Valerian, The Legendary

He looked at her appearance again and could not help but wonder. Fortuna was now as big as an adult lion. her wings were spread wide, covering ten meters of the area. A long tail that was gradually getting thinner at the end, and a body covered with silver scales. She was giving off a dominating presence.

This surprised the young man, but he also gradually calmed down, and asked, “Are your ailments cured now?”

Fortuna said, “Yes, I can fly now, my mana core is rejuvenated as well. However, my size has still not reached its fullest.”

Valerian shrugged his shoulders and said, “I am not aware of what your real size should be, but if you can, please fly high with a bird physique. From what I have seen in the scenes from the river of time, some people are very strong, and they will do anything to get a hold of you.”

Fortuna nodded and said, “Obviously I am aware of that. I have yet to grow to the level where I am almost invincible.”

Valerian nodded and said, “Can we leave this place now?”

Fortuna nodded and they backtracked from the path they had come in here. On the way when they passed the sight of the third trial, Fortuna opened her mouth and blew fire at all the dragon bone scattered at the place. Valerian opened his eyes wide and asked, “What are you doing?”

Fortuna said, “Sending them off respectfully. It is my duty as the kin princess. They were all the future of the kin, but they succumbed in such a place, they must have worked hard to reach this place so this is the least I can do for them.”

.....

Valerian sighed and they kept on walking as the scene behind them turned from a desert of bones to a desert of ashes. In the second trial hall, they found Syreli sitting on a stone platform, with her hands tied to magically engraved chains. However, now, the runes carved on the chains were glowing and she was lost in a daze.

Fortuna said, “Dragonkin is proficient in a lot of things, one of them is forging artifacts, these chains are one of those artifacts. They keep her in a daze when activated, preventing her from harming others.”

Valerian nodded, he found that this place was relatively cleaner than the other two rooms. He asked, “It could not be that all the contenders passed this level that the room is so clean right? If someone did perish here, then where are the bones?”

Fortuna said, “Sometimes I wonder if you really are smart, why do you suddenly become so stupid? Tell me, do you think she is a saint who will let go of the failed contenders? Eaten, they were all eaten by this thing, Syrelis are not very health friendly for other species.”

Valerian gulped and nodded, the two came to the first trial spot and found Dignus laying in his spot with his eyes closed. When the two approached the red dragon raised his head, and facing Fortuna his head leaned forward and it said, “Greetings, Your Highness.”

Fortuna nodded in a subtle manner, and said, “The trial has been completed, and I would like to leave this place.”

Dignus nodded and said, “As you wish, Your Highness, but may I ask, when do you intend to visit the ancestral land and get coronated?”

Fortuna fell silent for a bit and said, “I will go back when I have an opportunity, but as for the coronation, it will be only when my revenge has been exercised.”

Dignus was surprised but then he understood that the death of their king and the queen must be avenged. As a dragon himself, he knew very well, that dragons never let go of hatred. This hatred will run for generations and through times, till the culprit and his offspring are left in the dust. He nodded and said, “Very well, Your highness.”

That said, Valerian picked up Priscilla off the floor and the group of people moved out of the place. On the way back, the nether bugs did not bother them.

...

Outside the cavern, the scenery was the same. However, now they could fly up. Valerian asked Mathiyus to come back, and the leopard was stuffed back in the beast bag and Linea was released. Fortuna could fly on her own, but she was not yet strong enough to carry Valerian on her back. The guy was not light.

Her wings were new, and also she was not the bonded magical companion of Valerian, so the boy could not ride her back either. The prince and his maid settled on the back of the thunder falcon, who followed behind the young dragon. The speed of two was very fast, and in a few breaths, they were about to reach the top of the vent, when Fortuna suddenly blew out fire from her mouth.

Valerian was behind and could not see what was happening in the front but the dragon replied, “The air vent is about to end, but the savage Valkyrians had set up traps to catch the creatures that might come out flying from the end.”

Valerian understood that she had just destroyed the traps and said, “Be careful. Since they knew this place was special and set traps there, this means they must have some people outside keeping an eye on the situation. Stay alert.”

Fortuna nodded and they came out of the air vent. This place was a straight duct from the summit of the mountain to the bottom of it. Magical gateways were just like these. They could be found but not accessed by just anyone.

Fortuna roared and made a quick circle, Linea followed her and said, “Your excellency, do you see that?”

Fortuna nodded and said, “These maggots. They really do not know what is better for them.”

Fortuna dived down, but Linea did not follow, he kept circling around in the sky. Valerian asked, “What happened?”

Linea said, “The humans in this region have cast a huge barrier at the summit, limiting the range of flight and forming a cage. Sooner or later we will have to land and that will be their opportunity to hunt us down.”

Valerian nodded and said, “Linea, try to stay flying for as long as possible, I will go down there.”

Linea said, “Sire, allow me.”

Linea descended the sky fast and when it was close enough to the ground, Valerian jumped off and the bird flew away with Priscilla on his back. The maid was useless in this fight. Her mana was scarce and the number of people they had to face was at least a few hundred. They were all warriors of the peak seventh grade, Valerian was lacking in strength but his magic abilities covered it for him.”

Valerian noticed that the surface of the ground was engraved, at this moment Linea’s voice sounded in his mind, “Sire, I have located a tent on your right. A strong mana source is present there.”

The young man nodded and said, “Thank you, I will deal with it.”

While he was still observing the surroundings, he was surrounded by a lot of berserkers, and thinking about this, he took out his knives and dashed forward. His figure was slower in comparison and his moves lacked ruthlessness, but he picked up pretty quickly. His figure flashed through the gaps revealed by the chaotic horde of Valkyrians.

On the other side, Fortuna was fighting with no hold bars, she was too overpowered for this group. She used everything at her disposal, spells, might, tail, fire breath. It was a massacre, wherever she stepped, a trail of blood followed her.

The entire summit was only filled with a metallic smell after half an hour. Yet, the bloodshed did not end. Valerian was moving quickly through the crowd and he was reaping lives as well. However, his face was covered with a few bruises and his torso had some skin wounds. Despite all this, he did not stop.

He moved around using seven elements at his disposal, and the impact was shocking. His clothes were dripping with the blood of his enemies, his silver hair had turned red from the constant spray of blood on them. Suddenly, just as he slashed a knife in his hand to slit the throat of an enemy, he was kicked from the side.

He followed the impact and rolled over to the side while he cast rippling spears spell. Tens of Valkyrian warriors died at the use of a simple spell. In the sky, Linea watched this and wished to fight but Priscilla said, “If only I was this strong.”

Valerian and Fortuna reached the tent but they had to cross a river of blood and corpses they left behind.