Dragon King.

“Son… this is only the beginning.”

Valdor fell to his knees. His body began to glow, and the shadow of a dragon emerged from his back. A powerful aura of fire and magic.

“Agh!” — Valdor cried out in pain.

“This power…” — Mayuri whispered. — “We are witnessing the birth of a new Dragon Lord…”

Valdor fainted.

Kael held him in his arms.

“You’re not alone, man.”

After resting, Arwen kept watch over Valdor. Mayuri gazed at the sky, looking worried.

“Something is approaching… something greater than war…”

Kael surveyed the area; all he could see were charred bodies.

“We’ve got a visitor. The trail is fresh.”

At Imperial headquarters, the commanders were analyzing the movements.

“He uses fire as an element. It has to be him…”

A new figure emerged from the shadows. A red cloak, face concealed.

“Dragon blood… still alive… interesting.”

Meanwhile, Valdor woke up. He looked at Arwen.

“What happened?”

Arwen told him everything. No omissions, no lies.

“I see… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you.” — said Valdor.

When Valdor stood up, the group moved on.

Mayuri lagged behind for a moment. She looked up at the sky.

“Something bigger is approaching…”

From a distance, the shadow of a new enemy watched the burning tree, his red cloak fluttering in the wind.

“The end is coming…” — he whispered.

Valdor stood at the edge of the cliff. A ruined fortress loomed in the distance.

“If that’s an Imperial base… that’s where we’ll strike.”

The dragon’s blood has returned. And the fire will burn once more.