The Monster King's Legacy-Chapter 125: The Sacred Peaks

Close to a day later, after flying over the glacial plains without stopping again, Lance and Aelyndra arrived before an endless body of water. Before they would cross the ocean, they had to first rest, so Aelyndra dropped onto the land of ice and rocks below, spotting a rather favorable resting place.

The air grew thick with moisture as Lance and Aelyndra approached the coast. The rhythmic crash of waves against jagged rocks filled the air, and the horizon was dominated by a churning, dark sea.

Aelyndra's golden eyes narrowed as she studied the restless waters. "Something is wrong. The ocean is... angry."

Lance glanced at her, uneasy. "Angry? Please, don't jinx any thi-"

Before he could finish, the ground trembled violently beneath their feet. A massive wave crashed into the shoreline, sending sprays of saltwater high into the air. Rapidly, from the depths, a shadow began to rise, enormous and terrifying in its scale.

The mere scale of it was unbelievable, causing the entire surface of the waters to darken immediately.

As the creature emerged, Lance's jaw dropped. He needed not be told, it was a leviathan… a monstrous sea beast unlike anything he'd ever imagined before in his life.

This creature was so big that even Aelyndra looked like a fat muscular horse compared to its draconic form. Its scaly body looked like rocks, tainted with streaks of cracks gleaming with a sickly green, and its eyes burned with a crazed, unnatural light. Spanning at least four times Aelyndra's size, and Aelyndra was about 18 metres in height, the leviathan's tentacles lashed wildly, each one almost the full size of Aelyndra herself.

"Well," Lance said, gripping his sword tightly, more instinctively than not, as there wasn't much he could do against such monstrosity, "this wasn't on the itinerary."

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The leviathan roared, a guttural sound that sent shockwaves through the air and water. It seem to be paying them much attention. It appeared they had just come to the right place at the wrong time.

"This shouldn't even be here in shallow waters!" Lance said, getting back on Aelyndra's back, first jumping unto her shoulder, then on her back.

Suddenly, the creature caught sight of them, and it lunged forward, its massive body creating waves that surged toward the shore, bathing Aelyndra in a wave of salt water and almost washing Lance off her back.

Aelyndra did her best shield them from the waves, using her wings and a magic shield, though, more than enough still managed to get through open parts. "This beast is beyond our strength." Aelyndra said.

Aelyndra growled, her golden eyes blazing. "This is no ordinary creature. It's corrupted—driven mad by some dark force. It will take a while before it can reach any civilization. If we get back soon enough, I can report this so that a suitable dragon can come take care of it."

Before Lance could respond with a question, and as soon as the waves subsided, the leviathan struck with one of its massive tentacles. It only missed its mark by a few metres, shattering a nearby ice formation. Aelyndra leaped into the air immediately, not wasting any time.

The leviathan had noticed them now, lashing out with its tentacles. Aelyndra dodged and weaved, her agility keeping her just out of reach. Lance who was experiencing such extreme maneuvers for the first time held on for dear life, his body slamming against her scales from time to time. Luckily, Aelyndra's scales were smoother than all the draconic creatures Lance had seen so far, and most importantly, he had his magic to assist.

Aelyndra swiftly escaped back towards the Frozen Pass before rising high enough into the skies that the leviathan was no longer a threat, then they traveled above it, heading towards their final destination.

They watched as the leviathan let out a deafening roar. Its tentacles slammed into the water, creating massive waves that surged toward the shore. The leviathan kept thrashing wildly, destroying quite a lot of the ice formations, its movements growing erratic before calming down only moments later, slowly returning back into the waters.

…

The journey took them another day before they neared their destination. Lance had also grown tired of seeing the same blue sea all around, where ever he looked. He had even started to question different things of nature, like how Aelyndra was sure of which direction to fly in without getting lost.

Once they reached their destination, Lance was surprised to still see no sight of land anywhere he looked, and rather there was only the same water that greeted him. Aelyndra had stopped momentarily, hovering several metres above the waters.

"You're sure we aren't lost, right?" He questioned, looking at the vast blue waters that stretched seemingly infinitely in all directions.

"Haha, whoever said that there was land on water?" Aelyndra said with a light laugh.

Suddenly, she dove down face first towards the water, causing Lance's heart rate to rise. Perhaps, in that moment, he couldn't imagine that these great dragons were actually sea animals.

Then, just before they hit the waters, Aelyndra changed course and soared into the skies, breaking past the clouds, and then as though they had just passed through a mirror, they emerged on a totally different scenery.

The first thing Lance noticed as they appeared was the sky. It was impossibly blue, clearer and more vibrant than any sky he'd ever seen. Massive peaks pierced the heavens, their jagged tips dusted with snow at some parts, while cascading waterfalls shimmered like liquid silver in the distance. It was simply unbelievable and surreal.

Lance's almost remained agape as they passed over a sea of clouds, stopping once they reached land. The ground itself was a patchwork of vibrant greenery and glistening rivers that sparkled under the sun. Everything about the scenery was overwhelming in its grandeur, as if the land itself had been shaped by gods.

Lance stood at the edge of a ridge, his breath catching in his throat. "This is… unbelievable."

Aelyndra walked beside him, her vibrant dark, red and golden scales gleaming in the sunlight.

Speaking softly, her voice carrying a note of reverence, she said. "These are the Sacred Peaks. Welcome to the land of dragons."

...

Aelyndra led Lance through the valley that formed a sort of entrance, where the enormity of the surroundings became even more apparent. Enormous nests of intricately woven branches rested on ledges, each one large enough to house several buildings without issue.

Lance's mouth came agape as he saw the nest structures, turning to look at Aelyndra. "Dragons don't happen to live in nest… do they?" He asked, his tone wondrous as much as it was embarrassed.

"Of course not. Dragons aren't the only creatures that live in this land after all." Aelyndra explained. At that very moment, as though scripted, massive winged forms soared above, their scales shimmering in the sunlight in different areas, but what gave them even more beauty were the colourful and beautiful feathers. These creatures looked like birds, but also like some species of draconic creature. Lance just marveled at them.

"I can't believe you grew up here," he said, his voice tinged with awe.

Aelyndra glanced at him. "It is magnificent, isn't it? But don't let its beauty fool you. This land is as dangerous as it is breathtaking… For you, of course." She said in a teasing manner, a difference Lance had grown to know now despite her deep and powerful voice.

"Good to know," Lance muttered.

As soon as they went through the valley, they emerged before a large and spacious scenery, where not just nature grew, but also enormous ancient but advanced looking architectural structures. Lance was so amazed at all he was seeing that he forgot to blink.

While he marveled at all these things never seen before, Aelyndra was focused elsewhere, as their arrival had not gone unnoticed. As they emerged from the valley, several dragons landed nearby, their massive forms dwarfing Lance just as much as Aelyndra, but compared to her, most were smaller. Their scales gleamed in an array of colors; red, silver, and mostly black, while their eyes glinted with curiosity and suspicion.

One dragon, a sleek female with scales the color of midnight, stepped forward. "Aelyndra," she said, her voice smooth but edged with coldness. "You return at last. And with... a mortal?"

Aelyndra didn't appear so much as bothered, flaring her wings slightly. "This is Lance. He is my companion and ally."

The black dragon's golden eyes narrowed as she examined Lance. "A mortal… It is not often that we allow outsiders to tread on our sacred ground."

Lance raised his hands, forcing a smile. "I'll try not to get in the way." He said, drawing a few eyes before he was ignored briefly.

The black dragon let out a low growl, but another dragon, an older male with scales of burnished bronze, stepped forward. "Enough, Velyra. Aelyndra has returned, and she brings a guest. Let us not cast judgment before hearing their purpose."

Aelyndra inclined her head slightly toward the older dragon. "Thank you, Rymak. If there's nothing more, I will seek the council now to give reports of my journey and present them our visitor."

As Aelyndra and Lance made their way through, Lance could hear Velyra grumble behind them, "What does she mean by "our" visitor?"

"Enough already." Another said.